Chapter 129

Chapter 129

The screams nearly shook the roof, followed by several loud thuds as a number of noble ladies, consorts, and imperial clansmen and ministers fainted from fright.

"Ahhh! Monster!"

"Ah, don't step on me, run!"

The Empress Dowager was startled, and as she looked up, she saw a huge, ferocious black shadow rushing straight towards her.

A gurgling sound escaped from her throat, her pupils contracted, and she instinctively leaned back against the ground, trying to escape. Unable to stand, she could only crawl away desperately.

As soon as the shadow appeared, Liang Jiugong and Li Dequan protected Emperor Kangxi, quickly hiding in a corner.

Yinzhen also instinctively stood in front of Geng Shuning, causing Su Peisheng to nearly stumble in his rush to protect the emperor.

He didn't care about his disheveled appearance and shouted in alarm—

"Protect the emperor! Quickly, protect the emperor!"

Both Emperor Kangxi and Yinzhen looked up, shocked, watching the black dragon, a creature from myths and legends, slowly emerge from the brazier, soon occupying most of the chapel.

This is a miracle!

Yinzhen instinctively looked at Geng Shuning, wondering if the little fox had something to do with it... No, impossible, how could she conjure such a terrifying monster!

Geng Shuning lowered her head, clutching Yinzhen's sleeve, hiding behind him as if afraid, ensuring no one could see her expression.

This so-called black dragon was merely a simple chemical reaction.

She had once participated in a publishing event promoting a book titled "Comic Science," which included a small experiment.

Pouring alcohol on sand, mixing it with baking soda and sugar, and igniting it would immediately produce a black mixture that expanded several times.

It resembled the Pharaoh's Serpent of ancient Egypt more than a black dragon. Geng Shuning, who had long forgotten her physics and chemistry lessons, was amazed and made a mental note of it.

She had purified alcohol, baking soda, and sugar, and had Qingfang arrange for them to be placed in the grand chapel of Cining Palace and Anyou Palace, with personnel ready at both locations, ensuring a thorough setup.

The materials were placed in the brazier, and even without the blood scripture, Geng Shuning had a pre-copied scripture in her sleeve, ready to offer to the Buddha.

To mask the smell of alcohol from the brazier, Geng Shuning had feigned illness for some time, having people burn copious amounts of sandalwood in the chapel daily.

She hadn't originally planned to reveal this, as dabbling in superstitions in this era could easily lead to fatal consequences.

But the Empress Dowager was too adept at being repulsive, like an unkillable cockroach; no matter how much she was reprimanded, it was futile. She even sought to ruin Geng Shuning and Yinzhen, so Geng Shuning couldn't be faulted for resorting to drastic measures.

As she was deep in thought, someone suddenly shouted—

"An evil dragon! This is an evil dragon!"

"The blood scripture transforming into an evil dragon is an ominous sign! It must signify the Buddha's displeasure with the Geng family!"

Yinzhen turned his head with a cold glare, but couldn't identify who had shouted.

Everyone was terrified of the ferocious black dragon in front of the Empress Dowager, many running far out of the hall, creating chaos like a bustling market.

This only deepened Yinzhen's murderous intent. If he found out who it was, he would surely flay the scoundrel who took advantage of the chaos to sow discord.

Feeling Yinzhen's body tense, she secretly held his hand from behind and gently shook it.

She had promised not to lie to him, and going behind his back probably wouldn’t fly. She would have to explain herself later, but for now, she needed to calm him down a bit, just to play it safe.

Yinzhen instantly gripped Geng Shuning’s hand, the force so strong it almost crushed her, but he couldn’t bear to hurt her and quickly let go, giving her a silent, resentful glare.

It was definitely this troublemaker!

She was completely out of control!

If anyone found out about her eerie, supernatural skills, he really wouldn’t be able to keep her safe.

Geng Shuning winced in pain, but she dared not show it, only sneakily puffing out her cheeks.

