Leaving the Palace to Establish a Residence

"..." A female prime minister?!

Wei Xin's pupils contracted sharply at the words, profound shock and emotion rippling in her eyes.

Throughout history, there had been few instances of women serving as officials, much less holding so lofty a position, beneath one person and above ten thousand!

"But if you dare harbor thoughts of serving another master and betray me, I'll use the entire Wei Family as leverage and have them buried with you. How does that sound?"

Di Qingyu closed Wei Xin's hand around the gold hairpin, making her grip it tightly. The unmistakable killing intent mingled with the admiration in her eyes spoke for itself.

"Your Highness..." Wei Xin's heart skipped a beat.

She was a girl in her teens, after all. However resolute she was, she was no match for Di Qingyu, who had lived over forty years between her previous life and this one. She stared deeply into Di Qingyu's frighteningly cold eyes, finding herself unable to withstand them for a moment. Her lips trembled, and her whole body went taut, losing strength as though her blood had stopped flowing. Lowering her eyes, she thought rapidly.

"I'm giving you this gold hairpin. In the future, you can use it to command a force."

Di Qingyu patted her hand, then released it and straightened, her voice cold. "If you've thought it through, keep it. Once you walk out this door, three days from now there will no longer be a Wei Xin in this world, only my strategist, Weisheng Xin. From then on, you will have nothing more to do with the Wei Family."

"If you don't want that, put down the gold hairpin. You'll remain a daughter of the Wei Family and work for me, and when the time comes, I'll still send you out of the palace. But there's one thing: your position will go no further than this. I don't want to see any more of your clever probing."

The implication was clear. Di Qingyu was indeed grooming her as a subordinate now, but not as a confidante. She was willing to give her a better opportunity to spread her wings and soar, but only if she severed her ties and devoted herself wholeheartedly to serving Di Qingyu.

The path ahead was a solitary cliff's edge.

If she was unwilling, her repeated attempts to sound Di Qingyu out had already touched Di Qingyu's bottom line. When a clever person could not be controlled, the only option was to kill her, and afterward, Wei Xin would only live under Di Qingyu's control.

Wei Xin's heart trembled. Without a word, she lowered her eyes and stared fixedly at the gold hairpin in her hand, Di Qingyu's words flashing through her mind again and again.

If she retreated, she could remain safe and sound and reunite with her family, though she would have another layer of shackles.

If she advanced, she would be all alone, severed from her family from that day forward. But she would gain Di Qingyu's deep trust and help, and could pursue ambitions no other woman in the world could realize!

The beating in Wei Xin's chest grew more frantic and exhilarated, even as she was torn in countless directions.

Di Qingyu was in no hurry. She stood and waited for her answer.

"..."

Time trickled by, and Yaohua Hall was exceptionally quiet after nightfall.

At last, Wei Xin knelt again.

"Humbled by Your Highness the Grand Princess's trust, Weisheng Xin will follow you through life and death and devote herself to your great undertaking, Princess. Even ten thousand deaths... will not deter me."

Clutching the gold hairpin in both hands, she bowed deeply to Di Qingyu, the last words trembling on her lips.

Clever as she was, how could she fail to understand the ambition Di Qingyu harbored beneath her promise of the position of female prime minister? Yet from the moment she had begged Di Qingyu to save the Wei Family, through every move in the game that followed, Di Qingyu's abilities and cunning had won her wholehearted admiration.

Hadn't her own repeated, daring suggestions also been an expression of the ambition she had wanted to probe and display?

Whatever Di Qingyu wanted to do, she could offer opportunities no one else could. As a woman herself, Di Qingyu would not belittle and mock her as those men did. She too could freely exercise her talents like a man, without having to disguise herself as one or spend her life trapped in the inner quarters.

Wei Xin's-no, Weisheng Xin's-choice was already clear.

Though she did not know why Di Qingyu had bestowed that particular name on her, her words were commands to her.

Seeing this, Di Qingyu's lips curved slightly. She bent down and personally reached out to help Wei Xin up.

"Go back and wait. I'll have everything prepared. In three days, you'll die when the poison takes effect. I'll have someone arrange for you to fake your death and leave the palace then. I'll inform only your father."

Wei Xin did not doubt her ability in the slightest. "Yes. I'll return and await Your Highness's arrangements."

She put away the gold hairpin, and when she reached the door, she could not help looking back and giving Di Qingyu a long, deep glance.

