Chapter 51

Feng Yaoguang’s lips tightened, his expression cold and fierce: “I will lead the troops into the palace later and force the dog Emperor to hand over the antidote.”

Yan Donghuang was about to speak when a maid came in to report, “Your Highness, the military physician has arrived.”

Feng Yaoguang turned to see the military physician hurrying in with a medicine chest. He silently stood up to give him space.

The military physician approached the bed and said, “Pardon me,” before taking Yan Donghuang’s pulse. After a while, his expression turned serious, “Your Highness, the poison you have is a special kind of Seven-Day Poison.”

“Special?” Feng Yaoguang frowned, “Why special?”

The military physician’s tone was grave, “Because this poison is not just Seven-Day Poison; it also contains a unique poison from the southern tribes called Silk Entanglement. When these two poisons mix in the body, they accelerate the spread of toxins into the lungs and meridians, making it incurable.”

Feng Yaoguang’s face turned pale, “What did you say?”

The military physician frowned, “Please roll up your sleeve, Your Highness. If I’m not mistaken, there should be a fine red line like a thread.”

Yan Donghuang rolled up her sleeve, revealing her fair wrist. From her wrist to her elbow, there was indeed a faint red line, barely noticeable unless closely examined.

Yan Donghuang was certain it wasn’t there during her bath last night, and now, with the pain from the poison, the red line had appeared, clearly a sign of the poison’s activation.

“This Silk Entanglement won’t be immediately fatal, but any poison mixed with it becomes incurable.” The military physician’s expression was angry, “The person who poisoned you is vicious, aiming to take your life. If you trust me, do not take any antidote within seven days, as all antidotes will only accelerate the spread of the poison.”

Feng Yaoguang clenched his fists, gritting his teeth in anger, “If we can’t use an antidote, are we just supposed to wait for death?!”

The military physician said nothing, but his expression confirmed it.

Feng Yaoguang stared at Yan Donghuang, a sense of uncontrollable panic rising in his heart. He had thought there was still time to find an antidote slowly. He believed that the Emperor’s plot couldn’t succeed and that Yan Donghuang, blessed by fate, would find a way to resolve it since she had already led the troops in rebellion.

Even knowing she was poisoned, Feng Yaoguang had never thought she would truly face death. Only now did he realize that death could come at any moment. At most, seven days. Counting from the night she drank the poisoned wine, two days had already passed by this evening, leaving only five days.

Such a despairing number.

“You may leave now,” Yan Donghuang said, her voice calm and emotionless.

The military physician bowed and left.

“The military physician is skilled in treating external injuries but may not be an expert in poisons,” Feng Yaoguang still held a glimmer of hope, “I will find a more skilled doctor. There must be a way…”

“Yaoguang,” Yan Donghuang spoke, her voice extremely calm, “When Sheng Jing’an said the wine was poisoned, I knew this poison was likely incurable.”

“Impossible!” Feng Yaoguang’s face turned white, his hands clenched, his eyes involuntarily reddening, “If that dog Emperor doesn’t have the antidote, I’ll tear him to pieces!”

With that, he turned and walked out.

“Yaoguang,” Yan Donghuang frowned.

Feng Yaoguang stopped, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, his body trembling slightly.

“I’ll go with you.” Yan Donghuang raised her hand to rub her chest, feeling the pain subside gently, and got up to leave.

Feng Yaoguang turned his head, looking at her with concern.

Yan Donghuang said calmly, “The pain comes in waves. Right now, I don’t feel much.”

Feng Yaoguang pressed his lips together, said nothing more, and followed her to the Jiangyun Hall.

As they walked along the corridor outside the hall, they heard familiar and fearful cries from the Chu sisters: “Wuwuwu, Empress Dowager, I don’t want to go to the military camp! I don’t want to go to the brothel. Please save me, save me. I am your niece!”

“The Grand Princess is cruel and heartless, and she can do anything, wuwu, Aunt, Aunt, please save us…”

The Empress Dowager sat silently in the main seat, her expression shifting between fear, anger, hesitation, and a few moments of desperate struggle.

