"She truly cares for Your Highness," Mo Chou said.
Mu Qingyao nodded. "I know."
Mo Chou, curious about what her mistress was planning on the chessboard, leaned in to look at the black and white pieces arranged in a complex pattern.
"Your Highness, what is this?"
"Come and see," Mu Qingyao beckoned Mo Chou closer, moving the pieces on the board with her fingers as she explained, "See, this is a situation where everything is interconnected. Now, if I use Su Zhan, that Master Liao Kong, to tie down the Empress Dowager, she will surely hand over the truth about the death of Empress Li. Then, by using the Empress Dowager to check the King of Beijin, the King of Beijin will not dare to act rashly. He will have to formulate a plan.
"Ten days from now is his wedding day, which presents the best opportunity. I believe he will choose this day to make his move, as this marriage was decreed by the Emperor.
"For us to achieve a surprise victory during this wedding, we will need the capital's guard forces, the Imperial Guards, and also some troops from the Prince of Nan'an's mansion.
"Besides his clandestine forces, the King of Beijin's greatest source of power comes from the Chu family.
"We dare not estimate the forces within the court, as Prime Minister Chu Fengyu's intricate network over the years will undoubtedly have many who assist him. However, we have another trump card, the Noble Consort Chu Yu Yan.
"If she is willing to step forward and have her father, the Prime Minister, relinquish his military power, then we won't just achieve a decisive victory; the King of Beijin will be captured, won't he?"
After Mu Qingyao finished explaining her meticulous plan, Mo Chou found it perfect, yet still had a question. "Will Noble Consort Chu Yu Yan ask her father to relinquish his military power?"
"She will. I will explain the stakes involved. If she doesn't, there's someone else who can help us?"
Mu Qingyao's eyes darkened, and a smile played on her lips.
"Who?" Mo Chou couldn't think of anyone else who could assist them.
"General Ximen. Don't forget his precious daughter is in the palace, and his daughter is fond of the Emperor. He will certainly help the Emperor."
As soon as Mu Qingyao finished speaking, Mo Chou frowned. "But General Ximen might not be willing to act. The Emperor has not yet taken Ximen Xinyue as a consort; how can he help the Emperor?"
"This is why I don't want to involve the Ximen family. Ximen Xinyue is so clever; she will definitely use this situation to have her father propose that the Emperor take her into the imperial harem. If the Emperor truly needs the Ximen family's influence, he will have to take Ximen Xinyue as a consort."
"Ah, how can this be? Then Your Highness?"
"I will focus on getting through this ordeal. As for whether the Emperor will take Ximen Xinyue as a consort, that is his affair, not something I can control."
Mu Qingyao's expression was calm, but a pang of sorrow tightened her heart. After all, she was nominally the Empress to Mu Rong Liu Zun. Moreover, he had always doted on her and worked hard to keep her by his side.
"Your Highness, why don't we persuade Noble Consort to have the Prime Minister hand over his military power?" Mo Chou quickly suggested.
In recent days, her mistress and the Emperor had been getting along very well, and she didn't want any other women interfering.
Chu Yu Yan was far more compliant than Ximen Xinyue. Although she was in the palace, the Emperor neither touched nor paid her any attention, merely bestowing her a title, which Mu Qingyao found somewhat more acceptable.
If Ximen Xinyue were to enter the imperial harem, it would likely cause unrest. That woman, at first glance, was not someone to be trifled with.
"However, the Chu family has the eldest son, Chu, and he seems quite ambitious."
Mu Qingyao's head began to ache whenever she thought of Chu Qian Yi. She didn't understand why that fellow was so fixated on her, constantly wanting to take her away. She didn't know if he genuinely wanted to take her away or if he wanted to keep her under his control to manipulate the entire game of chess in his hands. It was truly laughable. The Emperor was exceptionally shrewd; knowing he was lurking in the shadows, he would let him do as he pleased.
"Your Highness?" Mo Chou was about to say something more when Mei Xin entered with a line of palace maids. Mu Qingyao stopped speaking and waved her hand. "Put this away. I'm really hungry."
"Alright," Mo Chou responded, putting away the chessboard. Ge Xin, leading the young maids, served the meal and stood by to attend to them. The others left.
As Mu Qingyao ate, she inquired of Mei Xin if anything had happened in the palace today. Mei Xin's interest was immediately piqued.
"Reporting to Your Highness, Princess Xing Zhu came to visit for a while. But do you know who else came to pay their respects to you?"
"Who?" Mu Qingyao rolled her eyes. This girl always pretended to be mysterious, turning even a small matter into a grand affair.
Mei Xin covered her mouth and giggled.
"It was Ximen Xinyue. That woman came to pay her respects to Your Highness, and her attitude was truly deferential. But I doubt her heart was in it. Princess Xing Zhu was also here when she arrived and lectured her, telling her not to come bothering you unnecessarily. That woman's face turned red and then white. My heart felt so relieved!"
Mu Qingyao listened to Mei Xin's exaggerated account without much reaction, continuing to eat.
However, Xing Zhu had offended someone. If Ximen Xinyue entered the palace, she might suffer harm. That woman appeared to be someone who held grudges. The humiliation she suffered today, she would likely seek to repay it in the future.
"You," Mu Qingyao chided the gloating maid as she ate, "don't be too pleased with yourself. Keep your mouth closed tight, or a fly might fly in."
Upon hearing this, Mei Xin quickly pursed her lips and looked around. She then noticed Mo Chou smiling and realized her mistress was teasing her. Pouting, she expressed her displeasure. "Your Highness."
"Alright, I'm also full. Clear everything away. I need to rest for a while, and then I'll go talk to the Emperor about these details."
Mu Qingyao waved her hand. She had been busy all morning and then spent another hour here. Feeling a bit tired, she decided to rest before going to see the Emperor.
"Yes, Your Highness," Mei Xin acknowledged, instructing the palace maids to come and clear away the dishes. She then helped her mistress into the sleeping quarters to rest.
Mo You stood guard outside the sleeping quarters. Fortunately, Mo You was only twelve or thirteen years old and could come and go freely within Feng Luan Palace. If he were any older, he might not have been able to move so freely here.
The night was deep, shrouded in darkness, with low-hanging clouds and a somber atmosphere.
After sleeping, Mu Qingyao felt refreshed. She had dinner and then read for a while.
She had originally intended to wait for the Emperor to come and discuss matters concerning the Empress Dowager and Empress Li from years past. However, after waiting for an hour, the Emperor did not arrive.
Perhaps she should go to Liuli Palace to see him. Acting on impulse had always been Mu Qingyao's style. She immediately instructed Mei Xin, Mo Chou, and Mo You to accompany her to Liuli Palace.