Chapter 298 Sudden Death

Xie Zhenrong's body lay quietly on the cold, hard gold brick floor. The blood splattered on the sword blade was like the final accusation of her broken life, quickly spreading into a glaring dark red.

Zhang Sicheng squatted down and felt Xie Zhenrong's neck for pulse.

After a moment, he raised his head and reported, "Your Majesty, Xie's heart meridian has been severed... She is no longer breathing."

She died without even using the three-foot white silk given by the emperor.

The hall was dead silent, one could hear a pin drop, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal basin making the scene even more eerie and terrifying.

“Zhen Rong——!”

Yan Shishu screamed in shock and subconsciously wanted to rush over, but was pinned to the spot by Yan Shixu's cold eyes.

Yan Shixu's sword-holding hand slowly dropped, the tip of the sword hung to the ground, and drops of blood slid down the edge of the sword.

He looked at the body on the ground that was rapidly losing its temperature and had its makeup torn off, and there was only a bottomless cold pool in his eyes.

Doctor Luo, who was kneeling and trembling in the corner, met the emperor's gaze without a trace of emotion. How could he dare to be negligent?

He crawled forward on his knees, placed his trembling fingers on Xie Zhenrong's wrist, and then opened her eyelids to check her pupils.

After checking, his forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he kowtowed and said:

"Your Majesty, I have to report... Mrs. Xie was already depressed, physically weak and mentally exhausted, and she suffered immensely in the cold palace. She was already on the verge of collapse. Just now... just now, upon suddenly hearing Your Majesty's decree, she was overcome with fear, grief and indignation, causing her heart vessels to suddenly collapse and blood to surge backward... This is a sign of sudden death."

Yan Shixu closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the slight ripple in his eyes had disappeared.

Yan Shishu no longer cared about her fear of Yan Shixu. The cold warning look in her eyes shattered in the face of great grief.

She stumbled and threw herself on Xie Zhenrong, clutching the other's cold sleeves tightly with both hands, sobbing uncontrollably:

"Zhen Rong? Zhen Rong! Wake up... Open your eyes and look at me... You are still so young, how could you just die like this? Wake up, wake up!"

The hot tears fell on Xie Zhenrong's cold cheeks and quickly slid down.

No matter how she cried and shook, the body would no longer respond.

Xie Heqi stood there stiffly, his face pale.

Even though he has always had complicated feelings towards this legitimate daughter, and even had many grudges against her.

But at this moment, witnessing his daughter dying in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a mixture of horror, confusion and a belated, inexplicable sadness in his heart.

Xie Zhenrong's half brothers and half sisters couldn't help but shed tears when they saw this tragic scene.

Perhaps it was out of blood instinct, or perhaps they were frightened by the horror of death itself.

On the contrary, Chen and Xie Zhenbao, who should have been close blood relatives to Xie Zhenrong, completely ignored her at this moment.

A huge fear gripped them. The mother and son just hugged each other, tears streaming down their cheeks. They desperately kowtowed to the emperor and begged for mercy. Their wailing and screaming echoed harshly in the hall:

"Your Majesty, please spare my life! Your Majesty, please have mercy!"

"Father! Save me! Your Majesty, we are wronged!"

Perhaps, in those peaceful years in the past, they had truly valued and loved Xie Zhenrong.

But when faced with a matter of life and death, that emotion instantly became so pale and insignificant, and was completely crushed by the naked instinct of survival.

Yan Shixu threw the blood-stained sword in his hand back to Zhang Sicheng.

When he spoke again, his voice had regained its imperial coldness and unquestionable tone.

"Carry it away. According to the imperial decree, the deposed queen's body will be wrapped in white silk and immediately sent back to the Xie Mansion."

"As you wish!"

Zhang Sicheng obeyed the order solemnly and waved his hand to signal the two guards to come forward.

They quickly carried away Xie Zhenrong's still warm but lifeless body.

The three-foot white silk finally wrapped her up, but that was after her death.

Outside the hall, the wind and snow were even more severe.

The cold wind swept the remaining snow, whistling across the empty palace corridor, as if to cleanse away all the filth and conspiracy in the deep palace.

The wind blew the remaining snow, hitting the window frames and making a whimpering sound, like a final elegy.

