Bigger Gossip

Emperor Hongyao said, "Enough! I never expected you to be the sort who wouldn't shed a tear until she saw her own coffin. I don't mind having you tortured."

Lanxiang froze completely.

Shen Anxin was astonished too. Is my credibility really that high?

Chacha: It's not hard to understand. Whether you look at her age, looks, or status, there's no way your brother would fancy her and risk his entire family being executed to carry on an illicit affair with her in the palace.

Shen Anxin: Chacha, you're so realistic. Shen Anlan isn't that kind of person. He cares more about personality and character.

Chacha: They're all qualities that make one person more likely to fancy another. Why do humans rank these qualities in different tiers?

Shen Anxin: ...Uh, you have a point. For example, I go by looks, hahaha.

Since everyone trusts me so much, it looks like I don't need to argue back for now. I'll let the emperor and empress battle it out for me.

I'll eat some melons. If I learn more about the awful things she's done, it might come in handy. Chacha, melon time!

Chacha: Coming! This Lanxiang is no simple character. You could say that the deaths of the second and third princes, the crown prince's serious injuries, and even the empress's suicide were all indirectly caused by her.

At those words, the excited expressions of everyone waiting to eat melons cracked.

What?!

What had they just heard?

A palace maid was one of the causes of events that momentous?!

Emperor Hongyao and Xiao Yanchen, meanwhile, had heard that Empress Wei would actually take her own life in the future?!

Empress Wei, on the other hand, focused on the fact that Lanxiang, whom she trusted most, had indirectly harmed three of Great Qi's princes.

What... what kind of subordinate had she raised?!

Shen Anxin was startled too. Seriously? Aren't you exaggerating? How could a female official in the inner palace possibly affect a battlefield so far away on the border?

It wasn't just Shen Anxin who found it hard to believe. Everyone else's minds were exploding, but they couldn't figure it out either.

They all turned to Lanxiang, who knew only how to play petty tricks and scheme to latch onto someone powerful.

Lanxiang, meanwhile, was sinking into despair because no one believed her.

Lanxiang: What do I do? They won't even investigate. There's no chance of turning this around. It's not that they believe Shen Anlan. They've decided to protect him and sacrifice me!

Will I be sentenced to death? If I am, what will happen to my younger brother? He can't survive without me!

If I'd known... if I'd known, I should have done that thing earlier and left him enough money. Then... then I wouldn't be afraid to die.

It's my fault for being too softhearted, too kind to Empress Wei. She won't even protect me, so why did I ever think of her in the first place?!

I really was... so stupid.

Lanxiang was filled with regret, unaware that everyone's gazes had changed as they looked at her, turning horrified.

Chacha: Host, listen closely. Lanxiang is Empress Wei's most trusted senior personal palace maid. She can handle everything in Empress Wei's palace.

That trust has gone far too far, making it impossible for the other servants in the empress's palace to keep an eye out for any misconduct on Lanxiang's part.

Whatever Lanxiang does, they let her through without question. That gave her the chance to sell off palace belongings.

Shen Anxin: I get it. Did she steal Empress Wei's things and take them out of the palace to sell?! That's smuggling!

Empress Wei was taken aback. She had indeed entrusted Lanxiang with managing her belongings and storerooms.

If Lanxiang had really stolen things and sold them outside the palace, she indeed wouldn't have noticed. She truly had given Lanxiang unconditional trust in that regard.

But she didn't understand. If Lanxiang needed money, she could have come straight to her. She would certainly have helped her, so why betray her?!

Emperor Hongyao, however, remembered something. Lanxiang seemed to have a good-for-nothing younger brother outside the palace.

Emperor Hongyao looked at Xiao Yanchen.

Xiao Yanchen frowned slightly. He knew Lanxiang's younger brother was a gambler and practically a bottomless pit.

If Lanxiang had come to his mother once or twice for the sake of her good-for-nothing brother, she would have helped.

But if it happened too often, his mother would certainly have advised Lanxiang to discipline her brother. If necessary, she might even have used her authority to take him in hand herself.

But Lanxiang couldn't bear to let her brother suffer, so she wouldn't ask his mother for help. She would only make money behind her back, constantly filling the holes her brother left.

But Xiao Yanchen didn't understand. Even if she sold off some belongings, how could that have anything to do with the fighting on the border?

Chacha: You're right, host. Lanxiang has a gambler for a younger brother. She often has to sell off palace belongings to fill the hole left by his gambling debts.

Shen Anxin: Well, who would have guessed she was a brother-supporting demon? That was close. If she'd schemed her way into marrying another official instead, wouldn't she have drained him dry to support her brother?

