Chapter 176

Chapter 176

◎Taking the official seal wasn't enough; he also stripped Luo Wanqing of her clothes.◎

(Luo Wanqing was unaware of the pardon token in this chapter, as it had been omitted from the previous one.)

Luo Wanqing bowed to see Li Zong off and then followed the eunuch away, heading for the dungeon.

Once she returned to her familiar cell, she sat down, leaning against the wall, and finally let out a long sigh of relief.

After leaving via the suspension bridge, she hurried down the mountain without delay.

Two days earlier, she had prepared medicine, food, silver, and disguising clothes, which she had left hidden on the mountain. After retrieving these items, she disguised herself simply and wore the uniform of the imperial guards, walking boldly through the searching crowd.

However, her luck wasn't great, and midway, a soldier questioned her. Forced to act, she knocked him unconscious. By the time she descended the mountain, the imperial guards had discovered the unconscious soldier and began a city-wide manhunt.

East Capital was already under lockdown, and she couldn't leave. With such intense searches, it was only a matter of time before she was found.

She had initially planned to wait a few more days before seeking Li Zong, but to avoid capture, she had to expedite her plan.

Thus, she rushed into the palace, sneaking past ordinary soldiers with ease. However, with Yang Chun around, she knew she couldn't hide within the palace. Instead, she boldly appeared before Li Zong and laid everything out.

At this point, Li Zong had no other choice but to follow through.

Now that the Zheng family was bound to rebel—whether Zheng Bikui intended it or not—any slight movement would raise Li Zong's suspicions.

If Li Zong and the Zheng family were to clash, any hesitation would give the Zhengs an advantage, leading to support from other noble families, ultimately ending Li Zong's reign.

Therefore, he must be fully prepared to extinguish any spark immediately.

Unbeknownst to Li Zong, anything the Zhengs did now seemed like a spark to him.

From Zheng Bikui's public assault on Zhang Yiran in the hall, poisoning Ji Qing in the inner court, damaging the drum of grievances, and beating ministers...

His patience with the Zheng family had worn thin.

Thus, he subconsciously chose to believe any unfavorable news about them. This assassination attempt, barely investigated, was already assumed to be their doing.

Now, the Zhengs had no choice but to rebel. Once they did, Li Zong would immediately dispatch troops. After the conflict ended, to appease the noble families and show he didn't intend to harm everyone, he would find someone to take the blame.

Whoever led the expedition to Si Prefecture would become the scapegoat.

Without her, that person would be Xie Heng.

But now that she was involved, Li Zong wouldn't need to weaken himself.

By appointing her as the head of the Supervision Division and sending her to lead the troops to pacify Si Prefecture, he could execute her afterward under the pretext of causing unrest there.

To elevate her to this position, her previous crimes needed to be erased, and she needed some merit. The most convenient way was to reverse the assassination of Zheng Pingsheng into an act of protecting the emperor, demote Xie Heng for inefficiency, and promote her to the head of the division.

Once Li Zong did this, she would become his direct subordinate, making the wedding a mission assigned by him. Her ties with Xie Heng would be severed completely.

Whether it was killing the crown prince, the Eastern Palace's Six Armies, or the five hundred men at Xueling Mountain, she could attribute all to Li Zong, binding herself to him.

From the assassination of Zheng Pingsheng onward, she would rewrite his fate.

Luo Wanqing closed her eyes, feeling a sense of relief.

In the dungeon, she could hear the rain outside. Exhausted, she felt drowsy listening to the rain.

Holding the red cloth letter from Xie Heng, she finally dared to recall the last look she gave him when escaping from the forest.

He seemed very angry.

Of course, why wouldn't he be?

On such an important day, she had even told him that she would make up for missing the wedding on Liufeng Island. Yet, she ran again.

He let her go, and she wondered how he would explain it to Li Zong. Given his temper, he likely wouldn't blame her entirely. Perhaps... he anticipated her killing Zheng Pingsheng.

The message "Mountain gate open at night" was waiting for her return.

But she wouldn't return until she became the head of the Supervision Division.

Luo Wanqing chuckled softly, trying not to think further.

She feared that once she started thinking about him, she wouldn't stop.

Tonight, she should have returned for the wedding.

She wanted to return.

Luo Wanqing vanished on that wedding night.

The last time anyone saw her was during the search on the mountain. Following the trail, they entered East Capital, which was locked down for three days, with house-to-house searches. Eventually, to prevent public unrest, the lockdown was lifted.

