I died tragically in my previous life, and I want to be an empress in my next life

On the second day, Hongying just stepped into the palace with the washing water and screamed in fright. Her eyes widened and her face was full of astonishment and fear. The copper basin in her hand fell to the ground with a clang, and the crisp sound echoed in the palace.

The guards outside the hall heard the shout and rushed in, only to see Pei Zhixuan lying on the bed, and Xuanyuan Ping, naked, lying on top of her, the two of them entangled together.

When Eunuch Li saw the scene in front of him, he was shocked and rushed over. He quickly picked up the clothes beside him and carefully covered Xuanyuan Ping and Pei Zhixuan with them, and then covered the two of them, and then called softly, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

However, Xuanyuan Ping and Pei Zhixuan did not react at all. Their bodies were motionless, as if they were in a deep sleep. Eunuch Li was anxious and didn't know what to do.

He stretched out his trembling hand and tested it under Xuanyuan Ping's nose. He was horrified to find that there was no breath at all. He quickly retracted his hand, and fear surged in his heart.

He turned around quickly and ordered the eunuch beside him: "Hurry, go and ask the Queen to come over!" The eunuch did not dare to be negligent and immediately turned around and ran away.

When Pei Zhiyan arrived, the area outside the palace was already tightly guarded by guards. The palace maids and eunuchs were kneeling inside the palace with their heads lowered, not daring to breathe.

She quickly walked into the bedroom and saw Xuanyuan Ping and Pei Zhixuan lying quietly on the bed. She sneered in her heart and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes, but it was fleeting. She immediately put on an expression of surprise and grief.

She turned to look at Eunuch Li and said in a trembling voice, "Eunuch Li, hurry up, get the imperial physician in right away!"

Eunuch Li did not dare to delay and hurriedly announced it. Doctor Liu, who had been waiting outside, rushed in quickly carrying a medicine box.

Doctor Liu stepped forward to check, then knelt down in front of Pei Zhiyan with a solemn expression and said in a low voice, "Empress, His Majesty has ascended to heaven!"

After hearing this, Pei Zhiyan pretended to be hit hard. She took a step back, covered her mouth with both hands, and showed a sad expression on her face. Tears welled up in her eyes. "How is it possible? Your Majesty was fine yesterday. How could he suddenly..."

Yin Liu took a step forward, supported Pei Zhiyan, and whispered, "My queen, please accept my condolences..."

Pei Zhiyan took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down, then looked up at Doctor Liu, "Doctor Liu, you must find out the cause of His Majesty's death. I can't let him die in such an unclear way!"

Doctor Liu lowered his head and stammered, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty is because..."

"Doctor Liu, just say whatever you want to say!" Pei Zhiyan said sternly.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty is suffering from physical exhaustion due to taking aphrodisiacs and overindulging in sexual activities..." Imperial Doctor Liu hesitated for a moment, then said.

Pei Zhiyan took a deep breath, forced back the tears in her eyes, and then looked at Doctor Liu coldly, "Love-enhancing substances? Doctor Liu, have you checked it clearly?"

Doctor Liu's body trembled even more violently. He lowered his head and said in an almost inaudible voice, "Your Majesty, I have checked it over and over again, and it is indeed correct."

Pei Zhiyan waved her hand weakly, "You go down first, this matter is of great importance, you must not disclose it to anyone!"

Doctor Liu shuddered and immediately kowtowed, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will keep my mouth shut and will never reveal even a single word."

After Imperial Physician Liu left, Pei Zhiyan immediately asked Eunuch Liu to take the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace into custody to prevent the news from spreading further.

Then, she asked Eunuch Liu to announce the news of Xuanyuan Ping's death. This news was like a thunderclap, instantly causing an uproar in the court and the country. There was an uproar inside and outside the court, and all kinds of speculations and rumors spread like wildfire.

The cause of Xuanyuan Ping's death eventually spread to the public. As the shortest-lived emperor of the Zhou Dynasty, his death was so ignominious that Xuanyuan Ping left a heavy mark in history.

In the end, with the help of the General's Mansion and Xuanyuan Feng, Xiaobao successfully inherited the throne.

The new emperor ascended the throne and granted amnesty to the world.

Xuanyuan Che not only walked out of the prison, but was also named King of Qi. However, Xuanyuan Che refused this title, and he also refused Pei Zhiyan's summons. He asked the person to bring a secret letter to Pei Zhiyan, and then disappeared.

Since Xiaobao was too young to handle government affairs personally, Pei Zhiyan, as the queen mother, naturally took charge of government affairs from behind the scenes. With wisdom and decisiveness, she protected Xiaobao and ensured the stability of the court and the normal operation of government affairs.

During her time as a dictator, she not only properly handled various complex government affairs, but also actively implemented reform policies, strengthened centralization, developed the economy, improved people's livelihood, and gradually led the Great Zhou towards prosperity and stability.

Fifty years later, Pei Zhiyan, with a head full of silver hair, sat in front of the dressing table. Her face was still dignified and kind, but her eyes had a little more precipitation of time and wisdom.

The court struggles and power grabs of those years seemed to have disappeared with the passage of time, leaving only calmness and composure.

Yin Liu, who also had white hair, gently combed her silver hair with a comb. There was no need to explain the tacit understanding between the two. After fifty years of sharing the same hardships, they had already connected their minds.

She held a yellowed letter in her hand. It was the one Xuanyuan Che left for her when he left the capital. There were only a few words on the letter, "I will never let you down if we meet in this life!"

"What a great phrase, 'We will never let each other down in this life'!" Looking at these words, a trace of deep longing and guilt flashed in Pei Zhiyan's eyes.

Over the years, she had sent people to find out about Xuanyuan Che, but in the end, she got nothing. She knew that Xuanyuan Che must be hiding from her on purpose, so she wouldn't let her find him.

Xuanyuan Che’s departure has always been a knot in Pei Zhiyan’s heart.

She took revenge and gained the world, but she let him down!

At the same time, in the bitterly cold northwest, a white-haired old man sat alone at the foot of an iceberg. His gaze traveled across thousands of mountains and rivers, gazing far away in the direction of the capital.

The image of a girl appeared in his mind. She was young and beautiful, with passion and determination in her eyes. This was the girl he loved.

And the woman who sat in the deep palace and controlled the country, although she possessed supreme power and glory, but in his eyes, she was just a strange woman who was bound by power and status.