Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 190

The anxious, uneasy feeling in Yun Ke’s heart almost made it hard for him to breathe.

He remained silent for a moment, yet his gaze remained fixed on Gu Yu Qi.

Her face was still slightly pale and between her brows lingered a faint hint of illness, but none of it diminished her beauty. She was leaning slightly against the bed, her powerless hands resting limply upon the bedding.

“Is there something dirty upon this concubine’s face?” Seeing Yun Ke looking at her with a thoughtful expression, Gu Yu Qi could not help asking.

“No.” Yun Ke’s thoughts were pulled back by her voice and he hurriedly shook his head. “It’s just that no matter how I look at you, I can’t look enough.”

Gu Yu Qi lowered her eyes slightly. In truth, she really was not used to this side of Yun Ke.

“By the way, Your Highness said earlier that you wished to give this concubine something?” Gu Yu Qi decided to change the subject, lest their conversation wander into some strange territory.

“This.” Only then did Yun Ke remember. He unfolded the documents in his hands and showed it to Gu Yu Qi page by page.

The more Gu Yu Qi looked, the more amused she felt. The man before her was, at his core, still the Yun Ke she knew, one who refused to suffer even the slightest loss. She did not know by what method he had tricked or coerced Xia Shuang Cheng into agreeing to transfer these estates, but she knew one thing for certain, Xia Shuang Cheng would definitely regret it.

When Yun Ke turned to the last page, Gu Yu Qi finally saw that the other signature upon the contract was actually hers.

She looked at Yun Ke in surprise, “Why is it in this concubine’s name?”

“Because it’s meant to calm your shock,” Yun Ke smiled. “He harmed you so gravely. If I didn’t recover some interest for you, wouldn’t that be letting him off far too lightly?”

The corner of Gu Yu Qi’s lips twitched slightly. Very well…

The Virtuous Consort waited anxiously outside Feng Yi Palace. A gust of cold wind swept by, lifting the hem of her robes and letting her feel the chill of winter. She instinctively pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders.

A palace maid lifted the curtain and stepped out from Feng Yi Palace. She curtseyed to the Virtuous Consort and said, “Your Ladyship the Virtuous Consort, Her Majesty the Empress has caught a cold today. She fears she may transmit her illness to Your Ladyship, so Her Majesty says she will not receive visitors today.” After speaking, the palace maid bowed again and returned inside. The great doors of Feng Yi Palace slowly closed.

Fine! The Virtuous Consort clenched her teeth in fury. She actually dared to pull such a stunt!

Was the Empress really just going to sit back and watch the show unfold? To see how she falls from grace? Did she really not even care about her own niece?

Inside Feng Yi Palace, the senior matron who had served the Empress for many years asked the same question. “Your Majesty, the Virtuous Consort may send the young miss to come forward.”

“And what of it?” The Empress, holding a handful of millet and playing with her golden canary, spoke calmly, “This empress has no wish to be involved in their mess.”

“Prime Minister Zhang is, after all, Your Majesty’s brother,” the old matron reminded her gently.

A faint, contemptuous smile appeared at the Empress’ lips. “When have they ever regarded this empress as family? Have they ever treated this empress as their sister?”

She poured all the millet into the canary’s feeding tray and closed the cage lid. Then she clapped her hands, took the damp cloth a palace maid passed her and cleaned her fingers, and then picked up a small box of hand balm and carefully applied it to every inch of her skin. She said, “This empress has been in the palace for so many years, yet how much has the Virtuous Consort made this empress suffer? Now that trouble has befallen their family, suddenly they remember this empress? Does this empress look like such a fool? If His Majesty truly wished to spare the Xia family, would he have entrusted the task to Yun Ke?”

She continued to the old matron, “The Virtuous Consort always thought she alone could guess His Majesty’s intentions, always feeling she had outdone this empress. But if that were truly the case, why am I the Empress, and she merely the Virtuous Consort?”

The old matron’s eyes sharpened and she bowed her head deeply, “Your Majesty is right.”

“In telling you this today, it’s not because this empress speaks out of pride, but rather because this empress’ heart is bitter,” the Empress said quietly, “The aristocratic families have long been entangled, their conflicts long-standing. Do you think His Majesty really isn’t worried? The Xia family is only the beginning. All these years this empress has been suppressed by the Virtuous Consort in every matter. Everyone thinks she is the most favoured, but what makes her so special? It’s just that His Majesty still has a sliver of genuine affection for her. But if she does not restrain herself and continues her foolishness, she’ll wear down even the last vestiges of genuine affection. And when it is gone, what do you think will become of her?”

The old matron lowered her head, “This old servant does not know.”

“There are but two paths. One is to accept her fate. But do you think the Virtuous Consort is someone who accepts her fate?” the Empress asked slowly.

The matron shook her head.

“Indeed,” the Empress smiled, “She will not. So she will take the final path.”

“What is it?” The matron could not help asking.

The Empress looked at her with a mysterious expression, then softly said, “A coup.”

The old matron was terrified and spoke hurriedly, “Your Majesty, these words really must not be spoken!”

