Chapter 47: Midnight Assassination

Even so, when night falls there is a certain awkwardness, embarrassment and tension, because those female officials the Empress Dowager specially sent to attend to and educate me.

Not to mention they helped me bathe, completely disregarding my wishes and insisting on attending beside me; when I got angry they knelt on the ground and wouldn't rise. Fine, it's just a bath, I'll endure it.

But it's only a bath; is it necessary for them to want to scrape off a layer of my skin?

Then comes grooming and dressing: not too heavy, not too light; should be gentle and charming but not too bewitching! It's a pity they look so old yet have so much experience in this art of allure.

Since I can't persuade them, I simply close my eyes and let them manipulate me, as if this head and face aren't mine.

But the most terrifying part isn't these. After makeup, they solemnly surround me in a circle and begin one by one to recite the rules of attending the bedchamber.

At first I listened in confusion; ten minutes later, flushed and disheveled, I rushed out of the house and fled.

Damn! It drove me to want to curse fiercely. Those bedchamber rules are just a form of sexual education!

And these old monsters actually speak so seriously.

Perhaps because of what I heard, at night when I barefooted across the red carpet laid from Luoying Gong all the way to the Fengyin Hall and entered Wei Lingfeng's bedchamber, I felt somewhat awkward.

The bedchamber was filled with a faint scent of ambergris mixed with sandalwood, perfect for calming the mind.

Wei Lingfeng was tugging his sleeve, half‑bent over the desk writing calligraphy, when a eunuch shouted, "The new consort has arrived!" He set down his brush and looked up.

When he saw me, he was visibly startled, a faint surprise flashing in his eyes, then he waved his hand and said, "You all may go down."

Wei Lingfeng looked at me, a slightly mocking smile on his face: "It seems you look presentable when dressed up."

Presentable? I gave him a cold stare, too lazy to bother. Yet thinking of tonight's sleeping arrangements still made me worry.

"Come here." Wei Lingfeng gestured, walked around the desk to another table where a large sheet of paper had been spread.

I approached puzzled, and the drawing before me made me widen my eyes, asking in surprise, "Did you draw this?"

Wei Lingfeng gave no answer, merely raising his eyebrows slightly, meaning: "It wasn't me—who drew it?"

On that paper was a striking depiction of the "Tang Dynasty warship" I had once used as a bargaining chip, only his rendition was far more detailed and vivid than my hasty sketch.

I examined it carefully, genuinely impressed: "I never expected. Besides being an emperor, you're not without talent!"

"May I take this as a compliment?" Wei Lingfeng smiled helplessly.

I laughed happily, sitting on a chair opposite him: "Of course it's a compliment; if you ever stop being emperor, you'll still have a skill to fall back on!"

Wei Lingfeng narrowed his eyes slightly, leaned close and said in a low voice, "To utter such treasonous words, you still dare say them before me?"

I flinched back, pouted, "If I don't say it, I won't. Hey, what exactly do you want me to look at?"

Wei Lingfeng smiled faintly, pointed to the first "tower ship" on the paper and asked, "You call this a tower ship, similar to our current mothership. What is this part you drew?"

I leaned over, glanced, and nodded, "This is a mengtong, essentially the repair and supply hub for attack ships. If a mengtong is damaged in battle and not promptly returned for repairs, it will be lost. Especially your Qi Guo soldiers are poor swimmers; if a mengtong is destroyed, those soldiers would die—too costly. Hence this repair hub; a damaged mengtong can be ferried back by sea gulls, and also replenish crew."

Wei Lingfeng listened intently, his expression turning solemn, then pointed to another drawing before him and asked, "What characteristic does this one have?"

I leaned over, but the upside‑down view was unclear, so I stood and walked around him, then, suddenly understanding, nodded, "This is a stealth boat, mainly used for night raid operations."

Wei Lingfeng lifted his slender finger, compared it to the mengtong, and asked, "Why isn't this made of raw cowhide like the mengtong?"

I gave a strange smile, crouched to compare the bow of the stealth boat, and said, "This not only can't use raw cowhide; it's best to sharpen the bow and wrap it in metal. During a night raid… heh, you get it?"

I laughed and turned back; Wei Lingfeng's focused face was suddenly within arm's reach, his warm breath palpable on my skin.

His eyes, at some unknown moment, had been fixed on me, staring without blinking, a strange light wavering within them.

I was momentarily startled, stepped back, and, a bit awkwardly, asked, "Hey! Do you actually understand?"

Wei Lingfeng slowly straightened, a faint smile lifting his mouth, his voice low and resonant: "Bing Yi, I truly am glad I married you back."

I rolled my eyes, returned to my seat, and said weakly, "Ask any other questions you have."

……

One hour later.

Wei Lingfeng's handsome eyebrows knit, his face full of astonishment and admiration; after a long thought he asked gravely, "This is a tactic for shallow, reef‑filled waters; what about the deep sea around the Key Kingdom?"

"……"

"Bing Yi?"

