The palace gates had already been locked.

Chu Rui was Prince Zhuang, and having always been beloved by the Empress Dowager, when he returned to the palace, he was let through without needing to report.

He went directly to Kangning Palace.

By this time, Empress Dowager Feng had already gone to sleep. The main hall was pitch black, with only scattered lights glowing in the courtyard.

“Why has Your Highness come at such a late hour?” The old nanny hurriedly stepped forward. “Your Highness, what happened to you? It seems you’ve been drinking too. Your Highness’s health is poor—how can you drink alcohol? Quick, someone come, go prepare sobering soup, and summon the imperial physician…”

Chu Rui pushed the old nanny aside. “I must see the Empress Dowager.”

“The Empress Dowager has already retired…”

“Move aside!”

Chu Rui burst into the main hall, pushing the door open.

Empress Dowager Feng, being elderly, slept lightly. She had already awakened when there were sounds outside, and was now rising from bed, having donned an outer robe.

Seeing Chu Rui disheveled and injured, the elderly woman walked swiftly toward him. “Rui’er, what has happened? Who dares harm you?”

“The Xie family—it was Xie Zun!” Chu Rui’s voice trembled. “Xie Zun bullied elder sister, using such a long whip… I wouldn’t allow him to bully elder sister, and he even tried to kill me!”

“He dares!” The Empress Dowager’s expression changed dramatically. “He actually dares bully someone under this dowager’s protection—this is simply outrageous! This dowager will not let him off!”

“He… he’s dead.” Chu Rui lifted his eyes. “I killed him with my own hands.”

“What did you say?” The Empress Dowager’s face showed complete disbelief. “You mean to say you killed Xie Zun?”

Chu Rui nodded. “Yes, it was me.”

“Impossible.” The Empress Dowager shook her head. “How old are you, and chronically ill at that—you don’t even have the strength to hold a blade. How could you possibly kill someone…”

“It truly was me.” Chu Rui pressed his lips together. “Tomorrow morning, please have the Empress Dowager issue an edict allowing elder sister to divorce.”

Having thrown out this statement, he turned and left. Too exhausted, he could no longer hold on.

But when he returned to his sleeping quarters, he couldn’t sleep either. He was very uneasy, his heart pounding incessantly, as if something was about to happen.

Soon it was dawn.

He heard that dozens of people from the Xie family, young and old, were beating drums at the palace gate to protest their grievance.

He also heard that officials from the Censorate kept submitting memorials, demanding the court punish him, this murderer.

He went to Kangning Palace and saw the Empress Dowager overwhelmed with troubles. He knew this matter was very serious—even the Empress Dowager would find it difficult to handle properly.

Because the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had never gotten along, the Emperor would undoubtedly use this matter to try to strip him of his title as Prince Zhuang.

A prince’s title was nothing important anyway—it didn’t matter.

He spoke up: “Empress Dowager, as His Majesty says, demote me to commoner status. As long as elder sister can successfully divorce, anything is acceptable.”

“You!” Empress Dowager Feng was beside herself with fury. “Once you lose your title and are demoted to commoner, you’ll be nothing—how will you restore your father’s realm!”

“Father is already dead, but elder sister is still alive.” Chu Rui enunciated each word. “Please, Empress Dowager, issue an edict allowing elder sister to divorce. She cannot remain in the Xie family!”

However.

As soon as his words fell.

The old nanny outside ran in with a panicked expression. “Empress Dowager, disaster, Empress Dowager!”

Empress Dowager Feng suppressed her anger. “What is it!”

“Princess Fukang, the princess…” The old nanny wailed. “The princess hanged herself at the Xie family’s main gate!”

“What!!!”

Chu Rui’s body swayed, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

He rushed outside recklessly, but the enormous emotional upheaval prevented him from running far before he collapsed headfirst on the ground.

“Quick, help me up—I must go to the Xie family!”

The palace attendants around him involuntarily looked toward the Empress Dowager.

