Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The Imperial Guards quickly surrounded the Eastern Palace.

The heavy palace gate was tightly shut, the characters on the plaque already covered in dust.

Everyone in the palace knew that Wei Yi hated the Former Crown Prince; even his name had become a taboo. Thus, the Eastern Palace naturally went uncleaned, abandoned just like this, the gate locked, overgrown with weeds.

Wei Yi stood before the gate for a long time, it was unclear what he was thinking.

He might have preferred not finding Sheng Zhaoning at all, rather than have her truly be here.

However, when Wei Yi raised his hand and easily pushed open the palace gate that should have been heavily locked, the last shred of hope in his heart was shattered.

Sheng Zhaoning had indeed come here after all.

Wei Yi let out a cold laugh, the warmth in his eyes abruptly fading.

He kicked the gate open with one foot, and what met his eyes was a vast expanse of white snow, withered weeds sprawling under the eaves, only a few red plum trees by the wall blooming brilliantly.

Wei Yi’s gaze fell upon the plum blossoms, his pupils contracted, and a ridiculous thought grew wildly in his mind. He abruptly turned around, his eyes bloodshot, “Who planted these plum trees!”

Zhao Quan stood there in a daze, not knowing why he would suddenly ask this.

Most of the palace maids and eunuchs following behind had been selected later into the palace, only a few were left over from the previous dynasty.

Upon hearing this, an inconspicuous young eunuch in the crowd trembled forward, knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and said, “Responding to Your Majesty, these plum trees were… were planted personally by the Former Crown Prince.”

Wei Yi’s expression gradually stiffened. He stared blankly at the red plum trees, and in his mind flashed the image of Sheng Zhaoning, for the sake of a plum tree, bending her spine for the first time and pleading with her in a low voice.

So it turned out, the one who loved plum blossoms was never her.

Wei Yi let out a ferocious laugh, his eyes tinged crimson with violent rage. He carried his sword, his steps slow and heavy, advancing step by step toward the main hall.

With a loud crash, the dilapidated hall door collapsed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Accompanied by the dim moonlight, he finally saw the scene inside.

Zhao Quan closely followed behind him, and with just one glance, he instantly froze in place.

“Ah-” Someone behind let out a terrified scream.

Immediately, screams and retching sounds came continuously from the crowd.

Zhao Quan’s eyes widened, his breath stopped. A cold chill crept from the soles of his feet up his spine, the thick stench of blood lingering at his nose. His legs went weak, and he collapsed on the ground, leaning against the door frame.

In the empty, dim hall, countless broken limbs and chunks of flesh could be seen. Blood flowed all over the floor. A human head was placed right in the center, eyes wide with terror, staring fixedly outside the door.

In its mouth… was still a piece of its own flesh.

Zhao Quan’s stomach churned violently. He crawled on his belly to outside the door, stuck his head out over the wooden railing, and vomited violently.

Wei Yi just stood inside the hall, his gaze shifting away from Gao Qi’s head, falling on Sheng Zhaoning, who was leaning against a pillar not far away.

A dagger covered in blood was discarded on the ground. She weakly raised her eyes, face pale, met his gaze, and forced a faint smile. “See, you couldn’t stop me.”

Wei Yi ignored the sarcasm in her tone, and his gaze moved down to her slit wrist. The flesh was cut deep enough to expose the bone, blood continuously gushing out, indicating the depth of the cut.

She had slit her wrist!

The violent rage in Wei Yi’s eyes was almost instantly replaced by panic. He strode forward, abruptly tearing off a piece of clothing, and pressed it onto her wrist.

“Go fetch the Imperial Physician!”

Sheng Zhaoning didn’t even have the strength to pull her hand away.

The blood quickly soaked through the fabric. Her body grew extremely cold, and all her senses rapidly numbed.

She looked at Wei Yi’s red-rimmed eyes, then glanced past him to the usually calm and composed Cai Zhou. “Grand Secretary, was the fire at Mingyue Pavilion splendid?”

It was as if the scene suddenly pulled back in an instant. In the distance, the raging fire still blazed, its fierce light illuminating the sky over Shangjing. Thick smoke blotted out the sun. The fire guards struggled to extinguish it, but they couldn’t change the fact that Mingyue Pavilion had been completely reduced to ashes.

Cai Zhou looked as if he’d been struck by a sharp arrow. He stood rigid, his back tingling. “What did you do?!”

Sheng Zhaoning laughed with satisfaction. “The young lord was infatuated with the song girl of Mingyue Pavilion. They planned to meet on New Year’s Eve, which ignited jealousy in General Ao’s youngest son, who also loved the song girl. He set fire to Mingyue Pavilion, ultimately perishing in the flames with the song girl.”

“Do you like this ending, Grand Secretary?”

Cai Zhou finally lost his usual demeanor of meticulous planning and absolute confidence.

Now his eyes were red with fury, his face twisted. He howled in a hoarse, exhausted voice, “Sheng Zhaoning, the child was innocent! Why didn’t you come at me?!”

“Who is innocent?” she tilted her head and retorted. “I only know that retribution is certain.”

Killing someone with one stroke-what satisfaction is there in that?

One must strike at the heart, taking everything they hold dear.

For those who treasure life, let them watch helplessly as their flesh is sliced away inch by inch, from feet to head, subjected to a thousand cuts, suffering until death.

For those who love their children, make them bear the pain of losing a child, burying their young with white hair. Let them watch their only beloved child die because of them, spending the rest of their lives in regret.

For manipulators of power, destroy everything they control, so that all they once had vanishes like a dream within a dream.

The power Ao Chun cherished most-she would strip it away completely, leaving nothing behind.

So, “Wei Yi, I’ve left you a gift.”

Her gaze returned to his face.

Wei Yi watched her lips open and close as she slowly spoke a few words. “Military power-I’ll help you seize it back.”

She knew this was something Wei Yi couldn’t refuse.

To bring down Ao Chun and leave him with nothing, Sheng Zhaoning alone couldn’t manage.

So two months ago, she found the song girl of Mingyue Pavilion, Ruan Niang.

Ruan Niang’s real name was Chu Hui, the legitimate granddaughter of the former dynasty’s Grand Tutor.

Later, when the rebel army attacked the city, the Grand Tutor chose death over surrender and died under Ao Chun’s sword. His entire family was sentenced to exile.

The men of the Chu family were sent to serve in bitter cold lands, while the women were forced into official prostitution. Many died or were injured. Chu Hui was sold from one brothel to another, struggling repeatedly, enduring whippings and torture. She tried to end her life several times but failed, her heart long since filled with hatred.

It was Sheng Zhaoning who rescued her and placed her in Mingyue Pavilion, giving her a new identity. She created opportunities for both Cai Zhou’s son and Ao Chun’s son to fall in love with her, killing two birds with one stone: she killed Cai Zhou’s only child and framed Ao Chun’s youngest son.

In exchange, Sheng Zhaoning promised to kill Ao Chun.

After the fire at Mingyue Pavilion, Cai Zhou’s son perished in the flames, while Ao Rui was deliberately allowed to escape and sneak back home. The Ao family matriarch and his birth mother doted on him excessively, so the Ao family would do everything to clear his name. When that happened, forces at court would add fuel to the fire, and under immense pressure, if Ao Chun wanted to protect his youngest son, he would have no choice but to cut his losses.

Once a crack appeared, the flood would burst the dam with overwhelming force, surging forth in a torrent impossible to reverse.

Reclaiming all military power was only a matter of time.

And given Wei Yi’s suspicious and cautious nature, once he regained military authority, he would never leave any survivors.

It was just a pity that Chu Hui would never get to see such a scene with her own eyes.