Wei Lingfeng called out for a long while with no response, looked up in surprise, the scene before him, and a faint smile tugged at his mouth.

The girl at the desk had her eyes closed, her face serene and tranquil, already sleeping deeply with her arm as a pillow.

Wei Lingfeng watched her quietly for a long time, the light in his eyes flickering, and involuntarily extended his right hand to sweep aside her loose strands. His fingers brushed the cool, delicate skin, and his heart jolted.

Just now, watching her, her eyelashes fluttered, her eyes bright and lively, her whole little face seemed bathed in light, and I was momentarily stunned.

"She fell asleep so defenselessly." Wei Lingfeng's smiling eyes gradually showed a hint of self‑mockery and indulgence, his knuckle lightly brushing the girl's cheek, "Even though I promised not to touch you for now…"

Wei Lingfeng smiled helplessly, withdrew his hand, rose, circled the table, and gently lifted the weightless body, walked a few steps, and quietly placed her on the bed, covering her with a brocade blanket.

After watching the girl's calm sleeping posture for a long while, Wei Lingfeng suddenly whispered, "Two more nights."

The tone was indescribably complex, leaving even him a bit dazed.

He turned, a faint bitter smile on his lips, returned to the desk and continued studying those almost world‑shaking warships and naval tactics until dawn.

When I woke in the morning, seeing that Wei Lingfeng hadn't slept all night while I had brazenly taken the whole bed, I felt a bit embarrassed.

Wei Lingfeng was fine; he simply smiled and ordered eunuchs and palace maids to come in and attend to washing, looking as fresh as ever, showing no signs of a sleepless night.

Honestly, that night I slept more peacefully than in Luoying Gong, perhaps because his bedchamber had a small amount of ambergris incense burning, instantly releasing my body's fatigue.

When leaving the Fengyin Hall, I inadvertently glanced at the main hall's perimeter, where many mandala flowers were planted, and my heart tightened. I asked the nearby eunuch lightly, "Did the emperor plant these because he likes them?"

The eunuch bowed his head respectfully and replied, "Your Highness, mandala flowers are cultivated throughout the palace; they're not a particular favorite of the emperor. You need not worry; we know the flower is poisonous and not edible, but it is fine for viewing."

I nodded and asked, "What about ambergris incense? Is it used in every bedchamber?"

"Not exactly. Ambergris incense is more precious; aside from the Empress Dowager and a few favored consorts, not everyone can use it."

Seems I overthought. I let out a gentle sigh, just as Wu Ye, Xin Hui and Xin Luo came toward me, so I waved to the people behind me, "You may return."

"Miss." Xin Luo's cool face broke into a smile as she ran over and took my hand.

I took the small silver from her hand, smiled and patted her head, teasing, "Finally got enough rest? You can even sleep better than me."

Xin Hui leaned close, a strange and gossipy expression, and asked, "Miss, what did you and the emperor do last night…?"

Including Wu Ye and Xin Luo, three pairs of eyes all fixed on me.

I found it strange that they all looked so nervous, and I said with a sneer, "First I explained the design concepts of those warships to him, then we discussed some basic naval tactics."

"And then what?"

"And then?" I blinked, "Nothing! I was talking and then fell asleep."

Seeing their shocked expressions, I couldn't help feeling amused and baffled, too lazy to stop them as they continued toward Luoying Gong.

"Could it really be that the young lady's charm isn't enough?" Xin Hui muttered to herself, somewhat vexed.

"Sister, what is charm?" Xin Luo asked curiously, though she still kept her voice low.

A fleeting, hardly noticeable smile flickered in Wu Ye's eyes.

"Hey! How long are you three going to whisper? I still want to go back and have breakfast!"

The three people whispering together jumped in surprise and hurriedly followed after.

On the road, a beautiful woman unexpectedly appeared, acting like sworn sisters as she came over and took my hand, chatted with me about this and that, then casually asked, "How did you spend last night with the Emperor, little sister?"

"Pretty good!" I wasn't sure whether the Emperor himself was okay, after all I'd kept him up all night.

"Pretty good?" She squeezed out a few words from between her teeth, then put on a friendly front, "Could you tell me, sister, exactly how it was good?"

I restrained the urge to roll my eyes, narrowed my eyes at her, and said coldly, "What's it to you?"

As I brushed past her, I still caught that horrified expression on her face, like she'd swallowed a fly.

These roadside encounters, though different in form, were essentially the same, continuing all the way until I entered Luoying Gong.

It's really funny, really—over such a short stretch I managed to offend every wife of Wei Lingfeng, big and small, high and low.

That evening, when I went back, I handled things much more easily than the previous day; I had Xin Hui and Wu Ye help carry a quilt and mattress, ignoring the astonished looks of others, preparing to sleep on the floor that night.

It's already deep autumn, yet there's hardly any sign of cold. According to Wu Ye, it's because the transition from autumn to winter in Qi is very swift—today might still have the lingering heat of summer, and tomorrow upon waking we'd find winter had arrived.

