When it comes to war with Da Gan, Da Zhou will be in the wrong. However, the two countries are generally concerned with their own interests. Even though Da Zhou is in the wrong, war will still break out. The people may have grievances, but Da Gan's increasingly arrogant attitude over the years has also caused dissatisfaction. There will be an impact, but it may not be as great as imagined.
If Xuanyuan Chaohua were to truly rebel and seek justice for his beloved sister, things would be very different. Leaving aside the standing of Xuanyuan Chaohua and the Princess's household among the people, the Empress Dowager's actions were utterly heartless and shameless. She would lose both morality and public support, and the imperial authority would be completely destroyed. The people might even join the rebellion. Losing popular support would be a fatal blow to the Great Zhou Dynasty. Compared to offending Daqian, provoking Xuanyuan Chaohua would only worsen the situation!
"This...it can't be true, can it..." someone said weakly. But the fact that she asked this question already told others that she believed the Empress Dowager was behind it.
These people looked unwell. It wasn't that there weren't people here who had a good relationship with Ouyang Yue, or those who had good connections with the major families, or even had business dealings with them. In fact, these women were regular customers at the Beauty Pavilion and the Clothing Pavilion, so they had developed a certain habitual dependence on them. Not to mention, if they really angered Xuan Yuan Chaohua, it might cause turmoil, none of which they wanted to see.
In their hearts, they all cursed the Empress Dowager thoroughly. No matter how they thought about it, this matter was inseparable from the Empress Dowager's affairs. The Empress Dowager actually came up with this action that disregarded family ties, the face of the royal family, and the common people in order to solve her own troubles. It was truly shameful and disgusting. Originally, they were dissatisfied with the Empress Dowager because Mei killed Jiang Xuan. Now they resented her even more.
The Empress Dowager has been enjoying her twilight years in the palace for far too long, and Emperor Mingxian has been too good to her.
Back then, the Empress Dowager didn't seem to help Emperor Mingxian much. Over the years, Emperor Mingxian has been kind and filial to her, making her forget who she really is. She's not Emperor Mingxian's biological mother, so Emperor Mingxian has no reason to pay for everything she does.
Actually, after Jiang Xuan's incident, because it involved Mei, the Empress Dowager also bore some responsibility for mismanaging her servants. However, she was too powerful and influential, so no one dared to criticize her or say that she should apologize to the Da Gan Kingdom to win forgiveness. That would be disrespectful to her, and even if she went, it would be a huge loss of face for the Great Zhou. Furthermore, Emperor Mingxian had already punished the Empress Dowager by asking her to find a solution. Should the matter be left at that?
Who knew the Empress Dowager would actually take herself so seriously? She was far too selfish, cold-blooded, and ruthless. For her own sake, she actually committed such a heinous crime. Besides, she wasn't Emperor Mingxian's biological mother, but Prince Chen was Emperor Mingxian's biological son, and Princess Chen was also Emperor Mingxian's cousin and the first to give birth to his great-grandson. Their significance was different; in their eyes, they were much closer than the Empress Dowager. Wasn't the Empress Dowager courting her own destruction? She was incredibly stupid.
Perhaps she's become senile from being pampered all these years. Even in an ordinary household, the old lady would have to think things through carefully before doing something so foolish!
The group didn't continue the topic. After all, the Empress Dowager was still the Empress Dowager, and saying too much would not do them any good if word got out. They had already despised the Empress Dowager in their hearts. She had resolved the major issues, but even more troublesome things awaited her after returning to the capital.
Putting aside everything else, Princess Shuangxia could easily torment Emperor Mingxian and Empress Dowager by demanding people from them. Even the Emperor and Empress Dowager, everything they do is for show. They are supposed to be role models for all people. Although they hold the power of life and death over the people, a single mistake can be magnified infinitely. If such a mistake is passed down through the ages and they are cursed by all people, they will not die in peace.
The news spread like wildfire, and by that afternoon, it had reached every living creature in the entire hunting grounds. Not only had the rumors about Jiang Xuan spread, but the Empress Dowager's attempt to save herself by harming Ouyang Yue to give an explanation to Da Gan were also circulated in great detail. As the rumors spread, the falsehoods became the truth.
The Empress Dowager was furious, but at that moment, all the guards and several prisoners in Guan Yamei's tent were killed, which was like a thunderclap.
