Chapter 117
After concluding the morning court session, the Investigation Bureau and the Secretariat, tasked with investigating the matter, imdiately scheduled a eting to plan their actions. anwhile, Shin Wang’s faction hurried back to strategize their response.
The Empress Dowager, having returned to her palace, seethed with anger for a long ti before calming down and devising a plan to help Shin Wang escape the investigation.
The situation had changed since the ledgers had been switched. Although another investigation was underway, it was not a severe problem. She could fabricate evidence to cover the suspicious gaps in the ledgers, ensuring Shin Wang could ultimately survive the investigation.
However, the truly severe issue was that Shin Wang had been stripped of his power before the investigation began!
Once the power was stripped, even if the investigation later proved his innocence, there was no guarantee that the Emperor would return his power...
Once at entered a tiger’s mouth, it was unlikely the tiger would spit it out.
The Empress Dowager glanced down at the teacup in her hand, her eyes fixed on the calm surface of the tea. A cold glint in her eyes made her seem intimidating.
It seed that this ti Shin Wang had fallen into the enemy’s trap. Although she couldn’t be sure that the Emperor was the mastermind behind this, it was certain that he benefited from the power seizure!
She would find a way to reclaim the power later. For now, the important thing was to create evidence to clear Shin Wang of wrongdoing in the investigation and be cautious of future traps from the enemy...
Royal Study
Inside the vast royal study, all eunuchs and maids were made to wait outside, leaving only the Emperor, his trusted eunuch, and Mu Gongzhen to confer.
Chen Feng Yue, having changed into his usual casual attire worn in the palace, was playing a relaxed ga of Weiqi with his companion. His usually cold eyes now showed a faint smile, revealing a rare good mood that had not been seen for months.
"At last, I have seized power from Shin Wang. From now on, it will be much easier for to carry out my plans," he said in a calm voice, placing a black piece on the board.
"That may be true to so extent, but after this, it will be harder to find opportunities to target Shin Wang, as he will be more cautious for a long ti,"
Mu Gongzhen replied with an expressionless face, placing a white piece on a corner of the board.
Chen Feng Yue glanced over the Weiqi board before placing his piece. "For now, the Empress Dowager and her faction will likely lay low. Once the investigation is over, she will surely plan to reclaim power."
"That’s probably the case. We must wait and see. If the enemy doesn’t make a move first, we won’t be able to find any weaknesses to exploit," Mu Gongzhen nodded in agreent, placing another white piece on the board.
"Tied again. Why don’t you ever go easy on ?"
Chen Feng Yue said half-jokingly, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he looked at the board, showing the usual draw.
"You were the one who said not to go easy, Your Majesty,"
Mu Gongzhen replied nonchalantly. He turned to pour tea into his cup and took a sip to quench his thirst. Seeing this, Chen Feng Yue poured himself a cup and took a drink before praising his friend.
"Oh, yes. The success of this matter is all thanks to you. It was your clever plan that allowed us to strike at Shin Wang so effectively."
Chen Feng Yue genuinely praised him. For years, he had tried to find an opportunity to undermine Shin Wang’s power but had failed. Shin Wang’s power had grown every year, putting Chen Feng Yue at a significant disadvantage if left unchecked.
Until a few days ago, Mu Gongzhen, his close friend and strategist, had presented him with a plan to seize Shin Wang’s power. It started with spreading rumors among the populace, leading to rumors that tarnished the royal court’s reputation, prompting the officials to report the matter in the throne room.
When Chen Feng Yue authorized the investigation, it was just one step in the process toward the ultimate goal. The initial investigation would reveal issues in Shin Wang’s ledgers, sparking a debate in the throne room.
Mu Gongzhen had predicted that if the Emperor himself suggested seizing Shin Wang’s power, the Empress Dowager’s faction would strongly oppose it, causing chaos. Therefore, he proposed leading the virtuous officials to lead the charge, especially Master Zhao.
This led to the true ledgers, swapped en route, being handed over to Zhao Chundi for inspection, making the virtuous official like Zhao Chundi the main figure to demand the seizure of Shin Wang’s power.
When the Empress Dowager appeared in the throne room, it was like pouring oil on the fire, further fueling the fervor of the virtuous officials led by Zhao Chundi to press for the decisive seizure of Shin Wang’s power.
Ultimately, in the eyes of outsiders, Chen Feng Yue simply appeared to be following the will of the majority of officials, leaving the Empress Dowager and her faction without any grounds to oppose the power seizure...
It was an ingenious plan, allowing them to sit back and watch the tigers fight!
Upon receiving the praise, Mu Gongzhen didn’t say anything, he rely gave a slight smile.
