Chapter 570: Mutual Destruction

"How could this be, how could this be?"

Her face was a mask of disbelief. Emperor Chu had been locked up for two years, and apart from her and Nanny An, no one else even knew that underground chamber existed.

For safety's sake, she had even arranged for over a dozen shadow guards to be posted there.

But how could he have just vanished into thin air?

Suddenly, a low, cold laugh sounded from right beside her. "Hah!"

Empress Dowager Yuan turned her head and saw that the person laughing was none other than Hua Feixue.

She stared at her with mocking eyes, as if she were looking at garbage.

Empress Dowager Yuan shuddered, and suddenly put two and two together. She clenched her fists and said through gritted teeth, "Chu Yi, it was you, wasn't it? You're the one who freed Emperor Chu, aren't you?"

Hua Feixue raised an eyebrow. "So what if I did? So what if I didn't? Do you think you can still threaten me?"

Empress Dowager Yuan's throat tightened, and her eyes blazed with hatred. Despair washed over her, settling deep in her chest.

Large teardrops streamed down her face. She let out a hollow laugh and said through gritted teeth:

"So what if you rescued your father? I've already had his tendons cut and tortured him within an inch of his life. Do you think he'll last more than three days?"

"If you kill me, your father will go down with me. I won't be lonely on the road to the afterlife."

Just then, a clear, cold female voice rang out from beyond the door.

"Of course you won't be lonely, because the Grand Sorcerer will be joining you down there."

Empress Dowager Yuan thought the voice sounded familiar. She turned her head and saw that the person walking in was none other than Ji Yuntang.

And Ji Yuntang was dragging an unconscious man behind her—who else could it be but the Grand Sorcerer?

When Empress Dowager Yuan saw Ji Yuntang, she was shocked to the core. "Doctor Yun, it's you! What are you doing here?"

Earlier, she had sent Nanny An to fetch her to treat her headaches, but they had scoured the entire palace without finding her.

She had assumed Ji Yuntang had either fled the palace in all the chaos or was already dead. She never expected her to show up here.

Hua Feixue looked at Ji Yuntang and thanked her. "I owe you one for this."

Ji Yuntang smiled slightly. "It's nothing. Don't mention it."

Seeing how chummy the two were, it finally dawned on Empress Dowager Yuan that they had probably known each other for a long time.

And Ji Yuntang's getting close to her had likely been with ulterior motives. No wonder her demeanor didn't seem at all like that of a common female doctor.

Unfortunately, she had been too busy lately to think much about it, and had been kept in the dark by the two of them all along.

Usually, it was she who toyed with others—how dare they toy with her?

At this thought, a feeling of being deceived surged up from within Empress Dowager Yuan's heart.

She demanded furiously, "Doctor Yun, haven't I treated you well? Why did you betray me?"

Ji Yuntang dumped the Grand Sorcerer on the ground and gave him two vicious kicks. Even unconscious, the Grand Sorcerer curled up in pain.

Ji Yuntang smiled at Empress Dowager Yuan. "Because I promised the Crown Prince that I would help him take you out!"

Empress Dowager Yuan: "..."

Empress Dowager Yuan: "!!!"

Those words nearly made her spit blood.

Empress Dowager Yuan had seen many people, but never a woman as insolent as this one.

She felt that this must be Ji Yuntang's true nature—her previous obedience and thoughtfulness had all been a facade.

Ji Yuntang looked at the Grand Sorcerer lying on the ground like a limp rag and sneered.

"Good thing I had someone tailing him the whole time. He almost escaped through the tunnel."

After saying this, she looked at Empress Dowager Yuan. "Aren't you and your cousin supposed to be deeply in love? Why did he bolt without you?"

"It seems this love you two stole behind everyone's backs isn't all that great either!"

Empress Dowager Yuan: "..."

Empress Dowager Yuan: "!!!"

Nothing could be more devastating than those words.

But one thing Ji Yuntang said was true—Jiang Yanfan had fled without a second thought for her.

That underground passage had been revealed to him by Empress Dowager Yuan herself, as an escape route from the palace in case of emergency.

She had told Jiang Yanfan about it simply because she trusted him.

Empress Dowager Yuan had believed that no matter the time, place, or danger, he would never abandon her.

But reality had slapped her right in the face.

Empress Dowager Yuan felt her face stinging with humiliation.

At that moment, the Grand Sorcerer slowly came to on the floor. The moment he opened his eyes, he met Empress Dowager Yuan's bitter glare.

He was startled, and his first reaction wasn't to ask how she was, but to complain grumpily.

"I was this close to getting away! Why did you send people to haul me back?"

That underground passage was known only to him and Empress Dowager Yuan. Other than her, he couldn't think of anyone else who would send people to snatch him.

So naturally, he jumped to the wrong conclusion about Empress Dowager Yuan.

Empress Dowager Yuan steadied herself, but a crushing pain stabbed through her chest, and she actually spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Jiang Yanfan, are you truly so cruel to me?"

The Grand Sorcerer tried to untie the rope, but found it tied tight around his wrists, not budging an inch.

Taken aback by her words, he frowned and said, "I've helped you so much. I can't just throw my life away for you."

"I still have a wife and children at home, plus an eighty-year-old mother who needs me. So I can't die yet."

What he didn't say was that all the dirty work had been done by Empress Dowager Yuan. Chu Yi wanted Empress Dowager Yuan dead, and it was Empress Dowager Yuan he was out for revenge against. He had nothing to do with any of it.

He wasn't about to risk his own life for a woman who couldn't even keep her grip on imperial power.

But how could Empress Dowager Yuan not understand?

The national preceptor was just as dark as she was—she knew his ambitions better than anyone.

The moment she lost her influence, he'd turn into a completely different person.

When she saw Jiang Yutong and Jiang Shixu today, it was obvious from the national preceptor's expression that he liked them more.

In contrast, when it came to Yuanchao, he was all impatience, constantly chewing him out for never doing anything right.

Empress Dowager Yuan let out a bitter laugh. So this was the man she'd given her whole heart to?

He'd sworn he'd always be by her side, and this was how he treated her in the end?

Had she really lived such a failed life?

As her blood was almost completely drained, Empress Dowager Yuan's mind started to go hazy.

She knew she didn't have much time left.

Chu Yi really did intend to just watch her bleed out and die.

As her life ebbed away bit by bit, Empress Dowager Yuan turned to look at Yuanchao, her heart aching with reluctance to let go.

When she looked back at Jiang Yanfan, a cold ruthlessness suddenly rose in her.

If Jiang Yanfan wouldn't let her have peace, then he wouldn't have it either.

With the last of her strength, she pulled the hairpin from her head and lunged at Jiang Yanfan.

"Since you're so heartless, let's die together—at least on the road to the underworld, we'll have Chao'er for company."

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