Chapter 87

Chapter 87

The evening imperial banquet was once again held in the Linde Hall.

Feng Yiqing, the sixth prince of Nanzhao, was the twin brother of the seventh princess Feng Yiluo. Three years ago, he had accompanied the King of Nanzhao to the capital of Great Qi once. At that time, the emperor of Great Qi was still Su Yan. Although Great Qi had declined, the capital was still so prosperous that it dazzled this Nanzhao prince, and the imperial banquet of Great Qi was still so extravagant that it surprised him.

This time, as Feng Yiqing sat down at the imperial banquet, he noticed that Su Yu, the current emperor, was quite different from Su Yan. The main difference was that this banquet seemed too quiet. Could it be that Great Qi had become even poorer under Su Yu's rule?

Feng Yiqing cast a subtle glance at Su Yu, who was seated at the head of the table.

Not only Feng Yiqing, but the other envoys also looked over in unison.

The Vice Minister of Rites felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. In truth, Great Qi was far from poor now.

This year, Su Yu's tax reforms and significant cuts in palace expenses had greatly expanded the national treasury. The current national treasury was even more prosperous than during the reigns of Su Yan and the previous emperor, Emperor Xuanzong.

The Vice Minister of Rites had originally wanted to make a grand display, after all, he had only become the Vice Minister of Rites last year and wanted to make a splash in front of the ministers. However, this time, any imperial banquet expenses exceeding one thousand taels required the approval of three prime ministers.

He had thought that Yao Feiming would be the most difficult among the three prime ministers, but it turned out that Cui Xuan was the one.

Cui Xuan did not skimp on the food arrangements, clearly following the highest standards of past imperial banquets. However, he did not approve any entertainment programs such as singing and dancing, so now everyone could only sit and eat.

Su Yu was somewhat surprised. From what she had seen in historical dramas, ancient emperors would always have some singing and dancing to entertain foreign guests, right? Since the imperial banquet began, apart from the musicians in the corner playing background music to prevent the Linde Hall from being too quiet, there had been no other entertainment programs.

However, she was not the type of emperor who enjoyed singing and dancing. The absence of such entertainment did not hinder her from eating, nor did it prevent her from carefully observing Feng Yiqing and Feng Yiluo.

Perhaps it was too quiet. After Feng Yiluo stood up to offer a toast, she did not return to her seat. Instead, she smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Yiluo is not talented, but I know a little of the long-sleeve and waist-bending dance. Today, with such a beautiful scene and the rare opportunity to meet a majestic gentleman like Your Majesty, Yiluo would like to present this dance to you."

Su Yu glanced casually at Feng Yiluo. Fortunately, Feng Yiluo had spoken up, as her slim figure had nothing to do with the word "majestic." However, since she wanted to present a dance, Su Yu naturally would not stop her and immediately had the musicians change the tune.

Feng Yiluo was clearly well-prepared. She first stood in the center of the hall wearing a thick outer garment. As the music gradually reached its climax, she slowly removed her outer garment, revealing a light dance dress underneath. The vibrant red dance dress was embellished with golden tassels, enhancing her already enchanting appearance. Her body moved gracefully with the melody, like a red peony slowly blooming in the spring breeze, both delicate and resilient.

She certainly had the qualities to become a favored concubine.

Su Yu kept her eyes on Feng Yiluo the entire time.

Feng Yiluo met her gaze occasionally, her eyes flowing with unashamed seduction.

It was at this moment that Su Chengying entered the Linde Hall.

He was led by the palace registrar to sit in the position to the lower left of Su Yu. With a single spin, Feng Yiluo could easily see him.

Then Su Yu observed that once Su Chengying arrived, Feng Yiluo's breathing became erratic. Her look at Su Chengying was tinged with hidden fear and hatred, but she quickly composed herself, and her dance remained graceful.

Su Yu tapped her fingers lightly on the dining table twice. This didn’t prove much, after all, Su Chengying had heterochromatic eyes, and this Nanzhao princess could simply say that she was frightened by his eyes.

She then summoned the palace registrar who was standing nearby and whispered a few words in his ear.

The palace registrar slipped away quietly.

