La pluie printanière est comme du vin, les saules comme de la fumée

Chapitre 192

"Yes." Xiaomei turned around, walked to the cabinet, took out a box of brown sugar, and handed it to Lige.

Li Ge took out a piece and examined it, but didn't find anything wrong with it. It was indeed ordinary brown sugar.

But then Yu Wuxia exclaimed softly, "No! The brown sugar I took today wasn't like this." Wuxia compared the size of the brown sugar to the sugar in this box, "That piece of brown sugar was half the size of the sugar in this box."

“But Your Majesty, that piece of brown sugar plum really was taken out of this box.”

Just as everyone was filled with confusion, the voice of a eunuch came from outside announcing, "Consort Die has arrived!"

As soon as Shuangdie entered, she sensed the heavy atmosphere. She chuckled inwardly, but outwardly appeared tense. After bowing to Situ Xingyun, she went to Yu Wuxia's side. "Sister, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Or is the baby moving?"

Yu Wuxia felt very confused. She said blankly, "Thank you for your concern, sister. I am fine. However, the one who is in trouble is not me, but Xi'er."

Shuangdie felt her mind go blank, and her face turned deathly pale in an instant.

"Impossible! Impossible!" Shuangdie muttered as she rushed to Xi'er's side, whose face was pale and blue. She shook her head frantically, still looking incredulous.

Suddenly, she glared at Yu Wuxia, "You vile woman! Why did you feed my Xi'er such deadly poison?"

Everyone was taken aback, even Li Ge was stunned. None of them seemed to have mentioned that His Highness the Crown Prince had been poisoned!

However, just as Situ Xingyun frowned in suspicion, the palace maid who was taking care of Xi'er suddenly shouted, "His Highness the Crown Prince is dead!"

Shuangdie's face grew paler and paler, her body swaying precariously. She turned back in disbelief, her hand trembling as she stroked the lifeless little face.

"Xi'er, Xi'er, wake up! Wake up! Mother only wants to kill that vile woman, not you! Wake up, Xi'er!"

Shuangdie pounced on Xi'er and burst into tears.

The crowd behind them was stunned by Shuangdie's words.

At this moment, Situ Xingyun's face was full of gloom. He roared, "Guards, throw that viperous wretch into the dungeon! Let her await her fate!"

Shuangdie refused to let anyone pull her away from Xi'er, holding the increasingly cold Xi'er tightly. She shook her head desperately, "Don't separate me from Xi'er! You audacious servant, get out of here!"

"Knock her out!" Situ Xingyun gave the order.

The guards immediately complied, striking Shuangdie on the head, and she collapsed to the ground unconscious. But her hand remained tightly clutching Xi'er's clothes. Finally, she was mercilessly dragged away by the guards.

The people in the Jade Pavilion looked at Xi'er, who lay lifeless on the bed, still shocked by the passing of such a young life.

Yu Wuxia wept uncontrollably. Before her eyes flashed the image of Xi'er, who had just been crying and demanding candy, her bright, round eyes more beautiful than the stars in the sky. Now, however, they were separated by distance.

Situ Xingyun's face was pale, and his eyes still held disbelief. His Xi'er, the crown prince of Fengxi, his first child, had passed away just like that.

Outside, the sun shone brightly, yet a sense of desolation permeated the Jade Pavilion. The brilliant sunshine, however dazzling, could not overcome the coldness and indifference of human relationships.

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Volume Three: Truth and Falsehood in the Palace - The Palace Master of Qin Palace

The Crown Prince's departure shocked the entire Fengxi region. When people learned that Crown Prince Xi'er had been poisoned by his mother, Consort Die, they were even more shocked.

There were also undercurrents of unrest within the imperial court.

Many ministers submitted memorials, hoping the Emperor would consider their past as husband and wife and mitigate the punishment. Some ministers also submitted memorials stating that Shuangdie was Fengxi's only bloodline and should not be killed. Still others submitted memorials stating that although Consort Die's crimes were heinous, she should not be killed in consideration of the late Emperor.

Yu Wuxia, Li Ge, and Qingyun also privately advised Situ Xingyun. If Xi'er knew this in the afterlife, she wouldn't want to see her mother suffer such a tragic fate.

In the end, Situ Xingyun softened his heart and released Shuangdie, but he banished her to the Cold Palace, where she would never be able to leave again.

Even after the crown prince was buried, a desolate and sorrowful atmosphere still permeated the entire palace.

When a single sycamore leaf falls, the whole world knows that autumn has arrived.

Autumn truly arrived shortly after the prince's burial.

The autumn wind is bleak; the vibrant colors of the palace gardens have withered under its relentless force, and the lush green leaves have turned yellow. The autumn wind rises, and the withered leaves swirl silently across the earth.

Soon after, a light drizzle began to fall.

Qingyun stood quietly by the window, gazing at the misty rain outside.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept by, accompanied by light raindrops that pattered on Qingyun's face.

Qingyun suddenly felt a chill on her face. She was slightly taken aback, realizing that this autumn was particularly cold. If it weren't for the withered yellow landscape outside, she would have thought it was winter. And the drizzling rain was like snowflakes.

She couldn't help but wipe her arms.

The image of Shuangdie from that day was etched into her heart. She disliked Shuangdie, or perhaps one could say she resented her. There were few people in this world she could resent, just as there was only one person in the world she could love. But on that day, she began to feel pity for Shuangdie.

The women of the imperial harem schemed and fought tooth and nail for the empress's position and power. When favored, they lived in constant fear of poisoning their food; pregnant, they lived in constant anxiety, never knowing when they might be given abortifacients or suffer a miscarriage; when out of favor, they lived in constant fear, worrying about being silently killed by other concubines. They spent their lives scheming, vying for favor, living their lives as actors, while the emperor watched the drama unfold from the sidelines, a century later, his memory forgotten the countless women who had played out their lives in that performance.

If there were a next life, she would not wish to enter the royal family, to get involved in power struggles, or to be associated with high-ranking officials and nobles. She only wished to live a secluded life with the one she loved, traveling through mountains and rivers, quietly watching flowers bloom and fade, clouds drift and gather, holding hands and growing old together—that was all.

But……

This is ultimately just wishful thinking...

"Xue'er..."