Emperor Mingxian, because of the escalating controversy, planned to conduct a trial before leaving the capital. When the trial reached Jiang Xuan's maid, the maid truthfully recounted that she had been ordered by Jiang Xuan to deal with Ouyang Yue. At that time, she struck Li Rushuang, who had argued with Jiang Xuan, but Ouyang Yue grabbed her with a whip and dragged her away. As they moved forward, Ouyang Yue did not have a chance to go back and harm Princess Jiang Xuan again. They heard screams behind them and that something was happening. When they returned, they saw Jiang Xuan trampled by a horse, and Mei's whip was still wrapped around her body.
Of course, this maid also bluntly stated that Mei originally intended to target not Jiang Xuan, but Ouyang Yue. In the end, the young lady witnessed the conflict between the two and could directly corroborate her testimony.
Overall, Ouyang Yue was an innocent party in this matter. If she were to be harmed because of this, it would be a great injustice, the kind of injustice that would make her die with her eyes wide open in disbelief. This maid was Jiang Xuan's maid and spoke with great authority. Of course, some people suspected that she was bribed by Ouyang Yue. However, several of Jiang Xuan's maids also testified one after another. It's impossible for Ouyang Yue to have bribed them all, especially since it happened after Ouyang Yue's death.
Mei's death at this moment seems to be a cover-up, leaving no room for further testimony. Everyone says that Mei seemed to be hostile to Ouyang Yue, but whether she was truly acting on someone else's orders or was inherently hostile to Ouyang Yue is open to many interpretations and carries different implications.
If the Empress Dowager ordered Mei to be hostile towards Ouyang Yue, then the entire process from Jiang Xuan's death to Ouyang Yue's death was very likely preordained by the Empress Dowager. Not only was she ruthless, but she also disregarded the Great Zhou Dynasty, leaving the royal dignity and prestige utterly destroyed. She had no explanation to the court officials or the people of the world, making her a sinner for all time in history, condemned by generations and never to be reincarnated!
This accusation was so sharp and alarming. Upon learning of it, the Empress Dowager ordered an investigation, questioning each person who had spread the rumors about where they came from, determined to find the source. The Empress Dowager was furious; she had no choice but to be anxious. If the rumors continued, she would be branded a wicked woman for all time, someone everyone wanted to kill. Even if she was the Empress Dowager, it wouldn't matter. Even if she didn't actually die from the accusations, the spittle would drown her. The Empress Dowager wasn't a saint; could she still smile while listening to others insult her every day? Could she even stand it?
However, the Empress Dowager's actions only fueled public discontent. She was driven to desperation; she wanted to make an example of someone to silence them, regardless of what they said behind her back. Of course, this would only increase public misunderstanding, but it was still better than having these people recklessly spread the story throughout the capital. Her actions also signaled that the rumors weren't unfounded; was the Empress Dowager terrified and seeking revenge to silence the gossips?
The Empress Dowager's actions silenced the critics, but they harbored extreme disgust for her. Some people, after being questioned by her men and subjected to her insults or even minor shoving, would make straw figures of her every day, cursing her to die a horrible death, her intestines rotting and stinking. They would then burn the straw figures, repeating the cycle endlessly. Whether it was the curses that worked or the Empress Dowager's anger that was so intense, she fell ill again the next day. This time, however, it was genuine; her complexion clearly showed it.
The Empress Dowager's men had only investigated a few people and families, and before they could continue their investigation and bring anyone to justice, Emperor Mingxian arrived with his men.
The Empress Dowager, her face pale and filled with indignation, said, "Your Majesty, I would never do such a thing. Doesn't Your Majesty know me well? These people are spreading these baseless rumors. What are they up to? They are trying to disrupt the peace of the Great Zhou! These people with malicious intentions deserve to die!"
Emperor Mingxian's eyes flashed rapidly, and he slowly said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This news is indeed very strange. However, according to the information we have now, Mei is someone close to Your Majesty, which makes people suspicious."
The Empress Dowager's expression changed. She squinted and stared at Emperor Mingxian for a while. Emperor Mingxian was indeed a remarkable person to have risen to this position. Back then, the Empress Dowager had no children, so she set her sights on the princes in the harem. In the end, she chose Emperor Mingxian, who was young and not very mature at the time. Emperor Mingxian was indeed relatively mediocre among the princes. So, she plotted to kill Emperor Mingxian's biological mother and then adopted Emperor Mingxian as her adopted son.
