Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 31 A Murderous Intent Appears on a Stormy Night! Consort Rou Plans to Set Fire to the Cold Palace to Silence Witnesses

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival.

The palace was filled with lanterns, and from the Imperial Garden to the corridors of the various palaces, everywhere was radiant with light and color.

Palace maids and eunuchs carried glutinous rice balls back and forth, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of osmanthus filling.

In Huayang Palace, Consort Rou, Liu Ruyan, accidentally broke a bowl of freshly delivered glutinous rice balls.

The porcelain bowl shattered on the ground, and the white, glutinous rice balls rolled all over the floor, mixed with porcelain shards and sugar syrup, creating a complete mess.

"Useless! All of you are useless!"

She screamed, her delicate face contorted with rage.

"Three months! They've been investigating for three months, and they still can't even determine if she's pregnant?!"

The imperial physician, kneeling on the ground, trembled all over.

"Your Majesty, please calm down... The Cold Palace is heavily guarded, and Physician Chen is protecting it. It's really, really impossible to get close..."

"Imperial Physician Chen?" Consort Rou narrowed her eyes. "That old man who's been ostracized? How can he protect him?"

"It seems that Physician Chen recently... acquired some kind of folk remedy and cured Consort Rong's chronic illness. Consort Rong values ​​him highly..."

The imperial physician stammered,

"Moreover, several disgruntled imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital are close to him, covering for each other..."

Consort Rou's nails dug deeply into her palms.

Folk remedies?

Cure Consort Rong?

She suddenly remembered that she had overheard some lower-ranking concubines discussing this a few days ago.

It is said that Consort Rong's leg ailment was cured by a royal physician surnamed Chen, and Consort Rong even rewarded him with many gifts.

She didn't pay attention at the time.

Looking back now...

"That Imperial Physician Chen," Consort Rou asked coldly, "has he been frequently visiting the Cold Palace lately?"

The imperial physician hesitated for a moment, then nodded:

"Yes, it seems so... Someone saw him sneaking over a few times, but each time he said he was going to check the deposed empress's pulse. It was... it was the Emperor's order..."

"His Majesty's orders?" Consort Rou sneered. "His Majesty has long forgotten about her! How could he possibly order the imperial physicians to examine her pulse?!"

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.

The Empress's complexion seems to have improved recently.

In the Cold Palace, charcoal and food didn't seem as scarce as before.

And then there's that old eunuch Li Dequan who sweeps the floor—she had people keep an eye on him a few times, and she always felt that the old man was not simple.

Now another imperial physician, Dr. Chen, has appeared...

"Brother is right," Consort Rou murmured to herself, "that vile woman... cannot be allowed to live."

She waved her hand: "You may leave."

The imperial physician, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, scrambled out of the room.

Consort Rou sat in front of her dressing table, looking at her beautiful face in the mirror, but her eyes grew colder and colder.

She couldn't let Shen Qingci live.

We absolutely cannot let that child be born—if there really is a child.

What if he's a prince...?

What if the emperor softens his heart...

Then all her hard work would be for naught!

"Someone come here!" she called out.

Cuiyu, a trusted palace maid, hurried in: "Your Majesty."

"Go, summon Eunuch Liu." Consort Rou paused, "And... send someone to the Liu residence to invite my brother to the palace tomorrow."

"Yes."

Cuiyu turned to leave, but Consort Rou called out to her again, "Wait."

"Does Your Majesty have any further instructions?"

Consort Rou walked to the window and looked at the gloomy sky outside: "Will it rain tonight...?"

Cuiyu glanced at the sky: "The Imperial Astronomical Bureau says there will be heavy rain tonight, and possibly thunder."

"A stormy night..." Consort Rou's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Very well. A dark and windy night is the perfect time to get things done."

She turned around, took out a small jade bottle from the bottom of the makeup box, and handed it to Cuiyu: "Try to put this into the food sent to the Cold Palace tonight."

Cuiyu took the jade bottle, her hands trembling slightly: "Mother, Your Majesty, this is...?"

"Something to help her sleep more soundly," Consort Rou said softly, "so she won't... get in the way."

