Waking Up to an Imperial Marriage with My Archenemy - Chapter 18

With the rumors already in full swing, Qiao Wan decided to move into Luo Fengxin’s estate quite openly. While the gossip was embarrassing, it offered one significant advantage: she no longer had to worry about their secret meetings being discovered. Any frequent visits or late-night discussions could now be dismissed as part of the “scandal.”

Since everyone believed she was being “coerced” by Luo Fengxin, all she had to do was maintain a look of deep, bitter resentment whenever she was in public.

Truth be told, when Qiao Wan first heard the rumors, she was more flustered than genuinely angry. Her previous fit of pique—plucking the lotus leaves was just a small way to make Luo Fengxin lose some face so they could be even. If the subject of such rumors had been anyone else, someone like the lecherous Zheng Wei she would have been sickened to her stomach.

Zheng Wei had spent years committing every atrocity imaginable, and his wife, Lady Chen, was no saint either. Qiao Wan recalled the intelligence Yue Xiu had gathered. She already knew several of Zheng Wei’s concubines had been taken by force, but the reports suggested that the couple’s actions were far more depraved than simple forced marriage.

Evil brings its own ruin, she thought. Her inside agent was already in place. Since Zheng Wei had spent a lifetime victimizing women, it was only fitting that he met his downfall at the hands of one.

“Xiao Bai, I feel like you’ve been awfully quiet since you got back. You didn’t get sent back to the factory for being too noisy, did you?”

Lying in bed, Qiao Wan felt something was off. It took her a moment to realize that Xiao Bai’s presence had been unusually faint; the system hadn’t spoken for two days.

“Huh?” Summoned by name, Xiao Bai curled into a ball, ears twitching listlessly. “You’re a mature host now. Your missions are going well, and you don’t really need my help. I just didn’t have much to say.”

“Is that so?” Qiao Wan rolled over. It was true. When she first arrived in this world, Xiao Bai would chatter incessantly, explaining every little thing. After four years, she knew her way around. Tasks that once required system “cheats” she could now handle herself.

“Are you moping because of that? Even a system has feelings of abandonment?” Qiao Wan teased. “Don’t be sad. You might be a bit of a scammer, but ‘Mommy’ still loves you. Here’s a task for you: give Zheng Wei nightmares every single night. If he can’t sleep, his temper will become even harder to control.”

Qiao Wan was exhausted from orchestrating her plans. As she mumbled to herself, her mind grew hazy. She thought she heard Xiao Bai murmur something in response, but she was too far gone into sleep to catch it.

Zheng Wei was in a foul mood all day. After carousing with the girls from the Moon-Sleeper Pavilion until the early hours, he had expected a refreshing sleep before his shift. Instead, he was plagued by a string of nightmares.

In his dreams, he saw his wife, Chen Huiru, in a room with several men. The doors were wide open, and a crowd of onlookers jeered at him. Standing in the center of it all, he was drowned out by their mockery. In a fit of rage, he drew his blade and slaughtered everyone, only for Chen Huiru to reappear before him, unscathed.

“Slut! I’ll kill you!” he roared in the dream, raising his sword.

“You’re allowed to chase skirts outside, but I can’t have my fun at home?” Chen Huiru spat in his face. “Go on then, kill me! Do you even have the guts? Take a look in a mirror, you lowly creature. If it weren’t for the Chen family’s charity, do you think you’d be where you are today?”

Recalling the dream, Zheng Wei gripped the hilt of his saber until his knuckles turned white.

It hadn’t been entirely a dream. Years ago, when he first discovered the illicit affair between Chen Huiru and his own father, those were the exact words she had used. Every time he saw her face, that memory resurfaced like a festering wound.

Why is it that when a daughter of the Chen family does something so shameful, no one dares laugh at them? Why is the mockery reserved for me alone? If the reins of power were in our hands instead of the Chens.

Zheng Wei thought back to the suggestion Zhang Zihe had made. The Chen family currently intended to “control the Emperor to command the nobles.” If Zheng Wei’s family helped the Emperor eliminate the Chens, they would be the greatest heroes of the Yu Dynasty. They could avenge their private humiliations and leave a legacy of glory. It was a tempting prospect.

