Chapter 4 Escape: How many times did he touch you?

As dawn broke, Zhou Ling finally felt satisfied.

He put on his robe and stood up, looking down at the woman curled up in the brocade quilt: "I will spare Gu Zhou's life."

Fangru didn't look up; she only heard the sound of the door opening and closing.

A tear silently seeped into the pillow embroidered with gold thread.

Six months later.

The hottest topic in the capital was the young emperor's infatuation with the Shen family's daughter.

"I heard that His Majesty bestowed another ten bushels of South China Sea pearls upon Consort Chen yesterday..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Miss Lin from the family of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was found with her tongue cut out and hung on her own gate this morning just because she was gossiping about this matter behind people's backs!"

"Good heavens! I saw Miss Lin at the flower viewing party yesterday..."

Amidst the rumors and gossip, Fangru sat gracefully before the dressing table in the Zichen Palace, letting the palace maids do her makeup.

A commotion suddenly arose outside the hall, and Zhou Ling strode in.

"My beloved consort." He leaned down and embraced her from behind, his long fingers tracing her lips. "That gossipy vixen, I have dealt with her." His voice was so gentle it sent chills down one's spine. "Didn't she praise you as 'bewitching the emperor'? I've made sure she'll never be able to speak again."

Fangru trembled, and Zhou Lingxue's eyes were reflected in the bronze mirror.

He picked up the golden scissors on the dressing table and slowly shredded a strand of her hair: "Your reputation, your hair, even a single hair on your head, belongs to me." The shredded hair fell softly from between his fingers. "I don't want to hear a single word of these idle gossips again."

The head palace maid suddenly knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices is kneeling outside the palace gate..."

"Make him kneel." Zhou Ling sneered. "Issue an imperial decree: the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has failed in his duty to educate his daughter; he is to be dismissed and investigated. His daughter's corpse shall be hung at the Vermilion Bird Gate for three days as a warning to others."

Fangru's fingertips felt cold.

Her grudge against Lin Yueyao had a long history. Half a year ago at the Xuanji Banquet, Lin Yueyao publicly mocked her, saying she was "just a second choice for Gu Zhou." Yesterday at the plum blossom banquet, they argued again over the phrase "using one's looks to please others."

Fangru never expected that she would hear the news of Lin Yueyao's execution this morning.

"What? My beloved concubine thinks I handled things improperly?" Zhou Ling's fingers suddenly tightened, pinching her chin painfully.

Fangru lowered her eyelashes, concealing the panic in her eyes: "Your Majesty, I just... feel that Your Majesty need not be angry over such a trivial matter."

Zhou Ling sneered: "In this entire harem, there is nothing more important than my beloved concubine."

He suddenly leaned close to her ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down her spine. "I'd like to see who will dare to say a single word against you in the future."

Suppressed sobbing could be heard from outside the hall; it must be the family of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Fangru clenched her sleeves, remembering Lin Yueyao's favorite jade hairpin, which had shone brightly in the sunlight yesterday when they admired the plum blossoms.

"My beloved concubine is lost in thought." Zhou Ling turned her face away unhappily. "It seems I didn't try hard enough last night?"

Fangru forced a smile, suppressing a sob, and said, "Your Majesty is joking."

Her gaze swept over Zhou Ling's sharp, piercing eyes, and she suddenly felt that all the gold and jade piled up in the hall exuded a bloody aura.

Suddenly, a dull thud came from outside the hall as something heavy fell to the ground.

Through the beaded curtain, Fangru saw the elderly Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices collapse beneath the steps, blood seeping from his forehead staining the white marble steps red.

Zhou Ling laughed and covered her eyes, saying, "It's dirty, don't look."

She instinctively pulled her collar tighter, where red marks from Zhou Ling's kisses from the previous night still remained.

However, only the personal maid knew how many bruises were hidden beneath those gorgeous clothes.

Last night, Zhou Ling went crazy and pinched her waist until it was covered in bruises, just because she unconsciously called out Gu Zhou's name in her sleep.

"Your Majesty, it's time for court," the chief eunuch whispered from outside the door.