After Feng Yiluo finished her dance, Su Yu led the applause and praised her. Before Feng Yiluo could ask for a reward, Su Yu said, "Since the princess, as a guest, has danced, I should also offer some entertainment. Coincidentally, I have a general who is very skilled in dancing. Let him perform a dance to entertain everyone."

Feng Yiqing, Feng Yiluo: "?"

The ministers: "?"

Before anyone could react, Yu Chiyi appeared, dressed in Vermilion Bird armor, holding the Soul-Slaying Spear, and leading a row of imperial guards, enter the hall in unison.

Yu Chiyi stood firmly, with the imperial guards lined up behind him, radiating an intimidating presence.

After exchanging a glance with Su Yu, he swiftly wielded his Soul-Cutting Spear.

Yu Chiyi moved with swift and powerful precision, the Soul-Cutting Spear in his hands was anything but clumsy. Instead, it moved with the fluidity of a dragon, its cold gleam flashed as the spear tip sliced through the air, emitting sharp, piercing whistles, like the sharpest blade on the battlefield, striking fear into all who witnessed it.

With a final resounding "crack," he drove the spear into the ground, then rose steadily to his feet.

Yu Chiyi's smile gradually appeared, the floor before him split open as if a silver vase had shattered, wood splinters scattering in all directions.

The crowd: "..." Did the emperor say he was skilled in dancing or martial arts? This wasn't entertainment—it was a blatant display of power!

Yu Chiyi: "!" He had tempered the force of his final strike; he truly hadn't used much strength! The emperor had better not hold him accountable for the damage!

The towering military officer, who stood at 1.9 meters, looked at Su Yu with an expression that suddenly turned weak and helpless.

Su Yu: "..." Well, the money she had won from Yu Chiyi wasn't enough to cover the floor repairs.

She glanced at the cracked floor before turning her gaze to the pale-faced Feng Yiluo, smiling to reassure her, "Princess, there's no need to be afraid. It was merely a performance."

Feng Yiqing, however, defended his sister, "Your Majesty, my sister isn't afraid of such things. She has always loved watching brave warriors wield their weapons. Isn't that right, A'luo?"

He turned to Feng Yiluo with a smile, only to find her soaked in sweat. Could it still be perspiration from her earlier dance?

Feng Yiluo forced a smile, "General Yu's prowess was truly startling."

Su Yu raised her cup in a toast to the siblings—

She hadn't mentioned the name "Yu" earlier, yet Feng Yiluo recognized Yu Chiyi. Her suspicions were now almost entirely confirmed.

As Feng Yiluo stepped out of the Linde Hall, she was drenched in cold sweat. Only when the biting wind outside struck her face did she gradually calm down, placing a hand on her chest. Her heart was still beating; she was still alive.

She hadn't expected that her visit to the capital of Great Qi would lead her to encounter two of her past enemies—Su Chengying and Yu Chiyi.

One had destroyed Nanzhao, the other had destroyed Luosuo.

Feng Yiluo's eyes were filled with bitterness.

"A'luo, what's wrong? You seemed off during the banquet," Feng Yiqing walked beside her, his voice filled with concern.

Feng Yiluo turned to look at him, the bitterness in her eyes fading, replaced by determination. "Brother, I will protect you."

In this second life, she would protect her only full-blooded brother and personally avenge her past enemies.

Her cold gaze fixed on the towering palace gates ahead. She was a reborn soul, someone who knew the future. In her past life, she hadn't accompanied Feng Yiqing to Great Qi, nor had she met Su Yu. She knew little about her.

All she knew was that this last emperor of Great Qi would be killed in a palace coup two and a half years later.

Two and a half years from now, Great Qi would completely collapse.

But Feng Yiluo didn't want to wait that long. In this life, she had already ensnared the King of Luosuo and arrived in Great Qi before he could propose a marriage alliance to the King of Nanzhao. She deliberately spread rumors that the emperor of Great Qi wanted to marry her—

She wanted to provoke the King of Luosuo's dissatisfaction with Great Qi, to incite him to attack Great Qi and end it prematurely.

In the chaos of Great Qi's collapse, she would find the opportunity to kill Su Chengying and Yu Chiyi before they could rise to power.

