Chapter 35: Femme Fatale
The next morning was the seventh day since the little prince's death.
All the concubines above the rank of concubine followed the empress to the Fahua Hall to burn incense and pray for blessings, while Song Zhao went to the dark prison alone.
When she got outside the door, she happened to meet servants from the Ministry of Punishment, who were ordered to send Li off.
When they saw Song Zhao following the rules, they bowed to him. Song Zhao saw that the leader was holding a tray covered with a black cloth, so he asked:
"Is this something prepared for Li Changzai?"
"Replying to the young lady, it is the old three things in the palace."
The palace maid lifted a corner of the black cloth, and Song Zhao saw the white silk, the dagger, and the poisoned wine placed side by side on the tray. He said, "The emperor asked me to see Li Changzai off. Please bring the things in for me."
"Okay, I'll take your trouble."
The door of the secret cell was opened a crack, and immediately a musty smell came out of the room.
Song Zhao frowned slightly and walked in with the tray.
She saw Li Changzai huddled in a corner of the room, her hair disheveled and her face dazed, her feet shackled by iron chains nailed to the wall.
The moment their eyes met, Li Changzai suddenly became excited.
"You're here? Are you okay?" She rushed towards Song Zhao, but because the handcuffs restricted her movements, she could only stop half a meter away from Song Zhao. "Go tell the emperor that it wasn't me who hurt you! It really wasn't me!"
"Hush." Song Zhao walked aside, put the tray on the table, turned around and stared at Li Changzai with a smile.
"Does it matter whether you were the one who poisoned me? What matters is that the Emperor has determined that you were the one who wanted to kill me to silence me."
Li Changzai argued at the top of his voice, "It really wasn't me! Although I look down on you, I won't poison you! This kind of thing can be found out with a simple investigation. Am I so foolish?"
Song Zhao nodded calmly, "I know it's not you."
Hearing this, Li Chang's eyes sparkled.
She pulled Song Zhao's arm and begged, "Please save me! Please help me to ask the emperor for mercy. When I am out of this predicament, I will not treat you unfairly!"
Song Zhao looked her up and down with cold eyes, and after pushing her hand away, his red lips curled up into a chilling smile.
"Because I poisoned myself."
Li Chang was in a trance, staring blankly for a long time, and finally he figured out the whole thing.
"It was you! No one touched your food. Although the servant who delivered the food came to my palace, I never touched the food box! You poisoned yourself just to frame me? Song Zhao! Why did you do this!?"
"No reason." Song Zhao looked at her with a smile, "Since the moment you put the herb in my room, you must have been tired of living, right? In that case, it's just a small favor for me to send you off. You don't need to thank me, sister."
Li Changzai said hysterically, "I didn't! I never put any herb in your room, and I didn't cause Concubine Shu to have a miscarriage!"
Her dark eyes rolled wildly in her eye sockets. Suddenly, her whole body shuddered and she pointed at Song Zhao with trembling fingertips.
"Fu'er couldn't possibly have bought some herb. This was all a trap you set up to clear yourself of suspicion! You're wrongly accusing me!"
"Haha?" Song Zhao sneered, "Unjust? How can you be wronged? Do you dare to say that you have never thought of harming me?"
Li Changzai remained silent. Song Zhao continued, "Of course you have thought about it, but you are as stupid as a pig, your methods are clumsy, and you don't even know how to harm others. You can't blame others for your current situation. You can only blame yourself for your stupidity!"
"Bitch!" Li Changzai cursed loudly, "You bastard, you will die a miserable death!"
Song Zhao said calmly: "Whether I will die a good death is still unknown, but you, sister, will definitely die a bad death."
Li Chang gasped for air, and after forcing himself to calm down, he said, "Don't be complacent! The emperor has sentenced me to be hanged. Before the execution, an official from the Ministry of Justice will come to supervise the execution. I will tell him everything at that time. Even if I die, I will not let you succeed!"
"Hahaha~" Song Zhao covered his lips and laughed, then turned around and sat down at the table.
Li Changzai cursed, "What are you laughing at, you bitch?"
"Sometimes I really envy you, sister. You are the legitimate daughter, and your father treats you like a treasure. The deep love between father and daughter is envied by others." Song Zhaorou's fingers landed on the black cloth covering the tray and moved gently. "Sister, you don't know yet, right? Your father heard that you committed a serious crime and was sentenced to death by hanging. He asked to be fined a year's salary in order to leave you a complete body. The emperor, considering your father's deep love for his daughter, showed special grace and allowed you to commit suicide."
After she finished speaking, she suddenly pulled back the black cloth.
When Li Changzai saw what was on the tray, he was so frightened that his face turned pale and he hid in the corner while screaming.
Song Zhao's fingers slid over the life-threatening things one by one, shook his head and sighed:
"Tsk tsk, I don't know how this servant of the Ministry of Punishment does his job. The emperor clearly said that he would grant my sister an intact body. This white silk and dagger will leave marks on my sister. My sister is beautiful, how can I bear to let her die in a hideous manner?"
Then he picked up the pot of poisoned wine and asked Li Changzai with a smile, "How about poisoned wine? If you drink it in one gulp, your intestines will be ripped apart and your heart will be burned by fire. Although it will be a bit painful, it is always good to keep your body intact. What do you think, sister?"
"No...no! Don't come over here! I don't want to drink!"
Li Changzai screamed in terror. The overwhelming fear distorted her facial features, making her look like a mad woman.
Song Zhao approached step by step until Li Changzai retreated to the corner with no way out. Then he leaned down leisurely, gently stroked her cheek and wiped away her tears.
"Sister, why are you shaking like this? Are you scared?"
As he spoke, his palm slowly moved to her cheek.
He suddenly used his palm to grab her jaw and forced her to open her mouth.
Then, with a faint smile on his face, he poured the whole pot of poisoned wine into Li Changzai's stomach.
The moment Song Zhao let go of Li Changzai, she crawled on the ground in fear, put her fingers into her mouth and pressed on her throat, coughing and gagging, and vomited out a large amount of wine.
But the poison wine awarded in the palace would have been fatal if one took a sip.
She vomited madly until she spat out a mouthful of black blood, then she collapsed completely in a pool of filth on the ground, wailing in despair.
She raised her eyes and glared at Song Zhao, her bloodshot eyes seemed to be able to devour people.
"Song Zhao! You vicious woman! You will not die a good death! I will not let you go even if I become a ghost!"
"Oh?" Song Zhao shrugged and smiled, wiping his hands as he walked out of the dark cell.
When he stood at the door, he suddenly turned around to look at Li Changzai, tilted his head and raised his eyebrows at her, and said:
"Sister, you are so ambitious. I will wait for the day when you can show your talents."
After saying that, he strode out and slammed the door of the secret cell.
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