The sisters’ cries were like sharp swords, stabbing at her heart, making it bleed. She gripped her teacup tightly, “Stop crying!”

However, the Chu sisters’ fear had been magnified, and the Empress Dowager’s scolding had little effect.

Yan Donghuang stepped into the hall, “Have you made up your mind, Empress Dowager? The incense stick has burned out.”

As soon as she spoke, the Chu sisters’ cries became even more desperate, “Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, Aunt! Aunt, save us!”

The Empress Dowager’s face was as pale as a sheet, her eyes filled with coldness, anger, and resentment as she looked at Yan Donghuang.

“I agree to your terms,” she said through gritted teeth, “but you must agree to one condition first.”

“If you want me to spare the Chu family men, I won’t agree,” Yan Donghuang said indifferently, “Give up on that.”

“Yan Donghuang!” The Empress Dowager stood up, her face livid, and questioned hoarsely, “We are mother and daughter. You once called Yuan Zhen your cousin. Why are you so heartless today? Why must you destroy them completely? Why?!”

Yan Donghuang walked to a chair and sat down, her voice cold and ruthless, “If I had known the Chu family was embezzling military funds, they would have been executed last year.”

The Empress Dowager’s face turned even paler. She stared at Yan Donghuang, gritting her teeth. “There are many corrupt officials in the court. Why are you fixated on the Chu family?”

Yan Donghuang’s eyes were cold, like the eternal winter snow, “Because the Chu family embezzled military funds, and because the Chu family is your maternal family. Who else can threaten you if I don’t deal with the Chu family?”

“You!” the Empress Dowager pointed at her angrily. “You are clearly using public office for private revenge.”

“So what?” Yan Donghuang looked at her indifferently, with a hint of contempt in her eyes, “You can have your son kill me.”

The Empress Dowager felt dizzy, her body swaying uncontrollably, almost spitting blood in anger. When the dizziness passed, she sat back down, holding onto the armrest, and sneered coldly, “He may not be able to do anything to you, but won’t you die eventually?”

Yan Donghuang nodded, “So I will make sure as many people as possible accompany me to the grave before I die.”

The Empress Dowager took a deep breath, suppressing her almost overwhelming anger, “You have fought for so many years to stabilize the Yong kingdom, and now you want to destroy it with your own hands?”

“That’s not your concern.”

The Empress Dowager stared at her face, suddenly narrowing her eyes, “Yan Donghuang, are you not poisoned at all?”

Chapter 52

Yan Donghuang looked at her expressionlessly, silent.

“You don’t show any symptoms of poisoning at all.” The Empress Dowager’s pupils contracted as if she suddenly realized she had been deceived, and she stood up angrily, “Are you pretending to be poisoned just to have a legitimate reason to rebel? Yan Donghuang, you are so bold!”

Yan Donghuang remained silent, her gaze calm and indifferent, as if she were watching a clown.

The Empress Dowager was both shocked and angry. The more she thought about it, the more she felt Yan Donghuang was insidious and treacherous, deserving of death. She wasn’t poisoned at all but used the excuse of being poisoned to play a bitter trick, making the entire court believe that the Emperor and Sheng Jing’an forced her rebellion. She aimed to gain the ministers’ sympathy and make them lose faith in the Emperor.

In this way, when she stormed the palace and removed the Emperor, she could pretend to find the antidote and cure herself, then ascend to the throne naturally?

Damn it, she deserved to die.

The Emperor was still waiting for her to die from the poison after seven days, but she wasn’t poisoned at all.

The Empress Dowager seemed to suddenly see through all of Yan Donghuang’s schemes, her eyes filled with anger, accusation, disappointment, and disillusionment with her actions.

“Donghuang, I have not treated you poorly in the past. Is this how you repay me?” The Empress Dowager laughed sadly, the accusation in her eyes as if Yan Donghuang had committed an unforgivable crime, “I thought you were really poisoned, thought Sheng Jing’an was deliberately harming you, but it turns out it was all a play you directed and acted in. The entire court was kept in the dark by you. You are truly impressive, Yan Donghuang, truly impressive.”

