The Empress Wants It All: The Empire and Me - Chapter 44.1
Chapter 44.1
From the corner of her eye, Youqin Mingyue glimpsed Anying watching her with curiosity, and she abruptly pulled her expression back into a mask of indifference.
“Anying—”
Anying’s heart skipped a beat. Whenever her Highness called her name, she felt a jolt of trepidation. She quickly lowered her head. “This subordinate is here.”
“Have you uncovered Liu Zhenzhen’s identity?”
“It was uncovered the day before yesterday, but as we were all out on missions, we couldn’t report to Your Highness in time. Liu Zhenzhen is actually Princess Qingyi, the daughter of Prince Gong, Liu Yunhong, who is the younger brother of the Emperor of Dragon Abyss. To consolidate his political power, Liu Yuanlong had betrothed Princess Liu Honghuang to Grand General Sima Sheng. However, for reasons unknown, Sima Sheng refused and specifically requested to marry Princess Liu Zhenzhen instead. Not daring to defy the imperial decree, Liu Yunhong accepted the match. In a fit of rage, Liu Zhenzhen ran away from home. Coincidentally, as Sima Sheng is currently guarding the border, the wedding has been stalled.”
“Liu Zhenzhen’s master, Feng Gu, is one of the three top physicians in the Dragon Abyss Kingdom and holds a high status in the Physicians’ Pavilion; even Liu Yuanlong has sought his medical consultations. When Liu Zhenzhen was young, she accompanied Liu Yunhong to the capital, Long’an, and accidentally stumbled into the annual Physicians’ Conference. Feng Gu discovered her natural talent for medicine on the spot and took her as his final closed-door disciple. Three years ago, Feng Gu stayed in Phoenix City as a guest while searching for medicinal herbs. After running away, Liu Zhenzhen went to find her master first.”
“Why did she come to Phoenix Town?”
“She came to Phoenix Mountain to find a specific medicinal herb. Later, she inadvertently saved some hunters, and was pleaded with by Lin Dashan, Lin Dahai, and others to stay as the village physician.”
Youqin Mingyue reflected in silence for a moment before saying, “Sit down and heal your injuries first.”
Anying immediately sat on the floor and took a medicinal pill to begin her recovery.
Youqin Mingyue pulled her robes tighter, stepped over Lin Yanran’s feet, and walked to the window. Dawn had arrived, revealing a faint glimmer of morning light. In the eastern sky, a streak of brightness was struggling to break free.
She stood there silently, unmoving for a long time. Half an hour later, Anying stood up.
“Your Highness, this subordinate is no longer hindered.”
Youqin Mingyue turned around, her face exceptionally solemn.
“Return immediately. Execute the gold escort mission according to my original plan. There must be no errors.”
Anying grew anxious and took a step forward. “Your Highness, the gold is being escorted by Anfeng and Anyun. Please allow this subordinate to stay and protect you!”
“No need.” Youqin Mingyue immediately raised a hand to stop her. Her expression was stern as she said in a deep voice, “Within fifteen minutes of you removing the gold, Liu Honghuang will realize what has happened. She will surely lead her people to search the mountain overnight. By daybreak, her forces will inevitably reach Phoenix Town, the closest settlement to the Black Dragon Stronghold—”
Anying said urgently, “Then if I leave, won’t Your Highness be in even greater danger?”
“No. Your presence is what would reveal a flaw. They do not know of my existence, let alone my identity. Once you are gone, I am actually safer.”
Anying immediately realized that as a Death Guard, she was inherently different from ordinary people. Xuanming had a very sensitive sense of smell and was adept at distinguishing Death Guards from common folk. Once he discovered a clue, they would immediately guess who the mastermind behind the gold theft was. At that point, Youqin Mingyue would be in true peril!
However, another suspicion made her recoil in horror. “Your Highness, Liu Honghuang and Xuanming are both ruthless. For the sake of the gold, they might even slaughter the entire town! Please allow me to stay?”
Youqin Mingyue’s gaze narrowed. “Why do you think I had you investigate the identities of Liu Zhenzhen and Feng Gu?”
Anying’s heart trembled under those deep, ink-like eyes as the realization hit her. Feng Gu was a top physician who had treated the Emperor, and Liu Zhenzhen was the Emperor’s niece and the daughter of Prince Gong—now bolstered by her status as the fiancé of Grand General Sima Sheng. Unless Liu Honghuang had gone completely mad, she would never dare to commit a mass slaughter here!
