Dong Eshi, however, no longer wanted to live.
Every night when she closes her eyes, she remembers that day. That day, Hongshi, unusually tender, fed her a cup of tea, and then… and then…
How could she, the legitimate daughter of the Dong E clan and a pampered Manchu princess, do such a despicable thing!
Dong Eshi couldn't accept herself like that; she simply refused to believe that she could have done such a thing. That was a bitch, that was a slut, that wasn't her! She couldn't sleep at night, she toiled day and night, unable to eat or drink, and now, finally, she was at her wit's end, and all she wanted was to die.
At this moment, for the first time in her life, Lady Dong'e felt grateful that she had no children. She had knelt before Buddha every night, earnestly praying, but heaven had been unkind, and she had never even conceived. But now, thankfully, she didn't! Thank goodness she didn't! Now she could die without any regrets.
"What are you all standing there for! Pry open the princess's mouth and force-feed her!" Hongshi slammed his fist on the table and roared.
The old nanny and two maids who had entered the palace with Lady Dong'e were kneeling on the ground, silently wiping away their tears. Although they did not know why their mistress had such a death wish, they were saddened but would not resist now that she only wanted to die with dignity.
Unable to get the maids to do anything, Hongshi turned to Jinzhong Jinbao and said, "Can't you hear what I'm saying? I want my wife to drink her medicine! I want her to drink her medicine!!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Jinzhong had no choice but to step forward, pick up the medicine bowl, and skillfully pry open Dong Eshi's mouth to pour the medicine into her mouth.
But Lady Dong'e remained still, letting him do as he pleased, yet she did not swallow. Streams of dark medicine spilled from her lips, soaking her nightgown and the thick quilt covering her.
"My lady!" A palace maid kneeling on the ground couldn't help but cry out, rushing forward to push Jinzhong aside and throwing herself onto Dong Eshi's body, sobbing uncontrollably, "My lady! My lady!!"
She probably wanted to beg Dong Eshi not to die, but she couldn't bring herself to say it and could only weep.
"Stop crying!" Hongshi was annoyed and had a headache. He stepped forward, grabbed the maid, glanced at her tearful face, and suddenly had an idea. He took out a small bottle from his sleeve and said to Dong Eshi, "If you refuse to take your medicine, I will feed your two maids this good stuff."
"You've tried it yourself, haven't you? Hmm?" Hongshi laughed like a devil. Dong'e, who was already on her deathbed, screamed and roared, "Beast! You...beast!"
"A beast? Then let me show you what a beast really is!"
Amidst screams from the women, Hongshi pressed the maid against Dong'e Shi, then lifted her skirt...
He continued moving, meeting Dong Eshi's fixed gaze, still panting and laughing, and asked, "Are you going to drink the medicine or not? Hmm? Are you going to drink it or not?"
The maid had already fainted from crying, and Dong Eshi coughed up a mouthful of blood, and died from a sudden attack of anger.
But she never closed her eyes until she died, staring intently at Hongshi.
After Hongshi finished venting his anger, he realized that Dong Eshi had already passed away. He paused for a moment, then spat out, "What a damn bad luck!"
"You...you beast...you beast!! Heaven is unjust! Today, this old servant will risk my old life to avenge Miss!" Dong E's wet nurse could no longer bear it and rammed her head against Hongshi.
Hongshi spat again, took a step back, and kicked the wet nurse as she bumped into him. The wet nurse screamed, unable to stop herself, and crashed headfirst into the edge of the canopy bed. Blood flowed down the edge of the bed and down her face. She immediately knelt down beside the bed, her trembling, aged hands gripping the thick quilt stained with blood and medicine, and with trembling lips, she whispered "Miss" before slowly closing her eyes...
Hongshi pulled up his trousers, not even glancing at the horrific scene on the bed, and as he walked out, he ordered, "The Fujin has passed away; the two maids and the wet nurse shall be buried with her..."
As he spoke, he stopped beside the only remaining maid.
The maid was trembling with fear at the sight before her, but she had no will to resist. She peeked at Hongshi while shaking like a leaf, and Hongshi smiled wickedly: "What's your name?"
After that day, the Third Prince's wife and her maids passed away, and a new eunuch appeared in Hongshi's study.
"She was so young..." Upon hearing the news of the Third Prince's wife's passing, Qian Shengyan sighed. Yinzhen also felt a pang of emotion: "Xierda was also a senior minister whom the late Emperor valued. I have also met that child, Dong Eshi... Well then, let her be buried with the rites due to a Prince's wife."
"His Majesty is benevolent," Qian Shengyan sighed, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.
He was not even twenty years old, and his life, as beautiful as a flower, had just begun. It's truly heartbreaking that it was cut short like this.
Yinzhen even summoned Hongshi to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to comfort him. Seeing his dark circles and haggard appearance, he couldn't help but feel a little sad: "You should rest well and not think too much. In the future, I will choose a good consort for you and give you a few more legitimate sons. Don't be too sad."
"Your subject kowtows to thank Your Majesty..." Hongshi knelt on the ground, kowtowing with utmost sincerity.
Upon hearing the news at Chengqian Palace, Shan Xiu nearly went mad with joy.
"Good riddance! Good riddance! You died at the perfect time!" She pulled the blanket around herself, laughing almost maniacally. "Sister, you really made room for me. I thank you, thank you!"
She felt the time was right, and after the funeral of Lady Dong'e was over, she would go to the Prince's residence to find Hongshi. She wanted to live in Hongshi's courtyard and stay with him for a long, long time.
Because of the funeral, Hongshi was under constant watchful eyes from the palace servants coming and going in the courtyard and couldn't do anything. But when he was feeling listless, he finally remembered Shanxiu, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
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