Video Editor

In the late spring rain, the rain slanted across the windowpanes. Inside the Earl's mansion in Suning, candlelight cast the shadows of three women onto the plain white walls.

Chai Jing sat upright like a pine tree, Jiang Si unconsciously twisted her handkerchief, and Zhuang Hanyan stared blankly at the crabapple blossoms outside the window, battered by the rain.

At this moment, Su Ning's voice broke the silence, "Han Yan, Jiang Si, have you ever thought about where the tragedy of the Zhuang family lies?"

Chai Jing looked up at Su Ning, puzzled, and said, "Naturally, it was that treacherous Pei Dafu who caused this."

"Wrong! The root of the problem lies with that incompetent emperor in the Golden Palace! If the imperial power were not so corrupt, how could such a treacherous official as Pei Dafu be tolerated? How could a king of a different surname like Wu Youzhi have appeared? How absurd it is that 300,000 taels of silver can buy a count's title."

However, Zhuang Hanyan looked at Su Ning with a wry smile and said, "Husband, you are too naive. Even if this emperor is gone, there will be another. Who can guarantee that the new emperor will be a wise ruler? This world is just an endless cycle."

"So we're just going to sit here and wait to die? Wait for the next treacherous official, the next miscarriage of justice?"

Jiang Si roughly understood Su Ning's meaning, "Master, what do you want?"

"Rule of law!" A burning light blazed in Su Ning's eyes. "Abolish the privileges of the nobility, severely punish corrupt officials, and establish a fair judicial system. Let people like Zhuang Shiyang be judged by the people, instead of you scheming and plotting in your private quarters!"

"Lord, are you planning a rebellion?" Chai Jing gasped, dropping his handkerchief to the ground.

Su Ning nodded without hesitation: "That's right. Instead of waiting for a wise ruler to descend, let's overthrow this corrupt court! And then create a world of our own."

"This..." Zhuang Hanyan, Jiang Si, and the other two were all greatly shocked.

The rain intensified, pounding on the tiles like war drums.

Zhuang Hanyan gazed at Su Ning's resolute profile, a ripple of emotion stirring within her.

She remembered her mother Ruan Xiwen's straight back and the mung bean cake that had melted from the snow.

Perhaps Suning is right; the schemes of the inner quarters can never change the overall situation.

"To be honest, I've really had enough," Su Ning suddenly said, her voice weary. "I've had enough of seeing you all pin your hopes on others. Does your world need a destined protagonist to protect, pamper, and indulge you, like a husky circling around you?"

These words pierced Zhuang Hanyan's heart like a knife.

She stood up abruptly, her sleeve flipping over a teacup: "Husband! Don't do anything rash! Rebellion is punishable by death."

“Did I say something wrong?” Su Ning looked directly into her eyes. “You hate Zhuang Shiyang, but you only dare to plot in the shadows; you want revenge, but you wait for God to open his eyes. Zhuang Hanyan, this world will not pity the weak! There is no one in this world who wants to cut off my head.”

Zhuang Hanyan's fists clenched until they turned white, but she was speechless.

Yes! Her mother paved the way for her with her life, yet she was still stuck in the confines of the inner quarters.

Aunt Zhou spent her whole life scheming and plotting, but in the end, it all came to nothing.

"My lord, are we really going to rebel?"

"It's not a rebellion! It's an uprising."

"..."

"Han Yan, have Chai Jing accompany you during this time. I will make the arrangements for the uprising."

"it is good."

"Furthermore, I am already working on what I promised you, and your mother and Yuwen Chang'an will be resurrected soon."

"Husband, thank you."

……

Zhuang Yushan stood in front of the Zhuang family mansion gate, her wedding dress blazing like fire, yet it couldn't warm her icy hands.

The bridal sedan chair from the Prince of Qi's residence was parked at the foot of the steps, its red color dazzling.

"Miss..." the maidservant whispered a reminder.

Zhuang Yushan took a deep breath and stepped out the door.