At that time, Emperor Mingxian was just beginning to understand things. As time went on, he treated the Empress Dowager the same as his own mother.
The Empress Dowager wasn't without her suspicions about Emperor Mingxian. She secretly observed and tested him, finding him docile, obedient, and somewhat weak-willed, constantly suppressed and controlled by her. She figured he was easy to manipulate and didn't bother with him much. Of course, she wouldn't bother building up his power base. She firmly believed that he wasn't her own son, and even if he were, when her interests were at stake, he could easily become an ungrateful wretch. Weren't there plenty of cases of patricide and fratricide within the royal family? At those times, the emperor would remain unassuming. When Emperor Mingxian suddenly became the first in line to the throne, the Empress Dowager was quite surprised.
Even if the Empress Dowager was Emperor Mingxian's foster mother at that time, she had other plans in mind. Perhaps she would help Emperor Mingxian at the most crucial moment. Naturally, she would still have great power in her hands. Even if Emperor Mingxian was the emperor, many things would still be under her control. Perhaps she could choose a more suitable person to recommend for the throne before then, and there would still be time.
When Emperor Mingxian suddenly rose to prominence, the Empress Dowager was caught off guard and naturally did many unexpected things. However, she also vaguely noticed that Emperor Mingxian's true nature was only gradually revealed after he ascended the throne. At that time, the Empress Dowager harbored murderous intentions towards Emperor Mingxian. That's right, the Empress Dowager wanted to win over Xuanyuan Hu and then plot to poison him. When Emperor Mingxian first ascended the throne, her original intention was to use Xuanyuan Hu to deal with him, because Xuanyuan Hu had many soldiers and was a real threat. Even if Xuanyuan Hu couldn't resist the Empress Dowager's temptation and the two had an affair, Xuanyuan Hu would still be used by the Empress Dowager and then pushed out to be killed as a way to avenge Emperor Mingxian.
After Xuanyuan Hu was killed, the Empress Dowager would naturally try to kill Emperor Mingxian. The fact that the monk Minghui had brought many people to help Emperor Mingxian was one of the reasons why the Empress Dowager had never believed in Taoism and instead highly praised it. Seeing that Buddhism was so famous in the Great Zhou Dynasty, she felt extremely resentful.
The plot to poison Emperor Mingxian failed, and coupled with the incident involving Xuanyuan Hu, these two events caused instability and widespread panic in the court. Emperor Mingxian even ordered a thorough investigation, so the Empress Dowager, fearing exposure, chose to keep a low profile. Afterwards, she mostly stayed in Chengxiang Palace and wouldn't attend even the most important banquets in the palace. Of course, she never missed any news from the outside world. She naturally understood that Emperor Mingxian was just playing dumb, and that he had even fooled her. However, by then, it was too late for the Empress Dowager to dwell on it.
For many years, the Empress Dowager had not concerned herself with state affairs and had been content to stay in the inner palace, earning her a reputation for kindness. Emperor Mingxian would never dare to touch her. In all these years, Emperor Mingxian had never been disrespectful to her in any way. This time was the first time, so how could the Empress Dowager feel comfortable?
"Does Your Majesty mean you don't believe me? I raised you with great difficulty since you were a child. Even if I haven't done anything meritorious, I have certainly put in a lot of hard work. So, in Your Majesty's eyes, am I such a cruel and heartless person? Am I a sinner who harms imperial relatives and endangers the Great Zhou for personal gain? You are stabbing me in the heart with a knife. It's so chilling!" The Empress Dowager looked furious, repeatedly hitting her chest with her hands. Her face, which was already pale from illness, was now flushed red, showing that she was very agitated.
Emperor Mingxian merely watched the Empress Dowager's performance, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. Although he wanted to observe from the sidelines, he couldn't. The two hadn't truly reached the point of open conflict. He simply sighed, "Mother, what are you saying? I'm not saying this because I suspect you, but the external evidence is indeed putting me in a difficult position. As the saying goes, 'Many voices can be deceiving.' At this point, even with my imperial power, I cannot forcefully suppress it. That would not only fail to solve the problem but would also exacerbate the conflict. I know that you, Mother, are a person of discretion and have a broad perspective. You naturally understand that suppression is far less effective than guidance. Otherwise, if the ministers, their families, and the common people complain endlessly, they will truly lose all trust in the Great Zhou royal family, and the prestige of the Great Zhou Dynasty will be completely destroyed. Don't you agree, Mother?"
