She Holds the World After Being Reborn
Chapter 119: All His Desires Must Shatter

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: All His Desires Must Shatter

Keeping vigil.

Sun Qinglian, overwhelmed with grief, had stayed awake for two days before she fainted in the memorial hall.

Yan Wanqing and her sisters then realized their mother was not as strong as she appeared.

The agony in her heart was more turbulent than theirs.

As Sun Qinglian collapsed, Yan Wanqing, as the legitimate eldest daughter of the Township Manor, took on everything with her slender shoulders. During the day, she welcomed guests and paid tribute to the deceased; by night, she stayed by the memorial hall, stubbornly keeping her vigil here tonight as well.

Yan Hongzhao and Yan Lingzhen were heartbroken.

"Big sister, you should go back and rest, we are here," they suggested.

Yan Wanqing shook her head, "It’s okay, I can still hold on."

Yan Lingzhen saw the pallor under her eyes and exchanged a glance with Yan Hongzhao. Just as Yan Hongzhao walked behind Yan Wanqing to knock her unconscious with the edge of her hand, she didn’t expect that Yan Wanqing, who had been folding paper offerings just a second before, would block Yan Hongzhao’s strike the next second.

"Big sister!" Yan Hongzhao exclaimed in shock.

Yan Wanqing looked at her fifth and sixth sisters and sighed, "You both go back and rest, big sister is really okay."

"This..." Yan Lingzhen hesitated.

Yan Wanqing earnestly looked at them, "Big sister wants to stay alone with father for a while."

At this, Yan Lingzhen and Yan Hongzhao found themselves at a loss for words.

Once they both had left, Yan Wanqing asked the maids to also leave, leaving her alone in the spacious memorial hall.

The night wind was harsh, and Yan Wanqing picked up a mat from the ground and placed it beside the coffin, leaning against it, surrounded by flickering candlelight, in utter silence...

...

The morning air was a bit cold, the snow from the previous days had melted, and Yan Wanqing, leaning against the coffin, suddenly woke up.

The air still carried the lingering scent of extinguished candles; she got up, took a new white candle, replaced the old one, and lit it.

Yan Lingzhen rushed in with tea and refreshments from outside, having already been here once and seen her big sister sound asleep, she had run to the kitchen.

"Big sister, here," Yan Lingzhen offered the tea and refreshments to Yan Wanqing.

Yan Wanqing didn’t refuse, taking a bite with it at her lips.

She couldn’t taste anything at the moment, but she had to eat.

"In another day, our father and brothers will be buried, and nothing must go wrong," Yan Wanqing said hoarsely, and Yan Lingzhen nodded, clearly understanding.

These days had been very quiet, with neither Prince Xiao Hongshen nor Yan An appearing again.

But Yan Wanqing knew well that this was the calm before the storm.

These people were all trying their best to find—or rather, create—evidence of the Yan Family’s collusion with the enemy and treason.

It was merely a matter of timing.

Once the Emperor believed them, the tragedy of a previous life would repeat itself.

Before her father and brothers were buried, she did not want any conflicts to arise.

At least, she didn’t want their journey to the netherworld to be tainted.

"I need to go out today," Yan Wanqing said to Yan Lingzhen, "If mother asks, just mention it."

Yan Wanqing went back to her room to wash up and changed into clean clothes.

Today she had arranged to meet the Empress outside the palace and, to avoid drawing attention, she had disguised herself.

After following the manager upstairs, Empress Zhang Lanyi had already been waiting for a long time.

Yan Wanqing noticed that today she was dressed in black attire, enveloped in an air of solemnity, which was quite rare.

The Empress saw Yan Wanqing come up and immediately poured her a cup of hot tea.

"This matter is quite urgent, which is why I had someone send you a message last night," Zhang Lanyi began to speak, her eyes also very weary.

Yan Wanqing furrowed her brows, "But what has happened within the palace?"

Zhang Lanyi nodded, "You are not wrong, Xiao Hongshen has indeed started to make his moves. I discovered that the Imperial Forest Army within the palace has been gradually replaced with new faces over these past few days, likely all his own people now."

