The one-ard woman’s expression remained indifferent as she exposed the truth:
"You’re not granting a marriage; you’re ensuring his death."
Her words caused the palace maid Su Xin to stiffen slightly, as they were utterly unrestrained.
Empress An’s expression darkened, her voice turning icy:
"Why shouldn’t he die?"
"He saved your life."
"That was his duty," Empress An responded impassively. "Loyal service to the state is expected."
"To him, nothing is truly ’expected,’ except perhaps the word ’affection.’"
"Affection between him and ?"
Saying this, Empress An cast a glance at Yin Weiyin, who shivered involuntarily.
"Could it be you think he’s like that princess of King Jing—a paramour of mine? How ridiculous. If he were, wouldn’t I know about it?"
After speaking, Empress An appeared to shift the topic, staring at Yin Weiyin as her smile grew:
"Princess of King Jing, why are you so flustered?
If I truly made him my paramour, what of it?"
Yin Weiyin trembled as she replied, "This humble lady dares not presu to speak on the Empress Dowager’s affairs..."
Without betraying any emotion, Zhou Yitang chose not to ntion the supposed affection between Empress An and Chen Yi. Instead, she asked:
"Do you intend to kill him?"
Empress An countered:
"If I truly kill him, what of it? Would the Sword Armor dare lay a hand on ?"
Before her words even faded, the air in the room grew heavy with overwhelming Sword Intent. The tea in Empress An’s hand quivered, ripples spreading out like crashing waves.
Lowering her phoenix-like eyes, Empress An gazed at the tea without blinking:
"If you can move the tea in my hand, you can kill outright. Yet I ca here today without guards."
"You anticipated this might cost you your life?"
"It is because I know I won’t die."
Empress An paused briefly before continuing slowly:
"Do you understand my aning? You may have the power to kill, but you cannot succeed. Not to ntion, the Great Yu’s dragon vein would bring Yin Sword Mountain’s destruction along with it. Furthermore, you’d et your own ruin, and he would die as well."
Zhou Yitang’s gaze sharpened like a blade as she retorted:
"And what if you did die here today?"
The Dowager responded, "Under Heaven’s mandate and Earth’s law, do you dare kill ?"
Her aura soared, regal as a phoenix’s cry.
The two princesses and the maid in the room had long dared not speak another word.
The one-ard woman’s aura subsided into calm; she turned her gaze aside and slowly sipped her tea.
The fierce tension in the room dissipated as if into thin air.
Empress An too savored her tea. As she sipped, her eyes swept across the courtyard’s female attendants, each breathtakingly beautiful. Suddenly, a faint smile tugged at her face.
Back when he was still in Jingren Palace, he had only one concubine...
How had just a few months passed, and now he had entangled himself with so many won? That child... he’s grown capable...
Lost in her drifting thoughts, Empress An’s expression abruptly darkened once more.
She tightened her grip on the tea bowl in her hand.
Her visit to this courtyard was not rely to announce a marriage decree; it was also a test for herself.
All this ti, she wanted to test whether the trauma of the underground palace had left any scars.
She had spent recent days deliberately ntioning him, her heart remaining calm as still water.
But now, it seed she truly should not have co to this courtyard.
rely looking at this group of won made her inexplicably feel that he had been living very, very well in recent days. Her heart lightened at the thought, like admiring clear, flawless crystal—reluctant to shatter it.
But in the end, it must be shattered...
A blood feud cannot be ignored.
Composing herself, Empress An slowly declared:
"This visit is to announce a marriage decree. He is not here, but I will divulge the bride’s identity to you now, so you may relay it to him later. The woman’s surna is Dong Gong, given na Ruo Shu. She hails from Western Jin and ca to the Capital City of Great Yu under the guise of managing her family’s business ventures."
Both of the Yins recognized this na well, though Yin Weiyin’s reaction was particularly sharp.
Dong Gong Ruoshu is to marry Chen Yi?
Yin Weiyin felt inexplicably uneasy.
But, but...
Even she was only a concubine...
Yin Weiyin’s fingertips trembled, her heart stifled as if by a bitter tang.
She had originally sought to set a trap for him...
But now, not only had she ensnared herself, she’d... beco subservient to a proper wife...
The Princess of King Jing lowered her head, her thoughts turning chaotic.
Compared to the Princess, Yin Tingxue felt slightly puzzled. Responding to Empress An’s gesture, she spoke up:
"But... will Miss Donggong be willing?"
Empress An smiled faintly, like a seasoned matriarch patiently explaining:
"It matters not if she is willing. Wuyong Building is about to collapse; that is the palace’s doing. Dong Gong Ruoshu and Dong Gong Ai ca here supposedly to manage this business.
Do you think Dong Gong Ruoshu will simply let Wuyong Building fall?
She would not want that, would she?
Moreover, she dares not reveal her identity as part of the Western Jin Chen Family. When the palace grants the marriage, she will agree at once. Additionally, I will bestow Chen Yi with a noble title. Marrying into a marquis’ household hardly disgraces her lineage.
At just over twenty years old, he will already be ennobled—his future is boundlessly promising."
Yin Tingxue couldn’t help but feel amazed at how much favor this "demonic empress" had for Chen Yi.
"Speaking of which," Empress An teased, "do you also want to call ... demonic empress?"
Yin Tingxue shuddered and hurriedly replied, "Your servant would not dare..."
"Daring or not, you must have thought it. Nonetheless, you are of the Heavenly Family and pitiable in your misfortune, implicated by your father. Even if you are not made a Commandery Princess, soday I may still grant you freedom."
Her tone was warm and accessible.
Yin Tingxue nodded quietly, though unspoken thoughts lingered in her mind.
The Princess of Xiang felt the Empress Dowager’s plans were thorough—balancing soft persuasion with hard force, a marriage decree and noble title, undeniably generous.
Yet, she appeared to neither know nor care about what Chen Yi truly desired...
As if like parents who often fail to understand their children.
From the very beginning, Zhou Yitang had remained silent. After Empress An’s words concluded, she began calculating quietly, as if deducing sothing.
Empress An’s sharp gaze, of course, caught the subtle motion:
"Master Zhou, do you have guidance to offer?"
"Guidance, hardly," the one-ard woman replied calmly, as if unconcerned. "I simply want to ask the Empress Dowager—do you truly wish for his death?"
Empress An answered: "If I want him dead, then he must die. Speak your mind freely."
Zhou Yitang lowered her hand, her expression serene as an untouched lake:
"Very well. He will die then."
The atmosphere froze; the Empress Dowager’s phoenix-like eyes narrowed as she fixed her gaze on Yin Sword Mountain’s Sword Armor.
"He is at Jinya Pavilion now,"
Zhou Yitang remarked while sipping her tea,
"and will perish by the hand of Xique Pavilion’s master."
As her words landed, Empress An seed to plunge into an icy abyss, remaining motionless in her seat.
Her trembling hand lifted, as if stained with blood.
After an indeterminable length of ti, a sudden command shook the courtyard:
"Su Xin, prepare the carriage!"
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