She Was Written to Die, So She Seized the Throne Instead

Lu Chengzhi’s attempt at being a peacemaker almost made Xiao Li laugh. Before she could speak, Madam Lu stepped forward and glared. "Our Lu family is not worthy of the Princess. We are prisoners now, and we wouldn’t dare have anything more to do with you."

"Someone, bring me a brush and paper! I’m casting you out of this family today, you venomous woman!"

Xiao Li frowned, her eyes filled with disgust. "Annoying."

With a SWISH, Rong Qing’s greatsword was at Madam Lu’s throat. The stench of blood from the previous night had yet to dissipate, and the blade radiated a terrifying, bone-chilling cold.

Lu Chengzhi cried out hastily, "Princess, stop!"

Madam Lu’s face went pale with fright, but she remained defiant. "Go on, kill me if you have the guts! Either way, the Lu family will never again accept a daughter-in-law like you."

With a single slash, Rong Qing sliced off Madam Lu’s topknot, letting it fall to the floor.

Madam Lu froze for an instant, then clutched her head the next. "AHHHHH!!!!"

’The madam of one of the great aristocratic families, and she can’t even handle a blow this small...’

"Princess!" Old Madam Lu roared, striking the floor loudly with her cane. "His Majesty has not yet passed judgment! The Lu family will not tolerate your insolence!"

Gao Lan helped Madam Lu up, glaring daggers at Xiao Li. "A gentleman can be killed, but not disgraced! Even if the Lu family is guilty, it’s not your place to humiliate them!"

Xiao Li listened to their rebukes not with anger, but with great pleasure. In the past, Lu Yanzhi had been the tormentor, and her predecessor had only been able to curse him in rage and agony, powerless to fight back.

But now, she was the one inflicting the pain. It was only fair to let the Lu family have their moment of impotent rage.

Xiao Li’s gaze fell on Gao Lan. "I almost forgot. The Gao Family still has one fish that slipped through the net."

Xiao Li simply raised her hand, and an arrow shot straight into Gao Lan’s chest. Her furious expression instantly contorted in pain as she stared at Xiao Li in disbelief.

"Alan! Alan..."

Lu Chengzhi caught Gao Lan, his resentful gaze fixed on Xiao Li. "How dare you attack her!"

Xiao Li rolled her eyes. "I’m not trying to hurt her, I’m trying to kill her. When she married into your Lu family, her spectacular dowry and countless treasures were all stained with blood. The Gao Family is dead, and she will be no exception. If she dies now, she can have a happy reunion with her family."

The arrow wasn’t immediately fatal. As the initial agony subsided, Gao Lan heard Xiao Li’s words. The thought that her entire family was dead sent her into a frenzy. "Xiao Xuanyang, may you die a horrible death!" she shrieked. "The tyrant slaughtered my entire Gao Family! I will haunt you! I will never let you go!"

Xiao Li sneered. "You couldn’t do a thing to me when you were alive. What makes you think you’ll be so much more impressive dead?"

Lu Chengzhi’s eyes reddened as he watched blood pour from Gao Lan’s wound. "An Imperial Physician! Quick, get an Imperial Physician!"

A young servant immediately turned to leave, but stopped after two steps, remembering. "First Young Master, we can’t leave this place."

Lu Chengzhi’s head snapped toward Xiao Li. The hatred in his gaze hadn’t faded, and he couldn’t bring himself to beg her for help.

Lu Yanzhi looked from his mother, who was still cradling her head in despair, to his wounded sister-in-law. His eyes filled with sorrow. "Princess... you’ve already cast me aside. Why harm the innocent?"

Xiao Li remained silent. Lu Yanzhi straightened up from his kneeling position. "I beg you, Princess, spare my sister-in-law’s life. Please, summon an Imperial Physician."

Xiao Li sighed. "Lu Yanzhi, you just never seem to listen, do you? I said I want her dead. Why on earth would I summon an Imperial Physician just because you asked me to?"

Old Madam Lu pointed a trembling finger at Xiao Li. "How can you be so vicious?"

Xiao Li returned Old Madam Lu’s accusation with a brilliant smile. ’I am just that vicious. Thank you for the compliment.’

’Yes, I could be even more vicious.’

"Of course, nothing is set in stone."

