Chapter 9: You wretch, how dare you deceive me!

Before Feng Ruqing could summon General Wang, the Emperor’s edict arrived at the Fengyi Palace. The piercing, shrill voice of the eunuch echoed through the hall, reading a decree that was sharp as a blade, placing her under house arrest.

She let out a cold laugh. This edict had arrived most conveniently—was he afraid she might uncover something she shouldn't?

Three days into her confinement, the atmosphere within the study was suffocating. Clouds of agarwood incense swirled, yet they could not mask the scent of gunpowder lingering in the air. Ji Ran sat upright on the dragon throne, his deep eyes flickering with a sharp, scrutinizing light. His knuckles, prominent and pale, tapped rhythmically against the desk, the dull thuds adding to the oppressive weight of the room.

Though clad in simple court robes, Feng Ruqing could not hide her biting, regal presence. She was escorted by two guards, yet her gait remained steady and powerful, as if she were walking across a battlefield of ten thousand men rather than cold floor tiles.

"Audacious Feng Ruqing, do you know your crime!" Ji Ran’s voice was low and majestic, heavy with imperial wrath.

Feng Ruqing raised her eyes, meeting his gaze directly without a shred of fear. "I am unaware of any crime, Your Majesty."

"General Wang saw it with his own eyes! You met with him in private and even gifted him a jade pendant! This pendant is a token of the Golden Sands! What were you planning?" Ji Ran slammed a jade pendant onto the floor. It struck the ground with a crisp, sharp sound that exploded like a thunderclap in the silent study.

Feng Ruqing’s gaze fell upon the pendant, her eyes flashing momentarily. It was indeed her property, but she had never given it to General Wang.

"Your Majesty, I am wronged! I have never met General Wang, nor have I ever gifted him this pendant," she said, her tone firm, neither servile nor overbearing.

"You still dare to quibble!" Bai Zhi, who was leaning weakly against Ji Ran, chimed in with a delicate voice. "Your Majesty, I too have heard that the Empress has been in close contact with General Wang recently. This pendant is ironclad proof!"

Ji Ran’s gaze towards Feng Ruqing grew increasingly frigid. His voice carried a warning: "Empress, I shall give you one last chance. Confess and be treated leniently; resist and face the full severity of the law!"

Feng Ruqing sneered inwardly. It was clear now that this was a trap laid long ago. General Wang, Bai Zhi, and Ji Ran—what exactly were they trying to achieve?

She took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Your Majesty, there is one thing I do not understand..." She looked straight at Ji Ran, her piercing gaze seemingly capable of looking right through him. "I dare to ask: how did General Wang know that I met him 'in private,' and how did he obtain this 'token'? I live deep within the palace and have no dealings with military generals. General Wang’s claims are utterly absurd."

She paused, turning her sharp, blade-like gaze toward Bai Zhi. "Furthermore, it is no secret that General Wang has been in close contact with certain individuals in the inner palace. Your Majesty, do you truly have no judgment as to whether this jade pendant was a gift from me or a frame-up planted by someone else?"

Bai Zhi’s expression flickered, her eyes shifting with a trace of panic beneath her fragile facade. She clutched Ji Ran’s sleeve and whimpered, "Your Majesty, the Empress is slandering me! My loyalty to you is absolute, and heaven is my witness!"

Ji Ran patted Bai Zhi’s hand, soothing her. "Do not be afraid, my love. I trust you." He turned back to Feng Ruqing, his eyes icy. "Empress, stop spouting nonsense and slandering the loyal! Someone, take the Empress away and interrogate her strictly!"

As two guards stepped forward to seize her, Feng Ruqing remained motionless. She stared intently at Ji Ran, a cold smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Your Majesty, do you truly believe Bai Zhi and General Wang, but not your own Empress?"

"My word is law! Take her away!" Ji Ran waved his hand impatiently, unwilling to look at her a moment longer.

Held firmly by the guards, Feng Ruqing remained unyielding. She held her head high, her voice cold and resolute. "I have one more thing to say, though I know not if I should speak it..."

Ji Ran furrowed his brows, his voice laced with annoyance. "What more could you possibly have to say?"

Feng Ruqing’s gaze swept over Bai Zhi, carrying a profound meaning. "I wanted to say..." She paused, then slowly withdrew a scroll of bright yellow silk from her sleeve. "...perhaps if you looked at this, Your Majesty, you might have a different opinion."

The silk in her hand shimmered under the candlelight like a coiled viper, ready to deliver a fatal strike. Ji Ran’s eyes were drawn to the scroll, a flicker of unease rising within him. He reached out, took the silk, and slowly unfurled it. As the handwriting came into view, his face grew increasingly dark.

