Chapter 160

Bai Qian, having honed her wits through training in the military camp, immediately grasped the deeper implications of Jiang Xiurun’s words.

Although the epidemic was highly likely orchestrated by the Yang family, toppling them outright would only give those who thrive on chaos more reason to stir trouble.

They would claim that Feng Liwu first defied the late emperor’s edict to usurp the throne and then conspired to spread the plague through plum blossoms to eliminate the aristocratic families.

If that narrative took hold, Feng Liwu’s reputation as a tyrant would be cemented, and those with ulterior motives would surely seize the opportunity to make waves.

Thus, Feng Liwu went along with the flow, secretly tipping off the Yang family in advance, causing them to panic and make a scene in court.

Then, he used the chaos as an excuse to break off the engagement—flawlessly executed, leaving no room for criticism.

At the same time, this served as a warning to the Yang family: from now on, they could no longer act recklessly.

Although Bai Qian saw through the ploy, she had little interest in such political maneuvers.

Fortunately, her mistress was a sharp and perceptive person, and both she and her husband were skilled at wielding power.

This was not something their subordinates needed to worry about.

However, while Feng Liwu had freed himself from an unwanted marriage, the Yang family was left to suffer.

The Duke of Weiguo, upon returning home, mulled over the situation and found it increasingly infuriating.

How was it that an undercover guard, whom he had once abandoned on the streets with nothing but a handful of gold, would later betray him so thoroughly? But now that things had reached this point, any attempt to retaliate would be futile.

After berating his daughter, he interrogated her about the origins of the plum branch.

When Yang Ruxu heard that the emperor had broken off the engagement on the grounds that her birth chart carried ominous energy, she wept even harder than when her father had slapped her.

She had always harbored grand ambitions, wholeheartedly aspiring to become empress.

Yet, after being strung along by Feng Liwu for two years, she was now cast aside in such a humiliating manner.

Who would ever want to marry her now? Even noble families would likely avoid bringing such a “bringer of misfortune” into their homes.

Consumed by despair, she confessed everything about her secret relationship with Feng Wu.

The Duke of Weiguo, in a fit of rage, nearly beat his daughter to death with a cane, but the Duchess intervened.

The Duchess remained remarkably composed.

“The emperor staged this entire ordeal to disgrace our Yang family. If you beat your daughter to death now, wouldn’t that be playing right into his hands? What of our family’s honor? Besides, her association with the Prince of Pingchuan may not be a bad thing. The tides of the court are ever-changing—who can say what the future holds?”

The three counties were on the brink of secession, and the Second Prince seemed poised to seize the moment.

The current emperor viewed the aristocracy as a thorn in his side and had already shown no mercy toward the Yang family.

A clan with a century of history could not simply collapse overnight.

They couldn’t put all their hopes on a single tree; they needed to carve out another path for survival.

At first, the Duke of Weiguo was shocked by his wife’s words and nearly dismissed them as foolish talk.

But upon deeper thought, the shifting political landscape was indeed unpredictable.

Since his daughter had already entangled herself with the Prince of Pingchuan, it might not be a bad idea to leave things as they were. I

f Feng Liwu continued suppressing the aristocracy, the great families might one day band together to overturn the throne.

After all, when Yang Ruxu was born, a renowned fortune-teller had declared with absolute certainty that she was destined to be an empress.

If that prophecy was true, then the dragon who would ultimately ascend the throne might not be Feng Liwu after all.

With that thought, the Duke of Weiguo set aside his cane and merely ordered Yang Ruxu to stay confined to her chambers, focusing on self-cultivation and reflection.

Though Yang Ruxu returned to her room in tears, deep down, her hatred for Jiang Xiurun burned fiercely.

That woman had stolen every opportunity from her, and now she was taking her imperial fate as well.

She was nothing more than a seductive vixen! If she ever gained power, she would make sure Jiang Xiurun paid the price.

