Chapter 109: Red Plum

"Ugh!" Li Ping'er dry heaved, tears surged out and froze into ice crystals.

Xiao Shunzi clamped his mouth shut, the bitter taste of bile seeping through the gaps of his fingers.

Xu Yanchuan's sword scabbard slammed down, flipping the iron pot.

Boiling water splashed onto the snow, revealing a child's pale, swollen calves.

The woman suddenly lunged at the snowdrift, frantically clawing at a kneeling female corpse: "This one's fresher! She just froze to death yesterday."

She pried open the corpse's stiff arm, and a cyan‑purple infant tumbled onto the snow. "Look! There's still… still…"

Is this the mortal hell Li Ping'er spoke of?

Wan Tang had imagined the disaster's severity and misery, but never expected it to reach this point.

"If the court had provided aid earlier, it could never have become like this," Xu Yanchuan's voice was terrifyingly cold.

"Knowing the disaster had struck, yet still profiteering and manipulating the market. How detestable."

Xu Yanchuan clenched his fist.

"Cold, so cold," the woman trembled, screaming, "I need a coat, charcoal fire, I'm so cold…"

"Trade, I can trade with you…"

"Bind them," Wan Tang's voice was colder than Fēng xuě.

Though this person is insane, they must be taken back.

When the guards bound the woman with a rein, she giggled, gnawing at the knot: "Don't take them, they're all mine."

In the corner of the thatched shed lay several skeletons, with clear bite marks.

"Make fire."

Wan Tang's tone was heavy as she ordered in a deep voice, "Distribute the charcoal basin to the accompanying women and children."

She was about to hand her fox fur to Li Ping'er when Xu Yanchuan tossed his own battle robe over.

The youth turned and walked into Fēng xuě, allowing Wan Tang no refusal, blood‑stained bandages fluttering behind him: "Subject go fetch firewood."

By the campfire, Xiao Shunzi whispered while adding coal, "Master, we have stored coats, charcoal, various cold‑defying items, and food in the three major granaries…"

A corner of the Account Book peeked from his sleeve, "Opening the store now would earn you the reputation of a 'Living Bodhisattva.'"

How could Wan Tang not know?

Now the court can conceal the disaster, The City gleams inside, while outside the city corpses pile up.

The common folk suffer beyond words.

Every day the city gates are shut tight to prevent refugees from entering.

Three factions within the court, the British Duke devoted to protecting the nation and guarding the border peace, know nothing of these matters.

The Xiao Family and the Xu Family are now calculating their own interests, pressuring the Emperor to compromise.

Wan Tang understood what Chu Yunzheng wanted.

As long as this matter can be exposed reasonably, it requires a fearless person to utterly offend the Xiao Family and the Xu Family.

Allowing him to officially begin disaster relief.

If this continues, the people will be destitute and the world will fall into chaos.

Xiao Shunzi, seeing Wan Tang still dazed, hurriedly said beside her, "Your Highness, you must make it clear."

"Even if you lack a maternal family as backing, once you do this, you can find anyone, build a temple for you, and spread your merits everywhere."

"When the Prince is born, at least you are rightfully a consort, even a noble consort."

At the start of planning the snow disaster, Wan Tang indeed thought so.

Without a powerful backing, let the world's people become her own support.

But now, her thoughts have changed.

Wan Tang's gaze passed over the fire.

Xu Yanchuan was bandaging a wound, the youth's blood‑stained fingertips stood out sharply on the snow‑white bandage.

"Such words need not be spoken again."

The pre‑dawn snow glowed with a ghostly blue death‑light, Wan Tang tossed a jade token to Xiao Shunzi: "Tell the Emperor we have found what we seek."

Seeing Xiao Shunzi stunned, her frost‑kissed eyelashes narrowed: "Proceed as instructed."

The mad woman was chained to Xu Yanchuan's horse, humming a grotesque nursery rhyme: "Skin stripped for drumheads, bones broken for firewood…"

Xu Yanchuan walked outside, ice shards coating his armor, yet still mocked, "Your Highness, are you planning to use human flesh as flower fertilizer?"

After all, this mortal world is already a hellscape, yet Wan Tang still had the mood to seek ornamental flowers.

Wan Tang ignored his sarcasm entirely.

The scenery along the way was more terrifying than hell: cyan‑purple arms jutting from the snowdrift, fingers spread like withered plum blossoms.

To fight over a half‑piece of thatched roof, two men bit each other's throats.

Over a dozen corpses huddled together, frozen into ice statues, the eldest in the center still holding a prayer‑folded hands pose.

