“The Grand Marshal has said so much, but what I am hearing is that your confidence is not very solid.” Feng Zhi Wei looked toward a distant corner of the imperial city and smiled leisurely “To take down the Regent, it must be done unexpectedly and within the city walls. It is obvious that once he leaves the city, even if the one you support has imperial legitimacy, it won’t be easy to ascend to the throne then. Isn’t that right?”
Lu Rui was silent for a while before he said, “It’s true the Regent controls most of the military, but his greatest weakness is this- he is out in the open, and I am in the dark. I know his forces inside out and can even manipulate parts of them, but he has never known my true intentions. He would never have dreamed that the Grand Marshal he relies on had ulterior motives. On that point alone, Yin Zhishu is bound to lose.”
“The Regent rose to such heights, he must be a man of great talent. An emperor suspects all and trusts few. How can the Grand Marshal be so sure the Regent truly hasn’t detected your intentions?”
Lu Rui fell silent yet again. Feng Zhi Wei didn’t press him, but instead smiled as she drew her bow and aimed at a deer that had darted across in front of them. Just as she pulled the string to release the arrow, Lu Rui suddenly said, “My only sister, with whom I grew up and relied on, is the Regent’s wife.” (As the Regent’s main wife, not a concubine.)
Feng Zhi Wei’s hand jerked. The arrow missed its mark and struck the deer’s tail, causing it to flee in terror, blood trailing behind it. Feng Zhi Wei sighed, “A pity,” she said as she put away her bow and turned to look at Lu Rui.
She truly did not know that the Grand Marshal was the Regent’s only brother-in-law. It seemed that everyone had deliberately downplayed this connection and had chosen instead to display the relationship between the Regent and the Grand Marshal as a noble camaraderie between sovereign and minister. Now that Lu Rui had revealed the truth, she couldn’t help but react in shock. If Lu Rui and his sister’s bond was that strong, why would Lu Rui still do this?
Looking at Lu Rui’s refined, delicate face that was almost as beautiful as a woman, she ultimately didn’t ask the question in her heart. After a long pause, she said, “As an envoy from another nation, it’s not my place to meddle in your internal affairs. But today, I can leave the Grand Marshal one promise, so long as you succeed in this matter, I will have a way to prove Zhi Xiao’s true lineage.”
“To have your word is enough!” Lu Rui’s expression lit up with joy. “Once the matter is done, whatever Marquis Wei requests, just say the word. Be it to open trade ports, establish markets, and should Changning Province ever rebel, my empire can even dispatch troops to suppress it.”
“That’s a matter for the future,” Feng Zhi Wei smiled meaningfully. “When does the Grand Marshal plan to make a move?”
“Yin Zhishu rarely goes out except for court affairs. He has always been reclusive, surrounded by three thousand elite guards at all times. Thus, no ordinary person can come within thirty feet of him. He doesn’t even sleep in a fixed room within his own residence to avoid being caught off guard,” Lu Rui said. “There are only a few days when he would appear alone—New Year’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and his own and His Majesty’s birthday.”
“The Regent’s birthday is in seven days. Your emperor’s is in a bit over half a month. So the window ranges from a few days to two weeks,” Feng Zhi Wei smiled. “I’ll be waiting for good news from the Grand Marshal.”
“And I, too, will wait for good news from Marquis Wei,” Lu Rui tilted his chin slightly northward. “Some people’s ambitions are starting to stir. Marquis Wei would do well to prepare early.”
Feng Zhi Wei smiled and suddenly exclaimed, “Ah! That deer I shot earlier ran by again! This time I won’t let it get away!” With that, she spurred her horse and galloped off in pursuit.
Her figure nimbly disappeared into the lush green woods. Lu Rui stared after her, a faint trace of confusion flickering in his eyes, before he turned toward another direction.
Silently, several figures emerged from his surroundings, respectfully waiting for his command.
Lu Rui remained mounted, silent and unmoving, gazing off into the distance toward the imperial city.
Around him, his subordinates waited in silence, no one urged or disturbed him.