The Empress Dowager sneered inwardly. It sounded nice, but after all that talk, Emperor Mingxian still suspected her, didn't he? Otherwise, what was the point of saying all this? How did she think she had survived? But despite her thoughts, the Empress Dowager also understood that Emperor Mingxian wasn't entirely without reason. When rumors had reached a certain point, simply suppressing and silencing them could easily lead to problems. The Empress Dowager didn't have much affection for Emperor Mingxian, and she was full of resentment towards his inaction. However, after calming down and thinking it over, she could understand.
At this point, even if Emperor Mingxian chose to believe her, he wouldn't risk offending so many high-ranking officials for her sake. The likelihood of him ordering a news blackout was low. After all, throughout history, truly well-kept secrets have always required the death of the person who died. Those present were all important court officials, along with their favored concubines and daughters. Emperor Mingxian wouldn't act rashly. Moreover, perhaps it was because when the Empress Dowager sent people to investigate today, their subordinates were physically abusive, causing complaints from below. He was doing this to prevent further escalation of the Empress Dowager's actions. Regardless of the reason, Emperor Mingxian didn't want to resort to suppression.
"Then, according to Your Majesty's wishes, how should this matter be resolved? You know my character; how could I possibly do such a thing as the rumors suggest? Besides, if I truly wanted to do it, how could I allow anyone to find such a pretext? This is clearly someone maliciously framing me!" the Empress Dowager protested, but Emperor Mingxian was unconvinced. Even if it were true, he wouldn't believe it. If he didn't stab the Empress Dowager in the back now, when would he?
However, the Empress Dowager's matter involves Daqian, as well as the Princess's residence and Prince Chen's residence. Even if Emperor Mingxian intends to take this opportunity to retaliate, he must come up with a foolproof plan. Otherwise, he might offend both sides and end up in a situation where he is attacked from both sides. Emperor Mingxian will be too late to cry then.
Emperor Mingxian shook his head and sighed, "Mother, your question has also caught me off guard. I only came to ask you because I couldn't think of this. With your intelligence and wisdom, you will surely find a solution sooner or later. I believe that the solution to this major problem and this incident will be no challenge for you. I naturally won't ask any more questions. Mother, you are not feeling well, so I won't disturb you any longer. I hope you will rest well. I have some matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now." After speaking, Emperor Mingxian looked at the Empress Dowager with concern and inquired about her health at length. He also severely criticized the palace maids, including Zhan Mama, accusing them of inaction and allowing the Empress Dowager to fall ill. They should be severely punished, but considering that the Empress Dowager still needs care, he will remember the punishment for now. If the Empress Dowager's health does not improve after returning to the capital, he will certainly not let it go.
By the time Emperor Mingxian left, the Empress Dowager was so angry she was almost out of breath. If it weren't for the quick thinking of Granny Tie and the others who rushed over to help her catch her breath, the Empress Dowager would have collapsed. Granny Tie hurriedly advised, "Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, please calm down."
"Calm down? How can I calm down? What are his intentions? Do you think I can't see through them? He's kicking me when I'm down! He's a shameless scoundrel! He actually kicked me when I was down! He's utterly despicable!" The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth and her eyes were bloodshot with rage.
Actually, the Empress Dowager's desire to kill Ouyang Yue wasn't entirely due to the Jiang Xuan affair. However, given the urgency of her actions, she had to admit that she did indeed have a motive to use Ouyang Yue as a scapegoat to resolve the problem Emperor Mingxian had left her with. Of course, the Empress Dowager had a way of explaining things afterward, shifting the blame, but this required some maneuvering. The rumors spread too quickly, and the mix of truth and falsehood directly hit the Empress Dowager's plans and intentions, thus causing her original plans to fall through.
Granny Tie couldn't help but say angrily, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Be careful, there are eavesdroppers. But, to be fair, it's not wrong for the Emperor to push everything onto the Empress Dowager. Moreover, this matter is strange, and the rumors are spreading too rapidly. Could it be that the Emperor himself..."
