Said to be a cold palace, it's actually just a dilapidated brick-and-tile house.

Here, it's just me and the Imperial Consort Yigui.

Even the eunuch who usually delivers our meals has been taken care of by my sister, the Imperial Consort Shu.

Regarding everything seen in the cold palace, the eunuch chooses to remain silent.

So, I can do my best to torture the Imperial Consort Yigui.

According to my calculations, the Imperial Consort Yigui can still live for half a year.

During this half year, I will cherish it and make her taste all the suffering my mother endured.

That night, I arrived at the bed where the Imperial Consort Yigui was sleeping, smiling.

When she saw me, she was first stunned, and then adopted the same arrogant tone as before: "Jianbi, what are you doing here? Looking for trouble?"

She spoke, trembling, and reached out to slap me.

But she forgot.

Now, because of the cold sickness, she was weak all over, with no strength even compared to a seven-year-old child.

I smiled as I grasped her hand, then let go forcefully, and said the first words since entering the palace: "Imperial Consort Yigui, actually, I am not mute."

She was stunned.

Her face, covered in wrinkles of unknown origin, was full of shock.

I smiled as she looked at me, hoarse, and with eyes on the verge of tears: "Who are you, really?"

I laughed.

For so long in the palace, I had been pretending to be mute, and now I could finally vent all my hatred.

"Consort, think carefully - before I and Consort Shu, who was the one trying to seduce the Emperor?"

The Imperial Consort Yigui suddenly realized something.

She looked at me in horror: "You, you're... that woman's daughter..."

Before she could finish speaking, I gave her a resounding slap across the face.

"You're the shameless one!"

Slap!

The Imperial Consort Yigui's face swelled up.

Her eyes spat with rage, and she bellowed as if she wanted to swallow me whole: "You wretch! How dare you hit me!"

I coldly laughed and slapped the Imperial Consort Yigui's face again.

"You may not know this, but Consort Shu is my sister."

"So do you know why, even though you didn't use contraception in your gift, Consort Shu still miscarried?"

The Imperial Consort Yigui widened her eyes.

Struggling to breathe, she shouted in agony: "It's you! You and that wretched woman conspired against me!"

"Indeed." I laughed wantonly.

The cold palace was located in a remote part of the palace, and no one can hear anything here except for the two of us, the Imperial Consort Yigui and me:

"I secretly sent the contraception to my sister, with the goal of toppling you from the throne!

"Seven years ago, my mother had her legs severed by you and was locked in a pigpen. Today, I will make you taste the same suffering."

The Imperial Consort Yigui's eyes widened.

In those eyes, there was fear and panic.

Gently, I took out a silver needle from my pocket:

"Imperial Consort Yigui, in order to master the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix, you asked me to needle you.

"But, Consort, that needle, combined with the dance for the Phoenix Seeking Phoenix, will only worsen your cold sickness and spread it throughout your body. Now, your retribution has come."

I pricked the Imperial Consort Yigui's legs with the needles:

"First, your legs will slowly rot..."

My silver needle pierced the Imperial Consort Yigui's stomach:

"Next, your stomach will gradually turn into a pile of rotting flesh, and then completely decay..."

Finally, I jabbed the last needle into the Imperial Consort Yigui's head:

"Finally, you will become a plaything with only a head, no limbs, unable to speak or hear."

"But! You won't die, you'll still be conscious."

I lightly smiled as I stroked the trembling head of the Imperial Consort Yigui:

"By then, I will present you to His Majesty. I wonder, how will he react when he sees you like that?"

The Imperial Consort Yigui tried to struggle, suddenly got up, and tried to flee.

But the cold sickness made her breathless; she fell again and let me abuse her.

She struggled weakly, crying in pain, but it was futile.

I threw the Imperial Consort Yigui into the pigpen, and as I sat on a stool, watched her grow thinner in the smelly pigpen, her limbs gradually rotting until only her head remained.

I laughed.

I looked up at the sky and asked,

Mother, do you see this?