His plan?
No...it was actually his youngest sister’s plan!
It was Ying’er who devised the plan and shared it with him. When Mu Gongzhen first heard it, he was secretly shocked by the detail and ingenuity, then astonished by his little sister’s cleverness.
He knew Ying’er was smart, but he hadn’t realized just how intelligent she truly was...
This plan was primarily executed by Ying’er and her people, with Mu Gongzhen and Chen Feng Yue providing support and orchestrating events from within the royal palace.
"Your Majesty, it would be wise to quickly deal with the power that has been reclaid. Right now, we still have ti to eliminate Shin Wang’s people in the court. Once the investigation is complete, the Empress Dowager will likely prevent any further actions against them," Mu Gongzhen advised.
With Shin Wang’s power seized, it was an opportune mont to remove his allies, effectively crippling the enemy and preventing them from taking any action like before.
"I understand. I will have soone gather information before we plan our next move," Chen Feng Yue nodded. The two continued their conversation for a while before Mu Gongzhen excused himself to attend to his duties, and Chen Feng Yue returned to his petitions.
Zhuiping Residence
Mu Yingying, having received reports from her people, was in a cheerful mood. She read the reports with a wide smile, her big, round eyes sparkling like jewels.
At last, her plan had succeeded!
She had successfully undermined Shin Wang’s power. From now on, dealing with him would not be such an overwhelming task. However, she had to be cautious of the Empress Dowager.
Even though Shin Wang’s power was diminished, the Empress Dowager still wielded significant influence.
"Miss, should we disrupt the investigation?" a man in black asked her with curiosity.
"No need. Disruption would be futile. The Empress Dowager’s people will surely have prepared evidence to clear Shin Wang of any wrongdoing. Our goal has been achieved, so there’s no need to engage in pointless actions."
Mu Yingying spoke with a mischievous smile, her eyes glinting with cunning. Now that she had seized power from her enemies, there was no reason to make any further moves. Pushing her enemies too far might corner them. Even a cornered dog could bite back, let alone Shin Wang, who had the Empress Dowager backing him.
She feared that if she continued to order her people to take action, the enemies might turn the tables on her. Moreover, it might reveal her identity to them,
Which she certainly did not want. She wanted to maintain her only advantage: staying hidden, making it impossible for her enemies to target her and forcing them to remain on the defensive.
"Order our people to withdraw completely. Don’t interfere with the investigation anymore. Just send a few to monitor Shin Wang and the Empress Dowager from a distance. If there are any unusual movents, report to ," Mu Yingying instructed in an even tone before burning the report docunts in the brazier until they turned to ashes.
"Understood," the man in black replied before disappearing from the room with his lightness skill.
She watched the paper burn in the brazier, pondering. From now on, her enemies would likely make fewer moves, making it harder for her to strike against them.
The Empress Dowager would not stay idle either. From now on, her enemies would not only be Shin Wang but also the Empress Dowager!
Although the Empress Dowager held significant power, even the wisest could make mistakes. Mu Yingying believed that one day, the Empress Dowager would slip, and when that day ca, she would be the one to topple the board...
...
..
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The investigation continued for many days, and every suspicious detail in Shin Wang’s ledgers, upon inspection, was backed by evidence proving his innocence. This frustrated Zhao Chundi, who continued the investigation, hoping to find any flaw to use against Shin Wang.
However, in the end, he could not find any wrongdoing. All suspicions were explained by the evidence and witnesses, concluding that Shin Wang was indeed innocent.
After the investigation ended, the Emperor still did not return Shin Wang’s power. Shin Wang did not demand the power back but instead requested a leave of absence to go to a ditation retreat at Tai Lin Temple.
He used the upcoming birthday of the Empress Dowager as a reason for this ditation retreat. The Emperor did not object, even praising Shin Wang’s filial piety and granting him leave from his duties at the royal court for the ti being.
Not only did Shin Wang remain quietly withdrawn, but the Empress Dowager also refrained from ordering any movents from her people. Instead, she frequently traveled to Tai Lin Temple on the hill south of the capital to pray and observe precepts, especially since her birthday was approaching.
The Emperor was well aware that this quiet and humble deanor from his enemies was only temporary. However, he did not intend to expose or attack them but rather watched to see what plans they might be concocting.
As ti passed, the royal court beca busy with preparations for the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration. This event was not only to be held within the royal court but also saw many guests from other regions attending, making it a grand occasion.
The royal court worked tirelessly to ensure the event was grand and befitting the Empress Dowager’s status and the nation’s honor in hosting foreign dignitaries...
