Guochu suddenly began choking. While Gaozong watched in shock, his secret lover collapsed in violent convulsions and died at the table. In the chaos that ensued, Wu pinned the blame on the two cousins, alleging that they had been hoping to poison her, and that it was only an accident that the food intended for her had ended up on the dish of the unfortunate Guochu. The brothers were dragged off for a swift execution, and, as was her wont, Wu exacted further revenge on their afterlife by ordering that their surname be changed on their tombstones from Wu to Fu – 'Viper'.
