On the main street of the imperial city, two carriages approached the Du residence from opposite directions.
Inside one of them, Du Luoling rubbed her aching wrist. Her face was weary, and she let out a soft sigh. “The weather is getting colder and colder. There’s air-conditioning in the modern world, so my parents should be managing all right over there, shouldn’t they? Just wait a little longer for your daughter…”
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past and lifted one corner of the carriage curtain. A crumpled ball of paper flew in from somewhere outside.
Du Luoling quickly caught it and slowly unfolded it.
[Do not return to the Du residence. Await further orders.]
Her languid, relaxed posture instantly stiffened. She tore the note into tiny pieces, one strip after another, and dropped them into the hand warmer. The faint glow of the flames illuminated the excitement on her face.
The emperor and Yun Yaoyao were preparing to move against the Du family!
“Stop the carriage!”
Du Luoling’s voice rang out from within.
“The colder the weather becomes, the more the common people suffer, and the heavier the burden upon His Majesty’s shoulders. This palace truly cannot bear to see His Majesty labor and worry, nor can I bear to see the people suffer through this bitter cold!”
“From this day forth, I shall not only aid the people of the imperial city in surviving the winter during the day, but shall also reside in the Buddhist hall at night, copying Buddhist scriptures and praying for His Majesty and the people of the realm!”
The carriage turned around and headed toward the Ciming Buddhist Hall in the capital.
At the same time, another carriage was about to arrive at the Du residence.
Inside sat Fourth Young Master Du, Du Huanshu. After hearing what the monk had said earlier, he had been restless and uneasy ever since. Even now, he continued muttering under his breath.
“The cycle of cause and effect… Once one sows sin, one must suffer a violent death… A violent death… A rakshasa demon…”
Before his eyes appeared countless innocent people who had contracted the plague. Their faces were twisted with hatred, blood tears streaming from their eyes as they lunged toward him.
Du Huanshu suddenly opened his eyes. A bead of cold sweat trickled down from his temple.
“Stop the carriage!”
“There are countless wicked people in this world, yet how many of them truly suffer retribution? Perhaps that monk was only trying to frighten me…”
Du Huanshu murmured dazedly. The carriage was now only a few dozen paces from the Du residence. He pulled open the curtain, deciding to get out and walk for a while in the cold air to clear his head.
Who could have expected that after taking no more than three steps, a man would suddenly stagger out from the side of the road? Reeking of alcohol, he collapsed against Du Huanshu and coughed several times in his direction before vomiting all over him.
Furious, Du Huanshu was about to kick him when his servant hurried forward and pulled the man away.
“Fourth Young Master Du, this is a critical moment. There are countless eyes watching the Du residence. He’s only a lowly drunkard and won’t live much longer anyway. Let’s get you inside quickly so you can change your clothes.”
Du Huanshu could only swallow his anger and turn back toward the residence.
Once they were gone, the “drunkard” straightened up. His eyes were clear and alert, without the slightest trace of drunkenness.
He dusted himself off and continued to cough loudly as he gradually disappeared down the street.
In the middle of the night, Du Huanshu suddenly developed a high fever. When the physician came to examine him and saw his symptoms, he pointed out in horror that it was the plague.
Everyone in the Du residence who had come into contact with Du Huanshu was quarantined. All of his belongings and clothing were burned to ashes.
For a time, unease and panic spread among the servants of the Du residence.
The next day, the Winter Solstice arrived. The people celebrated, and families gathered together. Their laughter and merriment eased the bitter chill of the weather.
Yet after the Winter Solstice, horrifying news arrived.
A large area of the western district of the capital had suddenly been struck by a plague. Of those infected, seven or eight out of every ten could not survive more than three days. The situation was dire and nearly impossible to control.
The emperor was enraged. He dispatched large numbers of personnel to the western district to contain the epidemic and isolate those who had been infected. The imperial physicians personally led a team to treat the victims, while renowned physicians from across the realm were summoned to find a cure.
For a time, everyone in the capital lived in fear. Whenever they went outside, they covered their mouths and noses, terrified of contracting the plague.
At the same time, rumors about the epidemic began spreading in secret.
“Have you heard? Another group of people died in the western district. They were dragged outside the city and burned in the middle of the night. They say the flames lit up the sky, and you could still smell the stench of charred corpses from three li away!”
“Ah, when will this plague ever end? The eastern district is still fine. There were a few cases a few days ago, but Minister Du discovered them right away. My nephew’s family lives in the western district, though. The soldiers have sealed off the entire area, and I don’t even know how they’re doing…”
“Why do you think the plague is only raging in the western district? By all rights, if Concubine Sha is truly a goddess descended from heaven and a great blessing to Great Yan, then the plague should have broken out in the eastern district, where she isn’t present!”
“I happened to hear a bit of gossip about Concubine Sha and this plague…”
Everyone’s eyes turned toward the man who claimed to know the gossip.
The man glanced around and then lowered his voice mysteriously.
“Concubine Sha isn’t a true blessing at all!”
“What?!”
The crowd was stunned.
The man continued, “Back then, Yun Manor gave birth to two daughters at the same time. When the Imperial Preceptor passed by, he declared that one of them was a great blessing. Later, one daughter proved clever while the other was foolish. Just as everyone said, it was the intelligent Second Miss Yun who was the true blessing!”