Public searches ceased, but the Supervision Division and Li Guiyu's people never stopped looking. They searched almost every possible place in East Capital but found no trace of Luo Wanqing, no unusual news. The only difference was that Li Zong seemed in a bad mood that night, lashing out at the guards on duty, punishing them severely and throwing them into the dungeon.

Xie Heng searched the palace thoroughly but found no clues.

Luo Wanqing seemed to have vanished without a trace, her fate unknown.

Rumors spread among the people, mostly stemming from the chaotic wedding.

Some said Luo Wanqing sought revenge for her father, luring Xie Heng, who lost his mind over her, giving her the chance to assassinate.

Others said Xie Heng, dissatisfied with the Luo case, sought justice for Luo Wanqing, allowing her to assassinate Zheng Pingsheng;

There were also conspiracy theories suggesting that when Luo Wanqing claimed she was acting on the Emperor's orders, it might have been the Emperor using her to assassinate Zheng Pingsheng...

No matter how one talked about it, in the end, it always came back to the recently popular new book, "The Wind and Moon Supervision Division."

This book tells the story of an orphaned girl, Liu Qingqing, whose family was betrayed by her fiancé. She changed her name and passed the exams to join the Supervision Division. There, she met the censor Zhang Chun and the head of the Supervision Division, Xie Guilan. With their help, she avenged her family and eventually became the first female chief of the Supervision Division, making for a legendary tale.

The story itself might seem cliché, but its timing was too coincidental, appearing shortly after the incident and being published and sold throughout Great Xia.

The story closely mirrored Luo Wanqing's life, and the author was already a popular writer who had a deep understanding of places like the Supervision Division and the palace, which are hard for common people to access. The characters were vividly portrayed, making it hard to distinguish fact from fiction. Although the characters did not indulge in romance, their bond of life and death stirred much speculation, turning the book into a hit in Great Xia.

In the past, the Supervision Division was perceived as tyrannical and mysterious, even terrifying. But in this novel, Xie Guilan is portrayed as cold-faced yet kind-hearted and upright, being falsely accused and nearly killed for Liu Qingqing's sake.

Combining beauty, strength, tragedy, and righteousness, he became the perfect embodiment of justice in the hearts of the people of East Capital.

Under the influence of this book, more people lined the streets when Xie Heng went to court. Seeing his face occasionally revealed in the carriage, they would look at their books, then up at him, and feel that even his features seemed gentler.

People speculated about the current situation based on the book's plot. With Luo Wanqing's whereabouts unknown, seeing the female chief in the book vindicated and full of spirit made them somewhat melancholic.

In the book, when Xie Guilan was wrongfully imprisoned, Liu Qingqing struck the drum of direct appeal, and the people knelt with her before the palace gates. The emperor was deeply moved and thus punished his kin, leading to a perfect ending.

But in reality, after all the citizens gathered the courage to testify at the palace, nothing seemed to change. The drum of direct appeal was fake, and the only justice Luo Wanqing received was from her own blade.

But with that one strike...

"Will the Zheng family rebel?"

Everyone couldn't help but worry.

Then someone sighed, "It depends on the Zheng family's attitude. But if they do rebel, it will take at least a month. Let's just live our lives!"

Logically, the escaped members of the Zheng family returning to Si Prefecture would take four days even if they rode nonstop.

After the Zheng family deliberated and decided to rebel, it would take about a month for the news to return.

However, no one expected that within seven days, news of the Zheng family's rebellion reached East Capital.

Xie Heng listened to Qingya's detailed report on his way to court: "Two days ago, the Zheng family seized the county office in Jinghuai Prefecture, hung white cloth, and raised their family emblem flag."

"From East Capital to Si Prefecture, even riding nonstop takes three days," Vermilion Bird remarked, puzzled. "Two days ago, Zheng Pingsheng had only been dead for five days. Did the Zheng family start a rebellion so quickly? Zheng Bikui must have just arrived and hadn't even slept yet. Are the Zhengs that impulsive?"

Hearing this, Xie Heng and Qingya exchanged a glance, and Xie Heng said calmly, "Investigate."

"Whether we investigate or not doesn't matter anymore," Qingya put away the information and looked up at Xie Heng. "What matters now is deciding who will go to Si Prefecture."

Xie Heng nodded, distracted.

