"Bandits?" Jingyao's voice, usually a soothing rumble, was harsh with disbelief. He glanced at the delicate, falcon-engraved gold ring in Qingxue's hand, then back to the frantic Minister Lin. "Minister, this was not a robbery. A high-ranking official doesn't get ambushed by 'vicious bandits' right outside the city gates in broad daylight without a message attached to his death."
Minister Lin was shaking, his eyes darting to the door as if expecting the assassins to appear next. "But Your Majesty… the whispers. They're already reaching the palace. The nobles… they're saying that Prime Minister Xiao was unmarried, without an heir. They say you had him killed to seize his vast estates and wealth for the Crown."
Qingxue felt a sudden, cold wave of fury wash over the initial shock. This was exactly what Baozi had predicted: a manufactured crisis tied directly to her alleged incompetence and greed. Lord Fei isn't just killing opponents; he's weaponizing public opinion against me.
