Chapter 66 Unbridled Humiliation "What a pity, only I can treat people like this..."
Gu Xi didn't know how she got out of the Qianqing Palace. Her steps were so unsteady that she could barely walk if Zhu Yin hadn't been supporting her.
His mocking and disdainful gaze left a void in her heart, rendering her speechless.
She didn't know what had happened, why he was suddenly treating her like this.
Gu Xi returned to Weiyang Palace, and when she opened the door, she found someone waiting there.
"Yao Yao?!" she exclaimed, then quickly closed the door.
Yu Xinyao suddenly stood up, her voice clear and bright: "Little girl, you're finally back!"
Gu Xi pulled her down to sit, and asked in a low voice, "Yao Yao, how did you end up in the palace?"
Yu Xinyao explained, "Xiao Che and Consort Xu returned to the capital yesterday. I found Xiao Che and had Consort Xu bring me in." She hesitated, "I..."
Gu Xi asked with a worried expression, "Yao Yao, did you come because of Lord Bai's matter?"
"Yes." Yu Xinyao nodded solemnly.
"What exactly happened? Tell me." Gu Xi held her hand, trying to comfort her.
She never expected that the first time the two met after Yao Yao's marriage would be under such circumstances.
Yu Xinyao frowned: "I don't really know the specifics. The person was suddenly arrested and accused of... treason."
She hesitated for a moment and said, "He couldn't possibly have betrayed the country, but the Emperor sentenced him to death by a thousand cuts without even investigating." Bai Xingzhi didn't refute her at all.
"Lingchi?!" Gu Xi was speechless with shock.
Lingchi, or slow slicing, is a form of torture that involves cutting someone into a thousand pieces until death; it is an extremely cruel form of punishment.
She thought that even if Bai Xingzhi was a heinous criminal, Xiao Heng would show mercy out of consideration for his years of help. She never expected that he wouldn't even leave her with a whole body.
“Hmm,” Yu Xinyao lowered her eyes, “People outside are saying… the Emperor has wanted to kill him for a long time.” She took out some papers and letters from her bosom, “These are the evidence that Steward Bai gave me, but I can’t present them to the Emperor now.” Someone mentioned it in court today, but the Emperor rejected it.
Yu Xinyao suddenly looked up, her eyes shining as she looked at Gu Xi: "Little girl, only you can save him now."
“Me?!” Gu Xi’s voice rose slightly.
“Hmm,” Yu Xinyao nodded, “Maybe he will listen to you.”
During the inspection tour, she could tell that Xiao Heng treated Gu Xi well, and she also knew about the news that Gu Xi was favored in the palace.
Moreover, Butler Bai also told her to come to her, perhaps thinking that she could be of help.
“Okay, I’ll give it a try.” Gu Xi nodded solemnly.
She didn't dare tell Yu Xinyao that there seemed to be a problem between her and Xiao Heng, and that he might not listen to her.
But she was willing to give it a try, not only for Yao Yao, but also for Bai Xingzhi, whom she genuinely considered a friend.
Moreover, he had helped and saved her many times, and even just for these favors, she was determined to give it her all.
Before long, Consort Xu's men came and took Yu Xinyao away. Gu Xi was really worried about her, so she gave her some careful instructions before leaving.
After everyone left, Gu Xi led Zhu Yin out the door, preparing to go to the Qianqing Palace to find Xiao Heng again.
When they arrived at the Qianqing Palace, they found that Xiao Heng was not there. After inquiring, they learned that he had gone to the prison, so she hurriedly pulled Zhu Yin along to go there.
Standing in front of the cell, she couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive when she thought about the last time she was here, which was because of Mu Yunqi.
She raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead. After this poisoning, her body was severely weakened. She walked back and forth several times, and even in this cold weather, she was still covered in sweat.
She swallowed hard and walked into the cell.
This time, no one stopped her. Thanks to Xiao Heng's unbridled favor a while ago, everyone treated her with utmost respect, and she easily entered.
The prison was still filled with that heavy smell of decay and blood, which made her throat tight. The image of Mu Yunqi being beaten to a bloody pulp involuntarily flashed through her mind, and she subconsciously clenched her fists.