A gust of wind blew by, lifting a corner of her veil. She caught a glimpse of the King of Qi sitting upright on his horse, not even willing to turn around and look at her.

The bridal sedan chair swayed back and forth. Zhuang Yushan remembered his mother Zhou Ruyin's instructions from the night before: "Prince Qi hates Zhuang Hanyan to the extreme. You must stand with him against this common enemy."

With the wedding candles burning brightly, when Prince Qi lifted the veil, Zhuang Yushan forced out her sweetest smile: "This concubine... Pei Yingyue greets Your Highness."

"Pei Yingyue?" King Qi narrowed his eyes.

"I admire the integrity of the Pei family and am willing to change my surname." Zhuang Yushan's heart pounded like a drum. "Moreover, I have an irreconcilable feud with Zhuang Hanyan."

King Qi's expression softened slightly, and he reached out to pinch her chin: "She's quite sensible."

Three days later, when the family returned to their parents' home, King Qi accompanied them, but treated the Zhuang family coldly.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhuang Yushan said, "Does Your Highness know that that vile woman Zhuang Hanyan has been plotting revenge against the Zhuang family? She is colluding with Consort Miao and has ulterior motives!"

"Consort Miao?" A ruthless glint flashed in Prince Qi's eyes. "That vile woman who dared to emulate Wu Zetian?"

Zhuang Yushan was secretly delighted, but then he saw the King of Qi suddenly raise his hand...

"Snapped!"

A slap knocked her down onto the bed.

"Women talk too much and don't know manners!" King Qi said, turning away in a huff.

Zhuang Yushan covered his burning cheeks, trying to hold back his tears.

She should have known long ago that in this male-dominated world, women are nothing more than pawns.

……

When Zhuang Hanyan learned of Zhuang Yushan's marriage, she was sorting through her mother's belongings.

"King Qi?" The bodhi seed bracelet in her hand suddenly snapped, and the beads rolled to the ground. "Zhuang Yushan is courting death!"

Qingxing whispered, "It's too late to rush there now. Miss Yushan will think you're hindering her from becoming wealthy."

Zhuang Hanyan smiled bitterly: "She doesn't understand, that's not wealth, it's a pit of fire."

Suddenly, she remembered something, "Oh no! Prince Qi will definitely deal with Consort Miao!"

She hurried to the palace, only to hear children singing a strange song on the street: "The empress prospers, the world is ruled, the empress sits on the golden throne..."

At the palace gate, the guards stopped her: "Only members of Consort Miao's clan are allowed to enter."

Just then, the Miao women arrived, and Zhuang Hanyan mingled among them.

A somber atmosphere permeated the palace, and eunuchs and palace maids hurried about.

“We’re too late…” An elderly Miao woman slumped to the ground, clutching a piece of white silk in her hand.

Zhuang Hanyan picked up the letter from the ground; it was Consort Miao's last words:
"...After ten years in the palace, I have come to realize that even if a woman holds a high position, without real power, she is like a floating duckweed. The current emperor listens to slander and says that I want to emulate Wu Zetian. How laughable and lamentable! I only want to fight for a place for women in the world."

The ink smudged with tears, and Zhuang Hanyan's hands trembled uncontrollably.

She thought of her mother, and of what Consort Miao had told her that day: "A woman should help herself." Now, all of that had turned into a wronged soul within the palace walls.

Back at her residence, Zhuang Hanyan pulled a dagger from the bottom of a box.

A cold glint reflected in her bloodshot eyes: "Zhuang Shiyang, I will make you pay for your crimes in blood!"

"Stop!" Su Ning stopped her. "Going like this is tantamount to suicide."

"Consort Miao died because of me!"

"No, she died because of this cannibalistic world!" Su Ning grabbed her shoulders. "Don't you understand? Killing Zhuang Shiyang won't solve anything!"

Zhuang Hanyan slumped to the ground, tears finally streaming down her face: "Then what should I do..."

