In the backyard of Funeral Palace—

Five connecting rooms on the east side were filled with dozens of simple quad tables and backless benches.

The eunuchs brought all the concubines here and forced them to sit down in wooden chairs.

In front of each person were a set of green porcelain bowls, spoons, and glazed wooden chopsticks.

On the table were chicken, duck, fish, and meat, which was a feast of fat things. However, most of the food was so cold that people had no appetite at all.

At an important juncture of life and death, who could be carefree to enjoy the cold send-off meal?

Gu Yunyao clung to the edge of the table with her fingers with tears on her long eyelashes.

With incessant crying in her ears, her brain was also like a mess of cotton.

In her life, she didn't know what death was like but she would experience it soon.

She recalled that at the age of seventeen she was forced into the Palace and suffered several hardships to gain the favor of the emperor.

Thinking that she would be a cold dead body soon, Gu Yunyao couldn't help but frown. With her lips quivering constantly, she covered her face and cried sadly.

Was this the cruelty of the emperor's family? Once women entered the Palace, what they had all belonged to the royal family, even life and death.

She was not afraid of death. Since the first night she slept with the emperor, she had determined that she was dead and had become a heartbroken body.

When someone died, his soul would be freed, which was a delightful event.

However, if she really died, she would never see the most beloved man, younger sister, and the Seventh Prince grow up.

In the future, under the shadow of the lone lamp, how would Zhao An spend a lonelier and colder night? Where would Song Qin be sent to and would she meet nice people...

At this time, did Yunxi and Leng Qingtang receive the warning letter that the guards of the Eastern Depot tried to send out?

Once Prince Chen ascended to the throne, he would first eliminate his dissidents and not let go of any forces that could threaten him.

She hoped the two people would never return to the capital, and never get caught up in this dirty evil deep Palace...

The woman sobbed at the table, surrounded by despair and a sense of powerlessness. Suffocating grief buried in her chest flowed to her limbs and bones, grinding her heart.

Gu Yunyao knew that she still had unfinished business in this world, and people she wanted to accompany. For them, she suddenly did not want to die but was desperate to live.

With a creaking, an old nanny who looked ugly and ferocious stepped into the room, followed by a few eunuchs.

The crying in the room suddenly stopped. These women were frightened, whose faces were soaked by tears, and dazed to look at these fierce-looking people standing against the light.

The old nanny swept across the table with her cold eyes. Her lips set in a pout, she raised her eyes and said casually,

It's time for Your Grace to hit the road."

The temperature around sharply turned down as if the door of hell suddenly opened. A cold and rotting breath came from all directions and shuttled back and forth among the helpless women, bringing them a strong sense of terror.

Immediately, crying and shouting broke out in the eastern room. It was melancholy and shrill, like the waves in a rolling ocean. The horrible sound made people's flesh creep.

The old nanny turned impatient. She waved her hand and turned away from the room.

Eunuchs swarmed up fiercely and forgot palace rules. They grabbed these women's clothes and brought them out of the room cruelly as if carrying chicks.

"Let me go. I don't want to die. I'm still young—"

A tearing cry was followed by a sharp scream. A well-dressed woman with disheveled hair pushed aside the crowd that suddenly calmed down and rushed outside the room when hitching up her dress.

With one foot just stepping out, a cold and vicious slap hit her face, and her eyes flamed with fury.

Before entering the Palace, they were pampering. After that, they lived high on the hogs. How could these concubines be harshly treated? How had they ever thought that they would also be hit in the face by servants?

The woman suddenly calmed down. With one foot in the door and the other outside, she opened her watery eyes open and her light body slanted aside. She leaned against the door and took a deep breath.

In the position that Gu Yunyao was held, she raised her eyes and could see half of the woman's face. That woman was Jieyu Sun of Hanxiang Residence, who was Sun Shengsheng, the daughter of Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, Sun Min.

Feeling shocked, Gu Yunyao was very dizzy, and unconscious.

When crushing the rebellion in Southern Jiang this time, the Min family and the Sun family had made great efforts for the imperial court. Sure enough, the new emperor was kicking down the ladder after realizing his goals...

At the next moment, Gu Yunyao was called back to her mind by the repeated cries and curses.

Jieyu Sun was pressed on the ground on her back. Two eunuchs were curbing her waists fiercely while another was forcing her to open her mouth and pouring wine into her mouth.

Seeing this, Gu Yunyao was so angry that she trembled and couldn't breathe.

She knew it was poisonous wine.

Sun Shengsheng, a woman, suffered from this torture and was unable to fight back. Forced to swallow, she kicked her legs on the threshold at the same time.

After a few minutes, blood oozed from her eyes, nose, and mouth. She lay on the cold green brick floor and died.

The two eunuchs stood up and wiped their hands with white handkerchiefs frequently.