She walked through the dark passage and arrived at the place where Bai Xingzhi was imprisoned, where she immediately saw that familiar bright yellow figure.
Xiao Heng was standing in front of the Xuan Tie prison gate, with his back to her. He didn't turn around when he heard footsteps, as if he had expected her to come here, or as if he was waiting for her here.
Gu Xi felt a pang of sadness when she recalled the cold look in his eyes that day. She called out weakly, "Aheng..." in a low voice.
Seeing that he still did not turn around, Gu Xi quickly walked around to Xiao Heng's front and looked down to see Bai Xingzhi who was being held captive.
He leaned against the mottled wall, wearing prison clothes stained with dark brown dirt. A few strands of hair fell down his forehead. Although he was not as dashing as usual, he did not look disheveled either.
Despite the circumstances, he remained composed, as if he were in his own private courtyard rather than a prison cell.
Bai Xingzhi heard Gu Xi's voice, glanced at her briefly, and then lowered his eyes again.
Gu Xi asked with concern, "Lord Bai, are you alright?"
Bai Xingzhi maintained a calm smile on his face, his tone as gentle as usual in casual conversation: "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Consort Gu..."
Gu Xi glanced at him with concern, then turned to face Xiao Heng, and looked up to meet his deep eyes.
He remained silent throughout, staring intently at her as she tenderly and gently cared for another man in front of him.
His whole body was tense, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, the pain in his palms barely suppressing the surging anger in his heart.
Gu Xi was startled by the chill emanating from him. She clenched her fists and carefully spoke, "Aheng, I know that the harem cannot interfere in politics... but there are many doubts about this case. Can we reopen the trial?"
Yao Yao told her about the so-called evidence of treason, which was full of doubts. She also mentioned the letters found that were related to treason. She said that as long as the handwriting was carefully compared, the authenticity could be determined.
Xiao Heng scoffed: "Since you know that the harem cannot interfere in politics, why do you still insist on saying this, disregarding etiquette?"
She has always been a person who follows the rules. He asked her to move to the Qianqing Palace, but she refused no matter what. If he hadn't forced her, she would never have stepped into the Qianqing Palace's bedroom.
He said he would exempt her from the morning and evening greetings, but she still dared not neglect them, secretly going to Xue Huixin's place to pay her respects every day. Now, however, she disregarded this etiquette for Bai Xingzhi.
"I...I'm just worried that if he's been wronged, wouldn't we be missing out on a good minister?" Gu Xi explained.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Heng scoffed, "Missing a good minister? What if I told you that regardless of whether he colluded with the enemy or not, I would still want to kill him!" His voice suddenly rose, filled with undisguised ruthlessness and a maddening jealousy.
"Why?" Gu Xi looked at him in disbelief. Was it really as they said, that after bringing down the Empress Dowager, he would discard Bai Xingzhi like a used tool? If that were true...
"Aheng, can you please let him go?" Gu Xi pleaded.
Xiao Heng glanced at her contemptuously: "Why should I let him go?"
Gu Xi was stung by his gaze, but she suppressed her sadness and continued to plead, "Just for Yao Yao's sake, okay?"
Yao Yao had indeed rendered meritorious service in protecting the emperor, and she was also the daughter of Grand Tutor Yu, who was Xiao Heng's teacher.
Xiao Heng sneered, "Are you doing this for Yu Xinyao, or for yourself?!" The anger in his dark eyes seemed ready to burst forth at any moment.
Gu Xi was taken aback: "What do you mean by this?"
Xiao Heng cornered her step by step, sneering, "You don't know what I mean?"
Gu Xi's body was pressed against the wall, her sweat-soaked clothes sticking to her back. The chill emanating from the stone wall made her shiver and shrink her shoulders.
She shook her head blankly.
Xiao Heng's gaze was like ice, and he stared at her sweat-dampened temples as he asked, "Did you go to see him before entering the palace?"
Gu Xitong's pupils suddenly contracted. How did he know that he had gone to see Bai Xingzhi?
Xiao Heng suddenly raised his hand and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him. He gritted his teeth and asked, word by word, "What are you going to do with him? Do you want him to marry you?!" Xiao Heng stared at her with eyes wide open, his anger almost bursting out of his chest.
Gu Xi's eyes widened in shock upon hearing this.
