Cold-faced Empress

She will personally deliver it to He Changyi—

May you descend to the eighteenth level of hell!

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The morning light was faint, and a thin ray of light pierced through the window paper, falling on the exquisite and beautiful girl's boudoir.

Peaceful and tranquil, I felt a deep sense of sleepiness.

Suddenly, a blood-stained curse echoed from inside the room.

"He, Chang... Yi, you will not die a good death... you will not die a good death!"

Hearing the sound, a round-faced, rosy-cheeked girl groggily opened her eyes. Upon hearing that it was her older sister sleeping beside her saying some terrifying things, she was instantly wide awake, all sleepiness gone.

She raised her hand and shook her sister's body: "Sister, wake up, please wake up! Sister!"

姐姐？！

Fu Siying's eyes widened in surprise, her chest heaving, her breathing rapid, her gaze fixed blankly on the bed curtains above her head, unfocused.

Sister? What sister?

She thought she heard Yunzhi's voice.

She hadn't heard that in so long. That sweet, endearing way of calling her "sister" brought tears to her eyes.

She longed, so longed to touch that girl's cheek, to...

Just as tears were welling up in her eyes and were about to spill over, a small, round face with slightly disheveled hair and wide, worried eyes came into view.

"Sister, did you have a nightmare? Was it really scary? You kept saying 'may you die a horrible death,' it frightened me."

The girl's youthful and adorable face instantly drew Fu Siying's attention. Staring at her younger sister, she froze, completely dumbfounded.

Is this a dream?

The lively and lovely Yunzhi was right in front of her, within reach.

"Sister, sister?" Fu Yunzhi waved her chubby little hands in front of Fu Siying's eyes, her mouth babbling rapidly like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, "Are you awake? Were you scared? Nightmares are so scary, aren't they? Oh, don't be scared anymore, it was all a dream, it's fake. Sister, come back to your senses!"

Fu Siying blankly reached out and touched Fu Yunzhi's face.

It's so tender and soft; if you pinch it, you'll hear a cry of pain: "Ouch! Sister, why did you pinch my face?"

Fu Siying's hand was held by her younger sister, and in an instant, tears streamed down her face.

Sobbing softly, "Yunzhi..."

"Hmm?" Fu Yunzhi hummed aggrievedly. Seeing that her sister had suddenly started crying for no reason, she was quite alarmed. "Sister, why are you crying? I haven't even started crying yet."

Before the little girl could finish complaining, Fu Siying reached out and hugged her tightly!

A sobbing voice cried out, "Yunzhi!"

Dream Fairy, don't let her wake up, she's willing to sink into oblivion!

Fu Siying hugged her younger sister tightly and burst into tears.

Just as Fu Yunzhi was at a loss, completely clueless about what kind of madness her sister was having, she heard the door being pushed open. Turning around, she saw her maid Qingyin enter and hurriedly called out, "Qingyin, quickly go find my mother! My sister is having a nightmare!"

The maid, Qingyin, hurriedly ran away.

A short while later, Madam Li, the wife of Fu, rushed over. Upon entering the room, she saw both her daughters on the bed, but the elder daughter was tightly hugging the younger one and crying desperately, making little Yunzhi's face turn red.

Li rushed forward and, with great effort, pulled Fu Siying's arm away: "What's wrong? Are you scared out of your wits?"

Before she could finish speaking, having just rescued Xiao Yunzhi, Li Shi fell into Fu Siying's embrace again.

Fu Siying stared at Li Shi through teary eyes, hugged her tightly, and cried so hard she could barely breathe: "Mother! Mother!"

"Mother is here! Mother is here!"

Li Shi had never seen her eldest daughter cry like this before. Her heart ached terribly, and she was sweating profusely. She slapped Fu Siying's face repeatedly, saying, "Come back to your senses, Yingying, don't scare your mother!"

Holding her mother tightly, Fu Siying shook her head vigorously: "She's come back to life! She really has!"

This isn't a dream, it can't be a dream. My mother and sister are so warm and real.

It was Yunzhi who summoned her lost soul home and rescued her from the terrible nightmare!

Fu Siying cried so hard that she was almost fainting from heartache and exhaustion. This frightened Li Shi, who hurriedly sent a servant to fetch a doctor.

Fu Rongchen, who had secretly skipped school today, heard about his elder sister's nightmare and couldn't help but appear to comfort her. Madam Li had no mind to scold her son, but when she turned her head, she saw Fu Siying staring intently at Fu Rongchen.

Li hurriedly pushed her son towards her eldest daughter: "Quick, go and let your eldest sister hug you!"

Fu Rongchen's tender face flushed red: "Hug...hug me...why are you hugging me!"

As Fu Siying looked at her younger brother approaching, her nose stung even more, and she reached out to touch Fu Rongchen's face.

The image of that bloodied head was still fresh in her mind, but when she touched the boy's smooth, clean, and warm face, Fu Siying looked up and choked back a sob.

