Why Did the Empress Dowager Rebel?

Li Qiushui was not surprised that Qin Zheng knew the Beiming Divine Skill; after all, Wuyazi had tasked him with sending out the invitations for the bride-seeking martial contest. What caught her completely off guard was that Qin Zheng’s mastery and application of the skill had reached such an uncanny level. Even as she stood stunned, Qin Zheng thrust both hands forward, directing the swirling vortex of true qi to turn into a howling tornado that swept straight toward her. The closer she was drawn to the tornado, the faster Li Qiushui felt her internal energy draining away. Sensing her internal energy vanishing at a terrifying rate, she dared not sit waiting for death. Crashing through the wall, she fled into the adjoining hall. With a pull of Qin Zheng's hands, the tornado was sucked straight back into his palms. Taking several swift strides, he overtook Li Qiushui in the blink of an eye and blocked her path. Seeing that she could not shake Qin Zheng off, panic flickered in Li Qiushui's eyes. She channeled the Minor Formless Skill to mimic various supreme martial arts, unleashing a torrential onslaught against him. She seemed to transform into myriad masters of every sect—one moment a venerable Shaolin monk, the next a peerless swordsman, executing the crowning arts of martial sects across the land with consummate ease. In the span of a breath, over a hundred moves clashed, yet she could not pose a single genuine threat to Qin Zheng. Qin Zheng, on the other hand, had finally seen through the inner workings of her Minor Formless Skill. With a touch of pity in his voice, he said, "I finally understand why you could never defeat Tianshan Tonglao. It turns out your innate comprehension is simply lacking; you never truly grasped the core essence of the Minor Formless Skill." Li Qiushui snarled in fury, "Nonsense! That slut merely entered the sect earlier and cultivated a few years longer than I did!" Qin Zheng replied, "'Looked at, it cannot be seen; listened to, it cannot be heard; subtle, faint, and formless'—that is the true core of the Minor Formless Skill. When you use it to mimic the martial arts under heaven, you remain trapped in the inferior realm of visible form and physical manifestation. When your master named you Qiushui, 'Autumn Floods,' it was because he saw your limited comprehension and secretly embedded the secret to mastering this art within your name. If you truly wish to master the Minor Formless Skill, you should go back and study the 'Autumn Floods' chapter of the *Zhuangzi*." Hearing this, Li Qiushui could not help but be gripped by self-doubt, and her moves grew erratic. Qin Zheng continued, "By the way, you don't need to return to Western Xia. The seven-day deadline has passed. Unless something unexpected occurred, the envoy I dispatched has likely already poisoned Empress Dowager Xiao Liang, and Western Xia has already fallen." "What?!" Li Qiushui cried out in shock, gliding back five zhang in retreat. Panic crossed her face as she said, "That's impossible! All military and political power in Western Xia is held firmly by the Liang clan. How could they ever allow you to poison the Empress Dowager?" Qin Zheng replied, "Western Xia has waged year after year of war against the Great Song, and public resentment has long boiled over within the realm. The people only held their tongues out of terror of the Liang clan's monstrous authority. Now, I have stationed two hundred thousand troops along the Chu-Xia border and sent an envoy bearing an imperial decree, promising the officials high rank and generous emoluments if they help me eliminate the Liang clan, along with a three-year tax exemption and twenty years without war for the commoners. Tell me, would they be willing to submit to me?" Li Qiushui's right eyelid twitched violently. Any desire to continue fighting Qin Zheng vanished without a trace. Glaring at him venomously, she said, "Just you wait! On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, I will see you at Leigu Mountain!" Even as she spoke, she unleashed the Sound-Transmitting Soul-Searching Great Technique. Demonic sound assaulted Qin Zheng's ears, and he had to seal his senses with true qi to neutralize its effects. Seeing that she had already fled far into the distance, Qin Zheng did not give chase. Instead, he pondered ways to counter the art: *Shaolin seems to have a Lion's Roar technique, and the Shock Across a Hundred Li from the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms might also be able to break it...