Chapter 272 Dead
Liu Ruolan's face instantly turned extremely ugly!
She always thought that Chu Jichen was a person that the noble ladies in the capital avoided at all costs because of his disability and inability to have sex. Therefore, that bitch Shen Qingci was able to so easily pick up such a huge advantage!
But who could have imagined...
It turned out to be Chu Jichen, who had long been in love with her?
But on what basis?
What exactly makes Shen Qingci so special?
Huo Yunting seemed to see through her ridiculous resentment and couldn't help but sneer, his laughter filled with endless contempt and disdain.
“You have always thought highly of yourself,” he said, looking at her with the same gaze he would give a frog in a well. “You would never know that even when His Majesty was the regent and his reputation was ruined, how many noble ladies in the capital were eager to marry him.”
“That’s… the Regent.” His voice carried a hint of sarcastic meaning. “The Regent, second only to the Emperor.”
“It’s not that he can’t marry, but…” His eyes were filled with coldness and indifference, “He simply doesn’t want to marry.”
“And also,” he looked at her, his voice icy cold, “do you know that I… returned to the capital not long after the incident?”
"Even earlier than that good-for-nothing Huo Yunzhan, he impersonated me to escort the coffin back to the mansion."
"During this time, I have been lying in the shadows, and I have seen you... clearly and thoroughly."
"You are selfish and vain. For the sake of power, you did not hesitate to share a bed with the man who killed your husband. You are jealous by nature and narrow-minded. You cannot tolerate anyone being better off than you, so you plotted and killed him."
“Someone like you,” his voice was filled with endless disgust, “is only willing to take on this job because of your decent background, that good-for-nothing Huo Yunzhan.”
“If you weren’t Liu Wenyuan’s daughter, with all the stupid things you’ve done, you would probably have died countless times by now.”
"You probably don't know, do you? What is the public's opinion of you in this capital city? And what is their opinion of the Empress?"
"You really think," a cruel smile played on his lips, "that someone could truly love you?"
"No! Impossible!" Liu Ruolan could no longer restrain herself and suddenly scrambled to her feet, appearing as if she had gone mad!
"What you're saying is all lies! You're all deceiving me! I don't believe you!"
Her eyes were bloodshot, and once again, she lunged straight at Huo Yunting!
"And you?" she screamed hysterically. "You married me! We were husband and wife for two years! Don't you... don't you really have even the slightest bit of affection for me?"
Huo Yunting looked at her, but his unfathomable eyes held only a cold, despairing indifference.
He looked at her with a half-smile, his voice as flat as if he were stating something completely unrelated to himself.
"Before the late emperor passed away, he secretly summoned me."
"He told me that Liu Wenyuan has great ambitions and is very likely to become a major threat to our Great Zhou."
"He ordered me to do everything in my power to protect the Chu family's empire."
"I racked my brains, but I couldn't think of a better way to get close to him and find out his background."
"Then I had no choice but to..." A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes, "...marry you."
"The reason you were so eager to have Huo Yunzhan replace me, and immediately made love to him and demanded everything from him after he returned, wasn't it because... I was too cold to you in bed?"
“You always think that I’m just not naturally enthusiastic about that kind of thing.”
“But,” his voice suddenly turned cold, filled with deadly cruelty, “that is not the case.”
"I... I'm just not enthusiastic about you."
“You probably don’t know,” he looked at her, his eyes filled with endless disgust, “that if a man is even repulsed by a woman’s body, that’s enough to show just how much he… dislikes her.”
These words, like the last straw, completely crushed all of Liu Ruolan's pride and illusions!
"ah--!"
She screamed, unable to contain herself any longer! She grabbed the heavy bronze lamp on the table and, without thinking, smashed it hard against Huo Yunting's head!
A chilling killing intent flashed in Huo Yunting's eyes!
He stopped dodging!
"bass--!"
The longsword was drawn, its cold light flashing!
Before Liu Ruolan's incredulous gaze, the gleaming sword mercilessly pierced her lower abdomen!
"Pfft—!"
Fresh blood gushed out instantly!
Liu Ruolan lowered her head in disbelief, looking at the sword that was halfway into her abdomen, then slowly raised her head to look at the man who had sent her to hell with his own hands.
Those eyes, which had long lost all their former luster, were filled with endless shock and resentment.
Huo Yunting, however, had already drawn his sword without any expression on his face!
He let the lifeless body fall heavily to the ground like a rag doll.
Then, he slowly turned around and faced directly out the window. With a "thump," he knelt down on one knee!
"Your Majesty!" His voice was loud and respectful, "The traitor's daughter, Lady Liu, has acted presumptuously before Your Majesty and even plotted to harm this humble general!"
"To save myself, this humble general has no choice but to take action!"
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Chu Jichen glanced indifferently at Liu Ruolan, who was already lifeless on the ground, before his gaze slowly fell on Huo Yunting, who was kneeling on one knee.
He smiled, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger: "Liu Ruolan plotted to harm the general, and the Empress and I... witnessed it with our own eyes."
"The general was merely trying to protect himself; what crime has he committed?"
As he spoke, he casually waved his hand at Yuanbao behind him: "Take the person away and clean them up."
"Yes." Yuanbao responded, and immediately two guards stepped forward and, like dragging a dead dog, silently dragged away Liu Ruolan's still warm body.
Chu Jichen then looked at Huo Yunting and said in a calm voice, "The Empress and I will return to the palace first."
Having said that, he said no more, took Shen Qingci's hand, and left the courtyard together, which had long been soaked in blood and scheming.
Once back in the carriage that had been waiting outside, Shen Qingci finally couldn't hold back any longer. She lowered her voice and asked urgently, "Was Liu Ruolan disguised just now? Was it real or fake? Is she really dead?"
Chu Jichen responded softly, his voice completely calm: "She is not disguised; it is the real Liu Ruolan."
"Dead."
Shen Qingci's gaze deepened instantly.
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