Only a few days had passed since the news of Su Qing'er being appointed Noble Consort broke, yet the winds in the imperial court had already begun to shift.
First, someone brought up during the morning court session that Marquis Weiyuan's Manor enjoyed far too much prestige among the common people, hinting both directly and indirectly that the manor's achievements had eclipsed the throne's, harboring the potential to overshadow the imperial family itself.
Immediately following that, memorials of impeachment flew into the imperial study like snowflakes. The rhetoric shifted from subtle hints to outright accusations, claiming that Marquis Weiyuan's Manor was hoarding military power for selfish ends, forming cliques for private gain, and that the soldiers at the border only answered to the Shen family's commands.
Although the Emperor did not express his stance on the spot, after those memorials were kept for further consideration without being acted upon, the duties of Marquis Weiyuan and Shen Zhiyuan were suspended. They were ordered to “rest at home,” with their reinstatement pending further decrees.
Su Jinyu was reading by the window when the news reached the Minister's manor. After listening to her maid's report, she closed the book, rested it on her lap, and sat in silence for a moment.
The shift in the court's winds had happened too quickly—far too quickly to be a natural development of public opinion.
Rather, someone was deliberately fanning the flames behind the scenes.
Once this thought took shape in her mind, it pointed almost instantly in one specific direction.
Su Qing'er had only just been appointed Noble Consort, and now Marquis Weiyuan's Manor was being pushed out. The timing of these events lined up far too perfectly.
She had no proof, but her intuition told her that an invisible thread connected these two occurrences.
She stood up and walked over to the window, pushing open one side to gaze at the distant horizon. Marquis Weiyuan's Manor was her foundation, the backing behind her, and it had always been the most eyesore of a barrier in Su Qing'er's path.
Now that Su Qing'er possessed the title of Noble Consort and the Emperor's favor, she had begun to make her move.
Su Jinyu stood by the window for a long time, remaining there until the evening breeze fluttered a corner of the pages on her desk and let it fall back down. Only then did she close the window and return to her seat. She reopened the book she had just closed, though her eyes remained fixed on the pages without actually reading.
...
Shen Sui arrived at the Minister's manor after nightfall.
Avoiding the main gate, he scaled the side wall, a withered leaf from the top of the wall clinging to the hem of his robe as he landed. Stepping into the shadows of the corridor, he steadied himself and reached out to tap on Su Jinyu's window sill.
Seeing him when she opened the window, Su Jinyu stepped aside to let him in.
After entering, Shen Sui did not sit. Standing by the window, he lowered his voice and said, “Come with me to meet someone. Someone from the imperial palace.”
Su Jinyu glanced at him but did not ask any questions. Throwing on a dark cloak, she followed him out.
The two of them navigated through the night-shrouded streets and alleys for a while before stopping at a quiet alley entrance. They slipped into a small, dimly lit courtyard, where someone was already waiting.
The figure wore a plain green cloak with the hood pulled low, sitting beneath the lamp as if they had arrived some time ago.
Hearing their footsteps, she looked up, revealing a young and elegant face. Su Jinyu recognized her immediately—Cui Qingzhi, the legitimate second daughter of the Prime Minister's manor. She had entered the palace on the same day as Su Qing'er and had been bestowed the title of Pure Consort on that very day.
Seeing Su Jinyu enter, Cui Qingzhi gave a slight nod. Skipping any pleasantries, she went straight to the point. “I came tonight because I want to form an alliance with you.”
Su Jinyu sat down across from her. Instead of responding immediately, she first studied Cui Qingzhi. She was well aware that a rift had long existed between Cui Qingzhi and Su Qing'er. Having entered the palace on the same day, Cui Qingzhi's starting point had been far superior to Su Qing'er's, yet she was now being overshadowed by her. With such a stark disparity, no one in her position would feel at peace.
“What bargaining chips do you have, Miss Cui?” Su Jinyu asked.
“Su Qing'er has been very close to a certain woman in the palace lately.”
“That woman is not from the palace. She always carries a very faint fragrance, unlike ordinary cosmetics—more like she has been fumigated with some kind of medicinal herbs. I once caught a glimpse of her profile from a distance. Her entire bearing does not resemble that of a woman from an ordinary household, nor does she look like a palace official.”
She paused here, as if recalling the details of that day. “She walks very lightly. Oh, and that day, the woman gave Su Qing'er a pill. After Su Qing'er took it, she looked as if she had aged backward by several years. I later inquired with people in the palace, but no one knew where she came from—yet someone saw with their own eyes that the woman flew down from the sky and entered Liuhua Palace.”
Hearing this, a certain chord in Su Jinyu's heart was gently struck.
A cultivator.
This thought surfaced in her mind. If Su Qing'er truly had a cultivator assisting her from the shadows, then many things that previously made no sense would be fully explained.
She looked at Cui Qingzhi, her voice low but her tone resolute. “That woman—do you remember any other defining features about her? For instance, any accessories, habits, or what she was wearing?”
After a moment of thought, Cui Qingzhi mentioned that the woman wore a green jade pendant at her waist, which appeared to be of excellent quality, and went on to describe some of its characteristics.
Committing these details to memory, Su Jinyu eventually rose to see Cui Qingzhi off after a long conversation.
After escorting Su Jinyu back to the Minister's manor, Shen Sui cautioned her not to act rashly and to ensure her own safety before taking his leave.
Once the courtyard gates closed, Su Jinyu stood beneath the lamp for a moment as the night wind slipped through the cracks in the window.
Over the next few days, Su Jinyu did not step foot outside the manor.
She turned over every single detail Cui Qingzhi had shared that night in her mind, repeating them again and again.
The first thing she focused on was the jade pendant.
She searched for and flipped through several volumes detailing the designs and patterns of jade pieces. She also sifted through the old belongings Shen Zhiyuan had brought back from the border and found a captured letter. The envelope bore an intact wax seal, stamped with a pattern unique to the imperial family of the Taiyuan Imperial Dynasty.
Upon comparing that pattern with the jade pendant Cui Qingzhi had described, she discovered that the design of the pendant was a perfect match for the jade pendants worn at the waists of the Taiyuan Imperial Dynasty's royal family.
She did not stop there. She asked Shen Zhiyuan to help verify whether there was a female member of the Taiyuan Imperial Dynasty's royal family who possessed extraordinary abilities far beyond those of ordinary people, yet never made public appearances.
Shen Zhiyuan replied two days later, confirming that such a person did indeed exist—the First Prince's Consort of the Taiyuan Imperial Dynasty. Her background was shrouded in mystery, and she was rumored to possess strange arts. She resided in the military camps year-round and never showed her face in public.
Su Jinyu had finally pieced together the complete picture.
The First Prince's Consort of the Taiyuan Imperial Dynasty and Su Qing'er were likely allies.
The First Prince's Consort needed someone to dismantle Marquis Weiyuan's Manor from the inside, while Su Qing'er needed assistance to climb to a position of power.
Cultivators could not directly interfere in the power struggles of the mortal realm, but she could use Su Qing'er's hands to accomplish what she could not do herself. Thus, she had approached Su Qing'er, offering her the means to secure the Emperor's favor.
Su Qing'er obtained what she desired, while the First Prince's Consort gained an inside informant hidden deep within the Chiyan Imperial Dynasty.
Su Jinyu tucked the folded paper back into her sleeve, blew out the lamp on her desk, and sat in the darkness for a short while.
It was time...
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