Who would have thought it was Prince Ji who killed his sister? From the moment they learned of it, they had no intention of exposing Prince Ji. Even if she was ruthless, she was still the Crown Princess's sister.
Who would have thought that Prince Ji was so vicious, sparing neither of them? They had already prepared for death.
But she personally watched Da Qiao being killed. There was no doubt that the Crown Princess must have been murdered by her. That was why she thought of silencing them; otherwise, who would harm two mere palace maids?
At this moment, Xiao Qiao could no longer care about anything else. With such a person as ruler and emperor, Dan Feng would be doomed. She would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen.
"Good," Mu Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Xiao Qiao was willing to help her, this matter would be much easier. She looked up at the hall outside.
The dark clouds had not dispersed, and the wind had lessened. Heavy rain fell from the sky, forming waterfalls beneath the eaves and pillars. Lightning and thunder occasionally exploded in the sky above the imperial city.
Mu Qingyao beckoned to Mo Chou, Bing Xiao, and Xiao Qiao to come closer. The four of them gathered together and whispered. Soon, the other three understood the Empress's intentions and nodded in unison, "Yes, Your Highness."
Bing Xiao and Mo Chou led Xiao Qiao away. Before leaving, Xiao Qiao glanced back at Da Qiao on the couch. Gritting her teeth, she followed the two women and fled without hesitation.
In the side hall, Mei Xin, holding Mao Xueqiu tightly, followed Mu Qingyao. "Your Highness, they all have tasks. What should this servant do?"
"You go now." Mu Qingyao beckoned, and Mei Xin stepped forward. She whispered her instructions to Ren.
Mei Xin accepted the order and also withdrew. The side hall was quiet. Mu Qingyao's entire face was radiant, a cold smile playing on her lips. She looked at the heavy rain outside the window and murmured leisurely, "It's time to watch a good show."
There is a saying that those who do nothing wrong are not afraid of ghosts knocking at their doors. What about those who have done wrong?
Jinhua Hall.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared, and the rain poured down. The clatter of thunder and rain filled the air, and the sky was dark and oppressive with a hint of eeriness.
Princess Ji Xue of Dan Feng knelt by the coffin, her heart pounding. She slowly glanced towards the hall entrance. The wind blew in, and the palace lanterns flickered and swayed, suddenly extinguishing. The entire hall was dark and unclear.
Ji Xue jumped up in fright and screamed towards the outside: "Come here! Come here!"
But no palace maids rushed in. The surroundings were empty. She felt completely isolated from the world, only hearing the howling wind sweep past, carrying broken branches and fallen leaves outside the hall. Everywhere was desolate. Her heart suddenly filled with dread, and her face turned pale as she looked at the dark coffin.
At this moment, the coffin lid actually began to shake, frightening her into taking two steps back. Her eyes were fixed on the coffin lid without blinking.
The black coffin not only shook but also emitted white smoke from within. More and more smoke enveloped the entire Jinhua Hall.
Through the hazy mist, she saw a figure with disheveled hair standing up from the coffin. Her black hair covered her entire face, so her true appearance was unclear. However, her voice rang out.
"Imperial Sister, you have made Imperial Sister suffer so terribly."
The voice was ethereal, as if from hell, filled with despair. Although Ji Xue was frightened, she retained a shred of rationality in her mind. She hugged her head and retreated, screaming, "Don't try to trick me, who are you?"
After speaking, Ji Xue called towards the door: "Liu Hong, Liu Hong."
Another bolt of lightning flashed. The figure, like an unbound root, swiftly floated out of the coffin. This time, Ji Xue's eyes widened. Due to the misty smoke, she could not see clearly. The ghostly figure seemed to have no feet, merely floating.
This time, Ji Xue could no longer control herself. She trembled incessantly, retreating backward, and begged repeatedly, "Imperial Sister, Imperial Sister, I didn't mean to. Please spare me. I absolutely did not mean to harm you."
"Imperial Sister, come down and accompany me. It's so cold here, and Imperial Sister is so lonely. Come down."
The figure suddenly floated closer and extended a hand. The hand was fair and terrifying, with long, sharp fingertips, and it was about to reach her neck.
Ji Xue could bear it no longer. She knelt down with a thud and repeatedly kowtowed.
"Imperial Sister, spare me. I will definitely burn paper money for you from now on. Although I coveted your throne and had wicked thoughts, that night, I didn't mean to. I just accidentally pushed you, and who knew you would hit the corner of the chair and die? Imperial Sister, spare me, spare me."
Ji Xue repeatedly kowtowed, her voice filled with sorrow and grief.
Outside the hall, the sound of thunder and rain mingled. In the midst of this flashing lightning, the palace lanterns suddenly lit up, and the mist in Jinhua Hall dissipated, revealing a clear, bright space as if it were daylight.
Outside, the dark clouds had dispersed, and the sky was as blue as if it had been washed. The rain gradually lessened.
Ji Xue had not recovered from her shock and stared blankly at everything before her.
At this moment, several figures walked in from the hall entrance. The leader was Emperor Murong Liu Zun of Xian Yue Kingdom, his face filled with an ominous gloom. The turbulent waves flashed in his dark pupils, and he glared at Ji Xue with cold, chilling eyes.
Beside him stood a woman as cold as ice, the Empress. Her breathtakingly beautiful face was covered with a chilling ferocity, and a dignified aura emanated from her expression. A scornful sneer played on her lips.
Following closely behind them were the envoys from the other five kingdoms. Each of them wore expressions of astonishment, followed by disdain.
Ji Xue was stunned and after a long while, murmured, "What is going on?"
Mu Qingyao walked over with a cold and stern face. She looked down at Ji Xue from above and said coldly,
"What do you think is going on? In this world, there truly is someone like you who is estranged from their family and kills their sister to seize the throne. What's most detestable is that after committing murder, you framed our Xian Yue Kingdom. Our Xian Yue will not be bullied. This time, we must have an explanation from the Empress."
The chilling voice of Mu Qingyao echoed through Jinhua Hall. Everyone's gaze shifted to her. At this moment, they all clearly recognized the formidable power of this Empress. It seemed that Emperor Xian's marriage to her was like adding wings to a tiger.
Chang Sun Zhu's face darkened. His heart was filled not only with remorse but also regret. On that day, he should have taken her away at all costs.
He had always thought that she was just a woman and could not cause much trouble, no matter how capable she was. But now, it seemed that the entire world situation might change because of her, and he had made a mistake, while Emperor Xian had the foresight to choose her.
The envoys from the five kingdoms had various expressions, all extremely unpleasant. Ji Xue was not any better off. Only now did she realize what had happened.
She had fallen into someone's trap. She seemed to have said something she shouldn't have just now. Thinking of this, she stood up in panic and retreated to the side.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand. I don't know anything."
Murong Liu Zun's handsome and captivating features changed in an instant. His ominous and deep gaze was like the chill of a cold pond. A slight curve of his lips revealed a bloodthirsty killing intent, and he spoke in a cold, deep voice.