Qingya thought for a moment and understood what Xie Heng was thinking. He carefully said, "Young Master, the lack of news right now is the best news."

Xie Heng acknowledged this without further comment.

The group arrived at the palace gates. Xie Heng proceeded to court as usual, entering the hall. However, these days he had been somewhat dazed, carrying an undercurrent of unease, yet he dared not dwell on it too much.

Qingya was right; no outcome is the best outcome.

Today's morning court session was more solemn than usual. The great clans were visibly worried, likely having received battle reports.

When Li Zong entered the hall, he seemed particularly calm. He took his seat and, as usual, inquired about the weather across various regions. Before he could finish, the anxious Minister of War, Sun Zhengli, could no longer contain himself and interrupted Li Zong: "Your Majesty, I have urgent news to report!"

"What urgent news?"

Li Zong looked over slowly. Sun Zhengli immediately said, "Last night, the Ministry of War received word that members of the Zheng clan led an attack on the Jinghuai Prefecture government office in Si Prefecture. They have now raised their family banner inside the office. The Zheng clan has rebelled!"

Upon hearing this, the ministers who hadn't received the news erupted into commotion.

Li Zong's expression remained unchanged as he nodded and said, "I know."

"Your Majesty," Sun Zhengli urged, "since you already know, what do you plan to do about the Zheng clan?"

"Didn't we already decide how to handle this last time?"

Li Guiyu spoke with a smile, looking at Xie Heng: "The trouble caused by Director Xie, didn't Director Xie say he would personally lead the troops to pacify Si Prefecture within a month? If the Zheng clan steps out of Si Prefecture, Director Xie will come before you with his head. Do you remember those words, Director?"

Li Guiyu repeated Xie Heng's words. Xie Heng immediately stepped forward, ready to speak, but Li Zong interrupted: "Director Xie was just joking. Why are you taking it seriously, Guiyu?"

Xie Heng paused upon hearing this, sensing something amiss. He looked up at Li Zong and saw him seemingly pondering: "This matter is serious and cannot be treated lightly."

"Your Majesty is correct."

Wang Shenfeng listened and bowed, saying earnestly: "Preparing for war takes time, Your Majesty. We should send scouts to gather more information and confirm the Zheng clan's rebellion before deciding whether to negotiate or fight. This also allows us to recall generals from the border to East Capital, and for the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to prepare supplies and weapons."

"The Zheng clan can even take down East Capital."

Li Zong interrupted Wang Shenfeng: "Speed is crucial in warfare. There's no time to prepare fully before acting."

"Does Your Majesty intend to launch a campaign against the Zheng clan?"

Wang Shenfeng understood Li Zong's intent and probed further. Li Zong nodded: "Yes."

"How does Your Majesty plan to arrange this?"

Wang Shenfeng pressed, but Li Zong did not respond.

The hall fell silent. Everyone knew that while there were generals present, most were from noble families with extensive connections. This was not a foreign invasion but a domestic rebellion. Li Zong wanted to act, but no one dared to speak up. Even if they did, who could be sure if they would truly fight the Zheng clan or turn against East Capital?

There was only one person with both the status and ability whom Li Zong trusted.

"Your Majesty," Xie Heng stepped forward when Li Zong remained silent, "this subject is willing to serve Your Majesty!"

Li Zong smiled lightly and shook his head: "You're not suitable."

Xie Heng was taken aback, unable to fathom what Li Zong intended to do.

His intuition told him something was amiss; his heart raced. If he wasn't suitable, who was?

Who did Li Zong have in mind? Who could it be?

In the current court, who else had the capability and Li Zong's trust to take on this hot potato?

Who could it be?

Xie Heng's mind raced, and Li Guiyu furrowed his brow. Everyone's thoughts flickered with countless names. Li Zong glanced around and said, "Why, apart from Heng'er, is there no one else in this court willing to share My burdens? You all..."

Li Zong stood up with a smile, somewhat resentfully saying, "You couldn't stop the assassins, you couldn't stop the rebels. Now they've even replaced Great Xia's flag with their own emblem, and you still remain silent! Fortunately, I still have loyal ministers. Come!"

Li Zong looked towards the entrance of the hall and waved, "Enter the hall."

Upon hearing this, everyone instinctively turned to look and saw a woman standing at the door, seemingly unnoticed until now.

She wore the black official robes of the Supervision Division, adorned with golden patterns and a white tiger embroidered with gold thread on her hem.