But tonight had shown her that the current Great Qi was not what she had imagined. The presence of Su Chengying and Yu Chiyi in the palace was far from what she had expected.

Wasn't Su Chengying supposed to be Li Jianzhang's adopted son? Shouldn't Yu Chiyi be stationed at Tong Pass? Why were they both in the palace at this time?

Feng Yiluo bit her lip tightly, drawing blood without even realizing it.

"A Luo, what exactly are you thinking? Aren't we doing fine now?" Feng Yiqing furrowed his brows. "A Luo, the King of Luosuo is no saint, and the Emperor of Great Qi doesn't seem to be either. Don't think you can play both sides and walk away unharmed."

He advised his sister, whispering to her, "A Luo, our third brother, born of the Queen, has deep roots in the court, and he treats us kindly. I don't want to compete with him for the throne, perhaps we should just drop it..."

Feng Yiluo sharply turned her gaze, her tone cold, "Brother, once the arrow leaves the bow, there's no retrieving it. There's no undoing what's been done."

Feng Yiqing opened his mouth but didn't dare to speak. His sister had changed in a peculiar way since she woke up from a serious illness last year, her gaze had turned intimidating, and he often felt afraid of her.

Perhaps his apprehension was too evident, Feng Yiluo's expression softened, and she became alluring once more, "Brother, even if we stop now, our third brother won't let us go knowing what we've done. The King of Luosuo's intention to marry me is a done deal. We have no way back. And don't you want to sit on the throne? Never having to face scorn or humiliation again."

Feng Yiqing remained silent, he had been encouraged by Feng Yiluo to want to become the King of Nanzhao, but when faced with difficulties, he found it too burdensome and wanted to back out.

Feng Yiluo knew her brother well, she knew he was naturally timid, but she wouldn't let him retreat. With her memories from a past life, she not only wanted to protect her Nanzhao but also to make her closest blood brother the King of Nanzhao.

She casually thought, Great Qi was destined to fall regardless, so it didn't matter if she came to take a share, especially since Great Qi had two of her enemies. Since she had seen them, it wouldn't hurt to eliminate them now.

"Brother, your assassins are all here this time, right?" Feng Yiluo tucked her stray hair behind her ear, instantly radiating charm.

Feng Yiqing was terrified and quickly said, "A Luo, this is the capital of Great Qi!"

Was she planning to kill the Emperor of Great Qi?!

Feng Yiluo glanced at him and laughed, "Brother, what are you thinking? I have other uses for the Emperor of Great Qi, I won't kill him."

Feng Yiqing let out a long sigh of relief, he feared Feng Yiluo might act rashly, really assassinating their emperor in Great Qi, then they, as siblings, wouldn't be able to leave Great Qi!

He hesitated and asked again, "If the Emperor of Great Qi truly intends to keep you, what will you do? The King of Luosuo won't let Nanzhao off."

Luosuo had always been eyeing Nanzhao, if Feng Yiluo didn't marry the King of Luosuo, it would merely provide Luosuo with a pretext to attack Nanzhao.

Feng Yiluo smiled and asked Feng Yiqing, "Brother, who do you deem more formidable, the current Emperor of Great Qi or the one three years ago?"

Feng Yiqing hesitated, Su Yan was handsome, yet too somber, while Su Yu's face was flawless, even he, as a man, was struck by Su Yu's appearance, "The current one appears more affable?"

After all, Su Yu always smiled.

Feng Yiluo sneered, "Affable? That's hardly a compliment for a ruler."

In her past life, she had stayed by the King of Luosuo for ten years, witnessing his ability to rule, which was built on iron and blood. Someone like Su Yu would naturally be killed two and a half years later, but that was good, making him easier to deal with.

"By the way, brother, help me find out where Li Jianzhang is now." Feng Yiqing suddenly remembered that she hadn't seen Li Jianzhang that night. According to reason, Li Jianzhang should be the prime minister of Great Qi now, why was he absent from the state banquet?

It was no secret that Li Jianzhang was executed in the capital for treason, so Feng Yiqing quickly found out the news and immediately told Feng Yiluo.

Feng Yiluo's eyes widened, it shouldn't be!