She had gone through a lot to pull this off. She had come ninety-nine steps, and now, at the final step, someone was trying to blame this bad luck on her?

What a joke!

She shot Qiao He a pointed glance, and Qiao He immediately screamed—

"Look! There are words on the Buddha statue!"

The civil officials, noblewomen, and consorts were too scared, but the military officers, knowing the chance to earn the Emperor’s favor was right there, had already positioned themselves in front of Emperor Kangxi and Yinzhen.

Hearing this, though their hearts were filled with fear, they gritted their teeth and moved closer to examine the Buddha statue.

E Lundai and Fahai, despite their rivalry, were as fearless as if they were cut from the same cloth, moving faster than the others.

One snapped off a chair leg and charged at the black dragon, while the other dodged the dragon to check out the Buddha statue.

Indeed, two lines of text shimmered faintly on the Buddha statue.

"Blood ties shackle, the false phoenix wreaks havoc, misleading the dragon and destroying the phoenix."

"A great divide lies between, encountering the dragon brings auspiciousness, the nation’s fortune will flourish eternally."

Fahai spun around and dropped to his knees, loudly reciting these two lines, so even the civil officials hiding behind the screen wall could barely make out.

E Lundai had already severed the black dragon.

The dragon crumbled into ash, scattering across the ground, letting everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

Then, hearing Fahai’s words, everyone fell into a quiet, knowing look, their eyes turning to the disheveled Empress Dowager, her face as white as a sheet.

These two lines... even the servants who couldn’t read got the message.

The one who could bind the Son of Heaven with bloodline and be considered a false phoenix... there was no one else but the Empress Dowager, who had not been officially crowned.

Buddha was warning the Empress Dowager to keep her distance from the Emperor, or the nation’s fortune might be affected.

As for destroying the phoenix... everyone’s eyes swept over the corner of the lake-blue palace robe behind the Emperor.

The Empress Dowager exclaimed—

"Impossible! I cannot be the false phoenix! How could that cursed Geng family’s bad luck charm possibly bring good fortune by meeting the dragon?!"

*

After all, in the presence of the Emperor and the retired Emperor, most of those attending the palace banquet were well-traveled. Regardless of their belief in Buddhism, everyone pondered in their hearts.

Was this truly Buddha’s revelation, or was it man-made, aiming to directly bring the Empress Dowager to her downfall?

If the Empress Dowager wanted to mislead the dragon and destroy the phoenix, then someone wanted to ensure the Empress Dowager could never appear before the dragon and phoenix again...

Emperor Kangxi was not a believer in Buddha. He glanced at Geng Shuning, who was lowering her eyes timidly, and gave a faint smile, certain that this mischievous girl was behind it.

The women in the palace these days are getting more and more ruthless!

*

After a while, the servants finally entered, trembling and shaking, to clean up the mess on the floor.

With Emperor Kangxi present and the matter involving the Empress Dowager, Yinzhen frowned but stayed silent.

Emperor Kangxi looked at Lady Wu Ya, who kept muttering in a daze, "Impossible, that fox spirit cannot be the true phoenix," and sighed inwardly.

"That’s enough commotion for today. The palace banquet is canceled. The Empress Dowager shall be confined to the Changchun Immortal Hall until we investigate whether there is any foul play in the Anyou Palace. I will handle this matter myself."

It wasn’t that Emperor Kangxi wanted to overstep his son’s authority, but since it involved the Empress Dowager, he had no choice but to take charge.

Li Dequan immediately rushed out to summon the guards.

Until everything was confirmed, no one could be certain if it was a divine revelation from Buddha. The Anyou Palace had to be sealed off and thoroughly searched.

But some were not ready to let it go so easily.

After finally witnessing the Empress Dowager’s madness, it had turned into a stepping stone for Geng Shuning’s rise. How could those who had been scheming behind the scenes for so long just accept this?

Many consorts fainted, with Consort Qi, née Li, a devout believer in Buddha, being the first to collapse. Consort Mao and Noble Lady Ning kept their distance, too afraid to come closer.

