Chapter 12: I Will Definitely Avenge My Younger Sister

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Under the phoenix crown, Feng Ruqing’s eyes were as cold as ice, a mocking curve tugging at the corner of her lips. “Seeking justice? Your Majesty, you trespassed into a minister’s residence—what crime do you think that warrants?”

“Your Majesty,” Feng Ruqing’s tone was calm yet carried an undeniable authority, “my younger sister met a tragic death. As her elder sister, it is only natural I seek justice for her. The General Wang’s residence is heavily guarded; if I had not forced my way in, how else could I have seen him?”

Ji Ran narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing this audacious woman before him.

He had initially thought Feng Ruqing a delicate lady, but he never expected such formidable strength from her.

“Even so, you cannot just barge into a minister’s home!” Ji Ran’s voice was stern. “Guards, seize the Empress!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a squad of guards poured into the study, encircling Feng Ruqing.

Feng Ruqing sneered, showing no fear. “Your Majesty, are you truly going to punish me for the sake of General Wang?”

Ji Ran’s gaze flickered with hesitation. He knew the circumstances surrounding Feng Ruqing’s sister’s death were suspicious. General Wang was indeed colluding with certain factions in the harem, yet he dared not easily condemn the general.

“Empress, cease your wild accusations!” Ji Ran snapped coldly. “General Wang is a vital official of the court; how dare you slander him at will!”

Feng Ruqing’s eyes were icy. “Your Majesty, whether I slander him or not can be verified.”

She turned her gaze to General Wang, voice chilling. “General Wang, what say you?”

General Wang’s face darkened; his eyes darted nervously, avoiding Feng Ruqing’s steely gaze.

Seeing this, Feng Ruqing’s heart sneered inwardly.

She knew the general harbored secrets.

“General Wang,” she said coldly, “The vicious dogs in your mansion seem to have a particular fondness for my scent.”

General Wang’s face changed; a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes.

A cold smile curved Feng Ruqing’s lips as she continued, “I do not understand—your mansion is heavily guarded, so why are these vicious beasts roaming freely? Could it be someone deliberately released them?”

Cold sweat beaded on General Wang’s forehead as he forced a calm reply, “Empress, you jest. A few vicious dogs are kept here to guard against thieves.”

“Thieves?” Feng Ruqing laughed bitterly. “General Wang, are you calling me a thief?”

General Wang’s expression soured, unable to respond.

Feng Ruqing pressed on, “Why do you avoid my gaze, General? Do you have something to hide?”

The general forced his composure. “Your Majesty, what do you mean by that?”

Feng Ruqing’s eyes burned like flames as she stared into his, enunciating each word. “General Wang, you colluded with Bai Zhi to plot against my sister. Is that true?”

General Wang’s face twisted. “You…”

“You slander me with lies!” he roared, finger trembling as he pointed at Feng Ruqing. “Your Majesty, you can eat anything, but you must not speak recklessly! What does my involvement have to do with your sister’s death?”

“Oh? Nothing to do with you?” Feng Ruqing sneered as she drew a letter from her sleeve and unfolded it slowly.

General Wang’s face instantly drained of color, eyes wide as if he had seen the grim reaper. His lips quivered but no words came out. The handwriting on the letter was unmistakably his own; it detailed in cruel, poisonous terms his conspiracy with Bai Zhi to frame Feng Ruqing’s sister.

“This letter was found in a secret chamber within the General’s study,” Feng Ruqing’s voice was cold, like a sentence from the depths of hell. “General Wang, do you have anything to say?”

General Wang’s legs buckled; he nearly collapsed.

He never imagined Feng Ruqing would uncover this letter.

“Your Majesty! This... this must be forged!” General Wang panicked, glancing at Ji Ran as if grasping at a final lifeline. “The Empress is trying to trap me!”

Ji Ran’s face darkened, his gaze flickering. Though he despised Feng Ruqing’s domineering nature, he did not want to lose such a capable general.

“Your Majesty,” Feng Ruqing stepped forward, presenting another ledger. “This was found in the General’s treasury. It clearly records the bribes he has accepted over the years, much of which flowed into the harem.”

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At these words, the court erupted in uproar.

The concubines in the harem also changed expressions; none had expected Feng Ruqing to uncover so much evidence.

Ji Ran took the ledger and flipped through several pages, his face growing grimmer by the moment.

The records were sufficient to bring down General Wang and several concubines.

“Your Majesty, I have witnesses as well.”

Feng Ruqing spoke calmly but with an unyielding authority.

At that moment, a palace maid was brought forward.

This maid had been General Wang’s informant planted beside Feng Ruqing’s sister. Now captured by Feng Ruqing, she dared not conceal the truth and revealed every detail of the conspiracy between General Wang and Bai Zhi.

General Wang collapsed utterly.

Feng Ruqing’s gaze swept over everyone present before settling on Ji Ran. “Your Majesty, now that both witness and evidence are before you, do you have anything to say?”

Ji Ran’s face was ashen, silent.

