Chapter 553: Going to marry into the Western Regions is a dead end

By the time the guards heard the sound and rushed over, this girl had already completely lost her breath.

After Empress Yang learned of this, she was so frightened her whole body went limp.

"How, how could she suddenly die?"

The Grand Eunuch Hai who had gone to inquire and returned said, "I heard the manner of death was miserable and strange."

"She has several wounds on her body, yet there isn't a single drop of blood on the ground."

"But the blood around the wounds is all black and dark, as if something had blown it apart."

After hearing this, the Empress felt a wave of dry heaves.

The old wet nurse scolded, "Don't say any more."

"Get out!"

After everyone had withdrawn, the old wet nurse hurriedly patted the Empress, repeatedly soothing: "Your Highness, don't be afraid. This matter has nothing to do with you."

The Empress looked tense: "How could it have nothing to do with me? This girl was sent from my family, said to be a MiaoJiang witch who could help dispel my worries and difficulties!"

"If we investigate further, it will surely be traced back to me! By then, could this witch's identity possibly remain hidden?"

"His Majesty only just punished the Fourth Prince for the Witchcraft Technique, and even now the Fourth Prince is still in prison crying injustice."

"Although I myself have done nothing yet, if this girl's identity were to implicate the Crown Prince, wouldn't that be too unjust?"

"I certainly don't want to harm the Eastern Palace!"

The old wet nurse: "Empress! You are the Empress, the mistress of the harem, the mother of the world."

"Go claim the body, and say that yesterday I scolded her a few times, and this maid actually tried to flee the palace."

"You don't know what evil she fell under, nor do you know her true identity; in any case, it has nothing to do with you."

"Although the Yang family sent her into the palace for you, she's only been here for a few days."

"In any case, this matter..."

Before she could finish speaking, a palace maid hurried in to report: "Your Highness, the wet nurse of the Seventh Princess has arrived."

"She has important clues to report to you regarding the palace maid whose death today was abnormal."

The Empress's heart gave a sudden jolt.

She looked anxiously at the old wet nurse beside her, and the old wet nurse firmly grasped the Empress's hand.

First steadying the Empress's composure, then summoning the Seventh Princess's wet nurse inside.

After offering greetings, the Seventh Princess's wet nurse bluntly said: "Your Highness, the Princess has sent me to tell you this."

"She suddenly recalled that the palace maid who has been by your side these past two days had previously been seen near the Fourth Prince."

"Having heard early this morning that she had died, the Princess feared you might have been deceived and thus be implicated, so she specially sent me to run this errand, to have you check how the people around you conduct themselves, and to dare transfer this criminal servant to your side."

"Furthermore, the Princess heard that the maid still had a painting with her, but it seems someone saw last night that it had been picked up by an unknown person."

The Empress lost composure and cried out low: "What?"

The old wet nurse personally saw her out.

"The Empress was schemed against by villains; we nearly fell for it, but fortunately that wicked maid was taken by heaven, truly deserving of death!"

"I, on behalf of the Empress, thank the Seventh Princess for her filial devotion, which the Empress has seen and understood in her heart."

After watching that wet nurse go away completely, the old wet nurse hurried back into the hall.

The Empress was already deathly pale, completely slumped in her seat.

"Your Highness, you must pull yourself together. We really don't know what this witch is all about, or how she became involved with the Fourth Prince."

"There must have been some mistake back home; otherwise, how could they dare send such a person to attend you?"

"Fortunately, she is already dead!"

The Empress: "I was just saying, how could she know so clearly about that treasure the Fourth Prince originally wanted?"

"Turns out she was originally one of the Fourth Prince's people!"

"I almost completely fell for her trick."

"She also said that the identity of Nangong Shi might be the Princess of Yaoguang from DaLiang; if this is true, would the Sixth Prince, who has been to DaLiang, not speak up?"

"He became a cripple in DaLiang; he ought to hate DaLiang people to the bone!"

"What on earth is going on with Father?"

"Does she not know that the Fourth Prince has just been deposed and is desperately trying to make a comeback?"

"If at this time that witch were still causing the Empress and Eastern Palace to make mistakes, that would be an opportunity for the Fourth Prince."

"Now thinking about it, I almost did something wrong."

"That Nangong Shi was summoned into the palace by His Majesty; regardless of what Li Wu has done wrong elsewhere, only His Majesty can judge her. I nearly muddled things up!"

The old wet nurse could only continually comfort the Empress: "Fortunately, the matter hasn't actually happened yet, right?"

The Empress: "But, but how exactly did she die?"

"Who wanted to kill her?"

"Who picked up that painting?"

"If it were thrust before Nangong Shi, or if some other scheming person took that painting to frame me, how would I respond?"

Within the central palace, the Empress's formation was completely thrown into disarray.

Meanwhile, in the Seventh Princess's palace, Li Qingluo was burning her own portrait.

Zheng Mama: "Miss, this Empress is also brainless."

"She almost became a raft for the Cloud Valley Sect to use against you. Fortunately, your identity should still not be exposed, right?"

Li Qingluo: "Cloud Valley are the remnants of Zulya. If they dare come forward again, I'll kill one for each one that comes, a pair for each pair."

"Anyway, this feud was settled long ago."