Cuiyu understood, her face turning pale, but she still nodded vigorously: "This servant understands."

After Cuiyu left, Consort Rou sat back down at her dressing table and slowly combed her long hair.

In the mirror, her smile was as sweet as honey.

His eyes, however, were as venomous as a snake's.

Shen Qingci.

Don't blame me.

Blame yourself—

He shouldn't be alive.

---

In the cold palace, Shen Qingci suddenly shivered.

It was late afternoon, around 3 PM, and the sky was heavily overcast, making the room as dark as dusk.

She was sorting medicinal herbs with Jinshu when she suddenly felt a pang in her heart, and the angelica root in her hand fell to the ground.

"Your Highness?" Jinshu exclaimed in surprise, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Shen Qingci shook her head, bent down to pick up the medicinal herbs, but her brows were tightly furrowed.

Not right.

She started feeling uneasy around noon.

It wasn't the kind of discomfort you feel when you're sick, but rather a... inexplicable, heavy sense of oppression.

It felt like a huge rock was pressing on my chest.

And Bao'er—

She lowered her head and placed her hand on her lower abdomen.

Bao'er is being particularly restless today.

The baby has been moving non-stop since this morning.

It wasn't the usual lively kicking, but rather restless, frequent rolling around.

Sometimes when she moves too much, she feels her stomach tighten.

"Baby," she whispered, "what's wrong?"

The little one inside my belly kicked again.

It's as if it's saying: Mother, danger!

Danger?

Shen Qingci immediately became alert.

She got up, walked to the door, and opened it.

The courtyard was empty except for Eunuch Li sweeping the floor.

The sky was heavily overcast, the wind was howling so hard that the bare trees were swaying wildly, and distant thunder rumbled faintly.

It's going to rain heavily.

"Master," she called out.

Eunuch Li put down his broom and walked over: "Your Majesty."

"Tonight... I have a bad feeling about this," Shen Qingci said in a low voice. "Bao'er has been making a fuss, and I'm panicking. What do you think?"

Eunuch Li glanced around with his cloudy eyes and frowned. "This old servant also feels... it's too quiet."

At this time of day, eunuchs and palace maids would often pass by the Cold Palace, talking or walking around.

But today, from noon until now, there hasn't been a single person.

It's like... the place was deliberately cleared out.

"Your Majesty," Eunuch Li said in a deep voice, "something bad is likely to happen tonight. Please be prepared."

Shen Qingci nodded: "The medicinal herbs and blueprints are all hidden well. The silver has also been hidden in three different places. In case something really happens..."

She paused, then asked, "Master, how long can your Turtle Breathing Technique allow me to feign death at most?"

"Twelve hours," said Eunuch Li, "but exceeding six hours will greatly damage your health. And young master..."

He looked at her lower abdomen: "In a state of apparent death, the fetus will enter a dormant state, and if this continues for too long, it may be dangerous."

Shen Qingci clenched her fists: "Then there's no need to fake your death. If someone really tries to make a move, we... will play along."

"What does Your Majesty mean?"

"They want me to die in an accident, so let's stage an accident."

Shen Qingci's eyes were icy cold.

"But the outcome of this accident is up to us."

Eunuch Li understood: "This old servant will cooperate."

As she was talking, the baby in her belly started moving violently again.

This time the movement was particularly violent; Shen Qingci even felt a sharp pain in her stomach.

"Bao'er!" she called softly, grabbing the door frame for support.

"Your Majesty!" Jinshu quickly helped her up.

Eunuch Li stepped forward, placed his fingers on her wrist to check her pulse, and his expression changed slightly: "Young mistress is very uneasy... he is giving her a warning."

What warning?

Fire? Assassination? Or...?

Boom!

A thunderclap boomed in the distance.

The sky darkened completely, and a strong wind whipped up sand and dust, which lashed against the window paper with a crackling sound.

It's really going to pour.

As Shen Qingci looked at the dark sky, the ominous premonition in her heart grew stronger.

"Jinshu," she turned around, "go and bring all the water we've stored inside. The more the better."