After a long time, Lu Rui raised his whip. The whip swept the air, casting a faint, dark shadow. With a crisp snap, he declared: “The king killing plan— starts.”
————————————
As soon as Feng Zhi Wei rode out of Lu Rui’s sight, she immediately gave up chasing the deer. Her fingers moved discreetly to signal a coded message, and before long, a man in grey appeared at her side.
“From this moment on, mobilize all our people stationed in Minnan,” Feng Zhi Wei said quickly. “Find a way to intercept and inspect all border transit documents. Any top-priority documents sent out from Jincheng must be checked. Then they are to be checked again at the Southern Minnan border. Pay close attention to their contents. Report immediately if there’s anything suspicious!”
“Yes!”
“What about the matter I asked you all to handle?”
“The Regent’s youngest son is very well protected. It’s difficult for us to orchestrate a meeting between the Da Yue’s envoy and anyone from the Regent’s residence. However, we have already made some arrangements at Jialan Temple, where the princess consort often visits. She is planning to go there to offer up incense tomorrow. We have made a plan to make sure they clash.”
“The group that set out for Da Yue at the same time as I did, what’s their status right now?”
“They’ve already infiltrated Da Yue as ordered and are awaiting your instructions.”
“Tell them to go ahead.”
“Yes!”
The man in grey took the orders and hurried off. Feng Zhi Wei tapped her riding whip against her palm and closed her eyes in thought. In actuality, she had always been well aware of the Regent’s true intentions. All this talk of forming an alliance with Tiansheng was nothing but a ruse. The two nations had a long-standing grudge. The Emperor of Tiansheng was not known for his magnanimity. Once the war with Da Yue has ended, Xiliang would be the old emperor’s next target. Otherwise, why would he have approved Hua Qiong’s formation of the Fire Phoenix Army?
It was only because they had just had a war with Da Yue, still wary of the threat from Changning, and wanted a period of rest and recovery, that they sent her as an envoy to put on a show of diplomacy with Xiliang. Naturally, the Regent saw through this as well, and played along with the alliance narrative. He received her warmly, thus stirring unease in both Da Yue and Changning, leading to both nations sending envoys to Xiliang, allowing Xiliang to profit from the situation.
As for Changning, it wished for chaos anyway, so it was eager to stir the pot. Even Da Yue’s Jin Siyu wasn’t acting with pure motives—his troops were stationed just across a river from Xiliang. An alliance with Xiliang would be the most ideal for him. If not, he could still sow discord among the three parties. That way, his army could claim Xiliang was unstable and use that as justification to continue occupying Da Yue’s southern border without being called back.
A four-way chaos of power struggle, with everyone harboring secrets and hidden agendas. A single thread tugged could shake the whole web. As for what is the final outcome, no one could see clearly until the end.
As things currently stand, the Regent is undoubtedly forging a three-way alliance with Da Yue and Changning—using Da Yue to restrain Tiansheng along its northwestern front, while Changning and Xiliang dispatch troops simultaneously to seize Tiansheng’s least defended southeastern region. Once Minnan, home to diverse ethnic groups, thus weak loyalties to Tiansheng, and the most wealthy South Sea fall into the hands of Xiliang and Changning, they will gain a tremendous advantage. At that point, Changning may take over part of Tiansheng’s territory, or send its forces straight toward the imperial capital.
As for Da Yue, though it cannot claim any land, it could still demand massive amounts of gold and silver as compensation, enough to fund the tens of thousands of troops under Jin Siyu’s command, allowing him the means to march his men north and help him seize the Da Yue throne. If all that comes to pass, everyone gets what they want.
If negotiations have truly reached that stage, then as Tiansheng’s envoy, she, Feng Zhi Wei, would certainly not be allowed to go back alive.
Feng Zhi Wei lifted her chin slightly, her gaze calm as she looked up at the clouds that were rolling in the sky’s edge.
Then come.
You all have indeed been planning this for a long time.
But what you don’t know is that there is someone else.
Who didn’t just wait until now to make her move either.
All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com