How did he know? She had never told anyone, not even Zhu Yin.
Bai Xingzhi was equally shocked. He looked up abruptly, his calm expression gradually cracking.
He knew she had come to see him, and he thought she just wanted him to come up with a way to avoid entering the palace, but he never imagined that she came to see him with such intentions.
Xiao Heng's eyes were bloodshot. "Gu Xi, you admit it?"
He didn't actually know why she was looking for him; he was just guessing, and he was right.
He recalled all the ways she had dodged and avoided him when she first entered the palace. It turned out that it was all because she loved this man so much that she wanted to become his wife!
So why is she with him now? Is it because of his power? Or her responsibilities as a concubine? Or perhaps out of pity for him?
After realizing what had happened, Gu Xi, ignoring the pain in her chin from being pinched, shook her head desperately: "No, Aheng, I... I was... The person I like now is you!" Her eyes were slightly red, whether from pain or anxiety, it was hard to tell.
She did indeed have such thoughts at the time, but after she entered the palace, she had already given up on those feelings for him.
She wanted to explain things clearly to him and didn't want him to misunderstand.
"Gu Xi, you're trying to lie to me again!" Xiao Heng said through gritted teeth, each word seemingly spat out from between his teeth, "You're abandoning my child for him, aren't you!"
"No, I didn't... I didn't lie to you, the person I like now is really you!" Gu Xi explained in a panic, her head forced back, her hands groping wildly downwards to try and grab his hand, but she couldn't find it anywhere. "A child... Aheng, we can have a child!" That was exactly what she wanted to talk to him about today.
Xiao Heng chuckled softly upon hearing this: "So now you're willing to take it again to save him?"
Gu Xi's eyes reddened with anxiety: "No, Ah Heng... it's not because of him..."
"Then tell me, what is the reason!" Xiao Heng roared.
Gu Xi was startled by his anger. She suppressed her grievances and explained, "It's because...it's because I wasn't feeling well before..." She couldn't tell him the real reason, so she could only say it vaguely.
"Are you sure you want to fool me with this excuse?!"
Gu Xi finally found his sleeve, clutched it tightly, and pleaded, "Aheng, please believe me, okay?" Her eyes were already misty with tears.
Xiao Heng refused to listen to her say another word. He released her face, leaving red marks on her fair skin, but he ignored them and forcefully dragged her out of the cell.
Bai Xingzhi felt a pang of pain in his heart as he looked at Gu Xi being treated this way, but he dared not utter a word. He knew that if he opened his mouth, she would only suffer more anger.
In the Imperial Garden, everyone saw the Emperor dragging Consort Xi away again. However, this time, the Emperor's face did not have the faint smile he used to have. Instead, he was filled with anger, and his eyes seemed capable of killing. The palace servants all kept their distance when they saw him from afar.
"Aheng, let go of me, you're hurting me..." Gu Xi staggered after Xiao Heng, her hands were being pulled painfully, and her wrist bones felt like they were about to be crushed.
Xiao Heng ignored her and tightened his grip, causing Gu Xi to wince in pain.
Xiao Heng half-dragged and half-carried her back to Weiyang Palace. He kicked open the door and slammed it shut with a loud bang, never letting go of her hand the entire time.
He pulled her to the edge of the bed and yanked her hard, causing Gu Xi to fall onto the bed. A dull pain shot through her back, and the brocade quilt on the bed was crumpled up.
Before she could react, Xiao Heng knelt on her legs, tore off his waist belt, wrapped it around her wrists twice, and tied it to the headboard.
Gu Xi looked at him in horror, her voice trembling as she said, "Aheng, you can't do this to me..."
Xiao Heng scoffed, "Why not? Hmm?"
After saying that, he braced himself on the bed with one hand and grasped her chin with the other, kissing her deeply. His lips and tongue roamed freely in her mouth, teasing her wantonly.
Gu Xi was so breathless from the kiss that she tried to push him away, but her hands were bound. The more she struggled, the tighter her hands were bound. She was in so much pain that tears welled up in her eyes.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally released her. Gu Xi was breathing heavily, and his kisses gradually moved downwards, her breathing becoming increasingly broken.
He knew her best and easily aroused her.
But his strength towards her was rough, brutal, and tinged with punishment and venting of anger.
