Three Steps: From Assassin to Empress - Chapter 69
Chapter 69: A Promise and a Threat
The chapter begins with Ying Xiu reflecting on the concept of power, remembering how he once used the Emperor’s token to command respect and authority. He tells the Emperor that he cannot become his Empress yet because the country is not fully at peace. He promises to do so “when the world is one color, and the wind and moon are shared by all,” a phrase he used when they first met. The Emperor agrees, his expression calm as if he expected this, and tells him not to go back on his word. Ying Xiu, feeling a sense of relief, is still intimidated by the idea of being an Empress but is comforted by the Emperor’s presence.
The Emperor then reveals that the Qiang envoys, in addition to their request for trade, have brought soldiers and have proposed a military exercise on玄wu Lake. He explains that this is a test and that if the Southern Dynasty loses, the Qiang will invade. He has agreed to the competition, but when Ying Xiu, eager to see the spectacle, asks to go, the Emperor forbids it, citing safety concerns.
Hate and a Broken Promise
Meanwhile, in the Northern capital of Chang’an, the Qiang King is being praised by his officials for the upcoming military exercise, which they believe will lead to a swift victory over the Southern Dynasty. The King, however, is more interested in visiting a woman in a forbidden area of his palace called Luan Terrace. The woman, Ming Xiluan, is a former Southern general’s wife and Ying Xiu’s birth mother.
The King tells Ming Xiluan that he will soon conquer the Southern Dynasty to avenge her, but she responds by saying he should kill himself first. She reminds him that during a battle years ago, she shot him in the chest, and the arrow missed his heart by a hair. The King, undeterred, leaves her, feeling that she is no longer a threat. Ming Xiluan, left alone, looks at a broken mirror in her hand, hinting that she will not miss again.
A Tense Invitation
Three months pass, and the day of the military exercise arrives. Ying Xiu is lounging in a chair, worried about his pet owl, which has gone missing. A female official from the Empress Dowager’s court arrives, holding a cage with the owl inside. She explains that the Empress Dowager, Xie Taihou, found the owl and, knowing it was Ying Xiu’s, sent it back. She also extends an invitation for Ying Xiu to visit her at Cining Palace.
Ying Xiu’s eunuch, seeing through the veiled threat, politely but firmly declines the invitation. After the official leaves, Ying Xiu discovers a hidden note inside the owl’s cage. The note reveals his identity: “Langya Wang Family Assassin, Ying Xiu, courtesy name Fuwei.” The back of the note says “Cining Palace.” Ying Xiu’s eunuch immediately becomes serious and tells him to stay put and let him handle it.
The Empress Dowager, having received word that Ying Xiu did not take the bait, concludes that he is not concerned about his identity being exposed. She plans to use this information to cause trouble for the Emperor, hoping it will lead to his downfall.
A Confrontation
On the third day of the military exercise, after the Southern Dynasty has won the first two rounds, the Qiang envoy steps forward and challenges the South to a duel, specifically asking for the “swordsman” by the Emperor’s side. He is, of course, referring to Ying Xiu, the assassin. Everyone present wonders if the Emperor is truly devoted to this assassin or if he has been deceived.