Chapter 133: Turning the World Upside Down

Luo Wushuang’s good mood lasted exactly until she stepped into the Palace of Benevolent Peace and laid eyes on the Empress Dowager.

Because she was in high spirits and her dear Sister was watching from her side, Luo Wushuang actually managed a few rare moments of polite pleasantries with the woman. Seeing that the atmosphere was relatively harmonious, the Empress Dowager decided to seize the opportunity to bring up the reason she had summoned them.

“The Late Emperor’s lineage is thin. Between the deaths of Prince Heng, Prince Yu, and the others… you three siblings are all that remains of his bloodline.”

The moment the topic started, Luo Wushuang’s brows knit together. However, under Shangguan Liqian’s meaningful gaze, she forced herself to suppress her temper and listen to the old woman’s rambling.

It lasted until the Empress Dowager said, “Liqian is obedient, virtuous, and gentle. I have no objections to her becoming Empress Consort. However, for the sake of the state, you must focus on producing an heir as soon as possible after the wedding…”

Luo Wushuang’s expression darkened instantly.

She knew this old hag was up to no good. She and her Sister were both women; how on earth were they supposed to have a child? Even if they could, she didn’t want one!

Her Sister belonged to her and her alone. She didn’t want some screaming brat stealing her Sister’s attention. Just the thought of her Sister’s focus being snatched away by a child who couldn’t even speak made Luo Wushuang want to throw the non-existent infant to the dogs!

Before Luo Wushuang could flip the table, Shangguan Liqian gently squeezed her hand. She rose gracefully and performed a polite bow.

“The Empress Dowager is absolutely right,” Shangguan Liqian said smoothly. “However, His Majesty is currently focused on state affairs. The matter of heirs will require long-term planning.”

The Empress Dowager looked at the graceful, sensible Shangguan Liqian, and then at her own wretched child, whose temper was shorter than a firecracker’s fuse. She let out a long, internal sigh.

She didn’t want to meddle, but she had been an Imperial Princess of the Kingdom of Liang first, and then the Empress of the Kingdom of Luo. Though her own romantic life had been a disaster and she had made many foolish mistakes in her youth, she still possessed a sense of duty toward the nation.

No matter what, she could not allow the country to fall into chaos because the throne was left vacant after Wushuang’s passing. The ones who would suffer would be the common people of Luo. If another country took advantage of the vacuum… the Kingdom of Luo would likely share the same fate as the Kingdom of Liang, ending in total ruin.

She hated Luo Fengting, but she did not hate the innocent populace. She couldn’t let Wushuang disregard the safety of the empire for the sake of her own selfish desires.

Looking at her only daughter, Feng Qingcheng spoke with heartfelt earnestness. “I know that since you are both women, obtaining an heir will not be as simple as it is for an ordinary couple…”

This time, Luo Wushuang didn’t wait for her to finish. She slammed her hands down, flipping the table over with a loud crash.

“The Empress Dowager makes an excellent point!” Luo Wushuang roared. “In my opinion, Imperial Mother, your grace and charm haven’t faded a bit. Why don’t you put in some hard work and have a few more children with Father Emperor? You can consider it your contribution to branching out the imperial family and continuing the bloodline!”

The Empress Dowager, who had been sitting regally at the head of the room, was so enraged by Luo Wushuang’s words that she shot up from her seat. Her hand trembled as she pointed a finger at the Empress.

“You… you are insolent!” she screamed.

Watching the Empress Dowager nearly faint from rage, Luo Wushuang simply curled her lip in disdain. She had thought the Dowager was more formidable than this. Was that it?

Luo Wushuang reached back to grab Shangguan Liqian’s hand, preventing her from pulling her back, and continued, “The Empress Dowager needn’t worry about the court questioning where the child came from. I shall simply proclaim to the world that the Late Emperor and the Empress Dowager shared a romantic encounter in a dream, and thus a successor was miraculously born for our Kingdom of Luo!”

As soon as these absurd words left her mouth, the Empress Dowager staggered. She nearly spat out a mouthful of blood right then and there.

“Presumptuous! How dare you! I’ll beat you to death, you rebellious daughter!”