Feng Yaoguang stared coldly at the Empress Dowager, his eyes like ice. This hypocritical and vicious old witch, having done all kinds of evil, was now turning the tables with great skill. If he didn’t know her and her son’s true nature, he might have been deceived by her acting.

“The Empress Dowager seems unwilling to cooperate,” Feng Yaoguang’s voice was cold, “Why not let her taste the Seven-Day Poison and see her reaction to the poison, whether she will really die with blood flowing from her seven orifices.”

The Empress Dowager’s face turned pale, “You dare?”

“Why wouldn’t I dare?” A sinister look flashed in Feng Yaoguang’s eyes, “I wish I could chop off your heads and feed them to the dogs!”

The Empress Dowager looked at him in horror.

Was the Qingluan Army’s hatred for her and the Emperor so deep?

The generals personally trained by Yan Donghuang hated the Emperor and the Empress Dowager so much, who would believe she had no rebellious intentions?

The Empress Dowager felt a chill all over, regretting not seeing through Yan Donghuang’s ambitions earlier. She turned to Yan Donghuang, trying to maintain her Empress Dowager’s dignity, “As long as you promise to spare the Chu family, even if they are demoted to commoners, as long as you spare their lives, I…”

She closed her eyes briefly, “I will agree to your terms.”

Yan Donghuang said, “Yaoguang.”

“Yes.”

“Mobilize the troops,” Yan Donghuang’s tone was commanding. “Immediately take 500 men to arrest Deputy Commander Chang Wangzhi of the Imperial Guard Battalion and the family of Vanguard Battalion Commander Chu Ying.”

“Yes.”

“Yang Debao,” Yan Donghuang’s gaze shifted slightly, her eyes filled with authority, “You will deliver the Empress Dowager’s decree, stating that the families of Chang and Chu are in my hands. The Empress Dowager orders Chang Wangzhi and Chu Ying to return home immediately to protect their wives, children, and elderly mothers.”

Yang Debao’s face turned pale, terrified, and unsure of what to do. He helplessly turned to the Empress Dowager, “Empress… Empress Dowager…”

The Empress Dowager gripped the armrest tightly, the veins on her pale hand bulging. After a long silence, she coldly said, “Do as she says.”

“Yes.”

Yan Donghuang reminded, “If the Empress Dowager’s decree is not delivered promptly or accurately, not only will the families of Deputy Commander Chu and Commander Chang be in danger, but the Empress Dowager’s life will also be at risk, not to mention you, a mere servant.”

Yang Debao’s face turned even paler.

The Grand Princess had gone mad.
The Grand Princess had truly gone mad.

Yang Debao hurriedly left, stumbling over the threshold in his haste and falling to the ground in a sorry state. He didn’t dare delay for a moment, quickly getting up and leaving.

Yan Donghuang made a gesture, and Rong Ying silently followed Yang Debao.

“Donghuang,” the Empress Dowager sat stiffly in her chair, trying to appeal to her emotions, “The Emperor has not treated you poorly in the past. You can’t just listen to Sheng Jing’an’s side of the story and believe the Emperor has wronged you. At least… at least you should confront him face to face…”

“Rest assured, Empress Dowager, I will enter the palace tonight to confront the Emperor face to face,” Yan Donghuang stood up, giving her a cold look, “I will make you all convinced.”

With that, she turned and left.

Feng Yaoguang went out to mobilize the troops, while Yan Donghuang looked up at the gradually setting sun and strode out of the Grand Princess’s residence.

As the dark mass of elite soldiers exited the residence, a rider approached from a distance, “Your Highness.”

Yan Donghuang turned to look.

A man in a green robe and military uniform rode up, dismounted, and said, “Twenty thousand troops of the Tianji Army have entered the city. Please give your orders, Your Highness.”

Yan Donghuang commanded, “Qin Yang, take five thousand men to the inner city and station them outside the Donghua Gate. When the guards change shifts, immediately lead your men inside.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Yaoguang, take five thousand men to the south gate. When the guards change shifts, storm the palace.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Chi Ran, take five thousand men to the Xihua Gate. Begin the assault at dusk!”

“Yes!”