Chapter 119: Want Him Dead

Kunning Palace.

"Your Highness!" Lady Qi, with her belly protruding, said unwillingly, "Why did you give that little coat with a coiling‑dragon pattern to Xu Luoyan?"

Her voice trembled, the armor digging deep into her palm, "Our Qi family is utterly loyal to you, and we are even more devoted to the Xiao family…"

"Shut up!"

Xiao Mingshu's blue‑ceramic tea cup went "Bang" onto the desk, and the scalding tea splashed onto Lady Qi's embroidered shoes.

The Empress's eyes flashed coldly, "I, the Empress, have seen you spend these years reading 'Women's Rings' until it reaches a dog's belly!"

"You dare to speak nonsense even within the Imperial Palace!"

Lady Qi's knees gave way and she knelt on the ground, her face full of grievance, "I am only anxious."

Xiao Mingshu suddenly smiled again, her fingertips lightly brushing Lady Qi's hair, "What are you rushing about?"

Even if the clothes were given to her, we must see whether she has a destiny to let the child wear them.

Xiao Mingshu's voice was extremely gentle, but her gaze was like tempered poison.

A chill rose on Lady Qi's back, but she saw the Empress gracefully sit back on the embroidered cushion, "You may rest assured for the delivery; I have my own arrangements."

"Yes, Your Highness." Lady Qi dared not say anything else and hurriedly stepped back.

The pearl curtains rustled lightly as Bai Wei stepped in with quick steps, leaning to whisper into the Empress's ear.

Xiao Mingshu's silver needle, embroidering a hundred‑birds‑paying‑homage‑to‑the‑phoenix design, suddenly halted.

"Minghui Princess?" she giggled, the needle tip forcefully stabbing into the phoenix's eye, "Bestowing a title before birth—our Emperor is indeed impatient."

"Exactly, before even being born, a title was granted. They claim it's favor, but upon closer thought, an Imperial Edict is hard to defy."

"Consort Wan's womb can only contain a princess," Bai Wei said, unable to suppress a laugh.

She added, "It seems the Emperor's heart is also on our Empress."

"What they call affection is merely toying with kittens and puppies."

Xiao Mingshu said coldly, "The Emperor's heart is as clear as a bright mirror."

Bai Wei's mouth curved in a mocking arc, "But I heard that the Emperor gave all the procurement tasks to Consort Wan."

"Consort Wan was overjoyed and immediately went to flaunt her power."

"Shallow‑eyed things," Xiao Mingshu said leisurely, picking at the golden thread; the phoenix wings on the embroidered fabric shimmered with a rippling gold light, "A few silver coins make them so happy; can they even contend with me?"

"Only an orphan like her, without a family background, would have their eyes blinded by gold and silver."

She suddenly flipped the embroidered fabric, revealing the densely knotted lines on the back, "Tell brother that Wan Tang, that kind of useless person, need not be watched; the Xu family side is the priority."

The needle tip forcefully pierced the silk, the phoenix's eye bleeding a touch of crimson.

Xiao Mingshu stared at that speck of red, her voice as light as a feather falling, "As for Xu Luoyan, she wants far too much!"

Night deepened, and the world was quiet.

Wan Tang's courtyard.

The candle flame flickered, casting a faint glow on the Account Book on the desk.

Wan Tang dipped her fingertip in cinnabar, sketching each procurement entry; the cinnabar, like blood, wound across the rice paper in lines.

"Master," Xiao Shunzi rubbed his hands, his face beaming with uncontainable joy, "The procurement office's profits are fatter than we thought. In just one month, the tributes from all regions amount to over 30,000 taels of silver."

He lowered his voice, "Add the fabrics the Empress rewarded today, and converted to silver, it's worth at least a thousand taels."

Wan Tang smiled lightly, closing the Account Book, "Rewards are nice, but ultimately they're a one‑time transaction."

She tapped the Account Book with her fingertip, "The silver from procurement, however, is a steady stream."

"I understand," Xiao Shunzi replied, "We've already assigned our people to keep a close watch on all the joints."

At that moment, Li Ping'er lifted the curtain and entered, bringing a bone‑chilling cold.

She rubbed her frozen, reddened hands, "Master, it's snowing outside again."

"As the year draws to a close, cold waves come one after another," she said while adding silver‑threaded charcoal to the coal basin, "It's truly freezing to death."

