Chapter I People
Surrounded by darkness, the smell of blood and decay seemed to have never dissipated.
It felt like it had been a long time since she had seen any light. Inside and outside the house, there was nothing but silence, with only the sound of her own faint breathing. Chu Si thought, how much longer would this lifeless existence continue? Now with her limbs severed and her tongue cut out, she lay in a wooden basin, barely clinging to life. She thought it would be better to end it all with one swift blow.
"Your Highness, the inside hasn't been cleaned yet," a startled voice came from outside, followed by a woman in luxurious attire entering the room. She wore a colorful golden phoenix robe over a bright yellow wide-sleeved dress, with a dazzling phoenix crown on her head. The sunlight shining in made Chu Si almost unable to open her eyes.
"Sister, how have you been these days?" The woman's voice was cold, and she glanced at Chu Si with a hint of mockery and disgust, but no surprise.
Looking at her sister, who used to be gentle and obedient, Chu Si was first surprised, but then she understood. She remembered the day of the palace coup, when she was imprisoned by the Prince of Xiaoyao, only to be secretly taken out by him later. She had thought that her broken body would still receive the pity of her former lover, but what awaited her was the severing of her limbs.
"Sister seems to understand what's going on now," Chu Zhenzhen waved her hand, and everyone retreated. Looking at the person on the ground, she smirked, "People always say that the two daughters of the Chu family, one is talented and beautiful, the other is unparalleled in nobility. But you still manage to surpass me, Chu Si. What right do you have to compare yourself to me? You are nothing more than a limbless monster. Oh, wait, you even married the old emperor who could be your grandfather and gave birth to a princess..."
Chu Zhenzhen looked at Chu Si, who lay in the bloodstained hair, her face pale, and kicked the wooden basin. But Chu Si seemed numb to the humiliation and physical pain, showing no expression.
Chu Zhenzhen's voice became somewhat agitated, as she mercilessly shattered any remaining hope of affection in Chu Si's heart.
Chu Si felt her eyes dry, but her tears had already dried up these past few days, from the moment her family handed her over to the prison, to the day that man ascended the throne and threw her into the dungeon.
"Do you still long for the Prince of Xiaoyao?" Chu Zhenzhen continued, looking at the golden phoenix bracelet on her wrist, and chuckled, "No, he's not the Prince of Xiaoyao anymore, he's the emperor now. Sister, can you see clearly? The Prince of Xiaoyao has always loved me, and now I am the empress of this world." Chu Zhenzhen's voice was as gentle as when she had pleaded with her to marry the old emperor years ago.
Chu Si closed her eyes, refusing to look at her, and recalled the irony of her life. She had been identified as an ill-fated lone star by a Taoist from a young age, causing the death of her birth mother and leading her to be sent to a nunnery, where she suffered abuse and even lost her close maid. It wasn't until the year of the selection that the daughter of the Chu family was chosen, and she was brought back to the capital to marry the old emperor in place of her same-aged step-sister.
She had always thought that her sacrifice would be remembered by others. Her birth father treated her kindly, her stepmother treated her gently, and her step-sister was affectionate towards her. Even the lofty Prince of Xiaoyao had been patient with her, even promising to grow old with her. She had never imagined that everything they did was just to make her a better pawn, leading to her current fate.
Chu Si didn't want to open her eyes to look at her, but Chu Zhenzhen didn't let her off so easily. "I came here today to bring you a gift, to see if you like it or not."
Chu Zhenzhen's voice carried a hint of playfulness and innocence as she clapped her hands, and soon the "executioner" who had severed her limbs brought in a little girl in luxurious clothing.
Chu Si recognized the child's face and felt a pang of pain. How could Fu'er be here!
"Mother, save me, mother, save me..." The trembling, childlike voice reached Chu Si, making her feel unbearable pain. She watched the tears and helplessness in her daughter's eyes, hating herself for being unable to do anything.
"Perhaps sister doesn't know, but your mother was also turned into a human pig and died in such a cruel way..." Chu Zhenzhen's tone was as indifferent as if she were commenting on the weather. "To let you die with peace of mind, I had someone come to demonstrate how our mother died. Sister, am I not kind?"
Chu Si stared at Chu Zhenzhen in agony, her eyes filled with hatred and murderous intent, making her look like a vengeful ghost returned from the depths of hell.
"What are you waiting for? Get on with it!" Chu Zhenzhen's voice turned cold in an instant.
The men looked at Chu Si in the wooden basin, then at the young child, gritted their teeth, and raised their steel knives.
Chu Si watched Fu'er, who was suffering the same fate as herself, and thought of her mother who had suffered and died just like her. She felt that all the evil in the world was embodied in this moment.
She longed to be able to move now, even if it meant biting with her teeth, she wanted to bite off their necks!
"Can't take it anymore?" Chu Zhenzhen saw Chu Si's pained expression and felt a sense of satisfaction. "You and your unfortunate mother should have died together. Now father has to bear the reputation of being heartless because of you, and I, as the empress, have to endure the whispers behind my back..."
Chu Si screamed in agony, tears of blood streaming down her face.
She wished she could peel the flesh off this woman in front of her, drink her blood, and crush her bones to dust!
Chu Si felt her consciousness fading, and before losing it completely, she looked at Chu Zhenzhen, who was frowning, with a strange smile on her face. If there was a next life, she would repay this hatred a hundredfold!
