Chapter 40: Your Conspiracy Ends Here

Feng Ruqing leapt onto the rooftop, her silhouette moving like lightning as she glided effortlessly through the night.

A sense of unease welled up within her, akin to a delicate spiderweb brushing against her keen senses.

She paused, overlooking the street below, where a pair of dark guards silently watched over her.

Suddenly, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed, and Feng Ruqing’s sharp gaze instantly locked onto the source of the sound.

Before long, a shadowy figure darted out from the alleyway, heading straight toward the imperial palace.

Feng Ruqing knitted her brows slightly and gracefully dropped down right beside the person.

"Who goes there?" she demanded, her voice cold and commanding.

Startled, the man turned around and, upon recognizing Feng Ruqing, dropped immediately to his knees, sweat beading on his forehead. "Reporting to the Empress, this humble one is a subordinate of Eunuch Li."

"Speak. What plot are you scheming this time?" Feng Ruqing’s deep, resonant voice carried the chill of a winter wind through the night.

Trembling, the man spilled the entire conspiracy hatched by Eunuch Li and Lord Zhou, confessing their plans to sabotage Feng Ruqing’s commercial ventures in order to undermine her influence.

A cold gleam flashed in Feng Ruqing’s eyes as she listened. She knew this was merely an attempt to obstruct her rising power.

"I shall dismantle your plans one by one," she declared, leaving the trembling shadow behind as she returned to the palace.

The next morning, the atmosphere in the imperial court was heavy and tense.

Lord Zhou stood among the officials, his eyes fixed upon Feng Ruqing as the corners of his mouth curled into a provocative smirk. "Empress, rumors have been circulating lately regarding your illicit business dealings. I wonder if there is any truth to them?" Whispers erupted through the court, and several officials chimed in to support him.

Feng Ruqing remained expressionless, her steadfast gaze meeting his head-on. "Lord Zhou, everything I, Feng Ruqing, do is upright and above board. If you have evidence, present it."

Lord Zhou’s smile instantly froze.

The tension in the court grew even thicker, every eye focused squarely on Feng Ruqing.

With a dry cough, Lord Zhou produced a memorial and unfurled it. "This subject has received reports that the Empress has been manipulating market prices behind the scenes to reap exorbitant profits and disrupt the natural order of the markets."

Standing beside the Emperor, Eunuch Li wore a sinister smile. Murmurs broke out once more among the courtiers.

With a cold scoff, Feng Ruqing took the memorial and glanced through it before lifting her gaze to stare directly at Lord Zhou. "Lord Zhou, it is true that the shops mentioned in this memorial have partnerships with me, but accusing me of 'manipulating prices' is utterly baseless. The contracts clearly state the pricing and profit distribution—where does this talk of 'exorbitant profits' come from? Furthermore, the goods at these shops are sold below market price for the benefit of the common people. How can that possibly be considered disrupting the market order?"

Lord Zhou’s face flushed red, then turned pale. He wanted to retort, but was left entirely speechless.

Flinging the memorial back at him, Feng Ruqing said coldly, "Lord Zhou, as a high-ranking minister, instead of serving the country and the people, you choose to frame the loyal and virtuous. Your intentions are utterly malicious!" The court fell instantly silent. The officials were awed by her sharp intellect and imposing presence, casting looks of utter contempt toward Lord Zhou.

Eunuch Li muttered a curse under his breath, stepped forward, and chimed in with a shrill voice, "Empress, even if that is so, it is still unbecoming of your status to dabble in commerce."

Feng Ruqing shot back, "Eunuch Li, when did I ever say I entered commerce for personal gain? I did so to replenish the imperial treasury and bring prosperity to the common people. Is that a crime?" Eunuch Li was struck dumb.

Scanning the gathered officials, Feng Ruqing proclaimed, "Whatever I, Feng Ruqing, do, I do with an open heart and a clear conscience! I will thoroughly investigate today's incident to the very end!"

With that, she turned and strode away, leaving the crowd staring at one another in silence. A vicious glint flickered in Eunuch Li’s eyes.

A few days later, Feng Ruqing received word that a shipment of goods had been sabotaged en route. Deciding she would tolerate this no longer, she summoned her dark guards to investigate.

The guards accepted their orders and departed. Standing upon a high terrace overlooking the streets, Feng Ruqing already had a plan forming in her mind.

As night fell, she melted into the shadows, a steadfast resolve gleaming in her eyes as a ruthless smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "This time, you cannot escape." With those words, she stepped into the encroaching darkness.

A few days later, the dark guards returned with the news that the true culprits had been captured.

Feng Ruqing summoned the senior officials of the court to the grand hall, where the atmosphere was suffocatingly solemn.

She walked in slowly, her steps firm and resolute.

Ascending to the throne, she cast her gaze upon Eunuch Li and Lord Zhou, stating coldly, "My lords, today I shall unveil the truth."

With a flick of her hand, the dark guards escorted the saboteur forward. The gathered officials gasped in astonishment, while the faces of Eunuch Li and Lord Zhou drained of color.

A cold sneer crossed Feng Ruqing’s lips. "Behold your own masterpiece. Do you still dare claim there is no evidence?" She tossed the evidence down toward Lord Zhou. "Here are the confessions and the stolen goods. Lord Zhou, your conspiracy ends here."

Panicked, Lord Zhou attempted to argue his way out of it, but words failed him entirely.

Rising from her seat, Feng Ruqing fixed them with an unyielding gaze, her tone freezing cold. "My actions are open and above board, and any conspiracy you weave, I will unravel. But I know you will not give up so easily, and I will continue to hunt down the mastermind behind the scenes."

Her voice reverberated through the grand hall, leaving everyone present awed by her dominance. Eunuch Li and Lord Zhou did not dare make another move.

Feng Ruqing turned and walked away, her back straight and resolute.

With a plan already taking shape in her mind, she softly ordered the dark guards to press on with their investigation before vanishing into the night, leaving only her parting words echoing through the hall: "Your doom is fast approaching."