Female Consort Chapter 69: Ascending the Hall

"Qiu Che must be protected."

"Preposterous!" Li Shi thundered, his anger rising sharply. "Whether she is protected or not depends entirely on my will! What do you mean by this? I summoned you to account for your actions, and you dare to use this imperial token to threaten me! Don’t forget, this token was given to you by me!"

"Father, please calm down." Li Qingwu smiled, and under her father’s intense gaze, she calmly withdrew the imperial token from her hand. "I understand you are anxious about how to handle the Prince Consort, and I know your concerns, since we’ve come to this point, why not listen to me?"

Li Shi, still displeased, sat back down. "...Speak."

"Father does not want to lose a capable individual over such a matter, nor does he want to be criticized for lacking discernment... From my perspective, the Prince Consort must remain."

"Not only must he remain, but he must stay with honor, with dignity."

Li Shi scoffed, his face contorting into an expression that seemed to scream "foolishness." "Now, there isn’t even substantial evidence against the Qiu family. Tell me, how can she stay? She dared to commit the crime of insulting the Emperor! Such a crime cannot be pardoned! I would not hesitate to take her life, even if it were ten times over!"

"Father, you fear the Prime Minister Wu, and you fear the Empress Dowager," Li Qingwu said, as if she didn’t care about his contempt or the disdainful look in his eyes. "You must understand that once the Prince Consort’s role as a balancing force is removed, not only will Father lose a capable assistant, but it will also weaken the power of the Empress Dowager… and the Prime Minister Wu will grow even more powerful."

"Now that the Southern Yi are pressing in, and war is imminent… the court cannot afford any more turmoil. Once the Prime Minister Wu gains power, his arrogance will grow unchecked. Is Father truly willing to see such a situation unfold? Didn’t you work so hard to cultivate the Prince Consort for this very reason?"

She laid out the political intricacies that would usually twist in the minds of statesmen, speaking them plainly in front of Li Shi.

Li Shi’s expression shifted as he listened, and his face turned dark.

But he couldn’t deny the truth of Li Qingwu’s words.

"I never knew you were so sensitive to court matters," he muttered.

Li Qingwu met his piercing gaze, remaining calm and composed. "Father, there are many things you do not know."

Li Shi stared at her for a moment, and when he saw no signs of her lowering her gaze in submission, a hint of displeasure stirred in his heart.

He withdrew his gaze and said coldly, "It’s easy to say nice things, but do you think I don’t understand? It’s because Qiu Che is dead, and you too cannot escape your fate, that you are in such a rush to plead for her!"

Li Qingwu lowered her eyes and performed a respectful bow, but her posture remained upright. "Father misunderstands. On a personal level, I am married to the Prince Consort, and as the saying goes, ‘a day as a couple, a hundred days of affection.’ In this situation, if I do not act to save him, it would be heartless. On a public level, as your daughter and the Princess of the Great Xia, I should share in your concerns and help ease the troubles of the nation."

"If I were to ignore you this time, or worse, push the Prince Consort further into trouble, wouldn’t that bring shame to you, Father? After all, I am the Crown Princess, and my actions reflect the attitude of the royal family. We cannot be careless."

Her words were flawless, and they struck with great elegance.

Li Shi’s expression softened, and he snorted. "You’ve become much sharper since your marriage… Did Qiu Che teach you this?"

Li Qingwu smiled faintly and did not reply directly. "Then what is Father’s intention?"

Li Shi fell silent for a long moment, narrowing his eyes. "What if I refuse to release her?"

Li Qingwu paused, then softly asked, "Father, do you truly wish for that?"

"She is just a woman, inconsequential. If it weren’t for her current position, do you think I wouldn’t have dealt with her by now?"

Li Shi was clearly amused. "Besides, what would you do if I really decided not to release her?"

Li Qingwu curled her lips into a faint smile. "Nothing."

"But Father, don’t forget," she lifted her chin slightly, her previously respectful posture now laced with an air of cool, condescending disdain. "With the birds yet to leave the nest, the bow is already set, after this, do you think anyone will still choose to swear loyalty to you?"

Li Shi’s smile faltered. "You are threatening me…?"

"I wouldn’t dare," Li Qingwu replied, her words deliberate and precise. "You are the sovereign. Even the Empress Dowager must call you ‘Your Majesty,’ and the Prime Minister Wu must bow before you. I am merely the powerless Eldest Princess, how could I possibly threaten you?"

