Chapter 96: Family Affection

Wan Tang's body swayed weakly, and she almost fell to the ground.

She quickly steadied herself and walked step by step toward the inner chambers.

Su Yanci stood in the wind and snow, staring at Wan Tang's silhouette, when a snowflake fell and clouded his eyes.

【I really don't understand, Su Yanci—what reason is there for this?】

【Xu Yanchuan has already been sent for disposal; according to military regulations, he should be executed by staff!】

【Unstoppable, in the original work, after Xu Yenchuan was drained of his last ounce of usefulness and helped Xu Mingde become a valiant Grand General, his very existence became a threat. Thus Xu Mingde killed him outright under the pretext of martial training.】

【At this moment it's merely a different way to die. In fact, I think Wan Tang must have a perfect scheme, one that could win the Emperor's heart completely, so she wouldn't have to bother with a brother she has no feelings for.】

【Is the person upstairs even speaking human language? That's her own brother, her only kin.】

When Wan Tang heard the news, she was thrown into complete confusion.

She moved cautiously, hoping to alter the so‑called plot.

She had thought that sending Xu Yanchuan to the Northern Border would ensure his safety.

But unexpectedly, he was summoned back.

Wan Tang has already acted with the utmost speed and means to deal with Xu Luoyan, believing that at least this would give her a right to negotiate with the Xu Family.

She didn't expect the Xu Family to break all conventions and send the person straight to execution by staff.

No!

Never!

Outside the window, icicles hung like swords.

Inside the palace, the earth dragon burned fiercely, yet Wan Tang still felt bone‑deep cold.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead, sliding down her pallid cheek, and the secret report in her hand was clenched until it crumpled.

Li Ping'er entered carrying a tea cup, a silk hand‑warmer tucked beneath the base of the celadon bowl.

"Madam, why does your complexion look so terrible?" she gently set the tea on the table, her peripheral glance catching the opened Shice.

'Chronicle of Fengdu, Seventh Year of Yonghe'

Li Ping'er's fingertip trembled, and the tea lid clinked with a crisp sound.

That page was spread open on the record of "cannibalism," the vermilion annotations written in blood‑red strokes.

"Why panic?" Wan Tang suddenly spoke, her voice colder than the icicles hanging from the eaves.

Before Li Ping'er could answer, the palace doors slammed open with a bang.

Xiao Shunzi stumbled in, his hat crooked on one side, and cried, "Master! Something terrible has happened!"

He threw himself to his knees, his Adam's apple bobbing, "The Emperor is enraged today; the Northern Border troops are in urgent need of supplies, yet the Ministry of Revenue's silver treasury has only thirty thousand taels left!"

"Minister of the Ministry of Rites Xiao led the entire Ministry of Revenue to kneel outside Yangxin Hall; the whole department has arrived."

Wan Tang suddenly laughed.

Golden armor brushed the rim of the tea cup, emitting a sour‑tingling clink: "When troops are needed, Xu Luoyan becomes the Fluent Talker; when money is needed, Xiao Mingshu becomes the virtuous consort."

She lifted her gaze, cold frost reflected in her eyes, "My palace drifts like rootless duckweed; I am merely the piece he discards as the most expendable in his chess box."

Xiao Shunzi, frantic, rubbed his hands: "Now every palace is sending goods to Kunning Palace; saying the Empress's return is only a matter of time."

【Alas! The scum dragon is truly troublesome. He refuses to announce the disaster to the world, to make the wealthy pay, yet he can't produce the person.】

【How awkward!】

【Is this awkward? A mutiny broke out at the university in Fengdu; does the Emperor still dare to act recklessly?】

【It only makes Wan Tang suffer; the Xiao Family's actions clearly aim to force the Emperor to return the Phoenix Seal.】

This move Wan Tang had not failed to anticipate, but now her mind is filled only with thoughts of her brother.

Xiao Shunzi, frantic, rubbed his hands as fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead: "Madam, the Xiao Family this time is clearly targeting the treasury's emptiness!"