"Revolt! Directly overthrow the dynasty on the grounds that the emperor favors the treacherous official Pei Dafu, harms the imperial concubine, and is cruel and inhumane."

"Okay! My husband, I'll do whatever you say."

"When the time comes, we'll arrest Zhuang Shiyang and hold a public trial to expose his ugly behavior to the world. That will be the only way to vent our anger. Besides, there are countless licentious and immoral nobles in the capital who commit crimes. We want to bring all people like Zhuang Shiyang and Prince Qi to justice."

"Then when shall we launch our uprising?"

"Tomorrow at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)."

...Just as they were waiting for the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) to begin their uprising, Su Ning took Zhuang Hanyan to the morgue.

Inside the morgue, the smell of mildew mingled with the odor of herbs.

Yuwen Chang'an's friend, the coroner Sun, lifted a blue cloth, revealing a sandalwood box.

"Lord Yuwen is kept here." Coroner Sun coughed twice. "I consider him... a close friend."

Suning opened the box, inside were some yellowed manuscripts.

Coroner Sun pointed to the corner of the wall: "There's another jar over there."

The moment the lid was opened, a putrid stench filled the air.

Zhuang Hanyan had just been brought here when she saw this scene and couldn't help but cover her mouth and nose.

"Don't touch it!" Su Ning stopped Zhuang Hanyan, who was about to step forward. "It's poisonous."

The skeleton was an eerie bluish-black color, and three fingers were missing from its right hand.

Zhuang Hanyan's eyes suddenly widened: "This is... my grandfather Zhuang Hanliang? Didn't he die suddenly from an illness back then?"

Su Ning wrapped a piece of bone in a handkerchief: "It seems we have another reason to overthrow the court."

"My husband, can we succeed?"

"Haha, I'm a professional at starting uprisings. This isn't the first time I've rebelled."

"..."

Outside the window, night has fallen.

An even bigger storm is brewing.

……

At the third quarter of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), just after the first drumbeat, a night owl was startled and took flight from the eaves of the Ministry of War's office.

The Ministry of War official on night duty yawned and was about to add more lamp oil when he suddenly saw dark shadows looming outside the window.

"Who goes there..." Before he could finish speaking, a cold blade was pressed against his neck.

"Shh..." the warrior in black armor whispered, "My family invites the Vice Minister to watch a good show."

"What are you trying to do? Are you planning a rebellion?"

"Wrong! We are in rebellion! We are overthrowing this corrupt dynasty."

"what?"

The same scene was playing out simultaneously in the Six Ministries, the Five Military Commissions, and even the Cabinet Office.

When the eighteen officials on duty were "invited" to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, they found the square in front of the hall filled with armored warriors. Under the torchlight, the small seal of the character "Su" was branded on the chest of each of their armors.

"My lords, you have been frightened."

A clear voice came from the steps of the palace.

The officials looked up and saw Su Ning, dressed in a moon-white robe, leisurely sitting on the steps next to the dragon throne, playing with a Colt pistol.

At his feet knelt the Imperial Guard commander, who was bound like a dumpling.

"Lord Zhongqin, are you planning a rebellion?" The Vice Minister of Rites asked Su Ning in a trembling voice.

Su Ning chuckled: "You flatter me, Vice Minister."

He stood up and said, “The emperor is incompetent! He favors treacherous villains like Pei Dafu, Zhuang Shiyang, and Prince Qi! Our righteous army is determined to rise up and rebuild the world.”

"Huh? You're crazy! Su Ning, you're a madman."

"Haha, that's right! From now on, all your crimes will be exposed to the world, and you will no longer be able to prey on the people."

"What? Su Ning, you're delusional! Soon the army of loyalists from all over the world will arrive, and you will be greeted by the army that quells the rebellion."

"Haha, the reason I started the uprising in the capital was to wait for them in comfort. Just wait for the judgment of justice!"

"..."

In the camp on the outskirts of the capital, Jiang Sizheng used the tip of his sword to lift the chin of a military officer: "Say it again, where is the order to mobilize troops?"

