True to her Highness' words, four bodies were hung on the southern gates the day after.

It was a testament to the King's dedication to protect the citizens. The scene of assassins appearing in the middle of the lake was now being sung in tea houses in the first district.

Some of the most clandestine shops even dared to mention the King's veiled lover.

Surprisingly, the storytellers who made this narrative didn't meet any backlash like the previous people who dared to mention wangye in their works. Thus, it became the start of operas starring the fairy held inside a lonely wangfu.

Nobody dared to mention Wan Li's name of course. But from the mannerisms of the unnamed King, it was obvious who it was.

In Ping Junwang's study...

"What do you mean you can't stop those tea houses?!" The prince was seething.

"Forgive this servant, your Highness. It seems Governor-General Su's men are protecting them."

Long Sangyu felt the veins in his temples throbbing. "Su! Chen!"

That man was the most annoying out of all of his elder sister's Danwan Troops.

At the same time in the front court at the office of affairs of the King sat her advisors.

"News on the Juangxian Pass." King Wan Li was at the head of the table.

"Reporting to wangye, most of the Jin family has successfully been captured and is now being interrogated for their crimes..."

The man in his mid-forties paused his sentence mid-way but Wangye was sharp.

"And what of the Yao?"

The advisor shut his eyes and exhaled. "The two-pronged attack this official suggested failed. People on the Yao's side were more alert than expected and they fled."

There was a buzz among the individuals in the table and they started asking more questions.

"Does the Jin family know their allies escaped?"

"That would make the interrogations more difficult! The Jin family would deny all allegations against them."

"Brother Chang, we all thought you were confident of this operation..."

"Now, now, brothers and sisters. Let's not put blames so early. Isn't that why we put spare traps on the way?" One of them tried to ease the tension. 

Everyone looked at each other and then at the empty seat between them.

The silent King had to ask.

"Where is Su Chen?"

The contingency plan they spoke of heavily relied on the Governor-General of the Outer Districts.

Beside her Grace, Xiao Hao couldn't stay quiet anymore. He faked a cough and whispered beside Long Xu Le's ear.

"The blasted brat is out listening to opera-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, the door flew open.

"Forgive this soldier for being late. It seems the travel wore me out and made me wake up late."

Su Chen knelt by the entrance and didn't dare to continue walking to his designated spot.

King Wan Li didn't even look at him as she read reports from different parts of Suliang.

"What are you dawdling about, boy? Tell what happened to the Yao!"

There were only two people in the world that Governor- General Su wouldn't dare to talk back to. Wan Li Wang and his adoptive father Xiao Hao.

Even if Xiao Hao yelled at him all day, he would only accept it.

"Yes. The collaborators of the Jin family have fled to the outskirts of Juangxian, hoping to pass through the valleys on the way to the capital of Tanglin. But our Danwan's Ling Division chased and obliterated all who were struggling against us. One of the few remaining alive to be tried in the court is Yao Duan."

There was no fluctuation on Wangye's face.

"Escort him to the capital with the appropriate reports about the corrupt collaboration. Make sure he will get there alive."

The ideal way was to hold the trial in Suliang but everyone in the room knew that having a Yao being tried in Suliang court was a disaster. The Yao family would use everything in its belt to hush matters up. It was better to announce to the world what the Empress' cousin did so her Majesty would have to pay attention.

By doing so, they could even deliver a slap to the Prime Minister and the Empress' face. Their blood relative owned properties in the west despite all his businesses being registered in the capital.

Everyone in the room knew the King used any and all means to harass those two sitting at the top of the hierarchy in Tanglin. In the beginning, Wan Li Wang tried living peacefully in her territory but it was the Prime Minister who didn't want to let her go. Since then, her Highness also stopped using honorable means to counter or even initiate an attack to the Yao faction. Such a shame the distance between Tanglin and Suliang still proved to be both a hindrance and protection. If not for it, the Prime Minister had more freedom to take Long Sangyu away at a young age or discard him. But the huge distance also hindered Long Xu Le's actions against the current reign.

Governor-General Su Chen saluted while still remaining on his knees but Wangye seemed to have no plans of letting him stand up. However, he didn't show a flustered expression at all. Even if he reached this rank in the military, he would never dare to show off in front of the King he owed his life to. 

"On the matter of what happened yesterday..." Wan Li Wang opened another topic and there was an imperceptible chill in the room.

