Chapter 21: Unflinching in the Face of Danger

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Feng Ruqing gazed intently at the jade pendant in her hand, her fingertips gently tracing the familiar patterns etched upon it.

Her younger sister’s gentle smile seemed to linger before her eyes, a stark contrast to the cold corpse lying still. The seething hatred in her chest threatened to consume her whole.

This jade pendant had always been her sister’s cherished keepsake. Now, stained with blood, it had appeared where it should never have been found.

She inhaled deeply, piecing together the clues: her sister’s unusual behavior on the eve of marriage, the evasive testimonies of palace maids and eunuchs, and this very pendant, which had surfaced near the crime scene but should have remained with her sister...

Every clue pointed to a chilling truth: this was a meticulously orchestrated murder, masterminded by a shadowy power with deeply rooted influence, spreading even into the highest echelons of the court.

A flicker of worry passed through Feng Ruqing’s heart.

She knew the battle ahead would be fierce and unforgiving; a single misstep could lead to ruin beyond redemption.

Yet she would never retreat. For her sister, she feared nothing.

She must root out these hidden vipers lurking in darkness and tear them limb from limb!

At the same time, the unseen mastermind concealed within the shadows sensed the encroaching peril.

Feng Ruqing’s investigation had struck at their core; they must eliminate this thorn in their side quickly.

“This woman is tougher than we imagined,” a cold voice murmured. “She cannot be allowed to continue probing.”

“Bribe the palace assassins—make sure she disappears tonight!” another voice issued harshly.

Trained killers slipped through the palace like phantoms, the night providing the perfect veil.

Clutching sharp blades, they approached Feng Ruqing’s chamber silently; the air thickened with deadly intent.

Feng Ruqing set down the pendant and moved to the window, gazing out into the pitch-black sky.

She knew danger was closing in but felt no fear. A cold smile curled at her lips. “These insignificant pests think they can take my life?”

Suddenly, Zhao Hu burst in hurriedly. “General... no, Your Majesty, the Empress! Trouble!” His face was pale, words tumbling out. “Assassins have entered the palace! Commander Sun says the Empress is in danger!”

Feng Ruqing’s eyes sharpened, but an icy smile played on her lips.

“How many?” she asked calmly, as if inquiring about dinner plans.

“Ten... a dozen! Each one a master!” Zhao Hu’s voice trembled, clearly shaken by the sudden crisis.

“Good,” Feng Ruqing sneered, her gaze flashing with cold light. “I’ve been waiting for them.”

Instead of hiding as Zhao Hu urged, she donned a light night outfit and slipped out of her chamber silently.

Before leaving, an image from her childhood flashed through her mind—her sister clutching her hand tightly, calling her “sister” sweetly.

Those cherished memories now transformed into boundless strength. Clenching her fists, her eyes burned with resolve. No matter if the path ahead led through dragon’s lairs or tiger’s dens, she would avenge her sister.

Commander Sun arrived in haste but found the room empty, breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Where is the Empress?” he demanded sternly of the trembling palace maids at the door.

They could only shake their heads, too frightened to speak.

Sun’s heart sank; he knew Feng Ruqing’s prowess well. If she faced the assassins alone, the consequences could be dire.

Feng Ruqing moved deftly across palace rooftops like a ghost in the night.

She knew the palace layout intimately, even better than some senior eunuchs.

She chose a remote, long-abandoned palace, overgrown with weeds—a perfect ambush site.

There, she had pre-set traps, waiting patiently for the prey to walk into her snare.

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Sure enough, the assassins arrived as planned, cautiously searching for Feng Ruqing’s trail, unaware of the looming danger. The moment they stepped into her trap, it was too late.

Sharp bamboo spikes shot up from the ground. Amidst screams, several assassins were killed instantly.

The rest instantly became alert, drawing their weapons and engaging in fierce combat with Feng Ruqing.

Like a streak of black lightning, she darted between them, her movements dizzyingly swift.

Each strike was accompanied by agonized screams as her iron-like palms clamped down on their throats, her knees, as hard as steel, rammed fiercely into their abdomens.

The assassins, expecting an easy kill, found themselves powerless, like lambs to the slaughter. Within moments, all were subdued.

She pressed a boot against one assassin’s chest, her cold gaze razor-sharp. “Speak! Who sent you?”

The assassin clenched his teeth, refusing to talk.

Feng Ruqing sneered, applying slight pressure. “Silence? I have my ways to make you talk.”

Overwhelmed by pain, the assassin finally broke down. “It was... Consort Li! She... she paid us a large sum to kill the Empress!”

Feng Ruqing’s eyes darkened. Li Consort? She had long suspected this woman but never imagined it true.

“Very well.”

She rose and clapped her hands. “Zhao Hu!”

At his call, the subdued assassins were bound tightly.

