Female Consort Chapter 81: Speculation

Inside the room, waves of red surged again and again, with no end in sight.

Outside, Fu Feng stood gloomily in the shadow of the wall, his figure silent and solitary.

Fu Ling tiptoed over, and when she heard the sounds coming from within, her face flushed involuntarily.

Seeing Fu Feng standing there, she paused for a moment, then reached out and patted him lightly on the shoulder, whispering, “...How many times have I told you? Why can’t you let it go?”

Even if the consort was a woman, Her Highness was never someone Fu Feng could hope for.

…Not to mention, Her Highness had never shown even the slightest hint of romantic affection toward him.

Fu Feng was silent for a moment before he murmured, “It’s not that I can’t let go.”

“Huh?”

Then what was it?

“It’s…” Fu Feng paused, pressing his lips together. His voice was barely audible. “Acceptance.”

Back when Qiu Che had stood at the princess’s side in a man’s guise, Fu Feng could hardly stand him, he thought he was a hypocritical pretty boy, and the more he looked, the more he disliked him.

When he later learned that Qiu Che was actually a woman, he should have been overjoyed.

That should have meant he had a chance again.

But that joy didn’t last long before it was crushed.

The unspoken understanding between Li Qingwu and Qiu Che when they spoke, so natural, so seamless, couldn’t be faked.

And ever since the two reunited, the sounds that came from behind that single closed door, night after night, made one thing painfully clear:

Even if Qiu Che was a woman, Fu Feng still had no chance.

Yet this time, not even resentment or unwillingness stirred in his heart.

For someone to achieve all this while living as a woman, rising to such a position, Li Qingwu’s favor toward her seemed perfectly natural.

At the very least, she was far more suited to Li Qingwu than he was.

On the third day after their return to the capital, the main force of the Women’s Battalion also returned in triumph.

Although the rewards had already been discussed beforehand, the court was now in uproar over whether the Women’s Battalion should remain or be reassigned.

Some officials believed that, regardless of their accomplishments, keeping such a sizable and elite force in the capital would cause unease among other troops and disrupt military power centralization. Since they had fought their way through the battlefield, it would be better to send them back to the northern frontier to defend Great Xia’s borders, staying true to their original purpose.

Others argued that since so many women had already returned to the capital, sending them all the way back north would be exhausting and unreasonable. After all, they had defended the country for a full year and now enjoyed great popularity among the people. Many women who hadn’t joined them before were now inspired by their example.

To recall them to the desolate frontier as if they were pawns to be moved at will, wouldn’t that chill the hearts of the people?

Besides, the Women’s Battalion was a unique unit. If sent back to the border, how would they be integrated?

In response, those advocating for their return to the frontier retorted, “And if they stay in the capital, how will you arrange for them?”

The two factions continued to bicker, their arguments echoing endlessly in court, a scene Qiu Che was already well accustomed to.

Only this time, the ones presiding above were no longer the Emperor and Empress Dowager, but the Crown Prince and the Empress Dowager.

The Crown Prince, it seemed, was even more impatient than the Emperor ever was.

As the argument reached another fever pitch, Qiu Che finally shook out her sleeves, gave a small cough, and stepped forward.

At once, the bickering ceased. All eyes turned to her, involuntarily.

Damn.

That all-too-familiar feeling again.

In the sudden silence, Qiu Che acted as if she hadn’t noticed, cupping her hands in salute. “This official has a suggestion.”

The Crown Prince, still haunted by the shadow of her past military feats, instinctively sat up straighter. But he didn’t want to appear too deferential, so he deliberately looked irritated and waved his hand.

“Speak.”

“Since both sides believe they have reason,” Qiu Che paused, “and I too find merit in both arguments, why not take a middle path and let the soldiers choose for themselves where they’d like to go?”

No trouble this time?

The officials glanced at each other in confusion, unable to grasp her intent.

The Crown Prince furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, then turned to the Empress Dowager. “What does the Imperial Grandmother think?”

The Empress Dowager, ever serene in her devotion to Buddha, smiled and nodded. “That is indeed a reasonable proposal. I’ll leave the decision to the Crown Prince.”

That was as good as a green light.