He decided to seek out the Empress Dowager. He knew that although her brother, Grand Preceptor Chen, held the highest title, the true pilot of the Chen family was the woman in the inner palace.

The Chens still trusted the Duke of Ning’s Estate. As long as he played the submissive dog and convinced her to give the Eastern Supervision post to Zhang Zihe, they would have the leverage they needed to turn the tables.

Zheng Wei requested an audience while the Empress Dowager was resting in the Imperial Garden.

Though in her fifties, the Empress Dowager was exceptionally well-preserved, looking barely forty. she stood by the pavilion feeding the fish. When Zheng Wei bowed, she didn’t turn around, merely gesturing for him to approach.

“I haven’t been here in a few days. Who ravaged the lotus leaves in this lake? It’s an eyesore,” she remarked.

“I heard Princess Leping and Censor Qiao had a falling out. They both took their frustrations out on the lake,” a young woman in blue standing beside her said with a smile.

“Hmph. They certainly are becoming more ‘accomplished’ by the day,” the Empress Dowager said, her voice laced with displeasure.

“His Majesty reprimanded them as well. He even punished Censor Qiao by making her work with the gardeners.”

The Empress Dowager and the young woman chatted back and forth for a long time, completely ignoring Zheng Wei. It was only after a lengthy silence that she seemed to “remember” he was there.

“I got caught up in my own words and forgot about Commander Zheng. When one gets older, the memory fades and the reflexes slow. I hope the Commander doesn’t take it to heart.” She turned and sat slowly on a bench, finally looking at him.

“Your Majesty is far too modest. You are in your prime and as radiant as ever,” Zheng Wei flattered her with a practiced smile, though inwardly he cursed the “old hag” for intentionally slighting him.

The Empress Dowager smiled. “I’ve gone from Empress to Empress Dowager; I can’t compare to my youth. Now tell me, why have you come?”

“Well.” Zheng Wei glanced at the surrounding servants.

“All of you, leave us,” the Empress Dowager waved her hand. The servants retreated, but she kept the young woman in blue by her side.

Zheng Wei recognized her: Chen Mingxi, another daughter of the Chen clan. Rumored to be brilliant, the Empress Dowager kept her close for guidance. Some even whispered she might one day hold an official post in court.

Zheng Wei had hoped for a private word, but seeing that the Empress Dowager had no intention of dismissing the girl, he laid out the news he had heard from Zhang Zihe.

“Once I heard of this matter, I felt it was of the utmost importance. I came immediately to inform Your Majesty so that we might prepare.”

“And how do you think we should respond?” the Empress Dowager asked.

“I believe that although this splits the Censorate, as long as both leaders are our people, we lose nothing. We already forced His Majesty to back down once; if we push too hard, I fear people will begin to talk. Since there is no loss in this reform, why not agree to it and ease the tension?” Zheng Wei echoed the words Zhang Zihe had coached him on.

The Empress Dowager didn’t comment. Instead, she turned to the girl. “Mingxi, what do you think?”

Chen Mingxi covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh. “I find this quite amusing. If there truly is no loss for us, why did Commander Zheng rush here the very next day to report it?”

“I.” Zheng Wei was caught off guard. “I felt that once I knew, I could not hide it from Her Majesty.”

“Mmm.” The Empress Dowager nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Commander Zheng is indeed loyal. Mingxi, you mustn’t wrong him.”

“Then it is indeed my fault,” Chen Mingxi said. Though she apologized, her face showed no remorse. Her tone was biting: “I thought the Commander had come to beg for that position on behalf of young Marquis Zhang. It seems I have judged a noble heart with a petty mind. I am in awe of the Commander’s ‘unwavering’ loyalty.”

Her words effectively choked off the request Zheng Wei had been about to make. His face flushed between pale and red, but he could not explode in anger. He could only mumble a few incoherent agreements and beat a hasty retreat.