Huang Beiyue stood up to receive the Emperor.
"Imperial Uncle… mother…" there are no more words to say.
Huang Beiyue closed her eyes and just hid her hand in her sleeve. Logically speaking, with her personality, at the very least, Huang Beiyue should shed tears, however, they are in public still.
"Mother is poisoned, Imperial Father. Dongling, hold nothing back."
"Yes, Princess…" Dongling then pointed at Concubine Xue, "Its them! This servant was here, Princess Royal told this one to hide myself and serve as a witness! Concubine Xue poisoned and forcefully feed Princess Royal with the poison!"
"What nonsense! Mother will never-"
Huang Beiyue flicked over the teacup on Xiao Yun. It shattered upon hitting the target who let out a pained cry, "Who gave you permission to speak?" Huang Beiyue asked, however it came out as a statement.
Old habits die hard, when Huang Beiyue isn't paying attention, sometimes she would look at others too indifferently, like seeing an even insignificant creature than an ant easily snuffed the life. And who is Xiao Yun? Forget about her, even Head of Censorate Geng Zhong was startled by that gaze.
Huang Beiyue retracted her gaze but the lingering feeling still remained.
Dongling trembled but steeled herself, she must get justice for Princess Royal! For the Princess!
"I can prove it! Princess Royal entrusted her flute to me!" Dongling opened the box she has been holding all this time, inside was indeed the white Jade flute that Huang Huiwen loves to play the sorrowful and heart break piece in the dead of the night. Want to be secretive but enticed curiosity instead, as if she is not afraid she is a mourning lover.
"This was the bowl I confiscated, Imperial Uncle. Please do a thorough background. For a former slave turned maid turned Concubine, Concubine Xue had a backing that could even ignore the Imperial power. They re looking down on our Imperial Family." Huang Beiyue said coldly
"Yes, don't worry, Beiyue, Zhen will give Zhen's Sister justice, Zhen will give you justice," Huang Fengzhan spoke, solemn and angry not directed to Huang Beiyue, "Mister Geng, thoroughly investigate, I don't care what method you use."
"Imperial Uncle, I also wanted the Ledger to be investigated. With that, along with the servants, thoroughly." Huang Beiyue said calmly, she glanced at the trembling people on the ground then to Huang Fengzhan, "The Master of the House was assassinated just like this, and none of the servants even struggled or fought for their Master, it's too strange. Not to mention, such poison that even killed a Divine Class Summoner and Warrior."
And like that, Huang Beiyue did not mind just staying in her room, Dongling is anxious, Huang Beiyue is not. Rather she is more busy in thinking about what to do from now on. The investigation will definitely come out.
Naturally, Huang Beiyue cares very little about her reputation, she want the Xiaos out of her life and out of her house. Naturally, aside from Dongling, kick the servants out. She will have to bring servants in, one that she will have to choose herself. In the meantime, there is the costume to mourn for three years. In four years, debut. Huang Beiyue planned to hand over the control of the two Fiefs to the Emperor to manage first and then take over later on, her priority is to focus more on training now to not hide anything.
Train strong servants. Dongling specially, being her most trusted and loyal servant. Huang Beiyue had checked, Dongling is a suitable Warrior and could also be a summoner. Wood affinity and Earth Affinity.
Mitchikatsu is no Yoriichi, as bitter as it is to admit, but it doesn't mean he does not know how to nurture a student. Mitchikatsu himself had other students, his latest and last was Kaigaku.
Dongling has began her training as a warrior but it was slow speed because of the additional duties. Kokushibu did not interfere with the training and just watched, observed first. Different world, different laws, different styles. Huang Beiyue just need to see which loopholes she can exploit and rules she can bend.
Huang Beiyue wrote on the paper. Four Years, she only have four years to train and nurture her own forces.
Huang Beiyue looked at her hand before clenching it, "Just do it."
Huang Beiyue cared next to less regarding the result of the investigation. Her gloominess was probably mistaken as depression and sadness for Princess Royal's passion when in truth, Huang Beiyue was just planning for her future. Cold-hearted really, but Kokushibu will never deny that even as a child, for so long ago, he was an asshole.
