Consort of a Thousand Faces

Su Xi-er waved her hand and put away her pained expression. “Yun Ruofeng’s hands are stained with blood, and I will definitely not let him off. However, now isn’t the appropriate time. Yun Ruofeng is more powerful than ever, with several hundred thousand elite soldiers. When compared to our paltry 400, we must admit that we are currently not his match, so we have to prepare strategies in the long term.”

 

Feng Changqing bowed to pay his respect. “This subordinate will follow your orders, Eldest Imperial Princess.”

 

“Divide the 400 subordinates into four teams, with 100 people in each team. Two teams will stay in Nanzhao, and the other two teams will go to Beimin. Apart from military training, they will also need to run businesses, farm, open tea houses and restaurants, and hire women to their orchestras and dance troupes.” Su Xi-er slowly instructed; she wanted to implement her plans gradually.

 

“Eldest Imperial Princess, we also need to send people to Beimin?”

 

“Mmm, we can’t just stay in Nanzhao. Raising an army requires raising money, and that can only be accomplished by doing business and running farms. Feng Changqing, you did a good job by buying the Fortune Apricot House.”

 

Feng Changqing smiled, his eyebrows arching. “This subordinate is dumb, and was just following what the previous Eldest Imperial Princess taught me.”

 

“Before I return to Beimin, I will defeat Ning Anlian and send her to guard the Imperial Mausoleum for three years. Although Grand Tutor Liu is dead, his sacrifice was not in vain. Lianchen will gain some power when the scholars of the nation read his letter, and I will be able to make a move from outside the imperial court while Lianchen acts from within. It will be one year if we are quick, and three years if we are slow, and we can...” 

 

At this moment, Su Xi-er’s expression was full of heroic spirit. “We can kill Yun Ruofeng!”

 

“Eldest Imperial Princess, this subordinate already found out that the other crown princes from the Ning Imperial Household weren’t killed during the war, but killed by Yun Ruofeng. He took advantage of the disorder and had begun to seize power long ago.”

 

Su Xi-er’s gaze flickered. I never liked the other crown princes of the imperial household. We were never close, and they only served as reminders of Emperor Father’s betrayal of Empress Mother.

 

This also includes Ning Anlian! Ning Anlian’s mother was an average looking palace maid who dared to climb onto Father Emperor’s bed when he was drunk. In the end, she became pregnant with Ning Anlian.

 

However, what she hated the most was the fact that Yun Ruofeng had started the plan to seize power a long time ago. What a joke! I hate Yun Ruofeng, but I hate how blind I was back then even more!

 

“Eldest Imperial Princess, how are you going to send Ning Anlian to guard the Imperial Mausoleum for three years?”

 

Su Xi-er looked at him. “You were the one who killed the Wei Miss’.” Her voice was confident, having already figured everything out.

 

Feng Changqing nodded, a glint of viciousness flickering across his eyes. “They were humiliating the Eldest Imperial Princess with their words! They must die!”

 

“I have made a deal with Ning Anlian where I will be punished by death if she can find evidence that the murderer was me. In exchange, she will be sent to the Imperial Mausoleum if she fails to do so.”

 

Feng Changqing’s body froze after hearing this. The killer was me, so it can’t be the Eldest Imperial Princess. Do I need to surrender myself for Ning Anlain to be sent to the Imperial Mausoleum?

 

Su Xi-er chuckled when she saw Feng Changqing’s reaction. “I won’t ask you to turn yourself in after you have already suffered so much. Feng Changqing, Lianchen must take back his power, but you must recover your appearance as well.”

 

Hearing the confidence in her voice, Feng Changqing had no more suspicions. I trust the Eldest Imperial Princess. She has always been lofty and noble like a goddess, and I never doubted her words.

 

But… Feng Changqing smiled faintly. “Eldest Imperial Princess, this subordinate doesn’t want to restore my previous appearance. I looked too bewitching, and didn’t have the spirit of a man. Compared to that, this subordinate prefers to be ugly like this.”

 

“Ugly? Feng Changqing was never ugly or alluring like a woman.” Su Xi-er looked into his eyes as she declared.

 

She knew that he had always been self-conscious due to his status, and even more so because of his lady-like appearance.