The Empress Dowager's eyes widened immediately: "You mean..." If Emperor Mingxian was behind this, wouldn't he want the Empress Dowager to stop investigating? The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes, which flickered darkly and carried a cold frost.
Granny Tie said, "But since things have come to this point, we have to put on an act. At least the Empress Dowager has to pretend to look for Princess Chen."
The Empress Dowager sneered. Falling from that precipice, Ouyang Yue couldn't possibly be alive. However, Granny Tie's warning was correct; these people deeply misunderstood her, and if she remained indifferent, it would only fuel further gossip. But now, the Empress Dowager also felt a slight regret. If Ouyang Yue hadn't died, there wouldn't be so much trouble now. She wasn't afraid of Emperor Mingxian, nor was she afraid of truly confronting the Princess's residence; she was only afraid of the combined pressure from these forces, the court officials, and the common people. There was more to this than met the eye, and even a goddess descended from heaven wouldn't be able to withstand such pressure.
The Empress Dowager immediately dispatched people to search for Ouyang Yue's whereabouts. Emperor Mingxian was overjoyed upon learning of this and publicly praised the Empress Dowager, saying that she disregarded the rumors for Ouyang Yue's sake and that the Empress Dowager was likely innocent. Otherwise, why would she risk public misunderstanding by sending so many people to search for Ouyang Yue? This temporarily quelled the rumors. The Empress Dowager was very satisfied and put on an act several more times in front of others, proclaiming her innocence and promising to do her utmost to find Ouyang Yue to prove her innocence. She then sent even more people to search. Although people did not believe that anyone who fell off that precipice would survive, the Empress Dowager's act was quite convincing, at least the resentment towards her decreased.
However, right after the Empress Dowager sent people out, Emperor Mingxian suddenly suggested that he and the people sent by the Empress Dowager be combined into one team to search for Ouyang Yue. Otherwise, sending out multiple search teams would only waste resources and manpower and would not be of much use in the search.
To put it nicely, it was just an excuse to suppress the people sent out by the Empress Dowager. Although these people were not the Empress Dowager's true trump card, they were definitely not insignificant. How could the Empress Dowager be willing to do that? How could Emperor Mingxian possibly suppress her people and seize her power so easily?
But at this moment, news came from Baili Chen that two rescuers had died in the line of duty, and they were short-handed!
Baili Chen acted strangely this time. After Ouyang Yue died, he rarely left the tent except after speaking to Baili Chen. When he reappeared in front of the Empress Dowager, he immediately knelt down in front of her. There were also many noble ladies and young ladies nearby. In front of these people, Baili Chen bluntly said that there were no people to search for Ouyang Yue and asked the Empress Dowager for her cooperation.
The Empress Dowager was only putting on a show to suppress the rumors. If she refused Baili Chen now, wouldn't all her previous efforts have been wasted? Besides, there were many noble ladies and young ladies present, so she couldn't refuse or even delay. Baili Chen wanted the people in person. The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth and agreed. As Baili Chen was leaving, he suddenly said, "Grandmother, the search and rescue situation is very dangerous because it is a sheer cliff. If anything happens to these people, please forgive us. It was all an accident."
This is a threat, a blatant threat, a direct blow to the head, leaving you speechless. The Empress Dowager dispatched two teams, one from the Lin family and the other from her own hidden forces. While not top-tier in terms of protection, they were still mid-to-high-level power. She had intended to put on a show, but this time she'd completely backfired. Since Baili Chen dared to say these things to her, it meant he would never let these people out, never spare their lives. He was clearly telling her that he was seeking revenge, a blatant act of revenge, cutting off half her arm, but not leaving her crippled, and severely injuring her as well.
Unfortunately, Baili Chen hinted at targeting her confidants, but the Empress Dowager was powerless to do anything about it. It was like an old sheep that had lived its whole life, wise and intelligent, but in its later years, it accidentally got its head stuck in a door, willingly walking into the tiger's den and being bitten to death, with no way to stop it.
The Empress Dowager was holding her breath. The noble ladies and young misses noticed something was wrong and were about to ask when the Empress Dowager suddenly coughed violently. She opened her mouth wide and spat out about half a liter of blood, a long mist of blood spraying out and directly onto the faces of two young misses. This immediately caused terrified screams, and chaos erupted in the Empress Dowager's tent. The Empress Dowager, who had only been suffering from minor ailments due to poor blood circulation, was now truly bedridden.