"That was a disturbing matter indeed." One of the older advisors with long white eyebrows, brushed his beard.

Long Xu Le agreed.

Feng Yanyan escaped death with a narrow gap. If not for her fast reaction, the Feng family's fifth young master would be no more. The corners of her peach blossom eyes sharpened yet again.

Just thinking about it made Long Xu Le's rage tower to the heavens. She would have no way to explain that situation to the Old Master Feng.

"There is a possibility that the assassins weren't hired by the Yao faction." Another man chimed in.

This official was stocky in build but bald headed. The rest of the ladies and gentlemen in the room nodded in agreement.

"Those people were from the Jianghu but so far, these offiials don't know if Wangye made enemies with the people of the lake?" A slender woman spoke her mind.

Long Xu Le looked at this female advisor long and hard as though trying to recall something.

"In fact, ben dian has enemies there. But..." She hid the flickers of light flowing from her eyes.

Out of all the people in the room, only Xiao Hao and Su Chen knew that the target of yesterday's attack wasn't the King but Feng Yanyan.

"They can't be weeded out so easily so let's adjourn for today."

Before the group could even stand from their seats, an extremely hoarse voice asserted. "My King, there is still a matter we have not talked about..."

"Adrina, what is it?"

The man who was called had smooth olive skin, blue eyes and a crooked nose. His appearance was vastly different from the rest of the members of the council but he fit right in.

This foreigner was so bold in his ways that he held wangye's intense stare. "Word is starting to spread about the veiled man beside my King yesterday. Many people are slandering your Grace and naming the man all sorts of titles. How could Adrina let this be?"

Unlike what he expected, Wan Li Wang didn't frown or grow furious at this piece of news. He was suddenly puzzled.

"Titles?" There was even the subtlest of curiosity in her Highness' tone.

"Ti-"

The man of Persian origins didn't get to finish his sentence.

"Titles of which is something I intend to report to the Master alone. Thanking Adrina da ren for the reminder." Xiao Hao gave the man a side-long glance which effectively shut him up.

Long Xu Le had no plans to settle their small quarrels. They all knew her bottomline was for them to do their jobs well regardless of the relationship they had with each other.

Rivalry was always there among colleagues but the King made sure the punishment for sabotaging anyone from the group was something they would never forget.

The meeting was adjourned like that. And when all that was left in the room were wangye, Xiao Hao and the kneeling Su Chen, Long Xu Le turned to the middle aged man.

"What is it?"

Xiao Hao sighed. He sometimes hated that foreigner for not knowing when to shut up.

He was having trouble saying this particular thing to Long Xu Le so he was delaying. But now, he had no choice but to spill it.

"We underestimated the impact of having young master Feng beside you. Even if he was veiled, people are now speculating that he is your Concubine. Some even said his demeanor is that of the King's Consort..."

Xiao Hao's fingers tapped the table and his gaze shifted to and fro. Signs that he wasn't telling everything yet.

"And?" Long Xu Le didn't look to be in a rush.

Sorting out the documents one by one, she waited for her confidante's words.

"It is... people are singing stories of a veiled man as the wangfu's future male master and how the Wangye treasures him so."

Hearing this, the King paused sifting through leaves of unending memorials. But after a few moments of silence, her petal-like lips parted. 

"It's surprising how Sangyu didn't take action this time."

She was fully aware that whenever there were rumors about her outside, it was the prince who quelled them. Long Xu Le never bothered with those matters but Sangyu couldn't seem to tolerate them. Well, it was true that it was taboo to talk about royal names so casually.

Xiao Hao looked at his adopted son kneeling by the door. It's because of this brat's rivalry with Yu'er and Xiao Bao.

Long Xu Le sensed something in that gaze and understood some of the things that were happening.

Outside the door, someone announced.

"Junwang has arrived!"

---

See you on Wednesday and Happy New Year, my dear! 

We faced a lot of problems these past few years but I'm glad you're still reading this genre. Not just my book but this whole genre in general. Some people just treat this as a phase and maybe it is. But I'm thankful for you because that means you still find comfort in reading.  

Wherever you are in life right now. Whether it's smooth sailing or you're going through rough times, I hope to be able to bring enjoyment whenever you visit! Cheers to a good life~

Edited: Feb. 16, 2023