Chapter 404

He spoke the cruelest words in the coldest tone, like a ghostly claw dragging the Virtuous Consort into Avīci hell, from which she could never rise.

"Not… misfortune does not extend to family, Duan Rongshi, you have already harmed your brother; why won't you spare us?"

If anyone else had said this, the Virtuous Consort might still have thought it mere bluster.

He is none other than Duan Rongshi, the Yama-like killing god feared by everyone in DaLiang!

Even the Virtuous Consort, dwelling deep within the palace, had heard of the wicked deeds he had done in the past.

How could she not be afraid?

Besides her son, she still owed a debt of gratitude to her maternal clan.

She could no longer bring ruin upon the entire Zhuang family.

The Virtuous Consort wept, with snot and tears streaming together.

She crawled forward, grabbed Duan Rongshi's robe, and pleaded: "Little Five… please, for the sake of when you were young and the Zhuang consort held you, comforted you, played shuttlecock and grasshopper with you, and even taught you to walk…"

"Taught you to speak…"

"Even taken you to the study…"

"Please, for the sake of these past kindnesses, spare our Zhuang family, okay?"

"I am willing to bear all these mistakes myself."

"I willingly go to my death, only begging you to spare Little Six's life and spare our Zhuang family!"

Duan Rongshi roughly pulled his robe free, his face showing disgust.

"Affection?"

"That was when you, still innocent-looking, used your naivety to murder my mother consort!"

"Zhuang consort, do you still remember how you used to call my mother consort 'elder sister'?"

The Virtuous Consort's expression hardened.

Her memories seemed to have drifted far away, back to when she was thirteen and had just entered the palace.

"Are… are you the princess of Da Chu? You're truly beautiful."

"Thank you for saving me today; if it weren't for you, I would have been embarrassed again."

"Really? May I call you by your name directly? Otherwise, I'll just keep calling you Sister Qingyue."

"Sister Qingyue, it's lively here with you, while where I am no one sets foot for ten days or half a month, so I love coming to your side."

"Sister Qingyue, you and the Emperor are like my older sister and brother-in-law; truly enviable."

"Sister Qingyue, is this osmanthus wine you brewed yourself? It smells so fragrant!"

"Sister Qingyue, the Emperor just drank wine; I originally intended to help him to the bed to rest, but who would have thought he knew I wasn't you and shoved me away harshly. The Emperor is really overbearing!"

"Sister Qingyue, is this your and the Emperor's child? He's really good-looking, resembling you greatly."

"He's called Little Shi? Little Shi, I am your Zhuang consort; from now on I will treat you well, just as your mother treated me."

"No… Father, Mother, I, I don't want to vie for favor. Sister Qingyue and the Emperor are deeply devoted like mandarin ducks; no outsider can come between them. They are so loving, how could I do anything to ruin them?"

"I am the one near the water… but if I do this, I will lose Sister Qingyue!"

"Father, Mother, get up—very well, I will go plead with Sister Qingyue."

"Sister Qingyue, I am… already nineteen this year… may I ask you for one thing? I wish to receive favor… may I?"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty—please have pity on Ling'er! Ling'er knows you and Sister Qingyue are deeply devoted, but she only wants a child—Your Majesty!!"

"Sob… Sister Qingyue, the Emperor refuses to have me."

"Sister Qingyue, I have figured things out these days. I know you have done your best to help me, but I also cannot force the Emperor, can I?"

"The Emperor's heart holds only you; these past years he has not touched any other woman in the harem, wishing to keep himself pure for you, his heart filled only with you. If I still press my suit, would it not hurt our sisterly bond?"

"Don't worry; at home I will persuade my parents."

"Father, Mother… please handle this. These are all the calligraphy of Consort Yue; you must have a master copy that letter so the Emperor cannot tell true from false."

"Father, Mother, the Emperor believed it, he believed!"

"Father, Mother, don't be anxious. Wait until the Emperor's heart no longer holds Zongqing Qingyue, then I, Zhuang Ling'er, will become the one most special in his heart."

"Sister Qingyue, come with me quickly. The Emperor is coming to kill you—"

"It's true; I saw him carrying a sword, he smashed your letters to pieces, and now he's heading for Gui Fu Palace. Sister Qingyue, I don't want you to die—sob…"

"Sister Qingyue, this is not my fault."

"Who let you monopolize the Emperor, making it impossible for us to get even a drop of his grace? In the end, it's because the Emperor doesn't love you enough."

"Zongqing Qingyue, in my next life I also do not wish to meet you again."

A bucket of icy water poured down from above.

The Virtuous Consort shuddered, jerking awake from her memories.

Li Qingluo threw down the bucket, then seized the dripping Virtuous Consort and dragged her back, pressing her down.

"You are Zhuang Ling'er, right?"

"Virtuous Consort, what exactly happened to you? Even now, at this point, you still won't speak?"

Virtuous Consort: "No… I cannot say…"

"Even if you speak, you will still die…"

"And they will still not let you go…"

She muttered these words, her expression turning fearful.

She lifted her gaze to the Duan Rongshi before her.

That face gradually overlapped with the person in her memory.

She let out a sharp scream, clapped her hands over her ears, then slammed her head hard against the ground: "It's my fault, I'm sorry, Sister Qingyue, it's Ling'er's fault—"

"Spare me, I didn't want this, I didn't want this—"

These years I have deliberately pretended to be Sister Qingyue, but no matter how I try, I can't compare to her former grace and beauty even a little.