Meanwhile, the epidemic in the capital was gradually brought under control thanks to the Saintess Decoction, personally brewed by Empress Yaren of Bo.

By the time the twelfth lunar month approached, the outbreak had been completely contained.

The entire capital sang praises of the Bo empress’s benevolence, and the alliance between Great Qi and Bo was hailed as an everlasting bond.

Seizing this momentum, Dou Siwu once again brought up the matter of marrying the Bo general, Bai Qian, to his parents.

Despite Dou Siwu’s rough and burly appearance, his mother, Madam Dou, had once been a renowned beauty of the capital.

As a woman of refined taste, she was highly particular about choosing a daughter-in-law—not only in terms of family background but also in appearance.

But the woman her son wanted to marry lacked both.

Moreover, while others might not know Bai Qian’s origins, Madam Dou certainly did.

She was nothing more than a former servant girl of the hostage prince, Jiang Herun.

Had she been a commoner, perhaps it wouldn’t have mattered.

But a lowly former maid? How could such a person ever become a daughter-in-law of the Dou family? So what if she now carried the title of a general from Bo? That tiny state was insignificant.

Rumors even claimed that the Bo empress had borne the emperor’s illegitimate child yet still had no hope of entering the palace as empress.

And now this so-called “general,” a woman once lifted from servitude, dared to dream of marrying into the Dou family? Ridiculous!

After several heated arguments over the matter, Madam Dou had no energy left to cry or plead with her son.

Instead, she drew her husband’s ceremonial sword, placed it in front of Dou Siwu, and coldly declared:

“If you insist on bringing that woman into our family, then first, drive this blade through your own mother.”

“Even if the emperor personally issues an edict, I will take this sword to him and demand that he grant me death first. After I’m gone, you can marry a sow for all I care!”

Thus, as the New Year approached, chaos erupted in the Dou household, turning it into a scene of utter turmoil.

Dou Siwu once again stormed out in anger and spent the New Year at Jiang Xiurun’s palace.

Although her older brother and sister-in-law were not around, Jiang Xiurun’s palace was brimming with festive cheer.

Large red lanterns hung high, and little Baoli, now able to run, scurried around the courtyard on his short legs, dressed in a red jacket embroidered with gold threads, specially made by Jiang Xiurun.

She had originally wanted to celebrate at her residence, but Feng Liwu, out of consideration for the foreign empress being far from her homeland, invited her to the imperial palace to keep vigil through the New Year together.

Thus, on the eve of the New Year, after dressing in her formal attire, she brought along Baoli, who was dressed up anew, and boarded the carriage to the palace.

In Baoli’s arms was his dog, Walnut, also dressed in a small red and gold jacket.

The fair and chubby little boy looked just like a New Year’s poster child.

The palace banquet was a grand affair where all the officials gathered to offer their blessings to the Emperor.

Due to previous rumors that the Emperor was suppressing the aristocratic families, Duke Wei Zhong personally requested the Emperor to restore familial harmony by bringing the Empress Dowager, who had long secluded herself in prayer, back into court.

This move not only fulfilled the sentiment of family reunion for the New Year but also quelled the accusations that the Emperor was unfilial and had confined the Empress Dowager.

Over the years, Empress Dowager Wei’s forehead and eyes had developed fine lines, yet her love for beauty remained unchanged—she was still adorned in extravagant jewels.

However, she now exuded an icy coldness, completely devoid of the charming expressions she once displayed when Mao was by her side.

With Feng Liwu, there was not even the faintest trace of a smile.

The civil and military officials all felt secondhand embarrassment for the Emperor.

Though the palace banquet appeared lively on the surface, it utterly lacked the warmth of familial bonds.

It wasn’t until Jiang Xiurun entered the grand hall with little Baoli that the atmosphere shifted.

Many officials had previously heard vague rumors about the Emperor’s supposed affair with the foreign empress, but they had dismissed them as baseless gossip.

