159: Chapter 159 Whose Schemes and Plots?

Su Chen listened quietly.

Only after the several elder ministers had finished speaking did he slowly raise his eyes.

His gaze swept over them, finally landing on Queen Jiang.

"Queen."

"You manage the inner palace. Do you know if this Su Daji has committed any misconduct since entering the palace?"

Queen Jiang was startled; she hadn't expected the King to address her first.

She steadied her nerves and spoke truthfully.

"In reply to Your Majesty, since Beauty Su entered the palace, she has lived simply and kept to herself. She is quite kind to the palace servants, and I have heard of no obvious misconduct."

She spoke with difficulty.

Although her impression of Su Daji was mediocre, she could not bring herself to frame her out of thin air.

"Oh?"

Su Chen raised an eyebrow and looked at Bi Gan.

"Royal Uncle, you say the temptress is ruining the country. Do you have any solid evidence?"

"Has she interfered in state affairs, or has her family used their influence to bully others?"

"Or perhaps she is related to tonight's assassins?"

Bi Gan was stunned.

"This... while this old official has no solid evidence..."

"However, since this woman entered the palace, Your Majesty has increasingly neglected state affairs, and tonight's assassination attempt..."

"In other words, it is all speculation."

"The assassins are dead, and dead men tell no tales. But that they could sneak into Deer Terrace is due to lax palace security and dereliction of duty by the guards!"

"This matter will be handled by the relevant authorities."

"However, regarding the matters of the inner palace, I know what I am doing."

"Su Daji is gentle and understanding; she has truly won my heart."

"I have decided that in three days, Su Daji will be invested as Noble Consort at Deer Terrace, with a status equal to a Vice-Queen."

"All ceremonies will be handled by Fei Zhong and You Hun."

"Your Majesty, you must not!"

Bi Gan fell to his knees with a thud, banging his head against the floor.

"This woman's origin is unknown, and she uses fox-like charms to bewitch the ruler. If she is granted such a high rank, it will surely shake the nation's foundation and cause the downfall of the realm, Your Majesty!"

"Today, I advise you even at the cost of my life. If Your Majesty insists on this, I shall splatter my blood across Zhaoming Hall to prove my loyalty through death!"

Shang Rong, Mei Bo, and the others who had been silent also knelt together, tears and snot flowing.

"We beg Your Majesty to rescind the order!"

Su Chen laughed.

He truly wanted to laugh.

"Who do you people think you are?"

"I'm not the real King; I'm just an ordinary investor."

"Whether this Yin Dynasty falls or not is none of my damn business."

"I only want to find out who is really behind Su Daji."

"Since this fellow dared to use schemes against me, I naturally dare to make this old man 'fly.'"

"Royal Uncle wishes to advise me unto death?"

Su Chen slowly stood up, walked over to Bi Gan, and crouched down to look him in the eye.

"Very well. Then I shall fulfill your reputation for loyalty and righteousness."

He straightened up, his voice echoing through the hall.

"Pass down my decree: Royal Uncle Bi Gan, being of advanced age and excessive worry, has unfortunately suffered a sudden malignant illness and died abruptly in his residence."

"Grant him a coffin of Phoebe zhennan wood and bury him with the honors of a prince."

"His family is to be generously compensated."

"Your Majesty!!!"

Bi Gan jerked his head up, looking at Su Chen in disbelief.

He had chosen this desperate measure because he believed Su Chen would absolutely not lay a hand on him.

After all, he was a senior official and held the image of a loyal minister in everyone's eyes.

Su Chen ignored him and turned to Queen Jiang, whose face was as pale as ash.

"As for Queen Jiang, her lax management allowed assassins to infiltrate and disturb the sovereign."

"Effective immediately, she is stripped of her title as Queen and sent to the Cold Palace to reflect on her faults. No one is to visit her without my decree."

"Dismissed."

Those three light words brought tonight's turmoil to a close.

Bi Gan was taken away by the guards, the elder ministers retreated in a daze, and Queen Jiang was supported by others, nearly fainting.

