Shuhan

Inside the palace, the once prosperous and bustling scene no longer existed.

The palace lanterns were dim and could not illuminate the endless haze. Inside the palace walls, there was deathly silence, with only a few occasional sighs echoing in the air like ghosts.

Cao Rui's clothes were a little messy, and his hair had lost its usual neatness and was casually draped over his shoulders.

His hands were tightly gripping the armrests of the dragon throne, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if that was the only thing he could rely on at the moment.

He knew very well that the people in the city were struggling with hunger and fear, and every howl and every cry pierced his heart like a sharp blade.

But what can he do?
As the king of a country, he cannot show any weakness or hesitation.

He can only hold on and wait, waiting for the variable that may never appear.

"Your Majesty, the situation in the city is becoming increasingly serious." A minister reported in a trembling voice, with a hint of helplessness and despair in his voice.

Cao Rui raised his head, his eyes were deep and firm. Although his heart was already turbulent, there was no trace of panic on his face.

"I know." Cao Rui's voice was low and powerful, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the bottom of his heart.

"But I am the emperor of the Great Wei, how can I admit defeat so easily? If I surrender, where will the Great Wei be? Where will the safety of the people be?" There was an unyielding light flashing in his eyes, which was a struggle against fate and an insistence on the future.

However, the reality is so cruel.

There was very little food and grass left in the city. The people were starving and looked eagerly towards the direction of the palace, hoping that the emperor could give them a glimmer of hope.

Cao Rui knew very well that he had to make a decision, even if this decision might cause him to bear eternal infamy.

He took a deep breath, slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dim sky outside.

His heart was full of contradictions and struggles.

On the one hand, he did not want to see the people continue to suffer; on the other hand, he was well aware of his responsibilities and mission as an emperor.

"Pass on my order to lay off some staff in the palace and reduce expenses." Cao Rui's voice was firm and resolute.

"At the same time, the food and fodder distributed to the people will be reduced by another 30%. I know this decision is difficult, but I have no choice. After the spring plowing and the autumn harvest, perhaps the food supply will continue."

The ministers were all shocked when they heard this.

They knew that this decision would mean that life in the palace would become more difficult and that the people would have to endure more hunger.

But they also knew that Cao Rui had done his best.

Cao Rui turned around and looked at the ministers in the hall, his eyes full of determination and resoluteness.

"I know you have doubts in your hearts, but I have made up my mind. The Wei Kingdom cannot be destroyed in my hands, and the safety of the people cannot be abandoned. I am willing to share the joys and sorrows with the people and overcome this difficult time together."

After saying this, he waved his hand, signaling the ministers to leave.

Cao Rui stood alone in the hall, looking at the empty palace, feeling mixed emotions.

He knew that his decision might lead to countless criticisms and accusations, but he had no regrets.

Because he knew very well that as an emperor, his responsibility was to protect this land and its people.

As night fell, the palace was silent.

Cao Rui sat at the desk, holding a pen in his hand, but he didn't put it down.

His heart was filled with worries and expectations about the future.

"Perhaps, this is my destiny." Cao Rui murmured softly to himself.

There was a firm light in his eyes, which showed his faith and hope for the future. Although the hope was slim, he was willing to do his best to fight for that glimmer of hope.

However, Cao Rui was completely unaware that the granaries in Luoyang City were gradually becoming empty, and this sudden famine was devouring everything like a demon.

Due to the food shortage in Luoyang, the palace also began to lack food and clothing. The former prosperity and luxury were now reduced to desolation and sadness.

The smoke from the imperial kitchen no longer rose, but was replaced by the sad faces and hungry groans of the palace maids.

Many palace servants, those slaves who once served the emperor, collapsed under the cold palace walls due to hunger and could never get up again.

Their bodies were hastily wrapped in straw mats, carried out of the palace, and dumped at random on a mass grave without even a decent tombstone.

In order to stabilize the morale of the soldiers on the front line, Cao Rui often rewarded them with palace maids as a consolation.

This action undoubtedly added salt to the already wounded hearts of the palace maids.

They were originally humble people in the palace, but they were forced to become victims of this war.

The hearts of those palace maids who were rewarded were filled with resentment and helplessness, and their eyes flashed with resistance to fate and despair for the future.

At this moment, in the side hall, the flickering candlelight illuminated five tense and determined faces.

Five palace maids in palace costumes gathered together. They looked well-proportioned, but their bodies were thin due to long-term hunger, as if a gust of wind could blow them down.

The leading palace maid was named Cui'er. She was a little older and her brows revealed an extraordinary demeanor.

