Chapter 50 Draft Devastating News
The lavish banquet at the Lin residence has come to an end.
Because of the imperial edict, the entire city of Nanjing was thrown into panic.
When those noble officials returned to their residences, they were all filled with gloom and despair, as if they had fallen into an ice cave, when faced with their daughters of marriageable age.
In the residence of the Vice Minister of War, the elderly lady, leaning on her cane, roared in a trembling voice, "Talk is cheap! Who doesn't know that woman in the palace..."
She abruptly stopped speaking, her cloudy old eyes scanning her surroundings, and she lowered her voice in fear.
"...A strict decree has already been issued, forbidding any more concubines in the harem from giving birth to imperial offspring! This selection process is not for choosing concubines at all, but for sending living sacrifices to their deaths!"
"Mother, be careful what you say!"
The middle-aged man standing to the side was none other than the Vice Minister of War himself. His face was ashen, but he had no choice but to stop his mother from uttering even more vehement words.
He rubbed his temples wearily. "Who doesn't understand the principle? But this is an imperial edict! It's a golden word, not open to questioning! Disobeying an imperial edict is a crime punishable by the confiscation of property and the extermination of one's entire family!"
He looked at his sixteen-year-old daughter sitting below him, her face as pale as paper and her eyes filled with tears, and his heart ached.
"Send it in... then... then wait..."
The words "to be buried alive" followed by the phrase felt like a huge boulder stuck in his throat, impossible to utter.
The same scene of despair played out in countless secluded mansions.
"They are forbidden to have children... They will be imprisoned for several years, until His Majesty... On that day, which childless concubine can escape the fate of being buried alive with him?!"
"Sending our daughter to the palace is like having her name engraved on her tombstone before she's buried alive with us!"
Countless fathers beat their chests and stamped their feet in their studies, and countless mothers hugged their daughters and cried until they fainted.
Resentment, unwillingness, and despair spread throughout Nanjing.
Almost no one expected their daughter to be selected.
The imperial edict was not discussed in court, leaving no room for anyone to negotiate or object.
Inside the General Zhenguo's mansion, however, the scene was quite the opposite.
Ruixuelou was brightly lit and warmly decorated.
The table was small and exquisite, with only Xie Sangning and Xie Nuer sharing it.
Xie Sangning wore a simple, plain brocade dress and no makeup, which made her features appear even more refined and clear.
She picked up a wine glass, the amber liquid shimmering gently within, and calmly gazed at Xie Nuer, who was dressed in her finest attire and radiant across from her.
"Once you embark on the path to the palace, there is no turning back."
"You must have seen through the Emperor's intentions. Once you enter this palace, you will become a pawn I have placed beside the Emperor."
"You should compete for the emperor's favor, not retire in the palace. But you don't need to worry too much. With your status as the legitimate daughter of the general's family, the emperor has no choice but to favor you."
"I'll remind you one more time: once you step through those palace gates, you'll be forever barred from having children. When the emperor dies, that will be the end of your life."
Do you understand?
Upon hearing this, Xie Nuer showed no fear or hesitation.
She stood up abruptly, her movements carrying a sense of resolute determination, as if she had nothing to lose.
She performed a perfectly standard and extremely respectful bow to Xie Sangning.
When he looked up, his eyes were burning with light!
"I will never forget my sister's kindness in saving me! I will never forget it for the rest of my life!"
Her voice was filled with excitement: "If it weren't for your kindness, sister, who bestowed upon me the status of the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion, I would now be nothing more than a rat despised by everyone on the streets of Jinling, not even fit to be the lowest concubine!"
“A talent show? Such a path to instant success is something I wouldn’t even dare to dream of! It was you, sister, who gave me a second chance at life and gave me the ladder to reach the heavenly palace!”
She took a deep breath, her chest heaving, a blush rising on her face from excitement, her gaze fixed on the direction of the palace:
"Offspring? Ha!"
"What I seek has never been familial affection or the joys of family life! Having children will bind my mind and short-sightedness! It will make me develop unwarranted expectations and weaknesses towards that high and mighty man!"
She took a step forward, her posture becoming even more upright:
"In my eyes, serving the Emperor in the palace is just a 'job'! A 'job' that can transform me and allow me to take control of my own destiny!"
"A job that will allow me to stand on the clouds, looking down on all living beings, and making those who once looked down on me and trampled on me tremble at my feet!"
Her voice suddenly rose, carrying an extreme, obsessive fanaticism:
"Offspring?"
"That's a burden! That's a shackle! I don't need it! And I absolutely don't want it!"
A fierce glint flashed in her eyes, and each word she uttered was like a vow:
"Life is too short! What I desire is to use this limited life to taste the pinnacle of power! To enjoy the glory of being above all others! This favored concubine, I am determined to have her!"
"Even if I am shattered to pieces, as long as I am alive, I can be a person who controls the fate of others, rather than being controlled by fate. That one day of my life is worth a hundred lifetimes for others!"
These words were resounding and carried a sense of reckless madness and chilling ambition.
Even those who had seen their share of storms, such as Ru Chun and the others standing in the hall, were startled by this naked declaration of lust for power.
Xie Sang listened quietly, her face remaining completely calm.
She looked at the woman before her, whom she had personally pulled from the mire and then pushed into the abyss, and after a long while, she chuckled softly.
She didn't comment on Xie Nu'er's vow, but simply raised her wine glass slowly and gestured to her.
The crisp sound of glasses clinking echoed in the quiet room.
Xie Nuer tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp, her posture resolute.
Inside Ruixue Tower, candlelight flickered, illuminating two beautiful faces, each with its own thoughts.
One is calm and profound, controlling the chessboard; the other is like a volcano about to erupt, burning itself out.
Xie Nu'er embarked on a one-way street from which there was no turning back.
——
The next day, a dusty old blue cloth carriage suspiciously stopped beside the gate of the General's Mansion.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man wearing a worn silk shirt, slightly overweight, with a look of urgency on his face got out of the carriage.
He was Liu Shi's biological father, Liu Yuanwailang.
He was struck by lightning when he received the news last night, but was then overwhelmed with immense joy!
The daughter he kicked out of his home has suddenly become the noble legitimate daughter of the General of the State's Mansion! And she's even going to participate in the imperial concubine selection!
Once chosen, one becomes a noble lady in the palace!
This immense wealth and power should have belonged to the Liu family!
Greed was burning in his heart and lungs.
He barely slept a wink all night and urged the coachman to come before dawn. Now, looking at the imposing gates and imposing guards of the general's mansion, he felt a chill, but the thought of the wealth and glory that was about to be his was immediately suppressed by greed.
He composed himself, forced out a few murky tears, straightened his clothes, and suddenly rushed to the gate of the general's mansion. He knelt down heavily with a thud and began to wail at the top of his lungs.
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