However, at this moment, Emperor Mingxian ordered the entire entourage to return to the capital. It didn't matter that the Empress Dowager was ill in bed; she could simply travel back in the largest carriage. Emperor Mingxian even gave the Empress Dowager his own carriage, showing his affection for her. But the Empress Dowager was ill, and a long journey would definitely not be good for her condition. The palace maids, including Zhan Mama, went to see Emperor Mingxian to explain their purpose. Coincidentally, Emperor Mingxian was meeting with several ministers. Emperor Mingxian said to the ministers with some difficulty, "My dear ministers, what do you think we should do about this? The Empress Dowager is ill. I originally wanted to give her my carriage, which is more spacious and comfortable, but it seems that's not possible due to the travel arrangements."
Those who followed Emperor Mingxian included both civil and military officials. They were already displeased after hearing Tie Mama's inappropriate report, and their dissatisfaction grew even stronger when they heard that Emperor Mingxian had the idea of delaying.
The Empress Dowager is such a troublemaker! She claimed to be ill, but it didn't seem that serious. Now she's causing this mess—what is she trying to do? How come I never realized before that she's not only a short-sighted, shallow woman, but also a real troublemaker? This time, she volunteered to come hunting, not only disrupting the entire hunting trip and causing such a huge problem, but now she's trying to delay the journey even further. Even if she were real, we'd have to drag her to the capital. Who cares if she dies on the way? It would be better if she died! Who started this mess?!
Of course, these officials hated the Empress Dowager with a vengeance, but they would never say it outwardly. One minister shook his head and said, "His Majesty is benevolent and filial. Not just anyone can ride in the imperial carriage. Moreover, as long as we send more imperial physicians and female officials to protect us on the way, there should be no major incidents. This would be fine under other circumstances, but the matter of Princess Jiang Xuan's death cannot be delayed any longer. We must return to the capital as soon as possible and find a solution. Every day we delay increases the danger. The Empress Dowager will understand this."
Granny Tie's face turned ashen with anger. The official's words were sweet, but they were laced with sarcasm. The Empress Dowager had caused this mess herself, and now they were the ones cleaning up her mess. Now she was a little sick and acting all weak and frail, while they toiled away for no reason. Besides, although the Empress Dowager was noble, she was far inferior to the emperor. Even Emperor Mingxian was willing to send the imperial cavalry to her; what more did she want? She shouldn't push her luck.
Emperor Mingxian looked at Granny Zhan: "Since that's the case, it's settled then. The Empress Dowager's safety along the way is in your hands. None of you are as careful as you thought. I warned you before that you should take good care of the Empress Dowager, and now you've allowed her to fall ill. When we get back, I will hold you accountable. If anything happens to the Empress Dowager along the way, you will all be buried with her. Not only you, but your families will not live either."
Granny Zhan stared at Emperor Mingxian in disbelief, only to find that his eyes were dark and unreadable. She was so frightened that she fled in panic. She felt as if she would be pierced by a thousand swords if she stayed there.
Emperor Mingxian set off to leave, but Baili Chen refused to go, insisting on continuing the search for Ouyang Yue. Emperor Mingxian could not persuade him otherwise, so he ordered that if Ouyang Yue could not be found within six months, he must return to the capital. Baili Chen did not respond, so Emperor Mingxian took it as his agreement.
However, on the very day Emperor Mingxian and his entourage set off to leave, Baili Chen coldly smiled as he looked at the two groups of people sent by the Empress Dowager who were surrounded by Leng Sha and his men. He slowly said, "I will give you a chance. Tell me what other forces the Empress Dowager has and where her strongholds are. One piece of information will save your lives for one day."
The two groups of people were all sneering, looking at Baili Chen with utter indifference and mockery. Baili Chen didn't care at all, a strange smile curving his lips as he laughed, "Very good, you're all tough guys. I like people with such tough guts. I admire you very much. Men, feed them the best food, and set out all the things for me."
These people had their pressure points sealed, temporarily suspending their martial arts. Leng Sha then led his men to feed each of them a black pill. The people were initially disdainful, but as soon as they spat out the pill, they began to tremble uncontrollably, and many of them couldn't help but cry out in pain.
