The night was as dark as ink, and a sudden cold wind arose, making the dilapidated courtyard gate appear even more decayed and desolate.

Several rough servants hurried through the courtyard. The leader had a slightly broader build, wearing a blue cloth jacket with sleeves rolled up halfway, carrying a food basket in her hand as she walked toward the innermost room.

The courtyard was filled with a strange odor. A slightly younger nanny following behind whispered, “It really stinks. Who knows why the master called for that thing to be brought over—it’s quite frightening.” At this point, she couldn’t help but exclaim, leaning close to the lead nanny’s ear: “Could it be that he wants to…”

“Wang Gui’s wife, say less,” Nanny Qingyi said with some annoyance. “If others hear you, they won’t spare you.”

Wang Gui’s wife quickly fell silent.

When they reached the door of the room, a young round-faced maid came out from inside, took the food basket from Nanny Qingyi, and went back in.

After a while, she came out carrying the now-empty food basket. Nanny Qingyi took it and said to the round-faced maid, “The master has ordered that the person be brought to his room.”

“Is he going to…” the round-faced maid was also startled.

“We don’t need to know,” Nanny Qingyi sighed and called to Wang Gui’s wife: “Come over, let’s move the person.”

A lamp was lit in the room, making it somewhat brighter. Wang Gui’s wife covered her nose, and only after a long time did she see something sitting in a wooden basin.

At first sight of that thing, she almost vomited. Although she had come with Nanny Qingyi every day to deliver food these past days, she had never clearly seen what the person inside looked like.

The thing in the wooden basin could no longer be called a “person.” Her limbs had all been severed, leaving only a complete torso sitting bare in the wooden basin. Her hair was disheveled, with some filth splattered on it. One could vaguely make out that it was a woman.

Nanny Qingyi looked on with a flash of sympathy in her eyes. Although she didn’t know who this woman was, to end up in such a state was truly lamentable. Moreover, today the master suddenly ordered the person to be brought out—the outcome would likely be more unfortunate than fortunate.

Wang Gui’s wife was extremely shocked and disgusted but dared not disobey orders, so she steeled herself and carried the wooden basin outside.

The woman was also docile, neither struggling nor crying out, as if she had already fallen asleep.

Following orders, she placed the wooden basin in the master’s bedroom. Wang Gui’s wife was still wondering why the master would put such a horrifying thing in his room when suddenly the woman in the basin opened her eyes, meeting Wang Gui’s wife’s gaze directly.

Strangely enough, while this terrifyingly mutilated woman’s only beautiful feature was her pair of eyes—enchanting yet pure, crystal clear like flowing streams in jade-bone mountains, cold and moving.

Wang Gui’s wife stood stunned for a moment before turning and fleeing the room.

Jiang Ruan slowly opened her eyes.

Having spent a long time in darkness, she was somewhat unaccustomed to the brightness before her. When she understood her situation, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

She was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Minister of War, once Beauty Ruan, but now she had been made into a human swine, never to rise again!

She remembered when she was sixteen, before entering the palace, her father’s words: “Ruan’er, since you’re entering the palace as a consort, you have our entire Jiang family behind you—no need to worry.”

Her sister had gripped her hand, wiping away tears: “Ruan’er, you are Susu’s benefactor. Even in death, I could never repay this kindness.”

And he had held her hand: “Wait a little longer, just wait a few more days, and I’ll give you the status of a proper wife.”

But now, her father had already been promoted to Prime Minister, holding first rank, her stepmother had long been the Prime Minister’s wife, her sister ruled as empress, and that man had ascended the throne as emperor! They had already cast her aside and forgotten her, and even abandoned her to death!

When she was five, her birth mother died early, her brother died in battle, her aunt was elevated to become the second wife, and a passing Daoist calculated that her birth chart would bring misfortune to father and mother, so Jiang Ruan was sent to a country estate. When she came of age at fourteen, remembering she was his own flesh and blood, Jiang Quan brought her back to the mansion. Soon after, news came from the palace that the Jiang family’s young lady was on the list for the new imperial consort selection.

The emperor suspected the Jiang family of colluding with the Eighth Prince. Summoning someone to the palace at this time wasn’t really about wine—it was just to keep them in check.

The Jiang mansion had only two legitimate daughters. Jiang Susu was in poor health and had a weak, simple personality. Imperial commands could not be defied, so with one word from Jiang Quan, Jiang Ruan entered the palace and became Beauty Ruan.

No matter how submissive she was, she couldn’t bear being beneath the emperor’s body, withering away in the deep palace during her flower-like years. If not for the Eighth Prince’s constant comfort and care, she would have hanged herself with white silk long ago in the deep palace. From childhood to adulthood, except for her deceased brother and mother, no one had ever comforted and cared for her so tenderly. She gave her heart to him, calmed down, and willingly became a chess piece for the Jiang family and him in the palace, passing along messages. Who could have predicted that when the palace coup occurred and the emperor died tragically, they would imprison her, falsely accuse her of killing the emperor, and brand her with the name of a calamitous demoness!

When she stood on the steps and saw her father’s cold, indifferent eyes, she finally understood—she had become a discarded piece! When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dogs are cooked!

After being imprisoned in a dungeon and then rescued, thinking she had escaped to freedom, that was when the real nightmare began.

Her sister, as pure and beautiful as a fairy, smiled gently while watching with her own eyes as Jiang Ruan’s limbs were severed and she was made into a human swine.

She was desperate, unwilling, and furious, but she heard that fairy-like person say: “Sister knows that I’ve always loved cleanliness—I can’t tolerate even a grain of sand. Sister, you’ve been this grain of sand that I’ve endured for over ten years. Now, it’s time to remove it.”

