Once the imperial prison was opened, the capital was completely shrouded in bloody terror.
The courtiers finally witnessed what a true tyrant was.
Every day, families were raided and their property confiscated, and every day, officials were locked up and imprisoned.
At night, without the adults having to coax or trick them, the children don't dare to cry.
The capital city has lost its former prosperity and hustle and bustle, and instead looks like a lifeless, abandoned city.
By this time, no one cared about the Empress Dowager anymore.
Some people even pinned the blame on her—
"Perhaps it was she who practiced witchcraft in the palace, summoning ghosts and monsters, turning a virtuous saint into a tyrant."
"That's right, the Emperor and the Empress were so good together before!"
Aside from minor flaws such as the emperor's love of war and the empress's fondness for using female officials, there are no major problems.
At least, a saint wouldn't go mad.
They certainly wouldn't set up any imperial prison!
Now, things have turned out badly; the once peaceful city of Tokyo has become a living hell.
The court officials were always trembling with fear whenever they went out to work at the government office, lest they be implicated and sent to the imperial prison by some person who made false accusations before the end of the day.
But once you go to the imperial prison, nine out of ten will die.
The last one, unable to live or die, wished he could die quickly!
These days seem to have no end in sight.
In the seven days since the emperor returned, the stench of blood in the capital has grown stronger each day.
Even saints are getting madder day by day.
Ordinary people certainly don't know why the emperor would go mad, but the powerful and wealthy have their own guesses—the empress is still unconscious!
Moreover, it is highly likely that the Empress was under the influence of witchcraft.
Despite having a normal pulse, he remained unconscious.
The Imperial Guards ransacked all the temples and Taoist monasteries in the capital and surrounding areas, and brought all the monks and Taoist priests there.
The monks and Taoist priests took turns performing rituals, and finally came to a common conclusion: the Empress's soul had left her body!
"It is indeed the Empress Dowager's fault!"
"Oh my god, what is she after?!"
"What else could they be after? Of course, it's to make the Yang family's daughter the empress."
"And she was supposed to be empress! The emperor wiped out the entire Yang family. The women were either made slaves or sent to the brothels."
"Therefore, one must not be greedy. It harms others and oneself!"
"Who cares about the Empress Dowager and the Yang family? I just want to know when Her Majesty the Empress will wake up?"
"Yes! Her Majesty the Empress might be able to persuade the Emperor!"
It was only at this point that court officials and powerful families realized Xie Yuan's importance.
Even those who had impeached and attacked Xie Yuan for ruling as regent, and even called her a demon empress, were now desperately praying at home:
Heaven above, please bless Her Majesty the Empress!
Let her wake up.
The court officials even felt that it would be better to let Empress Xie oversee the country than to face a mad and bloodthirsty tyrant like Helian Jue.
Honestly, compared to the bloodshed and chaos of today, the shameful act of a hen crowing at dawn is nothing.
Fourth Prince: ...Why didn't you think of this sooner? Why did you have to go through all this trouble? Why did you have to regret it afterwards?
It's a pity there's no going back!
Empress Xie has been in a coma for seven days now.
He was so thin he looked unrecognizable.
The imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy, as well as the monks and Taoists, lived in constant fear.
They feared that if anything happened to Empress Xie, they would all be buried with her.
Actually, it's not the most terrifying thing if it's just about dying yourself.
The current emperors are not normal; the Embroidered Uniform Guards are like wolves and tigers, and the imperial prison is like a living hell.
Everyone was truly terrified; if anything happened to Empress Xie, their entire clan would suffer a terrible fate.
The Empress Dowager had died, and silence fell over the palace and its surroundings.
Even Yongchang, her only biological daughter, dared not enter the palace.
Yongchang had no time to grieve; she was extremely grateful that Nanling was Empress Xie's confidante and had given her timely reminder at a crucial moment.
Otherwise, if the Empress Dowager's affair were to come to light, more than one person would die.
She, Yongchang, Nanling, and their relatives and friends will likely be sent to the imperial prison by Helian Jue!
"Oh dear! What is Mother doing all this trouble!"
"You're already of the highest rank, can't you just stay in the palace and enjoy your retirement? Why did you have to plot against the Empress?"
As a result, Empress Xie died before she did, but she killed herself first.
They even released Helian Jue, that mad beast.
Emperor Helian Jue conquered the south and the north, expanded the territory, and brought peace and prosperity to the people... He should have been a sage ruler who would be remembered in history.
But now—
"I just hope Her Majesty the Empress wakes up soon!"
Hiding in the princess's residence, kneeling in the small Buddhist hall, Princess Yongchang prayed desperately.
The powerful nobles, members of the imperial family, and court officials in the capital were basically in the same situation.
But it seemed that God was deaf and could not hear the people's prayers.
He went mad and went on a killing spree to avenge Xie Yuan, but Helian Jue did not find "redemption".
As Xie Yuan's coma prolonged, Helian Jue's condition became increasingly abnormal.
Before, she could still make a ruckus in the capital with red eyes.
But slowly, his vitality seemed to be slipping away along with Xie Yuan.
In particular, many "masters" have stated that the empress is not ill, but rather under a curse.
Her soul had already left her body.
"...So, A-Yuan, you really went back to your 'hometown'?"
"A new world without emperors and without social classes?"
"There's electricity, there are cell phones, there's food delivery, there are couriers—" Although Helian Jue knew nothing about any of these things.
But when Li Xiaoxiao mentioned these things, her eyes sparkled.
Clearly, these are very important to those who come after us, and they don't have to rely on them.
Compared to the present, that so-called future world was practically like a heavenly palace.
"There is no war, no hunger, and medical care is exceptionally advanced."
"People can live to be seventy or eighty years old, and there are quite a few people who live to be over one hundred."
"Childbirth is no longer a life-or-death ordeal for women; even if they have a serious illness, there are ways to get treatment..."
Such a beautiful world, just hearing about it made Helian Jue yearn for it.
He couldn't imagine how someone who had lived in such a world could adapt to such a backward era as the Great Zhou Dynasty.
During this time, as long as he didn't go crazy and quietly stayed by Xie Yuan's bedside, Li Xiaoxiao's question would echo in Helian Jue's ears:
"How did she manage to get through it all?"
And then there's Li Xiaoxiao's cry, "I never want to come back to this awful place again!"
So, is that what A-Yuan thinks too?
Now that she has the opportunity to "go home," does she not want to come back at all?
The thought of this possibility made Helian Jue feel as if his heart and liver had been ripped out.
Can't!
Ah Yuan, you can't leave me alone!
We promised each other that we would share the same bed in life and the same grave in death, for a thousand years and ten thousand years, never to be separated!
Helian Jue held Xie Yuan's hand; the hair at his temples was beginning to turn white...
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