Consort of a Thousand Faces

CHAPTER 584: DAGGER

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The Grand Empress Dowager smiled.
“Of course.
This Dowager has been on multiple battlefields and beheaded countless enemies.
The Western Region is different from the Central Plains, and women can hold military power here.
When the King had no sisters, I was the one who led the armies as the Queen, and I can also say that Xian Yue won’t be pardoned for his crimes!”

 

She then looked at Su Xi-er.
“As the Western Region Imperial Princess, you have to be able to defend yourself, ride a horse, and handle a bow and arrow.
This Dowager will teach you when I recover..”

 

Su Xi-er already knew how to do all of that, but she simply nodded and said, “I’ll have to trouble Royal Grandmother for that then.”

 

The Grand Empress Dowager nodded and turned to Pei Qianhao.
“Rulan will stay here with me for a few days, so I’ll leave matters to you and Ling-er.”

 

“Of course.” Pei Qianhao answered before turning to Su Xi-er for one last look as he left.

 

Su Xi-er followed him out.
“A-Jing, Xian Yue’s military tally has already been taken away.
The rest of the soldiers won’t be of use.”

 

“The left faction leader is good at uniting his men.
Even though he no longer has the military tally, almost half of his men are still loyal to him.
These men have to be executed.” Pei Qianhao then patted her on the shoulder.
“Stay here with the Grand Empress Dowager.”

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The guards outside the palace bowed as they saw Pei Qianhao exit.
“Prince Hao, the King is already at the Discussion Palace; we have been instructed to lead you there.”

 

Pei Qianhao nodded and followed.

 

Meanwhile, Su Xi-er helped the Grand Empress Dowager wash up and watched the latter fall asleep before retiring for the night.

 

The next morning, Su Xi-er brought breakfast for the Grand Empress Dowager, along with a bowl of medicine.
Once night fell, a woman in a yellow address appeared in the repose palace.

 

This immediately upset the Grand Empress Dowager.
“I can’t believe you dare to show yourself here! Rulan, let’s go.”

 

Su Xi-er nodded as she supported her grandmother, but the woman in yellow quickly knelt.
“Grand Empress Dowager, my father made a mistake all because of his muddle-headedness.
Please spare him, I beg of you.”

 

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Grand Empress Dowager looked at her.
“How muddle-headed must he have been to make such a mistake? Attacking the court with his soldiers?! The King and Prince Hao are not easy opponents.
Because of what your father did, tens of thousands of soldiers will be buried with the Xian family.”

 

Su Xi-er was reminded that Pei Qianhao had mentioned that all the soldiers that stood with Xian Yue would be executed.
With the soldiers numbering in the tens of thousands, killing them all would mean a terrible amount of bloodshed.

 

“Grand Empress Dowager, I beg of you, though my father has sinned greatly, he’s also made great contributions to the court in the past.
Please pardon him.” Seeing the Grand Empress Dowager’s unmoving visage, Consort Xian turned to Su Xi-er.
“Imperial Princess, I beg of you.”

 

The Grand Empress Dowager nudged Su Xi-er, a signal for her to remain silent.
She then walked up to Consort Xian.
“So you know this is the Imperial Princess.
Based on your behaviour, it’s obvious that Xian Yue has already been defeated.
Everyone in the Xian family, especially your father, will have to be executed.
However, on account of your loyalty to the King, I’ll allow you to live.”

 

Consort Xian was in tears.
“Beimin’s Prince Hao has captured Father.
I never had a mother, and I’m not close with any of my siblings either.
Father is the only family I have.
If I lose him, I…” She turned to Su Xi-er again.
“Your Highness, please put in a good word for Father.”

 

Su Xi-er watched quietly as the Grand Empress Dowager instructed the guards to send Consort Xian back to her repose palace.
However, before the guards could lay a hand on her, Consort Xian rushed towards Su Xi-er with a hidden dagger.

 

Quickly recovering from her shock, the Grand Empress Dowager desperately tried to dash over, but it was futile.
Nonetheless, Su Xi-er wasn’t such an easy target.
Just as the dagger was about to reach her, she easily spun around and took the dagger from Consort Xian.
Seeing a coating of white powder on the tip, she smirked.
“Consort Xian, there’s poison on the tip.
Your acting skills aren’t bad either.”

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Having learned of her father’s death, Consort Xian had pretended to seek forgiveness so that we would let down our guard, and she’d have a chance to kill us.

 

Having been found out, there was no longer a trace of weakness in Consort Xian’s eyes.
It was clear that she had planned to kill both the Grand Empress Dowager and Su Xi-er as she spat out her words in a venomous tone.
“Prince Hao shot my father and beheaded him on the spot! His head is now hung at the city gates! Under the King’s orders, they’re slowly executing all of my father’s men.
That’s a lot of blood on the Du Royal Family!”

 

The Grand Empress Dowager walked up and kicked Consort Xian in the stomach.
“Audacious! You’ll be executed as well!”

 

Consort Xian scoffed.
“As expected of the Iron-willed Queen.
I’m pregnant with the King’s child.
I thought I could give him a surprise, but I didn’t expect for the Xian family to be executed.
It would’ve been fine if I died, but it’s a pity that I wasn’t able to kill this granddaughter of yours!”

 

Su Xi-er had never met Consort Xian, but the latter had attempted to murder her with a poisonous dagger right away.

 

“Imperial Grandmother, the Xian family has to pay for their crimes, but since Consort Xian is with child, we can deal with her after she gives birth.”

 

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The Grand Empress Dowager scoffed at this.
“Children with royal blood have to be kind.
I’m not going to acknowledge a child born from a vile woman like that.
There is an ample amount of women willing to bear a child for the King even if I kill her.”

 

Her words displayed how cruel the royal family could be.
She had no qualms about removing anyone, even if they were carrying a royal descendant.

 

Consort Xian laughed at this.
“Grand Empress Dowager, you’re really cruel.
A vile woman like me can’t bear the King’s child?” She then stood up and looked at Su Xi-er.
“I think that the Imperial Princess is a thousand times more vicious than I am; she deserves to die!”

 

At this moment, the Western Region King and Prince Hao rushed in with a bunch of soldiers behind them.

 

Consort Xian smirked when she saw Du Ling.
“Ling-gege.”

 

He looked at her coldly.
“Somebody, take her away.”

 

Consort Xian backed away as the soldiers surrounded her.
“King, it’s unfortunate that I won’t be able to give birth even though I’m with child.” She then looked at Pei Qianhao and said, “You killed my father.
I won’t forgive you, even as a vengeful ghost! I won’t forgive your wife either!”

 

She then turned and ran her head into a wall.