Chapter 538: Wei Wei's Dominance Had Been Revealed
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
"This is also the most perfect strategy that we devised. After all, we could not possibly hand over the lives of ours and our families to a patriarch who does not have any achievements. Everyone tells me, is this not the truth." The man holding the pipe stood up, turning to look at all the stewards.
There was an immediate response, "Steward Yu is right, in the entire Helian Clan, there are more than a hundred females, not to mention the males who are outstation. If there is no one able to take up the role of patriarch, who would protect the Helian Clan from trouble in the future?"
Helian Wei Wei listened to the people below echoing each other in agreement as her hand was toying with the jade ornament on her waist. She then said calmly, "Little Seventh, throw Steward Yu out."
Little Seventh, who was biting on the crab that was in his arms, looked up and responded, "Yes." His small body flew out and without even looking, he raised his arm, lifted Steward Yu and tossed him across his shoulder. It was like throwing some clutter away and a loud bang could be heard!
With his pipe still rolling on the ground, the man surnamed Yu was thrown out the door, hitting the door frame heavily!
Pfftt!
Fresh blood stained the ground.
The stewards were too late to stop it so they stood up in anger, "Eldest Young Lady, with your actions, do you intend to disobey the rules of the clan? Steward Yu had only said a little more than he should have, but Eldest Young Lady dealt with such harsh punishment! Truly unreasonable! You not having any achievements is something that is known to everyone, are we still not allowed to mention it!"
The stewards glanced at each other. They were hoping that Helian Wei Wei would lose her temper in their hearts.
Once she lost her temper, they would have even more of an excuse to dethrone her. Even though Elder Yun was not around anymore, the other three elders had sent messengers to remind them that the etiquette and customs of all the influential families must not be broken.
Once broken, they would personally go and reason with the Emperor.
Therefore, with the three elders backing them up, what else were they afraid of? If they did not overthrow Helian Wei Wei, someday the unlucky ones would be themselves!
The fact that she had not fully risen up yet must be used to their advantage to remove her!
Helian Wei Wei lifted her gaze and looked at the stewards who were talking heatedly among themselves. The corners of her lips curved up slightly. "Who says I do not have any achievements?"
Hearing this question, all the stewards were stunned, even the people who were talking fell speechless.
The air in the hall stiffened in an instance.
Everyone slowly turned to look at Helian Wei Wei.
"Da Xiong, read aloud to the stewards the imperial decree given down by the Retired Emperor after I returned to the Capital." In contrast to the stewards who were on edge, Helian Wei Wei had been sitting casually on the wooden chair the whole time with her hand toying with the jade ornament on her waist. She was smiling faintly, as though she was in control of the entire situation.
"Yes." Da Xiong stretched his left hand out, holding a golden imperial decree, "Under the command of the Retired Emperor himself, Helian Wei Wei had personally visited Fuping, with the pseudonym Wei Wei, had eradicated corrupt officials and solved the problem of the drought intellectually, thereby earning multiple achievements. With glory from this day forth, being able to enjoy the treatment of First Rank Minister!"
Wh-what!
"Wei Wei, Wei Wei!" The stewards stepped backward dispiritedly, falling back into their wooden chairs heavily.
Many of their facial expressions were starting to change, even the teacups in their hands were starting to shake as well.
How could she possibly be that Wei Wei!
Which meant, that Elder Yun was eradicated by... by her?!
The stewards shuddered from the bottom of their hearts while their pupils were shaking severely.
Since when did this little girl who has always been looked down upon by them, had firstly opened a world-renowned commercial firm, and then invited back the hidden army, and now... even Elder Yun had been pulled down by her!
What did she want! Please visit fr𝐞𝐞wn.𝒸o𝔪 website to read fastest update
What exactly did she want to do!
Helian Wei Wei stood up with a smile, "Looks like everybody has heard clearly, so now it's my turn to speak. Steward Li!"
"I, I'm here." Steward Li kneeled down, shivering.
Helian Wei Wei paced over to him. "When my grandfather was still alive, he treated you well, and yet, when Helian Guang Yao came out to fight for power, you were the first one who supported him!"
"I, I..." Steward Li could not even form proper words anymore.
