An Eight-year-old Princess

Chapter 225 The Confrontation

The scene in Qiwu Palace was chaotic.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Councilor has asked you to gather all the concubines and send them to

Jinluan Hall under guard." Wen Xi said to the Empress. The Grand Councilor had sent the maid to the

Empress half a month ago. The Grand Councilor had explained that Wen Xi would convey his orders to

the Empress and also protect her. All rights © NôvelDrama.Org.

The Empress was surprised at the instructions Wen Xi disclosed. She raised her eyes and looked at

Wen Xi, "What happened? Has the Emperor returned?"

Wen Xi lowered her head at the Empress's questions, "I don't know.

His Majesty might have returned." The Empress looked at herself in the mirror. The woman staring

back looked graceful and elegant. She was wearing a robe with nine phoenixes embroidered on it. The

phoenix crown glittered on her head. But the Royal Lady didn't look at ease. Her eyes reflected obvious

anxiety. Her father was plotting a rebellion...... And she didn't have a choice...... Even though the

Emperor didn't treat her well and he loved another woman, he was still the Empress's husband. How

could she betray him?

"Your Majesty......" said Wen Xi.

'Majesty?' The Empress scoffed at the irony. If she followed her father's orders, the Empress would be

a traitor to her own State. No matter whether her father won or not, she would never be an Empress

again. Her father had forced her into the imperial household. The Li Clan had compelled her to fight so

hard for this position. From now on, this position didn't belong to her anymore.

"Sister......" Li Fuyi's voice echoed through the Halls. The Empress's anxiety morphed into disdain. She

walked outside, and found Li Fuyi standing in the outer Palace. She was smiling, "Sister, Father told

you to gather all the Ladies in Jinluan Hall. Haven't you received his order? Why haven't you done

anything yet?"

The Empress sneered at Li Fuyi and replied coldly, "I have my own decisions to make. Since you didn't

fully devote yourself to the Li Clan, you have no right to question me. You were sent into the Palace to

win favor for our Clan, but you didn't accomplish that. I wondered why you spent so much time serving

Lady Ming in Changchun Palace. All you did was pray and practice abstinence from meat every day. I

even thought about asking His Majesty to care for you more. Now, I finally know your real purpose for

weaseling your way into the Palace."

Li Fuyi sniggered and looked at the Empress. She tried to seem charming, "Sister, you're behaving

strangely. His Majesty is your husband. Even though I'm young and unexperienced in certain things, I

know better than to steal from my sister. But it seems like you don't like me as much. What makes you

so unhappy? Is it because I came here to relay Father's orders? Do you still want to be an Empress

even after he betrays the State of Ning? Well, it's understandable. After all, His Majesty and you have

spent more than twenty years together. You must be deeply in love with him."

"Shut up!" The Empress was resentful indeed. "Are you here to mock me?"

Li Fuyi smiled before shaking her head, "No. I'm here to inform you of my arrangement. To encourage

you to comply, I placed a spy in the temporary imperial palace in Laifeng City. I have asked my spy to

find a chance to assassinate Lady Jin and her newborn baby. If my spy succeeds, don't thank me too

eagerly. But if she fails, she will confess to Lady Jin and His Majesty that you're the one who wants

Lady Jin and the baby dead."

"Li Fuyi!" The Empress was shocked and angry, "I underestimated you. How could I forget that you are

an expert in scheming? You are exactly the same as your low-born and pathetic mother!"

Li Fuyi paused before she grinned at the Empress. "Sister, why are you so angry? Father also agrees

with my arrangement. He believes that you are loyal to our Clan. But it would not do to take such a risk.

Things will end badly if you change your mind at the very last moment. I think our plan is perfect for

now. The Emperor must hate you so much. Even without the assassination order, he will still penalize

you. Besides, Princess Hua Jing has been framed by Princess Yun Shang many times. We don't even

know whether Hua Jing is alive or not......"

