The Double-Chapter 650 - 199 Bestow Death

The news of Prince Cheng raising a rebellion outside the walls of Huangzhou City spread throughout Yanjing City overnight.

The commoners uniformly cursed Prince Cheng for his wolfish heart and dog’s lungs; he had previously been involved with concubines in the palace, and now he led a rebellion, a clear sign he had long harbored treacherous intentions. Even though Huangzhou was not Yanjing City, the people were still panic-stricken, fearing the day when Prince Cheng’s troops would reach their doorsteps. After all, except for the Xirong border, Northern Yan hadn’t seen war in many years. People were naturally terrified of war.

For a while, Prince Cheng became a target everyone wanted to strike down.

The Ji family, Consort Li’s parental family, were naturally also executed and their house plundered because of her affair with Prince Cheng. On the day of the execution, many commoners came to watch, not a single one sympathized with the Ji family members; instead, they were filled with additional fury. With such heinous ambitions from Prince Cheng and such shamelessness from Consort Li, someone even brought up the matter with Shuran, claiming that all Ji family members were cut from the same cloth, not a single good one among them.

Ji Yanlin could probably never have dreamed that Consort Li, whom he had carefully sent into the palace—securing endless glory for the Ji family, causing them to prosper greatly in those years—would commit such a treasonous act. It was said that when Ji Yanlin met Consort Li in prison, he clutched at her, demanding to know why she would do such a thing.

Consort Li’s response was indeed thought-provoking. She said, "Father had already found a young woman to replace me, so naturally, I also had to make plans for the future. I earned so much for the Ji family, Father’s current status—all of that was the result of me struggling and dealing with others in the palace. Now you see me as barren, useless, thinking about finding another piece on the board, yet you never asked if I was willing. Since the Ji family does not consider me, naturally, I do not need to plan for the Ji family. As family, we should share fortune and hardships alike, it wouldn’t make sense that I alone endure the hardships while you all enjoy the prosperity. I am not some Bodhisattva out to sacrifice myself for others. It’s in our Ji family’s nature, even in death, to drag others to join our funeral."

Her words showed no sign of repentance, and upon hearing them, Ji Yanlin was said to have gone mad, wanting to kill Consort Li. If it weren’t for the jailers stopping him, Consort Li might very well have been beaten to death by Ji Yanlin there and then.

When the Ji family was in trouble, Jiang Yuanbai didn’t say a word. Even so, some of his colleagues at court still mocked Jiang Yuanbai. After all, the Ji family had once been his relatives by marriage, and Jiang Yuanbai naturally endured it. With Prince Cheng raising a rebellion, Jiang Li missing, assassins in Yanjing City—one incident after another arrived in quick succession, leaving everyone completely frazzled.

In the palace, Empress Dowager Liu was served a cup of poison wine.

The cold and desolate palace could not compare to her former bedchamber. Void of any attendants, she plummeted from heaven to hell overnight. Empress Dowager Liu had never imagined she would fall to such a state. In the original plan with Prince Cheng, it wasn’t like this; he was supposed to secretly take her out of the palace first before starting the rebellion. But the affair between Consort Li and Prince Cheng was suddenly exposed, Consort Li was arrested, the Ji family was plundered, and Prince Cheng fled the city—almost all of it happened overnight.

Prince Cheng had escaped, but had completely forgotten his own birth mother, leaving her in the palace to face Emperor Hongxiao, who was none too kindly disposed towards her.

Empress Dowager Liu still thought, as an Imperial Consort, she had a certain status and in both emotion and reason, Emperor Hongxiao wouldn’t embarrass her too much. Perhaps Emperor Hongxiao might even think she was still valuable, sparing her life to threaten Prince Cheng. With a life spared, everything else could be discussed. Once Prince Cheng killed Hongxiao, and she, not an Imperial Consort but an Empress Dowager, things would be different.

In her youth, she had not been able to become the Empress, and now, she couldn’t accept not even being able to be an Empress Dowager. She saw that she was just one step away from everything she desired, within easy reach—how could she bear to see it all fall through at the last moment? She wouldn’t!

The poison wine before her was contained in an exquisitely crafted gold vessel, the rim embedded with tiny rubies, something Empress Dowager Liu had always adored for its lavishness. In the past, she might have even liked the gold vessel, but today, it seemed to her like a malignant curse beckoning her demise. She kept retreating, shaking her head violently, a picture of utter despondency.

"No... no... don’t..."

The Imperial Attendant repeated for the third time, "Imperial Consort, please."

"No... I am an Imperial Consort... I can’t die, you must bring the Emperor to see me! I have something to say to him, he can’t just have me killed like this! I want to see the Emperor!"

The attendant, impatient, said, "His Majesty will not see you. Your Highness, please drink this wine quickly, so I may report back."