45: Chapter 45 Beautiful women have always had tragic fates (16)

They particularly looked down on those who used their beauty to curry favor. Moreover, this Lady Liu was no saint; she was skilled at sowing discord and bullying others by relying on the power of another, frequently whispering malicious suggestions into the ear of the Prince of Beichuan.

Previously, when the Crown Prince's tutor refused to bow to the Prince of Beichuan, publicly denouncing him as a vicious predator who had usurped imperial power, the tutor had struck himself to death on the spot. Before the Prince of Beichuan could even speak, Lady Liu refused to let it go; she actually incited him to have the tutor's entire family imprisoned and beheaded in public, claiming it would serve as a warning to others.

Such a woman was no better than a venomous scorpion.

"You!" Lady Liu glared at Liu Wenying, ready to lash out, when a commotion erupted from the rear hall.

"Reporting to Your Highness, something has happened to that person in the imperial palace again—" A young eunuch, hunched over, knelt tremblingly before the Prince of Beichuan.

"What's wrong with him now?" Pei Ji frowned slightly.

"Eunuch Su says that he has been running a high fever for the second day now and begs Your Highness to send an imperial physician to see him."

"What foolish thing has he done this time?"

"Perhaps he drank without restraint in the middle of the night and slept outside, so he developed a fever the next day." The young eunuch cursed his luck inwardly. It was his turn to be on duty today, and that Emperor Liang was truly a troublemaker; he would lament the wind and moon for no reason, causing trouble three or four times a month.

What was it last time? He seemed to have forcibly barged into the main hall, claiming that as the Emperor of Liang State, he should be the one presiding over court, not the Prince of Beichuan acting on his behalf.

In the end, as soon as the Prince of Beichuan's blade was unsheathed, he cowered, proving even less courageous than the old officials; he collapsed to the ground, trembling and cowering behind Eunuch Su Yu. Ultimately, it resulted in Eunuch Su being punished by the Prince of Beichuan with thirty strokes for failing to take proper care of Emperor Liang.

"Since he is courting death, why bother sending for a physician? It would only be a waste of medicine. If he has the ability to drink excessively and sleep outside, then he can endure it himself." Pei Ji waved his hand, completely indifferent.

Listening to their exchange, Zhao Yan did not find Pei Ji cold-blooded at all; on the contrary, she felt a sense of relief—this was exactly how one should treat Li Hong!

Just how brainless could he be to believe Bai Qingxue's one-sided story for the sake of so-called love, ordering the South City Gate to be opened to let her so-called friends into the city? Being deceived once wasn't enough?

In the aftermath of the first life, after Li Yuan was sent into the Prince of Beichuan's palace by Wei Qingli to become Pei Ji's favored concubine, she had superficially played along and catered to Pei Ji while secretly searching for her dear imperial brother. At that time, she did not know that Li Hong had opened the South City Gate just to win a smile from Bai Qingxue. Li Yuan had given him the list of secret guards and old officials loyal to Liang State, hoping he could use it to restore Liang State. Yet, he had handed it over to Bai Qingxue, just to prove his selfless love for her.

Bai Qingxue immediately handed the list to Chu Yao. West Chu and the Beichuan Army stationed in Yandu struck simultaneously. The pitiful loyal subjects of Liang State had their heads severed overnight and hung outside the city gates, turning the area outside Yandu into a river of blood.

After that, Li Yuan went to confront Li Hong. That man, hypocritical and weeping uncontrollably, knelt before her, begging for forgiveness and confessing that he had been deceived by Bai Qingxue into opening the South City Gate to let in the spies from West Chu.

She listened to his wailing with a hollow expression, her heart dead. He begged for her forgiveness, appearing as if he truly regretted his past actions.

But what right did she have to forgive him? He should go down to the underworld himself and ask the late Emperor and Empress if they forgave him; ask the hundred members of her grandfather, uncle, and cousin's families who had died if they forgave him; ask the old officials who remained loyal to Liang State until their heroic deaths, and the soldiers who followed Liang State, if they forgave him.

Li Yuan had completely lost hope. She and Eunuch Su restrained Li Hong, and ignoring his struggles, poured a cup of poisoned wine down his throat, before ending her own life with a cup of poisoned wine as well.

Now, hearing that Li Hong was not doing well, she felt relieved.

"I beg Your Highness to save my master; please let an imperial physician see him." After a commotion, someone rushed out from the rear hall, heading straight for the Prince of Beichuan, Pei Ji's seat. Before even reaching him, the person knelt down solidly. One could tell how painful it was just by the resounding thud. Yet, the person seemed not to notice, focusing only on kowtowing and pleading with Pei Ji.

