Ihirty-third year of Tianqi, during the coldest days of winter, a bitter wind howled.

  At the Imperial City's State Preceptor's residence.

  A mournful cry pierced the sky.

  "Zhao Huai'an! Su Yue! You're not human!"

  In a dark, damp firewood shed, a disheveled and battered woman, her clothes in tatters, lunged forward with all her might.

  Her movements were too forceful, causing her slightly bulging abdomen to beore noticeable.

  But before she could reach the door, the iron s binding her yanked her back, f her to stop.

  The s ked loudly as the woman, her colrbone pierced by the s, ighe pain and tried to move forward.

  At the doorway, a man in luxurious robes looked on with disgust. Beside him, a beautiful woman g to his side.

  At their feet y a lifeless body.

  Su Li stared at the maid who, just moments ago, had whispered, "Don't be afraid, Miss, I'll save you." Now, the maid was dead.

  Su Li's eyes burned with hatred as she gred at the couple.

  "Brother An, Sister is so scary!" The delicate ressed herself closer to the man.

  The man ed his arm around her and forted her, "Don't be afraid, Yue'er. She 't get to us."

  He then turo Su Li and said coldly, "Su Li, hand over the military tally, and I'll make your death quid painless!"

  Su Li threw her head bad ughed. Her long hair fell away, revealing a long, hideous scar across her face.

  Despite the scar, her eyes were stunningly beautiful.

  "Zhao Huai'an, you owe everything you have today to my Su family! To me, Su Li! What 'Tianqi's top strategist'? Without me, Su Li, you're nothing!"

  Zhao Huai'an gritted his teeth. This was exactly why this woman had to die!

  He had risen from a penniless schor to a trusted advisor of the emperor, and it was all thanks to this woman.

  But precisely because she was so ing, she had to die!

  Now that the new emperor had asded the throne, Zhao Huai'an had achieved everything he wanted. It was time for this woman to step aside.

  "Sister, as women, we should alut our men first. Why be s-willed? Look where it's gotten you," Su Yue said, her words pleasing Zhao Huai'an but enraging Su Li.

  Su Li rattled her s, gring at her once-beloved younger sister. "Su Yue, you're utterly heartless! He was your father too! How could you do this? You're worse than an animal!"

  Su Yue covered her mouth and giggled. "Sister, it seems your maid told you everything. Your father and your maternal grandfather's family are already in the underworld. They died horribly, accused of treason."

  "You didn't see it, but yrandfather's blood flowed like a river, staining the execution ground red. His head was even hung oy gate as a warning. Tsk tsk..."

  Su Li's eyes turned bloodshot as she screamed, "Jun Hui! You tyrant! Tyrant!!"

  Seeing Su Li's rea, Su Yue grew even more excited. "Oh, and one more thing, Sister. I might as well tell you the truth. Even though I called that man 'father' for over a decade, he wasn't really my father! Besides, he reated me like a daughter. His eyes were always on your dead mother and you, the little bastard!"

  Su Li's eyes widened in disbelief. "You viper! What do you mean? Father always treated us equally! He never favored me over you! Father lived a , honorable life, and you've tarnished his name! Are you even human?!"

  Su Yue sneered. "Never favored you? Then why didn't he make my mother his official wife after your mother died? Why did I always have to live in your shadow as the legitimate daughter? He brought this upon himself, and it's all because of you! The new emperor has asded, and with a new ruler es new officials. Your father and grandfather's family had to go. It's all your fault!"

  Su Li took a step back.

  Yes, it was her fault!

  She had ignored her father's warnings and stubbornly married into the impoverished Zhao family.

  She had strategized and schemed, helping her husband and aiding the new emperor's rise to power.

  But when the rabbits are dead, the hounds are cooked. When the birds are gohe bow is put away.

  It was all because of her!

  Seeing the despair on Su Li's face, Zhao Huai'an said impatiently, "Yue'er, why waste your breath on her? Every moment I spend looking at her makes me sick."

  Su Li's eyes nearly burst with rage. Not long ago, this man had held her in his arms, swearing undying love.

  Now, he treated her like garbage.

  For him, she had defied her father for the first time.

  For him, she had begged her grandfather to join the sixth prince, Jun Hui's fa.

  And what had she gotten iurn?

  All her efforts for him had been worth less than a pretty face!

  "Zhao Huai'an, I'm carrying your child! Aren't you afraid of diviribution?"

