Chapter 73
Bulletproof weapon
The sound of horse hooves was heard from a distance, and a woman, wearing a white hood and thick cape, swiftly brushed past the forest leaves as she rode at a fast pace.
In her thoughts:"I must kill her! I must find her and kill her!"
Along with the restoration of the fortune of the Eighth Princess Chun'er, the reappointment of Yuwen Huai to oversee the Judicial System of the Wei Empire was announced.
Upon the return of Prince Zaru, the Black Seal was finally deactivated. With the ongoing military chaos within Wei, the Emperor was devastated when he learned that two of his powerful royal sons had divided the empire's military strength.
Looking into the lake mirror of Chisui, he said: "I have won several times but lost twice as much. Don't you think?"
Tai Wei, the palace eunuch, sensing the Emperor's heavy heart, said: "I am not in a position to offer any words of encouragement, but Your Majesty, you have done many good deeds to protect the people who tried but failed to ruin this empire."
"I lost the Imperial Concubine Ning'er, but I fulfilled her last wish to forgive the prodigal daughter who tried to take my life. Deactivating the Blackguard's seal and restoring the Eyes of God led to Yuwen Huai's rise to power again," the Emperor sighed and continued. "I was able to rescue Prince Zaru of Batuha, the only heir to their throne, but lost Prince Yuan Yang, my son from my youthful days. I was able to turn the Thirteenth Crown Prince's mourning for Chu Qiao into the enthronement of Xiao Ba. Unfortunately, Yuan Song has been silently undermining his own throne. I failed to protect the youngest imperial concubine, Lan'er Shuyi, which led to her difficult path and the loss of baby Prince Hao'er. One night in my dreams, I saw her sitting on my bed, but like a nightmare, she disappeared from my chamber. I asked the guards, and they told me no one had come that night. Was it a ghost? The Qinghai princes were released as if nothing had happened. They enjoyed their fortunes on wine and women in Wei, without even knowing their brother almost died. I never saw him again, but after reading his letter, I recognized the strokes of the Chinese characters, reminding me of the late Yuwen heir."
The Emperor ordered a summary of the Wei Empire's history to be written. He said to Eunuch Tai Wei: "Let the scribes hold their ink on the final sentence…"
The Emperor looked upward and saw the heavy snow falling into the river, glistening.
As his eyes were drawn to the vast, snow-covered land, he suddenly remembered the late heir of the Eyes of God. Eunuch Tai Wei was somewhat surprised when he heard the Emperor say: "Like a son of my own, he could have been the next brother-in-law to the Crown Prince."
Tai Wei hesitated, then asked: "Pardon me, Your Majesty, are you referring to the rebel son of Yanbei?"
The Emperor's mood shifted upon hearing the question and snapped: "Are you listening or not?"
Tai Wei immediately kowtowed before the Emperor, saying: "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I was momentarily distracted. Please do not be angry with your servant."
The Emperor's anger softened as he replied: "A different fate may have unfolded had the maidservant not found herself in the noble Yuwen household. The same goes for if she had not crossed paths with Wei's royal household.
But no matter where she goes, it seems that in the hearts of the people, whether royal or commoner, there is always a place for her."
Still kowtowing, Tai Wei was confused. He wanted to ask again whether the Emperor was referring to Chu Qiao, rumored to be alive, or Xia Chong, the puppet Crown Princess of Wei who had died.
The Wei Emperor's ministers, scholars, political allies, royal families, and Shrine elders had long been debating the rumors, leading to a temporary cold war among the aristocratic factions. Though the truth remained uncertain, they secretly hoped Chu Qiao was alive.
According to the rumors, Chu Qiao had survived and taken over the Phoenix Crown, becoming the Empress of the Liang Empire.
However, Yan Xun, knowing these rumors would reach the Wei Empire through illegal channels faster than a bullet train, forged a fake "snow-spy" letter and sent it to the Eyes of God.
In his cunning way, he spread conflicting news to confuse the Wei Empire and strike a blow at the royal family, claiming Chu Qiao had died and been buried in the Xiu Xiu mountains.