"That's enough! Get out!" The Empress pointed at Li Fuyi. She was so enraged that the elegant woman

the Empress had seen in the mirror a few minutes earlier was gone. In her stead stood such a bitter

and resentful woman that she couldn't recognize herself.

Li Fuyi stood and spoke, "Well, I'll take my leave now. Remember father's orders. Don't let him down."

The Empress waited till Li Fuyi had walked out of the Palace and disappeared into the darkness before

falling in her chair. Her whole body trembled with uncertainty and anxiety.

"Your Majesty......" Wen Xi called again.

The Empress turned to her maid with a cold expression. Wen Xi was scared and kept her mouth shut.

"Convey the order to take all the Ladies to Jinluan Hall." The Empress said emotionlessly and forced a

bitter smile as she thought of something. Even if she took all the concubines as hostages, it would not

increase the Li Clan's odds of winning. No one understood the Emperor better than the Empress. The

Empress knew what the Emperor valued most.

To gain support for his power, the Emperor broke his promise to Lady Jin, the woman he loved the

most. He agreed to marry Li Yiran and make her the Empress instead. Since the Emperor valued his

power more than anything, he would not care about his concubines. The Emperor had everything he

wanted. Lady Jin and his heir were with him in Laifeng City, under strict protection. The other

concubines weren't worthy of his attention now.

Wen Xi took some guards and left to execute the Empress's order. Alone, the Empress buried her face

in her hands as she contemplated what future lay ahead of her.

"Your Majesty doesn't seem happy. Why is that?" A soft female voice broke the silence. Recognizing to

whom the voice belonged, the Empress shivered. The person spoke again, "Well, if the Grand

Councilor ascends the throne and becomes the new Emperor, what would I call you? Your Majesty, or

Your Highness? No matter what I call you, it seems inappropriate."

"Ning Yun Shang!" The Empress ground her teeth and hissed. She identified where the voice was

coming from and rushed to the inner Palace. She halted at the entrance when she saw Yun Shang

sitting on her chair. Yun Shang smiled at the angry Empress, "Your Majesty, why did you call me?"

The Empress was enraged by Yun Shang's attitude, "Ning Yun Shang! Give Jing'er back to me!" The

Empress shouted before rushing toward Yun Shang.

Before she could reach Yun Shang, the Empress was dragged and stopped. The Empress turned and

found that two men dressed in black had grabbed her. She calmed down when she realized that the

Princess had not come alone. 'Why is Yun Shang here?' The Empress thought. 'My Palace is heavily

guarded. How did she get in?'

"Your Majesty, are you wondering how I got in?" Yun Shang smiled and continued, "Let me explain.

Have you heard of a tunnel? There are plenty of them under the Palace."

The Empress shivered at the shocking disclosure. She glared at Yun Shang as she hadn't known about

the tunnels. She fumed as felt like her life had been a big lie. Had the Emperor never trusted her for

even a single second? If the Emperor had trusted her, why didn't she know about the secret tunnel?

Even Yun Shang, the little bitch, knew about it! As the Empress of the State of Ning, she had never

even heard of the existence of tunnels from the Emperor.

The more the Empress thought about it, the more disappointed she felt about the Emperor and her life.

But her expression didn't change even when she was in great shock. After all these years of living in

the Palace, the Empress had learned to hide her feelings at crucial moments.

The Empress kept silent for a long time before confronting Yun Shang, "Tell me. What have you done

to Hua Jing? How is my daughter now?"

Yun Shang smiled, "I believe someone else has told you about Hua Jing's condition although not very

directly. Haven't you been listening? Well, Hua Jing......" Yun Shang sighed before she continued, "Hua

Jing was poisoned by one of her kept men and she will slowly die from the poison. The poison should

have accumulated in her body by now. If she were in the Imperial City, she would have been able to

find a cure. Unfortunately, the third Prince of the State of Yelang abducted Hua Jing when he left for

Yelang. It's widely known that the Yelang physicians are not good at internal medicine. Besides, I'm the

only one who has the cure for the poison. I'm afraid sister might have already...... passed away."