The adjutant spat out a mouthful of blood: "Without the Ministry of War..."

A flash of cold light, and the adjutant's braid was severed at the root.

Then Jiang Si threw a stack of letters in his face and said, "Last December, you accepted thirty taels of gold from the Northern Barbarians. Did you ever think about today?"

Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps came from outside the tent.

The adjutant's face lit up with joy, but when the tent flap was lifted, his face turned ashen. The soldiers who entered all had red scarves wrapped around their arms, and the leader was none other than Yuwen Chang'an's former subordinates who should have been exiled long ago.

"General!" the soldier said, clasping his hands in greeting. "The Five Cities Garrison has surrendered, and this is the map of the secret passage that we have captured."

Jiang Si unfolded the blueprints, a slight smile playing on her lips, and suddenly felt that raising an army in rebellion was really exhilarating.

The map clearly marks the secret passage leading directly from the Prince of Qi's residence to the imperial palace, with a small note next to it: "At the third quarter of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), light a fire as a signal."

"Looks like we've made it in time." Jiang Si kicked the ashen-faced adjutant. "Let's go! I'll take you to see some fireworks."

In the cellar of the Qi Prince's mansion, Zhuang Yushan was hiding in fear and unease.

The old nanny behind her pleaded in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, what should we do next? How did the rebels appear so quickly?"

"Don't worry, Granny." Zhuang Yushan wiped the soot from his forehead. "I believe the Five Cities Garrison and the Imperial Guards will soon wipe out the rebels."

"Amitabha! Thank God! I hope the rebellion will be quelled soon. I don't understand why they would choose to rebel when life is good enough."

"..."

As the fire crackled and burned, the sound of orderly hooves suddenly came from the ground.

Zhuang Yushan peered through the ventilation hole and saw a group of red-turbaned warriors escorting dozens of elegantly dressed noblemen past. The leader of them was none other than Chai Jing.

"Don't be afraid, everyone." Chai Jing, dressed in a Valkyrie outfit, smiled gently yet heroically. "I just want to invite you all to have a cup of tea at the Imperial Prison."

Then she suddenly pulled off a young man's jade belt, "Oh! Isn't this the wolf-head buckle bestowed by the Khan of the Northern Barbarians?"

"what……"

Then King Qi, Queen Qi, Zhuang Yushan, and the others were all tied up, and the madness that King Qi used to have was no longer on his face.

On the corner tower of the palace, Zhuang Hanyan gazed at the burning capital city, slowly moving her Western-style telescope.

When Su Ning appeared in the shot, the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up.

"Madam," said Granny Chen, bringing up a food box, "freshly steamed plum blossom cakes from the kitchen."

Zhuang Hanyan picked up a piece and suddenly asked, "Granny, back then, Mother..."

“If the lady were alive, she would surely be pleased.” Chen Mama looked towards the direction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. “It seems that the Earl has been preparing for this move for a long time.”

On the copper tube of the telescope, the small characters "Su" can be faintly seen.

That was a "little gadget" that Suning had casually handed to her earlier, and of course, it included the most suitable lady's pistol.

At the beginning of the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), as the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds, horns sounded simultaneously from all nine gates of the capital.

The sleepy-eyed people opened their windows and saw armored soldiers standing in rows in the streets and alleys, but they did not commit any offenses.

On the notice board in front of the teahouse, the ink on the newly posted imperial edict was still wet:

"The emperor is incompetent! He favors treacherous officials such as Pei Dafu, Zhuang Shiyang, and Prince Qi. Prince Qi plotted rebellion and murdered Consort Miao. Now our righteous army has risen up to overthrow the corrupt imperial power. All the officials involved have been temporarily imprisoned and are awaiting trial by the people..."

An old man selling soy milk at the street corner rubbed his eyes in shock and suddenly noticed that the soldiers guarding the notice board all had the character "Su" embroidered on their sleeves.

"Is this a sign that the world is about to change?"

...(End of chapter)