The Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration.
The capital city of Yunqi was adorned with lanterns and festive decorations, bustling with an unusual liveliness.
Within Shou Kang Palace, guests were as numerous as clouds, music filled the air, and an atmosphere of joyous celebration permeated the surroundings.
Dugu Man, clad in a crimson palace robe, sat majestically on the main seat, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.
Beside her, Jin Xiu, her head palace maid, swept her gaze over the assembled guests, a flicker of bewilderment in her eyes.
“Your Majesty, it is rather strange. The people from the Dugu family have yet to arrive, despite the hour. It’s understandable if the old madam and the madam are delayed, but not a single young lady from the Dugu household has shown up.”
Dugu Man's brow furrowed slightly, a subtle discomfort settling in her chest. "Perhaps they were delayed. Go and see where Grandmother and Mother have reached. The banquet is about to commence; we must not be late."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Jin Xiu hurried out.
Among the officials and their consorts, some stole furtive glances at the Empress Dowager Dugu Man, seated high above.
Initially, due to the young age of the legitimate daughter, the Dugu family had sent a collateral branch's concubine’s daughter into the palace to become empress. After the former empress gave birth to a prince, the late emperor designated the current emperor as the crown prince.
Following the death of the former empress, the Dugu family sent their legitimate daughter, who had just come of age, into the palace as empress. She then adopted the crown prince, raised him, and personally saw him ascend the throne.
With this thought, a subtle, unreadable expression flickered in their eyes.
After the late emperor's passing, the Dugu family had toiled tirelessly, supporting the crown prince's enthronement. To stabilize the young emperor’s reign, this young Empress Dugu ascended to the position of Empress Dowager. With her iron will, she intimidated the court officials, governed from behind the curtain, and the Dugu family reached the zenith of their power. In and out of the court, all bowed to their leadership.
“Your humble subject has come to celebrate your birthday, Mother Empress.” A clear, hearty voice resounded in the hall, blocking Jin Xiu’s path as she was about to exit Shou Kang Palace.
The Emperor, handsome and distinguished, knelt directly before Dugu Man and offered a grand bow. “Your humble subject wishes Mother Empress longevity as boundless as the East Sea and as enduring as the Southern Mountains. Your humble subject has found a pot of rare elixir and presents it for Mother Empress’s tasting.”
“The Emperor has arrived.” Dugu Man's face lit up with a tender smile. “Please rise quickly!”
The Emperor rose. “I know Mother Empress does not favor wine. This elixir is not wine; it is said to have the effect of preserving youth.”
The chief eunuch beside the Emperor immediately brought forth a pot of wine. The Emperor personally poured two cups, one for Dugu Man and one for himself. “I wish Mother Empress eternal youth.”
Dugu Man watched as the Emperor drained his cup before taking a sip from hers. The wine was rich and fragrant.
“Mother Empress, your humble subject has also prepared a special birthday gift for Mother Empress. I hope Mother Empress will like it.”
***
The imperial carriage ascended to the city wall.
After it stopped, the Emperor disembarked first, then helped Dugu Man down.
Looking at the young Emperor before her, a faint unease flickered deep within Dugu Man's eyes.
As she gracefully ascended the platform, a look of stunned disbelief instantly replaced the refined expression on her face. Her beautiful eyes were filled with shock—
Imperial guards clad in armor surrounded the Xuanwu Gate execution ground. The heart-wrenching cries of the old, the weak, and the children, filled with terror, pierced Dugu Man’s ears. And kneeling within the execution ground were people from the Dugu family, young and old!
Dugu Man abruptly turned her head to look at the tall figure in imperial yellow beside her!
The Emperor, however, wore a smile as he supported Dugu Man’s slightly stiffened body, forcing her to sit in a chair.
Following this, Minister Zhang of the Censorate stepped forward, holding a bright yellow imperial edict.
“Criminal minister Dugu Xin, having abused his power, privately amassed troops, harmed imperial princes, murdered loyal subjects, engaged in corruption and bribery, and sold official posts, is guilty of the gravest crimes. He is hereby sentenced to be beheaded and displayed, his clan exterminated, to appease public anger. All males under ten years of age are to be enslaved, and females to be sold into prostitution. Thus decreed.” Sudancao.com
Dugu Man stared intently at the Emperor beside her, the one she had raised with her own hands!
She had believed that his reaching adulthood would be her time to retire gracefully.
Little did she know, he had long prepared a path of no return for her and all the members of the Dugu family. Extermination of the clan, males under ten to become slaves, females to become prostitutes – their ruthless and heartless resolve filled her with admiration.
How long had he plotted for this very moment? He had not only deceived the Dugu family’s informants but had also deceived her. While grandly celebrating her birthday, he had apprehended all members of the Dugu family, uprooting them entirely. In terms of cunning, she admitted defeat!
“Your Majesty, the time has come!”
Dugu Man rose, intending to intervene, but found her inner strength had vanished at some unknown point. She slumped weakly onto the chair. She had been poisoned; her cultivation was gone.
