Chapter 324: The False Emperor Kills Xiyao, the Demon Queen is Deeply Frightened

Zhu Qizhen put down his teacup, picked up a note on the table, and threw it to Xiyao with an intoxicating smile: “Look, it’s a good thing.”

Xiyao opened it and glanced around.

The next moment, she suddenly turned around, drew a dagger from her waist, and pounced on Zhu Qizhen.

Because what she saw was Ning Rongrong’s memorial, which directly stated her identity. She immediately decided that as long as she could control the emperor and send someone to call the queen mother, she could let the real emperor replace the fake emperor.

In this way, she has made great contributions, and coupled with her status, she will have the opportunity to become Wu Zetian in the future.

Although none of this was her best choice, she had no choice but to do so since her identity was exposed.

Snapped!
What a pity, she underestimated Zhu Qizhen.

Zhu Qizhen’s move was so fast that she couldn’t even see clearly, and the knife in his hand was knocked away. Then, Zhu Qizhen grabbed her fair arm and clamped her other hand.

She was pressed down on the soft seat by Zhu Qizhen.

“Quick reaction.” Zhu Qizhen sneered.

He picked up the rope prepared under the throne and tied Xiyao up in no time.

Xiyao was lying on the soft mat, her hair was messy and her mouth was blocked by a piece of cloth. Her bright eyes were full of resentment. Her skin was fair, and she had the gentleness of a Jiangnan girl, yet a fierceness.

Wearing a gorgeous palace skirt, her graceful figure was looming, especially when bound by ropes, which not only did not diminish her charm, but instead outlined a more seductive curve, making it impossible to look away.

“Prince Run’s sister, Zhu Xiyao.” Zhu Qizhen pinched her cheek, “You are hiding beside me. Are you trying to do something bad, or are you trying to tempt me?”

Ning Rongrong’s letter has revealed Xiyao’s identity. She is actually the sister of Prince Run and the descendant of Jianwen.

She returned to the Central Plains at about the same time as Ning Rongrong, but she did not go to Beijing, but lived in Jiangnan with a different identity. It was not until the emperor selected concubines that she took the opportunity to enter the palace.

Afterwards, she carried out her plan.

“Alena, you killed her, didn’t you?” Zhu Qizhen was puzzled. “I couldn’t figure it out at first. Why did you kill her? It wasn’t until Ning Rongrong introduced your past that I began to understand.”

Ning Rongrong said in the letter that Xiyao had been talented since she was young, extremely confident, and self-confident, and she thought she could control everything and manipulate everyone’s fate. Therefore, Zhu Qizhen guessed that Xiyao killed Alena at the beginning, firstly to prevent Alena from treating the emperor, and also to put the blame on the empress dowager and cause chaos in the harem.

She was still a palace maid at that time, but she was confident that she could win the emperor’s favor. She first disrupted the harem as a palace maid, letting the concubines and the empress dowager fight each other, and finally she would be in the throne and have no rivals.

You know, she wants to be a woman like Wu Zetian.

“You didn’t kill the queen.” Zhu Qizhen said to himself, “It was that stupid woman, Concubine Zhou, who helped you, so that the suspicion was no longer on you.”

Xiyao stared with her eyes wide open, but couldn’t scream because her mouth was blocked by a cloth.

Zhu Qizhen placed his hand on her thigh, squeezed it, and continued, “You must have killed Roujia. You wanted to control the Chamber of Commerce yourself. Oh, and you set the fire in Prince Run’s mansion, right? Because Prince Run hindered you. How could you be so cruel, a delicate little girl?”

“Woo woo woo!” Xiyao bit the strip of cloth and glared.

Zhu Qizhen smiled playfully: “You are still the fox of Junshan Society. Haha, you are really good at playing. I guess you have also met other people from Junshan Society. Tell me, who are they? Especially the wolf.”

After saying that, he reached out and pulled out the cloth from Xiyao’s mouth, with a faint smile on his face: “Do you regret not taking action against me earlier?”

Xiyao bit her red lips, and stared at him with her bright and sharp eyes, full of hatred and stubbornness.

Zhu Qizhen’s lips curled up into a faint smile, and he slowly stretched out his hand, his fingertips lightly sliding across her neck, and then all the way down, as if carrying some kind of irresistible magic. His movements were extremely gentle, and wherever he touched, he aroused waves of subtle tremors, as if a breeze blew across the lake, stirring up layers of fine ripples. The touch was both light and itchy, making people involuntarily tighten their skin.

