Vengeance
Those people indeed came to arrest Ci Ke. They quickly took him away, without noticing Zhou Hong’s presence. However, this departure surely bodes misfortune is more likely than good fortune.
Inside and outside the palace, it was as peaceful as ever. From afar, the sound of music and drums could be heard. The wrestling competition in the palace continued as usual, with the cheers of young men and women echoing through the air.
Half-squatting in the shade of a tree, Zhou Hong clenched his fists as he watched Ci Ke’s departing figure. In the distance, the palace gates remained tightly shut, and several imposing guards stood under the palace walls, their long swords gleaming ominously.
He exhaled and slowly stood up.
Ye Youqing had nothing to do that day, so she took advantage of the fine weather to sit under a tree in the courtyard, closing her eyes to enjoy the sunshine. Shi Li had just returned from outside the city; at this moment, she was wielding a long sword in the courtyard, her movements dancing with the might of a tiger.
Suddenly, with a clang, the long sword slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. Shi Li also stopped in her tracks, looking at her right hand in confusion.
“My sword has never fallen from my hand before,” she muttered. With a flick of her toe along the sword’s hilt, the long sword spun up into the air and landed back in her palm.
Ye Youqing opened her eyes to look at her. “Are you tired? You’ve been running around outside these past few days and just got back last night. Sit down and rest for a bit.”
Shi Li was still puzzled but didn’t refuse. She sheathed her sword and looked up at the sky. “It’s already the hour of Shen (3-5 PM). Those extravagant nobles really have the leisure to eat and drink to their heart’s content.”
Ye Youqing saw her still pacing and shook her head helplessly. She grabbed a fruit from the table and tossed it to her from a distance. Shi Li caught it steadily.
“I’ve been rather anxious these past few days as well,” Ye Youqing sighed. She was dressed in a black-and-white outfit designed for agility, without even bothering to disguise herself. Given that the Emperor had been overwhelmed with troubles recently, he had no time to pay attention to her.
The door was knocked on, and Ye Youqing immediately stood up, her expression guarded. However, upon hearing the low, hoarse cough of the person knocking, she relaxed her demeanor and opened the door.
Outside stood the Sixth Prince, covered in dust from travel. Her black robe, embroidered with silver thread, was patted twice, sending up a cloud of dust. She looked somewhat dispirited, clearly exhausted. Accepting the tea that Shi Li handed her, she drank it down in one go.
Ye Youqing closed the door again and asked, “What happened?”
The Sixth Prince shook her head and wiped the moisture from her mouth with her sleeve. “This morning, Father suddenly sent me to Luoyang, claiming there was an urgent matter to handle. But when I rushed there on horseback, I found that there was nothing to deal with. Sensing something was amiss, I hurried back as quickly as I could, fearing that something might have gone wrong.”
Ye Youqing’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. She reached out and pulled the Sixth Prince up from the stone bench. “We must return to the palace quickly.”
Just as she finished speaking, there was a dull thud from outside the door, as if someone had fallen. The three of them were startled and looked toward the door latch.
Ye Youqing held her breath and stepped forward, gently opening the door. At first, she saw no one, but when she looked down, she saw a person collapsed at the doorstep, seemingly injured. There were some crimson bloodstains on the stone bricks.
“Zhou Hong?” Ye Youqing nearly cried out in surprise. She quickly squatted down and forcefully dragged the person up.
Shi Li and the Sixth Prince were equally shocked. They helped Ye Youqing drag the person inside to avoid being seen by passersby. Fortunately, the small courtyard was well-hidden, and at this hour, there were few people on the streets.
Zhou Hong’s lower abdomen seemed to have been slashed by a sharp weapon. His usually handsome face was twisted in pain. Upon seeing Ye Youqing, he let out a long sigh of relief and pulled her closer, saying, “Ci Ke, Aunt, they’ve been taken by the Emperor. The Emperor has also sealed off the palace gates, allowing no one to enter or leave.”
“Ci Ke wanted me to find you.” Zhou Hong’s face was pale, but his consciousness was still relatively clear. Judging by the bloodstains on his body and the extent of his torn wounds, it seemed he had forcefully fought his way out of the palace and fled all the way here without being caught by the palace guards.
“Ziqiu…” Shi Li, who was standing nearby, dropped her sword to the ground again. She suddenly stood up, but Ye Youqing held her back tightly.
“Calm down!” Ye Youqing gritted her teeth and said. The suddenness of these events was truly shocking. The Emperor had made his move before she could, indicating that he must have sensed Zhou Ziqiu’s actions for some time but had remained silent until now.
However, the rebel forces were still a hundred miles away, conserving their strength and biding their time. They had yet to break through the encirclement of the main army. Even if they acted prematurely, by the time the rebel forces reached the capital, the people might already be gone.
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People cannot be left unaided, especially since Ci Ke is also involved.
“Sixth Prince,” Ye Youqing extended her hand towards the woman beside her. The Sixth Prince took her hand, looking at her earnestly.
“This matter requires your assistance,” Ye Youqing’s face was pale, but she tried hard to steady her mind, as success or failure hinged on this one act, and this act must succeed.