The Empress Dowager shrieked, grabbing a jade ruyi scepter and a fruit plate from a side table and hurling them at Luo Wushuang. She was so agitated that she even shook off two of her long decorative finger guards.

Unfortunately, due to the distance and her poor aim, the porcelain and jade shattered across the floor in a cacophony of crashes, failing to touch even a single hair on Luo Wushuang’s head.

Seeing the Empress Dowager shaking with fury, Luo Wushuang’s mood improved significantly. She winked at Shangguan Liqian. “Sister, let’s run!”

Shangguan Liqian hesitated. She looked at the ballistic Empress Dowager and then at the grinning Luo Wushuang. She frowned slightly. Was it really okay to just run away like this?

While she hesitated, the smugness on Luo Wushuang’s face flickered. As she pulled Shangguan Liqian to dodge the harmless projectiles, she spoke in a mournful tone. “Sister, don’t forget what you said before we came here. Were you just tricking me?”

Seeing Luo Wushuang’s “if you don’t leave with me, I’ll cry right here” expression, Shangguan Liqian had no choice. She allowed herself to be dragged out of the Palace of Benevolent Peace.

The two of them ran against the wind, followed by a massive procession of maids and eunuchs who were desperately trying to keep up. It was a rare, bizarre sight within the imperial palace walls.

It wasn’t until they were well clear of the Palace of Benevolent Peace that Luo Wushuang finally stopped. Her face was glowing with excitement.

“Haha! That felt great!”

Shangguan Liqian stopped behind her, trying to catch her breath. “Running away like that… won’t the Empress Dowager be sick with rage?” she asked worriedly.

Luo Wushuang waved her hand dismissively. “It’s better if she is. It’ll save me the trouble of having to go there every day just to annoy her.”

Shangguan Liqian frowned. She felt like there was a hidden meaning in those words. “What are you planning?”

Hearing her inquiry, Luo Wushuang didn’t hide anything. She gave a cheeky grin. “Isn’t she always sending people to Phoenix Hall to pester me?”

Thinking back to how the Empress Dowager nearly died of anger today, a wicked smirk played on Luo Wushuang’s lips. She announced with mock solemnity, “From this day forward, I shall visit the Palace of Benevolent Peace every single morning to pay my respects. I will urge the Empress Dowager to prioritize the state and give birth to an imperial heir for the Kingdom of Luo as soon as possible!”

Seeing Luo Wushuang’s dead-serious expression, Shangguan Liqian’s lip twitched.

The Late Emperor was officially “deceased.” Going to the Empress Dowager’s palace every day to tell her to get pregnant was essentially slapping the woman in the face repeatedly.

“What if she scolds you?”

Luo Wushuang shrugged. “I’ve heard the worst words imaginable in my life. You think I’m afraid of a few insults from her?”

Hearing her casual remark, a flash of heartache crossed Shangguan Liqian’s eyes. Nevertheless, she advised, “That still won’t do. The Empress Dowager is your biological mother, after all.”

She was truly worried that Luo Wushuang might accidentally send the woman to an early grave. Seeing that Luo Wushuang didn’t seem to care, Shangguan Liqian changed her tactic. “If something happens to the Empress Dowager in the next two weeks, our wedding date will have to be postponed…”

The mention of the wedding date finally cooled Luo Wushuang’s hyperactive brain.

Right. The Empress Dowager couldn’t die in the next fortnight, otherwise…

A dark light flickered in Luo Wushuang’s phoenix eyes. Even if the Empress Dowager did die, she could just keep the death a secret and refrain from announcing the mourning period. Nothing was going to stop her wedding.

However, just to be safe, she decided it was best not to antagonize the woman too much for now. It would be bad luck if someone died right before the big day!

“Fine. I’ll wait until after we’re married. Then I’ll go back and annoy that old wi—”

Before Luo Wushuang could finish her sentence, her knees suddenly gave way. Even though Shangguan Liqian reached out to catch her, she wasn’t fast enough.

Thud!

The young Empress’s knees slammed heavily into the bluestone pavement. The sound was incredibly crisp and loud.