"Nonsense! My birthmark was caused by a burn!"
"Okay, okay, so you're the bastard son of the Shou King! Ji Lan, you bitch!"
"Issue an order: Zhao Yao, who has confused the royal bloodline and implicated the current princess, will be thrown into death row immediately and executed on a later date!"
"I understand that her young daughter has done a great service, so I won't dwell on it. All of you, kneel down and greet her!"
Zhao Yao was like a fool, letting the guards drag her away.
Emperor Jianxi reprimanded Concubine Gang a few words. When Concubine Gang started crying, Emperor Jianxi softened his attitude and let Concubine Gang help him leave.
Zhao Xi, Zhao Ying, and the Queen walked out of the Yangxin Palace.
The Queen felt it was a pity. "Alas, your mother didn't even have the chance to show her abilities, and it was all over. Huai'an is so stupid, trying to frame you, but he couldn't even silence the witness, and Wang Po actually went back on her word, hahaha..."
However, Zhao Ying did not feel the joy of victory at all. She was secretly observing Zhao Xi the whole time. She found that after Zhao Yao failed, Zhao Xi did not look frustrated at all. Instead... it seemed as if it was expected.
Zhao Ying suddenly stopped.
"Ying'er?" asked the Queen.
Zhao Ying suddenly had an idea, and something bad happened.
If Zhao Xi was really behind this, he would have been able to see through it when he found Zhao Yao and heard about her birthmark. He could have fooled Zhao Yao, but not Zhao Xi.
Zhao Xi is her biological brother!
Since he knew it was fake, why did he still...
What is his purpose?
Originally, she had used this trick to deceive Shangguan Shu...
He wouldn't also...
At this moment, Zhou Ji ran over from afar, looked at Zhao Xi and shouted, "Oh no, Your Highness! Shangguan Shu has broken into the palace!"
boom!
Zhao Ying's heart suddenly sank to the bottom.
However, this was not the end. Immediately afterwards, another guard ran over with blood on his face. Zhao Ying's eyes went dark when he saw this, and his legs inexplicably went weak.
The guard's eyes were red and he was a little timid. After paying his respects, he was about to go see Emperor Jianxi, but the Empress stopped him and asked, "What happened?"
The guard lowered his head and cried, and Zhou Ji, who was standing next to him, was also startled when he saw this.
Then the imperial guards said, "Grand Tutor Shangguan...is dead."
"Ying'er!" Zhao Ying collapsed in the queen's arms.
Zhao Xi grabbed the guard's collar in disbelief, "What did you say?"
"Your Highness, Grand Tutor Shangguan forced his way into the palace and was shot through the chest by Shangguan Zhu. His body is now lying at the Shenwu Gate..."
Zhao Xi closed his eyes, his expression forbearing, as if he was suppressing his anger.
Shangguan Shu is actually dead!
He clenched his fists and suddenly didn't dare to look at Zhao Ying behind him.
Zhao Ying felt as if someone had pinched her throat. Suddenly, she felt dizzy and dark. She gasped for breath, and after a while, she squeezed out a sharp cry from her throat, "I don't believe it!"
After saying that, he fainted.
Zhao Ying was taken back to Kunning Palace.
When she woke up, she looked fine, which frightened the queen. She hugged Zhao Ying and said in a trembling voice, "Ying'er, don't scare your mother..."
Zhao Ying threw back the quilt, got out of bed, and put on her shoes. "Mother, I just heard Shangguan Shu coming to pick me up. I want to go home with him..."
The Queen said sadly, "Ying'er, he... is dead."
Zhao Ying sneered, then lowered her head. Tears streamed down her face, seemingly endless, soon soaking her clothes. She weakly retorted, "He's not dead."
The Queen held her close.
Zhao Ying suddenly lost all her anger. She whispered softly, "Mother, I don't blame him anymore. I don't blame him anymore. I love him and I want to be with him. I really don't blame him anymore. Why should I care about all this... He must be blaming me. He blames me for being so good to me, but I still don't forgive him..."
"Why am I so cruel to him?"
"I didn't even wish him a happy birthday... Mother," Zhao Ying said, tears welling up in her eyes, heartbroken. "Is it because I didn't wish him a long and healthy life this year that he... Ahhhhhh!!!"
Zhao Ying raised her neck and screamed in pain, "Why didn't I say it... Why didn't I say it..." She pounded her chest hard. She wanted to take her heart out so that it wouldn't hurt.
The Queen hugged her distressedly, unable to utter words of condolence, as those were too powerless. She could only tell her over and over again that Shangguan Shu did not blame her.
In fact, he died for her.
Zhao Ying noticed something was wrong and asked, "Mother, what do you mean?"
The Queen sighed and said in a complicated tone, "Your father has already investigated this matter and was furious with Xi'er. He was so angry that he almost died!"
"Xi'er..." The Queen's voice fell. "He designed a plan to force Shangguan Shu to break into the palace, intending to accuse him of treason. But Shangguan Shu was alone, so even if he broke into the palace, he wouldn't be charged with treason."
Zhao Ying listened with indifference.
"But this incident exposed Zhao Xi's intentions. That's actually not a big deal. What's important is Shangguan Shu's death."
"Zhao Xi explained that he didn't intend to kill him, but... Shangguan Zhu stood up and held on tightly... He was instructed by Zhao Xi."
"As for Shangguan Shu's death, your father...still suppressed it. He had his body secretly sent back to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, saying only that he had died suddenly."
A moment later, Zhao Ying rushed into the imperial study.
Emperor Jianxi was writing something when he heard the noise outside. He looked up and said coldly, "Let her in!"
Zhao Ying walked in like a wandering soul, her voice hoarse, "Greetings, Father."
But his body did not move at all.
Emperor Jianxi frowned and sighed, "It's so late, why are you standing at my doorstep instead of in your mother's palace?"
Zhao Ying felt no wavering when she heard the cold tone of her father, who had doted on her in the past. Instead, she wanted to laugh.
Her heart was already broken, and this little pain was really nothing.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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