Chu Rui roared hoarsely, “If you don’t let me see elder sister one last time, I’ll die right here!”

Empress Dowager Feng was also grief-stricken and furious. “Go. This dowager will accompany you.”

The carriage left the palace and raced toward the Xie family. In just a quarter hour, they arrived at the Xie family gate.

Countless common people surrounded the scene to watch the commotion. A woman hung at the Xie family’s main gate, with a group of palace servants kneeling below, weeping bitterly, not allowing anyone to approach.

Chu Rui looked and, clutching his chest, continuously vomited blood.

The elder sister who loved him most was being watched by countless people, dying without any dignity.

He knew this was elder sister using her last strength to pave a path for him… but he didn’t need it—he only wanted elder sister to live well.

Why, why!

Chu Rui crawled and tumbled down from the carriage. He wanted to personally embrace elder sister and bring her down.

But he didn’t have the strength.

He had vomited too much blood and could no longer hold on, fainting at the foot of the Xie family’s steps.

At this moment, a man dressed in white robes walked forward and brought Chu Zhixia down from the beam.

It was none other than the newly married eldest young master of the Lu family, Lu Hao.

“Zhixia, why were you so foolish…” Lu Hao’s eyes reddened. “There were clearly other methods—why use your own life…”

Empress Dowager Feng said coldly, “Young Master Lu has just taken a wife—don’t create misunderstandings here. Someone come!”

A line of palace attendants stepped forward, seized Chu Zhixia’s corpse, and placed it in a coffin. But rather than closing it, they carried the open coffin toward the Court of Judicial Review. Along the way, countless common people discussed the matter endlessly…

When Chu Rui awoke, it was already seven days later.

People in the palace told him that because Princess Fukang hanged herself at the main gate the day after marrying into the Xie family, it had aroused countless suspicions among the common people. Under thousands upon thousands of wagging tongues in the marketplaces, the Emperor had no choice but to order the Court of Judicial Review to thoroughly investigate the case.

Subsequently, it was discovered that all three of the Xie family’s previous mistresses had been beaten to death.

Xie Zun’s death was well-deserved…

To appease the Empress Dowager, the Emperor bestowed countless gold, silver, and jewels, and also promoted several members of the Feng family…

Chu Rui dragged his sick body to find the Empress Dowager. “Where was elder sister buried? I want to pay my respects to elder sister.”

Empress Dowager Feng closed her eyes, concealing the pain within them. “She married into the Xie family—in life she was a person of the Xie family, in death her ghost belongs to the Xie family. Naturally, she was buried in the Xie family ancestral tomb.”

“Elder sister died because of the Xie family. She cannot be buried in the Xie family.” Chu Rui took a deep breath. “I want to relocate elder sister’s grave.”

“Have you caused enough trouble!” Empress Dowager Feng suddenly opened her eyes. “If you hadn’t caused a disturbance on the wedding night, Fukang wouldn’t have died, and things wouldn’t have reached this point! You’re grown now—you should be sensible and not always make me clean up after you!”

“I’m not causing trouble.” Chu Rui said calmly. “I only want to let elder sister rest in peace after death.”

Empress Dowager Feng said coldly, “Someone come, escort him back.”

The old nanny stepped forward. “Your Highness’s health is poor—please rest well…”

Once outside the hall, the nanny softly urged, “The Empress Dowager has also been extremely distressed these past days over the princess’s matter. Please understand the Empress Dowager’s position…”

Chu Rui said nothing.

When night deepened, he summoned all the shadow guards.

These were the death-sworn warriors his father had left behind. After his father’s death, they pledged loyalty to him.

It was just that he disliked scheming those unsavory matters, so these death-sworn warriors had always been at the Empress Dowager’s disposal.

That very night, he had the death-sworn warriors infiltrate the Xie family’s ancestral tomb.

He had an estate with beautiful mountains and clear waters that his imperial mother consort had left him. He wanted this estate to become elder sister’s mausoleum, to let elder sister rest in eternal peace.