The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 135 Revenge
On the seventeenth day of the third lunar month, it is an auspicious and inauspicious sign as the moon is broken. There will be a great loss, four strikes, and nine voids, all things are not favorable.
Fengyu Palace at Xishan.
In the study, Qin Yan and Shen Shiying sat opposite each other in two large chairs, casually chatting about idle matters.
In the morning, Shen Ying entered the study to report, “Master, it has begun.”
Qin Yan exchanged a glance with Shen Shiying, and then the two slowly stood up.
“Let’s go.”
————
The old madam of the Qin family was slapped heavily in the face by a subordinate of Emperor Northern Liang, after offending Princess Huayang with her words.
The old madam’s facial injury showed no signs of healing, and recently, she had developed more symptoms, such as headaches and a feeling of pressure in her head. Perhaps due to the imperial decree stripping her of her title, the old madam grew increasingly disheartened. She had been bedridden for several days, unable to eat or drink.
Imperial Concubine Shu sought the Empress’s permission in Kunning Palace, wishing to leave the palace to visit her mother, Old Madam Qin at Prime Minister Qin Mansion. The Empress granted her request.
This morning, Imperial Concubine Shu’s procession, accompanied by the palace servants from Chengqian Palace and escorted by the North Yamen Imperial Army, left the Shenwu Gate on their way to the Prime Minister Qin Mansion.
Inside the carriage, Imperial Concubine Shu’s brow was furrowed, her mind filled with many thoughts.
Xian’er had finally been granted the title of Prince Jin and was allowed to leave the palace to establish his own household, but he was still forbidden from going to the frontier lands. He remained trapped in the capital, confined to the Taizi’s territory.
Fortunately, Xian’er’s marriage was still within her expectations. Although the identity of the illegitimate daughter, Xie Qing, from the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, was somewhat awkward for the imperial family, she was still the only daughter of the Marquis and the younger sister of General Mingwei, Xie Zhao. Having Xie Qing as the legitimate wife would be acceptable to the Marquis, and Xian’er would not be at a disadvantage.
But just the thought of Shen Shiying and Qin Yan rising to power was utterly repellent.
How did that mother and daughter not die at the foot of the cliff all those years ago? It truly was unlucky.
———–
Turning a street corner, the North Yamen Imperial Army escorting the procession suddenly sensed that something was amiss.
Although the sky was overcast today, it wasn’t enough for the entire street to be devoid of people.
The lead officer immediately raised his hand, signaling for the group to halt.
Then, twenty soldiers fanned out around the procession, forming a perimeter, each gripping the hilt of their swords, ready to draw at any moment, their gazes sharp and vigilant.
At that moment, countless small balls were suddenly thrown from the sky toward the procession. The leading officer of the Imperial Army drew his sword and shouted, “Be alert!”
The soldiers immediately unsheathed their blades, swinging them to slash apart the vine-like balls that were flying toward them, hoping to stop these strange objects from getting close.
But the moment the balls shattered, a dense white smoke erupted from inside them. Within moments, the white smoke enveloped the entire procession, obscuring their vision completely.
The lead officer of the Imperial Army was preparing to have his men escort the carriage out of the smoke, but suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him. His body turned limp, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
As the people in the white smoke fell one by one, Imperial Concubine Shu inside the carriage realized that the situation was out of control. She immediately lifted the curtain of the carriage, and the white smoke poured in. Just as she was about to cry out for help, her body too went weak, and she collapsed inside the carriage.
As the white smoke slowly dispersed, a group of men dressed in black, their faces covered with black cloth, swiftly arrived at the scene. They began carrying the fallen soldiers and throwing them into several inconspicuous carriages parked by the side of the street. They then draped a large black cloth over Imperial Concubine Shu’s carriage. These men in black also boarded other carriages, which were driven by companions disguised as coachmen. The group quickly made their way out of the city.
Meanwhile, on another road, Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng, who was also on the way to the ministry office, found himself in a similar situation as Imperial Concubine Shu’s.
Before Qin Wenzheng fell into complete unconsciousness, the last thought in his mind was how could such a thing happen in broad daylight, in the capital’s streets, which were tightly guarded and patrolled by the South Yamen Imperial Army? How could criminals act so openly, and when would the Imperial Army arrive to rescue us?
What Qin Wenzheng did not know was that in the area where he and Imperial Concubine Shu had been captured, several neighboring streets had already been cleared in advance by the South Yamen Imperial Army, so there was no one coming to their aid.
