Chapter 99: Eternal Benefit

Outside the window, the Fēng xuě raged, ice spikes hanging from the eaves like knives; inside, the charcoal fire burned fiercely, yet it could not dispel the cold that seeped into the bones.

Wan Tang stood at the desk, her knuckles whitened from gripping, and finally lifted the brush, dipped it in ink, and set it upon the paper.

"My brother, you have opened:

Seeing the characters feels like meeting you.

Can the Northern Border Fēng xuě still be endured?

I know you have many doubts in your heart, even doubting me, for this matter is indeed sudden for you.

Yet why do you insist on coming back?"

The brush tip paused, the ink slightly spreading; she closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her gaze was already cold and austere.

"I told you the truth long ago: Wang Jingyi swapped a dead infant back then; you and Wang Jingyi never had any connection, it was my own younger brother!

But you? You would rather accept a thief as mother, believe her false affection, and not accept a single word from me!"

The pen tip grew heavier as she wrote, nearly tearing the back of the paper.

"If you truly do not believe, you may investigate in secret, or correspond with me for verification!

But you stubbornly chose the most foolish path. Your return now is either to try to nurture a familial bond that never existed, or you think they truly regard you as family?

Defying orders, abandoning your post, you have walked into a trap!"

Writing to this point, her fingertip trembled, a drop of ink fell onto the paper, spreading like blood.

"Now you are trapped by the Xu Family, life and death uncertain, and I can only watch helplessly as you step into a dead end!"

"At this point, scolding you repeatedly is useless; I only ask you to see the reality and accept my help."

The brush abruptly stopped; she stared at the lettering on the letter, and for the first time realized she had written so harshly.

But... how could she not be harsh?

She had plotted for years, advancing step by step, finally finding him, protecting him, even risking her own life to pave his way.

But him?

He himself destroyed it all!

"Xu Yenchuan..."

She finally closed her eyes, the brush tip turned, and the handwriting slowed.

"If you still have any trust in me, remember: no matter how the Xu Family threatens you, do not believe them!

Whatever they say, do not listen!

At least survive, okay?"

The final stroke fell; her fingertip relaxed slightly, the pen shaft rolled off the desk and produced a crisp clatter.

Outside, the Fēng xuě intensified, the charcoal fire waned, and she stared at the letter for a long time without moving.

Speaking again now, what could it achieve?

At this point, she fears she cannot awaken Xu Yenchuan.

Even so, to accept a thief as mother, the consequences are unimaginable.

Even if Wan Tang had three heads and six arms, she could not save a person who cannot awaken.

Wan Tang sealed the letter with red lacquer, packed it, and this time she would deliver it herself into Wang Gonggong's hands.

Even if there is only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, she will try.

【Is delivering it by hand useful? Since the first letter, Xu Yenchuan has never received any.】

【No, he doesn't know the truth at all; he only knows Wan Tang treats him specially. But that specialness cannot outweigh filial piety and propriety.】

【Ah, if anyone is to blame, blame Su Yanci. Wan Tang trusted him so much, yet turned around and snatched the letter from Wang Gonggong's hands. Who knows what she was thinking?】

【Unfortunately, when Xu Yenchuan was sent to the Northern Border, he was still in a coma. Upon waking, there was no familiar person beside him.】

Wan Tang heard this and felt as if her heart were being torn by a knife.

She had always thought Xu Yenchuan knew the truth; even with doubts, he should have some guard, but she never expected him to know nothing.

Wang Gonggong is the official in charge of palace entries and procurements; Wan Tang spent a great deal of silver to have Wang Gonggong agree to deliver the letter.

But...

Wan Tang stared at the crumpled letter in her hand, her knuckles whitened from the strain.

Su Yanci......

Her chest rose and fell violently, and cold anger churned in her eyes.

On what grounds?

On what grounds to block her letter?

On what grounds to meddle in her affairs with Xu Yenchuan?

The more she thought, the more that anger burned, almost incinerating her reason!

"Master......" Li Ping'er offered hot tea worriedly, but she shoved it away.

"Prepare the sedan chair!"

She sprang up sharply, her sleeve sweeping the ink slab on the desk, spilling ink everywhere, like the turmoil churning in her heart.

Along with it, a stack of disaster relief records she had written these past days also fell to the ground.

