CHAPTER 556: CHAPTER 52: KNOWING IT LIKE THE BACK OF ONE’S HAND

Night.

In the halls of Huangyun Palace, a pair of nominal mother and son, actual sworn enemies, met again.

"Empress Dowager, you lost," Feng Jiwu said indifferently, looking at the noblewoman seated across from him.

"I lost, I lost by underestimating you," the Empress Dowager said with a wry smile.

She had always underestimated this bastard, whether in the battle for the throne or this political upheaval. Always thinking she held the winning hand, only to find out that the enemy had everything arranged, just waiting for her to fall into the trap.

"So, are you here to kill me?"

To the Empress Dowager’s surprise, Feng Jiwu shook his head and said, "I promised Feng Qiwu that I would spare your life."

Since he promised someone, he would keep his word. Feng Qiwu had the sense to make a deal that was rewarding for both sides.

"Really? Qiwu has actually forgiven you..."

A mother knows her child best. As soon as she saw how Feng Jiwu was acting, the Empress Dowager knew that Feng Qiwu must have met with the current Emperor in private and even forgiven Feng Jiwu, still considering him a brother.

"How can he? How dare he?!" The dignified Empress Dowager finally lost her composure, her face twisting as if possessed by an Evil Ghost, her gaze towards Feng Jiwu filled with pure hatred.

"The hatred for killing a brother, the resentment for stealing a wife, how can he let go so easily? How can he just forgive you?" the Empress Dowager shrieked angrily.

She didn’t care about the deaths of the other Princes, but the death of the Eldest Prince was something the Empress Dowager could not overlook.

To this day, the Empress Dowager also understood that Feng Chaonan was just Feng Jiwu’s pawn, and to say that Feng Guanyu died at Feng Chaonan’s hands was less accurate than saying he died at Feng Jiwu’s.

Such a close and brutal familial betrayal, yet Feng Qiwu just let it pass lightly, how could the Empress Dowager not be outraged, not go mad?

"Maybe, he is simply someone who is destined to forgive others," Qing Yu suddenly appeared behind the Empress Dowager, waving his horsetail whisk to scatter the gathered True Qi within her body.

"The Empress Dowager is heartless enough, preferring to die rather than let the enemy have peace. But haven’t you thought that even if Qiwu were to hate Jiwu, he might not be able to overcome him?" Qing Yu asked with a light laugh.

Just moments ago, the Empress Dowager had feigned anger, but in reality, she was preparing to practice self-immolation by severing her own energy channels. That way, the blame for the Empress Dowager’s death would fall upon Feng Jiwu’s head, and no one would be able to shift it.

At this time, it was the middle of the night, and the palace maids and eunuchs of Huangyun Palace had already stepped down. If the Empress Dowager were to die now, Feng Jiwu, who shared the same room with her, would not be able to escape involvement.

Even though Feng Jiwu is the revered Emperor, and the Empress Dowager is bearing guilt, no execution would follow. But the aftermath would not be easy to handle.

Even if it was announced that the Empress Dowager died of an illness, this could be concealed from the common people, but not from Feng Qiwu.

Once Qiwu knew, the outcome would be clear.

The Empress Dowager intended to use her own death to turn Feng Jiwu and Feng Qiwu into utter enemies of life and death.

Using her demise as a bargaining chip, it must be said that the Empress Dowager was ruthlessly determined. Just with this maneuver, one could say that she was equally courageous as any man.

"Who are you to call him Jiwu?"

Of course, the Empress Dowager knew who the white-haired Daoist behind her was – the infamous Demon Path Qing Yu of Northern Zhou. This reputation was spread by her orders.

What she really wanted to know was why this white-haired Daoist dared to disregard the protocol of sovereigns and subjects and utter Feng Jiwu’s former name. Her sharp intuition told her that this man’s true identity was anything but simple.

"Who I am is irrelevant to you. But can you tell me, how did you make a connection with Xinyi Temple, Guangwen Temple, and Yunkai Temple? Did they approach you, or did you seek them out? Are these the requests of the Three Temples themselves, or the entire Zen Sect?" Qing Yu asked.

Although he had already heard Zen Master Bai Kong’s answer, Qing Yu was still not at ease and wanted to confirm it once more.

Nowadays, the Zen Sect has rooted itself in Northern Zhou, with a warrior of the Divinity Realm always stationed in the north. If they really were to rebel against Feng Jiwu, they indeed could cause him severe headaches.

The Empress Dowager also understood this, which is why she chose to remain silent.

However, before Qing Yu, silence was useless. Even though the Empress Dowager was skilled in Martial Arts, her Realm was far inferior to Qing Yu’s. Trying to conceal the truth from Qing Yu at such a Realm was undoubtedly futile.

"Is that so? They approached you, but in their words, their focus was always on me, wasn’t it?" Qing Yu casually articulated the Empress Dowager’s thoughts.

"You..." The Empress Dowager’s face showed shock.

This uncanny ability to read minds was indeed terrifying. The Empress Dowager felt as if she had no secrets at all under those scrutinizing eyes behind her. This feeling of having nowhere to hide anything made the Empress Dowager sincerely feel shame and panic.

"Do not gloat, you will eventually pay for your actions," the Empress Dowager said with a cold laugh.

"Are you thinking about the matter of Kuocang Pass?"

The light words caused the Empress Dowager to tremble involuntarily.

Again, he saw through her. Could he really see into a person’s heart?

Qing Yu continued, "General Yi Qianshan is indeed heartless. Before leaving, he even wrote a letter about his secret departure from Kuocang Pass and gave it to his confidant, instructing him to secretly deliver the letter to the Left Xianwang of the Golden Wolf Han Court if he could not return within three days. Even in death, he would not let Northern Zhou have peace. Your brother’s nature is not unlike yours."

"Hmph," the Empress Dowager sneered, "Since you know of this, then prepare to face the invasion of the Golden Wolf Han Court. Even though the Golden Wolf Khan and Meng Shanhe had an agreement promising not to disturb Northern Zhou for ten years, this agreement is not without loopholes."

In the Northern Grassland, there are countless tribes, and the Golden Wolf Han Court is essentially a tribal alliance. The Khan made an agreement with Meng Shanhe in the name of the Han Court, so as long as the invading tribe does not belong to the Golden Wolf Han Court, it would suffice.

And for the Khan, this was a simple matter.

Today, a tribe could be driven out of the Golden Wolf Han Court; tomorrow, they could be invited back in.

Apart from those iconic warriors of the God Realm, how Meng Shanhe managed the rest of the manpower was beyond his control.

"What a pity..." Qing Yu suddenly lamented.

"Pity that no sooner had Yi Qianshan left Kuocang Pass than his trusted man died an unnatural death. As for the letter..."

Qing Yu pulled out an unaddressed letter from his sleeve, "See, is this the one?"

"You..." The Empress Dowager suddenly deflated, collapsing in her seat.

Everything had been calculated by the enemy, no wonder they lost. Every move of their side was fully known to the opponent and countered; how could they win in such a fight?

The Empress Dowager looked at Qing Yu warily, her intuition telling her that all of this scheming had passed through his hands.