Chapter 47 Protecting her, her life is mine.

The darkness of the imperial prison seemed to have a weight, pressing heavily on Fangru's eyelids and dragging her into an endless nightmare.

She dreamt that she was bound and gagged at the execution ground, with Zhou Ling sitting high on the execution platform. His phoenix eyes, which once held a playful and teasing air, now held only an icy hatred and the cold-blooded ruthlessness of an emperor.

He personally threw down the burning warrant, his voice resolute: "The traitor Shen Fangru, colluding with the Baiyang Society, attempted to assassinate the King. The evidence is conclusive. She shall be executed by slow slicing, immediately!"

The cold blade touched the skin, but before the excruciating pain could even begin, the scene abruptly changed.

She saw her father, Shen Wenzheng, stripped of his official robes, wearing heavy shackles, staggering towards the execution ground amidst the scorn and curses of countless people.

The accusation of "failing to properly educate his daughter and colluding with traitors!" was like a brand etched onto his aged back.

He glanced back, his eyes filled not with blame, but with endless sorrow and reluctance. Then, the executioner's blade swung down... and blood stained her vision.

"No! Father!!" she screamed, but no sound came out.

The scene then shifts to Li Shuo, the cousin, who is accused and ostracized by his colleagues in the Ministry of Personnel. He is eventually imprisoned on charges of "being a relative of a rebel party and colluding with others to commit evil," where he suffers endless torture and hastily ends his life.

The once bright and gentle young man has been reduced to a cold corpse.

She floated in the air like a rootless duckweed, watching helplessly as all her loved ones died tragically because of her, her reputation was ruined, and her family was destroyed!

She wanted to grab onto something, to rush forward, but her body passed right through everything, powerless.

That string of Buddhist prayer beads!

Without her Buddhist prayer beads, she could not be reborn!

This death is the end! An end that will bring utter destruction to me and my family!

"ah!"

Fangru suddenly sat up on the straw mat, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst her chest.

Cold sweat soaked through her thin clothes, and the icy touch made her clearly realize that everything that had just happened was a dream, but it might also be a reality that was about to happen!

Without the Buddhist prayer beads... if I die this time, it's truly the end!

Her father, her cousin... they will all be implicated and die because of her!

Endless regret burned through her internal organs like poisonous flames.

yesterday!

Why did she hesitate in that dark interrogation room at Baiyang Society yesterday?

When Zhou Ling was weakly bound there, she should have killed him the moment she had the chance to get her hands on that sharp instrument of torture! That would have ended it all!

Why was I disturbed by his flippant remark before he killed me, "To die under the peony flower is to die a romantic death"?

Why do we still harbor a ridiculous illusion that we can control the situation?

Killing him might still implicate her in the White Sun Society's conspiracy, but at least it wouldn't push her and her family to the brink like it is now!

Zhou Ling's unfocused pupils once clearly reflected the image of her holding a sharp weapon. The marks left by her torture still remain on his pale skin. The excruciating pain that teetered on the edge of life and death was all caused by her!

If he were to wake up and recall the coldness of the instruments of torture she held, the excruciating pain of her torn flesh… how could the mighty emperor be so humiliated by a mere subject? Where was his imperial power? How could he possibly forgive her? How could he possibly spare the entire Shen family?

Death by a thousand cuts, and the extermination of nine generations of their family!

Just thinking about my father's gray head rolling to the execution ground, and my cousin's thin body hanging on the city wall as a warning...

Fangru trembled all over, her clothes soaked with cold sweat. Fear felt like countless needles piercing her bone marrow, and even her breath tasted bloody.

She bit her lip hard, tasting the salty bitterness of blood, but she couldn't suppress the despair churning in her throat.

But... but before he fainted yesterday, his eyes, though weak, didn't seem to hold much hatred; instead, they seemed to have a... playful quality.

Even that teasing remark seemed strange and abrupt in that situation.

Did he... not really want her to die?

Or perhaps he has ulterior motives?

This faint, almost non-existent possibility, like the only glimmer of light in the darkness, tempted her to grasp it.

If... if she saw him, and immediately admitted her mistakes, took all the blame upon herself, tried her best to distance herself from her father, and emphasized the threat of the Baiyang Society, would he... perhaps show leniency because of their past ambiguous "intersection"?

Admit your mistake?

beg for mercy?

To grovel before him?

Thinking of his seemingly lazy but unfathomable face, Fangru felt a surge of humiliation and struggle.

This is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin!

Just as she was in a state of utter confusion, violently oscillating between the two extreme thoughts of "a desperate assassination" and "begging for mercy in humiliation to save her family,"

The sudden sound of the heavy iron gate being opened interrupted her thoughts.

