Chapter 553 Marrying into the Western Regions is a Dead End
By the time the guards arrived after hearing the commotion, the woman had already passed away.
When Empress Yang found out, she was so frightened that she went limp.
"How...how could he have died so suddenly?"
The chief eunuch, Hai Gonggong, who had gone to inquire, said upon his return, "I heard that his death was both gruesome and bizarre."
"He had several wounds on his body, but there wasn't a drop of blood on the ground."
"The blood at the wound site was a dark, murky mass, as if it had been blasted open by something."
The empress gagged after hearing this.
The old nanny scolded, "Stop talking!"
"Get down!"
After everyone had left, the old nanny quickly patted the Empress and reassured her, "Your Majesty, don't be afraid. This matter has nothing to do with you."
The Empress looked anxious: "How could there not be? This woman was sent by my family, who said she could help me solve my problems—a Miao witch!"
"If they investigate further, they will surely find me! At that point, how can I possibly hide my identity as a priestess?"
"His Majesty just punished the fourth prince for witchcraft, and the fourth prince is still crying out for justice in prison."
"Although I have not done anything yet, wouldn't it be too unfair to implicate the Crown Prince because of this woman's identity?"
"I don't want to harm the Crown Prince!"
Old nanny: "Your Majesty! You are the Empress, the mistress of the harem, the mother of the nation."
“Go and claim her. Tell her that you scolded her a few times yesterday, and this maid actually tried to run away from the palace.”
"You have no idea what kind of evil spirit she's possessed, nor do you know her identity. In any case, she has nothing to do with you."
"Although the Yang family sent you to the palace, you have only been here for a few days."
"Anyway, this matter..."
Before she could finish speaking, a palace maid rushed in and reported, "Your Highness, the Seventh Princess's wet nurse has arrived."
"I have important information to report to you regarding the palace maid who died unusually today."
The Empress's heart skipped a beat.
She looked at the old nanny beside her with a worried expression, and the old nanny squeezed the Empress's hand tightly.
After calming the Empress down, they summoned the Seventh Princess's wet nurse.
After exchanging greetings, the Seventh Princess's wet nurse got straight to the point: "Your Majesty, our Princess has sent this old servant to inform you."
She suddenly remembered that the palace maid who had been by your side these past two days was someone she had seen before when she was with the Fourth Prince.
"I heard she died this morning. Her Highness the Princess was afraid that you might be deceived and implicated, so she specially sent this old servant to have you investigate how the people around you are doing their jobs, and how they dared to transfer this wicked servant to your side."
"The rest is that Her Highness heard that there was a portrait next to that palace maid, but it seems that someone saw it last night and it was picked up by someone."
The Empress gasped in disbelief, "What?"
The old nanny personally saw the person out.
"Her Majesty the Empress was tricked by thieves, and we almost fell for it. Fortunately, that wretched maid was taken back by Heaven; she truly deserved to die!"
"This old servant thanks the Seventh Princess on behalf of Her Majesty the Empress. Her Majesty has seen and understands her filial piety towards Her Majesty."
After watching the wet nurse walk away completely, the old nanny quickly returned to the palace.
The Empress was deathly pale and slumped completely in her seat.
"Your Highness, you must pull yourself together. We really don't know what's going on with this witch, or how she got involved with the Fourth Prince."
"Something must have gone wrong back home, otherwise why would they dare send someone like this to you?"
"Thank goodness she's dead!"
Empress: "I knew it! How could she know so clearly that the treasure was what the Fourth Prince wanted back then?"
"So she was originally one of the Fourth Prince's people!"
"I almost fell completely into her trap."
"She also said that the Nangong family member might be the Princess of Yaoguang County in Daliang. If that's true, would Lao Liu, who has been to Daliang, not say anything?"
"He was crippled in Daliang, so he should hate the people of Daliang to the core!"
What exactly happened to my father?
"Doesn't she know that the fourth prince has just been deposed and is trying every means to make a comeback?"
"If the witch makes a mistake and the Crown Prince makes a mistake, that will be the Fourth Prince's chance."
"Now that I think about it, I almost did something wrong."
"That Nangong clan member was summoned to the palace by His Majesty. Regardless of what Li Wu was doing there, it's up to His Majesty to decide his fate. I was almost confused!"
The old nanny could only keep comforting the Empress: "Fortunately, nothing has happened yet, has it?"
Empress: "But, but how exactly did she die?"
"Who wants to kill her?"
"And that painting, who picked it up?"
"If this gets reported to the Nangong family, or to some other person with ulterior motives, and they use that portrait to frame me, how am I supposed to respond?"
Inside the palace, the Empress was completely thrown into disarray.
In the Seventh Princess's palace, Li Qingluo was burning her own portrait.
Granny Zheng: "Miss, this Empress is also brainless."
"I almost became a pawn for the Yun Gu Sect to use against you. Fortunately, your identity shouldn't have been exposed yet, right?"
Li Qingluo: "Yun Gu is a remnant of Zuliya. If they dare to come any closer, I will kill them one by one. If two come, I will kill both."
