I was to be executed by Zhu Yuanzhang, and Empress Ma smashed Zhu Yuanzhang's jade seal.

The snowstorm stopped, but the sky grew increasingly gloomy, like a huge lead weight pressing down on the Forbidden City, making it hard to breathe.

On the white jade platform in front of the Fengtian Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang remained in the same posture, kneeling on the cold ground, tightly embracing his deceased wife.

He turned into a stone statue, motionless, with only the faint rise and fall of his chest proving that he was still alive.

Everyone around, whether civil or military officials, or eunuchs and palace maids, stood at a distance, and no one dared to step forward.

They looked at the distraught emperor, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

This man, just moments ago in the palace, had transformed into a ferocious beast, driven by suspicion and anger, ready to devour anyone who dared to harm him.

But now, he is like a child who has lost his beloved toy, so vulnerable that he is easily broken.

Imperial power, authority, and decisive ruthlessness all became a joke at this moment.

Zhu Yuanzhang's mind was completely blank.

There was no court, no enemies, and no kingdom.

There was only an endless expanse of emptiness and cold.

His thoughts, like a kite with a broken string, drifted aimlessly, eventually landing on that chaotic and impoverished era of decades ago.

At that time, he was still called Zhu Chongba.

He remembered that when he first joined Guo Zixing's forces, he was just a common soldier.

Because of his bravery in battle and his cleverness, he quickly stood out.

But it was precisely because of this that he aroused Guo Zixing's suspicion and vigilance.

Guo Zixing is a narrow-minded person who can't stand others being better than him.

He disliked Zhu Chongba, so he found a pretext to lock him up, depriving him of food and water.

During those days, Zhu Chongba truly believed he was going to die.

He was locked in a dark and damp woodshed, his hands and feet bound.

He was so hungry he felt dizzy and his stomach felt like it was being gnawed by countless ants, burning with pain.

He thought of his parents who starved to death, and his brother who sold him for a few bites of food.

He felt that this was probably how his life would be.

Born of hunger, die of hunger.

Just when he was about to despair, a ray of light shone in.

is her.

It's Ma Xiuying.

She sneaked in, carrying a food box.

He still remembers what she looked like back then.

She was wearing a faded, coarse cloth dress, her hair was simply tied up, and her face was flushed from nervousness and running.

Her eyes were bright and sparkling, but when she saw his miserable state, her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"Are you... alright?"

She put the food box on the ground and hurriedly opened it.

Inside were several steaming white bread pancakes and a small bowl of pickled vegetables.

In those days, white flour cakes were a rare delicacy.

Zhu Chongba's eyes widened immediately.

He struggled to sit up, but his hands and feet were bound, and he couldn't move at all.

She noticed his embarrassment, quickly put down what she was holding, squatted down, first took out a pancake from her bosom, carefully blew on it, then tore off a small piece and held it to his mouth.

"Eat quickly, it's still hot."

Her voice was soft and gentle.

Zhu Chongba was stunned.

He looked at her, at her clear, worried eyes, and suddenly realized that he had never been treated so gently in his life.

He opened his mouth and mechanically ate the piece of bread.

The pancake was fragrant and soft; it was the best thing he had ever eaten in his life.

He ate very quickly, wolfing down his food like a starving ghost reincarnated.

She didn't mind at all, and patiently tore the food for him piece by piece.

After he finished eating a pancake, the burning sensation in his stomach finally eased a bit. Only then did he notice that when she handed him the pancake, her brow would furrow slightly, as if she was enduring some kind of pain.

"What's wrong with you?"

He asked vaguely.

She shook her head and smiled, "It's nothing, I'm just... a little hot."

Zhu Chongba did not believe it.

How could this woodshed be warm when it's so dark and cold?

His gaze fell on her hand, which was covering her chest.

He suddenly understood something.

"Where did you hide the biscuit?"

he asks.

Her face flushed red instantly, and she stammered, unable to speak.

"show me."

His tone left no room for argument.

She hesitated for a moment, but finally slowly let go of her hand.

Zhu Chongba noticed a distinct wet patch on the chest area of ​​her coarse cloth garment.

He knew that it was because she had kept the cake in her bosom to keep it warm.

Something pierced his heart.

"You...you foolish woman!"

He growled, his eyes instantly reddening.

He knew better than anyone how hot a freshly made pancake was.

Carrying it in your bosom is like branding yourself with a hot iron, isn't it?

She acted as if nothing had happened, picked up another biscuit, and prepared to continue feeding him.

"Stop eating!"

He yelled, "I'm not eating!"

"No, you have to eat it."

Her attitude was firm: "What if you starve to death if you don't eat? I'll think of something about Marshal Guo."

"I'd rather die than let you suffer like this because of me!"

He was also stubborn and turned his head to the side.

The two remained locked in this stalemate.

In the end, she was the one who gave in first.

Her tears fell, one by one, onto the cold ground.

"Jungpachi,"

With a sob in her voice, she said, "I know you're a capable person, you can't just die like this."

"They all look down on you, they all think you're a brute, a beggar. But I know you're not."

"You will definitely achieve great things in the future."

At that moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's heart was completely melted.

He felt a pang of pain and tenderness in his heart as he looked at her tear-streaked face.

He thought, how could there be such a silly yet wonderful woman in this world?

From that day on, he vowed in his heart that he would have this woman.

No one can take it from him.