At the same time, in the Prime Minister Qin Mansion, several men dressed in black swiftly and discreetly scaled the walls, entering the residence. They found Madam Qin, Song Mei, who was resting alone in her room, and knocked her out before carrying her away from the house.
————
On a nameless mountain peak on the northern outskirts of the capital.
When Imperial Concubine Shu was awakened by a bucket of cold water, she found herself suspended by thick ropes, her hands bound, hanging from a support frame that extended over the edge of a cliff. Her feet dangled in mid-air, and below her was a bottomless ravine.
A wave of terror surged through her. Just as she was about to open her mouth to scream for help, another high-pitched scream came from beside her, “Ahhh…”
Imperial Concubine Shu turned her head toward the sound and, to her shock, saw Song Mei, hanging in the same manner, about a yard away on the edge of the cliff!
A sense of dread gripped her heart. From the corner of her eye, she had seen… and now her gaze snapped back to the flat ground beyond the cliff’s edge. Her eyes widened, filled with both shock and anger.
It’s them!
Shen Shiying and Qin Yan!
At that moment, Shen Shiying and Qin Yan were leisurely seated in large chairs not far from the edge of the cliff. Between them was a small round table, upon which sat two steaming cups of tea, along with some delicate pastries and seasonal fruits.
If it weren’t for the two women hanging precariously over the edge of the cliff, their faces pale with fear, one might have thought the pair was simply out on a picnic, enjoying the day.
Surrounding the area on the cliff were several black-clothed men, undoubtedly subordinates of Shen Shiying and Qin Yan.
Imperial Concubine Shu struggled to free her wrists from the ropes, but after a few attempts, the ropes didn’t loosen at all. Instead, the frame supporting her began to creak ominously. Realizing the danger, she stopped moving, ceased her struggles, and angrily looked up at the two women on the cliff above her, shouting, “Shen Shiying! Qin Yan! You have a lot of nerve! I am a first-rank concubine, and you dare to disrespect me, treating me as if I were a traitor! You’d better let me down immediately! Perhaps I might… Ah!”
Before she could finish, another bucket of cold water was dumped over her head, forcing her to immediately fall silent.
Although it was late spring, the sky was overcast that day, and even by noon, the sun hadn’t shown itself.
The cold water soaked her clothes, clinging to her skin. As a mountain breeze swept through, she felt as if her heart and lungs had turned to ice, her whole body covered in goosebumps. Of course, it could also have been a reaction to the extreme shock she was experiencing.
Song Mei was trembling uncontrollably, her teeth chattering, but she bit down hard, making sure not to utter a word.
Though she had realized that their situation was dire, she did not have the courage to provoke Qin Yan and Shen Shiying with any words.
She had heard of Qin Yan’s brutal actions before, how she had killed a Western Rong prince at the Shanglin Gardens polo field, and how she had broken the leg of a Turkic princess. Now, as the Taizifei, what wouldn’t Qin Yan dare to do?
Both she and Imperial Concubine Shu had disappeared without a trace, and surely, Qin Wenzheng would have received word and be attempting to mount a rescue. Song Mei could only hope that help would arrive quickly; otherwise, she had no idea what kind of horrors Qin Yan, the ‘Goddess of Death,’ might unleash.
———–
Qin Yan raised her eyes and briefly swept her eyes over the two disheveled women hanging from the cliff. After a moment, she turned her attention back to Shen Shiying and spoke in a calm, measured tone, “This is a gift from me to you before you head to Northern Liang.”
“Choose one,” she added softly, “who do you want to die?”
Her voice was quiet, but on the silent mountaintop, it cut through the stillness with unnerving clarity.
Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei’s eyes widened in shock. The mother and daughter were discussing who would die in such an indifferent, almost in a casual manner?
Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei were about to open their mouths and shout loudly, but before they could make a sound, another bucket of cold water was poured at them.
At this time, behind a large rock not far from the cliff, there was a middle-aged man tied up with a ball of cloth in his mouth and his eyes covered by a black scarf.
The man also heard what Qin Yan said just now. He struggled with his hands and feet but was kicked to the back of the stomach by the secret guard in front of him. He endured the pain and curled up on the ground to survive.
———-
Shen Shiying put down the teacup in her hand, lazily raised her eyes, and looked outside the cliff, “Aren’t the two of them close friends?”
