The forbidden love between a ghost and a villain

Yun Zhiyi is worthy of being the head of the secret guards. He found out all the details about Shen Meng in just one day.

He returned to the Empress and reported:

"Your Majesty, Li Chengze and the young master of the Yan family are classmates and good friends.

The two of them once met a woman named Meng Niang in Jiya Pavilion.

This Meng Niang was a rare courtesan in Jiya Pavilion, and Li Chengze fell in love with her at first sight.

Later, when Mengniang was celebrating the birthday of the old lady of the Yan family, she was noticed by the old lady.

Sent to the palace for selection, and now she is the prince's concubine."

Having said this, Yun Zhiyi paused, observing the Empress's expression, and continued:

"I have also found out that this woman was involved in the assassination at the hunting grounds outside the city six months ago."

A sharp light flashed in the empress's eyes, and she thought to herself:

"What a great Yan family! How dare they plot against me!"

She clenched the teacup in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

Seeing this, Yun Zhiyi, who was standing by, didn't dare to make a sound and waited quietly for the empress's orders.

After a moment, the empress slowly spoke, with a hint of coldness in her tone:

"It's not the time to move the Yan family yet. The Yan family has a deep foundation, and any move could affect the entire family."

She paused, a hint of cruelty in her tone:

"But a mere concubine of the Crown Prince dares to covet my man. She simply doesn't know how to live or die!"

Three days later, the empress held a family banquet and invited the prince and his female relatives to attend.

The prince naturally did not dare to be negligent. He made careful preparations and went with the princess and two concubines.

Shen Meng wore a light pink palace dress, with her long black hair tied into a simple flowing cloud bun.

A few pearl hairpins adorned her hair, making her skin look even whiter than snow and more charming.

When we arrived at the Imperial Garden, the Queen and several concubines had been waiting for a long time.

Everyone greeted each other and the atmosphere seemed harmonious.

The prince and his family came forward to pay their respects. The empress glanced at Shen Meng indifferently, and a smile with ambiguous meaning appeared at the corner of her mouth.

The empress raised her hand slightly, motioning everyone to take a seat.

At the banquet, there was a wide variety of delicacies from land and sea, and the aroma of fine wines filled the air.

Shen Meng suppressed her uneasiness and gracefully picked up the jade chopsticks.

But the moment he touched the delicacy, he keenly sensed something strange.

Having lived on the edge of a knife for many years, she is extremely sensitive to poisons and drugs.

This is clearly a dangerous drug!

Could it be that the Empress has discovered her identity? It seems she won't be able to leave the palace today.

She looked around calmly, and saw that the empress was looking at her with an intriguing look, and she immediately understood.

In order not to alert the enemy, Shen Meng endured the discomfort.

He feigned ignorance and ate the drugged food and drinks.

Soon, the effect of the medicine began to take effect, and Shen Meng felt dizzy and weak all over.

She held her forehead and said to the prince weakly:

"Your Highness, I'm not very drunk. I want to go out for a walk and get some fresh air."

The prince was kind to women and naturally agreed.

Upon seeing this, the empress calmly winked at the maid beside her.

The maid understood and stepped forward to support Shen Meng as they walked towards the imperial garden.

In the imperial garden, Li Chengze was pacing back and forth anxiously.

He was waiting here on the orders of the Empress, but he didn't know why.

From a distance, he saw Shen Meng supported by a maid.

As he stumbled forward, a sense of foreboding suddenly arose in his heart.

"How is this going?"

When Shen Meng saw Li Chengze, a hint of determination flashed in her eyes.

She pushed the maid away and pulled out the hairpin on her head.

He pressed against Li Chengze's neck and shouted sternly behind him:

"Don't come over here! If you come over here again, I'll kill him!"

Hundreds of secret guards in black uniforms appeared silently around the imperial garden and surrounded Shen Meng and Li Chengze.

They strung their bows and arrows, their arrows flashing with a cold light.

With just the empress's order, the two men could be shot into hedgehogs.

The empress walked out slowly, looking down at Shen Meng with a look of condescension in her eyes full of ridicule and contempt:

"You think you can negotiate terms with me just by holding him hostage? You're overestimating yourself!"

Li Chengze looked at the scene in front of him, anxious, and said to Shen Meng:

"Meng'er, leave quickly! His Majesty won't hurt me!"

Shen Meng shook her head frantically. The effect of the medicine had made her unconscious and weak all over.

She bit her tongue hard, trying to keep herself awake.

"Chengze, look carefully! This is the woman you love!

To survive, she can use you as a shield without hesitation!" The empress sneered and approached step by step.

Shen Meng held Li Chengze hostage and retreated step by step. Suddenly, she felt a strong wind coming from behind.

Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain in her palm and the hairpin fell to the ground.

"Ah!" Shen Meng cried out in pain, and she pushed Li Chengze away with a palm.

Immediately afterwards, a hidden weapon broke through the air and shot straight towards the empress.

"Protect Your Majesty!"

Yun Zhiyi shouted loudly and flashed out from the bushes, the dagger in his hand still dripping with blood.

The empress was quick-witted and pulled the maid beside her to block in front of her.

With a "puff" sound, the hidden weapon pierced deeply into the maid's chest.

"Fire arrows!"

At the empress's command, hundreds of arrows were fired at Shen Meng, carrying the breath of death.

"do not want!"

Li Chengze screamed heartbreakingly, but was powerless to do anything.

Shen Meng fell powerlessly in a pool of blood. Before dying,

She looked at Li Chengze, her eyes filled with sadness and despair.

"Anyone who violates my divine majesty will be killed! Her body will be hung at the city gate for three days.

I want to see who else dares to assassinate me!" The empress said coldly, without a trace of pity in her eyes.

"Yes!"

Yun Zhiyi took the order and ordered his men to drag Shen Meng's body away.

Li Chengze stared blankly at Shen Meng's body being dragged away.

My legs went weak and I fell to my knees.

"Your Majesty, please let Meng'er go! She didn't do anything!"

"Li Chengze, your injury has healed, get out!"

The empress turned and left without even looking at him.

At the city gate, Li Chengze knelt at the foot of the gate, his eyes red and his tears had long dried.

He stared blankly at Shen Meng's body on the city wall, his heart filled with regret and grief.

Passersby were talking about it.

"Isn't this the new top scholar? Why is he kneeling here?"

"I heard that he didn't want to be the Empress's male favorite, so the Empress killed the woman he loved."

"Is there such a thing?"

"Her Majesty the Empress, considering that he had saved her, did not pursue the matter."

"What a poor man, what a pity..."

People who were unaware of the inside story spread the rumors more and more outrageous.

Day after day passed, and Li Chengze looked haggard at the gate of the city.

He stared blankly at the broken corpse on the city wall.

The crowd's discussions, ridicules, and regrets,

It was like a sharp knife piercing his eardrums, again and again, pushing him into the abyss.

The bodies were put down heavily, and the soldiers guarding the city gate carried the bodies to a mass grave and dumped them there at random.

The gatekeeper passed by Li Chengze on his way back.

Li Chengze, who had not eaten or drunk for three days and three nights, stumbled and walked with difficulty towards the mass grave.

When the soldiers saw this, they all shook their heads and expressed regret for the new number one scholar.

Li Chengze held Shen Meng's broken body tightly with trembling hands.

He gently stroked her cold cheek and murmured:

"Meng'er, I'm here to accompany you. We will never be separated again..."

After saying that, he resolutely took out a dagger and pointed it at his heart.

"stop!"