In that glance was a faint, complicated glimmer of hope.

Wei Xin then turned and left with a resolute stride, her straight-backed figure seeming somewhat lighter and freer than before.

After she left, Chunzhi and Xialin came in.

"Chunzhi, have Qiuwen prepare the medicine for feigning death. Wei Xin will fake her death in three days. Arrange for someone to send her out then. Take her directly to the Information Pavilion and have Shao Chi teach her."

Di Qingyu turned and walked over to sit on the cushioned couch.

Chunzhi was surprised. "Mistress, you trust Wei Xin so soon?"

"She has strategy and courage. It's just a pity she doesn't know martial arts. With the Wei Family there, she won't betray me so quickly." From the moment Wei Xin had boldly come to her and asked her to save the Wei Family, it was clear she was exceptionally bold yet meticulous, and cherished her family. For now, she would be utterly loyal; once she grew powerful in the future, Di Qingyu could simply use other means to control her.

After all, she intended to ascend the throne in a male-dominated society, so naturally she needed to support female officials to counterbalance it. In her previous life, she had also made plenty of plans for special civil service examinations for women, though unfortunately they had never been implemented.

All because she had not traveled the path to the throne fast enough and had died too early.

The day after Di Qingyu was named grand princess, she went to Xuanzheng Hall for an audience with the emperor.

"Father Emperor, it would be inappropriate for me to appear at the Ministry of War. The research into weapons should be conducted in secret, or I fear someone might guess our intentions."

After all, if she appeared at the Ministry of War right after being named grand princess, it would be hard not to arouse suspicion.

Di Yunqian had thought of this too and could not help asking, "Then what do you propose?"

Di Qingyu said, "I have already been named grand princess, and according to protocol, I should leave the palace and establish my own residence. So I would like to ask Father Emperor for some capable people to be stationed at the Grand Princess's Residence specifically to develop weapons in secret with me. And the fewer people who know about it, the better."

Di Yunqian understood that secrecy was essential to success. His brow furrowed, he thought for a moment before looking up. "How confident are you that you can make that thing? What is the latest you can have it ready?"

Although he had placed his bet on Di Qingyu, he did not trust her completely.

Di Qingyu was silent for a few seconds, then raised her eyes, her voice firm.

"As long as Father Emperor provides money and people, I will certainly produce results before the end of the year. Otherwise, I... will atone with my life."

"..." Before the end of the year. The Mid-Autumn Festival had already passed, leaving very little time.

Di Yunqian narrowed his eyes, glancing at his daughter below the dais. She was only fourteen, yet she had just calmly negotiated terms with him.

After pondering for a moment, he could not help bursting into laughter.

"Ha ha ha, good! Then I'll take this gamble with you. I'll have the Ministry of Works build your residence with all haste. I'll provide both the money and the people. As long as you can make that weapon, you will be Xiling's foremost meritorious subject from then on!" The sight of her making such a bold, domineering wager stirred his heart, which had lain quiet and settled for many years, and brought back the ambition he had felt when he first ascended the throne long ago.

"Father Emperor, that's too slow."

But Di Qingyu shook her head. "Who knows how many years and months it will take to finish the Grand Princess's Residence? Just give me an ordinary residence, Father Emperor. Opportunity waits for no one."

Her words touched on what concerned Di Yunqian as well. Indeed, he too was immensely anxious to develop the weapon. Thinking it over, he suddenly remembered something.

"Here's what we'll do. You've devoted yourself wholeheartedly to the country, so I can't treat you unfairly. I'll first give you Du Chengji's confiscated residence. Afterward, I'll also grant you a thousand taels of gold and several hundred servants as compensation for repairing the house."

He did not want to appear too harsh with this daughter of his, either.

At that, Di Qingyu calmly raised her hands in thanks.

"Then many thanks, Father Emperor."

It seemed the money Du Chengji had embezzled amounted to more than the paltry sum announced. Otherwise, her Father Emperor, who had staged and directed the whole disaster-relief grain affair himself, would not have been so generous. His coffers ought to be full for the time being.

Because she was leaving the palace to establish a residence, Di Qingyu began planning the layout of the former Du residence, preparing to tear down some rooms and build new secret passages.

She traveled back and forth between the Grand Princess's Residence and the palace. One day, it was already late at night when she finally boarded a carriage to return to the palace.

"Mistress, watch out!"