National Division

Chapter 58 The Empress, Always Headstrong! (Please Read On!)

Luoyang, Taichu Palace
The palace was magnificent, with vermilion beams and black tiles, and was guarded by the Golden Guard and the Thousand Bull Guard with swords.

After Empress Wu Zetian converted Ziwei City into Taichu Palace in the third year of the Chuigong era, the Qianyuan Hall of Taiji Palace still served as her daily office and court meeting place, but she was not very satisfied with the atmosphere of the Qianyuan Hall.

Therefore, the Empress Dowager intends to build the Wanshang Divine Palace this year as a place for court assemblies.

In the rear hall of the palace, Empress Dajing sat behind a curtain on a brocade-covered platform, playing chess with the Imperial Advisor Murong Yue.

The diva wore a magnificent crimson gown, exquisitely embroidered with lifelike dragons and phoenixes, and wore a gold crown inlaid with pearls and a pearl necklace.

The beautiful woman had fair hair and a square forehead. Although she was over sixty years old, thanks to the abundance of elixirs and spiritual medicines in the world, she had mastered the art of preserving her youth. Her beauty and dignified demeanor were perfectly integrated.

The Grand Preceptor of the Great Jing Kingdom, seated below, was a woman in a green robe holding a whisk. Her dark hair was held up with a wooden hairpin, and she exuded a cool and aloof aura. The sunlight from the window shone on her, as if no light could escape her.

Because she was facing the sun at an angle, the light only shone on half of her face. Her face was without makeup, but her skin was as smooth as ice and jade, with a hint of jade-like radiance.

Her nose was straight and delicate, and her lips were pink and glossy.

Not far away stood Wang Shence, the Left General of the Golden Guard. He was nine feet tall, wearing a red inner shirt and black armor, with a large sword at his waist. He bowed and respectfully addressed the emperor.

As a favorite minister of the Empress, this military general worked well with the two cruel officials, Zhou and Lai, causing countless families in the capital to be ruined and destroyed. He was even granted a precious sword and allowed to go directly to the palace.

Beside the study desk, Gu Nanzhu, known as the Grand Chancellor of the Daming Palace, sat upright, holding a sheep-hair brush with vermilion ink on the tip. His handwriting was elegant, and the soft rustling sound of his brush seemed completely unaffected by the emperor and his ministers who were presenting their audience.

People at the time called Gu Nanzhu the Grand Chancellor of the Daming Palace.

The Empress frowned, her jade-like face as cold as frost, and said in a chilling voice, "Has Prince Qing not confessed yet?"

Wang Shence's voice was muffled: "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Prince Qing is very stubborn and says that no one in the capital informed us."

"And what about those letters?" the Empress Dowager said coldly. "Before the Tanzhou Incident, the governor of Tanzhou had already received my secret order to relieve Prince Qing of his military power. Who leaked the secret? Only five or six people in the central government knew about this. Who leaked the information? Is there a spy from the rebel army among my entourage?"

Wang Shence remained bowing, and as the Empress's tone grew increasingly stern, he said, "We are currently questioning them, but the villain is deeply hidden and we still do not know his whereabouts."

"Still no trace of him?" The Empress Dowager's expression suddenly changed, and she sneered, saying, "Is it that you will only find out when Li Jing, the traitor, cuts off my head?"

"I am terrified."

With a clattering sound of armor plates and scabbards colliding, Wang Shence knelt down with a thud and kowtowed.

This 33-year-old Left Golden Guard General, whose martial arts cultivation had reached the fifth realm, did not use True Qi to protect his body. The floor, made of Cold Abyss Ice Jade and as solid as steel, cracked, and blood soaked into it.

The Empress gave a cold snort, her voice softening slightly: "Get up."

"We have failed in our duties and beg Your Majesty for punishment!" Wang Shence did not rise, but bowed again.

The Empress's voice grew increasingly cold, carrying a touch of the ruthless rhythm unique to emperors: "The rebel army of Tanzhou has won one victory after another, sweeping through more than a dozen prefectures and counties. If no one had informed them, how could the court have suffered such heavy losses in the very first battle?"

Wang Shence listened respectfully to the holy instruction and bowed once more.

"Have Zhou Liang and Lai Jing investigate thoroughly, no matter who is involved, and show absolutely no leniency!"

The Empress's voice was clear and cold, like shattered jade clashing, echoing in the palace. The swallows that had been perched on the beams outside the palace were so frightened by the Empress's imposing presence that they huddled together in fear.

Wang Shence nodded in agreement, his square face already covered in blood, yet he dared not wipe it away.

"What about Prince Qing's family? Have they been questioned?"

The diva's voice was clear and cool, seemingly ethereal.

Wang Shence hesitated for a moment before saying, "Reporting to the Empress, the daughter of the Duke of Xue said that she was ordered by the Princess Zhenguo to take the token of the Vermilion Bird Division from the Prince of Qing's residence."

Upon hearing the name of the Princess Zhenguo, the Empress's frosty expression slowly faded: "A few days later, send someone to catch up with Princess Qing. Princess Qing may know some details."