Zhou Ling ignored him and instead picked Fangru up in his arms: "The court session is adjourned today. I will personally paint a picture of me searching for plum blossoms in the snow for my beloved consort." He kicked away the eunuch who tried to dissuade him, "Issue my decree: from this day forward, the expenses of the Zichen Palace shall be the same as those of the Empress. Consort Chen shall not kneel before the Emperor, nor has she hasten her steps when entering the court. She may enter the palace with a sword and shoes, and she may not use her name when paying homage."

Such favor is unprecedented since the founding of this dynasty.

Fangru leaned against him, her nails digging deep into her palms. She knew this was nothing more than a golden cage meticulously crafted by the tyrant, and that one day she would escape from it with Gu Zhou.

The opportunity has finally arrived.

As Zhou Ling was about to embark on his inspection tour, Fang Ru leaned against the imperial desk, her fingers gently idly stroking the memorials on it, her eyes sparkling with a hint of languid probing.

"Your Majesty will be gone for half a month, and I will inevitably find it boring in the palace." Her voice was soft, but her fingertips intentionally or unintentionally traced the back of his hand. "How about granting me a token, so that I can occasionally leave the palace to relax?"

Zhou Ling's eyes darkened, and he gripped her wrist with a force that was neither too strong nor too weak, but enough to render her unable to move.

He smiled enigmatically: "My beloved concubine, are you finding the palace too stuffy?"

Fangru met his gaze without flinching, a charming smile playing on her lips: "If Your Majesty is worried, you can certainly send a few guards to follow me." She leaned slightly forward, "Or perhaps... Your Majesty is afraid I'll run away?"

Zhou Ling chuckled softly, then suddenly released her, took a black iron token from his waist, and tossed it into her palm: "I want to see what tricks you can pull."

Three days later, outside the Ministry of Justice prison.

Fangru was dressed in gorgeous clothes, followed by twenty palace maids and ten guards. Her grand procession attracted the attention of passersby.

"The Imperial Concubine Chen has arrived!" The eunuch's shrill voice broke the silence.

The Vice Minister of Justice hurriedly came out to greet her, cold sweat beading on his forehead: "Your Majesty, this place is filthy. How can someone of your noble birth grace this place with their presence?"

Fangru glanced at him indifferently: "I am acting on His Majesty's orders to interrogate the traitor Gu Zhou."

“This…” the Vice Minister hesitated.

She sneered, tapping the token lightly with her fingertips: "What, do I have to ask His Majesty to come and talk to you personally?"

The vice minister's legs went weak, and he immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty, I dare not! Your Majesty, I will go and fetch the man right away!"

The cell door opened.

When Gu Zhou was brought out, he was emaciated, but his eyes remained as bright as ever.

He looked up, and his pupils contracted the instant he saw Fangru.

Fangru suppressed her surging emotions, her face still haughty: "Take him away."

Outside the palace gates.

The carriage was already prepared, and Fangru personally helped Gu Zhou into the carriage.

The carriage curtain fell, and Fangru quickly changed out of her magnificent palace attire and into a simple cloth dress. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she tied the last sash, glancing at the emaciated man in the corner.

"Gu Zhou, let's go." Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

The sound of wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs was particularly clear in the quiet night.

Fangru clenched her sleeves tightly until the outline of the capital city completely disappeared from sight before she dared to breathe a sigh of relief.

A cold wind swirled dust into the carriage, and she subconsciously pulled her clothes tighter. Just a few days ago, she was wearing a palace dress made of silk gauze and walked straight into the imperial study under the watchful eyes of civil and military officials.

At the time, Zhou Ling was discussing matters with the Minister of War. Without even waiting to be announced, she lifted her elaborate skirt and barged in, questioning the Minister in his astonished gaze.

"Your Majesty promised me that you would not torture Gu Zhou!" Her voice was as clear as shattered jade in the solemn imperial study.

The Minister of War was already terrified and his face turned ashen, but Zhou Ling simply raised his hand to signal him to step back.

Once they were alone in the study, Zhou Ling grabbed her wrist tightly, so hard that she frowned. "My beloved concubine, you have quite the nerve." His thumb traced the throbbing veins on her wrist, his tone dangerous yet playful. "For a traitor, you dare to disrupt even my court affairs?"

