The fate was changed, the mistress of the Hou family was slapped in the face and made money to win

Chapter 638: This Year and This Night Ends

Jiang Suining's words made Empress Shi suddenly shed a tear.

Even she herself couldn't tell whether this tear was for Concubine Cheng or for herself.

"My lady..."

The nanny's voice brought Empress Shi back to her senses. She raised her hand and wiped away the tears on her face with her fingertips. When she spoke again, she had returned to her normal state.

"Send someone to report to the emperor and ask him how to deal with his funeral and whether he should be buried in the imperial mausoleum."

"Your Majesty, according to the palace rules, concubines who have been convicted are not qualified to enter the imperial mausoleum." said the nanny.

"I should ask the emperor first. After all, he has doted on her for so many years. Now that she is dead, I have to do something to make myself feel better."

There was a hint of sarcasm in Queen Shi's tone.

The nanny glanced at Queen Shi cautiously, and said nothing more after responding.

Jiang Suining followed Empress Shi out of Concubine Cheng's bedroom. On the palace road, Empress Shi slowed down her pace slightly and motioned Jiang Suining, who was following behind her, to come forward and walk side by side with her.

"Do you know why I want you to go with me to see her off for the last time?"

Jiang Suining shook his head, "I don't know."

"In fact, I couldn't explain why I wanted you to be here at first. After all, everything was settled. It was just a cup of poisoned wine. It didn't matter whether you were there or not. Even if you were there just now, you just watched without saying a word. But when you said that, I understood."

Queen Shi stopped and looked at Jiang Suining.

"Because both me and Concubine Cheng are trapped in this deep palace, and are one of the countless women who have no freedom. But Jiang Suining, you are different. You are different from all of us."

Although she was in the imperial city and faced all kinds of strict rules, Jiang Suining did business if she wanted to do business, and worked hard to become a female official if she wanted to be one. Even after she got married, it did not stop her from doing things according to her own ideas.

From her perspective, she has to say that Jiang Suining is lucky. Whether it is the Jiang family, Shen Yanxi, or even Shen Yanxi's parents, they are very tolerant and respectful of her.

But at the same time, she was also very clear that what Jiang Suining had now was definitely not just the result of luck.

She was bolder and more determined than any of them.

"Jiang Suining, I envy you very much."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. I still have many things I want to do but have not yet completed, and... it may be difficult to do them."

Although everything the Fifth Princess Xiao Yue had described to her was like castles in the air and lacked any substance, the life and situation of the woman she described really made her yearn for it.

Girls' schools, girls' imperial examinations, girls can become whoever they want to be, and can have a variety of identities and roles...

But even now, everything still seems so far away, so far away that she often feels powerless when she thinks of it.

"I don't know exactly what you're talking about, but I can probably guess a little. Jiang Suining, you still have a lot of time, so do your best. Even if you fail to achieve your goals in the end, maybe someone will benefit from you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will remember this." Jiang Suining bowed and responded.

Queen Shi looked up at the sunlight in the sky and sighed tiredly.

"Go on duty. Although I know you have been very busy during this period, tomorrow is New Year's Eve and you still need to prepare for the New Year's Eve banquet."

Sometimes when I think about it, I find it quite ridiculous.

Even if a royal concubine had just died and a prince was about to die, the necessary banquet still had to be held.

Even if no one's smile at the banquet is genuine, everyone must cooperate. This is the so-called royal dignity and decency.

Jiang Suining returned to his duty station, and the person sent by Empress Shi to report the news also received a reply.

As Empress Shi had expected, Emperor Xiao ultimately preserved Concubine Cheng's identity and status, and buried her in the imperial mausoleum with the specifications for a concubine.

As for the Cheng family, because they were implicated by Concubine Cheng and the Fourth Prince, all the officials serving in the court were dismissed. From now on, all the children of the Cheng family are not allowed to take the imperial examinations, and are not allowed to be employed in any court positions.

It was a prominent family that had existed for nearly a hundred years. I don't know how much effort their ancestors had put in to get to their current status, but overnight, it was completely destroyed and fell into decline.

However, in this imperial city, the overnight overthrow of aristocratic families is not a rare event.

Especially on New Year's Eve, the day when people bid farewell to the old and usher in the new, the destruction of a family did not affect the enthusiasm of the people in celebrating the new year.

The sound of firecrackers and colorful silks hanging high.

A variety of festive red lanterns have replaced the paper lanterns that are usually used for lighting, and are hung at the doorways of shops, on vendors' stalls, and above the busy streets.

New Year's Eve.

The banquet in the palace continued as usual.

Although anyone could see that Emperor Xiao was in a bad mood.

Although the court officials and princes and princesses present all had different thoughts.

But they still clinked glasses and chatted with each other.

All kinds of festive and blessing words, embellished with sincere expressions, were thrown out one after another.

It was just like the sound of a pipa played to liven up the banquet, with the sounds of large and small pearls falling on the royal jade plate, bound to use joy and jubilation to cover up the worries, tension and endless calculations hidden underneath.

In the Sky Prison, Xiao Yi sat calmly in the death row cell specially used to detain royal family members, looking at the poisoned wine brought by Shen Yanxi.

"Tonight, on New Year's Eve, Prime Minister Shen did not go to the palace for a banquet. Instead, he came here to see me off. Is he afraid that something unexpected will happen again?"

"Your Highness may think so. After all, if I cannot see you leave in person, I will be uneasy."

"Prime Minister Shen, you can rest assured. This prince has already done everything he can. There is no possibility of turning things around."

Xiao Yi picked up the poisoned wine in front of him with relief and smelled the faint aroma of the wine, but he did not drink it immediately. After all, he still asked a question.

"Mother, she..."

"The Imperial Concubine committed suicide. The Emperor ordered that her title be retained and she be buried in the Imperial Mausoleum as an Imperial Concubine."

"Oh, that's indeed what my father would do."

The emperor's kindness and generosity, which he was reluctant to bestow while he was alive, could only be demonstrated after his death.

"Doesn't the Fourth Prince want to ask the Cheng family?"

"I won't ask anymore." Xiao Yi shook his head. "Since we have come to this point, everything is a foregone conclusion."

He tilted his head back and drank the cup of poisoned wine. The clear aroma of wine slid into his throat. Xiao Yi played with the wine glass in his hand and smiled at Shen Yanxi wantonly, just like the cynical and romantic prince who hid behind the third prince.

"Prime Minister Shen, tonight is New Year's Eve, and I, the prince, wish you a happy new year."

"Thank you, Fourth Prince."

Blood oozing from the corner of his lips, Xiao Yi leaned against the wall and slowly closed his eyes.

Still smiling.

When Shen Yanxi walked out of the sky prison, fireworks exploded in the distance, blooming with brilliant colors in the sky.

The original cold winter wind seems to have added a touch of spring with the arrival of the New Year.

Shen Yanxi suddenly recalled some poems he had read in his childhood.

"This year and this night ends, and next year and tomorrow is coming. The cold goes away with one night, and spring comes at five o'clock in the morning."

The new year has arrived, and the cycle will continue, and soon spring will fill the earth again.

But Xiao Yi's life eventually stopped forever in this old winter.