Only Consort Xi remained unshaken. Her eyes flickered with hesitation, but she couldn’t hold back from speaking.

"Your Majesty, please hold. This humble consort dares to speak a few words. I humbly beg for Your Majesty and the Emperor’s permission."

Yinzhen’s expression turned stormy: "Niohuru Shi! You—"

Before he could finish, Geng Shuning secretly poked his back with a bit of force.

She had already declared this her battlefield, so he shouldn’t interfere. She still had a few tricks up her sleeve!

Yinzhen paused, catching Geng Shuning’s meaning through the force of her poke. He wanted to give the troublemaker a good spanking, but now wasn’t the time to rein her in.

Silencing Consort Xi wouldn’t be hard, but it would only embolden those with ulterior motives, who might then smear his little fox’s name.

Since they’d already come this far, there was no harm in pushing a little further.

He shifted his tone sharply, "—Speak if you have something to say!"

Emperor Kangxi didn’t stop her, merely lowering his eyes with an unreadable expression.

Consort Xi’s heart, which had been racing, calmed slightly. Suppressing her nervousness, she stepped forward and knelt.

"Your Majesty, Emperor, throughout history, many have believed in Buddha. This humble consort has seen many temples with thriving incense, but I’ve never heard of gods casually bestowing divine revelations."

"If those with ill intentions dare to exploit such methods, even using gods to harm others, it could truly anger the gods and ancestors, jeopardizing the fortune of our Qing Dynasty."

The Empress Dowager also regained some composure, looking at Emperor Kangxi with a pitiful expression.

"Your Majesty, though I acted impulsively, my heart is that of a mother’s. I am wronged, and I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and restore my honor!"

The implications in Consort Xi and the Empress Dowager’s words were clear. They both suspected that either the Emperor or Geng Shuning was behind this, trying to nail the Empress Dowager to the pillar of shame.

If it were discovered that they had framed the Empress Dowager, it would not be a minor offense.

Emperor Kangxi looked up at Yinzhen: "We should indeed investigate this thoroughly."

If it was truly Geng Shuning's doing... this woman cannot be allowed to remain!

Yinzhen paused his motion of twirling the ring on his finger, cast a cold glance at Consort Xi, and asked, "What do you suggest we do?"

Consort Xi hesitated, glanced at Geng Shuning, and whispered somewhat awkwardly, "Since this matter is related to Female Official Suining, her attendants should be detained and rigorously questioned."

"If this was orchestrated by someone, there must be evidence left behind..."

Yinzhen sneered, "You’ve thought this through, but is arresting just Suining sufficient?"

"The matter of the true and false phoenix is not only related to the Geng family. Why not send all the women in the palace to the Imperial Punishment Bureau, subject them to harsh interrogation, and only then can the truth be revealed!"

Consort Xi’s eyes welled up with tears, and she knelt down in panic.

"Your Majesty, I beg your forgiveness. I just think that limiting the search to Anyou Palace is inadequate. What if someone takes the opportunity to erase all the evidence? The Empress Dowager’s good name would be utterly destroyed."

Yinzhen wanted to reprimand her further, but Emperor Kangxi interrupted his harshness.

He scrutinized Geng Shuning and said, "Geng, speak your mind. Should the servants who serve you be sent to the Imperial Punishment Bureau to clear your name?"

Those who had gradually regained consciousness, along with the noble ladies and ministers, all turned their gaze to Geng Shuning.

Geng Shuning slowly raised her head and replied, "In response to the Emperor’s words, sending them to the Imperial Punishment Bureau risks extracting false confessions under duress. Without a thorough investigation, some may believe Suining possesses supernatural abilities, even capable of conjuring evil dragons, and might burn me."

"So Suining agrees that Consort Xi’s concerns are valid, and it is indeed crucial to uncover the truth swiftly."

