"You were a Noble Consort then, and you are the Empress now..."
Facing the mirror, Xia Wuyang slowly peeled the Human Skin Mask from his face. It revealed his true features—those of a man over seventy, yet with the youthful appearance granted by his True Monarch Cultivation. "But a blood debt does not fade with time. Instead, it grows heavier. And tonight, it is time to repay it."
Kunning Palace sat at the northernmost end of the Imperial Palace’s central axis, directly opposite Qianqing Palace to the south, a symbol of the shared eminence of the Emperor and Empress.
It was more opulent than any other palace, styled exactly to Murong Wan’s taste.
The vermilion walls stood three zhang high, topped with Bright Yellow glazed tiles that shimmered with a faint golden light even on this snowy night, presenting a magnificent sight.
Before the palace gates stood a pair of phoenixes carved from white jade. Their eyes were inlaid with South Sea Pearls, which seemed to come alive in the light of the palace lanterns. Each South Sea Pearl was of immeasurable value, far beyond the imagination of any commoner.
Midnight had passed, yet Kunning Palace remained as brightly lit as if it were day.
Inside the main hall, Fengyi Hall, the Underfloor Heating roared, making the room as warm as spring without a hint of the winter chill.
Eighteen gilded palace lanterns hung from the rafters, their wicks burning Merfolk Oil, a tribute from the Western Regions. It burned not only bright and long but also released a faint, exotic fragrance said to soothe the mind and preserve one’s beauty. A mere drop was worth dozens of taels of silver.
This was not oil burning, but gold and silver.
Empress Murong Wan was reclining on the Phoenix Couch, a mattress of whole stoat pelts beneath her and a brocade quilt embroidered with golden thread in a pattern of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix covering her.
She appeared to be in her thirties, but in truth, she was nearly a century old. For a First Grade Grandmaster, however, a hundred years was still the prime of youth.
Nourished by Anti-Aging Pills, Beauty Cream, and all manner of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, she maintained an astonishing beauty. She was hardly different from a young maiden, save for the added allure of maturity.
Hers was a face that could topple kingdoms, a beauty that could eclipse the moon and make flowers wilt in shame. It would be no exaggeration to say so.
’In a past life, a combination of such looks, bearing, and figure... would have scored well over a thousand points, shattering the so-called one-hundred-point limit.’
Her skin was as fair as the finest mutton-fat jade, glowing with a warm luster under the light, completely flawless.
Her brows were like distant mountains brushed with ink, her eyes like rippling autumn waters. Her nose was straight and delicate, her lips a natural crimson without a touch of color.
Tonight, she wore only a moon-white silk chemise, covered by a shawl embroidered with a phoenix pattern in golden thread. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall.
Tucked into her hair was a Nine Phoenix Beaded Golden Hairpin, an ornament only an Empress was permitted to wear; no one else would dare.
The Dongzhu pearl held in the phoenix’s beak was the size of a pigeon’s egg, shimmering with a brilliant, flowing light.
Even leaning lazily on the couch, she exuded an air of grace and nobility cultivated from years of holding a high station. That superior aura alone was enough to cow countless simple-minded fools.
It was the bearing she had developed over decades of ruling the six palaces, an empress who was a mother to the nation. In her presence, ordinary Consorts would feel so ashamed of their own inferiority they would not dare to meet her gaze.
At this moment, she was listening to a report from her trusted Female Official.
The Female Official knelt before the couch and spoke in a hushed voice. "Your Majesty, a message just arrived from the Twelfth Prince. He says the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue has made his stance clear and is willing to support the Twelfth Prince in his bid to become the Crown Prince. However, the Minister of Revenue is still hesitant. He says he wants to wait and see, and is not yet ready to pick a side."
Sure enough, with the downfall of the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, and the Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang, even the arrogant brat, the Twelfth Prince Xia Wujie, had started to get his own ideas.
Murong Wan’s long fingers tapped lightly against the Jade Pillow, making a crisp sound.
Hearing the Female Official’s report, a cold smile touched Murong Wan’s lips. Her voice was melodic and beautiful, yet it carried a bone-chilling cold. "Wait and see, you say? That old fox from the Wang Family took plenty of benefits from me back in the day. Now that the Third Prince and Fifth Prince have fallen, he’s still unwilling to support Jiu’Er?"
At this, Murong Wan sat up straight. Her nightgown slipped, revealing a glimpse of her jade-like shoulder and neck. "Tell Minister Wang that if he doesn’t give me a clear answer within three days, I’ll see to it that someone ’accidentally’ leaks the messy accounts his son has been keeping on the Jiangnan salt route to His Majesty. When that happens, he shouldn’t blame me for being merciless."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the Female Official replied at once.
Murong Wan picked up the Blood Swallow Bowl beside her and took a delicate sip. A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Any news from Wenhua Hall recently? Is that elder Crown Prince still not dead? When will he finally give up his position?"
"The Crown Prince is the same as ever, spending all his days carousing with his beauties. Yesterday, he took in several more Shou Liji from the Shouli Country. I hear they caused a ruckus in his hall for a long time, and he eventually had to be carried back to his Practice Room. They say he doesn’t have more than a few months left—half a year at most." The Female Official’s tone was tinged with contempt.
Murong Wan let out a cold laugh. The smile was beautiful but utterly devoid of warmth. "He can still live for a few more months? If the time were right, I’d send him on his way sooner. But for now, we’ll see how things develop. If Jiu’Er can stabilize the situation quickly, perhaps we can send him on his way earlier and secure the Crown Prince’s position. Best to avoid any unforeseen complications."
As she spoke, she glanced toward the distant place where Empress Luo Jin was buried, a mocking expression on her face. "Luo Jin, oh, Luo Jin. You were so magnificent back then. You had the Emperor’s exclusive favor, making the rest of the six palaces pale in comparison. The son you bore was made Crown Prince—the height of honor. But look at you now. Killed by His Majesty’s own hand. Your son has become a complete waste, a laughingstock for decades, and soon he’ll be joining you in the afterlife. I wonder, if you have any awareness in the netherworld, would you find this terribly agonizing?"
She set down the Blood Swallow Bowl, her eyes filled with glee. "Once that old codger is dead, I’ll give his concubines to Jiu’Er to play with. Especially Yun Liyue, Yan Jiuge, and Pan Mo—they’re quite a catch. They aren’t worthy of being Jiu’Er’s Consorts, of course, but they’ll do as servants. Most importantly, there’s the Sword Control Skill. Jiu’Er should be able to cultivate it as well. If he can master it, it would be a huge boost to his power."
Her true intentions lay elsewhere. It wasn’t the women like Yun Liyue or Yan Jiuge she was after, but the value they possessed. That was what she truly prized.
This was especially true of the Sword Control Skill that had caused such a stir recently. Although the original manual was said to have been stolen by the Thief Demon, since it was originally in Yun Liyue’s possession, she had most likely already cultivated and memorized it.
If they could capture Yun Liyue, they could certainly obtain the Sword Control Skill from her. Even if it wasn’t the original version, it would still be a cultivatable technique. It would just require a bit more time and effort.
Yan Jiuge and the others also held considerable value.
"Your Majesty is wise," the Female Official hurriedly flattered.

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