Chapter 46
A knife pierced her heart, and Consort Zhen staggered to the ground, her throat involuntarily twitching. The mask of compassion on her face was shattered, and resentment, anger, regret... all the negative emotions buried deep in her heart condensed on her face.
Her unfocused eyes widened, the cinnabar mole at the corner of her eye was as red as blood, her limbs were still trembling, but her consciousness had already dissipated.
Consort Zhen died without leaving any last words.
The entire process of Consort Zhen's death was extremely swift, so swift that Xue Jin'an only rolled twice on the ground, dodging the Imperial Guards' attack, and in the time it took to flip himself up with a somersault, he heard the Fourth Prince's cries.
Then the fourth prince tumbled and fell to the ground, but when the imperial physicians saw Consort Zhen's dilated pupils, they all shook their heads, indicating that there was nothing they could do to save her.
"How do you know she can't be saved without even trying? My mother's chest is still rising and falling, she can still be saved, you must save her quickly!" The Fourth Prince refused to accept this result. He didn't know where the strength came from, but he grabbed a royal physician by the collar and dragged him onto Consort Zhen with eyes almost bloodshot.
The imperial physician was so frightened that he tried to get up immediately, but then he felt a sudden chill on his neck and his whole body stiffened instantly.
The fourth prince pulled a dagger from his sleeve and pressed it against the imperial physician's neck. Because he didn't control the force well, he cut a bloody gash.
The origin of this dagger is quite ridiculous in the current situation. Before Xue Jin'an entered Yihe Palace to teach him a lesson, he had asked him for the kitchen knife that had almost ripped out his heart. The next day, the Fourth Prince had something to ask Xue Jin'an, and for some inexplicable reason, he thought of this kitchen knife, thinking of currying favor with Xue Jin'an. Anyway, he had already been "taught a lesson," and Xue Jin'an would never stab him again.
However, he had already given the kitchen knife to the Imperial Guards, and it had been designated as an assassin's weapon. The Fourth Prince knew without a doubt that it was impossible to get it back, and it would even arouse the suspicion of the Imperial Guards. So he had someone find a dagger to carry with him, thinking that one shouldn't hit a smiling face. He brought gifts to Xue Jin'an's door, and even if Xue Jin'an didn't like him, he would still have to listen to him for a while.
However, things didn't go as planned. Not only did he run into the Fifth Prince, whom he disliked, halfway through the journey, but he was also mistaken for a chicken and grabbed by the Third Prince.
But now, at this moment when Xue Jin'an killed his mother, this dagger, which was originally meant to be given to Xue Jin'an, has become his last lifeline. If Xue Jin'an knew this, wouldn't he laugh at him to death?
The fourth prince also found it laughable, but now that he was at his wit's end, he couldn't care less about his pride for his mother's life. His tone was cold and cruel, and his facial expression became ferocious, "If you can't save my mother, I will make you die with me!"
In fact, when Xue Jin'an saw the dagger appear, he had already deduced its origin based on the character model logic of the Fourth Prince. However, he did not laugh at the dagger. Instead, he agreed with the Fourth Prince's actions at this time. After all, it was a matter of life and death, and when there was no other way, fighting to the death was an effective means.
Although he didn't understand why the Fourth Prince wanted to save a corpse.
Besides, he glanced at the Fourth Prince's lines slightly, simply because they sounded too familiar.
In any novel set in ancient times, whenever a scene of saving someone occurs, which doctor hasn't received a warning to be buried alive with the deceased doctor?
Xue Jin'an glanced in that direction subconsciously, but his view was quickly blocked.
The Imperial Guards were only ordered to stop the Seventh Prince, not to kill him. Now that the Seventh Prince was unarmed and showed no intention of fighting, the guards, each holding a knife, could not rush forward to do anything. Instead, they tacitly formed a human wall to surround him, separating this god of death from the others.
Xue Jin'an remained completely unfazed by the fact that his view of the Fourth Prince was blocked. He calmly peered through the gaps in the human wall, taking in their expressions and silently calculating the possibility of killing them all with his current strength.