“Speaking of which, I haven’t eaten you for so long, do you know why?”

“Actually, you are very beautiful. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you.”

Xiyao felt an uncontrollable shudder at every inch of skin that was gently touched by his palm, as if goose bumps instantly covered her whole body. A strong sense of shame surged like a tide, drowning her reason. Her eyes, which were originally as bright as stars, now became brighter because of shame and anger. She raised her head and said, “Your Majesty, I am still useful to you. Can we make a deal?”

“Deal? Tell me about it?” Zhu Qizhen paused slightly, raised his hand, gently slid it across her cheek, and at the same time clamped her face and lifted it up with a little force.

“The real emperor is not dead yet.” Xiyao said, “I will help you find him.”

“Anything else? This is not enough for me to let you go. I also know that he is not dead. I can find him myself.” Zhu Qizhen smiled slightly.

Xiyao was silent for a while, then said, “I can also infiltrate the Junshan Society for you, Your Majesty, to gather information and tell you their plans.”

Zhu Qizhen pinched her thigh and chuckled: “It seems that you don’t know who the wolf is.”

“I can go and find out.” Xiyao said.

Zhu Qizhen patted her cheek gently in an almost doting manner, with a warm and gentle smile on his lips. He slowly lowered his head and whispered in her ear, with a hint of amusement and interest flashing quietly in his eyes.

“Your Majesty, you can do this to me.” Xiyao struggled to get up.

However, she was tied up and couldn’t move.

“Come, I’ll untie it for you.” Zhu Qizhen blinked.

However, what he untied was not the rope, but the clothes. Pieces of clothes fell to the ground one by one, and Xiyao knew what she was going to face.

Half an hour passed.

Zhu Qizhen stood up and slowly put on his dragon robe.

Xiyao curled up on the soft mat, her beautiful eyes filled with tears. She grabbed the blanket beside her with her slender hands and covered her body.

The restraints on her body had been removed, and she slowly sat up, revealing her graceful figure, which was as graceful as willow branches, with every curve just right. What was particularly eye-catching was her waist, which was like a nimble water snake. As she swayed gently, she inadvertently exuded endless charming charm and amorous feelings.

“Cao Jixiang, take her to the cold palace and lock her up.” Zhu Qizhen ordered calmly.

~~~~
The city of Samarkand.

For several consecutive days, the Ming army attacked wave after wave like a tide, but was blocked by the defenders, and the two sides fell into a brief standoff.

Tuma, the queen of the Timurid Empire, personally took to the battlefield and guarded the city wall for three days and three nights without leaving for a moment. Her bravery and determination were like the strongest barrier on the city wall, inspiring every soldier in the city to defend their positions to the death.

Although they had withstood the fierce attacks of the Ming army countless times, the ground under the city walls was covered with rubble and filled with smoke, showing that this once indestructible city had gradually become tired and fragile.

At daybreak, the Ming army was not discouraged by the setbacks of the previous few days and launched a new round of offensive. This time, they used their most powerful weapon – the Hongwu artillery of the Shenji Camp. These behemoths were arranged in front of the formation, like rows of giant beasts waiting to roar.

Commander Cao Qin, wearing iron armor and holding a command arrow, stood in front of the army. With a deafening command, all the cannons ignited their fuses at the same time. In an instant, a deafening roar resounded through the sky, accompanied by blazing flames, and countless iron bullets streaked through the sky like a meteor shower and smashed into the city wall.

At that moment, the heaven and earth seemed to tremble, the air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder and the sound of metal colliding. The bricks and stones on the city wall collapsed one after another under the fierce artillery fire, dust flew, and flames shot into the sky. The soldiers defending the city struggled hard in this hellish scene, but the Ming army’s artillery fire was too fierce, and the cracks in the city wall gradually widened.

Tuma on the tower was extremely anxious and commanded his soldiers to fight hard. But at this moment, the sound of gunfire rang out in the city. A guard hurried to the queen and reported: “Queen, it’s bad. A group of Ming soldiers appeared in the city and are attacking the palace. They have broken through the palace gate.”

“What?” Tuma was shocked.

Because of the heavy losses from fighting for several consecutive days, she had transferred most of the troops guarding the imperial city to this tower. She never thought that there would be Ming troops in the city?
“Guards, follow me to the palace to rescue me, quickly.” Tuma shouted.

She led a pair of men down the tower. At this time, the city was in chaos and many places were on fire. Just as she was about to reach the palace, a loud noise came from the direction of the city gate.

The city gate is open.

The Ming army swept in like a raging tsunami.

“The Timurid Empire is gone.” Tuma clenched his fists in hatred.

