"In the final analysis, it's simply that you have ulterior motives. Now that you've used Yu Xiuming to eliminate those aristocratic families who plotted against you, I'm sure you're delighted. However, if Yu Xiuming comes to his senses, how will he treat you? You know, he loves his wife deeply, and if he learns that you were instrumental in this, he won't let you go easily. Even though you're the ruler of a nation, the power Yu Xiuming wields cannot be underestimated.

I really want to see what you'll become. Will you soon join me in the underworld? Zhou Qingyun, I've been married to you for several years, and the thing I regret most is not taking action against you. I originally thought that even with the scheming between us, we could still be a respectful couple. But the facts prove that this was just wishful thinking.

Is there any real love among the royal family? Those children I once targeted weren't likely to die, but they were miscarried. You know the reason better than anyone. I bear all the blame, but you're not exactly innocent either. I await the day you receive your due!"

Empress An glared at Zhou Qingyun with hatred, her eyes filled with despair and anger. With death so imminent, she no longer cared about anything, let alone the crime of deceiving the emperor. She was going to die anyway, so why should she endure any more injustice? Even in death, she probably wouldn't be treated well, so she might as well vent her resentment!

Thinking of this, Queen An's eyes became more vicious, as if Zhou Qingyun was her greatest enemy. But at this moment, Zhou Qingyun still maintained a hypocritical face, which made her feel extremely disgusted. She couldn't help but curse inwardly: "Zhou Qingyun, you hypocritical villain!"

The hatred within Empress An grew stronger. She could not endure such injustice and grievance. She would rather end her life in the most drastic way than silently accept her fate. However, she was powerless and could only watch Zhou Qingyun leave triumphantly. This intense hatred was deeply engraved in her heart...

"Zhou Qingyun!" She gritted her teeth and shouted his name, as if she wanted to pull his soul out of his body, "I'll wait for you to come to the underworld to accompany me!" Her voice, filled with endless resentment and anger, echoed in the air.

She knew she could no longer return to the human world, but she had no regrets. She believed that even if she suffered in hell, her punishment would be less severe than Zhou Qingyun's. This was because she knew Zhou Qingyun had committed too many sins, and sooner or later, these sins would come back to haunt him and make him pay for them.

She stared at Zhou Qingyun with eyes wide open, filled with hatred and determination. Her lips trembled slightly, but she said firmly, "Even if you have the luck of a country to protect you, the evil deeds you have done will eventually come back to you!" Her tone was full of sarcasm and disdain, as if she didn't care at all about Zhou Qingyun's so-called luck.

She slowly closed her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips. It was a smile of relief, but also a smile of anticipation. She looked forward to the moment when Zhou Qingyun would receive his retribution, the moment when he would pay the price for his actions.

"I'll wait for you..." she whispered, then quietly waited for death to come. Her body gradually grew cold, and her soul drifted towards the underworld. There, she would await Zhou Qingyun's arrival, waiting for him to endure the cycle of karma with her.

Zhou Qingyun stood quietly by the bed, watching the queen gradually die. Her face turned pale, and the light in her eyes gradually dimmed. The queen's dying words echoed in his ears, and a ripple of emotion welled up in his heart, but he quickly buried it deep in his heart. As the king of a country, he would never tolerate anyone holding him in his hands, even if there were some calculations. As long as the country was peaceful and the people lived and worked in peace, he was satisfied. As for what happened after death, that was a matter for the afterlife, and he did not care.

Zhou Qingyun ordered the eunuch beside him: "Go and announce to the world that the queen has passed away."

His voice was low and firm, carrying an unquestionable majesty. The eunuch took his orders and left. Zhou Qingyun then added, "Tell the Ministry of Rites to bury her according to the rites for the empress." Although the empress had made many mistakes before, she was already dead, but she was still the empress and deserved the honor she deserved.

The eunuch obeyed his orders and left, leaving Zhou Qingyun alone in the room, facing the desolate silence. He silently gazed at the empress's remains, recalling the times they had spent together. However, these memories did not stir much emotion in him, for he knew that everything was in the past. Now, he needed to focus on the future of the entire country and the responsibilities he shouldered.

Furthermore, the warmth they shared was only when he was weak. Those memories are truly few and far between. If Zhou Qingyun hadn't always cherished that little bit of friendship, Empress An probably wouldn't have even received her final honor. However, now that she's dead, everything is like a light gone out. Now I just hope Yu Xiuming will call it quits and stop nagging. After all, some things should be left in the past, without stirring up further turmoil and pain.

When Yu Xiuming heard the word "national mourning", he was stunned and his mind went blank, as if he was struck by lightning.

He couldn't figure it out. He had only given the queen a dose of medicine that had bedridden her. It was definitely not fatal! Could there be other factors that led to the queen's death?

Or was someone deliberately framing him? Yu Xiuming's heart was filled with doubts and uneasiness. He began to recall everything that had happened before, trying to find clues.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not find a reasonable explanation. His face turned pale as paper, cold sweat dripped down his forehead, and his hands trembled slightly. He was not a good man, but he could not bear the crime of killing the mother of a country.

He knew what kind of consequences he would face if this matter was discovered. Not only would his personal safety be in danger, but the entire family would be implicated.

He had to come up with a solution as quickly as possible to deal with this sudden crisis. Yu Xiuming took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He decided to first investigate the cause of the Queen's death and see if there were any clues to follow. At the same time, he had to prepare for the worst and be prepared for the punishment that might come.

Just when he was thinking about how to deal with public opinion when people knew that he was the one who did it, he suddenly remembered one thing: it seemed that this medicine was not only in his possession, but Zhou Qingyun also had it!

At this moment, he finally understood Zhou Qingyun's plan - it turned out that he had prepared everything long ago, just waiting for him to fall into the trap. He was indeed the emperor, so insidious that he didn't even let his own wife go!

The thought of this made him feel a chill run down his spine. Zhou Qingyun's scheming and tactics made his hair stand on end. How many secrets was he hiding? How many conspiracies were waiting for him?

He couldn't help but curse: "This emperor is so terrible!"

However, it was too late to say anything now. He could only pray silently, hoping that this matter would not be exposed, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.