CH 38

Abandoned Empress 13

Xin Lan climbed out of the window and floated down lightly to the ground, then scaled the wall and stepped onto a nearby tree branch, concealing her figure amidst the leaves.

If she wanted to bring down the Emperor from his position, she would inevitably have to first remove his henchmen, just as he had done to the Xin family.

Xin Lan’s first target was the Commander of the Imperial Guards, also known as the Imperial Forest Army, responsible for protecting the safety of the imperial city. This was the first lock Wu Yanqing had placed upon himself.

After investigating for several days, Xin Lan pretended to pass by the Commander of the Imperial Guards and had Zero Nine scan his situation, piecing together the information through snippets of conversation from neighbors.

Dong Huaixi, this person, was indeed one of Wu Yanqing’s more loyal subordinates—competent, with a clean family background, easily manipulated, and not easily swayed by other influential powers.

Xin Lan had no intention of using coercion or temptation. For what she needed to accomplish, the slow process of gradually building influence and infiltrating was too time-consuming. She required efficiency.

So, she chose a rather villainous approach to pave her path as the protagonist.

Dong Huaixi had a beloved in the brothel, and a fierce wife at home. He couldn’t redeem himself for that person.

As soon as Xin Lan learned of this, she immediately began her investigation. Ironically, Dong Huaixi’s so-called beloved in the brothel was merely a perfunctory presence to him.

She only loved Dong Huaixi for being more generous with money than other patrons and for showing a bit more tenderness. To say she was heartless in her pretense would be an overstatement because she had someone in her heart—she had feelings for a physician in a medical clinic.

The physician was benevolent, always helping others and relieving their suffering, yet he often found himself in dire straits. She would frequently visit his clinic, bringing him food and supporting his business.

The story seemed to always unfold this way: he loved her, but she loved someone else.

However, this wasn’t Xin Lan’s concern. She told the young woman that if she could help her accomplish a certain task, she would redeem her.

Who wouldn’t want to live an upright life? Xin Lan didn’t want her to scheme for wealth or harm anyone. She only needed her to light a certain incense and jingle some bells. The young woman quickly agreed.

The timing for Dong Huaixi’s visit happened to be tonight, so Xin Lan immediately left her house and arrived at the Hongxiu Pavilion, making the necessary arrangements. She gave the young woman a portion of silver as a down payment to put her at ease, waiting for her prey to arrive.

As Dong Huaixi entered the room, a strong fragrance immediately greeted his senses.

Suddenly, he felt a bit dizzy. He shook his head to clear his mind, yet found the intoxicating scent quite pleasant.

“Why is there a different fragrance today?”

“Mother recently acquired some new spices, so I asked for a few. I find them quite delightful. My lord, don’t you like it?”

Qingqing leaned against him, softly pressing her body against his. Dong Huaixi paid no attention to the fragrance anymore, embracing the person in his arms and shaking his head absentmindedly.

“Why wouldn’t I like it? Whatever my darling Qingqing loves, I love too. Come, sit down and have a drink with me, let’s chat.”

Qingqing nodded, secretly relieved.

If this man had impatiently tried to go straight to the bed, she would have had to find a way to jingle the bells. But since he suggested drinking right away, it provided a good opportunity to buy more time.

Dong Huaixi shared some amusing stories, bringing great joy to Qingqing in his embrace. Little did he know whether it was the intoxicating wine or something else, but his head was spinning unusually.

“My lord, I have learned a new dance. Would you like to see it?”

With a soft voice, Qingqing asked, and Dong Huaixi nodded, releasing his hand from her waist.

Qingqing picked up a string of bells from the dressing table and swayed them along with her dance.

Sitting there, Dong Huaixi’s expression grew increasingly vacant, until he seemed completely lost in thought.

Following the woman’s instructions, Qingqing continued shaking the bells for dozens of times, then set them down, anxiously gazing at the seated figure.

