Mu Xuehuang sat upright in the imperial court, trying her hardest to conceal her expression.
But the looming calamity of her nation's destruction was not something she could hide simply because she wished to.
Lately, she had spent almost every waking moment thinking about it.
She brooded until she lost all appetite for tea or food.
She even lost the will to hold court.
Seeing every civil and military official urging her to take care of her health, Mu Xuehuang's anger flared, and her heart felt even more stifled.
Did they think this was from lack of sleep?
I was sick with worry!
"Court is dismissed!"
With her mood like this, she had no desire to continue the morning session.
Mu Xuehuang suppressed the urge to fly into a rage, waved her hand, and prepared to leave.
"Your Majesty, please wait!"
But just as she rose, an elderly figure stepped forward to stop her.
It was Minister Yue, Yue Zhenling, a veteran who had served two sovereigns.
Holding a memorial in both hands, he bowed. "Your Majesty, there is something this old minister believes you must be informed of..."
"Tell me tomorrow. Court is dismissed!"
Before he could finish, Mu Xuehuang impatiently cut him off.
Ever since learning that Great Li would one day be destroyed in her hands, Mu Xuehuang had made this her foremost concern. Nothing else mattered as much!
She had endured a thousand hardships to rise from a concubine's daughter to the throne as empress. Before she could even embark on her grand ambitions, how could she allow the vast realm of Great Li to perish in her hands?
The thought made her even more agitated.
Yue Zhenling persisted. "Your Majesty! This matter is of utmost importance. It concerns our dynasty's image and dignity..."
"Do you not understand my words? We will discuss it at another court session!"
"..."
Watching Mu Xuehuang leave, Yue Zhenling's eyes filled with complicated emotions. He sighed, still clutching the memorial.
Court had been dismissed.
The civil and military officials all filed out of the Li Royal Palace.
Only the veteran of two reigns remained standing there, unwilling to leave for a long time.
"Minister Yue!"
Several figures approached Yue Zhenling: Minister of Personnel Wang Yong, Minister of War Zhao Chengfeng, and diplomatic envoy Deng Shigao.
Wang Yong spoke first, smiling. "Minister Yue truly has a loyal heart and righteous courage. Just for the dynasty's supposed dignity, you would bring a matter already nailed firmly into place before Her Majesty. Aren't you afraid she will punish you?"
"Exactly. There is no need to trouble Her Majesty with such a trivial matter."
Deng Shigao gently stroked his beard and shook his head with a smile. "This marriage alliance will secure twenty-five years of peace for our dynasty without sacrificing a single royal lady or princess. That alone is our greatest success."
Yue Zhenling looked expressionlessly at the three men who knew the facts. "You are right. But the Mara Dynasty's Holy Son is using this marriage alliance as an excuse to abduct our common women at will. That is an immense humiliation for our dynasty! Where will we put our faces at the gathering of the hundred dynasties three months from now?"
"You are mistaken, Minister Yue. A dynasty's dignity is won through national strength. With these twenty-five years to develop, our military and national power will surely rise to another level! Who will dare look down on us then?"
Zhao Chengfeng sneered.
What Yue Zhenling had intended to report was, in fact, the marriage alliance with the Mara Dynasty!
His memorial detailed the immense hidden damage a marriage alliance between unequal social ranks would inflict on the Li Dynasty;
It also pointed out that the common woman being married off already had a husband. The account of her husband storming the Li Royal Palace in anger after learning of it, seeking an audience with the empress, was included as well.
Unfortunately, Mu Xuehuang's heart had been knotted with anxiety over her nation's destruction.
How could she have had any attention left for anything else he said?
Thus, she missed her closest opportunity to learn the truth behind her nation's destruction!
"Foolish. So foolish..."
Yue Zhenling tightened his grip on the memorial until his knuckles turned blue. His voice was low. "A marriage alliance like this may protect us for a time, but not forever! It will leave endless troubles in its wake..."
Yue Zhenling had already foreseen one consequence—the Mara Dynasty would surely embellish this affair and trumpet it far and wide, branding Great Li as an easy target among the hundred dynasties.
What would they do if other dynasties followed suit?
Today, they snatched a common woman for a marriage alliance.
Tomorrow, they would dare demand the empress herself as a bride!
Everything would be thrown into chaos!
But Wang Yong and the others cared nothing for such things. They sought only the peace before their eyes.
Deng Shigao suddenly recalled something and asked Wang Yong, "Have you caught that escaped prisoner? He's that common woman's husband, isn't he?"
At the mention of this, Wang Yong's expression changed too.
His face looked as ugly as if he had swallowed a fly. "N-not yet. Give us a little more time. The deeper we dig into that brat's background, the dirtier it gets. We suspect he has ties to the underground organization Flowing Sand..."
At these words, both Deng Shigao and Zhao Chengfeng grew solemn.
"Hurry!"
Zhao Chengfeng warned him, "This cannot be delayed! If necessary, you can draw on my Ministry of War's forces!"
In truth, Mu Xuehuang was not the only one feeling uneasy. Wang Yong and the others also had an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
Far too many unexpected branches had sprouted from this affair!
They had thought executing Ning Que would bring the marriage alliance affair to a close.
They had never expected him to be rescued from the execution ground.
And the ones who stormed the execution ground were none other than the largest underground organization, Flowing Sand!
Who could have imagined it would stir up such an enormous affair?
To prevent any further complications, they urged Wang Yong to resolve the matter quickly...
And so, a sealed secret letter was sent to Qingzhou by a courier riding at full gallop.
It contained only one sentence: They must not leave Qingzhou alive!
Two days later.
Zhuge Jingcheng, the prefect of Qingzhou, stared at the secret letter with a deep frown. He had already shut himself in his room for an entire day.
He sat facing the covert agent who had delivered it.
"Has it been confirmed?"
Zhuge Jingcheng asked, his brows tightly furrowed.
The agent nodded. "It does indeed involve Flowing Sand..."
"The escaped prisoner Ning Que and the members of Flowing Sand have most likely already joined up with the local Flowing Sand forces. He is no longer alone."
"Whatever means you use, the minister demands that they not leave Qingzhou City alive!"
"..."
As these words fell, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy with killing intent.
Zhuge Jingcheng stared at the letter and sank into another long silence.
The Zhuge family was Qingzhou's foremost clan and wielded considerable power.
But he had always kept a respectful distance from Flowing Sand.
Its ranks were full of extraordinary people with unusual abilities. If the sky fell, there were taller men to hold it up. He had never imagined that one day, a mere prefect like himself would have to confront Flowing Sand head-on.
"Only success is permitted. Failure is not."
"Every sovereign has his own ministers. Whether you take a step back and retire to your hometown or a step forward into the imperial capital will depend on you, Prefect Jingcheng..."
The agent was Wang Yong's man. These were the very words Wang Yong had instructed him to convey.
Having said his piece, the agent vanished.
Only Zhuge Jingcheng remained, sitting silently in his study.
With every breath he took, sweat already covered his body.
He knew Heaven had now placed a great burden upon him.
Success and failure would lead to two entirely different outcomes.
"Whew..."
A moment later, Zhuge Jingcheng rose.
He picked up his brush, quickly drafted a letter, and ordered someone to deliver it.
He believed matters involving underground forces should be settled by those forces themselves!
But because his opponent was Flowing Sand, he needed men—a great many men...
After finishing the draft, Zhuge Jingcheng prepared to get up and check on his daughter.
But when he pushed open the door, she was nowhere to be found.
"Where is the young lady?"
He questioned the maid.
"The young lady sneaked out again to 'champion justice.'"
"..."
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