There was barely any expression on the Empress’s face. This was not the first time she confronted Shen Qiangwei. Although this woman always looked nice and amiable, it was only her mask, like everyone who lived in the imperial palace would have.

When you had worn a mask for long, you would find yourself becoming like it the day you tried to take it off.

The Empress fell into her thought; she found that she had already forgotten what kind of person she had been, or what her true self had been like.

“I don’t think you would like me to take your place, and you seem to enjoy it. That’s enough,” said the Empress plainly. She glanced Shen Qiangwei over and noticed her swollen belly. She smiled; this meant the woman was now having Shen Zhongbai’s child.

If she had accepted Shen Zhongbai’s proposal, what waited for her would be another round of disasters.

Considering that there was no dispute between them, she didn’t need to kill her child at the moment.

Let it live? The Empress was amused by her thought. She must have been too kind these days, or such an idea wouldn’t have popped into her head.

Sparing later trouble had always been her motto. But did she live up to it?

Shen Qiangwei seemed to have failed to grasp her kindness, nor did she know that she had been let go by a strong enemy. She moved a few steps forward and looked at the Empress very condescendingly.

Not as tall as the Empress, she tried to suppress her rival with her aura as the Empress. But she was not very good at it.

“Of course, I hope His Majesty can have more women he loves, then I will have more sisters. But you know, living in the imperial palace is not as easy as you think, nor are people here as kind as me.”

Her words nearly made the Empress laugh; she hadn’t heard people talking this way for so long. These had used to be her way of saying things, and today hearing it from Shen Qiangwei gave her the impression that she was talking to a copycat.

But she had never expected that Shen Qiangwei got what she wanted after she woke up this time.

The imperial palace was just a big cage; all she could do was to avoid getting inside and resist its lure.

No one wanted revenge harder than her. But it was not time. Chances shouldn’t be wasted, but they must be utilized carefully, and step by step.

The Empress let off a heavy sigh, seeming not afraid of Shen Qiangwei’s words at all. This prostitute was a good fighter; hadn’t she been in the imperial palace, she would have easily taken her life.

Before that, the Empress still had another thing to do. Even if she couldn’t beat this woman by force, she at least needed to win her by words.

“After all these years in the palace, you must know that for a woman who lives on men, the most important thing is to secure his love. Do you think Shen Zhongbai loves you? If I get into the palace, do you think he will still let you be the Empress after his long years’ desire for me?” said the Empress softly. She glanced over Shen Qiangwei, and then slowly walked past her in quietness.

She said it without any hesitation like it was some facts that had happened already.

Although Shen Qiangwei had learned how to conceal her emotions, she nearly got exploded by the Empress’s words and her mouth stiffened. But she had to admit that the Empress was right.

It was because of the Empress’s refusal that enabled her to get to where she was; she had known this six years ago.

Her eyes were still on the Empress, who was now in the far distance. She was wearing very plain clothes, which was quite unfit in the extravagance of the imperial palace; though she was much mature than she had been six years ago, she still looked skinny; her life must have been hard these years.

Lowering her head, Shen Qiangwei started to chew the Empress’s words, and suddenly, she looked up as if she had understood something.

It was true, the reason why she got the Empress’s place was that Gu Qiang had refused it. If that woman regretted it and took back her words, she would lose everything she had now.

Shen Zhongbai had been obsessed with Gu Qiang for years; there was nothing he couldn’t do to get this woman, even if it meant bringing calamity to the country.

Shen Qiangwei didn’t know how much love Shen Zhongbai had left for Gu Qiang, she only knew that he had been crazily obsessed with the idea to make her his and could do anything to prove himself.

If the Empress was a huge threat, what she needed to do was to get rid of her.

Once Shen Zhongbai could not have this woman, nobody could threaten her position as the Empress.

A woman in dark dress appeared by her side; she walked in front of her, and spoke out after a respectful courtesy, “Your Highness, what can I do for you?”

“Shu, you have been with me for years. I believe you know what you need to do now?” said Shen Qiangwei in a plain tone, her head turned.

Murong Shu raised her eyes, her pretty small face made Shen Qiangwei’s heart retract. This girl looked like Gu Qiang the most because every of her gestures had been trained to imitate that of Gu Qiang.

