The eunuchs lost their strength in an instant. Even the emperor’s father, the man behind them, was imprisoned in the temporary palace. The lives of servants wouldn’t matter at all. They were dealing with a devil.

“All right, as long as you enjoy it.” Yun Su held Shui Yinzhu in his arms, nodding to all her decisions. Suddenly, he noticed a tiny scar on her neck. He stroked it and asked, “Sister Xi, what happened to your neck?”

“It was an accident. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Shui Yinzhu didn’t worry about any wound on her. She was really satisfied with her achievements today as she walked out of Yun Su’s arms and sat in her seat.

Even though Shui Yinzhu just got slapped hard, she was benefiting a lot from this event. First, she wouldn’t have to serve Yun Su on the bed these days. That alone would be satisfying enough. A swollen face didn’t really matter to her. Second, she would be able to take liberties with anyone in the harem and carry out her plan. It wasn’t an easy thing for an empire to decline. She still had a long way to go.

“Where are the imperial physicians? What’s taking them so long?” Yun Su had always been the one most worried about Shui Yinzhu’s wound.

A eunuch and Xiaoba came in the middle of the imperial court session. Yun Su knew that Xiaoba would only come when something happened to Shui Yinzhu, so he left all the ministers behind and came. And now, he regretted it even more. He should have come earlier so that Shui Yinzhu wouldn’t get hurt.

Shui Yinzhu was coming up with all kinds of ideas. She just made a scene by summoning all the elder consorts to pay respect. Now that all of them were here waiting for her in her palace, she sent a message through the palace maids that this session would be canceled in the future. Then she left her palace. She was making fun of them all. That felt so annoying, but none of the elder consorts dared to speak up.

And where was Shui Yinzhu, the evil empress who called herself a princess? She paved to the medicated bath spring located where Yun Su used to stay as the Crown Prince without a single servant with her. What was she doing there? Some guessed that it was for her face. But the last thing Shui Yinzhu cared about would be her face.

After enjoying the medicated bath for three mornings in a row, Shui Yinzhu had recovered much, even though her face was still a bit swollen. But someone had already been waiting for her by the hot spring on the third day.

As she opened the door to the bath, Shui Yinzhu walked in alone just like two days before, not allowing anyone to follow. She closed the door. Madam Li walked out from the rockwork, smiling at her. This was the second time for them to meet after their conversation one year ago.

Madam Li was really clever. When Shui Yinzhu shook her head, Madam Li understood it immediately and hid behind the rockwork again.

In order to make sure Madam Li didn’t get found, Shui Yinzhu took off her clothes and pretended to slip into the spring. Then she started screaming, “Help!”

As she expected, a palace maid hiding in the dark showed up to check if Shui Yinzhu was all right. To the palace maid’s surprise, Shui Yinzhu dragged her down to the spring. More surprisingly, Shui Yinzhu kissed her lips when the girl was seized in panic.

Don’t take it in the wrong way. Shui Yinzhu never meant to kiss the palace maid. She was only feeding a pill into the maid’s mouth. The maid never got to speak a word after she realized that and couldn’t believe her own eyes. What was the empress doing?

But soon, she found out the answer. After Shui Yinzhu confirmed that the palace maid wasn’t able to speak, she kept on screaming as hard as she could, “Help, Xiaoba.” The empress strangled her own neck with the hand of the palace maid. The palace maid couldn’t use any strength at all. But Shui Yinzhu made it look like she was struggling out of the clasp while she was actually squeezing her own throat.

That was what Xiaoba saw when he arrived. A palace maid was trying to kill Shui Yinzhu and, at the same time, showing her back to Xiaoba. His blade slashed her in an instant, and the girl was killed. Her dead body was thrown onto the ground. Xiaoba was doing so quickly that there wasn’t any blood dripping from the body and the spring remained clean.

He pulled Shui Yinzhu out of the spring but then realized that the beauty was still naked. As he turned his head aside, he found that the palace maid was also one of the confidential guards like him. Xiaoba clenched his fist, knowing that he had been fooled again by Shui Yinzhu. A confidential guard would never kill the empress.

But Shui Yinzhu would never let go of Xiaoba. She held the man from his back. That tender body of a woman leaned on his back without any clothes. She knew that Xiaoba had recognized the palace maid, as she spoke slowly,

“Xiaoba, she knew about you and me.”

“What do you mean by you and me?”

“She saw us from the outside when I pecked you. ”

“For real?” That was the first time Xiaoba panicked because of Shui Yinzhu. He was not sure if she was telling the truth. He used to have a good sense of the surrounding environment but not at that specific time.

“Yes.”

“Why would she try to kill you?”

“I told her I love you and that I would want her dead if she tells this secret to anyone. Maybe she got provoked by it.”

“Your Majesty, don’t speak nonsense. You married His Majesty. She wouldn’t get angry for that so easily.” Xiaoba felt a blush on his face. This woman in front of him felt no shame at all.

“She was in love with you. Jealousy can turn a woman scary.” No one ever taught her how to lie, but she was getting good at it.

