The Dayong Dynasty believed that twins were an omen of national downfall. It was said that the founding Grand Preceptor had once prophesied, “The year the golden-eyed twin-born daughters descend upon the world is the year the Ziwei Star falls.” All twin-born daughters had to be executed by fire by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau on their fifth birthday.
However, in the later years of the Dayong Dynasty, eunuchs held power, the rivers and mountains changed hands, and rumors spread that Empress Jiang had given birth to a pair of twin-born daughters. Though the Imperial Astronomical Bureau carried out the fire execution, the imperial daughters’ fates were too resilient, ultimately leading to the dynasty’s downfall.
The new emperor entered the capital and established a new dynasty named Great Zhao. He proclaimed to the world that within Great Zhao, twin-born daughters were auspicious omens, and they would no longer follow the Dayong Dynasty’s traditions.
For a time, the people of the realm rejoiced with cheers and laughter. However, this new regime’s leader reigned for only fifteen years before suddenly dying a violent death. The following year, Crown Prince Li Cong ascended the throne, taking the era name Yonggu.
In an instant, the court was drenched in bloodshed and turmoil, with undercurrents surging.
In the first year of Yonggu, the court divided into two factions. The central palace was abolished, and from the court halls above to the temples below, discussions raged endlessly.
Morning court.
Inner Cabinet Prime Minister Cui Daoyuan submitted a memorial requesting that his daughter, Cui Wangshu, preside over this Mid-Autumn Festival sacrifice.
As the Minister of Rites, Cui Wangshu oversaw the five rites and protocols, but the Mid-Autumn sacrifice did not reach the standards of a grand sacrifice and was normally hosted by a vice minister of the Ministry of Rites. What was Cui Daoyuan’s intention in doing this?
For a moment, no one on the court hall could gauge the Prime Minister Cui’s intentions. From his high seat, the new emperor’s narrow eyes swept over the assembly, his sleeve lightly covering his mouth and nose as he coughed softly. When he spoke, his voice carried a somewhat effeminate tone: “Wangshu, what are your own thoughts?”
Cui Wangshu calmly performed the courtly salute. Her clear, cold voice rang out resoundingly in the hall: “This minister believes that with the recent frequent floods in the Huguang Region, elevating the scale of this Mid-Autumn Festival sacrifice—with Your Majesty personally conducting it—serves two purposes: first, it demonstrates the importance placed on flood control; second, as Your Majesty has been on the throne for less than two years, this act can reassure the people.”
Beneath the hall, many ministers secretly mocked the Cui father and daughter’s actions. They actually dared to demand that the emperor personally conduct the Mid-Autumn sacrifice?
Li Cong curved his lips in a smile, his expression growing even more effeminate as he said, “What Wangshu says makes sense. With Our ascension less than two years ago, this Mid-Autumn Festival sacrifice is indeed a good opportunity to consolidate power. Proceed with elevating the protocols and make the preparations.”
Cui Wangshu lowered her gaze, concealing her emotions, and said, “This minister obeys the decree.”
The ministers who had just thought in their hearts that the emperor would not agree suddenly changed their expressions. How could the emperor agree so easily? But the emperor’s might was unfathomable, and the ministers could not fathom what the Son of Heaven was thinking.
This new emperor was no benevolent soul. Upon his ascension, when his position was not yet secure, he had imprisoned his own brothers, their fates unknown to all.
Meeting Li Cong’s cold, probing gaze, Cui Wangshu showed no fear. With her sword-like brows and star-like eyes, she retained her otherworldly fairy grace, evoking sighs from onlookers. Worthy of being the Cui family’s direct daughter—a natural political machine who, at merely twenty-three, held the high position of Minister of Rites.
The assembly harbored varied thoughts. The issue of embezzlement soon sparked another uproar. The Minister of War, leader of the new emperor’s faction, tenaciously bit into the matter of corruption in disaster relief, while the Empress Dowager’s faction shifted the focus to embezzlement in the construction of the emperor’s Kunxu Palace a few months prior.