"I am simply a daughter deeply devoted to her husband. I cannot bear to let him perish because of his righteous actions, exposing his identity as a woman, and being unjustly imprisoned. I choose to use the life-saving token to spare him," Li Qingwu spoke softly. "But I wonder, if the common people learn that their emperor is such an unfeeling man, what will they say about you?"

Li Shi’s temper flared further as he listened, his anger growing with every word.

By the time Li Qingwu finished speaking, he could no longer contain himself. He slammed his palm on the table and roared, "Outrageous!"

You say you’re not threatening me? Every word you spoke is nothing but a threat!

She knew well that the emperor feared being overthrown by the combined power of the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister Wu. Every sentence she uttered was meant to press on his deepest fears.

They may have power, but they still had to bow to the emperor, this was flattering Li Shi on the surface, but to a paranoid emperor, it was a clear warning:

Your ministers are growing too powerful, and soon, they won’t bow to you. The throne has always belonged to those who are capable enough to seize it.

Li Shi fell silent. He was fuming, but had no retort.

The Prime Minister Wu could bully him, the Empress Dowager could, and now, even this daughter, once the most obedient, could!

His chest heaved for a moment, then he suddenly coughed up blood.

"Summon the edict…"

Halfway through his command, he glanced at the blood on his hand and fainted right there.

Fuzi was startled. “Someone, come here, ”

Li Qingwu was first surprised, then slightly disappointed.

She held the golden plaque for no more than a moment before the doors at the back of the hall creaked open. Court attendants filed in, hurrying past her.

Li Qingwu slowly lowered the golden plaque, turning around with a blank expression, thinking to herself:

Such a pity.

Why didn’t she faint after finishing what she had to say?

As she turned, she seemed to catch a fleeting shadow at the entrance of the hall.

When she looked up, all she saw was the complex gaze the Empress Dowager cast upon her from beyond the hall.

“The Emperor is gravely ill, and the Crown Prince is overseeing the state, ” Qiu Che paused as she read the contents of the letter, “...the case of the murdered young girl, Qiu Chudong, has been dismissed due to insufficient evidence.”

“Your brother’s case of bullying men and women has also been suppressed,” Yang Qiu whispered. “But your transfer from the trial prison to the Court of Judicial Review was his doing.”

Qiu Che raised an eyebrow, not holding back her words. “Is he out of his mind?”

“He probably thought you and I weren’t on good terms,” Yang Qiu chuckled helplessly. “He likely saw how comfortable you were in the trial prison. The Imperial Guard couldn’t interfere, so they moved you out instead.”

After Qiu Che was imprisoned, the Emperor urgently promoted Yang Qiu to fill the vacancy at the Court of Judicial Review.

The two had frequently clashed in court, but Yang Qiu was the only minister who dared challenge Qiu Che without facing any “retribution.”

Their relationship within the rising faction appeared intense, but no one knew they were actually allies.

Perhaps the Crown Prince believed Yang Qiu’s frequent verbal clashes with Qiu Che meant they were at odds, so he secretly tried to frame her.

But in the end, he had handed her straight into her ally’s hands.

Once they finished laughing, Qiu Che returned to the matter at hand. “What happened? I didn’t ask about anything for just a few days, and suddenly the Emperor is gravely ill again?”

Yang Qiu explained, “After you revealed your identity... Her Highness visited the Emperor, and during their conversation, someone overheard the Eldest Princess pleading for your release, suggesting the death penalty medal be exchanged for your safety.”

Qiu Che fell silent. She hadn’t expected Li Qingwu to take the same path as in her past life.

To save her, Li Qingwu had chosen to use the golden plaque.

“But... why would the Emperor agree?”

Yang Qiu shook his head. “All the eunuchs were sent out. No one knows what they talked about except Fuzi, the head eunuch who stayed inside. But you know as well as I do, Fuzi’s lips are sealed.”

Qiu Che thought for a moment before asking, “So the Qiu Family’s case is closed?”

“No. I was about to say,” Yang Qiu continued, “The Empress Dowager intervened and persuaded the Eldest Princess. The case has already drawn public attention due to your identity reveal. Pressing it down now would only make things worse.”

