Chapter 1 First Meeting with You: My Sister-in-Law is Beautiful Tonight
Thump, thump, thump...
My heart was pounding uncontrollably, like a series of pounding drumbeats, as if it might burst out of my chest at any moment.
Her ears felt as if they were being tightly blocked by two hands, and the sound of rushing water washed over her in waves, making her feel light as a feather, as if her soul had detached from her body and was floating in the clouds stained with the blood-red sunset.
Who is she? And where is she?
The woman turned her head stiffly, her slightly dazed gaze falling on the moon mirror on the golden nanmu wood carved dragon-patterned Luohan bed cabinet.
The mirror reflected a girl's bright and beautiful face, so exquisite that she seemed to be a peerless beauty.
The young woman had jet-black hair, skin as smooth as jade, eyes like autumn water, a delicate nose, and red lips. The gilded crown with nine dragons and nine phoenixes on her forehead shone brilliantly in the candlelight, highlighting her stunning beauty with a touch of elegance.
Her bewildered gaze then swept around her, her dark eyes blinking gently twice.
She was sitting on an extremely ornate and exquisite dragon and phoenix canopy bed, with a nine-colored phoenix-playing lantern and red candles burning brightly. Two cups of wedding wine were placed on a red lacquered and gold-painted begonia-shaped tray. Thin, wing-like crimson gauze curtains hung from all four sides of the bed, and a layer of brilliant candlelight flowed on the window paper pasted with the character for "happiness".
However, in stark contrast to the festive atmosphere around her, drops of bright red blood splattered on half of the woman's delicate, porcelain-like face. The warm blood flowed slowly down her cheek, quickly gathering into drops on her chin before finally falling onto her elaborately embroidered and gorgeous wedding dress.
This is the blood from her newlywed husband's heart.
As the sound of the tide faded from her ears, the woman finally remembered who she was.
Her name was Chu Yueyuan, the daughter of the Vice Minister of Works. Her elder sister, Chu Wanxi, was once the most beloved Consort Chun of the Great Qi Emperor.
A year and a half ago, Chu Wanxi accidentally fell into the Golden Scale Pond, and was bedridden for several months. In the end, she passed away, leaving behind her six-month-old crown prince.
Not long after, the Chu family received the imperial edict from the Inner Palace Secretariat announcing their investiture as empress.
Tonight is her wedding night with Emperor Shang.
As her scattered consciousness gradually returned, Chu Yueyuan looked at the Emperor Shang, who lay supine in a pool of blood, his eyes wide open in death. Her breath caught in her throat, and her fingers suddenly gripped the auspicious dragon and phoenix quilt beneath her.
Beside the corpse of the Emperor of Demise stood a man dressed in a robe with five claws and a python pattern. His eyes were fierce and his ferocious features were almost hidden in the crimson blood.
The man, as if possessed, raised his longsword and viciously stabbed at the Emperor, shouting curses in a fit of rage:
"Years ago, my second brother tearfully told me that he had no children, and every word he spoke was sincere and earnest. He insisted that he would pass the throne to me, and that after my death, I could rightfully take over the throne of the Great Qi..."
"Second brother deceived me with the throne for ten whole years! And what was the result? You actually cheated on me, fathered a child with me, and then wanted to kick me aside, leaving me to fight to the death with that Yama, the Ninth Prince..."
"Having been deceived by my second brother once, how could I be foolish enough to continue serving you? Since you have shown no faith or loyalty, then I, the king, will personally take over the throne of Great Qi..."
On the dragon and phoenix bed, Chu Yueyuan's face was deathly pale. She looked at the deranged King of Shu. If her own life were not in danger, she might have shed a tear of sympathy for the King of Shu.
Emperor Shang of the Great Qi Dynasty was a womanizer by nature, and his harem had more than three thousand beauties. However, during his more than ten years on the throne, not a single concubine in the harem became pregnant.
The pressure to continue the lineage not only worried Emperor Shang, but also made the powerful vassal kings of the Great Qi Dynasty eye the throne covetously.
To secure his throne, Emperor Shang secretly summoned the most powerful Prince of Shu to the capital. After a private conversation, Emperor Shang privately promised to pass the throne to him.
