The emperor ignored it.

After the people in the hall left, the two eunuchs closed the hall door, and no matter how much Lotus called out from outside, it was no use.

Gu Jiangli stood on one leg, his center of gravity slightly unsteady, swaying precariously.

Hearing the lotus flower's cries, she suddenly felt a pang of regret.

Her actions just now might have been a bit hasty. If the mission failed, she could have simply left, but that would have left Lotus here.

How innocent are the lotus flowers?

Not to mention that she was the most loyal friend who accompanied her through several worlds, even in this one world, she was the one who accompanied the original owner from childhood to adulthood.

And those maids, as well as the servants who came to Tianyuan with her from Yunjiang, they were all innocent.

It would be too unkind to drag them into misfortune because of our own mistakes.

This emperor is capricious and could easily take his anger out on others because of her words and actions.

She has come here for a political marriage, bearing the responsibility for the people of Yunjiang. If she were to bring disaster upon Yunjiang, her sins would be far too grave.

Upon reflection, I realized that my actions were indeed too rash. I should have at least figured out the emperor's true nature before throwing a tantrum.

I wonder how the emperor planned to torture her by keeping her behind alone.

Gu Jiangli made up her mind that as long as the emperor's punishment wasn't too severe, she would endure it and grit her teeth and accept it.

After figuring it out, she looked at the emperor with a more inquisitive gaze.

The man in front of her walked towards her step by step, his steps unsteady, indicating that he had drunk quite a bit of alcohol. She wondered how he would choose to torment her.

The emperor narrowed his eyes and grabbed her neck with one hand.

His eyes grew increasingly crazed, and his grip tightened. "Princess, you've got some nerve... Do you believe that even if I kill you, King Yunjiang won't dare utter a single word against me?"

Gu Jiangli clenched her fists, not rushing to resist. Her breathing became increasingly shallow, and her face grew redder and redder.

She held her breath, raised her hand, placed it on the emperor's wrist, and said haltingly:

"Your Majesty, it was wrong of me to be angry with you just now, but... my maids and attendants are innocent, and the people of Yunjiang are innocent too. You can torture me, but can you please spare them?"

The emperor's grip suddenly loosened, and his scarlet eyes suddenly regained their clarity.

He abruptly withdrew his hand, staring at his palm with confusion and disbelief.

Gu Jiangli fell to the ground, coughing violently.

She greedily inhaled the precious air, realizing how unpleasant it felt to have one's life controlled by others.

"Cough cough cough... His Majesty didn't kill me, which shows he still has some compassion."

The emperor looked at her, his gaze growing even deeper. "How do you know I'm not thinking of an even more painful way for you to die?"

Gu Jiangli chuckled: "If that's the case, then I accept it. I wonder how Your Majesty intends to send me to my death?"

The emperor squatted down, a relaxed smile appearing on his face: "You really aren't afraid of me at all, not afraid of death at all."

"I am more worried about Your Majesty harming the people I care about than about dying."

"You mean your maids?"

Gu Jiangli suddenly fell silent.

Actually, it wasn't "those maids" but "Lotus" herself.

However, she didn't need to be so explicit in front of the emperor.

Gu Jiangli lowered his eyes and said seriously, "Not bad."

The emperor's smile deepened, and he reached out towards her neck.

The blood dripping from the knife tip was still on her skin, and he gently wiped it away with his hand.

"I have heard that the people of Yunjiang are naturally intelligent, but also treacherous and cunning. They are born with the ability to scheme and learn to lie as soon as they learn to speak. Now it seems that the princess of Yunjiang is not so smart after all."

Gu Jiangli's expression froze slightly; she didn't quite understand why the emperor had suddenly brought up this matter.

"What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?" she asked directly.

The emperor glanced at her but did not answer.

He reached around her shoulders and knees, lifting her off the ground with ease.

Gu Jiangli's body suddenly felt suspended in mid-air. She didn't even have time to cry out in surprise, and instinctively wrapped her arms around the emperor's neck.

"Princess, are you holding me so tightly because you're afraid I'll drop you and kill you?" The emperor asked with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

Gu Jiangli glanced away sheepishly: "Your Majesty, surely you wouldn't stoop to such a perverse whim?"

"Is that so?" the emperor asked flippantly. "Gu Jiangli, I suddenly find you rather interesting."

He carried Gu Jiangli up the steps and laid her across the dragon throne, which was originally the emperor's exclusive seat, but now Gu Jiangli lay down there.

"Your Majesty, is it inappropriate for me to sit here?"

"Sitting on the dragon throne is indeed a capital offense, but aren't you fearless of death?"

Gu Jiangli was speechless.

The emperor still had the mind to joke with her. His eyes were calm, completely devoid of the ruthlessness he had shown earlier. He was a completely different person from when he had gone mad and killed people.

Gu Jiangli thought his guess was correct; perhaps he really did have a split personality.

Just as she was thinking this, the emperor took off her shoes, and the pain struck her once again.

"hiss……"

She couldn't help but gasp.

The emperor's movements were far from gentle; the act of taking off his shoe had already pulled on the needle. Only when he heard her cry of pain did he slow down his movements.

The moment he saw the soles of her feet, his eyes darkened.

It was an embroidery needle, piercing her sock at an angle. Most of the needle was embedded in her skin, with only the length of a finger joint sticking out.

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