The Sixth Prince responded with a soft “hmm,” her eyes, clear and unwavering, did not blink. She gently said, “What you say, sister, I will certainly carry out.”
“You are a prince, so you should be able to enter the palace. You must quickly return and request an audience with the Emperor, trying to delay as much time as possible. In one hour, regardless of the situation, remember to send someone to the palace gate to receive and let my people in,” Ye Youqing articulated each word with as much precision as she could muster.
The Sixth Prince nodded repeatedly and then looked towards Shi Li, who was as tense as a bowstring, “Sister, why not have Sister Shi Li come with me, disguised as a shadow guard? If we can’t easily delay time, she can always lend some help.”
Ye Youqing nodded and pushed Shi Li, who was on her left, towards the Sixth Prince, “Quickly go.”
The two dared not delay any longer. As the door opened and then closed, only Ye Youqing and Zhou Hong remained in the courtyard. Ye Youqing knew that Zhou Hong would surely draw people to search for them, so she tore off a strip of cloth forcefully and tightly bound the wound on his waist and abdomen. She helped him up and handed him a cloak.
Zhou Hong had somewhat recovered; although he was still shaky, he could stand steadily.
“You should go to Jinlingzhai now, and find the shopkeeper Ah Gou there. He will take care of you,” Ye Youqing said, pulling him out the door, leading him to the main street, and blending into the crowd of people setting up their stalls before dusk.
“Where is Miss Ye?” Zhou Hong asked in a deep voice.
“I have other matters to attend to,” Ye Youqing replied while waving her hand in farewell. Her graceful and elegant figure soon disappeared into the crowd.
Before a storm, there is always a calm. Outside the palace, the common folk were busy with their day. Inside the palace, it was a leisurely half-day. Civil and military officials walked towards the banquet hall in small groups of twos and threes, chatting and laughing. Although the sun was still shining warmly, red lanterns and candles were already standing on both sides of the road. The sound of music filled the air, permeating through the Three Palaces and Six Courts (a reference to the vast complex of the imperial palace).
However, inside the Funing Palace, it seemed the music had been abandoned. The silence was heavy, and upon entering, one was hit by the strong smell of medicine that made heads spin. Although incense burners meant to refresh the mind were lit in the corners, they could not mask the odor.
The inner chamber of the hall was even worse. It seemed as though it had not been ventilated for years. Despite its size, it felt anything but spacious.
The Emperor’s bed was directly in front, covered by a gauze curtain, obscuring the view inside. The bedposts were adorned with golden lacquer paintings, exuding an air of opulence and grandeur. On either side stood two rows of palace attendants, all with their heads bowed and silent.
Zhou Ziqiu stood upright in front of the bed, her gaze fixed on the gauze curtain.
“Beloved Consort, come,” the Emperor’s voice came through. Following this, a palace attendant stepped forward to roll up the gauze curtain, revealing the scene inside. The Emperor, dressed in his nightclothes, was slowly sitting up, while an attendant beside him bowed her head, helping him put on his boots.
Zhou Ziqiu said nothing as she stepped forward. She watched the Emperor’s now much thinner, rough hand reach out and grasp her five fingers, gently caressing them.
Zhou Ziqiu’s hand trembled, and her stomach churned violently as it often did.
The Emperor suddenly exerted force, pulling her over: “Look at your expression, it’s been over ten years and you still look at me like this?”
“Why keep pretending?” The Emperor looked at her with resentment, suddenly standing up, “After coming out of the Cold Palace, I thought you had learned your lesson. I favored you so much, even bestowing the title of Noble Consort at my word. What exactly are you still dissatisfied with?”
“I have never been dissatisfied,” Zhou Ziqiu replied coldly.
“Never been dissatisfied?” The Emperor sneered, releasing her hand and raising his arm to stroke her cheek. Zhou Ziqiu instinctively turned her head, but her jaw suddenly ached as the Emperor pinched her chin and twisted her back, “Trying to avoid me, do you think I can’t see?”
The Emperor’s beard trembled, and the hostility in his eyes grew heavier: “Back then, I never blamed you for that act against the natural order, and when the Zhou family got into trouble, I protected you despite the opposition of all the officials. Even when you conspired with outsiders to clear the Zhou family’s name, I saw through it but never held you accountable. In a harem full of beauties, only you received such honor, yet you trample it all underfoot!”
“Could it be that you are still thinking about that woman? Absolutely preposterous!” The Emperor said through gritted teeth, then suddenly released his grip forcefully. Zhou Ziqiu’s slender waist wobbled, and she almost fell.
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The Emperor looked at her, and suddenly lifted his leg, kicking over a waist-high celadon vase. With a loud crash, the water inside, along with shards of porcelain, scattered all over the floor, splashing and soaking the hem of Zhou Ziqiu’s dress.
Zhou Ziqiu closed her eyes, waiting for the flying droplets to fall from her face.
“To think that I, the Son of Heaven, who deals with state affairs, would ultimately be schemed against by a woman from the harem. Zhou Ziqiu, you truly have some audacity!” The Emperor sneered, “I guarded against you in every possible way, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect you to use your life to poison me!”
