"No!" Shangguan Che stopped the assassins who were about to act, and glanced at Shen Qianmo. "Qianmo, you're right. I do want to use you to gain power over Qi Yue and Tian Mo, but I'm also sincere towards you. I won't hurt you!"
Chapter Forty-Nine: Maintenance, Cause of Death
"Sincere?" Shen Qianmo's lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "Using me, is that what you call sincere? Is this how you use sincerity?"
"Qianmo, listen to me, I'm only doing this for our future!" Shangguan Che tried to reach out and grab Shen Qianmo's hand, but Shen Qianmo deftly dodged him.
"Enough! Che'er, stop talking! Shen Qianmo must die! After she dies, we can frame the Prime Minister's Mansion and incite hatred between Tianmo and the Shen family. That way, we'll have a better chance of winning!" Yao Xuekong stopped Shangguan Che, revealing a ruthless smile, and signaled the assassins to attack.
Shen Qianmo glanced at Yao Xuekong. As expected of the Empress, she had held the position for so many years. Who knows how much blood she had spilled on her hands?
"If Your Majesty the Empress wants to kill Qianmo, shouldn't you at least let Qianmo die knowing why?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow and asked Yao Xuekong.
Yao Xuekong's lips curled into a haughty smile, her eyes filled with disdain, and she laughed, "Ask whatever you want."
"The Emperor's death, and even his illness, are probably all related to the Empress, aren't they?" Shen Qianmo asked calmly. Of course, she hadn't investigated; this was just her conjecture.
Yao Xuekong's expression changed slightly, and she looked at Shen Qianmo with more appreciation. This woman was neither humble nor arrogant, and was exceptionally intelligent. No wonder her son treated her so specially.
"Since you're going to die soon anyway, I'll tell you." Yao Xuekong composed herself and slowly said, "Shangguan Hao's illness was indeed caused by me, and his death was also my doing."
Shen Qianmo's eyes flickered slightly; it really was Yao Xuekong's doing. Judging from Shangguan Che's expression, he showed no surprise whatsoever, suggesting he had known about it all along. Power is truly a terrifying thing; it can render even the bonds between husband and wife, father and son, utterly meaningless.
"Her Majesty the Empress is truly heartless; she even killed her own husband," Shen Qianmo said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Husband?! Hahahaha, does he even have eyes for me, his wife?! His heart is only for that sickly woman. She's been dead for so many years, yet he still can't forget her, and even wants to pass the throne to that good-for-nothing son she gave birth to!" Yao Xuekong laughed sarcastically, her eyes filled with sorrow.
Shen Qianmo looked at Yao Xuekong calmly. She had thought that Yao Xuekong only cared about power, but she did not expect that Yao Xuekong still had some genuine feelings for Shangguan Hao. She lazily asked, "Then the Crown Prince is already dead, why did you still want to kill him?"
"Why?!" Yao Xuekong gave a self-deprecating laugh and looked at Shen Qianmo. "Do you know who he wants to pass the throne to? He wants to pass it to Shangguan Jin! Even the son born to that sickly maid is more important to him than me, more important than me!"
Watching Yao Xuekong's desperate screams, Shen Qianmo suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for her. She was just a pitiful woman who couldn't win the emperor's love.
All we knew was that Shangguan Jin's mother came from a poor family, but we didn't know that she was the late empress's maid. It seems that Shangguan Hao was really deeply in love with the late empress. But if he was so deeply in love, why did he marry so many concubines?
Would Situ Jingyan be willing to establish a sham harem for her?! But establishing a sham harem would mean losing the support of many court officials. Could she really do that?
"Alright! You know everything you need to know!" Yao Xuekong's emotions finally calmed down. She glared at Shen Qianmo and said in a sinister tone.
Looking at the assembled assassins, Shen Qianmo revealed a contemptuous smile.
Shangguan Che's eyes showed reluctance, yet he still turned his back. In his heart, women could never compare to power. Yao Ruoqin, on the other hand, watched Shen Qianmo with eager anticipation, wanting to see how Shen Qianmo would die a gruesome death. But what happened next was something neither of them had expected.
The ribbons from Shen Qianmo's sleeves flew out, and she wore a calm and breezy smile. Her movements were as light as if she were dancing, but one assassin after another lost their lives in Shen Qianmo's ribbons, and they died with their eyes wide open in disbelief.