~~~
Two hours later, the war subsided.

Cao Qin rode his horse to the palace, where many captives were being held.

“Where is the emperor of the Timurid Empire?” Cao Qin asked loudly.

A captain ran up to him and reported: “General, the emperor has committed suicide, but we have captured his queen, who is a great beauty.”

Soon, Tuma was brought up. Although she was wearing armor, her hair was disheveled, and her face was covered in dust, her beauty could still be seen.

“The Queen.” Cao Qin smiled, “You all should respect me and give her the dignity she deserves.”

“Not killing her?” asked the captain. Cao Qin glared at him and said, “How can we kill her? If we send her back to the capital of the Ming Dynasty, His Majesty will surely like her. Our Emperor likes the queens and princesses of other countries.”

Everyone laughed.

The captain continued to report: “General, we have made a fortune this time. There are countless gold and silver treasures in this palace, and the entire city of Samarkand is full of treasures.”

“Tell the brothers not to disturb the people.” Cao Qin waved his hand, “Post a notice to keep the people safe.”

“Yes.” Qianhu had no choice but to accept the order.

Cao Qin glared at him and said, “Of course, you have fought hard, brothers, and need rewards. Look, there is so much gold and silver in the palace, and there are also beautiful palace maids. Isn’t that enough for your reward?”

The whole army was overjoyed and almost shouted “Long live the general”.

Cao Qin continued to give orders: “Tonight, we will have a celebration banquet. After the revelry, we will send some of the treasures to the capital, and this general will ask for credit for you.”

Tuma listened to the cheers of the Ming army around her, her face ashen.

Cao Qin rode his horse to her and smiled: “Queen, don’t worry, I will not kill your people and I will respect you.”

“If you send me to the capital of Ming Dynasty, will I be able to meet your emperor?” Tuma asked.

“Of course.” Cao Qin smiled.

“Okay, I want to see what kind of person he is.” Tuma said coldly.

The next day, the sun rose as usual.

In Samarkand, there were obviously fewer people on the streets, and no one dared to go out. Cao Qin rode his horse through the streets, admiring the scenery of the city.

“Before I left, His Majesty wrote to me, asking me not to destroy the academies and mosques in Samarkand.” He looked up and glanced around. “I didn’t expect there would be so many seminaries and such magnificent mosques.”

The guard pointed and said, “General, what is that?”

Cao Qin looked up and said, “That should be the observatory, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory of our Ming Dynasty. Let’s go and take a look. It is said that Emperor Ulugh Beg of the Timurid Empire was an outstanding astronomer and mathematician. He built the observatory, which is the largest in the world.”

He waved his hand sharply and rode towards the observatory.

At the same time, a team of 3,000 people left the city, escorting a batch of gold, silver and jewelry back to the capital of the Ming Dynasty. Sitting in a carriage was Tuma.

She opened the car curtain and looked back at the city wall.