Helian Wei Wei did not even intend to listen to what he had to say. With her long sleeves fluttering, she commanded, "Guards, take him away. Doesn't he love to play with power and money? Let Steward Li have a taste of what it's like to be pounded to death with silver coins!"
"Yes!" Da Xiong accepted the order with his gaze lowered.
Helian Wei Wei rubbed her hands. "Take Steward Yu too, the two of them are almost one and the same."
"Yes!"
Of the eight big stewards, two of them had already been given the death penalty within such a short amount of time.
The remaining 33 stewards who were going with the flow, immediately scrambled to kneel on the ground, "Eldest Young Lady! Eldest Young Lady, please have mercy on us!"
"I'm afraid of killing you would dirty my hands." Helian Wei Wei looked at them indifferently, "You all did not do anything awful toward Grandfather but you are all nasty cowards, your lives are not worth taking. From now on, hand in all of your estates, and leave the Capital, don't let me see any of you again! I will not take your lives this time, but that doesn't mean that I will not kill you if I see you again. Get off!"
The 33 stewards exchanged glances with one another.
From the aspect of martial, Eldest Young Lady already had the hidden army. Although they had never seen the hidden army in action, the power and prestige of the hidden army during those years were definitely not alarmist talk. So, on this matter, they had already lost.
From the cultural aspect, ah, the pseudonym 'Wei Wei' already stated that they had lost a long time ago.
Thinking of this, they did not dare to hesitate any longer and left the General's residence immediately.
Helian Wei Wei looked at the six remaining stewards who were trembling with fear. She then lifted her thin lips and smiled, "Back then, you betrayed Grandfather and sought refuge with Elder Yun, helping Helian Guang Yao to gain the throne. Now you see that I have grown to be what I am today, are you thinking of how I would deal with you?"
"Eldest Young Lady, you can't..."
Slap!
Helian Wei Wei slapped him in the face; her eyes were cold. "What I can't do? Since I could displace the Empress, Prime Minister Su, eliminate Helian Guang Yao and even send Elder Yun to prison, naturally I can deal with all of you too! Da Xiong, take them all away, the Helian Clan does not need stewards like these who forget their morality when they see the money."
"Eldest Young Lady! Eldest Young Lady!" One of the stewards held on to the hem of Helian Wei Wei's pants, "I, I have something to say!"
Helian Wei Wei looked down at him condescendingly. "You have something to say? What is it?"
"The family property of the Helian Clan is extremely extensive, if Eldest Young Lady has us all killed, there will be no one left to manage the Helian Clan, how could the clan be glorified then? Is Eldest Young Lady really going to eradicate every last one of us just because of your selfish desire to take revenge?!"
Helian Wei Wei reached out and seized the collar of his shirt. "During the time when my mother was severely ill, didn't all of you have pressed on at every stage? Not only did you all give Helian Guang Yao the supreme authority, but you all have even helped the Su family to slander my mother, letting her die in disgrace! Do you really think that without any of you, I, Helian Wei Wei, am unable to manage the General's residence?"
Chapter 539: Dealing With Helian Wei Wei
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
"Do you really take the stewards of my Wei Ze World as decoration? The reason I employ them is for them to replace all of you one day!" Helian Wei Wei raised her gaze unhurriedly. It appeared like there was an array of flowing stars in her eyes and the radiance was eye-catching. "People always say that the stewards within a family must not be fired recklessly because it is not easy to find people who are familiar with the property. Steward Sun, do you think that the stewards who could manage my Wei Ze World and open shops collecting data in various regions of the country, could possibly be inferior compared to cowards like you who only know how to talk?"
"Replace us, replace us? Haha, haha! It's us who have lost, oh we've lost..."
After laughing loudly, Steward Sun kept repeating things such as "We have lost".
Upon seeing him like this, the other five stewards were also in a daze. Their gazes lowered halfway, their hair was a mess without any trace of the overbearing and pressuring appearance they previously had.
From the Empress to these stewards, she stood firmly and fought steadily, advancing gradually.
So many people assumed that she opened Wei Ze World for profit.
In fact, she was thinking about the future of who would be best to replace them!
This was truly a good set up.
