Chapter 6, Slaughter

This is perhaps the most painful part, as one is constrained by others yet must remain vigilant. A heart full of resentment has no outlet for release, and it feels as if my eyes might burst into flames; my body trembles violently, forcing me to wipe away tears while gritting my teeth. Yan'er, seeing my distress, sits helplessly beside me, gently patting my back with her hand. She cries softly, her frail body trembling, making me realize that she too is terrified. Having been raised in the princess's palace, she has never witnessed such a bloody scene. I take a deep breath and, with a hoarse voice, comfort her: "It's alright, everything is over now." "But I'm scared, Qingyi sister, please sleep with me," Yan'er lifts her head, her tear-streaked face glistening under the light.

I am but a lowly servant, unworthy of the blame, and I willingly accept the Empress Dowager's punishment. I replied softly, Those in the Weiyang Palace are all aware that the Empress has a figure as light as if she were not pregnant. Once this spreads, the harem will inevitably have its speculations. Since you acknowledge your guilt, I will give you an opportunity to redeem yourself through merit. Take Xiuyu with you and ensure that everyone who played with you today remains silent.

The cold sensation made my heart sink to the depths. At the time of lighting the lamps in the inner palace, the palace gates must be locked. Unless summoned by the emperor, one cannot leave the palace freely. Such news at midnight is certainly not a good omen. Upon reaching the entrance of the Jianzhang Palace, I reported my arrival. Only a small door was opened, and I gracefully entered. At this moment, the Jianzhang Palace did not resemble what I had seen on my last visit; the endless darkness of the night added an eerie quality to it. The half moon was absent, and occasionally a crow would fly by, its shrill cry sending chills down my spine. The Taiye Pool was dark and bottomless, its water as deep as ink, as if it could swallow a person whole. A cold, chilling wind blew over the pool, causing my heart to race. I lowered my head and walked into the main hall, where Mama Qi greeted me. I bowed my head in respect, but she did not respond, her expressionless face turning as she led me into the inner hall.

Elder Sister Qi picked it up and cleared her throat to read: "On the seventh day of the first month, the Empress did not eat. The Emperor allowed her to play in the snow after her meal. The Empress was pleased and thus went to play in the snow with the Emperor. Xiao Qingyi advised the Emperor, but he did not listen and insisted on playing in the snow together. It ended at the hour of You. The Emperor left the Weiyang Palace, and the Empress took a rest." I was shocked; it turned out that the surveillance was so meticulous, reporting every detail without omission. Why had that incident not been exposed?

In the endless night, my cries were swallowed, and no one responded. I wept with a heart-wrenching pain, striking the ground with my hands. Though my flesh was torn, it was nothing compared to the piercing agony of my heart. Soon, the dark, shiny stone bricks were stained with hand-shaped blood marks. After my heart-wrenching cries of despair, I fainted.

I eagerly gazed outside the bed, searching for Jin Mo's figure. There was no trace. Only Yan Er knelt by the side of the bed, her eyes filled with concern. Her anxious little face was covered in tear stains. I could no longer hold back my tears, which finally fell. It turned out to be a dream; Jin Mo had ultimately not escaped the bloodshed.

I struggled to prop myself up on my elbows, and Yan'er looked at me in confusion. I lowered my head and said, "This is not in accordance with the rules; this is the Empress's phoenix couch."

In a daze, I heard Jin Mo's cries, faintly perceiving two Imperial Guards dragging her arms towards the palace gate. She shouted for me to save her, and though I was merely a step away, I could not catch up. I stumbled after them, but my weakness caused me to collapse to the side, a piercing pain rendering me speechless, as if someone had grasped my throat. Suddenly, a warm liquid flowed into my dry throat, awakening me from the nightmare. As I opened my eyes, I hazily saw a figure in white; he held me in his left arm while his right hand held a teacup, looking at me with tenderness.

