CH 95

Chapter 95: I’m Sorry For You, But I’ve Never Regretted It.

Empress Dowager Xianyi glanced at the Crown Prince and slowly walked towards him with a bland expression. However, the Crown Prince suddenly pounced on her, grabbed her by the neck as if his hands were sharp claws, and strangled the Empress Dowager.

Despite that, Empress Dowager Xianyi was unmoved.

When the Crown Prince screamed, he spat out blood from his mouth, staining the Empress Dowager’s face and clothes: “It was you who poisoned the peach! It was you who made me end up sick for the rest of my life! You made me into the waste that I am now!”

At that instant, Qi Ci suddenly remembered what Bian Zhonghua had told him once: The third son of Empress Dowager Xianyi, the Crown Prince, played with the Emperor at his third birthday banquet. Because the Emperor was very fond of his son, he picked up the peach that had been originally served to him, and fed it to the Crown Prince. However, the peach was poisoned!

After that incident, although the Crown Prince’s life was saved, he became extremely weak. As someone who was always on the verge of death, he had to constantly rely on medicine to survive.

‘In the end….it was Empress Dowager Xianyi who poisoned the peach at that time?’

‘But why would she even do such a thing?’

‘She has been married to the late Emperor for several years. Although she had to endure the disgust she felt for him, why would she attempt to kill the Emperor all of a sudden?’

‘By picking up a stone, she ended up crushing her own feet….’

Empress Dowager Xianyi looked indifferently at the hideous face of the Crown Prince in front of her and said in a low voice: “I’m sorry for what happened to you, but I’ve never regretted it….”

The Crown Prince’s flesh and blood that were clutching the Empress Dowager’s neck began to melt. As he screamed, his skin gradually began to peel off, until finally, only a puddle of mushed flesh and blackened bones remained behind. At the same time, the shadows reappeared in the void.

This time, a young woman was covering her face as she cried. Her body was covered with bruises, and she was at a loss for words: “That day….His Majesty was so drunk….and suddenly, he….”

Empress Xianyi hugged the young woman and tried to soothe her with trembling hands.

The same way the young woman had comforted the Empress when she needed it in the past.

The young woman shouldn’t have to bury herself in the ruthless Imperial Palace. She should have married into a good family, with a loving husband to raise children with. She should have lived a peaceful and quiet life.

But instead, the young woman had to say: “Miss, don’t be afraid. I will accompany you.”

So, the Empress decided to poison the peach that was going to be given to the Emperor.

She was so calm that her pulse didn’t even tremble at the time.

Moreover, after all these years, she would still say: “I have never regretted it.”

However, the Heavens love to play tricks on people.

Although the Empress had managed to dodge a calamity, her only child fell ill as a result of it.

Empress Xianyi began to fear that she would eventually be exposed and arrested, but she was more afraid of involving Qi Rulan in all of this. Therefore, Empress Xianyi decided to get Qi Rulan out of the Imperial Palace overnight and flee for her life towards the Northern Border.

Later, when everything calmed down, Empress Xianyi wanted to take Qi Rulan back to the Capital.

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However, one day, Empress Xianyi received a letter from Qi Rulan: I have a child, his name is Qi Ci, and he has a red birthmark on his chest. Now that I have him, I can’t return to the Palace. The Emperor is cruel, and he won’t let me and my child go. Please, take care of yourself. As the autumn wind passes, our temples will turn white. I don’t want to go back to that place, where no one can leave. We will be in peace here, forgotten in a place far away from my hometown.

Empress Xianyi put the letter away with utmost care. Right after, she took out the evil spell book.

The words ‘the soul will scatter’ present on the last page of the book were as striking as ever.

A few months later, the Emperor fell seriously ill, and Empress Xianyi was praised for taking good care of him.

However, every night, a faint pained cry could be heard coming from the bedchamber. Several weeks later, the Emperor finally passed away.

Since the Crown Prince was still too young and weak, the Empress Dowager had reigned from behind the curtain1 ever since.

As it was well-known, Empress Dowager Xianyi had been fighting for power all her life. She was known as a cold and ruthless woman who only had power in her eyes. Not only that, but she also had the reputation for using fierce and ruthless methods, as well as having a heart as vicious as a snake. All this time, she had been cursed and despised by many people in their hearts.

At this moment, Empress Dowager Xianyi, standing in front of Qi Ci, observed unconcernedly how the Crown Prince, who had bled from the seven orifices, transformed into a bloody mud.

It was amazing how disturbing her nightmares could be.

Right after, the wandering soul of the Crown Prince appeared all of a sudden. He was gazing around in complete bewilderment, unsure of where he was.

Empress Dowager Xianyi approached him and said softly: “It’s time to go back. Although you have always been lying in bed, suffering from illness, you have always cared for the Country and the people. You will be a great ruler, which is why you shouldn’t leave so soon.”

Moving from death to life, the darkness began to clear.

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When Qi Ci and Empress Dowager Xianyi opened their eyes again, they found themselves lying in the formation.

