Chapter 38: Marriage Alliances

Before Luo Wushuang could find an opportunity to act, two major events shook the imperial court in rapid succession.

First, a group of officials from the Ministry of Rites, led by Minister Wang Ren, filed a formal impeachment against the Minister of War, Shen Zhengfeng. They accused him of failing to observe the mandatory Imperial Mourning period following his father’s passing. Worse yet, he had allegedly constructed a tomb in his hometown that mimicked the specifications of a prince’s mausoleum—a blatant act of structural arrogance that defied both protocol and imperial law.

Before Shen Zhengfeng could even open his mouth to defend himself, the Censors, who were usually quick to pounce on any scent of scandal, stepped forward as if by prior arrangement. One after another, they accused him of accepting bribes, forming a political clique for personal gain, and systematic deception of the throne.

Faced with such ironclad evidence and the need to maintain discipline, Luo Wushuang “reluctantly” bowed to the pressure. She ordered the Minister of War to be thrown into the Imperial Prison and commanded the Court of Judicial Review to handle the trial.

With that matter settled, Minister Wang Ren spoke again. He reported that the Western Regions and Baiyue, two small nations bordering the Kingdom of Luo, had submitted petitions. They wished to renew their marriage alliances with the Great Luo.

At the mention of “marriage alliance,” Luo Wushuang’s brow furrowed instinctively.

She had “dealt with” nearly all the imperial princesses years ago. Now, the only ones left were Luo Wuyan, who was currently disguised as a man, and Luo Yunjin, who already had one foot in the grave.

If a marriage alliance were to happen, neither seemed particularly suitable.

Luo Wushuang was just beginning to consider whether she should select one or two girls of appropriate age from the collateral branches of the imperial clan, title them princesses, and marry them off to the Western Regions or Baiyue.

However, the white-haired and white-bearded Wang Ren continued tremulously, “Your Majesty, regarding this alliance… the Western Regions and Baiyue are not asking for a princess. Instead, they wish to send their own princes of marriageable age to enter the Kingdom of Luo’s imperial harem.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Luo Wushuang’s expression, which had been relatively calm, turned ice-cold.

The hesitation in her eyes was instantly replaced by a chilling frost. She let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “My harem? Do they think just any random riff-raff can walk through those doors?”

The Emperor’s wrath was enough to make the hundred officials tremble and bow their heads.

Yet, there were still those “loyal” souls who refused to give up, kneeling on the ground to offer their counsel.

“We beg Your Majesty to reconsider! The world is currently in a state of unrest, and disputes are breaking out everywhere. The Western Regions and Baiyue have always looked to our Kingdom of Luo for leadership. We must not allow the hearts of their people to turn cold!”

“We beg Your Majesty to reconsider!”

The officials knew their Empress’s heart belonged to another—and that she was bordering on obsessive regarding that person. Consequently, none of them dared to use the tradition of “the Emperor’s three palaces and six courtyards” as an argument. Instead, they took the high ground of national interest, pleading with an air of righteous indignation.

But when it came to her harem, Luo Wushuang had no intention of compromising. She stared down at the pleading ministers, her voice low and dangerous. “Since these two nations look to our Kingdom of Luo for leadership, shouldn’t I be the one to decide how the alliance is formed?”

The officials were stunned. They opened their mouths to argue further, but Luo Wushuang cut them off before they could speak.

“Send word to the Western Regions and Baiyue: I shall soon bestow new Queens upon them. The Kingdom of Luo shall maintain an eternal bond of peace and friendship with their lands.”

As soon as she finished, an official from the Court of State Ceremonial, who was responsible for foreign affairs, spoke up with great hesitation.

“The trouble is… the King of the Western Regions and the Sovereign of Baiyue have already sent the two princes along with the tribute envoys. They have already entered the capital.”

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial carefully peeked at his Empress’s darkening face before continuing, “In addition, an envoy from the Kingdom of Liang has crossed our borders, bringing gifts for Your Majesty from their Empress Regnant.”

