As soon as this thought arose, Tudan Jing suppressed it. Coming from a noble family, she understood better than anyone that marriage was far more important than love. Besides, what she had with Wanyan Liang was true love—everything that had happened with Tang Kuo Bian could only be called a beautiful misunderstanding.
Lost in her conflicted emotions, she barely noticed the journey home. The moment they returned to the palace, Wanyan Liang pulled her toward the bedroom.
Finally snapping back to reality, Tudan Jing asked, “My lord, what are you doing?”
Wanyan Liang grinned. “Ah Jing, let’s get intimate.”
The truth was, the entire way back, he couldn’t stop thinking about the images of Tang Kuo Bian pressing down on his wife the night before. The more he dwelled on it, the more uncomfortable he felt—yet his body reacted with excitement. The thought that his wife’s b0dy still carried another man’s essence, that she must still be a mess inside, made his throat dry with lust. That’s why he immediately dragged her to bed the moment they returned.
Tudan Jing, of course, had no idea about her husband’s twisted thoughts. All she could think about was how she had just betrayed him with another man the previous night, and her b0dy was still in disarray. If they were intimate now, wouldn’t everything be exposed? She couldn’t possibly agree!
Moreover, for some reason, she was reluctant to let her husband touch her. Frantically, she came up with excuses until she finally managed to dissuade him.
Watching his wife head off to bathe, Wanyan Liang was left simmering with frustration. But he knew matters of state took priority, so he suppressed his urges and immediately summoned his trusted advisor, Xiao Yu.
When Wanyan Liang recounted his conversation with Tang Kuo Bian, Xiao Yu’s eyes gleamed with admiration. “I always thought Tang Kuo Bian was a simple-minded brute, but it turns out he’s a man of great talent. This plan of killing two birds with one stone is brilliant. If executed properly, we can eliminate Prince Changsheng, our greatest rival, while also clipping the Emperor’s wings, leaving him completely isolated.”
Wanyan Liang was delighted. “So you also think this plan is feasible?”
“Though the plan is ingenious…” Xiao Yu suddenly hesitated. “What worries me more is Tang Kuo Bian. After all, he’s the Emperor’s brother-in-law, a royal consort. I can’t fathom why he would help you, my lord. We must be wary of him.”
Wanyan Liang laughed. “Don’t worry about that. I have absolute faith in Tang Kuo Bian’s loyalty.”
“How can you be so sure?” As Wanyan Liang’s chief strategist, Xiao Yu knew that even the slightest misstep in their scheme could lead to the extermination of their entire clan. He had to be cautious.
“The specifics aren’t something I can share, but just know that Tang Kuo Bian and I are like grasshoppers tied to the same string.” Wanyan Liang’s face grew warm—last night’s events were far too taboo to speak of.
“If my lord is so certain, then I won’t press further.” Though still suspicious, Xiao Yu trusted Wanyan Liang’s judgment. His lord might be licentious, but his strategic and martial prowess were unmatched. It wouldn’t be easy to deceive him.
“How do you think we should execute this plan?” Wanyan Liang already had a rough idea, but many details required the refinement of his so-called “Little Zhuge Liang.”
After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Yu replied, “We should take a two-pronged approach. First, dispatch someone to remove key figures from the Laundry Courtyard, then send experts to abduct the Song Dynasty princesses.”
“The Laundry Courtyard’s leader is the Chief Eunuch, Da Xingguo, but he’s constantly at the Emperor’s side. Day-to-day operations are managed by the Emperor’s younger sister, Princess Qi, Wanyan Ping, assisted by two top experts, Pucha Shijie and Pucha Hutuo. These three form the core leadership. If we can remove them, the Laundry Courtyard will be left headless, unable to mount an effective defense in time.”
Wanyan Liang pressed, “How do we remove them? From what I know, all three are incorruptible and fiercely loyal to the Emperor. Bribery won’t work.”
“Every man has his weakness,” Xiao Yu said with a knowing smile. “Pucha Shijie’s weakness is his younger sister. If we use Pucha Qiucao as leverage, removing him won’t be difficult. Pucha Hutuo is filial to a fault—target his widowed mother, and he’ll comply. As for Wanyan Ping, the Laundry Courtyard’s rules require at least one leader to remain on-site, so once the other two are gone, she’ll be nearly impossible to lure away.”
Wanyan Liang was surprised, then chuckled. “Since you say that, you must already have a plan?”
“Of course!” Xiao Yu stroked his goatee. “Wanyan Ping is ruthless and cunning, and as the Emperor’s sister, she has no obvious weaknesses. But no woman is immune to love. From what I’ve heard, she has some… improper relations with her brother-in-law, Tang Kuo Bian. If we use his name, we can draw her out.”
Recalling how Wanyan Ping had rushed to his estate early that morning to see Tang Kuo Bian, Wanyan Liang nodded inwardly. ‘They’re definitely involved. That b*stard Tang Kuo Bian has all the luck, bedding such a beautiful pair of sisters. Hmph, last night I gave up my own consort—I’ll make sure to claim both of them in return.’
He had already resolved to propose an “exchange” to Tang Kuo Bian at the first opportunity. If Tang Kuo Bian had even offered up his own wife, Gebi, why would he hesitate over a sister-in-law? ‘Tsk, if I could have both sisters in the same bed… now that would be something.’
Unaware of his lord’s wild fantasies, Xiao Yu continued refining the plan. “After the incident, Emperor Xizong will undoubtedly investigate their negligence. So we should deliberately leave clues pointing to Prince Changsheng.”
“Once those three are removed, my lord can have experts like Master Ouyang strike the Laundry Courtyard, abduct the Song princesses. After such a devastating failure, the Emperor will lose all trust in the Laundry Courtyard. Pucha Shijie and the others will be severely punished, allowing my lord to step in and win them over. This way, we can remove the Emperor’s eyes in the capital.”
*****
While Wanyan Liang and Xiao Yu schemed, Song Qingshu had already disguised himself as the eunuch Xiao Xingguo and slipped into the palace. He needed to coordinate with Empress Pei Man and Zhao Yingluo to ensure they didn’t panic and make mistakes when questioned about the Laundry Courtyard’s investigation.
Given the heightened security around the Empress’s palace after the incident, Song Qingshu decided to seek out Zhao Yingluo first for updates. But the moment he reached Xiao Xingguo’s quarters, she—dressed as a palace maid—stepped out and collided straight into his arms.