Chapter 22: Hearing the Empress’s Secret, Zhi Zhi Gets Angry

Xie Zhi Zhi stared at the unconscious dog emperor on the bed, pondering how she could make his life end in a way that would bring some value.

Option 1: He sleeps until a natural disaster strikes, never waking up, without any money or weapons, and gets chased down and killed by his past enemies.

Option 2: He dies tonight, shaking the court for a second before the Crown Prince and the Third Prince fight to the death, only to discover that the national treasury is a shell.

She remembered that in the book, the struggle between the princes for the throne happened shortly after the General’s mansion was raided.

Logically, the dog emperor should have been in good health and not let his sons fight for the throne. Was there a hidden plot in the book that was not mentioned?

Killing him directly would be too easy for the dog emperor.

She decided to observe the situation further. Something about the Empress seemed suspicious.

So, she remained still in her space, comfortably sitting in a chair brought from the General’s mansion, sipping on yogurt to aid digestion.

It hadn’t been more than half a minute since Xie Zhi Zhi entered and exited the space.

When the Empress, accompanied by two palace maids, entered, they saw the still unconscious emperor and assumed he hadn’t woken up yet.

The Empress feigned weakness, pressing her forehead, half-concealing her face. She opened her palm, handing a bottle of medicine to one of the maids and instructed, “The Imperial Physician said that if the Emperor hasn’t woken up after half an incense stick’s time, give him one of these pills to dissolve in his mouth. I’m feeling a bit dizzy and want to sleep for a while. You feed him the medicine, and if anything happens, wake me up.”

“Yes.” The maid, Xiao Tao, obediently took the medicine bottle.

Xie Zhi Zhi, seeing the bottle, grew suspicious. Had the Imperial Physician mentioned giving medicine earlier?

Was this something the Imperial Physician had given?

Soon after, the Empress returned to her chambers.

Xie Zhi Zhi didn’t act immediately but waited for half an incense stick’s time. She then saw Xiao Tao feed the medicine to the dog emperor.

When the bottle opened, she secretly took a pill and transferred it into her space. With a thought, a black pill appeared in her hand.

She crushed it and smelled it.

“Hmm? This is made from herbs that induce drowsiness?”

Long-term consumption would lead to increasing fatigue and mental exhaustion.

What kind of medicine was the Empress hiding?

It was so obvious that the Imperial Physician would have seen through it at a glance—unless the Imperial Physician was in cahoots with her.

Xie Zhi Zhi decided to leave the palace and reunite with Jing Yi and Jing Er to avoid worrying them.

However, as she controlled her space to leave the side palace, she passed by the Empress’s chambers.

She happened to see through a small crack in the window that the Empress was having a conversation with a man in black.

There were four palace maids guarding the door, and the chamber was deep, so Xie Zhi Zhi couldn’t hear clearly from afar.

Curious, she changed her direction and quietly slipped through the crack in the window.

Inside, the Empress was no longer feigning weakness. She was leaning casually against a soft couch, speaking in a low voice to the black-clad man, who was close to her. “How’s everything going?”

The man lowered his voice to report, “The news from there says that the entire army was wiped out, and one person was smashed to pieces. The Assassin’s Guild is unhappy, so I gave them more money to silence them. But unfortunately, it failed to meet the Empress’s expectations.”

“So, she escaped? Smashed to pieces? She can’t even fight. Did Xie Zong Yi send a master to protect her?” The Empress’s face twisted with anger, her delicate brows furrowing dangerously. She hissed, “It was supposed to be foolproof, but then the raid on the General’s mansion happened! That almost ruined my son!”

The Empress straightened up and pulled out a stack of silver bills and three gold bars from under her pillow, handing them to the black-clad man. Her gaze was fierce and possessive, like a wolf protecting her cub. She ordered, “You must find her! This time, go directly to the Black Hawk Guild. Don’t leave any traces.”

She had been planning this for a long time. The Emperor’s health was deteriorating day by day. It was time for him to step down. The Crown Prince had already married the legitimate daughter of the Right Chancellor and had gained much support in the court. He was thriving.

Meanwhile, her beloved Third Son was at a disadvantage because his engagement to Xie Zhi Zhi made other noble daughters avoid him, and he couldn’t use the engagement to tie down other powers in the court.

Now, the Third Son was gradually losing ground to the Crown Prince. If it weren’t for the Minister of War being her father, he would have been framed like the other princes and sent into exile.

She had finally made up her mind to get rid of the obstacle that was Xie Zhi Zhi. If Xie Zhi Zhi died, the Third Son would have a chance to approach the daughter of the Grand Chancellor.

She had thought it would be simple—she hired a mediocre assassin and thought no one would suspect her. But then the raid on the General’s mansion happened, and the old emperor didn’t even hint at anything.

Now, her Third Son had become the last person to have seen Xie Zhi Zhi.

If he were confined to the palace, her next plans would be jeopardized.

One wrong step led to another.

Everything was going wrong!

Fortunately, she had already managed to soothe the Emperor and sent word that the Third Son’s confinement was being lifted.

The Empress was still frustrated but unaware that someone was quietly watching her from the shadows.

Inside the space, Xie Zhi Zhi heard the Empress’s words, and her expression grew serious. Watching the drama unfold, she now found herself as the main character—what complicated emotions!

The assassin she encountered at noon was sent by the Empress?

It was clear the Empress would do anything for her son.

But sending people to kill her was a huge mistake!

Xie Zhi Zhi smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Her delicate face was cold and distant as she thought about how to make sure the Empress met her end.

Perfect. This was the chance to deal with both the dog emperor and the Empress. Tomorrow, whether the Crown Prince or the Third Prince successfully rebelled and took the throne, they would discover that the imperial harem’s treasury was a hollow shell. How exciting would that be?

She was starting to look forward to it.

Out of the two ways the dog emperor could die, she chose the second one.

The man in black, his face obscured, respectfully took the silver bills and gold bars and said, “I will take my leave now.”

“Go,” the Empress waved her hand tiredly, hoping things would progress smoothly without any setbacks.

She then left the soft couch and lay down to sleep.

The Empress had no idea that she would never wake up again.

The palace maids, unbothered by the black-clad man’s departure, came in to extinguish the bright lights, leaving only a palace lantern.

Xie Zhi Zhi coldly watched the Empress fall asleep. She knew the Emperor must have been slowly poisoned by the Empress long ago.

She had been playing with him like a water bird, draining his life and health for her son’s plot to take the throne.

Heh, since that’s the case, it’s time for the fire to burn both the lovebirds tonight!

Her grandfather had taught her never to go soft on those who hurt her, and never give them the chance to strike back.

She had originally planned to let the dog emperor experience the cruelty of natural disasters, but now, she would let him go to hell and experience it firsthand.

Xie Zhi Zhi was furious. Everyone seemed to want her life.

Hmph.

Having thought through her next move, she controlled her space and swept through the entire Zhaoyang Palace, avoiding the maids and guards, collecting all the valuables and storing them in her space.