Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 69: Retaliation

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Retaliation

The Empress, whose surname is Lv, was not born into a prominent family. The Emperor Jianming’s father was the son of a palace maid, of lowly status, and dispatched to Ningzhou. Ningzhou was barren, war-torn, with its military forces under the command of Marquis Zhenbei. Hence, Emperor Jianming’s position was awkward; he bore the name of royal aristocracy without possessing real power. The prominent families in the Capital City were unwilling to marry off their legitimate daughters to Ningzhou to suffer hardships. When Emperor Jianming was still the Princely Heir, his marital prospects were far from smooth — neither high nor low matches could be secured.

Emperor Jianming eventually came to terms with this situation, choosing the daughter of Ningzhou’s governor as his principal wife. After ascending to the throne, the Lv family rose to prominence, their fortunes soaring. The head of the family was granted the title Duke Ning; now elderly, he enjoys a life of leisure and tranquility. However, the Lv family’s luck seemed to have been exhausted in securing the position of Empress, as their descendants proved inept. Despite being the royal father-in-law, their marital alliances remained ordinary. The Empress’s younger brother is an idler, who bullies others in the Capital City under the guise of his identity as Imperial Uncle, causing too many troubles to count.

Whenever such troubles arose, it was the Empress or the Crown Prince who stepped in to smooth things over. Their familial influence was inconspicuous, which made them all the more wary of Marquis Zhenbei, who held military power.

This Imperial Uncle was a frequent attendee of pleasure venues and gambling halls. Fengyu had no sway over the Eastern Palace, nor the Imperial Palace, but the Lv family did. Their roots were firmly planted in Ningzhou. The land and property in the Capital City were controlled by the seven prominent families. While the Lv family was part of the Empress’s kin, they could not surpass others who had established foundations beforehand. When Emperor Jianming ascended the throne, his position was unstable, making it impossible for him to oppose the aristocratic clans.

In Yanyang, seizing land from others was akin to murdering one’s parents. Thus, the Lv family owned only a few acres of irrigated fields and several manors in the suburbs of the Capital. They once had six storefronts in bustling districts, but mismanagement cost them two. The Lv family relied entirely on Duke Ning and the Empress’s rewards for their livelihood. Though impoverished in Ningzhou, the sudden wealth dazzled them, inevitably leading to indulgent revelry. Their meager assets, combined with rewards, were insufficient to support their lifestyle. Hence, Imperial Uncle Lv was indebted to various large banks in the Capital.

Just a few days ago, he borrowed ten thousand taels from Baofeng Bank. Baofeng Bank, established by the Jiangnan Su Family, was involved in exploiting Jiangnan’s major silver mines, with extensive operations. It was the most prominent bank in Yanyang, with Marquis Zhenbei serving as its symbolic patron, deterring most from stirring trouble there. Imperial Uncle Lv had borrowed from nearly all the banks in the Capital and was blacklisted, forcing him finally to seek a loan from Baofeng Bank.

Due to Imperial Uncle Lv’s peculiar status, the Shopkeeper reported the matter to Feng Shu, who denied him the loan. After Feng Shu left the Capital, the Shopkeeper informed Fengyu, who approved the loan days ago.

"Miss, the Crown Princess Consort gave birth to a son. His Majesty has proclaimed a general amnesty across the empire, waiving ten percent of the annual taxes," Chunlu reported to Fengyu.

Enduring the faint pain from her wounds, Fengyu’s expression showed rare somberness, "Such a joyous occasion requires me to present them a gift. Summon the shopkeepers of the casino and Mudan Building; I have instructions for them."

"Yes!"

What nonsense about disparity in status leading to calamity! What drivel about a lord demanding his servant’s death, and the servant having no recourse! Lies, all of it. My fate is my own; why should others dictate it? Whoever seeks her death shall meet theirs in turn! Even if it were the heavens themselves, she would tear them apart if she must!

Qiuxiang and Chunlu were witnessing Fengyu’s fury for the first time. Even during the attempted assassination at the manor, while angered, Fengyu hadn’t displayed this cold, menacing resolve to claim lives in retaliation.

Three days later, Imperial Uncle Lv suddenly died in the marketplace, shocking the entire court. The Empress, still immersed in the joy of the Crown Princess Consort’s delivery of a grandson, fainted upon hearing the tragic news.

