Chapter 78: A Human Sky Lantern

Lou Yanhui couldn’t wrap her head around it. This Empress Regnant and Little Jin were sisters, yet the difference between them was staggering. They were like night and day!

Her Little Jin was much better—cute, well-behaved, and obedient.

Lou Yanhui praised her sweetheart over and over in her heart before returning to the grim reality of her situation. She mentally tallied the bargaining chips she held that might actually sway the Empress. Her expression darkened as she considered Little Jin’s current condition.

She had sent so many people to the capital to deliver letters and gifts, yet none had been allowed to see Little Jin. She had never realized the girl’s health had deteriorated to such a degree. The image of seeing Little Jin behind that coffin still made her heart ache with a sharp, stabbing pain.

Up on the phoenix throne, Luo Wushuang watched as the Princess of the Western Regions pointedly averted her gaze. Thinking she had successfully intimidated the woman, she turned back to Shangguan Liqian.

Only to find that her sister’s gaze had shifted to the Prince of Baiyue.

On the surface, Luo Wushuang remained calm and composed, but she was grinding her teeth so hard they nearly shattered. She was beginning to regret letting her sister attend this state banquet. Every stray dog and cat was trying to steal her sister’s attention—though, in fairness, her sister was the one drawing every eye in the room.

There were more than a few people stealing glances at Shangguan Liqian now. Luo Wushuang glared daggers at anyone who dared look at her sister, but there were simply too many people; she didn’t have enough “eye-knives” to go around.

Then, Luo Wushuang’s simmering anger boiled over into genuine hurt. Why isn’t Sister looking at me? Are those other people really that interesting?

Just as Luo Wushuang was descending into a pit of internal sulking, her face growing darker by the second, a faint whisper reached her ear.

“I think the Prince of Baiyue might be better suited for a woman who is gentle and considerate.”

The Prince of Baiyue looked like a refined, elegant young man. Despite being born into royalty, he seemed untainted by the filth of the imperial harem, carrying himself with an air of genuine righteousness. Shangguan Liqian felt that winning him over would be far easier than dealing with that eccentric Prince of the Western Regions she’d met that morning.

As for the Western Regions, that princess was the one who truly stood out. She carried the unmistakable aura of a ruler; she was clearly no ordinary person.

The moment Luo Wushuang heard her sister speak to her, the frost on her face melted instantly. She knew it! How could her sister ever lose interest in her? She was simply vetting the candidates for the political marriage alliances.

Luo Wushuang breathed a sigh of relief, though she didn’t let her guard down completely. Her gaze swept toward Lou Yanhui, who was swirling a wine cup on the left side of the hall, lost in thought. Luo Wushuang leaned in closer to Liqian and whispered, “What about the Princess of the Western Regions?”

At the question, Shangguan Liqian’s brows furrowed slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she parted her crimson lips. “She seems quite independent and strong-willed. Perhaps…”

Meeting Luo Wushuang’s intensely focused gaze, Liqian paused before continuing, “Perhaps she would be better suited to someone with a soft, obedient temperament.”

Luo Wushuang nodded slightly. Her sister’s thoughts aligned perfectly with her own. Doesn’t this mean we’re soulmates? she thought gleefully. Indeed, Sister and I are a match made in heaven. Everyone else can just get lost.

Realizing her sister was only trying to ease her burdens, the jealousy in Luo Wushuang’s heart dissipated significantly. However, she remained vigilant, watching to see where Liqian’s gaze would land next.

Fortunately, Shangguan Liqian soon noticed her nervous behavior. She withdrew her gaze from the crowd and focused on her meal, only pausing to whisper a few words to the Empress now and then. Seeing this, Luo Wushuang finally allowed herself to truly relax.

After three rounds of wine and five courses of food, the envoys from the Kingdom of Liang finally made their grand, albeit late, entrance.

Once the Liang envoy finished his formal salutations, a lazy yet chilling voice drifted down from the phoenix throne.

“Look up.”

The envoy complied, raising his head. The moment he met the freezing gaze in the woman’s phoenix eyes, he felt a violent shudder rack his body. A primal sense of mortal danger surged through him.

In the instant he saw the Empress, he realized that this trip to the Kingdom of Luo was not going to be as simple as his own sovereign had promised.

While the envoy fretted, Luo Wushuang studied his “righteous” face. She searched through her distant memories, and once she confirmed that this man bore a striking resemblance to a face from her past, the smile on her lips became much more genuine.

It seemed her “dear cousin,” Feng Liuli, had put a lot of effort into this. To ask her to protect the people by her side, Feng Liuli had actually dug up an enemy from ten years ago. How could Luo Wushuang possibly bear to disappoint her?

Still, she had to admit her cousin was devoted to that bodyguard of hers. If you asked Luo Wushuang, she should just take the guard into her bed and be done with it. Why bother chasing after the Fourth Princess of the Kingdom of Qi? Wasn’t she afraid of being pounded into a meat patty in the middle of the night by that princess and her legendary, god-like strength?

Well, to each their own. Perhaps Feng Liuli enjoyed the risk of being crushed.

As these thoughts flashed through her mind, Luo Wushuang maintained a pleasant expression and ordered her attendants to provide a seat for the envoy.

Watching this Empress, who seemed just as unhinged as his own ruler back home, the Liang envoy felt his legs turn to jelly. Weren’t the Kingdom of Liang and the Kingdom of Luo supposed to be linked by marriage? The current Dowager Empress of Luo was his own Empress’s biological aunt. So why… why did the Empress of Luo’s smile feel so terrifying? He felt like he was about to be slaughtered.

The envoy soon learned just how accurate his intuition was.

Shortly after the banquet concluded, he was slapped with a disgraceful charge: “Defiling the Inner Palace and attempting to seduce the Empress.” His punishment was to be executed as a “Sky Lantern.”

[System Note: This isn’t the “Sky Lantern” from an auction house! This is the gruesome execution method. First, the victim is stripped and soaked in vats of oil. Then, they are tied upside down to a tall wooden pole. When night falls… the fire is lit! They burn from their feet up to their head. It’s bright, loud, and way more “exciting” than fireworks. Okay, explanation over! I’m still your sweet, kind Xiaobai, teehee~]

The fire roared, and the Liang envoy’s screams echoed through the night. Only he knew how truly wronged he was. He was no saint, certainly, but this time… he literally hadn’t done anything yet!

Having settled a personal score, Luo Wushuang was in a great mood. However, worried that her sister might think she was a bloodthirsty tyrant who killed on a whim, she confessed the history between her and the man before Shangguan Liqian could even ask.

When Shangguan Liqian learned that when Luo Wushuang had been framed and exiled years ago, this man had been the one to sell her to a brothel, her eyes flickered with a mix of fury and heartache. Suddenly, the agonizing wails echoing in the night sky sounded almost melodic.

A man like that deserved exactly this end.

Shangguan Liqian reached out and took Luo Wushuang’s hand. She was about to offer some words of comfort when she heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind.

A few moments later, a palace maid reported in a low voice, “Your Majesty, the Princess of the Western Regions says she has an urgent matter and requests an audience.”

Thinking of that aloof figure from the banquet, Luo Wushuang frowned slightly. She ordered the attendants to escort Shangguan Liqian back to Qingluan Palace first, then turned and headed toward her study.

She had smelled the scent of a kindred spirit on that Western Regions princess. She was curious to see what the woman wanted from her.