She regretted not listening to her brother's advice, regretted letting him follow that beast He Changyi through thick and thin, and regretted letting him run around for her and lose his life!

Overwhelmed with grief, Fu Siying cried out in anguish, "Rong Chen, I'm so sorry—"

After saying that, she couldn't catch her breath, and Fu Siying's vision went black as she fainted with tears streaming down her face.

When Li saw her eldest daughter's arm hanging down like a noodle, she was so shocked that she almost fainted.

"Yingying!"

……

Fortunately, nothing happened.

The doctor prescribed some calming medicine, and also prescribed one for himself. Upon hearing that Prime Minister Fu's eldest daughter had suddenly fainted, the doctor was so frightened that he rushed over. After examining her, he discovered that the eldest daughter had been frightened by a nightmare.

"Get some rest and relax, everything will be alright."

To be so terrified by a nightmare, Miss Fu is truly remarkable.

After the doctor left, Li and her son and daughter stayed in the house without leaving their side.

Fu Siying slowly woke up and saw that the three people were still there. She was sure that she was not dreaming but reborn, and she couldn't help but shed tears again.

This time, however, the tears were tears of joy.

When Li saw that her eldest daughter was about to cry again, she quickly comforted her gently and asked Xiao Yunzhi to bring the medicine.

While feeding Fu Siying her medicine, he coaxed her, "It's okay, everyone at home is fine. You just had a dream."

Fu Siying swallowed the bitter medicine, tears streaming down her face as she nodded.

Just then, Prime Minister Fu's anxious voice came from outside: "Madam, what's wrong with Yingying?!"

When Prime Minister Fu, who was working in the palace, heard the news from his residence that something bad had happened to the eldest daughter, he could no longer concentrate on his official duties and hurriedly asked for leave to return home.

Seeing that it was her husband returning, Li turned to her son and said, "Go and stop your father, so that your elder sister doesn't see him and cry herself to death again."

Upon hearing this, Fu Rongchen got up to stop him.

Fu Siying reacted quickly, grabbing Rong Chen and calmly shaking her head at him.

"It's nothing, I want to see my father."

She spoke softly, and after finishing, she slowly lowered her eyes, concealing the myriad emotions within them.

Her mother thought she would cry when she saw her father, but little did she know, she wouldn't cry at all.

Not only will she not cry, but she will probably be unable to suppress her anger and resentment and do something unfilial!

Out of the corner of her eye, Fu Siying glanced at the figure moving behind the screen, and clenched her fist tightly under the covers.

She has no choice but to see him, even if she doesn't want to.

Judging from today's events, neither Xiao Lishi nor Wei Lanling have been seen yet, indicating that the two have not come to seek refuge with her family.

She needs to plan ahead and take precautions.

When Prime Minister Fu approached, Fu Siying looked up again, her eyes filled with tears, looking pitiful once more.

"father!"

Upon seeing his usually spoiled and domineering eldest daughter so vulnerable, Prime Minister Fu exclaimed, "Poor Jiaojiao!" and strode forward to sit on the edge of the bed, looking her up and down.

"What happened to you after only half a day?"

Fu Siying remained silent, only looking at Prime Minister Fu, tears streaming down her face without blinking. Madam Li explained to her husband, sighing sadly, "He must have had a nightmare about home."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Fu looked at Fu Siying with concern, wanting to ask but not daring to.

After her father had accumulated enough worry, Fu Siying asked, "What day is it today?"

"The third day of July."

Fu Siying thought to herself that her father and mother should not have received the letter from Xiao Li's family requesting to come and seek refuge yet.

She then said, "To tell you the truth, last night I dreamt that a demon broke into our house, causing unrest and leading to the destruction of our family. My mother, Yunzhi, Rongchen, and I all suffered at the hands of the demon!"

"A monster?!" Prime Minister Fu and Madam Li exchanged a startled glance, both filled with apprehension. "What monster?"

Fu Siying narrowed her eyes, feigning fear and unwillingness to recall, but actually concealing the hatred in her eyes: "They were two venomous snake spirits, one black and one white. The black one was older, quite cunning, and full of lies; the white one was younger, good at feigning innocence, and was truly the most ruthless."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Fu, Madam Li, Xiao Yunzhi, and Rong Chen all gasped in shock.

Two venomous snake spirits?

"A poisonous snake?" Little Yunzhi turned pale with fright and rushed into her mother's arms. "It's even a spirit!"

Fu Siying didn't want to startle her sister, but she had to continue. She looked at her father, her face full of pain: "Those two venomous snake demons tormented Father the most, mutilating him until he was neither human nor ghost, turning him into their puppet monster!"

This caused Prime Minister Fu, who was curious about what he had encountered in his daughter's dream, to change his expression drastically and tense up.

"A demon has entered our home, what... what should we do?"

Since the daughter was so terrified by this nightmare that she almost lost half her life, it's clear that this dream shouldn't be taken lightly.

