Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

"AHHH!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream tore through the night sky, startling everyone in the harem.

A knock came at the door of Zichen Palace. "Your Majesty, rats got into Cian Palace. The Empress Dowager was so frightened she fell out of bed and broke her hand."

Xiao Yang, roused from her slumber, was bewildered.

’What the hell?’

Though exhausted, Xiao Yang still went to watch the drama unfold. The Empress Dowager had indeed broken her hand. An Imperial Physician had fitted her with a splint, and the pain left her face deathly pale. When she saw Xiao Yang arrive, she looked like she wanted to curse her out but didn’t have the strength.

But Xiao Yang understood the look in her eyes. The Empress Dowager thought this was her doing.

She hated Xiao Yang with a vengeance, looking as if she wanted to leap over and bite her to death.

This time, Xiao Yang was genuinely being framed. ’While I do want to deal with the Empress Dowager,’ she thought, ’I’m not in that much of a hurry. I only just put her under house arrest. I’d at least wait a while before making a move.’

The staff of Cian Palace had already caught and killed the rats, laying their bodies out in a neat row.

Xiao Yang didn’t know who had released the rats, but she thought, ’Whoever came up with this method to deal with the Empress Dowager is a true talent.’

A woman like the Empress Dowager had weathered great storms and regarded human life as nothing. Threatening her life would only ignite her will to fight. But a common, petty trick like this—not fatal, but irritating—could break her defenses in an instant.

Since the Empress Dowager’s hand was broken, Xiao Yang decided to hold off on her own plans for the time being.

But the next day, news came from Cian Palace again: the Empress Dowager had been poisoned.

Her medicine had been mixed with poison from a Poisonous Plant, and she nearly died. Fortunately, Doctor Zhou was on duty and managed to save the Empress Dowager with one of his treasured Detoxification Pills.

When the news arrived, Xie Liuzheng was with Xiao Yang for her routine visit.

She gave Xiao Yang a complicated look, hesitating to speak. In the end, she couldn’t hold it in any longer and ventured, "Your Majesty... the Empress Dowager is your birth mother, after all. If she were to die now, some might suspect you were the one who killed her. It would certainly harm Your Majesty’s reputation for benevolence..."

Xie Liuzheng chose her words carefully, trying to offer tactful, loyal counsel.

Xiao Yang’s lips twitched. "You think I’m the one who poisoned her?"

Xie Liuzheng shook her head firmly. "Of course not. Your Majesty would never do something so wicked."

Xiao Yang thought, ’Next time you lie, try convincing yourself first!’

Xie Liuzheng’s eyes screamed, ’I know you did it, but I have to play along.’

Xiao Yang went to see the Empress Dowager again. This time, she was in an even more miserable state. The Empress Dowager lay unconscious, her eye sockets sunken and the corners of her mouth bruised and dark. Her life seemed to be hanging by a thread, as if she might ascend to the heavens at any second.

Xiao Yang couldn’t help the twitch of her lips. ’Who on earth did the Empress Dowager piss off?’

If you said she was unlucky, well, she managed to survive a dose of Poisonous Plant toxin.

But if you said she was lucky... she was having such a bad run of it that she was knocking on death’s door.

Still, this successfully convinced Xiao Yang to shelve her own plans to kill the woman. ’Letting her suffer like this is pretty good, too,’ she thought.

Xiao Yang ordered a full investigation. With the Empress Dowager poisoned, she had to show some kind of reaction, or people would truly believe she was the culprit.

She found it immensely satisfying, of course, but she couldn’t let that show.

While others merely suspected the Little Emperor might be responsible for the Empress Dowager’s plight, one person was convinced of it: Xie Liuzheng.

She was sick with worry, but she couldn’t just point her finger at the Emperor and accuse her of poisoning the Empress Dowager without proof. That would be a death sentence.

She had offered all the counsel she could; there was nothing else to be done.

Feeling utterly helpless, Xie Liuzheng went to find Xiao Lv. "Princely Heir, how is the Empress Dowager?"

