And then came the most magnificent coronation ceremony for the Empress in the history of the Empire of Yun. It was surely a unique ceremony since Yun Su, the emperor, demanded a more grandiose one than his enthronement to make Shui Yinzhu happy. Moreover, Shui Yinzhu, the evil empress in a red dress, delivered an utterly unexpected performance that day.

The long red carpet covered the path and stairs all the way from the gate to the front of the phoenix seat left to the throne in the audience hall of the imperial palace.

In the morning, the evil empress got up early and allowed palace maids to get her dressed. It was the first time that Shui Yinzhu willingly put on the phoenix robe representing the title of empress. She still wore her blood-red dress inside the golden phoenix robe. Her hair was tied in a complicated style, but she kept the hairpin with two pearls among all other hairpins down the phoenix crown. The formal outfit added a dignified aura to her peerless beauty.

With all the ministers and guards respectfully giving obeisance aside, Shui Yinzhu walked on the red carpet, took the marble stairs, and went into the audience hall of the imperial palace. In the middle of the hall sat Yun Su, the emperor. He was in his bright-yellow imperial robe, looking like a harmless gentleman as he had always been. He had been waiting for his beloved woman to take the phoenix seat to his left.

The beauty with the gorgeous robe should walk to the phoenix seat. But what she did surprised everyone.

Shui Yinzhu suddenly stopped before Yun Su. She took off the phoenix robe in front of all the ministers and generals, showing the red dress inside that she usually wore. She put the phoenix crown away from her head and only kept that simple hairpin with two pearls on her plain bun. The symbols of the empress were all tossed onto the phoenix seat randomly like garbage.

“Sister Xi, what are you doing?” Somehow, Yun Su panicked. He was not surprised that his Sister Xi would grab this chance to make a show, but he didn’t know what she wanted.

Then Shui Yinzhu, in her usual red dress, smiled and looked at Yun Su. Instead of sitting on the phoenix seat, she sat on Yun Su’s thigh. It was outrageous in everyone’s eyes since they were still in the audience hall of the imperial palace. All the people kneeling were shocked and angry. But Shui Yinzhu’s following rebellious announcement irritated them even more.

“Yun Su, I will sit on your thigh only here. Tell them to remove this phoenix seat.” After that, Shui Yinzhu threw her eyes at the kneeling ministers and generals, and her smile appeared only more charming as if she was a bloodthirsty and seductive succubus. She didn’t allow any of them to stand up and said, “I will participate in the morning session in this hall. Does anyone hold a different opinion?”

“Your Majesty, you can’t let Her Majesty do that!”

“Your Majesty, the harem should never interfere with the politics.”

“Your Majesty, Her Majesty is breaking the rule.”

“Your Majesty...”

The ministers and officials started to blame the empress. One after another, they expressed their sincerest concerns.

Yun Su didn’t respond to his subordinates. He was at the brink of an explosion but still managed to suppress it. He spoke to the empress sitting on his thigh with a voice so gentle that only the two of them could hear, “Sister Xi, you are pushing my limit.” He touched her waist, wishing he could pinch it hard to vent his anger, but he didn’t want to hurt her.

“Yun Su, I am pushing you. If you don’t allow me to join the morning session, you’ll have to kill either everyone else or me. It’s up to you.” Shui Yinzhu was still smiling. Only Yun Su could hear her words.

The ministers peeked up to the throne and saw the emperor and empress smiling towards each other as if they were flirting in public. This was unprecedented. It was unbelievable that the Empire of Yun was ruled by a stupid emperor and an evil empress.

“Sister Xi, what can I do to satisfy you?” Yun Su was extremely angry, but his smile looked warmer.

“You don’t have to do anything, Yun Su. Just sit here and watch me handle this.”

“Sister Xi...”

Shui Yinzhu, the evil empress, didn’t leave Yun Su any time to talk. She looked at the ministers and gave them permission to stand, “You can get up now.”

The ministers only listened to the emperor’s order, not to mention that they didn’t intend to recognize Shui Yinzhu’s status. But Shui Yinzhu knew this would happen. She took out the dagger in her sleeves, stabbed and killed two of the most prestigious ministers in front of the row.

What happened was totally unimaginable. The ministers had heard that the evil empress was unruly and caused chaos to the imperial harem. But who knew she would make such a show in the imperial court? The weak beauty wearing a charming smile looked even more gripping with a bloody dagger in her hand. She was a monster. All she could possibly bring would be terror.

“Sister Xi, have you had enough?” Yun Su could no longer constrain himself. Shui Yinzhu just murdered the Prime Minister and the Commandant at will, both of which were the most influential leaders of the ministers. She did it beyond redemption just so he would allow her to join the morning session.

“No, not yet.” The woman in red walked back to Yun Su and sat on his thigh again. Still wearing the coquettish smile, she didn’t look sorry at all. She turned back to the ministers and said, “Any other one who disagrees? Everyone stand up on your feet first.”

“All right, the orders of the empress can be considered as mine from now on.” Yun Su gnashed his teeth in anger. He knew that Shui Yinzhu was driving his ministers against him. But Yun Su was so much in love with her that he wouldn’t do anything with it. If he didn’t agree, Shui Yinzhu would only stir up more chaos until he couldn’t protect her.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The emperor’s order and the death of the leading ministers separated the officials into two groups. Half didn’t stand up so as to silently show their defiance. The other half stood up to wait for a show since their lives mattered more than any other things.