Chacha: You're as perceptive as ever, host. She did have that in mind.

You were her first choice mainly because your family has no mistress of the house. As soon as she married in, she could take charge.

That way, no matter what her brother did, she could secretly use her husband's family's resources to clean up his mess.

The other young officials who lived near Shen Anxin shuddered. H-how terrifying.

Shen Anxin: She really is a brother-supporting demon. Everything comes down to her brother's interests, huh? What happened next? How did this get connected to the fighting on the border?

Chacha: Although she has a great deal of authority, the most valuable things and the large items are hard to get out of the palace. The small, inconspicuous things are worth only so much.

She could cover small gambling debts, but when it came to enormous ones, she was out of options.

Over the years she spent selling things off, she came into contact with the capital's most secretive underground auction house.

Once, she saw someone at the auction house pay a high price for the undergarments of the capital's courtesan queen. That gave her a bold idea.

At this point, most people still hadn't caught on.

But Emperor Hongyao's and Xiao Yanchen's expressions instantly froze, like thunderstorms gathering before a downpour, ready to erupt the next instant.

Empress Wei's mind was still frozen at that moment. Perhaps she had realized what this Lanxiang, whom she no longer recognized, would do, but she couldn't accept it and didn't dare let her thoughts go in that direction. Her trembling body, however, said it all.

Shen Anxin froze for a moment, then her eyes gradually widened. Don't tell me... don't tell me... that...

Chacha: She took Empress Wei's discarded old undergarments out of the imperial palace and sent them to the auction house, earning an enormous commission.

Shen Anxin sucked in a sharp breath.

The others didn't even dare breathe loudly, much less raise their heads.

Heavens, Lanxiang was utterly mad! Empress Wei had trusted her so deeply that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she had raised her, yet Lanxiang had done something so disloyal and unjust. She was unworthy of being human, worse than a beast!

Empress Wei's vision went black and her body went limp. Fortunately, Emperor Hongyao had been holding her up all along, and she fell straight into his arms.

Xiao Yanchen hurried forward to check on his mother.

Empress Wei hadn't fainted, but all color had drained from her face.

Emperor Hongyao's expression was uglier than ever before. The look he gave Lanxiang was already the look one gave a dead person.

Emperor Hongyao and Xiao Yanchen were in no mood to hear the rest now. They had to send people to investigate immediately...

Once Empress Wei's undergarments made it out of the imperial palace, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Chacha: The empress's clothes are all special. They have exclusive embroidered markings to prove they're genuine, symbols of her status...

Shen Anxin: Wait! You have time to talk about that? First tell me, has Lanxiang already done it?

This is no small matter. Whether she's the empress or not, using a woman's undergarments like that is utterly deranged.

We have to get them back immediately. I have to find a way to let someone know quickly...

Everyone else came to their senses too, panic rising in their hearts.

Chacha: Don't worry, host. She did steal them a few days ago, but she hasn't had time to get them out of the palace yet. This is her first offense.

Those words steadied everyone's hearts.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for Shen Anxin. She truly is a divine maiden.

Like a drowning person finally given a chance to breathe, Empress Wei shed tears that slipped down her cheeks. She looked gratefully toward Shen Anxin.

Emperor Hongyao patted Empress Wei's back to comfort her. Even his gaze toward Shen Anxin grew affectionate. The young lady had asked just in time.

Xiao Yanchen slowly exhaled, calming his turbulent emotions. His gaze toward Shen Anxin grew gentler still.

Shen Anxin: That's good. If nothing else, I can use a Dream-Entering Pill to warn Empress Wei tonight. This evil deed has to be stopped!

Chacha: Lanxiang can barely save herself now. The rest probably won't happen.

Shen Anxin: Then go on. What exactly happened in the original future?

Although everyone was still suppressing their anger, they finally had the patience to hear the rest of the gossip.

How exactly did this disaster lead to the tragic fates of the crown prince and the second and third princes?

Chacha: Lanxiang stole from her several times in all, and every item sold at the underground auction house for an enormous sum. No one knew who the buyers were, since all the auctions were anonymous.

Shen Anxin: They're all repressed perverts anyway.

Empress Wei's stomach churned in waves. Although it hadn't happened yet, anyone would find it unbearable to hear about such a thing.

Emperor Hongyao: Damn it. If I'd known, I should have wiped out the capital's underground forces completely.

Xiao Yanchen narrowed his eyes slightly. He felt the same.

In truth, given the Brocade Guard's ability to gather intelligence, it was impossible for them to know nothing of the capital's underground affairs.

When water was too clear, it held no fish. Sometimes, for the greater good, places where fish and dragons mingled were needed to maintain a balance.

