Chapter 295: Chapter 272: She’s on the Edge of the Cliff

Rong Zhi didn’t know, Chu Yu didn’t know, even Tuoba Hong and Feng Ting didn’t know what the historical records were like, or what the future development of history would be.

But Tian Rujing knew.

When Tuoba was five years old, Empress Dowager Feng would force Tuoba Hong to pass the throne to the Crown Prince, and then control the court politics for nearly twenty years, creating a legend–this was to happen in the future.

Therefore, when Tian Rujing arrived in Northern Wei, the first person he sought was not Tuoba Hong, but Feng Ting, who had just become the Empress Dowager. He knew she was the real power holder in the future. At that time, Rong Zhi was still in Luoyang, leisurely pondering his relationship with Chu Yu.

Tian Rujing approached Feng Ting initially just wanting to understand the situation of Northern Wei, but unexpectedly learned from Feng Ting about her relationship with Rong Zhi, and soon realized Rong Zhi’s ambitions. To stop Rong Zhi, he proposed an alliance with Feng Ting.

Tuoba Hong was just a facade from the start, a chess piece for Tian Rujing to distract others.

When Tian Rujing met Feng Ting, they set a strategy to deal with Rong Zhi, then he pretended to align with Tuoba Hong. Over the years, he and Feng Ting hardly spoke a word, but every time their gazes met, they knew who their true enemy was.

–It was Rong Zhi.

Over the years, they acted inconspicuously, using a strategy of retreat to advance, allowing Rong Zhi’s influence to grow stronger, slowly forming a whole. Meanwhile, the court politics of Northern Wei were being subtly manipulated by his hand, getting more and more organized.

Rong Zhi even outlined a government plan for the next twenty years, which Feng Ting could slightly modify and use.

They carefully concealed their true intentions, waiting for an opportunity, waiting for Rong Zhi’s weaknesses to become more apparent and deeper. Finally, at this moment, in coordination with Hua Cuo from afar, they targeted Rong Zhi’s most vulnerable point and struck at him.

There seemed to be a kind of stagnation in the air, and after a while, Rong Zhi realized that he had forgotten to breathe.

This was a trap, one that had been set five years ago, specifically for him alone.

The calmness of these years was to lure him into the trap, and also to make him gradually lower his guard.

In terms of intelligence, Feng Ting was no match for Rong Zhi. If it were an open battle over political issues or a measure of their respective forces, even if Feng Ting, Tian Rujing, Hua Cuo, and even Tuoba Hong were tied together, they would still not match half of Rong Zhi’s ability. But Feng Ting, having grown up in the palace, excelled in targeting individuals rather than power. Her attack targeted a rare vulnerability in Rong Zhi’s character, striking swiftly and brilliantly, so much so that Rong Zhi didn’t even have time to prepare, and was utterly defeated by this move.

Hua Cuo was the sword, Tian Rujing was the shield, and the person pulling the strings behind the scenes was still Feng Ting.

Rong Zhi breathed out softly, displaying a very faint smile, not resentful at all, “Atin, I underestimated you.” He calmly asked, “So how is Luoyang now? Has Hua Cuo made a move?”

Feng Ting also smiled slightly and said, “Indeed.”

Rong Zhi calmly said, “Whatever you want, I can agree to, but how can you ensure the safety of Chu Yu after I agree?” He knew like a clear mirror, Feng Ting wouldn’t kill Chu Yu, otherwise, she would lose her bargaining chip, but Feng Ting wouldn’t provide him the opportunity to save Chu Yu either. By now, Luoyang must have already made a move, and Chu Yu’s life wouldn’t wait for him to travel two thousand miles to save her.

However, Feng Ting did not answer Rong Zhi’s question. Upon hearing “I can agree to anything,” her eyes lit up, and she asked, “Do you really mean you would give up anything?”

At this moment, he didn’t need her answer; Rong Zhi already found it himself, because he saw Tian Rujing’s face twitch slightly. It seemed that another key lay with Tian Rujing, not solely to protect Feng Ting as a person, but he must also have some extraordinary means to instantly change the situation in Luoyang.

Such a scheme, like a precarious balance hanging by a thread, was absurdly dangerous, staking all on Chu Yu alone. If he could give up Chu Yu, the current situation would be entirely in his favor, no one could hurt him, no one could influence him.

But…

Rong Zhi’s hand reached into the other sleeve and touched a brocade bag, which he had been carrying with him for years. The bag contained nothing else, only a strand of blue-black hair.

That day in the snowfield, the hair she cut off, he had kept.

What she abandoned, he picked up.