As for why they did this, the answer is simple: these two murderers were the ones who plotted to kill Consort Zhen, but they were not the ones who killed the original owner of the body, or rather, not entirely.
In the original novel, the original owner died as follows: all four limbs were broken, the wrists were crippled, and blood flowed from all seven orifices.
Bleeding from all seven orifices indicates being poisoned by a Gu (a type of poison). There is an 85% chance it was Consort Zhen, a 14% chance it was Consort Rong, and a 1% chance it was due to force majeure.
After consuming the Gu worm, the original owner was already doomed. Therefore, the fact that all four limbs were severed and the wrists were crippled suggests torture rather than murder. Either the original owner was tortured before death, or the other party harbored deep hatred for him.
Xue Jin'an leaned towards the latter, which corresponded to the countless old injuries on the original owner's body. At first, Xue Jin'an thought these were left by the Fourth Prince's years of bullying the original owner, but over time, the Fourth Prince's utterly incompetent martial arts skills gradually diminished his suspicion.
Of course, although these deep, bone-revealing old wounds may not have been left by the Fourth Prince, his bullying of the original owner in the original work was real, and Xue Jin'an, following the principle of equivalence, will return them all.
In conclusion, there is another culprit in the palace who harbors extreme hatred for the original owner and is deeply hidden. This person is one of the core members of that huge interest group that colludes with the forces in the court.
Xue Jin'an didn't care what the consequences of the other party's death would be. His thinking was simple: humans are good at lying, and it would take a lot of data to calculate the correct result if the truth and falsehood were mixed up. Collecting data takes time, and once he took action, he had to eliminate them all at once. Otherwise, if he missed one, that guy would definitely hide.
Xue Jin'an chose to take the shortcut, since cause and effect don't rely on evidence, only on feeling. He would cut down one by one, and whoever pleased him most was definitely the murderer.
So Xue Jin'an's computer brain and human brain started working together. The former was responsible for calculating the route and success rate of the operation, while the latter was responsible for observing human expressions to see the clues.
First, there's the Empress Dowager, who has the lowest suspicion level. She's being firmly protected behind Lu Bingzhu and Granny Su, so her expression is completely hidden. Lu Bingzhu's martial arts skills are too high, and he can even throw hidden weapons. Without any weapons, her chances of winning are 0.
Xue Jin'an cut the wire and turned to look at the concubines.
Computer AI: There are Imperial Guards, but not many; there are routes for surprise attacks, but the success rate is not high... The battle plan will be temporarily suspended.
Meanwhile, the imperial physician, with a dagger to his neck and no choice but to obey, could only reach out and feel Consort Zhen's pulse, and the answer was obvious.
The imperial physician, his hands trembling and head bowed, stammered, tears welling in his eyes, "This...this...Her Majesty has passed away, this humble servant truly—"
"Impossible!" The fourth prince immediately dropped the dagger in his hand and rushed over to check.
Hu Yuanzheng swiftly kicked the dagger away, pulled up his unfortunate colleague and pushed him behind him, then stood in front of the Fourth Prince.
The Fourth Prince had no time to pay attention to their little actions. His hand touched Consort Zhen's skin, and he gripped it tightly as if he had found a lifeline. He said frantically, "The hands of the dead are cold, but Mother Consort's hands are still warm. She must still be alive! Use whatever special skills you have, quick!"
Hu Yuanzheng sighed, "Consort Zhen is gone. Even if the entire Imperial Hospital were to sacrifice its life, it would be impossible to bring her back. If Consort Zhen were to see you like this, she would surely be restless... Fourth Prince, let Consort Zhen rest in peace."
"I don't want her to rest in peace! I want my mother, mother, don't go, Xuan'er begs you not to go, Xuan'er will be good, study hard, and never, never be lazy again, don't leave me alone, I'm scared, I'm so scared, mother—" The fourth prince collapsed and wailed on Consort Zhen's body.