Many things happened. Empress Dowager was deprived of her power and authority, placed under house arrest, Marquis Jing An was executed along those who are in conspiracy with it. The army was also dealt with accordingly, it was swift, lead by many Master hand of Nanyi, after all, Princess Royal is beloved by people, she was a war hero. Traitors are to be killed, swiftly. The Empress now had a shaky position in the Imperial Harem. She wasn't completely depraved of authority but it didn't hold weight as much as it did before. As for the Imperial children, that is, Crown Prince Huang Zhanye and Princess Huang Yingyi was protected by the Emperor because those who are innocent and uninvolved were spared.
Huang Beiyue proceed to kick Xiao Yuancheng, his Concubines, and children out of the Princess Royal Mansion in exchange for her not putting them on the chopping block for their transgression to Huang Beiyue the whole time, it would even drag the whole Xiao Family. And it was very clear that the whole Country knew why they are kicked out. Princess Beiyue did not executed them but she cut her ties and essentially, made them pay money compensation.
It's easy to go from rags to riches but difficult to return from riches to rags.
They who had gotten used to feast will have to ration, naturally, its more brutal and torturous.
And Huang Beiyue didn't really care if they would air out of her being a bastard child, they can surely do so if the threat of Social Suicide doesn't cower them into shutting up. Even so, the backlash Huang Beiyue herself would suffer is lesser of the backlash they would endure. That being Concubine Xue being made as an example that is. Her end was not good, it was brutal and cruel, Kokushibu was not disturbed even a single bit, having seen a lot of things in his admittedly long life.
Huang Beiyue made true to her words and made the Emperor act regent as of now, as she is not of age yet.
So far, it's been done, for now. The funeral for Princess Royal Huiwen is quite an event. Many had visited to pay respect and Huang Beiyue is expected to stand vigil. Since short handed, the Emperor had lend a lot of maids from the Palace and Eunuchs to held temporarily, at least until Beiyue hired more servants.
"Princess, Princes Xiaoyao has arrived… his highness seeks an audience with you." Dongling reported
Ah, this... Right, Huang Beiyue remembered. Prince Xiaoyao had made the poison that killed Princess Royal, even if he did not know it would be used to kill the woman he fancied because he was ordered by the Empress Dowager under the deception that it will be used to the worst Criminal within the Imperial Dungeon.
"Like the others. I won't be seeing him but he's free to pay respect to Mother." Huang Beiyue said calmly, truthfully, Huang Beiyue haven't really seen anyone aside from Imperial Uncle and her Godfather Geng Zhong. All others were free to pay respect to Princess Royal but the Princess herself did not show even her own shadow to the public.
It would have been disrespectful if it was any other times but this is a unique circumstances. Her distance probably makes them misunderstand its mourning and depression. Huang Beiyue did not mourn in silence as the others assumed. She was completely indifferent to the death of her mother in this world. They weren't as close a some would have guessed. Huang Huiwen found comfort in watching Huang Beiyue and taking care of her but it was not out of love or duty, but a reassurance, she was waiting for something from Huang Beiyue, whom did not know or make a true guess what the woman was waiting for or want from her. To be honest Huang Beiyue felt more like an ensurance than a final straw for Huang Huiwen, it came out like that. The woman is waiting for something, whatever that something is, it involved Huang Huiwen taking her to some place that would ensure real family and happiness (The woman's words, not Beiyue's, the woman mumbled quietly in her sleep sometimes.) as well as being completely abandoned and scorned, disdained and disgust. Basically, whatever it was Huang Huiwen was waiting for involved the different treatment like the sky and the mud. It stopped entirely when Huang Huiwen came back, obviously not form Meiyang or Qinghe Counties, but form somewhere else. Like a puppet who's string was cut. She looked awful and full of depression. She still smiles, Princess Royal Huiwen is still an Imperial Family Member. Her beauty still dazzled the eyes and invites envy. No one seemed to notice her smile is more distance and blank despite the perfect mask, not when she closes her eyes when she smiles. Good play it was. Huang Huiwen spent more and more time outside of the Princess Royal Mansion, and the distance between them widen. It wasn't entirely Princess Royals fault, Huang Beiyue also played the part in that as well.
Kokushibu is not mourning. At all. He's just that type. He was a demon far longer than a human. Muzan was wrong that once a human became a demon, they re superior to humans will never became humans, and will abandoned humanity but it was wrong. As someone that had experienced it clearly, having lived as one, staying in he darkness for more than 400 years, scurrying away form the sun like cockroaches… demons isn't as different to humans, specially the Upper Moons. Demons are unrestrained because they don't need to keep up appearances, with the exception of a fair few, because even fellow demons expected them to be the worst of the worst, the villains in the story.