Xiao Li held the imperial edict out in front of Lu Yanzhi. "Read this edict aloud. If I’m satisfied with your reading, I’ll spare her life."

Lu Yanzhi rose stiffly to his feet, his eyes trembling as he stared at the imperial edict.

Seeing that Gao Lan was on the verge of collapsing, Lu Chengzhi urged him on, "Yanzhi, quickly, read it!"

A servant brought life-sustaining medicine for Gao Lan to take, while expensive golden sore medicine was poured liberally onto her wound.

Gao Lan wouldn’t die immediately, but every moment of delay was dangerous.

Lu Chengzhi, desperate to save his wife’s life, could think of nothing else.

At his brother’s urging, Lu Yanzhi finally took the imperial edict. He unrolled it slowly, his eyes burning with anguish as he began to read, his voice strained:

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Lu Yanzhi of the Lu Family, Prince Consort to Princess Xuanyang, has failed to serve the Princess and has not upheld his duties as a husband. Possessing neither talent nor virtue, he is an unworthy match. We hereby grant Princess Xuanyang special dispensation to renounce him. From this day forth, the marriage contract between Princess Xuanyang and Lu Yanzhi is dissolved. They are free to marry as they see fit, with no further connection to one another. By Imperial Command!"

Lu Yanzhi’s voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for everyone present to hear every word.

With every word he uttered, the stares of those around him felt like a thousand cuts upon his dignity.

Even Lu Chengzhi, who had been beside himself with worry for his wife, looked over in shock. ’The imperial edict... how could it say something like that...?’

Gazing at Lu Yanzhi’s back, Lu Chengzhi’s heart ached. This was his own brother, the proud, noble second young master of the Lu family, and he had just been publicly cast aside by an imperial edict.

"How could you... humiliate him like this?"

The others looked on with similar pity. The second young master’s fate was truly tragic.

Old Madam Lu staggered, nearly fainting. Snapping out of her own daze, Madam Lu suddenly charged toward Xiao Li. "I’ll kill you!"

"Mother, don’t!"

Lu Chengzhi cried out in terror, for he saw Yang Jun draw his sword.

But Lu Yanzhi, who had been kneeling on the floor, suddenly sprang up and shielded Madam Lu with his own body.

SHLICK!

Yang Jun’s sword sliced into Lu Yanzhi’s shoulder, and blood gushed forth.

Lu Yanzhi crumpled to his knees in agony. Behind him, Madam Lu was frozen in shock.

"My son!"

Ignoring his frantic mother, Lu Yanzhi fixed his sorrowful and complex gaze on Xiao Li. "Even if I wronged you," he began slowly, "I never physically harmed you in the slightest."

Xiao Li was speechless. ’What kind of script is he working from now?’

Xiao Li didn’t answer, but her silence seemed to flip a switch in Lu Yanzhi. "Was this all your plan? From the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, you’ve been scheming. What did you do? Do you hate me so much? So much that you won’t be satisfied until the Lu family is completely destroyed?"

At his words, Xiao Li was genuinely surprised. "Well, look at that. You finally figured it out."

The color drained from Lu Yanzhi’s face, leaving it ashen. ’So she admits it? She really was behind it all.’

’All of this... was her doing...’

Xiao Li said, "From the moment you sent men to humiliate me, the fate between me and your Lu family was sealed. This won’t end until one of us is destroyed."

"Lu Yanzhi, the fall of the Lu family is on your head."

Lu Yanzhi broke down. The pain from his wound caused veins to bulge on his skin, but the ache in his heart was far worse. "It was a moment of foolishness! But you weren’t hurt, were you? The men involved are dead, and I’ve been tormented by you for so long... Why must you be so merciless? Why do you have to wipe us out completely?"

Xiao Li sighed. ’You’re the second male lead, so why are you reciting lines from a tragic heroine’s script?’ "Is there any point in saying all this now?" she asked. "Surely you aren’t expecting mercy from me?"

Lu Yanzhi glared at Xiao Li, his eyes bloodshot and filled with hate. All his complex emotions—even the genuine feelings he had begun to develop for her—were consumed by the sight of his family’s ruin. Now that everything was irreversible, all that was left was hatred.

"You’re too cruel. How can a woman as vicious as you even exist?"