Chapter 117: Reaping What You Sow

Luo Wushuang’s face was a mask of cold fury as she followed the maid in silence. Behind her trailed a large crowd of men and women who had been attending the Flower Viewing Banquet.

After all, human curiosity was a powerful thing.

Once the rumor spread that the ongoing farce involved the young lady of the Shangguan family—the one the Empress cherished above all else—the temptation to witness the drama became impossible to resist. With Luo Wushuang’s intentional “indulgence” and calculated indifference, more than half of the banquet’s guests had followed along.

To ensure the Empress and the guests would be drawn here, Shangguan Qinglan had instructed her servants to make as much noise as possible. She believed that if the scandal was loud enough, even the Empress wouldn’t be able to suppress it by force.

In truth, Shangguan Qinglan had still underestimated Liqian’s place in Luo Wushuang’s heart. When it came to Liqian, there was nothing Luo Wushuang wouldn’t dare to do.

Fortunately, the two of them had sensed Shangguan Qinglan’s malice ahead of time.

Luo Wushuang’s original instinct had been to throw that vicious girl into the Imperial Prison immediately. A little bit of torture would have forced a confession in no time.

But her Sister had disagreed. Liqian wanted to lure the snake out of its hole. She wanted to give them a taste of their own medicine, to make the Shangguan family lose face entirely, and then use the opportunity to sever all ties with them.

To sever ties with the Shangguan family and belong only to me?

The temptation was too great for Luo Wushuang to refuse. She understood her Sister’s heart. Liqian likely didn’t want those ungrateful wretches claiming to be the Empress’s in-laws after their grand wedding, nor did she want those beasts to bring Luo Wushuang any trouble in the future.

The more she thought about it, the more moved Luo Wushuang became. Her Sister was willing to abandon the family she once valued so much just for her sake. Her Sister truly loved her.

What should I do? I think I love her even more now!

Thinking of Liqian’s plan to turn the tables and let Shangguan Qinglan reap the whirlwind she had sown, a flash of satisfaction crossed Luo Wushuang’s eyes. However, the fact that these people had dared to plot against Liqian still left her simmering with rage.

To the onlookers who were unaware of the truth, the Empress’s dark expression looked like extreme worry for the young lady. In their minds, they silently raised the importance of Shangguan Liqian to an even higher level.

Led by the maid, the group stepped into the courtyard of the bedchamber. Almost immediately, scandalous, face-reddening sounds began to drift out from the room.

Given the maid’s earlier frantic cries, the identity of the person inside seemed self-evident.

At once, those who had been bold enough to follow felt a wave of regret. If they witnessed the Empress’s favorite in such a compromising position, would she kill them to keep the secret?

Will we… even make it out of the palace alive today?

Catching the sight of those trembling figures out of the corner of her eye, Luo Wushuang’s lips curled into a mocking smirk.

What is there to fear? If I hadn’t permitted it, you wouldn’t have even had the chance to follow.

A bunch of useless fools who couldn’t even realize they were being used as pawns. Still, now that the ingrates of the Shangguan family had built the stage, she might as well play along.

Luo Wushuang’s terrifyingly cold gaze swept through the crowd. It didn’t take long for it to settle on the Prime Minister, Shangguan Qingyun. He stood near the front, wearing a mask of worry that couldn’t quite hide the deep loathing in his eyes.

After glancing over the entire wretched lot of the Shangguan clan, Luo Wushuang spoke. Her voice was as frigid as a block of ice in the depths of winter.

“Lord Shangguan!”

Named directly, Shangguan Qingyun stepped forward under the cautious gazes of the guests. He took a deep breath to suppress his inner resentment and bowed with feigned respect.

“This subject is here!”

No one could see the towering rage beneath his lowered head. In his eyes, Shangguan Liqian was a wretched, unfilial daughter who didn’t know what was good for her. Ever since she had returned home to throw her weight around last time, she acted as if her wings had grown strong because of the Empress’s backing. She hadn’t even bothered to reply to his letters.

And now, she was bold enough to engage in such filth within the inner palace? That girl didn’t know her place. How dare she?

She was seeking death, and she deserved whatever she got!

Fortunately, he had prepared for this. Otherwise, he might have been dragged down with her today. Thinking of the impulsive decision he had made in a fit of rage earlier, Shangguan Qingyun breathed a secret sigh of relief.

Luo Wushuang didn’t give him a second glance. With a blatant sneer, she pointed toward the room where the sounds continued to emanate.

“Is this the ‘well-bred’ daughter Lord Shangguan has raised with such care?”

Under the piercing gazes of the crowd, Shangguan Qingyun—who believed he was losing face because of Liqian—felt his old face twitch uncontrollably. Finally, he threw himself to his knees and wailed.

“Your Majesty, please discern the truth! That unfilial daughter of mine is of corrupt character. She seduced the ruler, showed no respect to her elders, and brought shame to our name! Half a month ago, in front of the ancestral hall and the clan elders, I officially severed my father-daughter relationship with her!”

Upon hearing the true meaning behind his words, Luo Wushuang’s eyes sharpened.

She wanted Liqian to break ties with the family, but not like this. To strike her name from the clan registry while piling on these fabricated crimes… how dare this old thief Shangguan?

The fury in her heart became harder to mask. She looked down at the man kneeling at her feet and asked with a chilling smile, “Oh? And I wonder, which ‘unfilial daughter’ is Lord Shangguan referring to?”

Shangguan Qingyun froze. The daughter he meant was obviously Shangguan Liqian, who was currently inside that room fooling around with someone, making him lose face in front of all his colleagues.

Why is the Empress asking a question she already knows the answer to?

Decades of navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom told him something was wrong. But the continuous, wanton sounds coming from the bedchamber hardened his resolve.

No man could tolerate such a scandalous wife, and surely a woman felt the same. From the looks of it, the pawn known as Shangguan Liqian was now completely useless. Since that was the case, he refused to let the family be disgraced by a mere insignificant concubine-born daughter.

Having made his decision, he steadied his nerves and replied firmly, “It is my sixth daughter, Shangguan Liqian!”

Hearing him admit it personally, the fire in Luo Wushuang’s eyes grew even hotter. Yet, she maintained her patience and asked one more time, “Is Lord Shangguan truly certain that he has severed his father-daughter relationship with Shangguan Liqian?”

Shangguan Qingyun didn’t understand why the Empress was fixated on this point, but he answered anyway. “Replying to Your Majesty, I have the documents at home as proof. It has already been processed by the local magistrate’s office.”

As if fearing she wouldn’t believe him, he turned his gaze to a nearby official. “Historian Ming happens to be here as well; he can serve as my witness.”

Luo Wushuang turned her eyes toward Historian Ming. Before she could even ask, the man hurriedly replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, it is indeed as he says. The matter is recorded.”

Hearing Historian Ming testify for him, Shangguan Qingyun let out a silent sigh of relief.