The Empress was in such deep sorrow that she could kill Yun Shang. The Empress's voice became

husky out of pain and anger, "Why did you do that? Jing'er was just being naughty. She is your sister

after all. I've raised you for so many years and never hurt you in any way. This is how you repay me for

all that I have done?"

"Naughty? Raise me?" To Yun Shang, the Empress's words sounded like the biggest joke in the world.

The Princess laughed at the absurdness, "Are you still deluding yourself? You've spent years trying to

kill me in different ways. If I hadn't been cautious and planned ahead, I could have died. As for Hua

Jing, she wasn't just being naughty. She tried to kill me many times, too. And as for you, Your Majesty,

if it hadn't been father's love for me, you would have killed me years ago without mercy."

Yun Shang sighed before walking to the Empress, "It's useless talking about these matters now, since I

am responsible for Hua Jing's death. Your Majesty, if you want vengeance for your daughter, you are

most welcome to try. But unfortunately, I don't think you'll have the chance."

"What do you mean by that?" The Empress clenched her hands in her sleeves and glared at Yun

Shang. The Princess smiled at the Empress. Li Yiran was shocked by the Princess's confident yet

annoying expression. 'What a fool I am! Yun Shang has deceived me for many years." The Empress

regretted how blind she had been. 'She must have started her scheme and fooled everyone from the

moment she returned to the Palace.' The Empress realized that Yun Shang wasn't as weak as she

appeared to be. Only then did the Empress understand that the Princess feigned being sick all the

time. 'Now Yun Shang reveals her true self.

She must feel happy about the success of her plot. But what about my poor Jing'er......' The Empress

was consumed by grief. Even though the Empress raised Hua Jing, she protected her daughter from

many things. The Empress had taught Hua Jing some basic skills in winning a husband's favor. She

also schooled Hua Jing about her responsibilities as a wife. She had never wanted for Hua Jing to get

caught up in schemes and plots. Thus, she had never included her daughter in her arrangements.

Besides, the Empress had spoiled Hua Jing from the beginning. Everyone admired and complimented

Hua Jing for her talents. Thus, Hua Jing's character was shaped by the surroundings in which she grew

up. The Empress knew all of Hua Jing's flaws, but she didn't think her daughter deserved such an awful

fate. Unaware of what lay ahead for Hua Jing, the Empress had never worried about her daughter.

Who would have thought that Hua Jing's arrogance would be used against her? Who would have

thought that it would get her killed?

'I'm the one who killed my daughter.' The Empress closed her eyes as she blamed herself for not

educating Hua Jing well enough. Li Yiran felt the most awful pain flowing through her body. It turned her

veins cold and her heart felt as though it would shatter into a million pieces. Yun Shang didn't give the

Empress time to settle herself. She spoke again in a mocking tone.

"Your Majesty, do you really think your Palace is heavily guarded? Since I came in without being

stopped, I bet you have started to doubt yourself. I don't think you're stupid enough to believe that I

came here alone."

The Empress shivered at Yun Shang's words. She looked at Yun Shang with an expression of disbelief

as she tried to think about the Princess's subtle hints. 'What had the Princess planned? Why was she

here?'

Then a panicked voice rang through the Halls. Upon hearing a maid screaming, the Empress was

pulled away from her thoughts. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty...... The Ladies in the Palace are gone......"

The Empress saw Yun Shang's mouth curve into a satisfied smile. Then the pearl curtain at the

entrance of the chamber rattled as someone moved it. Wen Xi pushed through the curtain and

continued into the chamber. She said, "Your......" Before the maid could finish her words, she felt the

cold of a sword blade touching her neck. Wen Xi had been walking so fast that she couldn't stop

immediately. The sword blade pressed against her throat. A superficial cut appeared and blood trickled

down. Wen Xi stopped and looked around the chamber with eyes widened. She noticed Yun Shang

and her guards.

