Ming Yue's questioning left wet nurse Wang speechless. She knew her actions were improper.
But seeing her sister's corpse lying on the ground, eyes wide open in death, she sternly urged the guards to act.
"Take her down!"
The guards, hesitant and fearful, dared not approach. She was the Empress.
No matter what had happened, she had not yet been deposed.
To even disrespect her, let alone lay hands on her, was a crime punishable by death. They had no intention of risking their lives.
"You want to tie me up? Are you tired of living?"
Ming Yue watched wet nurse Wang shouting and making a fuss, then her body moved.
She lunged forward, her dagger aimed at wet nurse Wang's chest.
"Ah! The Empress has gone mad and is killing people!"
Seeing the glinting dagger, wet nurse Wang screamed and turned to flee.
She deliberately shouted, claiming Ming Yue had lost her mind.
Having spent years in the harem, she was cunning and skilled in methods that killed without drawing blood.
As long as Ming Yue was deemed insane, she could no longer be Empress and would be deposed, banished to the cold palace.
Ming Yue watched wet nurse Wang run out of Lanyue Palace, shouting, a mocking smile on her lips.
She had done it intentionally, merely to scare wet nurse Wang.
Otherwise, with her skills, how could an old wet nurse escape her blade?
She wanted to stir up trouble, to let the entire palace know she had killed someone.
Killing only within Lanyue Palace would not spread fast enough to achieve her goal.
Seeing wet nurse Wang had already run several hundred meters, Ming Yue stretched her body.
Like a tiger or leopard hunting, she darted out, pursuing closely.
Thus, a scene rarely seen in the harem for a century unfolded.
Ahead, an old wet nurse ran wildly, shouting for help. Behind her, the Empress, hair unkempt and face unwashed, chased closely with a dagger in hand.
The usually quiet and peaceful harem, where even raising one's voice was uncommon, became chaotic and noisy.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, save me!
The Empress has gone mad and killed someone in Lanyue Palace.
I went to stop her, but she wouldn't spare me either.
She wants to kill me, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, save me!"
Seeing Ming Yue relentlessly pursuing her, wet nurse Wang was terrified.
She ran all the way into Cining Palace, where the Empress Dowager resided.
She figured that no matter how unruly Ming Yue was, she wouldn't dare to kill in Cining Palace.
Furthermore, her armed intrusion into the palace was a capital offense, and the Empress Dowager would surely not spare her.
The Empress Dowager had already received reports that the Empress, who had just married yesterday,
had killed a servant in Lanyue Palace this morning and was now chasing wet nurse Wang through the harem with a dagger.
Enraged, she rose and, accompanied by her servants, went out to stop and punish Ming Yue.
As she reached the courtyard, she saw wet nurse Wang, dishevelled, running in from the entrance.
Kneeling before her, wet nurse Wang cried for help. Before she could speak,
a figure flashed at the entrance, followed by a glint of cold steel.
Wet nurse Wang, kneeling on the ground, was beheaded, her blood splashing onto the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager, fifty-six years old, had never experienced such a scene. She screamed and fainted.
"Protect Her Majesty! Summon the imperial physician!"
The Empress Dowager's guards immediately surrounded Ming Yue, while the eunuchs and palace maids descended into chaos.
"His Majesty arrives!"
The voice of the imperial attendant rang out, and Ji Shiyou strode into Cining Palace.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Upon seeing Ji Shiyou enter, everyone knelt to pay respects. Only Ming Yue stood proudly, dagger in hand.
She thought, this should be enough to warrant a death sentence, right?
With that thought, she even cast a provocative glance at Ji Shiyou.
"Rise, all of you. Carry the Empress Dowager inside and summon the imperial physician."
Ji Shiyou's face was expressionless as he told everyone to rise.
They quickly followed his orders, scrambling to lift the unconscious Empress Dowager.
A young eunuch ran out to fetch the imperial physician, but the guards surrounding Ming Yue did not disperse.
With swords drawn and pointed at her, Ming Yue remained disdainful, unconcerned.
"Come with me."
Ji Shiyou walked towards the room, casually saying as he passed.
The guards parted with a rustle, revealing a bewildered Ming Yue.
She couldn't understand what Ji Shiyou was doing.
With things this way, shouldn't he immediately issue a decree to depose her as Empress and then order her death?
She could accept poisoned wine or a white silk noose; she didn't need a dagger, as she already had one.
Perhaps he intended to issue the decree in the room, making it more formal, Ming Yue mused.
She sheathed the dagger in her sleeve and tidied her hair, which had become dishevelled from chasing wet nurse Wang.
With a plain face, Ming Yue followed Ji Shiyou into the Empress Dowager's chambers.
Ever since she entered the palace, Ji Shiyou had kept her confined to her room for three months, and she had never left.
This was her first time entering the Empress Dowager's chambers. Since she was about to die anyway, she no longer cared about etiquette.
She followed Ji Shiyou's retreating back, strolling in casually as if on a street, looking around with curiosity.
Seeing Ji Shiyou sit down, she quickly stood properly, waiting for him to issue the decree so she could die quickly.
"Sit."
Unexpectedly, Ji Shiyou gestured to the chair beside him and uttered a single, cold word.
Perhaps he was waiting for the Empress Dowager to wake up before issuing the decree, to give her some explanation, Ming Yue thought.
She hadn't eaten breakfast, had run from Lanyue Palace to Cining Palace, and had killed two people.
Ming Yue felt a little tired, so she didn't stand on ceremony and sat down beside Ji Shiyou.
Looking at Ji Shiyou, who was so close, she secretly wondered.
If she were to suddenly stab Ji Shiyou now, could she kill him?
"You won't have the chance."
As she was thinking, Ji Shiyou said it for no apparent reason. Ming Yue looked up.
She saw Ji Shiyou's gaze fixed on her right sleeve, where she was tightly gripping the dagger.
Ming Yue understood. Ji Shiyou had seen through her thoughts and abandoned her newly formed plan.
"Ah!"
At this moment, after being treated by the imperial physician, the Empress Dowager, who had fainted from shock, woke up.
"Emperor, you're here! Who allowed her to sit here?
Guards, drag this immoral Empress away, strip her of her title as Empress.
Hand her over to the Department of Punishments to be beaten to death with clubs!
A woman who has lost her mind is not fit to be the Empress of Langyue Kingdom."
The Empress Dowager saw Ji Shiyou was also present and her shock subsided. As she was about to rise,
she saw Ming Yue sitting casually beside Ji Shiyou.
She was staring curiously at an incense burner placed to the side.
Immediately, she became furious and ordered the guards of Cining Palace to deal with Ming Yue.
No one dared to disobey the Empress Dowager's decree. A dozen guards and eunuchs surged forward.
Ming Yue's face lit up with joy. She had been agonizing over why Ji Shiyou hadn't issued the decree yet.
Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager had directly handled the matter. This was an unexpected bonus.
She felt grateful to the Empress Dowager for fulfilling her wish.
She deeply apologized for frightening this kind-hearted Empress Dowager.
"Retire!"
Just as Ming Yue was about to rise to receive the decree and thank the Empress Dowager, Ji Shiyou's stern voice made her jump.
Her buttocks, which had just lifted, settled back onto the chair. She didn't know why Ji Shiyou was acting crazy now.
Did he think being beaten to death was too light a punishment? Did he want to add some other cruel trick?
To make her suffer more before she died? Truly not a man!
Ming Yue decided not to get up and glared provocatively at Ji Shiyou.
Her gaze implied, bring out whatever tricks you have.
If I so much as frown, I'm not a princess of Wuman Kingdom!