Chapter 10: The Asura War God

As soon as Feng Ruqing's house arrest was lifted, she went straight to the imperial garden.

The winter imperial garden was bleak and desolate, with withered branches and fallen leaves scattered all around. Only a few wintersweet flowers bloomed proudly, filling the air with a subtle fragrance.

This garden had once been a paradise where she and her younger sister played joyfully. Now, it had become an eternal wound in her heart.

She vaguely remembered it was here that she was framed and nearly lost her life.

At the thought, a cold glint flashed in Feng Ruqing’s eyes.

She walked slowly, each step taken with extreme caution, her gaze sweeping the surroundings as if searching for the faintest clue.

“Oh, isn’t this Her Majesty the Empress? What a rare visitor!” A sharp, sarcastic voice shattered the garden’s tranquility.

Feng Ruqing lifted her eyes to see Liu Zhaoyi strutting over with a group of palace maids, a hypocritical smile plastered on her face. Feng Ruqing cast her a cold glance but ignored her and continued walking.

“Empress, what’s wrong? You don’t even bow to me anymore? Have you forgotten the palace rules?” Liu Zhaoyi, angered by Feng Ruqing’s indifference, hurried forward to block her path.

Feng Ruqing stopped, her eyes piercing as she stared at Liu Zhaoyi, a cold smile curling her lips. “Liu Zhaoyi, if I remember correctly, the highest rank in the harem belongs to me, doesn’t it? Since when do you have the right to lecture me?”

Liu Zhaoyi’s anger surged. She had thought Feng Ruqing would be weaker and more easily bullied after being confined, but now she was so resolute.

Biting her tongue, she vowed to find an opportunity to utterly destroy the Empress and elevate herself in the palace. The reason she targeted Feng Ruqing so fiercely was that her powerful family faction wanted to suppress Feng Ruqing’s own backing. She was merely a pawn but unwilling to remain subordinate.

Feng Ruqing’s voice was low but carried an undeniable authority, turning Liu Zhaoyi pale and causing the maids behind her to tremble with fear. “You… you…” Liu Zhaoyi shook with rage but was speechless.

Feng Ruqing ignored her and bypassed her to continue forward.

“Stop!” Liu Zhaoyi called out unwillingly. “Empress, don’t be so smug. One day, you will regret this!” Feng Ruqing paused but did not turn back. She only coldly replied, “I’ll be waiting.”

As she pressed on, a faint scent of wintersweet wafted to her.

She took a deep breath and was about to continue when a startled cry came from behind.

“Ah!” Feng Ruqing spun around to see Baizhi collapsed on the ground, tears streaming down her face, clutching a jade hairpin broken in two, looking pitiful.

“Empress, why did you push me? This… this is my family heirloom!” Baizhi sobbed, trembling as she raised the broken hairpin, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Baizhi was the daughter of a minor official, chosen for the palace because of her beauty. Ambitious, she knew she lacked a powerful family background and relied on scheming. Thus, she allied herself with the faction behind Liu Zhaoyi, hoping to secure her foothold in the harem.

The surrounding maids and eunuchs whispered among themselves, casting suspicious and accusatory glances at Feng Ruqing.

Liu Zhaoyi smirked maliciously, as if foreseeing Feng Ruqing’s impending downfall.

Feng Ruqing looked at the scene before her and scoffed in her heart.

The same old drama was being played again, but this time, she would no longer be the fool manipulated by others.

“Family heirloom?” A mocking curve appeared on Feng Ruqing’s lips. “Miss Bai, this imperial garden is full of onlookers. If I really pushed you, do you have any proof?”

Baizhi stiffened, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes, but she quickly masked it and continued crying, “Empress, I saw it with my own eyes. How could it be false? This hairpin was left by my grandmother. Now that you have broken it, how will you compensate me?”

Feng Ruqing remained calm and did not rush to defend herself as before. Instead, she said quietly, “Since Miss Bai insists I pushed you, why not bring this matter before the Emperor to judge?”

Baizhi’s face changed; she hadn’t expected Feng Ruqing to be so straightforward.

She had planned to ruin Feng Ruqing’s reputation and have her confined again, but now Feng Ruqing was voluntarily demanding an audience with the Emperor.

“This…” Baizhi hesitated, her original plan disrupted.

“Why? Miss Bai, are you afraid?” Feng Ruqing pressed, her tone laced with provocation.

Baizhi gritted her teeth and forced calm. “I am not afraid, just… afraid of disturbing the Emperor.”

“Disturbing the Emperor?” Feng Ruqing sneered. “I think not informing the Emperor is the real disturbance.”

She waved her hand and ordered the palace maids behind her, “Arrange to summon the Emperor to the Qianqing Palace!” Baizhi turned pale, opening her mouth but unable to speak.

Liu Zhaoyi stepped forward quickly to persuade, “Empress, this is a trivial matter. Why trouble the Emperor?”

Feng Ruqing gave her a cold glance and said icily, “Liu Zhaoyi, I don’t need you to dictate how I handle things.” With that, she turned and left, leaving a flustered Baizhi and Liu Zhaoyi behind.

Chief Eunuch Zhang hurried after her cautiously. “Empress, are you really going to the Qianqing Palace?”

Feng Ruqing did not stop and casually replied, “Summon.”

Feng Ruqing and her entourage arrived at Qianqing Palace in grand procession.

The Emperor, Ji Ran, was reviewing memorials when he heard the report. Frowning, he wondered, “The Empress? What is she doing here?”

Baizhi knelt pitifully before Ji Ran, sobbing, “Your Majesty, my family’s heirloom jade hairpin was broken by Her Majesty the Empress. Please do justice for me!” She presented the broken hairpin.