A eunuch, accompanied by a jailer, stood outside the cell door. His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly throughout the deathly silent cell:

"Shen Fangru, His Majesty has awakened and summons you for an immediate audience."

It's here!

Fangru's heart leaped into her throat, her blood seemed to rush to her head and then suddenly drop back down, leaving her limbs icy cold.

He woke up! The moment that would decide his fate had arrived!

Her mind was in turmoil, but she had no choice but to keep moving forward.

When she sees Zhou Ling later, if the string of Buddhist beads that is crucial to her life is still in his hands, should she rush up and snatch it without hesitation, risking her last chance of survival? Or should she suppress all her resentment, kneel down and beg for mercy, hoping that he might still have a little bit of pity in his heart?

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the metallic taste in her throat and the trembling in her body, her nails digging deep into her palms, using the pain to keep herself as conscious as possible.

She glanced at the dark, damp prison walls and could almost see the despair in her father's and cousin's eyes.

Ultimately, concern for the safety of his family overcame everything else.

She straightened her disheveled clothes and messy hair, though to little avail.

She couldn't panic, at least not appear completely broken down in front of him.

"This sinful woman... obeys the decree."

The heavy palace doors slammed shut behind us, echoing with a dull thud.

Fangru was almost numbly led by the eunuch into the emperor's bedroom.

The heavy smell of medicine mingled with the fragrance of ambergris. The palace servants held their breath and remained silent, while the imperial physicians stood with their heads bowed, creating a depressing and deathly still atmosphere.

Her gaze passed through the beaded curtain and landed on the dragon bed. Zhou Ling leaned against the bright yellow soft pillow, his face as pale as paper, the bandage on his chest seeping dark red. But his deep eyes were as sharp as ever, locked on her without blinking. Inside, there was the rage of someone who had survived a calamity, the fury of an emperor, and... a chilling, almost obsessive possessiveness and an imperceptible anxiety.

Beside the dragon throne, Li, the Grand Secretary, the Minister of Justice, and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, several of the most powerful officials in the court, were prominently displayed.

Unbeknownst to her, this was the first order Zhou Ling issued after waking up, despite the imperial physician's advice: he wanted to immediately summon the key officials presiding over the case and interrogate Shen Fangru.

He knew that this case had far-reaching implications, that the remnants of the Baiyang Society had not been eliminated, and that there were undercurrents in the court. If he could not place Fangru under his wing with absolute authority while he was still sober, then once he was seriously injured and unable to hold on, or if there was any delay, what awaited her and Shen Wenzheng would be the iron fist of the "national law" upheld by Grand Secretary Li and others, and a swift conviction and execution.

He had to personally intervene and resolve the situation quickly.

Fangru's heart felt clenched by an invisible hand, and almost instinctively, she fell heavily to her knees with a thud, her forehead striking the cold gold bricks.

"Your Majesty! This sinful woman deserves to die ten thousand times! Colluding with traitors and disturbing Your Majesty's presence are all my fault! I am willing to suffer the most severe punishment; death is not a pity! I only beg Your Majesty to have mercy and forgive my father! He knows nothing of this and is old; I beg Your Majesty..."

"We beg Your Majesty to administer the full punishment!"

Grand Secretary Li, his beard and hair trembling slightly, stepped forward, bowed, and spoke with a resounding tone.

He keenly sensed that the emperor's attitude might be biased and that he had to immediately set the tone firmly: "The evidence against Lady Shen is irrefutable. She and her fiancé, Gu Zhou, are both members of the Baiyang Society, conspiring from within and without to assassinate the emperor. This is an unforgivable crime! According to the law, she should be executed by slow slicing. Shen Wenzheng failed to properly educate his daughter and allowed her to commit this heinous act. He should also be held accountable as a warning to others! Your Majesty must not, out of momentary compassion, let the tiger return to the mountain and chill the hearts of loyal ministers throughout the land!"

As Fangru listened to Grand Secretary Li's scathing accusations, her heart sank to the bottom.

She understood that this was the normal procedure, this was the ending she was supposed to face. She could almost see herself and her father covered in blood on the execution ground.

"I second that!" The Minister of Justice followed closely. "Your Majesty, the chain of evidence in this case is nearly complete. The Shen family has deep ties with the rebels and cannot be spared!"

Another death warrant!

Fangru's fingers curled slightly as she lay on the ground, despair spreading like ice water. She knew she couldn't escape her guilt, and only prayed that her father could have a sliver of hope.

As Zhou Ling listened to these righteous and stern words of advice, his heart turned cold. This was the obstacle he had to face.

