The news of Consort Shu's divorce seemed to spread across the country overnight. With an uncanny speed, everyone quickly learned of this shocking gossip.
Tianjin City.
The Last Emperor was in a relatively good mood.
Although Yamaguchi's tragic death had deeply unsettled him, forcing him to rest and recuperate at home, he had slowly recovered over the past few days. After all, the dead could not be brought back to life.
There was just one thing troubling him—
"Consort Shu has been missing for days without a single word. You lost a living, breathing person, and now you tell me she cannot be found?"
He frowned, his tone neither too harsh nor too mild. After all, he had too few loyal and capable subordinates left. The imperial statecraft he had been taught since childhood told him he must never vent his anger on useful ministers over a mere concubine.
In fact, he could even use this to win their hearts.
"We are terrified, Your Majesty."
Several men knelt on the ground to ask for punishment. The fear on their faces was genuine; considering Consort Shu's special status, it was all too easy for people to assume she had been abducted or eloped.
If the rumors leaked, it would severely damage the royal family's dignity.
"Enough."
The Last Emperor let out a long sigh. "How can I let a mere woman damage the bond between sovereign and subjects?" He personally walked down and helped the men up, his expression a mix of sorrow and magnanimity.
"As for Consort Shu... alas. Spread the word that Consort Shu suddenly contracted a severe illness yesterday and passed away unexpectedly. Let her lie in state for three days, and then hold the funeral."
This would eliminate any future troubles.
It would also provide an excuse to host a gathering and network. Right now was a golden opportunity. When the sandpiper and the clam fight, the fisherman catches them both. If he wanted to be the ultimate winning fisherman, he could not do without the help of others.
And the Tianjin concessions were full of foreigners.
"Your Majesty!"
The men were indeed moved to tears. In ancient times, there were often tales of wise monarchs shedding tears to give up their beloved concubines or maids to protect their erring subjects, forging a deep mutual understanding that led to great achievements.
The stories from ancient texts were happening to them.
They were thrilled beyond words.
A hint of satisfaction flashed in The Last Emperor's eyes. Just as he was about to say a few more words to solidify their loyalty, the eunuch who had served him since childhood burst in. His panicked and anxious expression was all too familiar—just like the day Yamaguchi died.
"Your Majesty, may I speak with you in private?"
The eunuch hesitated.
"Everyone here is my trusted confidant. What could possibly need to be kept secret?" The Last Emperor suppressed a sudden, inexplicable sense of unease and waved his hand grandly. Sure enough, he reaped another wave of excited and moved glances.
"It's... there is news of Consort Shu in the newspaper."
"What happened to her?"
The Last Emperor frowned. Although he didn't think Consort Shu was a fickle woman, once the news spread, people would inevitably get the wrong idea. The ignorant masses loved nothing more than to gossip.
He would publish a notice in the paper shortly, stating that Consort Shu had died of illness.
Anything else would be declared a fabrication.
"Consort Shu, she..." The eunuch stammered. The confidants, who had just been feeling deeply moved, grew displeased. His Majesty had already said it was fine to speak freely; was this eunuch putting on airs just to make them look bad?
These rootless creatures were always so sinister.
Thus, they sternly reprimanded him.
"Consort Shu... Consort Shu published a divorce declaration in the newspaper." Seeing that The Last Emperor did not intervene, the eunuch gritted his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and blurted it out, holding up the newspaper in his hand.
Several massive, bold characters arrogantly occupied the center of the page.
Anyone with eyes could read them clearly.
The room fell completely silent.
"Wh-what... divorce?" Looking as ferocious as a demon, The Last Emperor lunged forward and snatched the newspaper. He scrutinized it from beginning to end. The photo, the text, the handwritten letter—there was no mistake. It was all from Consort Shu.
She really wanted a divorce!
Stumbling back in disbelief, he was quickly caught by a nearby confidant. "Your Majesty, please take care of your health..." Before the man could finish his sentence, he was slapped viciously across the face.
It happened so suddenly, without any warning.
The force of the slap even sent the man crashing to the ground.
"It's all the fault of you useless trash!"
The Last Emperor's eyes were bloodshot like a ghoul's as he glared at them. "When Consort Shu went missing, why didn't you do everything in your power to find her? Now the whole country is laughing at me! I knew you weren't truly loyal.
A lowly Su Ning insults me, and not a single one of you steps up to share your sovereign's burden. You forced me to seek help from outsiders... You cowardly rats, you useless gluttons..."
Completely losing his composure, The Last Emperor hurled insults wildly.
He looked utterly deranged.
The confidants knelt back on the ground.
However, unlike before, they now felt dissatisfied and aggrieved. Consort Shu had run off without a trace on her own; what did that have to do with them? Truth be told, it was His Majesty's failure as a husband to keep an eye on her, and the negligence of the eunuchs and maids guarding the doors.
