Palace Coup 29

Ao Lei, being the Commandant of the Guard, naturally possessed keen eyesight. Even in the depths of the night, he had long since noticed the approaching figure. Yang Hui, however, only realized someone was near when they were almost upon them. He hurriedly reached for his whistle, preparing to sound an alarm, but Ao Lei grabbed his hand and snatched it away. "Keep your eyes peeled. This is someone the Grand Marshal wants."

Yang Hui understood. He rubbed his nose, offered a sycophantic smile, and flattered, "The boss is wise. You aligned yourself with the Grand Marshal early on, and all the brothers follow your lead."

It stood to reason—the person was nearly here, so how could the boss have failed to notice? It turned out there was this layer of connection.

Everyone here was a trusted subordinate of Ao Lei, and they naturally knew he had pledged his loyalty to the Grand Marshal. In the capital, who didn't know that the Emperor was obsessed with immortality elixirs and loved beauties more than his realm?

The Grand Marshal held authority over the Nine Ministers and oversaw the administration of the court. Imperial edicts from the Secretariat could only be issued after his approval; he was, in all but name, the Prince Regent. With such a massive pillar of support, they dared to orchestrate the removal of someone like Xun Cheng.

Ao Lei did not refute the speculation, saying half-truthfully, "Keep your guards up. Today, you saw nothing. Do not ruin the Grand Marshal's grand plans."

"Yes, we understand!"

"Keep your voices down!"

The black-clad figure soon reached the Grand Marshal’s residence. The side door had been left open in anticipation; he slipped inside, and the door closed without a sound. He set down the person he had been carrying on his shoulder, bowed to the Grand Marshal, He Dai, and swiftly vanished.

He Ya remained like a marionette, allowing herself to be handled, her almond-shaped eyes filled with the cold, dim light of twilight.

"Ya-niang." He Dai walked up to his daughter and whispered her name. Seeing her sitting there like a lifeless wooden statue, he raised his voice, "The Emperor is dead. Do you know why your father brought you out?"

He Ya lifted her gaze coldly, glancing at him sideways, yet remained silent.

He Dai sighed, a trace of helplessness on his face. "Have you stopped speaking to your father after only a few days of being a consort? Are you still blaming me for sending you into the palace?"

"Ya-niang, I know you are clever, but you must understand that the Qi dynasty’s empire is crumbling. Sending you to the palace was a last resort. You have been a beauty since childhood; ordinary families could never protect you. That Emperor was lustful, but he was also a man who knew how to cherish a woman."

"If he was a good man, why was Father in such a hurry to kill him?"

He Dai sighed again. "Your father had no choice. The Emperor was muddled and had long neglected military and state affairs. With the empire in his hands, the common people would suffer. Reports arrived at court today showing severe droughts in several cities, and refugees are scattering, threatening to spark armed rebellion. Your father had to act quickly to save the common people from disaster."

"The death of the Emperor was not my wish; it was his obsession with elixirs that damaged his body. But now that it has come to this, you still have your youth ahead of you, and I did not want you to waste the rest of your life guarding him in vain."

He Ya curled her lips in mockery—"youth ahead of you," indeed. It was merely sending her to another place where she could be used.

"What do you want me to do now?" She looked at the man with the beautiful beard and wide robes standing before her, saying coldly, "Father."

He Dai seemed accustomed to her demeanor and paid no mind to her coldness. He looked at her as if admiring a perfect object. Among his many daughters, she was the most dazzling: a face as round and fair as a silver platter, large almond eyes, and cherry-shaped lips. Sitting there, she was a scene in herself, as graceful as water.

"Yao-niang says you have mastered all her skills. Truly, you are the daughter of He Dai. Disaster relief requires vast amounts of grain, but the national treasury is empty, squandered by the Emperor over these years. I want you to go to the mansion of Shi Chong and discover where his ancestors hid their mountain of gold."

"Your Uncle Shi Chong is the Inspector of Jingzhou; heaven knows how much wealth he has squeezed from the people. I have already confirmed that the Shi family’s fortune is stored in a secret ancestral chamber. If you can obtain it, we will not only resolve the disaster in the cities but also revitalize the dynasty. You will be the greatest contributor."

He Ya’s eyes flashed with shock. Her star-like gaze shifted, and her nails dug into her palms. After a long silence, she said in a raspy voice, "I can do it, but I want to see Aunt Fang."

"That is only natural. Your aunt misses you dearly. Her health has been poor lately, and now that you have returned, you should visit her and comfort her on my behalf."

He had the shadow guards take He Ya to see Aunt Fang. She rose without hesitation, her movements radiating a disdain for further conversation.

He Dai smiled. As long as he held the card of Aunt Fang firmly in his hand, her cold attitude meant nothing to him. However... had she grown taller? If she continued to grow like this, would she eventually surpass him? He was a man, and he knew all too well: a woman taller than a man, no matter how beautiful, could never truly captivate him. What man would want to look up to a lowly concubine? This would not do. He rubbed his ring; he would have to find some medicine to inhibit her growth.

He Ya was led by the guards to a dark chamber. Aunt Fang had not yet arrived. Lowering her gaze, she sat quietly. She had once thought she had escaped this place, yet here she was again, having come full circle. She swiped her hand across the table, knocking over a pear-blossom vase, which shattered to pieces on the ground.

It was truly ridiculous that a daughter had to meet her own mother in a dark, concealed room. He Dai was clearly guarding against her, fearing she might find out where he hid Aunt Fang and attempt to rescue her. To control his daughters and make them do his bidding, he had gone to such painstaking lengths!

Since she was six, she had been taken from her aunt’s side and forced to live with thirty-one other sisters, studying the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and all manner of perverse techniques to please men, day and night. Only by winning the monthly trials could she be rewarded with a chance to see her aunt.

Because she was hauntingly beautiful, she was the most outstanding among He Dai’s thirty-one daughters and became the focus of his training. Beyond the arts of seduction, she was required to learn secret boudoir skills, assassination, and the use of poisons.

It was for this reason that at fourteen, she was ordered by He Dai to carry out missions, sent to the mansions of various officials to execute his commands. She had not failed his expectations, succeeding every time—including this last mission... which had been three years ago.

The door to the dark room opened, allowing a sliver of daylight to pierce through. With hurried footsteps, a petite woman followed a shadow guard inside. He Ya stood up abruptly. "Aunt!"

"Oh," Aunt Fang stepped forward quickly, wrapping He Ya in a hug and