The rumor that the new Empress in Liang, who resembled the late Wei Crown Princess Chu Qiao, was fake news spread quickly.
After the "snow-spy" letter reached the Eyes of God and the Palace, the Thirteenth Prince, Yuan Song, began openly challenging his father's stance on the matter.
He desired to visit Southern Liang, a decision strongly opposed by Minister Wei Guang, the Wei Valve elders, and other scholars. They gathered in the Shen Jin Palace to petition against the Crown Prince's decision.
In the end, the majority ruled, and the people of the empire prevailed. A decree was issued, preventing the Crown Prince from leaving Wei's borders.
Later, Yan Xun heard that Yuan Song had been detained in his palace.
The ex-Afterlife Camp spies, led by Meng Feng, kept their distance from the Crown Prince to avoid exposure as his secret allies when the royal guards sealed the entrances and exits to the Thirteenth Prince's palace.
The Bathuja family found peace once more when Prince Zaru returned to their homeland in the cold Northland, with its ice and snow-capped mountains.
Before his departure, the Wei Emperor presented him with a reward for enduring many nights of pain and shame under Yanbei's camp. The Emperor also held a send-off banquet in his honor.
Although Prince Zaru regained his position and entitlements, he was no longer the same. His entire being, tested and shaped in the fiery pit of darkness, had been irrevocably changed. He was somewhat enlightened, as his brutal heart had been softened by the shame he experienced, saved by the masked prince whom he never had the chance to meet.
Though his rescue was possible, the details were kept confidential by the palace.
Yet, a few officials, such as Wei Guang, knew how it had been planned and executed.
The Wei Emperor understood that using a weapon of mass destruction, the Black Seal, could bring about karma for the next four generations.
However, the Qinghai princes were like scapegoats for karma, a shield used to protect the present empire. The Emperor schemed, using blackmail to lure Ra Yue into his trap.
Ra Yue was correct, it was a trap, a competition. Yet, he seized the dark opportunity to find Chu Qiao. When Ra Yue heard that his brothers and Qinghai troops were marching eastward, he knew the Emperor had honored their one-time deal.
Ra Yue remained elusive, keeping his location hidden from his royal brothers.
He also didn't reveal that another Qinghai force, led by Yue Qi, was stationed across the hinterlands, ready to defend or attack as needed.
Occasionally, Ra Yue sent spies to search for his brothers and letters to update them, but he never mentioned his grave condition. He also visited the Liang Empire to catch a glimpse of Chu Qiao.
When Ra Yue received his brothers' letters in response, he wrote back, claiming he was enjoying his adventure in Yanbei's cold northern grasslands and paddling through the Pengcheng waterways near Liang state.
In truth, he was keeping an eye on Chu Qiao while recovering from his severe wounds.
The result of his hardest battle with Yan Xun had been the exchange of whom? The lame and useless Prince Zaru.
Between the sun and the light snowfall, Yuwen Yue would often play a bamboo flute to a sad tune when he wanted to reflect on the death of Xia Chong or express his longing for his estranged wife, Chu Qiao.
It was the hardest period of his life, where he could do nothing but trust the winds of change to lead him back to his true destiny, with Chu Qiao in it.
After his last visit, Yuwen Yue knew that everything had been left to fate, and when he returned to attend Chu Qiao's enthronement, he understood that it was over.
But whenever something ends, another beautiful opportunity often begins.
Will the lost be found? Will the tangled threads of fate be untangled on the path of destiny?
Only the will of man can decide, while on earth, as the heavens work with the grace of granting it once more.
A handsome man entered, his presence commanding. He wore a splendid golden Hanfu, with long kam sleeves that kissed the floor, and a heavy jade headdress pinned to his hair. In his right hand, he held the blind dragon scales.
He walked with grace and took his seat at the center of the massive round table. Placing his left hand on the heavy imperial seal engraved into the table, Yuwen Huai recalled his former glories and envisioned his future. He then placed the dragon scales in the center of the table.
The famous Justice's Imperial Seat, appointed solely for him, was destined to govern forever as the sovereign of all in the land of Wei.
