บท 2: ARC 1 - The Way to become an Empress Part 1

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"Your Majesty, I didn't do it!"

"Your jealousy had killed Zhen's child! Zhen shall punish you and send you to the cold palace! Bring this person away from me and grant her 20 slaps and 20 flogs before sending her to the cold palace!"

"Excuse us, Empress. P..."

"She is no longer Zhen's Empress. She shall be demoted to the lowest-ranked consort. Now, drag her away!"

"Consort, please go with us obediently." One of the guards whispered respectfully.

The guards then started to drag Li Zhen Zhen away.

"Your Majesty! I really didn't! Your Majesty!"

Ji Zhen Tian's face remained stoic as he continued to sit relaxedly on his dragon chair.

The doors to the Emperor's palace closed.

⊙ ⊙

Li Zhen Zhen was punished with 20 hard slaps and flogs, making her face swollen, her body limp. She was then immediately sent to the cold palace with only her personal maid and a single guard. Her belongings were confiscated, leaving her with only clothes befitting of a lowest-ranked consort. With her face still swollen and with minimal belongings, she was made to face humiliation as she was escorted to the cold palace.

Imperial Consort Ye Ling, the one who had miscarried, personally witnessed her parade and she saw the Imperial Consort sneakily snicker, proving her miscarriage was a self-made feat.

Li Zhen Zhen clenched her hands, being filled with anger and humiliation. She'll definitely get revenge for this. She just needs to wait for her family to know of this incident. They can definitely protect her.

⊙ ⊙

However, help never came. What came to her was the news of her family's downfall, starting with the accusation of her killing the Emperor's child inside Imperial Consort Ye, and then her father, the Prime Minister's corruption, the evil deeds on the streets by her other family members, the tyranny of her brother the Great General, and the supposed plot of rebellion by her family. Everyone was sent to public execution, including her.

On the way to the execution grounds, Li Zhen Zhen wished she could turn back time. If she could, she wished to go back to the time when she had still not fallen in love with Ji Zhen Tian. She wished she never made herself choose to get engaged with him, wished she never helped him attain his position of Emperor amidst his brothers, wished to never have been neglected, wished to never have lived pushed around by other consorts, wished her family to never have gotten involved, wished to have lived a happier life.

However, no matter how much she wished, she was still there, on the way to execution with her family. Sitting high on top of a stage was the Emperor in all his glory, looking down at her. While she was being beheaded, just before the blade severed her head, she looked up at him and mouthed,

"I wish I never loved you."

By his surprised expression, he seemed to have understood what she said. His surprised expression was the very last thing she saw. Li Zhen Zhen's life ended just like that.

On the other hand, Ji Zhen Tian the Emperor's life prospered, making the empire rise to be one of the most prosperous and the strongest one in history. He was branded as the Great Emperor of the Gong dynasty, while Empress Ye Ling, then Imperial Consort Ye, was labelled as virtuous and the model woman and Empress.

Li Zhen Zhen was branded as a villainous, jealous woman who threatened the empire's prosperity with her family, and over time, she was eventually forgotten. Ji Zhen Tian and Ye Ling's legacy lived on for a long time and they were known as two of the greatest people in history.