Chapter 1: Passing

"Woo—" At night, the cold wind whistled. The silver-clad Imperial Palace of the Li Kingdom was exceptionally quiet at this moment. Whether it was the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves or the low sobbing of a woman, it sent a chill straight to one's heart. Cui'er, a palace maid, held the large red lantern with gold trim, her hands trembling slightly. Beside her, Zhu'er was bold and attentive; under the cold moonlight, she shot her a secret glare. Seeing this, Cui'er stole a glance back at the woman in the large red sable fur palace dress behind her. Meeting those beautiful eyes with slightly upturned corners, Cui'er felt a chill run down her spine, for the latter asked softly, "What is it, Cui'er? Are you afraid?"

Her voice was like a warbler emerging from a valley, yet it carried a chilling edge, while those beautiful eyes flashed with an irrepressible madness of joy.

"Your Highness—this servant did not..." Cui'er bit her lip hard, not daring to show even a shred of cowardice again.

The beauty in palace attire had skin as white as snow and a countenance as gorgeous as the blossoms of March. Her high hair bun was secured with eight golden Lingling phoenix hairpins, and the ornaments hanging from her waist jingled; her attire was luxurious without being gaudy, instead accentuating her dominant, delicate beauty. However, the hostility within her beautiful eyes was too intense, and the smile pulled by her vermilion lips made one shudder in this cold winter night. This person was none other than the favored consort of the current Emperor of the Li Kingdom, Li Zhan—Consort Xue, Xue Ji.

Xue Ji gazed at the three large characters "Yongle Palace" embossed in vermilion and gold, a flash of hatred passing through her eyes. Zhu'er and Cui'er retreated to the side, and the two eunuchs behind them stepped forward to push open the heavy palace gates. A dull "creak" sounded, and the air that rushed toward them carried a metallic scent of blood, causing an expression of excitement to appear on Xue Ji's exquisite face. Gao Changge, you finally have your day!

Walking through the long corridor, Yongle Palace was pitch black. There wasn't a single palace servant along the way. When they stepped into the sleeping quarters and lifted the bead curtain to see the sickly beauty lying on the bed, Cui'er's heart still couldn't help but tremble. Zhu'er quietly tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to light the lamp. Cui'er gritted her teeth and obediently went to do so.

The room flooded with light. The orange-yellow glow fell upon the face of the woman on the bed. That peerless countenance, which even in its lifeless, sickly pallor remained unforgettable, was suddenly exposed. Aside from Xue Ji, even Zhu'er, Cui'er, and the two eunuchs couldn't help but feel their hearts tremble. Gao Changge, the Empress of the Li Kingdom—this legendary woman of peerless beauty and transcendent wisdom, a paragon of both talent and grace—had always been a noble figure that lowly palace servants like ants could only observe from afar. Yet now, she had no one by her side to serve her, and she was frighteningly weak.

"Gao Changge, hehe, Qiaoqiao, our most, most noble and beautiful Empress, has actually fallen to such a state!" Looking at this beautiful face, the hatred in Xue Ji's heart surged into her eyes like a tidal wave. She reached out a slender, jade-like hand to grip the chin of the person on the sickbed. The woman frowned and slowly woke, staring coldly at Xue Ji without a hint of fear.

Gao Changge struggled to prop herself up, but even this tiny movement was incredibly difficult. She gritted her teeth; in an instant, she was drenched in cold sweat, and her skin felt a burning, stinging pain. Xue Ji was very satisfied with this fragile Gao Changge. This state of desolation and helplessness, so starkly different from the high-and-mighty Empress of the past, made the flames in her eyes dance even more violently, her exquisite face turning grim. She reached out and swept the silk quilt away, looking at Gao Changge, who wore only a thin, blood-stained undergarment, and laughed shrilly, "What, are you glaring at me, 'Empress Sister'... Haha, look, this vast Yongle Palace is empty. Those who were loyal to you have all been tortured to death one by one by this Palace. And Yin Yu, whom you trusted—what about her now? She has become His Majesty's concubine! Gao Changge, why are you so stupid? Why do you trust women so easily?"