Wang Shen responded with a "yes" and said, "Lord Zhou said that Yu Bingde, the governor of Jiangzhou, was in trouble with the transport of grain and had a lot of sympathy for the case of Prince Qing's rebellion. He has been imprisoned in accordance with the Empress Dowager's decree, but some female members of the Yu family have left the capital."

If the Empress Dowager's "lucky escape" was due to the Empress Dowager's inability to resist the pleas of the Princess Zhenguo, then the Yu family's position in the Empress Dowager's heart was as insignificant as weeds!
It can only be said that Zhou Liang, behind Wang Shence, has already set his sights on the wealth accumulated by the Yu family.

The Empress raised her eyebrows, a hint of reminiscence appearing in her beautiful eyes. Then, she said coldly, "Yu Xiang's Yu family?" She remembered Yu Xiang. Back then, when she wanted to posthumously grant her father the title of Prince, Yu Xiang, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was so pedantic that he actually submitted a memorial opposing it, mentioning that posthumously granting a merchant the title of Prince of the County would violate ancestral rules. He was truly hateful!
His son was even more negligent in military affairs and repeatedly made slanderous remarks.

It can be said that women have good memories; even after more than 30 years, the diva still remembers this incident.

Wang Shence thought to himself, "As expected, that Zhou Liang bastard has guessed right again. The Empress is indeed very angry." He quickly replied, "Empress, it's that Yu family."

"The Yu family also has a blind daughter who is famous in Luoyang. It was that blind girl who escaped this time," Wang Shence said in an amused tone.

"A blind girl, and she got away? Are the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, the Vermilion Bird Division, and the Hundred Cavalry Division all incompetent?" the Empress said coldly, her voice filled with hidden anger.

Wang Shence remained expressionless and replied, "I heard that the Yu family has bribed the guerrilla general at the East City Water Gate."

The Empress's eyebrows furrowed slightly, her face stern and imposing. Her calm tone carried a chilling murderous intent: "The guerrilla general of the East City Water Gate and his personal guards on duty that day shall be beheaded immediately, without fail!"

Wang Shence said, "Your humble servant obeys."

With that, he got up to say goodbye and leave.

The Empress looked at Wang Shence, whose face was covered in blood, and her cold tone seemed to contain a hint of heartache as she scolded, "Go to the Imperial Medical Bureau to have your injuries bandaged first. What kind of state is this, a dignified Right Jinwu Guard General covered in blood!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shence felt a surge of warmth in his heart and said, "I am fine. It was our poor performance that caused the Empress's palace to be dirty."

"Alright, just go when I tell you to, stop with all the nonsense!" the diva said, sounding somewhat impatient.

Wang Shence was overjoyed and repeatedly agreed before leaving.

The diva sighed, picked up a teacup, and said, "They're all so troublesome."

This group has... daughters, subordinates, and ministers.

The Imperial Advisor, Murong Yue, who was sitting to the side, had a calm face as clear as still water, and her pink lips parted slightly: "Even if this matter implicates many people, it is not easy to find out Yuqing's weakness."

"Then let's purge the parasites in the court first." The Empress's gaze was cold, and her voice was filled with murderous intent. She said, "If the ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if the ministers are not discreet, they will lose their lives; if secrets are not kept, disaster will befall them! This matter must be thoroughly investigated, otherwise, I will not be able to eat or sleep in peace."

Murong Yue sensed the firmness in the Empress's words, picked up the teacup beside her, and did not try to persuade her further.

In matters concerning immortals and demons, the Empress Dowager listened to her every word, but in matters of state, her voice carried little weight.

The diva has always been headstrong!
The Empress Dowager then asked, "Did the Xue family girl escort her?"

When her beloved disciple was mentioned, the coldness in Murong Yue's eyes lessened slightly: "He left five days ago. Anzhou is not far from the capital. After he finishes his business and travels around for a while, and his cultivation level stabilizes, he can return to the capital."

"She holds an official position in the Vermilion Bird Bureau, not a guard of the imperial family," the Empress suddenly said.

Murong Yue said, "Your Majesty's instruction is correct."

The Empress sighed and said, "I was referring to that daughter."

It's not the maid in the Xue family's fault; it's her daughter who's causing her so much trouble.

……

……

Meanwhile, Shen Xian and Xue Zhihua finally arrived at the capital city after traveling for a day and a night.

The Yi River flows swiftly, the vegetation is lush and green, and the mountains rise and fall in a winding, undulating pattern, like dragons and snakes dancing with swords.

Shen Xian, perched on the cloud drawn by Xue Zhi, looked towards the capital city.

The capital city was majestic, with towering gate towers. Perhaps because the morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, it seemed to be hidden in the clouds and fog, while in the distance, palaces and cities were scattered like stars in the sky.

"We descended from the clouds at the next post station. There are talisman arrays set up by True Immortals of the Ninth Realm above the Divine Capital City, so we cannot fly," Xue Zhihua reminded him, pulling Shen Xian back from his reverie.

(End of this chapter)