Li Jianzhang later became the King of Shu, how could he be dead now!

Her face turned pale, since her rebirth, she had relied on her foresight, always staying ahead, strategizing, but now she found discrepancies with her past life, she couldn't help but feel panicked.

Could Su Yu also be reborn, hence he killed Li Jianzhang?

Then she calmed down, Su Yu absolutely couldn't be reborn, if the Emperor of Great Qi was reborn, how could he keep traitors like Yu Chiyi and Su Chengying by his side?

But where exactly did it go wrong?

Feng Yiluo thought for two days but couldn't figure out where the mistake was that caused the deviation between this life and the past life.

She couldn't stay in Great Qi for too long, so she had to use these few days to first charm Su Yu. If she could plant seeds of doubt in Su Yu's mind, prompting Su Yu to take the initiative in eliminating Su Chengying and Yu Chiyi, that would be the best, saving her the trouble.

When Feng Yiluo came to request an audience with Emperor Su Yu, Cui Xuan was just informing her about Feng Yiqing's inquiries in the capital regarding Li Jianzhang's whereabouts.

Cui Xuan thought Feng Yiqing didn't seem like a formidable figure, "But that seventh princess seems a bit odd."

As soon as he uttered the word "odd," a palace attendant came in to report, "Your Majesty, the seventh princess of Nanzhao requests an audience."

Su Yu chuckled.

Cui Xuan: "..." Completely puzzled by the emperor's amusement, what was so funny about this?

Su Yu waved his hand, instructing the palace attendant to bring Feng Yiluo to the side chamber next to the imperial study, "I’ll meet this odd seventh princess."

Cui Xuan spoke up, "Your Majesty, may I accompany you?"

Su Yu turned to look at him.

Cui Xuan kept a straight face, "This seventh princess has a personal connection with the King of Luosuo. Now that she is here to see Your Majesty, I fear that meeting her alone might harm Your Majesty's reputation."

It seemed reasonable enough. Su Yu glanced at his cold face and agreed to take him along to meet Feng Yiluo.

Feng Yiluo stood in the side chamber for a while. Upon hearing footsteps, she immediately put on a welcoming smile, but the flirtatious glance she was about to throw was frozen halfway by the icy aura coming from Cui Xuan.

She flinched slightly, eyeing Cui Xuan suspiciously.

During her days in the capital, Feng Yiluo had already learned who Cui Xuan was. The head of the Cui family, in her past life, at the time of her death, had firmly occupied the central plains, ruling alongside Yu Chiyi, each as a king. It seemed he was no loyal subject.

Now, Cui Xuan had replaced Li Jianzhang as the prime minister of Great Qi. Was he also reborn?!

The more Feng Yiluo thought about it, the more she believed Cui Xuan was also reborn, hence he had altered the current state of Great Qi. She then looked at the smiling Su Yu, wondering if the emperor of Great Qi was now just a puppet in Cui Xuan’s hands.

Her eyes darted between Su Yu and Cui Xuan, and finally, she stepped forward to bow, "Yiluo greets Your Majesty."

Her foot seemed to accidentally step on her skirt, making her stumble and lunge toward Su Yu.

Without a second thought, Cui Xuan wrapped his arm around Su Yu's waist, shielding him in his embrace.

Feng Yiluo fell to the ground with a thud. Ignoring the pain, she looked up at Su Yu and Cui Xuan.

The two men’s stance was highly suggestive, especially with Cui Xuan's hand resting on Su Yu's waist.

Although Cui Xuan quickly released Su Yu and stepped back, in Feng Yiluo's eyes, this was clearly a cover-up.

She suddenly recalled an incident from her previous life. The King of Luosuo, in order to plant spies in the central plains, had someone disguised as a Western merchant offer Cui Xuan ten beauties. Cui Xuan had all ten beauties expelled from the central plains and killed the man disguised as the Western merchant.

The King of Luosuo had then told her, "What man isn't lustful? Cui Xuan is either impotent or prefers men. In any case, he's definitely not normal!"

Looking at Cui Xuan protecting Su Yu like this, Feng Yiluo felt she had uncovered the truth—

The emperor of Great Qi and the prime minister were having an affair!