  Su Yue giggled. "Sister, children are a dime a dozen. Brother An have as many as he wants with me. That's no threat to him. Just hand over yrandfather's military tally, and you die with less suffering."

  Su Li ched her teeth. When her grandfather had givehe military tally, he had repeatedly warned her o hand it over to anyone.

  "Never! I'd rather die than give you the tally!"

  If the military tally fell into their hands, the on people would suffer the horrors of war!

  Zhao Huai'an rubbed his temples. "Fet it. If you won't hand it over, then don't. It's just ohing to please the new emperor. You take that tally to the underworld and join yrandfather's family!"

  Su Yue's face lit up with joy. "Brother An, you go ahead. After all, Sister and I were once close. I'll see her off."

  Zhao Huai'an nodded ahe courtyard.

  Once he was gone, Su Yue's sweet smile vanished. She turo Su Li, her eyes filled with venom.

  "Su Li, do you know what I hate most about you? It's your eyes. You're so ugly, yet you have such beautiful eyes. You don't deserve them! Yuqi, go gouge out her eyes!"

  The maid behind her hesitated, her head bowed, not daring to look at Su Li.

  Su Li stared at her.

  "What? You don't want to? Do you still care for your former mistress?" Su Yue said coldly.

  Yuqi ched her fists, then suddenly looked up at Su Li with newfound ce. "Miss, I'm sorry!"

  Su Li's hands were bound, her colrbone pierced. She couldn't fight back. She could only watch as her former maid approached.

  "Ah—ah!!!"

  A scream echoed through the snowy night, apanied by Su Yue's sweet ughter, creating an eerie se.

  Su Li was on the verge of passing out from the pain, but her hatred kept her scious.

  "Hehehe, Sister, now you look much more... harmonious."

  "Sister, I actually feel a little sorry for you. You were brilliant for half your life, but also foolish for the other half. Do you know why I want you dead? Because you're in my way, just like your mother was in my mother's way. That's why my mother took her life!"

  Su Li trembled.

  Her mother hadn't died from plications after a miscarriage?

  That was why she had devoted herself to studying medie.

  As if Su Li hadn't suffered enough, Su Yue tinued, "Oh, and do you know how your cousin died? She was raped to death by soldiers. It's so funny. You always ignored her, but even in her final moments, she begged me to spare you. Isn't that hirious?"

  Cousin...

  "Pfft!"

  Su Li could no longer hold back. She spat out a mouthful of blood and colpsed to the ground, vomiting blood untrolbly.

  Her body was soon drenched in blood.

  "Zhao Huai'an! Su Yue! Jun Hui! I'll haunt you even ih!!"

  With that final cry, Su Li's strength left her. She fell to the ground, lifeless.

  Yuqi trembled as she stepped forward to check Su Li's breathing.

  "Madam, she's... dead..."

  Su Yue smiled sweetly and said gently, "Throw her body to the dogs in the mass graves."

  Yuqi shivered and nodded. "Yes!"

  She called in two servants from outside t the body away.

  The wind stopped, and the snow ceased.

  "Master, this seems to be the granddaughter of the old Duke!"

  The sound of a wheelchair rolling followed.

  A sigh was heard.

  Then, Su Li felt a warmth envelop her.

  She could sense a heavy cloak being draped over her body.

  "Cough cough... what a pitiful soul. Let's go."

  "Master... your cold ailment..."

  Su Li struggled to open her eyes. Through her blurred vision, she saw the back of a man in a wheelchair.

  In the snowy night, he looked especially pure.

  Jun Mo, I'm sorry...

  It was her scheme that had worsehis brilliant man's cold ailment, fining him to a wheelchair and stripping him of his pete for the throne against Jun Hui.

  The te emperor had four sons. The prince had died of illness, the third prince was a recluse, and the only threat to Jun Hui was the seventh prince, Jun Mo, who was both talented and beloved by the te emperor.

  So, she had devised a poisonous pn.

  How ironic that in her final moments, the one who showed her kindness was him.

  Her fate was her own doing!

  Jun Mo, if there's a life, I'll repay you!

  Su Li no longer had the strength to make a sound. With guilt toward her family and Jun Mo, and hatred for her enemies and herself, she died with her eyes wide open, uo rest in peace.

  [--------------------------------------------]

  Ehe chapter?

  If you want early access to +10 Advance chapters and to support the tinuation of this story, sider subscribing to my Patreon. Your support means a lot and helps me bring mreat tent to you!

  Join me on Patreon: Patreon./flokixy