**In the thirty-third year of Tianqi, during the harsh winter’s deepest chill, icy winds howled fiercely.**
The National Preceptor’s Residence in the imperial capital was shrouded in darkness.
A heart-wrenching cry pierced through the cold night.
“Zhao Huaian! Su Yue! You’re not human!”
In a damp and shadowy woodshed, a frail figure dressed in tattered clothes and matted hair lunged forward with all her might.
The slight swell of her abdomen was unmistakable, a silent testament to her condition. Yet before she could reach the door, the iron chains binding her body yanked her back, stopping her in her tracks.
The sound of clanging chains echoed as she struggled, paying no heed to the excruciating pain caused by the shackles piercing her shoulder blades. With bloodshot eyes, she gripped the chains, trying desperately to move forward.
At the doorway stood a man dressed in luxurious robes, his expression one of utter disdain. Beside him clung a woman of striking beauty, her face a perfect mask of delicate charm.
Beneath their feet lay a lifeless body.
Su Li stared at the young maid who, just moments ago, had reassured her, “Don’t be afraid, my lady. I’ll save you.” Now, the girl lay still, void of any breath.
Her gaze shifted to the pair at the door, her eyes brimming with boundless hatred.
“Brother An, Sister is terrifying!” The beautiful woman clung closer to the man, her voice trembling with feigned fear.
The man tightened his arm around her, offering comfort. “Don’t worry, Yue’er. She can’t come any closer.”
Turning his gaze coldly to the figure chained inside, he said in a frigid tone, “Su Li, hand over the military seal, and I’ll grant you a swift death.”
Su Li burst into laughter, tilting her head back as her disheveled hair fell away, revealing a long scar marring her face. Despite the hideous mark, her eyes remained breathtakingly beautiful.
“Zhao Huaian, everything you have today is because of the Su family—because of me, Su Li! Without me, the so-called greatest strategist of Tianqi is nothing but a fraud!”
Zhao Huaian clenched his teeth. This woman’s arrogance was precisely why she deserved to die.
He had risen from a penniless scholar to the emperor’s confidant, all thanks to her. Yet it was also her sharp mind and scheming nature that made her a threat. She had to be eliminated.
The new emperor was on the throne, and Zhao Huaian had achieved his ambitions. Now, Su Li had outlived her usefulness.
“Ah, Sister, why must we women strive so hard?” Su Yue’s coy laughter grated on Su Li’s nerves. “In the end, your strength brought you nothing but ruin.”
Su Yue’s words, meant to please Zhao Huaian, only fueled Su Li’s fury. She tugged fiercely at the chains, glaring at the woman who once called her “elder sister” but now revealed her true face.
“Su Yue, you’re insane! That was your father too! How could you do such a thing? You’re worse than an animal!”
Su Yue laughed lightly, covering her mouth with her delicate hand. “Sister, I see your maid spilled the truth. Yes, your father and your maternal grandfather’s entire family have met their end. They were executed as traitors, their deaths gruesome.”
“Do you know? Your grandfather’s blood stained the entire execution ground. His head now hangs above the city gate as a warning to others. Quite the sight!”
Su Li’s eyes turned bloodshot, and she screamed with all her might, “Jun Hui! You tyrant! TYRANT!”
Seeing her in such despair, Su Yue’s smile grew even sweeter as she continued, “Oh, Sister, let me share a secret. That man I called ‘Father’ for over a decade? He was never truly my father. He never treated me like a daughter, either. His heart was always with your deceased mother and you, his precious legitimate daughter.”
Su Li’s face twisted in disbelief. “You venomous woman! What nonsense are you spouting? Father treated you and me equally, never favoring one over the other! He lived his life with integrity, and you dragged his name through the mud. You’re not human!”
Su Yue sneered, her smile venomous. “Equally? Then why, after your mother’s death, did he refuse to elevate my mother to the status of his wife? Why did he let me live under your shadow as the illegitimate daughter? His fate was sealed the moment he chose to favor you and your mother.”
The words struck Su Li like a hammer. Her knees weakened, and she stumbled back.
It was her fault.
She had defied her father’s wishes and married into the impoverished Zhao family.
She had offered her strategies and schemed to support Zhao Huaian and secure the new emperor’s throne.
Now, as the saying went, “The sly rabbit dies; the hunting dog is cooked. The cunning bird is shot; the good bow is stored.”
It was all her fault.
Zhao Huaian, growing impatient, interrupted, “Yue’er, there’s no need to waste words with her. Every second I look at her disgusts me more.”
Su Li glared at him, this man who had once whispered promises of eternal love to her. Now, he discarded her like garbage.
“Zhao Huaian! I carry your child! Are you not afraid of divine retribution?”
Su Yue chuckled, her voice as sweet as poisoned honey. “Sister, it’s just a child. Brother An can have as many children as he wishes with me in the future. That’s no threat to him.”
Despair flickered in Su Li’s eyes, but resolve hardened her expression. She would rather die than hand over the military seal, knowing the chaos and suffering it could unleash on the people.
“You’ll never get it! Even if I die, I won’t give it to you!”
Zhao Huaian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine. If you won’t hand it over, then take it with you to the grave. Yue’er, finish this.”
Su Yue smiled sweetly as Zhao Huaian turned to leave. Once he was gone, her expression darkened.
“Su Li, do you know what I hate most about you? Those eyes of yours. They’re too beautiful for someone as wretched as you.”
Turning to the maid behind her, Su Yue commanded coldly, “Yuqing, gouge them out!”
The rest of Su Li’s tragedy unfolded amidst betrayal, bloodshed, and her unyielding spirit, leaving only an empty promise to seek revenge—even in death.
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