Zheng Mama nodded.

The master and servant watched the scroll in the brazier burn completely to ash, their hearts feeling utterly indifferent.

Xi Qiu suddenly came to knock on the door: "Miss, the Seventh Princess, Your Highness has arrived."

Li Qingluo turned and went out to meet her.

Seventh Princess: "The matter you asked this palace to handle, this palace has already sent someone to deal with it."

"Word has it the Empress's complexion is awful; on the spot she lost her composure."

"The death of that palace maid... could it possibly be related to you?"

Li Qingluo: "Your Highness, it would be better if you did not meddle."

"This matter involves the Fourth Prince and the Central Palace; knowing more brings no benefit to your safety."

The Seventh Princess was somewhat angry.

"How can she have people handle things while keeping her in the dark about the details?"

"Is this not simply a ploy to use me?"

"You!"

The Seventh Princess glared, her almond eyes wide with anger.

Li Qingluo suddenly smiled: "You really want to know? Then this servant can say… actually…"

The Seventh Princess clapped her hands over her ears.

"Enough, enough! This palace won't listen!"

Panic showed in her eyes, making Li Qingluo shake her head and laugh helplessly.

Seventh Princess: …

"Was she just toying with herself all along?"

Seventh Princess: "Nangong Qingluo! You truly have great audacity!"

Li Qingluo: "What's wrong with this servant?"

"If this servant speaks, it's because Your Highness refuses to listen."

The Seventh Princess could only stomp her feet in anger.

But just now, it truly frightened her to death.

Now, for these princes and princesses to survive in this palace is already like walking on thin ice.

The less one knows, the naturally safer one can live.

The Seventh Princess couldn't be bothered to argue about this any further.

But her complexion remained quite grim.

After hesitating a moment, she slowly spoke her true purpose.

"This palace does not wish to marry off to the Western Regions."

"You might have some way to let this palace escape this matter?"

Li Qingluo: "Are you certain, Seventh Princess, Your Highness, that you are to be married off to the Western Regions?"

Seventh Princess Zongzheng Xingyao nodded, her face pale.

"Ever since the Third Sister died tragically in DaLiang, Father Emperor has continually intended to marry another princess off to the Western Regions."

"These years, Father Emperor has long lost his ambition and lofty aspirations."

"Word has it that the Western Regions and DaLiang are constantly at odds; even Prince Su, who bears the title of Yama Slaughter God, died on the battlefield. Father Emperor worries the Western Regions will turn and attack Da Chu again, so he proactively wrote to the Western Regions, saying he will send another princess for a marriage alliance."

Zongzheng Xingyao, face tear-streaked: "Among the princesses now, only this palace's age is most suitable, so this palace has been concerned about this matter."

"These past days, this palace has already heard rumors that Father personally circled my name in the registry."

Zongzheng Xingyao covered her face, looking utterly dejected.

"What kind of father is he?"

Li Qingluo raised a finger and shushed.

"Your Highness, beware—walls have ears."

Zongzheng Xingyao gave a cold laugh: "What's there to fear? If I am truly sent to marry off to the Western Regions, what difference is there between that and death?"

"Father Emperor is a cruel yet cowardly ruler, known to all under heaven."

"In earlier years, when Aunt was still around, I heard he was also brave and skilled in battle. Though our Da Chu is not a land of mighty soldiers and abundant people, we also do not fear foreign threats and provocations."

"But since Aunt's death, Father Emperor has become increasingly decadent; nowadays, who among the common folk does not voice resentment?"

"The people of Da Chu cannot raise their heads before DaLiang and the Western Regions."

Zongzheng Langri neglects state affairs.

He also does not wish to provoke border conflicts; thus, facing the Western Regions' ever more overreaching provocations, these years have been a series of retreats.

The Western Regions have already swallowed three cities of Da Chu these years.

Zongzheng Langri also does not care, merely indulging in his own drunken dreams of death and life.

Moreover, he kills like it's nothing, bloodthirsty and cruel; the Da Chu dynasty of the Zongzheng clan knows not how many more years it can endure.

"Forget it."

"What ideas could you possibly have?"

"Now that your husband has not returned for a long time, you must think of ways to preserve your own life."

"What other ways could there be to protect me?"

Li Qingluo: "Your Highness, you yourself said just two days ago that as long as you are in this palace, no one will come to harm this servant."

Seventh Princess: "Do you also believe that?"

Li Qingluo: …

I almost believed it.

Zongzheng Xingyao felt very lost: "Third sister died in DaLiang, and sixth brother's pair of legs in DaLiang were completely gone, becoming crippled."

Father Emperor, out of fear, doesn't even dare to rebuke DaLiang.

How could I dare to hope that he would support me in the future?

Marrying off to the Western Regions is just a dead end.

The Seventh Princess left, dragging her heavy steps with an ashen face.

Li Qingluo was also unable to help.

Zongzheng Xingyao was right; she now must think of every way to first preserve her own life.

Duan Rongshi hasn't returned for a long time; that weak yet cruel Chu Emperor may well turn on himself.

Sure enough, that night Li Qingluo had just fallen asleep when an imperial edict arrived from the Qianyuan Hall.

General's Lady, His Majesty invites you over; please come.