In the faint morning light, she stood like a silent, steady steel blade, a graceful and upright QingZhu, silently before the hall.

Everyone widened their eyes as they watched Luo Wanqing confidently step into the hall.

Li Guiyu stared at Luo Wanqing in shock, while Xie Heng frowned deeply. Luo Wanqing met Li Zong's gaze, walking down the red carpet of the hall, finally stopping beside Xie Heng.

She swept her robe aside, kneeled on one knee, and performed a unique military salute, declaring loudly, "Your Majesty, Minister Luo Wanqing has returned after executing the traitor!"

This announcement startled everyone.

Wang Shenfeng looked at Luo Wanqing with suspicion and exclaimed, "How dare you return?!"

"Why not?"

Li Zong spoke, drawing everyone's attention. He sat high above and slowly said, "It was I who ordered her to return."

"Your Majesty," Wang Shenfeng said, suppressing his anger, "She assassinated Zheng Pingsheng, the root cause of the current military disaster. Even if death can be spared, punishment cannot be avoided. Why allow her to walk freely into the hall?"

"The root cause?" Li Zong sneered, "The true culprit of today's disaster should be the Zheng family!"

"Your Majesty?"

Wang Shenfeng frowned, incredulous: "If she hadn't killed Old Zheng, how would the Zheng family have rebelled?"

"If Zheng Pingsheng hadn't rebelled, how could he have been killed?!"

Li Zong shouted, losing control for a moment. Everyone was stunned, and Li Zong seemed to realize his outburst, taking a deep breath and continuing, "I have given them too many chances. They refused to see reason! Earlier, I received intelligence that the Zheng family was dissatisfied with My handling of the Luo case, harboring disloyal intentions, and planning to assassinate Me during Minister Xie's wedding. Out of compassion for an old minister, I wanted to give him another chance, but..."

Li Zong laughed coldly, staring at Wang Shenfeng, "Pingsheng disappointed Me greatly. He colluded with 'certain people,' arranged assassins, feigned poisoning to create panic, and attempted assassination. His intentions were treacherous, but fortunately, Minister Luo detected it and acted promptly."

Everyone listened in silence as Li Zong took a deep breath, pained, "I wanted to endure it, to save face for everyone, but they escalated their actions. Now they dare to raise an army. Very well, let's settle this. Heng'er."

Li Zong mentioned settling accounts but then called Xie Heng's name, surprising everyone. He turned to Xie Heng, "You are usually cautious, yet so many mistakes occurred on your wedding day. You must be exhausted. Perhaps you should hand over the Supervision Division temporarily and rest for a while?"

Xie Heng, feeling a surge of emotions, could only bow and say, "Yes."

"Guiyu," Li Zong turned to Li Guiyu, "I heard you brought your tenth brother to the wedding. He is so young, yet you left him alone outside. Since he is gone, you should mourn for him these days."

"Yes."

Li Guiyu responded uneasily, unsure of Li Zong's intentions and not daring to speak further.

Li Zong addressed each person, pointing out their lapses during Xie Heng's wedding, either confining them or imposing fines.

Finally, Li Zong looked at Luo Wanqing, "As for Minister Luo—though young and inexperienced, she is astute. She saved My life at the wedding and has handled major cases within the Supervision Division. Merit should be recognized. Since Heng'er needs rest, you will temporarily lead the Supervision Division and serve as the Inspector General."

"Your Majesty, no!"

Xie Heng couldn't help but protest, but Li Zong ignored him, overriding Xie Heng's voice, "Lead the Northern Fourth Army, including the Right Feathered Forest Guard, Left Dragon Tiger Army, and Right Dragon Tiger Army, along with the Sixteen Southern Guards, totaling eighty thousand troops. Depart from East Capital in three days. This is your chance to avenge your family and uphold royal authority in Si Prefecture, showing those traitors the consequences of rebellion!"

"Your subject obeys."

Luo Wanqing responded firmly, and the two proceeded without regard for anyone else, finalizing the decision.

Everyone realized there was no room for negotiation.

Wang Shenfeng looked at Li Zong and said coldly, "Your Majesty, appointing the Zheng family's enemy to lead the army against them—does this mean you won't give the Zheng family any chance?"

"Wang Shenfeng," Li Zong looked at him, "Still defending traitors? What is your intention?"

Wang Shenfeng tried to explain, but Li Zong interrupted, "Do you also wish to rebel?"

"I dare not."

