Scheming for the world 002 Regret not entering bones

  Dà Yuán Guó, Qìng Shí Nián, Dōng.

  Translation:

  Ta Yuan State, Celebrating Tenth Year, Winter.

  Three consecutive days and nights of heavy snow seemed to have submerged the entire imperial palace, with only the golden carvings and jade inlays on the eaves faintly visible amidst the icy landscape.

  The biting north wind was piercing, the sky had just brightened, and the miscellaneous officials in the palace hadn't even had time to clear the thick snow on the palace path when Zhao Renming, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, led a team of stern-faced guards holding long spears and appeared solemnly. They were still far away, but the cold and fierce aura emanating from their bodies seemed to cover up the chill of the icy sky and snowy ground.

  The one walking in front of General Zhao was Shi Gonggong, the Grand Steward of Shengyang Palace. Behind him followed a row of eunuchs and palace maids. If the imperial guards gave off a cold feeling, then Shi Gonggong's icy face made people tremble with fear.

  In this imperial palace, everyone knows that every word and deed of Imperial Commissioner Shi Gonggong represents the sacred decree of His Majesty, who can give life as well as take it away.

  The eunuchs in the courtyard almost immediately bowed their heads and retreated to one side, quietly waiting for them to pass by.

  What entered one's ears was the sound of palace boots and iron boots trampling on thick snow, making crunching sounds.

  The rumbling sound of the avalanche made all the eunuchs present feel their hearts tighten and their teeth ache!

  A group of people walked away, and the eunuchs who had been quietly waiting with their waists bent slowly straightened up stiffly. Everyone's face was without exception filled with fear and panic.

  So early, Shi Gonggong has brought a team of imperial guards to the palace, something big must be happening!

  Everyone was so frightened that they didn't dare make a sound, except for a young eunuch who had just entered the palace and couldn't help but gaze longingly at the place where Shi Gonggong had just passed by, saying foolishly: "If one day I can be as majestic as Shi Gonggong, it would be great."

  The eunuch's words had barely fallen when he was slapped with an iron palm.

  "Are you saying you don't want this head of yours anymore?"

  The little eunuch wiped away tears and rubbed the back of his head, which was painfully scraped, as he looked at Liu Gonggong, who was in charge of them, with a terrified expression.

  "What are you staring at? Get back to work! Dare to have any more wild ideas and you'll be risking your dog's life."

  The little eunuch nervously picked up the broom in his hand and swept the snow on the ground with force, fearing that if he was a step late, he would lose his head.

  As everyone dispersed in terror, Liu Gonggong finally looked up and gazed towards the direction where Shi Gonggong had passed by, his face slowly turning pale and solemn. The sky was about to change.

  ……

  As soon as he arrived at the Shengyuan Palace, the Imperial Guard, well-trained and in formation, surrounded him. Shi Gonggong looked up at the three large characters "Shengyuan Palace" on top of his head, his expression slightly dazed but quickly regained composure, ordering the eunuch beside him: "Take it down."

  Soon, the imperial handwriting plaque that once symbolized endless favor and glory was taken down.

  Shi Gonggong stepped into the Shengyuan Palace, and inside the Shengyuan Palace, there were also many forbidden troops guarding.

  Arriving at Changhua Hall, the hall was still warm as spring, completely different from the icy sky and snow outside, but Shi Zhi felt that today's Changhua Hall was very cold.

  Empress Liu, dressed in formal attire, sat upright on the couch, one hand gently embracing the anxious and frightened Princess Worry-free who was leaning against her, while the other hand lightly stroked her high-pregnant belly, looking at him with a calm gaze.

  Shi Ji thought for a moment and then stepped forward to pay his respects: "Your humble servant Shi Ji pays his respects to the Empress Dowager and the Princess."

  Empress Shengyuan smiled slightly: "Shi Ji, at this moment you are still so cautious, it's really beyond my words. It is said that there are masters and servants of the same kind, this saying is indeed true."

  Shi Zhi lifted her head, gazing straight at the empress in front of her who still looked as majestic and elegant as before. In her heart, she sighed with regret. The Shengyuan Palace, the Empress Shengyuan... "Sheng" meant sacred, supreme; "Yuan" was the name of the country, Da Yuan Guo. It was too high, too heavy, destined for destruction.

  The Empress Dowager saw the fleeting regret in his eyes, her expression slightly dazed, as if she had fallen into a reverie. After a long while, she seemed to be muttering to herself: "Three years ago, Queen Wang, I brought the Liu family's utmost efforts to assist the Emperor step by step to ascend to the throne, just as he had promised me before. He reigns over the world, and I am the model for the world."

  "It's been ten years since the sacred yuan, and I've given birth to only one daughter. I've spent thirteen years by his side, giving him everything I could, but what did he give me? Time and time again, he let me fall into the pain of losing a child, time and time again, he raised his butcher's knife against my people."

  Shi Zei's eyelids twitched, and he bowed his head, not daring to respond to these words.

  "I never dreamed that the man I loved and who had loved me for thirteen years could be so cruel. It wasn't until I finally saw things clearly that I realized why I was able to give birth to Worry-Free without a hitch. Because even before she was born, he knew it was going to be a girl, and in order to placate me and my family, he had no choice but to let me give birth to Worry-Free."

  The figure of Shi Zhi remained unchanged, standing silently.