Wan Tang's eyes darkened, and she slowly closed the account book, "Xiao Shunzi."

"I am here."

"Investigate Xu Mingde," she said, her voice as light as falling snow, "Find every piece of evidence of his years of embezzlement without omission."

Her fingernail scratched a deep line on the Account Book, "Especially the disaster‑relief grain funds of Black River City."

"Yes!"

Xiao Shunzi was about to leave when a barrage of comments rang in Wan Tang's mind.

"What is there to investigate? Xu Chengyuan isn't a meek person. The shady dealings of Xu Mingde have long been covered up. Even if uncovered, the scapegoats have already been arranged."

"Xiao Chuan now carries the imperial sword to Black River City, something Xu Mingde cannot manage; what can a woman confined to the palace do?"

"Since Wang Jingyi was detained in the palace, Xu Chengyuan has been on guard. Even Chu Yunzheng couldn't handle it; Wan Tang shouldn't expect to find any flaw!"

"Speaking of Xu Mingde makes me laugh. The situation is tight now; Xu Mingde can't raise money, and the courtesan he patronizes seems to be pregnant, ha!"

"Wait!"

Wan Tang suddenly spoke.

Xiao Shunzi had just retreated to the pearl curtains when she heard the voice, immediately turned back, bowed her head and waited for orders.

"Xu Mingde can shield the heavens with a single hand in Black River City; the past evidence of his crimes has likely already been erased."

Wan Tang's eyes flashed coldly, her fingertip lightly tapping the Account Book, "But how does he conceal what's happening now?"

Xiao Shunzi's pupils contracted.

"You now hold the procurement sash, making palace access easy," Wan Tang took a stack of silver notes from the case and handed them over, "Tonight go to the Moon‑Gazing Tower and patronize the courtesan."

"Master," Xiao Shunzi fell to her knees, her forehead pounding the blue bricks, "My body, this—this truly overwhelms me."

Her ears flushed red, her voice trembling.

Wan Tang sneered, "Who asked you to actually do anything?"

She pinched a thousand‑tael silver note, the candlelight making the vermilion seal on the note look blood‑red, "Just keep raising the price until the old swan is startled, forcing the flower girl to spend the night with you."

The silver note floated lightly before his eyes, "I want the whole Forbidden City to know that the palace's new aristocrat's personal eunuch will spend a thousand gold to buy a top courtesan."

Xiao Shunzi suddenly looked up: "Your Majesty wants to summon Xu Mingde back to the Forbidden City?"

"Back to the capital?" Wan Tang suddenly swept the tea cup onto the floor, shards scattering, "I want him dead!"

Xiao Shunzi quietly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Carefully she said: "I'm afraid the Emperor will find out about this…"

"No problem." Wan Tang's gaze deepened: "The Emperor cares about the result; the process, he is not interested."

"Yes! Nubi, I'll handle it right away!" Xiao Shunzi stepped back.

Li Ping'er carried broken porcelain out of the inner chamber, stepping lightly through the corridor.

Arriving near the dry well in the rear courtyard, she looked around and swiftly pulled a gray‑feathered homing pigeon from her sleeve.

The cold wind hurled snowflakes onto her face, yet she seemed unaware, only tying a paper as thin as a cicada wing to the pigeon's leg.

"Go." she whispered, raising her hand to toss the pigeon into the night sky.

The gray silhouette was instantly devoured by darkness, leaving only a single feather spiraling down onto the snow.

Li Ping'er had just turned into the corridor when she saw a junior eunuch from the Imperial Household Department stumbling into the courtyard gate, slipping in the snow and not caring about the pain.

She got up and shouted: "Your Majesty! Lady of Grace Qi is about to give birth!"

The midwife said the fetal position was abnormal, the Empress has already rushed there.

At this moment the Emperor is in Yangxin Hall discussing important matters with the elders; please, Your Majesty, inform the Emperor.

Wan Tang's heart tightened, asking: "Where is Lady of Grace Qi giving birth?"

"In the Empress Dowager's palace."

Wan Tang steadied herself and said: "I will go invite the Emperor at once."

"Your Majesty." The person hesitated briefly, then said: "The Empress Dowager said that only the Emperor needs to come; as for the others, don't bring them, lest they bring ill omen."

Wan Tang's steps stopped.

She forced a smile and said: "Go report to the Empress Dowager, tell her the Emperor will arrive shortly thereafter."