His face, now marked by many wrinkles, was contorted with a mixture of rage and laughter, looking almost deranged. Suddenly, he waved his hand: “Bring her in.”
From outside came the sound of chaotic footsteps. A woman in a crimson dress was escorted in by several palace guards. With a forceful shove on the back of her knees, she was made to kneel on the ground.
A flicker of panic finally appeared in Zhou Ziqiu’s eyes. She turned her head to look, but the Emperor grabbed her by the neck and forced her to face forward again.
“Your Zhou family, truly loyal and brave. I had intended to let you all off, but now it seems not a single one of you will be spared,” said the Emperor, waving his hand. The guards then dragged Ci Ke away.
Zhou Ziqiu was speechless, and her phoenix eyes quickly filled with a hint of blood-red.
Suddenly, Zhou Ziqiu loudly exclaimed, “Your Majesty, you have harmed yourself!”
Upon hearing this, the Emperor raised his eyes to look at her and signaled the palace guards to stop.
“Our Zhou family has been loyal for generations, yet you favor petty men, resent loyal ministers, and cannot distinguish loyalty from treachery. You appoint people based on personal connections, pathetically fixated on your throne, and recklessly kill innocents. This is the consequence of your own actions!” Zhou Ziqiu said calmly.
Before she could finish speaking, she was grabbed by the neck and shoved against the wall, silencing her mid-sentence.
“What audacity!” the Emperor scolded. Then, with a forceful push, Zhou Ziqiu fell against the wall, knocking over two armchairs along the way.
Zhou Ziqiu tumbled to the ground, her forehead striking and bleeding. However, she knelt there, suddenly emitting a few dry laughs. “Your Majesty, you cannot hold back your anger already? I haven’t even finished speaking.”
Fixing her gaze on the Emperor, who was glaring and panting, she staggered but elegantly stood up, laughing heartily. “Even if you mistreat a rabbit, if that rabbit hates you enough, it will gnaw your skull and suck your bones dry in the dead of night. You have harmed my entire family, killed my relatives, destroyed my beloved, and you still expect me to bow down to you? Dream on!”
“Madwoman!” the Emperor shouted angrily, signaling the palace guards to seize her and bring her before him, “Madwoman, venomous woman!”
“Someone come!” The Emperor, unable to contain his rage, waved his sleeve furiously, “Did you not use poison? I want you to poison yourself!”
A palace servant, terrified, hurried over, head bowed, carrying a wooden box. One of the guards opened the box and took out a pill.
“Green Calyx Fruit. I searched the entire palace and couldn’t find any poison. If someone hadn’t pointed it out, I wouldn’t have known there was such a deadly substance in the harem. You applied its powder on yourself repeatedly, making me inhale it without the slightest suspicion!” The Emperor was both regretful and furious. “Zhou Ziqiu, if you wish to die, I shall grant your wish!”
“Shove it into her mouth. I want to see if she still talks tough after she’s dead!”
Seeing the palace guard next to her prying Zhou Ziqiu’s mouth open to force the pill in, Zhou Ziqiu suddenly bit his finger hard, pushing him away with a mouthful of blood.
“Your Majesty!” Zhou Ziqiu raised her eyes, tears shimmering on her thin, pale cheeks, “I have one last request before I die.”
Her voice suddenly became very calm, with a mix of tenderness, longing, and affection.
The Emperor’s chest heaved violently. Seeing her collapse powerlessly to the ground, he momentarily let down his guard and said, “Speak.”
“Does Your Majesty not hate me?” Zhou Ziqiu murmured, “Then let Your Majesty feed me this pill.”
“Do you think I am that foolish, to come near you?” The Emperor sneered, then waved his hand. Without hesitation, the palace guards forced the pill into Zhou Ziqiu’s mouth and covered it.
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In no time, the woman began to foam at the mouth, her body went limp, and she slid to the ground.
At that moment, someone hurriedly ran in from outside the door to report: “Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince insists on seeing the Noble Consort and has forced his way in despite the warnings!”
Before the Emperor could respond, he saw a figure pushing past several palace attendants in quick succession, striding into the room with his collar blown askew by the wind. He cupped his hands in salute and said, “Father, your son…”
The Emperor saw that Zhou Ziqiu was no longer moving, and he himself seemed to stagger as if drained of strength. Ignoring the Sixth Prince, who had suddenly frozen in place, he looked at the pale-faced beauty before him and stumbled forward.
The guard behind the Sixth Prince also swayed unsteadily, being held up by the Sixth Prince’s outstretched hand.
Everyone held their breath, watching as the Emperor half-knelt beside the woman. Her eyes were tightly shut, her red lips like fire, her face as white as snow, and her body still trembling.
“Qiu’er…” the Emperor’s gaze was vacant as he softly called out, reaching to touch the woman’s hair.
In an instant, the woman, who had appeared lifeless, suddenly moved. The Sixth Prince quickly covered her mouth, watching as Zhou Ziqiu pulled out the hairpin from her head and, using all her remaining strength, stabbed it into the Emperor’s chest.
Immediately, blood splattered everywhere.
LP: FINALLY!!! THIS MAN IS DISGUSTING!!!