Dugu Man’s gaze fell upon the eunuch holding the incense burner. The fragrance emanating from the burner was not the usual scent of ambergris.
“Mother Empress, the Dugu family privately amassed troops and plotted rebellion, a crime punishable by extermination of the clan. Does Mother Empress wish to save them?” The Emperor’s voice was soft, like whispered endearments between lovers, yet this gentle tone sent a shiver down her spine.
“What do you want?”
Murong Sheng Rui’s eyes were as gentle as water. He reached out towards Dugu Man, softly tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Perhaps Mother Empress could beg me. If I soften my heart, I might spare the Prime Minister.”
“Report.”
“Your Majesty, an urgent report from the border.”
Murong Sheng Rui’s gaze turned cold. “Announce it.”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Northern Rong have invaded. Dugu Mingyu, as the commanding general, abandoned the city and fled, causing Yunqi to lose three cities consecutively. The border is in crisis.”
“Insolence!” Murong Sheng Rui was enraged. They had accounted for everyone in the Dugu family, yet Dugu Mingyu, who had been stationed at the border for years and rarely returned to the capital, had become the sole variable!
“Dugu Mingyu, as the commanding general, abandoned the city and fled, adding to his crime. Guards, carry out the execution!”
“Murong Sheng Rui!”
“Mother Empress, this is the first time I have heard Mother Empress call me by my full name!” Murong Sheng Rui looked at Dugu Man. “When Mother Empress first entered the palace, she liked to call me Rui’er. After I ascended the throne, I never heard it again.”
Dugu Man stared fixedly at the execution platform, tears welling in her eyes but stubbornly refusing to fall. Her hands clenched the armrests of her chair, her entire body trembling slightly.
Murong Sheng Rui desired imperial power, he desired military power. Both were now in his grasp. His influence in the capital, she suspected, had long been eradicated.
“Now that you have obtained what you desired, what more can this old woman give you?” Dugu Man said with a cold laugh.
Murong Sheng Rui knelt before Dugu Man, his gaze level with hers. “The first time I saw you, I was six years old, and you were sixteen. I had just lost my mother. You touched my head and said that from today onward, you would protect me. Back then, I thought this sister was so beautiful.”
Dugu Man stared intently at Murong Sheng Rui. She had governed from behind the curtain, teaching him the art of imperial power, yet she had not realized she was sowing the seeds of her own downfall. “Release my family.”
“Impossible.” Murong Sheng Rui smiled, his expression as clear as that of the boy she had known in his youth. He leaned close to Dugu Man’s ear and whispered, “No one in the Dugu family will live, except you.”
Below the city wall, at the execution ground.
The executioner’s broadsword gleamed with a chilling light. It was raised and brought down, extinguishing one life after another. Watching the Dugu family members fall beside him, Prime Minister Dugu’s heart ached with unbearable pain!
Had he sensed something, he would not have allowed over three hundred members of the Dugu family to be trapped within the capital. However, it was perhaps for the best; at least Dugu Mingyu, who was away, had saved his life.
Prime Minister Dugu raised his head and looked at Dugu Man, seated on the high platform, his eyes filled with heartache. In the end, it was the Dugu family who had wronged her.
“Man’er, it is your father’s fault. If there is a next life, I will never let you marry into the imperial family again!”
This daughter had always been his pride. From a young age, he had taught her to conceal her emotions, to master strategy and cunning, and the art of balance. He had never imagined that these lessons would be her undoing!
“Live well!”
The Dugu family had dedicated themselves to supporting Murong Sheng Rui’s ascension to the throne and stabilizing his reign, only to face extermination of their clan for their overwhelming influence.
The ground of Xuanwu Gate was stained crimson with blood. Apart from this stark red, Dugu Man could see no other color.
“Does Mother Empress like the birthday gift I prepared?” the Emperor inquired in a voice as gentle as the wind. “After all, I spent many years preparing this grand gift.”
“Then why didn’t you kill me?”
Murong Sheng Rui’s gaze remained unchanged. He rose and looked at the blood-soaked ground of Xuanwu Gate, his voice a low murmur. “I do not wish to walk alone in hell, so I must drag Mother Empress with me. What I cannot obtain, no one else shall have. What I desire, I will obtain by any means necessary!”
“Guards, escort the Empress Dowager back to her palace. From this day forward, no one is permitted to enter or leave Shou Kang Palace.”
***
Dugu Man was escorted back to Shou Kang Palace, with guards stationed outside.
Jin Xiu looked at Dugu Man, lying listlessly on the bed, her body devoid of vitality, and wept uncontrollably. “Master, you must hold on. General Dugu is still alive. You are not alone. As long as you escape the palace, Master can have her revenge!”
Hearing this, Dugu Man’s thoughts suddenly pulled away from the sea of red!
Her influence in the capital had been eradicated, but it did not mean all of it was gone. As long as she left the palace, she could contact her own people. If the green hills remained, there would be no lack of firewood. The revenge for the extermination of her clan could not be left unfulfilled!