The fourth prince's heart-wrenching wails echoed in the quiet hall, while the concubines wore varying expressions, their eyes filled with shock.
They were shocked by Xue Jin'an's audacity and by the fact that Consort Zhen had died so easily. After the initial shock, their faces were filled with a variety of other expressions. Xue Jin'an's inexperienced human brain couldn't discern these, so he simply had the computer process the information and then abandoned it.
Of all the concubines, only Consort Rong, after her initial shock, pointed at Consort Zhen's corpse and burst into wild, unrestrained laughter, "Hahahaha, Chu Wenwan, no matter how much you schemed, you still died before me! This is your fate! Hahahaha—"
Her manic laughter abruptly stopped as Li Hechun, who had somehow appeared behind her, tightly suffocated her. The emperor's icy gaze swept over her, but he quickly looked away.
Of all the eunuchs, why did it have to be an old man like Li Hechun who became the chief eunuch? It was precisely because of his keen insight and courage to anticipate the emperor's thoughts and act boldly.
The emperor stood high on the jade steps, gazing at the spot where Consort Zhen had fallen. He frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed his brow.
Originally, he only intended to keep one of Consort Zhen and Consort Rong. In terms of temperament, Consort Zhen was aloof and difficult to sway; while Consort Rong, who was used to being subservient and sycophantic, was more pragmatic and easier to control.
However, Consort Rong's raising of Gu worms touched the Empress Dowager's sore spot. In terms of time, Zhang'er's death was unrelated to her, but the sudden death of the Tenth Prince was definitely related to her. What really made the Emperor lean towards keeping Consort Zhen was that Xiao Shu actually attacked the Fifth Prince!
The ferocity of the Gu worms was terrifying to all who witnessed them, yet Xiao Shu used them on Xiao Wu for years, showing no mercy even to her own child—her methods were far too ruthless. While Consort Zhen's words may have contained some concealment or lies, the fact that the Tenth Prince died from the Gu worms was undeniable, and her desire for revenge was also real. Her statements further confirmed her victimhood, and keeping her alive wouldn't arouse much suspicion. Moreover, with Xiao Si present, Consort Zhen would likely be willing to reveal the truth and explain the vested interests behind her.
Unexpectedly, Bao Ning was so impatient and actually had the ability to kill Consort Zhen despite the Imperial Guards' repeated obstruction, forcing him to change his choice.
Xiao Shu herself is not a bad choice. On the contrary, a selfish person like her would surely reveal more when faced with a life-or-death crisis.
However, the Empress Dowager had never liked Consort Rong, and now that the Gu worm calamity had affected three princes, it was impossible for her to be spared. The Emperor had also promised the Empress Dowager that he would deal with the murderer, so he could only spare Xiao Shu for a day or two at most.
Xue Jin'an ruined the emperor's plans by killing Consort Zhen in front of him. Was the emperor angry? He was indeed angry, but he was always someone who cared more about gains and losses than emotions. His focus was more on Xue Jin'an than on the deceased Consort Zhen.
Li Hechun had previously reported that Lu Bingzhu said Bao Ning had excellent physique and was a good prospect for martial arts. If he started to cultivate internal strength and hone his bones now, he could step into the threshold of a master in less than five years, and it would not be impossible for him to become the most powerful martial artist in ten years.
At the time, the emperor didn't pay much attention. After all, even the most skilled martial artist is still just a mortal, unable to fight against overwhelming odds, and vulnerable to a thousand soldiers and spears. However, looking at it now, Xue Jin'an, who didn't even have internal energy, was able to take Consort Zhen's life while surrounded by several people. If he were to master martial arts in the future, wouldn't he be able to take the head of a general amidst a vast army?
Such a talented general, one in a century, will surely help him expand his territory and achieve unparalleled feats! The emperor, who had already envisioned a grand future and great achievements, immediately suppressed his dissatisfaction and looked at Xue Jin'an with undisguised joy.
Xue Jin'an was also looking at the emperor at this moment, but he did not receive the emotions the other party was giving. On the contrary, he thought that his desire for the emperor's head had been discovered.
