Chapter 1: Death

The cold wind howled, and snow filled the sky.
It was already past midnight. The usually quiet and deserted Cold Palace was anything but peaceful.
Muffled moans of pain and endurance echoed, chilling the hearts of anyone who heard them.

Tang Mi bit down hard on a handkerchief, inhaling and exhaling in a rhythmic pattern.
She was about to give birth alone.
No one was there to help her. She had to do it by herself.

Creaaak,
The door creaked open, and an icy gust of wind blew in.
Tang Mi’s heart jumped. The handkerchief slipped from her mouth.
“Who’s there?!”

Footsteps approached. A shadow loomed.
When she saw who it was, the little color left in her face vanished.
“You… What are you doing here?”

Her voice was wary, laced with a tremble.

“Big Sister is having a difficult labor. Both mother and child are doomed.
Of course, little sister came to see you off,” Tang Ying said with a wicked smile, staring at Tang Mi’s swollen belly. Her beautiful eyes were more venomous than a snake’s.

Cold sweat dripped down Tang Mi’s forehead. She gritted her teeth.
“If you hurt my child, His Majesty… he won’t forgive you!”

Tang Ying burst into mocking laughter.
“Hahaha! You actually believed that the man from that night was the Emperor?”

Tang Mi’s body stiffened. Her breathing became erratic.
“What do you mean?”

Tang Ying sat down at the bedside, her pale hands caressing Tang Mi’s belly.
“You, a used and broken woman… The Emperor never even touched you on your wedding night, yet you still deluded yourself into thinking you could bear his child?”

Tang Mi felt like she had plunged into an ice cellar. The cold pierced her bones.

She had always thought he didn’t mind her being tainted that he truly cared for her.
She had even hoped to give him a child…
But in the end, he had despised her all along.

“Did you know?” Tang Ying sneered. “I was already pregnant with his child before you married him. But to marry you, he personally gave me abortion medicine, he killed our child with his own hands!
Now I’m pregnant again. I told him I needed the heart’s blood of your child as a medicine primer and he agreed without hesitation.”

Tang Ying laughed maniacally as she pulled out a dagger.

Tang Mi instantly guarded her belly.
“What kind of illness requires a baby’s heart blood?! That’s insane!”

“Tang Mi, even if you’re a divine doctor, what does it matter?” Tang Ying’s eyes were filled with venom. “The Emperor never trusted you. He trusts me. And now, I’ll use your child to save mine.”

She stabbed the dagger into Tang Mi’s hand, then into her stomach.

“AHHH!”
The searing pain nearly took her life in that instant.

“WAAAH…”

Her baby had been cut from her womb. She could no longer feel the pain, only the baby’s cries echoed in her ears.

“My baby…”
Tang Mi reached out weakly, trying to pull her child into her arms, but her hand found only empty air. She rolled off the bed.

Tang Ying held the blood-soaked baby. Her sharp fingernails scratched the infant’s face.
“A bastard born of a whore… You really are hard to kill.”

“WAAAH…”
The baby wailed again, pained by the scratches.

The cries tore Tang Mi’s heart apart.
She pleaded, “Please… please let my child go. I’ll give you anything. Even my life, just spare my baby!”

“Spare him?” Tang Ying sneered, pinching the baby’s face.
“My child died because of you. You think I’ll let your brat live?”

The bloodied dagger gleamed in the firelight as it rose again.
Tang Mi’s heart leapt. She lunged at the demon before her, but Tang Ying kicked her away.

The dagger plunged into the baby’s tiny body.
Blood sprayed.

Tang Mi’s heart shattered.

Tang Ying sneered and tossed the lifeless child at her feet like a rag doll.

“No!!!”
Tang Mi screamed, crawling to her baby, cradling his tiny corpse.

A palace guard entered.
“Your Highness, the Duke Rong’s entire household one hundred thirty-four people, have been executed. His Majesty invites you to the celebration banquet.”

Tang Ying broke into joyous laughter.
“You hear that? Your grandfather’s entire family is dead. And it’s all because of you!”

Ye Junyu!!!
Tang Mi stared with bloodshot eyes. Not a single tear would fall.

“Tang Mi, so what if you’re a divine doctor?
In the end, your entire life is nothing but a joke!”
With that, Tang Ying walked out of the Cold Palace.

Soon, the whole Cold Palace was engulfed in flames.

Her life… was a cruel joke.
She thought he loved her.
She gave everything her skills, her family’s military power to help him rise to the throne.
And what did she get in return?
Betrayal, massacre, and death.

Through the fire, with blood in her mouth and madness in her eyes, Tang Mi stared at Tang Ying’s retreating figure.

She laughed through the blood.
“Tang Ying. Ye Junyu.
By the power of my soul, I cast a blood curse,
I, Tang Mi, swear to return as a vengeful spirit.
I’ll chase you through the heavens and into the underworld,
and drag you both down with me!”