"Oh, isn't this Eunuch Su Yu? What's this? Are you already recovered from thirty strokes?" Lady Liu said from the side, her voice delicate. "In my opinion, the punishment was too light; look, you're already able to get out of bed." Having said this, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and chuckled softly.

Although the civil officials despised Lady Liu's fanning of the flames, this Emperor Liang was truly incompetent, chilling the hearts of these old officials. It was just unfortunate for Eunuch Su Yu, who had stayed by the young Emperor's side since the late Emperor passed away, taking care of his daily life. Whenever the young Emperor caused trouble, it was always Eunuch Su who suffered the consequences.

Zhao Yan said in a soft voice, "Since he is under the jurisdiction of the Prince of Beichuan, we certainly cannot allow this young Emperor to die of a fever. Otherwise, what would the common people think of Your Highness? It has only been half a year since the occupation of the Yandu imperial palace, and the young Emperor dies inexplicably. Those who know the truth would say the young Emperor caused his own death, but those who don't might think the Prince of Beichuan was so eager to ascend the throne that he forced the young Emperor to his death."

The civil and military officials looked at one another. In truth, they all felt that this was exactly the Prince of Beichuan's intention. Was it really wise to point it out so bluntly?

As if able to see through their hearts, Zhao Yan continued unhurriedly, "Actually, it doesn't matter what the common people think; what matters most is what the other four princes think of Your Highness."

Eunuch Su Yu, who had been kneeling and kowtowing to Pei Ji, trembled upon hearing this voice, the look of disbelief in his eyes vanishing in an instant.

"Since Miss Bai has interceded for that person, Eunuch Su, I will allow you to summon an imperial physician to see him. Why don't you thank Miss Bai?" Pei Ji said lazily.

Only then did Su Yu have a chance to carefully observe the woman in white before him. He kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you, Miss Bai. Thank you, Miss Bai, for your kindness."

"No need," Zhao Yan interrupted. "I hope Eunuch Su will perform your duties faithfully and take good care of Emperor Liang. Keep a close watch on him and don't let him do anything outlandish again, causing unnecessary trouble for everyone."

Su Yu's eyes narrowed slightly; she seemed to be warning him. Su Yu nodded repeatedly in agreement before withdrawing.

Lady Liu, watching from the side, teased, "Usually, Eunuch Su is only respectful when he sees the young Emperor and Your Highness. When have we ever seen him kowtow to the rest of us? It's quite strange today; he seems to show Miss Bai quite a bit of courtesy."

"Eunuch Su values Emperor Liang above all else. Since I obtained Your Highness's permission for an imperial physician to treat Emperor Liang, it is equivalent to saving his master's life. Does Lady Liu think he shouldn't be deeply grateful to me? Lady Liu seems to know nothing of the most common human emotions."

"You!" Lady Liu gritted her teeth. Wasn't she indirectly calling her inhuman? This imposter had such a sharp tongue, and she couldn't do a thing to her. The thought made her furious; sooner or later, she would expose this imposter's true face.

"Enough, it's such a trivial matter; is it worth my beloved concubine getting so angry? Miss Bai's words are also reasonable." With one sentence, Pei Ji indicated that the matter was closed and required no further discussion.

No matter how unwilling Lady Liu was, she had to swallow her anger.

They had thought the banquet would proceed smoothly to the end, but it was full of twists and turns.

Over there, the messenger suddenly shouted loudly, "An eight-hundred-li urgent report! An eight-hundred-li urgent report—"

The previously harmonious banquet immediately became tense; unless it was an emergency, no one would dare to incur the wrath of the Prince of Beichuan.

Pei Ji took the letter with one hand, his brows furrowed tightly. He then slammed the letter onto the table, his murderous intent fully revealed. "Does this Beirong think that there is no one in the Central Plains? Taking advantage of my occupation of Yandu, they actually launched a sneak attack on my Beichuan fiefdom and have already seized two cities!"

At the banquet, the civil and military officials discussed the matter in hushed tones. Beirong was located north of Beichuan and, relying on its dangerous terrain and strong troops, had repeatedly provoked the borders of the Central Plains, but these were only minor skirmishes and posed no real threat. Yet now, they dared to attack Beichuan. It seemed they had calculated that the Prince of Beichuan had entered Yandu, and this god of slaughter was no longer stationed at the border.

"My esteemed ministers, how do you think I should handle this?" Pei Ji's gaze was heavy. Wherever his eyes swept, the civil and military officials lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze. If anyone said something that didn't please him, they might very well be dragged out and executed on the spot.