With such a setup, even if one were a minister with an important post, he might or might not have won even with careful deployment.
However, she, a useless lady that they had neglected for such a long time, actually reversed heaven and earth with her strength alone and disrupted the turmoil in this kingdom!
They had truly lost...
It was dusk and the sun went down.
All the stewards in the entire General's residence had been eliminated and expelled. All of them had been replaced with Helian Wei Wei's men, all within 30 minutes.
She stood alone at the center of the courtyard, in a simple white garment with her long sleeves floating with the breeze.
"Young Master."
Da Xiong knelt down on one knee.
Helian Wei Wei lifted the corners of her lips. "Seven years, it has been a full seven years. Back then, I was not even qualified to stand in the main courtyard."
"Young Master..." Da Xiong opened his mouth, as though he was about to say something.
Helian Wei Wei lifted her gaze, her appearance was so surreal as if from a painting. "From this day onward, the Helian Clan has been returned! To! Its! Owner!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The sound of kowtow echoed thrice, first the stewards of various regions, next, the imperial bodyguards of the residence, and last but not least, the thousands of hidden army led by Chi Yan!
The courtyard was filled with troops bowing down before Helian Wei Wei alone! Please visit fr𝐞𝐞wn.𝒸o𝔪 website to read fastest update
This scene reminded the older generation of the days when Old Master Helian was still alive.
Naturally, there were talks of this within the Capital, saying that the Helian family was truly about to rise up once more.
Upon hearing this news, Prime Minister Su who was already suffering from a severe illness threw up a mouthful of blood.
Before the night fell, he received Helian Wei Wei's message.
Prime Minister Su squinted and with a cold expression, he said, "I will not meet her."
"Is Prime Minister Su unwilling to meet me, or is he afraid to meet me?" Helian Wei Wei paced into the residence casually, the bodyguards protecting the residence had already been disposed of by Little Seventh Prince, who was following behind her.
Prime Minister Su looked at her and coughed a few times, giving her a fake smile. "Why would the Princess Consort say that? I have been sick for many days, unable to appear at court or meet any important guests. This is something that everybody knows, and it is also the same reason that I have mentioned just now for not being able to meet Princess Consort."
"Such manners that Lord Su has." Helian Wei Wei laughed, "I know that merely yesterday, Lord Su had pulled Helian Guang Yao down and now you are planning to retake the forces of the Su family. However, you realized that even with Helian Guang Yao gone, it is really hard to collect the forces back. Doesn't Lord Su want to know why this is the case?"
Once Prime Minister Su heard the name, Helian Guang Yao, he was so angry that his hand which was gripping his sleeve started to shake.
Helian Wei Wei continued, "That is because the forces that Lord Su had previously sent out had all fallen into my hands. I suppose I don't have to teach Lord Su about the parable of the sandpiper and the clam who fought each other and both were caught by the fisherman?"
"You!" Prime Minister Su reached out a hand and pressed it against his chest.
Helian Wei Wei casually straightened her robe. "Even getting close to Helian Guang Yao and taking away your daughter's beloved girl, those were all my doings. I did all that just to let Prime Minister Su get a taste of how it feels to have your son-in-law take your home away!"
"You, you..." Prime Minister Su was in so much pain that he was bent at the waist.
Helian Wei Wei smiled faintly. "It's getting late. Rest well, Prime Minister Su. With the condition of your health, you probably won't last a few days. I was just curious, so I came to ask you, does a slap in the face feel nice?"
"You, pfft!" Prime Minister Su could not hold it in anymore, a sudden turning in his throat caused him to spit out huge mouthfuls of blood.
Helian Wei Wei wiped the spot where it stained as a glimmer of smile was showing in her eyes. "How could I have forgotten that Lord Su cannot be angered with this illness?"
"Helian Wei Wei!" Prime Minister Su roared with all his might, "Did you think that once I am dead, you could have your revenge? Hahaha, so naive! An aristocrat of martial arts with such outstanding military achievements and the founding father of the kingdom, did you really think that the Empress and I were strong enough to bring Old Master Helian down? If there wasn't a force strong enough to support us, who could touch him! Those are the ones that you couldn't take revenge on even if you obtained the Helian family! They wanted to kill Old Master Helian, and so Old Master Helian is dead, do you know why? His military merits were too outstanding, even the Emperor does not want to see the Helian family prosper! Haha, haha!"