Three days before the event, the Empress Dowager once again traveled to Tai Lin Temple to pray and observe precepts. After conversing with the monk, she began her journey back in the afternoon.
As her procession descended the hill, it suddenly stopped midway. The Empress Dowager, who had been resting with her eyes closed, imdiately opened them, a look of confusion crossing her eyes.
"What is happening?"
"I will go and see, Your Majesty," her trusted maid softly replied, stepping out of the carriage to investigate.
After speaking with the guards, the servant learned that the procession had stopped because a fallen tree was blocking the road. They were taking ti to remove it.
Upon learning the cause, the maid returned to the carriage and reported the details to her mistress. The Empress Dowager furrowed her brows upon hearing the explanation, suspicion arising in her mind.
A fallen tree blocking the road?
Was it really a coincidence?
As the Empress Dowager pondered the situation, loud noises and the sound of clashing weapons erupted outside the carriage.
"Assassins!"
"Protect the Empress Dowager!"
"Send a signal for help, quickly!"
"Kill them!"
"Aargh!"
The continuous shouts of the guards created panic among those in the carriage. The Empress Dowager herself was startled but quickly regained her composure.
After all, this was not the first assassination attempt she had faced!
The most crucial thing now was to escape from here!
"Empress Dowager, what should we do? Why are there assassins lying in wait for us?" Her trusted maid asked urgently, her face pale with panic.
"I don’t know either, but what I do know is that we must escape from here. Staying will make us sitting targets," the Empress Dowager said through gritted teeth, before lifting the window curtain to assess the situation outside.
The assassins, dressed in black, clearly outnumbered the guards. The Empress Dowager’s side was at a disadvantage, with many guards, eunuchs, and maids already slain. The stench of blood filled the air, causing nausea when the sll floated to one’s nose[PL1] .
Seeing the dire situation, the Empress Dowager’s face paled. She quickly closed the curtain and turned to order her trusted servant with urgency.
"The reinforcents are likely on their way, but our forces are severely outnumbered. We can’t just wait for help. Go tell the guards to split into two groups: one to hold off the enemy, and the other to escort to safety!"
"Yes, Empress Dowager,"
The servant replied and quickly went out to relay the orders to the guards surrounding the carriage.
Soon, the guards split into two groups as instructed. One group engaged the assassins to make way for the other group to escort the Empress Dowager to escape.
As the Empress Dowager’s group made their way down the path, the group holding off the assassins was eventually overwheld and killed, allowing the assassins to pursue the Empress Dowager closely. The tension rose again as the assassins closed in, leading to another skirmish.
So guards stayed back to fight the assassins, while the remaining guards hurriedly escorted the Empress Dowager down the mountain. While fleeing, the Empress Dowager noticed a carriage approaching from ahead.
Suddenly, it felt like a ray of hope. If she could use the carriage to escape, it would be faster than running.
"A carriage! Stop that carriage quickly!"
The Empress Dowager ordered. A guard beside her imdiately jumped in front of the carriage, forcing the coachman to halt abruptly to avoid running him over.
The sudden stop caused a scream of surprise from inside the carriage. A delicate hand pulled back the curtain, and a sweet, startled voice erged.
"What is happening? Why did we stop so suddenly?"
The Empress Dowager, hurriedly following from behind, glanced at the beautiful face of the woman inside. Her eyes widened slightly, reflecting a mix of astonishnt and nostalgia as if seeing the ghost of soone she once knew.
Simultaneously, the woman seed to sense she was being watched and turned to look back. Upon seeing the bloodstained figure, her beautiful face turned to one of shock.
"Is this elder hurt? Please, get on the carriage quickly. I’ll treat your wounds. I have a first aid kit in the carriage,"
She urgently invited the elderly lady to get on the carriage, her voice and eyes genuinely filled with concern and kindness.
The Empress Dowager, coming to her senses, quickly boarded the carriage. Her guard imdiately took the coachman’s place, swiftly turning the carriage around amidst the young woman’s confusion.
"Wait...where are we going? I still need to et my mother and sister at Tai Lin Temple," the young woman exclaid in alarm upon realizing the carriage was turning back.
"It’s alright. I just have an urgent matter at ho and need to borrow your carriage to take care of it. I hope you don’t mind this old woman,"
The Empress Dowager reassured her with a friendly smile, her eyes fixed on the beautiful face of the young woman before her.
Hearing the explanation, the young woman’s eyes showed hesitation. Her deanor was so innocent and pure that the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but feel a sense of endearnt.
"A...alright then. My mother always told to help those in need,"
The young woman replied with a clear voice, her eyes losing their hesitation and becoming bright. Coupled with her ever-present smile, she exuded an aura that made people want to cherish and protect her.
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