"Look at this day, I'm afraid it's going to snow."

"Your Highness, it's cold outside, be careful not to freeze."

"Go and bring me the white fox fur cloak, I haven't worn it for a long time."

It was the middle of winter again, the wind was cold, and the sky was cloudy. Zhao Qingli leaned against the window and looked at the withered branches of an old tree in the courtyard, her face pale. This was the second winter after Zhao Qingli entered the palace. Ever since the weather turned cooler in the fall, she had been sick, lingering on the couch, but she insisted that it was an old illness, always refusing to let the doctor diagnose and treat her.

The palace is on edge, a murderous atmosphere. The emperor had a dispute with a minister during the morning court, and suddenly fainted, the whole court was suddenly turned upside down. The doctor rushed to see the emperor has been breathless, and hastened to use a hundred years of ginseng decoction to renew life, but did not expect the medicine just poured down soon, the emperor will be spitting blood, unconscious. The doctor again to finally determine, the emperor is poisoned, and this poison is extremely clever, while poisoning while replenishing the blood, so that the emperor on the surface of the living when it has long been seriously ill. Today's morning court the emperor was angry, emotional shock, which led to the poison. The centennial ginseng is too strong, the emperor is already high in blood and qi, can not withstand the medicinal properties, vomiting blood unconscious. "Poisoned?" The Empress staggered back in disbelief.

"His Majesty went to court today without breakfast, did not eat or drink during the period, how could it be poisoned .....? How long has he been poisoned?"

"This poisoned person is extremely cunning, His Majesty's body has always been strong and healthy, usually have some discomfort, maybe endure a little and pass. This person is to calculate this point, while a small dose of poison, at the same time to give His Majesty tonic, until His Majesty poisoned, already is unable to return to heaven. According to the old minister's estimation, this poison has been administered continuously for at least two years or more."

"Two years? ...... two years (drop cup) ...... Zhao Qingli!"

Cheng Mingzhao, armored and holding a sword, stood outside the door of the Emperor's Chamber and looked at Zhao Qingli, who was kneeling and sitting on the ground at the bottom of the stairs, his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword in a death grip, his knuckles turning white. It was freezing cold, Qingli was still sick, how could she bear to kneel on the ground like this? This fox fur cloak is specially hunted for her white fox, the original she still keeps ......

"Qing Li ......" At this time, Zhao Qing Li is a snow-white plain onyx, no powder, pale face almost transparent. Her demeanor was calm, she sat upright on her knees, letting her long hair that reached down to the ground be wrapped by the cold wind and flutter behind her. She seemed to have sensed Cheng Mingzhao's gaze and raised her face slightly to meet Cheng Mingzhao's gaze.

Cheng Mingzhao's heart shrank. Clear gaze, clear eyes, this is the Qing Li he knows, she has returned.

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"Concubine Xian, at this point, is there any need for this palace to interrogate you?"

"Heh heh heh ........" A light laugh came out. Zhao Qingli smiled in relief. She raised her head and looked directly at the Empress.

"It was me, I was the one who poisoned His Majesty. His Majesty was suspicious, so I accompanied him to eat it. It's just that my body wasn't as strong as His Majesty's, and I actually poisoned him before he did."

"You! His Majesty favors you so much and treats your Zhao family so generously, how can you be so vicious! Aren't you afraid of ......?"

"Not afraid of what? Aren't you afraid that your whole family will be executed? Besides me, who else can be executed? Apart from the fact that His Majesty only favors me because of my reputation as the chosen goddess, how has he treated my Zhao family? My father did his best for the court, but he deliberately suppressed them for the sake of the court's balance, my mother died in another country, and my father died with regret, so what! What is wrong with my Zhao family, why should I end up with such a broken family?"

The tears she had suppressed for years finally fell. Zhao Qingli finally stopped hiding her anger and sadness at this moment, her eyes reddened as she scanned the stiff-faced Empress, the disbelieving Qin Wan'er, and the gentle, mournful Cheng Mingzhao. At that moment, their gazes intertwined and intermingled, telling of a deep love that seemed like an ocean.

"Qing Li, I'm sorry, it's me who failed to protect you."

"Ming Chao, you have done enough for me. These two years of guarding me are already enough. If you hadn't risked so much to help me, I wouldn't have been able to get my revenge."

"But it still brought you to this point."

"Ming Dynasty, you have your family and people above you, and your parents, wife, and children below you, so you can't be as desperate as I am. The Sixth Princess is simple and kind, and will be a good wife. I am glad you named your son Yi An."

"But Qingli ......" "Cheng Mingzhao, you ungrateful generation, greedy for the glory of the Tiger, I Zhao Qingli, the most regrettable thing in this life is to believe your flowery words! You're the one who killed my Zhao family!"

A biting wind swept by, snow finally drifting down. Cheng Mingzhao's face was expressionless as he turned and bowed to the Empress, clenching his fists:

"Empress, I request the decree to behead this adulterous concubine with my own hands." "Granted." The long sword was sheathed with a clang. Cheng Mingzhao, holding the sword in one hand and pointing it at Zhao Qingli, walked down the stairs and took a step forward.

"What qualifications do you have to behead me!"

Suddenly, Zhao Qingli stood up, staggered and took two quick steps, lunging forward to meet the long sword. The blade of the sword pierced her chest, and blood gurgled out, as red and bright as the phoenix flower, and as dazzling red as the vermilion palace wall. Finally, she threw herself back into the embrace that haunted her.

Cheng Mingzhao wrapped one hand around Zhao Qingli, the hand holding the sword trembling terribly. Wrapped in the cold wind, the familiar scent of goose pears hit his nose.

"Mingzhao."

"I'm here."

"I'll be waiting for you in the next life."

"Definitely."