At the end, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau submitted a memorial: the stars indicated that the deposed Empress Jiang brought a hundred benefits and no harm to Great Zhao’s national fortune. They urged His Majesty to rescind the decree.
Jiang Chenbi had been empress for less than a year before being deposed for poisoning the imperial heir. Though court ministers pleaded for the Jiang clan, they could not sway the emperor’s mind. Regarding the Astronomical Bureau’s words, Li Cong feigned contemplation: “Do you know, dear subject, that if We rescind the decree deposing the empress, where would the imperial family’s prestige stand?”
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau dared not press further. Li Cong said coolly, “That’s all for today.”
That night.
Cui Wangshu observed the stars and confirmed the Astronomical Bureau’s words: the Jiang clan indeed benefited Great Zhao. But what drew Cui Wangshu more was that through divination, she had glimpsed an emperor’s destiny in this mad deposed empress confined to the Cold Palace.
To resolve her suspicions, Cui Wangshu prepared to visit this rumored deranged demon empress under cover of night.
The Cold Palace was desolate, housing only Jiang Chenbi. Fallen leaves piled up everywhere, save for a faint light leaking from the main hall. Clad in dark robes that blended with the night, Cui Wangshu concealed herself.
She hid in a tree and observed for a while. Seeing no one emerge, she prepared to jump down when the main hall’s doors creaked open a crack. Cui Wangshu froze, shielding herself with the dense branches.
A tall but extremely emaciated woman emerged from the room. Her clothes were gray and filthy, her hair a tangled mess. Though Cui Wangshu knew consorts in the Cold Palace lived poorly, the sight of Jiang Chenbi still shocked her.
The woman’s movements were bizarre, her arms oddly crossed over her chest in a defensive posture, her throat emitting eerie “giggle” sounds that chilled the blood. Cui Wangshu understood now why even the on-duty guards avoided the Cold Palace vicinity.
Cui Wangshu refocused, scrutinizing the woman. Her laughter grew stranger as she lunged swiftly at a pile of fallen leaves in the courtyard. Just then, clouds parted, and moonlight revealed a scene Cui Wangshu would never forget.
The woman possessed immense strength, ripping off a snake’s head alive and devouring it raw, blood and all. Cui Wangshu’s stomach churned violently, but she endured, not daring to make a sound.
Thus, Cui Wangshu watched wide-eyed as Jiang Chenbi devoured the snake whole, her hands and face smeared with its blood. After finishing, the woman grinned eerily toward Cui Wangshu’s hiding spot in the leaves. Cui Wangshu’s back tensed, cold sweat trickling down her nose.
But the next second, Jiang Chenbi madly pointed at the tree and cursed: “Damn bitch, I am the empress, Great Zhao’s empress… No… The emperor said he would depose me, all because of you, you bitch, and the bastard in your belly. Bastard, hahaha, dead.”
Jiang Chenbi collapsed laughing into the leaves and fell silent, motionless for a long time. Cui Wangshu narrowed her eyes. Had this madwoman laughed herself to death?
After waiting about half an hour with no movement, Cui Wangshu jumped down, dagger in hand, approaching warily.
Only up close did Cui Wangshu notice Jiang Chenbi’s lips were purple-blue, as if poisoned. Frowning, she examined the snake head on the ground and then Jiang Chenbi’s hand—clear bite marks.
After a moment’s hesitation, Cui Wangshu pressed the dagger to the woman’s heart and checked her breathing with her other hand.
She was still alive. Cui Wangshu snorted coldly, understanding now. She scanned the surroundings, then grabbed Jiang Chenbi by the collar and dragged her into the main hall.
Upon entering, Cui Wangshu sensed something amiss. A strange fragrance filled the room, and she recalled smelling it when approaching Jiang Chenbi earlier. She bit into the antidotal confusion pill hidden in her mouth and feigned collapse.
A faint prickling pain came from her neck. Cui Wangshu dared not move, enduring it, but fortunately, the pain vanished quickly.
