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“When you killed my mother, did you feel like you were the winner?” Princess Pingyao repeated, “The Empress Dowager isn’t that old yet, so why are you starting to have hearing problems?”
The Empress Dowager’s expression turned stiff and pale, her hands clenched tightly. “That’s not the sentence.”
“Not that sentence?” Princess Pingyao raised an eyebrow slightly, then recalled after a moment, “As long as the enemy ends up in a miserable state, it doesn’t matter if I take revenge personally. As long as I see them get what they deserve, I feel particularly satisfied.”
A sharp light flashed in the Empress Dowager’s eyes, and she stared at her as if she wanted to devour her. “Who ended up in a miserable state?”
Princess Pingyao curled her lips. “Who else could the Empress Dowager care about now besides the Emperor? Isn’t it the Imperial Uncle’s family?”
The Empress Dowager suddenly stood up, all color drained from her face, her eyes fixed on Princess Pingyao. “What did you do to the Qin family? Wasn’t it enough that Yanshu died? Ji Mingxi, what else do you want?”
“The Empress Dowager still hasn’t understood her own situation.” Princess Pingyao said with a hint of pity for her current, stray-dog-like demeanor. She sighed softly. “Both you and the Emperor are now in a situation where you can’t control your own destinies. How can a mere Qin family continue to prosper? If it were me, I would definitely root out my enemies when taking revenge.”
After saying this, she sneered, “The Empress Dowager doesn’t seem like a smart person. My mother died at your hands, and even I feel it’s unlucky for her.”
The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth. “Who let that wretch not know any better? I showed her kindness, but she didn’t even acknowledge it! And your father, that fool, actually had the idea of letting you inherit the throne. It’s simply ridiculous! How could I possibly agree to such an absurd idea? The civil and military officials would never agree!”
Princess Pingyao’s expression changed. “What did you say?”
“Ji Mingxi, you didn’t expect this, did you?” The Empress Dowager sneered coldly, “The late Emperor’s love for your mother had reached a madness. He actually wanted you to be the Emperor, which is utterly absurd! How could I possibly agree to such a ridiculous idea? The officials would never agree!”
“How laughable!” Princess Pingyao laughed sarcastically, as if she had finally understood the late Emperor’s meticulous calculations. “If he truly wanted me to be the Emperor, the Sheng family’s army wouldn’t have been annihilated!”
The Empress Dowager stared at her with a stiff face.
Princess Pingyao took a deep breath, her eyebrows and eyes as cold as frost.
She finally understood why her mother posed no threat to the Empress Dowager, yet the Empress Dowager was determined to kill her. It turned out that all of this was the sin of her beloved father, the Emperor.
Make her the Emperor?
Since the founding of the Yong Kingdom, women had never been allowed to interfere in politics.
Whether it was the Empress or Princesses, there had never been a precedent of a woman being established as the heir. Her unconventional behavior was her own doing, but her father… her good father, how could he possibly have such thoughts?
He was the Emperor, an unfathomable Emperor.
On the surface, he doted on her mother and trusted and valued the Sheng family’s army, but behind the scenes, he was calculating every step. He deliberately let the Empress Dowager know of his intention to break with tradition and make her the Emperor, all to make the Empress Dowager wary and hostile, using her hands to kill her mother!
What a clever way to use someone else’s knife to kill, what a deep imperial affection.
No wonder…
Princess Pingyao’s eyes turned red at the corners, and she laughed sarcastically. Her father had spared no effort in doting on her while also letting the Empress Dowager know that he wanted to break with tradition and make her the Emperor.
Once this news came out, how could the Empress Dowager tolerate her and her mother?
It was only her previous naivety that made her believe her father’s love was genuine. Thinking of the dragon whip he bestowed upon her, the childhood sweetheart he arranged for her, and the elite forces he secretly left for her…
From the king and the entire court to the common people, who in the Yong Kingdom didn’t know that she, the princess, was glorious and favored without decline?
But how many people knew the true facts?
Princess Pingyao closed her eyes, her smile icy. “The imperial family is indeed full of traps and schemes. I am truly fortunate to have been born into a family of Emperors.”
The Empress Dowager, seeing her like this, changed her expression slightly. “Since the mastermind behind all this is your father, you should seek revenge on him. I was only protecting my son. The empire should rightfully belong to my son—”
“My father’s scheme ended in vain. Do you think your wishes will be fulfilled?” Princess Pingyao’s gaze grew colder as she slowly approached the Empress Dowager. “The one who searched the Qin family today wasn’t me, but the Regent. The Imperial Uncle’s corruption and rebellion led to the extermination of his entire family. Are you satisfied with this outcome, Empress Dowager?”
The Empress Dowager’s pupils contracted, and she collapsed into a chair, her face ashen. “No, impossible, this can’t be…”
“I originally came just to inform you, thinking to let you hold on and not fall so quickly. After all, when the Qin family is exterminated, we might still need you to attend.” Princess Pingyao slowly drew out the long whip from her waist, approaching the Empress Dowager step by step. “But I suddenly feel that only by eradicating the roots can we eliminate future troubles. Just like when you spared me, a Princess, aren’t I here for revenge today?”
“You… what do you want to do?” The Empress Dowager realized her intent, her face turning deathly pale, a mix of shock and anger. “Pingyao, you can’t act recklessly! Guards, guards! The Princess is rebelling, trying to murder me! Help… aaah!”
The resilient whip was tightly wrapped around her neck. Princess Pingyao gradually increased the force in her hands, watching the Empress Dowager struggle to open her mouth in pain, her eyes shifting from shock, horror, and cries for help to despair. Her face turned a dark purple due to the difficulty breathing, and her body continued to struggle in vain.
Princess Pingyao said nothing, just watched her calmly until her body stopped struggling and she slowly breathed her last.
The few remaining palace servants in Longevity Palace were horrified, kneeling on the ground, their faces pale with fear, not daring to even breathe heavily.