Wei Xin Guessed Her Intentions; Di Qingyu Struck

Seeing no unusual reaction on Di Qingyu's face at having her intentions guessed, Wei Xin grew bolder, though she remained cautious.

"First, the princess was injured, causing the Du Family to incur His Majesty's wrath. Then the heavenly disaster served as a warning that became known to all the people. Next, the papers scattered from the kite pointed straight at the Du Family, spreading word of Du Yutao's assassination attempt and rousing the anger of the people who had been waiting and watching. That forced Du Chengji to come forward and discard the chess piece Du Yutao. Finally, you arranged the scene of Du Yutao and Du Chengji turning against and biting at each other."

After a pause, Wei Xin added, "No, there was also the princess having me betray you and pretend to go over to the empress, then using the Zhang Family's influence to secure Father's promotion. That was your final move."

"At first, I thought it was a coincidence. But the princess never revealed her identity when distributing porridge, and even with the rumors, nothing had yet happened to the Du Family. Only when Du Yutao's affair came to light did it stir the people's resentment again, and after Du Yutao saw with his own eyes that he had been abandoned, he grew resentful. That alone was enough to bring Du Chengji to justice without our having to prove anything ourselves. Looking at the whole game, Du Yutao was the killing stone."

In Go, the killing stone was the crucial stone that secured victory.

They had no evidence of Du Chengji's crimes. Even looking for it would take time and opportunity, and might not succeed. Yet the move with Du Yutao had brought Du Chengji down directly, swiftly, and fatally. What could know a person's weaknesses better than those closest to him?

Every move in this game linked to the next. It was astonishing!

By the time Wei Xin finished, every hair on her body had stood on end. A complicated mixture of awe and fear filled her heart as she looked at Di Qingyu, who was looking back at her.

Listening to her analysis, step by step, Di Qingyu regarded her with a gaze that grew increasingly intrigued, but also a few degrees colder.

"If I'd known from the start that Du Yutao was Du Chengji's weakness, why wouldn't I have simply seized him in secret and interrogated him, saving myself all that trouble?"

At that, Wei Xin called to mind the connections between everything that had happened, thinking quickly.

Suddenly, Wei Xin raised her eyes. "So when you first moved against Du Yutao, Princess, it was merely to set off His Majesty's anger and drag the General's Residence into the affair. The empress dowager and Du Chengji were too guilty, and that was how they exposed their weakness and gave you leverage over them."

That day, when Di Qingyu had told her to pass the news of the empress dowager's gift of tonics to the empress, she had pointed out that Du Yutao was the key, hoping the empress's side would make a move. Who could have known that the Zhang Family would delay taking action, allowing the Zhu Family to seize the opportunity to alert the emperor, and then take Du Yutao from prison to watch the scene of family ties being sacrificed for justice?

But even so, the fact that the game could adapt so quickly was enough to show that the one who had laid it out was clever to the point of being almost demonic!

Throughout the game, Di Qingyu had linked the people, the General's Residence, the Zhang Family, and His Majesty together. Yet if Wei Xin had not guessed that Di Qingyu was behind both the heavenly disaster and the papers scattered from the kite, she probably would never have dared connect it all!

A faint, dark glint gradually appeared in Di Qingyu's sleepy eyes.

"Wei Xin, you're very clever."

Wei Xin seemed to sense danger. She immediately put down her brush and knelt.

"Princess, please see clearly. I have no intention of prying into your mind. I only wanted to understand the situation and learn strategy so I could better advise you."

Di Qingyu, who had been lying on her side, slowly sat up. She stood and walked forward, step by step, her blue-green palace robes exceptionally elegant.

"You're so clever, so guess again..." Stopping before the kneeling Wei Xin, Di Qingyu reached out, her jade fingers gently brushing her face and gradually moving downward.

"When will you die?"

The next moment, Di Qingyu abruptly reached out and gripped her throat, her eyes icy.

"Princess!"

It would have been a lie to say Wei Xin did not panic. She instinctively started to raise a hand to stop her, but halfway there, she forced down her fear of death and spoke very quickly, putting on a show of composure.

"I don't know when I'll die, but I understand it won't be now, nor will I die by your hand, Princess. If I am to die, it should be in service to you."

"Remember, those in power don't like having their thoughts guessed."

