Chapter 994: Chapter 990: Revenge
Bai Qingqi nodded, just about to get up and take his leave, when the Empress of Xiliang asked, "Since your envoy intends to sow discord within the Xiliang imperial court, could you tell me... who was it that the Eight Great Families planned to nominate as emperor? Could it be... King Yan, Li Zhijie, who is far away in Zhou?"
Bai Qingqi smiled faintly and said, "The late emperor of Xiliang’s bloodline isn’t exclusive to just Your Majesty. If they intend to remove Your Majesty from the throne, supporting the Princess of Pingyang would be the natural choice. If Your Majesty insists on an answer... as an outsider, I would certainly say the Princess of Pingyang."
The Empress of Xiliang’s lips curved into a subtle smile, nodding slightly.
As she watched Bai Qingqi’s figure leave the main hall, the smile on the Empress of Xiliang’s face eventually faded away.
The more Bai Qingqi openly admitted he came to incite discord, the more suspicion brewed in the Empress of Xiliang’s heart.
Yun Poxing and Bai Qingqi, who was exiting the hall, exchanged a glance. Upon seeing Bai Qingqi, Yun Poxing clenched his fists and slowly stood up from his seat.
Even though he wasn’t dressed in military garb, Yun Poxing’s authoritative presence was undiminished. It was an aura of majesty forged through iron and blood on the battlefield, unable to be hidden despite his illness-caused stoop.
Bai Qingqi’s gaze fell on Yun Poxing. After several years apart... Yun Poxing seemed to have aged considerably more since being on the battlefield. Perhaps for Yun Poxing, the battlefield was more suitable than the treacherous terrains of Yunjing. Here... Yun Poxing, as a noble minister of Xiliang, born into one of the Eight Great Families and a supporter of the Empress of Xiliang’s new policies, treaded carefully between the Eight Great Families and the Empress of Xiliang. It was like walking on thin ice compared to risking his life on the battlefield.
For Bai Qingqi, he bore a personal grudge against Yun Poxing, hating Yun Poxing’s treacherous methods on the battlefield, especially regarding the matter with little seventeen... Bai Qingqi wished dearly to skin Yun Poxing alive.
However, for Xiliang... Yun Poxing was a loyal minister. Though not without his branches of thousand blades, it was he who supported the Empress of Xiliang with his aged body, allowing her to stand tall.
In the path of loyalty, Yun Poxing earned Bai Qingqi’s respect. Although Bai Qingqi’s eyes gave away his hatred, he still bowed to Yun Poxing.
Yun Poxing was slightly surprised, and before he could return the bow, Bai Qingqi had straightened up and followed the little eunuch down the stairs.
He thought, given the Bai family’s hatred towards him, Bai Qingqi would have wanted to tear him limb from limb. Judging by Bai Qingqi’s gaze, it seemed exactly that way. He thought, even if Bai Qingqi couldn’t touch him in the Xiliang Imperial Palace, at the very least he would ignore him completely.
He never expected that even though Bai Qingqi, a survivor from the Southern battlefield of the Bai family, was now with the upper hand in Zhou, fully capable of acting against him, he would still maintain his composure.
Compared to what he did to the Bai family’s descendants back then, especially... the seventeenth son of the Bai family, the constant guilt weighing on him had never made his heart more uneasy than it did now.
Yun Poxing clenched his fists, took two steps forward, and called out loudly, "General Bai, regarding the seventeenth son of the Bai family, Yun Poxing... apologizes here!"
As Yun Poxing said this, he bowed deeply in apology to Bai Qingqi, almost toppling due to his aching waist, saved only by the quick reflexes of the Xiliang imperial guards’ support.
The voice trailing from behind, Bai Qingqi didn’t turn back, his palms clenching tightly...
The revenge for little seventeen simply couldn’t be allayed by a single apology. The vengeance of his grandfather, uncles, and father... and little seventeen’s revenge, Bai Qingqi vowed to repay on the battlefield with dignity, only then could they be laid to rest in peace.
Yun Poxing watched as Bai Qingqi disappeared from view, only then did he turn around and speak to the eunuch by the palace door, "Inform Her Majesty, the old minister requests an audience!"
"Great General, Her Majesty has already gone to the harem to see the Princess of Pingyang," said the little eunuch respectfully, "Her Majesty instructed to let Yun General rest inside the hall first."
Yun Poxing felt a slight unease. Just after meeting the envoy from Zhou, the Empress went to see the Princess of Pingyang, could it be that Bai Qingqi said something to Her Majesty regarding the Princess of Pingyang?
Before Yun Poxing could step into the hall, he saw two squads of imperial guards, swords by their waists, hurrying towards the direction of the harem, and he suddenly felt something was amiss, his heart darkened as if overshadowed by a cloud.
"Great General, please..." the little eunuch respectfully invited Yun Poxing inside.
Yun Poxing frowned, lifting his foot to step into the hall.
·
Li Tianfu’s Huaixiang Palace was adjacent to the fragrant orchid garden, where various precious orchids were planted. Every time the wind blew... the delicate fragrance would waft into Li Tianfu’s Huaixiang Palace, giving the palace its name.
Perhaps it was due to the midday sun, the orchids’ scent intensifying under the heat, fermented like a rich, thick aroma that drifted into the hall with the breeze, intoxicating one’s senses to a state of drowsiness.
Everyone knew that Li Tianfu and the Empress of Xiliang were born of the same mother, enjoyed much favor, evident in the opulence of Huaixiang Palace.
Li Tianfu dismissed the palace maids and eunuchs, alone in her bedchamber, holding Lu Tianzhuo’s old clothes against her face, silently shedding tears.
Very soon, very soon... she would sit on the throne to avenge Lu Tianzhuo!
Li Tianfu sniffed, placing Lu Tianzhuo’s clothes on the window, carefully smoothing them out with her hands, her throat tight with a lump of sorrow, she whispered, "Soon, I will... kill Bai Qingyan, destroy Bai Qingyan’s Zhou Kingdom, and avenge you!"
Upon hearing a slight noise of the pearl curtain being drawn aside, Li Tianfu hastily pulled a thin quilt over Lu Tianzhuo’s clothes, then shouted, "Didn’t I tell you to stay outside the hall, who dared to barge in with such audacity?!"
Through the water-colored brocade veil, Li Tianfu faintly saw someone pushing aside the draped veils hanging from the nanmu beams, approaching her, completely undeterred by her rebuke.
Li Tianfu’s hand reached under the pillow embroidered with Capricorn patterns, grasping the dagger gifted by Lu Tianzhuo which she kept under the pillow...
Only when she recognized the vague outline of the Empress of Xiliang did Li Tianfu release her grip on the dagger, standing up and calling out, "Sister?"
The last layer of brocade veil was drawn back, the Empress of Xiliang looked deeply at Li Tianfu, then walked towards Li Tianfu’s bedside...
The Empress sat beside Li Tianfu’s bed. Li Tianfu glanced nervously at the quilt-covered spot, then smiled charmingly as usual, "It really is Sister. Sister, why have you come at this time? Wasn’t it said that you were meeting the envoy from Zhou earlier?"
The Empress of Xiliang glanced side-eyed at the disheveled quilt, then again at Li Tianfu... her sister, still appearing as innocent and charming as she remembered.