Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 29 Father's Secret Letter Exposes a Shocking Conspiracy! The Liu Family Actually Wants to Usurp Military Power?

New Year's Eve.

The palace was filled with the sounds of firecrackers, laughter, and clinking of glasses.

A palace banquet was being held in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where the Emperor, his concubines, members of the imperial family, and ministers were all keeping vigil for the New Year. The faint sounds of string and wind instruments drifted towards the Cold Palace, making it seem even more deathly silent, like a tomb.

Shen Qingci was not asleep.

She sat by the window, looking at the brightly lit Hall of Mental Cultivation in the distance, her face expressionless.

Jinshu was sewing a small garment beside her—it was for Bao'er. The fabric was fine cotton that Physician Chen had sent last time; it was soft and breathable.

"Your Majesty," Jinshu whispered, "Do you think... Consort Rou will make her move tonight?"

Shen Qingci did not answer.

She was thinking about this too.

Xiao Luzi risked his life to bring news yesterday that Consort Rou had prepared a "good show" for the palace banquet. He didn't know what the show was, only that Consort Rou had met with several people from the Imperial Hospital in the past few days and had secretly obtained a certain medicine.

What medicine?

Poison? A drug? Or... something else?

Shen Qingci couldn't figure it out.

But she knew she had to be careful tonight.

Midnight has passed.

The palace banquet should be reaching its climax.

Suddenly, there was a very soft knock on the door.

It wasn't the three long and two short code like Xiao Luzi's, but another kind—two light and one heavy, then three more light.

It was the signal that Eunuch Li and Shen Fu had agreed upon.

Shen Qingci immediately stood up, and Jinshu also put down her needlework. The two walked to the door.

The door opened a crack, and a dark figure slipped in.

It's Shen Fu.

The old servant beside Shen Anbang was also the leader of the Shen family's secret guards.

He was dressed in night clothes, covered in snow, and had frostbite on his face. As soon as he entered the room, he knelt down: "This old servant greets Your Majesty!"

"Get up quickly." Shen Qingci helped him up. "Uncle Shen, why did you come at this time? It's too dangerous."

The palace is heavily guarded tonight; Shen Funeng must have taken a huge risk to sneak in.

Shen Fu took out an oil paper package from his pocket, opened it layer by layer, and found a secret letter inside.

The letter was on thin paper, with small characters, and it used an upgraded cipher that Shen Qingci and her father had agreed upon—this time it wasn't the Book of Songs, but the Songs of Chu, and it was encrypted with skipped characters, making it even harder to crack.

"Master instructed this old servant to deliver it tonight at all costs," Shen Fu said, panting. "Master said... things have changed, and His Highness should make plans as soon as possible."

Shen Qingci took the letter and, by the dim candlelight, quickly began to translate it.

The more she translated, the more serious her expression became.

Jinshu watched from the side, her heart pounding.

After translating the last word, Shen Qingci fell silent.

A long silence followed.

"Your Majesty..." Jinshu called to her softly.

Shen Qingci raised her head, her eyes flashing with cold light.

She handed the letter to Jinshu: "Burn it."

Jinshu took the letter and lit it by the candlelight. The letter quickly burned to ashes.

"Uncle Shen," Shen Qingci looked at Shen Fu, "Is my father safe?"

Shen Fu nodded: "Master is safe for now. But the Liu family has already set their sights on him. A few days ago, some strangers were loitering around the farm, but I sent them away."

"Where are the salt tax ledgers for Jiangnan?"

"It's all been copied. The original is hidden in the cellar of Nanshan Academy, and the copies are divided into three parts and hidden in three different places," Shen Fu said. "Master told me to tell the Empress that what's recorded in the account book... is enough to warrant the execution of the entire Liu family."

Shen Qingci nodded: "Okay. Don't touch the account books yet, wait for my news."

"Yes."

"Go back and tell my father," Shen Qingci said, enunciating each word clearly, "that he should continue to feign illness and keep a low profile. If the Liu family wants to seize military power, they will definitely eliminate any dissenting voices in the court first. My father is the leader of the Qingliu faction and also the Liu family's mortal enemy; he's in great danger."

Shen Fu nodded emphatically: "This old servant understands."

"Also," Shen Qingci thought for a moment, "I'll have my father find a way to contact the Prince of Zhenbei."

Shen Fu was taken aback: "The Prince of Zhenbei?"

"Yes." Shen Qingci walked to the window and looked at the dark night outside. "The secret letter said that there are unusual developments in the military situation in the northern border, and that the Prince of Zhenbei has a rift with the imperial court. The Liu family wants to take this opportunity to interfere in military power... Then we cannot let the Liu family succeed."

She turned, her eyes sharp: "The Prince of Zhenbei is a royalist and also an old friend of my father's. Tell him about the Liu family's conspiracy so he's on his guard. If necessary... we can cooperate."

Shen Fu understood: "This old servant will certainly pass on the message."

"Also," Shen Qingci took out a small cloth bag from a hidden compartment in the bed and handed it to Shen Fu, "there are fifty taels of silver in here, as well as some wound medicine and antidote pills. You and my father should keep these for when needed, just in case."

Shen Fu took the cloth bag, her eyes reddening: "Your Majesty, you yourself..."

"I have one." Shen Qingci interrupted him. "Let's go quickly, it's almost dawn, it will be dangerous if we don't leave now."

Shen Fu gave her a deep look, then knelt down and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, please take care!"

Then he slipped out the door and disappeared into the night.

The room fell silent again.