Feng Ruqing remained composed, bowed, then looked Ji Ran in the eye and said calmly, “Your Majesty, I am innocent. I did not push Miss Bai, and this hairpin is not a family heirloom.”

Ji Ran’s gaze shifted between the two, curious. “Empress, explain.”

Feng Ruqing smiled coldly and drew a silk handkerchief from her sleeve, unfolding it to reveal a detailed painting of an intact jade hairpin.

“Your Majesty, I had someone draw this hairpin’s likeness some time ago. Its design and craftsmanship are clearly a recent style newly released in the capital. How could it be Miss Bai’s heirloom?”

She then summoned a craftsman who knelt nervously, identifying the hairpin as one he made recently for a client.

The concubines and court ladies around erupted in astonished whispers, casting admiring glances at Feng Ruqing.

Baizhi’s face turned ashen. She staggered, drained of strength.

Feng Ruqing stood straight, eyes full of contempt, and coldly said, “Miss Bai, do you think I am still the Empress who could be so easily framed? Your petty tricks are childish to me.”

Emperor Ji Ran watched silently, gaining new respect for Feng Ruqing’s intelligence and decisiveness.

The atmosphere inside Qianqing Palace was tense, like the calm before a storm.

Ji Ran sat solemnly on the Dragon Throne.

Baizhi knelt trembling, clutching the broken hairpin.

Feng Ruqing, standing tall, slowly unfolded the silk cloth with an invisible force that silenced the entire assembly.

As the craftsman identified the hairpin, a ray of sunlight streamed through the window, shining on the broken piece, as if heaven itself was exposing the plot.

Feng Ruqing’s imposing stance resembled a war goddess descending, intimidating all present.

Baizhi paled in shock, never expecting Feng Ruqing to be so prepared.

Ji Ran looked at the hairpin in his hand, then at the painting, his expression darkening. Though he favored Baizhi, with Feng Ruqing’s solid evidence and witness, he could not show bias.

“Baizhi, do you have anything to say?” Ji Ran asked coldly, warning in his tone.

Baizhi trembled, unable to refute, and could only sob, “Your Majesty, I… I admit my fault.”

Feng Ruqing cast a cold glance at the kneeling Baizhi and Liu Zhaoyi beside her. Her voice was sharp: “I do not wish to see such matters happen again. If anyone in the harem dares to scheme against me again, do not blame me for being ruthless!”

Her fierce aura subdued everyone present.

The concubines bowed their heads, afraid to meet her gaze.

This was no longer the weak and incompetent Empress but a ruthless warrior on the battlefield!

Feng Ruqing bowed and turned to leave.

At the door, she paused, not looking back, and said lightly, “Your Majesty, I take my leave.”

Ji Ran watched her retreating figure, his heart conflicted.

He recalled Feng Ruqing’s other identity—the renowned Major General of the Golden Sands Camp, the legendary War Goddess.

He had thought she was merely a figurehead Empress but now realized he had underestimated her.

Feng Ruqing left Qianqing Palace with a faint, cold smile.

Baizhi, Liu Zhaoyi, this is only the beginning.

She knew the intrigues in the harem would not end here, but she would not sit idly by.

She vowed to uncover the truth behind her sister’s death and drag those responsible down to hell one by one!

She decided to start by investigating the palace maids around Baizhi for clues.

Among them was a maid named Cui’er, Baizhi’s personal attendant, fiercely loyal. Perhaps she held valuable information.

Returning to Fengyi Palace, Feng Ruqing summoned her trusted guard, Shadow.

“Go and bring me Cui’er, Baizhi’s maid.”

Shadow obeyed swiftly and soon brought Cui’er before Feng Ruqing.

Cui’er knelt trembling, eyes full of fear.

“Please spare me, Your Majesty, I know nothing!” she wailed, repeatedly kowtowing.

Feng Ruqing looked coldly at her. “Cui’er, I know you are loyal to Baizhi, but I also believe you don’t wish to die without reason.”

Cui’er looked up, puzzled, not understanding.

Feng Ruqing drew a letter from her sleeve and tossed it before her.

“Look. This is a letter from your brother.”

Cui’er’s hands shook as she opened the letter, her face draining of color.

The letter revealed that her brother was falsely accused of embezzlement and was about to be executed.

“Your Majesty, please save my brother! I am willing to do anything for you!” she sobbed.

A cold smile curved Feng Ruqing’s lips. “If you tell me everything Baizhi and Liu Zhaoyi have done, I can save your brother.”

Cui’er hesitated but ultimately, bound by familial love, slowly began, “I… I know some things…”

Late at night in Fengyi Palace, candlelight flickered. Feng Ruqing listened intently as Cui’er spoke, a cold light shining in her eyes.

“You said Baizhi and Liu Zhaoyi met secretly with a mysterious man?”

Cui’er nodded, voice trembling, “Yes… I saw it myself, but I don’t know who he was.”

Feng Ruqing’s heart stirred as a bold guess formed in her mind.

Could that mysterious man be…

“Shadow,” Feng Ruqing called, instructing, “Investigate all men who have recently entered or left the palace.”

Shadow left at once. Feng Ruqing watched Cui’er, a complex emotion flickering across her eyes.

“Cui’er, you have done a great service. I will find a way to save your brother.

But,” Feng Ruqing’s tone sharpened, “if you dare deceive me, I will make you suffer beyond death!”

Cui’er trembled violently and kowtowed, “I dare not! I dare not!”

Feng Ruqing waved her hand, signaling Cui’er to leave.

Alone under the flickering candlelight, her eyes deep and unreadable, she pondered silently.

Suddenly, urgent footsteps echoed. Shadow hurried in, his face grave.

“Your Majesty, I have found something…”