And then there was Su Ning.
Although she was a woman, she was still a prominent figure in Beiping.
Was it really that easy to deal with her?
Take His Majesty, for example. He went to great lengths to collude with that Japanese man, and though the assassination succeeded, Yamaguchi died a violent death shortly after. It was entirely possible that Su Ning's subordinates had taken revenge for their master.
And now, even His Majesty was faced with Consort Shu divorcing him.
A sudden flash of insight hit them.
They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock, suspicion, and disbelief. Could it be...
Someone wanted to speak up and inform The Last Emperor, but the moment he raised his head, a vase came flying at him. "You dog! How dare you look directly at me! Are you asking for death?"
Seeing this, the others quickly dropped the idea.
After The Last Emperor finished venting his rage.
The confidants rubbed their aching knees and the various bruises on their bodies as they left. Once outside the Jing Garden, someone suddenly sighed:
"Do you guys think Su Ning is behind all of this?"
The group looked at each other in dismay.
"There's no way it's just a coincidence. I think it's Su Ning's revenge. You all know her father left her many elite men. Even the fertilizer production line was preserved through a storm of blood and carnage."
Indeed, such a formidable person.
Why did His Majesty have to offend her?
As the saying goes, a lack of patience in small matters ruins great plans. Wasn't it just an overture being rejected? Over the years, they had been rejected and even humiliated, both openly and covertly, more than just once or twice.
Some felt resentful.
Completely forgetting how furious they themselves had been earlier, thinking that this woman Su Ning didn't know what was good for her by daring to look down on His Majesty.
"I don't think it's her."
Someone else retorted, offering a reason: "His Majesty wasn't the only one behind the assassination. Others are closer to Beiping and have smaller forces. Why would she ignore those nearby to target someone far away?"
"So, it might just be a coincidence."
The two sides began to argue.
"Everyone, stop arguing. If we want to know whether Su Ning is behind this, we just have to wait. Ever since the fertilizer factory halted operations, fertilizers have sold out everywhere, and public resentment is boiling over. Even the most powerful figures at the top have taken notice.
So, in half a month at most.
Either the fertilizer factory will fall into someone else's hands, or Su Ning will step forward alive, proving that she played everyone for fools."
At this point, a look of admiration appeared in the man's eyes.
"If that's truly the case, this woman's adaptability, methods, cunning, and even her ability to manage subordinates are absolutely top-tier. In the future, she will definitely not be confined to just Beiping."
After a long while, someone sneered.
"I still don't believe a mere woman could stir up such massive waves. You all are overestimating her."
"Just wait and see. The fertilizer factory will definitely fall into someone else's hands!"
They even started making bets.
However, not a single person suggested reporting these speculations to The Last Emperor.
............
"Ding."
"It's finally here."
Su Ning raised her hand to stifle a yawn out of sheer boredom. Unsurprisingly, the reward was only ten bucks. She could not help but complain, "He was once an emperor, after all. Even if he is not a main plot character, squeezing him dry should not yield just ten bucks, right?"
"It is ten bucks. Take it or leave it."
The system replied in a flat tone.
It refused to provide its host with any emotional value. Su Ning was simply annoyed from staying indoors, and her wicked streak was acting up. Unable to torment anyone else, she came to bother the system.
"Stingy."
Su Ning snorted softly, unclear about which aspect of stinginess she was referring to. She picked at her nails, scratching them against the glass to make a piercing sound, and calculated her gains over the past few days.
She would not have known if she had not checked, but looking at the total gave her quite a start.
Various plot characters, whether she remembered them or not, had contributed massive rewards. Most of this came from them being infuriated by the Su family and her subordinates during the fight over the fertilizer plant, all of which had been credited to her.
There was also a huge number of nameless commoners. Every little bit added up, making for a massive overall figure.
These people.
Some complained because they could not buy fertilizer, some were dissatisfied after being implicated in the assassination turmoil, and there were also the old loyalists who angrily cursed her for being ungrateful after learning she had rejected The Last Emperor.
In short, Su Ning sighed with emotion:
"The power of the people is immense. I need to pay more attention to the masses. It is decided, from now on I cannot just focus my efforts on the plot characters.
I need to act more like a heartless, wealthy villain toward everyone else too."
Now that she had the rewards, she needed to spend them. With a war going on, finding ways to spend money was very easy.
But before spending the money, she should tie up some loose ends first.
...
In Beiping City, which was currently completely immersed in the news of the imperial consort getting a divorce.
There was a small group of people.
Who were currently both shocked and delighted.
Because, according to reliable sources, the greedy and shameless Su family was secretly contacting other minor shareholders of the fertilizer plant, wanting to sell their shares and flee abroad to enjoy a life of wealth and splendor.
Unfortunately for them, the secret had been leaked!