“No way. She never mentioned it.”

“And that means she didn’t like you? Women never tell their true feelings to the men they love. It would be rare to find someone so honest like I am. I told you I like you, and I mean it.” Shui Yinzhu strolled to the front of Xiaoba and threw herself into his arms again. “Or why would she try to kill me? Xiaoba, I’m scared.” Her coquetry came right in time, and it made her more charming.

The tender body was still naked in his arms. Xiaoba’s face turned even redder. He pushed her aside, avoided eye contact, and ran away. But when his large hand touched her tender skin, his mind was in turmoil.

The charming smile was immediately replaced by a cold look on Shui Yinzhu’s face as Xiaoba left. When she turned back, she started to smile again. She said to the rockwork, “Come out, Sister Li. We can talk safely now.”

Madam Li hurried out from the rocks. She had witnessed a great performance today. Shui Yinzhu was no doubt a witch to her. She was way more scheming than those women in the harem. At that specific moment, Madam Li regretted working with her. But after taking a second thought about it, maybe taking Shui Yinzhu’s side would bring her benefit.

“Sis, is it real between you and that confidential guard?”

“Sister Li, let’s sit down first and take our time to talk,” Shui Yinzhu said as she put on her clothes. “Xiaoba is the confidential guard Yun Su sent to monitor me. I’m getting him to my side.”

“Understood.”

Madam Li figured out her intention immediately. Pretty much every woman in the harem had their hands stained with blood. The two women sat down on the ground by the hot spring and started their talk. Neither of them was looking at the dead body and felt afraid as if the dead body of the palace maid was but an ornament.

Shui Yinzhu was very satisfied with Madam Li after seeing her reaction. A sharp, clever, endurant, bold, and cautious woman she was. The reason why Shui Yinzhu summoned all the elder consorts to pay respect to her three days ago was that she needed to build up her authority and get a chance to meet Madam Li.

Shui Yinzhu touched their face and brushed their clothes purposefully on that day. It seemed as if she was intimidating them, but actually, she slipped a piece of paper into Madam Li’s pocket.

Shui Yinzhu told Madam Li to meet her at this hot spring three days later. Why not the next day? Because Shui Yinzhu needed it to be unexpected. Madam Li would be her best ally. She needed to put her safety into consideration.

“Sister Li, let’s get back to our topic.”

“Okay.”

“Is there anyone in your family serving in the court?”

“Yes. My original family name is Chi, and my older brother serves as Taipu.”

“Taipu, the official that manages the traffic, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Why does it concern you, sis?”

“Your brother should be considered as my brother. And I’m supposed to help my own family. Besides, I will make sure your younger sister Madam Jing gets avenged.”

“Thank you, sis.”

“Don’t even mention it, Sister Li. I haven’t got control of the overall situation, and I may need your help.” After all that she had experienced, Shui Yinzhu didn’t believe in true-heartedness. The only things working would be the exchange of benefits and holding one’s short hair. Not to mention that she was dealing with a woman in the harem.

“Okay. What do you need me to do, sis?”

“Send someone to find the real princess and hide her.”

“Okay.”

“Sister Li, do you know the damage of scandals and so-called prophecies?”

“What do you mean by that, sis?”

“Once you find the princess, send your men to spread a prophecy posed as ordinary people.”

“What prophecy is that?”

“Mud water pollutes the empire. A monster comes, and the world will be changed.” (Mud water referred to the dirty stuff. Since Shui Yinzhu’s family name meant water, this prophecy indicated that Shui Yinzhu was coming to bring chaos to the world. The change of the world, as a result, meant that the Empire of Yun would come to an end.)

“What? Sis, why would you call yourself a monster?”

“Sister Li, that’s how I can make normal people hate Yun Su.”

“Why don’t you just put Yun Su’s name in it?”

“We are not in a rush, sis. I still need you to spread the rumors all over the empire that Yun Su is not the rightful heir to the throne. Mud water refers to me, but the monster indicates Yun Su.”

“I see, sis.”

“Remember, Sister Li, never spread it in Huaiyang City. Start from some unknown, remote villages. I believe you know how to arrange it properly without anyone noticing it.”

“Okay. How are we going to keep in touch in the future, sis?”

“Sister Li, I need some time to make sure no one talks any nonsense around me.”

“Okay.”

“Sister Li.”

“Yes?”

“Find me a simple-minded girl and send her to me when the time comes.”

“No problem.”

“I need her to be really innocent.”

“Okay, I see.”

“Besides, Sister Li, I will probably get even crueler in the future. Please don’t blame me. I need to get more power to fight against Yun Su.”

“Don’t worry. I understand what you are doing. I have lived in this hell long enough to know weakness means death here. I know what you are doing. Just do what you want, and don’t mind me.”

Madam Li understood that Shui Yinzhu was sacrificing everything for the revenge. She knew a little history of this girl, even though rumors had a split opinion on her. Madam Li doubted she would have the same strong mind as Shui Yinzhu’s if she was in her situation.