Chapter 59 Jiang wants to run? No way!
"Jiang Zhu".
Looking at Ah Zhu, who was lying on the bed with a thin frame and clenched fists, Emperor Xuanpei slowly closed his eyes.
He said softly, "I drank a few too many wines at the banquet just now and got a little drunk... Take back what you said, and I'll pretend I never heard it."
Take it back?
Ah Zhu paused for a moment, then suddenly felt like laughing.
Now that things have come to this, how can we still pretend that everything is peaceful?
How could the emperor so nonchalantly watch her bow her head and admit her mistakes, and continue to make her fawn over him?
Yes, those high-ranking nobles can always look down on her with ease.
They could ignore her fear, ignore her humble pleas, and arbitrarily manipulate her life and hope, tormenting her again and again.
Even more, their emperor could do even more... until he completely grew tired of this "favored concubine" act and settled accounts with her at the same time.
The emperor watched with amusement as she racked her brains for wealth and status, only to be met with setbacks and ultimately achieve nothing.
When she was arrogant, she was made to fall hard from a great height, shattering her into pieces and leaving her unrecognizable.
Ah Zhu has always been very willing to bend over backwards, and she doesn't care about her pride at all, but you can't let her lose all hope.
"Concubines are sinful slaves."
"His Majesty would actually allow a criminal slave to give birth to a royal child?"
Ah Zhu's laughter was truly mocking, as he felt disgusted by the "what's the use" attitude.
"With three thousand beauties in the palace, what kind of peerless beauty wouldn't His Majesty desire?"
"There is everything from plump to slender."
"Your Majesty is supreme and high above all others. What new and exciting things could you possibly want? Why should you humiliate yourself by suffering in silence with your concubines?"
"Doesn't Your Majesty find it tiring to toy with your concubines while simultaneously feeling disgusted and even worried that they might tarnish your holy reputation?"
Seeing that Emperor Xuanpei had been hit where it hurt, he took two steps to stand in front of her and even raised his hand high. Azhu did not dodge or avoid.
Looking at A-Zhu, who was standing with her head held high and her eyes closed in a subconscious manner, Emperor Xuanpei hesitated to slap her.
This is Ah Zhu, the dog he raised.
He personally took Azhu into the Hanyuan Hall.
It was Ah Zhu, who had sworn countless times to stay with him for life.
He watched her transformation from fearful to lively, then her beaming smile, her luxurious clothes and comfortable meals, her smug laughter and playful anger...
He even worried that she didn't eat enough at meals, that her old illness might relapse, that she might have been mistreated somewhere in the palace, and that the Empress Dowager might give her a hard time...
But her!
How could that heartless bastard say such cruel and heartless things to hurt him like that?!
How dare she?!
Emperor Xuanpei, his eyes red with anger, gripped Azhu's throat tightly with his hand.
He wished he could strangle this audacious, troublesome bastard right here and now, and be done with it!
The moment her neck was grabbed, her survival instinct kicked in and she began to pry and push at Emperor Xuanpei's hands with both of hers.
Emperor Xuanpei's hand, gripping Azhu's neck, was bulging with veins. He glared at Azhu with a hoarse voice.
"Jiang Zhu!"
"Take back all those words!"
"I told you to take back all those words!"
"Did you hear me? Take them all back!"
"Take it back?" A-Zhu opened his eyes: "Your Majesty, haven't you heard the saying 'spilled water cannot be gathered up again'?"
She looked at Emperor Xuanpei, who was still holding her life in his hands and threatening her fiercely.
Recalling how that Miss Jiang, equally adept and effortless, threatened and manipulated her...
Good deeds might not work, but bad deeds are sure to be accomplished. Ah Zhu, who wished he could drag everyone down with him and drown, laughed to himself as his face flushed red.
"Has Your Majesty forgotten again?"
"I am a slave, a slave designated by the late Emperor. Yes, how could Your Majesty forget? Your Majesty must know more about the downfall of the Jiang family than I do... Hahaha."
Ah Zhu, who was laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face, was trembling as she held Emperor Xuanpei's hand.
"Your Majesty, I have never had a single sincere thought for you. Everything I have done has been for the sake of the Jiang family."
That's enough, that's enough, that's enough!
Emperor Xuanpei's meager tenderness, which he had already given up entirely, was being repeatedly trampled upon, and every word Azhu uttered pierced his heart.
"Enough!"
How could that be?
From the day she was hit on the head by her own mother and made to take the blame for someone else, Ah Zhu has never felt a sense of security in this world.
She could be abandoned at any moment.
Nobody really liked her, nobody wanted to take her in, and nobody cared about her.