* *** Meanwhile, within the Western Xia Imperial Palace. Empress Dowager Xiao Liang was pinned to her knees on the ground. A'Zi sat upon the dragon throne holding a jug of wine, gazing down at the disheveled empress dowager. Putting on airs, she asked, "Lady Liang, do you plead guilty?" The Empress Dowager was beside herself with rage. "Vile witch! How dare you collude with court ministers to rebel! Release me at once, or my elder brother will never let you off!" A playful smirk played across A'Zi's lips. "Someone dug up a dragon robe and an illegally carved imperial seal from your brother's estate, yet you claim I am the one rebelling? I would like to ask as well: why did you rebel, Empress Dowager?" Hearing this, the Empress Dowager's heart lurched. *My brother wanted to rebel? I had no knowledge of this whatsoever! My own son is the Emperor—what reason under heaven would I have to rebel alongside my brother? Have I lost my mind? Why would I give up being the Empress Dowager to become an unlanded princess stripped of real power?* A'Zi added with an eager, gossipy expression, "Well, that's hard to say. I heard Granny Chen mention that the current young emperor of Western Xia might actually be the bastard son of Dowager Consort Li Qiushui and a Buddhist monk. Perhaps you learned the truth and decided to rebel with the Liang clan after all." The Empress Dowager's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "What?!!" After a dazed silence, she exploded in fury. "What kind of preposterous rumors are these?! I carried the Emperor in my womb for ten months before giving birth to him! How could he possibly be Li Qiushui's bastard son? Bring this Granny Chen out right now—I want to confront her face-to-face!" A'Zi shook her head with a look of regret. "Granny Chen is all the way over at Yanmen Pass. Besides, that hardly matters now." Just as she finished speaking, a Western Xia official stepped forward, cupping his hands. "Lord Envoy, please grant the wine without delay. We still need to coordinate with the Chu army to pacify the commoners across the realm!" A'Zi nodded. Walking forward, she forced Empress Dowager Xiao Liang's jaws apart and poured the wine down her throat. "Qin Zheng told me to tell you: to satisfy your own ambitions, you waged relentless wars year after year, plunging the people of two realms into misery and slaughter. Death cannot even expiate your crimes; giving you a dignified death is already far too generous. "Once you are dead, he will treat the people of Western Xia with benevolence, and the young emperor will be spared his life. You may depart in peace." Hearing these words, Empress Dowager Xiao Liang finally closed her eyes. She slumped to the floor, twitched twice, and moved no more. *** As news of Western Xia's fall spread, figures across the jianghu caught wind of the development one after another. Inside Lingjiu Palace, Tianshan Tonglao burst into hearty laughter upon receiving the report. "I knew Qin Zheng wouldn't disappoint me! That slut Li Qiushui has finally been reduced to a stray dog without a home! "Mm... Qin Zheng's martial arts are actually formidable enough that even Li Qiushui was no match for him. It seems this old woman must prepare in earnest as well. "Pass down my order: seal Piaomiao Peak for one hundred days. I am entering closed-door cultivation!" Upon hearing that Qin Zheng had repelled the assassin, Xiao Yuanshan breathed a slight sigh of relief and continued his journey through the jianghu in search of Xuanci. Murong Bo, however, wore a dark, sullen expression, gritting his teeth in venomous thought. *The monk who had an illicit affair with Li Qiushui must be Xuanci! So the young emperor of Western Xia was sired by Xuanci and Li Qiushui! *To usurp the sovereign power of an entire realm without lifting a single finger—what an exquisite scheme! Only a true descendant of the Murong clan could possess such brilliant methods!* Meanwhile, in a nondescript small temple, Master Huangmei looked toward Xuanci with a suspicious gaze. "Master Xuanci, who do you suppose was the monk who had an affair with Li Qiushui?" Not long ago, because his Southern Shaolin had harbored Xuanci, Qiao Feng had led the Beggar Gang's disciples to breach the temple. All of its temple properties had been seized by the Longmen Escort Agency, while Master Huangmei and Xuanci had fought their way through the encirclement to hide in this tiny temple. Now, suddenly hearing the rumors regarding Western Xia, even he could not help but harbor suspicions about Xuanci. A bitter smile formed on Xuanci's face. "Master Huangmei, I have no idea who Li Qiushui even is. When the fifteenth day of the eighth month arrives, let us go to Leigu Mountain together. I shall explain everything clearly before all the heroes under heaven!"