Her eyes were deep, as if they could see into people's hearts, but at this moment they were filled with determination and anger.

Cui'er clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, but she didn't feel any pain at all.

She was filled with endless anger and resentment. She hated the injustice of the world and Cao Rui's stupidity. She stood up slowly, her eyes swept across every palace maid present, and said in a low and powerful voice: "Sisters, His Majesty has gone against the grain and is no longer a monarch. He only cares about his own power and pleasure, but doesn't care about our lives. I heard that the Emperor of the Han Dynasty is a true dragon emperor, who should be sympathetic to the people and love his subjects. But now, His Majesty has become a tyrant who harms the people. As long as we kill the tyrant, we will be able to save countless people, and we will also make great contributions and be remembered by future generations!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the palace was silent, with only the heavy breathing and heartbeats of the palace maids being heard.

The other four palace maids looked at each other, hesitation and fear flashing in their eyes. Although they were also angry and dissatisfied with Cao Rui's actions, the crime of regicide was so serious that if they failed, they would be sentenced to death for the entire clan.

One of the palace maids was named Xiaodie. She was still young and had a tender face, but at this moment her face was covered with traces of tears.

She said in a trembling voice: "Sister Cui Er, we...we really want to do such a rebellious thing? If we fail, we will...we will die."

Cui Er walked to Xiao Die, gently held her hand, and said with a firm look in her eyes: "Xiao Die, look at the life we ​​are living now? We can't even get enough food, and we are always worried about being rewarded to the soldiers on the front line. Can you bear the life worse than death? Instead of living like this, it is better to fight to the death. Maybe we can get justice for ourselves and those sisters who died innocently."

When Xiaodie heard this, her tears could not stop flowing. She bit her lips tightly, feeling mixed emotions.

The other two palace maids, Ah Hong and Ah Fang, looked at each other, with a hint of determination in their eyes.

Ah Hong said, "Sister Cui Er is right. We can't let others bully us like this anymore. We're going to die anyway, so we might as well fight to the death."

Ah Fang also nodded in agreement. Only the last maid, Qiu Ju, remained silent, with a complicated look in her eyes.

Cui Er saw her hesitation, walked up to her and said, "Qiu Ju, I know what you are thinking. You are worried that your family will be implicated, but think about it, if we continue like this, we will die sooner or later. Moreover, Cao Rui's tyranny will only cause more innocent people to suffer. If we kill the tyrant, perhaps we can find a way out for the people of the world."

Upon hearing this, Qiuju slowly opened her tightly closed eyes, and a hint of determination flashed in her eyes.

She took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'll go with you. I have nothing to lose anyway."

At this moment, footsteps suddenly came from outside the palace, and the palace maids' hearts were in their throats.

Cui Er quickly signaled everyone to be quiet, and she quietly walked to the door of the hall and peeked out through the crack. She saw a few guards hurriedly passing by, and they didn't seem to notice anything unusual in the side hall.

Cui Er heaved a sigh of relief, returned to the group, and whispered, "Sisters, we don't have much time. In three days, three of our sisters will be given to the soldiers on the front line as rewards. For us, that would be even more painful than killing us. We can't hesitate any longer, we must act as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, the palace maids all nodded, with determination and resolve flashing in their eyes.

They knew that this was a road of no return, but they had no way out. For survival, for dignity, and for the innocent sisters who died, they had to fight to the death.

So the five palace maids began to make intensive preparations.

They have clear division of labor, some are responsible for gathering information, some are responsible for preparing tools, and some are responsible for calming the emotions of other palace maids. In this seemingly peaceful palace, a thrilling conspiracy is quietly unfolding. However, Cao Rui is still immersed in his own desire for power, unaware that a crisis is quietly approaching...

Recently, the atmosphere in the palace has been depressing, as if even the air is filled with a lingering worry.

Cao Rui, the Emperor of Wei, was feeling very upset, so he ordered someone to bring him a pot of fine wine, and he drank it alone in the palace.

The wine went down his throat, spicy with a hint of sweetness. Gradually, his cheeks turned red and his eyes became blurred.

Assisted by the palace maids, he staggered slowly towards the bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, the flickering candlelight illuminated the magnificent furnishings, yet it seemed somewhat deserted.

Today, Cao Rui did not summon any concubines to sleep with him, he just wanted to rest quietly alone.

He lay on the bed, his clothes a little messy, his hair casually scattered on the pillow, and soon fell asleep.

However, in this quiet night, a conspiracy is quietly unfolding.

Those palace maids who were usually docile and respectful now had strange lights in their eyes.