The nanny gave a cold smile and with her hands on her hips by flaunting her powerful connections,

"You see, you will die anyway. Why choosing to die without grace? Since you don't want to have the meal, please move the Main Hall and hang yourselves."

"All of you, please rest assured. Serving the deceased emperor in the underground is also a merit. After death, you will be conferred posthumous titles. For your family, it is also a supreme glory..."

Gu Yunyao heard this and her heart beat faster. She turned to look at the table with rich meals blankly.

At a young age, she learned in the Garden that the royal family was buried with living humans, among which the cruelest way was injecting mercury.

Before the operation, the martyrs usually fell asleep with knockout drops. Then their skulls would be opened with mercury poured into them and be stitched.

It was said that doing so could keep the face of the martyrs imperishable for a long time.

Feeling her feet weak, Gu Yunyao sat on the ground and suddenly realized that the wine and dishes contained knockout drops.

Gu Yunyao was too scared and weak to stand up by herself. Supported by eunuchs on each side, she followed the team in white out of the eastern room into the Main Hall.

The white silks were flying in mid-air, like a dead ghost’s hand reaching out to the women mercilessly.

Several women completely despaired and no longer cried. They stepped onto the spring stool, grasped white silk, and put their heads in.

A spring stool fell, and the bodies hanging in the air fluttered not for a while and no longer moved.

The women on the ground grieved again. Some covered their faces and cried while others stamped their feet in deep sorrow. They wailed, "My elder sister. My younger sister."

Strangely, because of the favor and jewelry, they were usually jealous of each other. When they met, they were like fighting cocks. However, at this moment, they seemed to have forgotten all the past grievances and got together hand in hand.

The old nanny had no humanity and said with a sullen face,

"Come on."

The eunuchs rushed forward to separate the weeping women. Each held one woman up the stool and hanging her on the white silk.

With sudden blurring vision, Gu Yunyao was carried on the shoulder of a short fat eunuch.

Her hands and feet were cold and dry and her mouth opened. She couldn't speak out because of the excessive panic.

"Prince Chen comes—"

Outside the hall, the sharp voice of a eunuch pierced the air.

It fell silent in the Main Hall. All the people knelt down and bowed their heads to meet the future new emperor.

Song Qin followed Prince Chen into the hall and looked for Gu Yunyao anxiously in the crowd. Suddenly staring, she ran to Gu Yunyao and burst into tears,

"Master, master, are you okay... That's my fault. I'm late and you've suffered a lot. Whoo-hoo..."

"Song Qin..."

Gu Yunyao raised her head. Seeing who the person was, she held and wept disconsolately with Song Qing.

Prince Chen looked at the old nanny seriously and commanded,

"Ask someone to send Concubine Yu to Jingyang Palace."

The old nanny was in a state of panic. Sacredly looking at Prince Chen and quickly bowing her head, she muttered,

"Your, Your Highness, the senior told me to... especially..."

"Silly—"

Prince Chen scolded and swung his arms, just hitting the back of the nanny.

She fell to the ground and blood spewed out of her mouth.

"Your Highness, forgive me. Your Highness, forgive me..."

The old nanny breathed only weakly. Rolling her eyes, she begged and fainted.

Prince Chen ignored her, walked quickly, and helped Gu Yunyao stand up,

"Your Grace, it's a mistake. You've suffered a lot..."

Gu Yunyao was over-frightened, and couldn't help stepping back to avoid Prince Chen's hands.

The man looked very embarrassed. He slowly straightened up and laughed with hands crossed,

"Oh, Concubine Yu raises my seventh brother, which is really hard work. This time, I've spared you for the deceased emperor's martyrdom ceremony. Maybe the servants were confused and made mistakes..."

Gu Yunyao's tears were undried on her dirty face and she turned to Prince Chen. When she thought of that night palace turned bloody, the deceased Emperor Jingxiao and Empress Qian, and Jieyu Sun fed by poisonous wine, her body was occupied by endless sadness and anger, and her wet blindfolded eyes immediately ignited a cluster of fire.

"I needn't die?"

With sorrow and indignation, she looked directly at Prince Chen and asked in a faint voice.

The handsome man looked a little stunned as if he was shocked by her tenacious and indomitable face. Then he calmed down and smiled determinedly,

"Yes, you don't have to be a martyr at the funeral... Madam Song Qin, quickly help your master back to the palace. When Shoukang Palace is rebuilt, you can move there to enjoy the rest of your life."

Song Qin was so excited that she began to cry. She wiped her face and trembled,

"Master, master, have you heard it? You don't have to die for the previous Emperor. Let me take you back..."

On the opposite, the tall Lord Rong scolded,

"How dare you! Express your gratitude quickly."

Song Qin didn't dare to take it as a snub and kowtowed several times. When she was about to help Gu Yunyao up, a shadow flashed into the hall to ask the crowd with an undisguised sultry temperament,

"Who is so bold as to refute my degree?"