103 He’s Vengeful, She’s Vicious, You’re Greedy! 4 (1/2)
The moment the words were expelled from Wei Xuan's lips, the
pavilion fell into a momentary silence.
The empress raised an eyebrow, the attractive eyelashes lowered as she directed a thoughtful glare towards the indignant minister.
The palace maidservant clenched her fists, her countenance reddened with righteous anger, but dared not to utter a single word.
Underneath the serene pavilion and overlooking the scenic background of the man-made lake, two influential people stared at the other in a silent, cold war.
Their countenance was neutral and without inflection, their eyes conveying a myriad of intentions and exchanges of information.
One was a common third-ranked official of Great Yong in the Ministry of Defense, but possessed a unique identity as a close and direct affiliate with the emperor.
The other was but a woman, yet her words alone could forcibly alter Lu Jing Yi's actions and decrees without a single word of doubt.
One wielded the memorial whilst the other masterfully
utilized the pillow to its utmost; the two represented the two sides of the
Imperial Court, forcing the usually isolated regimes to collide in a brutal
impact.
A golden fish leaped out of the lake to bask in the momentary
sun and lunge at a pellet of feed floating nearby.
When the flowers had fallen and the flames snuffed to the
ground, the empress finally opened her mouth, a curious expression blooming on
her countenance.
”Bengong wishes to know,” Feng Yu Xin slowly uttered, her gaze carefully examining each and every action of the minister.
”On what basis is bengong being identified as the perpetrator for your daughter's unwilling enlistment?”
Wei Xuan revealed a thin smile, his countenance gradually splitting to display a profound smile.
Before the palace servant's astonished gaze, the minister raised the index finger of his right hand, tapping onto the table covered with snacks at a hypnotizing, rhythmic pace.
”All members of the Taiyi Sect present within Great Yong possess an Elder's writ of authority,” he slowly spoke.
”Thus, they are obliged not to spread any fictitious matters or information; otherwise, their elders would directly sentence them to death. Similarly, the person who enlisted my daughter's name possessed the token of the Imperial Palace' backcourt, but not only did he register my daughter's name, other officials of a rather… interesting group had their daughters' names engraved onto the black monolith.”
”The conjecture regarding the member of the Taiyi Sect is
rather interesting,” the empress smiled, a cold glint suffused within her eyes.
”However, Minister Wei, that does not serve as concrete
evidence, no? By the laws of Great Yong, information obtained from foreign
persons do not constitute as evidence.”
”Your Imperial Highness introduces a fair point; Great Yong
indeed has this restriction.”
Wei Xuan lapsed into a period of silence, before suddenly reaching into the chest pockets of his official's robe with his left hand.
Toying with the cold object clamped tightly between his fingers, the minister flashed a calm smile towards the bemused empress and palace servant.
”However, has Your Imperial Highness not discovered a rather
intriguing aspect regarding this issue?”
”Oh?” Feng Yu Xin narrowed her eyes. ”What intrigue does
Minister Wei deign to seek?”
”Nothing of much value,” Wei Xuan airily waved his hand.
”However, this minister could not help but roam around the
streets of Jiang'an before seeking His Imperial Majesty's presence… on the
numerous black monoliths established by the Taiyi Sect, there are quite the
interesting names. The families of Fellow Cheng, the Right Imperial Censor, the
'Hammer of the Western Providence' General Huang, and Ministry of Rites' Meng
are just the most prominent of the thirty families targeted by this mysterious person.”
”These people, myself included, are privy to the exquisite
dislike Your Imperial Highness holds towards those few… and is it not
interesting that out of all of the officials' families who presented a family
member to partake in the Taiyi Sect's special opportunity… only us few have not
done so willingly?”
”Is Minister Wei accusing bengong of being a petty woman?” Feng Yu Xin coldly leered, a turbid aura peering from within her body.
With the indirect agitation of the empress' spiritual
essence, the atmosphere of the lakeside pavilion immediately deflated with a
dense sour tinge. The palace servant quivered as the fluctuations of spiritual
essence rocked her body, her countenance pale as a sheet of exquisite
calligraphy paper.
”Your Imperial Highness is indeed talented; truly worthy of the title of 'Hong Yu',” Wei Xuan praised, appearing completely unaffected by the colorless turbulence.
The minister even displayed a contented smile, as if the merciless intent dispersed within the wind was nothing but a beautiful woman's tender massage.
”This minister is not labeling Your Imperial Highness as a
petty woman, far from it. It is only that… this minister ultimately did catch
up with this mysterious person, and experienced a wonderful surprise.”
”…has Your Imperial Highness ever heard… of the Faceless Token?”
Boom!
Scarlet light exploded from the empress' body as a phoenix quickly took towards the heavens, the crimson flames leaving trails of destruction and rebirth behind its wake.
Feng Yu Xin did not even bother to display a calm and unaffected expression, the beautiful countenance possessing nothing but a penetrative gaze as she bored holes into the minister.