The first thing Shen Pin saw when he woke up was the moon hanging in the sky. The air was cold.

  There was a strong smell of blood in the air.

  His gaze slowly focused on the person hugging him.

  Ming Shu had her arms wrapped around him and was staring into the emptiness.

  “Lady?”


  What happened before this…… he had no recollection.

  His chest hurt.

  Ming Shu looked down gradually. “You are awake.”


  Their eyes met. Shen Pin felt that something was amiss. The cold wind blew past him. The smell of blood got stronger.

  He looked in the other direction. They were sitting on top of a staircase. Below the stairs, blood and corpses lay everywhere.

  It felt as though they were the only humans left in the world.

  Shen Pin looked at Ming Shu in shock.

  Ming Shu kissed him on his forehead lightly.

  “I did this. Are you afraid?”


  Her voice was soft. She seemed afraid that she would frighten him.

  There was a mysterious aura surrounding her. He couldn’t grasp it. He felt that it would disappear at any moment.

  Shen Pin’s heart lifted. He couldn’t tell what this feeling was but it made him anxious.

  He grabbed Ming Shu’s hand and chased after her as she was about to leave. He kissed her.

  Their lips touched.

  A few seconds later, their tongues started intertwining. The feeling on the tips of their tongues soothed his anxious heart.

  Shen Pin couldn’t breathe properly. His chest was hurting.

  Ming Shu noticed his change and released him.

  Shen Pin panted heavily. He held Ming Shu’s hand and placed it on his chest where his heart was.

  “I’m not afraid of anything. I’m only afraid of losing you.”


  Ming Shu stared at him for a few seconds before smiling.

  Shen Pin finally realized that she didn’t smile just now. She talked to him with an unfamiliar tone and expression. She kissed him……

  Just as Shen Pin started to think too much, his breath got taken away again. It was not an intense kiss this time. It was a soft one.

  He could feel her fatigue……

  The people from the Daliang State were killed. No one survived, not even the crown prince.

  Some civilians were killed by the Daliang people, but most of them were alive. All of them were still immersed in the happenings yesterday night.

  However, they couldn’t deny that Ming Shu saved Fengqi.

  Daliang took so much effort to infiltrate the imperial capital.

  They killed General Song and framed the prime minister. As everyone was focused on the prime minister, they took the chance to take over the city.

  The people from Daliang State had black hearts.

  If they really succeeded, the civilians of Fengqi might become slaves.

  Hence, after this, Ming Shu—


  Became the one and only traitor careerist.

  Duanmu Shu got better. The venomous insect inside his body died after the crown prince was killed.

  Although Duanmu Shu knew how to cook, Ming Shu still sent him out of the prime minister mansion.

  Shen Yan was locked up by the crown prince so she only appeared in a haggard state a few days after the massacre ended.

  The situation in the palace was not good. Shen Yu couldn’t believe that the person who helped her keep her throne was the person she hated the most.

  There were many empty positions in the imperial court. Ming Shu was interested in these positions. Shen Yu couldn’t do anything to her.

  Most of the ministers were on Ming Shu’s side.

  At first, Shen Yu still tried to struggle. However, she always ended up losing to Ming Shu. Not only that, Ming Shu would always anger her too.

  As the empress, Shen Yu got more and more depressed. She wanted to get rid of Ming Shu but she couldn’t even touch a single hair on her head.

  “Her Majesty has not come to the court meetings for three days……”


  “Yes. Sigh. What can we do?”


  During the morning session, Shen Yu didn’t come. The ministers started discussing among themselves.

  Ming Shu ate her pastries calmly. No one dared to talk to her. Even her supporters were afraid of her now.

  “Prime Minister.”


  Elder Zhang suddenly spoke to Ming Shu voluntarily.

  Ming Shu sized her up. “Elder Zhang?”


  Elder Zhang said, “Prime Minister, how far do you think Fengqi can go based on its current state?”


  “What do you mean?”


  Elder Zhang looked up at the dragon chair. “Nothing, I just felt that when the late empress was still alive, life was smooth.”


  Elder Zhang didn’t say anything else after this. She got up and left the Qiankun Palace.

  Ming Shu hugged her pastries and left too. The other ministers followed behind them and left the Qiankun Palace……

  Shen Yu had been staying at the imperial concubine’s palace these past few days.

  Not only that, she even wanted to get more concubines.

  Shen Yu was still the empress so the ministers still had to send men into the palace even if they were unhappy with her actions.

  “Your Majesty, have some wine.”


  “Your Majesty……”


  Elder Feng trembled in anger when she heard the voices inside.

  She couldn’t care about her etiquette anymore. She pushed the door open and rushed in.

  “Elder Feng……” Shen Yu raised her head. She was lying on the chest of a man. Her clothes were a mess.

  “Your Majesty!” Elder Feng kneeled down. “You have to pull yourself together.”


  “Pull myself together?” Shen Yu felt as if she was listening to a joke. She laughed uncontrollably. “The entire imperial court belongs to Jing Se now. What is the use of pulling myself together?”


  “Your Majesty! You are the empress.”


  “An empress who can’t even win against her minister?” Shen Yu laughed. “What kind of empress is that?

  “What kind of empress is that!”


  She flicked the table in front of her. The men that were serving her got a shock and kneeled on the ground.

  “You all…… you, you…… you…… are you all here to laugh at me?” Shen Yu pointed at Elder Feng. “You too!”


  Elder Feng lowered her head. “Your Majesty, I don’t dare.”


  Elder Feng tried to persuade Shen Yu: “Your Majesty, if you don’t pull yourself together now, everything will be gone.”


  “I thought that I could change everything. I thought that I could prove to my mother that her decision was wrong……”


  Shen Yu started talking to herself.

  “Why does Jing Se have to go against me? She supported Shen Yan so well last time, why can’t she support me too?!

  “Duanmu Shu doesn’t like me, either. No one chose me. Why does Shen Yan have everything……”


  Elder Feng frowned. She felt something was amiss.

  Shen Yu paused after talking for a while. She was irritated. “Get out. I don’t want to see you.”


  Elder Feng was agitated. “Your Majesty, you can’t continue like this.”


  “Do I need you to teach me what to do?” Shen Yu pointed outside. “Get out!”


  “Your Majesty, I’m doing this for you.”


  Shen Yu shouted in anger, “Get out of this place!”


  “If you don’t agree to pull yourself together, I will continue kneeling.”


  “Good. Even you are going against me now. No one is on my side!” Shen Yu stood up suddenly and screamed, “Guards! Lock her up!”


  Elder Feng widened her eyes. “Your Majesty!”


  The imperial guards hesitated. Shen Yu glared at them. The imperial guards understood that if they didn’t listen to the empress, she would most likely kill them. They quickly dragged Elder Feng away.