"Huh?" Jinshu was taken aback. "What do you need water for?"

"Fire prevention," Shen Qingci uttered.

Jinshu's face turned pale instantly, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions and immediately did as she was told.

Eunuch Li also said, "This old servant will go and take a look around the courtyard."

He went out with a hunched back, but his steps were much faster than usual.

Shen Qingci returned to the house and began to quickly check for any potential fire hazards.

The window paper was too torn, making it easy for sparks to fly in—she used a wet rag to seal all the gaps in the window.

There was dry grass on the roof beam—she made Jinshu climb up and pick it.

There were still embers in the charcoal brazier—she extinguished them all with water.

He then took out several bottles of medicine that Physician Chen had given him before, picked out those that could refresh the mind, stop bleeding, and detoxify, and put them into several small cloth bags, keeping them close to his body.

Finally, she pinned the sharpest hairpin in her hair and strapped the hidden arrow to her arm—

This is a simple hidden weapon that Eunuch Li recently taught her to make. It can only fire one short arrow at a time, but it can save lives in critical moments.

By the time all this was done, it was completely dark.

The rain hadn't started yet, but the thunder was getting closer and the wind was getting stronger.

Jinshu carried the last two buckets of water into the house, panting heavily. "Your Majesty, all the water we've stored... is here."

There were six buckets of water in total, placed in the corner.

In a place like the Cold Palace, the ability to store so much water is already the limit.

"That's enough." Shen Qingci nodded.

She sat down, her hands resting on her lower abdomen.

Bao'er is still moving.

But the frequency of the movement... seems to follow a pattern?

She focused intently on sensing it.

It wasn't the random movement like before, but... like a heartbeat, a rhythmic, rhythmic thrusting.

Moreover, the position of the top is constantly changing.

Left once, right once, middle once...

What shape does it look like?

Shen Qingci suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

She took out paper and pen—old paper and charcoal sticks—and quickly wrote down the order in which Bao'er moved the pen.

Left, right, center, left, right...

After writing down a dozen or so notes, she stopped writing and looked at the string of symbols on the paper.

This... seems to be some kind of code?

When did she and Bao'er make such an agreement?

wrong.

This is not an agreement.

This is... Bao'er telling her something in his own way.

She closed her eyes and focused all her attention on her lower abdomen, carefully feeling the strength, location, and interval of each fetal movement.

Then she discovered—

When the fetal movements were concentrated on the left side, she could faintly hear very light footsteps in the distance through her left ear.

When the fetal movements are concentrated on the right side, you can hear another sound in your right ear—like…the splashing sound of oil being spilled on the ground?

When the fetal movement was in the middle, she could smell a very faint, strange fragrance.

It wasn't the scent of flowers, nor the aroma of food.

Is it... the smell of oil?

It was mixed with a pungent, sulfur-like substance.

Shen Qingci suddenly opened her eyes.

oil.

sulfur.

Arson!

Bao'er was telling her that someone was going to pour oil around the Cold Palace and set it on fire!

And those people are right here nearby!

"Jinshu!" she whispered, "Go tell Eunuch Li that someone is spilling oil outside. Tell him to be careful not to alert them."

Jinshu's face turned pale with fright, but she still gritted her teeth and quietly slipped out.

Shen Qingci sat in the darkness, her hand pressed tightly against her lower abdomen.

Bao'er, thank you.

Mother knows.

Mother will be careful.

The little one in my belly has finally calmed down a bit.

But that feeling of unease is still there.

It's as if it's saying: Mother, it's not over yet.

Just then—

knock knock knock.

A very light knock on the door.

Three long and two short.

It's Xiao Luzi!

Shen Qingci immediately got up, and Jinshu also returned at that moment. The two of them walked to the door together.

The door opened a crack, and Xiao Luzi's small, thin body squeezed in.

He was soaked to the bone—not from rain, but from sweat. His face was deathly pale, and his lips were trembling.

As soon as he entered, he knelt down, his voice extremely low but trembling with sobs:

"Your Majesty! Run! Run! Consort Rou... she's going to set the palace on fire!"

