Chapter 2: The Empress (2)

Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations

Concubine Mei was the daughter of a minister that Fu Xiuyi met during the Eastern Campaign. He liked her and brought her back to the palace. Concubine Mei gave birth to a prince, Fu Sheng, who was deeply favored by the emperor. On the other hand, Shen Miao’s son, the crown prince, Fu Ming, was not favored by the emperor.

Fu Xiuyi once said in front of the entire court, “Fu Ming is too gentle. Fu Sheng is more like me.”

Concubine Mei made Shen Miao feel a sense of crisis. In the palace, Shen Miao and Concubine Mei fought for ten years. Concubine Mei had the upper hand time and time again. She even urged Fu Xiuyi to marry his daughter, Princess Wanyu, to the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu people were aggressive and ruthless. Princess Wanyu died of illness during the marriage and was immediately cremated. Everyone knew that there was something fishy about this, but as a mother, there was nothing Shen Miao could do.

Today eventually came.

Fu Xiuyi issued an imperial edict saying that the Shen family was unloyal to the emperor and rebelled, the crown prince was disqualified, and the emperor would have to hang herself to death.

All she wanted to ask was, “Why?”

Shen Miao said, “Fu Xiuyi, don’t you have a conscience? We’ve been husband and wife for more than twenty years. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong to you. When you ascended the throne, it was my family who helped you. When you went to war and the Xiongnu attacked, I wrote a petition for you. I knelt down and begged the ministers to help you. I went to the neighboring country to be a hostage. What did you repay me with? When Concubine Mei wanted Wanyu to marry the Xiongnu, you agreed. Wanyu died when she was only sixteen. Everyone in the court knows that you dote on Fu Sheng and his wife. Now that you’ve slaughtered my entire family and are about to kill me, let me ask you, why?”

“Shen Miao.” Fu Xiuyi frowned. His expression did not change at all, as if he was a cold statue. “When Father was alive, we discussed how to deal with the few large families. The Shen family’s merit is too high to stay for long. I was the one who persuaded Father to keep your family alive. You should thank me for allowing your family to alive twenty more years.”

Shen Miao’s body shook. She had been crying too much these days, and her tears could no longer flow. She looked at Fu Xiuyi and said word by word, “Why did you want to keep the Shen family alive? It’s not that you’re benevolent, nor is it your gift. You just wanted to use the Shen family’s military power to help you ascend. Now that the country is yours, you’re burning the bridge after crossing it. Fu Xiuyi, you’re so heartless!”

“Shen Miao!” Fu Xiuyi shouted angrily, as if his sore spot had been poked, saying, “Don’t challenge me!” With that, he left.

Shen Miao lay on the ground and clenched her fists. This was the man she had loved for her entire life. In the palace, she was competing with Concubine Mei for his favor. In the end, she realized that his heart had never been with her! Those sweet words he said to her were just a joke!

She spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Sister, what’s wrong? You look terrible.” A sweet voice was heard.

The woman was wearing a light yellow shirt. She had a lotus face and a willowy waist. She looked like a fairy, and her posture was beautiful.

This was Concubine Mei, who had fought with Shen Miao her entire life and was confident in winning.

There were two women dressed in palace clothes standing behind Concubine Mei. Shen Miao was stunned. “Shen Qing, Shen Yue!”

They were the daughters of her second and third uncles. Why were her two cousins in the palace?

“His Majesty summoned us to the palace.” Shen Yue covered her mouth and smiled. “Fifth Sister, don’t be surprised. In the past few years, Fifth Sister wanted to help us find a good match. Now, there’s no need. His Majesty treats us very well.”

“You…” Shen Miao’s heart was in turmoil. In a flash, she seemed to have understood something that she had never thought through before.” Y-You didn’t marry because you have been waiting for this day?”

“That’s right.” Shen Qing took a step forward. “Back then, His Majesty, my father and third uncle made an alliance. As long as we could persuade you to marry His Majesty, one day, we would marry him too.”

Before Shen Miao married Fu Xiuyi, the second and third families did a lot of persuasion. Now that she thought about it, when she fell in love with Fu Xiuyi, it seemed that it was also because Second Aunt and Third Aunt kept mentioning him to her, so she had a good impression of him. It turned out that they had reached an agreement early on. It turned out that the second and third families had been waiting for today to happen.

As if afraid that Shen Miao would not understand, Shen Qing continued, “His Majesty is handsome and charming. My sisters and I have loved him for a long time, but your father was the most powerful in the family back then. We had no choice but to let Fifth Sister marry His Majesty first. Fifth Sister has enjoyed a lot of good times in the palace over the years. It’s about time for us to enjoy it.”

“Shen Qing!” Shen Miao suddenly stood up and said loudly, “His Majesty exterminated the Shen family. How can the second and third families be safe?”

“Of course the second and third families will be fine.” Shen Yue covered her mouth and smiled. “Because we helped him. The evidence of First Uncle’s rebellion was forged by our two families. Fifth Sister, His Majesty even wants to promote our fathers.”

Shen Miao looked at her two cousins in shock and said, “Are you crazy? We are a family. How could you frame your own family…”

“Fifth Sister. We’ve never regarded you as our family.” Shen Qing sneered. “Besides, you’ve enjoyed the good life for too long. Now that the crown prince is dead and the princess is gone, the Shen family is gone. You’d better go to hell and reunite with them.”

Concubine Mei stepped forward and said with a smile, “Sister, it’s time for you to leave.”

After fighting for ten years, Shen Miao lost terribly. She lost so badly that her family was wiped out. She lost so badly that she became a joke!

She said hatefully, “The moment I’m alive, you will still be concubines!”

“Eunuch Chen, do it.” Concubine Mei gave the eunuch a look.

The plump eunuch immediately took a few steps forward and grabbed Shen Miao’s neck tightly with one hand while wrapping the white silk around her neck with the other. He tugged hard to make sure it was tightly fastened.

The woman who was struggling on the ground widened her eyes and swore to herself.

Her son, daughter, parents, brothers, sisters, servants, and everyone in the Shen family had been harmed.

Fu Xiuyi, Madam Yan, Shen Qing, Shen Yue, everyone who had harmed her and her family. If there was a next life, they would pay with their blood!

I will make you all die!