Chapter 167: Death and Resurrection

Lin Wan Yi's eyebrows and eyes were far too similar to Wan Tang's.

Not to mention the deliberately placed dot of red at the bridge of the brow.

The Empress's mention of Wan Tang had already fixed in everyone's mind who stood on the stage.

Su Yanci's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, as if unintentionally asking, "General Xu, if the person on the stage can't survive half a cup of tea's time, even if they don't die they'll be a useless husk."

Xu Yanchuan turned the wine cup in his hand and said lightly, "And then?"

"This is the Emperor's family matter; the Emperor has already decided it. What must I do, if anything?"

Xu Yanchuan retorted, "Could it be that the Emperor secretly ordered it, and I, the junior general, failed to grasp it?"

Su Yanci looked at Xu Yanchuan with deep meaning, yet could find no flaw.

He laughed and teased, "Just kidding."

"I only felt a slight pang of sympathy for the person on the stage."

Zhou Su's expression was cold; after a glance at the woman on the stage, he returned to his own food.

The stage, amid the screeching crack, Boom— collapsed.

Lin Wan Yi, whose mouth was gagged, could not even let out a wail, and could only watch helplessly as beams and pillars fell.

Dark red blood gushed from the cracks in the ruins, and the heavy stench of blood instantly overpowered the banquet's wine aroma.

The officials were silent; some averted their eyes, some clenched their cups, and all ultimately became a cold silence.

The Imperial Edict was like a mountain; no one dared speak further.

Wan Tang stood behind the blossoms, watching the bloodied scene, and felt a sudden stab in her chest.

Had she not foreseen it, the one lying beneath the ruins now would have been herself.

She suddenly wanted to laugh.

Chu Yunzheng's deep affection had always been given only to that void illusion.

We, these people, are merely firewood he sacrifices to the illusion.

The fleeting pang of heart just now instantly froze into ice.

The last stray delusion, along with that pool of blood, completely dried up.

【I thought that wearing this outfit would lead to a terrible fate, but never imagined it would be this terrible.】

【Lin Wan Yi probably doesn't know at all; what she wants to snatch is a blessing that no woman in the Imperial harem could bear.】

【Don't you find it terrifying? The Dog Emperor had no idea the person on stage was Lin Wan Yi—it was Wan Tang! Yet he was still merciless, his eyes fixed only on the unattainable one.】

【Nonsense; what if he already knows? After all, in my view, his attitude toward Tangtang is different.】

My mind was a chaotic clamor.

Inside Wan Tang, there was only indifference and ridicule.

It turned out the Emperor was not an unintentional man; his heart had long been given to the realm and to that woman.

The Emperor had long since brushed his sleeves and left, leaving only the decree "The palace banquet continues," which echoed coldly in the dead silence of the Grand Hall.

The strings and flutes hesitantly resumed, yet could no longer mask the thick scent of blood.

The officials stiffly raised their cups, their gazes wandering, and the banquet proceeded in a bizarre, oppressive normalcy.

Xiao Mingshu slowly rose, her face bearing just the right amount of sorrowful compassion and panic, and she walked step by step toward the pile of ruins.

She stopped a few steps away; this distance allowed the officials to see her worried silhouette, yet they could not hear any whisper.

At the moment she turned her back to the crowd, all the feigned emotions on her face peeled away instantly, leaving only twisted ecstasy and ferocity.

She stared fixedly at the tuft of black hair, stained and clumped with blood, protruding from the ruins; her mouth curled upward uncontrollably, forming an almost manic arc.

She spoke in a faint voice, the sound squeezing out between her teeth, hissing like a venomous snake spitting its fang:

"Dare to fight me?!"

"Wan Tang… ha, you think a few days of favor let you crawl onto my head?"

"You despicable, ignorant of life and death!"

"Do you see? This is your fate! Your body shattered, reduced to mud!"

"I need not even soil my own hands… with a small trick, the Emperor will crush you for me, like crushing an ant!"

"Comfortable? The feeling of being smashed by wood? Hmm?"

"In this harem, only I, Xiao Mingshu, have ever laughed till the end!"

Li Defu, at some unknown moment, slipped forward and stood slightly behind her.

His thin voice was likewise pressed low, with a hint of flattery and cruel regret: "Your Majesty's methods are brilliant, truly a delight to the people."

"Only a pity… I haven't yet found a chance to properly 'play' this rule‑breaker."

He cast a grim glance at the pool of blood, "How about… I have someone dig her out, then give Your Majesty some venting?"

Xiao Mingshu snorted coldly, not turning back.

Li Defu immediately pretended to shrink, covering his mouth and nose with a dust‑flapper.

He forced a trembling tone, "Ah, I cannot bear to see this blood‑splattered scene; I feel faint."

He paused, his tone regaining some respect: "Very well, the remaining trivial matters here are for the Empress Dowager to attend to."

"Grandfather Wan Sui cannot be left unattended; I must hurry to serve him."

Having said that, Li Defu bowed, retreated silently, turned, and hurried away.

Xiao Mingshu still stood where she was, back straight, maintaining the dignified bearing befitting a mother of the nation.

Only her slightly trembling shoulders and clenched fists betrayed the turmoil within.

She slowly lifted her chin, facing the pile of ruins, and with a breath only she could hear, uttered the final proclamation of victory:

"It is purified."

