Chapter 49 Misunderstanding Since you're so energetic
She stared blankly at the sleeping face. The forced dominance she had endured last night, the unintentional pauses and gentle slowing down, and the eventual uncontrollable descent into depravity... all these images intertwined and surged through her mind, leaving her in turmoil. Shame and an indescribable complex emotion welled up in her chest.
Just as she was at a loss, there was a very light knock on the door from outside, followed by a palace eunuch's deliberately lowered voice: "Your Majesty, it's time to return to the palace for your medicine."
Zhou Ling's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
After the initial confusion of waking up, those deep eyes quickly regained their clarity and sharpness.
He glanced at Fangru, who was stiff beside him, and his gaze lingered for a moment on the ambiguous red mark on her neck. He said nothing, but simply propped himself up on his arms and sat up with some difficulty.
Bleeding was faintly seeping from the bandage on his chest.
He dressed silently, his movements slightly slowed by his injuries, yet still exuding the composure befitting an emperor.
After tidying up, he leaned down and placed a light kiss on Fangru's forehead, his voice low and deep: "I'll come again tonight."
After saying this, he left Yilan Palace quietly, surrounded by eunuchs, just as he had come, as if last night was just an absurd dream.
Only the aches and pains in my body and the lingering scent of ambergris in the air proved that it all really happened.
Fangru sat wrapped in a blanket, unable to recover her senses for a long time.
However, something even more unexpected happened next.
Around noon, a notice suddenly came from outside Yilan Palace: Shen Wenzheng, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, had been ordered to enter the palace to visit!
When Shen's father strode in, led by a palace maid, his face was filled with worry and surprise.
Shen Wenzheng was led by a palace attendant, and he almost stumbled as he entered Yilan Palace.
He first looked his daughter up and down carefully. He saw that although she looked pale and tired, her clothes were neat, her hair was not messy, and there were no injuries on her body. His heart, which had been hanging in his throat ever since he learned that his daughter had been detained in the palace, finally calmed down a little.
He rushed forward, forgetting to bow, and grabbed Fangru's hand. He lowered his voice, his tone filled with anxious shock: "Ru'er! My child! Tell your father, what exactly happened? Why did His Majesty keep you alone in the palace? Outside... the rumors outside are so vile! They even say you're connected to the White Sun Society rebels! When I was thrown into prison that day, I was truly terrified, thinking my Shen family's century-old reputation was about to be ruined. Fortunately, His Majesty's grace quickly released me and restored me to my former position..."
He rambled on, a lingering fear still visible in his eyes.
Faced with her father's barrage of questions, especially the one about "Why did His Majesty keep you in the palace alone?", Fangru felt her cheeks burn with a "boom" that ran all the way to her ears.
The forceful embrace, the burning breath, and the irresistible invasion of last night seemed to replay in her mind, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
She instinctively avoided her father's probing gaze, her throat tightening with a mix of emotions, including an unspeakable sense of embarrassment.
How should she tell her father?
Could it be that the emperor, who was high above and controlled life and death, the monarch who imprisoned him and then released him, harbored a disturbing and twisted obsession with her, and even forcibly took her from him just last night?
She would never say those words.
"Father,"
Her voice was slightly hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor, and she could only try her best to maintain a calm demeanor, avoiding the main point, "Don't worry, your daughter... your daughter is not an accomplice of the Baiyang Society. There are other hidden reasons, which are difficult to explain in a short time. His Majesty... His Majesty may... have other considerations."
She said the words "there are other considerations" with great difficulty, her cheeks burning even hotter, afraid that her astute father would glean some hidden meaning from them.
A subtle silence instantly fell over the hall.
Looking at his daughter's evasive eyes and unnatural blush, Shen Wenzheng was filled with doubts, but dared not think too deeply about it.
Fangru became even more flustered by the silence and felt she had to say something to break the suffocating atmosphere.
Her mind went blank, and almost subconsciously, she blurted out, trying to make conversation, "Father, what about... what about Gu Zhou? How is he now?"
She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth; mentioning Gu Zhou at this juncture was truly inappropriate.
As expected, upon hearing the name "Gu Zhou," Shen Wenzheng's face darkened, clearly angered by Gu Zhou's incompetence and the resulting jeopardy of the family. However, he then revealed a complex expression of confusion and understanding.
He glanced at his daughter's embarrassed and anxious expression, her eagerness to change the subject, and then, considering her current situation and her unnatural reaction earlier, a thought arose in his mind: Could it be that his daughter's questioning of Gu Zhou was because she still harbored feelings for him and was worried about that wretched child? Was His Majesty's sudden decision to keep her in the palace related to this?
He sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness and admonition: "Ru'er, why are you still asking him? Gu Zhou's crimes are irrefutable, and he should have been sentenced to immediate execution. However... a couple of days ago, His Majesty suddenly issued an edict to postpone the execution and continue to detain him, the reason for which is unclear."