Although she had already guessed it, hearing it with her own ears still made Shen Qingci's heart sink.

"When?" she asked, her voice unusually calm.

"Tonight, at midnight!" Xiao Luzi gasped, "Sister Cuiyu asked Eunuch Liu to prepare ten barrels of kerosene, which are already hidden in the junk pile behind the Cold Palace! And there's also sulfur and saltpeter!"

Kerosene.

sulfur.

Saltpeter.

This is to ensure that everything is burned completely, leaving not a single tile behind.

"How dare Consort Rou..." Jinshu covered her mouth, tears falling down her face.

"Of course she dares," Shen Qingci sneered. "A stormy night, the Cold Palace catches fire, and the deposed empress 'accidentally' dies. What a perfect accident. Even if the emperor wants to investigate afterward, the heavy rain will wash away all the evidence."

She looked at Xiao Luzi: "How did you know?"

"This servant was on night duty tonight and overheard Sister Cuiyu talking to Eunuch Liu..." Xiao Luzi said, then suddenly coughed violently, his whole body shaking.

Shen Qingci then noticed that his expression was off.

She reached out and touched her forehead; it was burning hot.

"You have a fever?"

Xiao Luzi shook his head: "No, it's nothing... This servant just ran in a hurry..."

Shen Qingci ignored him and forcibly took his pulse, her expression turning even more unpleasant.

The pulse is floating and tight, indicating that wind-cold has entered the body, and... there are signs of poisoning.

"What did you eat today?" she asked.

Xiao Luzi looked bewildered: "It's...it's just ordinary food..."

"Is there anything unusual? Does it taste off?"

Xiao Luzi thought for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes wide: "The soup for dinner... was a little bitter. I thought it was just my mouth that was bitter, so I didn't pay attention..."

Shen Qingci understood.

To ensure the plan went smoothly, Consort Rou even poisoned anyone who might inform her.

Fortunately, Xiao Luzi arrived in time, before the poison had fully taken effect.

She immediately pulled out an antidote pill from her bosom and stuffed it into Xiao Luzi's mouth: "Swallow it. Then go back to bed and pretend to be sick. No matter what noise you hear tonight, don't come out."

Xiao Luzi swallowed the pill but refused to leave: "Mother, Your Majesty, what should we do? Should I... should I go and tell the Emperor?"

"Tell the Emperor?" Shen Qingci shook her head. "It's too late. Besides... would the Emperor even believe it?"

How could a eunuch possibly counter Consort Rou's "accidental fire"?

impossible.

"But……"

"No buts."

Shen Qingci helped him up.

"Xiao Luzi, remember this: you must not tell anyone about what happened tonight."

After returning home, continue to pretend you know nothing. If Consort Rou asks, say you had a fever and have been unconscious.

Xiao Luzi nodded with tears in his eyes: "This servant...this servant remembers..."

"Hurry up and go, be careful not to be seen."

Xiao Luzi kowtowed again before quietly slipping out.

After he left, Shen Qingci turned around and looked at Jinshu and Eunuch Li—Eunuch Li had returned at some point and was standing by the door.

The three exchanged a glance.

"Master," Shen Qingci began, "do you know the location of the kerosene and sulfur?"

Eunuch Li nodded: "This old servant just went to check, it's under the woodpile by the back wall, covered with an oilcloth."

"Can it be disposed of in advance?"

"Difficult." Eunuch Li frowned. "There are guards over there, at least four, all of them skilled in martial arts. If I make a move, I'll alert them."

Shen Qingci understood.

Consort Rou was determined to kill her this time and made very meticulous arrangements.

"Then..." she took a deep breath, "we'll play along."

She quickly stated the plan:

"First, we've hidden all the valuables in the tunnel—Master, where does that tunnel you mentioned lead?"

"It leads to the artificial hill behind the Imperial Garden," said Eunuch Li. "But the exit has been sealed off for years, and it will take time to open it."

"Then open it," Shen Qingci said. "Jinshu, now take the medicine, blueprints, and silver, and go through the tunnel. After you get out, hide at Physician Chen's house and wait for my signal."