Jinshu, seeing Shen Qingci's grave expression, cautiously asked, "Your Highness... what did Master say in his letter?"

Shen Qingci walked back to the bedside and sat down, her hand instinctively touching her lower abdomen.

The little one inside seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere and remained quiet.

"My father said," she began slowly, "that something has happened in the North."

"What...what happened?"

"The Northern Kingdom has been frequently mobilizing troops and creating friction on the border. The Prince of Zhenbei has petitioned the court for more troops, more food, and more pay," Shen Qingci said. "But the Ministry of War—which is now under the control of Liu Chengzong's men—has been dragging its feet on approving the request."

Jinshu, though ignorant of court politics, sensed something was amiss: "Drag it out? What if a fight breaks out..."

"If a war breaks out, the Prince of Zhenbei will be short of troops and supplies, and is likely to be defeated." Shen Qingci sneered. "And once the northern border falls, the Liu family can shift the blame to the Prince of Zhenbei, saying that he was incompetent in command, and then... replace him with one of their own people."

"Change...change who?"

"Liu Chengming," Shen Qingci uttered the name, "or another trusted general of the Liu family."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, the secret letter also said that the Liu family and Xiling... have been in secret contact recently."

Jinshu gasped, "Xiling? What are they planning to do?"

"I don't know," Shen Qingci shook her head, "but it's definitely not good news."

She stood up and paced around the small room.

His mind raced as he analyzed the situation.

With the military situation in the north tense, the Liu family wanted to seize military power.

The salt tax ledgers of Jiangnan have been obtained, but they cannot be touched for the time being—touching them would alert the enemy.

Consort Rou is watching closely in the palace, and could strike at any moment.

She, however, was poisoned, pregnant, and confined to the cold palace...

A four-faced song.

but--

Shen Qingci stopped in her tracks.

A ruthless glint flashed in her eyes.

"Jinshu," she began, "we need to change our plans."

"Change it to what?"

"Originally, I planned to wait until Bao'er was born before slowly making my plans and taking my revenge," Shen Qingci said. "But now it seems... I can't wait any longer."

She walked back to the bedside and picked up the half-finished blueprint of a textile machine.

"The Liu family wants to seize military power and collude with enemy countries; this is treason." She said each word slowly and deliberately. "To deal with traitors, we cannot be slow; we must be fast."

"But...but Your Majesty," Jinshu cried out anxiously, "we're in the Cold Palace now, there's nothing we can do..."

"Who said that?" Shen Qingci glanced at her. "We have Physician Chen, Xiao Luzi, Eunuch Li, and now my father's secret support."

She unfolded the blueprints: "And I also have this."

Textile machine.

A business empire.

Intelligence network.

These are all her weapons.

"Starting tomorrow," Shen Qingci said, "I'm going to speed things up."

"First, have Physician Chen establish his own clique within the Imperial Medical Academy as soon as possible. I want to have our people in the Imperial Medical Academy."

"Secondly, have Xiao Luzi keep a close eye on Consort Rou, especially her connection with Liu Chengming. Consort Rou must know something about the Liu family's conspiracy."

"Third," she looked at Jinshu, "can you read?"

Jinshu was taken aback and nodded: "I know a little. I learned it from Her Majesty before."

"Okay." Shen Qingci took out paper and pen from the hidden compartment. "Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you bookkeeping, arithmetic, and... passwords."

Jinshu's eyes widened: "Your Majesty, are you going to teach this servant...?"

"I want you to be my accountant," Shen Qingci said. "Once Jinxiufang opens, I'll need someone trustworthy to manage the accounts."

Jinshu blushed with excitement: "This servant will definitely study hard!"

"Also," Shen Qingci thought for a moment, "have Eunuch Li find an opportunity to leave the palace and contact Qian Sihai—the son of the Jiangnan textile commissioner I told you about before. Tell him that the cooperation can begin."

"But...but Your Highness," Jinshu said worriedly, "you're in the Cold Palace now, how can you contact the outside world? How can you open a shop?"

Shen Qingci smiled.

That smile carried a confident air of mastery.

"Who says I have to show up in person?" she said. "Eunuch Li can be my agent, Physician Chen can be my contact, and my father can be my backer."

She walked to the window and looked at the sky gradually turning white in the east.

"Besides, doesn't Consort Rou think I'm about to die?" she said softly. "Then let her continue to think that."

"When she finds out the truth—"

"It's too late."

Its daybreak.

Lunar New Year's Eve has passed, and the new year has begun.

In the distance, near the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the banquet seemed to have ended. The sounds of eunuchs and palace maids cleaning up the mess could be heard, along with the noisy commotion of drunken officials being helped out.

In the cold palace, Shen Qingci sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking her lower abdomen.

My dear, Mother may need to act sooner than expected.

Would you blame your mother?

The little one inside my belly moved slightly.

It's as if it's saying: Mother, whatever you do, I will support you.

Shen Qingci smiled.

Her smile was gentle yet firm.

it is good.

Then we will—

To start the war ahead of schedule.

Let those who harmed us see what true despair is.

[End of Chapter]

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Next chapter preview: A shocking scandal erupts at the New Year's Eve palace banquet! Consort Rou publicly "miscarries"—who is she trying to frame? Xiao Luzi risks his life to deliver top-secret information—Consort Rou's killer move is "the reappearance of witchcraft"! At the same time, Physician Chen's inner circle of physicians is subjected to a bloody purge by Imperial Physician Liu, their lives hanging by a thread... How will Shen Qingci break out of this predicament?