Consort Li knew she could not escape this calamity, so she threw caution to the wind and said everything that was in her heart.
The Emperor’s fury rushed straight to his head, and his vision darkened in waves.
This vicious woman! He would kill this vicious woman!
Where was a sword? Where was a blade?
The Emperor’s face twisted with rage, his eyes bloodshot, as he strode over to a guard and drew the long blade from the man’s waist. Under the bright candlelight, the blade flashed with a cold light that struck fear into the heart.
Consort Li watched, wide-eyed, as the Emperor came toward her with the blade in hand. Yet there was no trace of fear in her eyes—instead, she burst into wild laughter. “Come then! Kill me now! I have lived in fear and trembling for so long, I’ve long since had enough of this life. But even if you kill me, you won’t have an easy time of it either.”
“You’ve long since grown senile and foolish! You can’t see through Xu Man’s true face, nor through her son. It’s laughable—you dote on him at every turn, yet you don’t even know that the one truly plotting rebellion and treason is your most beloved Prince Yan…”
The icy, gleaming blade plunged suddenly into her chest, and blood sprayed forth!
Consort Li let out a piercing scream, and all her words came to an abrupt halt. She coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood and slumped, her head falling forward.
The Emperor’s eyes were red with fury. He yanked the blade free with force and plunged it in again.
Blow after blow—no one could say how many times he stabbed her.
Consort Li had long since stopped responding. Dark red blood spread out beneath her body, a great pool slowly blooming outward, until she lay entirely in a sea of blood—a sight that was especially horrifying to behold.
The few guards stationed inside the hall, witnessing this scene, felt a chill of fear as well. They exchanged a quiet glance with one another before quickly lowering their heads.
The Emperor finally ceased his frenzied motions. His breathing was rapid, his chest heaving unsteadily, and the killing intent in his eyes had not yet faded.
After a long moment, he spoke coldly: “Someone come—drag Consort Li’s corpse outside and let it be exposed to the sun for three days. There is no need to bury her!”
The guards answered in unison.
…
News of Consort Li’s death had spread throughout the traveling palace by the next morning.
“…I heard it was the Emperor himself who did it,” Xinyun reported quietly, relaying what she had learned. “Before she died, Consort Li was stabbed several times—her death was wretched and terrible to look upon. Her body has been placed out in the open ground outside the Emperor’s bedchamber to be exposed to the sun. I heard the Emperor has given orders that it remain there for three full days, with no burial allowed!”
Hearing this, Consort Wei’s face turned pale at once, and her stomach churned without end.
Seeing that something was wrong, Ling Jingshu quickly helped support Consort Wei behind the screen.
Consort Wei emptied the contents of her stomach completely, her body left utterly drained of strength. She simply collapsed limply into a chair, her eyes dazed and vacant.
What had become of Consort Li was, in truth, something she had long expected. But to hear it described so vividly with her own ears still brought an unavoidable sorrow—the grief of one who feels her own kind’s suffering as her own.
The Emperor appeared gentle and full of affection, but in truth he could turn ruthless in an instant, his heart cold and hard. Once one truly angered him, the wretchedness of the consequences could well be imagined.
Take Empress Xu, for example. Take Consort Li, for example.
To serve a ruler is like keeping company with a tiger—this saying was not the least bit exaggerated.
Consort Wei closed her eyes, yet could not hide the grief and sorrow written all over her face.
“My lady, please don’t grieve too much,” Ling Jingshu comforted her softly. “Consort Li attempted to assassinate the Emperor—it’s only natural that, in his great fury, he would take her life.”
Consort Wei opened her eyes, a glint of moisture rising in their bright depths. “I know Consort Li couldn’t escape death. But I never imagined the Emperor would refuse to let her be properly buried—denying her peace even after death.”
No matter how grave a mistake Consort Li had made, she had, after all, attended and served the Emperor for over thirty years, and had borne him a son—Prince An. That the Emperor could be so ruthless and merciless toward her was truly chilling to the heart.
