On the other side, Prince Wu rode away from the beach on horseback, followed closely by three guards.
Gripping the reins, Prince Wu found himself inexplicably recalling the words of the fishergirl Xi'er—"They say the Dowager Empress of Qing State, the Shen Clan, possesses celestial beauty."
"Celestial beauty? Could she truly be that stunning?" Prince Wu grew intrigued.
He was somewhat familiar with the Dowager Empress of Qing State, the Shen Clan.
After his elder sister married into Qing State, she had been under the protection and care of the Dowager Empress. In her letters to him, his sister had repeatedly praised the Shen Clan for her "unparalleled wisdom and courage, no less than a man's."
She had extolled her virtues to the heavens.
Prince Wu muttered to himself, "My sister only ever praised the Dowager Empress's intelligence, but she never once mentioned her looks."
Still, a woman who had enjoyed the emperor's undivided devotion for half a lifetime couldn’t possibly be plain.
Prince Wu couldn’t help but wonder—just what did the Dowager Empress look like?
One of his guards couldn’t resist asking, "Your Highness, surely you’re not thinking of marrying the Dowager Empress of Qing State?"
Prince Wu shot him an exasperated glare and flicked his whip at him. "Even if I wanted to, could I? The Dowager Empress’s husband was Emperor Qing, her son is the current emperor, her elder brother is a grand general, her younger brother is that damned Shen Xiuming, and she’s my sister’s closest confidante. Do you think I’d dare? Is that lump on your shoulders just for height?"
"Shut your trap! If these words reach the ears of the Donglin imperial court—or worse, Emperor Qing—and he uses this as an excuse to declare war and wipe out our tiny Donglin, I’d be remembered as the traitor of the ages!"
The guard shrank back and obediently sealed his lips.
After berating his guard, Prince Wu hatched a plan. Tomorrow, he would write to his sister in Qing State and subtly inquire about the Dowager Empress’s appearance.
Just to satisfy his curiosity.
As night fell, Prince Wu’s quest for beauty had once again ended in failure. Sullen, he led his guards back to his estate. Along the way, a guard cautiously reminded him, "Your Highness, the missive from the Imperial Capital—the one ordering all regional lords to search for 'those who died mysteriously and miraculously revived'—you still haven’t acted on it."
Prince Wu’s handsome face darkened.
A few days prior, the Emperor of Donglin had sent letters to his many sons across the territories, demanding they locate a person who had "returned from the dead."
Prince Wu had received the order as well.
But he had no intention of complying.
Donglin was a tiny nation, no larger than a palm, nestled by the vast sea. Unfortunately, it was wedged between two formidable powers—the mighty Qing State to the east and the powerful Southern Chu to the south.
Trapped between these two giants, Donglin resembled a helpless punching bag.
This search for the "resurrected" had been ordered by the Emperor of Southern Chu. Donglin, unwilling to provoke him, had no choice but to obey.
Prince Wu grumbled under his breath as he rode, "In my opinion, the Emperor of Southern Chu is a madman! Searching for the dead who came back to life? Once a person’s dead, they stay dead! And our emperor is spineless, letting Qing State and Southern Chu bully us his whole life. If I were the Emperor of Donglin—"
The guard ventured timidly, "And if Your Highness were Emperor of Donglin, what then?"
A smug grin spread across Prince Wu’s youthful face as he lifted his chin. "If I were emperor, I’d bring my sister back from Qing State and make her the ruler—I’m too soft-hearted to kill kin. But my sister? She’s bold enough to kill our father. She’s the one who deserves the throne."
The guard: "..."
His Highness had ambition—just not much of it.
Upon arriving at his estate, Prince Wu dismounted and instructed his guard, "Take some men and pretend to search for this so-called resurrected person. No need to be thorough—just stroll around, drink some tea, take in the sights. Then send word to our emperor that I’ve turned Wu County upside down and found nothing."
The guard bowed. "As you command."
---
Qing State, Moonfall Lake Imperial Manor, Yanjing City.
Lu Yun, now inhabiting Shen Wei’s body, sat haughtily in a chair, leisurely sipping a cup of lotus tea.
While Lu Yun appeared calm and composed, the others in the room—Li Yuanjing, Li Chengtai, the Grand Empress Dowager, and Le You—wore grim expressions.
Lu Yun took a sip of the fragrant tea and closed her eyes in appreciation. "Exquisite. It’s been years since I’ve tasted such fine tea. Shen Wei truly led a blessed life—murdering my sister to steal such a fortunate fate."
Though she wore Shen Wei’s face, her demeanor and tone were entirely different.
Lu Yun hadn’t expected that the moment she took over Shen Wei’s body, a single slip of the tongue would alert Li Yuanjing to the deception.
Li Yuanjing, after all, was the Emperor of Qing State.
He had pierced through her disguise, using inconsistencies in her speech to uncover her true identity.
But Lu Yun had her own leverage.
She now occupied Shen Wei’s body, and Li Yuanjing wouldn’t dare harm her recklessly. Emboldened, she grew even more brazen.
Le You, eyes red with fury, demanded, "Return my mother at once! Undo this cursed sorcery!"
He never imagined such a bizarre and grotesque event could befall his mother.
After her collapse, another woman’s soul had taken her place.
It was the stuff of legends.
Lu Yun toyed with the delicate teacup, her gaze dismissive. "Grant my demands—issue an imperial decree clearing the Lu Family of Yunzhou of all wrongdoing, restore their titles and lands, and bring their descendants back to Yunzhou. Execute Shen Wei’s elder and younger brothers. Posthumously honor my sister Lu Xuan as empress and bury her with full rites."
The room fell deathly silent.
Lu Yun continued her outrageous demands, seeking posthumous glory for her late sister.
Lu Yun had never been particularly clever or beautiful, and her life had been unremarkable. The thought of avenging her sister had sustained her through years of hardship. To her, Lu Xuan was her faith.
Li Yuanjing and Li Chengtai exchanged a glance, silently communicating their thoughts.
The Grand Empress Dowager, gripping Le You’s hand, led him out of the room with a stern face.
Unaware of the father and son’s silent exchange, Lu Yun, convinced of her victory, turned to Li Chengtai. "My sister’s son has grown up. You should abdicate and let him rule—"
Clatter.
The white jade teacup slipped from Lu Yun’s fingers, shattering on the floor. The fragrant lotus tea spilled across the ground.
Lu Yun’s body went limp, her strength draining away. Her eyes widened in shock. "You—you poisoned the tea!"
Li Chengtai’s expression darkened. "Merely a drug to weaken you. Now speak—what dark arts have you used on my mother?"
Lu Yun paused, then smirked defiantly. "I’ll never tell! Torture me if you dare—but remember, this is Shen Wei’s body you’re harming."
The room plunged into silence once more.
Li Yuanjing’s voice dropped to a chilling growl as he commanded the imperial guards, "Summon the Tiger Guard. Dig up Lu Xuan’s corpse from the imperial mausoleum. Exhume the Duke of Lu and his wife from the East Slope graves."
Lu Yun’s breath hitched.
Li Yuanjing’s lips curled into a sinister smile. "We’ll burn their bones to ashes before your eyes."
The wind howled against the windowpanes.
For a fleeting moment, Lu Yun thought she stood before a demon—Li Yuanjing’s aura of wrath so palpable it sent shivers down her spine.