“Who will die today and who will live? Let them choose.”
Song Mei immediately screamed in panic and begged for mercy, while Imperial Concubine Shu glared at Qin Yan and threatened, “Qin Yan, if you dare to kill, I will never let you go even if I’m a ghost!”
In response to Imperial Concubine Shu, Qin Yan chuckled lightly, “There are so many ghosts who want to kill me, Qin Yan, and you are still not among them.”
As soon as Qin Yan finished speaking, she made a hand gesture.
The hidden guards standing by the two supports at the edge of the cliff simultaneously reached out and loosened the ropes holding Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei.
With their shrill screams echoing across the mountaintop, the two women immediately began to fall, but after the hidden guards quickly stopped the ropes, they hung suspended in midair.
Behind the large rock, Qin Wenzheng struggled again. When he heard that Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei’s desperate cries had not yet faded away, his heart finally eased a little. His chest rose and fell as he slumped back against the stone.
Song Mei was truly terrified now. She had no doubt that Qin Yan was fully capable of killing them.
Immediately, she began to incoherently beg for mercy, “Qin Yan, Qin Yan, Shen Shiying… Oh no, Taizifei, Princess Huayang, if I have ever wronged you in any way, I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against me, I…”
Before Song Mei could finish, Imperial Concubine Shu’s cold voice interrupted her.
“Song Mei, what are you begging them for? You don’t want to die, so you’re asking me to die instead?”
Song Mei looked at Imperial Concubine Shu, repeatedly explaining, “No, no, that’s not what I meant…”
“Then what do you mean?” Imperial Concubine Shu stared at her longtime close friend with a look of utter sarcasm.
“It’s not, I…” Song Mei didn’t know how to explain. She just wanted to stay alive. Besides, the events from years ago were all because of Imperial Concubine Shu…
Qin Yan, clearly tired of watching the “sisterly bond” play out between the two old friends, coldly interrupted, “Enough.”
Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei both turned to look at Qin Yan and heard her next words, spoken with an icy tone, “Today, we settle both old and new scores, one by one.”
————
Qin Yan picked up a porcelain tea cup from the side, took a small sip, then set it down. She looked toward the edge of the cliff and spoke slowly, “Thirteen years ago, my mother and I were on our way to the northwest, leaving the capital, we were attacked by assassins, which caused us to fall off a cliff.”
“After investigation, it was found that the assassins chasing us were from the underworld organization, Huayue Tower. And the client who ordered this job was none other than the current Madam Qin of the Prime Minister Qin Mansion, Song Mei.”
Song Mei was shocked, how could she find out after so many years?
Imperial Concubine Shu was very angry at Song Mei, who was timid and afraid of things and could not withstand deceit, and immediately said loudly to Qin Yan, “Empty words…ah…”
The ropes of Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei were lowered for another length and then suddenly stopped.
After the two women screamed in fear, Song Mei shouted incoherently, “I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you, it wasn’t me, it was Imperial Concubine Shu. She’s the one who made me do it! She’s the one who ordered the assassins to target Shen Shiying, not me, not me, it was Imperial Concubine Shu…”
Imperial Concubine Shu was still reeling from the sudden fall. When she heard that Song Mei had confessed to her, she turned to look at Song Mei who was still chattering, with a look of disbelief on her face.
This was the so-called trusted friend for whom she had devised strategies, leading to Song Mei’s rise to become Madam Qin!
———–
Song Mei continued to speak loudly, “Imperial Concubine Shu said she hated Shen Shiying and wanted her dead. What reason did I have to want Shen Shiying’s life? I….”
“Also, and besides, I was living peacefully in Yangzhou back then. It was Imperial Concubine Shu who sent someone to bring me to the capital to become Qin Yan’s tutor. Imperial Concubine Shu and Madam Qin told me that the Prime Minister and Madam Shen had a poor relationship, and they told me to rekindle the past with the Prime Minister to continue the Qin family’s bloodline. It was all them! They made me do it!”
“Madam even gave me the drug. That day, when the Prime Minister and Shen Shiying were arguing and he was in a bad mood, I slipped it into his wine. That’s how I had my first time with the Prime Minister, and it was also that time that I became pregnant. It was Madam, it was Imperial Concubine Shu, it was them, not my choice, not…”
Shen Shiying raised her hand, silencing Song Mei.