Twelve lower minister justices and hundreds of palace officials, led by their spokesperson Wei Guang, rose from their seats to welcome the honorable Lord of Justice, Yuwen Huai.
The Eyes of God had been rebuilt and restored, though its heir had not.
A large void was left in the Wei Empire. Many Yuwen relatives presented themselves as candidates for the next heir, but none passed the Emperor's decrees. None of them displayed the exemplary character of the late Yuwen heir, nor could any guards demonstrate the skills required to run the empire's intelligence center, where Yuwen Gao had become increasingly rigid in its ways.
The Eyes of God began to operate at half capacity, bringing only partial information to the Wei palace. Through the sweat and effort of the Thirteenth Crown Prince, the Eyes of God underwent a major overhaul.
Yuan Song summoned all the Mohist masters in the land of Wei. They came to rebuild its destroyed foundation and redeploy it, but no perfect leader was found to govern and maintain it.
For now, it remained the empire's beacon of intelligence, and the Wei Emperor hoped that one day, the next Yuwen heir would rise to take charge.
Lan Shuyi arrived at the Qinghai palace.
She tapped her white horse's flank, sending it galloping away until it disappeared from sight.
With swift movements, she changed back into her palace spy clothes, concealing her identity as the second prince Ra Zheng's secret, invisible spy.
Looking back at her past, she remembered that she was the only sister of Chief Justice Yuwen Huai, born of a different mother. Her mother had been persecuted by the Yuwen relatives and beaten to death.
Unable to cope any longer, she decided to run away. Yuwen Huai's guards were sent to search for her.
It wasn't long before they found her at the Pengcheng docking harbor.
The ship's long horn sounded as it began to leave the berth. Not far and...
Whoosh!
A whistling arrow was heard, neither far nor near, as Yuwen Yue released a Bingxue (snow or ice) arrow that struck Lan Shuyi in the back. She fell onto the ship's deck, and the crowd began to panic.
At that moment, Yuwen Huai stood behind Yuwen Yue, watching as he took the shot. He smirked and said, "Well done, my brother. It will be a whitewashed story."
If Yuwen Huai had known that Lan Shuyi would return to haunt him, and that Yuwen Yue had tricked him to free her from further assault, he might not have been so smug. Yuwen Yue deceived him into believing that she was dead. Coldly, Yuwen Yue said, "Why are you so worried?"
Yuwen Huai looked directly at Yuwen Yue and replied, "Worried? No. Let's go." Both Yuwen cousins spurred their horses and rode back to the Wei Empire.
The people gathered around the girl's body lying on the deck while others panicked. Suddenly, a beautiful woman in a white hood and a thick fur cape approached. The crowd parted slightly to make way for her. Lou He immediately saw Lan Shuyi's frail form.
Lou He, feeling pity, examined the young woman's innocent face and checked her pulse. After a moment, Lou He said, "Whoever did this has a long story to tell."
Xia Chong, Viper, and Trailkoya were with Lou He at the time, and she ordered them to take Lan Shuyi to the cabin. The ship sailed from Liang's Pengcheng harbor toward Qinghai, entering the city port of Luoyang.
The journey would take seven days by sea. Lou He knew that Lan Shuyi was no ordinary person and had no intention of saving this unfortunate Yuwen sister.
In the end, Lou He decided to treat her, perhaps planning to leave her behind when they docked in Luoyang.
However, Lou He's plans were disrupted by the sharp spy network of Zhan Ziyu. The night before they were due to disembark, the afterlife campers attacked their cabin.
Zhan Ziyu brandished a knife, but Lou He, acting on instinct, controlled the wind, causing all their swords to fall to the ground.
"Impressive!" Zhan Ziyu remarked. But before he could react, Lou He swiftly broke the lamp in the cabin, covered her face with her scarf, and opened a small bottle. The air filled with a potent scent, and everyone, including Zhan Ziyu, collapsed to the floor. Lou He quickly took Lan Shuyi and fled.