He wanted to make her the happiest woman in the world.

What happened next was only natural.

Guo Zixing saw that he was not starving and that his adopted daughter was devoted to him, so he had no choice but to release him and marry Ma Xiuying to him.

On his wedding day, he had nothing.

There was no decent house, no decent banquet.

All he had was an old military uniform covered in patches and a burning heart.

He said to her, "Sister, it's beneath you to be with me. But don't worry, one day we'll make sure you wear a magnificent phoenix robe."

What was her response at the time?

She smiled and said, "I don't want any phoenix robes, I just want you to be safe and sound."

……

Memories surged through Zhu Yuanzhang's mind like a flood that had burst its banks.

He remembered that after they got married, she took out all her savings to buy him armor and recruit soldiers.

He remembered that while he was away fighting, she stayed at home, taking care of the household chores and worrying about him.

He recalled a time when he had suffered a defeat, was being chased by the enemy, was seriously wounded, and hid in a dilapidated temple.

It was she who carried him on her back, walking dozens of miles of mountain roads, and pulled him back from the brink of death.

He remembered...

He remembered so many things.

Those past experiences that he had previously ignored and taken for granted have now become the sharpest knives, slowly slicing through his heart.

"ah--!"

He let out a painful roar, his voice filled with endless regret.

"We were wrong...girl...we were really wrong..."

He buried his face in her hair and cried loudly.

He was not some supreme ruler, nor was he the Hongwu Emperor.

He was just a poor man who had lost his wife.

"I shouldn't have become emperor... I shouldn't have killed so many people..."

"If only we had listened to you sooner... if only... if only we had treated you better..."

"So you're not going to leave?"

He confessed incoherently, but the person in his arms could no longer hear him.

He held her cold body, feeling his own body grow colder and colder.

He thought, "That's fine."

It would be nice to just hold her like this and freeze to death together in this snowstorm.

At least, they can keep each other company on the road to the underworld.

He closed his eyes, preparing to face death.

But just then, another thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Do not!

I can't just die like this!

He's dead, who will avenge her?

Although he didn't know exactly how she died, he knew in his heart that it was definitely not a case of "heart meridian severance"!

His sister has always been in good health.

How could she have died so suddenly?

There's definitely something fishy going on here!

Someone must have harmed her!

who is it?

Were they civil officials?

Or were they the imperial physicians?

or……

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes snapped open, a terrifying glint flashing within them.

He thought of Zhu Biao and Zhu Muying.

It's them!

It must be them!

They forced him to abdicate, effectively sidelining him as emperor, and they still weren't satisfied!

They weren't satisfied with his already gruesome death, so...

So he targeted the woman he loved most!

So cruel!

What a vicious heart!

Overwhelming hatred surged from the depths of Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, almost threatening to devour his reason.

He's going to kill them!

He's going to kill everyone who killed his sister!

He will make them pay for their crimes in blood!

He struggled to get up from the ground.

However, he had been kneeling for too long, and his legs were numb and completely unresponsive.

He tried several times, but failed each time.

He was like an eagle with broken wings, helplessly flapping his wings on the ground.

"Hehe...hehehe..."

He suddenly laughed, a shrill and mournful laugh.

He remembered the decree he had just issued.

The emperor summoned renowned physicians from across the land who could save the empress, and the recipient would be rewarded with ten thousand gold pieces and granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households.

How ridiculous.

How can a dead person be brought back to life?

As emperor, he could command the entire world and decide the life and death of hundreds of millions of people.

However, he couldn't save the woman he loved most.

He is the biggest joke in the world.

Zhu Yuanzhang's laughter grew louder and more maniacal, echoing across the empty Baiyuping, sending chills down one's spine.

He was laughing, but then tears started flowing again.

He felt like a madman.

She cries one minute and laughs the next.

One moment filled with regret, the next with resentment.

His mind was like a pot of boiling porridge, with all sorts of thoughts churning and colliding inside, giving him a splitting headache.

He held Empress Ma in his arms, feeling the person in his arms getting heavier and colder.

This cold feeling made him feel uneasy.

He didn't want her to stay cold like this.

He remembered that she was most afraid of the cold.

Every winter, her hands and feet are always icy cold.

He would always hold her feet in his arms until they were warm before he would stop.

But now, his own body is also ice-cold.

What should he do?

How can he warm her up?

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his head blankly and looked around.

The snowstorm had stopped, and the sky was overcast.

A thin layer of snow covered the glazed tiles of the distant palace, reflecting a cool light in the dim light.

Everything seemed so unreal.

He truly became a lonely figure.

No, he's not even a lone wolf anymore.

He is now a prisoner stripped of all power, a living memorial tablet.

He struggled and fought his whole life, and this is the end result he got.

How tragic.

How ridiculous.

His gaze swept over the trembling officials and eunuchs.

On their faces were fear, pity, and schadenfreude.

He saw through their intentions.

But he doesn't care.

He doesn't care about anything anymore.

He just wanted to keep his sister warm.

He looked down at the person in his arms.

Her face was calm, without any sign of pain, as if she were simply asleep.

Her phoenix robe was stained with his blood, a glaring red.

He reached out and tried to brush a snowflake off her cheek.

But his hands were shaking so badly that they wouldn't obey his commands.

"Girl..."

He started muttering to himself again.

Are you cold?

"Shall we take you back inside?"

"The house is warm because of the underfloor heating."