Given that situation, Shui Yinzhu stood up and walked down the stairs. Everyone thought that Shui Yinzhu was about to kill people again. Even Yun Su called out, “Don’t, Sister Xi.”

But the mind of the evil empress was so hard to be foreseen. She walked towards the ministers and helped several kneeling ministers in front of the row stand up. With a smile, she asked their name.

“My name is not worth being mentioned in front of you, Your Majesty.” The leader of them was obviously being sarcastic.

Clever as Shui Yinzhu, she realized he was the Grand Censor when she saw that he was standing behind the Commandant. Then she said, “Master Grand Censor, from now on, you will be the Commandant. Whatever you want to say about me, leave it for the morning session tomorrow.”

She walked towards the second and third minister. The two of them were the reason why Shui Yinzhu didn’t kill people to further build up her authority. The second one was Wei Ruxuan, the man hurt by Shui Yinzhu when she was still using the name Wu Shuang. She never expected to meet him in this situation. Wei Ruxuan looked the same as he used to be years ago. Time didn’t leave any mark on his face, but he was much more shrewd, no longer an innocent young boy. The third man was Madam Li’s brother. Shui Yinzhu recognized him because she asked for his portrait from Madam Li before.

“We still need a Prime Minister. Maybe it should go to one of you two. What’s your title?” Shui Yinzhu pretended as she didn’t know. She had to make it look real.

“Your Majesty, I’m Wei Ruxuan, the Fengchang (an official in charge of the temple rituals).” Wei Ruxuan felt complicated. But more of his heart was filled with hate. He had to look normal as he never expected that the woman he hated the most would become the empress.

“Your Majesty, I’m Chi Mu, the Taipu.”

“Well, Wei Ruxuan, you’ll be the Prime Minister. Chi Mu, you’ll be promoted to Fengchang, the head of nine ministers.” Shui Yinzhu walked back to Yun Su, sat on his thigh, and continued, “The rest of the ministers, it’s time for you to stand up.”

What the evil empress did was astonishing. The leading ministers were promoted, so they had to stand up. Once the two leaders did, those kneeling in the back all followed their examples. There was no doubt that Shui Yinzhu would join the morning session from now on.

By doing so, Shui Yinzhu secretly made up for what she did to Wei Ruxuan before and honored her deal with Madam Li. Chi Mu knew this would happen since he had already exchanged information with Shui Yinzhu and stood by her side. He kneeled at the front under Shui Yinzhu’s order so that she could get him promoted.

“That should be the end of the coronation ceremony.”

Shui Yinzhu cast a glance at the eunuch serving beside the throne. The old man was clever enough to understand her intention. He announced immediately, “Report if you have anything to say and dismiss if you don’t.”

The only thing Yun Su could do was hold tightly to the woman’s waist. He whispered by Shui Yinzhu’s ear, “Are you satisfied now, Sister Xi?”

“Yes.”

Shui Yinzhu could tell his anger. But she had nothing to fear. What could he do to her? Give her a rampage on the bed so that she wouldn’t be able to get up the next morning? But she would let him pay the price for owning her body.

Shui Yinzhu, the evil empress, finally made it into the morning session. It marked another step towards the end of the Empire of Yun and the start of the darkest years in this empire’s history. Horror and chaos swept through this empire. Though the emperor Yun Su was brutal, he knew how to rule his territory. But ever since that moment, he had ignored the welfare of the empire just for a woman, allowing Shui Yinzhu to mess everything up.

At the same time, there was a prophecy spreading, saying, “Mud water pollutes the empire. A monster comes and the world will be changed.” People started to discuss that Yun Su, the emperor, was but a child of a palace maid and a guard instead of a son of the Yun family.

All of a sudden, both Yun Su and Shui Yinzhu were reviled by everyone. Questions and mistrust sickened the entire Huaiyang City. The children of the imperial family started to take operation just like Shui Yinzhu expected. She also knew Yun Su wouldn’t stay there and watch it happen.

Compared to the former king Yun, Yun Su was a man of resolution. Those so-called siblings had no blood relation to him. He would kill them or throw them in prison without any hesitation.

Blood covered the entire palace in the following month. Everyone shut their door just in case their family got incriminated. The moment Yun Su heard the rumor, he ordered his men to shut the gate of Huaiyang City.

The emperor left no chance for the children of the Yun family to think, run or rally an army. He didn’t even get them convicted before taking action. After they were all killed, he forged crimes on them. No one expected to see this.

After that month, the only members of the Yun family left in Huaiyang City were old King Yun, Yun Su’s fake father and once the real heir to the throne, and Yun Su, the fake son of the Yun Family but the real emperor. No matter how the rumor spread, there wouldn’t be any rightful heir to the throne of the Empire of Yun. The emperor could live without any threat.

However, there was a princess left of the Yun family that no one knew about. The girl that switched place with Yun Su was under Shui Yinzhu’s control. She was sent into the new brothel in Huaiyang City. No one would imagine that a real princess would be hiding in a brothel. Shui Yinzhu would never forget about this hidden pawn.

As Yun Su tried everything to kill the members of the Yun family, Shui Yinzhu also kept herself busy. She carried out her plan one step after another without any stop.

The colorful Imperial Garden was gilded gold and shone in the afterglow of the sunset. The furniture was placed neatly in this well-decorated garden, looking luxurious but not vulgar.