SWDnovel Chapter 105 Your Majesty, was my acting just now alright?
Chapter 105 Your Majesty, was my acting just now alright?
Xu Fenghua closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Force yourself to calm down.
My brain began to work at lightning speed, like the most sophisticated machine, analyzing the absurd situation before me.
Why did Qin Mu do this?
Was it really because of "love at first sight"?
No.
Absolutely not.
So, what is the reason?
Detain her to blackmail the Xu family? To blackmail Xu Longxiang?
Probably.
Her status as the eldest daughter of the Xu family is indeed a good asset.
But is that all?
Xu Fenghua suddenly remembered Cao Wei's sudden departure, Ying Qi's disappearance, and the eerie sight of the Zhao family mansion being deserted...
All of this happened before and after Qin Mu appeared.
What a coincidence!
It was as if... someone had set up a trap all along, waiting for her to walk in step by step.
And Qin Mu is the one who plays the game.
"What a shrewd man Qin Mu is..."
Xu Fenghua muttered to herself, a cold, sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
She finally realized that she had underestimated the young emperor from the very beginning.
What do you mean by incompetent and corrupt, addicted to wine and women, or debauched and immoral...?
It's all a disguise.
A meticulously woven mask.
Beneath the mask lies a cunning, ruthless, and seemingly chaotic yet deadly opponent.
Such people are much harder to deal with than those upright gentlemen who follow the rules and regulations.
Because he doesn't care about the rules at all.
He only cares about the result.
And now, his result is—to bring her into the palace.
So, what should she do?
Should we tough it out?
Given the methods and strength Qin Mu has demonstrated today, a direct confrontation would only lead to certain death.
It will also implicate the Zhao family, her influence in Jiangnan over the years, and even... it might bring even greater trouble to her brother in the North.
obedience?
That would mean she would lose her freedom, becoming a caged canary in the deep palace, a pawn to be manipulated at will by Qin Mu.
No.
wrong.
Xu Fenghua was suddenly taken aback.
She thought of a possibility she had overlooked.
What if...she really did enter the palace?
If she truly became Qin Mu's concubine, although she would be branded with shame and subjected to public criticism and condemnation, it would be beneficial to her younger brother Xu Longxiang's grand ambitions...
Perhaps, that will be even more helpful.
She has access to deeper court secrets.
It allows for a closer observation of Qin Mu, revealing his weaknesses, habits, and everything about him.
They could even... join forces with another person in the palace.
Jiang Qingxue.
The woman she watched grow up, the woman her younger brother longed for.
That woman, now known as "Consort Xue," is deeply "favored" by Qin Mu.
If the two of them could secretly join forces...
The intelligence we can obtain will have a far greater impact than it does now.
Xu Fenghua's eyes gradually brightened.
She walked to the desk, spread out a sheet of Xuan paper, and dipped her brush in ink.
The pen tip hovered over the paper, not falling for a long time.
She was weighing her options.
This idea is too risky, and too... crazy.
Once she entered the palace, she completely lost her freedom, and her every move would be exposed to countless eyes.
Contacting Jiang Qingxue is extremely risky; if discovered, it would mean certain death.
Moreover, will Qin Mu really trust her?
Would that cunning man easily grant her access to core secrets?
Xu Fenghua closed her eyes, her mind racing through every detail of what happened in the main hall of the Zhao residence that day.
Qin Mu's eyes, his tone of voice, his every movement...
Then, she suddenly opened her eyes.
She had an idea.
Qin Mu's act of "forcibly taking a subject's wife" today was certainly intended to humiliate her and to gain control of the Xu family.
But there is another possibility.
He was also testing the waters.
Test her reaction, test her bottom line, test whether she... will really give in.
If she appears too compliant, it might arouse suspicion.
But if she shows moderate resistance, displays the humiliation and despair a woman should feel, and is then "forced" to submit...
Perhaps, that would make him more trustworthy.
"Oh……"
Xu Fenghua's lips curled into a cold smile.
Is this acting?
it is good.
Then let's put on a show for him.
She not only had to act, but she also had to act realistically and flawlessly.
Qin Mu believed that she was really just a weak woman forced to submit, a pitiful person who had to sacrifice herself for her family.
But in the shadows...
Xu Fenghua took a deep breath, and the pen finally fell to the ground.
She began writing letters.
A letter to the North, to Xu Longxiang.
The letter was short, containing only a few words, but every word had been carefully considered. It was meant to reveal her true intentions while also making her brother understand her situation and plans.
"My brother Longxiang:"
"Changes have occurred in Jiangnan, and my sister will be entering the palace. Do not worry or fret, and do not act rashly. The palace has its arrangements. As for the affairs of the northern border, proceed as planned. Be careful."
After she finished writing, she sealed it with sealing wax and summoned her trusted guard, Zhao Hu.
"Send it to the Northern Border as quickly as possible and hand it over to the Crown Prince personally."
Her voice regained its usual calmness, "Remember, never let anyone intercept this letter."
"Yes!" Zhao Hu bowed and accepted the order, then turned and left.
Xu Fenghua then spread out a second sheet of paper.
This letter is a secret order to the Zhao family's businesses throughout Jiangnan.