Plundered, kill, destroy. And amongst other things. To be honest, Kokushibu things that demons are like humans but the humans are like livestock, or forest animals being hunted for sports by humans. Many animals bites back the hunters that wants to hunt them, for revenge and for self preservation. It's always like that.
Kokushibu is no Saint, even as a human he knew something is wrong with him. He can't always be right, won't always be right but that is just his opinion. Kokushibu embodies the words, 'Envious', 'Obsession', and 'Discontent' incredibly so, maybe that's why Moon Breathing was what he can master and never sun breathing, it was proven fairly well when Kokushibu manifested his Blood Demon Art that not enhanced his strength but it was also the reflection of his true self. A moon I the night sky, a Heavenly Body that does not shine on its own light but needed the Sun's help to do that, even accompanied by stars on the expansive inky black canvas, still not satisfied with its own strength and advantage and still years for more, what a greedy creature. Some humans are just detested and fitted more as a demon than they do as humans. Kokushibu probably was the same. The night sky reflected his black heartedness. Maybe that why, from the very beginning, he cannot match Yoriichi, whom, without the ugly chains of jealousy, obsession, and greed shines the brightest and the most dazzling. An existence eyou will resent, hate, love, and admire.
They we're twins yet polar opposite when they should be alike. They were supposed to be equal. But perhaps tis the universe's way in balancing it out. Mitchikatsu is the older twin, he had a headstart, he had resources, he had everything while Yoriichi did not. In the end, it was Mitchikatsu that is left with nothing.
Truly, if one is too picky, they will end up with a poor choice.
Kokushibu likes to think he worked hard but not enough. He likes to think Yoriichi makes him miserable, however it's not now. Not when Kokushibu had time to sit down and contemplate life and what the hell was he really doing all the years. Without the dark and slimy presence of Muzan that tainted his mind and blackened his thoughts. Kokushibu is left to his thoughts in this life more often than not. Thinking about them deeply, and now with the unique seat in this life called Huang Beiyue. Kokushibu is slowly changing his perceptive. Slow but steady progress, you can't change a mind so suddenly overnight. It just doesn't happen.
Alone in the room, Huang Beiyue reached out and opened her palm, the beautiful and sparkly blue crescent moon manifested, floating inches from her palm.
Right, Kokushibu still has this to fall unto. His Demonic abilities followed him in this life, although without the hunger for human flesh. Was it because of the Spirit Energy?
Truthfully, Cultivation baffled Kokushibu when he was introduced to it the first time but only felt sardonic. Without or without demons, humans still find a way to wage war.
So what if Kokushibu cannot cultivate? He had been a demon, the second strongest and he was a former Moon Pillar even if he does not deserve that tittle any longer. Kokushibu can still pick up a sword and fight. Maybe, he can be a proper swordsman in this life. He doesn't need to be a Hero, it's very clear that it's just not the path for him. He can be a Villain still because in this world, there really is no clear lines of what's a Hero and a Villain, it's judt a shallow concept like black and white. What Kokushibu really needs is that he just doesn't want to loose his own way like before and not became a Savage Beast.
Huang Beiyue traced her body where the dantian should be, where spirit energy would have been stored if it was normal, if there wasn't a seal that siphoned his spirit energy to power the cage that trapped a demon inside.
Demons don't store their energy in one place, they store it in their body, Kokushibu just need to avoid the dantian and block sit from siphoning the energy he gathered throughout the body. This is no demon body that can regenerate in a matter of seconds but Huang Beiyue can regenerate. And like before the more energy he absorbed, the faster the she heals.
Kokushibu had decided to walk a different path than others once again.
If the dantian is defect, use the whole body as the alternative. It would have proven to be more difficult if not for his experience as Waxing Moon One. However, this changes things.
"Yoriichi, I wonder, will I surpass myself of the past in this life? You always seems to be far sighted than I am, at least answer me without biased opinion." Huang Beiyue muttered, never really getting rid of the habit that while Yoriichi is his worst (one-sided) nemesis, the younger twin brother is also the comfort character and anchor he ever was that Kokushibu will not admit even under torture.
On her palm, the moon glowed twice as bright.