Feng Ruqing snorted coldly. “Since Your Majesty has no objection, I shall act in your stead.”

She turned to the guards. “Seize General Wang…”

Before her words ended, General Wang sprang up like a cornered beast, drawing a hidden dagger from beneath his robe and lunging at Feng Ruqing.

Gasps erupted from the crowd. Ji Ran sprang to his feet but was too late to stop the attack.

In a flash, Feng Ruqing’s slender fingers struck like a serpent, gripping the general’s wrist with precision and twisting hard. A crisp crack resounded through the silent study as the general’s wrist bone snapped; the dagger dropped to the floor as he screamed in pain.

Without hesitation, Feng Ruqing kicked viciously at his knee. The general’s legs gave way; he collapsed heavily to the ground.

She stepped on his back, towering over him like a disdainful sovereign. “General Wang, do you really think you alone can harm me?”

Her voice was frigid, piercing the entire study.

She accepted the confession from the guards, along with the evidence seized from the general’s residence, laying them before Ji Ran.

General Wang was guilty of corruption, bribery, forming factions, and colluding with Bai Zhi to harm the loyal. The evidence was irrefutable.

The entire court fell silent, no one dared to plead for mercy at this moment.

Ji Ran stared at the overwhelming proof, his face darkening ominously.

He had never imagined that the general he so relied upon would be so brazen.

What shocked him more was Feng Ruqing’s thunderous decisiveness; she had uncovered the general’s crimes in such a short time.

His previous disdain and suspicion toward Feng Ruqing turned into deep apprehension.

“Guards, imprison General Wang and await further orders!” Ji Ran’s tone was cold, tinged with barely concealed fury.

The guards immediately dragged the limp general away.

Feng Ruqing retracted her gaze and slowly rose, smoothing her slightly disheveled phoenix robe. Her eyes were calm, as if none of this had happened.

She turned to Ji Ran with a detached tone. “Your Majesty, I take my leave.”

Ji Ran watched her retreating figure, his heart a tumult of emotions.

This woman was far more complex than he had imagined.

He began to regret his earlier suspicion and started to reassess the empress he had married into the palace but never truly understood.

Feng Ruqing stepped out of the study, sunlight cascading over her, elongating her graceful silhouette.

A cold smile played on her lips, a sharp gleam flashing in her eyes.

The struggle within the harem was only just beginning.

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At that moment, Bai Zhi hurried over, her face anxious. “Your Majesty, I—”

Feng Ruqing stopped and turned, her eyes as cold as knives. “Consort Bai, it seems you have something to say to me?”

Bai Zhi’s face paled, her steps faltered.

She had intended to plead for General Wang but did not expect Feng Ruqing to halt so suddenly. That icy gaze was like plunging into an ice cavern.

“N-nothing…” Bai Zhi forced a smile, more pitiful than tears. “I only… care for Your Majesty’s health.”

Feng Ruqing sneered. “Consort Bai would do better to care for herself first.”

With that, she left without looking back.

Bai Zhi stood rooted, ashen and trembling.

She knew Feng Ruqing’s words were more than a warning—they were a declaration of war.

After this incident, the attitudes of the harem women toward Feng Ruqing shifted drastically.

Before, they thought her a neglected empress, someone they could bully at will.

Now, they understood this woman was not to be trifled with.

Feng Ruqing’s ruthless methods struck fear into their hearts; none dared act rashly in her presence.

Her position in the harem became more secure than ever.

Back in the Phoenix Palace, Feng Ruqing shed her phoenix robe, changing into simple, plain attire.

She sat by the window, gazing at the blooming peonies outside, her eyes icy and distant.

Though General Wang had fallen, she knew this was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Her sister’s death was not the work of General Wang alone; a darker conspiracy lurked behind.

She vowed to investigate thoroughly and to expose every participant, making them pay in full blood for blood.

“Your Highness,” her attendant Bi Luo cautiously presented a cup of tea. “You haven’t eaten all day. Please, have some.”

Feng Ruqing took the cup but did not drink, gently tracing the rim, her gaze deep and unfathomable. “Bi Luo, tell me, is there anything in this palace that is truly real?”

Bi Luo dared not answer, bowing her head silently.

Feng Ruqing set down the cup and rose, walking to the dressing table. She looked at her reflection.

The woman in the mirror wore the phoenix crown and ceremonial robes, majestic and splendid. Yet who could see beneath this dazzling exterior the heart scarred and battered?

“My sister…” Feng Ruqing whispered, sorrow flickering in her eyes.

She touched the jade pendant at her neck—the only keepsake her sister had left.

She swore to avenge her sister, no matter the cost.

The next day, Feng Ruqing appeared in the imperial garden.

Sunshine bathed the blooming flowers; the scenery was enchanting.

Yet Feng Ruqing had no heart to enjoy it; her mind replayed her sister’s image, filling her with grief.

She approached a blooming peony and gently stroked its petals, her gaze distant and unfocused.

“Your Majesty, please… be careful!”