Song Liangdi let out a loud cry and burst into tears.
Xiao Jingzhao comforted her for a long time before finally soothing her emotions. He coaxed her into drinking a calming decoction, and after watching her fall asleep, he stepped out and returned to his own sleeping hall.
Inside the sleeping hall, everything glittered with gold and jade; all the furnishings were luxurious and magnificent.
But at this moment, all of it looked so glaring.
Because Xiao Jingzhao had never, not for a single moment, so clearly and cruelly realized one point, none of this belonged to him at all.
Both were grandsons of Emperor Yongchang, both were sons of the Crown Prince, but only Xiao Yunting was the Imperial Grandson, the one favored by Emperor Yongchang.
In the future, this Eastern Palace, this imperial palace, and even this realm, would all belong to Xiao Yunting alone!
And he was merely staying here temporarily.
Whether it was Emperor Yongchang or Xiao Yunting, either of them could at any time make him get out of this place.
He closed his eyes, suddenly leapt up, and violently took down the treasured sword hanging on the bedpost, slashing the screen beside him into two pieces.
The huge noise immediately alarmed the eunuchs and palace maids serving outside.
Ji Dong, the chief personal eunuch serving Xiao Jingzhao, hurried in from outside. Seeing the mess in the sleeping hall, he quickly turned and shut the door. “Your Highness!”
He strode to Xiao Jingzhao, snatched the sword away, and carefully said, “Your Highness, you must not lose your composure now!”
He glanced outside, signaling Xiao Jingzhao. “If others find out, it won’t be good.”
Xiao Jingzhao let out a self-mocking light laugh, sat on the stool, and slowly took a deep breath.
Then he suddenly said, “Ji Dong, go handle something for me.”
Ji Dong hung the sword back in place. Hearing this, he quickly turned and responded, “Your command.”
Xiao Jingzhao lowered his eyes. “Find a way to send a message to the Zhou Wang residence.”
At the Zhou Wang residence, the Commandery Princess Luochuan at this time…
Oh no, she was now already County Lady Luochuan.
County Lady Luochuan knelt blankly before the corpse of Zhou Wangfei.
Because she had been granted death, and her title as a Wangfei had already been stripped, Zhou Wangfei’s situation after death was extremely awkward.
Because she had been granted death by the emperor, the Qin family did not dare accept her body into their ancestral burial grounds.
As for Zhou Wang’s side, that was even more impossible.
Thus, Zhou Wangfei’s body had been unable to be prepared for burial for a long time.
Fortunately, it was now the deep cold of winter, so the corpse had not yet decayed, but once a person is dead, it is ultimately different.
Zhou Wangfei’s complexion was iron-blue, and corpse spots had already begun to appear on her body.
County Lady Luochuan could finally no longer endure it and burst into tears.
Zhou Wang was already utterly exhausted.
After many years as husband and wife, most of his children had been born to Zhou Wangfei, how could he possibly feel nothing about her death?
Especially since she had died so tragically and so suddenly.
She had indeed done wrong and had indeed violated taboos.
But she had also tried her best to protect the Zhou Wang residence and protect her children, so at the final moment she had taken all the blame upon herself.
Zhou Wang rubbed his aching eyes, slowly raised his brows, and instructed the Zhangshi in a deep voice, “Send her to Huangjue Temple to lie in state. Then ask the temple to free a room to set up a spirit tablet, and invite a few ritual masters to perform rites for her.”
This was already all he could do.
Emperor Yongchang deeply detested Zhou Wangfei; doing this was already violating a taboo.
But even if it violated a taboo, it still had to be done. He sighed deeply.
The Zhangshi hesitated as if wanting to persuade him, but in the end said nothing and only softly responded yes.
After arranging everything, Zhou Wang went to look at Zhou Wangfei one last time.
Originally he did not intend to pay attention to County Lady Luochuan.
But when he saw her chasing after the corpse like someone mad, he could not help but feel somewhat distressed.
He stopped and pulled her back, sternly scolding, “Have you not made enough trouble?! Your willfulness has already caused your Mother’s death, how much longer will you keep causing trouble?”
Young people ultimately did not know fear.
They did not know that everything in this world required a price.
County Lady Luochuan cried until her voice was hoarse, her face flushed purple. Hearing this, she broke down even more. “How is it me who caused Royal Mother’s death?! It’s all Qi Yuan, it’s all that b*tch Qi Yuan! If not for her, Royal Mother wouldn’t have died!”
Why was Qi Yuan still alive?!
Why couldn’t Qi Yuan have died in the lake together with Zeng Wenxiu?!
Qi Yuan should be the one dead, Qi Yuan should have died long ago!
She collapsed onto the ground, crying bitterly. “What did I do wrong? Why is Qi Yuan allowed to be so arrogant? She caused Tian Baoci’s death and made me lose my fiancé for no reason, leaving me mocked by others!”
All of this was Qi Yuan’s fault.
Zhou Wang frowned. “You still dare say that!”
Originally, although what Zhou Wangfei had done was wrong, at least there had been no possibility of it being discovered.
It was Luochuan who could not hold herself back and insisted on interfering, which led to the matter being exposed by a twist of fate.
And it directly caused Zhou Wangfei’s death.
Zhou Wang looked at her coldly. “If you don’t change this temper of yours, sooner or later you will suffer greatly!”
He paused before continuing, “But next time, there will no longer be your Mother standing out to take everything for you.”
County Lady Luochuan collapsed even further. Thinking of Zhou Wangfei, she cried heart-rendingly.
Zhou Wang ordered people to take her back to her room.
County Lady Luochuan tossed and turned, unable to sit or rest calmly.
The image of Zhou Wangfei’s death appeared in her mind again and again, tormenting her so much that she could neither eat nor sleep.
She suddenly sat up, irritably pushed open the window.
At that moment, the door opened. She turned sharply and saw a young eunuch carrying a basin of water. Immediately annoyed, she scolded, “Get out! I don’t need anyone attending me!”
But instead of retreating, the young eunuch stepped forward a few paces and, before she could erupt, said softly, “County Lady, don’t you want revenge?”
County Lady Luochuan found the title “County Lady” especially harsh to the ear.
This worthless title, who wanted it?!
But right now she could not care about that; she frowned tightly. “What do you mean?”
The young eunuch knelt lightly on the ground and placed the basin before her. “County Lady, I heard that Eldest Miss Qi has left the city to soak in the hot springs, staying for a short time at another estate.”
County Lady Luochuan blinked.
She asked sharply, “Who sent you?!”
“County Lady, this servant simply cannot stand that Eldest Miss Qi caused the Wangfei’s death yet can still live so freely.” The young eunuch sighed. “I heard that the estate she went to was even personally gifted by the Eldest Princess.”
County Lady Luochuan immediately clenched her hands tightly. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
“County Lady, if that estate is gone, then Eldest Miss Qi will not return either.” The young eunuch said without changing expression, “Making an estate disappear is actually not difficult.”
County Lady Luochuan widened her eyes.
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