The loss of blood made the Empress Dowager unable to hold on any longer. Just as the Emperor had said, she leaned against the wall and slowly sat down on the ground.
"I... but your mother, the Empress Dowager, you actually murdered her with your own hands..."
She uttered those words, her voice trembling.
But the emperor stood with his hands behind his back and slowly said something that made the empress dowager even more desperate:
"Actually, after Consort Yu died, I no longer had an empress dowager."
"Moreover, this injury is not fatal. You will become powerless, unable to escape the fire, and then be covered by flames, turning into a pile of black charcoal."
The Empress Dowager's eyes widened, her expression complex.
The emperor turned around and pulled Gu Jiangli outside.
Seeing the two walking further and further away, the Empress Dowager began to worry.
If in the end she is the only one who dies, then what is the point of everything she has done?
She fell to the ground and struggled to crawl toward the two of them.
"Wait! Emperor! Wait! Take me with you too!"
The emperor turned his head to the side, giving the empress dowager only a side profile, "You cannot go out. You should feel the same pain as Consort Yu."
"No, no, Your Majesty, you can't..."
This time, the emperor and Gu Jiangli did not look back; their steps were firm.
"Your Majesty! I can tell you what Consort Yu said on her deathbed!"
Upon hearing this, the emperor stopped in his tracks.
But it was only for a brief moment, because Gu Jiangli whispered in his ear, "Your Majesty, don't believe her. I'll tell you everything after we get out."
After Gu Jiangli finished speaking, the two continued walking outside.
When the Empress Dowager saw that this tactic was ineffective, and the scorching flames were getting closer and closer to her, the thick smoke made it increasingly difficult for her to see the backs of the two people who were escaping.
She finally burst into loud sobs, screaming:
"Emperor! Don't go! I gave birth to you and raised you! How can you disown me!?"
"I've poured my heart and soul into you, done all sorts of bad things for you, how can you disown me!"
"Your Majesty, I was wrong! I will offer incense to Consort Yu every day to atone for my sins after I leave. Please come back!"
"Take me with you! I'll change! I really will change, please take me with you!"
"Ayao!"
The emperor and Gu Jiangli had already escaped the burning palace when they heard the empress dowager shouting deafeningly from inside.
His body stiffened, and he turned his head slightly.
As far as the eye could see, there were only blazing flames, and not a single person could be seen.
The people around them were relieved that the two had escaped, and cheers erupted continuously.
Gu Jiangli, however, did not really want to celebrate. She held the emperor's hand tightly, knowing what he was thinking.
"Ayao" was the emperor's childhood name, but as far as I can remember, the empress dowager never called him that.
In the moment of life and death, when she wanted to ask the emperor for help, she was able to remember what her son's childhood name was.
It's truly heartbreaking.
“Your Majesty…” she called softly, and he turned his head.
When he looked at her again, his eyes were filled with tender love, as if she were a lost treasure that had been found again.
Let's go.
He took her hand, and the two left the Cining Palace, which was engulfed in flames.
————
The first thing I did upon returning to Jinghe Palace was to wash up immediately.
Lotus hugged Gu Jiangli and cried for a long time, saying things like she almost wouldn't see him again.
Gu Jiangli comforted her repeatedly, then looked at the child and saw that nothing was wrong.
After resting, I started paying attention to news from Cixi Palace.
The fire at Cixi Palace burned for half a day, and was not completely extinguished by the fire department until sunset in the afternoon.
Not long after, Liu Feng rushed back to deliver the message.
He walked hurriedly, his forehead covered in sweat, and upon seeing the emperor, immediately said:
"Your Majesty, Cixi Palace has been cleaned up. The Empress Dowager's body was found inside, but it was burned beyond recognition."
The emperor showed no expression, except that his brow twitched slightly.
"knew."
Liu Feng didn't leave. He paused for a moment and then said, "Inside the house, we also found a charred skull. We can't identify who the owner was. There's only a skull, no body or limbs. This servant doesn't know what to do with it."
At this moment, Gu Jiangli chimed in, "Oh, that's the prime minister's head. I brought it with me."
Liu Feng looked astonished, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets.
Gu Jiangli continued, "If His Majesty intends to give the Prime Minister a proper burial, then use this skull for the encoffining. But if His Majesty has no intention of collecting the Prime Minister's body, then Eunuch Liu can handle it as he sees fit."
Liu Feng glanced at the emperor cautiously, and only after finding that the emperor did not object did he accept the order and leave.
The warmth of the setting sun shone into Jinghe Palace.
Gu Jiangli turned his head to look at the emperor's calm profile, trying to sense his emotions.
The Empress Dowager was a complex figure to the Emperor. Her death was certainly not just a simple matter of avenging Consort Yu and bringing him joy.
Given the emperor's temperament, the decision to kill the empress dowager was also painful and agonizing.
However, it was an invisible hand that pushed him into that position, forcing him to take ruthless action.
Memories she had received from the Empress Dowager flooded her mind.
She also knew that it was something the emperor cared about very much.
Gu Jiangli stood up and went to the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I have something to tell you."
The emperor raised his head, his face showing signs of exhaustion.
He smiled faintly at Gu Jiangli, "I'm a little tired, how about we talk about it tomorrow?"
Gu Jiangli's heart skipped a beat.
"Your Majesty, you..."
The more he smiled, the more unnatural he seemed.
Gu Jiangli then noticed that his expression was not quite right.
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