Several generations ago, the emperors had already planted eyes and ears among the underground forces, though perhaps they hadn't penetrated very deeply.

They had been stationed on the fringes with one purpose: to ensure that no one there committed treason or rebelled.

As long as that line wasn't crossed, other dealings were unrestricted.

But he had never imagined they had grown so bold that they didn't even respect the dignity of the imperial family. They were courting death!

The other officials exchanged glances, already knowing what this meant. The court would likely crack down hard on the underground forces.

Chacha: And among those buyers was a prince of Western Rong.

Shen Anxin: What the hell?! Western Rong!!

Everyone felt their heads buzz, as though a bolt from a clear sky had struck them squarely on the forehead.

Western Rong?! Foreign barbarians!

At that moment, everyone's expressions twisted.

An insult! This was a monstrous humiliation!

If the perverts within Great Qi had bought them, they probably would only have dared hide them away in secret. But if it was the barbarians...

Countless thoughts flashed through their minds, and their expressions grew unspeakably grim. Clearly, they had already anticipated something.

Chacha: Western Rong had suffered repeated defeats at Great Qi's hands and was deeply wary of its military might.

They bought the empress's personal belongings by chance, and to them, those things were trophies. They reveled in it among themselves to boost morale!

Worse still, when the second and third princes went to war, Western Rong sought to break the morale of the two princes and Great Qi's army.

As the two armies faced each other, they had someone hoist the empress's undergarments high before the battle lines and shout insults for all to hear.

The belongings of the mother of the nation have fallen into the hands of Western Rong. Great Qi's imperial family has lost all face, yet you still dare fight us?

Shen Anxin: Aaaaah, I knew it! Damn them!!!!!

Emperor Hongyao roared, "How dare you!!!!! How dare you!!!!"

The emperor was furious, and everyone dropped to their knees as one.

At that moment, the legs of everyone who had heard Shen Anxin's thoughts were trembling.

Not from fear, but from anger.

Great Qi had just swept aside nine states. This was when its people were proudest, most exalted, and most confident.

As for those barbarians, far from fearing them, they would have loved a suitable excuse to go to war and expand Great Qi's territory.

And now they had heard of such a future.

A pack of petty scoundrels had ridden right up into their faces to insult them.

Was that an insult to the empress?

It was an insult to every single subject of Great Qi!!!!

At that moment, everyone felt their blood surge. Their killing intent seemed ready to burst from their chests, and they wished they could go wipe out Western Rong right now!

A mouthful of blood surged into Empress Wei's throat and spilled from the corner of her mouth, but she clenched her teeth hard and held it back, keeping herself from coughing it up on the spot.

Grief and fury tore at her nerves. Her hand dug into the back of Emperor Hongyao's hand, leaving red marks.

Shen Anxin was startled too. She knelt along with everyone else, not daring to raise her head.

Shen Anxin: Wh-what happened? Did Lanxiang refuse to confess and make the emperor angry?

Shen Anxin secretly raised her eyes and saw the empress leaning against the emperor's chest, looking heartbroken.

Unable to vent all his anger in front of Shen Anxin, Emperor Hongyao could only fix his gaze on Lanxiang.

"Vile servant!"

Lanxiang had never faced the Son of Heaven's wrath so directly. Her whole body went limp with fright.

Hadn't she just falsely accused an official?

At worst, he could sentence her to death, couldn't he?

Why was the emperor looking at her as though he wanted to execute ten generations of her family?

Under the crushing pressure of the Son of Heaven, Lanxiang couldn't make a sound.

Just then, two figures rushed in, but the imperial guards quickly stopped them.

They were the second and third princes, who had heard that something had happened here.

Although they hadn't heard what came before, they had heard about their imperial mother being humiliated.

Empress Wei hadn't given birth to them, but their imperial mother was still their imperial mother. She treated their birth mothers and both of them extremely well.

How could such a good empress of Great Qi suffer such humiliation?!

If they didn't sweep Western Rong's court and plow its lairs under, they would be unworthy of being her sons!

Xiao Yanchen suppressed the killing intent churning in his heart. Seeing that both his younger brothers' eyes were already red, he waved a hand, signaling them to calm down.

The two clenched their teeth, but they listened to their elder brother. They suppressed all their anger, stopped struggling, and stood where they were.

Only their taut bodies and tightly clenched fists betrayed their frenzied emotions.

Emperor Hongyao collected himself, then told everyone to rise first.

"Guards, torture her right here. Make her confess just how many acts of betrayal she has committed in the palace over the years!"

Interrogating Lanxiang was only a pretext. The important thing was that everyone still wanted to hear the rest of the gossip.