The early summer sky often brought sudden torrential downpours by evening.
The gloomy heavens pressed heavily upon the stately palace walls, the once resplendent halls now darkened under the brooding clouds, resembling a vast cage that trapped its inhabitants firmly within.
The spacious bedchamber had curtains that seemed aged, coated in thick dust. Despite the sweltering season, a chilling coldness permeated the air. Clothes and jewelry lay scattered across the floor as if a calamity had just swept through.
A woman knelt on the ground, her gaze lifting to the figure before her.
Though barely past thirty, her face was as haggard as an old crone’s, her expression steeped in bitterness. Her eyes, like a long-dried well, held no tears—only fathomless hatred.
"Your Majesty, please," urged the eunuch beside her, holding out a pristine white silk with barely concealed impatience. "This servant still has to report back to His Majesty."
Shen Miao’s gaze lingered on the eunuch before she finally spoke, her voice hoarse and broken: "Xiao Li Zi, when I first promoted you, you were nothing but a dog at Gao Gonggong’s side."
The eunuch lifted his chin arrogantly. "Your Majesty, times have changed."
"Times have changed…" Shen Miao murmured, then suddenly threw her head back and laughed. "What fine words—‘times have changed’!"
Because of this phrase, the ministers and servants who once bowed before her now dared to order her about. Because of this phrase, she was to meet her end with a three-foot white silk around her neck. What were those "times" of the past? When did the "present" begin? Was it when Mei Furen entered the palace? When the Crown Prince was deposed? Or when the eldest princess was sent off in a political marriage, only to die tragically on the journey? Or perhaps when she returned from five years as a hostage in Qin State?
From "past" to "present," from Empress to deposed consort—all because of a single word from Fu Xiuyi! The entire court had shifted its allegiance, the very foundations of Ming Qi had been overturned. What a grand phrase indeed—"times have changed"!
The bedchamber door creaked open, and a pair of dragon-embroidered boots stopped before Shen Miao. Above them, the hem of an imperial yellow robe.
"In recognition of your twenty years by my side, I grant you the dignity of a whole corpse. Give thanks," the Emperor said.
Slowly, Shen Miao raised her head to look at the man towering above her. Time had left no mark on his face—he was as handsome and noble as ever, the rightful sovereign, the wise ruler of the realm, the man she had loved for twenty years, her husband through thick and thin. And now, he told her: "I grant you the dignity of a whole corpse. Give thanks."
"Why?" Shen Miao rasped.
He did not answer.
"Why did you exterminate the entire Shen family?" she demanded.
Prince Ding, Fu Xiuyi—the late Emperor had nine sons, each exceptional in his own way. Yet the Crown Prince was sickly, and the late Emperor hesitated to name a new heir, leading to a fierce struggle for succession. Enamored by Prince Ding’s brilliance, Shen Miao had defied her family’s warnings and married him, binding the Shen family to his cause.
For this, she had devoted herself entirely to supporting him, transforming from a sheltered noble daughter into a royal consort who strategized in court affairs. Together, they had secured the throne. On the day Fu Xiuyi ascended, he had made her Empress, the mother of the nation—what glory she had known!
She had believed herself the most illustrious Empress. When rebellions had just been quelled and Ming Qi’s foundations were still unstable, with the Xiongnu invading and neighboring states watching greedily, Shen Miao had volunteered to go as a hostage to Qin State to secure military aid. When she left, her children were barely a month old, and Fu Xiuyi had promised, "I will personally bring you home."
Five years later, she had finally returned to Ming Qi—only to find a new beauty in the harem: Mei Furen.
Mei Furen was the daughter of an official Fu Xiuyi had encountered during his eastern campaign. Charmed by her wit and grace, he had brought her back to the palace. She bore him a son, Fu Sheng, who became the Emperor’s favorite, while Shen Miao’s own son, Crown Prince Fu Ming, was neglected.
Once, before the entire court, Fu Xiuyi had declared, "Fu Ming is too soft. Fu Sheng is more like my son." The implication was clear—he intended to replace the Crown Prince.
Mei Furen had made Shen Miao feel threatened. For ten years, they had fought in the palace, with Mei Furen often gaining the upper hand. She had even persuaded Fu Xiuyi to send their daughter, Princess Wanyu, to marry the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu were brutal, and Wanyu had "fallen ill" and died on the journey, her body hastily cremated. Everyone knew something was amiss, but Shen Miao, as her mother, had been powerless.
And now, it had come to this.
With a single imperial decree, Fu Xiuyi had accused the Shen family of treason, deposed the Crown Prince (who had taken his own life in shame), and stripped her of her title as Empress, granting her only the "mercy" of the three-foot white silk.
All she wanted to ask was: "Why?"
Shen Miao said, "Fu Xiuyi, have you no conscience? We were husband and wife for over twenty years. I have never wronged you. When you ascended the throne, it was my family who supported you. When you went to war and the Xiongnu invaded, I wrote the surrender letter for you. When you sought to win over ministers, I knelt and begged for their allegiance. I endured the torment of being a hostage in a foreign land—and how did you repay me? Mei Furen wanted Wanyu to marry the Xiongnu, and you issued the decree. Wanyu was only sixteen when she died. You doted on Fu Sheng and neglected Fu Ming—the entire court knew it. Now you slaughter my entire family. At death’s door, I ask you one last time: why?"