Having received Emperor Shang's promise, the King of Shu did not hesitate to break ties with the other vassal kings and diligently guarded his fiefdom, hoping that Emperor Shang would die peacefully and pass the throne to him legitimately.
Just as the long-time daughter-in-law was about to become the mother-in-law, Emperor Shang secretly had a son with a concubine. Before the prince was even a month old, Emperor Shang hastily issued an edict in court, appointing the infant prince as the crown prince.
The King of Shu had been treated like a monkey by Emperor Shang for many years; how could he swallow this insult?
So he deliberately chose the night of the emperor and empress's wedding to lead the troops that had been lying in wait outside the capital to break through the city gates, fight his way into the Zichen Palace, and then pierce the heart of the Emperor with a sword.
One sword strike was far from enough to quell the resentment that had been building up in his heart for many years.
The King of Shu, enraged, slashed with his sword over a hundred times before finally dropping the blood-soaked sword at his feet, panting heavily.
His bloodshot eyes turned to stare intently at the stunningly beautiful young empress on the dragon bed. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a pleased smile playing on his lips.
It's so good to be the emperor!
Under the vast sky, all land belongs to the king; the beautiful flowers that grow on this fertile soil are all chosen by the monarch.
The King of Shu wiped the sticky blood from his face, a sinister smile playing on his lips. He walked step by step toward the dignified yet alluring woman on the dragon bed, his eyes as venomous as hooks, and clicked his tongue lightly: "Sister-in-law is quite beautiful tonight..."
What was bound to happen has finally happened.
Meeting the man's lustful gaze, Chu Yueyuan felt more disgusted than stepping barefoot on slippery broth. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her fingers, hidden beneath the phoenix-patterned sleeves, clenched tightly as she tried to force her voice to remain normal:
"His Majesty has passed away unexpectedly tonight. The Crown Prince is still a child. The Prince of Shu was His Majesty's most trusted brother. He should... he should immediately go to the main hall to take charge and stabilize the situation. I will not concern myself with politics, so I will take my leave now..."
As Chu Yueyuan spoke, she stood up, but the tall figure of the King of Shu had already loomed over her. The man suddenly leaned closer, and the lingering smell of blood on his body almost made her gag.
Those blood-stained fingers lifted the woman's alabaster chin, and when their gaze fell upon her brimming eyes, a flame of revenge suddenly ignited within them.
The woman's fair skin was delicate and translucent, like the finest mutton fat jade. A pair of clear, autumn-water-like eyes adorned her brows, revealing an indescribable charm as they moved. Her nose was delicate and high, and her red lips were luscious and luscious.
What a stunningly beautiful woman!
He endured humiliation and hardship for many years, and was instigated by the Emperor Shang to turn against his own brother, the Ninth Prince, resulting in the loss of many elite generals.
Tonight, it will finally be time for him to collect his debts, with interest.
"The Empress possesses unparalleled beauty, yet she only holds the title of the second most beautiful woman in the capital. It's an injustice to Her Majesty. In my opinion, Your Majesty is a thousand times more captivating than your wooden-faced sister..."
As Chu Yueyuan listened to the man's lewd tone, she felt his gaze slowly roaming over her body like a cold, slippery venomous snake, which disgusted her so much that goosebumps rose all over her body.
She took a deep breath, slowly raised her dark eyes, timidly looked at the insincere-smiling King of Shu, pursed her lips, and softly said:
"Does the King of Shu truly believe that I am more beautiful than my elder sister?"
Outside the carved window, shadowy figures could be seen, and the clanging sounds of clashing weapons could be heard from time to time.
Perhaps feeling that victory was within his grasp, the soft whispers of the beauty on the dragon and phoenix platform bed made the King of Shu lose himself in the moment, as if the golden dragon throne was within reach, and he could sit on it with just one step.
He raised his eyebrows, a smug smile playing on his lips, and said smugly:
"Of course. While Consort Chun was beautiful, she was no different from any other beauty. The Empress, however, is different. She is like a peach blossom in full bloom, possessing a captivating charm and a unique, alluring allure. To be honest, last year at the Lantern Festival banquet, I fell in love with her and longed to have my hands on her..."
