Toji withdrew his gaze, as if the brief scrutiny from just moments before had never occurred, his voice remaining calm and unwavering:
How's the progress?
Concise and to the point, getting straight to the heart of the matter.
Ju Zi immediately understood, her spirits lifted slightly, this was her chance to prove her worth.
"I joined the army," she straightened her back, "Serving in the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion, starting from the bottom."
"Participated in the war against the Star Luo Empire, and offered effective tactical suggestions in several key battles, which were validated in actual combat."
She spoke at a steady pace, with a hint of barely perceptible pride.
"Currently, I enjoy Xu Tianran's deep trust. He needs a weapon that can help him expand his territory without threatening his imperial power, and I... have shown enough loyalty."
Her words were clear and logical, showcasing both her achievements and her own position.
A knife held in the emperor's hand.
This is to show Toji that she has successfully penetrated the core and has initially established a foothold.
Toji listened quietly, his face showing neither approval nor disapproval.
Staying true to the original work would be the best outcome.
He didn't speak again until Ju Zi finished speaking:
"Now, kill Xu Tianran. Can you take his place?"
The air suddenly froze.
Ju Zi's pupils contracted sharply, and all the color drained from her face instantly.
She felt as if she had been struck by an invisible giant hammer; her body swayed almost imperceptibly, and she barely managed to steady herself by grabbing onto the carved table beside her.
Replace Xu Tianran?
Become an agent of the Sun Moon Empire?
The thought, like the wildest nightmare, instantly seized her.
She had considered that Toji must have come here for a purpose, perhaps even related to Xu Tianran, but the fact that he had so directly and so blatantly raised the core issue of overthrowing imperial power still made her soul tremble.
After the initial shock came a tidal wave of bewilderment and panic.
She opened her mouth, but felt her throat was too dry to make a sound.
Several seconds passed before she found her voice, which was incredulously hoarse and tinged with a sense of unease at being overestimated.
"Aren't you... overestimating me a bit?"
She shook her head with difficulty, trying to calm herself down and analyze the situation.
"I've only just begun to make a name for myself in the army, and my foundation is still too weak. Although the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion is strong, Xu Tianran firmly controls most of the elite forces of the Imperial Offering Hall and the Illustrious Virtue Hall, and Grandmaster Kong Deming is also stationed at the central command..."
"The entire empire's military, political, and Soul Guidance Technology lifelines are still in his hands. My current influence is far from sufficient."
She took a deep breath and forced herself to look directly into Toji's unfathomable eyes, eyes that seemed capable of swallowing all light.
After the fear subsided, a flame of ambition, suppressed for too long, ignited fiercely within her for the first time upon hearing this earth-shattering suggestion, burning so intensely that her fingertips felt slightly hot.
She saw the bloody, thorny path to the pinnacle of power, and she also saw the terrifying power that the man before her represented, a power capable of shaking the empire.
After a long while, the confusion and fear in Ju Zi's eyes quickly faded, replaced by an almost frantic determination and an unprecedented clarity.
"Of course, if I were truly to replace Xu Tianran and become the agent of the Sun Moon Empire..."
She paused, and a startling flame ignited in her beautiful eyes—a desperate gamble with everything at stake.
"Then give me five years." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resolute force. "Five years! Give me five years, and I'll help you take control of the entire palace."
Five years.
This was the time limit of purgatory she set for herself, and also the blood oath she swore to the devil before her.
She needed time to weave a power network that would cover the entire empire, time to dismantle Xu Tianran's foundation, and time to become powerful enough to suppress all dissenting voices and sit on that cold iron throne after Xu Tianran's death.
She knew what that promise meant.
Endless conspiracies, betrayals, killings, walking on thin ice.
But she knew even more that this was the only chance she could seize to completely control her own destiny!
Only the heavy or light breathing of the two people remained in the bedchamber.
The immense pressure almost materialized, compressing the air.
Toji in silence, his gaze remained like a cold probe, piercing deep into the depths of Ju Zi's pupils, burning with ambition.
Time passed second by second, and for Ju Zi, each second felt like an eternity.
Finally, Toji slowly opened her mouth, her voice still in that calm tone, but it made Ju Zi's heart, which had been taut to the extreme, suddenly relax, followed by an indescribable surge of joy and trembling.
I will fully cooperate with your efforts to elevate your position in the military.
"Resources, intelligence, necessary cleanup... Tell me what you need through secure channels."
"Besides, I have plenty of time now, waiting for you for five years is not a problem."
It's done.
A fanatical and secretive alliance, aiming to assassinate the emperor and usurp the throne, was formally formed in the silence of the empress's palace.
An immense joy and the ensuing, almost overwhelming sense of responsibility struck Ju Zi like two extremes.
She stood up abruptly, her movements stiff with excitement. Looking at the man before her, who had once again given her a turning point in her life, a thousand complex emotions welled up in her chest.
Gratitude, fear, dependence, awe?
Perhaps both.
She bowed deeply, performing an extremely solemn gesture, her voice tinged with a barely perceptible sob and utter sincerity:
Thank you... for trusting me.
This "thank you" contains so much.
Thank you for saving my life back then, thank you for taking this gamble now, and thank you for the heavy, almost suffocating trust you placed in me.
However, after finishing the ceremony and getting up, Ju Zi did not immediately leave.
Perhaps it was the emptiness that followed the sudden release of the immense pressure brought about by this five-year agreement.
Or perhaps it was the faint sense of security that still permeated the bedchamber, belonging to Toji, or perhaps it was the soul deep within her heart, already weary from being enveloped by layers of imperial power, war, and deceit, yearning for a sliver of real support, that finally broke down at this moment.
She looked at Toji's profile, as hard as a rock, and at his broad shoulders that seemed to forever keep people at a distance.
An extremely bold idea, even one that seemed absurd to her, began to grow wildly like a vine.
Over the years, she has walked a precarious path, forcing a smile beside Xu Tianran, fighting and battling in the army, and engaging in scheming and intrigue in the imperial court...
She was too tired.
I'm so exhausted that I don't even have a place where I can truly relax or show any vulnerability.
She is the empress, the general, the pawn, but she can never be Ju Zi.
There's not a single person I can truly rely on...
She's a girl.
No matter how much you arm yourself with steel, deep down, your soul yearns for a moment of warmth and respite.
Once the thought arises, it can no longer be suppressed.