Chapter Nineteen: The Next Step

"Enough! What kind of decorum is this in the Imperial Court? I leave this matter for the Grand General to investigate. We shall discuss this again only when there are results!"

With a wave of his hand, the Emperor of Zhou brought the matter to a close. The ministers exchanged glances, sensing that the very heavens of the Great Zhou were about to change.

"I must thank the Prime Minister for this," Zhou Hao said, stepping forward to intercept the Prime Minister as he prepared to leave. A faint smile played on his lips. Had the Prime Minister spoken up for the Third Prince, things might not have proceeded so smoothly.

The Prime Minister merely smiled in response. "What could this matter possibly have to do with an old man like me? I merely caught a nap during the court session; I never imagined I would miss such a significant event."

A nap? The clamor earlier had been so intense it rivaled the scene of an execution at a marketplace. If the Prime Minister could truly sleep through that, Zhou Hao could only admire the depth of his composure.

"In that case, I shall not trouble you further," Zhou Hao said, bowing before walking over to the Grand General.

"Son-in-law, how should we respond to this?" the Grand General whispered into Zhou Hao's ear. He understood the Emperor’s intent clearly: a cold-handling of the situation. He was to investigate at his leisure. If he found something, it would be to his own credit. And if he found nothing? The matter would simply be buried and never spoken of again—what could be difficult about that?

Zhou Hao sneered and replied casually, "This is not the place for such talk. I shall return to your estate with you, and we can discuss it in detail."

...

Inside the imperial palace, the Emperor of Zhou strode toward the Empress's bedchamber, his face flushed with rage. Even his closest eunuch dared not challenge him at such a moment, trailing behind him at a trot.

Upon entering the chamber, the Emperor kicked the door open and delivered two sharp slaps to the Empress's face. "You fool! What have you done?"

The Empress did not back down, her eyes burning with a look that seemed ready to devour him. "What is this? Why did you strike me?"

"I struck you because of what you did! Did you send assassins to kill Zhou Hao yesterday?" The Emperor was seething. He could think of no one else in the imperial city capable of such a stunt. It was so arrogant and brazen, showing no regard for the order of the city.

In her heart, she only cared for her precious son!

"So what? Do you not wish for that bastard to die?" she retorted. "He returned from the lands of the barbarians to steal the crown prince position from Qing'er! What is wrong with me taking action?"

The Emperor let out a cold snort, his gaze icy. "What is wrong? He has brought this matter to the Imperial Court, letting every official know that there are assassins in the capital! You fool, if you are going to do something, do it directly and decisively! What is the point of this half-baked attempt? You have only brought trouble upon me."

The Emperor turned to leave, tossing back one final command: "Stay in the palace for the next two days. Do not step outside."

The Empress glared, her expression contorted with ferocity. "You are placing me under house arrest? You dare?"

"Why would I not dare? I am the Emperor of the Great Zhou!" The Emperor roared, looking at the Empress with utter disdain. It was the first time he had realized that his own Empress could be this foolish. She was ruthless, yes, but what good was ruthlessness? Her mind was empty, as dull as a pig; she was unfit for any task of importance.

He would keep her confined to force her to calm down and prevent her from committing any more blunders.

The Empress, however, could not fathom this. She stared at the Emperor with icy hatred, filled with fury. This was the first time she had ever been punished, the first time she had felt such humiliation.

"And Qing'er?" she hissed.

The Emperor snorted coldly. "Let him stay composed! Once I find a desolate, frigid land to banish Zhou Hao to, they will never have to see each other again. Why fret over this brief moment?"

...

"Son-in-law, tell me your thoughts," the Grand General said, sitting down with a heavy, authoritative air, ready to listen to Zhou Hao’s plan. If this matter were not blown wide open, he truly had no way to deal with the Empress and would have to wait to exact his revenge later.

"It is simple. Since the Emperor claims I staged this myself, let us put on a performance for him to see," Zhou Hao said calmly, noticing the Grand General's confusion. "The Emperor surely knows who these assassins belong to; otherwise, his first concern would have been his own safety."

"Since he wants to drag this out, we must do the opposite. We shall hire people to pose as assassins and ransack the home of the minister who spoke up for the Third Prince." Zhou Hao paused for a moment before continuing slowly. "Then, you shall submit a petition to confess your own 'failure,' not only to disgust the Emperor but to sow discord between him and the Empress."

"With this one stone, we strike two birds. Not only will it vent our frustration, but it will also force that old hag of an Empress to calm down."

Zhou Hao’s words were spoken in a flat tone, but to the Grand General, they sounded like a thunderclap. This move was truly brilliant. We give the Emperor exactly what he does not want.

However, the target seemed poorly chosen. "Son-in-law, is it wise to target that minister? The Emperor will surely guess it was us, not the Empress's handiwork."

"And if he guesses it, what then?" Zhou Hao spread his hands. "Will he claim the Grand General staged his own attack? That I staged it myself? The previous assassination was not ours, and this one is? The ministers will not believe it."

"They will only see that the imperial city is becoming increasingly unstable. The Emperor certainly won't dare to admit it was the Empress, so he will be forced to try and suppress this wave—but how can one suppress such a tide?"

Zhou Hao chuckled, his expression playful. "The final result will be that the Emperor must either sacrifice the Empress and strip her of her title, or he will have to find some direction, some excuse, to bury this matter entirely."

As for what came next? That would depend on how the Emperor and Empress reacted. If their reaction was sound, he could guard against their subsequent moves. But if there was no reaction, then Zhou Hao would not be blamed for making an even greater scene.

Understanding this, the Grand General smiled and left the room to arrange the night's assassination.

Zhou Hao prepared to return to his own estate. Just as he stepped out, he saw Bi Ruxue standing at the door, her expression conflicted, her hands tightly clenched into fists.

"Miss Bi, are you here to see the Grand General?"

Seeing Zhou Hao emerge, Bi Ruxue seemed startled. Her eyes fluttered with panic, darting around. "No... I just wanted to thank you for this. If something had happened to you, my reputation would have likely..."

After much deliberation, Bi Ruxue had decided to come to Zhou Hao to offer her thanks. But upon reaching the door, she had hesitated, debating whether to knock, only to have Zhou Hao walk out right in front of her.

After thanking him, she turned and hurried away, as if her earlier presence had never existed at all.

"It seems this wife of mine is truly one who says the opposite of what she feels," Zhou Hao chuckled, dismissing the encounter as nothing more than a passing interlude.