“But that foolish eldest daughter, during the palace banquet when she attempted to assassinate the emperor, encountered an extraordinary opportunity! That day happened to be the ninth occasion on which the demoness Daji returned from the dead. Daji took advantage of the opportunity to possess the body of Eldest Miss Yun, bewitch the emperor, and steal the fortune and divine blessing that belonged to Second Miss Yun!”
“Otherwise, think about it. Ever since that day, Eldest Miss Yun’s personality changed completely. Not only did she bewitch His Majesty, whose methods were as iron-blooded as they came, into becoming a devoted lover, she first destroyed the Yun Family and then eliminated several ministers. She even promoted the cause of female succession, throwing the imperial court into chaos and leaving the realm unstable!”
Someone could not help interrupting him. “But weren’t the ministers she removed corrupt officials? And hasn’t promoting female succession also benefited the realm…?”
“History is written by the victors. How do you know whether they were truly corrupt officials or merely falsely accused?” the man sneered. “And the idea of women succeeding to power can only cause rites and morality to collapse, throwing Great Yan into disorder!”
“Now, that Demoness Who Ruins the Realm has caused too much chaos and brought down Heaven’s punishment. Heaven is warning the people! If we do not eliminate that demoness, Great Yan will fall!”
The crowd was horrified.
Rumors like these continued to spread throughout every corner of the capital.
In a single day, the rumor that Consort Miao was a Demoness Who Ruins the Realm had spread throughout the entire city.
When the rumor first began, many commoners still spoke up in Consort Miao’s defense. As it grew more widespread, fewer and fewer people argued against it. By the time it had thoroughly spread through every street and alley, the people had completely switched sides.
Some ordinary citizens who repeated the rumor a second time might have had no ill intent and no particular target in mind. But those who heard them had their own motives. When everyone around them was repeating the same story, and repeating it with such convincing detail, it became easy for people to lose their reason and blindly follow the crowd.
No matter how glorious and noble a reputation had once been, a rumor could shatter it in an instant.
That was the power of rumors.
Gradually, the people and vagrants of the western district stopped cooperating. Even within the imperial city, a group of extremists had begun gathering and causing disturbances, demanding that the emperor execute the Calamitous Demon Consort.
The Du family made a fortune from the epidemic and disaster. Their reputation among the people soared, and countless citizens began supporting Consort Ling as empress. In the imperial court, many observing ministers also switched sides and joined the Du faction.
For a time, the Du family enjoyed unprecedented glory.
Not long afterward, a heavy snowfall blanketed the entire capital in silver-white, temporarily subduing the city’s uproar and leaving it bleak and silent.
The snow continued falling for half a month. The snowdrifts along the roads rose past people’s knees, while icicles hung from the eaves of every household, and the cold grew increasingly bitter.
To leave the house, one had to bundle oneself up like a rice dumpling—and keep a constant eye on the icicles hanging from the eaves.
Fortunately, thanks to the celebrated campaign of “Helping the People Survive the Winter in the Race for the Empress’s Throne,” every faction had pitched in. The Du residence, in particular, had spent a great deal of money and effort. As a result, not a single person had died in the bitter winter cold.
The Yun Manor.
With a flick of her wrist, Yun Yaoyao sent stones flying toward the eaves in every direction. Each struck an icicle with perfect precision, shattering it before it crashed harmlessly to the ground.
Satisfied, Yun Yaoyao lowered her hand, drew her fox-fur cloak more snugly around herself, and gazed out at the snow-white world.
The Calamitous Demon Consort, Tu Shanjin, stood quietly at her side, gazing at the same scene.
At that moment, the entire world was covered in white. Snowflakes drifted through the air, as though everything had been switched to slow motion, filling the heart with a sense of peace and contentment.
Everything, that was, except for a certain urgent secret letter.
A member of the Dragon Shadow Guard respectfully presented it. “Your Majesty, it’s another one from Consort Ling.”
Yun Yaoyao didn’t even need to read it to guess what it said.
These past few days, Du Luoling had been urging her to wipe out the Du family at a rate of nearly one letter a day.
Day One: [Consort Miao, when are you planning to make your move? I need time to prepare too. You have no idea how hard I’ve been working lately. I really shouldn’t have used copying Buddhist scriptures as an excuse. I have to work myself to death putting on an act during the day, then return to the Buddhist hall at night to copy scriptures. You and His Majesty should get rid of the Du faction already. Please do it soon! (Puppy praying GIF.) …Blah blah blah…]
Day Two: [Consort Miao, the people are cursing you as the Demoness Who Ruins the Realm now. Public opinion has taken a sharp turn. It’s obviously the Du family’s doing. Finish them off! Stomp them all into the ground! Also, copying scriptures is making me so tired… Blah blah blah…]
Day Three: [Some people in the Du family actually dared to call me “Her Majesty the Empress” in private today. How bold! Confiscate their property and execute the entire clan! Taking down the Du family is everyone’s responsibility! Consort Miao, just let me know when you’re making your move. At the sound of thunder, this old servant will make a dazzling entrance! …]
…
Day Seven: [When are you making your move?]
Day Ten: [When?]
Day Fifteen: [When?]
Yun Yaoyao chuckled and slowly opened today’s letter. On the paper, the sender had silently left a single question mark.
[?]
Tu Shanjin glanced at the question mark and said, “The Imperial Astronomical Bureau predicts that the heavy snow will stop tonight and the skies will clear tomorrow. The bitter winter is over, and the contest for the empress’s throne has reached its conclusion as well.”
Yun Yaoyao nodded, then swept her brush across the paper and wrote four large, flamboyant characters:
The weather’s cold—the Du family is finished!