She had to make arrangements for the power she had secretly cultivated over the years before she entered the palace.
The supplies and silver that should be sent back to the North should be transferred as soon as possible.
The hidden agents and informants need to be rearranged.
Connections that need to be severed must be severed completely.
In short, we must not allow Qin Mu's men to find out the secrets of the Northern Territory by following the Zhao family's lead.
She wrote quickly, her handwriting still neat and beautiful, but each stroke carried a resolute force.
It was as if they weren't writing a letter, but issuing a series of military orders that concerned life and death.
An hour later, all the dozen or so secret orders were written.
Xu Fenghua sealed them up one by one and handed them to different trusted confidants, who then sent them to different places.
After doing all this, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But the heaviness in my heart did not lessen in the slightest.
Because she knew that the hardest part was just beginning.
How to disguise oneself under Qin Mu's nose?
How can I get in touch with Jiang Qingxue?
How to build your own power in the inner palace?
Every problem felt like a heavy burden weighing on her mind.
Xu Fenghua walked to the window and looked north.
That's the direction of the imperial city.
That's also where she's about to go.
A more glamorous, yet more dangerous, cage.
"Qin Mu..."
She murmured the name, her eyes gleaming with a complex and unfathomable light.
There was hatred, vigilance, and a hint of barely perceptible... curiosity.
What kind of person was this young emperor?
Is he really as incompetent as the rumors suggest?
Or... is there a deeper secret hidden?
She suddenly remembered the strange chill emanating from Qin Mu at the Zhao residence earlier that day.
That's not the release of true qi.
That is... the power of heaven and earth.
A terrible thought struck her mind like lightning.
Is it...
Has Qin Mu already stepped into that legendary realm?
No.
impossible.
He's only twenty-two years old!
Even a genius could never reach that level at that age.
But if it weren't for...
How can we explain the chill we felt today?
Xu Fenghua felt increasingly alarmed as she thought about it.
She suddenly realized that her understanding of Qin Mu was probably not even scratching the surface.
This realization sent a chill down her spine.
But this only strengthened her resolve to enter the palace.
She had to figure out what kind of person Qin Mu really was.
Where is his weakness?
What is his purpose?
Only in this way could she find a way to survive for her brother, for the Xu family, and for herself.
"Three more days..."
Xu Fenghua muttered to herself.
Three days is too short.
It was so short that she didn't have time to prepare further, so short that she could only react hastily.
But three days is enough.
That's enough for her to arrange everything in Jiangnan.
That was enough for her to adjust her mindset and prepare for the coming storm.
She turned around, walked to the wardrobe, and opened the door.
The room was filled with clothes of all colors, from riding outfits brought from the North to the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) popular in Jiangnan, a dazzling array.
Xu Fenghua's gaze finally settled on a deep purple palace dress.
That was made last year by someone according to the court style, originally intended for wearing on certain formal occasions to show respect to the royal family.
I never imagined I'd actually have to wear it now.
She reached out and gently stroked the smooth silk fabric.
It felt icy cold to the touch, just like her heart at that moment.
"Consort Xu..."
She repeated this new identity in a low voice, a bitter smile curving her lips.
Then, she slowly closed the cabinet door.
He turned around, walked to the desk, and sat down again.
There's one last thing to do.
She wants to write a letter.
To Zhao Mingcheng.
It was given to the old man who was still nominally her "father-in-law".
........
At the same time, in the secret underground chamber of the Zhao residence.
This place is completely different from the magnificent Zhao Mansion on the ground.
The secret room was not large, about two zhang square, with walls made of bluestone, the surface of which was rough and gave it a primitive and heavy feel.
A few lamps were lit in the corner, their dim yellow light barely dispelling some of the darkness, but making the shadows appear even deeper.
A faint musty smell permeated the air, mixed with the unique coldness of the stone.
Qin Mu sat in a rosewood armchair in the center of the secret room.
This chair is exactly the same as the one in the main hall of the Zhao residence; it was obviously moved down from there.
He was still wearing that moon-white, wide-sleeved robe, the silver cloud patterns shimmering with a dark luster under the dim light.
Her long hair was unbound and casually draped over her shoulders, with a few stray strands falling across her forehead, obscuring half of her face.
He was relaxed, with one hand on the armrest and the other playing with a warm, white jade thumb ring.
His eyes were calm and deep, like an ancient well.
Yunluan stood three steps behind him, dressed in a black outfit, her face cold and stern, like a lifeless statue.
In front of Qin Mu, a person was kneeling.
Zhao Mingcheng.
The old man, who had been in charge of the textile industry in Jiangnan for decades, was kneeling on the cold, hard bluestone ground.
He had already changed out of the brocade robe stained with blood and tears and put on a simple gray cloth outfit.
His forehead was wrapped in thick bandages, but dark red bloodstains could still be faintly seen seeping out.
His face now showed none of the despair and sorrow he had felt in the main hall.
There was only an almost obsequious respect and a hint of barely concealed smugness.
"His Majesty……"
Zhao Mingcheng raised his head, his face beaming with smiles, every wrinkle seeming to whisper the word "loyalty."
"This old minister...was my acting just now alright?"