Looking at the unfamiliar face of the red-clad palace maid, I realized that after such a tumultuous upheaval, the Weiyang Palace no longer had anyone available to serve, and naturally, a new batch would need to be selected for dispatch. However, it was uncertain how many spies and informants were mixed in among them. A bowl of thick medicinal broth was soon brought before me. Remembering Jin Mo's lovely smile, I felt a deep sorrow, crying silently and resolutely lifting the bowl to drink it down. I cannot die; if I die, no one can avenge Jin Mo. I wanted to smash the bowl in tribute to Jin Mo's tragic death, but fearing that it would reach the ears of the Jianzhang Palace, I could only tremble and gently place it beside the table.

"Bold servant, first take him out and administer twenty strokes, then come back to question him." Before I could clarify the reason, two eunuchs had already dragged me out. I was bewildered but did not cry out in protest. They laid me on a long bench without removing my clothes, swinging a seven-inch wide board left and right, the blows falling on me like a rain of arrows. The pain was worse than being cut by a dull knife. After a few strikes, the wounds opened and bled, sticking to the remnants of blood and filth on the board, causing my whole body to convulse, the pain tightening my heart into a knot. I gritted my teeth and did not utter a single cry. After twenty strokes, I was already dazed. The eunuch in charge of the punishment, seeing this, poured a basin of icy well water over my head, making me shudder all over. Then those two eunuchs dragged me back to the inner hall, leaving a winding trail of bright red blood behind me. My lips turned white, unable to kneel, I could only lay flat on the ground to express my gratitude for the grace. My whole body was soaked with the cold well water, and soon a puddle formed in front of me, reflecting my current disheveled state, the water dripping down to my face, even my eyebrows were soaked. The Empress Dowager glared at me: "Do you know your mistake?" "I know my mistake, thank you, Empress Dowager, for not killing me," I weakly replied. "Where did you go wrong, do you know?" The Empress Dowager's anger had not yet subsided. I took a breath and said, "I should not have let Her Majesty the Empress go out to play in the snow." "Hmph, you still have some self-awareness. Was it your idea to incite this?" The Empress Dowager ignored the warning glance from Lady Qi. Indeed, I guessed correctly. "I dare not," I knew I could not name anyone, as it would mean I could not keep a secret. "You are quite stubborn, let Xiuyu read it to her," the Empress Dowager threw a bundle of bamboo slips, which landed crisply in front of me.

The imperial guards were stationed inside and outside the palace gates, and the air was filled with a cacophony of voices, illuminated by bright flames. Yan'er had already rushed to the palace door upon hearing the commotion, only to be startled into silence upon seeing me being carried into the inner hall.

Before the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace could come to their senses, Matron Qi had already used the Empress Dowager's imperial token to mobilize the Imperial Guard, surrounding the Weiyang Palace so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through

I was thrown onto the cold ground in the inner hall after having my stool pulled away, yet I felt no chill from the floor; instead, I sensed my blood slowly draining from my body. With each drop, I felt a part of me grow colder, and my consciousness began to blur. The light in the inner hall cast pale shadows that flickered and swayed, making it difficult to see clearly. The palace maids and eunuchs surrounding the Weiyang Palace were all rounded up, and the eunuchs accompanying the Emperor were not spared either; they were all dragged in by the Imperial Guards. Before long, the fleeing palace attendants were captured by the Imperial Guards, pressed to the ground, and bound with ropes. Each one had a bit in their mouths, used for livestock, as they were pushed and pulled out of the Weiyang Palace. The entire Weiyang Palace was filled with the sound of weeping. No one knew where they were taken or where these innocent lives would meet their end. This massacre claimed a total of eighty-nine lives, leaving the Weiyang Palace suddenly empty. Yan'er trembled and hid in the corner of the bed, sobbing softly, while I lay on the ground, my breath faint. The vastness of the Weiyang Palace allowed the wind to rush in, startling me awake. The injury on my back caused me to lose consciousness, and I forgot about Jin Mo. I tried to muster the strength to search for her, but my injuries prevented me from moving forward. I could only push myself to crawl out, calling out, "Jin Mo, Jin Mo."

