On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, the yamen closed its doors, and Yu Mingyue found herself with ample free time. She arranged to meet Luo Lingyi at Wuwei Ju.
The heavy snow had just cleared, and Yu Mingyue had opened one side of the window, allowing her to see the bustling crowds on the street.
In a few more days, it would be the New Year. The common people had already hung lanterns outside their doors, praying for the soldiers on the frontier.
In the hall downstairs, a storyteller was recounting tales of the Great Wei soldiers fighting against foreign invaders. Yu Mingyue, sitting upstairs, could hear the people clapping and cheering.
Empress Wang had been the first to call upon the consorts in the harem to donate to the frontier soldiers. Soon, the common folk spontaneously responded. Even those with tight finances at home made padded clothes and shoes.
At that moment, Yu Mingyue felt that the peaceful and prosperous era they yearned for was fast approaching.
When Luo Lingyi entered, Yu Mingyue was gazing out the window. Although the room was not cold, it was far from warm, and Yu Mingyue was still wearing her cloak.
"What are you looking at so intently, sister?" Luo Lingyi asked with a smile.
Yu Mingyue started to rise to pay her respects, but Luo Lingyi stopped her. "Sit down!"
Yu Mingyue did not insist further, merely stood up and closed the window.
Since being poisoned, Luo Lingyi had become sensitive to the cold. The imperial physicians had also diagnosed her with extreme coldness, making it impossible for her to conceive. Although she was still undergoing treatment, it was not easy.
"I thought you would arrive a little later, sister," Yu Mingyue said, gesturing for Chihua to place a brazier closer to Luo Lingyi.
"You invited me, how could I dare be late?" Luo Lingyi teased.
As the room gradually warmed, the two of them brewed tea and chatted, their days seemingly returning to how they were before their falling out.
The world had changed, and neither of them was the same youth they once were. Yet, it seemed their most cherished memories were still of those youthful days.
"I have one more thing I wish to ask you about our cooperation, sister," Yu Mingyue said, looking up at Luo Lingyi earnestly. "Is the current war between Tubo and Great Wei related to you?"
The blueprints for the cannon had been presented to the Emperor by the Grand Judge of Dali Temple. Soon after, a Tubo spy escaped from prison. Despite the heavy defenses in the capital, he could not be found, and managed to flee back to Tubo.
Luo Lingyi knew Yu Mingyue would eventually ask, and her face showed no surprise.
"Yes!"
"Why?" Yu Mingyue was angry, but managed to suppress it.
"Tubo is ambitious, and a war with Great Wei is inevitable. It's better to resolve it in one go. Moreover, Tubo's defeat is already decided. Your brother should be returning to court soon." Yu Mingyue naturally worried about her brother, Yu Mingjing, who was the guardian of Yumenguan.
"I'm not just worried about my brother. Sister, have you considered if Great Wei can withstand such turmoil? With simultaneous attacks from the southeast, the north, and the northwest frontiers, are the casualties not going to be the citizens of Great Wei? If Yumenguan falls, Tubo cavalry could advance unimpeded, and Chang'an would be in peril." Yu Mingyue said with heartache.
After this war, Great Wei's national strength would likely revert to its founding state. The common people suffered whether the country prospered or perished. Their lives were the most difficult.
Luo Lingyi showed a hint of shame, which quickly disappeared. "I truly did not anticipate trouble from the southeast. But my hatred for Tubo runs deep. The reason my father rebelled on the battlefield years ago, besides the Emperor's false accusations, was a letter from the King of Tubo. I must avenge this hatred..."
Luo Lingyi handed Yu Mingyue a blood-stained letter. "This is evidence left by my father's deputy, who died fighting to preserve it. Even if the Luo family is guilty, what of the Luo family army? They were innocent. Thirty thousand elite Luo family soldiers were ambushed and annihilated by the Emperor in collusion with the Tubo army."
"Did Tubo participate in the Youzhou mutiny back then?"
"Otherwise, why would the Emperor be so eager to kill Fan Qi and his men to silence them? Fan Qi led the Khitan army, but he was a man of the King of Tubo. The Emperor's true intention was not the battle itself; he merely used that chaos to exterminate my Luo family." Luo Lingyi's eyes were filled with hatred.
Yu Mingyue only knew that the Luo family had met a tragic end. Her brother had not elaborated when he returned, but she never imagined such secrets were hidden within.
No wonder Xiao Che had suddenly disappeared at that time. This was all within the Emperor's calculations. He had kept Xiao Che and her brother away, fearing they would be soft-hearted and spare the Luo family.
To commit such acts, he still had to feign the appearance of a kind uncle, even using Consort Yao to poison Luo Lingyi.
The heart of an emperor was truly unfathomable, chilling to the bone.