She shifted slightly in her chair, getting more comfortable, and then turned to Imperial Concubine Shu with a calm question, “Imperial Concubine Shu, do you hate me? Do you wish for my death?”
Imperial Concubine Shu, looking at Shen Shiying’s current relaxed and comfortable posture, contrasting sharply with her own disheveled state, felt a surge of anger rising from her chest to the top of her head, “Shen Shiying, you’re nothing but a seductress! You married someone and still try to seduce someone else’s husband.”
“The one who sent assassins to make you fall off that cliff was not just me, but also Empress Dowager Xiao.”
“And do you know why Empress Dowager Xiao wanted you dead, Shen Shiying? The reason should be clear to you.”
“It’s because the Emperor has always wanted you to be his woman!”
“Hahaha, our Emperor has been obsessed with his minister’s wife, a minister’s wife, the wife of Qin Wenzheng!”
“Even on the night you gave birth, the Emperor stayed up all night, not sleeping, until you safely delivered Qin Yan.”
“It’s laughable. I once thought Qin Yan was the Emperor’s child, but it’s a pity. Qin Yan bears more resemblance to me and Wenzheng than to him. Don’t you think it’s a little… disappointing for the Emperor?”
With a “pa” sound, a secret guard received Qin Yan’s signal, flew up, and slapped Imperial Concubine Shu hard on the face.
Imperial Concubine Shu tilted her head after being slapped, blood stains appeared on the corners of her lips, and she stopped talking.
Song Mei looked at Imperial Concubine Shu and was dumbfounded. She always thought that Imperial Concubine Shu dealt with Shen Shiying and Qin Yan because of Song Mei, but it turns out… it turned out to be like this…
Imperial Concubine Shu is doing it for herself!
Qin Wenzheng, who was behind the boulder, was extremely shocked.
When Shen Shiying disappeared, the Empress Dowager, Imperial Concubine Shu, and Song Mei sent people to hunt her down!
And the Emperor has always had a crush on Shen Shiying!
No wonder, no wonder…
Old Madam and Imperial Concubine Shu deliberately brought Song Mei to the capital and drugged him. No wonder he…
And he has always been a fool.
Qin Wenzheng’s blindfolded eyes were closed tightly, and his chest felt like it was being pulled, with a bitter and unbearable pain.
————-
Qin Yan spoke coldly to Imperial Concubine Shu, “Imperial Concubine Shu, is this why you had someone push me into the Taiye Pool all those years ago?”
“You didn’t clean up your mess properly, so don’t try to make excuses.”
Both Qin Wenzheng and Song Mei were stunned. Imperial Concubine Shu had someone push Qin Yan into the Taiye Pool?
Imperial Concubine Shu licked the inside of her mouth where the skin had been torn from the slap, and then laughed madly a few times, as if she were losing her mind, “Qin Yan, I really admire you. You’ve got a lucky life.”
“You couldn’t drown in the Taiye Pool, you couldn’t die falling from such a high cliff, and you couldn’t be killed by so many assassins in the western hunting grounds. You’re so tough. Do you think that Taizi will worry that you’ll bring misfortune to him…”
Slap! Again, Qin Yan signaled the hidden guard to slap Imperial Concubine Shu, silencing her nonsense.
Qin Yan spoke coldly, “Imperial Concubine Shu if you had a hand in the Autumn Hunting assassination case, that would be true treason.”
“I wonder what your good son, Jin Wang, would think if his own mother were implicated in that matter…”
“Qin Yan, you dare!” At this point, Imperial Concubine Shu still tried to hold onto her dignity as a first-rank imperial concubine, attempting to intimidate Qin Yan.
————–
Shen Shiying raised her hand and spoke in a calm voice, “Let that person make the choice.”
Immediately, Qin Wenzheng’s restraints were removed, and he was brought to the edge of the cliff. The cloth covering his mouth and eyes was also taken off.
Seeing Qin Wenzheng suddenly appear before them, Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei were both shocked and heartbroken. Even Qin Wenzheng had been captured…
How long had he been here? What had he heard?
Qin Wenzheng looked at Shen Shiying and Qin Yan, his former wife and daughter, with deep pain and embarrassment. After a moment, he turned his gaze away and, with heavy steps, walked toward the cliff.
He looked at the two women hanging from the cliff, his current wife and his older sister, and spoke with difficulty, “You two… sent people to kill Shen Shiying and Qin Yan?”
Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei opened their mouths, but in the end, no words came out.
It seemed that Qin Wenzheng had heard the entire conversation just now.
————
Shen Shiying yawned, speaking in an impatient tone, “Qin Wenzheng, today, only one of these two can live. Choose one.”
Shen Shiying motioned for the hidden guard to hand Qin Wenzheng a sharp long knife. Clearly, by using the knife to cut the ropes holding the women, whichever woman was bound to the frame would immediately plummet down the cliff, shattering on the rocks below.
At this moment, both Qin Wenzheng, standing at the cliff’s edge, and Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei, hanging from the cliff, knew that the mother and daughter duo weren’t joking.
Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei both looked at Qin Wenzheng with hopeful eyes. Having come this far, neither of them wanted to die, and all talk of friendship and loyalty was meaningless now.
Qin Wenzheng glanced at Imperial Concubine Shu, then, dragging the long knife, he walked to the frame where Song Mei hung, wearily asking, “Is Qin Ming really my son?”
Song Mei…
Imperial Concubine Shu’s eyes widened in confusion, looking at Qin Wenzheng, “What do you mean, Wenzheng? What do you mean by asking if Qin Ming is your son?”
Qin Wenzheng sneered and spoke mockingly, “Song Mei had an affair with another man. Qin Nian and Qin Ming might not even be my flesh and blood.”
Imperial Concubine Shu’s eyes widened as she turned to look at Song Mei, “Song Mei, you…”
“Prime Minister, I’ve explained, it’s all a misunderstanding…” Song Mei, already having guessed what Qin Wenzheng’s choice would be, frantically explained.
Qin Wenzheng closed his eyes, gripping the hilt of the knife. Slowly and laboriously, he raised the long knife, “Let it all end today.”
“No, Prime Minister, no…” Song Mei cried out, desperately writhing to try to free herself from the ropes, but it was futile.
With a swift motion, Qin Wenzheng brought the knife down. The rope on Song Mei’s end was instantly severed, and with a terrified scream, she plunged rapidly toward the bottom of the cliff.
For a moment, a faint expression of relief appeared on Qin Wenzheng’s face, but then, suddenly, his feet were swept out from under him, and he crashed heavily to the ground.
He looked helplessly as a rope that had been buried beneath the dirt beneath his feet was quickly pulled, and at the same time, Imperial Concubine Shu screamed in surprise, rapidly falling down the cliff, and disappearing from sight.
Qin Wenzheng scrambled to the edge of the cliff, but the two women who had just fallen were already out of sight. No sound came from the bottom of the cliff, only the wind whistling, making everything that had just happened seem like a mere illusion.
Qin Wenzheng called out a few times toward the cliff bottom, then collapsed back onto the ground, his face filled with despair.
At this moment, what more was there to understand? Today was a trap.
Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei’s ropes were connected. Cutting one side meant the other would fall as well.
Qin Yan never intended to let either Imperial Concubine Shu or Song Mei live.
———–
Qin Yan and Shen Shiying also slowly approached the edge of the cliff.
“Shen Ying, what time is it?” Qin Yan slightly squinted her phoenix eyes as she looked down at the bottom of the cliff, speaking in a soft voice.
Shen Ying responded respectfully, “Master, it is now the third quarter of noon.”
Qin Yan seemed to sigh, “The third quarter of noon… the Yang energy is at its peak, and even ghosts have no place to roam. It seems that Imperial Concubine Shu will have to wait until the next life to come back and seek revenge on me.”
Qin Wenzheng turned his head and glared at Qin Yan with anger, “Qin Yan, you’ve calculated people’s hearts and manipulated their emotions. How can such cruelty come from a young woman!”
On the other side, Shen Shiying kicked Qin Wenzheng’s right shoulder, nearly sending him tumbling off the cliff.
Shen Shiying spoke coldly,
“Prime Minister Qin, in these times, if you’re not ruthless, are you just waiting for others to be ruthless towards you?”
“Don’t forget, if it weren’t for me and Yan Yan’s luck, thirteen years ago in Aoling, the two of us would have already been dead, with nothing left of our bones.”
Qin Wenzheng fell silent, his gaze unfocused as he stared into the empty distance.
What exactly had he experienced today?
He had personally killed Song Mei, and in a tragic turn of fate, had also inadvertently killed Imperial Concubine Shu…