Now, however, seeing the little prince of Bo, who was practically a mirror image of the Great Qi’s Emperor, they could no longer ignore it—each of them was visibly shaken.

The thoughts of the courtiers varied, and murmurs spread among them.

Among the attending concubines were Cao and Tian, who were little more than decorations in the harem.

Watching Yao—who once exclusively enjoyed the former Crown Prince’s favor—now appear even more radiant than before, they seethed with resentment.

It was rumored that the Emperor spent almost every night at the Empress Yaren’s palace, showering her alone with the affection meant to be shared among the six palaces.

No wonder she looked so stunning!

However, what gave them some comfort was that no matter how favored the empress was, she remained a foreign ruler with a different surname.

No matter how much her child resembled the Emperor, he was nothing more than a bastard born out of an illicit union—unworthy of being recorded in the Feng family’s genealogy.

Empress Dowager Wei watched as Yao, now carrying her young son, gracefully approached and let out a cold snort.

She found the child, who bore such a striking resemblance to Feng Liwu, utterly displeasing.

But little Baoli was oblivious to the subtle animosities of the high court.

In his soft, milky voice, he recited the New Year blessings his mother had taught him to the Emperor of Great Qi.

Though he didn’t quite understand why he couldn’t call his father “Daddy” in the grand hall and had to address him as “Your Majesty” instead, his mother had repeatedly instructed him, so he made sure to remember.

But after finishing his greetings, he could no longer hold back and toddled straight to the dragon throne, stretching out his little hands for Feng Liwu to pick him up.

Seeing his son’s tender face, Feng Liwu ignored all formalities and scooped the child into his arms, handing him pastries from the imperial desk.

Baoli, his mouth full of pastries, then pointed at the roasted meat on the table, demanding his father cut some for him.

Fortunately, the grand hall was filled with the sounds of music and drums, so unless one was very close, they would not have heard the little boy call out “Daddy.”

Some officials, however, noticed the boy’s lip movements and suspected he had called the Emperor “Daddy,” but they all chose to feign ignorance.

But Empress Dowager Wei could not tolerate it.

She coldly reprimanded, “Where did this bastard come from, daring to claim kinship in front of everyone?”

Jiang Xiurun, seated right across from the Empress Dowager beside Feng Liwu, heard her words loud and clear.

Baoli, nestled in his father’s arms, also caught the Empress Dowager’s remark.

However, being just a child, he didn’t realize that “bastard” was directed at him.

He simply continued biting into the roasted meat his father had fed him while curiously gazing at the old woman.

Feng Liwu immediately darkened at his mother’s words.

He regretted it.

He should never have listened to his grandfather’s advice and allowed his mother to leave her seclusion for the New Year.

She was truly beyond saving!

Meanwhile, after delivering her harsh and unpleasant remark, Empress Dowager Wei felt completely at ease.

In such a public setting, her son, for the sake of his dignity, would have to endure it.

As for that Yao, she too could not afford to lose her composure in front of others.

She intended to drive this shameless pair to their graves with anger!

But just then, Jiang Xiurun smiled and spoke gently, “Your Majesty is mistaken. A ‘bastard,’ as the term suggests, is a child born in secrecy, an illegitimate offspring conceived through adultery—like those born from extramarital affairs, forever bearing disgrace and unfit to be acknowledged in public.”

She paused briefly before continuing, “But I am the Empress of Bo, and in my harem, my consorts must all be equally favored. My child is a royal prince of Bo, destined to inherit the throne. As long as his mother holds enough honor, it does not matter who his father is! A ‘bastard’? He is far from it.”

Though her tone remained light and delicate, her words struck deep, heard only by a few nearby.

Yet they tore open the Empress Dowager’s old wounds, making her so furious that her brows shot up.

She nearly lunged forward, itching to strangle this sharp-tongued woman on the spot.

Feng Liwu, on the other hand, was equally enraged by the remark, “It does not matter who his father is.”

This New Year’s celebration was completely ruined!