Prime Minister Fu immediately discussed with Madam Li that after Fu Siying had rested well the next day, the whole family would go to the temple to offer incense and pray for blessings, and also find a master to interpret the dream.

Prime Minister Fu broke out in a cold sweat: "We still need to invite a monk to our home to perform a ritual to drive away the evil spirits."

Upon hearing this, Madam Li hesitated. After all, if word got out that she had invited a monk to her home to perform a ritual, it would surely cause gossip and rumors of trouble within the household.

Prime Minister Fu was adamant: "We must perform the ritual!"

After saying that, he sighed deeply.

Seeing her father's worried and anxious face, Fu Siying understood perfectly why he was so frightened.

Although he held the high position of prime minister, his power had been steadily diminished by the emperor over the past two years. A plethora of talented young men had emerged in the court, frequently defying his authority and daring to contradict him in court.

Father's fortunes were already beyond saving, so he was even more afraid of total collapse. This is why, when He Changyi appeared later, Father valued and supported him so much, and even when He Changyi showed signs of rebellion, Father still dared to grit his teeth and support him!

Otherwise, based solely on her liking, her father would have dared to risk most of his life and fortune to follow He Changyi in a rebellion and die.

Ah, what men value most is always their own ambition and desire. My father was wise, decisive, and had a keen eye, which earned him a lifetime of glory, but did he know who sacrificed for him?

“Yingying, rest well and don’t think about your dream anymore. The five of us will go to offer incense tomorrow, and everything will be alright at home. Yunzhi and Rongchen, come on, don’t disturb your elder sister’s peace.”

After comforting Fu Siying, Li wanted to leave with her two children, but Fu Siying shook her head and left Yunzhi behind.

Lying next to Xiao Yunzhi, holding her soft little sister tightly, and listening to the girl's incessant chatter, Fu Siying slowly closed her eyes.

She could still feel the searing, piercing pain in her face and hands. She would never forget that lesson.

Xiao Yunzhi suddenly asked timidly and curiously, "Sister, in your dream you also said that He Changyi would die a terrible death. Who is He Changyi?"

Fu Siying gently rubbed her cheek against her sister's head: "It's a jackal spirit, colluding with those two poisonous snake spirits to do evil."

Xiao Yunzhi shuddered in fright: "There's a jackal spirit too? Ah, sister, your nightmare was so scary."

"Yes, that was terrifying... Thankfully, I woke up from the dream."

She would never allow herself to fall back into the nightmare!

……

The wheels chugged towards Mount Qiongding. Tianfu Temple, situated atop Mount Qiongding, was the most popular temple outside the imperial city. People were undeterred by the high mountains and long journeys in their quest for divine intervention.

Fu Siying sat in the carriage with her father, mother, and sister. Every now and then, she would lift the curtain to look at Rong Chen, who was riding alone on horseback outside the carriage.

Seeing that his younger brother had already gone two lengths beyond the carriage, he immediately called out, "Slow down, don't ride too fast!"

Fu Rongchen was quite frustrated and could only loosen the reins to slow the horse down.

After paralleling the carriage, she couldn't help but complain, "Elder sister, I'm riding a horse, not a tortoise!"

Upon hearing this, Fu Siying's beautiful eyes immediately flashed with anger: "Even if you were to fly through the clouds, you should still treat it as riding a snail!"

Inside the car, Xiao Yunzhi was amused and laughed heartily: "Hahaha, Rong Chen is riding a snail."

Watching her children play, Madam Li smiled kindly. She reached out and gently stroked Fu Siying's long hair: "Yingying has grown up and knows how to care for her younger sister and brother."

Fu Siying grasped Li's hand, sighed softly, and remained silent.

Li turned to look at her husband and saw that he was absent-minded and frowning. She said, "Husband, your brows have been furrowed since yesterday. Are you so worried about Yingying's nightmares?"

Prime Minister Fu raised his eyes, nodded, then shook his head. He looked at Madam Li, then at Fu Siying, and sighed deeply.

"There is something I must tell Madam and Yingying. A few days ago, the Emperor summoned me to inquire about his intentions, saying that he intends to help Prince Mu..."

The words "Prince Mu" made Fu Siying's eyebrows twitch. Just as she was about to listen carefully, she suddenly heard Rong Chen's exclamation from outside the carriage.

"what--"

Startled, she hurriedly lifted the curtain and jumped out of the carriage. As soon as she looked out, she saw Rong Chen being whipped off his horse by an extremely long whip!

"Rong Chen!"

The coachman was so startled that he immediately stopped the carriage. Fu Siying quickly jumped off the carriage and ran to help her younger brother.

Fortunately, Rong Chen rode a very slow horse, and Fu Siying had forcibly changed the horse he was riding to a small one before he left. Otherwise, if he had fallen off a galloping, tall horse, he would have broken his arms and legs!

Fu Rongchen grimaced as he got up from the ground, looking angrily at a huge, dark, and ancient-looking carriage behind him.