Li Ping'er hurriedly grabbed her fox fur and rushed out: "Master! The outside Fēng xuě is intensifying; if you have any orders, just tell the Nubi to handle them."

Before the words finished, Wan Tang had already pulled back the curtain and stepped into the Fēng xuě.

A cold wind wrapped in snowflakes slammed into her face, making her cheeks sting, yet she seemed unaware and walked straight toward the palace road.

Li Ping'er held an umbrella and caught up, urgently saying, "At least let I accompany you!"

Wan Tang's steps halted, and she slowly turned back.

In the Fēng xuě, her gaze was terrifyingly heavy, like a knife, inch by inch scraping Li Ping'er's face.

No need.

Two words, cold to the bone.

Li Ping'er froze on the spot, watching helplessly as Master led Xiao Shunzi away into the Fēng xuě, and the umbrella in her hand went "Pat" as it fell onto the snow.

This was Wan Tang's first time refusing her following.

Li Ping'er's eyes were full of astonishment, unable to believe those words had come from Wan Tang's mouth.

She also trembled slightly—could it be that she had made some slip?

Xiao Shunzi was a little surprised, watched Wan Tang and Li Ping'er carefully, and immediately lifted his fan to follow.

Following behind, he asked cautiously, "Master, why is that?"

Wan Tang's tone was laden with meaning: "Everyone needs a bit of their own space."

Outside Yangxin Hall.

The piled snow hadn't yet covered the steps; Wan Tang's embroidered shoes were already soaked through by meltwater, her toes numb with cold, while her palms were slick with cold sweat.

From within the Grand Hall came a "Bang"—a huge crash, followed by the crisp shatter of porcelain, accompanied by Chu Yunzheng's angry low growl.

"A bunch of trash!"

In the Fēng xuě, that voice sounded especially clear.

For Chu Yunzheng, being able to still curse meant the situation was still under his control.

Silence, however, signified the seriousness of the matter.

If he were to laugh, it would mean someone had perished.

At least from the tone now, Xu Yanchuan wouldn't be in mortal danger.

Li Defu was attending inside.

The hall doors were shut; only Xiao Dongzi, with his neck tucked, ran out, and upon seeing Wan Tang, quickly saluted, "Wan Pin, Mother, peace and safety!"

He was also very courteous to Xiao Shunzi, even giving a subtle glance.

Inside the palace, silver is still the most useful.

After Xiao Shunzi repeatedly acted righteously, the two had almost become inseparable good brothers.

Since Xiao Shunzi is Wan Tang's person, and by extension Wan Tang, Xiao Dongzi should also address her as Master.

"Mother," Xiao Dongzi lowered his voice, glanced toward the hall, "the Emperor is in a bad mood today; he just dropped a teacup."

"All the dignitaries are highly emotional, kneeling in the Grand Hall and refusing to rise."

"Today's meals are probably all being used inside."

He hesitated, his face full of worry.

Xiao Shunzi also couldn't read Wan Tang's thoughts, merely standing aside with a forced smile.

Wan Tang's expression was calm, but her eyes were chillingly cold: "I am not here to see the Emperor."

Xiao Dongzi was startled: "In such Fēng xuě, Mother, why have you come?"

"Is Su Yanci inside?" Wan Tang, too lazy to beat around the bush, said straight to the point.

"Lord Su?" Xiao Dongzi blinked in surprise, "Lord Su never meddles in disputes with court officials; even though he entered the palace today, he only stood inside for a while."

"After the commotion inside, he said he was going out for some fresh air."

He scratched his head and laughed, "Probably he went somewhere else to enjoy the snow again? You know that gentleman's temperament, Mother."

Wan Tang gave a slight nod: "Thank you."

She turned to leave, but Xiao Dongzi couldn't help adding, "Mother, the Emperor has been troubled these days over the Northern Border troops' provisions. You, as the Fluent Talker (Jie Yu Hua) in the Emperor's heart, would surely be willing to stay and chat a few words with him."

Before he could finish, Wan Tang lightly cut him off: "I understand."

In the Fēng xuě, her silhouette stood perfectly straight, snow covering her fox fur coat, yet she did not pause a single step.

The remaining matters, Xiao Shunzi knew how to handle.

On the icy river in Yuhuayuan, several young eunuchs were pushing an ice sled, playing noisily, their laughter piercing the biting cold wind.