As they distanced themselves, Lou He glanced back through the cabin window, catching a glimpse of Zhan Ziyu regaining his balance. He looked furious, banging his fists against the window.
Mocking him, Lou He shouted, "There's always next time!"
She mounted her white horse, taking Lan Shuyi and the other underworld spies with her. Just as Dong Fangyi had a mysterious personality, so did Lan Shuyi's identity.
It was almost by accident that she became the maidservant of the Leader of the Wind and Cloud Decree.
Lan Shuyi spent time with Lou He, training in spy skills, though she was never able to complete her Gongfu training, leaving her vulnerable to attacks. Despite becoming a leader among the maidservants, Lan Shuyi remained in the Moon Kingdom and occasionally traveled with Lou He.
She knew Chu Qiao better than anyone and became Lou He's second eyes, tasked with watching over the Chu Jing Princess.
After Lou He was murdered, Lan Shuyi became a stray spy, looking after the innocent Chu Qiao.
Trapped near the Wei borders, Lan Shuyi was forced to reveal herself to protect Chu Qiao from their pursuers.
Yuwen Huai's guards, thinking she was a beautiful maiden lost in the forest, began harassing her. They grabbed the frightened woman and took her to their young master, Yuwen Huai.
Upon returning to her household, Lan Shuyi could not escape Yuwen Huai's fabricated stories about her missing years. He sneered, "Lan Shuyi, I never thought you would grow up so well. Just look at you."
Yuwen Huai smirked as Lan Shuyi, terrified by her brother's voice, curled into a childlike pose.
Laughing at her tearful eyes, Yuwen Huai said, "Come here, little sister, I have a surprise for you."
He took out a torture whip and asked, "How did you escape? Why would Yuwen Yue keep you alive? I saw it with my own eyes. You're supposed to be dead!"
Lan Shuyi, trembling in horror, pleaded, "Tell me what you want, and I'll do it for you!"
Yuwen Huai, with an evil grin, said, "Will you really do anything I ask?"
Lan Shuyi, using her spy skills to deceive him, replied, "Just tell me, and it will be done."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, too bad I don't have anything in mind right now, except to send you to the lovely pavilion," Yuwen Huai laughed darkly.
Lan Shuyi, desperate and afraid, cried, "There must be something I can help you with! Just tell me, and I'll fulfill your wishes. Please, let me out of here!"
Yuwen Huai, with dreamy eyes, thought for a moment, looking up at the ceiling covered in iron thorns. He approached Lan Shuyi and whispered in a husky voice, "Become a spy for me!"
Lan Shuyi, shocked, asked, "What? A spy? For what? For whom?"
Yuwen Huai, clearly enjoying the thought, replied, "Sister, you are pretty and young. You are not just an ordinary woman; you are a Yuwen bastard, just like me. You have potential. If you become a spy, your true value will emerge." Grinning evilly, he continued, "Can you handle it?"
Lan Shuyi asked again, "For what? For whom?"
"Seduce the Emperor and become his concubine!"
Lan Shuyi, horrified, grabbed a small dagger and said, "Brother, just kill me now. I don't want to be a concubine!"
Yuwen Huai, undaunted, replied, "No, you will become Wei's concubine, or I will find the child you hid in the bush a day ago and feed her to the Jile Pavilion."
Hearing the threat, Lan Shuyi immediately agreed to work for Yuwen Huai.
Yuwen Huai wasted no time and wrote a letter to the Shen Jin Gong that night, sending it with a messenger the next morning.
When the palace eunuch read the letter, it arrived just in time, they were looking for a servant maid to serve the Emperor.
Lan Shuyi entered the Emperor's court for the first time. After a night in the Emperor's bedchamber, she was promoted to Imperial Concubine. A few years later, while still living in the palace, she met Chu Qiao again.
Lan Shuyi had prayed to the gods that Lou He would grant her wish to see Chu Qiao again, and it came true. Chu Qiao had grown into a beautiful woman. The rest of the story goes that Lan Shuyi bore a baby prince named Hao'er, but he was later killed by Yuwen Huai, who locked the child in a treasure chest.