If the Emperor could treat Consort Li this way today, then should she herself ever anger him someday, what fate would await her?
After all, she herself had, in secret, once done things that were not in the Emperor’s interest.
Sharp and attentive as ever, Ling Jingshu had already seen through Consort Wei’s fear and unease. Since it was inconvenient to comfort her outright with Xinyun present, she spoke in a more roundabout way: “After what happened, the Emperor will likely have grown wary of all the ladies in the palace. Though my lady is the one he trusts most, it would still be wise to be careful in word and deed.”
After a pause, she added, “My lady pays respects to the Emperor every day without fail. The hour isn’t early now—shouldn’t we be setting out?”
Yes, indeed!
The Emperor was in the midst of his fury, and his suspicions were surely far greater than usual. At a time like this, one absolutely could not let a guilty conscience throw one into disarray. Whatever needed to be done still had to be done.
Consort Wei drew a deep breath, steadying herself. “You’re right. I’ll go pay my respects to the Emperor now.”
…
Consort Wei freshened her appearance once more, then led Ling Jingshu and Xinyun together to the Emperor’s bedchamber.
Outside the bedchamber, they encountered Zhang Zhaoyi, who had also come to pay her respects.
Unconcealable terror showed in Zhang Zhaoyi’s eyes. She came forward of her own accord to greet them: “Lady Consort Wei, have you also come to pay your respects to the Emperor? I’ll go in together with you.”
Consort Wei nodded, and entered the bedchamber together with Zhang Zhaoyi.
Sure enough, out on the open ground outside the bedchamber lay a corpse.
Her whole body was streaked with blood, her face a pallid blue, her expression cold and lifeless. It was none other than Consort Li, slain the night before. A thick stench of blood drifted over on the morning breeze.
At a single glance, Ling Jingshu felt her stomach turn violently, and she instinctively looked away.
Zhang Zhaoyi’s face turned pale in an instant; her whole body trembled uncontrollably, her legs shaking beneath her. Then she turned her head and vomited loudly.
Though Consort Wei had already braced herself, seeing the scene still left her cold all over. Still, she forced herself not to vomit again—though perhaps that was simply because she had emptied her stomach so thoroughly earlier that there was nothing left to bring up even if she’d wanted to.
“Zhang Zhaoyi, go back and rest for now. Come pay your respects again tomorrow,” Consort Wei instructed softly. Then she turned to Xinyun, whose face had likewise gone pale, and said, “You should go back too. It’s enough for me to have Jingshu attending me.”
To lose one’s composure before the Emperor was no small matter.
How could one appear before the Emperor looking like this?
Xinyun did not dare to push herself, and quickly withdrew at the order.
“A’Shu, are you frightened?” Consort Wei turned and asked in a low voice.
Ling Jingshu quickly steadied her nerves and answered softly, “This servant isn’t afraid. My lady need not be frightened or tense either—this servant will go in with you.”
Consort Wei gave a self-mocking tug at the corner of her lips, straightened her back, and walked past Consort Li’s corpse.
Ling Jingshu followed close behind her.
The Emperor had evidently not slept all night; his face had a faint bluish cast, dark shadows ringing his eyes, making him look considerably more aged. Yet beneath this weariness, an unconcealable air of menace and a killing intent not yet fully faded still showed through.
Anyone with a weaker disposition would likely burst into tears of fright at a single glance.
Consort Wei quickly composed herself, stepped forward slowly, and bowed to the Emperor: “This concubine pays her respects to Your Majesty.”
Ling Jingshu also curtsied: “This servant greets Your Majesty.”
The Emperor gave a casual hum of acknowledgment and glanced indifferently at Consort Wei. “I rather thought you wouldn’t come today.”
He had deliberately had Consort Li’s corpse placed out in the most conspicuous spot to be exposed—not only to vent the rage in his heart, but more importantly, to strike fear into all the consorts of the palace.
Anyone who dared harbor disloyal thoughts would meet no good end!