He deceived everyone, became the empress's pawn, and married her as he wished.

He knew the Empress wanted to use him to frame her, so he painstakingly devised a scheme within a scheme. He was willing to act as a loyal puppet, fabricating evidence of the Empress's treason. However, he would not let her die in the Empress's scheme. He had already devised a way for the two of them to escape unscathed.

For the "golden cicada shedding its shell" plan, he studied medicine and poison for six years and raised two people who looked like her and him for six years, just waiting for the day when he could fake his death and leave with her. But why did she run away on the wedding night, causing his plan to fail and making him the laughing stock of all the people of Kuiyang Kingdom?

He could tolerate anything except her marrying someone else.

Since her heart didn't belong to him, he had no choice but to destroy her.

His deal with the Crown Princess was to kill the Crown Prince for her in exchange for him taking Xu Xie with him. But now it seems she won't go with him. So, before leaving, he wants to humiliate and despair her, and destroy everything she cares about, including the...bastard child in her womb.

Bi Xie watched helplessly as Si Jin lay unconscious on the bed, the Crown Prince crawling towards him. He was filled with unprecedented anger and anxiety, wishing he could tear Ning Mingshao apart...

"Ning Mingshao, you're a fucking beast! No wonder Xu Xie didn't love you even after marrying you, no wonder she still loathed you even after sleeping with you on your wedding night. Someone like you who only breeds dark thoughts in dark corners doesn't deserve anyone's love. You're just a plaything wherever you go. You're not only played by women, you're played by men too. If you've got the guts, come at me!"

She used the most vicious words she had ever used, staring at him with bloodshot eyes, "Ning Mingshao, if you dare let the Crown Prince touch Si Jin even a hair on your head, I will tear you to pieces!"

Ning Mingshao's face darkened and became eerily gloomy from her scolding. He didn't quite understand what she was saying, but Bi Xie's words clearly enraged him. He gripped his dagger tightly, walked over with a gloomy face, dragged Bi Xie off the stool, and threw her onto the bed without any mercy. "Since you feel sorry for him, my wife, why don't you take his place!"

"For the sake of our past relationship, Ming Shao would like to remind my wife that the Crown Prince has been poisoned with the aphrodisiac I developed. He will remain in this state of excitement until he dies. My wife, have you thought it through? Do you want the Crown Prince to touch Prince Jin or to touch you?"

He paused, staring at Bi Xie's belly with ill intent. "My lady is carrying Prince Jin's child. Ming Shao thinks that Prince Jin would be reluctant to let other men touch you. Actually... it wouldn't hurt for Prince Jin to be played with by men, as long as my lady doesn't mind. Isn't that right, my lady?"

"Disgusting!" She had just insulted him by saying he was not only played by women, but also by men, and now he was using the same words to insult her.

Ning Mingshao chuckled softly as he listened to her insults, and slowly pulled the pillow from the Crown Prince's arms. "My lady will soon find Prince Jin even more disgusting than Mingshao."

Bi Xie was roughly pushed onto the bed. His lower abdomen ached dully, but he endured the pain and struggled against him. Seeing that Bi Xie had pulled out the Crown Prince's pillow, the Crown Prince, like a mad dog that couldn't smell a bone, reached for the unconscious Si Jin on the bed. Bi Xie immediately used all his strength to pull Si Jin away, anxiously calling out, "Si Jin, Si Jin, wake up, wake up..."

She really couldn't hold on much longer.

Ning Mingshao coldly observed her helplessness: "So even the invincible General Xu has moments of powerlessness."

Ignoring his sarcasm, Bi Xie desperately tried to slap the Crown Prince's hand, while his other hand reached out to touch Si Jin, who always carried that dagger. Ning Mingshao saw this and his face trembled with jealousy, but he did not stop him. He turned around to the table with a cold face and kicked over a stool. Just as he was about to pour a cup of tea, he suddenly heard a scream.

His hand trembled, spilling the tea. Looking down at the couch, he saw that the prince's hand had been pierced through by a dagger, and bright red blood soaked his hand, causing him to scream in agony.

"Don't come any closer!" Bi Xie said coldly, pointing his dagger at Ning Mingshao, who was walking towards him with dark eyes.

She had been poisoned with a muscle-softening agent, and it was only with all her strength that she managed to stab the dagger into the prince's palm. This was only because the prince was delirious. But if it were Ning Mingshao, she wouldn't be so sure of success.

"My lady, you've ruined my plans again," Ning Mingshao said, his deep eyes filled with a chilling light.

He originally intended for the Crown Prince to die from indulgence, since everyone in Yexi Kingdom knew about the Crown Prince's debauchery. Even if the imperial physicians came to investigate, they wouldn't be able to trace it back to him and the Crown Princess. But now that the Crown Prince was injured, it couldn't be that he died from excessive indulgence.

He stared coldly at Bi Xie, like the master of a game. After a moment of silence, he suddenly whispered, "Princess Consort Jin discovered the Crown Prince and Prince Jin's affair. In a fit of rage, she killed the Crown Prince and Prince Jin, but her anger caused her to have a miscarriage. In her panic, she fell off the bed and died from massive bleeding. My lady, is this story good?"

Bi Xie tightened his grip on the dagger, a sneer playing on his lips: "Ning Mingshao, who do you think you are, to arrange my fate? You want to humiliate me, to kill me? Then come over here and see if you stab me first, or if I skin you alive first?"

“My lady, there’s no need to bluff. The bone-softening powder I developed is different from ordinary bone-softening powder. Its effects don’t dissipate so quickly.” Ning Mingshao was not intimidated by Bi Xie. He walked over step by step, calm and elegant. “Let me give you another hint. I’ve poisoned Prince Jin. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Prince Jin will be poisoned. I haven’t developed an antidote for this poison.”

poison?

Bi Xie's expression changed. Fortunately, she didn't act rashly. This guy was just as insidious and vicious as in her previous life. He actually poisoned Si Jin. She hurriedly looked down at Si Jin. His face was rosy and his lips showed no signs of poisoning. That's why she didn't think he was poisoned.

This psychopath always manages to gradually break down her psychological limits, and just when she thinks everything will get better, he suddenly throws an even worse outcome at her.

She turned and glared at him, wishing she could tear him to pieces, and shouted, "Give me the antidote!"

Looking at the panic and anger in her eyes, Ning Mingshao smiled slightly: "There is no antidote."

"My lady, you angered Ming Shao and delayed for so long, are you waiting for reinforcements?" He sighed with a hint of melancholy, looking at Bi Xie with pity, "Unfortunately, my lady, you won't be able to wait any longer. Ming Shao suddenly thought of a better story: To protect his position, the Crown Prince poisoned Prince Jin. Prince Jin's wife was deeply devoted and followed him in death after seeing his body. My lady, would you like to hear this story?"

"Ning Mingshao, you deserve to die!" Bi Xie's hands and feet were ice-cold. She gripped the dagger and stabbed at him with all her might. She was filled with hatred and resentment for her carelessness in falling for this villain's trick.