Chapter 203 Before Dawn
Inside the Phoenix Palace, Zhao Ke'er was casually pruning a pot of peonies in full bloom, her gaze fixed on the view outside the window.
The sharp flower shears cut intermittently, severing a blooming flower head at the base, which fell to the floor.
She looked away, gazing at the fallen flower petals at her feet.
The trusted nanny, trembling with fear, stepped forward and bowed to report:
"Your Highness, there seems to be some unusual activity at the Eastern Palace. Shen Yiqiu appears to be trying to contact the outside world. We have intercepted two carrier pigeons attempting to fly to Longnan."
Zhao Ke'er stretched out the bottom of the flowerpot embroidered with double-headed peonies and pressed it onto the peony:
"It's just a desperate struggle. We'll inadvertently leak the news of our intercepted carrier pigeons to those old guys who are still watching, so they'll know the price they'll pay for choosing the wrong side now, where not even a single pigeon can fly out."
She put down the pruning shears, picked up a silk handkerchief, and slowly wiped her hands. Looking at the peonies crushed into mud on the ground, her gaze turned cold.
"Furthermore... Xiao Yongjing has been in the imperial prison long enough. It's time to put an end to this. This troublesome son of his cannot be allowed to live."
"Make the arrangements tonight, and make it as clean as possible, like... an old wound reopening, or a sudden death from an acute illness."
"yes!"
The old woman accepted the order and quietly withdrew.
Almost at the same time, Shen Yiqiu received an urgent secret report from an informant in the Cold Palace at the Shen residence.
The blood-stained envelope that Granny Su risked her life to hand over contained only a few hastily written words:
Tonight, silence them! Rescue them immediately!
In her panic, Shen Yiqiu was unaware that her hands were trembling.
Zhao Ke'er is indeed about to make her move!
"We can't wait any longer!"
She suddenly stood up.
"Bai Mei and Qing Zhu, gather all the people we can mobilize now, no matter how many! Hong Lan, you stay here and keep things stable, creating the illusion that we are still in the mansion!"
Qingzhu said urgently:
“Miss, your body has not yet recovered, and you have no internal energy left. Going to the Heavenly Prison would be tantamount to walking into a trap! Let us reconsider our options…”
Shen Yiqiu interrupted her without the slightest hesitation:
"There's no time! Is our plan just to watch them kill Xiao Yongjing? I have to go, it's my choice. Your job is to carry out orders!"
The night was dark.
Shen Yiqiu led a small team, following the path previously provided by Granny Su, and made their way to the Heavenly Prison.
Deep within the prison, Xiao Yongjing seemed to sense something and was restless.
When Shen Yiqiu appeared outside the cell door and pried it open, he was initially pleasantly surprised, but then frowned.
"Yiqiu! What are you doing here? It's too dangerous! Let's go!"
Shen Yiqiu tried to pry open the chain with the tools she had brought, and hurriedly said:
"Zhao Ke'er is going to kill you tonight. There's no time to explain. We must leave immediately."
The shackles were exceptionally strong, and Shen Yiqiu, whose internal strength had not yet been fully restored, found it extremely difficult to pry them open, causing fine beads of sweat to gradually rise on his forehead.
Xiao Yongjing looked down at her pale face, but no sound came out of his open mouth.
Just as the last lock was finally pried open, a series of crisp applause rang out at the end of the cell corridor.
Suddenly, the torches blazed, illuminating the entire area as bright as day.
Zhao Ke'er, dressed in gorgeous clothes, walked slowly, surrounded by her nanny and a large number of black-armored guards.
What surprised Xiao Yongjing even more was that the person standing next to Zhao Ke'er with a blank expression was actually Zhang Heze.
Zhao Ke'er's gaze swept across the two faces:
"What a touching scene of deep affection and loyalty, a prison break to save her husband. It's a pity the play has to end."
Xiao Yongjing looked at Zhang Heze in disbelief:
"Zhang Heze? You...you actually..."
Zhang Heze avoided his gaze and stood aside like a puppet.
Zhao Ke'er smiled smugly:
"My dear son, I haven't formally introduced you yet, have I? This is the real Crown Prince! As for you, Xiao Yongjing, and you, Shen Yiqiu..."