She raised her head high: "If Your Majesty truly considers me a plaything, then you might as well kill me now!" Before she finished speaking, Zhou Ling suddenly burst into laughter, personally straightening her crooked hairpin: "I love this about you." He whispered, biting her earlobe, "However, Gu Zhou's fate depends on your performance tonight, my beloved consort..."

At that moment, the carriage suddenly jolted, startling Fangru from her reverie.

Gu Zhou leaned weakly against the car wall, the long-awaited sunlight shining through the gap in the curtains onto his face, revealing a pale, paper-like complexion.

The six months of living in the dungeon left too many marks on him; his once smiling peach blossom eyes were now sunken in their sockets and filled with bloodshot veins.

He struggled to raise his hand, his chapped lips trembling slightly: "Fangru..." Before he could finish speaking, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached from afar, shattering the tranquility inside the carriage like a thunderclap.

Fangru's heart sank suddenly.

Her hand trembled slightly as she lifted the carriage curtain. In the distance, dust billowed as a troop of black-armored cavalry galloped toward them like a dark cloud pressing down.

The black banner embroidered with golden dragon patterns fluttered in the wind; it belonged to the Imperial Guard!

"Don't be afraid," she said, forcing herself to remain calm as she lowered the carriage curtain, turned around and grasped Gu Zhou's trembling hand, her voice soft yet firm, "There's an inn not far ahead, let's hide here for a while."

Gu Zhou didn't speak, he just nodded.

The dilapidated lintel of the mountain inn was faintly visible in the twilight.

Fangru breathed a sigh of relief, but the next moment she heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance. Her heart clenched, and she pulled Gu Zhou to quicken her pace.

"Hurry up and come in!" She pushed open the door, and a musty smell mixed with the stench of cheap liquor hit her.

There were only a few guests in the inn, and the innkeeper, an old man with a wrinkled face, was dozing off.

"One room, the innermost one," Fangru said in a low voice, taking a piece of silver from her sleeve and placing it on the counter.

The old shopkeeper's cloudy eyes lit up for a moment when he saw the silver, but then he returned to his drowsy state and slowly took out a key.

The stairs creaked as Fangru helped Gu Zhou upstairs, feeling his weight leaning more and more against her.

After entering the room, Gu Zhou finally couldn't hold on any longer and staggered onto the simple wooden bed.

"Let me see your injury." Fangru leaned closer anxiously, her fingers trembling as she unbuttoned Gu Zhou's clothes.

When the crisscrossing whip marks and branding appeared on her chest, she could no longer hold back her tears, which rolled down her cheeks in large drops.

"Don't cry..." Gu Zhou raised his hand to wipe away her tears, but his hand fell limply halfway down. "It's not worth it."

These words pierced Fangru's heart like a knife.

She knew what Gu Zhou was referring to. For the past six months, she had been living a life of luxury as Zhou Ling's favorite concubine, while he had been suffering torture in the dungeon.

"I'll go get some hot water." Fangru turned around hurriedly, afraid that he would see her broken expression.

In the kitchen, she boiled water while listening intently to the sounds outside.

The sound of horses' hooves seemed to have faded into the distance, but she dared not let her guard down. Zhou Ling's Imperial Guards were omnipresent, especially that Li Zuo, who was notoriously ruthless and merciless.

Amidst the misty steam, the nightmarish trial from six months ago resurfaced before my eyes.

In the dark torture chamber, Gu Zhou was chained and kneeling on the ground, his prison clothes stained with blood.

Zhou Linggao sat on the dragon throne and suddenly pulled her onto his lap.

She still remembers the way Gu Zhou suddenly looked up; his eyes, which always looked at her gently, were bloodshot, and his neck, with its bulging veins, bore the marks of a shackle.

"Fangru!"

Gu Zhou's hoarse shouts still seemed to echo in my ears.

She bit her lip tightly, and even when she tasted blood, she dared not cry out, fearing that her tears would become another knife stabbing Gu Zhou.

"Young lady, the water's boiling." The old shopkeeper's voice pulled her back to reality.

Fangru closed her eyes, forcibly suppressing those images.

Now is not the time for reminiscing; Gu Zhou still needs her.

Fangru thanked the old man and carried the hot water back to her room. Gu Zhou was already half-sitting up, leaning against the wall, staring blankly at the darkening sky outside the window.

