Chapter 38: Despair

Shadow Seven was dead. Su Wei walked inside, dagger in hand, her face still smeared with blood. She looked calmly at the palace attendant. “Shadow Seven is dead. Help me bury her.”

The attendant nearly stopped breathing at the sight of her. Steadying her nerves, she found the innkeeper and went together to the rear courtyard to bury Shadow Seven.

Su Wei felt incredibly dangerous to her.

“Please fetch a basin of water. I wish to wash my hands.” Su Wei sought out a waiter and successfully washed the bloodstains from her hands. She slowly wiped the blood from her face with a handkerchief, meticulously cleaning the dagger as well.

Her clothes immaculate, Su Wei paid no mind to the stares of others. She still had another place to go.

Su He had, in fact, given her the destination. Even if Su Wei hadn’t known, she only had to follow the converging crowd to find it.

By the time she arrived, the sprawling estate was already being raided. Su He had removed the human skin mask and stood with a group of people, their backs to the onlookers.

Su Wei pushed through the crowd, walking unimpeded to Su He’s side. Her expression indifferent, she looked at the person confronting them.

It was He Shuqi, a face she had seen once before—the former Emperor’s most favored consort, later properly resettled in Jiangnan by Su He.

If she was the one who orchestrated all this, what an elaborate game it had been.

Power infiltrating from the bottom up, layer by layer. Who knew how much grain and silver she had swallowed over the years. And she had even harbored thoughts of rebellion. Shadow Seven was likely a pawn planted in her childhood.

“Su He, you came really fast.” He Shuqi unhurriedly straightened her clothes, letting out a cold laugh. “It’s such a pity I didn’t manage to kill you.”

Su He uttered an “Ah,” a look of regret on her face. “Indeed it is. The Dowager Consort failed to kill Gu. Truly, such a pity.”

Her tone shifted sharply: “But… Gu is very happy. I can use the Dowager Consort’s schemes as a pretext to properly teach some people a lesson. Gu must even thank you, Dowager Consort.”

He Shuqi scoffed in contempt. “Those assassins I groomed couldn’t even kill you. What a bunch of trash.”

Su He nodded, expressing agreement. “Right, the shadow guards you planted were indeed quite useless.”

“Where’s Shadow Seven?”

The Leader turned to look for the person, only to feel a tap on her shoulder. She heard Su Wei’s voice: “Dead.”

“Dead!” The Leader stared in astonishment, bewildered. “Who killed her?”

Su Wei informed her calmly: “I did.”

The two hadn’t deliberately kept their voices low, and He Shuqi also looked over at the sound. She suddenly hissed, then laughed the next second. “I know you.”

Su He smiled, pulling Su Wei in front of her, resting her hands on her shadow guard’s shoulders. “Dowager Consort, please, tell us. Gu is also very curious.”

He Shuqi looked straight ahead, completely ignoring the men scattering lamp oil around the estate. She regarded Su Wei haughtily and said lightly, “That year, I was a little short on cash. I simply slaughtered her entire family. Who knew one would be let go. Shadow Seven also often mentioned her in my presence, saying she was the perfect scapegoat.”

She retreated slowly, her voice tinged with resentment: “It’s just that she, too, was a piece of trash! Since you’ve captured her, I have no choice but to reluctantly withdraw.”

She suddenly rushed into the room, grabbed a candle, and carelessly tossed it to the floor. Flames instantly shot up, and a scorching wave of heat rolled outwards. He Shuqi was slowly consumed by the great fire, hastily ending her own life.

He Shuqi had ambition, had greed, but it was all nothing but a fleeting dream of Yellow Millet. Upon waking, nothing remained.

Su Wei stood there stunned, belatedly processing the information she had just learned. So her parents had been targeted for their wealth, and thus met their cruel fate.

She hadn’t even had time to question He Shuqi, but He Shuqi hadn’t cared. And what of her parents’ innocence, or the innocence of all the other lives taken?

Su Wei blinked. She felt Su He embrace her from behind, her Master’s head resting on her shoulder, her tone elated: “Gu believes you now. You should be happy.”

“Su Wei, look, Gu has personally slain your enemy for you.”

Ah…

They were all the same kind of people.

Su Wei stood silently in Su He’s embrace, like a puppet, staring at the raging fire as if she were a lifeless thing. Tears slid silently down her cheeks, without a sound.

Su He sensed her emotion, raised a hand, and gently wiped her tears away. She said, “Don’t cry anymore. Gu is still by your side.”

No—

You are all liars.

Su Wei had nothing left. She was utterly destitute.

.

The farce was not yet over. Su He had made a special trip from the Capital to raid He Shuqi’s household and execute her on the spot, also as a show of power. She wanted to warn everyone to behave. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t deal with them; it was only a matter of time.

It proved remarkably effective. To save his own life, one of He Shuqi’s subordinates revealed the location of another of her residences. In a very remote place, it held someone who shocked everyone.

The once famously renowned female general—Bai Su.

In such a vast estate, she had been imprisoned in a cramped firewood shed. Emaciated and filthy, her mind was clearly somewhat unhinged. At the sight of anyone approaching, she would cower into a corner, shrinking away.

Su He looked at her quietly for a moment, then raised a hand, gesturing for the people beside her to take Bai Su away. She said in a low voice, “Take her back. Find a way to heal her.”

With that, she took Su Wei’s hand and turned to leave. “We set out for the palace tomorrow.”

Su Wei remained silent, as if she were back in those days when she couldn’t speak. The aura around her had subtly shifted; even her eyes drooped downwards.

“Su Wei, you should have left Shadow Seven alive.” Su He walked back with Su Wei, a few shadow guards following at a discreet distance. “This was acting on your own.”

“Fine.” Su Wei suddenly answered. She turned her head to look at Su He. “How does Master wish to punish me?”

“Use the Gu?” Su Wei took a breath. “Or make this subordinate kneel?”

Su He’s steps halted. She turned her gaze onto Su Wei, reaching up to flick her earring lightly. “Are you threatening Gu?”

As if she had heard a joke, Su Wei let out a self-deprecating laugh and said softly, “How could this subordinate dare? This subordinate wouldn’t dare.”

Her gaze was so faint; the reflection of a person in her eyes seemed to be slowly wiped away, with nothing of the past remaining.

.

Their return journey was far more hurried. The court had already undergone changes. On the road, Su He assigned Su Wei and Su Yun to care for Bai Su together. Bai Su still flinched at the sight of people, but at least she wasn’t too troublesome. Seeing Su Wei’s dejection, Su Yun couldn’t resist a sarcastic jab: “What’s wrong? Lost your Master’s favor?”

Su Wei accepted the remark. Leaning against the carriage, she peeled an apple for Bai Su. She lowered her eyes, looking somewhat haggard. She spoke quietly, seeming much more fragile: “Indeed, Master grew tired of playing.”

Su Yun snorted. “I told you back then, told you to help me, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look—”

“Do you still want my help?”

Su Yun’s words were cut off by Su Wei. She suddenly raised her head: “You… what did you say?”

Su Wei looked at her, curling her lips into a smile. She spoke slowly, deliberately: “I’ll help you.”