In the bedroom, a frail woman lay on the large bed, her cheeks sunken and her chin pointed.
She was in a deep coma. Beside the bed knelt an old physician, afraid to even breathe. Liu Liu’s breathing grew heavier, her eyes moistened, and her chest heaved with pain, a sharp agony spreading to her limbs.
Was this the same cousin who had traveled thousands of miles for love to marry into the Jiangnan region? Why didn't she return to the capital?
"Wuyang, Wuyang, Imperial Sister-in-law is here to see you."
At these words, the person on the bed, previously comatose, suddenly stirred. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped for breath, looking at Liu Liu. Her lips moved, unable to form a complete sentence.
Seeing that she had something to say, Liu Liu leaned closer to her mouth. She heard a soft murmur, "Imperial Sister-in-law, you've come."
A tear rolled down her cheek, so crystal clear, piercing her heart. It was for the lost love, for her thousand-mile pursuit, for her compromise that yielded no commensurate respect.
Her delicate eyelashes once again veiled her sorrowful eyes. Liu Liu turned to look at Nangong Yue beside her.
"Brother, come and see what poison she has ingested immediately!"
"Alright," Nangong Yue nodded, quickly approaching the bed. He took her slender arm, revealing the distinct veins beneath her fair skin.
Liu Liu turned back to the person by the door, who looked bewildered. She smiled faintly, a chill spreading from the corners of her lips until her entire face was frozen and fierce.
"Yun Jinshu, is this your vow from back then? What do you think you've done with a princess of the imperial family?"
Liu Liu called out towards the door, "Hong Xiu!" Hong Xiu responded and walked in, respectfully cupping her fist. "Mistress."
Liu Liu commanded with an ominous tone, "Notify the people of Seven Star Tower. Immediately begin cutting off all supplies to the Yun and Luo families. I have only one demand: ensure they have no chance of recovery."
These heart-wrenching, chilling words, like frost in a blizzard, plunged years of the Yun family's efforts into the depths, casting them into a thousand turbulent waves.
Yun Jinshu’s face turned ashen, his body swaying uncontrollably. He collapsed onto a chair by the door. The elderly Madam Yun, who had been kneeling, now had eyes as red as embers, as if struck by a heavy blow.
Seven Star Tower, the foremost establishment in the land, was actually the Empress's property. All monopolies in Jiangnan were in the hands of the foremost tower. Even without the empress resorting to official means, they would never survive. This was all her doing, her sin. She immediately began to kowtow forcefully.
"I beg Her Majesty the Empress to spare the Yun family! I beg Her Majesty the Empress to spare my son! It is all this old woman's fault. I am willing to die to atone."
Liu Liu slowly walked to Madam Yun's side and spoke with a chilling, cold beauty.
"I never give anyone a second chance. A princess marrying into your household should have been met with gratitude. You dared to commit treason; even confiscating your property and exterminating your clan would not be excessive."
Having said that, she slowly stood up. Madam Yun slumped to the side, and after a long moment, she reacted by lunging towards the intricately carved screen in the room, falling and striking her head, causing blood to flow. The screen shattered into pieces, emitting a loud crash. Yun Jinshu lunged forward.
"Mother, Mother, what are you doing?"
He looked up at the woman who was so high above, so honored. Her face held no trace of sympathy, no shred of pity. This woman was truly ruthless. The flicker in her dark eyes was not sympathy but profound disdain. She spoke softly.
"You don't need to seek sympathy from me. You are not worthy of it. Even if she died several times over, it would not compensate for the harm the princess has suffered."
"Hong Xiu, issue the notice immediately."
"Yes, Mistress."
Hong Xiu walked out with dignity. Yun Jinshu held his unconscious mother, his heart filled with utter despair. Years of his efforts were destroyed in an instant by this woman.
But whose fault was all of this? It was all his fault. When he sought out the imperial palace back then, this woman had genuinely married Wuyang to him. But in the end, he had failed Wuyang.
