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墨書 Inktalez
I continued, "Open the city gates wide."
I smiled lightly and walked over to sit across from Li Jiu. I reached out to brew myself another cup of Chrysanthemum Tea. The boiling water poured down, filling the delicate, translucent white jade cup. The pale yellow chrysanthemums floated serenely, slowly unfurling in the water, hissing softly like the sound of a flower blooming. They gradually became plump and rich.
The color was clear and beautiful, just like my fondness for the night.
Moonlight spilled through the ancient wooden window, spreading like a silver satin sheet, illuminating my flowing hair with a dazzling glow.
The two of them stared at me blankly, forgetting their words.
I casually remarked, "Illusions and realities, truth and falsehood. What is true cannot be distinguished from what is false. No one can clarify it."
"I remember someone once said that sadness, anger, hatred, resentment, doubt, and confusion... hiding these things away, the highest level of performance is turning one's face into a mask.
The princes who rebelled alongside Su Jun, apart from the Eighth Prince, were nothing but empty vessels; they merely followed the wind and joined in the commotion. Their true intention was simply to use Su Jun to threaten the emperor and the court a little, hoping to have their confiscated fiefs and properties returned. To resolve these two issues, all that was needed was for the emperor to write two letters promising what they desired, ensuring that neither would know that the other received a secret decree. If they agreed, they would also have to provide their tokens to the court to guarantee they had no treasonous intentions. Each harbored ulterior motives and would surely lose interest in rebellion; after all, they shared the surname Sima, and this country belonged to their ancestors—they naturally did not want to hand it over to others. Then releasing Wind Sound to participate in this rebellion would inevitably strip them of their titles and honors; they could not be buried in the royal mausoleum after death. Coercion and temptation layered upon each other.
As for the Eighth Prince, he could not be treated in such a manner. He was originally an upright loyal subject but was compelled by his beloved wife’s pleas and his connection to Su Jun as his father-in-law; he had no choice but to join the rebellion against his sovereign. However, I believed he felt reluctant and even guilty towards the court. Given his mindset, reasoning with him could lead him to surrender. Su Jun's army was advancing towards the capital from four directions while the armies of three princes were merely vanguards and slightly weaker forces. You could first open the west gate for the Eighth Prince's attack; he would surely suspect a trap. Then let the emperor meet him personally to inform him that the other two princes had already surrendered. He would not believe it at first but would be shown their tokens given to the court. Seeing us daringly open the city gates without a single soldier would convince him. Moreover, with his loyalty to king and country, seeing the emperor would undoubtedly fill him with shame—victory without battle.
In the end, only Su Jun's army remained—the strongest among the three forces and most difficult to deal with. However, he overlooked one thing: the plague had just subsided. Those soldiers were already worried about their wives and parents; they were eager to check on their well-being. Furthermore, this time the court had achieved much due to the plague and held great prestige and responsibility among the people. Su Jun's soldiers were subjects of the dynasty; their families had benefited from both the court's grace and Jun Jin's kindness. On the day they attacked Jiankang, if we allowed citizens and those soldiers' families to greet them outside the city along with appearances from the emperor and Jun Jin Jin Shao—being seen as righteous forces by the court—Su Jun’s rebellion lacked timing, location, and support from people; victory in this battle was assured."
The two of them were utterly dumbfounded; they never expected that such a national catastrophe could be resolved so effortlessly with just a few casual words from her—so logically that there was no flaw to be found. Moreover, palace consorts usually stayed within the inner palace; when had she learned all this? She hadn’t asked anyone or sneaked out at all. She seemed to know everything about the enemy forces.
I understood their confusion. As they say: know yourself and know your enemy; you will never lose in a hundred battles. Long before I entered the palace, I had Song Kong gather all relevant intelligence thoroughly. The so-called A Bead of Pearl—renowned as both the world's greatest assassin organization and intelligence network—should not be underestimated.
“Mom, how did you know Jin Shao would show up? He’s the most mysterious person in the entire martial world, the business realm, and the whole continent,” Shaoshao finally asked, sounding more normal.
I looked at him and laughed cheerfully, “You don’t know that your mom is a goddess? I just know!” My answer was still cheeky, avoiding any probing questions.
Li Jiu gave me a deep look and said solemnly, “Why didn’t you tell him yourself?”
I took a sip of tea. The thing I learned best since coming to this ancient time was how to drink tea. I chuckled lightly, “Did I say anything just now?” I feigned innocence and confusion, widening my eyes without a hint of impurity as I looked at them. “I’ve just been here drinking tea, listening to you two talk.”
The two remained expressionless. Compared to my ease and humor, their expressions grew heavier and more complex. Who would have thought she was so clever yet still unwilling to show her brilliance or attract attention? Such a woman is truly rare in this world. How could there be someone so special and reserved, hidden among the masses, willing to live an ordinary life, open-minded and indifferent, content to disguise herself among the crowd?
They couldn’t imagine what she would be like if she were not a woman but a man instead. If she were passionate about power and wanted to fight for it, what would this country and continent become?
They dared not think further; the more they pondered, the more frightened they became. A chill ran down their spines, cold sweat dripping.
“Alright,” I stood up and patted my backside. “It’s late. Time to go back and rest. Shaoshao, you’ve just recovered from your illness; you need to rest more. You don’t need to get involved in these troubles.”
Sima Shao nodded obediently and smiled at me, “Got it, Mom. You too.”
As I reached the door, I suddenly turned around and said meaningfully, “Li Taifu, Lotus Consort didn’t come today, right?”
He understood and replied, “How could the esteemed Lotus Consort lower herself to visit someone as humble as me?”
I nodded and sighed lightly, “Don’t let him know.” With that, I turned and disappeared into the night.
Everything's appearance felt like a nightmare, both real and unreal. The Beloved One has come, and the Beloved One has gone.
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