"Let me clean your wounds." Fangru dampened a cloth and carefully wiped his wounds. Every scar tore at her heart.

The only sounds in the room were the rustling of a towel against skin and the soft patter of water droplets falling into a basin.

Fangru could feel Gu Zhou's gaze on her, a gaze filled with emotions she couldn't decipher.

“You’ve become more beautiful,” Gu Zhou suddenly said.

Fangru paused for a moment.

She was aware of the changes: the glamorous clothes and jewelry, the exquisite makeup—all imposed upon her by Zhou Ling. She loathed these changes, yet had no choice but to accept them, all in preparation for an opportunity like today.

"Don't say that," she replied softly, continuing with her work.

Gu Zhou suddenly grabbed her wrist. "How many times has he touched you?" His voice was deep and dangerous, and his eyes burned with a fury she had never seen before.

Fangru's heart skipped a beat. "Gu Zhou, this isn't the time to talk about this..."

"Answer me!" he suddenly raised his voice, then arched his back in pain as the movement aggravated his wound.

"Are you crazy? There might be pursuers outside!" Fangru said urgently in a low voice, trying to break free from his grasp.

Gu Zhou, however, stared at her stubbornly as if he hadn't heard her: "My fiancée was slept with by that tyrant for half a year. Don't I have the right to know?"

These words were like a slap in the face to Fangru.

She felt dizzy, and all the grievances, fears, and humiliations of the past six months surged into her heart.

"Do you think I wanted this?" Her voice trembled. "Every day I think about how to get you out, I..."

"So you're going to please him with your body?" Gu Zhou sneered. "What a brilliant plan."

Fangru could no longer hold back and slapped him across the face.

The crisp sound was particularly jarring in the small room. Gu Zhou's face turned to one side, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Do you think I've had an easy six months?" Fangru's tears welled up. "Every time he touched me, I wanted to die! But I couldn't, because I knew you were still alive, and I had to save you!"

Gu Zhou raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking at her with a complicated expression: "Then why didn't you die with him? Why did you choose to live and suffer this humiliation?"

"Because I want to see you!" Fangru almost shouted, then covered her mouth in horror. But it was too late.

A commotion arose downstairs, followed by heavy footsteps.

Fangru's face turned deathly pale instantly; someone was coming up.

Gu Zhou also realized the danger and struggled to stand up, but fell back onto the bed due to the severity of his injuries.

Fangru quickly looked around. The room was so small that there was nowhere to hide, and the only window overlooked a steep cliff.

"Hide under the bed!" Gu Zhou said urgently.

Just as Ke Fangru bent down, the door was kicked open violently.

Several burly men dressed in Imperial Guard uniforms rushed in. The leader was Li Zuo, Zhou Ling's most trusted henchman, a cold-blooded man with a scar on his face.

"As expected, they're here." Li Zuo sneered, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Fang Ru and Gu Zhou. "Consort Chen, His Majesty has treated you well, and this is how you repay him?"

Fangru straightened her back and stood in front of Gu Zhou: "Commander Li, let us go, and I can give you enough gold and silver..."

Li Zuo laughed loudly, "Your Majesty is joking. Do you think I would betray His Majesty?" His smile suddenly vanished, and his eyes turned sinister. "Take them down!"

Two soldiers stepped forward, and Fangru struggled fiercely but was easily subdued. Gu Zhou roared and lunged at Li Zuo, but was kicked in the chest and slammed heavily against the wall.

"Gu Zhou!" Fangru screamed as she saw blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Li Zuo drew his sword: "His Majesty only said he would take the Empress back, but he didn't say how he would deal with you, you traitor."

Gu Zhou struggled to his feet, his eyes burning with an indomitable spirit: "Come on, kill me! But let her go!"

"Gu Zhou, no!" Fang Ru cried out, but was held firmly down by the soldiers.

Li Zuo grinned maliciously as he raised his knife: "How touching. What a pity..."

As the blade flashed, Fangru's world froze in that instant.

She saw Gu Zhou's pupils dilate, saw him slowly fall, and saw the blood blooming on his chest staining his coarse cloth clothes red.

