Chapter 0180: Empress Cao Barely Mentioned in Historical Records, How Ridiculous Cao Qingran Is
Kunning Palace.
Cao Qingran knelt on a cushion, mechanically counting her peachwood prayer beads. Her gaze was slightly unfocused, lost in thought, until Qing Momo hurried in from outside, abruptly snapping her back to reality and making her clutch the beads tightly.
What was bound to come had finally arrived.
“Your Majesty, Lord Cao is here.”
Qing Momo approached and carefully helped Cao Qingran to her feet. “Lord Cao will likely complain again. Please don’t take it to heart—your health is what matters most.”
Cao Qingran lowered her eyelashes without speaking, only letting out a soft scoff as if mocking something.
Entering the main hall, she saw Cao Lingde—dressed in his Imperial Guard commander’s uniform—already seated, repeatedly flipping open and closed the lid of his teacup. Though his hair had already turned largely white, his domineering and imposing aura remained undiminished, commanding respect.
During the campaign to establish the dynasty, the young Cao Lingde had served as the vanguard. Most of the military merits credited to his father’s name were actually earned by him. This demonstrated how countless lives had fallen by his hand, and his authority and status were naturally beyond comparison to ordinary men.
Cao Qingran stopped before him and lowered her head. “Father.”
“Hmph!” Cao Lingde snorted coldly. He slammed his teacup onto the table, then abruptly stood up and swung his arm to slap Cao Qingran across the face!
She instinctively closed her eyes.
Smack—!
Cao Qingran covered her stinging cheek, the expression in her eyes growing increasingly obscure.
“My Lord! What are you doing?!” Qing Momo cried out anxiously from the side, rushing to support Cao Qingran. “She is your own daughter! How could you be so cruel!”
“Get out! A lowly servant like you has no right to speak here!” Cao Lingde kicked Qing Momo in the stomach, sending her sprawling to the ground.
“Father!” Seeing that Cao Lingde intended to strike Qing Momo again, Cao Qingran swiftly stepped between them, blocking his movement. “Why trouble a servant? If you must vent your anger, direct it at me instead.”
“So you still remember I’m your father!” Cao Lingde slapped her again, this time knocking her head completely to the side. Then he pulled out a handkerchief and meticulously wiped the palm that had struck her cheek, his expression full of disgust. “How did I end up with such a foolish daughter! You can’t even learn how to compete for favor, and you’ve failed to raise your son properly! You couldn’t even deliver a simple message correctly. You lost to an idiot and caused our Cao family to lose so many people at once!”
Cao Qingran covered her face, her gaze fixed on the floor as she let out a self-mocking laugh. “I truly am incompetent.”
No matter how strictly she had disciplined the Crown Prince, she could never raise a child more outstanding than Xie Chengze. The moment he returned, everyone else faded into obscurity, becoming mere foils to his brilliance. Even the Crown Prince couldn’t overshadow his radiant light.
But could she really be blamed for that?
She had tried hard enough!
She had even gone so far as to use forbidden arts to replace Xie Chengze’s soul. Knowing the truth, she had watched Hua Ning gradually descend into madness. She had erased both of their existences from this world—what more could she do?
What else did they want from her?!
Did they expect her to simply kill Xie Chengze to eliminate any future troubles?!
Let us not speak of how Jinyu might descend into madness—that child, that child—how utterly endearing he once was! So endearing that she both adored and envied him, so endearing that after igniting the Soul Incense, she dreamed day and night of him weeping, asking his mother why she had condemned him to wander as a lonely ghost!
All these filthy deeds were done by her own hand!
What more could the Cao family possibly be dissatisfied with?!
The elegant and noble woman covered her stinging cheek, suddenly letting out a low, bitter laugh. “I sent you a letter stating that the Second Prince has set his sights on the Imperial Guard Cavalry. Father only knows to purge the filth from the Forbidden Army but remains oblivious to cleansing other areas as well… It seems Father has aged and grown useless.”
Cao Qingran slowly turned her head back, her dark eyes icy as they fixed on Cao Lingde. “Must your daughter chew the news into pulp and feed it to you? Must I explicitly say the Second Prince targets the entire Cao family before you realize the need to purge every last corner of it?”
“How dare you speak to your father like this!” Seeing Cao Qingran’s sudden change in demeanor, Cao Lingde flew into a rage and raised his hand to strike her again.
Unexpectedly, Cao Qingran stepped forward abruptly, her right hand clamping down on Cao Lingde’s wrist with astonishing strength. “Father has indeed grown frail, even weaker than a woman. It seems your position as Commander of the Forbidden Army will soon be untenable. Perhaps it’s time to relinquish it to my elder brother.”
“Ah, how forgetful of me.” Cao Qingran let out a mocking laugh, her lips curling in derision. “My brother is an even greater incompetent fool. Otherwise, why would you have to rely solely on me and the Crown Prince to secure influence at court? Isn’t that right, Father?”
“You—you!” Cao Lingde stared at his suddenly unfamiliar daughter, a chill of terror creeping into his heart. This daughter of his had always been obedient, carrying out his every command without question. Over the years, she had eliminated countless rivals for him at court. How could she now—
“Who are you? You are not my daughter!” Cao Lingde retreated a step, eyeing Cao Qingran warily.
“Father, what nonsense are you spouting?” Cao Qingran flung his hand away with force, then picked up the scalding teacup from the table and poured its contents over her palm, scrubbing as if cleansing herself of filth. Her smile was faint as she remarked coolly, “I am naturally your daughter. Who else could I be?”
“Instead of wasting your futile anger on me, you would do better to ponder how to handle the martial segment of the Spring Examination. As far as I know, many of the Second Prince’s men will participate this year. If the Forbidden Army becomes infiltrated by his followers, who will ultimately control its military power remains anyone’s guess.”
“After all…” Cao Qingran looked down at this aging man eroded by time and sneered lightly, “You have indeed grown old and should have stepped down long ago.”
“You!” Infuriated by such mockery, Cao Lingde blazed with anger. “The Cao family is your backbone! If I fall, do you think you and the Crown Prince will fare any better!”
“Precisely, Father. You should return and ponder how to secure the Cao family’s position.” Cao Qingran released her grip lightly, and the teacup fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. This teacup had been shattered before her many times in the past, but it was the first time she understood—this was what it felt like.
The taste of control and intimidation was, without a doubt, exquisitely intoxicating.
She walked slowly toward the main seat in the hall, then turned and settled into the central position with a heavy, deliberate grace.
Her hands rested on the cold handles as she gazed down with icy contempt at the father who had imprisoned her for a lifetime. For the first time, she realized this man was nothing more than this.
Apart from his martial prowess, he couldn’t match even half her cunning in political strategy, instead appearing as clumsy as an infant.
How laughable that she had been confined for half her life by such a mere warrior, deprived of her freedom.
So be it.
It was time for the Cao family to undergo a change for her sake.
“Qing Momo,” Cao Qingran spoke calmly, watching Cao Lingde’s embarrassed retreating figure with a cold expression. “Go tell Cao Que that the Cao family needs a new master. He knows what to do.”
“Yes, Your Majesty! You’ve finally come to your senses!”
Upon hearing this, Qing Momo’s eyes lit up with joy, instantly welling with tears of relief and gratification.
Who would have known that the most skilled strategist in the imperial palace wasn’t Emperor Jian or Shen Yuan, but her mistress—Empress Cao!