A pebble flew in through the window, striking her neck with pinpoint accuracy.

Xin Lan entered through the window and waved her hand in front of the mentally vacant Dong Huaixi.

Dong Huaixi’s gaze was unfocused, as if he hadn’t seen the presence of this person.

Xin Lan was highly satisfied. It was worth having Ah Rou collect various medicinal herbs and spices for days to create this soul-lost incense.

A golden needle appeared in Xin Lan’s hand. Skillfully avoiding the lethal areas, she buried the needle inside Dong Huaixi’s brain.

Dong Huaixi’s expression grew even more vacant, yet he could still see Xin Lan.

“From now on, I am your master, understood?”

“Yes.”

Dong Huaixi nodded, his movements stiff.

“What did the Emperor say to you today?”

Dong Huaixi repeated it word for word, aligning closely with the summary that Xin Lan had heard from Zero Nine earlier.

Xin Lan gently shook Qingqing, who, unaware of what had just happened, stood up from the ground. She didn’t understand why she had suddenly lost consciousness but upon seeing the peculiar woman in front of her, she immediately understood the reason.

“Everything will proceed as usual. Let this incense burn out, and tomorrow I will send someone to redeem you.”

Qingqing nodded. She was simply doing her job for money and didn’t want to think too much about it.

Xin Lan took the bells from the table and once again slipped out through the window.

Faint tinkling sounds drifted in from outside the window. Dong Huaixi shook his head, pressing his hand against his own head.

What just happened? He feel a bit dizzy, but the woman in front of him continues to dance so gracefully, as if nothing is wrong.

“My lord, what’s the matter? Is my dance not pleasing?”

Qingqing’s heart was pounding, yet she forced herself to maintain composure and inquire.

“How could it not be? It’s beautiful, incredibly beautiful.”

After hearing their conversation, Xin Lan’s figure flickered, disappearing from the spot and reappearing on the bustling street, making her way towards the palace.

This method of controlling people is more like the tactics of a villain. It’s not the kind of approach a protagonist would take. It lacks grandeur and fails to win people’s hearts and minds.

Xin Lan, on the other hand, didn’t really care. As long as she could achieve her goals, that was all that mattered.

In the past, she would have simply killed them outright. But now she had learned to keep someone alive for manipulation. She wasn’t sure if she had become better or worse.

Xin Lan entered the Jade Moon Palace, removing the veil from her face. Though the veil was thin and didn’t cover much of her face, it still provided some degree of blurring in people’s memories.

After spending the whole day like this, Xin Lan lay down on her bed and quickly fell asleep.

The next day, Xin Long came to find her and shared the news she had to tell.

“Aunt, Granduncle is not doing well.”

Xin Lan was also taken aback by the words and fell silent for a moment.

Xin Long’s granduncle was her own grandfather, her mother’s father, the Great General Zhenyuan.

Come to think of it, the old man was getting up in years.

The position of the Xin family today owes much to the efforts of the Great General Zhenyuan, who invested considerable thought into finding a suitable son-in-law. Xin Sheng also proved himself by riding on the coattails of his father-in-law’s influence, steadily climbing higher and higher. As a result, the relationship between the Xin family and that side was quite close.

Once the Great General Zhenyuan fell, the Xin family would undoubtedly weaken. They were already struggling to hold on, and with his downfall, the situation would become even less optimistic.

Clearly, everyone in the Xin family was well aware of the gravity of the situation, and even Xin Long couldn’t help but feel anxious.

After comforting her niece, Xin Lan began contemplating the upcoming meeting with the Prime Minister.

On the other side, Wu Yanqing had recovered somewhat and finally remembered the encounter at the Jade Moon Palace. He summoned the guard who went there to inquire about the incident. Trembling, the guard explained that on that day, for some unknown reason, the former Empress was not affected by the confusion. Instead, she used an object to knock him unconscious, dragged him outside the palace, and closed the door behind them.