Anyway, sleeping on the floor in this weather definitely won't freeze anyone to death.

This time I firmly refused to let those palace maids help me bathe and dress, even pulling up the red carpet; they had originally refused outright, but for some reason the order inexplicably ended up at Wei Lingfeng's place, where he lightly replied, "Do as she pleases," and they came back with downcast eyes, their gazes toward me now filled with greater resentment and contempt.

I saw Xin Hui struggling under the load, reached out to take some of it, but she quickly stepped back and said, "Miss, if you keep doing everything yourself like this, you'll draw too much attention."

I amusedly grabbed a pillow, about to speak.

Suddenly, a sense of alarm rose in my heart.

A bone‑chilling cold surged through my body—a feeling all too familiar, as the life‑or‑death terror I'd felt by the lake came rushing back.

After that assassination attempt I never pursued it, always feeling that whoever wanted me dead was merely using my status as Empress as an excuse.

Over the next few days I was careful everywhere, with Wu Ye hardly leaving my side; nothing happened, and after entering the palace I forgot about it, letting my guard down, thinking no one would dare assassinate anyone deep inside the imperial palace's inner court.

But the so‑called premonition was merely a flash in the mind, hardly enough to speak of saving one's life.

At that very moment, a blade tip suffused with cold gleamed in the moonlight and lunged straight at me. I stared in horror to see his target unchanged—still my right breast.

Instinctively I raised the pillow before my chest; cotton fluff flew everywhere in the blade's light, the tip seeming to meet no resistance as it continued forward, about to pierce my chest.

In the flash of steel I could see Wu Ye and Xin Hui rushing over, faces pale with panic; my heart sank, and I thought only of buying this moment, better to take a risky gamble.

I lifted my right hand, jerked my left, and the Absolute Thread flashed—shimmering like gold and silver, light and dark—exposed in the moonlight.

My eyes, having shed all stray light, locked onto the blade tip; in an instant the Absolute Thread was raised horizontally before my chest, finally pulling me back from the brink once more.

Fine as a hair, soft as willow fluff, yet tougher than steel, the Absolute Thread barely held off the blade tip hovering right before me.

Cold sweat poured down as I dimly saw Wu Ye and Xin Hui grappling with a black‑clad masked man, their shadows flickering in the darkness like frames from a movie before my eyes.

Suddenly I realized: the black‑clad attacker's two assaults were ferocious beyond compare, but not meant to kill me—rather to injure me so I couldn't resist. Perhaps… it was to take me hostage!

Otherwise, both blades wouldn't have been aimed at my right chest instead of the heart.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have fled at the first sign of someone approaching.

But I also know that black‑clad man is formidable; no one here knows his strength better than I, having faced him twice. Even if I, Wu Ye, and Xin Hui joined forces, we could never defeat him.

The battle noise would surely draw soldiers, but what if he killed Wu Ye and Xin Hui before they arrived?

I sucked in a breath, drew the pistol I'd carried ever since leaving the Lan household, and, by moonlight, chambered a round, raised it, and took aim.

He and Wu Ye were tangled together, their forms indistinguishable, but I knew I wouldn't miss, and I would never allow myself to.

Because my brother and I are the only two survivors of Darkblack Street who have passed the Hell Trial—the Divine Marksmen.

Wu Ye's shoulder bore a shocking wound; Xin Hui retreated to the side, her face deathly pale.

I gritted my teeth, my practiced finger found the trigger, applied the right pressure, and squeezed—

The moonlight suddenly poured, as if bewitched, unreservedly onto the black‑clad man—or rather, onto his blade.

That blade was dark, slender, its tip inexplicably curving slightly upward.

"Bang—" the gunshot echoed through the silent moonlit night, through the imperial palace grounds…

I panicked, a near‑hysterical scream tearing from my throat: "Get out of the way!!!"

Since the moment I fell off the cliff, my heart has never felt as lost and afraid as it does now—that shot… if only…

The black‑clad man finally, at the very last instant, shifted his body; the bullet struck his right shoulder, he lurched back a step, his black eyes flashing with surprise in the moonlight for a moment before he switched the blade to his left hand.

But that brief hesitation was enough for Wu Ye to lunge forward with his sword, the blade's tip about to pierce his chest…

My mind, ears, and heart were empty; my inner energy surged to its peak in an instant, and I could spare no thought for any harm to my body or any danger.

At that moment I thought of nothing, only knowing to crash wildly into the midst of their struggle, shoving the long sword aside, and my body, unable to check its momentum, fell heavily into the black‑clad man's arms.

My qi and blood churned; nearby soldiers, startled by the gunshot, came running. I barely suppressed the sweet‑blood taste rising to my throat and said in a low voice, "You've taken me hostage—hurry and go!"

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but he had no time to think; with his still‑mobile left hand he held the blade to my neck.

His black eyes remained as cold as ever, still bearing that boundless, overbearing aura of looking down on the world, and he said coldly, "Everyone, step aside!"

(End of chapter)