The words were heavy, and Wang Shenfeng's face changed, hurriedly saying, "I just..."

"This matter is settled. Anyone who speaks for the Zheng family will be treated as a traitor. Heng'er, you and Minister Luo handle the transition. Your people... especially Vermilion Bird and Qingya, do not make things difficult. If anyone in the Supervision Division disobeys My orders and troubles Minister Luo, I will deal with them personally."

"Yes."

Xie Heng, accompanied by Vermilion Bird and Qingya, responded coldly, understanding the extent of the protection.

Seeing Xie Heng's response, Li Zong felt relieved and continued, "The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue prepare supplies and weapons. If you fail, step down."

With that, Li Zong stood up and walked out, "Court dismissed."

The ministers bowed as Li Zong left.

After Li Zong departed, the ministers whispered among themselves, glancing at Luo Wanqing, discussing and dispersing.

Luo Wanqing looked at Xie Heng beside her, but he did not even glance at her, turning instead to chase after Li Zong out of the hall.

Luo Wanqing felt a slight pang in her heart and stood there, at a loss.

The Vermilion Bird glanced at Luo Wanqing, seemingly unsure what to say for a moment. After some thought, he decided to say nothing and followed Xie Heng, calling, "Young Master, wait for me; I'll go with you!"

Once the Vermilion Bird left, Qingya turned to look at Luo Wanqing, placing his hands in front of him with a half-smile, "Director Luo?"

Luo Wanqing knew this was Qingya's mockery. She felt a bit flustered and softly said, "I... I will explain everything to Young Master later."

Qingya raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, thought for a moment, and nodded, saying, "Madam truly accomplishes great deeds silently; I am far inferior."

Luo Wanqing gave an awkward smile as she walked out with Qingya. On the square, Qingya asked about recent events and updated her on Xie Heng's current situation.

"On the day you left, Young Master was waiting for you all night. He didn't sleep and had the wedding decorations removed the next day. Since then, he has been inquiring about your whereabouts. He seems fine, but he hasn't eaten much."

"Not eating?"

Luo Wanqing immediately frowned, and Qingya nodded, saying, "He says he has no appetite and has lost weight."

Luo Wanqing's heart tightened, and Qingya sighed, "Oh, he was also scolded by Li Guiyu, quite pitiful."

"Scolded?"

Luo Wanqing quickly asked, "What did he say?"

"I was standing far away and couldn't hear clearly," Qingya recalled, "something about him not being Cui Heng, just a matter of transference."

Luo Wanqing understood as she listened.

As they spoke, they reached the carriage outside the palace gates. Qingya glanced at the carriage and said, "Madam, please wait here for Young Master. I have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

With that, Qingya bowed, instructed the coachman, and turned to leave the palace.

Luo Wanqing nodded silently and got into the carriage herself.

The carriage was still filled with documents, carrying Xie Heng's scent around her nose.

Smelling his scent made her feel at ease, and she leaned against the carriage wall, closing her eyes for a brief rest.

After a short while, voices came from outside, and Luo Wanqing opened her eyes to see Xie Heng lifting the curtain to enter.

Their eyes met, and before Luo Wanqing could speak, Xie Heng turned and stepped down, saying, "Director Luo, please proceed first."

Luo Wanqing widened her eyes and, without caring about propriety, reached out to grab Xie Heng's sleeve.

Pulling the sleeve caused the robe to slide off his shoulder, and Luo Wanqing froze. Xie Heng turned to look at her coldly. After a moment, he sneered, "What, taking the official seal wasn't enough? Do you want to take off this official robe too, Director Luo?"

---

Xie Heng: "How is it, taking the official seal wasn't enough? Do you want to take off this official robe too, Director Luo?"

Luo Wanqing: "Yes."

Xie Heng: "...You're more enthusiastic than I imagined."

Luo Wanqing: "A woman who dares to take your official seal naturally dares to strip you naked."

---

Li Guiyu: "Watch me set a trap for Xie Heng. Father, let Xie Heng go to war."

Xie Heng: "Watch me turn the tables. Your Majesty, let me go!"

Li Zong: "No way, Heng'er, you rest. I'll bring in my secret guest!"

Luo Wanqing: "I'm here! Boss, I'm here!"

Li Guiyu (shocked): "My father's skills are beyond comprehension; I can't make sense of it."

Xie Heng: "...Boss, wife, although both start with 'old,' it doesn't mean you're on the same side."