Su Yanci leaned against a marble railing, his dark great cloak flapping in the wind, and he still carried a gilt wine jar in his hand.

"Mother, you arrived just in time," he laughed, pointing at the river, "Look at those little brats, they slide faster than rabbits."

Wan Tang's embroidered shoes creaked a faint "creak" on the packed snow.

Seeing Su Yanci's carefree demeanor, she almost wanted to slap the letter onto his face.

But this is the palace, not a marketplace.

Even if her heart burned, she could not vent it.

She gathered her fox coat, a perfectly measured smile curving her lips: "Lord Su, what a refined taste."

Su Yanci's brows and eyes were exceptionally clear, and against the pristine white snow they appeared even more refreshingly crisp.

His voice was neither loud nor soft, modest and courteous: "The ice and snow are bone‑chilling; calling it play would be a stretch. Mother, do you have any business?"

He drew that family letter from his sleeve, his smile full of meaning: "If it must pass through others' hands, I think, perhaps I should deliver it personally."

Su Yanci raised an eyebrow, amber eyes flashing with a hint of amusement: "You already know?"

He was not at all flustered; instead he showed a bit of praise, "Faster than I imagined."

The playful shouts on the ice suddenly grew louder; a young eunuch slipped and fell, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

"Lord Su, you jest," Wan Tang tucked her loose hair behind her ear, hatred and anger tangled in her eyes, "I just don't know why this is happening."

"Naturally it's for your good," Su Yanci lifted his head to take a sip of wine, then suddenly changed, "No, it's for the Emperor's good."

He turned to face Wan Tang, snowflakes drifting from his great cloak: "Mother, now that you bear the Imperial Heir, you cannot afford any slip."

"There are other pregnant women in the palace besides me."

"Lady Qi's fetus, the imperial physician said it would be harmful," Su Yanci tapped the wine jar with his fingertip, "As for the other one, even the Emperor cannot say when it will be."

He paused meaningfully, "Do you think it can succeed?"

The cold wind suddenly swirled the shattered snow on the ice surface, blurring people's vision.

Su Yanci's voice blended with the wind: "The Xu Family and Xiao Family wield too much power; the Emperor only seeks purity."

He suddenly leaned in, his breath tinged with alcohol brushing Wan Tang's ear, "Your greatest advantage is that you have no ties."

Before the words finished, he had already taken the letter and torn it to pieces in a few swift motions.

Snow‑white paper scraps drifted from his fingers, mixing into the snow on the ice river, never to be found again.

Wan Tang's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Su Yanci!"

That shout could no longer contain her fury, startling the young eunuchs on the river to halt in surprise.

Her chest rose and fell violently, the armor digging deep into her palm, yet she felt no pain.

If the person before her were not a court official, she would have liked to strike his hands a few times to make him understand how excessive his behavior was.

The cold wind howled past, swirling the snowflakes, the laughter on the ice river long gone, leaving only the piercing wind cutting her eardrums.

Wan Tang's fury churned in her chest, yet Su Yanci still wore a smile, even tilting his head to take a sip of wine; as his Adam's apple bobbed, his leisurely demeanor made her fingertips tremble.

"Truly, caring leads to chaos."

Su Yanci shook his head with a light sigh, his great coat billowing in the wind, revealing the robe beneath embroidered with dark patterns.

His eyes flickered, his smile deepening: "I thought Lady Wan was clever, but it seems she is still swayed by emotion."

The Fēng xuě suddenly intensified, yet Su Yanci's expression sank gradually within the chaos.

His voice was so light it was almost swallowed by the wind, "Who do you think Wang Gonggong belongs to?"

"Who do you think guards the city gates of this palace?"

"Who watches over the official road in the Northern Border, and whose territory is the Northern Border's military camp?"

Each question was like an ice spear, stabbing fiercely into Wan Tang's reason.

"Lady Wan," Su Yanci brushed the snow from her shoulder with his fingertip, "the Emperor admires Xu Yanchuan's talent."

"But the emperor's benevolence, righteousness, and filial piety must be built without affecting the lord‑subject system."

He suddenly laughed again, his smile colder than the Fēng xuě: "I recall Lady Wan saying that only profit is eternal."

The wine flask spun in his palm, "Then you should think it over carefully!"

When the final sentence fell, Su Yanci had already withdrawn all expression.