If she's happy, tease her; if she's unhappy, just leave her alone.
But in this moment of utter despair, where she was hurting herself and others, Ah Zhu, who knew perfectly well that things couldn't get any worse, suddenly felt a strange sense of security in being completely rotten to the core.
Ah Zhu didn't stop.
She even repeated the vows she had once heard.
"In this life, I have only one wish: everything I have done is solely to restore the glory of the Jiang family..."
Emperor Xuanpei, his blood rushing to his head, feeling dizzy and trembling all over, could utter no words from Azhu with just a slight exertion of his hand.
A-Zhu lowered his hands, which had been pushing and struggling, and with a mocking smile, closed his eyes, looking as if he didn't want to see Emperor Xuanpei again.
Emperor Xuanpei grabbed Azhu by the neck.
He really wanted to strangle A-Zhu to death.
He wished he could personally cut this bastard into a thousand pieces, rip her belly open, and take out her heart to see if it was black, if it was made of cold jade or stubborn stone.
Cold-hearted and heartless, Ah Zhu has a very soft neck.
With just a slight exertion, crushing her throat bone wouldn't have been a difficult task.
He was extremely skilled in riding and archery, personally shooting wolves and killing tigers. The hand that had once easily crushed a gerbil was now unable to exert any more force.
Emperor Xuanpei looked at Azhu.
Ah Zhu, whom he had pampered for so long, had her eyes closed listlessly, her eyelashes trembling, her soft lips tightly pressed together, her face flushed, and tears soaking into her hair.
He only has one Azhu.
There's only one Ah Zhu who can cry and laugh, who can make a fuss and move around, who can cling to him with teary eyes and act spoiled when she's feeling wronged.
Her incredibly fragile neck was held in his palm, and he could even feel it throbbing.
Xuan Pei seemed to hear Ah Zhu's heartbeat again.
He remembers listening to that heartbeat, and how she gently stroked his hair while promising to be with him for all eternity... This little liar who's full of empty words!!!
A tear silently slid down Emperor Xuanpei's cheek, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
"Good, Jiang Zhu...you are really, excellent."
Emperor Xuanpei, nodding and praising Azhu, slowly released his grip.
Exhausted and dizzy, A-Zhu slumped onto the couch, coughing repeatedly.
Emperor Xuanpei said nothing more, turned and walked out.
When the commotion inside the hall reached the outside, people were filled with anxiety and panic, jumping up and down but not daring to rush in.
As soon as Emperor Xuanpei left, Qingliu, Lüfu, and Sancai practically tumbled and crawled into the palace.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please take a breath."
Qingliu patted Azhu, who was lying there coughing incessantly, and reached out to stroke her back.
Green Lotus went to the table and poured a cup of pear syrup soup. San Cai cleaned up the mess on the floor and picked up the sachet that had been crumpled and trampled into a mess.
Once Ah Zhu gradually recovered and stopped coughing, the people in the hall looked anxious and hesitated, saying, "Your Majesty..."
What could A-Zhu, who almost died at the hands of Emperor Xuanpei, possibly say now?
Azhu couldn't say it.
She felt no relief at surviving the ordeal, only a profound fear of returning to the world and regaining her senses...
Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back.
Now that things have come to this, what should she do?
She personally tore down the fig leaf that concealed the peace and harmony between her and the emperor, shattering it into pieces.
The emperor was furious.
The emperor had barely managed to give her face, but she ruthlessly tore it to shreds, and he would no longer show her any mercy.
In this palace, she offended far, far, far too many people.
Empress Dowager Shu had been waiting for a long time to deal with her.
Empress Wang wished she could skin her alive, tear her apart, cut her into a thousand pieces, and be executed by slow slicing.
There was also Consort Zhao, whose title was stripped.
And there are countless women in the palace who are eyeing her covetously because of her exclusive favor with the emperor... They are all waiting for this day.
I never imagined this day would come so quickly.
Ah Zhu vaguely recalled Consort Feng, who resolutely hanged herself in the Cold Palace... Once upon a time, she had asked herself whether she wanted to live or die.
What did she say at the time?
She said, "I want to live."
It hasn't been that long.
She was so eager to live, how did she end up driving herself to her death?
What awaits her now?
Is it poison, a white silk ribbon, or a sharp blade?
Or... will they take her back and banish her to the cold palace?
He used a "dull knife" to grind her flesh, watching her suffer a miserable end, enduring humiliation and pain, in order to vent his hatred.
I don't know, Ah Zhu doesn't know anything at all.
Indeed, death is not the most terrifying thing; the unknown, worse than death, is what is most frightening.
A-Zhu looked at the palace servants surrounding her.
