Palace Coup 24

"There is no need to be so cautious, my lady."

A flicker of something like flowing light passed through his eyes.

After a long silence, Xie Miaoxuan spoke. Her voice was raspy, and her expression, previously careless, had vanished, replaced by an involuntary gravity. "I do have something that must be done, and it is a task I can only entrust to you."

Xie Yuanju straightened his posture. "Please, my lady, tell me."

The lingering, ambiguous atmosphere from moments ago had completely dissipated.

"I want you to disperse the troops," she said. "Keep only Daniu by my side. I will be staying here at the manor every day and will not be traveling far, so I don't need many people following me."

"Distribute everyone else to purchase grain, textiles, and medicinal herbs. Furthermore, go to the nearby villages; many farmers also have stores of grain."

"As for the major grain merchants in the capital, buy from them as well. Accumulate as much ironware as you can, and gather all the bows, arrows, swords, and spears available. You will need to handle the negotiations for these matters personally."

For an ordinary person to buy a sword or two is normal, but large quantities would easily attract the attention of the Governor of the Capital. Once targeted by the imperial court, without a powerful backer, one would likely be unable to escape a charge of treason.

"Additionally, the most important thing is salt... buy every bit you can get your hands on. Take all the gold and silver here to use. Furthermore, I need a map of the Great Qi Empire; find a way to obtain one." Without salt, people grow weak and listless. If the body collapses, nothing can be accomplished—let alone discussing an exit strategy.

As the Xiongnu move south, burning and pillaging along the way, rather than leaving the fertile grain and supplies waiting for them to seize—allowing them to feed on the millet of the Central Plains while slaughtering its people—she would rather sweep it all up herself first.

With her current financial resources, buying up half the province would not be a problem. Such a massive amount of supplies must be kept in a secure location, one that would not be touched by the flames of war for at least a year or two.

The map was her essential guide to finding a reliable rear base.

She knew that such classified maps were rare; besides the imperial family, even ordinary noble clans did not possess them. Obtaining one would undoubtedly come at a great cost.

Xie Miaoxuan tapped her chin with her knuckles, pacing in thought for a moment.

She looked up, her smile so radiant it seemed to eclipse everything around her. Xie Yuanju felt a numbness in his fingertips and could not help but press two fingers together to soothe the itch.

"Grand Marshal He Dai is the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armies; his mansion must have a map. If you truly cannot buy one, you might as well... go to his manor and borrow it to make a copy."

Stealing into the Grand Marshal’s mansion to copy a map was a desperate measure and highly dangerous.

Yet, she had no choice. Her heart’s desire was to preserve herself in these chaotic times. After purchasing so many supplies, finding a safe rear base was imperative, and a map was indispensable.

This was a task only Xie Yuanju could handle.

He furrowed his brows for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he had something to say, but in the end, he only replied in a voice as smooth as warm jade: "I shall do my utmost."

***

Walking outside the main courtyard, into the shadows, a pure white carrier pigeon fluttered down onto Xie Yuanju’s hand. He took the note and read it.

"The one who killed Wen Zheng was sent by Xiang Kui, an aide to the Prince of Shaoyou. His martial arts were exceptionally strange and formidable. He has now fled, heavily wounded. We await your early return."

As the pigeon spread its wings to fly away, a large hand suddenly clamped around its slender neck. With a sharp squeeze, the bird's neck snapped to one side.

Blood coughed out from its beak, staining its white feathers.

The large hand slowly rubbed the crimson stain, and a cruel, bloodthirsty smile—like that of a starving wolf—curved his warm, gentle lips.

He pulled a white handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe the red from his hand.

"Young Master, you are here. Everyone is waiting for you to come and drink..."

Hearing Daniu’s voice, Xie Yuanju turned around and answered, "Very well."

He stepped out of the shadows and walked toward Daniu.

When Daniu caught the look Xie Yuanju cast his way, his skin tightened all over.

It was clearly just a glance with no overt threat, and his posture remained as languid and casual as before, yet it inexplicably exuded a suffocating pressure that weighed heavy on the heart.

Daniu patted his chest and took a deep breath. Fortunately, he had seen his master reveal such cold, inscrutable looks many times before and had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

With a sense of trepidation, he attributed this to his own martial arts being insufficient—that he had not yet cultivated his master’s aura of killing without a trace.

Looking again, the gentle, everyday smile had returned to his master's face.

Xie Miaoxuan closed the door of her room, noticing a wooden box that had appeared on the table.

Opening it, she saw a full set of rouge and powder.

Did... Xie Yuanju buy this? He actually possessed such delicate thoughtfulness.

Xie Miaoxuan flipped through it, laughing as she saw that the lip stains included over a dozen different shades.

His method of trying to please someone was truly too blunt.

***

At the Xie Mansion.

When Xie Yuan returned home and learned that Xie Miaoxuan had not yet been brought to the capital, his face turned terrifyingly dark.

The First Madam of the Xie family served him, placing a cup of tea before him with the tolerance and kindness unique to a head wife. "My lord, drink some tea and calm your anger."

As the steam rose, Xie Yuan swiped his hand, and the tea crashed to the floor.

"What do you mean she hasn't been brought here! Wen Zhuo stated clearly that she would arrive yesterday. A day and a night have passed, and still, there is no sign of her!"

"That Nanny Nian was sent by you. Didn't you say that even the maidservants around her had been brought under control? How is it that there is still no news?"

Xie Yuan was beside himself with rage, his face turning from blue to white. Today, at the Grand Tutor's mansion, he had suffered a great loss of face in front of everyone and been severely reprimanded; he was already burning with fury.

He had originally arranged with the Grand Tutor to donate money in exchange for two official positions. All the paperwork was ready; he only needed to pay to secure the posts.

Who would have thought that Xie Miaoxuan would disappear!

Without that massive fortune, and fearing to break his promise, he had arrived empty-handed. Not only did he suffer a scathing lecture, but he also had to endure the taunts, both overt and subtle, of sycophantic villains. He had spent the entire day plastering on a smile, unable to even get a cup of hot tea, his legs shaking as he stood there, begging the Grand Tutor for a three-day extension.

That damnable Xie Qi—even the bastard she birthed was here to cause him trouble.

Had she arrived on time, he could have proudly secured the position of Fifth-Rank Military Advisor today, and his eldest son, Xie Bu, could have become a Sixth-Rank Attendant, serving the Emperor and gaining exposure before the Son of Heaven. In time, father and son would support each other in the imperial court.

What reason would the clan have to say he was inferior to Xie Qi then?

And now, they told him that after a full day and night, she still hadn't been found!

That was the sum total of all the wealth Xie Qi had managed in Nanhai County for over a decade—the gold and silver alone filled over a dozen carts! If something had truly gone wrong, his heart ached so much he could barely breathe.

Seeing the teacup shattered on the floor, the First Madam hesitated for a moment, but she was not annoyed; she softly called for someone to clean it up.

Stepping forward to pat Xie Yuan’s back, she said, "The troops sent to meet her reported that the carriage tracks simply vanished in the Mang Mountains, a hundred miles from the capital, and traces of a struggle were left at the scene."

She hesitated. "Perhaps she was intercepted by mountain bandits?"

"Impossible!" When Xie Yuan spoke, his anger surged to his lungs. His words were cold and hard. "The capital is guarded by the Imperial Guard, who patrol the city and its surroundings. What mountain bandits would dare to run rampant? If there were truly bandits, do you think they would ignore such obvious military merit? Even if the Northern Army didn't want to intervene, there is still the Southern Army. None of those noble sons in the Southern Army, who spend their days chasing cats and dogs, are pushovers."