Hidden Shadow – CH 088

Chapter Eighty-Eight: Loyalty and Righteousness

The leader of the Konghe Army was slender and clearly a woman.

Upon hearing that Lou Mingyue was the new head of the family, her gaze softened suddenly. “I am the Captain of the Heavenly Armor of the Divine Martial Army.”

Captain was an official rank, below the Deputy Commander; Heavenly Armor was the unit designation within the Konghe Army.

Lou Mingyue keenly sensed the change in her attitude, but she did not respond. “I apologize; I was too hasty. If you two are not in a hurry, please come and sit in my humble abode for a while.”

“Alright,” the captain replied.

Lou Mingyue led several people to the main hall of the mansion.

After they sat down, she skipped the pleasantries and said directly, “I suppose you are also a member of the Lou family?”

The Konghe Army captain nodded.

Lou Xin’s expression changed slightly, and she said angrily, “Since you have Lou family blood in your veins, why did you refuse to help us when we were about to die? We sent the message even before we went to the Mei family for help! If you truly wanted to save us, why did you only arrive now? Is it because His Majesty…”

“Aunt!” Lou Mingyue interrupted sharply.

Lou Xin was straightforward and short-tempered. She had been holding back her anger for the past few days, and if she were to vent, she would likely speak recklessly.

The commander of the Konghe Army did not reprimand him, and his mood also dropped. “At first, we thought it was a plague, so we secretly sent two physicians, but those two physicians were intercepted and killed halfway. The top officials ordered the Konghe Army to be sealed off and searched for spies.”

“Even the Konghe Army has spies?” Lou Mingyue said incredulously.

The Konghe Army was the protective shield of the Song Dynasty’s heart, responsible for guarding the last line of defense and the Emperor. If even the Konghe Army had been infiltrated by the enemy, the Song Dynasty would be in grave danger.

“According to the rules, I should not have been the one to come this time.”

The Konghe Army had a rule against excessive contact with their own clan. Although this order had been repeatedly violated, it had not been abolished.

The captain said, “It’s precisely because of the traitor that Divine Martial Commander allowed us to return. It is a pity…”

Even if the Shadow Clan members from the Lou Clan harbored any hatred towards their own clan, it would not warrant the annihilation of their entire lineage. Moreover, the loyalty and righteousness of the Lou Clan women were evident to all; they were the best at eliminating any suspicion of treachery. Letting them return to provide support was the most prudent course of action. If the Konghe Army were to focus solely on arresting traitors behind closed doors, they would truly fall into a trap!

If the Lou Clan were to suffer misfortune and the Konghe Army did not send anyone to their aid, what would the other clans think? Was the Emperor’s order to wipe out the entire Lou Clan? Even if it was not the Emperor’s will behind it, such actions… did they wish for the four great clans to disappear?

Currently, the trust between the Emperor and the four great clans was as thin as a cicada’s wing. If they fell into another trap this time and were further provoked, even the superficial facade of harmony might crumble.

This series of conspiracies was clearly meticulously planned! Who could be so cunning and ruthless?

Lou Mingyue asked, “Any clues about this ambush?”

“No,” replied the captain of the Konghe Army.

Lou Mingyue was very disappointed, but the captain changed the subject. She continued, “But currently, it seems only one person is most likely.”

“Who?” Lou Xin pressed.

“Princess Huangwu of Liao.”

“Huangwu? When did Liao produce a Princess Huangwu?” Lou Xiaowu asked, puzzled.

The captain of the Konghe Army said, “She was originally a Princess of Zheng, named Huangwu. She was born to Empress Dowager Xiao. After Empress Dowager Xiao passed away, she was demoted to a county princess and stripped of the title ‘Princess of Zheng’ and sent to keep vigil for Empress Dowager Xiao…”

This matter was shrouded in mystery; even the well-informed Konghe Army had difficulty ascertaining the truth.

The reason for this could be traced back to the previous generation. Empress Dowager Xiao was a Khitan woman, her given name being Chuo. Before marrying Emperor Jingzong of Liao, Yelu Xian, she was betrothed to Han Derang.

The Khitan people had a custom of women holding power. After Yelu Xian’s death, power passed to Empress Dowager Xiao.