Si Xi is still guarding the Guanju Palace in the capital and did not come this time.
The festive atmosphere has truly diminished.
Ah Zhu gave a bleak smile with a dazed look in her eyes.
"Accompanying you on your journey... I just said that the path to vying for favor is extremely dangerous, and a moment's carelessness could lead to certain death."
"These words were only spoken a few days ago, they still ring in my ears... I never imagined they would come true."
"There are still some loose silver and silver notes in the silver box in the chest; you can take them and divide them among yourselves."
"Oh, and don't forget to leave some for Sixi too..."
"Go pack your valuables, whether you're begging the head lady or the chief eunuch... don't be stingy with money, find a way to bribe your way out as soon as possible."
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, why has it come to this? Why has it come to this!"
"Let's go quickly." A-Zhu slowly wiped away the tears on Lv Fu's face, and then patted Qing Liu's hand that was supporting her.
"If we don't leave now, we won't be able to get away."
Qingliu and Lvfu cried and shook their heads repeatedly.
"Your Majesty." San Cai knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. He looked up at A Zhu, his expression sorrowful and his eyes full of tears.
"You bestowed upon me my name."
"May you be greeted with joy, and may you be promoted and become wealthy."
"San Cai hasn't been promoted or made a fortune yet, and he hasn't even become the head steward of Guanju Palace. Where can San Cai go?"
"A bunch of idiots!"
Ah Zhu's face showed no sign of joy.
In a fit of anger, she grabbed a soft pillow from the tatami mat and threw it at Sancai.
"What are you all doing staying here?"
"Are you just going to stupidly wait to die?!"
"I can barely protect myself! And you all want to die with me?"
"Your Majesty... how can there be a reason in this world to only enjoy wealth and honor without sharing in the fear and hardship?"
Qingliu and Lvfu continued the conversation, one on each side.
“When you decided to fight for it, you gave us servants the opportunity to choose.”
"Since no one left then, no one will leave now."
San Cai wiped away his tears and choked out, "If you are determined to fight, we servants will follow you into battle and cheer you on. If you retreat, we servants will just eat chaff and wild vegetables with you."
A bunch of blind, stupid fools!
Why is she surrounded by such stupid, foolish idiots!
"Get out, all of you!"
A-Zhu cried and frantically threw everything she could reach at them.
"Get out of here, all of you!"
"Get out of here, I don't want to see you again."
"Get out of here!!!"
Seeing that A-Zhu's emotions had become somewhat out of control, the people in the hall dared not provoke her any further, and the three of them gradually withdrew.
Once outside the inner hall, the group looked at each other with sorrowful expressions, remaining silent and listening anxiously to the sounds coming from inside.
San Cai wiped the tears off his face haphazardly with his sleeve, managing to squeeze out a sentence.
"Since Her Majesty is in such a hurry to send us away, I'm afraid she's already..." with a death wish.
Those who seek to live in this palace are terrifying, but those who seek to die... are even more terrifying, because it's too easy, really too easy.
Qingliu and Lvfu exchanged a glance and took a deep breath.
Qingliu, wiping away her tears, smiled at Sancai.
"Back then, it was you who rushed to the Emperor's presence and did a glorious job."
"They say fortune's wheel turns, and this time it's our turn..."
But can the situation back then be the same as it is now?
They are different.
But Qingliu and Lüfu only remembered that the Emperor had personally instructed them that if the Empress was ever unwell, she could come to the Emperor's presence.
"His Majesty's words are law. As long as he does not retract his orders, we should continue to obey them."
Seeing that Sancai was about to stop her, Lvfu pushed him.
"When my sisters and I were serving Consort Jiang in Hanyuan Palace, you and that little brat Sixi were probably hiding somewhere. Now you dare to compete with us for our duties?"
Fearing that something might go wrong with only one of them, Qingliu and Lvfu decided to go together.
Even if one offends the emperor and cannot speak, there is always another who can open their mouth.
"You just stay here quietly and listen carefully to what's going on inside."
After saying that, Qingliu and Lvfu lowered their heads, turned around, and hurried towards Zhengyang Palace.
......
Phoenix Palace
"Did His Majesty really leave Songxiu Pavilion in anger?"
"Your Majesty, it is absolutely true."
Each fulfilling their duties, they kept a close watch. When Huiyue returned to report the news, her face was full of joy.
She vividly described to the Empress the lively scene that had just taken place in Songxiu Pavilion.
"...Consort Jiang has really gone mad. She's made quite a commotion. Your Majesty, you didn't see how terrified those servants were outside."
