Chapter 128: Adding Fuel to the Fire

The day after Madam Shangguan made her grand display of authority in the sickroom, she fell ill herself.

Initially, no one paid much mind to it. However, as she remained confined to her bed for over ten days without the slightest sign of recovery, the concubines she had momentarily intimidated and the illegitimate sons who had long harbored their own ambitions began to stir once more.

They swarmed Shangguan Qingyun’s courtyard, some bringing tonics, others offering pastries—all of them exerting every ounce of effort to curry favor with the master of the house.

Upon returning from the Main Courtyard, they never missed an opportunity to set traps for the two brothers, Shangguan Chi and Shangguan Shi, who were now temporarily without their mother’s protection.

Though Shangguan Chi was considered a young man of some talent, his mind was no match for the convoluted schemes of the inner courtyard women. Before long, he inadvertently exposed a weakness, which was promptly reported directly to Shangguan Qingyun.

While Shangguan Qingyun was still reeling in a fit of rage, the various branches of the family began to expose each other’s secrets in a desperate scramble for dominance.

In an instant, every person in the manor felt their life was at risk. Long-hidden grievances and suppressed conflicts finally reached a breaking point, exploding into total chaos.

While the Shangguan family was descending into a mess of “tangled porridge,” Luo Wushuang was seated beneath a pavilion, playing a game of Go with Shangguan Liqian.

“Your Majesty, the latest news from the Shangguan Manor has arrived.”

A Secret Guard appeared like a shadow at Luo Wushuang’s feet, holding a confidential letter above their head.

Luo Wushuang set down her black stone and took the letter. As she opened it and scanned the contents, a look of pure amusement crossed her face.

“Sister, care to guess what’s written here?”

Seeing her look of blatant schadenfreude, Shangguan Liqian paused with a white stone in hand. She spoke with a knowing air, “Has the Shangguan household finally descended into chaos?”

Recalling the scenes of disorder described in the letter, Luo Wushuang nodded slightly, a cold sneer curling her lips. “Calling it ‘chaos’ is an understatement.”

With that, Luo Wushuang handed the secret letter over.

Shangguan Liqian took the paper and swept her eyes over it with a casual indifference. After just a few moments, she let it go as if the very ink were filthy.

The Shangguan family was far more depraved than she had imagined. Fathers and sons sharing the same concubines, younger brothers actually being the biological sons of the older brothers… it even claimed that the legitimate son, Shangguan Shi, did not share a drop of Shangguan Qingyun’s blood.

Whether these scandals were true or false didn’t matter; they were more than enough to leave Shangguan Qingyun in a state of utter exhaustion.

Shangguan Liqian toyed with a black stone in her hand, appearing bored. Whether by design or accident, she began placing stones until the character for “Fire” gradually took shape on the board.

Luo Wushuang cooperated, plucking the useless stones from the board one by one. After watching for a moment, she suddenly laughed.

“Does Sister wish for me to add a little more fuel to this fire?”

Shangguan Liqian smiled and intentionally furrowed her brows. “Did I say that?”

Seeing her smile, Luo Wushuang laughed along with her.

“Sister is so kind-hearted; you wouldn’t think of such things. It was I who thought of it.”

Hearing Luo Wushuang’s increasingly practiced flattery, Shangguan Liqian couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. She teased, “Then Your Majesty is truly wicked!”

“No matter how wicked I am, I am yours, Sister.”

Luo Wushuang leaned closer to Shangguan Liqian’s side, her phoenix eyes fixed on the character formed on the board. Just as she was contemplating where this “fire” should be lit, she heard Shangguan Liqian heave a sigh.

“Alas… it seems the deadline Your Majesty set is almost up?”

Luo Wushuang blinked, but she reacted quickly. She raised her voice and called out, “Leng Yue!”

Leng Yue, who had been lingering in the shadows near the Empress and Shangguan Liqian these past few days, immediately dropped from a nearby tree.

“Your subordinate is here!”

Shangguan Liqian glanced at the slightly swaying leaves in the distance, her lips twitching involuntarily. Has Leng Yue been a bit too enthusiastic lately?

“How many days are left?” Luo Wushuang asked.

Leng Yue blanked for a second, not immediately realizing what the Empress was referring to.

Luo Wushuang reminded her, “The Letter of Repentance.”

Leng Yue quickly calculated the time since the last delivery. She soon provided a precise answer: “Tomorrow marks exactly half a month.”

Luo Wushuang nodded thoughtfully, her gaze landing on the secret letter that had fluttered to her feet. She commanded, “Tomorrow, take the full set of court staves and go to the Shangguan Manor to demand an accounting for their crimes.”

Note: According to the laws of the Kingdom of Luo, when court staves are authorized as punishment, the sentence is no less than thirty strikes and no more than sixty.

Leng Yue was stunned again. Demand an accounting for what? The Letter of Repentance?

But how was the Empress so certain that Lord Shangguan hadn’t written it?

Looking at the dazed Leng Yue, Luo Wushuang pointed to the letter on the ground, signaling for her to see for herself.

“Yes.” Leng Yue complied, leaning down to retrieve the paper. After one glance, she understood why the Empress was so certain.

Truthfully, the Shangguan Manor had been so “lively” over the past half-month with such a never-ending stream of melodramatic scandals that Lord Shangguan had likely forgotten the matter entirely.

Upon hearing Leng Yue take the order, Shangguan Liqian sighed softly. “Lord Shangguan is advanced in years. If he takes dozens of strikes from those staves, I fear he won’t survive.”

Luo Wushuang nodded in understanding and then added a final instruction: “Leave him with a single breath of life.”

“Understood.”

As Leng Yue was about to depart, she saw Yueying, who had been standing behind Shangguan Liqian, begin to clear the board for her mistress. Yueying remarked respectfully, “Lady Shangguan has such a merciful heart. She and Her Majesty are truly a match made in heaven.”

Shangguan Liqian wanted to laugh at the blatant flattery, but Luo Wushuang found it immensely pleasing.

“Well said! You shall be rewarded!”

As soon as Luo Wushuang spoke, an eunuch stepped forward carrying a tray piled high with gold melon seeds.

Luo Wushuang grabbed a handful of the gold pellets and tossed them toward Yueying. Leng Yue’s eyes nearly bulged with envy.

Since when was it this easy to make money?

Leng Yue desperately wanted similar treatment, but then she remembered a tragic past incident where she had tried to fish for a reward only to be fined six months’ worth of her salary…

Forget it. She would personally wield the staves tomorrow and vent her frustrations on the culprit who caused her salary to be docked.

Just as Leng Yue was lost in thought, she heard her master call her name and hurried forward.

“Leng Yue has been running many errands lately and has worked hard. That six-month salary fine is hereby rescinded.”

Overjoyed by this unexpected stroke of luck, Leng Yue knelt to give thanks. “Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!”

Luo Wushuang waved her hand dismissively. “Enough. Dismissed.”

“Yes!” Leng Yue replied and left with a face full of joy.

She knew that hanging around the Empress’s eyes would pay off eventually. As expected…

Wait, what’s this in my hand?

Coming to her senses, Leng Yue tore the secret letter into shreds and tossed them into a nearby drainage ditch.

The fragments of paper, light as feathers, drifted down into the murky, stagnant water.

It was an omen for the House of Shangguan—a grand edifice that had stood for centuries within the empire, now rotten to the core. It was ready to collapse at any moment, destined to rot in the mire just like those scraps of paper.