Imperial Uncle Lv had been pestering gambling halls alongside his dissolute friends for days on end, bringing fortune upon himself as his luck surged; one thousand silver multiplied fivefold within a single day. Exuberant and emboldened, Imperial Uncle Lv continued his gambling spree with unrelenting vigor. Victorious at the gambling tables, he gathered his companions and headed to Mudan Building to drink and hire courtesans. At Mudan Building, the girls sold their performances, not their bodies, their artistic skills unparalleled, drawing the young aristocrats of the Capital to spend extravagantly. Each girl’s beauty and talents were exceptional. Imperial Uncle Lv had long favored Miss Lan Hua, intending to buy her freedom, but Mudan Building’s proprietor, Lady Thirteen, unequivocally refused. Miss Lan Hua was a gifted performer whose "Rainbow Dance" astounded the Capital, drawing droves of renowned scholars and aristocrats. Imperial Uncle Lv caused havoc in Mudan Building, insisting on buying Miss Lan Hua’s freedom, even getting into fistfights with a few dissolute young noblemen, one of whom was Li Pengfei, who habitually drank away his days there.

After two days of commotion, Miss Lan Hua claimed illness and refused to appear, leading Mudan Building to temporarily suspend operations. Imperial Uncle Lv, possibly provoked by someone, insisted daily on coming to Mudan Building to demand her freedom. He sat outside Mudan Building, drinking and boasting of his ties to the Empress as her brother and his status as Yanyang’s Imperial Uncle. He threatened to demolish Mudan Building if they refused to release her.

Such remarks enraged the young noblemen who had gathered at Mudan Building for merrymaking. A public scuffle broke out, escalating into a full-fledged brawl when Imperial Uncle Lv summoned his servants to attack others. Within the duration of a single incense stick, Imperial Uncle Lv collapsed dead in the street, terrifying everyone. The incident was soon reported to the Ministry of Justice, and several troublemaking noblemen were arrested.

Among them were Li Pengfei, Zhang Boxin, Cai Wensen, and Zhou Liyu. Out of the seven great families Lin, Xie, Li, Zhang, Fang, Cai, and Zhou, four were implicated. Though Li Pengfei was a collateral family member, he hailed from an exceptionally prominent branch of the Li Family. The matter quickly escalated to the Imperial Court.

Xie Xun, upon hearing of Imperial Uncle Lv’s sudden death, had just finished handling military affairs and was practicing spear techniques in the courtyard. His tall and lean frame, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, made his movements graceful yet fierce as his silver spear danced, emanating a murderous aura. It perfectly matched the saying: "Graceful as startled swans, agile as swimming dragons."

Xie Xun stood like jade, his silver spear anchored by his side. "Sudden death?"

"Yes. Imperial Uncle Lv was causing a daily commotion in front of Mudan Building. After Lady Thirteen closed its doors, she took the girls to a manor in the suburban Capital for horse-riding and leisure, leaving behind only a few Protectors. Unaware of their whereabouts, Imperial Uncle Lv continued stirring trouble at Mudan Building’s entrance. Li Pengfei, Zhang Boxin, and others, who were on bad terms with him, heard of his coercion of women, which drove the girls behind closed doors. They fought in front of the building. After Li Pengfei, Zhang Boxin, and the others left, within the duration of an incense stick, Imperial Uncle Lv suddenly died in the street. The Ministry of Justice has already retrieved his corpse, and the Empress vehemently opposes an autopsy, demanding the execution of Li Pengfei and others as compensation for his death."

Nuanyang lounged lazily on the roof, basking in the sun. "Master, this will be entertaining. Imperial Uncle Lv died after Li Pengfei, Zhang Boxin, and the others had left. If sentenced to death, the great families won’t stand for it. At most, they’ll face minor punishment like flogging. But the Empress won’t let this go easily, will she?"

Xie Xun approached the weapon rack to clean his spear. He was indifferent to Imperial Uncle Lv’s death. At thirteen, he had already followed his father and brothers onto the battlefield. Upon returning to the Capital, he adored horse-riding with his siblings in the suburban Capital more than mingling with its aristocratic youths. In the past two years spent residing in the Capital, he had often heard stories about Imperial Uncle Lv.

This Imperial Uncle, not yet thirty, was the Duke Ning’s youngest child born in his twilight years, notorious for his atrocities—seizing farmlands, abducting women, rousing his servants to assault others. Last year, he tormented a widow, driving her to hang herself, leaving behind a three-year-old child. Such heinous deeds were countless, yet he still lived richly, fully shielded by the Empress and Crown Prince.