Chapter 149 The Passing of Hesheli
Hesheli shouted for a long time, but when he ran out of strength, his voice gradually faded.
In the end, it all turned into meaningless mutterings.
“Ning Wei…”
After a long silence, Hesheli spoke, utterly exhausted.
"You may leave. I need to be alone."
"Yes, sir."
Ning Wei felt as if she had been granted a pardon and immediately bowed in response.
She retreated with light steps, carefully closing the palace door behind her.
She needed to hurry up and make arrangements to deal with Ma Jia.
This Kunning Palace is now a tomb.
Inside the sleeping quarters, only Hesheli remained.
The maddening auditory hallucinations seemed to have temporarily subsided with Ning Wei's departure.
She collapsed onto the couch, feeling herself struggling on the verge of exhaustion every moment.
I can't sleep, I'm afraid to sleep, every time I close my eyes I see Chenghu's pale face and all sorts of terrifying hallucinations.
She was even more afraid that she would eventually become a complete, universally despised madwoman.
After an unknown amount of time, the Empress suddenly struggled to sit up, her empty gaze slowly sweeping across the bedroom where she had lived for many years.
The gilded and painted beams and pillars, the magnificent decorations—all once symbolized supreme glory.
At this moment, all of this made her feel suffocated.
Her gaze finally settled on the bright yellow phoenix-patterned bed curtains hanging there.
In a daze, she seemed to have returned to the year she was thirteen.
Adorned in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, filled with youthful dreams and shyness, she married into the deep palace and became the Empress of the Qing Dynasty.
The glory and sweetness of that moment now seem as distant as a past life.
When did she change?
Did it begin when the wet nurse repeatedly instructed her that she must first give birth to a legitimate son to consolidate her position as empress?
Or did it begin with accepting the kowtows of the imperial concubines and gradually getting used to the power of life and death?
Or perhaps it was because she hadn't conceived after a year of marriage and began to fear that other concubines would give birth to the imperial heir before her?
It turns out that it has only been a short period of nearly four years.
She has transformed from a young girl in the throes of first love into this grotesque, inhuman creature.
She gave a sad smile and stood up unsteadily.
He walked to the edge of the phoenix bed, stretched out his withered hand, and grasped the hanging bright yellow gauze curtain.
He used all his strength to pull hard.
With a ripping sound, she tore a long strip of the curtain.
She slowly but with exceptional focus twisted and rolled the strip of cloth, making it into a rope that looked sturdy enough.
Then, she moved a footstool and laboriously placed it under the thickest beam in the hall.
She stepped onto the stool, looked up, and gazed at the beams above her.
His eyes were vacant, with an eerie calm.
She tossed one end of the rope over the beam and tied a knot.
The movements were so calm and composed that they didn't seem like the act of facing death, but rather like the completion of a sacred ritual.
Finally, she slowly put her head into the knotted noose.
The strip of cloth clung to the skin of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
"Chenghu..."
She closed her eyes, and two lines of tears finally slid down her pale, thin cheeks, her voice as soft as a sigh.
"Mother...is here to keep you company..."
With a gentle push of the foot.
The sound of the footstool overturning echoed dully in the hall.
The gauze curtains and ropes tightened around the queen's slender neck.
She was suspended from the beam of the bedroom.
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Having just finished their afternoon meal, the Yingtai Imperial Palace was quiet and peaceful, with a cool breeze blowing through the waterside pavilion.
Jiang Nan was playing chess with Niohuru by the waterside pavilion, while Daijia and Consort Wang watched from the sidelines.
They occasionally exchanged a few words in hushed tones, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
Suddenly, a series of hurried but deliberately soft footsteps broke the silence.
Zhao Deyi strode into the waterside pavilion, his face solemn, and walked to Jiang Nan's side.
He bowed and whispered, his voice extremely low, yet each word was clear.
"Your Majesty, I have just received urgent news. The one in Kunning Palace... has passed away."
Jiang Nan's hand, holding the chess piece, hovered in mid-air, pausing slightly.
She looked up at Zhao Deyi, a fleeting look of surprise crossing her eyes before she regained her composure.
He placed the chess piece down before asking the question casually.
"What happened? He was fine just a few days ago, how could he suddenly die?"
Zhao Deyi leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"The servants in the palace have sent back definitive news: he committed suicide, hanging himself from the beam of the bedchamber with the phoenix-embroidered gauze curtains."
Jiang Nan frowned almost imperceptibly.
"With so many palace maids and eunuchs in Kunning Palace, didn't anyone notice? Didn't anyone stop them?"
Zhao shook his head, his tone laced with ambiguity.
"Your Majesty, it is said that Her Majesty the Empress has been feeling unwell lately, and has frequently dismissed her attendants, saying she needs to rest. At the time of the incident, it seems that there was no one else on duty in the palace. When she was found, she was already cold."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan remained silent for a moment, then gently tapped the chessboard with her fingertips, producing a soft sound.
She turned to Niohuru, who had also stopped and was looking at her, a slight smile playing on her lips, her tone tinged with sarcasm.
"Sister Niohuru, it seems we can't avoid this heat."
Niohuru tightened her grip on the handkerchief, a fleeting look of satisfaction at having avenged her great grudge flashing across her eyes.
But she quickly suppressed it, revealing just the right amount of surprise and regret on her face, while her voice remained steady.
"Your Majesty, this matter... was expected, but I did not expect her to choose this path, and to do it in such a hurry."
She deliberately avoided using the word "suicide".
Jiang Nan gave a soft "hmm," her gaze fixed on the shimmering lake outside the window, her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather.
"Yes. Everyone says that suicide is a great sin that brings disaster to the family. She's ended it all, without even worrying about making things worse for the Hesheli family."
She paused, the mockery in her eyes deepening.
"However, in the current situation, it doesn't matter whether she committed suicide or not. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager will give her a respectable explanation, such as... sudden death from an acute illness. We can't really let the Empress of the Qing Dynasty go with the reputation of committing suicide."
Niohuru nodded in agreement.
"Your Majesty is right. When shall we depart to return to the palace?"
Jiang Nan picked up another chess piece but didn't put it down, pondering for a moment.
"No rush. The Empress Dowager must already know, and she will make arrangements."
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Mala helped Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang into the waterside pavilion with slightly hurried steps.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's face was somber, with a hint of weariness and anger between her brows.
Clearly, the sudden bad news had disturbed their peace.
Her gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Jiang Nan, and she spoke directly, her voice carrying authority.
"Girl, you must already know the news?"
Jiang Nan quickly stood up, and Niohuru, Daijia, and Consort Wang also stood up to pay their respects.
"Yes, Empress Dowager, Zhao Deyi has reported this."
Jiang Nan replied respectfully.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang waved her hand, her tone resolute.
"Alright, let's skip the formalities. Let's pack up and come back to the palace with me. It's too unsettling to stay in Yingtai."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The crowd responded in unison.
The leisurely summer retreat came to an abrupt end due to the sudden changes at Kunning Palace.
The group silently prepared to set off and return to the Forbidden City shrouded in shadow.
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