Chapter 321: Anyway, It's Not Me

In the Empress's Phoenix Palace the lights blaze, indicating the Empress has not yet rested; she climbs to the roof and sweeps with her mental power.

"Whoa," Yihe Gongzhu is also present; she kneels before the Empress, clutching the Empress's leg and sobbing softly.

"Mother Empress, I beg you to avenge my blood‑soaked hatred."

"Rest assured, Mother Empress will definitely take revenge for you."

"You must help my daughter kill that woman; as long as she lives, I will feel pain each day."

"Good, don't worry; Mother Empress will definitely grant you vengeance, but you and Yuan Jiaqi are absolutely out of the question."

"What my daughter cannot obtain, others must not obtain either; kill them together. Aren't they in love? Let them both perish—one reduced to broken bones and ash, the other condemned to endless calamity."

The Empress watches the fire of anger in her daughter's eyes, sighs gently; she says it easily, but actually carrying it out is far too hard.

If any member of the Qiao Family is implicated, the Emperor will investigate to the end; once discovered, her status as Empress will be unsafe.

What's wrong with the Empress? What's wrong with the Princess? In her eyes, there's no difference from the Liu family; if they must die, they must die, otherwise a pile of trouble will arise, and she dislikes that.

"If the lady wishes to speak, I, as her husband, will listen."

"A bunch of worthless scum!"

"The lady spoke well; we must make those harboring evil intentions see fear, lest they easily entertain harmful ideas."

Qiao Mai was nearly driven to death by their words; she, being kind‑hearted, didn't kill Yihe, only erased that memory, yet Yihe Gongzhu still intends to slaughter her whole family?

Since you treat yourselves like this, she no longer needs to spare anyone.

"Yes!"

The natal family still wanted to send a beauty into the palace, but unfortunately the Old Emperor feels he is too old, no longer holds selections, and no longer wants any beauties; his days are spent on state affairs and health cultivation, and he rarely visits the various palaces.

"Hehe, if you want to hear me, I'll say it."

He will then see the two of them biting their fingers, laughing foolishly at anyone; fortunately they're not mad, just foolish, or else the scene would be chaotic.

The husband and wife sip porridge and eat the pickled side dishes from the Small Food Shop, while Yuan Jiaqi never proactively asks her.

"Your Majesty, the head of the Imperial Hospital, Liu Yuyi's residence collapsed, crushing Liu Yuyi and his wife on the spot; Lady Liu's natal family also perished. The Liu family filed a case, and for such a major incident, Jingzhao Yi did not dare to delay."

It all occurred on New Year's Eve; did the Liu family also offend a high‑level figure?

"Yes, they were all jianghu people, apparently ambushing someone, and then were counter‑killed."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Just tell me directly what happened to those two."

The Divine Physician, after checking the pulse, frowned tightly, while the Emperor sat on his chair with a sullen expression.

At that moment, the Imperial Guard Commander jogged up to the Emperor, half‑kneeling on the ground.

The Emperor was about to sleep, but upon hearing that the Empress and Princess had fainted, he hurriedly dispatched the Divine Physician and then rushed to the scene himself.

"Hmm."

The officials' on‑site investigation suggests an external force from above collapsed the house, but no heavy object was observed at the scene.

The body is entirely normal; the head must have sustained some trauma.

It appears to have occurred shortly after the palace banquet ended.

"As husband, I wish to hear."

It must be a reclusive master; perhaps the Empress and Yihe have offended that individual?

"Did the coroner ascertain their time of death?"

Just as he was thinking, a eunuch outside quietly arrived at the side of the dragon throne.

"Truly a self‑inflicted disaster, cannot survive; as she was about to act, she suddenly remembered something."

When Qiao Mai returned home, Yuan Jiaqi had boiled porridge for her in the small kitchen and prepared four side dishes, knowing she hadn't dined well that night in the palace.

"I have rendered the Empress and her daughter foolish; the two secretly conspired against our family, aiming to doom you for ten thousand calamities and crush me to bone and ash."

Jia Mei and Chuan'er are set to marry next year; if the Empress dies, she becomes Jia Mei's legitimate mother and must observe three years of mourning.

