Chapter 321 - 321: It Wasn ‘t Me Anyways

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Phoenix Palace, where the empress resides, was brightly lit, indicating that she had not retired for the night. Qiao Mai arrived on the rooftop and scanned with her mental power.

“Oh, Princess Heyi is here too.” She found Princess Heyi kneeling before the empress, quietly sobbing while holding onto her legs. “Mother, I beg you to avenge your child.”

“Don’t worry. Mother will definitely seek justice for you.”

“Please help me kill that woman. As long as she lives, your child will suffer every day.”

“Don’t worry. Mother will avenge you. But it’s impossible for you and Yuan Jiaqi anymore.”

“What I can’t get, no one else can. Let’s kill them together. They seem so loving.

Let them both die, one crushed and the other unrecoverable.”

The empress sighed lightly as she looked at the anger in her daughter’s eyes. What she said was easy, but doing it was difficult.

If anyone from the Qiao family were harmed, the emperor would investigate thoroughly. Her position as empress would be jeopardized if she was exposed.

She wouldn’t have feared it in the past, but in recent years, the emperor held military power. Her family’s influence couldn’t threaten the emperor anymore. In his eyes, if she played her role as empress well, she could continue, but any mistake could lead to her replacement.

With her eldest son incapacitated, she no longer had the ambition she once had. Regardless of who became emperor, she would always be the legitimate empress dowager.

Her family wanted to send another beauty into the palace, but feeling his age, the emperor no longer participated in selecting consorts. Now, he focused on governance and rarely visited the rear palace.

His body is much better than before. He could sit on that dragon throne for another ten years without any issues.

Qiao Mai was infuriated by the conversation. She had spared Princess Heyi, only erasing that portion of her memory. Yet, the princess still harbored thoughts of wiping out Qiao Mai’s family.

Since they wanted to kill her, there was no need for mercy.

What about in-laws? Anyone who dared to harm her family would face the same fate!

The empress and princess were no different from the Liu family. If it needed to be done, it should be done. Otherwise, it would lead to endless troubles, something she disliked.

Just as she was about to take action, she suddenly remembered something.

Jiamei and Chuan’er will have a grand wedding next year. If the empress died, Jiamei would have to observe mourning for three years.

Forget it. Let it be a boon for the two of them.

On the night of New Year’s Eve, the empress and the princess became idiots.

The emperor, about to sleep, rushed to call the royal physician when he heard about their condition.

He arrived to find both women biting their fingers, laughing foolishly at everyone. Luckily, it wasn’t madness; it was idiocy. Otherwise, the scene would have been more chaotic.

After examining their pulses, the royal physician frowned. Sitting on his throne, the emperor wore a dark expression.

“How is it?”

“Their bodies are perfectly normal. It seems like trauma to their heads.”

“Just tell me what happened to them.”

“They seem to be idiots.”

“How can they suddenly become idiots? My Imperial Guards are stationed all over the palace. Who could have harmed them like this?”

The royal physician dared not speak out and lowered his head. In any case, it’s not him.

At that moment, the commander of the Imperial Guards hurriedly approached the emperor and half-knelt.

“Emperor, the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau, Royal Physician Liu’s house collapsed. Royal Physician Liu and his wife were crushed to death on the spot. His wife’s family members were killed as well. The Liu family reported the incident, and the local authorities wasted no time investigating.”

The emperor slammed the table in anger, “Collapsed? How is that possible? Their house was not old. How could it collapse?”

“The officials are conducting on-site investigations. It seems external force from above caused the collapse, but there is no sign of any heavy objects at the scene.”

“Command the local authorities to investigate quickly. Find out who the Liu family might have offended, who they provoked, and if they engaged in immoral activities.”

“Yes!”

The commander left, and the emperor glanced at his foolish wife and daughter before turning to the court physician.

“Do everything possible for their treatment. If they cannot be cured, post a notice to invite a miracle doctor!” “Yes, Your Majesty!”

“A bunch of useless people!”

The emperor stormed off with his hands behind his back. As he lay on the dragon bed, sleep eluded him. This was undoubtedly the work of human hands. However, how could someone capable of taking his head without any issue remain hidden in the martial world?

It must be a hidden master. Did the empress and Heyi offend such a person?

All of this happened on the thirtieth night. Did the Liu family also offend a formidable figure?

As far as he knew, the top martial artists could not freely come and go in his palace.

Could it be a master among masters? The emperor pondered, and as he did, he took a deep breath. Who could it be?

Just as he contemplated, an eunuch entered gently.

“Your Majesty, there have been reports of dead bodies found on the streets.”

“Leave it to the authorities in the capital!” The emperor was impatient and wanted to vent his anger.

“Over a hundred people have died, all dressed in black.”

“Over a hundred people?”

“Yes, all from the martial world. It looked like they were trying to assassinate someone and were counter-killed.”

“Have the coroners determined their time of death?”

“It seems to be shortly after the palace banquet ended.”

The emperor’s mind involuntarily thought of Madam Qiao. Then he shook his head abruptly.

“How is that possible? Just overnight, three major incidents happened in a row. Tell the authorities to investigate thoroughly. Don’t miss any clues.”

That night, the emperor couldn’t sleep at all.

Returning home, Qiao Mai found that Yuan Jiaqi had prepared porridge for her in the kitchen, along with four side dishes, knowing she hadn’t eaten well in the palace.

“Wife, you’re back?”

“Yes.”

“Are you hungry? Let’s eat.”

“I was thinking of having porridge. Let’s eat together!”

The couple enjoyed their porridge and the pickled side dishes from the snack shop. Yuan Jiaqi hadn’t asked her about what happened.

“Don’t you want to know their fate?”

“If my wife wants to say, I’ll listen.”

“Let’s not talk about it. You’ll find out tomorrow morning. It will make headlines in the capital.”

“Are you deliberately keeping me awake by piquing my interest?”

“Hehe, if you want to hear, I’ll tell you.”

“I’d like to hear.”

“The empress and her daughter were rendered idiots by me. They conspired to harm our family, planning to make you and me suffer.”

“Why didn’t you kill them?”

“Did you forget about Jiamei and Chuan’er? She is the empress. If she dies, our son will have to wait three years for the wedding.”

“What about the Liu family?”

“The person behind those assassins was staying in their house. When I arrived, they were waiting for news. I took action and demolished their house, crushing them to death.”

“Good kill. If they were alive, we would have died many times without you.”

“If people don’t offend us, we won’t offend them. If they dare to attack us, we must repay a hundredfold or a thousandfold.”

“Well said. We must make those with evil intentions fear so they won’t dare to harm others easily.”

Qiao Mai thought about the legends in the cultivation world. When one reached a certain level, they could speak words with the power of law. At a higher level, they could establish rules. If she reached that level, she would establish rules to punish evildoers.

For instance, those lecherous would be perpetually impotent. Murderers would be instantly punished with death.

Those who harmed others would receive double the harm in return, and so on.

“My wife, what are you thinking about?”

“Nothing. Let’s eat and go to sleep quickly. Although we’ve lost two in-laws, we still need to visit Bichun Garden tomorrow. Old Master and Mistress Wang are still there.”

“Shall we bring them back on the third day? It’s not as comfortable over there as it is here.”

“Let’s ask them. After all, they are their parents and grandparents..”