The End of an Empress

The cold wind howled through the palace halls. It was midnight, and the moon hung low in the sky like a pale eye watching over tragedy.

In her small, dimly lit chamber, Ye Lily knelt on the floor. Her hands were tied behind her back. A white silk scarf lay coiled beside her—a death sentence waiting to be carried out.

Lily stared at the scarf.

Her heart felt heavy, but her eyes burned with anger.

She thought about her life—how she had once stood tall as the Empress of this kingdom, ruling by Emperor Xu Hao's side.

Now?

She was nothing more than a broken woman facing execution.

"Why?" Lily whispered to herself. "How could it come to this?"

She remembered everything— when she first met Xu Hao, their shared dreams of power, the battles they fought together. But most of all, she remembered his betrayal.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Xiao Zhuozi, the eunuch tasked with carrying out her execution, entered the room. His face was blank, emotionless. He didn't even look at her as he picked up the scarf.

"You've been sentenced," he said flatly. "Prepare yourself."

Lily glared at him. "Do you know what I've done for this empire? Do you know who I am?"

Xiao Zhuozi smirked. "You're just another fallen star, Your Majesty. No one cares anymore."

His words stung, but Lily refused to show weakness.

She lifted her chin defiantly. "If there's justice in heaven, my blood will curse this dynasty forever!"

Before the scarf tightened around her neck, Lily's mind raced back to the past.

She saw flashes of her younger self—a bright-eyed girl full of hope. Back then, she believed in love, loyalty, and honor. How foolish she had been!

Years ago, before she became Empress, Lily was just a noblewoman from the ye family.

Her father was a powerful lord, respected across the land.

When Xu Hao approached them for support during his rise to power, Lily's father agreed—but only if Hao married Lily.

At first, Lily wasn't thrilled about the arrangement. But after meeting Hao, something changed. He was ambitious, intelligent, and charming.

Together, they plotted and schemed, rallying allies and crushing enemies until Hao finally claimed the throne.

When Hao became Emperor, Lily became Empress.

Their marriage seemed perfect—at least on the surface. They ruled side by side, and soon, they had two children: Crown Prince Yi and Princess Qing. For a while, life was good.

But beneath the glittering facade of the palace, danger lurked.

One day, rumors began spreading that the ye family planned to overthrow the Emperor.

At first, Lily dismissed them as nonsense. Who would dare accuse her family of treason? Then came the evidence—or, so everyone claimed. Letters, forged documents, witnesses…, everything pointed to her father and brothers.

Lily went to Hao, begging him to investigate further. "My family is innocent!" she cried. "This is a conspiracy!"

Hao looked at her coldly. "Evidence doesn't lie, Lily. If your family betrayed me, I have no choice but to act."

And act he did. Within weeks, the entire ye household was arrested. Men, women, children— No one was spared. Even Lily's beloved brother, who had always supported her, was executed publicly.

Lily couldn't believe it. "How can you do this to me?" she screamed at Hao. "I gave you everything! Without my family, you'd never have become Emperor!"

Hao turned away. "Power demands sacrifice, Lily. You should understand that better than anyone."

From that moment on, Lily knew their marriage was over. Hao had used her—and now he discarded her like trash.

As if losing her family wasn't enough, Lily found herself surrounded by enemies. Mei Furen, Hao's new favorite concubine, quickly rose to prominence. With her beauty and cunning, Mei won Hao's heart—and poisoned his mind against Lily.

Then there were Lily's cousins, Ye Amy and Ye Cindy. Once allies, they now worked against her. They whispered lies into Hao's ears, painting Lily as greedy and power-hungry. Worst of all, they revealed secrets about the ye family's supposed crimes.

"They sold us out," Lily realized bitterly. "They wanted power for themselves."

Amy and Cindy were rewarded handsomely. Both were brought into the palace as concubines, replacing Lily in Hao's bed. Meanwhile, Lily's own son, Yi, lost his position as Crown Prince. The title passed to Mei Furen's son, Xuanyeg.

Lily's daughter, Qing, suffered too. To strengthen ties with foreign tribes, Hao ordered her to marry a Hun prince. On the journey north, Qing fell ill and died. Some said it was an accident; others whispered it was poison.

When news of Qing's death reached Lily, she collapsed in grief. "Not my baby…" she sobbed. "Not my little girl…"

But Hao showed no sympathy. "Stop crying," he snapped. "A princess must serve her country. That's her duty."

Lily wanted to scream, to fight back—but what could she do? She was powerless, trapped in a gilded cage.

Eventually, Hao decided to end things once and for all. He accused Lily of plotting rebellion alongside her family. Despite her protests, she was stripped of her title and thrown into prison. There, she waited for death.

Now, as Xiao Zhuozi tightened the scarf around her neck, Lily's final moments played out like a nightmare. She saw Hao's face, twisted with cruelty. She saw Mei Furen smirking triumphantly. She saw Amy and Cindy laughing at her downfall.

"I'll never forgive you," Lily vowed silently. "If I'm reborn, I'll make you pay. Every last one of you."

With that, the world went dark.

In the palace, Hao sat alone in his chambers. Though victorious, he felt uneasy. Something about Lily's final glare haunted him.

Meanwhile, far beyond the mortal realm, Lily's spirit lingered. Her soul burned with hatred, vowing revenge not just on Hao, but on everyone who wronged her.

Little did they know, her story was far from over.