However, Xue Jin'an was not nervous. Among all the people he had just looked at, the emperor was the only one besides Consort Rong whom he had locked onto with hatred. However, there were too many imperial guards around the emperor, and they surrounded him so tightly that no matter where or which route he started from, he would be held back by the imperial guards, so there was really no opportunity to take advantage of him.
Xue Jin'an slowly withdrew his gaze with regret.
It's alright, there are still nine years left. Nine years is the end of the original owner's lifespan. Within nine years, he will definitely kill him, take revenge and seize the throne. He must do both well!
The two were lost in thought, but in reality, only a moment had passed. The Fourth Prince was still sobbing on Consort Zhen's body, and Consort Rong's mouth had just been covered by Li Hechun.
Now that things have come to this point, it's time for a conclusion to be reached.
"Sinner Xiao Shu, hear my decree!"
Li Hechun released Consort Rong, who was struggling to breathe, and knelt down behind her.
The Emperor said in a deep voice: "Xiao Shi is disobedient and unfaithful, which is unfilial and disloyal; she framed the concubines, which is unkind and unjust; she used evil magic to harm the imperial heir, which is inhumane... After the matter was exposed, she spoke wildly and showed no remorse, which is dishonest! Such an unfilial, unkind, disloyal, inhumane, and unjust person, who is shameless and unkind to her mother, is really unfit to be a role model for the women of the country! From this day forward, her title is stripped, her position as Imperial Concubine is abolished, and she is thrown into the Cold Palace. Once the evidence of her crimes is compiled, she will be dealt with immediately!"
"Zhou Yuting was imprisoned in Zhaoyang Palace for her mistake, but I was banished to the Cold Palace for mine? I, Xiao Shu, have been in the palace for twelve years and am not even as good as a dead person, ha ha ha ha ha—" Consort Rong was half-prostrate on the ground, her head dazzled by the light reflected from the white marble bricks, but she laughed wildly. Underneath her messy, colorful palace dress, her shoulders swayed. She looked up at the direction of the emperor, her eyes filled with fragmented light and shadow but not a trace of anything falling.
"Am I heartless and unjust? Am I shameless and unkind? Am I an unkind mother? But who in this palace is a good person? Whose methods are not despicable? Who didn't cheer for Zhou Yuting's death! There are countless people pulling the strings behind the scenes, I'm just a pawn! Hahahaha!" Consort Rong got up from the ground, her expression crazed. She pointed at all the concubines one by one, finally landing on the emperor. "Your Majesty, all of this is because of you, because of the power in your hands, because of the dragon throne behind you!"
Consort Rong trembled all over. For the first time, she did not cry but laughed, but her laughter was sad and poignant. "I once had parents who loved me. I was once a pampered young lady who cherished the lives of ants. But everything changed from the moment I entered the capital."
“I know perfectly well that my uncle only let me stay in the Ningguo Mansion because of my face. Seeing that my cousin treated me well, he hurriedly recognized me as his goddaughter and arranged for my cousin to marry and take concubines. I know perfectly well that you dote on me because of my face. Your eyes are clearly looking at me, but you never see me. Even this title you have is a laughable word!” She stroked her face, seemingly lost in her own thoughts, and began to mutter to herself.
“I knew all this, yet for a moment I thought you had ever truly cared for me! But none of it, it was all fake, all fake! My child, the Duke of Ningguo said he looks just like that Xue Jue who died young, and you even named him Jue! I hate it so much! I look at this child, I look at his face, and every time I see him I remember the humiliation you inflicted on me, I want to strangle him—no, it will leave a mark, it will be discovered, I can’t.”
“He was born in September, when autumn had already begun. So I would always get up at night to lift his blanket, open the window, and let the cool breeze blow over his body. Sure enough, he started to fall ill repeatedly. His vitality grew weaker and weaker, and his cries grew softer and softer... But he survived. He rolled around on the dragon bed a few times and then he was fine again!”
