Chapter 1652 – Securing Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (Sixty-Two)
“Starting from a mere county magistrate in Xiangyang, she tidied up the aftermath, quelled the chaos of the Green Garment Army, swiftly annihilated the Red Lotus Sect, and unified the entire Wanzhou. Then came the Alliance at Huangshui, teaming up with the coalition forces to fight against the fake Emperor Changshou Wang, leading troops into Chenzhou to rescue the sovereign, only to have her gender exposed in public. Not only did she not lose the recently acquired Wanzhou牧 due to her sex, but she also leveraged her military strength to have her recognized as the Wanzhou牧, establishing herself in Chongzhou and deploying forces to the Northern Border. Step by step, from Xiangyang to Wanzhou and then to becoming the North’s overlord.
The Xu brothers met their end successively in Shanweng City, while Huang Song encountered defeat and regret in Changye.
Zhanjiang Pass refused Nie Liang from Zhong Zhao, and the naval battle in Zhangzhou faced Yang Tao head-on.
In just a few words, the world’s tumult was laid bare.
Kang Xintong was utterly entranced, her small fists on her lap sometimes clenching, sometimes unfolding, completely ignoring the pain and itch of frostbite.
Lü Zheng didn’t expect Jiang Ji to have pulled off so many feats over the years; speaking of them left his mouth dry.
Her life singularly showcased a brilliance that others might not achieve in ten lifetimes.
Kang Xintong said, “There’s only one such person in the world; other women might find it hard to match her…”
“That’s natural. If every woman jumped around like Liu Xi, causing chaos, how could the world remain peaceful?”
Lü Zheng didn’t expect Kang Xintong to become a second Jiang Ji; it was simply beyond her capability.
However,
“Don’t limit your views to just ‘stepfather.’ If you truly want to rise, aim higher, like Liu Xi.”
She couldn’t become a second Jiang Ji, but she could become the best version of herself.
Kang Xintong had yet to meet Jiang Ji, but the latter had left an indelible impression on her—a depth that surpassed anyone else’s.
If Wei Ci knew how Kang Xintong had bought into Lü Zheng’s recommendations, turning the future holy maiden of the Red Lotus Sect into Jiang Ji’s devoted fan, heh… that recommendation was too lethal. An would likely question his life choices; was Lü Zheng really his advisor, or an undercover agent planted by Jiang Ji? If he hadn’t heard wrong, the two main toxins expected in the future Red Lotus incident had already ‘knelt’!
The world was initially calm, with only the eldest daughter, Jiang Yan, by the Emperor’s side.
She had repeatedly wished to make Jiang Yan the heir, but faced various obstacles; ostensibly from the censors, but in reality, there was interference from both scholar and commoner factions.
Everyone said His Majesty was still in his prime, sure to last for a thousand years, so there was no hurry to name an heir.
In reality, it was a delaying tactic, hoping the Emperor would bear another child—perhaps a boy.
At that time, they could recommend a prince as the heir, and maybe the Emperor would be swayed.
After a year of Jiang Zhao’s establishment, the Emperor was again with child.
Court life seemed tranquil, yet undercurrents flowed, as every faction had their own hidden agendas.
In retrospect, Wei Ci thought the one scheming the most was the Emperor, indulging in all sorts of merriment at his own ministers’ expense.
During Fushou’s birth, remnants of the Red Lotus Sect reemerged, even spreading their doctrine to the officials’ backstreets.
Some opportunists tried to use the Red Lotus Sect against the Emperor and Jiang Yan; the Red Lotus Sect, in turn, took advantage of them, infiltrating the palace for a planned assassination. They chose their timing perfectly—it coincided with the Emperor’s grand celebration of Fushou. Although it was later revealed that this was all part of the Emperor’s deliberate scheme, the entire situation was her meticulous plan to counteract unruly individuals in the court, Wei Ci nevertheless broke into a cold sweat.
This assassination plot was dubbed the “Red Lotus Incident.”
The leader of the Red Lotus Sect was a sage from the Northern Border, Wu Libai’s grandson.
Of course, this elusive fish had been preemptively handled by Wei Ci during the Northern Border battle.
