Chapter 196: Chapter 195: Bestowing Death As He Ying said, she indeed couldn’t change He Hongzhao’s fate. She just felt it was a pity, such a woman with extraordinary medical skill, first destroyed by her own parents, and then by Qi Wuya.
All her life, she never had control over herself.
It was too suffocating.
This room was so oppressive that she couldn’t breathe.
She turned around and left.
"Sang Yan—"
Suddenly, He Hongzhao’s voice came from behind her.
Sang Yan halted her steps, turned around, and saw He Hongzhao looking at her with an inscrutable gaze.
"I can’t see through you."
He Hongzhao said.
She thought she could see through Sang Yan: foolish, naive, ridiculous, and perhaps, possessing a bit of passion and kindness that she herself had never had.
But it seemed to be more than just that.
She deliberately provoked her, wanting to see the evil of her human nature, but in the end, she was met with her compassion.
"I don’t need your pity."
This feeling of pity made her think her life was an utter failure, utterly laughable.
A sudden, powerless anger surged in her heart.
She seemed to understand why Qi Wuya could fall in love with such a woman.
The clearer she knew, the more indignant she was!
"Sang Yan, don’t think you can use me to display your own kindness!"
"Do you think I’m using you to show my kindness?"
Sang Yan looked at her, shaking her head in disappointment, "In the end, you are still trapped in your own paranoia."
She sneered at herself: Kindness? What’s the use of being kind? She didn’t want to be kind anymore!
No!
She was not even worthy to influence her views!
"Goodbye, He Hongzhao, this is as far as I will take you."
After Sang Yan said her farewell, she walked out of the room without hesitation.
Outside
Pei Muyang was already waiting with the palace maid.
The maid was holding a mahogany tray, on it lay a white silk, a bottle of crane crown red, and a dagger emitting a chilling glint.
This was the regalia for a death sentence.
Sang Yan knew this when she arrived.
As Sang Yan emerged, still staring at the items in the hands of the palace maid, Pei Muyang quickly stepped forward to explain, "Lady, the Emperor means that some people should not stay long. Staying could lead to unforeseen trouble."
Sang Yan nodded, agreeing in her heart: He Hongzhao was Qi Wuya’s person. Qi Wuya was cunning and unpredictable in strength; he probably had helpers in Quanzhou. They were in the light while the enemy was in the dark; to avoid long nights full of dreams, it was wise to end her life swiftly.
Pei Muyang continued, "As per your instructions, the Emperor has also granted her the favor of a decent death."
He had been with the Emperor for so long that he even felt the Emperor’s punishment for He Hongzhao was too light.
According to the Emperor’s former temper, he would have had her beaten to death long ago. sea??h thё Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"Let it be."
Sang Yan sighed softly and waved her hand, "Go ahead."
She stepped aside.
Pei Muyang bowed and then proceeded with the palace maid into the room.
Soon after, Pei Muyang’s voice could be heard from inside, "He Hongzhao, the Empress has shown mercy by preserving your entire body. Come and express your gratitude."
Her heart tightened on hearing this, and she couldn’t help but clench her fists.
Lu Zijin, who was standing guard outside the door, saw her complexion was off, and hastily approached, "Lady, this place is bloody, you should go back."
He didn’t think there was anything to be seen in the execution scene.
This Lady was the apple of the Emperor’s eye, delicate and fragile; it was better not to watch, lest she get frightened and have nightmares, which would lead to unforeseen complications and trouble their Emperor as well.
"No need."
Sang Yan shook her head, her eyes looking very lost.
She didn’t know why she had to stand there, when all the words of farewell had been said.
She quietly looked at the house.
The light shone on the figures inside.
Pei Muyang saw He Hongzhao still sitting blankly in the wheelchair and gave a palace maid a meaningful glance.
The maid promptly presented the tray in front of He Hongzhao.
He Hongzhao looked at the item in front of her as if she had never seen it before, staring blankly for quite a while.
Her Snow Monkeys perched on her legs watched too, tilting their heads, but as they watched, they must have sensed their master was in danger, their expressions became fierce, and they began to screech and raise their hands to hit the tray.
Fortunately, the maid reacted in time, stepping back quickly to save the contents of the tray.
Pei Muyang watched displeased, and shouted angrily, "Someone, get this beast—"
"Why stoop to argue with a beast?"
He Hongzhao interrupted him, then opened the window, patted the Snow Monkey’s head, and smiled, "Go! Ah Jiu, you’re free!"
The Snow Monkey, appearing to understand human emotions, screeched and gestured wildly, even shedding tears.
He Hongzhao shook her head and pushed it gently, "Go on. Go on."
The Snow Monkey jumped onto the window sill, looked back with sad eyes full of sorrow at her.
Pei Muyang felt she was wasting time and lost his patience, urging her, "How will you die? Choose quickly. Don’t make us do it; that would be disgraceful."
"Well, then I thank you for the grace you Ladies have given me."
He Hongzhao picked up the bottle of crane crown red, giving a self-deprecating smile, "It turns out that in the end, a mere poison sees to my life."
"Enough, no more nonsense, after I take your wretched life, I have other matters to attend to."
"Hahaha, wretched life!"
He Hongzhao laughed loudly as she drained the bottle, then violently smashed the porcelain on the ground, screaming, "Everyone in the world has wronged me, why can’t I—"
Before she could finish, she was seized by a bout of violent coughing, "Cough cough cough—"
She coughed for a while, her complexion suddenly changed, her face twisted in pain, she clutched at her chest, spewing out a mouthful of fresh blood, and then, her body slumped down limply.
Fresh red blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.
She lay on the ground with her eyes open, her face covered by disheveled hair, still wearing a ferocious smile.
The palace maid, terrified by the sight, staggered back several steps.
"Eunuch?"
Her eyes widened in fright as she looked toward Pei Muyang, not daring to check the woman’s breathing herself.
Pei Muyang had no expectations of her and, unflustered, strode over to He Hongzhao.
He crouched down, checking her breath and pulse for a while, and once he was sure she had perished, he closed her eyes and left with the maid.
The aftermath was Lu Zijin’s responsibility.
As Pei Muyang passed by him, he glanced at Sang Yan not far away and said in a low voice, "Lady probably wants to grant her a grave, but the Emperor’s intention is to wrap her in a mat and throw her into the burial ground outside the city."
Lu Zijin listened, nodded without a word, and walked in.
Upon entering, he saw the female corpse on the ground.
The body was petite, with hair disheveled, the face deathly pale with blood on the lips, not a pleasant sight to behold.
He did not look a second time, but grabbed a blanket from the bed and covered her with it.
"Squeak squeak squeak—"
The Snow Monkey returned, leaping from the window, pulled back the blanket, and wept over the dead woman.
"Squeak squeak squeak—"
It gestured something at Lu Zijin while crying nonstop.
Lu Zijin, who could not understand the language of animals, frowned and watched, then saw the Snow Monkey curl up in the woman’s arms.
He was quite moved by the scene: humans could have hearts of snakes, but the creatures they raised could be loyal.
Having said that.
He called out, "People!"
Two soldiers came in quickly, saluting, and said together, "Lord Lu, what are your orders?"
Lu Zijin glanced at the female corpse on the ground and ordered, "Bring a cool mat, lift the body, and take it to the burial ground—"
The deceased should be respected.
Expose a woman’s body in the wild?
"Lift her to the burial ground and bury her."