“I felt a pang of pity. I thought it was fate. I thought that having this child would at least give me something to hold onto. I thought that at least my face was irreplaceable. But that year, Zhou Yuting entered the palace. She didn’t have a child for two years and was promoted to concubine. The child was given the name Bao Ning as soon as he was born. Such an honor—hahaha, I became a joke.”
The emperor was astonished: "Just for that, you killed Xiao Shi and framed Consort Zhen?"
"Kill the Tenth Prince? Frame Consort Zhen?" Xiao Shu scoffed and shook her head. "You think I hate her? Am I jealous of her? No, I just feel sorry for her."
"The Ningguo Mansion will not let the Empress's position fall into the hands of others. Once I fall out of favor, other cousins or adopted daughters of the Duke of Ningguo will enter the palace to replace me..." In order to regain favor and consolidate her position, Xiao Shu used a Gu worm of unknown origin to drug the Fifth Prince, causing him to develop a heart ailment, and successfully gave birth to the Fourth Princess and the Ninth Prince.
The birth of the Ninth Prince was a turning point. The child did not resemble her, but he was able to gain some of the Emperor's favor. At that time, the Emperor was about to bestow titles upon the six palaces, and rumors were rampant that Consort Zhen would become Empress. Xiao Shu's ambition gradually swelled, and she could no longer allow Consort Zhen to become too powerful.
Thus, the matter of the tenth prince came about.
"Chu Wenwan's feelings towards Consort Zhen are probably the same as mine. I don't hate her, but I have to kill her. It just so happens that the Tenth Prince can't live, so I might as well go all the way... It's just a pity that she appeared at the wrong time and blocked too many people's way."
As Xiao Shu finished speaking, she suddenly looked up and met the emperor's cold gaze, pointing at him and laughing, "Your Majesty, it's all your fault! Xue Zhang's death, the Tenth Prince's death, and Consort Zhen's death are all your fault, all because of your incompetence! Haha, the Empress and Consort Zhen must have thought the same thing before they passed away, hahahahaha—!"
The emperor flew into a rage, and for the first time, a deep, bone-chilling killing intent appeared in his cold eyes: "Guards! Xiao Shi is arrogant and spouting nonsense. Drag him away and beat him to death with clubs!"
Inside Qianyuan Palace, a group of people knelt on the ground. Outside the palace, the cracking sound of sticks was chilling. The butterfly hairpin lay scattered on the white marble floor, its wings trembling weakly.
The sounds outside stopped at some point. Although they said he was being beaten to death with sticks, he wasn't actually killed. However, Xue Jin'an calculated the number and force of the blows he heard and realized that he was only left with a breath and would not live for more than two days. He was still living in great pain.
Xue Jin'an had no objection.
However, the emperor still wanted to bury Consort Zhen with the rites due to a concubine. He said that since she was already dead, she had been deceived by Xiao Shu and had gone astray. She had been a kind person who had been a vegetarian and chanting Buddhist scriptures for many years.
Humans seem to always have a sense of compassion for the dead, as if once a person dies, all past grievances and affections are wiped away, and it would be inhuman to continue to dwell on them.
Fortunately, Xue Jin'an wasn't human to begin with.
So he said, "We can decide on the funeral arrangements after we've burned her body."
"Burned?" Consort Xian was baffled. "Why burn her?"
“If a Buddhist practitioner truly achieves perfect merit, they will inevitably produce relics after cremation, won’t they?” Xue Jin’an seriously thought this was a good idea. He even looked at the Fifth Prince, who had initially proposed the idea, to seek his approval, “What do you think?”
The Fifth Prince: "..." Who would dare to answer that! Besides, his status is already special; to add insult to injury would be an admission of guilt!
The Fifth Prince twitched his lips and quickly pretended to cough twice, not seeing Xue Jin'an's gaze.
Xue Jin'an tilted his head and asked the most profound question: "Don't you want to see how to burn relics?"
Fifth Prince: "..." To be honest, I really want to see it.
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