I am merely copying Dong Shi's frown; all this is my retribution.

She is a cold fairy maiden; I am just a fool who acted so long that even I believed it—hahaha, hahaha—

Sister Qingyue, sob sob...

Sister Qingyue died so horribly.

That day, all the concubines, empress dowager, empress... who was not present?

They deliberately delayed A Shi, keeping him in the Imperial Study, then... everyone together killed Sister Qingyue!

In her belly, there was still a child.

That child, although a little princess, Sister Qingyue had already chosen her name.

Haha, they all died together.

Mother and daughter, two lives in one corpse, were driven to death by everyone——

Haha, hahaha……

Consort De sang, laughed, and cried, then suddenly raised the osmanthus hairpin in her hand and fiercely stabbed her own neck.

Pfft——

Fresh blood instantly spurted out like a water column.

She collapsed in her own pool of blood.

Her eyes stared open, unable to rest in peace.

Li Qingluo watched this scene, feeling deep fear of the scheming and deceit within the deep palace.

Duan Rongshi grabbed her hand and quickly dodged to the side.

Waiting for Little Wang Eunuch and the others to wake up, realizing they had been ambushed, each one startledly scrambled to their feet.

"Who? Get out! Dare to ambush this eunuch in the Cold Palace—are you tired of living?"

"Ah! Eunuch, look—"

Several eunuchs saw that Consort De was completely dead, yet a golden osmanthus hairpin still stuck in her neck, and they instantly turned deathly pale with fright.

"She, she is already dead."

"Was she forced to death by someone?"

No, she hanged herself—she stabbed herself.

Ptoo! How disgusting!

Anyway she's already dead—let's hurry and leave.

Wait, this hairpin… Sir, that's pure gold, pure gold!

Little Wang eunuch: "Want to die? You dare take this? Didn't you see clearly? That's an osmanthus hairpin!"

If you want to be haunted by a vicious ghost, go ahead and take it!

Having said that, Little Wang eunuch slipped away and ran out of the cold palace.

One hand, after hesitating anxiously for a long time, still pulled out the hairpin in one go, then quickly wiped it on Consort De's corpse and hid it in the bosom.

……

Li Qingluo accompanied Duan Rongshi back to Gui Fu Palace.

She supported his arms with both hands, while his tall figure swayed, barely able to hold up.

Just as they were about to step into the main hall, his feet could no longer move; he turned and sat down by the roadside.

Your Highness.

At night the ground has damp heat; shall we get up and go inside to sit?

Duan Rongshi's gaze was dull; he neither nodded nor shook his head, yet he couldn't rise.

Li Qingluo couldn't drag him even with all her strength.

With red eyes she squatted and cupped his face: "I know you're heartbroken. I don't know how you've endured these years… but at least someone died, right?"

Your mother consort, watching from heaven, sees you living so well; she will be comforted.

Duan Rongshi shook his head, lowered his head, and remained silent.

Li Qingluo: "Okay, okay… If you don't want to move, just sit here; I'll go get you a blanket."

She rose to leave, but Duan Rongshi suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly.

Don't…

Luo'er, don't leave.

Don't go.

He exerted a little force, and Li Qingluo was pulled into his embrace.

His broad arms almost hid her within his embrace.

And she didn't utter a single muffled sound.

She merely sat with red-rimmed eyes, quietly keeping him company.

She occasionally patted his back lightly, not speaking, nor daring to move.

Yet this silence had already fallen into his heart like gentle rain.

My mother consort is the gentlest woman in the world.

And her gentleness is also strong; her inner self is the strongest person I have ever seen.

Everyone says she is a cold, otherworldly fairy descended to the mundane. But no one knows that her beauty is merely the most insignificant thing about her.

When I was young, I was still the most beloved son in my father's arms.

My father would lift me up above his head, and also let me sit on his back to ride a horse.

He is the Son of Heaven…… yet like an ordinary father, he patiently taught me and gently accompanied me. Even though this would cause me to be excluded and isolated by several brothers in the study, but as a child…… I was truly the happiest child in this imperial palace.

Father Emperor also doted on Mother Consort greatly. He treated Mother Consort as his wife, showing her respect, and even told her that he would gradually dismiss the imperial harem, even depose the empress, so that from then on the three palaces and six courts would have only Mother Consort alone.

Mother Consort knew this was an absurdity that would topple the world, a ludicrous act that would cause an uproar in the court, so she immediately stopped Father Emperor, insisting that this must never be done.

She knew she had monopolized Father Emperor, so she often advised Father to visit other palaces and check on those consorts.

She said, even if Father Emperor favored others, she would not mind, because that is what a father ought to do.

For the stability of the state and harmony of the court, Father Emperor should also go and favor them.

Father Emperor used to often get angry with Mother Consort over this, feeling that she was pushing him away and did not want him.

Mother Consort could always appease Father Emperor with just a few words.

Luò'er, you might not know, but the me of childhood and the me of now are completely two different people.

Because of Mother Consort's teachings, as a child I loved to laugh and did not like killing; even if I stepped on an ant by the roadside, I would feel guilty.

Until…… when I was six years old, that day after I left school I was detained by the Grand Tutor.