When that century‑old red plum tree came into view, even Xu Yanchuan tightened his reins.

The twisted branches were covered with blood‑amber‑like blossoms, and the pile of corpses beneath resembled a bizarre offering.

A long‑dead mother still held up a child, as if to hand the infant to the drooping plum branch.

When humanity could no longer find solace or support, they placed hope upon the century‑old tree.

It's unclear whether the corpses nourished the red plum, or the red plum added a touch of bleakness to the scene.

Its flowers truly were so beautiful they were hard to look away from.

"That one," Wan Tang's fist tightened slightly.

Xu Yanchuan's sword‑shaped eyebrows lifted slightly: "Your Highness indeed has keen eyes."

He kicked aside the frozen infant at his feet, "This blood‑sated tree truly deserves the golden vase before the dragon bed."

With this red plum, I suppose the Empress can again seek merit before the Emperor.

Only I don't know what reward might be granted.

Is that what the Empress wishes?

Wan Tang stared calmly at Xu Yanchuan: "The imperial grace is boundless; I dare not speculate."

Having said that, she sighed lightly: "The thing I want is already here."

"Return!"

Inside the Imperial Study.

The gilt beast furnace exhaled dragon‑scented incense as Chu Yunzheng's fingertips brushed the memorial, the vermilion ink tip perpetually holding a red hue.

Xiao Mingshu entered carrying a jade‑green bowl, bringing with her a burst of sweet, warm air.

"Emperor." She placed the lotus‑seed soup gently on the table, her face forever bearing the same unchanging smile: "Drink something hot to dispel the cold."

Outside the snow was bitterly cold, yet the Empress always felt warm to the touch.

Chu Yunzheng lifted his gaze, his eyes lingering a moment on her meticulously painted brows and eyes, then he chuckled lightly: "I recall tomorrow is the Empress's birthday."

"I am thirty," Xiao Mingshu's lips curled slightly, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes, "According to tradition, we should celebrate."

The Emperor's fingertip finally let the vermilion drop fall, spreading a blood‑red smear over the two characters "relief from disaster."

The mountain of memorials piled on the table were all related to the disaster reports.

Among the people of the Former Dynasty, some could conceal the disaster, but in this world, where is there a wall that is not leaky?

It is merely a matter of how to pierce the paper of the window.

Chu Yunzheng's voice deepened: "How does the Empress wish to arrange it?"

Xiao Mingshu smoothed the phoenix pattern on her sleeve cuff: "These days are growing colder; in past years my health was poor, so I merely went through the motions. Now, I had originally thought to simply find a troupe to perform some opera."

She paused, "But if it is too modest, I fear it would tarnish the imperial family's dignity."

Chu Yunzheng suddenly leaned forward, the hem of his dragon robe sweeping over her hand: "Proceed according to the Empress's wishes."

His voice was so gentle it startled the heart: "Tomorrow I shall attend the banquet punctually."

On the way back to Kunning Palace.

Bai Wei hurried forward with an empty bowl: "Empress, will the banquet be as simple as before?"

"Simple?" Xiao Mingshu halted abruptly, the beads of the Nine Phoenix Step Shake clashing loudly.

When she turned, a venomous disdain flashed in her eyes like a snake spitting venom: "If I do not act now, some will forget who truly rules the Six Palaces!"

"I will arrange it at once," Bai Wei lowered her head, only to see the Empress's armor already pressed into her palm.

"Hold on." Xiao Mingshu suddenly drew a cold smile, "Tell the Imperial Medical Institute that they need not come to take my pulse these days."

"I cannot remain ill any longer," she said.

Black River City.

Wan Tang was about to set out.

A barrage of arguing voices rang in her ears.

【Dog Emperor didn't send Ouyang Qing? What's there to fear about returning? Just go back and kill them, right?】

【Are you pigs? This time Xu Mingde personally led troops to guard the city gate. This is different from leaving the city; Xu Chengyuan has already said, a family's disgrace should not be aired publicly. Since a child from our own house committed this, we have no face to report to the Emperor. First behead, then report; in the end I will carry Xu Yanchuan's head to the Emperor to apologize.】

【It's clear they must be killed. Do you think Xu Chengyuan, at this moment, would still obey the Emperor to cover up the truth? What does Ouyang Qing's appearance signify? Even if Wan Tang's life is saved, can we guarantee all evidence will be brought back?】

【Xu Yanchuan must not encounter any trouble; the Emperor is still assessing whether he is qualified to become the replacement foot for Xu Chengyuan.】