diskusbooks Chapter 1 The Two Beauties of Kyoto
Chapter 1 The Two Beauties of Kyoto
With the violent clanging of the chains, one of the prison doors was opened, and several burly female jailers entered the cell.
A bucket of water was placed heavily on the ground, spilling onto the already dark and damp ground.
"Criminal Shen, quickly wash your face and tidy your appearance, a distinguished guest has arrived!" the female jailer said sternly to the slender woman sitting on the straw mat in the cell.
The midday sun in the prison was still weak. Shen Li sat upright in the light, her hair neatly styled, and although her face was dirty, her features and noble bearing were still evident.
The prison was far from the street, but there had been constant firecrackers going off all day. She was a little curious, "Excuse me, is there some great celebration happening outside today?"
"Even if it's a joyous occasion, what does it have to do with you, a convict? Her Majesty the Empress is about to arrive; don't you dare offend her eyes," the female jailer said sternly.
Shen Li stood up with a calm expression and said softly, "It's good to have water, thank you."
She was indifferent to the hustle and bustle outside, unconcerned by the jailer's belittling, and even unsure of who came to see her. She was courteous, but her heart was ashen.
"Ha, putting on airs in prison. Who are you trying to impress? Do you still think you're some noble lady from a wealthy family? The former top female scholar of the capital?" The jailer was very disdainful of this behavior.
“Even talented women have to be lucky. Our Empress and this convict are known as the two beauties of the capital. Look at them now, the Empress is the mother of the nation, while this one still has to watch our every move in prison.”
"In the end, a woman still has to marry well. Her Majesty married the Crown Prince, while this criminal married that treacherous minister, Gu Chang'an."
Shen Li, who had been calm all along, paused for a moment when she heard Gu Chang'an's name, and then her face showed sorrow.
The reflection in the bucket gradually revealed the scene from that day.
The new emperor used her life as leverage, so Gu Chang'an went to the palace alone, saying he was willing to die to put the new emperor at ease.
With a knife hanging from her neck, she shook her head at him: "No, I only married you to monitor and use you. You know I've never loved you."
He was so pure and gentle, and he smiled at her, saying, "Don't be afraid. Even if I die today, I can protect you for the rest of your life."
He drank the poisoned wine in front of the new emperor, and his body grew colder and colder in her arms.
"Gu Chang'an, are you an idiot?"
He smiled happily and said, "You finally care about me. Don't cry. I'm happy inside."
Everyone thought he couldn't do it, but he did leave Shen Li with the means to make a living. With her there, the court could collect an extra 50 million taels of tax revenue every year.
Killing her would cause the market to collapse and war to break out at sea again.
He was an orphan with no one to rely on, and it only took him eleven years to go from being the top scholar in the imperial examination to becoming a high-ranking official. Before he even turned thirty, he already wielded immense power in the court.
When it comes to manipulating power, no one can rival him.
Gu Chang'an lost to Shen Li in his entire life.
Shen Li, who was upright and self-disciplined throughout her life, never imagined that she would fall in love with Gu Chang'an, a ruthless and powerful minister.
Love to the point of self-destruction.
"The Empress is here."
The eunuch's sharp voice pulled her back to reality, and she slowly raised her head.
The Empress's procession unfolded in the corridor of the imperial prison, dozens of lanterns illuminating the entire row of cells, and the procession, surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, slowly emerged.
Lin Wan'er was dressed in a golden phoenix robe, exuding elegance and nobility, but there was still an unyielding coldness in the depths of her eyes.
In front of such a dazzling person, Shen Li's drab prison uniform looked as if it had been soaked in mud, completely lacking any semblance of dignity.
As two former beauties of Kyoto, they had competed for half their lives, but never before had there been such a clear winner and loser.
"You audacious woman, how dare you not kneel before the Empress! Kneel down now!"
Seeing that Shen Li was still standing there blankly, the two jailers immediately pressed down on her shoulders from the left and right, kicking her towards the back of her knees.
"Stop." A clear and authoritative voice rang out, coming directly from Lin Wan'er.
The two jailers were stunned. They had actually wanted to take advantage of the situation, since before Lin Wan'er, Shen Li had always been a candidate for the Crown Princess. The two had competed openly and secretly countless times, and their feud must have been quite deep.
"How dare you issue orders before me?" Lin Wan'er's voice remained relatively calm. "Drag him away and beat him to death."
The two jailers stared wide-eyed, and before they could even beg for mercy, they were gagged and dragged away.
"All of you, step back. I wish to speak with her alone."
Tables, chairs, and incense burners were added to the prison. The shadows of the wine pot and two cups on the table swayed slightly with the oil lamp.