So Her Highness had already anticipated everything. A surge of reverence welled up in Anying’s heart. She bowed low and said respectfully, “This subordinate obeys. Please take care, Your Highness.”
She vanished silently like a shadow. Youqin Mingyue went to bar the door of the main hall.
Not long after Anying left, a sliver of “fish-belly white” appeared on the eastern horizon, growing brighter and brighter. Just then, the dogs at the eastern end of the town began to bark furiously.
Youqin Mingyue knew instantly: Liu Honghuang’s people had found their way here!
She did nothing else; she walked gently to the bed, removed her outer robe, and slipped back into the covers to sleep.
As Ji Xuan listened to his brother Ji Yue recount the entire ordeal, his face grew darker and darker. By the time Ji Yue finished, he could no longer suppress his fury and slammed his fist into the doorframe of the woodshed.
With a crack, the doorframe actually split.
Ji Yue said, “Brother, if I weren’t born different from others—with my heart on the right side, I would have already died at Xuanming’s cruel hands. Liu Honghuang is as treacherous as a scorpion; she is by no means a wise master. You should make plans early!”
Ji Xuan knit his brows. “Even if she hadn’t ordered Xuanming to kill you, I already had plans. It’s just that now I’m on her ‘thief ship,’ and it’s hard to get off.”
Ji Yue said worriedly, “Then what should we do? You are helping her excavate a gold mine. If the matter is exposed, she will definitely silence you!”
Ji Xuan’s brows knit tighter. He said deeply, “Don’t worry, I have my ways. Although I can’t escape right now, she is in need of people, so she won’t move against me. Furthermore, she is mining the gold secretly under the Crown Prince’s name, but in reality, the Crown Prince knows nothing about it.”
Ji Yue gasped. “How can that be?”
Ji Xuan said, “I don’t know the reason, but this woman has no small ambition and is not someone to be trifled with. I cannot take you away right now. Once she returns to the capital, I will come for you immediately!”
“You’re leaving?”
“I must rush back before I’m discovered missing, otherwise I won’t escape a punishment.”
The brothers fell into a silence brought on by their difficult circumstances. After a long while, Ji Xuan reached out and patted his shoulder. “Rest easy, I will be fine. I’ve already scouted around; that Savior of yours is a good person. You can stay here to recover first.”
Ji Xuan departed in haste. By the time he returned to the Black Dragon Stronghold, it was the middle of the hour of the Tiger. The entire stronghold was ablaze with fires and the sounds of slaughter reached the heavens. Aghast, he found Deputy Commander Zheng Wei to inquire, only to learn that the stronghold had been under siege by the Shimen County General for a full two hours!
Of the three hundred elite troops, over a hundred were dead or injured. Meanwhile, Princess Liu Honghuang had suddenly left the stronghold with Xuanming and her personal guards, her destination unknown.
Just then, the soldiers besieging the mountain began to flee in panic below. Someone screamed: “Retreat! Retreat! The General has been assassinated!”
While Ji Xuan was still reeling from the shock, Liu Honghuang’s personal guards suddenly arrived with a summons. He rushed over to find the doors to the wing room wide open. Liu Honghuang was sitting at the table, her face grim and her cold eyes fixed on him, though she remained silent for a long time.
Xuanming stood under the corridor holding his sword, his entire form merging with the darkness, looking eerie and terrifying. Auntie Xiang and Caiyun stood solemnly to the side, maintaining a deathly silence.
The atmosphere was tense to the extreme.
Ji Xuan’s heart hammered against his ribs. Thinking his secret meeting with Ji Yue had been discovered, he secretly raised his guard, prepared for a desperate counterattack.
Liu Honghuang suddenly spoke: “Ji Xuan, my gold has been stolen. Did you know?”
Ji Xuan was horrified. He snapped his head up, looking at her in disbelief, his voice full of shock: “The gold was stolen?!! How is that possible?!!”
Auntie Xiang barked sternly, “Ji Xuan, as the Commander, you neglected your duties, leading to the theft of the gold. What is your crime?”
“This batch of gold is of great use to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Now that it has been stolen, even dying a hundred deaths would not suffice to offset your guilt. Speak—did you collude with outsiders to do this?”