Huiyue spoke animatedly, and Empress Wang, having finally vented her pent-up anger, listened with great satisfaction, clapping her hands with laughter.
Empress Wang said smugly, "I knew what kind of person she was all along."
"She lacked all the courage and talent that a noblewoman should have; she was just an empty shell."
"A petty person who becomes arrogant and unruly after achieving his goals."
"The less confident they are, the more arrogant they become."
"Look at how she throws a tantrum in Kunning Palace, acting like she's above everyone else. Even the heavens are going to punish her."
What did Jiang Zhu rely on? She only had the emperor's favor.
The tighter she gripped it, the more afraid she became, and the slightest disturbance made her uneasy.
"Who does she think she is?"
"The one who wiped out the entire Jiang family was the late emperor, the Marquis of Cheng'en's mansion, the Empress Dowager, and even our Emperor... She's also involved in some ambiguous marriage."
"His Majesty cannot tolerate any impurities or filth; she won't live much longer."
Empress Wang, who was proud of her status and knew how to use others as pawns, rarely took action herself. But Ah Zhu was really too hateful and too detestable.
Empress Wang could no longer tolerate it this time.
She couldn't even wait for the talent show to let any newcomers compete for Ah Zhu's favor.
Seeing that Empress Wang was happy, Huiyue also actively suggested to Empress Wang, "Your Majesty, why not take this opportunity to bring Consort Jiang here and deal with her properly?"
No rush.
Empress Wang shook her head, suppressing Huiyue's "bad idea".
"We can't rush things now."
"His Majesty had barely left Songxiu Pavilion when this palace maid punished that lowly servant. Isn't this just an attempt to tarnish my reputation for no reason?"
"I have waited all this time, so there is no need to rush to this moment."
"The Emperor has already abandoned her, so she is nothing now."
Empress Wang slowly stroked the book in her hand, and said with a soft smile, "I will make this lowly servant suffer a fate worse than death, unable to live and unable to die."
"I will make her regret being born."
"Let her only regret that she didn't go with the Jiang family rebels and die cleanly."
Just as Empress Wang was slowly and methodically pondering how to deal with Azhu, Empress Dowager Shu, who was always looking for a good opportunity to send the beautiful young woman to Emperor Xuanpei's side, was naturally not slacking off either.
The commotion at Songxiu Pavilion, in Empress Dowager Shu's eyes, was just a sign that Azhu, this arrogant "remnant," had been so spoiled by the emperor that he couldn't even grasp his own status.
They had a big fight over the sachet that Emperor Xuanpei had accepted.
"All men in this world care about their reputation."
"Especially the emperor, whose dignity as the Son of Heaven is even more important."
“Now that a ‘remnant’ dares to disrespect the emperor like this, and is so arrogant and presumptuous, it’s no wonder that some people are needed to serve him in the imperial court.”
After giving her speech, Empress Dowager Shu glanced at Li Mama beside her with great displeasure.
What are you still standing there for?
Granny Li immediately realized what was happening and quickly replied, "Yes, this servant will go right away."
With hurried steps, Granny Li went to the back hall to quickly pack up a pair of twin sisters and send them to the Emperor that very night.
*
Songxiuxuan
After her frantic outburst, Ah Zhu was completely exhausted.
Exhausted, she collapsed onto the couch.
The hall was very quiet; the only sound was the whistling wind outside.
It is said that one should press on with one's might, but one's strength will wane with each attempt, and exhaustion with each subsequent one.
Human courage is naturally like this.
Having survived that "brave" moment, Ah Zhu, contemplating the bleak future ahead, is now actually starting to feel a bit scared.
She even... considered ending it all, rather than suffering endless torment and a fate worse than death.
Ah Zhu looked up at the roof beam—if only a ribbon could be hung down from it, and she could hang it around her neck...
No, if I kick over the stool, they'll hear the noise and rush in.
Ah Zhu moved her head and slowly looked at the corner of the table again—what if she bumped into it like that... Ah Zhu stared at the corner of the table, staring intently for a long time, thinking about various angles.
As she thought about it, Ah Zhu slowly climbed up from the couch and sat up.
She got off the bed, holding her breath as she tried to ram herself against the corner of the table—but she hadn't run more than a few steps before she lost her breath.
Ah Zhu suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Standing there blankly, A-Zhu wished she could slap herself twice—but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.
Seeing that she couldn't bring herself to bang her head against the corner of the table or the wall, Ah Zhu gritted her teeth and pulled out all her long dresses and shawls, tying them all together tightly.
She couldn't let herself fall into those people's hands.
She had seen the concubines who had been humiliated and made fun of since the time of the late emperor and had survived to this day in the Cold Palace.