He summoned them not to hear their judgment of Fangru, but to exercise his supreme authority as emperor in front of them and forcibly pull her out of this certain death situation!

He coughed violently, a trickle of blood oozing from his lips, startling the imperial physician who rushed forward, but was stopped by a single look from him.

He was panting, his gaze fixed on Fangru, his eyes filled with turbulent darkness and unwavering determination.

"Her life..." Zhou Ling's voice was hoarse and weak, yet it carried a resolute madness, "It belongs to me."

He suddenly looked at the several high-ranking officials, his eyes filled with a sinister and terrifying light: "I'm not dead yet! It's not your place to tell me what to do!"

This statement not only demonstrates the emperor's arrogance but also clearly declares that the decision-making power in this matter rests solely with him, brooking no dissent from others, and is intended to completely interrupt all subsequent legal proceedings.

Fangru's heart skipped a beat.

Was he... was he forcibly interrupting the ministers' discussion of the charges? Why would he do that? Could it be...?

"Your Majesty!" Grand Secretary Li cried out in anguish, "This woman harbors malicious intentions, and yesterday... yesterday she even acted disrespectfully towards Your Majesty! Keeping her will surely become a great calamity, Your Majesty!" He tried to use Fangru's "disrespect" from yesterday to once again sting the emperor's dignity, hoping to change the emperor's mind.

Fangru's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

This was her most fatal incriminating evidence, and the reason she was certain Zhou Ling would never let her go. For Grand Secretary Li to bring it up now was tantamount to pushing her into an abyss.

"My empire," Zhou Ling said, each word laced with bloodlust, "I will protect it myself!" He stared intently at Fangru, like a dying beast guarding its only treasure. "Shen Fangru, listen to me..."

Each word he uttered seemed to expend immense energy; his breath grew weaker, yet his eyes shone with an astonishing light, carrying an undeniable possessiveness, and also his only means of protection:

"From this day forward, your life belongs to me. Without my permission, you do not even have the right to die."

Ignoring the astonishment of the entire hall, he proclaimed his decree, which was also his protection:

"I hereby pardon Shen Wenzheng and reinstate him to his original position."

This was to eliminate any possibility of collateral damage, completely protect her family, and ensure she had no worries about the future.

Father...is he saved?

Fangru suddenly looked up, staring incredulously at the man on the dragon bed, whose breath was faint yet whose voice was firm.

The immense shock momentarily robbed her of her ability to think.

Not only did he not execute her immediately, but he also pardoned her father? This was completely beyond her expectations and even overturned her perception of Zhou Ling as a cold-blooded tyrant.

“But,” Zhou Ling’s lips curled into an almost cruel smile, his gaze burning as if he wanted to brand her through, or to imprison her firmly within his protective sphere, “you, Shen Fangru, will remain in the palace. Remain under my watchful eye. With the rest of your days, inch by inch, you will atone for your sins.”

Only in this way could he ensure her safety and make sure that no one could harm her in the slightest.

To stay in the palace? To atone for one's sins?

Fangru's heart clenched again.

Looking at his frail, barely-there demeanor, and recalling his unwavering interruption of the minister, a vague yet startling thought surfaced in her mind: Was he doing all this to... protect her?

"Your Majesty! Please reconsider!"

The ministers exclaimed in surprise. They understood the emperor's determination, but found it difficult to accept such a decision that defied the law.

Listening to the ministers' impassioned dissuasion, Fangru realized even more clearly that if it weren't for Zhou Ling's forceful and almost tyrannical intervention, she and her father would probably have been convicted by now.

He was using his imperial power to defy the laws and pressures of the entire court.

Zhou Ling seemed to have exhausted his last bit of strength, and suddenly fell backward, coughing up blood incessantly. His face turned ashen, his eyes glazed over, and he fell into a coma again.

He used his severely injured body to put on this powerful act of protection, silencing everyone.

"Your Majesty! Quick! Administer acupuncture!" The imperial physicians were in a state of chaos.

Fangru knelt there blankly, her body ice-cold, her mind in turmoil.

Her father was saved and reinstated... but she was locked in a golden cage beside him in the most extreme way by this capricious and possessive dragon.

Is this punishment, or the most obsessive protection he can offer? The thought of him protecting her, like a stone thrown into an icy lake, stirred up ripples, giving rise to an indescribable complex emotion amidst her boundless fear and despair.

The guards stepped forward; it was no longer an escort, but it was even more suffocating than an escort.

She glanced one last time at the man who had struggled to stay awake to save her, before falling into a coma again. A chill ran through her as she felt a strange shock, which coalesced into a deeper sense of bewilderment and helplessness.