Jinshu panicked: "No! This servant wants to go with Your Highness!"

"If you come with me, we'll both die."

Shen Qingci pressed down on her shoulder,

"Jinshu, listen to me, these things are our lifeline."

Especially the medicinal herbs and blueprints; without them, even if I survive, I won't be able to cure the poison and build the Brocade Pavilion.

She looked at Jinshu with a firm gaze: "Protecting these things is protecting me."

Jinshu cried, but nodded vigorously: "This servant understands..."

"Secondly," Shen Qingci looked at Eunuch Li, "Master, please stay and help me act out this scene. We need to make Consort Rou believe that I was really burned to death."

"How do I do it?"

"Feigning death," Shen Qingci said.

"But not really dead."

After the fire starts, you use your turtle breathing technique to protect me and Bao'er, and we'll pretend to be corpses.

Once they're sure I'm 'dead' and lower their guard, we'll leave through the tunnel.

Eunuch Li frowned: "Too dangerous. If the fire gets out of control, the tunnel might collapse. And the young master..."

"Therefore, we need to control the fire."

Shen Qingci walked to the six buckets of water in the corner.

"This water is enough to wet the area around our house and temporarily create a safe zone."

"As long as we hold out until they confirm I'm 'dead,' we can get into the tunnel."

She paused, then asked, "As for Bao'er... Master, how long can you protect him with your inner strength?"

"The time it takes for an incense stick to burn," said Eunuch Li. "Any longer, and this old servant won't be able to endure it."

"One incense stick's time...that's enough." Shen Qingci calculated.

"From the time the fire started until they saw it, it wouldn't have taken more than half an incense stick's time."

"Confirm death and then wait half an incense stick's time. The timing is perfect."

Looking at her calm demeanor, Eunuch Li felt both heartache and relief.

The Empress has truly grown up.

Even at such a critical moment of life and death, he was still able to make such a calm and composed plan.

"This old servant... obeys." He bowed deeply.

"Third," Shen Qingci walked to the window, looking at the dark sky outside, "we need to keep a... witness."

"witness?"

"A person who can convince the emperor that this was not an accident, but murder."

A cold glint flashed in Shen Qingci's eyes.

"Xiao Luzi won't do; his status is too low. We need someone... someone of influence."

"Who?"

Shen Qingci remained silent for a moment.

Then she spoke, saying a name:

"Doctor Chen."

Jinshu was taken aback: "Imperial Physician Chen? But... but he's outside the palace..."

"So we need to find a way to get him into the palace," Shen Qingci said.

"Jinshu, after you get out of the tunnel, go find Physician Chen immediately and tell him..."

She quickly gave a brief explanation.

Jinshu's eyes widened as she listened, but she still tried her best to remember every word.

After giving his instructions, Shen Qingci checked the water clock—it was the third quarter of the Xu hour.

There is still one and a half hours left in the ion time.

"Let's get started," she said.

With tears in her eyes, Jinshu began packing her things.

Eunuch Li went to inspect the tunnel exit.

Shen Qingci sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking her lower abdomen.

Baby, don't be afraid.

Mother will protect you.

Tonight, we're going to put on a grand show.

It's a performance for those who want to harm us.

Let them think we're dead.

Then--

When we crawl back from hell.

That's when they go to hell.

Boom!

Another thunderclap exploded.

This time, the rain finally started to fall.

The torrential rain pounded on the roof, pattering and crashing like a stampede of horses.

In the shadows outside the Cold Palace, several dark figures quietly approached.

They carried oil drums in their hands, their steps as light as cats.

The torches flickered on and off in the rainy night.

Like a will-o'-the-wisp.

[End of Chapter]

---

Next chapter preview: The palace is engulfed in flames! Consort Rou's assassins pour oil on the palace and set it ablaze, while Shen Qingci struggles to give birth amidst the flames! Eunuch Li fights alone against eight masters, and Imperial Physician Chen risks his life to break into the palace to witness the battle! When Nangong Ye arrives in the rain, he finds his wife and child perished in the fire... The vow, "Tyrant, please die," truly begins to burn from this moment on!