"Did you forget Jia Mei and Chuan'er's wedding? She is the Empress; if she dies, our son must wait three years before the grand marriage."

"How could that be? Yet in a single night there were three consecutive major cases; inform Jingzhao Yi, have him investigate thoroughly, leaving no trace unchecked."

Qiao Mai recalled the legends of the Cultivation Realm, hearing that when one's cultivation reaches a certain stage, one can speak and have laws follow; at a higher stage, one can formulate principles. If she attains that level, she will certainly devise a set of punishments for evildoers.

An image of Lady Qiao involuntarily flashed in the Emperor's mind, and he abruptly shook his head.

"What about the Liu family?"

"Exhaust every possible method to cure; if it cannot be healed, post a notice to summon a Divine Physician!"

"Just have Jingzhao Yi take care of it!" The Emperor, somewhat impatient, seemed ready to lose his temper.

"If we kill them well, as long as they live, we must die; had it not been for the wife at home, we'd have died eight hundred times."

"It must be stupidity."

"Your Majesty, someone has found a dead body on the street."

Those who harm others will receive double the harm in the same manner, and so on.

The Imperial Guard Commander left; the Emperor cast a glance at his foolish wife and foolish daughter, then at the Divine Physician.

"That's enough; tomorrow morning you'll know, and it will certainly cause a sensation in the capital."

"The mastermind behind those assassins lives in their house; I went there while they were awaiting news of the assassin, and I collapsed the house to crush them."

"Have Jingzhao Yi investigate promptly, to see what people the Liu family offended, what they provoked, and what immoral acts they committed."

Her First Prince is disabled, and she no longer harbors the former competitive ambition; whoever becomes emperor, she will be the legitimate mother Empress Dowager.

"Hiss, over a hundred people?"

The body now is much better than before; sitting on that dragon throne for another ten‑plus years would pose no problem.

What about the in‑laws? Who dares to touch one's own family? The same—kill!

This night truly was a boiling New Year's Eve, and the Emperor did not sleep at all.

The Emperor, angry, slammed the table. "The house collapsed? How could that be? Their house isn't old at all; how could it collapse?"

"My lady, are you not wanting to sleep with your husband, deliberately teasing his appetite?"

"You don't want to know their fate?"

"I was just in the mood for porridge; let's eat together!"

"If people don't respect me, I don't respect them. If people do respect me, I will repay them a hundredfold, a thousandfold."

The Emperor, still angry, walked away with his arms crossed. He lay on the Dragon Technique and couldn't fall asleep no matter what; these things are definitely man‑made, yet a person with such skill could take his own head without issue—why would he be so willing to hide in the jianghu?

Fine, it's a bargain for you two.

It might be a master among masters; as the Emperor pondered, he inhaled a cold breath. Who could it be?

"My lady, are you back?"

In the past she wasn't afraid, but in recent years the Old Emperor has held military power, the realm is peaceful, and her natal family's influence can no longer threaten the Emperor. So in his eyes, if she continues to be a good Empress, she can remain in the role forever; if she makes even a slight mistake, the Emperor can replace her at any time.

"Why not kill them?"

"You're hungry, aren't you? Let's eat first."

"How about it?"

"All is well, how could they be foolish? My Imperial Guard guards the Imperial Palace, and countless people protect them openly and covertly. Who wounded the two of them like this?"

As far as he knows, even the top masters of the jianghu could not come and go freely within his Imperial Palace.

On New Year's Eve night, the Empress and the Princess both became fools.

The imperial physician lowered his head in fear, daring not to utter a word, thinking: How would I know? It wasn't me anyway.

"Over a hundred people died, all dressed in black."

For example, lecherous ones are punished to wither forever, and murderers are instantly punished by the law to die untimely.

"My lady, what are you thinking?"

"I'm not thinking anything; let's eat quickly and then sleep. Though we've lost the Lord of the State and the General's residence as in‑laws, we still have to go to Bichun Garden early tomorrow, and the old master and old lady are still there."

"Let's bring them back on the third day; that place isn't as comfortable as here."

"Go and ask them; after all, the two elders are the other family's parents, and their grandparents."

(End of chapter)