Jin Xiu bribed a young palace maid in Shou Kang Palace. Under the cover of night, while the guards were on duty, she had Dugu Man change into a palace maid’s uniform, attempting to sneak her out.
However, the moment she stepped out of Shou Kang Palace, they were intercepted.
Murong Sheng Rui glanced at Dugu Man, who appeared outwardly calm, and showed no anger. He merely ordered that she be shackled with Xuan Tie locks and confined to Shou Kang Palace.
Looking at the person beside Dugu Man, Murong Sheng Rui asked coldly, “Was this young palace maid attempting to help the Empress Dowager escape?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, yes.”
Murong Sheng Rui gazed at the calm Dugu Man and softly commanded, “Have her beaten to death.”
“Murong Sheng Rui! This has nothing to do with Jin Xiu. Let Jin Xiu go!”
Dugu Man struggled, attempting to save Jin Xiu, but stumbled and fell to the ground. The Xuan Tie shackles on her feet immobilized her.
She was no longer the high and mighty Empress Dowager, but a prisoner!
Looking at Dugu Man’s defiant face, filled with resentment, Murong Sheng Rui chuckled. “I did not wish to harm anyone close to you. It is a pity that you have tried every means to escape me. Then you cannot blame me for being ruthless!”
“Murong Sheng Rui, I hate you!” Dugu Man’s eyes were bloodshot.
The Dugu family had given their all for the Yunqi Empire, but due to their overwhelming power, they were feared by the Emperor and met with the extermination of their clan.
“Hate me, then. That is good.” Murong Sheng Rui knelt on one knee beside Dugu Man. It was as if time had left no trace on her face, just as when he had first seen her. “It is best if you hate me for a lifetime.”
Dugu Man’s eyes were filled with stubbornness. Even as a prisoner, she would not lower herself. “One day, you will pay for what you have done!”
“How can you make me pay now?” Murong Sheng Rui forced Dugu Man to look directly at him. “What, Mother Empress wishes to learn from those women in the harem, to please me with your body and deliver a fatal blow when I am off guard?”
Dugu Man’s face turned pale. She raised her hand and slapped Murong Sheng Rui. “You are shameless!”
“Haha.” Murong Sheng Rui suddenly laughed, his laughter growing louder. “I almost forgot. You always cherished your reputation. I remember Mother Empress taught me that using one’s body is inferior; striking at the heart is paramount. I have thought of how to attack Mother Empress’s body and heart!”
Before Dugu Man could react, Murong Sheng Rui pinned her to the ground. The sound of tearing fabric echoed, and a chill swept over her. Dugu Man was momentarily stunned, followed by violent struggles.
“Murong Sheng Rui, you’re insane! Let me go!”
Dugu Man struggled desperately but was no match for Murong Sheng Rui. In her desperation, she pulled out a golden hairpin from her hair and stabbed it towards him.
Murong Sheng Rui cried out in pain, but the blood only made him more frenzied. Dugu Man, unable to resist, was unwilling to yield to Murong Sheng Rui. She held the golden hairpin and thrust it towards her own neck, intending to commit suicide.
Murong Sheng Rui, with quick hands, grabbed Dugu Man’s wrist. The golden hairpin grazed her neck. Murong Sheng Rui’s eyes turned icy. “Do you think it is so easy to die? Dugu Man, from now on, I forbid you to die. You must live!”
“Madman!”
“Madman?” Murong Sheng Rui laughed. “Yes, I am a madman. I have been mad since the first day I saw you! Guards, confiscate all sharp objects from Shou Kang Palace. Dugu Man, I will trample on everything you hold dear, little by little. Your dignity, your pride, I will tear them all apart. One day, you will kneel at my feet and beg me!”
The doors of Shou Kang Palace closed behind Murong Sheng Rui. He coldly commanded, “Watch her carefully.”
The chief eunuch, Wei Xuan, immediately acknowledged the order. He glanced at the guards guarding Shou Kang Palace, a shrewd glint in his eyes.
To make this Empress Dowager submit was easy, but their young and vigorous Emperor was ultimately too soft-hearted to act so ruthlessly. Since that was the case, he would give it a push.
Dugu Man watched the guards enter her chambers, her eyes wide with disbelief. “What… what do you intend to do?”
“By imperial decree, to serve the Empress Dowager’s rest!”
With that, the guards began to undress her.
Dugu Man retreated repeatedly, attempting to flee.
But the Xuan Tie chains rendered her unable to break free. She could only watch as the guards approached her with leering smiles.
In her panic, Dugu Man knocked over a candle, igniting the curtains. The flames spread instantly!
Amidst the inferno, Dugu Man’s roar was heard.
“I, Dugu Man, offer my flesh as sacrifice, my soul as a guide, and curse the Murong imperial family and this Yunqi empire. The flowers of Forgetfulness River will surely bloom throughout the land of Yunqi in the near future!”