With a thud, Wei Nian crumpled to the ground.
Seeing this, Di Lingwei let out a long breath. Her legs were so weak she felt she might collapse at any moment, but she forced herself to stand firm. After all, she didn’t know if others besides Wei Nian were still hiding in the shadows.
The momentum of the Heavenly Mandate Empress had to be perfectly maintained.
‘I finally managed to bluff her. I almost thought I couldn’t pull it off.’
Di Lingwei was drenched in cold sweat.
She had walked seven of the ten steps, nearly believing she had failed. What would have happened then? Would Wei Nian, delighted by the Heavenly Mandate Empress’s weakness, have simply lopped off her head?
This was an outcome Di Lingwei dared not even imagine.
But thankfully, she had succeeded. The first to crack under the immense pressure was not her, but Wei Nian.
Taking one last look at Wei Nian’s corpse, Di Lingwei turned and walked toward Xing Ruolan.
Approaching her Chief Palace Steward, Di Lingwei looked down. Xing Ruolan’s features were remarkably gentle. Even in this state of forced slumber, she gave off an aura of tender, yielding softness.
Unlocked Achievement [Sleeping Beauty Xing Ruolan]. You can now view Xing Ruolan’s Hobby Trait.
A sudden notification chimed in Di Lingwei’s mind, making her pause thoughtfully.
Sleeping Beauty?
That meant Xing Ruolan was likely truly asleep, not just faking it.
With that thought, Di Lingwei used her Mystic Left Eye to check Xing Ruolan’s information.
Name: Xing Ruolan.
Identity: Chief Palace Steward.
Personality: Appears gentle and mild-mannered on the surface, treating everyone with an even temper. The caring, older-sister figure beloved by all the palace maids. In reality, however, she has a hidden side: she enjoys secretly dealing with those who displease her, and is ruthless and merciless.
Hobby: All kinds of board games.
The rest of the information remained hidden.
Di Lingwei looked at the newly appeared “Hobby” trait and felt it wasn’t particularly useful for the current situation. For her, the only purpose of the notification was confirming that Xing Ruolan was genuinely unconscious.
Retracting her gaze, Di Lingwei swept her eyes around the area.
The night wind rustled, the only sound coming from the swaying trees.
“Zhen is standing right here. If anyone still wishes to strike at Zhen, then do so. Or must Zhen be the one to make a move against you?” Di Lingwei’s voice was icy, as if she had already discovered someone else lurking in the dark.
But her words fell into complete silence. The surroundings remained perfectly still, without the slightest sound.
Di Lingwei didn’t dare let her guard down. She deliberately spoke a few more words, trying to flush someone out. When no one appeared, she finally allowed herself a small measure of relief, concluding that no one else was hidden nearby.
She immediately went back into her bedchamber, found a basin of water, and walked out, pouring it directly onto Xing Ruolan’s head.
“Splash!”
As the water cascaded down, Xing Ruolan instinctively shook her head and groggily opened her eyes.
She looked around, then forward. Seeing her noble and majestic Empress gazing at her, she jolted completely awake.
“Your Majesty!” Xing Ruolan hurriedly knelt.
“Do you know what happened here?” Di Lingwei asked, her tone laced with displeasure.
“This servant does not know,” Xing Ruolan answered, her head bowed.
Her heart was filled with profound shock. She truly had no idea what had occurred, or how she had fallen asleep outside the bedchamber. It was clearly highly unusual. What’s more, the ground was littered with bodies; there was nothing normal about this situation.
Something major must have occurred.
“Vice Commander of the Imperial Guard, Wei Nian, attempted to assassinate Zhen. She has since committed suicide out of fear of her crimes,” Di Lingwei stated calmly, dropping news that would send shockwaves through the entire Phoenix Capital.
Xing Ruolan’s face paled dramatically.
She turned her head instinctively to the side, her gaze falling on Wei Nian’s corpse. A storm raged in her heart.
This Wei Nian had dared to attempt to assassinate Her Majesty?
Di Lingwei’s cold voice rang out again: “Zhen leaves the subsequent matters for you to handle. Zhen trusts you will manage them properly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Xing Ruolan hastily accepted the order.
After giving her instructions, Di Lingwei returned to her bedchamber.
Closing the door behind her, she finally let out a long, deep sigh of relief.
Tonight’s incident would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar. But no matter what changes it brought, she didn’t want to deal with any of it this night. She was utterly exhausted. Forcing herself to maintain that bluff against Wei Nian had been an immense mental challenge. She was so tired she could barely function; all she wanted was proper rest.
“I hope nothing else goes wrong.”
Offering up a quiet prayer, Di Lingwei casually shed her clothes, slipped into her undergarments, and climbed into bed.
…
Indeed, the incident did cause a massive uproar.
That very night, Chancellor Shangguan Yuchan and the various ministers rushed to the Imperial Palace for an audience upon receiving the news. But because Di Lingwei had already fallen asleep, they could only wait outside the Phoenix Perch Palace for her to awaken.
“As expected of Her Majesty. Even after such an event, she remains as calm as a cloudless sky, sleeping peacefully.”
“A joke, is it not? Her Majesty possesses such might; how could she be disturbed by such a trifling matter? A mere Vice Commander of the Imperial Guard was nothing more than an insignificant pest she could crush with a snap of Her fingers.”
“And yet, that such a person existed within the Imperial Guard, responsible for the palace’s safety, is profoundly troubling.”
“Indeed. This person was the Vice Commander. That someone who wanted to kill Her Majesty could rise to such a high position is truly terrifying to consider.”
“How many more like her exist within the Imperial Guard? And can the Imperial Guard still be trusted?”
The ministers spoke amongst themselves, their gazes occasionally drifting meaningfully to the side.
There stood a woman with a fiery figure, her chest exceptionally full. It was Wang Feifei, the Commander of the Imperial Guard.
Faced with this situation, Wang Feifei was a bit flustered, unsure how to explain herself. Wei Nian was from the Imperial Guard, and even if they had a poor relationship, as its Commander, Wang Feifei could not escape blame.
Her usual cheerful, outgoing demeanor had vanished, replaced by a deep, dejected gloom.
Just then, a fragrant breeze swept toward her. Wang Feifei turned her head.
Shangguan Yuchan was approaching, her posture graceful and ethereal, beautiful as a celestial being. Her every move was radiant and dazzling, impossible to ignore.
Looking at this woman who seemed to descend from heaven, Wang Feifei cupped her hands in greeting. “Chancellor.”
Shangguan Yuchan offered a slight smile. “Commander Wang, it has been some time. I trust you have been well.”
“If you have something to say, say it directly,” Wang Feifei replied, having no interest in verbal detours.
“What is Commander Wang’s opinion on this incident?” Shangguan Yuchan asked pleasantly. “The security arrangements for the bedchamber—were they not Commander Wang’s responsibility?”
Though she still wore a smile, her words were far from gentle, carrying an undertone of accusation.
Wang Feifei, who appeared brash and carefree but was sharp and perceptive beneath the surface, naturally understood Shangguan Yuchan’s implication.