"This... this, I shall sleep on the floor, please have someone bring my bedding." I felt somewhat troubled. "No, come up here, let us sleep together." Yan'er did not wait for me to decline, she took off her shoes and climbed onto the couch, carefully avoiding my injury as she nestled into the brocade quilt. Reluctantly, I shifted my body to allow her to sleep inside. I tucked the quilt around her, propped myself up with my elbow, and gently patted her back to help her fall asleep, while my tears continued to flow. From Yan'er's tender little face, I could still faintly see Jinmo pouting and acting spoiled towards me: "Sister, you keep it for me, I will come to get it when I need it." Jinmo, I would rather exchange everything for your life, even if it meant sacrificing my own.

Yan'er displayed an unprecedented stubbornness, as if the estrangement from a few days ago had never existed. She pushed me down onto the bed and urgently said, "If I say it's fine, then it's fine. Sister Qingyi, you should rest well. I will have them prepare the medicine." She quickly walked to the door and called for a palace maid in red.

My heart instantly chilled by five degrees. Just as I entered the inner hall, a loud bang echoed as someone slammed the table. I quickly knelt down, my head resting on the camel hair carpet in front of the couch, not daring to look up.

Clearly, he also realized the awkwardness and danger of this action, swallowing the words that filled his heart and mind, and only softly advised, "Rest well, and if there is anything, have someone summon the imperial physician." He turned and walked to the palace door, paused to think for a moment, and then stepped out of the palace to head towards the Lingxiao Hall.

I knelt down and pleaded, saying: "I know I was wrong, I implore the Empress Dowager not to harm herself because of me." "What do you think I should do to punish you?" the Empress Dowager replied with a smile, her laughter abrupt and unreasonable, causing my heart to sink.

Can you hear your sister calling you, only Jin Mo? Can you know that your sister is thinking of you? I cry silently, afraid to make a sound, as large drops of tears fall onto the green silk embroidered square pillow, casting a shadow of coldness.

By the time they arrived at Weiyang Palace, it was already close to the hour of Xu. The guards brought by Lady Qi did not wait for any questions and had already taken down the person at the palace gate

As the time for lighting the lamps approached, a cold mist rose in the Eternal Alley of the palace, and the path became dim and unclear. A single gas lamp, shaped like a ram's horn, guided my way forward. The chilling wind howled, and the untouched snow crunched underfoot. In my haste to leave, I forgot to change into my snow boots; having walked only halfway, my shoes were already soaked. The cold fabric of my socks clung to my feet, and before long, I began to lose sensation in them. They felt somewhat itchy, and I feared I might suffer frostbite. The chilling wind howled, and the untouched snow crunched underfoot. In my haste to leave, I forgot to change into my snow boots; having walked only halfway, my shoes were already soaked. The cold fabric of my socks clung to my feet, and before long, I began to lose sensation in them. They felt somewhat itchy, and I feared I might suffer frostbite.

He wiped my tears with his sleeve, and a heart-wrenching sigh escaped his lips. With a cry, Yan'er released the fear she had suppressed for so long, trembling as she wept. Yan'er's loud sobbing stirred the emperor's emotions, resulting in a scene where the three of us exchanged tears. The pitiful emperor, the young empress, and I, who was without support, created an awkward atmosphere that I found difficult to face. Moreover, there were those ever-watchful eyes observing us. Wiping away my tears, I pushed the emperor away and coldly said, "I am fine, Your Majesty, please take care of your health." The pitiful emperor, the young empress, and I, who was without support, created an awkward atmosphere that I found difficult to face. Moreover, there were those ever-watchful eyes observing us. Wiping away my tears, I pushed the emperor away and coldly said, "I am fine, Your Majesty, please take care of your health."

The cold wind swept through the great hall, lifting the black drapes that hung by the window, and I shivered from the chill. Yet, for such a reason, many lives would be sacrificed, and I could not bear it. "Moreover, the Empress is to be placed under house arrest starting today, until she gives birth to the prince," the Empress Dowager added. I knew that if I did not act, this matter could not be settled and could even implicate more people. I had no choice but to agree against my will. I was dragged onto the ivy bench and carried back to the Weiyang Palace. Granny Qi followed, and the journey was silent and still. I knew that if I did not act, this matter could not be settled and could even implicate more people. I had no choice but to agree against my will. I was dragged onto the ivy bench and carried back to the Weiyang Palace. Granny Qi followed, and the journey was silent and still.