Ji Xuan had never expected the gold to be stolen. In an instant, his mind raced, but he couldn’t think of a single explanation. He could only say hurriedly, “This subordinate is loyal unto death to the Princess and would never commit an act of betrayal! Princess, please see clearly!”
Liu Honghuang continued to stare at him, the coldness in her eyes emitting a predatory chill.
She spoke one word at a time: “Forty-eight chests of gold weigh nearly four thousand pounds. To move them all in less than fifteen minutes requires a large number of men. As they carried the gold across the mountains, they would inevitably leave tracks. I led people to search the mountain immediately, yet found no trace. This Black Dragon Stronghold is as solid as a fortress; only the troops under your command are numerous enough to accomplish this.”
As she finished, her tone became suddenly sinister. Staring directly into his eyes, she said, “Ji Xuan, and you still say it has nothing to do with you?”
Those eyes seemed to possess a magical power, peering into Ji Xuan’s heart. His heart leapt into his throat as he realized he was facing a lethal threat. He blurted out, “Princess, I have thought of a possibility! When the gold was stolen, the Shimen County General just happened to be attacking. This matter must be linked to him! This subordinate will immediately go and capture him to bring before the Princess for your disposal!”
Auntie Xiang said coldly, “The Princess already sent Xuanming to test him. Otherwise, do you think those soldiers under your command would still be alive?”
Xuanming’s eyes, cold as blades, shot a glance over. Ji Xuan couldn’t help but shiver. He realized the reason the besieging soldiers had retreated just now was because Xuanming had struck. If he made a move, how could the Shimen County General possibly survive?
Ji Xuan’s face turned pale as he thought, My life is over.
Auntie Xiang barked again, “The Princess used her private treasury to support you and never shorted you a single ounce of silver in pay. To think you would be so useless that, despite having the advantage of terrain and timing, you couldn’t even beat a mere border army!”
“Ji Xuan, what else do you have to say?”
Ji Xuan raised his head, his weather-beaten square face filled with grief and indignation. His voice was fervent: “Princess, I only learned of the theft just now! I am absolutely loyal to the Princess and have never committed any act of betrayal! If the theft must be blamed on me, then I… have nothing left to say!”
Liu Honghuang stared at him with vicious eyes, but her peripheral vision flickered toward Xuanming. Xuanming gave her a slight shake of the head.
Only then did Liu Honghuang relax her expression, her tone softening. “Ji Xuan, I am naturally beyond furious that the gold was stolen, and everyone is under suspicion. Since you didn’t do it, I will not wrongly accuse you. Rise.”
Ji Xuan slowly exhaled a sigh of relief and stood up. “Thank you, Princess, for believing in me!”
Liu Honghuang looked at him. “Immediately go and count the remaining troops. Follow me to track down the gold.”
“Yes.”
After Ji Xuan strode out, Xuanming spoke: “Master, he was not lying.”
Liu Honghuang nodded slightly, though her expression grew even darker.
Auntie Xiang said raspily, “Ji Xuan is the prime suspect. He has guarded this mine for half a year and is familiar with the terrain. If not him, who could it be?”
Liu Honghuang said, “Do not forget that old fox Zhao Liang. That man is cunning, calculated, and insatiably greedy. He has long wanted to get his hands on the Black Dragon Stronghold. This sudden attack by Shimen County is truly suspicious.”
Xuanming suddenly said, “Sixty thousand taels of gold is no small amount. Ordinary people cannot move it in a short time, and it cannot be hidden easily. Nearby, there are not only towns but also the Phoenix River. I suggest Master immediately search within a hundred-mile radius!”
After Ji Xuan came out, he was drenched in a cold sweat. As the night wind blew, his whole body shivered, his expression full of lingering fear. He hadn’t expected the gold to be stolen exactly when he went to see Ji Yue. Fortunately, Liu Honghuang was entirely focused on the gold and hadn’t noticed his unauthorized absence. If she had, he probably wouldn’t have been able to clear his name.
But which power had stolen the gold? And exactly when he was away and the group was leaderless?
Could it be Ji Yue’s Savior? It was all too coincidental!
A trace of suspicion arose, and Lin Yanran’s image floated in his mind—bleary-eyed, draped in clothes, yawning as she arrived, leaving after just two or three sentences to go back and accompany her wife… No, it couldn’t be her. Ji Yue said she was just a hunter, he had checked her identity himself and confirmed it. Moreover, Ji Yue hadn’t told her anything about the gold.
