Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 450: Like Human, Like Demon (4)
"Then behave yourself."
"Understood, brother-in-law." Xiaobai shrank his neck, seeing that his brother-in-law was really angry, so he shut up.
Lou Qianyu flickered his eyebrows, surveying back and forth between Xiaobai and Dugu Chen, but Xiaobai caught his gaze. Pouting, with his chin raised, he lifted his head and said, "What’s there to look at?"
Seeing this, Lou Qianyu smiled awkwardly at Dugu Chen, feeling like he was getting shot even while lying down.
"You shut up. Say one more word, and I can skin you just the same," he warned Xiaobai with his eyes. Seeing that Xiaobai obediently lowered his head, he then gave Lou Qianyu a helpless smile, "My brother-in-law is spoiled by my dear wife. I beg the Crown Prince’s forgiveness."
Lou Qianyu gave Dugu Chen a slight smile and shook his head, "Haha, this is nothing. How can I, the Crown Prince, stoop to the level of a child? Emperor Jinghe worries too much."
Dugu Chen returned a faint smile and nodded. The two of them rode their warhorses, crossed the city walls, and galloped towards the Imperial Palace, while Xiaobai looked at Dugu Chen with a grievous gaze from behind, pouted, and abruptly pulled a lieutenant off his horse, mounted the horse he had snatched, and looked down at the stunned Lieutenant Cao: "You’re looking for a horse, right? I’m tired, little master."
Having snapped out of it, Lieutenant Cao grimaced. When will this young master return to the capital? He and a few brothers were nearly crazed by his torment, whether it was sword practice or martial exercises with General Hu. Now, all the officers in the army would take a wide berth upon seeing him.
Lieutenant Cao mounted the warhorse that a guard had brought over, squeezed the horse’s belly, and hurriedly caught up with the emperor ahead.
Hu Liujin led the army and quickly arrived at the palace gates. Inside the palace, this news spread, and the eunuchs and palace maids, each clutching their bundles, began to flee for their lives. Ming Hong watched the scene before him descend into chaos and closed his eyes in despair.
In the harem, the commotion escalated. The Empress began packing her valuables, removing her most beautiful gown and gold and silver jewelry, and put on an old palace maid’s attire, planning to slip away and escape.
Yet some of the Empress’s palace maids, long oppressed, finally erupted. Several maids banded together, strangled the Empress’s trusted confidante to death, then slowly closed in on the Empress.
"Insolent! What are you trying to do?" Though she looked disheveled, the Empress’s years of accrued authority still remained undiminished.
A few maids exchanged smiles, "What do you think we want to do? Of course, we want to let you enjoy the treatment you’ve given us!"
"Hmph, you few little harlots dare to move against me? Truly overestimating yourselves," the Empress scoffed disdainfully at the maids.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Even at death’s door, still pretending to be the big bad wolf. Sisters, we’ve suffered oppression for so many years. Today, those with vengeance will avenge, those with grievances will redress. Let’s grab the gemstones, and we can leave the palace and live a peaceful life," Xiaolu rallied the maids with a shout, and they advanced to snatch the bundle from the Empress’s hands.
"Let go, you wretched slaves! I should have killed you all from the start," the Empress shrieked hysterically.
"You old witch, my sister just broke one of your confidante’s teacups, and you had people throw her down a well. I’ve always remembered this grudge. Today, you’ll get a taste of that experience. Go to the netherworld and apologize to my sister," she said.
"Right, be a burial companion for Xiaohong," the other maids, reminded of the incident, also became extremely angry, and together they lifted the struggling Empress and headed toward the well outside Yihe Palace.
The Empress, realizing they were serious, had her heart pounding violently, and she pleaded desperately, "Let me go, please. As long as you release me, I will surrender all my gold and treasures. Not just what you see, I’ve hidden the rest."
"Hmph, still lying when death is upon you," Xiaolu recalled her sister’s tragic death and couldn’t restrain her sorrow.
"Xiaolu sister, why waste time talking to her? Just throw her in," said a palace maid dressed in pink with a centipede-shaped scar across her face, glaring hatefully at the Empress.
"Throw her." As Xiaolu’s voice fell, several hands pushed the Empress into the well at once.
"Ah..."
With a ’plop,’ the sound of someone hitting the water rang out, and the maids stood in silence for a while, watching the well no longer bubbling, then walked away with a sense of relief. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Ming Hong, seeing the palace maids and eunuchs all fleeing for their lives, stood up dejectedly and trudged to his own sleeping quarters. He changed into a brand new court robe, went before the Bronze Mirror, and combed his suddenly white hair with great care. Stepping out of the bedroom, he walked into Jinluan Hall and sat on the Dragon Throne, eyes sweeping the empty hall with a bitter smile. Opening the vial, he drank the poison it contained and soon black blood seeped from the corners of Ming Hong’s mouth, his body convulsed a few times, and his eyes, filled with lingering desire, swept over the throne below him. His hand touched the cold Dragon Throne armrest, his head tilted, his body stiffened, and his eyes, now lifeless, stared at the entrance of the hall.