The other key figure was the holy maiden of the Red Lotus Sect, a woman who once went by the name Kang Xintong.
With the Red Lotus remnants swept away, Kang Xintong was captured as well.
What stunned Wei Ci was that this woman nearly escaped after her capture; some aided her escape while others wanted her dead…
Upon closer investigation, in a certain sense,
She was quite the character!
The Emperor, comfortably seated and snacking on seeds, enjoyed the show while casually tossing a hefty dossier on Kang Xintong.
Kang Xintong, born into a noble family in Nan Sheng, endured the calamities of her childhood. She and her mother were captured by the Southern Barbarians, suffering greatly.
Her mother shielded her, and Kang Xintong stumbled into her thirteenth year.
In that year, after her mother’s death, she was forced to reveal her identity.
To procure a better life, she had no choice but to use her beauty to charm a Southern Barbarian leader, leveraging his power to eliminate the barbarian who had claimed her. After less than two years of tranquility, An cornered the Southern Barbarians, ordering a massacre before Kang Xintong vanished.
Years later, she re-emerged as the holy maiden of the underground cult, the Red Lotus Sect.
Kang Xintong learned some cunning and sinister arts from somewhere, deceiving the world and infiltrating officials’ backyards, expanding her followers…
Wu Libai’s grandson managed the Red Lotus Sect, promoting its doctrine, while Kang Xintong drew even more followers through these devotees.
Some were attracted by her beauty, while others were interested in the sect’s hidden powers.
Snowballing, the Red Lotus Sect rapidly grew into a vast web of connections within two to three years.
Wei Ci still remembered the Emperor’s complaints.
【Why would a child with such looks resort to a pyramid scheme? How disheartening.】
【How did the Emperor learn of the Red Lotus Sect?】
Though the Red Lotus Sect expanded significantly, they operated discreetly, with court officials being drawn in from the fringes, executing their plans with utmost caution. With the Emperor focused on state affairs and pregnant with Fushou for the past few months, there was simply no way she could spare much energy for the Red Lotus Sect.
It turned out that the Emperor was quite the lively little monster.
She had been scheming against the Red Lotus Sect and the unruly scholars and commoners for more than a year.
【Do you remember last year’s birthday?】
Wei Ci replied, 【I remember.】
The Emperor continued, 【On that day, I went to the Spring Pavilion to hear the flower girls sing, where I spotted Zheng Tu getting drunk in the neighboring tavern.】
Though completely baffled, Wei Ci listened earnestly, trying to analyze how Su Wang’s drunkenness could possibly relate to the Red Lotus Sect.
【Zheng Tu had quarreled with his wife. As a minister, I shouldn’t meddle in his family matters, but since I saw it, I couldn’t help but ask. If personal matters delay his duties, it would be disastrous.】 The Emperor earnestly found an excuse for her gossip, 【Upon inquiry, I discovered that someone secretly offered him a beauty, and unsavory rumors reached his wife’s ears. That lady had a fiery temper and acted as if she were ready to die… Although Zheng Tu rejected the beauty, his wife was still heartbroken…】
Su Wang’s wife was, of course, the brilliant Jun of this era.
Despite their different experiences, they had similarly tumultuous paths, ultimately becoming Su Wang’s wife, stirring quite a discussion.
Because of this, Su Wang’s wife acted very discreetly, hardly ever appearing in public.
The beauty offered by his subordinate was none other than Kang Xintong. Su Wang resisted the temptation but was met with his wife’s cold shoulder.
After drinking, Su Wang lamented to the Emperor about being victimized.
【That woman is indeed beautiful, but my wife is no less exquisite. Would I, Su Zheng Tu, be someone who forgets his wife for beauty?】
The Emperor took note of this.
Su Wang’s wife was, without a doubt, First Lady material.
To claim to be as good as her and bribe Su Wang… the effectiveness would be severely diminished.
The Emperor returned and, following the clues, traced the matter back to the Red Lotus Sect…
Thus began a lengthy scheme, baiting traps, using the Red Lotus incident to cleanse the court and its surroundings.