She had hoped that this might attract Shen Zhongbai’s attention away from Gu Qiang to her, or the people around her.

But Shen Qiangwei still had her concerns; she wouldn’t ask Murong Shu out until it was necessary. What if Murong Shu became her rival even before she could take down Gu Qiang? Then everything would be like a joke.

“Yes, Your Highness,” replied Murong Shu respectfully.

Shen Qiangwei nodded in satisfaction, then she continued, “Find a chance to kill Gu Qiang. I give you three days. If you can’t do it, you will be the one to lose your head!”

Murong Shu slowly raised her head as if she didn’t believe what she had heard. To kill Gu Qiang? She hoped that Shen Qiangwei was only telling a joke because she could kill anyone in this country, except for Gu Qiang.

On the surface, that woman looked alone, but in reality, the power behind her was never as simple as people imagined.

Being obsessed with her for years, Shen Zhongbai must have placed his own sources around her. She would die a terrible death if she was caught by him.

Even getting close to her was not easy, for she was always under good protection.

“Your Highness, you know this is not a simple task,” said Murong Shu quietly. She was not that afraid of her master.

She was a grateful girl, otherwise, she would have killed Shen Qiangwei already, of which she was totally capable.

But she couldn’t do that; it was this woman who freed her from the brothel and gave her a good life.

But all human beings were selfish. For many times, Shen Qiangwei had put her in grave danger. Now, to protect herself, she had to defy this order even if it was given by her benefactor.

“I don’t want to listen to nonsense. Just do what you are told,” said Shen Qiangwei coldly, and then she left.

That was quite annoying to hear. But Murong Shu still nodded after the shock.

For years, Shen Qiangwei had never had too many people on her side. Now there was no one left except her.

She never had the ability to cultivate her own force. Besides, she had been focused on assisting Shen Zhongbai all the time and hadn’t spared any energy to think for herself. So now she had to take the consequences.

She Qiangwei shouldn’t have put so much faith in Shen Zhongbai. She knew that Shen Zhongbai had never liked her, and he chose her simply because she looked like Qu Qiang. Even so, she had chosen to become an appendage to this man.

Once Shen Zhongbai showed any interest in a new woman, she would think of a way to kill her.

But that’s not the right way of doing things. She should try to make that man like her and can’t live without her, instead of doing the opposite. Otherwise, what would be left for her if she was deserted by the man?

With these thoughts flashed in her mind, Murong Shu quietly got packed and took her leave.

When the Empress was about to walk out of the door, she heard a sweet voice coming behind. “Sister.”

Her back stiffened, she hadn’t heard the voice for years; she even didn’t remember what the last time had been when this woman called her this way.

She turned around and saw Gu Zhihua, the clothes of whom were as extravagant as Shen Qiangwei’s, the style Shen Zhongbai preferred. He had always been a man obsessed with valuables, the habit of which was now picked up by his two women.

The Empress stopped there; her visit to the imperial palace must be a mistake. Why did she keep running into different kinds of people, including many that she had no plan to see?

She couldn’t remember what things Gu Zhihua had done; she even couldn’t remember how she had lost this part of her memory.

Although she didn’t know whether Gu Zhihua and her mother had played a part in it or not, she was sure that this woman was no friend.

Knowing this, the Empress just walked away as if she hadn’t seen her.

Gu Zhihua just stood where she was as if she hadn’t realized what had happened. Qing Luo beside her let out a sneer and said, “It is because she feels so jealous of you that she didn’t dare to see you? After all, you are now living a much happier life than she does.”

The words eased some of her irritation; she nodded agreeably and then left with Qing Luo. Gu Qiang was no longer a threat, what she needed to worry about now was Shen Qiangwei.

Walking out of the imperial palace, the Empress felt a branch of warm sunshine upon her. The season now was always cold in the mornings and at nights, but very warm at noon, which even made her a bit sleepy. The Empress felt a bit of loss; she didn’t know what she should do, or not do.

The man who knew her secret had died six years ago; now filled with more secrets, she couldn’t even find someone to help her.

But first, she needed to take a look back home.