"Did you take all the Ladies?" The Empress ignored her maid and asked Yun Shang in a low voice.

Yun Shang nodded, "Well, I'm so sorry to have ruined the Grand Councilor's plan. I knew Lord Li was

going to take the Ladies as hostages to threaten the Emperor or the Ladies' Clans. The Ladies haven't

done anything wrong. I pitied them. So I saved them."

Yun Shang giggled before she continued, "By the way, it just came to me that Your Majesty and Lady

Fu are the Grand Councilor's daughters. Since you both are also the the Emperor's concubines, I

wonder if Lord Li will spare you. I've heard that the Grand Councilor is a tough person. I'm sure he will

do whatever is needed for his plan to succeed. Something as trivial as family love won't stop him. I'm

afraid Your Majesty hasn't been abandoned or betrayed by a family member before. Congratulations.

You will experience something new soon." Yun Shang smiled, but coldness reflected in her eyes. She

couldn't stop thinking about her previous life. She had been abandoned and betrayed by every single

person that she had loved and trusted. Her husband was having an affair with Hua Jing. The Empress

had ordered her to drink up a cup of poisoned wine. Her most trusted maid had slowly poisoned her

son. Huan'er had died after being thrown out the window by Mo Jingran. Yun Shang had been hurt so

badly. This time, she would be the one making others pay for their evil doings.

The Empress lost her strength. She could see that she had no future left. The world as she had known

it, had crumbled before her. There was no way back for her. Li Yiran felt pity for herself. Her legs turned

weak and she couldn't stand anymore. She thought of how hard it had been for her to fight for the

position she had wanted. She was the Empress, the prestigious Empress of the State of Ning. Even the

Emperor had at some point, respected her as his consort. How did she end up like this? The Empress

felt liking crying. Once, she had a daughter. The Empress treated Hua Jing as the most valuable

treasure in the world. She loved Hua Jing so much that she never scolded her. And her daughter was

so talented. Li Yiran had basked in the love and adoration Hua Jing had felt for her mother. Once, she

had a powerful father. Even though she was not very close with her father, she and her father still

supported each other. The Palace and the Court were under the control of the Li Clan.

Where did she go wrong?

Yun Shang smiled at the Empress, "By the way, Your Majesty, do you know why the Grand Councilor

took the risk of conspiring against our State? I bet you don't know. Let me tell you. The Li Clan are not

from the State of Ning at all......"

The Empress was shocked. "Nonsense, " she screamed at Yun Shang.

Yun Shang was overjoyed at the Empress's fierce reaction. All her doubts had just been confirmed.

The Princess boldly continued, "The ancestor to the Li Clan was a descendant of the State of Xia. The

State of Xia has always nurtured the ambition to conquer the State of Ning, but didn't have the chance,

as it is scarcely populated and lacks weapons. It was not possible for them to win in a war against the

State of Ning. One of the Royals of the State of Xia devised a plan. He asked his son to change his

name to Li and come to the State of Ning with servants. Slowly but steadily, his power and influence

grew. He even successfully placed his daughter in the Palace. The Grand Councilor, Lord Li, is

probably the most successful descendant of the Li Clan. Through his careful planning, the Li Clan

secured important positions in the State of Ning. After so many years of plotting and scheming, the

Emperor of the State of Xia decided it was time to rule the State of Ning."

Yun Shang paced as she spoke, "To be honest, their plan was perfect. If the Emperor of the State of

Xia had carried out their plot as planned, their chances of winning would have been really high.

However, not everything went as planned. My grandfather found their secret army hidden in Mount

Kirin. And Prince Jing went to investigate the army as per the Emperor's orders. That's how the Prince

learned of the intricate plan. The Emperor of the State of Xia also did something wrong. Once we knew

of the soldiers in Mount Kirin, he became afraid that the State of Ning would foil other arrangements

that he had made so carefully. So he decided to carry out his plot earlier than planned even though

they were not fully prepared."