"Shen Miao," Fu Xiuyi frowned. His expression was unmoved, as cold as a statue. "Even during my father’s reign, we discussed dealing with the great aristocratic families. The Shen family’s achievements overshadowed the throne—they could not be allowed to remain. It was I who persuaded my father to delay. I granted the Shen family twenty extra years—that was mercy beyond measure!"
Mercy beyond measure! Shen Miao swayed. She had wept so much these past days that no more tears came. Staring at Fu Xiuyi, she enunciated each word: "Why spare the Shen family? Not out of your kindness, nor your mercy. You only wanted to use our military power to strengthen your claim to the throne. ‘When the cunning hare is dead, the hound is boiled.’ Now that the realm is secure, you burn the bridge after crossing it. Fu Xiuyi, your heart is truly vicious!"
"Shen Miao!" Fu Xiuyi roared, as if struck where it hurt. With a cold snort, he said, "You’d best take care." Then he turned and left.
Shen Miao collapsed to the ground, fists clenched. This was the man she had loved her entire life. She had fought Mei Furen for his favor in the palace, only to realize too late—it was never about winning his affection. His heart had never been hers to begin with! All those sweet whispers had been nothing but lies, a performance!
She spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Sister, what’s wrong? You look utterly wretched," a melodious voice chimed.
A woman in a light yellow gown stepped gracefully forward, her face as lovely as a lotus, her waist as slender as a willow—a beauty unmatched, her every movement elegant.
This was Mei Furen, the woman who had fought Shen Miao for a lifetime—and won.
Behind Mei Furen stood two palace women. Shen Miao froze. "Shen Qing! Shen Yue!"
These were her cousins, daughters of the second and third branches of the Shen family. Why were they in the palace?
"His Majesty summoned us," Shen Yue tittered behind her sleeve. "Fifth Sister, don’t be surprised. In the past, you loved playing matchmaker for us. Now, there’s no need—His Majesty treats us very well."
"You—" Shen Miao’s mind reeled. In a flash, she understood things she had never grasped before. Her voice trembled with disbelief. "You refused to marry all these years… for this day?"
"Of course," Shen Qing stepped forward. "Long ago, His Majesty made a pact with our fathers. If they could persuade you to marry him, one day, we would share the same fate."
Back then, Shen Miao’s marriage to Fu Xiuyi had only happened because the second and third branches had pushed for it. Now she realized—her infatuation with him had been carefully cultivated by her aunts’ constant praise of Prince Ding’s talents. It had all been part of their scheme from the beginning. The second and third branches had been lying in wait, biding their time for this very moment.
Shen Qing, as if afraid Shen Miao still didn’t understand, added, "His Majesty is peerless in grace and brilliance. We’ve admired him for years. But only your father held real power, so we had to let you take the first step. You’ve enjoyed plenty of fortune, Fifth Sister. Now, your time is up."
"Shen Qing!" Shen Miao suddenly straightened, her voice sharp. "His Majesty exterminated the Shen family, yet he brought you two into the palace. How are the second and third branches unharmed?"
"Of course we’re unharmed," Shen Yue giggled behind her hand. "Because we’re the great contributors. The evidence of your father’s rebellion? It was our branches who righteously exposed it. Fifth Sister, His Majesty is even going to grant our fathers high positions."
Shen Miao stared at her cousins in horror. "Have you lost your minds? ‘When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.’ The Shen family is one—if Fu Xiuyi moves against us, how could you betray your own kin—"
"‘Our own kin’?" Shen Qing sneered. "Fifth Sister, we never acknowledged your branch as family. Besides, you’ve enjoyed far too much. Now, the Crown Prince is dead, the princess is gone, the Shen family is finished. You’d best hurry to the underworld and reunite with them."
Mei Furen glided forward, smiling gently. "Sister, the realm is settled. It’s time for you to step down."
After ten years of struggle, Shen Miao had lost utterly—lost so terribly that her children were dead, her family destroyed, her life reduced to a colossal joke.
Through gritted teeth, she hissed, "As long as I live, you will never be more than concubines!"
"Chen Gonggong, proceed," Mei Furen signaled to the eunuch.
A burly eunuch stepped forward, one hand seizing Shen Miao’s throat, the other looping the white silk around her neck. With a sharp tug, the silk bit into flesh, bones cracking audibly.
The woman writhing on the ground glared wide-eyed, her heart swearing a silent, venomous oath.
Her son, her daughter, her parents, her siblings, her servants—the entire Shen family had been slaughtered.
Fu Xiuyi, Mei Furen, Shen Qing, Shen Yue—everyone who had harmed her, everyone who had harmed her loved ones…
If there was a next life, she would make them repay in blood.
When will this sun perish? Let me die with you!
P.S.: Tea Tea is back! Please support the new book (づ￣3￣)づ╭❤～
When will this sun perish? Let me die with you! — A line expressing utter despair and vengeance, meaning: "When will this torment end? I would rather perish with you than endure it any longer."
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