Liu Taiping
"Vice Commandant Quan, tell me what my wife has been doing of late."
"Sir! This subordinate will begin her report. As per sir's orders, the Princess Jujue has been confined within the walls of your palace. Unfortunately, this has not stopped her from being approached by Princess Cilanru of Grand Marshal He Jin's faction and that worm Zhang Rang of the Ten Regular Attendants. This one observed Princess Cilanru's visit as being altruistic in nature and thus inconsequential." That would probably explain Liu Xie's actions earlier, after all, he's usually not that self-righteous. He probably thinks I'm trying to align myself and thus the Heizhenzu with the eunuchs or the warlords.
"And Zhang Rang?" Cilanru I could care less about. Within the confines of the Imperial Palace, she's just a pretty face with no true power, at least not until the next emperor takes power. Zhang Rang is a different story, however. If Cilanru is a rose bereft of thorns, Zhang Rang is heartbreak grass, unassuming on the surface but incredibly fatal.
"This unworthy slave was unable to overhear their conversation. This slave has no excuses, please punish this lowly one as you see fit."
"No need, you did the right thing. Anything else to report?" I'd prefer it if my wife believes she has some veneer of privacy. It's more interesting that way anyways.
"A thousand apologies but this slave was unable to stop the Princess Jujue from taking that from sir's personal armory." I halt mid-step. If she really took that...
"Are you absolutely sure Vice Commandant?" As Quan Linwen opens her mouth to answer, I cut her off, "Be very, very careful with your next words; this is not a joking matter. If this Prince discovers that you've lied about this, even your grandfather's contributions will not save you."
"This one swears on the graves of her ancestors that she is not mistaken. May the Heavens smite me if I speak any untruth."
I stare intensely at Quan Linwen, gauging herposture, tone, eyes, peeling her apart layer by layer. She's utterly convincedof what she saw, and now, so am I. In spite of this conclusion, I find myselfstill probing, investigating, looking for something that I know isn't there. Why?I turn my gaze inward, seeking to pierce the depths of my own soul. "What?" Iunconsciously verbalize my shock. Instead of the tranquil and clear ocean, I'vealways been greeted by a tremendous and impenetrable tempest is all Iencounter. Quickly withdrawing, the voice of logic screams at me: she mustdisappear! Another voice replies, however, a deafening whisper of the sameword —the same name— repeating without respite. It is a relentless hail, andlike the ocean waves that slowly shear away even the most impregnable cliffs, Ican only hear the same restless melody: Zeyue, Zeyue, Zeyue...
YOU ARE READING
The Foreign Empress
Historical FictionA cold and potentially fatal marriage, an imperial court embroiled in assassination and conflict, a hidden conspiracy that could shatter not just a four-century-long peace but the empire itself. In the midst of it all, a girl whose struggle to survi...