But Di Qingyu acted as though she had not heard, continuing to tighten her grip, and Wei Xin's face flushed red. Her pupils trembled. Could Di Qingyu truly not tolerate her guessing her thoughts?

Even as breathing grew difficult, Wei Xin still did not reach out to stop her. Instead, she stared wide-eyed at her and spoke with difficulty, her gaze fearless yet respectful.

"Mm... only a ruler who lacks confidence in their own strength... would, would kill a subordinate who understands their thoughts. Princess, you were able to lay this trap for Du Chengji, so... so you would never be wary of clever people. Isn't what you lack right now... a subordinate like me who can understand your game?"

The halting words reached Di Qingyu's ears. With her eyes half-closed, she looked at Wei Xin, whose face was nearly purple and who was on the verge of suffocating, yet still offered no resistance and professed her loyalty.

Thud!

"Cough! Cough, cough, cough!"

Di Qingyu suddenly released her grip, and Wei Xin, her back drenched in cold sweat, immediately collapsed to the floor.

"Wei Xin, it's a waste of your talents to be a Jieyu. The emperor hasn't touched you, has he?"

Di Qingyu looked down at her, a faint glimmer in her eyes.

"Cough, cough. No. I've only been in the palace for half a month, and the empress hasn't arranged for my name tablet to be presented."

Wei Xin raised a hand to rub her neck and looked up weakly, her gaze on Di Qingyu more awestruck than ever.

"Your father sent you into the palace to protect you. Now that he's become the minister of punishments, do you think you can endure your way to a better position in the palace?"

Wei Xin said, "Please advise me, Princess!"

Di Qingyu's lips curved slightly. "You're very clever. You shouldn't be confined to the harem. Do you want to leave the palace?"

"Yes! I've never had any desire to climb dragons and attach myself to phoenixes, and I want even less to be drawn into the harem's conflicts." Wei Xin's eyes lit up.

"To be honest with you, Princess, I've read widely since childhood. After I turned ten, I even dressed as a boy and accompanied my father in and out of the Ministry of Punishments as he handled and reviewed cases. I was exposed to all sorts of investigations, even the work of a coroner, and helped Father solve several cases. But as a woman, I never dared mention those abilities in front of outsiders. After entering the palace, I've been trapped in a cage, with no freedom at all."

Wei Xin knelt on the floor and bowed her head. "If I can leave the palace, I'm willing to become a sharp blade for you, Princess, to repay your kindness!"

Here, she referred to herself not as "your concubine" but as "I." Clearly, she preferred to place greater importance on herself as an independent person.

It was precisely because she had trained her powers of observation to miss no trace or clue that she had been able to piece the whole situation together step by step and guess at the game behind Di Qingyu's actions.

Hearing this, Di Qingyu's brows twitched slightly, and she held out her hand.

"Get up."

Seeing this, Wei Xin hesitated, but still reached out and placed her hand in Di Qingyu's cool palm, then used the support to rise slowly.

"If you don't want to attend the emperor in bed, I'll have someone give you a bottle of medicinal liquid later. It will give your body a foul smell. You must use it whenever you see anyone, so Imperial Father won't be interested in you, and the empress will feel more at ease with you too."

The empress would feel more at ease using a spy planted at Di Qingyu's side who could not attend the emperor in bed.

Wei Xin immediately understood. "But if I do attend him in bed, I'll have to bathe first. That liquid..."

"Don't worry. Once you've used it long enough, the smell will cling to your body. A bath or two won't wash it away."

Without thinking, Wei Xin agreed. "All right, I'll use it as soon as I get back!"

She did not ask at all whether the stench would stay with her for life. In her eyes, it seemed, this embarrassing secret was far less important than what she longed for.

Di Qingyu said, "For now, stay in the palace and keep an eye on the empress's side for me. When the time is right, I'll arrange for you to leave the palace. Come to my palace at a fixed time each day for the next few days. I'll have Chunzhi teach you a few things."

Wei Xin instantly understood that Di Qingyu had truly taken her under her wing. Her pupils trembled, unable to conceal her excitement and anticipation.

"Yes. Thank you, Princess."

Rather than spend her entire life in endless scheming that revolved around men, she would rather follow a wise master like Di Qingyu. She had never wanted to be trapped in the depths of the palace, in the inner quarters, for the rest of her life!