It turned out that when a person reached the peak of helplessness, they truly did laugh. Luo Wushuang laughed, though it was a sound born purely of fury.

Glancing at the group of old men who were clearly preparing to lecture her with more “earnest advice,” Luo Wushuang threw down a single sentence: “In that case, you lot had better prepare the reception arrangements.”

She then turned and stormed away, her sleeves snapping in the air.

With the head eunuch’s shrill cry of “Court is adjourned!” the officials began to file out of the Hall of Pure Harmony in small groups. No one dared to discuss the marriage alliance within the palace walls, but judging by their long faces, they were clearly dissatisfied with the outcome.

Most of those standing in the hall had survived the coup a few years ago. They were well aware of the Empress’s ruthlessness and harbored a deep-seated fear of her. They didn’t dare speak as freely as they had during the previous Emperor’s reign.

As for Luo Wushuang, who had been thoroughly incensed during the morning session, she came to a rare halt before returning to the Phoenix Hall. She hovered outside for a long time, unable to bring herself to enter.

The personal guards behind her were unaccustomed to seeing their Empress look so hesitant and fidgety.

Just as they were about to ask if she had any orders, they saw their brilliant, decisive Empress Regnant take two deep breaths. She then vigorously rubbed her stiff face, trying her best to force a smile that looked more painful than a sob.

“Do I look… any different than usual?” she asked them.

Ling Yun and Ling Feng exchanged a look, both seeing a deep sense of helplessness in the other’s eyes.

Different? The difference was massive.

It was a struggle for the Empress to keep deceiving herself like this.

But then, when they remembered this involved Lady Shangguan, it all seemed justifiable. Their Empress always became a little “abnormal” whenever Shangguan Liqian was involved; honestly, the guards were starting to get used to it.

Still, since the Empress had asked so seriously, they couldn’t just give a perfunctory answer.

Ultimately, it was Ling Yun, the older sister, who bore the brunt of the pressure. She looked at her sovereign and asked cautiously, “Is Your Majesty worried that Lady Shangguan will be displeased?”

Luo Wushuang shot her a look that clearly said, If you know that, why ask?

Ling Yun chose her words carefully and continued, “In truth, Your Majesty could simply tell Lady Shangguan the truth about today’s events. There is a reason for everything; I’m sure she won’t blame you.”

Personally, Ling Yun felt that the more one hid things, the easier it was for misunderstandings to arise later.

A flicker of contemplation crossed Luo Wushuang’s narrow phoenix eyes. Would her sister really not blame her?

Would she not think that Wushuang had failed to handle matters properly, allowing all those troublesome people to enter the capital in the first place?

Deep down, she was also worried that her sister would think she was flighty or unreliable. She feared that out of anger, Liqian might take back the pity and the kind smiles she had recently bestowed upon her.

Indeed, even now, Luo Wushuang lacked the confidence to believe that her sister’s tolerance was born of love.

After standing outside for a long while longer, Luo Wushuang finally steeled her resolve and stepped into the courtyard of the Phoenix Hall.

Inside, Shangguan Liqian had been waiting for Luo Wushuang for quite some time. Just as she was about to open the doors to the bedchamber, she found them being pushed open from the outside.

Shangguan Liqian pulled her inside, a bright smile on her face. “Why are you so late today?”

Luo Wushuang immediately pushed the chaotic thoughts out of her mind and followed her lead. “Did you wait long, Sister?”

At first, Shangguan Liqian didn’t notice anything amiss. It wasn’t until she pulled Wushuang down to sit in a chair that she realized the other woman’s expression was off.

Guessing that something troublesome might have happened in court, Shangguan Liqian hesitated for a moment before asking directly, “What is it?”

“Let’s have breakfast first,” Luo Wushuang said, shaking her head and changing the subject. She still hadn’t figured out how to explain the situation.

“There’s no rush.” Shangguan Liqian pressed down on her shoulder to keep her from getting up. Leaning forward, she poured a cup of hot tea for each of them before speaking in a measured tone. “Tell me. What exactly happened in the imperial court?”

“What could have happened to leave you so worried—so distracted?”