She glanced outside and added, "At this moment, the imperial relatives and all the civil and military officials are present, as are the noble ladies and consorts. It would be more fitting to conduct a thorough investigation in front of everyone, don’t you think?"

Emperor Kangxi’s scrutinizing gaze softened into mild curiosity, and he waved his hand, "Liang Jiugong, investigate immediately!"

Since this girl is bold enough to call for an investigation, she must have left no evidence. How did she achieve such a miracle?

At his age, he’s not so naive as to be fooled by a young girl.

Just by Geng Shuning’s calm demeanor, he could confirm that today’s event must have been orchestrated by her.

Even the Empress Dowager’s erratic behavior might have been orchestrated by her.

Liang Jiugong immediately responded, "Yes!"

He and Li Dequan personally led the guards, carefully searching inside and out in front of everyone.

E Lundai, being bold, urged several military officers to join the guards, eagerly joining the search but finding nothing.

Everyone grew more suspicious and uneasy. Even the Empress Dowager stared blankly at the Buddha statue where the writing had disappeared, her expression empty.

Could this truly be a message from the gods?

Consort Xi’s face was particularly grim; she did not believe in any miracles.

She was even more certain than Emperor Kangxi that it was Geng Shuning’s doing.

This vile woman had previously stirred up trouble by claiming visions from her ancestors. Who knows what sinister methods she might possess?

She couldn’t help but say again, "The Empress Dowager burned the blood sutra, and the gods gave a revelation, declaring that Female Official Suining is the true phoenix. Why not ask Female Official Suining to also invite the gods? Since the gods favor the true phoenix, they will surely give a revelation, right?"

"Enough!" Yinzhen coldly looked at Consort Xi. "Do you think the gods have nothing better to do than linger in this Anyou Palace?"

Before Consort Xi could ask for forgiveness, Geng Shuning contradicted Yinzhen.

She said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Sui Ning agrees with Consort Xi's reasoning. If there is a true phoenix, she must have extraordinary fortune, blessed by the gods and ancestors, and be different from ordinary people."

She blinked, then curtsied to Emperor Kangxi, "Your Majesty, Sui Ning wouldn't dare to shamelessly claim to be the true phoenix. All the women who have served Your Majesty here today could be the one. Why not have the ladies of the harem join Sui Ning in trying?"

Emperor Kangxi raised an eyebrow. He was genuinely curious to see what other tricks this girl might have.

"Agreed!"

Consort Xi frowned slightly, her unease growing as she looked at Geng Shuning. Could it be that this schemer had even anticipated her challenge?

No, that's impossible. What is she plotting?

Geng Shuning looked at her calmly, "Consort Xi, and all the other ladies of the harem, who wants to go first?"

Consort Qi, who had just woken up, lowered her eyes, looking weak and silent.

Though not the sharpest, she had managed to remain favored before Geng Shuning appeared, relying on her intuition.

Geng Shuning's confident, casual tone gave her a vague feeling that whoever stepped forward today would end up as a sacrificial lamb for the true phoenix.

With her secrets in Consort Xi's hands, she knew she couldn't possibly be the true phoenix. She had no intention of being the fall guy.

Consort Xi and the other consorts were equally uncertain.

They were afraid that stepping forward first might land them in Geng Shuning's trap, but they also worried that if Geng Shuning went first, she might receive some divine revelation.

However, Consort Xi had risen to her current position by taking risks for wealth and power.

She clenched her teeth and stepped forward, "I'll go first!"

Geng Shuning's lips curled slightly. She knew Consort Xi had an impulsive and reckless side. Taking care of two problems at once, this was perfect.

She slightly turned her body, "Then, Consort Xi, please."

Consort Mao whispered to stop her, "Sister Consort Xi, don't let yourself be led by the nose. For the sake of the third prince, think twice before acting. You must not gamble with your fate..."

Consort Xi felt that Consort Mao made a good point. She couldn't let Geng Shuning take the initiative and lead them into a trap.

She quickly thought of a solution and suggested with a smile—

"How about we draw lots?"