The baby prince was officially pronounced dead, but Yuwen Huai had planned it all. When he saw the child's eyes, he remembered Chun'er and hesitated to kill him. Due to his special feelings for Princess Chun'er, Yuwen Huai decided to keep the baby prince alive and sent him to the secret Yuwen mansion in the far northwestern mountains.
The Yuwen guards took a long journey to the northwest mountains and hid Lan Shuyi's child far away from the royal empire.
While Lan Shuyi remained in the Wei palace, Yuwen Huai used her as a strategic spy within the royal family. Huai had personal interests in Princess Chun'er and harbored hopes of influencing events to marry her, though he knew the Emperor's blessing was unlikely.
Still, Yuwen Huai vowed to grasp even the smallest chance to achieve his ambition, swearing to move heaven and earth if necessary.
Meanwhile, Lan Shuyi, grieving over the loss of her child, smashed all her idols and threw her offerings of the dead outside her palace. The maidservants, witnessing her rage, cried and trembled in fear but did nothing to intervene.
Lan Shuyi, filled with anger and sorrow, cursed Lou He and vowed to kill Chu Qiao, the Chu Jing Princess. Rumors spread among the other concubines that Lan Shuyi had gone mad after her child's death, though they were untrue.
Yuwen Huai knew this torment would drive his sister to madness, and he intended it to teach her a lesson. He resented her for snubbing him and abusing her power to take revenge on him.
Months passed, and Lan Shuyi's behavior worsened. Her unstable emotions led her to order the emasculation of her male guards. Still unable to cope with the loss of her child, she asked the Emperor to use his power to find her son, though she withheld the fact that Yuwen Huai had taken the child.
After months of searching, Lan Shuyi gave up hope that her child was alive. She fled Wei, leaving behind only a letter for the Emperor.
Upon reading the letter, the Emperor reflected on it. He had lost yet another pawn in his empire.
Meanwhile, Yuwen Huai had changed significantly after years away from the Wei Imperial Justice seat.
Things had changed, and the present circumstances did not afford Yuwen Huai a comfortable position.
Instead, Yuwen Huai faced insurmountable problems: unrest in the military, a cold war among Wei's royal clans, and an enemy that had likely grown to include their own Prince Yuan Yang, who had allied with his most hated rival, Yan Xun.
As the thought of Yan Xun crossed his mind, Yuwen Huai clenched his fist. "My first justice will be to bring Yan Xun's head to this table," he declared. The Wei ministers considered this an ambitious goal, but a cold, calm voice replied, "Glad to hear that, Your Honor," Wei Guang said.
"I will seek justice for those who were killed in the bloodiest battles, for the aristocratic societies of this empire who suffered. They will be avenged, and the perpetrator will be killed!"
"Your Honor, what about Prince Yuan Yang? What do you plan to do?" Wei Guang asked, tapping his fingers on the table.
"Either we burn or cross the bridge," Yuwen Huai replied. Demonstrating his deep knowledge of Wei's constitutional laws and the rules of the empire, he added, "Treason is the highest crime in the land, punishable by death. But as we all know, just like the Mulan title of the late Chu Qiao, amnesty can be granted by the seal of the Wei Emperor, his father."
Wei Guang, the first to offer a positive note, said, "You haven't rusted during all those years of hibernation. You're sharper than before. Shall we raise a toast to the return of the Great Yuwen Huai?"
Jade goblets clinked in the air, and Wei Guang ended the court session by hosting a grand banquet. The palace ministers ate, drank, and enjoyed the night with spirited wines, dancers, and musical performances.
"Whoever sows the wind will reap a storm."
Without turning, Prince Ra Zheng continued writing at his royal table, his calm eyes focused on his Chinese calligraphy while waiting for the secret spy to report.
"Your Highness, I have been unable to locate the seventh Prince, Ra Yue, or his troops. Meanwhile, Liang's Emperor Xiao Ce has returned to his empire safe and alive. According to Jianghu spies, Skyshadow played a key role, with great assistance from the Healer of the Moon Kingdom, who was seen using healing powers to overcome the forces of darkness and revive the Liang Emperor."
