Chapter 351 Presenting Peonies
Marquis Dingyuan and Duke Anguo were stripped of their official titles and ranks for treason, and their entire families were executed. No one dared to collect their bodies, so the Prefect of the Capital had no choice but to send someone to hastily dump the corpses into a mass grave...
When the emperor is angry, corpses float for miles; how much more so for such heinous crimes?
The officials and old friends who were once on good terms with Xie Guidu are now all like frightened birds, avoiding him at all costs.
Dou Mingxiu was terrified. As Xie Guidu's classmate, they were like brothers and had the closest relationship. Even after Dou Wenyi and Xie Guidu broke off their engagement, he never cut off contact with him.
It wasn't until later, when Xie Guidu married Princess Fu'an, that the two gradually drifted apart, thanks to Dou Ruzhang's advice.
Who would have thought it would end like this?
If it weren't for Dou Wenyi's powerful backing, he would probably have been attacked by his colleagues and swallowed up by the overwhelming tide of treason. With Dou Wenyi's birthday approaching, he racked his brains and finally chose two sincere and satisfactory items to send to the palace.
Times have changed. No one in the capital, including the noble ladies, dares to underestimate this previously unknown empress.
They all prepared generous gifts in advance to offer their congratulations.
Dou Wenyi frowned slightly as she looked at the room full of congratulatory gifts, wondering who had leaked the news.
"Cuizhi, pawn all these things and exchange them for silver."
When the situation at the front was critical, she used her position to do her part for the soldiers who were fighting bravely.
Cuizhi nodded. "Yes."
Anyway, practice makes perfect. Cuizhi couldn't help but think of the time she pawned the Crown Prince's many rare treasures at a low price. She felt a little unsure and needed to consult with Eunuch Anxi to avoid being taken advantage of and causing her mistress to suffer.
Among the many congratulatory gifts, Dou Wenyi's eyes were drawn to a square black gift box.
"Who delivered this?"
Cuizhi remembered it clearly, her expression somber, "It was sent by the eldest young master's men. Inside was a picture album. However, he also sent a box of strange little trinkets, saying they were for His Highness the Crown Prince to play with, and a box of gold ingots."
Dou Wenyi's expression changed. "A picture album?"
Items sent to the palace would be inspected by the Imperial Household Department, and any items with problems would never be delivered to her.
However, Dou Mingxiu's thought process was hard to judge. Knowing that she didn't like him, she was sensible enough not to hang around her much.
However, it's unclear what their true intentions are behind this deliberate attempt to curry favor.
Dou Wenyi opened the black gift box, flipped through the album, and was greeted by a series of portraits of ladies. The beauties in the paintings were none other than herself, standing among flowers, sitting under an octagonal pavilion reading, or drying herbs under the eaves, each in a different pose, lifelike and exquisite...
She wore her hair in a married woman's bun, and the scenery in the painting was all of the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence.
Cuizhi's expression suddenly changed drastically. "Your Highness, this... the eldest young master is too foolish!"
Yes, this picture book was drawn by Xie Guidu himself. That time he put Xie Mengyao in prison, his right hand was destroyed in prison.
What the world doesn't know is that he can write and paint with both hands.
Dou Wenyi remained calm and patted Cuizhi's hand. "Even if Dou Mingxiu is confused, he wouldn't deliberately provoke us. He was used by someone. Let Eunuch Anxi investigate this thoroughly."
"Yes. That traitor is truly hateful. He used the eldest son to get this thing, wasn't he just trying to make things difficult for you? Everyone in the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion is dead, and he still has the Empress painted in it. It's too unlucky!" Cuizhi said angrily.
Cuizhi was unaware of Xie Guidu's rebirth, so it was normal that she couldn't see Xie Guidu's intentions at all.
However, the battle in Fuzhou is now at its most intense, Xie Guidu is thousands of miles away, the entire Xie family has been wiped out, none of his men have shown up, and no one has come to collect the bodies.
But he has the leisure to torment her?
Is Xie Guidu trying to drag himself down to hell?
Dou Wenyi's heart tightened as she turned the pages one by one, and sure enough, she found something unusual in the book's cover.
"Bring me a dagger..."
The sharp dagger easily pried open the cover, revealing a bizarre and alluring painting: a coffin was placed in the center of the mourning hall, and she lay peacefully inside it. Countless red flowers, as vivid as blood, were painted on the outside of the coffin, blooming brightly.
White banners were hung everywhere, and the words on the memorial tablets were clearly visible: "Memorial Tablet of the Late Wife Dou Wenyi." Outside, a group of monks were busy performing rituals for her soul...
Cuizhi was so frightened that she almost screamed.
Dou Wenyi's eyes narrowed, her slender white fingers gripping the delicate drawing paper tightly until her palms were sweaty.
She vaguely felt that the scene was familiar, perhaps it was the scene after her death in her previous life.
Pei Siyan received the news almost immediately. When he arrived, Dou Wenyi was standing in the flower bushes of the Imperial Garden, lost in thought. She held a beautiful peony in her slender hand, gazing up at the sky, completely absorbed in the moment.
The May wind gently rustled through the lush branches, and a few leaves drifted down onto her head, but she was completely unaware.
Pei Siyan's heart tightened, and he hurried forward to meet him. Dou Wenyi keenly noticed the person who had arrived, turned around abruptly, and came to her senses, "Your Majesty."
"That painting... are you scared?" Pei Siyan gently held her hand, a surge of anger rising within him.
He should have just killed Xie Guidu back then; otherwise, all this trouble would have been avoided.
Dou Wenyi remained calm. “Your Majesty, I have already died once. Why would I be afraid of his trickery? I just find it disgusting and unbelievable that he would wantonly provoke war and not care about the lives of millions of people, and even the lives of the entire Xie family. It is clear that he has long lost his mind and has gone mad.”
"He committed so many atrocities, he deserved to die long ago!"
In this world, only she and Xie Guidu are reborn. Their entanglement across two lifetimes may ultimately end in a fight to the death.
Pei Siyan frowned. "If he can get this painting to you through your brother, who can guarantee he won't use other tricks next time?"
"His actions are nothing more than an attempt to unsettle us. If we become paranoid and fall into his trap, we will be playing right into his hands. Strangely enough, this flood did not happen in the previous life."
“I specifically checked that dam. It was only built a few years ago, so why did multiple sections of the dam breach at the same time?”
Pei Siyan stared intently at her face. "You mean this was all man-made?"
In his attempt to bring him down, Xie Guidu had almost lost all humanity, gambling with the lives of the poor.
"Anxi!" Pei Siyan suppressed the deep anger in his heart.
"Your servant is here."
"Xie Guidu has also planted assassins in Tianning City. Have the Imperial City Guard investigate thoroughly! If they are found to be involved, kill them all without exception."
Eunuch Anxi withdrew as ordered.
Pei Siyan stared at the medicine spoon in her hand and said gently, "When men and women tease each other, they give each other peonies. Won't you give me a peony?"
Dou Wenyi smiled and reached out to tuck her hand behind his ear. "Peony is also known as Jiangli. Sanlang, are you planning to leave Tianning City?"
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