Her words, now laced with venom, were like sharp knives, piercing her heart with every syllable.
Shen Yue wished to laugh, but found no mirth.
Her response was ultimately a deep, drawn-out sigh.
---
The eighth day, midnight.
The silent, pitch-black night was shattered. Flames erupted within the palace, followed by the rapid patter of footsteps.
Kunning Palace was engulfed in fire. The palace maids and eunuchs on duty were startled, their faces betraying unconcealed panic. They couldn't even stop the intruders, nor report to their mistress within, before the doors were forced open.
"Who dares trespass into Kunning Palace! Retreat at once!"
The bed curtains were drawn tightly. Wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner, revealing the Empress's figure, half-hidden and half-visible within the sheer fabric. Even in this state, her imposing presence was enough to strike fear.
However, no one heeded her command. A figure stepped forward, lifting the curtains and the quilt. The form hidden within was exposed.
The dark night inevitably stirred a sense of dread.
Candlelight flickered in Kunning Palace, the oppressive atmosphere like an invisible hand, squeezing tightly. The air felt suffocatingly still.
The Empress knelt on the ground, her face ashen pale and her spirit shaken. She trembled like a leaf in the wind, unable to utter a complete sentence, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty spare me! For the sake of our many years of affection, spare the Crown Prince and the Tang family..."
The man with whom she had committed adultery had already been dragged away, his fate left unspoken.
The Emperor gazed coldly at the wailing woman on the ground. Gone was her usual dignified elegance. His face, in the dim light, appeared somewhat grim. "Do you think the Tang family can escape? Empress, it is you who brought ruin upon them."
The saying that the imperial family was inherently heartless had always held true.
For any normal man, being cuckolded was intolerable. Much less for the Emperor, who stood above all others.
When an emperor rages, a million lives perish.
That night, all the eunuchs and maids on duty in Kunning Palace were dragged out and beaten to death with cudgels. The bloody stench lingered, not dissipating even by daylight.
The Empress was also granted a cup of poisoned wine, which palace maids forced down her throat. Until her last breath, her eyes remained wide open, as if her unfulfilled wishes were still trapped within.
A tall figure intruded into the dimly lit prison. Disregarding all obstacles, he engaged in a fierce battle with the guards attempting to stop him. By the time he broke through, only a lifeless body lay on the ground.
"Mother Consort!"
A heart-wrenching roar echoed through the prison for a long time.
The Crown Prince's eyes widened in disbelief. He scrambled forward, falling before the corpse. Trembling, he reached to feel for breath, and an icy chill washed over him like the most terrifying wave.
His reddened eyes gradually filled with tears. Large, crystal droplets rolled down his pale cheeks.
"Mother Consort, wake up, don't..."
"Don't..."
His broad back heaved violently, his shoulders quivering. His face turned a deep crimson.
A tear landed on the corpse's hand.
He emitted a trembling cry, like a wounded beast.
The dark prison held no light, and the damp, foul odor was almost nauseating.
The Crown Prince cradled the body, his head bowed, enveloped in darkness as if becoming one with it.
Eunuch Wang, acting on the Emperor's decree, came to summon the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince had been holding the body for quite some time.
"Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence. Please come."
The last two words carried no respect, only a deep mockery.
After a long while, so long that Eunuch Wang grew impatient and repeated himself, the Crown Prince finally stirred.
He gently placed the body down, reached out to cover the Empress's wide-open eyes, and removed his outer robe to cover her head.
Having completed these actions, the Crown Prince slowly stood up. His gait was unsteady, a consequence of kneeling for too long.
The great scandal within the royal family had implicated the Tang family the most. The Prime Minister was dismissed, and everyone was exiled. In an instant, the court was thrown into turmoil, filled with speculation and apprehension. The mighty tree of the Tang family had fallen, met with schadenfreude and anxiety.
The Crown Prince himself was reduced to commoner status, forbidden to set foot within the palace walls for the rest of his life.
The once-lofty Crown Prince had fallen, all within the span of a single night.
Emerging from the Imperial Study, the Crown Prince was disheveled and spiritless. His clothes were messy, his hair crown askew, a far cry from his former noble bearing.
His steps suddenly halted. The Crown Prince looked at a graceful figure standing beneath a parasol tree, her eyes beautiful and flushed, a tear mole at the corner of her eye vivid and alluring.
Against the backdrop of lush green foliage, she stood vibrantly beneath the tree, like a captivating, soul-snatching specter.
The Crown Prince, who had been wandering in a daze like a walking corpse, suddenly became ice-cold. His gaze was sharp, like a multitude of knives.
His stare was so piercing that Shen Yue found it impossible to ignore.
She observed the disheveled Crown Prince and offered a faint smile, feigning ignorance as she asked, "Where are you going, Crown Prince Gege?"
The Crown Prince remained silent, simply standing there.
Shen Yue paused, the smile fading from her face.
The Crown Prince was haggard, his eyes crisscrossed with bloodshot veins, dark circles clearly visible beneath them. He stared fixedly at Shen Yue, as if intending to burn through her.
"It... it was you..." His voice was hoarse to the point of being unrecognizable. He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in his chest, clenching his fists at his sides, his fingernails digging deeply into his flesh.
He tried his best to remain calm, but his voice still trembled slightly, "You did this, didn't you? You killed my Mother Consort, didn't you?"
Underneath his irrational, almost frenzied gaze, Shen Yue's smile grew even more beautiful and captivating. She met the Crown Prince's eyes without fear.
"It wasn't I who killed your Mother Consort; your mother sought her own death."
"If you don't want anyone to know, then don't do it. When your Mother Consort was committing adultery, she should have foreseen this outcome."
"Shut up!"
The Crown Prince fiercely punched the tree beside Shen Yue's ear. The gust of his fist grazed past, stirring the hair hanging from Shen Yue's shoulder.
His hand was instantly a bloody mess.
The Crown Prince trembled uncontrollably, the veins on his neck bulging with rage.
A mist appeared before his eyes, blurring his vision. He gritted his teeth, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth, fighting to prevent tears from falling, for the pride etched into his very bones forbade him from showing any weakness before Shen Yue.
However, he clearly failed.
Tears streamed from his eyes, tracing paths down his taut, pale lips.
The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he grabbed Shen Yue's collar, pulling her close. His eyes gradually turned crimson, his fierce gaze laced with dark bloodshot threads. Each word he spoke dripped with blood.
"If you have something against someone, come at me! Kill me, anything is fine!"
"Why did you touch my Mother Consort..."
"Why..."