The scroll contained evidence of the collusion between General Wang and the palace concubines, including correspondence and secret meetings—every detail meticulously recorded. It even detailed the plot to frame Feng Ruqing and the true history of the jade pendant.

Ji Ran’s gaze shifted from the scroll to Bai Zhi. Her face had turned deathly pale; she shifted her eyes, unable to meet his stare. He realized then that Feng Ruqing had spoken the truth—this was clearly a conspiracy directed at her.

"This... this is impossible!" Bai Zhi stammered, trying to maintain her composure. "This must be a forgery! The Empress is framing me!"

Feng Ruqing sneered, her eyes burning. "Consort Bai, the handwriting on this scroll is General Wang’s own. Are you going to claim that is a forgery as well?"

Bai Zhi was rendered speechless, her face turning even paler. Ji Ran’s eyes darted between the two women, his mind in turmoil. He had always thought Feng Ruqing was jealous and overbearing, but he had never imagined she was the one being framed. And he, blinded by Bai Zhi’s fragile exterior, had trusted a villain and wronged his own Empress.

A surge of anger rose from his heart. Ji Ran slammed the scroll onto the floor and glared at Bai Zhi. "Wretched woman! How dare you deceive me!"

Terrified, Bai Zhi collapsed to her knees, weeping and begging for mercy. "Your Majesty, spare me! I know I was wrong! I was just momentarily confused..."

Feng Ruqing watched Bai Zhi on the floor without a hint of pity. She walked slowly toward Ji Ran and looked him in the eye, her tone icy. "Your Majesty, do you still believe I am the guilty one?"

Ji Ran avoided her gaze, his tone complicated. "I have wronged you."

"Wronged me?" Feng Ruqing laughed coldly. "Your Majesty, you have not only wronged me, but you have been blinded by villains, unable to distinguish right from wrong!" Her voice rose, commanding and imposing. "You are the Son of Heaven, yet you listen to slander and persecute the loyal. Is this your way of ruling?"

Ji Ran’s face cycled through shades of blue and white, momentarily struck dumb by her commanding presence. He had never seen this side of Feng Ruqing—she seemed more like the monarch, and he like a subject being reprimanded.

Feng Ruqing watched him, a flash of disappointment crossing her eyes before her tone softened. "Your Majesty, every word I spoke today came from my heart. I hope you will learn to discern the truth and never be blinded by villains again." With that, she turned to leave.

"Empress!" Ji Ran called out suddenly, his voice betraying a hint of panic.

Feng Ruqing stopped, but did not turn back.

"I..." Ji Ran hesitated, as if struggling with himself. "I will investigate this matter thoroughly and give you an explanation."

Feng Ruqing did not speak; she merely gave a slight nod and walked out of the study without looking back. Ji Ran watched her departing figure, his heart a storm of conflicting emotions. He realized suddenly that he had never truly understood this woman.

He gripped the silk scroll tightly, his knuckles turning white. He had always seen her as a jealous woman relying on her family's status to act recklessly; it seemed he had been wrong all along. Yet, imperial pride prevented him from admitting his mistake immediately, especially in front of Bai Zhi.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil within, and ordered coldly, "Someone, cast Bai Zhi into the cold palace! Without my decree, no one is to visit her!"

After leaving the study, Feng Ruqing did not immediately return to the Fengluan Palace. She knew this storm had only temporarily subsided; the true crisis remained. General Wang and Bai Zhi were merely pawns; there was surely a greater force pulling the strings. She had to uncover the truth behind her sister's death and expose the mastermind to truly exact her revenge.

She quickened her pace toward the Imperial Garden. That was where she and her sister used to play; perhaps some clues remained there.

Night fell, and the Fengluan Palace was silent. Feng Ruqing sat by the window, gazing at the bright moon, her thoughts racing. She knew the confrontation in the study was just the beginning; greater challenges lay ahead. Surrounded by enemies, she had to tread carefully to protect herself and avenge her sister.

She gently touched the sword at her waist, a cold light flashing in her eyes. This sword had once accompanied her on the battlefield; now, it would be the blade of her vengeance.

Suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps reached her ears. Feng Ruqing looked toward the door, alert. A dark shadow flickered and vanished into the night.

"Who goes there?" Feng Ruqing demanded in a low voice, gripping the hilt of her sword.

There was no reply, only the rustle of wind through the leaves. Feng Ruqing rose, walked to the door, and pushed it open. Standing outside was a person dressed as a palace maid, head bowed, her face obscured.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Feng Ruqing asked sharply.

The maid slowly raised her head, revealing a familiar face—it was...