"If we have no silver at hand, we'll only give them a loophole and lose the hard‑won authority."

He swallowed, his gaze landing on Wan Tang's rounded belly: "Why not consult Empress Li Pin? Her father controls the two Huai salt offices; a few leaks through his fingers would be enough."

Wan Tang let out a light laugh: "Prepare a sedan chair, go to Jingren Palace."

Xiao Shunzi's eyes brightened, thinking the Master had finally decided to seek Li Pin's aid, and he hurriedly ordered a warm sedan chair to be prepared.

But the sedan chair crashed heavily in front of the main hall of Jingren Palace.

Xiao Shunzi's complexion shifted abruptly: "Madam, Li Pin resides in the West Hall."

Wan Tang pulled back the curtain and stepped out, her moon‑white embroidered phoenix cloak sweeping over the snow on the steps, marching straight toward Xu Luoyan's Sleeping Hall.

Inside Jingren Palace, a dead silence prevailed.

The snow in the corridor had already been stained dark red; Cai Wei curled in a corner, mouth filled with blood, only able to emit a wheezing sound.

From an old locust tree in the courtyard hung a woman in purple robes, her toes barely touching the ground, swaying faintly in the cold wind.

Xu Luoyan sat before the hall doors, wrapped in a heavy cloak, his complexion as pale as a ghost, his eyes surrounded by dark bruises, clearly not doing well.

But when she saw Wan Tang, she suddenly laughed, a twisted, smug grin.

"Oh dear, Empress Wan," she elongated, her voice thin as a needle, "Why does the front foot just leave, and the back foot already start missing my palace?"

She leaned on the doorframe and rose slowly, her abdomen still unpregnant, yet she deliberately arched her back.

A malicious glint flashed in her eyes, "Or is there something that has driven you to beg before my palace?"

Wan Tang stared at her quietly, then suddenly laughed as well.

She walked forward slowly, her embroidered shoes treading the blood‑stained snow, stopping before Xu Luoyan.

Wan Tang's fingertips dug hard into her palm, her voice chillingly calm: "Did you deliberately lure Xu Yenchuan back?"

Xu Luoyan heard the words, covered his mouth and laughed sharply, the laugh shrill: "Empress Wan, you say that, but Xu Yenchuan is our Xu family's child; whether he returns or not is none of your business."

She rose leisurely, her abdomen still unpregnant, yet deliberately arched her back, looking down at Wan Tang: "What? Feeling sorry?"

A cold glint flashed in Wan Tang's eyes: "I warned you all, do not touch him."

"Warning?" Xu Luoyan laughed as if hearing a joke, her laughter shaking like trembling blossoms, "From the moment you struck at this palace, you should have foreseen his fate!"

She lunged close, her nails painted with rouge gripping Wan Tang's chin hard: "Who do you think you are? Just a lowly maid who climbed onto the dragon bed!"

"Now that you are the Emperor's woman, moving you isn't easy." Her red lips curled, a vicious laugh, "But him? He's just a dog raised by our Xu Family! Let him live, he'll live; let him die, he won't survive."

Wan Tang's eyes suddenly turned cold.

Yet Xu Luoyan grew more smug, even stepping back, lazily leaning against the soft couch: "But still… this palace isn't incapable of giving you a chance."

She lifted her chin, eyes full of malicious mockery: "Kneel, kowtow three times, roll out of the palace yourself, then obediently drink the abortifacient."

"This palace will consider sparing him a life!"

Wan Tang's fingertips trembled, but her face remained unchanged.

Xu Yanchuan is, in this world, the only relative I currently have.

And the child in her womb will be the motivation for the rest of her life.

Xu Luoyan chuckled lightly: "Unwilling?"

She leisurely brushed her sleeve: "After all, there's a deserter who defies orders; according to military law, he should be beaten to death."

"On that charge." She tilted her head, laughing with naive cruelty, "To kill him, the Emperor doesn't even need to nod."