They looked at each other, nodded knowingly, and then worked together to pin down the sleeping Cao Rui.

Ah Hong, a burly palace maid, grabbed Cao Rui's neck with her hands like iron clamps.

Her eyes revealed determination and ruthlessness, as if at this moment, she was no longer the palace maid at the mercy of others, but a judge who held the power of life and death.

"Hold your neck and don't let go!" a palace maid whispered. Although her voice was low, it was full of determination.

The other palace maids also responded, with a determined look in their eyes, as if they were ready to die.

Cao Rui woke up from his dream with his eyes wide open, his face full of astonishment and confusion.

He was about to shout, but someone stuffed a cloth into his mouth.

The cloth was wet and had a musty smell that almost suffocated him.

He struggled, twisting his body like a fish caught in a fishing net.

The palace maid Cui'er, a pretty girl, seemed unusually calm at this moment.

She held a yellow silk rag in her hand and handed it to Qiuju beside her.

Qiuju took the rag and covered her face with it, leaving only a pair of eyes flashing with cold light.

Her movements were swift and decisive, as if she had practiced them countless times.

The palace maids took out the noose they had prepared in advance from their sleeves. The noose was woven with fine linen rope and looked both tough and concealed.

They carefully put the noose around Cao Rui's neck and then pulled hard. Cui'er pressed Cao Rui's chest to prevent him from struggling; Qiuju pressed his body to make him unable to move; the maid Afang took his left hand and tightly held his right hand, fearing that he would have the slightest chance to resist; Xiaodie pressed his legs to completely deprive him of the ability to resist.

Cao Rui struggled desperately, his eyes filled with fear and despair.

He tried to break free from the palace maids, but they were too numerous and extremely ruthless.

He felt the noose getting tighter and tighter, and it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. His face turned purple, and his eyeballs bulged out due to congestion.

Seeing Cao Rui being so tenacious, the palace maids felt a little flustered.

But they have no way out and can only go all out.

So they tied another knot to make the noose more secure.

However, the knot was accidentally tied into a knot.

They pulled tighter and tighter, but Cao Rui just couldn't be strangled to death.

This sudden change made the palace maids even more panicked.

They began to pull the noose with all their strength, and some even pulled out their hairpins and started stabbing Cao Rui with them.

The hairpin was extremely sharp and pierced Cao Rui's body, causing blood to splatter everywhere. Cao Rui screamed in pain but was unable to break free.

At this moment, Cao Rui was completely in despair.

He stared at these usually docile palace maids with wide eyes, his heart filled with confusion and anger.

He didn't understand why he, as an emperor, ended up in such a situation.
He struggled and twisted his body more violently, but he was powerless.

The palace maids were also frightened and confused by the bloody scene.

Their hands began to tremble and fear appeared in their eyes.

Some people even began to regret their decision, but things had come to this point and there was no turning back.

Just then, a palace maid named Xiaodie suddenly ran out.

Her face was pale, her eyes were filled with fear and determination. She ran straight to Empress Dowager Guo's residence with only one thought in her mind: surrender!

She had to know that this conspiracy had completely gotten out of control, and continuing would only involve more people.

Empress Dowager Guo was resting in her bedroom at this time, when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the door.

She frowned, feeling a little unhappy. Who would bother her so late at night?
However, when she saw Xiaodie rushing in with a look of horror on her face, she suddenly felt an ominous premonition in her heart.

"Empress Dowager! It's bad! Something terrible has happened!" Xiaodie gasped and spoke incoherently. Her eyes were filled with fear and despair, as if she had seen something terrible.

Empress Dowager Guo's heart tightened, and she asked quickly, "What happened? Tell me slowly!"

Xiaodie took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

Then she told Empress Dowager Guo the whole story.

When she talked about the palace maids murdering the emperor, Empress Dowager Guo's face suddenly turned pale as paper. She stared at Xiaodie with wide eyes, as if she couldn't believe her ears.

"Are you telling the truth?" asked Empress Dowager Guo in a trembling voice.

Her heart was filled with shock and anger. This was simply lawless! Someone actually dared to murder the emperor in the palace!

Xiaodie nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. "Empress Dowager! It's absolutely true! I saw it with my own eyes! Please, Empress Dowager, come and save me!"

She knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Guo quickly stood up.

She was well aware of the seriousness of the matter. If anything happened to the emperor, the entire Wei State would fall into turmoil.

She did not dare to delay for even a moment and immediately took people to the palace to rescue the emperor.

Along the way, she was filled with anxiety and uneasiness, praying that the emperor would be safe. (End of this chapter)