With brows like distant mountains, phoenix eyes, vermilion lips, skin like congealed fat, and long hair like a waterfall, Gao Changge was incomparably beautiful at all times. There was once a painter who praised her, saying her smile made a hundred flowers lose their luster, and no beauty in the world could compare to this woman, let alone her possessing wisdom and strategy that would make even men feel inferior. Even in this state of ruin, she looked at Xue Ji indifferently. After a long time, her cold, jade-like voice finally rang out, "Xue Ji, you killed the child in my womb and harmed those around me. Even if I, Gao Changge, die, I will never let you go!" That calm, phoenix-like gaze was finally replaced by intense hatred and coldness, and her cold yet majestic voice actually caused the triumphant Xue Ji to feel a subconscious shiver.

But it was only for a moment; Xue Ji recovered her smile and stood up, looking down at Gao Changge, saying word by word, "Haha, how does it feel to have your deeply loved husband strip you of your martial arts and confine you to your sleeping quarters?" Successfully seeing the momentary pale, humiliated expression on the face of the woman who was always composed, Xue Ji's mood improved greatly, and she continued to rub salt into the wound. "You didn't know, did you? The abortifacient... it was His Majesty who ordered you to drink it. Ha, Gao Changge, oh Gao Changge, you gave ten years of your life to this man. You met him at ten years old and helped him, a mere prince in a cold palace, seize power step by step. You accompanied him to the battlefield to kill enemies and devised strategies for him. Who in this world doesn't know that the Li Kingdom is a land you helped him conquer! As a woman, your fame is by no means smaller than his as an outstanding emperor; it is even greater! But what is the result? You still end up being discarded like a hunting dog once the rabbits are dead. Women, you simply cannot be too strong, especially the women of an emperor. Do you think he would be enraged and confine you just because of a few words of provocation from me? Ridiculous. He stopped trusting you long ago. 'A woman who brings ruin to the state'—emperors are naturally suspicious by nature. How could he allow the person by his pillow to threaten his empire..."

Xue Ji's words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back. Gao Changge's face was as white as paper, and her body could not stop trembling. Her hands gripped the edge of the bed tightly, and she bit her lip so hard that the taste of blood filled her mouth. Finally, a surge of sweetness rose in her throat. "Pfft!" She spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, staining the plain white silk quilt red.

Cui'er was so frightened she nearly screamed aloud before being tightly muffled by Zhu'er. Zhu'er's hands were also shaking; hearing such a tragic truth, even outsiders like them felt chilled to the bone, let alone the Empress before them.

Gao Changge suddenly tilted her head back and laughed loudly. As she laughed, her eyes actually began to drip blood. Zhu'er and Cui'er fought the urge to faint, and even Xue Ji was startled; her smile faded, and she looked at the laughing Gao Changge with a complex expression.

"Even if I, Gao Changge, become a ghost and fall eternally into hell, I will seek vengeance from you heartless people for my father, my brothers, my child, and my confidants. If I do not avenge this, I shall not die in peace! Hahahaha..." Li Zhan, oh Li Zhan, the man who repeatedly said he would love her for a lifetime, was ultimately the one who ruthlessly severed all her convictions. Hahaha...

"Your Highness, Your... Highness, the Empress, the Empress... has passed away!" After a long time, the elder eunuch stepped forward, reached out a finger to check beneath the nostrils of the woman whose eyes were wide and unmoving and dripping with blood, and cried out in shock.

In the third year of Xuyuan, Empress Yuanmin, Gao Changge, passed away. The entire nation mourned. At that time, the Emperor, who had just returned from a great victory, fell ill upon hearing the news. It was officially stated that the Empress had died of illness. Upon waking, the Emperor ordered the sealing of Yongle Palace. The Empress was buried in the Imperial Mausoleum, with the posthumous title Yuanmin...

To the readers This is my first time posting in the bookstore, please give me your guidance. Muah!