After a quarter-hour, the woman on the ground slowly rose and approached. Cui Wangshu thought she was cautious, but the next moment, an intense pain riddled her heart, and something cold pressed against her neck.
Jiang Chenbi’s calm voice sounded: “A Cui family dog, worthy of dying before me?”
Cui Wangshu realized in an instant: it wasn’t bewitching incense, but poison—one she’d never encountered before. She regretted her overconfidence.
Cui Wangshu’s eyes snapped open. She swiftly clamped Jiang Chenbi’s hand, twisting her wrist. The woman yelped in pain, and the hairpin dropped with a crisp clink.
Straddling Jiang Chenbi, Cui Wangshu pinned her down firmly. Now in bright light, Jiang Chenbi had wiped her face, revealing an extremely bewitching countenance—fitting her title of demon empress.
But Jiang Chenbi did not resist, merely gazing at Cui Wangshu’s face with a half-smile. “Minister Cui, such a handsome face. I wonder what it looks like on the bed.”
Cui Wangshu, unused to such lecherous words, immediately gripped Jiang Chenbi’s throat and said coldly, “Want to die?”
Strangled, Jiang Chenbi’s face flushed red, yet she persisted: “Hahaha, who knew the high mountain flower, little Lord Cui, harbored such tastes in private.”
Cui Wangshu’s ears turned red. Her eyes fixed on Jiang Chenbi’s infuriating mouth. A cruel smile tugged at her lips as she swiftly shoved the snake head she’d picked up into Jiang Chenbi’s mouth.
Jiang Chenbi clearly hadn’t expected this; her face stiffened. She struggled fiercely, but Cui Wangshu’s strength was freakish. With hands and throat restrained, the large snake head wouldn’t come out.
Jiang Chenbi’s expression worsened. Seeing her suffer eased Cui Wangshu’s earlier humiliation somewhat.
Jiang Chenbi’s eyes darkened, her fingertips circling as if casting some ancient curse. Cui Wangshu noticed but couldn’t stop it before the dense pain returned to her heart—this time ferocious.
The next second, Cui Wangshu paled, her grip on Jiang Chenbi weakening as the pain spread. In the instant before collapsing, she leaped back, creating distance.
Freed, Jiang Chenbi spat out the snake head, ignoring Cui Wangshu writhing on the ground. She fetched water to rinse her mouth, then sat leisurely watching.
Occasionally asking, “Little Lord Cui, beg me, and I’ll help you dispel this Gu poison.”
Cui Wangshu said nothing, curling into a ball on the floor in agony.
Jiang Chenbi sneered: “The Cui family dog does have some backbone.”
After an unknown time, with Cui Wangshu’s back soaked in cold sweat yet unyielding, Jiang Chenbi tsked: “Little Lord Cui, beg me.”
Cui Wangshu gasped: “Madwoman, in your dreams.”
Judging the time right—any longer risked heart damage—Jiang Chenbi squatted before her, gripped her chin, forcing her gaze up. “Don’t worry, sister will save you.”
Cui Wangshu felt something off but lacked strength to resist. The woman’s face drew nearer; struggle proved futile.
The woman’s cool lips pressed on, her soft tongue deftly prying past teeth to ravage her mouth.
Recalling Jiang Chenbi raw-eating the snake—and having stuffed that foul snake head into her mouth—Cui Wangshu felt unprecedented revulsion, her stomach spasming. She fainted instantly.
Seeing her pass out, Jiang Chenbi rolled her eyes, checked Cui Wangshu’s pulse, confirmed the Love Gu had eased, then kicked her away. Her gaze lingered on the nearby dagger before returning to her bed to sleep.
After an unknown time, Cui Wangshu awoke groggily. The room’s candles had long extinguished; only pallid moonlight filtered in. Staring at the sleeping woman’s back on the distant bed, murderous intent thickened in her eyes. She picked up the fallen dagger and slowly approached Jiang Chenbi’s side.
Jiang Chenbi should be given a taser I think