Chapter 12 This woman is truly a complete madwoman!
Li Yuanzhao suddenly opened his eyes and sat up.
Her heart was still pounding, and her nightgown was soaked with cold sweat.
It was pitch black, with only a faint sliver of moonlight filtering through the window, barely outlining the shape of the tent.
"Your Highness?" Ru Mo, who was on night watch, was awakened by the sudden noise and quickly stepped forward with a candlestick.
Under the candlelight, Li Yuanzhao finally saw that he was lying in bed.
She belatedly realized that she was dreaming.
A complete nightmare!
The dream was so real that it chilled her to the bone.
The muddy, dilapidated temple, the icy rain, Li Yuanshu, and the smug faces of that group of people.
And... Chen Yanqing.
The image of Chen Yanqing in my dream, speaking with a tone of pity mixed with a hint of mockery, offering her a place to stay, is so vivid it feels as if it just happened.
She still remembers the woman in her dream, kneeling in the mud, kowtowing and begging for mercy, full of gratitude, a woman who looked exactly like her.
How could it possibly be her?!
Thinking of this, Li Yuanzhao felt a surge of anger rising to his head.
This humiliation was more disgusting to her than being killed on the spot!
She wished she could kill Chen Yanqing right now to wash away this disgusting feeling!
"Is Chen Yanqing still alive?" she suddenly asked.
Ru Mo lowered his head: "Your Highness, he is indeed not dead. News came from the dungeon that a naive little palace maid, for some reason, secretly brought him medicine and food, which is why he survived."
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanzhao sneered, threw off the brocade quilt, and got off the bed barefoot.
The icy ground sent a chill through her feet, but it couldn't extinguish the fire of anger in her heart.
"Is this the chosen one?" A mocking smile curled at the corner of her lips. "His fate is truly tough."
She then asked, "Was the palace maid responsible?"
How dare he eat her food and betray her?
Ru Mo said in a low voice, "He has already been beaten to death in public, and his body has been thrown at the palace gate for all to see. I think that after seeing this, the other palace servants will no longer dare to have any disloyal thoughts."
Li Yuanzhao stopped talking and turned to look out the window.
As the sun gradually rose, it stained the distant palace walls with a blood-red hue.
Her wildly beating heart gradually calmed down, and a terrifying ruthlessness flashed in her eyes.
This dream felt so real; it must have been a warning from heaven.
Father, how could you be so cruel as to drive me to this point?
Since you are so heartless, don't blame me for being unjust.
Since you favor him so much and regard him as the future crown prince, then I will let you watch with your own eyes how your most favored "crown prince" becomes a prisoner.
Watch as I ascend step by step to the pinnacle of power, watch as I crush that so-called "destiny" with my own hands...
Ru Mo looked at the anger in His Highness's eyes and unconsciously held his breath.
Li Yuanzhao suddenly spoke up, "To the dungeon."
She wanted to see with her own eyes what the man who had humiliated her in her dreams looked like now.
The cells deep inside the dungeon were cold and damp, filled with the smells of mold and blood.
Chen Yanqing lay on a pile of dry grass, his face as pale as paper, his lips already cracked.
Although the bleeding from the wound on his chest had stopped, he was currently feeling dizzy and feverish due to the recurring nature of the injury.
Suddenly, the cell door creaked open, and a figure stood in the doorway against the light.
Chen Yanqing opened his eyes with difficulty, and when he saw who it was, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Your Highness, the Eldest Princess."
Li Yuanzhao didn't speak, but walked closer step by step, her skirt brushing against the dry grass, making a rustling sound.
"You're really lucky to be alive, you didn't die even after that?"
Chen Yanqing forced a smile: "It seems... Your Highness has been disappointed."
“I am very disappointed.” Li Yuanzhao suddenly leaned down and gently ran his fingertips across his pale cheek.
The touch was so cold that Chen Yanqing instinctively flinched, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.
"Your Highness, I am now nothing more than a prisoner, and my life and death are now in the princess's hands."
Chen Yanqing's voice was weak from illness, but she still tried to find the answer, "Why won't you tell me what I did to offend you and end up like this?"
He simply couldn't understand what he had done to make this princess, whom he had never met, so determined to kill him.
Li Yuanzhao's fingertips lingered on his chin, applying slight pressure. "What right do you think you have to negotiate with me?"
Chen Yanqing met her gaze without flinching. Instead, he took a deep breath and asked, "What is it about me that makes Your Highness come to this dungeon to see me so late at night?"
He didn't believe it. If she didn't care about him, she wouldn't have needed to make this trip herself, let alone say so much.
Li Yuanzhao chuckled softly, "You are indeed very special."
Her voice was unusually soft, like a lover's whisper, but her eyes remained as cold as ice.
Chen Yanqing was stunned and before he could react, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his waist!
"Pfft..."
A dagger plunged directly into his abdomen, and blood instantly stained his white undergarment.
Chen Yanqing's eyes widened suddenly as he stared at the woman in front of him in disbelief.
"you……"
He was in so much pain that he couldn't speak, and cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead.
Li Yuanzhao slowly turned the hilt of the knife, the sharp blade churning in the flesh, bringing with it a heart-wrenching pain.
She tilted her head slightly, admiring his pained and contorted expression, a faint smile even playing on her lips.
"Last time, I misjudged. Today's move is... to wake you up."
She leaned close to his ear and said slowly, "You must always remember that your life belongs to me. You are mine in life, and I will decide your death as well."
Before Chen Yanqing could react, Li Yuanzhao suddenly drew his dagger.
She stood up, looked at Chen Yanqing who was curled up in pain, and a hint of pleasure finally flashed in her eyes.
"Don't die too soon, I still have many surprises to give you slowly."
After saying that, she turned and left, leaving Chen Yanqing lying alone in a pool of blood.
He barely escaped death, and now he's lost another half of his life.
Before plunging into darkness, his last thought was: This woman is truly a complete madwoman!
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