kvmb Chapter 567
Chapter 567
As dusk stained the eaves of the General's Mansion crimson, Dongfang Wan'er had been sitting in her study for three hours. On the map spread out on her desk, the route between the northern frontier and the capital was heavily circled in vermilion, and candle wax dripped onto the three characters "Wang Chongli," forming a dark red scab. The commander of the secret guards, Ying Yi, silently landed at the window lattice; in the instant the copper bell on the eaves jingled, he had already placed the secret report on the desk.
"Wang Chongli secretly met with spies from the Northern Frontier at the Yuelai Inn in the west of the city three days ago, and he brought with him six boxes of spices from the Western Regions." Yingyi's voice seemed to come from underground. "My subordinates tracked them to the mass grave outside the city and found animal hide letters hidden in the spice packets."
Dongfang Wan'er's fingertips traced the winding border line on the map, where the scorch marks of past battles still remained. She suddenly recalled that three years ago, when the iron cavalry of the northern frontier marched south, Wang Chongli had shouted in the court that "it is inauspicious for a woman to command troops." Now it seemed that those righteous impeachments were nothing more than a carefully woven trap.
"Pass on my order: raid Wang Chongli's private residence at midnight tonight." She slammed the wolf-hair brush into the brush washer, the ink splattering onto the characters "Northern Frontier," blurring into a dark cloud. "Remember, capture them alive."
Meanwhile, the power struggle within the Golden Palace had reached its climax. The Regent slammed the impeachment memorial against the dragon-carved pillar, cracking the jade floor tiles: "You gentlemen keep accusing me of treason, but where is the evidence? If you arbitrarily frame meritorious officials based on mere conjecture, I ask you, what order or discipline remains in this court!" The jade pendant with dragon patterns at his waist swayed violently with the movement, striking the gilded table with a crisp sound, startling the civil officials on the steps into taking a half-step back.
Three days later, at dawn, when Dongfang Wan'er stepped into the palace, the morning mist had not yet dissipated. The sandalwood box in her arms was heavy, containing secret letters that the secret guards had seized overnight. The edges of the letters were still stained with undried blood—ironclad evidence that Wang Chongli had been caught red-handed by the secret guards when he tried to burn the evidence.
"Your Majesty, please look." Dongfang Wan'er spread the animal-hide letter on the imperial desk. The crooked handwriting on it read: "First eliminate Dongfang, then create chaos in the capital. After the deed is done, grant him land and make him a king." The young emperor's fingers, gripping his dragon robe, turned slightly white. The cinnabar ink under the paperweight on the desk was knocked over, staining the yellow silk imperial edict with a hideous blood-red hue.
"Traitor!" The emperor suddenly slammed his fist on the table, the beads on his dragon crown jingling. "Execute Wang Chongli and his entire family! All others who sided with him, dismiss them from their posts and investigate them!" With his roar, guards surged in like a tidal wave, dragging the collapsed Wang Chongli out of the hall. Those officials who had echoed the impeachment turned ashen-faced, their legs trembling uncontrollably beneath their official robes.
Looking at the chaotic scene below, Dongfang Wan'er suddenly recalled the mountains of corpses and seas of blood she had witnessed on the battlefield when she went to conquer the northern frontier. Wasn't the imperial court at this moment another battlefield without the smoke of gunpowder? She stepped forward, her voice clear as a morning bell: "Your Majesty, the remnants of the northern frontier have not been eliminated, and the capital's defenses are weak. I am willing to lead three thousand Xuanjia soldiers to establish twelve lines of defense on the outskirts of the city, while simultaneously suppressing the border bandits."
The Regent looked at her approvingly, his black robe sweeping across the memorials scattered on the ground: "I second your proposal. General Dongfang's plan can ensure ten years of peace in the capital."
As Dongfang Wan'er stepped out of the palace, the midday sun pierced the clouds. She gazed at the towering city walls in the distance, walls that had once withstood countless invasions, now guarding against attacks from within. The wind whispered past her ears, carrying a faint scent of blood, a reminder that this victory was only temporary. In the vortex of power, the true struggle might have just begun.