She could no longer feel his love. She felt that in his eyes she was just a doll, someone he could manipulate and humiliate at will.
"So, the person you've loved all along has been him?!" Jealousy burned in his eyes.
He waited so long for her to regain her memory, only to find that the person she loved was still him. He had become a complete joke!
During those months of his tour, he actually created opportunities for them to meet and spend time together!
Gu Xi endured her discomfort and shook her head vigorously: "No, no... the person I love is you..."
"You're still trying to lie to me!"
"Do you think of him every day while you're with me?!"
"What a pity, only I can treat you like this!"
Even if you love each other deeply, he can't have you!
He covered her lips with his again, forcing her to respond to his kiss. His calloused fingertips roamed over her body until he saw the clarity in her eyes gradually turn into a daze, and soft moans escape her throat. Only then did he release her.
He suddenly remembered something and continued sarcastically, "No, during the time you had amnesia, during the time you were in the valley, didn't he treat you the same way?"
He looked at her with mockery in his eyes, and then his grip tightened.
He was insanely jealous whenever he thought about how they had eaten and slept together for those two weeks!
He was completely fooled by them. He actually believed Bai Xingzhi's lies. If he hadn't investigated carefully this time, he wouldn't have known that they lived in the same room every day!
"Ugh..." Gu Xi sobbed, "It hurts, Ah Heng, I don't understand what you're saying..."
Xiao Heng sneered, "I almost forgot. If you don't remember, then tell me when you do. Do you prefer him treating you like this, or do you prefer me, hmm?" He humiliated her wantonly.
Her fair skin was covered with his marks, like crushed flower petals, which made his eyes redden and the veins on his forehead throb.
A mixture of desire and jealousy fueled his urge to want more, to see her tremble and beg for mercy.
Suddenly something flashed through his mind. Xiao Heng pinched her chin again, but his body did not leave her. He seized her eyes: "Was it him who investigated Mu Yunqi's matter for you in the palace before? How dare you have an affair with him under my very nose!"
Gu Xi choked out and hurriedly explained, "No, although he helped me, there's nothing between us..." Her face was flushed, her eyes were filled with shimmering tears, and her words were weak and fragmented.
"Nothing at all? You think I'd believe that?"
"Who is Bai Xingzhi, and why would he help you?!"
He should have realized it sooner; who else in the world could have such methods, always one step ahead of him?
If anyone in this world is more ruthless than him, it would be Bai Xingzhi. Even if ten thousand people died in front of him, he wouldn't even lift his eyes.
Caring for the people is just a means to win people's hearts. He has worked with him for many years and knows his character best.
He's actually taking such a risk for her now; he truly loves her deeply!
"He was just being friendly, not what you think..." Gu Xi's eyes were misty, but she didn't forget to explain.
Xiao Heng sneered, extremely dissatisfied with her answer. How dare she still maintain contact with him after entering the palace!
He really trusted him too much, allowing him the opportunity to enter and leave the harem and have his way with his women!
He carried a sense of punishment, and vented his anger even more wantonly, like a wild beast, wanting only to make the other party submit and admit their mistakes. (Which sentence is wrong? Help!)
"Aheng, it hurts so much...no..." Gu Xi couldn't take it anymore.
Xiao Heng's body stiffened for a moment, and a trace of clarity seemed to return to his eyes, but soon a deeper ruthlessness washed over him again.
"Pain? Do you feel my pain?" "You'll suffer the pain too!"
Upon hearing this, tears streamed down Gu Xi's face, and he couldn't help but cry out, his image blurred by the tears.
The tears that streamed down his face seemed to flow into his heart instantly, and the aching pain in his chest brought his reason back to normal.
He stared at her sobbing for a moment, then untied the bindings on her hands, straightened his clothes, clenched his fists, and left without looking back.
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Author's Note: After finishing this chapter, I no longer want the female lead to forgive the male lead [laughing and crying with facepalm]. I couldn't get over it myself, so I revised the ending. Otherwise, even a tragic ending wouldn't have been enough to forgive him. Even now, I still find it unforgivable [laughing and crying with facepalm].
P.S.: Dear reviewer, I've revised six or seven paragraphs already [laughing and crying with facepalm], please let me pass!
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