On the surface, the Empress Dowager had no apparent ties to Qiu Che. Her approval seemed to stem only from the fact that the suggestion was proper and sound.

The Crown Prince secretly let out a breath and said, “Then let it be as Lord Qiu suggests.”

After court was dismissed, Qiu Che lagged behind the crowd, waiting until the Crown Prince emerged from the hall before calling out, “Your Highness, may I have a word?”

The Crown Prince had intended to ignore her and walk past, but hearing her call, he reluctantly stopped.

He turned back with a frown. “What is it, Lord Qiu?”

Standing at the top of the steps, Qiu Che stood tall like a pine. Ever since it was revealed that she was a woman, the Ministry of Rites had tailored an official robe specifically for her.

The outfit suited her strikingly well, sharp and graceful. Bathed in the backlight, she radiated a calm and composed aura.

Even more eye-catching than when she wore men’s clothing.

“I have some suggestions regarding current laws and customs,” she said. “With the Ministry of Rites swamped as it is, I feel these matters must be discussed directly with His Majesty.”

The Crown Prince’s frown deepened. “You want to see my father?”

The maids and eunuchs nearby immediately took the hint and stepped back.

Qiu Che walked forward slowly and nodded, neither humble nor overbearing. “I heard that His Majesty only allows Your Highness and Consort Xian to attend to him… But the country cannot be without a sovereign even for a day. While we trust Your Highness in your role as Regent, if His Majesty continues to refuse all audiences, it’s inevitable that others will begin to worry.”

“I believe His Majesty, too, would agree with my reasoning.”

The Crown Prince was momentarily swayed by her comment about trusting him as Regent, his expression eased slightly.

But when he heard her final remark, he snapped out of it.

He shot her a cold glance. “I’ll convey your message to my father. But as for visiting him in person, that won’t be necessary.”

Qiu Che raised a brow. “Why not? Without His Majesty’s express approval, changes to the legal code by the Ministry of Rites would be quite… delicate.”

For once, the Crown Prince followed her train of thought. If the laws were amended without the Emperor’s explicit endorsement, people would start talking.

He snorted. “Since I am the Crown Prince and serve as Regent, I can approve your proposals myself.”

“But…” Qiu Che hesitated, looking troubled, then lowered her voice.

“If I may speak plainly, Your Highness, perhaps His Majesty never mentioned this to you, but he once gave me special authorization. For matters regarding the law, he allowed me to make all decisions on my own. I only need to inform him afterward so he can issue the official decree… Since His Majesty appointed Your Highness as Regent, surely he mentioned this to you as well? Or… did he not?”

Yeah, right.

There was no such promise.

With how suspicious the Emperor was, he would never grant anyone such unchecked power.

Qiu Che had said that purely to test the Crown Prince’s reaction. If he claimed to know about it, that would only prove he had a guilty conscience.

And if he said he didn’t, then he’d have no grounds to stop her from going to visit the Emperor. Once there, she could at least get a rough idea of the Emperor’s true condition.

After listening, the Crown Prince screams internally: So you are colluding! You’ve already gotten to the point where my father issues an imperial decree just because you say so?!

But his expression only changed slightly before he forced himself back to calm. “...Naturally, Father mentioned it to me.”

He then waved a hand dismissively and said, “But even so, Father believes that each matter should be evaluated on its own. So, whatever changes you plan to make to the law, you’ll still need to run them by me first...”

Qiu Che stared at him in disbelief. “Impossible! His Majesty made it very clear, no, Your Highness, I must see the Emperor in person. If His Majesty did not say this himself, then I cannot believe it...”

Before the Crown Prince’s brain could catch up, his body had already moved to block her. “Wait!”

“Your Highness, don’t try to stop me!” Qiu Che said coldly.

That year she spent on the battlefield had not been in vain, there was no way the Crown Prince could physically hold her back.

Seeing her move with the swiftness of the wind, clearly about to storm the palace to seek an audience with the Emperor, the Crown Prince broke into a cold sweat and blurted out:

“I approve! I approve! Everything’s approved! Whatever you want to change, I agree! Happy now?!”

The moment the words left his mouth, silence fell over the entire palace corridor.