Wu Yanqing didn’t consider Xin Lan as good fortune but rather thought the guard was useless for being knocked unconscious by a woman. When sending him away, he gave Mei An a meaningful glance.

Mei An understood and suggested inviting the guard for a drink. As the guard drank a poisoned cup, Mei An kicked his lifeless body to the ground.

Several tens of days passed like this, seemingly calm on the surface but with hidden undercurrents surging beneath.

The situation in the court grew increasingly tense, and Wu Yanqing had no time to spare for Xin Lan, so he stopped seeking trouble with her.

Xin Long was left hanging by him. In the imperial harem, he often visited Concubine Xi and Concubine Gui, but their interactions mainly involved sleeping together. Although Wu Yanqing had the intention to engage in such activities, for some reason, whenever he attempted, he felt a chilling sensation as if a blade was scraping against him. Then the memory of that tearing pain would emerge, leaving him with a sullen face and no interest at all.

Concubine Gui bit her handkerchief and shed tears after the Emperor left. Not only was there a possibility that His Majesty couldn’t impregnate anyone, but he also lacked the vigor he once had. She sent someone to inquire about recent happenings in the palace, but there were no recent seductresses captivating the Emperor’s heart. This left her feeling frustrated.

Concubine Xi also noticed this, but her reaction was different from Concubine Gui’s. Silently, she arranged for some mood-enhancing spices and prepared tonics to invigorate the Emperor’s health. As a result, the Emperor regained his former majesty in Concubine Xi’s presence but lacked enthusiasm when visiting others.

Concubine Gui watched with envy, seething with anger inside the palace.

Xin Lan paid no attention to the actions of these women. Her focus was now on the previous dynasty. The support in front was lost, so what could she expect from the back? Conversely, even if she managed to overthrow these individuals behind her, new people would enter the palace.

The Xin family had always advocated for the Emperor’s benefit, using the excuse of enriching the harem with a selection of beauties. The Emperor had no reason to refuse, and after granting permission, he flew into a rage in the study room in front of Qu Zhi’an.

“Zhi’an, look at how pitifully I, the Emperor, am perceived. Even matters in the harem are dictated by those meddlesome individuals. Do you know how unwilling I am?”

Wu Yanqing stared directly at the minister below with urgency in his voice.

He didn’t want Qu Zhi’an to see him as a ruler enthralled by beauty, surrounded by numerous beautiful women. He feared his disapproval.

Furthermore, he knew that the selection process this time would certainly have individuals inserted by the Xin family.

“Your Majesty, please calm down. It is unwise to act impulsively and disrupt grand plans. Even if things go according to their wishes, you are the Emperor. As long as Your Majesty is unwilling, no one in this world can force you.”

Qu Zhi’an bowed respectfully, speaking calmly to the furious Wu Yanqing. It was as if a gentle breeze had entered his heart, extinguishing his anger.

Wu Yanqing found comfort in hearing those words, especially coming from Qu Zhi’an’s mouth. Looking into his eyes, he felt as though he empathized with him.

The monarch and minister continued their conversation, discussing matters until there was nothing more to say. Reluctantly, they bid farewell to each other.

As Qu Zhi’an pushed open the door and stepped outside, the eunuchs, palace maids, and guards at the door quickly saluted. She had become a prominent figure in recent times, highly favored by the Emperor.

It was only after Qu Zhi’an sat in the carriage that her expression changed. A cold smirk appeared on her face, tinged with subtle irony.

In recent days, she had become much more composed, no longer displaying her emotions so openly.

The Emperor used her as a tool to eliminate two individuals, and in turn, she achieved her temporary goals through the Emperor’s support.

Finally, she understood the benefits of power. It could make people come crawling, flatter and fear her.

It also allowed her to do what she wanted.

On the day when Xin Lan closed her net, the Emperor would come to know what it felt like to be the ruler and yet be forced into a corner, left with nothing.