It went against the mandates of Heaven to bring someone out of the Guimen Pass, since it meant to change their fate. Because of this, State Master Li, who was sitting cross-legged, had a pale face, dark blue circles under his eyes, and was sweating heavily. When he saw that Qi Ci and the Empress Dowager had finally awakened, he showed a happy face at first, however, he spat out dark blood right after.

At that moment, the Crown Prince’s weak voice was faintly heard from the bed. The Empress Dowager hurried to get up and go over to the bed.

The Crown Prince looked at her with confusion: “Empress Mother, what happened to me?”

Even after seeing the Crown Prince return from the dead, Empress Dowager Xianyi’s face didn’t show any joy. Instead, she said softly: “Rest.”

There were only four people present in the inner room: the Crown Prince, the Empress Dowager, State Master Li, and Qi Ci. When Qi Ci saw that State Master Li was vomiting blood and no one was looking after him, he rushed to assist him.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” State Master Li nodded and thanked Qi Ci.

However, the second State Master Li took the hand that Qi Ci had extended to him, State Master Li sensed something. Suddenly, State Master Li raised his head in haste and looked at Qi Ci with startled eyes.

“Is something wrong?” Qi Ci was stunned by State Master Li’s reaction.

State Master Li’s body trembled all over. As he stumbled, he asked: “Your Highness, you…you….”

“Me?” Qi Ci had a lost expression on his face.

After seeing that Qi Ci didn’t seem to be aware of it, State Master Li also felt a bit lost. After thinking for a short time, State Master Li lowered his head and said: “Nothing, nothing. I was a bit tense after performing such a difficult spell, so I must have gotten a little confused. That’s why I wasn’t fully able to speak clearly.”

Qi Ci nodded and didn’t ask anything else.

At that moment, someone rushed in in a hurry. After kneeling on the ground and clasping his fist, he shouted: “Empress Dowager, something happened!”

Empress Dowager Xianyi frowned and turned around. After calling the man out of the inner room, she asked: “Don’t need to rush, speak carefully.”

The confidant said: “We don’t know how, but the King of Bei’an County has heard the news of the Crown Prince’s death and has revolted! Now they’re outside the Imperial Palace!!!”

Empress Dowager Xianyi frowned lightly, but no matter what, she never showed a worried expression. Instead, she said: “Send a message to General Chen to transfer the soldiers of the Western Battalion stationed outside the Capital and divide them into two teams. One to protect the Crown Prince, and the other to quell the rebellion.”

The confidant was delighted: “Is the Crown Prince safe? Empress Dowager, shall we ask the Crown Prince to take part in the battle? That way, the rebels won’t have a reason to rebel!”

Empress Dowager Xianyi looked at him from the corner of her eye and said: “They have already gambled everything on a single chance. Even if the Crown Prince were to be present at the battle, they wouldn’t surrender. Furthermore….”

As she spoke, the Empress Dowager’s tone of voice became increasingly enraged: “Besides, haven’t they been disobedient to me? Very well, I will make them obey me by force. As soon as they heard the news of the Crown Prince’s death, they raised their weapons to revolt. However, it seems that they haven’t taken into consideration the safety of the Nine Clans. Send several people to the Residences of the rebels and behead some members of their families. Once that’s done, throw their heads in front of the rebels and tell them that if they don’t surrender, their wives and children will be beheaded next.”

The confidant knelt on the ground and clasped his fist. As he felt chills running through his whole body and flinched on the inside, he said: “This subject understands.”

‘This woman is as vicious as the rumors say! Utterly ruthless!’

“Go, I’ll be there soon.” After saying this, Empress Dowager Xianyi turned around and walked back to the inner room. Unlike the time when she first entered the depths of the Imperial Palace, this time, she was alone.

Above the firmament, the night was gradually fading away, while below the firmament, the respective final decisions had already been made.

After returning to the inner room, Empress Dowager Xianyi instructed some people to take good care of the Crown Prince. Then, she asked State Master Li to escort Qi Ci back to the Prince’s Residence as fast as possible.

State Master Li bent down and obeyed the order.

Suddenly, Empress Dowager Xianyi asked in a low voice, so that only the two of them could hear: “How is the refining of the Longevity Pill going?”

State Master Li was silent for a short period of time, only to say next: “Replying to Empress Dowager, only the last ‘medicinal’ ingredient is missing.”

Empress Dowager Xianyi nodded: “Go.”

…

Given that the Imperial City had been engulfed in chaos due to the rebellion, State Master Li and a handful of Secret Servants skillfully avoided the main gates of the Imperial Palace and managed to sneak out of the Palace with Qi Ci.

After sending Qi Ci safely to the Prince’s Residence, State Master Li instructed the Secret Servants and Imperial Bodyguards present at the Residence to protect the Prince. Once this was done, State Master Li could finally breathe a sigh of relief as he returned to the Secret Servant Division. At the same time, he thought: ‘In the coming days, both the inside of the Imperial Palace, as well as the surrounding areas of the Capital, will be doomed to be anything but peaceful.’

All of a sudden, State Master Li stopped along the way.

After all, there was a man standing right in front of him, blocking the way. The man, dressed in black robes decorated with golden silk thread and a jade belt, stood dashingly under the warm light of the twilight.