Chapter 3 Killed By Her Beloved

Mei Liang's eyes burned with fury, her delicate features twisted with unrestrained hatred as she stepped forward, her gaze never leaving Emperor Xiang.

"Do you think I will let you have your happy ending with your favorite Consort Wei?"

Her voice, laced with venom, echoed through the vast hall, sending a chill down the spines of those present.

Then, without warning, she raised her hand.

"You may come out now." A whisper of movement rippled through the shadows.

Forty figures emerged—silent, deadly, and clad in black. The imperial hall plunged into chaos.

Gasps erupted as the secret guards fanned out in perfect formation, surrounding Mei Liang like a shield. Their movements were precise, disciplined, each one radiating a lethal aura.

The sheer audacity of the scene left the imperial concubines frozen in disbelief.

Emperor Xiang's sharp gaze flickered with something unreadable, while Imperial Concubine Jun, Consort De, and Consort Wei sat rigid, their faces pale as death.

It was Imperial Concubine Jun who found her voice first.

Her eyes blazed with fury as she shot to her feet, her golden hairpins trembling from the force of her movement.

"Mei Liang, have you lost your mind?!" she snapped. Her voice rang through the hall like a whip. "Are you trying to commit treason?!"

A slow, mocking smile curled at the corner of Mei Liang's lips. "Ah, my dear Xiao Hua, you still have the mouth to speak."

She tilted her head, her tone dripping with contempt. Then, her smile vanished, replaced by a chilling, calculated expression. "Kill them."

A stunned silence fell over the court.

Mei Liang's voice had been calm, unwavering—as if she were merely discussing the weather.

Her gaze swept across the assembled guards.

"Kill Imperial Concubine Jun, Consort De, and Consort Wei. Leave none alive." Gasps rang out.

The imperial consorts stiffened, fear flashing in their eyes. Even Emperor Xiang's expression darkened ever so slightly. But Mei Liang wasn't finished.

She turned to the emperor, her gaze filled with malice as she uttered her next words.

"Let me tell you something, Xiang Longwei."

She let the name linger in the air, savoring the disrespect.

"All of your palaces. All of your precious treasure rooms. They're about to be blown to ashes." She took a step closer. "Tell me, Your Majesty—who will you save?"

A slow smirk crept across her lips. "Will it be your beloved Consort Wei?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Or will it be your empire?"

A tense, suffocating silence fell over the court. All eyes turned to Emperor Xiang.

But the Son of Heaven did not so much as blink. He sat, poised and composed, his expression unreadable. And then, at last, he spoke.

His voice was low, smooth—cold enough to freeze the air itself. "Mei Liang…"

He let her name roll off his tongue with quiet menace, each syllable laced with condescension.

"Did you truly believe I would not uncover your schemes?" His gaze flicked toward the guards standing at her back.

"Did you think I wouldn't see through your little tricks?" A flicker of something passed through Mei Liang's eyes. Uncertainty.

Had she… underestimated him? The emperor leaned back against his throne, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest.

"Your maid has been under my watch for months."

His voice was calm, amused even, as if he were speaking to a child who had made a foolish mistake.

"I knew what she was planning before even you did." His lips curled in disdain. "I hold control over everything, Mei Liang."

His next words sent a shudder down the spines of those present.

"You should worry less about Consort Wei…" A slow, cruel smile played at the emperor's lips. "And worry more about yourself."

Emperor Xiang Long Wei's expression turned icy, his golden robes shimmering under the flickering candlelight. His voice, calm yet laced with menace, echoed through the hall.

"You dare to bring secret guards into the palace, train them in the shadows, and keep them hidden from Zhen?

Treason of this magnitude warrants only one punishment—death." His sharp gaze bore into Mei Liang. "But Zhen is merciful. You may choose to die with your body intact."

A cold, mirthless laugh slipped from Mei Liang's lips.

"Xiang Long Wei, in this world, there are only winners and losers. I have lost, and I accept my fate." Her smile was sharp as a blade, eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "But do not think I will die alone."

