Chapter 667 - 670: Demise

Chapter 667: Chapter 670: Demise

The Emperor’s lips parted and closed, but he couldn’t utter a word.

But Princess Consort Zhen could see what he wanted to say.

"Are you trying to ask me why I did this? That makes sense. In your eyes, being able to enter the palace and serve you is a blessing I earned in a past life. You never considered that it was your lust at first sight that ruined my entire life."

At this, the mask Princess Consort Zhen had been wearing completely vanished.

She looked at the Emperor on the bed with ice in her eyes, as if staring at a breathless corpse.

"Though I lost my mother at a young age, I was doted on by my grandmother. My father and stepmother never mistreated me. I had an adorable, awkward little sister, and I even had a cat named Xiaobai...

My life was simple and warm.

I once thought those days would last forever.

Until that night, when you suddenly barged in and, without a word, forced me down onto the bed.

No matter how much I struggled, fought back, cried, or begged, you wouldn’t stop.

You even thought I was playing hard to get?

Heh! Who gave you the confidence to think that every woman in the world would willingly let you rape them?!"

Even after so many years, the memory of that night still made Princess Consort Zhen sick to her stomach.

That was the darkest day of her life.

A stain she never wanted to look at again.

Princess Consort Zhen squeezed her eyes shut, trying to erase the vile, nauseating images from her mind.

The Emperor was stunned.

At first, he had indeed been suspicious of Hua Qingqing, thinking she was deliberately trying to trick him to get his attention.

Later, when he learned he had been set up by someone else and that it had nothing to do with Hua Qingqing, he felt guilty and treated her with more pity and affection.

Since entering the palace, she had always acted very docile and was completely obedient to him.

Gradually, he forgot that she had been forced in the first place.

She seemed so fragile, like a dodder vine, unable to survive in the palace without his protection.

He thought he was her entire world, the man she genuinely and truly loved.

Until this very moment.

He finally realized how utterly and completely wrong he was.

The woman before him had been pretending from the very beginning.

Everything he saw was a facade she had deliberately constructed.

Princess Consort Zhen watched his furious yet powerless expression and let out a soft laugh.

It was a delighted laugh.

"Did you think I was deeply in love with you? Did you believe my entire heart belonged to you?

Hehe, you’re the Emperor. How can you be so naive?

Me, love you? Am I blind?"

The Emperor had always seen this woman as a plaything in the palm of his hand, never taking her seriously.

But now, he had been deceived and played by such a "weak" woman!

It was as if he had been slapped hard across the face in public, losing all his dignity and pride.

A wave of fury surged through him.

He felt a metallic, sweet taste rise in his throat, and he opened his mouth to spit out a large mouthful of blood!

Princess Consort Zhen didn’t have time to step back, and some of the blood splattered onto her face and clothes.

Yet she showed not a hint of panic, her expression remaining calm and composed.

"Your Majesty, you can go in peace. Qiong’er will take your place and continue the reign of the Li family."

The Emperor propped himself up with his hands, struggling to move his body.

He wanted to get out of bed, to call for help.

But Princess Consort Zhen held him down, forcibly pushing him back.

"You’re already in this state. What’s the point of struggling? Just lie here obediently. Don’t go out and harm anyone else."

The Emperor, too weak to struggle, could only glare at her, his eyes wide.

His eyes were shot with blood, which, combined with his deeply sunken cheeks, made him look terrifying.

His lips parted and closed, as if mouthing something silently.

Princess Consort Zhen watched his lips and understood what he was saying.

He was saying—

"You... will not have a good death."

Far from being angry, Princess Consort Zhen began to laugh.

"You needn’t worry about my life or death.

After you pass away, Qiong’er will ascend the throne, and I will become the Empress Dowager.

From now on, in this palace, I will no longer have to debase myself to curry favor, nor will I have to force a smile for a dog like you.

Just thinking about it makes me eager to be a widow."

The Emperor’s eyes flew wide with rage. His chest heaved violently, and his breathing grew more and more rapid.

Until—

He failed to draw another breath, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, dead.

Princess Consort Zhen watched him in silence.

When his chest no longer moved, she reached out and pressed her fingers to his neck.

There was no pulse in his carotid artery.

She checked for breath under his nose. There was nothing.

Princess Consort Zhen closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to compose her emotions.

When she opened them again, her eyes were red-rimmed and her face had turned pale.

She stood up and staggered out, crying in a panic.

"S-Something’s wrong!"

In her haste, she tripped over the threshold on her way out and fell to the ground in a pathetic heap.

The palace attendants waiting outside were terrified and rushed forward to help her up.

Zuo Ji asked urgently, "Your Highness, what happened?"

Princess Consort Zhen looked as if she’d had a terrible fright. Large tears streamed down her face, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her voice shook so badly she could barely speak.

"The Saint... he... he spat up blood!"

An uproar went through the crowd at her words.

Zuo Ji was the first to react.

He didn’t even bother to announce himself, rushing frantically into the bedchamber. At a glance, he saw the Emperor lying on the bed.

The Emperor’s eyes were shut tight, he wasn’t breathing, and there were still traces of crimson blood on his lips and collar.

Zuo Ji’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. It took him a long moment before he let out a piercing scream.

"Quick, call the Imperial Physician!"

...

The sparrow, which was the system in disguise, stood on the roof of Hanzhang Hall.

Through the glazed tiles, it could hear everything inside the bedchamber with perfect clarity.

’It seems Hua Manman wasn’t wrong. Hua Qingqing has really changed. She even dared to lay a fatal hand on the Emperor!’

The system sighed to itself. ’Who would have thought that the once gentle, kind, ’white-lotus’ heroine would become so ruthless and cruel.’

’No wonder she was able to stand out from so many Concubines and become the final winner.’

The little sparrow flapped its wings and flew toward Yufu Palace.

It found the nanny in charge of the keys and secretly stole them.

By this time, news of the Emperor’s death had just begun to spread. A sense of panic filled Yufu Palace, and even the two guards assigned to watch Hua Manman were growing restless and anxious.

The little sparrow took the opportunity to create a small disturbance, luring the two guards away. Then, it transformed into a small monkey and used the key to open the lock.

Hua Manman was already prepared. The moment the door opened, she immediately ran out.

She asked in a low voice.

"Is the Emperor dead?"

The system changed back into a Three-colored Cat and leaped onto her shoulder.

"Yep. Your sister literally angered him to death. It was a miserable way to go."

Hua Manman gloated, "He deserved it."