“The Timurid Empire is gone.” She looked sad.

~~~~
Capital city, cold palace.

The moonlight sparingly cast a few rays of silver light, but it could not illuminate the heavy haze in the deep palace. The high walls around were mottled, like scars carved by time, silently telling the glory, disgrace, sorrow and joy of the past.

The night was as dark as ink, so thick that it could not be dissolved, tightly wrapping the cold palace, isolating it from the noise and warmth of the outside world. The wind became the only visitor here, it slowly shuttled between the broken eaves, emitting bursts of low whistles, like the low sobs of lonely ghosts, which made people feel cold.

The palace gate was tightly closed, and the copper ring was covered with moss from the years. A slight touch would cause spots of rust to fall off. Inside the gate, there was endless darkness and silence. The occasional subtle sound, perhaps the sigh of fallen leaves touching the ground, or the rustling of mice foraging in a corner, was infinitely magnified in this dead silence, adding a bit of eerie feeling.

There was a lantern lit in the room.

Xiyao sat alone, her face was haggard and sad, with a pair of delicate feet gently exposed. The light gauze dress swayed gently, but it could not hide her graceful figure, like willow branches swaying in the wind, soft and shy in the cool breeze. Her white jade-like cheeks were pale and frail.

She slowly stood up and walked towards the window. As she moved, the cuffs on her ankles made a crisp and cold sound, which was particularly harsh in this silent space, like broken icicles in a cold night, making people feel cold.

crunch~
The door was pushed open, and Zhu Qizhen walked in, folding his hands over his chest, smiling: “Have you figured it out? How can you help me?”

“I have already said that I can lurk in the Junshan Society for your Majesty and bring you news.” Xiyao said.

She had lost her former brightness and looked very pitiful.

Zhu Qizhen reached out and held her in his arms. She did not resist and let him hold her. She pursed her lips, and a complex and cold look flashed in her eyes.

“I really feel sorry for you.” Zhu Qizhen held her face in his hands.

Xiyao’s eyes were slightly blurred, and in those beautiful eyes, tears were shining with complex emotions. Zhu Qizhen leaned over without hesitation and bit her red lips as soft as petals. Xiyao closed her eyes obediently, immersed in the tenderness of this moment. Zhu Qizhen’s kiss was too passionate and overbearing, making her involuntarily snuggle in his arms.

Zhu Qizhen pushed her away with a smile on his face.

Xiyao grabbed the window frame with both hands. She knew what he was going to do and helpless tears rolled down her eyes.

soon.

The shackles under her feet shook and made noises.

I don’t know how long it has been

Xiyao sat in the corner with her arms around herself, looking at Zhu Qizhen who had already stood up, and asked: “Your Majesty, can you let me out?”

Zhu Qizhen looked at her coldly and asked, “I don’t understand why you killed Alena and Roujia.”

Xiyao’s lips curled up into a cold smile, and she snorted, “Your Majesty, others are ignorant, but can’t you see through it? The road to supreme hegemony is paved with countless bones. They are just overestimating their own abilities and trying to stop me from moving forward.”

“Hegemony?” Zhu Qizhen stretched out his hand to grab her neck, lifted her up, and said, “You are not worthy of talking about hegemony. You are just a delusional person.”

Xiyao raised her beautiful face and said, “I am still of great use to your majesty. I will tell you who the wolves of Junshan Society are and what they are planning. You like Sun Ruowei, right? Hahaha, she wants to kill you.”

“Oh?” Zhu Qizhen smiled, “Let me hear it.”

Xiyao’s beautiful face was finally filled with fear, and she kept talking. When he finished, Zhu Qizhen looked at her, his face became even gloomier, and his murderous intent became heavier.

“So many people betrayed me!” Zhu Qizhen’s eyes suddenly became sharp, “Then using someone like you is a disaster.”

He exerted force suddenly.

Click!

Xiyao’s beautiful face was frozen in astonishment. Zhu Qizhen let go of her hand and she slowly fell down.

Zhu Qizhen waved his hands, walked out of the cold palace, and said to Cao Jixiang who was standing by the door: “Deal with her body. It’s the cold palace. Just find a well.”

“As you wish.” Cao Jixiang felt a chill down his spine.

Zhu Qizhen looked up at the crescent moon in the sky and said calmly, “Actually, she is right. The road to hegemony is made of piles of bones. I was too kind before.”

An invisible murderous aura enveloped him, and Cao Jixiang almost lost his balance and fell to his knees.

~~
The next day, early in the morning.

The demon queen stood up lazily, her black hair falling casually on her shoulders like a waterfall. She was wearing a light and transparent white underdress. Under the underdress as thin as a cicada’s wing, there was only a thin white silk wrapped lightly around her body, which further highlighted the gracefulness and charm of her figure.

“Empress.” Shuangxi hurried in, his face pale.

The Queen of Demons swung her long white legs and walked to the dressing table. She asked lazily, “What’s wrong? Why are you so panicked so early in the morning?”

Shuangxi came closer and said in a low voice: “Xiyao is dead.”

“Ah?” The demon queen was horrified. “Why did he die suddenly?”

Shuangxi frowned and said, “It was His Majesty who killed her. Yesterday, His Majesty met Xiyao alone in the Qianqing Palace. For some unknown reason, he locked her up in the cold palace. In the evening, His Majesty went to see her again and then killed her.”

“That’s impossible.” The Demon Queen staggered, “He has always been tolerant towards women.”

Shuangxi’s face was full of worry: “Your Majesty, Xiyao knows too much. Will she tell His Majesty everything?”

The Demon Queen took a deep breath, calmed down, and said, “Your Majesty has long suspected me, and he will not change his mind about me just because of Xiyao. But we don’t have much time left.”

A gust of wind blew and she felt a chill.

(End of this chapter)