“The Eldest Princess wasn’t keen, but perhaps under the Empress Dowager’s pressure, he reluctantly agreed. Three days later, I’ll preside over the case in the Court of Judicial Review.”

“Who will be present?”

“The Empress Dowager, His Highness the Crown Prince. I’ve heard...” Yang Qiu paused, glancing at her. “Princess Lehe will also attend.”

Qiu Che pondered for a moment before asking, “Do you have paper and ink?”

“Hm?”

“I’ll write to her.”

Yang Qiu didn’t immediately grasp her intent. “Write to her? About what?”

“To ask what she and the Emperor discussed that day,” Qiu Che shot her a look, as if she were speaking to a fool, and said calmly, “What else?”

Yang Qiu hesitated for a moment, caught off guard. “So... you’ll just ask directly?”

“Is there a problem?”

Yang Qiu was rendered speechless, his tone unexpectedly complicated. “So it’s true what Yao Tai said, that you two are close?”

“Of course. I know it might be hard to accept, but don’t feel forced,” Qiu Che said as she naturally accepted the paper and ink handed to her by a subordinate from the Court of Judicial Review, continuing gently, “But don’t think it’s so strange. There are plenty of people who are close to one another. Love comes in many forms, and I love her just the same, the only difference is, we’re one of the rare couples in this world with the same gender.”

Her attitude was calm, neither ashamed nor boastful, carrying an air that was refreshingly unpretentious.

Yang Qiu coughed. “You misunderstood. I can be stubborn at times, but I’m not narrow-minded. Yao Tai has told me a lot about you two. She even said... she envies you.”

Qiu Che paused mid-sentence as her hand holding the pen stiffened slightly.

She thought to herself, what is there to envy?

One of them was a pawn used by the emperor to keep the powerful ministers in check, and the other was a lowly concubine, born into a family that never valued her.

It was merely fate that brought them together, each of them licking their wounds, trying to heal the other’s scars of neglect. They just happened to fit together perfectly.

Both of them had spent their entire lives’ luck just in meeting one another.

Qiu Che smiled faintly, not responding directly. Instead, she asked, “...How is Yao Tai now?”

Yang Qiu sighed, still shaking his head. “Not good.”

Before, with Li Qingwu by her side, even when she was weak, she could still drag herself up to visit the various shops and businesses.

But now, with Li Qingwu preoccupied with matters regarding Qiu Che, her visits had become far less frequent.

The life that Yao Tai had clung to was swiftly slipping away, fading before their eyes.

They both fell silent for a moment, and Qiu Che sighed deeply.

At times, she had this strange, unsettling feeling.

Yao Tai’s arrival and her dwindling life seemed to have arrived at just the right time.

It was almost as if...

As if Yao Tai had been born into this world just to fill in the gaps of their story.

Now that the gaps had been filled, it seemed it was time for her to leave.

Three days later, the trial for the case of the murdered young girl, Qiu Chudong, was set to begin.

The entire courtyard of the Court of Judicial Review was packed with curious onlookers, eager to see the spectacle.

It seemed Qiu Chudong had suffered greatly in prison during this time. As he was dragged out, grimy and covered in dirt, the crowd hurled rotten vegetables at him, cursing him for his cruelty.

Yet, despite the jeers, Qiu Chudong found his courage and boldly shouted back:

“You ignorant fools! Daughters are just worthless bastards, keeping them serves no purpose. Don’t say the Emperor hasn’t even decided my punishment yet, even if I did commit the crime, what’s wrong with it?!”

“You dare call someone a bastard?”

A voice cried out from the crowd: “It’s Her Highness, the Princess!”

The crowd parted to make way.

Li Qingwu, dressed in a pale green palace gown, a golden phoenix hairpin in her hair, and cloud-patterned shoes on her feet, entered, flanked by a gentle wind and a bundle of herbs. She walked slowly, her regal presence stifling all who met her gaze.

Even though her attire wasn’t lavish and there were no stars in her court, her striking beauty and the imposing aura around her were enough to make others feel small.

Qiu Chudong fell silent immediately.

Li Qingwu smiled. “Why did the Qiu Family’s head stop cursing? You said daughters are worthless bastards, did you forget? I heard it. I am also the Emperor’s daughter. So, what are you implying... am I a worthless bastard too?”