So, it was all just a coincidence.
Hmph. Liu Honghuang knew Ji Yue was my brother yet dared to harm him; she is truly a treacherous, predatory snake!
Ji Yue hadn’t just suffered internal injuries this time; he had lost all his martial cultivation. Let alone continuing as a Night Watchman, even being an ordinary person would be difficult. For the rest of his life, he would have to live in the shadows, unable to live a normal life in the light of day.
Hateful!
A intense hatred radiated from Ji Xuan’s eyes; he even felt a sense of satisfaction in his heart regarding the theft of the gold!
In the early morning, the people of Phoenix Town, who were still in their dreams, were suddenly awakened by a burst of crude shouting and cursing. The voices were savage and overbearing, accompanied by the violent sounds of smashing and crying.
Those who went out to look were stunned. A woman wearing a veil led a group of ferocious, brawny men into the town like bandits. They seized anyone they saw and broke into every house, smashing everything inside and throwing all household items out the door.
“Bandits! The bandits are here!”
Someone shouted tremulously, only to be knocked unconscious by a sword hilt and dragged away.
Soon, the entire town was alarmed. Lin Dahai and Lin Dashan rushed over upon hearing the news, but before they could even ask a question, they were restrained by Ji Xuan and his men.
Ji Xuan’s brows were knit into a knot. He hadn’t expected Liu Honghuang to search all the way to Phoenix Town. If the soldiers found Ji Yue, there would definitely be trouble!
He immediately went to Liu Honghuang’s side and bowed. “Master, searching house by house is not only too slow but also risks alarming the thieves. Please allow me to lead a team to start searching from the other end to prevent anyone from escaping!”
Liu Honghuang immediately nodded. “Go. Be swift. I grant you permission to act first and report later.”
Ji Xuan’s heart tightened, and he quickly said, “Yes!”
He immediately led his troops toward the western end of the town. When they reached the civilian house where Ji Yue was hiding, he split his men into two groups again. One group was sent to the center of the town, while the other—made up of his confidants, stayed with him. He then directed his confidants to search the nearby houses while he walked into Chibao’s house.
Ji Yue had also been alarmed long ago and was hiding behind several bundles of dry firewood. Ji Xuan urgently explained the situation to him, threw the bundles of wood and straw over him to cover him completely, and then smashed everything in the house to pieces. Especially the courtyard—he smashed it into a state of total wreckage so that anyone looking would think the house had already been searched.
Lin Yanran was awakened by the sounds of smashing. Then, hearing Chen Xiaohua’s cries, she leaped up in a start. She rushed to the window and saw two brawny men barging into the courtyard. One was twisting Chen Xiaohua’s arm and dragging her away. Poor Chen Xiaohua, small and weak, cried out as she was being dragged: “Sister Yanran—”
The other brawny man was walking toward the main hall, clearly intending to search there.
She quickly looked at the bed and saw that Youqin Mingyue was still sleeping. Outside the door, the sound of “bang bang bang” smashing against the door began to echo.
Without time for second thoughts, she immediately shook Youqin Mingyue awake. “Mingyue, someone is breaking in. I’m going out to see. Don’t be afraid; stay in the house.”
Youqin Mingyue had actually been awake the whole time. She gave her a look and didn’t speak, only nodding once.
Lin Yanran took two steps out, then suddenly turned back and asked in a low voice, “Mingyue, are your people nearby?”
She leaned in very close, her warm breath puffing against Mingyue’s cheek, bringing a slight tingling sensation. Youqin Mingyue instinctively tilted her face away and whispered, “They are not here.”
She didn’t know why, but she suddenly wanted to see what Lin Yanran’s plan would be if she knew there were no guards around.
Lin Yanran was shocked, her face turning anxious. “How can that be?” She said this and then immediately added, “Never mind, don’t be afraid. Stay in the house and absolutely do not come out.”
With that, she strode out of the room.
Wang Shouchun had also been awakened and was holding a bronze candlestick from the offering table. The base of the candlestick had a bronze pin for the candle—a lethal weapon for killing.
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OH WHAT THE HECK İS HAPPENİNG!!!! DONT TOUCH THEM REALLY!!🤬🤬🤬