Chapter 48: To Kill or Not to Kill?

She didn’t know where she had gone wrong to offend her Imperial Sister-in-law, nor did she know if she would make it out of the palace alive today.

But when she thought of Shen Youran—the Sister Youran she hadn’t even had the chance to meet in this lifetime—her heart filled with an unspeakable regret. A shadow of sorrow and grief inevitably clouded her face.

Only a few paces away, Luo Wushuang felt a wave of relief wash over her when she heard Shangguan Liqian’s answer.

She silently observed Luo Wuyan’s reaction at the mention of Shen Youran. She noted that the Secret Guards she had dispatched still hadn’t discovered when exactly Prince An and Shen Youran had first met.

Her suspicions deepened. Unwilling to keep guessing, Luo Wushuang was about to speak when Shangguan Liqian beat her to the punch.

“When did Prince An ever meet Shen Youran? And why are you so deeply obsessed with her?”

Luo Wuyan froze for a moment before giving a half-truthful answer. “Perhaps I saw her in a dream and fell for her at first sight.”

It was true enough. To her, the events of her past life felt more like a bowl of sugar-coated arsenic—a nightmare laced with moments of fleeting sweetness.

In that dream, she had ascended to the throne, but she had lost the person she loved most.

She had lost her love, and she was left to look out over a ruined world.

The throne was never what she wanted. What she sought… from beginning to end, was only her Sister Youran!

Everything she had plotted and planned since her rebirth was aimed at marrying Shen Youran as soon as possible. Because of this, she hadn’t anticipated that the person her Imperial Sister favored would harbor such intense malice toward her.

Regardless, she had to get a definitive word from the Empress to protect Shen Youran.

If she died, she could simply be reincarnated; with any luck, she might find Sister Youran again in the next life. But Sister Youran… she only had this one chance.

As Luo Wuyan calculated what value she could offer the Empress to move her heart…

Luo Wushuang, sitting beside Shangguan Liqian, noticed her sister’s gaze linger on Prince An once more. She instinctively bit her lower lip, struggling to suppress the dark thoughts screaming for release within her.

Her desire to kill her younger sister grew just a little bit stronger.

Shangguan Liqian, still unaware of the shift in Luo Wushuang’s mood, felt her suspicions confirmed by Luo Wuyan’s answer.

Luo Wuyan must also be a reincarnator.

To prevent the tragedies of the past life from repeating, Shangguan Liqian turned to the unreadable Luo Wushuang and offered a serious, sincere suggestion.

“Prince An must be deceiving the Sovereign again. Since she is a repeat offender, it’s best to just kill her!”

Luo Wuyan: “…”

Was she truly destined to die today?

Knowing how much influence Shangguan Liqian had over the Empress, Luo Wuyan didn’t dare take her words lightly. She looked up at her Imperial Sister with wide, pleading eyes, trying to convey her absolute loyalty in hopes of finding a path to survival in this desperate situation.

Unfortunately, it was like winking at a blind man.

Luo Wushuang wasn’t looking at her at all; her brilliant eyes were fixed solely on the woman beside her.

Luo Wushuang thought to herself: Sister has suggested killing Prince An repeatedly, and she sounds so earnest. She must really loathe her.

This… is good!

Luo Wushuang’s mood suddenly brightened. She loved it when Liqian hated everyone except her.

However, she still didn’t understand why Liqian was so obsessed with Prince An’s death. Even if there was cause for wariness, there shouldn’t be such urgency.

Luo Wushuang’s brow furrowed slightly. Could it be that Liqian and Prince An had a grievance she didn’t know about?

But knowing Liqian, she wasn’t a petty or vindictive person. In fact, Liqian rarely bothered herself with most people or events.

Just like the old version of herself—she had never been able to walk into Liqian’s heart back then.

In those days, she had almost hated how Liqian possessed the gentle, kind face of a Bodhisattva while harboring a heart so cold it chilled others to the bone. No matter what she did, she could never warm her up.

Thinking of those days of being met with cold eyes and indifference, Luo Wushuang bit her lip aggrievedly and instinctively reached out to grasp Shangguan Liqian’s hand.

No matter how much time passed, the memory of Liqian’s initial revulsion still hurt. The days when she wasn’t accepted by her sister were truly unbearable…

Noticing Luo Wushuang’s distraction, Shangguan Liqian softly called out, “Wushuang?”

Meeting the concern and worry in Liqian’s eyes, Luo Wushuang masked her inner melancholy and offered a small, obedient smile.

Though she still didn’t understand why Liqian insisted on Prince An’s death, if Liqian said she deserved to die, then…

Her gaze shifted to the kneeling Luo Wuyan, and her killing intent solidified once more.

Seeing that the situation had reached a point of no return, Luo Wuyan spoke up hurriedly.

“Your Majesty! This subject possesses a list of court officials who are in league with local salt barons. I also have a set of strategies I’ve drafted for flood control!”

Just as Luo Wushuang thought she was simply begging for mercy, Luo Wuyan shifted her focus.

“I cannot defend myself against the crime of deceiving the Sovereign. I only beg Your Majesty for mercy—pardon Shen Youran.”

Hearing the mention of flood control strategies, Shangguan Liqian’s heart stirred.

She remembered that in her past life, not long after both she and Wushuang died, a massive flood had broken out in the south. The crops of over a dozen cities were completely destroyed, and countless commoners were forced to become refugees.

The land was littered with corpses of the starved, sending shockwaves through the imperial court.

The Imperial Study had stayed lit for days on end. After settling most of the displaced people, Luo Wuyan had dispatched several capable officials to the south to build dams, bridges, and irrigation channels…

Liqian didn’t know the final outcome, but since Luo Wuyan dared to use it as a bargaining chip, it must have been effective.

With the experience of a past life, if Luo Wuyan were sent to manage the Jiangnan floods, it would likely yield twice the results with half the effort.

Perhaps it wasn’t just flood control. Though she didn’t know when Luo Wuyan had died in the previous life, she had certainly outlived Liqian and Wushuang. No one would have a clearer view of the geopolitical landscape for the next few years than her.

At this thought, Shangguan Liqian hesitated.

This person, if used correctly, would be a massive asset. However, if one wasn’t careful, they could easily end up capsizing the ship.

It would be best to kill her after using her up.

But… was that perhaps a bit too immoral?

While Shangguan Liqian was seriously considering if there was a way to keep Luo Wuyan under control, Luo Wushuang’s phoenix eyes instinctively landed on Liqian the moment she heard the name “Shen Youran.”

She remembered that Liqian knew of Shen Youran, but she didn’t know Liqian’s attitude toward her.

Did she hate her as much as she hated Prince An? Or… did she hate Prince An because of her existence?

Could Liqian actually like that Shen Youran?

Thoughts flashed through Luo Wushuang’s mind. As Shangguan Liqian looked over, the Empress asked tentatively, “Sister, do you think this Shen Youran should be pardoned?”

Hearing the question thrown to the “virtuous” Lady Shangguan, Luo Wuyan’s heart went cold. She was terrified of hearing a negative answer.

At this moment, Luo Wuyan even began to wonder if her method of showing loyalty by leaving herself no retreat was a mistake.

But remembering Master Yujing’s final words from her past life, her wavering resolve steadied again.

It had come to this; she had no other choice.

She could only hope that Lady Shangguan was truly as kind-hearted as her Imperial Sister had claimed in her previous life.