Empress Pei rose to her feet, her demeanor dignified and composed. "As the Empress of Great Xia, how could I possibly negotiate with traitors?" Her words were resolute, carrying the commanding presence befitting the mother of the nation.
The Emperor was momentarily stunned, while a flicker of admiration passed through An Sheng's eyes. "Very well. Bring him in."
Xiao Jie immediately escorted a prisoner into the hall. The man was covered in wounds but still resisted—upon closer inspection, it was none other than the Second Prince, Murong Rui!
Empress Pei's gaze sharpened instantly. Murong Rui cried out, "Father! Mother! My uncle has broken through their lines!"
His words ignited a surge of hope among those present.
As long as someone could escape the palace to send word, loyal ministers and the Capital Garrison would surely come to their aid!
Yet An Sheng remained unperturbed. "By the time he gathers reinforcements, Yan Zheng's troops will have arrived as well..."
With that, she gave a slight nod to Yu Hui, who immediately seized Murong Rui by the throat.
"Empress Pei, I dislike wasting words. If you refuse to cooperate, then I shall have no choice but to send him to his grave."
Empress Pei clenched her fingers until her palms bled, the corpse of the Fifth Prince lying before her. Trembling, she asked, "Rui'er, are you afraid?"
Murong Rui lifted his chin defiantly. "I am not!"
"My brave child... I will walk this path with you." Empress Pei closed her eyes, embodying the unyielding spirit of "rather a shattered jade than an intact tile."
An Sheng sighed in mock regret. "Then—"
"Wait!" The Emperor could bear it no longer. Clutching his chest, he forced himself to stand. "What is it you truly want?"
An Sheng arched a brow. "Has His Majesty finally lost his composure? I had thought it would take a few more deaths among your inner circle to break you..."
With a wave of her hand, Sun Cai approached, presenting a scroll.
Yin Shun rushed forward to shield the Emperor, but the latter rasped, "Let him bring it."
Reluctantly, Yin Shun stepped aside.
Upon unrolling the scroll, the Emperor found it to be an abdication edict—filled with self-deprecating passages about his incompetence, the deaths of loyal subjects, and the loss of territory. At the very end, a blank space awaited his signature.
The Emperor gritted his teeth. "Bring the imperial brush!"
"Your Majesty!"
Yin Shun and the entire assembly dropped to their knees in protest. Empress Pei seized the Emperor's wrist in desperation. "Your Majesty, you must not sign!"
The Emperor's gaze fell upon Consort Xue, who sat below in a daze, cradling the body of their son. "Empress, if I cannot even protect my own family, what right do I have to remain Emperor?"
"But—"
"The brush!" the Emperor barked. Yin Shun could only tremble as he handed it over.
Just as the Emperor was about to sign, a whip lashed through the hall with a sharp crack, snatching the edict away!
An Sheng narrowed her eyes as Princess Qingping retracted her whip, striding in with a consort at her side. "Cousin, even if you sign today, An Sheng and her son covet the throne. Sooner or later, a puppet emperor would meet his end. Why not fight tonight?"
"So long as you do not issue the edict, An Sheng and her son remain nothing but usurpers!"
Princess Qingping's words struck the Emperor like a revelation.
But they also ignited An Sheng's fury.
Her lips curled into a chilling smile—a telltale sign of her wrath to those who knew her. "Qingping, Qingping... I spared your life, only for you to defy me like this?"
Princess Qingping scoffed. "Spare me the hypocrisy, dear cousin. Do you think I don’t know? The carriage driver who struck down Cao Lang was sent by you!"
An Sheng's eyes burned with fury: "You'd turn against me for a man?"
"That is Cao Lang, the love of my heart!"
"Hah, the love of your heart?" An Sheng sneered before suddenly calling out, "Wei Lian!"
The man standing beside Princess Qingping, who had been smiling faintly with his head lowered, stepped forward at the summons. "My apologies, Princess," he said.
With a flick of his hand, a deep gash split open Princess Qingping's left cheek, blood gushing out instantly.
"Ah!! You—" She clutched her face in agony as Wei Lian chuckled darkly. "The Princess guessed correctly. Wei Lian has always served the Princess. Staying by your side was merely part of my duties for Her Highness."
Princess Qingping staggered as if struck by lightning, glaring hatefully at An Sheng. "You... you will pay for this one day..."
"Pay?" An Sheng scoffed. "What retribution? Powerlessness is the only retribution! You love Cao Yang, yet because of that ridiculous rule forbidding imperial consorts and princesses' husbands from holding office, you were forced to part with him. What does that make you? Weak! When Yan Xu dared to marry another behind my back, I realized the truth—he did it because I lacked power. Once I gained it, what did it matter if he was the Grand General? I could make him kneel, make him grovel like a dog!"
"So I swore then to become the most powerful woman in this world, ensuring everything bends to my will and everyone obeys my wishes! Qingping, this is the difference between you and me—and why you will never have Cao Yang!"
At her signal, Wei Lian stepped forward again, slashing several more times.
Princess Qingping's face was soon drenched in blood, her features rendered unrecognizable.
"Kill me... just kill me!" she wailed, cradling her ruined face.
"Kill you? Hmph, that would be too merciful!" An Sheng sneered. "I despise betrayal above all else. Since you chose a man over sisterhood, I will make sure you see the true nature of your beloved! Tell me, if Cao Yang were to wake and see this monstrous face of yours, what do you think he would do?"
Princess Qingping's eyes filled with terror.
No... no!
She would rather die than let Cao Lang see her like this!
She lunged toward the sword in Xiao Jie's hand, but he dodged.
Without the Princess's order, who would dare let her die?
Trapped between unbearable suffering and denied release—this was An Sheng's cruelty: to kill not just the body, but the soul.
"I've lost patience. Since His Majesty refuses to sign, then I shall grant you your wish!" An Sheng said coldly. "Wei Lian!"
Wei Lian smiled, his voice silken. "My gratitude, Your Highness. In all my years sampling women, I've never had the pleasure of trying an empress..."
In an instant, he appeared beside Empress Pei, his hand flicking open the clasps of her imperial robes.
The Emperor paled, while the Second Prince roared, "Mother! Release her!!"
Wei Lian only grew more exhilarated. "Ah, performing before husband and son—a first indeed!"
As his arms encircled her, Empress Pei clenched her jaw, biting down hard on her tongue.
But it was futile. Wei Lian forced his fingers into her mouth, twisting cruelly. "Your Majesty, death is not an option. But I know countless ways to make you beg for it while savoring every moment..."
Empress Pei trembled violently, tears finally spilling from her eyes.
She feared not death, but dishonor—the disgrace to the imperial house, the shame upon the Pei clan's name...
Yet tonight, all of it would come to pass...
Just as Wei Lian's hand slid toward her innermost garments—
Whoosh!
An arrow tore through the air, forcing Wei Lian to release her and leap back!
Seeing the situation turning against him, he immediately moved to take Empress Pei hostage. But just as he reached out, another arrow came flying!
"Ah!!"
The arrow pierced clean through his right palm with unerring precision!
Wei Lian cried out in agony, and An Sheng whipped his head around. "Who's there?!"
Under the cover of night, beyond the palace gates, countless torches surged forward like a tidal wave.
At the forefront rode a man astride a tall horse, his body splattered with blood, bow drawn and arrow nocked. Seated before him was a woman, her face smeared with grime yet unable to dim the clarity in her bright eyes.
Who else could these two be but Chu Ruoyan and Yan Zheng?