Seeing that no one answered, Lady Liu said elegantly, "Your Highness, you are now the master of Liang State and the sovereign of Yandu. If you lead your troops away, there is no guarantee that those from West Chu, East Lake, Jiangnan, or Wuzhong won't be tempted to take advantage of the situation, seize the opportunity to enter Liang State, and then it would really be hard to say who would claim the throne."

In her first life, the Beirong Army launched a surprise attack on Beichuan and invaded the Central Plains after she had already died.

At that time, Pei Ji resolutely chose to launch a northern expedition. The Beirong Army was strong and well-prepared; although Pei Ji eventually won, it was a difficult victory.

He drove the Beirong Army out of the Central Plains, but Beichuan suffered greatly from the battle, its strength far from what it once was.

Wei Qingli took advantage of this, driving the Beichuan Army out of Yandu, and from then on, the East Lake forces took up residence in Yandu.

In her second life... Bai Zhaoyan let out a soft laugh, her eyes sweeping toward Liu Shi, and she said sternly, "So, Lady Liu, are you suggesting that the Prince of Beichuan should let the barbarians invade our Central Plains just to hold onto Yandu at all costs?"

"Lady Liu, have you ever heard the saying, 'If the skin is gone, to what can the hair attach itself?'"

Liu Shi had little education, which was a fatal flaw.

She couldn't help it; in her previous life, she was the daughter of a poor family who couldn't even afford enough to eat, let alone pay for schooling.

She was fortunate enough to be spotted by a Liang State official and sent to the palace of the Prince of Beichuan, but the Prince of Beichuan didn't care about her at all.

She heard that the woman the Prince of Beichuan loved most was Princess Anle of the Liang State, and that woman had already committed suicide by taking poison.

Even though the Prince of Beichuan never spared her a second glance, she was still attracted to his imposing physique and handsome, rugged appearance, and she fell deeply in love with him.

But before she could win his love, the Beirong Army invaded the Central Plains. Pei Ji personally led the troops on a northern expedition, and from that parting on, they never met again!

Not long after Pei Ji left, Wei Qingli of East Lake took advantage of the void to invade, occupying Yandu and seizing control of the government.

Five years later, Pei Ji finally managed to repel the Beirong Army, but the Beichuan Army had been so depleted by this campaign that it no longer had the strength to go to war with East Lake, and had to temporarily hole up in the Beichuan fiefdom to recuperate.

After the Donghu Army took up residence in Yandu, she, once a beauty of the Prince of Beichuan, was of no use, and was relegated to the cold palace by Wei Qingli.

She lived in a daze until she passed away at the age of fifty-six.

After she died of old age, her soul lingered in the mortal world. The ghost messengers seemed to have forgotten her, so she wandered around and visited many places.

One day, just as she was amusing herself by teasing a child, a flash of white light suddenly appeared, and a passageway that seemed to be able to fit one person appeared in mid-air.

She saw a woman with a graceful figure and stunning beauty slowly step into the passageway, thinking, could this be the path to ascension?

It was no wonder she thought so; the woman's profile alone was too beautiful, possessing the grace of an immortal.

She couldn't wait to follow, and in an instant, her soul was also sucked into the passageway.

When she woke up again, she had actually returned to her youth!

She looked at her still-young appearance—no wrinkles, skin smooth and elastic—and was indescribably excited!

Although she didn't know what had happened to make her return to the past, since heaven had given her a chance to start over, she had to make good use of it.

Thus, she first went to great lengths to enter the Beichuan palace ahead of time, but Pei Ji still had no affection for her whatsoever.

A bright idea struck her, and she claimed she knew the art of divination and could foresee the future.

She then used her memories from her previous life to verify her claims one by one, which was the only reason Pei Ji kept her.

However, in both her past and present lives, she had never received an education.

Later, when she entered the Beichuan palace, her whole heart was set on winning Pei Ji's love, so she couldn't bring herself to study at all.

That was why she only half-understood what Bai Zhaoyan said at the banquet.

Actually, it was no wonder that Liu Wenying and the others looked down on Liu Shi; one really couldn't blame the civil officials.

It would have been one thing if she were uneducated, but she also loved to stir up trouble, sow discord, and stick her nose into everything—it was incredibly annoying!

Everyone was somewhat impressed by the Prince of Beichuan; considering what a decisive person he usually was, how could he tolerate such an idiot by his side? Weren't you afraid she would drag down your strategic acumen?

Everyone actually agreed with what Miss Bai had said, but they just didn't voice it; they were mainly afraid that the Prince of Beichuan would think they were desperate for him to leave Yandu and the imperial city.

"Does Miss Bai mean that this Prince should assemble the army, return to Beichuan, and drive the Rong people back?" Pei Ji asked in return.