Ra Zheng stopped writing and turned to see Lan Shuyi, who was in a kowtow position. He said, "You arrived after everything has already happened. You withheld information and failed to report on time. Where is the useful information now?"
"Forgive me, Your Highness! I had to secure myself and hide from the sharp eyes of the Blackguard spying near Yanbei, Wei, and Liang borders!" Lan Shuyi pleaded.
Ra Zheng suddenly leaped up, took a sword from its holder, and unsheathed it, calm as ever. He held the blade in front of Lan Shuyi and said in a slow, husky voice, "As a former maidservant to Lou He, a second set of eyes watching over the Chu Jing princess, an imperial concubine of the Wei Emperor, a mother who lost her child, shall I continue?"
Lan Shuyi, hearing the cold words from the Qinghai Prince, became emotional and replied, "Your Highness, I can never repay what you have done for me. You captured me and brought me to where I am today. Without your greatness, I would not be in this position. I have tracked and spied on the Jianghu spies and identified their leader, Sand Drizzle Master, now renamed Dong Fangyi, who has become Yanbei's military counselor. The former Chu Jing General, now known as Wu Dao Ya, leads the Datong Way, a secret trading network in Yanbei that brings wealth to the rising empire, an empire my former master, Lou He, died protecting. Wu Dao Ya's counterpart, the Chu Jing Kingdom's remnant warrior Viper, now named Zhong Yu, is the right hand of the King of Yanbei. I can also confirm that Viper has found the Chu Jing Princess, though I still don't know what she looks like. Liang's high-ranking spy leader Xiao Yu has become the Queen of Yanbei, and Tao Ye, one of their top Skyshadow spies, has not been recovered from Wei, where she was captured by the late Yuwen Heir. Rumor has it that while Tao Ye remains missing, Xiao Yu has recruited one of the Jing family sisters, Xiao Qi. It's unclear what their intentions are, but it's certainly part of a larger plot. The afterlife camp spies, led by Zhan Ziyu, continue their mission to eliminate all remaining underworld spies. Meanwhile, the Eyes of God has hibernated since the Yuwen Heir's death. The Blackguard spymaster, Princess Zama, unleashed the Black Seal, a weapon like an explosive bomb, on Yanbei, which lost half of its grassroots cities, except for those defended by Viper and Wu Dao Ya. Witnesses say that Viper and Wu Dao Ya fought fiercely, alongside Dong Fangyi, who joined forces with the Blackguard spies and Princess Zama."
Ra Zheng's cold eyes softened as he lowered his sword. "Very well. Your reward…" He paused for a long while before continuing, "I know your son is alive."
Instead of surprising the Prince with her report, Lan Shuyi was the one surprised. Hearing Ra Zheng's words, her eyes welled up with tears. She wanted to ask more but held her tongue.
Ra Zheng approached her, still gazing at the beautiful spy in her kowtow position. He slowly bent down, gently held her chin, and said, "I know you've lost hope. But during my extended stay in the Wei Empire, I discovered many secrets about the baby prince, Hao'er. Indeed, the Yuwen household is full of secrets and tricks. They even deceived the Emperor, hiding his lost child somewhere in the far mountains. But they cannot outsmart Qinghai's second prince, who knows more about their secrets than they do."
He added, "Lastly, don't ask how it was done. You won't be able to repay me, even if you offer your life in exchange."
Today, Lan Shuyi felt a mix of joy and fury. She longed to kill Yuwen Huai for deceiving her and plotting to kill the only Chu Jing Princess, the daughter of her former savior, Lou He.
After fleeing the Wei Empire and abandoning her duties to the Emperor, Lan Shuyi's life had taken a dark turn. She decided to align herself with Qinghai's second prince and his secret spy network.
It was a do-or-die alliance. Once the tattoo was inked on her back, it became a bond, there was no turning back. Lan Shuyi had earned her place in the prince's circle by proving her worth, displaying the underworld spy skills taught by her former master, Lou He.
An advantage that none of Qinghai's other secret spies possessed.
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