A glint of cunning flashed in Cao Lan’er’s eyes. She motioned for Qiu Xi to come closer and whispered a few instructions. "Go, do it now. I’ll be waiting to watch this show."
Qiu Xi was utterly shocked by Cao Lan’er’s words. "Your Majesty, this will cause trouble."
Cao Lan’er didn’t care. "I’ve already been deposed and live in the cold palace. What more trouble can I get into? Or do you think that just because I’m in the cold palace, I can’t order you around anymore?"
Qiu Xi naturally said she didn’t dare, but she still felt this was too bold. If she carried it out, she might lose her head. Qiu Xi decided to go to the Eastern Palace and ask the Crown Prince for advice.
Meanwhile, Emperor Changde, who had ordered Gan Yongfu to arrange the assassination of Wei Yunqi, received news that all the assassins had been wiped out. He coldly stared at Gan Yongfu. "Have I been raising a bunch of useless trash? So many people, and you couldn’t even kill a child? What use are you to me?"
Gan Yongfu’s knees went weak, and he fell to the ground. "Your Majesty, this servant… this servant didn’t expect that Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao would be so difficult to deal with. So many people, and we still couldn’t eliminate them. This servant deserves punishment."
Emperor Changde laughed. "Of course you deserve punishment. Gan Yongfu, have you forgotten what I said before? I told you to eliminate that child at all costs. Otherwise…" Emperor Changde grabbed Gan Yongfu by the neck and lifted him off the ground. "If he doesn’t die, you will. Those useless things are already dead. Gan Yongfu, how do you think I should deal with you?"
Gan Yongfu’s eyes were filled with terror. Having served Emperor Changde for many years, he knew the Emperor was truly intent on killing him. "Your… Your Majesty, spare me! Please give this servant one more chance…"
Gan Yongfu didn’t dare to struggle, only begging for mercy. Emperor Changde’s grip tightened until Gan Yongfu’s eyes rolled back, and he was on the verge of passing out. Only then did the Emperor release him.
Gan Yongfu coughed violently and knelt on the ground, thanking the Emperor for sparing his life.
Emperor Changde asked, "Now, do you know what to do?"
Gan Yongfu stammered, "This servant… knows. This servant will handle it immediately."
Emperor Changde waved his hand. "Go, don’t disappoint me."
Gan Yongfu scrambled out of the Emperor’s chambers, while Emperor Changde went to find his beauty.
Emperor Changde who was still immersed in the land of tenderness, naturally had no idea that his deposed Empress in the cold palace had prepared a grand "gift" for him.
[温柔乡 (wēn róu xiāng)]: lit. "Land of tenderness"; fig. A place of comfort and indulgence, often referring to a life of luxury or pleasure.
At a teahouse on the streets of Shengjing, a few well-dressed men entered and immediately began chatting. "Have you all heard?"
Someone nodded. "I’ve heard. I really didn’t expect it."
"Exactly, it’s truly unbelievable."
One person asked, while the others nodded in agreement, their expressions subtle. Only one person was confused. "Can you explain clearly? What’s going on? What’s so unexpected?"
The men seemed hesitant, unwilling to speak. The one who asked immediately promised to keep it a secret and not tell anyone.
"Fine," the leader said. "Then I’ll tell you. Apparently, the fire at the Wei mansion last night was ordered by our Emperor."
The listener was shocked and immediately exclaimed, "How is that possible? Why would our Emperor order someone to burn down a minister’s house? That’s absolutely impossible!"
His outburst drew the attention of everyone around. The men at his table quickly covered his mouth. "What are you shouting for? Do you still want to hear the rest?"
The listener naturally nodded, sitting back down with his mouth covered, promising not to shout again. But after this incident, everyone nearby was now eavesdropping on their conversation.
The leader continued, "How is it impossible? You all know that the deposed Empress had an affair with General Wei Su. The Emperor deposed the Empress, so how could he spare the Wei family? Last night wasn’t just about the fire. Did you see the carts of bodies the Wei family pushed to the government office this morning? They were all assassins sent to kill Wei Yunzhao. Think about it, so many assassins. If it wasn’t someone powerful, where would they find so many killers?"
The listener nodded seriously. "That makes sense. So the Emperor did all this to get revenge on the Wei family, right?"
"Exactly! Our Emperor is so petty. General Wei Su is already dead, and it wasn’t even his fault to begin with. He fled to the border just to avoid that water-like nature, willow-like flowers woman, the deposed Empress. Wasn’t that enough? But then the Empress, out of love-turned-hatred, killed General Wei Su, and now the Emperor is sending people to kill General Wei Su’s son. What kind of mess is this?"
[水性杨花 (shuǐ xìng yáng huā)]: lit. "Water-like nature, willow-like flowers"; fig. Describes a woman who is fickle, promiscuous, or unfaithful.
The other two nodded in agreement. "The Wei family is really unlucky to have run into such a petty ruler."
"Exactly. After fighting for so many years, this is the thanks they get. It’s such a pity and a tragedy."
"Ah, forget it. These are just things we talk about in private. Don’t go spreading it around, or we’ll lose our heads if the Emperor finds out. Just think about all those assassins the Wei family sent to the government office. Who knows how many more he has? Killing us common people with flat heads would be too easy."
[平头百姓 (píng tóu bǎi xìng)]: lit. "Common people with flat heads"; fig. Refers to ordinary, common folk with no special status or power.
The group exchanged glances and fell silent. After finishing their tea, they hurriedly left.
But everyone sitting around them in the teahouse had heard everything. Such shocking news naturally had to be shared immediately.
By the time Emperor Changde received the news, more than half of Shengjing’s population knew that he had ordered the murder and arson against the Wei family out of resentment over Wei Su’s past with the deposed Empress.
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