All the people from the Xie and Chen governments who were involved in the case were immediately arrested and taken to the imperial prison.

Three days later, he was executed by slow slicing!

Others who were not involved in the case were ordered to leave the palace on their own, pack their bags and leave the Duke's Mansion.

Officials from the two governments had three days to hand over their affairs at their respective offices and then resign and return home.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please spare my life! Please, Your Majesty, spare my son!"

Chen held Xie Zhenbao tightly and refused to let go no matter how the guards dragged her.

Her nails almost dug into her son's flesh, and her cries were shrill and desperate.

"Master! Please save our son!" Chen stretched out her hand to Xie Heqi, her eyes full of pleading.

"Father, save me! Father!" Xie Zhenbao was so scared that his face turned pale, tears streamed down his face, and he struggled and cried in vain.

Xie Heqi turned around, unable to hide his disgust for his ex-wife and son.

It was he who failed to discipline his wife and son, and now a big mistake has been made, and he can only bear the consequences.

The Xie family’s official career has come to an end.

Even if he could return to the court ten years later, where would there be any place for him and his sons in the government by then?

Besides, ten years later, he will be very old.

It is no longer possible to lead troops to fight and kill the enemy in battle.

On the other side, Liu Bingwen was also in tears.

This house is finished...

When his eldest son wanted to marry Zhang, who was born in a poor family, neither he nor his wife objected.

The Duke's family is already high enough, so there is no need to force him to marry a woman from a high-class family. As long as his son likes her, it's fine.

But after their son married her, they discovered that Zhang was petty, narrow-minded, and often made stupid mistakes. She was not a qualified mistress of the house.

But now that she has been married, I can't demote her to a concubine or send her back.

Over the years, I don’t know how many times I have warned Zhang, but in the end, she still brought such a great disaster to the Duke’s Mansion.

Liu Jingci looked at his father, whose back was hunched, as if all his energy had been drained away in an instant.

He then looked at his wife and daughter who were dragged away by the guards, as well as the family members who were implicated by his wife and daughter.

This is the price of marrying a wife who is not virtuous.

He knelt down and kowtowed deeply to his father, with only endless regret in his heart.

As the cries, the sounds of chains and the clashing of armor gradually faded away.

The huge side hall was suddenly empty, leaving only a suffocating silence and a strong smell of blood.

Yan Shishu seemed to have been drained of all her strength. She staggered a step and held on to the pillar next to her before she could barely stand.

She looked at the pool of blood on the ground that had not yet dried up, belonging to Xie Zhenrong.

Then he looked in the direction where Xie Zhenrong was dragged away, his eyes empty and confused.

Everything that happened today was a huge blow to her.

She didn't even know for a moment what expression she should have when she thought of Xie Zhenrong next time.

Yan Shixu ignored his sister's loss of composure and grief.

He turned around and his eyes fell on Wen Wanqin, who had stood calmly and solemnly with her eyes lowered from beginning to end.

The coldness in his eyes faded slightly, and there was a hint of praise.

"Wen Xiurong."

"I am here."

Wen Wanqin stepped forward, knelt down and saluted with a respectful attitude.

"You are thoughtful and decisive, and have made great contributions to the royal family by purging treacherous officials."

Yan Shixu's voice restored the emperor's majesty and echoed clearly in the empty hall.

"It's time for me to fulfill my promise. You, get ready."

Wen Wanqin kowtowed deeply, her forehead touching the ground: "Your Majesty, thank you for your grace!"

"Get up."

Yan Shixu nodded slightly, said no more, and walked towards the back of the screen.

"Pear."

Wen Li'er walked out from behind the screen and looked at him intently, her face full of worry for him.

Yan Shixu felt warm in his heart and rubbed her head. Just as he was about to say a few words of comfort, he heard the eunuch's report from outside the palace:

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests that you come over immediately."

Yan Shixu looked at Wen Li'er and slowed down his voice.

"Li'er, don't wait for me tonight. I'll come to see you in two days."

Wen Li'er nodded obediently: "Your Majesty, please go. I will wait for you in Bixi Palace."

Yan Shixu ordered Wen Wanqin to personally escort Wen Li'er back to Bixi Palace, then turned to the eunuchs, his voice solemn again.

"Go to the Cining Palace."

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