The Empress shook her head to deny Yun Shang's claims. She spoke with a dry voice, "You don't need

to make up such a huge lie to fool me. Do you think I'll buy that?"

"Well, I'm afraid you already believe me. It's understandable that we, as loyal protectors of Ning, didn't

know all this before. But as the daughter of the Grand Councilor, how could you not know? Even

though the Grand Councilor didn't make it clear to you, he must have done something suspicious

enough to catch your attention. If you think it through, I'm sure you'll understand." Yun Shang didn't

take the Empress's response seriously. And so she suggested to the Empress in a casual way.

Just as Yun Shang finished speaking, Wen Xi was dragged forward by a guard. A man dressed in black

walked in and bowed to Yun Shang, "Your Highness, the guards in the Palace have been replaced by

our people."

Yun Shang nodded before turning to the Empress to examine her expression. The Princess smiled

happily, "If the Grand Councilor fails in his rebellion, where do you think he will retreat to? Well, my

guess is that he will come to the Palace. After all, he had made so many preparations in the Palace

and placed so many guards. I believe that he thinks the Palace is the safest place for him to be.

Besides, he has asked Your Majesty to bring all the Ladies to Jinluan Hall as hostages. He must think

he holds the bargaining chip with the Emperor. And if Lord Li really comes into the Palace, do you think

he will leave alive?"

This was too much information for the Empress to process. She opened her mouth but didn't know

what to say. Her face turned pale, and her eyes lost focus. Li Yiran looked around Qiwu Palace. The

glittering gold and jade decorations conveyed wealth and prosperity. They were so contrary to the

desperate situation in which she found herself.

After a while, the Empress smiled. She had accepted her fate. Hatred reflected in her eyes as she

spoke, "Yun Shang, do you really think I will end up as you planned? You're wrong. I don't fear death. If

I can kill Lady Jin and her beloved child before I die, my death will be worth it."

Yun Shang was about to walk out of the Palace when she heard the Empress's statement. She

stopped long enough to ponder over the authenticity of Li Yiran's threat. It didn't matter if the Empress

was bluffing or not, Yun Shang couldn't risk putting her mother and younger brother in danger. Yun

Shang walked out of the inner Palace and whispered to her shadow guard. After that, she entered the

inner Palace again.

Yun Shang kept silent and stared at the Empress for a long time. The Princess had an eerie smile on

her face. The Empress shuddered at Yun Shang's smile. However, she found the courage to return the

creepy expression. "What? Are you afraid?" she whispered to the Princess.

Yun Shang shook her head and said, "No. But I lied to you about Hua Jing. I intended to keep her alive

before you threatened me. Now I have changed my mind."

The Empress sneered at Yun Shang, "Don't try to fool me again. Do you think I'll believe your lie? Are

you trying to tell me that Jing'er is still alive? Hahahaha...... Since I know I'm not going to live to see

tomorrow, I have nothing to fear now. I don't care about Hua Jing. I wish she were dead. That way we'll

reunite as a family in Heaven."

Yun Shang didn't say anything. She just sat and waited.

The Palace was deadly quite since no one talked. After two hours, the guard who had left to carry out

Yun Shang's orders, entered the chamber. He carried a delicately carved box made of fine wood. Yun

Shang waved the guard forward with giving the box a glance, "Bring it to Her Majesty."

The shadow guard brought the box to the Empress. But the Empress didn't open it. She glared at Yun

Shang without saying a word. "Em, " Yun Shang smiled at the Empress, "Why not take a look, Your

Majesty? Have you lost your nerve?"

The Empress sneered at Yun Shang before hitting the box. She was not going to fall for Yun Shang's

tricks anymore. Nothing would make her look inside! The box fell from the guard's hands and clattered

on the ground. As the lid loosened, an object fell out and rolled forward....