"For the barbarians of all directions, whoever dares to invade our Central Plains must have their nation destroyed, their race exterminated, and their lineage severed. My Liang State will never compromise!"

Her clear voice was exceptionally soft, yet it was also resonant and powerful, making people's blood boil and filling them with awe.

"Good! Even the late Emperor did not fear the Rong people and swore to defend the national gates to the death, preventing the Rong people from taking even half a step into the Central Plains. Could it be that I, Pei Ji, am afraid of Beirong?"

Pei Ji slapped the table and said in a clear voice, "Miss Bai, would you be willing to join me in the campaign against Beirong?"

"It would be an honor; Zhao Yan is willing to advance and retreat with Your Highness."

"Your Highness, you cannot go! If you go, East Lake will send troops to attack Yandu! You—" Seeing this, Liu Shi spoke without thinking, blurting out the scene that had happened in her previous life.

"If East Lake wants to fight, let them fight. Behind closed doors, this is a matter for us in the Central Plains. There is absolutely no reason to let outsiders invade our Central Plains territory!" Pei Ji interrupted her.

After the banquet, led by a young eunuch, Zhao Yan headed toward the palace where she was staying. On the way, she encountered Eunuch Su, Su Yu, who was pacing back and forth.

As soon as Su Yu saw Zhao Yan, he prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed: "Many thanks to Miss Bai for pleading for the Emperor today. This servant thanks Miss Bai on behalf of the Emperor."

Bai Zhaoyan knew he was a smart man and, having been a close attendant to the late Emperor, he must have often seen Princess Anle and would certainly be familiar with her voice and appearance.

By speaking up to plead for him at the banquet today, she had probably allowed him to guess her identity.

He was likely waiting for her on the path on purpose right now, having something to say to her.

"Eunuch Su, please rise. It was just a small favor," Bai Zhaoyan said indifferently.

Su Yu hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. Zhao Yan spoke first: "I appreciate your loyalty to the late Emperor and to the Liang State, but that Emperor Li Hong is not a wise ruler and is not worth your devotion. I hope you will consider your own well-being more."

Su Yu opened his mouth wide, seemingly surprised that she would say such things. Could it be that he had guessed wrong, and this Miss Bai was not the little princess?

She said nothing more and turned to leave.

Su Yu stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do for a moment. Just as he was about to go visit his master, a maidservant bumped into him. Before he could even see her clearly, he felt something in his palm.

He carefully hid it and waited until he reached a secluded spot before daring to open it to look.

At this look, he was so angry that his insides burned!

No wonder, no wonder!

No wonder the Emperor—bah, Li Hong—drank every night, living in a drunken stupor. He had originally thought it was the death of the late Emperor and late Empress that caused him such unbearable pain.

Therefore, every time this happened, he always felt a bit more understanding and heartache. He never expected that the culprit behind the late Emperor's death was actually him!

This was not unbearable heartache; it was clearly the condemnation of his own conscience, unable to let go, yet he still fooled him by claiming it was grief for the late Emperor's death!

No wonder Li Hong often called out Bai Qingxue's name after drinking; it was all for this woman that he had opened the city gates wide, causing the South City Gate to be breached and leading to the death of the Great General of the State and his family.

Su Yu believed everything written on the paper completely; the little princess and Li Hong were born of the same mother, so what reason would she have to frame him?

Furthermore, the defenders of the South City Gate back then were the men of the young General Situ; who else could easily order the city gates to be opened to let people in? Besides the then Crown Prince, no one else had the guts or the authority!

Su Yu hated that he couldn't immediately expose the true face of such a hypocritical person.

Back then, Beichuan, East Lake, Jiangnan, West Chu, and Wuzhong had demanded a portrait of the little princess. Fortunately, he had acted first, spouted some nonsense, and managed to fool the artist.

Now, the little princess, his little princess, had returned!

Su Yu could not contain himself, tears streaming from his eyes. He bit his lip hard to keep from crying out, his withered hands tightly covering his mouth, emitting a whimpering moan.

Then he thought again that, in this palace now, only he and Li Hong had seen the little princess.

He didn't know how the little princess had appeared in the palace under the name of the Saintess of the Bai Clan, but when the late Emperor was alive, he had sighed countless times, saying that the Crown Prince was indecisive and incapable of heavy responsibilities, while Princess Anle, young as she was, was resilient and a good seed.

The late Emperor had indeed not misjudged her. Su Yu gritted his teeth, wiped away his tears, and secretly made up his mind that, no matter what, he would never allow Li Hong to become a stumbling block for the Princess.

Hong Yun was hiding in the shadows, watching as Su Yu finished reading the note, composed his emotions, and then burned it to ashes before leaving.