Smiling, she added: “The Eighth Prince is going to make me empress. The glory that sister never enjoyed, I’ll enjoy it for you.”

Only when pain reaches the bone marrow does one understand what numbness is. Jiang Ruan truly couldn’t think of any reason why Jiang Susu would hate her so much.

Jiang Susu seemed to guess her thoughts and smiled: “Wasn’t sister’s mother a young lady from the General’s mansion? Didn’t sister rely on this status to look down on me? What a pity, what a pity,” she said, supporting her chin and tilting her head: “The General’s mansion was executed yesterday at noon for the crime of treason.” She stared at Chang’an and said word by word: “One hundred and three people, the entire family was executed.”

Jiang Ruan felt as if struck by lightning, her mind in chaos. The General’s mansion was her maternal grandfather’s family. Although her mother had insisted on marrying down to Jiang Quan, angering General Zhao and cutting off contact forever, blood was thicker than water—how could her heart not be cut like a knife!

She glared at Jiang Susu with deadly intensity, but the other only gave a mocking smile: “Is sister angry already? Don’t worry, I have another great gift for sister—we’ll meet again soon.”

So Jiang Ruan was sent to a dark room, where she struggled through several days until today, when she saw light again.

The door opened with a creak.

A fat man reeking of alcohol grabbed the person in front of him and threw them to the ground, his expression extremely fierce.

It was vaguely the shape of a small boy, struggling desperately. When Chang’an saw the boy’s face, she was immediately shocked and horrified.

That was—Pei’er!

Palace women often had thin fortune; many couldn’t bear dragon sons, and many who bore dragon sons died. Pei’er’s birth mother was just a small palace maid who died after giving birth to Pei’er. The emperor didn’t value this son of humble birth. That day, for some unknown reason, he entrusted the child to her care.

Over six years, she and Pei’er had developed feelings like those of birth mother and son. During the palace revolt, she had ordered her personal maid to escape with Pei’er, but they still couldn’t escape.

“Mother! Mother!” Pei’er struggled and cried, but couldn’t avoid those hands violating his body.

Jiang Ruan felt her whole body turn ice cold. Marquis Li Dong was known for having certain unspeakable habits, which she had learned when she first entered the palace. But now, she was watching helplessly as her own son was being defiled by such a demon.

She called out loudly, but could only make hoarse, confused “ah ah” sounds.

Li Dong looked at her with disgust: “I don’t know why Her Majesty insists on having this thing watch me do my business—it’s extremely nauseating.”

He thought for a moment but still submitted to imperial authority, not daring to make other moves, and focused on abusing the unconscious boy.

Jiang Ruan sat in the wooden basin. Only now did she understand why Jiang Susu had specifically left her with a pair of eyes—she wanted her to watch her last relative die before her eyes.

She sat in the basin like a wooden puppet, past events flashing before her eyes one by one: her mother’s grey, defeated face before death, her father’s cold smile, the Eighth Prince’s promises, Jiang Susu holding her hand in gratitude, the emperor’s cold glance, the suffering of the rear palace, finally becoming Pei’er struggling and crying before her eyes.

Li Dong inadvertently turned back and was startled by the sight of the person in the wooden basin, falling off the bed with a crash and shouting: “Someone! Someone come!”

The woman in the wooden basin had a wooden expression, two lines of bloody tears streaming down her face, creating a tragic and fierce appearance. The servants who burst through the door were momentarily stunned, feeling as if they had seen an evil ghost from hell coming to claim lives, their bodies turning ice cold.

Li Dong said furiously: “What are you standing around for? Beat her to death with clubs!” In his shock and fear, he had long forgotten Her Majesty’s orders. Anyway, everyone in the courtyard was his people, so he didn’t need to worry about word leaking out.

The servants came to their senses, gripping clubs and rushing over, bringing them down without question.

No one heard the deepest curse in the heart of the person in the wooden basin: Even if never to be reborn, even if scattered to ash and smoke, she would only wish to become a fierce ghost through life and death! Let those who harmed her pay blood for blood!

At the same time, in Yangping Hall.

“Your Majesty looks exceptionally spirited today,” Jiang Susu said with a light laugh.

The new emperor raised his eyes to look at the woman across from him. In phoenix crown and ceremonial robes, her exquisite face was made even more ethereal by the noble clothing, like a fairy from the ninth heaven. Jiang Quan’s youngest daughter was indeed of transcendent beauty.

“Is there still no news of Jiang Ruan?” he suddenly asked in a low voice.

Jiang Susu’s face darkened: “No. Sister probably escaped with Pei’er. She’s worked hard all these years, but she shouldn’t have distrusted Your Majesty no matter what…”

Thinking of Jiang Ruan, the new emperor found that no matter how he tried to remember, Jiang Ruan was only a vague shadow in his memory. She had a bad reputation and was at most just a woman with looks. He was marrying the power behind the Jiang family—there was no difference between Jiang Ruan and Jiang Susu. Since Zhao Chang’an had already been the previous emperor’s woman, he would never marry her.

Although Jiang Ruan was already a discarded piece, he still had some hesitation. During so many years in the palace, he had often relied on Jiang Ruan to get through dangerous situations—she had indeed helped him considerably. But why didn’t she wait for his decision and instead fled the dungeon first?

He didn’t like this feeling of being out of control.

With a cold snort, the new emperor said: “Ungrateful. The time has come—let’s go.”

Jiang Susu curtsied and placed her hand in the man’s palm.

In the eighteenth year of Xuande, the new emperor ascended the throne, established the Jiang clan as empress, personally crowned her, symbolizing eternal union.