She casually stretched out her hand, glanced at her nail guards, and spoke nonchalantly.
"If you die here tonight, when the new emperor ascends the throne tomorrow, all obstacles will be buried with your deaths. The Great Jin dynasty will then operate according to my will."
She lowered her finger, and the black-armored guards drew their swords in response, surrounding Shen Yiqiu and Xiao Yongjing, cutting off their escape route.
Despite being in dire straits, Shen Yiqiu remained calm, and Xiao Yongjing showed no sign of panic. Instead, he quietly tugged at Shen Yiqiu's sleeve.
Shen Yiqiu frowned, but quickly understood, and deliberately spoke:
"Since there is no way out, can we at least know why we died? What grudge do you hold against Consort Jia? Why was my grandmother, Shen Zhaohua, suspected by the late Emperor? And ultimately... was it also related to you?"
Zhao Ke'er enjoyed this feeling of being in control, and she chuckled softly:
"It's alright to tell you. If you want to blame someone, blame that ungrateful woman Shen Zhaohua, and that emperor who only has eyes for her!"
"Back when the emperor was still a prince, he only had eyes for Shen Zhaohua. They fought side by side and returned victorious, how glorious it was! The emperor even asked her privately whether she wanted to be ennobled for her military achievements, or... enter the palace as a concubine?"
"Ha, Shen Zhaohua was staying in the palace temporarily at that time. I saw with my own eyes the way the emperor looked at her. It was a light that he had never seen in any other woman."
“How could I allow it? I, Zhao Ke’er, am backed by the entire Left Prime Minister’s Mansion. The new emperor needs my power to ascend the throne. So, I forged the emperor’s handwriting and sent Shen Zhaohua a heartless letter, full of sarcasm and disgust, saying that she was only fit to be with men on the battlefield…”
"Even the smartest person can make a foolish mistake when it comes to love! She believed it and wrote back heartbrokenly, asking only for military merit and a title, to be stationed on the frontier forever. The emperor, disappointed, had no choice but to grant her the title of Marquis of Yongjia, promising her a hereditary title."
“But I know in my heart that the emperor has never truly let go of her. This thorn has always been stuck in his heart. As Shen Zhaohua’s prestige on the frontier grows, this thorn has become deeper and deeper.”
A look of satisfaction appeared on her face as she continued:
"As for that vile Consort Jia... she only gained a few years of favor because she looked somewhat like Shen Zhaohua. And she was still not satisfied, getting pregnant with the emperor's child? How could I let her give birth to a child that could threaten my future position? She's been my person in the palace for a long time. I've been giving her bowl after bowl of medicine to prevent miscarriage... she thought it was because she was weak until she died!"
Shen Yiqiu's eyes were filled with anger as she questioned sharply:
“Shen Zhaohua… my grandmother, she once regarded you as her confidante and trusted you implicitly. You repeatedly said that she was your best friend, so why are you so ruthless towards her descendants? How could you be so heartless to your best friend?”
Zhao Ke'er looked at him with disdain as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world.
"Best friend? Close confidante? Shen Yiqiu, you're just as naive and foolish as your grandmother!"
“I am the legitimate daughter of the Left Prime Minister’s family, with an incomparably noble status. What is Shen Zhaohua? A crude woman who fought on the battlefield with brute force, born into humble circumstances. What makes her worthy of His Majesty’s favor? What makes everyone look up to her?”
"I never considered her a close friend. It was all her wishful thinking that led her to tell me all her secrets and worries, even though she was my best friend!"
"Ha, you fool! As for the Empress's position... the late Emperor has passed away, and the new Emperor has ascended the throne. My Zhao family has given our full support, but what about your good Emperor? He used the title of Imperial Noble Consort to humiliate me? Just because I am not Shen Zhaohua? Just because he does not love me!"
Xiao Yongjing stared intently at Zhao Ke'er, his eyes bloodshot:
"Even if you resent the old Marquis and hold a grudge against your mother... why do you insist on taking her life? According to palace rules, the child in her womb, regardless of who gave birth to it, can be raised under the Empress's name. Why do you not even spare an unborn child? Why do you have to drive them to their deaths?"
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