"Anyway, this feud was already formed a long time ago."
Granny Zheng nodded.
The master and servant watched as the scroll in the brazier was completely burned to ashes, their hearts filled with indifference.
Xi Qiu suddenly knocked on the door: "Miss, the Seventh Princess has arrived."
Li Qingluo turned around and went out to greet them.
Seventh Princess: "I have already sent someone to do what you asked me to do."
"I heard that the Empress Dowager looked very unwell, and she immediately lost her composure."
"That palace maid's death...could it be related to you?"
Li Qingluo: "Your Highness, it would be best if you didn't interfere."
"This matter involves the Fourth Prince and the Empress. Knowing more about it will not benefit your safety."
The seventh princess was a little angry.
Why does she need someone to do something, yet she keeps it a secret and doesn't let her know the reason behind it?
Isn't this just someone trying to take advantage of me?
"you!"
The seventh princess glared angrily with her almond-shaped eyes wide open.
Li Qingluo suddenly smiled: "You really want to know? Then this humble woman can tell you... actually..."
The seventh princess suddenly covered her ears with both hands.
"Alright, alright! I'm not listening!"
The panic in her eyes made Li Qinglu shake her head and chuckle.
Seventh Princess: ...
Was she just toying with herself all along?
Seventh Princess: "Nangong Qingluo! You really have a lot of nerve!"
Li Qingluo: "What's wrong, Your Majesty?"
"If I may say it, it is because Your Highness did not listen to me."
The seventh princess could only stomp her feet in anger.
But just now, she was really scared to death.
These princes and princesses are already walking on thin ice if they want to survive in this palace.
The less you know, the safer you can live.
The Seventh Princess was too lazy to argue with her about the matter anymore.
However, her expression remained quite unpleasant.
After hesitating for a moment, he slowly revealed his true purpose for coming.
"I do not wish to marry into the Western Regions."
"Do you have any way to get me out of this mess?"
Li Qingluo: "Are you sure? It's the Seventh Princess who will be sent to the Western Regions for a political marriage?"
Princess Zongzheng Xingyao nodded with a pale face.
"Ever since my third sister died tragically in Daliang, my father has been planning to marry another princess to the Western Regions."
“Over the years, Father has long lost his ambition.”
"I heard that there are constant conflicts between the Western Regions and the Great Liang. Even the King Su, who was known as the God of Slaughter, died on the battlefield. My father is very worried that the Western Regions will turn around and attack the Great Chu again. So he took the initiative to write a letter to the Western Regions, saying that he would send another princess to marry into the Western Regions."
Zongzheng Xingyao said with a mournful face, "Among the princesses now, only I am the most suitable in age, so I have been concerned about this matter."
“These past two days, I’ve already heard rumors that my father personally circled my name in the name register.”
Zongzheng Xingyao covered his face, looking dejected.
What kind of father was he?
Li Qingluo raised her finger and shushed everyone.
"Your Highness, be careful, walls may have ears."
Zongzheng Xingyao sneered: "What's there to be afraid of? If I'm really married off to the Western Regions, what difference is there between that and being dead?"
"Everyone in the world knows that my father is a cruel yet cowardly ruler."
"In the early years, when my aunt was still alive, I heard that he was also brave and skilled in battle. Although our Great Chu is not militarily strong and prosperous, we are not afraid of threats and provocations from foreign countries."
"But ever since my aunt died, my father has become more and more absurd, and now the people of the world are all complaining."
"The people of Great Chu cannot hold their heads high in front of Great Liang and the Western Regions."
Zongzheng Langri neglected state affairs.
They did not want to provoke border wars, so in the face of increasingly aggressive provocations from the Western Regions, they have been making concessions step by step in recent years.
In recent years, the Western Regions have already swallowed up three cities of the Great Chu.
Zongzheng Langri didn't care and was only indulging in his own decadent lifestyle.
Not only that, he was a ruthless killer, bloodthirsty and cruel. It was unknown how many more years their Great Chu Dynasty could last.
"never mind."
What ideas could you possibly have?
"Now that your husband has not returned, you must find a way to save your own life."
"What other way can you protect me?"
Li Qingluo: "Your Highness, you said just two days ago that as long as you are here in this palace, no one will harm me."
Seventh Princess: "You actually believe that?"
Li Qingluo: ……
I almost believed it.
Zongzheng Xingyao was very disappointed: "Third sister died in Daliang, and sixth brother also lost both his legs in Daliang and became crippled."
"Because of his fear, Father Emperor did not even dare to reprimand the Great Liang."
How could I possibly expect him to be there to support me in the future?
"Marrying into the Western Regions is a dead end."
The Seventh Princess left with a deathly pale face and heavy steps.
Li Qingluo was also powerless to help.
Zongzheng Xingyao is right; she needs to find a way to save her own life first.
Duan Rongshi has not returned in a long time, and that cowardly yet cruel Chu Emperor is probably about to take action against me.
Sure enough, just as Li Qingluo had fallen asleep that night, an imperial edict arrived at the Qianyuan Palace.
"Madam General, His Majesty requests your presence. Please come in."
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