Su Chen sat alone in the empty Zhaoming Hall, unmoving for a long time.

The candlelight cast his long, solitary shadow against the wall, flickering slightly.

Although tonight's actions would solidify his reputation as a tyrant...

...for now, he had no choice but to do so.

Just now, in front of the Cold Palace gates, Queen Jiang had taken advantage of the servants' lack of attention to quietly slip a piece of silk into his hand.

On it was written:

"Bi Gan met with an envoy from Xiqi a few days ago and had a long, secret discussion."

Bi Gan was already in secret communication with the Ji Dynasty.

Even though Su Chen knew it was an overt plot, he would not tolerate him continuing to act out.

Furthermore, while the goals of the Ji Dynasty and the Hehuan Sect were similar, the two sides didn't seem to get along.

Bi Gan's existence would always be a major obstacle to closing the distance with Su Daji, gaining her trust, and investigating her background.

Deposing Queen Jiang seemed heartless, but it was actually for her protection.

The Cold Palace was cold, but it was far from the vortex of conflict; it might save her life and keep her away from certain people's eyes, making it easier for him to investigate secretly later.

...

Three days later.

The investiture ceremony was exceptionally grand.

During the ceremony, in front of everyone, Su Chen displayed the heart of Bi Gan, which he had personally removed.

The shadow of Bi Gan's sudden death loomed over Chaoge; no one dared to openly oppose him anymore.

Dressed in the ceremonial robes of a Noble Consort, Su Daji received the homage of the hundred officials. Her beauty was peerless, her bearing elegant, and with a single glance, she captivated all living souls.

The ceremony concluded.

Night, Guanwa Palace.

Red candles burned high, and brocade curtains were adorned with tassels.

Su Daji had already bathed and changed. Wearing only a red nightgown as thin as a cicada's wing, she sat before her dressing table, painting her eyebrows in the mirror.

The woman in the mirror was as beautiful as a painting, possessing a thousand charms.

Enough to drive any man mad.

Su Chen pretended to be drunk and was supported by eunuchs as he entered.

He waved the others away and walked unsteadily behind Su Daji. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind, buried his burning face in the fragrant crook of her arm, and mumbled.

"My beloved consort... you are truly beautiful today..."

Su Daji's body stiffened slightly before softening. She leaned back into his embrace, tilted her face up, and breathed like orchids.

"Your Majesty~~ you're drunk..."

"I'm not drunk..."

Su Chen muttered, his hands wandering restlessly over her body as his breathing grew heavier.

"Your Majesty..."

"Don't be like this..."

"Please don't 'devour' Daji tonight, alright?"

"Mmh... Daji isn't feeling well tonight."

"If Your Majesty lets Daji off the hook, Daji can reward Your Majesty with a phoenix crown and robes another day~"

"Truly?"

Su Chen pulled the soft jade in his arms even tighter.

He felt the softness and warmth of the delicate body in his embrace.

After all, this vixen was from the Hehuan Sect.

Even a Galgame master like Su Chen couldn't help but feel his heart sway for a moment.

But what he paid more attention to was how Su Daji's skin tensed for an instant and then forced itself to relax when his hand touched her.

And the faint fragrance wafting from her sleeve.

"Heh..."

If Su Chen hadn't spent the last three days in the Great Yin Dynasty cramming knowledge about the Hehuan Sect, he might have actually fallen into this little vixen's trap.

Beauty's Bane.

A secret poison of the Hehuan Sect, colorless and odorless, it dissolves with body heat and can penetrate through skin contact.

The victim initially feels a surge of lust, but ultimately dies of heart failure amidst extreme pleasure, appearing as if from excessive indulgence.

In the end, she had finally made her move.

Just as Su Daji's hand, as if moved by passion, reached back to caress Su Chen's chest—just as the bright red nail polish on her fingertips was about to brush against his skin...

Su Chen suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Su Daji was startled, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat in panic.

She had no idea whether Su Chen had realized she intended to harm him, or if this was just an unconscious, flirtatious gesture from the King.