"At this moment, the matter of my father has not yet been cleared up, he wouldn’t force a palace coup this soon, as it would not benefit him in any way." Yan Wanqing had not received any message from Chai You, relying on her understanding of Xiao Hongshen and memories from her previous life, it was not yet the best time for him to ascend to power.

Moreover, the supporter behind Xiao Hongshen had yet to reveal himself, and Yan Wanqing would not let him easily seize great power.

Zhang Lanyi, hearing Yan Wanqing’s words, felt somewhat relieved.

"Last night His Majesty almost—" she covered her mouth with her hand and uttered a word, Yan Wanqing’s eyes flashed with shock, "Is everything alright now?"

"Last night, we had to urgently summon that old Taoist, only then was he saved," Zhang Lanyi lamented, "If it wasn’t for this old Taoist having some skills."

Suddenly thinking of Yan Wanqing being Song Huaxu’s disciple, Zhang Lanyi’s expression became a bit unnatural as she spoke.

Yan Wanqing looked at the tea in her hand, she suddenly began, "I remember in Southern Mountain, Your Majesty once said that the State Preceptor had made a trip to Governor’s Office Pass."

Zhang Lanyi nodded, "If you do not trust, I can hand over my confidant to you for interrogation. He followed the State Preceptor all the way there, but he couldn’t follow too closely and isn’t very clear on the specifics of what was done."

Yan Wanqing understood, with Song Huaxu’s profound martial arts skills, being able to follow without being noticed was already not easy.

But why had Song Huaxu gone to Governor’s Office Pass?

The three words Governor’s Office Pass were like being enveloped in a veil, beneath which flowed all secrets.

She felt her fingertips turn ice cold.

"His Majesty is currently unwell and is looking for someone to act on his behalf in court affairs. Xiao Hongshen has been extremely solicitous these past few days," Zhang Lanyi thought and could hardly contain her disgust.

"I remember Your Majesty also once took over His Majesty’s duties to review memorials. Has His Majesty not troubled you these few days?"

Zhang Lanyi, speaking of this, sighed, "That Xiao Hongshen has His Majesty’s sleeping quarters tightly sealed off. Apart from last night, when I saw His Majesty once, I have not seen him since."

"At such a critical juncture, Xiao Hongshen would definitely not allow any accidents," Yan Wanqing reflected.

Zhang Lanyi rubbed her temples, "We still need to think of other ways, in case an Imperial Edict regarding succession is somehow produced, it would be much harder to handle afterward."

Yan Wanqing nodded, "Tomorrow is the day of my father’s funeral, and Xiao Hongshen will definitely appear. I will find a way to make him take me back to the manor, and at that time I hope Your Majesty can seize this opportunity to rally the loyal ministers to impeach him."

"Additionally, Your Majesty must try every possible means to see His Majesty," Yan Wanqing took out a brocade pouch from her chest, "Show this to His Majesty, and once he has seen it, Xiao Hongshen’s dream of becoming emperor will completely shatter."

Inside the brocade pouch was none other than the ledger Xiao Hongshen had long yearned for.

As for why it ended up in Yan Wanqing’s hands,

it all started from that night at Southern Mountain.

The night the Lin Family went up to Southern Mountain, Yan Wanqing had someone search his house directly, finding this very precious ledger in the basement. She never intended to let the thoroughly evil Lin Pingzhi leave the mountain alive.

The Empress opened the ledger, and the more she read, the more her heart trembled.

"He really dares!"

The pages meticulously recorded the details of how Lin Pingzhi, taking advantage of his office over the years, laundered money and collected gold for Xiao Hongshen, the accounts clear and comprehensible to anyone familiar with ledgers.

"With such powerful evidence, why bring it out only now?"

Zhang Lanyi couldn’t comprehend.

Yan Wanqing was unemotional, as orange sunlight from the window spilled onto the table outside.

"To see him strut arrogantly with hastening horse hooves, and then to tell him he has no fortune to enjoy such a shallow fate, such is the impermanence of life. Xiao Hongshen shall never have what he desires," Yan Wanqing declared.