"No!" Her scream was heart-wrenching as she struggled to lunge at Gu Zhou, only to be roughly pulled back.

Li Zuo wiped the blood off his knife and coldly ordered, "Take the Empress away and throw her body off the cliff."

Fangru was dragged out of the room, and the last thing she saw was Gu Zhou's slightly open eyes, in which there was still lingering affection for her.

Her consciousness began to blur, and all she could hear was her own broken sobs and the howling wind outside the window.

Before long, Fangru was shoved into the carriage.

In the struggle, the string of purple jade prayer beads on her wrist suddenly broke, and the crystal beads rolled onto the scarlet carpet like a string of bloody teardrops.

The carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, and a cold wind mixed with snowflakes rushed into the carriage.

Zhou Ling rode a black warhorse and blocked the carriage, his dragon-patterned cloak covered with snowflakes.

He leaned closer to the car window.

"Why should my beloved concubine be so heartbroken over a faithless man?" A deep voice, carrying a warm breath, brushed past her ear, and long, slender fingers suddenly pinched her chin. "Gu Zhou has been keeping a mistress outside for a long time, and even the child is already running away."

Fangru abruptly turned her face away: "You're talking nonsense!" Her voice was hoarse and her nails dug deep into her palms, but she felt no pain.

Instead of getting angry, Zhou Ling laughed and slowly took out a yellowed letter from his pocket and threw it into her arms: "Take a good look and see what kind of person your beloved is."

The moment the letter was unfolded, Fangru's breath caught in her throat.

It was indeed Gu Zhou's handwriting, filled with tender affection for "A Yuan," and at the end was a childish little figure with the words "Our child" written next to it. In the ink smudges, traces of tears could be faintly seen.

“This is impossible…” She trembled all over and suddenly grabbed a Buddhist rosary that had rolled under the seat.

The purple jade beads, stained with her lipstick, shimmered with an eerie pink light on her fingertips.

Zhou Ling's pupils contracted sharply. Before she could stop her, she saw her tilt her head back and swallow the Buddhist beads.

"Fangru!" The tyrant's roar shook the snow off the eaves of the carriage.

He practically leaped from his horse into the carriage, the armor colliding with it and causing the carriage to shake violently.

His burning hot hands forcefully pried open her teeth, his knuckles roughly churning her throat: "Spit it out! I command you to spit it out!"

A sharp pain shot through her throat, but Fangru smiled.

Finally... finally I can...

"Girl? Girl?"

A clear female voice startled her awake. Fangru opened her eyes abruptly and found herself standing before the jade steps of the Prefectural Governor's Mansion.

The maid beside her looked at her with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong, young lady? Are you feeling unwell?"

The sounds of string and wind instruments rose and fell in my ears.

Fangru looked down at herself. Her light blue brocade dress was embroidered with apricot blossoms of early spring, and the string of purple jade prayer beads on her wrist was perfectly intact and gleamed with a strange luster.

Suddenly, a clear, cheerful laugh rang in my ears: "I heard that His Majesty will be attending the Xuanji Banquet tonight. I wonder which of the sisters will be fortunate enough to have that honor..."

The air was filled with the fragrance of fine clothes and the rustling of hair, as noble ladies from various mansions strolled in twos and threes.

Some people were nervously arranging their hairpins and rings, some were whispering about the Empress's beauty, and others were secretly hiding sachets embroidered with their maiden names in their sleeves.

Fangru stared blankly at everything, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the string of purple jade prayer beads on her wrist. The warm touch reminded her that this was not a dream.

"Why is Miss Chen still here?" came the urging voice from behind. "The banquet is about to begin."

Fangru took a deep breath and looked up at the brightly lit palace. Through the swaying beaded curtain, she could vaguely see the familiar figure on the dragon throne.

It was Zhou Ling! Her heart skipped a beat, and memories of her past life flooded back like a tide.

It was after this banquet that she was forced to enter the palace as a concubine!

She had somehow returned to that fateful night six months earlier!

In the distance, the vermilion gate of the courtyard was wide open, and the lights illuminated the night as if it were daytime.

"In this life, I will never let tragedy repeat itself." Fangru clenched her sleeves and, as she stepped into the palace, looked resolutely in the direction where Zhou Ling was.

A note from the author:

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