It hurts, it hurts so much!
It was as if millions of venomous insects were constantly gnawing at their bodies, and as if they were being repeatedly smashed by a huge hammer. Even breaking arms and legs wouldn't have caused them the involuntary throbbing pain in their heads. But that wasn't the end of it. Next, Leng Sha and the others pushed out several large carts filled with venomous snakes and insects, densely packed together, making a constant rustling sound. Just hearing it sent chills down their spines and made their hearts tremble. The next moment, they were grabbed and thrown into the large barrels on these carts. Their bodies were immediately bitten by venomous snakes and insects, and the excruciating pain was even more intense. They wished they could die on the spot.
However, after they were acupunctured and fed pills, they found that not only were their bodies enduring extraordinary pain, but they also couldn't destroy half of their internal energy to break through their acupuncture points. This stuff was also causing their internal energy to drain away. If this continued, they would all become useless trash that would be eaten by poisonous snakes and insects!
But things didn't end there. Leng Sha then placed a piece of iron on each of them. Just as they were wondering what was going on, Baili Chen suddenly said in a sinister tone, "Looks like it's going to rain soon."
This place is very strange. It snows in winter, and often it rains as well. At this moment, the sky was covered with dark clouds. Before long, the sound of thunder and lightning suddenly rang out. Some people's faces changed drastically. However, the next moment, a series of amazing bolts of lightning struck down, heading straight for them.
"ah!"
"ah!"
"ah!"
Even the strongest men would cry out in pain when struck by lightning, their bodies trembling and shaking. Many were directly killed by the lightning, some were seriously injured, and a few had their faces and limbs burned black. Almost none of them survived unscathed. In an instant, most of these people had died.
"Speak! Or not!" Baili Chen looked at them with utter indifference, his gaze as if he were looking at inanimate objects. Compared to the Empress Dowager's methods, Baili Chen was simply a madman, utterly inhuman, and a cruel demon.
"Tell me, tell me, I'll tell you everything! No, I don't want it anymore, let me out!" One of the people who was struck by lightning the lightest suddenly screamed. The unparalleled pain they were enduring was beyond human imagination. He was the one who was lightly injured; if he had been struck by lightning and died, he would have had no chance of survival.
When these people stayed behind, they had already thought they would die, but they never expected that Baili Chen would torture them in such a way. They were originally confident that they would not reveal any information, but in the face of Baili Chen's torture, their original vows were nothing but rubbish and bullshit!
One by one, several more people were willing to speak. These people were immediately given iron blocks and placed outside the poison barrel. A torrential downpour began; the rain was just as heavy here as the snow. Because of the high altitude, they were very close to the lightning strikes. At that moment, the second wave of lightning struck fiercely. Accompanied by the people's agonizing screams, more people were instantly turned to charcoal, trembling as they died. Some even shouted that they were willing to confess, but it was too late; they had already been struck dead. Seeing this, they had no hope of escaping. Baili Chen was truly ruthless! Don't try to stall him; it's useless. The longer you delay, the more gruesome your death will be!
These people felt uneasy. In the past, they would walk into the lion's den without batting an eye, but when facing Baili Chen, they felt inexplicably flustered and fearful.
Actually, Baili Chen was better before than he is now. Even when he was leading the First Killing Alliance, he was still much better than he is now, who seems to have no humanity at all. Now that Ouyang Yue's safety is unknown, Baili Chen is not making a fuss, but the death aura on his body is more terrifying than real rage. Even gods and ghosts would be terrified when they see him.
Baili Chen slowly walked towards the five people who were about to speak and said, "You are smart people. Smart people live to be a hundred years old. As long as you explain yourself well, I will grant you peace for the rest of your lives. If you dare to lie to me, I will let you know what true hell is. You will die a more miserable death than they did. Do you understand?"
These five dared not disobey. Even though they all had the poison that the Empress Dowager had been feeding them for a long time, the poison would only take effect once a year. However, their martial arts skills were gradually deteriorating, and they didn't even have the strength to commit suicide. They had to endure inhuman torture. Call them cowardly if you will. They only knew that it was unnecessary to fight with Baili Chen and die tragically. Moreover, the poison might not be completely incurable. Perhaps they could really save their lives.