Wan Tang stared at her quietly, dark currents swirling in her eyes.

Xu Luoyan assumed she was scared, becoming even more overbearing: "What? Can't bear to lose the child in your womb?"

She suddenly grabbed the tea cup on the desk and smashed it hard at Wan Tang's feet: "Then just wait to collect his corpse!"

Shards of porcelain flew, tearing Wan Tang's skirt hem, yet she didn't even furrow a brow.

【What? Tangtang is about to be tormented again?】

【Remembering the orphan days of Tangtang, when she was alone and feared nothing.】

【Frustrated, sigh, what can be done? Shei let them block Tangtang's family bonds.】

【Unfortunately, no matter what Tangtang does, it's useless; in the original plot, Xu Yanchuan was tortured to death by Xu Mingde. Now he's already in Heavenly Prison, Xu Yanchuan's death has nothing to do with Wan Tang, it's merely Xu Mingde's attempt to kill and silence.】

Wan Tang's mind raced: murder and silence?

Li Chongyi was escorted away.

Chu Yunzheng is still gathering evidence.

Now Xu Mingde is again recklessly murdering and silencing!

In Wan Tang's heart, a clear thread formed.

Looking again at Xu Luoyan, she only found it laughable.

Xu Luoyan's arrogant laughter still echoed.

Wan Tang listened quietly, eyes as icy as ice: "Finished?"

Xu Luoyan lifted her chin: "Of course, now it's up to you to choose."

Before the words fell, Wan Tang suddenly raised her hand.

"Snap!"

A hard slap slammed onto Xu Luoyan's face, the force so great it knocked her crooked onto the soft couch!

Xu Luoyan covered her face, eyes wide in disbelief: "You dare hit me?! I'm carrying a dragon seed."

"What a coincidence." Wan Tang sneered, flipping her hand to slap the other side of her face, "This palace also has one in its womb."

Xu Luoyan screamed to retaliate, but Wan Tang grabbed her hair bun and yanked her down hard to the ground.

Xiao Shunzi immediately led the Guanren in a feigned mediation, actually holding Xu Luoyan's maid down tightly.

Li Ping'er kicked aside the grandmother who tried to help, then slammed the palace gate shut.

Xu Luoyan struggled to get up, but Wan Tang had already snatched the teapot from the desk.

"Splash!"

A pot of cold tea poured over her head,

"Ah! My eyes."

Xu Luoyan hadn't recovered, Wan Tang's fist already slammed heavily onto her face.

Xu Luoyan curled in pain like a shrimp, but Wan Tang grabbed her collar, lifted her up, and punched again.

Finally she swung her arm in a wide arc, a slap sending her flying away!

"This slap, a reward for your filthy mouth!"

Xu Luoyan knocked over the screen, fell to the ground, nose bruised, face swollen, hair bun in disarray, looking just like a pig's head.

She shivered, pointing at Wan Tang: "You've gone mad?! You don't care about Yanchuan's life or death?!"

Wan Tang calmly wiped the blood from her knuckles with a handkerchief, and with a cold laugh said: "The one I'm hitting is you."

She suddenly stepped on Xu Luoyan's swollen cheek, leaned down and whispered: "Today, don't say you let me abort; even if I die before you, will you spare Yanchuan?"

Pressing down with her foot, she crushed Xu Luoyan, causing her to scream in agony repeatedly.

"Shei dares to touch him, I want whose life."

"The one I want." Gilded armor sliced across Xu Luoyan's neck, drawing a line of blood, "Even Yama cannot keep it!"

"Madman, you madman!"

Xu Luoyan was in such pain she couldn't think clearly, yet seeing Wan Tang's demeanor, she pointed at her and laughed loudly: "Do you think you're clever?"

"You think only you can scheme?"

"What a pity! Back then your mother lost to my mother; now you can only become my defeated subordinate."

Accompanied by Xu Luoyan's frantic laughter.

From outside the door came Li Defu's sharp shout: "Emperor has arrived."