Seeing that only a dozen or so highly skilled assassins remained out of the forty or fifty, Yao Xuekong's face turned grim, and Shangguan Che stared at everything in disbelief.
"I'm not playing with you anymore." A bloodthirsty smile appeared on Shen Qianmo's lips. The ribbons suddenly flew faster, and then it seemed as if countless invisible ribbons appeared, the long, flowing black silk rushing towards the remaining dozen or so assassins at a speed that was almost impossible to react to.
The assassins were quickly reduced to corpses, each bearing a bright red stab mark on its neck.
"Three thousand black hairs...you're from the Demon Palace?" Shangguan Che looked at everything in front of him in disbelief. These forty or fifty assassins were sent by him to protect Yao Xuekong. Although they were not the most powerful in his elite army, their martial arts were still quite good. Even he himself probably couldn't handle them.
Shen Qianmo not only handled the situation well, but also easily killed all forty or fifty assassins. Her martial arts skills were far beyond his imagination.
“I’ve been meaning to tell the Third Prince. I am Mo Chi.” Shen Qianmo’s smile remained unchanged as she looked at Shangguan Che with a distant expression.
Shangguan Che stared blankly at the woman before him. Her hair had come loose from the fight, and her long, black hair was gently swaying in the wind. Her plain white clothes were also fluttering in the wind, giving her an ethereal and otherworldly air. The murderous smile on her face was breathtakingly beautiful. This aura blurred the ordinariness of her features, making her look like a fairy.
"Mo Chi, Mo Chi. The Demon Palace Master is actually a woman." Shangguan Che murmured Shen Qianmo's name, looking at her with a complex expression.
"The Demon Palace Master?" Yao Xuekong stared in astonishment at the woman before her. She hadn't expected her to be the Demon Palace Master. If she couldn't kill her today, the consequences would be dire.
"Don't even think about using poison on me, it will only hasten your death!" Shen Qianmo coldly glanced at Yao Xuekong, her expression ruthless. She then indifferently looked at the three of them, a smile playing on her lips. "Don't be so eager to die, your time is coming soon."
“Qianmo…” Shangguan Che seemed to want to say something more.
"Shen Qianmo will be getting married tomorrow! From now on, there will only be Mo Chi, the ruthless Mo Chi who kills without blinking an eye." Shen Qianmo's lips curled slightly as she looked at the three of them without the slightest hint of lingering affection.
"Oh my god, what are we going to do?!" Yao Ruoqin looked at the corpses all over the ground and at Shen Qianmo leaving. For the first time, she felt fear, a fear that went deep into her heart.
"Now that we've offended the Demon Palace, things are likely to become increasingly difficult." Shangguan Che sighed softly, a look of worry appearing in his eyes.
---Aside---
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Chapter Fifty: Her True Appearance is Shocking
Red and white intertwined. The funeral of Emperor Qi Yue. The wedding of Emperor Tian Mo.
On the day of the wedding, Shen Qianmo dismissed all the maids, leaving only Qianqian.
"Miss, you are so beautiful." Qianqian exclaimed in amazement as she looked at Shen Qianmo's restored appearance. How long had it been since she had seen her mistress's true face? Although she had watched her mistress since she was a child, she was still amazed every time she saw her.
Shen Qianmo gently stroked Qianqian's nose before sitting down in front of the bronze mirror to do her own makeup.
Her thick, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Yue Wanwan casually picked up a hairpin, coiled her hair into a bun, and gently put the hairpin in.
Qianqian watched her young mistress get ready, initially admiring her with fascination. However, when she saw that her mistress had simply put her hair up in a casual bun, she became anxious. "Miss, it's fine if you're plain on ordinary days, but today is your big day getting married!"
Shen Qianmo's lips curved slightly as she extended her jade-like fingers to lightly brush her eyebrows and touch her lips. The woman in the mirror, with her delicate makeup, was already as beautiful as a celestial being.
"Qianqian, today's marriage is merely a temporary measure. Even if you are to marry, it must be with my personal consent, a proper and formal marriage," Shen Qianmo said calmly.
Qianqian nodded as if she understood Shen Qianmo's words, but stopped trying to stop her. She knew her young mistress must have her reasons for doing this.