The interrogation naturally fell to Leng Sha. Afterwards, Baili Chen led his men to search for Ouyang Yue at the bottom of the cliff day and night. He neither ate nor drank, yet for some reason, he was extremely excited. However, every time Leng Sha saw Baili Chen, he would shudder. The deathly aura on Baili Chen's face grew heavier and heavier. Leng Sha kept trying to comfort him in grief, and even went so far as to defy his superior by knocking Baili Chen unconscious and forcibly feeding and watering him. Half a year passed like this, but there was still not much news about the search for Ouyang Yue. Emperor Mingxian had already sent people to forcibly take Baili Chen away.
At this time, Baili Chen had a long beard and dark circles under his eyes, which were the result of not sleeping well for a long time. After returning, Baili Chen was given a sleeping potion and forcibly knocked unconscious for several days before he was able to recover slightly.
However, on the other side of the sheer cliff, there is an extremely steep and treacherous stream that winds its way up the mountain. Normally, no one would come here because there is nowhere to climb. But now, in a space that can only accommodate two people, a disheveled woman stands there, looking up at the sky, with a hint of confusion in her eyes...
No one knew that a major event would occur after returning to the capital. After regaining consciousness, Baili Chen was surprisingly obedient in taking care of himself. Then he went to find Baili Zhi. In the study of Prince Zhi's mansion, Baili Chen suddenly said something earth-shattering: "Third brother, I want to be the emperor."
"What?!" Baili Zhi was stunned, his face blank with surprise.
Baili Chen replied expressionlessly, "Third brother, I want to be emperor? Heh, I suddenly find myself utterly ridiculous. I've had my share of complaints since I was little, but I've endured it all. I've always considered it my duty to assist you, but in the end, I can't even protect my own woman. Do you know what Father said back then? That things need careful consideration. A man must wield great power. I want to be emperor, I want revenge, I want to make the Empress Dowager wish she were dead!"
Baili Zhizhi frowned: "Do you know what nonsense you are talking about? Do you know what a ruler of a country has to face? He has to face all the people of the world. Everything you do has to be worthy of them. Do you really think the throne is something to play with or to take revenge on? You are simply being ridiculous."
Baili Chen, however, said with an unusually cold expression, "Third brother, if you become emperor, will you kill the Empress Dowager immediately?"
Baili Zhi fell silent. No matter who sits on the throne, there are too many things to consider. Every word and action of the emperor is being watched by the entire court and the people of the world. Those who do whatever they want will be despised. Almost all of them are tyrants and incompetent rulers, cursed by the people for generations. Who can bear the reputation of being famous for a thousand years but infamous for a long time? They won't even die in peace.
Baili Zhi coldly retorted, "Do you want to be that kind of tyrannical ruler?"
Baili Chen suddenly burst into a strange laugh: "If I can't beat her, what does this world have to do with me? So what if I'm a tyrant or a foolish ruler? If I can't even protect my own woman, how can I protect the world? How laughable!"
Baili Zhi's expression turned cold and stern: "Then you should know that since I was a child, my father and mother have placed high hopes on me. In the future, my father will only entrust the world to me. Are you telling me these things because you want to sever ties with me and become enemies from now on?"
A glint flashed in Baili Chen's eyes, but he still spoke slowly: "If possible, I would never want to do anything to betray my third brother. However, I want power, I want the most supreme power in the world. I want to support people, not be supported. No matter who it is, if they stand in my way, I will push them aside one by one."
Baili Zhi looked at Baili Chen with a gloomy expression: "Fine, very well. You've openly declared war on me. Father will soon find out about this. Guess what he'll do when he finds out."
Baili Chen laughed loudly: "What to do? Send someone to kill me, Third Brother. Do you think I dare to say this without some confidence? To be honest, I don't care about anything anymore. I only want power, so great that no one dares to question me. I don't care about death at all. What's wrong with going crazy for her for a lifetime? Hahaha!" After saying that, Baili Chen left with a loud laugh, but in that laughter, there was unspeakable bitterness and desolation, as well as a trace of despair.
Baili Zhi felt that Baili Chen had truly gone mad, beyond redemption. He knew Baili Chen well, and he could naturally discern the truth or falsehood in Baili Chen's words. He was certain that Baili Chen had no interest in the throne, but had a reason to seize it, all for a woman. This was something Baili Zhi simply could not understand.