The emperor had always harbored suspicions, but never had he imagined that a mere concubine, one so neglected and unloved, possessed the knowledge to craft military weapons.

She had spent years in obscurity, gathering materials in secret, instructing her hidden guards to steal and forge crude yet deadly explosives. Though small in size, they had the power to wreak havoc—her final offering to the emperor.

Mei Liang raised her voice. "Come out!"

The torches flickered as a shadow detached itself from the darkness. Another man clad in black appeared before the stunned court. Gasps filled the air as the Empress, Consort Wei, Consort De, and Imperial Concubine Jun recoiled in disbelief.

Mei Liang remained poised, her eyes unreadable as she issued her next command.

"Retrieve the bombs. Take them to the hidden guards stationed across the palace." Her voice was steady, resolute. "Once in position, destroy everything. After the palace crumbles, they are free to leave and start anew."

She turned away, her gaze drifting toward the moonlit courtyard beyond the open doors. She had known from the beginning—she would not leave Yunqi Palace alive.

If she could not harm the emperor, then she would take away what he cherished most.

Her slender fingers brushed against the inside of her sleeve. Five bombs—small but powerful—had remained with her all this time, waiting for the right moment.

A slow smirk curved her lips. "Xiang Long Wei, consider this my parting gift."

Without hesitation, she set the timer to fifteen seconds and flung the first bomb toward the Empress and the favored concubines.

As it sailed through the air, she stepped back, gripping Mei Ming's wrist to pull her away.

The emperor's ever-composed expression shattered. For the first time, genuine horror flickered in his eyes. No one noticed when the emperor secret guards appeared and quickly pulled the emperor from there.

"Mei Liang, what have you done?" Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but her smile never wavered.

"Do you remember, Xiang Long Wei? It was you who made me this way. You turned me into this monster!"

The court held its breath, watching as the bomb landed near the Empress and Consort Wei.

For a moment, nothing happened.Then—

A deafening explosion rocked the hall. Flames erupted, thick smoke swallowing the chamber. The shockwave sent Consort De sprawling, her body hitting the ground with a sickening thud. The Empress and Consort Wei screamed as debris rained down.

Blood. Chaos. The scent of burning silk filled the air. Mei Liang's voice rang clear through the pandemonium.

"Xiang Long Wei, watch as your loved ones suffer! This is the gift I leave for you."

With unrelenting fury, she pulled two more bombs from her sleeve. One she hurled toward the emperor. The other, toward Consort Wei.

"Protect His Majesty!" the guards shouted, surging forward.

Yunqi Palace descended into absolute mayhem. Concubines trampled over one another in their desperation to flee, their silken robes tangling beneath their feet.

Even the Empress—once so composed—was now scrambling for safety, her face contorted in fear.

The guards fought fiercely, swords clashing against armor. Blood splattered against the jade-tiled floors.

Amidst the chaos, Consort Wei though seriously tried and staggered toward Emperor Xiang, her mind racing. The safest place is always by the emperor's side.

But Mei Liang would not allow her that luxury.

With deadly precision, she slipped past the battling guards, her hands closing around the hilt of a fallen dagger. In one swift motion, she drove it into Consort Wei's stomach.

A choked gasp escaped the consort's lips, her body stiffening as crimson bloomed across her gown.

A sharp cry tore through the hall—"Wei'er!"

The emperor moved before anyone could stop him, rage distorting his regal features. Snatching a sword from a nearby guard, he lunged.

The cold steel plunged into Mei Liang's back. She froze. A sharp, searing pain spread through her body. Slowly, she turned her head. It was him.

The man she had once loved. Xiang Long Wei had pierced her through the heart.

Her lips parted, but no words came. The world blurred at the edges, her vision dimming.

As the chaos raged on, Mei Liang's body swayed. The dagger slipped from her fingers, clattering against the stone floor.

She smiled—bitter, cold, victorious. In this life, she had lost. But in the next…

She would make Xiang Long Wei beg for her love. And she would never—never—put her fate in the hands of a man again.

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