It was all his mother's interference that prevented them from having even a single child. Perhaps everything was now irrecoverable.
Yun Jinshu, in pain, held Madam Yun and gazed at Wuyang on the bed, praying that Wuyang would be alright.
Nangong Yue had already examined Wuyang’s pulse. He placed her hand down and turned back to Liu Liu, speaking softly.
"She was indeed drugged. It’s a slow-acting poison. The poison itself is not severe, but she has suffered from long-term malnutrition. It may take some time to recover with proper care."
As Nangong Yue finished speaking, Liu Liu sneered. How could a princess suffer from malnutrition? Why would she be malnourished?
Did the grand five great noble families lack food? This indicated one thing: Wuyang was not living well in the Yun family. Liu Liu glared at Luo Yi beside her and said in a deep voice.
"Luo Yi, you wretched girl, why didn't you send someone to the capital when your mistress was in this state?"
Luo Yi, already aware of the Empress's formidable nature, knelt down in fear.
"Your Majesty, spare my life. It was the princess who told me not to send anyone to the capital. The princess said that they would eventually be moved by her. But that was useless for the old Madam. She never accepted the princess and deliberately made things difficult for her. The驸马爷 always followed the old Madam’s words. The princess lived unhappily in the mansion and bore everything alone."
As Luo Yi spoke, she began to cry. Liu Liu’s nose tingled, and her heart ached. Who would have thought that the simple Wuyang would sacrifice so much for the man she loved? This man was no longer worthy of her from this moment on. It was better to leave him. She turned and looked at Wuyang on the bed.
Nangong Yue and Wan Qing had already begun to administer acupuncture to detoxify her. Her small, delicate face was deathly pale. What resilience was hidden within such a petite body? Yet, this man did not know how to cherish it.
Yun Jinshu listened to Luo Yi’s words, his mind reeling. He had always been managing the business outside.
He thought his mother and Wuyang were getting along reasonably well. Although they sometimes clashed, he never imagined it had escalated to this extent.
Yun Jinshu felt a deep pain for Wuyang's sacrifices. As a princess, she had married into the Yun family after traveling thousands of miles. He remembered that the last time she wanted to return to the capital, his mother hadn't allowed him to accompany her. Had their relationship already been scarred then? He just hadn't paid attention.
Liu Liu did not spare Yun Jinshu a glance, her eyes falling softly on Wuyang. Nangong Yue had given her acupuncture, and the toxic qi was being drawn out. Her lips regained some color, but her face remained pale and frail.
"Zhao Jiu, carry the princess to the carriage outside and take her away."
Upon hearing Liu Liu's words, Yun Jinshu was greatly alarmed. He quickly stood up and blocked Liu Liu's path, saying in a panicked tone, "Where are you taking her?"
"What do you think? Do you still have the right to ask where she's being taken? Do you truly want to see her die in your Yun mansion?" This aggressive question caused Yun Jinshu to stagger back two steps, weakly supporting himself on the screen frame behind him. The glass had already shattered, leaving it empty and swaying.
Luo Xiangsi, who had been kneeling all along, breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the Empress walk out. However, she did not know.
As if Liu Liu had eyes in the back of her head, she flicked her hand, and a short sword by her leg flew out, spinning several times and slitting Luo Xiangsi's throat. Killing someone was as simple as killing a chicken.
Yun Jinshu watched all of this unfold before him and let out a mournful laugh to the heavens. What was all of this for?
In the bedroom, blood stained the floor. His cousin was murdered, his mother was unconscious, and the princess had left. This house was no longer a home. He was consumed by agonizing regret. If he had been more assertive, none of this would have happened today.
Liu Liu did not even look at the frenzied Yun Jinshu. She led her entourage out of the bedroom and proceeded forward. The servants along the way were terrified, shrinking into corners, not daring to utter a single word.