Chu Yueyuan lowered her eyes, as if making a silent decision. After a while, she gracefully raised her head, her eyes shimmering, and her youthful voice was tinged with a hint of spring fever:
"Then why doesn't the King of Shu come closer and take a closer look, and see exactly where I am more beautiful than my sister?"
The beauty had a pair of exceptionally beautiful peach blossom eyes, with a natural touch of crimson at the corners. When she raised her eyes, her amber pupils reflected the candlelight, appearing moist, clear, gentle, and harmless.
The King of Shu burst into laughter, momentarily captivated by the beauty's tender gaze, and couldn't help but lean down.
Chu Yueyuan held her breath, her trembling eyelashes concealing the chaotic emotions in her eyes. Just as the man's blood-smelling beard was about to touch her cheek, she suddenly raised the golden phoenix hairpin hidden under her sleeve and stabbed it into his chest with all her might.
She was not a woman of strong character and had a very faint impression of the Emperor. She only gave a brief bow through the agate beaded curtain when she entered the palace with her father after her sister gave birth to the dragon prince.
Chu Yueyuan did not want to marry the Emperor Shang, who was two cycles older than her, nor did she want to become the Empress of Daqi. However, for the sake of the Chu family's reputation, she had no other choice.
Just as she was bowing her head to fate, the King of Shu launched a palace coup on her wedding night.
Before she and Emperor Shang could even drink the nuptial wine, the hot blood spurting from Emperor Shang's chest splattered all over her face. In just a few breaths, the man she would rely on for the rest of her life collapsed.
As for the Shu King who was currently rebelling, Chu Yueyuan had already heard about him.
The eldest son of the King of Shu was about the same age as her, and his wife came from a prominent family in Shu. The King of Shu's possessiveness towards her was nothing more than male vanity, and he would never divorce his wife and abandon his son for her.
If she were to submit to the King of Shu tonight, she would be a deposed empress, utterly disgraced, and would not only face certain death but also bear the scorn and scorn of the world.
With no way out and no way back, Chu Yueyuan was determined to take a gamble.
She thought that everyone should take control of their own destiny at least once in their life, so as not to have lived in vain.
The phoenix hairpin, made of pure gold, was relatively soft. The sharp hairpin pierced the man's chest, but only went in half an inch before stopping.
The King of Shu stared at the golden phoenix hairpin embedded in his chest, his eyes instantly darkening. He angrily snatched the hairpin and snapped it in two, shouting furiously:
"You vile woman! I was going to spare your life because of your beautiful face, but since you're just like that tyrant, spouting lies and ungrateful, then don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
With the man's fierce hand locked around her throat, Chu Yueyuan collapsed helplessly onto the fiery red wedding quilt. The magnificent phoenix crown on her head fell to the ground with a "whoosh," and the round pearls embedded in the crown splashed onto the cold gold bricks like water droplets.
The elaborate wedding dress on her body was roughly torn off piece by piece by the man, exposing her skin to the cold air. Chu Yueyuan's heart also sank into an icy abyss. Tears gradually filled her unfocused eyes, and the strength she used to pound on the man gradually weakened. All she could hear was the man's merciless sneer.
It was jarring and filled one with despair.
In her dazed state, Chu Yueyuan did not recall the fleeting images of her past days; instead, she felt an endless longing for life.
She hasn't lived enough yet.
Suddenly, the hand that was viciously gripping her throat seemed to lose its strength. Through her blur, she vaguely saw a look of terror flash across the ferocious face of the King of Shu. The blood seeping from her chest resembled blooming blood plum blossoms, gradually spreading out in a dazzling color.
The tall body of the King of Shu tumbled off the edge of the golden nanmu Luohan bed with a loud crash.
The man who had been so arrogant just moments before was now lying face up on the Persian carpet, lifeless.
Chu Yueyuan covered her burning neck and gasped for breath. The air after the ordeal was precious. The dizziness in her head gradually subsided. She reached out and grabbed the red gauze curtain hanging by the bed and slowly struggled to sit up.
Her blurry vision gradually focused, and the armor that shone like the sun lost its warm glow. She tremblingly raised her wet, dark eyes, and unexpectedly met the man's extremely cold and aloof gaze.
A note from the author:
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