Prime Minister Su laughed uncontrollably and coughed at the same time, with a pleased look on his pale face.
Helian Wei Wei bent down and leaned over, "Isn't that just three elders and a muddleheaded monarch? Naturally, I have my own plans to deal with them. The most important thing is for me to see Prime Minister Su's family going bankrupt and being scattered, lying here like a rotten egg. That is my main objective."
"You, pfft, pfft...pfft!"
Prime Minister Su spat out blood once more and his eyes bulged. Then, he went completely out of breath.
As Helian Wei Wei left the Su Manor, she heard the sounds of the death knell.
As for her, she was getting closer to her goal...
It was nighttime. Deep in the Imperial Palace in the South Study.
Below the layers of curtains, the Emperor sat amidst the white smoke, using alchemy to lengthen his life. He was getting increasingly obsessed to a certain extent!
The three elders sat opposite him and their voices low, "Your Majesty, this Helian Wei Wei really must be dealt with!"
"Isn't she quite good?" The Emperor laughed, looking at the elixir in his palms like a crazed man. "Why must she be dealt with?"
Looking at him in this state, the three elders lowered their voices, "She must be dealt with, not because of her actions lately, but because of the possession incident that caused so much trouble a while ago. The old ministers suspect that this Helian Wei Wei had really been possessed! The way she's doing things is nothing like her old self, and that water-pump she invented at Fuping had never been heard before. This person is definitely possessed! Does Your Majesty still remember how scary it was to be possessed? A worshipper once said, once a possessed person appears, it means that the devil is at work, and by then Your Majesty's throne may even be threatened..."
Chapter 540: His Highness And Wei Wei
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
"In fact." One of the elders paused momentarily and glanced at the side profile of the Emperor as he continued, "She is the Princess Consort of the Third Prince..."
The hand of the Emperor that was holding an elixir trembled briefly as he slowly tightened his fist. "Are you guys sure that Helian Wei Wei is possessed?"
"80 percent." Elder Feng started laughing, "As for the truth to the statement, we would be certain once we test it out."
The Emperor lowered his sights and took a sip of his tea before saying, "How can we perform the test?"
"During the grand wedding day of the Third Prince, 18 monks came to the Lingyin Temple to chant. If it were not for the Fire Qilin, Helian Wei Wei would have shown her true colors." Elder Feng lowered his voice and said, "Why not try it again, Your Highness?"
The Emperor looked at him indifferently and replied, "Do you think that you can hide the news of bringing 18 monks to the Capital from the Third Prince?"
"You do not have to worry about that, Your Highness. A legitimate plea has been prepared for that purpose!" Elder Feng said with a deep voice. He then continued, "There has been a lot happening in the palace. I heard from my subordinates that palace maids would often go missing. In fact, even their corpses would disappear. We could use this incident as an excuse to bring the monks in for a blessing. By doing so, the Third Prince would not be suspicious. The Retired Emperor has started an investigation on the situation. Since the case has to be investigated one way or the other, why not we be the ones to investigate the case? Am I right, Your Highness?"
The Emperor spun the elixir in his hand, and said, "You are telling me that the Retired Emperor has sent people over to investigate the incident of the palace maids? How come I was not informed about it?"
"Well, there has not been any news or activity yet," Elder Feng replied. He then leaned closer and said, "The Retired Emperor has always preferred doing things without alerting anyone. If it were not for some information from the side, the Retired Emperor's intention of managing palace affairs would definitely have gone unnoticed. Maybe he wants to make it easier for the Third Prince to pick up the pieces. The Third Prince's disguise to the provincial capital was well-received among the people. He managed to place quite an amount of his subordinates into the Six Ministries. If this goes on, I cannot help but be worried that the situation may become uncontrollable, Your Highness."
The Emperor looked at the swaying flames of the candles as he squinted his eyes and said, "Alright, go and carry out the plan that was devised by the three elders. Try and see if it works."
"Yes."
The three elders looked at each other, revealing hints of satisfied cunning expressions on each of their faces...