Han Derang was a Liao general, and he and Empress Dowager Xiao saw each other frequently. Rumors circulated that they had rekindled their relationship. This was acceptable in Khitan custom and not considered shameful, yet Empress Dowager Xiao kept it a secret.

Even more perplexing was that two months after Yelu Xian’s death, Empress Dowager Xiao was three months pregnant. Most people speculated that she had been unfaithful, but no one could provide evidence.

After the child was born, Empress Dowager Xiao personally named her “Huangwu”—Yelu Huangwu.

“Yelu Huangwu resembles Empress Dowager Xiao; she possesses the ability to wield power.” The captain became increasingly convinced that she was the mastermind behind this. “She was demoted at fifteen for privately building an army called ‘Ghost Tiger.’ We have not heard from Ghost Tiger since her demotion. And there are not many in Liao who have the power to recruit so many skilled warriors; she’s one of them.”

“Demoted to guarding the tomb, yet she still possesses such power?” Lou Mingyue asked.

“Indeed. According to intelligence reports, Yelu Huangwu enjoys considerable prestige in Liao,” the captain explained in detail. “Han Derang dedicated his life to Liao, still fighting even in his old age. A large portion of the generals in the Liao army are his former subordinates. These former subordinates may believe Yelu Huangwu is Han Derang’s bloodline, hence their special treatment. As for whether she harbors ambition, that’s hard to say.”

“How could she not be ambitious?” Lou Xiaowu said indignantly. “Huang means ’empress’; Empress Dowager Xiao probably hopes she has ambition. Perhaps she was already planning to hand over power to her!”

Knock knock!

A gentle knock came at the door. “Captain, it is getting late.”

The captain of the Konghe Army asked, “Any other questions?”

“Since there are suspects, what are the Konghe Army’s plans?” Lou Xin paused, realizing her words might have been somewhat inaccurate. “Is there an imperial edict?”

“His Majesty is eager to purge the traitors,” the Konghe Army captain said in a low voice. “The Konghe Army is currently in turmoil. His Majesty is eager to reorganize. Even if he wanted to investigate, he would not have the time. Besides…”

Besides, His Majesty might also want to take this opportunity to eliminate the four great families, but currently, it seemed the enemy was stronger than they were, so he would not actually act on it.

“Thank you.” Lou Mingyue stood up. “You may return now.”

The Konghe Army captain stood up, silently surveying the room, her tone carrying a strange emotion. “We are family, why thank me?”

Lou Mingyue’s throat tightened slightly, her voice hoarse. “I misspoke.”

A somber atmosphere instantly filled the room. Lou Xin could not bear it any longer and broke the silence, seeing the Konghe Army captain off.

Dark clouds obscured the moon.

The mansion fell into a deathly silence.

Lou Mingyue stood alone in the courtyard for a long time before finally moving, her feet treading through the snow to the council hall. There, she saw a figure dressed in a sable fur coat standing in the corridor.

“Who is it?!” Lou Mingyue exclaimed.

The person turned, revealing a face as white as snow.

Lou Mingyue lowered her guard slightly. “Fourteenth Young Lady.”

An Jiu nodded slightly.

Lou Mingyue walked to the corridor and looked up at the inscription on the plaque. “You are looking at this?”

“Yes.”

“Does the Mei family not have it?”

“I do not know.” An Jiu had not explored the entire Mei Mansion and did not know if there was such a plaque, but hearing Lou Mingyue’s words, she suddenly remembered Hua Rongjian’s words: the motto of the Konghe Army was “Loyalty and Righteousness.”

“Loyalty and Righteousness,” Lou Mingyue turned her head and asked, “Do you know what they mean?”

“I do not know,” An Jiu answered truthfully.

“The Lou family has always followed Emperor Taizu, vowing never to betray him,” Lou Mingyue scoffed. “Our Lou family values ​​loyalty and righteousness above all else. All the men of our family have sacrificed their lives for the country. We have not betrayed them; it is the descendants of Emperor Taizu who have abandoned us first.” Lou Mingyue’s words were like blood: “We guarded the Song Dynasty for the peace of the people, while they were obsessed with power games, abandoning their faith.” An Jiu was slightly taken aback.

The descendants of the four great families dwindled with each generation, not for family prestige, not for wealth and glory, and certainly not just for a vow made long ago.