“Take them away and keep them under strict watch,” she ordered. “I want them to confess Li Consort’s involvement with their own mouths.”

With evidence and the assassins’ confessions in hand, Feng Ruqing made her way to the Golden Throne Hall.

“Your Majesty,” she said coldly, “I have urgent matters to report.”

Clad in her phoenix robe, her expression stern, she presented the bloodied pendant and the assassins’ testimonies, pointing directly to the mastermind—not Li Consort, but the powerful Prime Minister Wang Cheng, second only to the Emperor.

“Your Majesty,” Feng Ruqing’s voice was clear and resolute, “My sister’s death was no accident but a calculated murder! The culprit is none other than Prime Minister Wang Cheng!”

The court erupted in chaos.

Ministers’ eyes widened in shock before whispers swelled into a roar, crashing toward Wang Cheng like a tidal wave.

Their looks of doubt and disdain made the once-untouchable Prime Minister appear like a rat cornered in the open.

Wang Cheng’s face flushed, but he forced calm. “Empress, one can be careless with food but not with words. Do you have proof?”

Feng Ruqing laughed coldly. “We have witnesses and evidence. Will you still deny it?”

She signaled Zhao Hu to bring the captured assassins forward. Trembling, they recounted how Wang Cheng ordered Li Consort to hire killers to eliminate the Empress.

Li Consort’s personal maid was summoned to testify as well. With irrefutable evidence, Wang Cheng could no longer evade.

The Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne, his heart a tumult of emotions.

He knew Wang Cheng’s vast influence but never imagined his audacity.

He also felt a pang of guilt toward Feng Ruqing; his neglect of the harem had allowed tragedy to unfold. Yet he could not entirely leave her to act alone—one move could shake the entire realm.

In fury, he ordered Wang Cheng’s arrest and a thorough investigation of his faction.

Li Consort was banished to the cold palace, her fate unknown.

The court was gripped by fear; no one expected the seemingly delicate Empress to wield such thunderous power.

Feng Ruqing watched Wang Cheng dragged away, feeling no satisfaction. Her cold gaze swept the Emperor, full of loathing.

All this had happened under his watch, yet he remained oblivious, even complicit through indulgence.

Turning away, she left behind a resolute silhouette.

The Emperor stared after her, an inexplicable dread rising within.

“Empress...” he started to call, but no words came forth.

He suddenly realized he might have lost her forever.

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Returning to Fengyi Palace, Zhao Hu knelt on one knee. “General, what are our next steps...?”

Feng Ruqing raised a hand to stop him. “No hurry,” a cold gleam in her eyes. “The real hunt has only just begun...”

Her ruthless handling of the Prime Minister sent shockwaves through the palace.

Those concubines who had once mocked her lack of favor now cowered in silence, bowing their heads whenever she passed, fearful of incurring her wrath.

Nobles who had sneered or schemed against her were restless with fear, living each day in dread that they might be next to face her reckoning.

Feng Ruqing scorned their hollow flattery and trembling reverence.

Though her sister’s revenge was achieved, she knew it was but the tip of the iceberg.

This deep palace was a vast cauldron steeped in blood and conspiracy.

Her relationship with the Emperor was a fragile façade, fractured beyond repair.

Days later, the palace held a grand banquet celebrating a victorious border campaign.

Feng Ruqing appeared resplendent in an ornate phoenix robe, her noble and icy aura commanding the room.

She moved with regal grace, like a queen descending, stunning all present.

Amidst the clinking of cups and swirling intrigue, the Emperor frequently raised his glass, seemingly in camaraderie with his ministers, but his gaze lingered on Feng Ruqing, complex and unreadable.

She ignored his watchful eyes, pouring and drinking as if detached from the world.

As music and dance filled the hall, a scantily clad dancer performed, her movements seductive, her eyes casting coquettish glances toward the Emperor.

Emboldened, he drank more deeply.

Suddenly, the dancer slipped, tilting her cup, and a cold stream of wine spilled over Feng Ruqing’s splendid robe.

Yet she remained composed, lifting her hand slowly to catch the dripping drops, a frosty smile playing upon her lips.

“This wine, I will remember. If anyone intends to play games tonight, I shall see them through to the end.”

Her voice was low, yet it cut through the room like a chilling wind.

No sooner had she spoken than turmoil erupted outside.

A group of black-clad assassins burst into the hall, brandishing blades, killing indiscriminately.

Chaos engulfed the banquet—screams mingled with clashing weapons in a cacophony of disorder.

Feng Ruqing faced the sudden attack unflinchingly, drawing a dagger concealed in her sleeve, responding with calm precision.

Zhao Hu and Commander Sun quickly rallied to her side, battling fiercely against the intruders.

Sun watched Feng Ruqing closely amid the fight, noting her formidable martial skill—each move lethal, utterly unlike a secluded palace lady.

Could it be that she was the legendary...

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