The guards and palace maids exchanged odd looks, but at the front, Qiu Che finally stopped in her tracks.

She turned around slowly, hands clasped in a polite salute, and smiled sweetly. “Then, many thanks to Your Highness.”

Outside the palace gates, Qiu Che boarded the carriage sent by the Princess’s residence.

Inside, Li Qingwu was sitting by a small brazier, warming herself while embroidering a half-finished garment.

Qiu Che sat down beside her and let out a long sigh. “Did you go visit Pingyi?”

Li Qingwu nodded with a smile. “The new year’s coming up soon. I don’t know if Consort Xian will be able to bring her out. I thought I’d prepare a few little gifts to keep her from getting bored.”

“This garment?”

Li Qingwu paused for a moment. “It’s for Yao Tai.”

Qiu Che fell silent, and Li Qingwu smiled again. “But her memorial day was just half a month ago. By the time I finish this, it’ll be at least another half month, so it’ll be next year.”

“We’ll go visit her together then.”

“Alright.”

Li Qingwu shifted the topic. “Court let out later than usual today. Did something delay you?”

“Nothing serious,” Qiu Che replied, a smile flickering in her eyes as she recalled the Crown Prince’s reaction. “I was just doing a bit of probing, like we discussed earlier.”

Li Qingwu perked up and paused her stitching. “You tested the Crown Prince? What happened?”

Qiu Che said, “Kiss me and I’ll tell you.”

“...” Li Qingwu didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or shocked. “Where on earth did you pick that up...?”

Qiu Che beamed. “Romance novels.”

Li Qingwu was at a loss for words.

Blushing furiously, she leaned in and pecked Qiu Che on the cheek. “Now talk.”

“Nope,” Qiu Che sighed, tapping her lips mischievously. “It has to be here.”

Li Qingwu took a deep breath, her face turning even redder.

She set aside her embroidery, grabbed Qiu Che’s collar, and gave her a kiss on the lips.

Smack! The kiss was loud and clear.

Outside, the carriage driver Yu Yan let out a long, heartfelt sigh.

Seriously? Couldn’t they spare a thought for her feelings?!

Li Qingwu’s ears were completely red. “Now will you talk?”

Finally satisfied, Qiu Che nodded and straightened her collar. She sat up properly and said seriously, “Looks like my hunch from a few days ago was right. Someone’s behind him.”

Li Qingwu picked up her needle and thread again, slowly forcing the heat from her cheeks to fade. Her expression turned serious. “I’ve suspected as much too.”

The Li family valued power and influence above all else. If the Emperor were truly gravely ill but not on the brink of death, there’s no way he’d relinquish control and let the Crown Prince govern.

There was only one possibility: the Emperor might indeed be gravely ill, but he was also being imprisoned. That would explain why the Crown Prince had been so unnerved by her insistence on seeing the Emperor.

Even though he tried his best to hide it, the moment he blurted out his approval just to stop her from meeting the Emperor, it exposed his guilty conscience.

There was no doubt now, he was the one secretly keeping the Emperor under house arrest.

Whatever his ultimate goal was, the facts were clear:

The Crown Prince was a well-known idiot. That much was common knowledge.

And yet, he had managed to hold onto the position of heir for a full year, suppress the ailing Emperor for three whole months, and not a single rumor had leaked out.

Clearly, this wasn’t something he could’ve pulled off on his own.

Most people assumed his year of training had helped him mature. But Qiu Che didn’t buy it.

Everything about the Crown Prince, his actions, his words, felt off, like he was wearing someone else’s skin.

Someone was behind him. Guiding him. Teaching him how to act. How to deal with the court.

“Just a feeling,” Qiu Che said. “But I have a strong suspicion that this person may be the same one who’s been targeting us from the shadows all along.”

Li Qingwu didn’t agree outright, but after a moment of thought, she asked slowly, “Do you have anyone in mind?”

Qiu Che replied, “A few possibilities, but it’s still just conjecture for now. We don’t have proof, yet. But we do have an inside agent, don’t we?”

Their eyes met, and in that electric moment of silent understanding, everything was clear.

It was obvious they were both quite pleased with how in sync their thinking had become.

Qiu Che smiled. “I believe we’re not far from uncovering the truth.”