"How...how did you become like this?"
The Empress Dowager's tone was cold and stern, "I shouldn't have let you go eighteen years ago because I was soft-hearted."
Jiang Sixian retorted sharply, "How dare you say such a thing? Jiang Zhixian is dead. I am the only daughter of the Jiang family. You should have made me the Crown Princess. Otherwise, why would I have taken such a risk to deal with that bitch—"
"presumptuous!"
Emperor Hongde was furious, "How dare you, you lowly woman!"
slut.
Jiang Sixian stared at him intently, then suddenly laughed. "You said Jiang Sixian was the wife you chose, but now you're still infatuated with another woman, aren't you? You even changed Weiyang Palace to Guanju Palace for her. The childhood sweetheart is now buried in the yellow earth, and the Empress is the mother of the nation. This is what emperors call deep affection."
Tears streamed down her face, whether from sadness or anger, it was hard to tell.
"I lost, and Jiang Zhixian didn't win either."
Emperor Hongde was too lazy to argue with her.
Jiang Zhixian died too young, and he was naturally heartbroken. However, the dead are gone, and the living can only remember her with fond memories.
The Empress and he were childhood sweethearts, supporting each other through thick and thin.
They are truly inseparable.
Jiang Sixian's current state is not because she is particularly infatuated with him, but simply because she likes his status and cannot have him.
"Mother, there's no need for further investigation. Considering she is the descendant of a meritorious official, grant her poisoned wine and leave her with a complete corpse."
The Empress Dowager then asked, "Do you have any accomplices?"
Emperor Hongde frowned.
He had already investigated and confirmed that Qin's son was indeed captured by Jiang Sixian. Before leaving the capital, Jiang Zhixu sent someone to deliver silver to Qin, and Jiang Sixian, who had always wanted to cause trouble, seized this opportunity and conceived a wicked plan.
It is a fact that she and Shen Jiming were at odds, and Shen Jiming did not get involved in this matter.
"No."
Jiang Sixian knew she couldn't escape death today, and she readily admitted it: "I did it all by myself. I coerced Qin Shi into taking her to the Princess's residence. Pregnant women are most vulnerable to stress, and the further along the pregnancy, the more likely something is to go wrong. I wanted her to have a miscarriage, or to be more decisive, to kill both mother and child."
Her eyes were filled with malice. "When the princess's mansion is in chaos, I can take the opportunity to bury the witchcraft doll under the paulownia tree. Doesn't she love to show off Jiang Zhixu's unwavering loyalty to her? I'm going to use that tree to destroy their hearts and make all the Jiang family members go to their graves to accompany my parents and brothers."
"You're absolutely insane!"
Emperor Hongde shouted, "Guards!"
Hu Zhengxiang led in a young eunuch who was carrying a tray with poisoned wine on it.
"You'll end it yourself."
Emperor Hongde said coldly, "I will give you the last bit of dignity. You were struck by lightning at the Princess's residence and died from your injuries. Your family will not be implicated."
Jiang Sixian has committed a heinous crime, and once it is made public, the Jiang family will also be tarnished.
It's not worth it for someone like that.
Jiang Sixian looked at him, realizing that her lifelong dream had been nothing but a mirage, a dream that had come to nothing.
"Your Majesty now loathes me so much that you don't want to look at me at all. But even though I am full of sins, I grew up with you and we spent more than ten years together. There is still some affection between us. A dying man's words are good. I only ask to see my daughter again."
She choked up, and finally, regret appeared on her face.
"She left me when I was five years old. Over the years, our mother-daughter relationship has been strained, and I have wronged her. I beg the Empress Dowager and the Emperor for their grace, to allow me to see her one more time!"
She slowly kowtowed, her head hitting the ground with a soft thud.
Emperor Hongde glanced at the Empress Dowager but remained silent.
The Empress Dowager eventually agreed.
Emperor Hongde had no interest in watching the mother and daughter say goodbye and left early.
Shen Zhixian arrived at the side hall of Changxin Palace with mixed feelings.
Jiang Sixian sat on a grand chair, with two palace maids standing guard beside her. Although it was broad daylight, the room seemed rather dim.
"Mother."
Shen Zhixian called out.
Jiang Sixian raised her head and smiled.
"You've arrived."
Shen Zhixian paused slightly. In her limited memory, her mother rarely smiled at her like that. More often, it was beatings, scolding, and resentment.
"come over."
Jiang Sixian waved to her.
Shen Zhixian stepped forward and knelt down in front of her.
Jiang Sixian reached out, wanting to touch her face, but she reflexively flinched away.
Jiang Sixian paused, then withdrew her hand.
"It's not like I'm forcing you to make such a long trip."
Shen Zhixian's fear of her was long-standing, and even though she was now trapped in her own web and about to die, she could still easily crush her own throat.
"Mother."
Shen Zhixian called out again, her voice timid and filled with unease.
Jiang Sixian smiled and said, "I've never treated you well, yet in the end, I still have to ask you to come and see me off. It must have been hard for you."
Shen Zhixian shook her head.
"You are my mother. I have no way to repay you for the pain of ten months of pregnancy. If I can let my mother pass away in peace, that will be my last act of filial piety."
The mother and daughter had no affection for each other; it would be suspicious if they were to hug and cry together.
This kind of formulaic farewell is the normal thing now.
Jiang Sixian looked at her similar features and seemed somewhat dazed. "You're already fifteen, you should be getting married. But now that I'm dead, you have to observe mourning. Even if you hate me, it's only natural."
Shen Zhixian seemed to realize this only then; her lips moved, but tears flowed before she could speak.
Jiang Sixian said, "Don't trust men. This is my last piece of advice to you. You must remember it well."
Shen Zhixian had never been loved by her since childhood, and only at the end did she show this brief moment of tenderness.
"Mother…"
Tears welled in her eyes; she had so much to say, but it was stuck in her throat, and she didn't know how to begin.
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