"Why kill for me? I don't care."
"I do care." Lin Wan'er looked at her: "If we switched places today, would you bear to see me humiliated?"
Shen Li shook her head slightly.
They have been compared to each other and to others since childhood, so they can never be friends, but they are also rivals who respect each other.
"Everyone thinks we're at odds, that we'd fight to the death over a man. Does he even deserve it?" Lin Wan'er sneered.
Shen Li smiled sadly: "He is indeed unworthy. Your taste has always been better than mine."
When the new emperor Li Heng was the crown prince, he was her father's favorite student and her childhood sweetheart, a gentleman who aspired to be a wise and benevolent ruler. He promised her a lifelong commitment and the position of empress.
At that time, Shen Li believed it.
However, the other princes were too powerful, so in order to consolidate his power, he asked her for help based on personal feelings and the greater good.
So she married the powerful minister Gu Chang'an, and won him over to serve him, thus suppressing all potential rivals and successfully ascending the throne.
After Li Heng ascended the throne, he broke his promise and not only failed to fulfill his promise to give Gu Chang'an an important position, but also ordered her to poison Gu Chang'an.
Shen Li knelt in the palace for a long time, begging him to spare Gu Chang'an. She promised to take Gu Chang'an to live a secluded life in the countryside and never interfere in politics again.
Li Heng's fear of Gu Chang'an was ingrained in his bones. Seeing that Shen Li refused to poison him, he imprisoned her and forced Gu Chang'an to enter the palace to die.
How can such despicable behavior be considered gentlemanly?
She had actually seen through him long ago, but loyalty to the emperor and serving the country was the core principle of the Shen family. She carried the reputation of three generations forward step by step, and by the time she realized it, she had no other choice...
The only thing I can do is give my life to Gu Chang'an.
Lin Wan'er, a daughter of a military family, was full of pride and would never look down on such a person who spouted benevolence and morality but was actually a coward.
However, a woman's marriage is never her own choice, and the person she loves can never be spoken of in her lifetime.
The two looked at each other and smiled, their eyes filled with sorrow.
"Who would have thought that the two beauties of Kyoto would become a pair of fish eyes?" Lin Wan'er raised a glass of wine to toast her.
Shen Li frowned: "Don't move, it's poisonous."
"I didn't put the poison in the wine. I'll give it to you separately." Lin Wan'er smiled mischievously.
Shen Li chuckled and picked up her glass: "Thank you for coming to see me off on my final journey. If we could be reborn, would it be alright if we were friends?"
"Fine, let them argue. We'll just live our own carefree lives."
The two drank some wine, and the firecrackers outside continued to go off, sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes intermittent.
Shen Li poured the poison into her wine glass and asked casually as she drank, "These firecrackers have been going off from morning till night, but it doesn't seem like there's anything auspicious going on. Could it be that someone was executed at the execution ground and the people are trying to ward off the evil spirits?"
When Lin Wan'er was suddenly asked the question, her eyes flickered subconsciously, but she quickly suppressed it and nodded.
"Who is it?" Shen Lixin's heart sank suddenly.
“Ah Li…”
Shen Li's eyes immediately reddened. She stared at her, her voice tense: "Tell me, who is it?"
“The Shen family, the entire family.” Lin Wan’er turned her head to the side.
"How could that be? Li Heng swore a solemn oath to his ancestors and descendants that he would not harm my Shen family! Isn't he afraid of the ancestral temples being disturbed, or of his line being cut off?" Shen Li's emotions completely collapsed at this moment, almost to the point of collapse.
“He boasts that he is the chosen one of heaven, and that no god or ghost can do anything to him. Ah Li, how can you believe him…” Lin Wan’er sighed softly.
"What kind of chosen one is he? If it weren't for Gu Chang'an's protection, who could he possibly defeat?" Shen Li's resentment surged, her eyes bloodshot: "Bastard, that bastard, even as a ghost I will not let him go, never..."
"puff……"
She coughed up a mouthful of black blood, her body collapsing into the blood, her eyes gradually turning mocking: "In my entire life, I have been loyal to the emperor, served the country, followed etiquette, and upheld the righteous path, and this is how I end up?"
Images flashed before her eyes: her loving parents, her lively and obedient younger sister, and Gu Chang'an, who willingly allowed himself to be controlled by her for a lifetime.
An overwhelming sense of regret surged up, and intense grief and resentment almost overwhelmed her.
In the next life,
If there is an afterlife, she will never again participate in the struggle for imperial power, never again be swayed by so-called orthodoxy, and never again... be this useless good person...