Chapter 39: The Crippled Young Lady (Thirty-Nine)

Chapter 39: The Disabled Lady (Thirty-Nine)

The Great Yuan Dynasty fell on the nineteenth day of the sixth month of its eleventh year. The Regent, Jun Mo, ascended the throne, renamed the country Xia, and took the title Emperor Shunyu. He elevated his consort to Empress.

Throughout his life, Emperor Shunyu had only one woman in his inner palace—the Empress. The two lived in mutual devotion, a couple deeply in love. Though they remained childless, he showered the Empress with endless affection. According to folklore, they never once had a cross word from the day they married, a harmony that truly envied all who witnessed it.

Emperor Shunyu’s profound respect for the Empress significantly elevated the status of women throughout the Xia Dynasty, from the highest officials to the common people. The position of a primary wife grew increasingly secure; even an official taking a concubine could jeopardize his career. As a result, many couples became models of marital bliss.

Consequently, the women of the imperial court held Su Kui in the highest esteem. To use a modern term, they were her "die-hard fans." This was no exaggeration.

Once, after a night of intimacy, Su Kui lay against Jun Mo’s chest, breathless, and laughingly asked why he had chosen "Xia" as the name for the dynasty.

Jun Mo smiled without speaking, his large hand caressing her smooth back with tenderness. Only after a long silence did he softly reply, "When we first met, it was summer, and the sunflowers were in full bloom."

*

In the third year of the Xia Dynasty, during the Lantern Festival.

Brilliant fireworks exploded in the night sky, blooming into dazzling streams of light. The play of light and shadow cast mottled patterns upon the ground, some filtering through the decrepit windows of a dilapidated courtyard.

Inside sat a woman, gaunt and withered, her hair scorched yellow. She looked like a woman of thirty-five.

The thunderous explosions outside jolted her. A flicker of clarity returned to her dull, vacant eyes. She rose slowly and walked to the window, gazing out through the desolate and mournful courtyard, though her eyes seemed to focus on nothing.

"Xianghe, what day is it tonight? It is so lively..." The woman’s voice was hollow, devoid of any fluctuation.

The maid addressed as Xianghe shivered violently. She hesitated, stammering as she looked at her. "My Lady..." No, that was wrong; the woman was no longer a Lady. Xianghe quickly corrected herself. "Master, it is the Mid-Autumn Festival today..."

"Mid-Autumn? Mid-Autumn..." The woman repeated the words. The pale moonlight shining on her face made her look as terrifying as a ghost.

"Then what of Father? Has Father come?!" Something clicked, and she suddenly became agitated.

Xianghe could not help but retreat a few steps, bracing herself as she spoke. "Master, the former Prime Minister has already resigned from his post. However, the younger Prime Minister Feng should have come..."

"Hehehehe..." Before she could finish, the woman began to laugh. Her shrill, piercing voice echoed through the palace like the wailing of a hundred ghosts, her pupils gradually clouding with madness.

She vaguely felt that things should not have been this way, but what exactly was wrong?

"It’s wrong, it’s wrong... it shouldn’t be like this..." A vision flashed through her mind: she, wearing the bright yellow phoenix robe, adorned with a phoenix crown, holding the phoenix seal, looking down from above.

She felt like a passerby, watching that strange yet familiar woman dressed in the phoenix robe—cold, proud, and dignified—manipulating everyone who had offended her with ease.

And her—she should have been the one beside the flickering lamps and ancient Buddhas, passing her remaining days in penance!

"Yes, I remember now! That’s right! Things were supposed to be like that!" The woman clapped her hands and laughed, her face twisting into a hideous mask. "I am the Empress! I am the Empress! You all deserve to die! You deserve to die! Hahahahahahaha..."

Feng Qingqing had gone mad. When Lüyao came to report this, Su Kui merely lifted her eyes slightly before continuing to instruct the young maid to paint her fingernails with balsam.

The bright red juice made her fingers appear even more delicate and white, like jade...

*

In the thirty-ninth year of the Xia Dynasty, the Emperor passed away, and the entire nation went into mourning.

Because there were no imperial heirs, following the final decree of Emperor Shunyu, a member of the royal clan was selected to ascend the throne after his passing.

That same day, the Empress, overcome with grief, followed Emperor Shunyu in death. The two were placed in the same coffin and buried in secret in the mausoleum that Emperor Shunyu had chosen for himself during his lifetime.

The first story ends here. Some readers might feel that the "white lotus" wasn't punished enough, but I believe that to torment someone, it isn't always necessary to inflict physical harm. To take away what they desire most is far more satisfying, isn't it?

This is my first time writing a quick-transmigration novel, and perhaps I haven't handled everything perfectly. I am truly grateful for your encouragement, which helped me see it through to the end. Love you all!