On auspicious days for noble people, nothing unlucky should happen... They can't even die at that time.
Ah Zhu had personally witnessed how they lay on the ground, having their mouths pried open and being force-fed to stay alive.
Holding the shawl, A-Zhu stood on the table, but hesitated to hang it up.
She...she's already so pathetic, yet she still hesitates repeatedly.
Or, let's try again tomorrow, or wait until the emperor issues an edict to kill her, and then let those people do it.
"Bang—!"
The door to the inner sanctuary was kicked open.
Lost in thought, Ah Zhu was startled and nearly fell off the table.
She stared blankly at the newcomer, while Emperor Xuanpei's face darkened further as he observed Azhu's behavior.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, what are you doing?"
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, I beg you, please come down quickly."
Emperor Xuanpei refused, and Qingliu and the others, who were itching to rush in at the palace gate, were stopped.
The palace doors behind them were closed.
As Emperor Xuanpei walked towards her step by step, Azhu, feeling uneasy and unable to stop her fear, hurriedly missed a step and fell directly off the table.
"thump--"
Ah Zhu fell to the ground and couldn't get up for a long time.
Looking down at the disheveled A-Zhu, Emperor Xuanpei showed no emotion whatsoever. He glanced at the shawl tightly clutched in A-Zhu's hand and chuckled to himself.
Hearing that laughter made Ah Zhu wish he could dig a tunnel and shrink into it.
As he approached, Emperor Xuanpei took out a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve, lowered his eyes, and handed it to Azhu.
A-Zhu: ......
In the suffocating silence, A-Zhu still took the porcelain bottle with trembling hands.
She didn't want to drink it at all; she even wanted to throw the poison in her hand directly on the ground.
But it's no use... If she breaks one bottle, there will be a second, a third. If she doesn't drink it, there will be plenty of people who will force it down her like an animal.
Ah Zhu, who had never felt so close to death, even cowardly considered begging for mercy, wanting to beg for a way out...
Azhu raised his head and looked at Emperor Xuanpei.
In the flickering candlelight, the emperor seemed to transform once again into a blurry, faceless black shadow that blotted out the sky, dark and gloomy, swallowing all the light in the world.
Azhu was afraid of such an emperor.
More importantly, the emperor was really serious... she was doomed.
With her hands and feet feeling weak, her whole body feeling cold, and her throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton, Ah Zhu felt pathetic and wanted to cry.
In the end, she could only manage to squeeze out a weak sentence: "It is truly an honor that His Majesty would personally come to deliver the poison."
After saying that, A-Zhu pulled out the cork himself, held the porcelain bottle to his mouth with trembling hands, closed his eyes, raised his head, and drank it all in one gulp.
In an instant, something cool and slippery, with an indescribable taste, was swallowed.
The porcelain bottle rolled down with a "gurgling" sound. Ah Zhu, who had let go of her grip, just sat there blankly, waiting for the excruciating pain of her intestines being torn apart to begin.
It will probably hurt, but in the future... she probably won't have to suffer like this anymore.
After a while, the pain I had imagined did not occur.
On the contrary, Ah Zhu, who had completely lost feeling in her hands and feet and couldn't muster any strength in her body, slumped to the ground.
"Do you think I would bestow poison upon you, so that you could end it all so easily?"
"You promised me your whole life, and now you want to go back on your word?"
"Don't even think about it!"
Emperor Xuanpei squatted in front of Azhu.
As he reached out and wiped away the tears from A-Zhu's eyes, he chuckled softly through gritted teeth.
"You say I've treated you this way all these days, but I'm nothing but a lustful scoundrel... just toying with you."
“A-Zhu, I used to be afraid that I would really kill you if I lost control.”
"Now that's settled, I'll show you what real manipulation is."
......
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Author's note: Hmm... I feel like I should say something. Outline? Never mind, let's not talk about it so we can shake hands and chat a bit more.
The relationship between Azhu and the emperor began with lies. When they felt insecure and saw no hope, the underlying conflicts eventually erupted.
In the heat of the moment, emotions erupted... It was more like an argument (covering face) and the emperor was even more vulnerable.
They didn't give Ah Zhu any poison.
This is how you scare someone.
Even after the emperor broke through all defenses, he still couldn't utter a harsh word to scare people. Ahem, let's give Old Deng a little face.
Tsk tsk tsk, as expected of old-fashioned melodrama.
The story is only halfway through, don't rush me, waaaaah! [heart][heart][heart]
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Thank you so much for your support, my little cutie. It's really easy to get scolded for writing this kind of stuff. This author swears I've given it my all. Oh, another hug to the little cutie who's still willing to support me.
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