"From now on, whoever dares to seduce the ruler, this shall be the example!"

"My position in this palace, no one may even think of shifting it a hair's breadth!"

Xiao Mingshu slowly turned around.

In the instant she turned, the wild joy on her face vanished without a trace, replaced by a wave of deep sorrow.

In those phoenix eyes, a perfectly misty sheen of water seemed to rise, poised to fall yet not, making her look exceedingly mournful.

She pressed a silk handkerchief gently against the corner of her eye, her voice deliberately restrained and choked, clear enough for nearby officials to hear:

"Alas… Sister Wan Pin, how truly regrettable…"

She sighed heavily, her tone plaintive, "Today… today was originally her day of great joy."

"She was about to be conferred the consort rank, what a glorious honor… yet, who could have foreseen such an accident."

She shook her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.

As if seeking affirmation: "Among the sisters in this harem, who doesn't know that moving from the pin rank to the consort rank is such a difficult hurdle?"

"How much virtue must be accumulated, how many days must be refined."

"Sister Wan Pin… she ultimately had insufficient fortune, never endured until the moment this grace descended."

Speaking, she pressed the handkerchief tighter, the sob in her voice becoming a few points more pronounced.

Yet she still maintained the Empress's bearing: "The most pitiful is Minghui Princess, so young, still wailing for nourishment, and now bereft of her birth mother's protection."

"How shall the days ahead be?"

"Just thinking of it, my heart…"

She paused appropriately, as if grief made it hard to continue.

The moment her pretentious act ended, a blatant cold laugh rang out from the seat.

An official clearly of the Xiao faction stroked his beard and declared loudly, "The Empress is benevolent, but I think such a calamity is truly deserving of death!"

His words, like a stone cast into a lake, immediately drew a chorus of agreement.

"Lord Wang's words are absolutely correct!"

Another official interjected, his tone full of contempt, "This is a court banquet, not a common market stall!"

"The Emperor and all civil and military officials are present, and she dares to openly present this lewd dance, desecrating rites and corrupting the palace! Her heart deserves execution!"

"Indeed!" another chimed in, his words even more cutting.

"She is merely an orphan with no support; having received the Emperor's heavenly grace to serve at his side, this is a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes!"

"She still foolishly harbored delusions, relying on favor and arrogance, meeting such an end—truly self‑inflicted!"

"Empress, do not let yourself be hurt by such shameless people; she is clearly bringing about her own destruction, and deserves it!"

Xiao Mingshu listened to these condemnations, and the corner of her mouth, half covered by the silk handkerchief, curved in an almost imperceptible way.

She immediately suppressed it, instead revealing an even more sorrowful expression.

She gently shook her head, a tear slipping down perfectly, her voice unbearably mournful:

"Esteemed elders… please stop speaking like that…"

"Regardless, we are still sisters; even if she has a thousand faults, she has now repaid with her life."

"My heart… truly… it's unbearably painful!"

She said so, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if grief overwhelmed her.

Just as the Empress feigned sorrow before the ruins, a clear voice sounded from behind:

"I never expected the Empress to show such pity for me; I am truly moved."

The crowd turned in astonishment, and saw Wan Tang slowly step out from the deep shadows of the lanterns.

Her palace attire was immaculate, bearing dignified poise, a faint smile on her face, strikingly conspicuous amid the bloody chaos.

The Empress abruptly turned, her pupils contracting, the carefully maintained compassion on her face shattering instantly.

She turned into an incredulous shock: "Wan Pin?!"

"You… weren't you supposed…" Her voice suddenly sharp, "How could you be here?!"

The hall instantly erupted in clamor, officials rising en masse:

"It's Sister Wan Pin!"

"Isn't that person on the stage her?"

"What… what on earth is happening?!"

Only Xu Yanchuan continued to toy with his wine cup, Zhou Su expressionless, Su Yanci's lips curled with a faint knowing smile.

Wan Tang walked calmly, approached the Empress, and gave a slight nod: "I startled the Empress."

"The person on the stage… indeed is not me."

Her gaze swept over the ruins, she said softly, "As for who it is, I am not clear either."

"That garment was clearly bestowed upon you!" the Empress's voice trembled, nearly out of control.

"Indeed," Wan Tang sighed regretfully, "I intended to dress neatly to offer a dance to Your Majesty, but it was stolen by thieves… what a pity."

The Empress's complexion turned deathly pale, her whole body trembling violently.

She pointed sharply at the ruins, shrieking, "Attendants! Dig for me!"

The palace maids scrambled, finally dragging the blood‑smeared figure from beneath.

It was unmistakably the pale, twisted yet recognizable face of Jing Lady of Grace Lin Wan Yi.

Xiao Mingshu only glanced once, then felt darkness over her eyes as blood surged.

She staggered back a step, a palace maid hurriedly supporting her.

She pressed one hand tightly on her throbbing temple, her voice trembling.

She was almost incoherent: "How, how could it be… a headache, my head hurts so much…"

Wan Tang promptly covered her lips, inhaling a sharp breath of cold air.

Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes instantly filled with terror and sorrow: "I—it's actually Jing Lady of Grace…"

"Why—why does she have to steal and wear my clothes? This… how could this…"

Her voice choked, and she performed with sincere feeling.

At that moment, the doubts in everyone's hearts were suddenly cleared!