“What is there that cannot be spoken? Would you spread this empress’ words outside? Even if you did, who would dare believe them?” The Empress laughed lightly. “Just wait and see. If she had no such thought, why stretch her hand into the Ministry of War?”

After pausing, the Empress continued, “Do you think this empress is foolish? Clearly knowing the outcome all too well, why would this empress still willingly plunge headlong into it? When has Zhang Wan Yi ever regarded me as her aunt? That girl’s ambitions are high and her eyes are fixed on this empress’ position. It would be utterly pointless for this empress to risk my life for someone like that. In the future, no matter who becomes Emperor, none would dare to do anything to me. As you said, I am Zhang Wan Yi’s own aunt. Even if she becomes Empress, she must take care of me in my old age for the sake of her reputation. Why then should this empress take such a risk and cause trouble for His Majesty now?”

Hearing these words, the old matron finally breathed a long sigh of relief. She had always thought the Empress somewhat muddle-headed, but now it was clear that the one who saw things the most clearly was the Empress herself.

For several days in a row, the Virtuous Consort continued to be denied entry at Feng Yi Palace. Her heart simmered with anger, but she could do nothing against the Empress.

The Empress had clearly resolved to stay uninvolved. Even when Zhang Wan Yi came to seek an audience, she shut her doors all the same, claiming illness and refusing to see anyone.

Meanwhile, the Xia family continued scrambling about every day, thinking they were digging their legitimate heir out of trouble, when the truth was that every pit had been dug by Yun Ke for them to fall into.

The Xia family sent bribes everywhere, greasing nearly every possible place with money, yet they still could not even glimpse the face of the Xia heir in the Ministry of Justice’s prison.

Messages were slipped in daily, delicacies provided without end, and the secret guard impersonating Xia Shuang Cheng had gained several pounds.

Du Xia was also busy rounding up every fugitive scoundrel under Xia Shuang Cheng’s command.

Although Xia Shuang Cheng was the instigator, without these accomplices, how could he have achieved anything?

The more Du Xia caught, the more astonishing it became. Many of them were notorious criminals long sentenced to death by the imperial cort, including several who were renowned fiends of the martial arts world. Xia Shuang Cheng had somehow managed to switch them out of death row and have them do his bidding.

No wonder Gu Yu Qi and Wang Yan together had been no match for them.

Du Xia had only one thought, whoever had harmed Gu Yu Qi, he would capture every single one. Let alone her injuries, even if Gu Yu Qi had lost but a strand of hair, it would have been unforgivable.

The Xia family ran themselves ragged trying to save Xia Shuang Cheng and even spent a fortune to hire assassins to kill the illegitimate son who had accused him.

But Yun Ke had already prepared for this. Not only were the assassins caught, they became direct evidence that the Xia family had hired killers to silence the witness.

Half a month passed. A thick dossier was placed upon Emperor Jing’s desk.

The emperor read through the night. The more he read, the more appalled he became.

How could such a cruel, depraved monster exist?

How had the Xia family raised such a beast?

Leaving aside his acts of forcing himself upon men and women, he also enjoyed violating young boys and girls. The number of children who had died at his hands each year was astounding. He trafficked people, seized land by force, killed and pillaged. In short, Xia Shuang Cheng had done every imaginable evil imaginable, except for treason.

Several land-seizure cases were even linked to the Virtuous Consort, carried out under the pretext of gifts to her.

The more Emperor Jing read, the more he shook his head. Virtuous Consort, oh Virtuous Consort! He put down the dossier with a slight headache. Could you truly not have known of your nephew’s crimes?

Such a heinous and unforgivable criminal. Even a death by a thousand cuts would not be excessive!

Emperor Jing was enraged. With a stroke of the vermilion brush, he wrote four words declaring the extreme sentence!

The meaning was entirely for Yun Ke to interpret.

The Emperor knew the Xia family still held three immunity tokens, so after issuing the decree, he ordered the chief eunuch to announce that he would depart for Hu Guo Temple to offer incense and worship the Buddha, with the Empress and Prince Fu Yun Ling accompanying him.

He intended to hide at Hu Guo temple for a few days and leave the difficult task to his son.

The very next day, Emperor Jing departed for Hu Guo Temple with the Empress and Prince Fu without warning.

By the time the Virtuous Consort learned of it, the imperial procession had already passed through the Dong Hua Gate.

His Majesty had never acted so strangely before. Feeling something was terribly wrong, the Virtuous Consort immediately realised, Xia Shuang Cheng was finished!

She hurried to summon someone to send word to the Xia family.

Yet, instead of her trusted attendants, a squad of guards arrived and surrounded her palace.

“Such impudence!” The Virtuous Consort stood in her palace and glared furiously at the guards who had come to confine her.

“Your Ladyship, this is an order His Majesty gave before departing,” The commander of the guards approached and knelt on one knee as he replied stiffly. “His Majesty said matters have been unsettled these few days, and requests that everyone in Your Ladyship’s palace refrains from wandering about.”

This… Was this confinement?

The Virtuous Consort swayed slightly and the palace maid beside her quickly supported her.

The Emperor’s heart had turned away from her!

These words suddenly flashed across the Virtuous Consort’s mind, filling her with terror.

No. She absolutely could not afford to panic at a time like this.