  The Empress Dowager looked at her daughter in her arms, but her eyes became distant: "If... if I had loved him a little less, I wouldn't have been deceived by him for so long. Or... or if I had recognized his true face and hated him more deeply after that, I wouldn't have hesitated to take drastic measures against him because of my soft heart. Otherwise, I wouldn't have ended up like this today, with the entire Liu family being executed. Alive, Liu Yinhua is a sinner of the Liu family; dead, Liu Yinhua has no face to meet her ancestors."

  "Mother... " Yu Wu You wiped away the tears on her face, although she didn't understand what Mother said, but every word Mother said was firmly etched in her heart.

  Liu Yinghua held her tightly in her arms, and the corner of her lips bloomed with a relieved smile. She whispered: "The queen mother's downfall today is a hatred that has seeped into my bones. Remember the lesson I've taught you, if you can still survive, grow up and don't fall in love. Men are heartless, love breeds hatred, and it pierces the heart. If you ever fall in love, then don't hate, because once you love, you're doomed to lose."

  "Waaa... Mother Queen... Waaa..." Yuan Wuyou couldn't help but burst into tears.

  "Bring the princess back to the Worry-Free Palace. Before the Emperor makes a decision, she is not allowed to take a step out of the palace gate, nor is anyone allowed to visit her."

  At a single command, the eunuchs and palace maids waiting at the side stepped forward.

  The Empress Dowager Shengyu gave a cold glance, her majesty fully revealed, and the palace maids all looked at Grand Secretary Shi with some hesitation for a moment.

  Shi Ze's eyebrows furrowed, just as she was about to say something, Empress Sheng Yuan suddenly let go of the young girl in her arms and gently patted her hand: "Wu You, return to your Wu You Palace."

  "No, Mother, don't worry, I'll be with you... Worry, don't let Mother die," Yuan Wuyou cried, her sobs incoherent.

  Empress Shengyuan closed her eyes and ruthlessly pushed Wu You out of her arms.

  "Let me go, let me go, I order you to let me go... Empress Dowager... Empress Dowager..." No matter how Yu Worry kicked and scolded, the palace staff on the side still forcibly carried her out, she could only desperately turn her head back, wailing "Empress Dowager..."

  Two lines of icy tears flowed from the tightly closed eyes of Empress Yuan, Don't worry, just let Mother keep this last bit of dignity in your heart, don't see how Mother looks after she's dead, it must be very difficult to look at, I only hope you will never become a pitiful woman like Mother.

  Shi Ze waved his hand, and the eunuchs behind him slowly stepped forward with the imperial wine...

  Three days later.

  The Shengyang Palace Imperial Study was a vast palace where except for the occasional rustling of papers, there was complete silence.

  Shi Ji hurried into the hall, taking small steps, and saw the master sitting at the imperial desk, flipping through the memorials in his hand. The words that had reached her lips were swallowed back, and she stood to one side, waiting quietly.

  Until Emperor Qing closed the memorial in his hand, picked up the tea beside him, he took a step forward and whispered: "Report to Your Majesty, there is something to report from Wuyou Palace."

  Qing Di's hand paused for a moment as he held his tea, saying calmly: "Speak."

  The eunuch bowed down and said, "The palace maid serving by the princess's side has come to report that Princess Worry-free has not eaten for three days and has already fainted."

  For a long time, there was no sound coming from above, and Shi Ji was about to carefully lift his eyes when he heard a calm and peaceful voice rising up. He immediately lowered his head again.

  "Proclaim the doctor."

  "Yes." Shi Zhi bowed respectfully and responded but didn't hurry to leave, instead waiting quietly.

  As expected, it was still a calm and peaceful voice, but the words were not calm at all: "After the imperial physician's diagnosis, pass on my oral decree: Yuan Wuyou is to be imprisoned in the Cold Palace for life, never to be pardoned."

  Shi Ze's eyelid twitched uncontrollably for a moment before he respectfully replied: "Yes, your humble servant has received the order."

  After the Liu family was beheaded and Empress Shengyuan was given poisonous wine, all the officials in the court and the concubines in the harem were intimidated by the master's iron-blooded means. The Liu family, who occupied half of the court, and Empress Shengyuan, who had been honored for ten years without decline, were all dealt with. What about them?

  The monarch also became the first emperor in nearly two hundred years since the founding of the Yuan Dynasty to hold both military and imperial power firmly in his hands.

  ……

  When Shi Zhi announced Emperor Qing's edict, there was no great commotion on the surface of either the imperial court or the palace. However, behind the scenes, everyone felt endangered and, regardless of whether they had any intentions or not, they all suppressed their inner thoughts and dared not defy the emperor's will again.

  As for this edict of the carefree princess, everyone was as silent as a cicada in winter, and no one dared to speak out with any opinions.

  The Emperor had the entire Liu clan exterminated, even giving poisonous wine to the pregnant Empress Shengyuan. What's more, there was still the worry-free Princess who had half of the Liu bloodline?

  Without the favor of sparing her life, it's already a special mercy from His Majesty to consider that she still has half of the imperial bloodline in her.

  Although everyone in their hearts thought that being imprisoned for life without pardon was perhaps not as good as being put to death and following the Empress of the Saint Yuan Dynasty!

  Everyone thinks so but no one dares to say it.