Late at night.
The elders entered their respective carriages as they came out of the palace.
No one managed to notice the little black dot right behind the neck of one of the elders.
The black dot would only appear on someone who was possessed by a spirit.
Two shadows swayed under the feet of one man beneath the moonlight. It was unspeakably daunting.
"Master, our plan has been going smoothly thus far, will she wake up soon?" The little one had a massive bottle gourd on his back as he looked up to the man in a white gown.
The man leaned over and patted the head of the little guy. "This is not enough to wake her up."
"What else do we need?" The little guy winked his eyes.
The man laughed mildly, "For the demons and monsters to walk freely among us."
Pitter-patter.
Drops of rain fell on the side of the window.
Helian Wei Wei absent-mindedly looked at herself walking into the palace. It was an unfamiliar place that she had never been to before. There was a deep river with an inexplicable scent.
The scent was familiar to her.
There was a hint of rust within the salty-sweet scent as it filled the surrounding air. It was unsettling. Please visit fr𝐞𝐞wn.𝒸o𝔪 website to read fastest update
Helian Wei Wei had no idea how she walked to this place. She wanted to summon Yuan Ming, but soon she realized that she could not activate her Fantasy Space.
There were no signs of Little Seven or anyone around her.
Except for the Helian Wei Wei she dreamt of previously.
She was looking at her beside the river with her teary eyes.
In a split second, she appeared right in front of her. With a face as pale as a piece of paper, she said, "Why, why would you not return my body to me, why!"
Helian Wei Wei remained still and allowed her to continue her outcry. Her eyes remained bright and clear.
The other Helian Wei Wei did not expect her to be so calm. She squinted her eyes little by little and wrapped her limbs around Helian Wei Wei as she said, "You shall not escape. You can face anyone but me because this body is mine and it will forever be mine!"
The arms that were tangling around her were like unknown tentacles. It was impossible to break free.
Slowly, Helian Wei Wei felt as if something was spreading to her waist.
As she looked again, she suddenly found herself standing in the middle of a maroon-colored river and her hand was being pulled by a really fair hand, it was trying to pull her into the river.
"Third Aunt, Third Aunt!"
Helian Wei Wei opened her eyes abruptly, and the youthful face of Little Seven appeared before her. He lay on the head of the bed as he looked at her worriedly.
Standing behind her was Baili Jia Jue who must have just returned. His fur coat was humid and still on.
He extended his hand and fixed her fringe up as he said, "What did you dream about?"
"It was nothing." Helian Wei Wei reached out for his lean waist at once and planted her face on the chest that was ever so calming. "I am going to continue with my sleep. I am still tired."
Baili Jia Jue moved away as he looked at her with a deep gaze. He then told the boy standing beside, "Little Seven, go back to bed."
"I want to sleep with Third Brother and Third Aunt," the little guy said. "I do not want to sleep on the bed. The bed is too soft for me. I will sleep on the floor as long as Third Brother does not step on my small tummy."
Baili Jia Jue took a glance at him. "Are you planning to take off your pants and dance again?"
"No!" The little boy sprang up and said with a serious expression, "I am heading back to bed. I just returned to the palace recently. It is very hectic on my side, you better not come and look for me, Third Brother. That's all!"
The little one left swiftly as he finished his sentence.
Helian Wei Wei felt humored as she looked at what had just happened.
Baili Jia Jue held her chin up and said, "Is someone trying to seize your body?"
Helian Wei Wei was stunned as she instinctively summoned Yuan Ming.
Yuan Ming shrugged as he said, "Your man is unfathomably brilliant. I have no idea how he got it right on his first guess. In fact, is it not weird? The other party will never be so rampant if he is around during your nightmares. For instance, the dream today was very dangerous as I could not even enter your dreamland. But the water level of the river subsided right after he entered. Isn't that weird?"
"The only thing that is on my mind is how could he have known about it." Helian Wei Wei stared at Yuan Ming.
As she left the Fantasy Space and met the gaze of Baili Jia Jue, she said truthfully, "Yes, in my dreams."
"Your possession does not seem to be successful." Baili Jia Jue carried her in his arms, chin resting against her hair. It seemed like he was in deep thought.