Chapter 35 Kill the concubines!
The night breeze remained, and the palace lanterns in the pavilion illuminated the road, dimming considerably as the emperor departed.
Consort Shu lowered her eyes and stared at Consort Liu, who was pinned to the ground and whose face was flushed.
She reached out and covered her mouth and nose.
Even now, Consort Liu is still begging His Majesty for forgiveness and pleading for the Empress's life.
But Consort Shu couldn't save her life.
The foolish thing she did on her own almost dragged Consort Shu down with her, but if it weren't for the flower-viewing banquet that Consort Shu held, Liu Shuyi wouldn't have had such a good opportunity to take action against Lan Wu. In this light, it all backfired.
Thinking of this, Consort Shu frowned even more deeply.
But then she saw two elderly women carrying thick bamboo canes, walking step by step towards Liu Shuyi.
"What are you trying to do?" Consort Shu asked.
The two maids respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has decreed that Consort Liu be allowed to sober up."
At this moment, Consort Liu was no longer as flamboyant as usual. Her hair was pulled back, lifting her face, and the thick bamboo stick slapped her face hard with a loud crack, turning her head to the side.
The pain jolted Liu Cai Ren back to her senses, but before she could utter a word, a second blow followed.
Hearing her pitiful cries, Consort Shu took a few steps back.
Yun Qing, who was behind her, quickly helped her up.
"...Return to the palace." Consort Shu turned around and repeated, "Return to the palace!"
Yun Qing said yes, and indifferently watched the punishment still being carried out beside her, quietly following in Consort Shu's footsteps.
Such an indecent punishment was certainly not His Majesty's idea. As the saying goes, every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt its debtor. Thinking of His Majesty's protection of Lan Wu just now, Consort Shu gritted her teeth—her initial guess was indeed correct; this lowly dancer named Lan Wu was indeed quite cunning.
They should have dealt with him back then, whether by drowning him in a well or by hanging himself... it would have been better than him getting in her way now.
With this matter resolved, and thinking of Liu Shuyi's embarrassed state, Lan Wu's steps were slightly unsteady as she followed Chu Mingheng back.
In her previous life, she mostly endured things. She would tolerate minor matters, but when it came to major schemes against her, even if she couldn't bear it, she would whisper in Chu Mingheng's ear. Although the struggles were constant, Liu Shuyi did not die.
But now she is the first to die.
The imperial carriage returned to the Longyu Pavilion. When Lan Wu got off, she saw that Chu Mingheng did not wait for her and went into the palace on his own.
She didn't take it to heart and followed along, untying the sash of her cloak and handing it to a palace maid.
The hall was brightly lit.
When Lan Wu went in, she didn't see Chu Mingheng in the outer hall, so she went further inside to look for him.
As soon as she entered the inner hall, she saw Chu Mingheng sitting on a soft couch, with a very familiar ruler on the low table.
A bad thought immediately popped into my mind.
Lan Wu was about to turn around and leave when Chu Mingheng saw her. His cold, mocking tone made her freeze in place.
"come over."
Lan Wu stiffly turned back, and almost instantly came up with a solution.
She rushed to Chu Mingheng, knelt down, and pressed her face against his knees. Her eyes were red, and she said with great sadness and timidity, "Your Majesty, Consort Liu has only met me a few times, yet she has already humiliated me. She took advantage of the fact that I was just a servant girl at the time. Your Majesty... they all look down on me. I am so afraid..."
She was even more terrified of the dark, gleaming ruler before her. Who had brought this thing? And wasn't they going to tell her—that there was a traitor in her palace?!
Lan Wu composed herself and began to sob softly.
She was crying, but it wasn't fake; her eyes were brimming with tears, but they didn't fall. She said she was scared, and when Chu Mingheng lifted her face, he looked directly at her.
Chu Mingheng lifted her face by pinching her chin with one hand. The candlelight in the hall was bright, making it possible to see the slight fear in her eyes.
It didn't seem like they were afraid of anyone; rather, it seemed like...
Chu Mingheng looked at the ruler on the low table, reached out and put his arm around Lan Wu's waist, lifting her up and making her sit on his lap.
He pinched the already thin flesh on Lan Wu's waist with his fingertips, then gently stroked it, completely ignoring Lan Wu, his tone dangerous yet gentle and stern: "Oh, you're scared."
Lan Wu was pulled into his arms, her chin resting on his shoulder. As she nodded hurriedly in response, she heard him ask, "What are you afraid of?"
What's there to be afraid of?
Does she even need to say that?
With such a formidable ruler placed right beside her to intimidate her, Chu Mingheng still had the nerve to ask her what she was afraid of. The last time she was hit, it hurt terribly; the next day, she didn't dare touch a hard chair.
Thinking of last time, Lan Wu moved her face to Chu Mingheng's neck and gently nuzzled him, her voice dazed: "Your Majesty, please don't be angry..."
What did she do wrong? Tell us, and let everyone judge for themselves.
Chu Mingheng's slight anger, which was not much, did not lessen when she clung to him and acted coquettishly; instead, it intensified.
How could Lan Wu be sure that a little coquetry would make things go smoothly? She seemed overly accustomed to these actions. Who had she done them to? Who made her so used to it?
"Ouch—" Lan Wu cried out in pain instinctively when her body was pinched. Her voice wasn't loud, but as she leaned close to Chu Mingheng, it sounded like she was really in pain.
"It's not time for you to cry out in pain yet." He said with a sneer, telling Lan Wu to straighten her posture, and asked her, "What book were you reading this afternoon?"
Lan Wu's pupils constricted, not expecting him to settle scores now. Lacking confidence, she stammered, trying to mislead the question: "No... This afternoon, I was practicing calligraphy in Your Majesty's study. My hands are practically calloused. Your Majesty, please look."
After saying that, she opened her soft, white palm and presented it to Chu Mingheng.
Those hands were thin and soft, with slender fingers and glossy nails, much better than when she was in the music hall.
Chu Mingheng looked at the hand in front of him, then at Lan Wu's face, smiled, but his words were ruthless.
"Am I spoiling you too much? You dare to play tricks on me so many times."
Lan Wu seemed startled by his words, momentarily speechless until the words faded into silence. She lowered her head, curled her fingers, and withdrew them, her breathing light and slow, glancing around in a panic.
My gaze fell upon the ruler.
She picked it up, gripped it tightly, and quickly made up her mind. She looked up at Chu Mingheng, handed him the ruler, and said softly, with a hint of suppressed sobs, "Your Majesty, I was wrong. Please beat me to death."
Lan Wu was adept at using retreat as a means of advancement. She spoke in a way that sounded extremely aggrieved, as if Chu Mingheng was about to inflict the most severe punishment on her.
Hearing this, Chu Mingheng felt a headache coming on.
He took the ruler, his expression becoming even more stern. One end of the ruler lightly tapped Lan Wu's withdrawn hand, signaling her to take it out.
"Open your hands."
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