Xiao Lv replied, "It was poison from a Poisonous Plant, but Doctor Zhou managed to save her."

"That’s a true blessing amidst this misfortune."

Xie Liuzheng, entirely focused on convincing Xiao Lv to help her persuade the Emperor, failed to notice the hint of regret in his voice.

"Young Master..." Xie Liuzheng leaned in and asked earnestly, "Young Master, are you certain you advised Her Majesty?"

Xiao Lv nodded. "I have already spoken with Her Majesty. She said she merely wants to stop the Empress Dowager from causing more trouble and has no intention of harming her. After all, that is her birth mother."

The Emperor hadn’t said that, of course, but that wasn’t important.

Xie Liuzheng gave him a look that clearly said, ’Her Majesty has fooled you,’ and sighed. "Young Master, you are far too naive."

’How can you believe Her Majesty’s words?’ she thought. ’The Empress Dowager nearly croaked! She’s clearly agreeing to your face while stabbing her in the back.’

Xiao Yang, who happened to be passing by: ’Hm? Since when did Xiao Lv and Xie Liuzheng get so close?’

Three people, each living in their own little world.

And so, a world where only the Empress Dowager suffers was realized.

Xiao Yang was no longer a Puppet Emperor. Now, with real power in her hands, she was certainly capable of investigating a trivial matter like this.

The person who administered the poison to the Empress Dowager was found. The investigation didn’t lead all the way to the mastermind, but Xiao Yang wasn’t a fool. With a little deduction, she knew who was behind it.

She had the poisoner executed and threw the remaining testimony into the fire.

The matter was closed.

-----

In the Heavenly Prison, Rong Yin’s cell had been furnished with a new bed, curtains, and even a rug on the floor.

The cell was fully furnished, clean, and tidy. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was on vacation in the Heavenly Prison.

Flickering lamplight illuminated the dim cell. He held a brush in his left hand, meticulously copying a book, stroke by stroke.

Copying books was a tedious task, but his heart wasn’t as restless as the Little Emperor’s. He was a man of great patience.

He knew the Little Emperor was angry with him. He had to finish copying these books and let her blow off some steam before anything else could be discussed.

So, despite his eagerness to get out and see the Little Emperor, he wasn’t just going through the motions. He took the task seriously, afraid of miswriting a single character.

Suddenly, a puff of smoke drifted in on a breeze, instantly sweeping through the entire corridor. The sleeping convicts noticed nothing as they sank into an even deeper slumber.

Rong Yin’s expression didn’t change. He continued to write, but after another dozen characters, the brush slipped weakly from his grasp, and he slumped forward onto the desk.

Seeing this, the figures waiting in the shadows eagerly emerged. They quickly picked the lock on the cell door, their murderous eyes fixed on the motionless Rong Yin as they drew long blades and advanced slowly.

This Regent King was no easy target. Even after using Enchantment Powder, they had to be extremely careful.

At last, they were close. Seeing the defenseless Rong Yin, the leader thrust his blade viciously toward his stomach.

"CLANG!"

His blade was stopped by a sword when it was still a foot from its target. Before he could even get a clear look at his opponent, his own throat was slit.

Qing Yu and Qing Feng swiftly dispatched the four assassins. Men entered from outside, expertly dragged the corpses away, and even cleaned up the bloodstains on the floor.

Meanwhile, Rong Yin, who had been slumped over the desk just a moment ago, unhurriedly straightened up. His deep, cold phoenix eyes were perfectly clear. He didn’t look the least bit drugged.

"The fourth batch."

He had been in the Heavenly Prison for less than two days, and four waves of assassins had already come for him.

There were poisoners, direct assailants, and arsonists. And now, a group that used a sleeping drug first.

If not for this imprisonment, he never would have known so many people wanted him dead.

He picked up his brush again and resumed his copying.

He knew his very existence stood in the way of many people. He didn’t mind the assassination attempts, as long as none of the assassins were sent by the Little Emperor.