As he spoke, he carefully observed his daughter's reaction, becoming increasingly convinced that his guess was correct. His daughter must still have feelings for Gu Zhou, and perhaps that's why His Majesty... He dared not think any further, feeling a heavy weight in his heart.
Gu Zhou's execution has been suspended?!
Fangru's heart skipped a beat, completely ignoring her father's misunderstanding gaze.
What does Zhou Ling mean by this?
Gu Zhou is a clear-cut traitor, what use is he? Could it be... really because of her? Does she think she still has feelings for Gu Zhou, so she's showing mercy?
The thought of this possibility struck Fangru as utterly absurd, and a strong sense of irony welled up within her.
Having experienced betrayal and manipulation in her previous six lives, all she felt for Gu Zhou was a deep-seated loathing.
If Zhou Lingruo really suspended the execution because of this, it would be a huge misunderstanding! But at this moment, in front of her father, she could not explain this misunderstanding, and could only let the embarrassment and awkwardness wrap around her more and more tightly like a spider web.
Just as Fangru was lost in thought, the news that the emperor had granted Shen Wenzheng special permission to enter the palace to visit her had spread like wildfire throughout the inner palace.
"What? His Majesty has allowed Lady Shen's father to enter the palace for a visit!"
Upon hearing the news, Consort Xian was so shocked that she smashed the glass cup in her hand. "How dare she, a lowly criminal with no rank or status, defy her?!"
This is an outrageous act of favor! When has His Majesty ever treated the family of any concubine with such deference? Even the Empress's father and brothers must be reported to higher authorities and follow strict rules before entering the palace.
The Empress sat on her phoenix throne, her fingertips clenched tightly into her palms, her well-maintained face so gloomy it seemed to drip water.
"What a grand display!" Consort De slammed her teacup down. "The daughter of a disgraced official is being paraded around the palace by her father."
Consort Xian sneered, "His Majesty is still ill, and she's putting on a show of fatherly affection. I heard that when we met in the Imperial Garden just now, Shen Wenzheng even gave a grand salute in the direction of the Empress. He really put on quite a show."
At this moment, Consort Wang suddenly lowered her voice: "Do you think... His Majesty might really...?"
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Consort Xian interrupted sharply. "His Majesty is still recovering from his serious injuries and has even skipped the morning court session. The Imperial Hospital is on duty day and night. What is she? She's nothing more than a pawn His Majesty uses to restrain the Baiyang Society."
These words were immediately echoed by everyone.
After all, in everyone's mind, Zhou Ling should be lying on the dragon bed, his life hanging by a thread, and there is absolutely no way he could have slept with anyone.
However, His Majesty was still seriously injured, yet he placed her in Yilan Palace, and now he has even granted her father special permission to visit her... All of these things exude an extraordinary aura.
That Shen Fangru must not be allowed to live!
"Go," the Empress coldly ordered her trusted maid, "make the 'servings' prepared for Yilan Palace even more 'exquisite.' Also, send a message to all the palaces, saying that Miss Shen is new to the palace and inevitably feels lonely. The sisters should visit her more often and 'take care' of her."
This "carefully" calculated distribution quickly showed its effectiveness.
The next morning, Fangru got up to wash and dress, only to find that the hot water that was brought to her was barely warm, and even the tea leaves were old, broken pieces.
At lunchtime, the dishes that were served were either too salty or bland, and one soup even had a faint sour smell.
"Please forgive me, young lady," the eunuch in charge of serving the food said with a forced smile. "Recently, the Imperial Kitchen has been busy preparing medicinal meals and nourishing soups for His Majesty and the ladies of the palace. We are short-staffed and there may be oversights. Please forgive us, young lady."
Looking at the inedible food, Fangru knew that this was the beginning of the Empress and the other concubines' attempts to make things difficult for her.
She silently put down her chopsticks, her stomach empty, and her heart empty as well.
What made her even more embarrassed was that in the afternoon, Consort Xian and Consort De, along with several lower-ranking concubines, "passed by" Yilan Palace in a grand procession, ostensibly to "visit" her.
“Miss Chen doesn’t look too well,” Consort Xian covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, as if there was something unclean in Yilan Palace. “Indeed, Yilan Palace has been uninhabited for a long time, so it’s inevitably cold and damp, unlike the clean and refreshing palace where we sisters live. If you need anything, please just ask. Although… well, His Majesty is currently unwell and can’t attend to these trivial matters, we sisters can’t bear to see you suffer.”
Consort De also chimed in slowly, her gaze sweeping over Fangru's slightly thin clothes: "Yes, I heard that Lord Shen came to see the young lady yesterday? Alas, parents are always worried. I suppose Lord Shen can rest assured now that the young lady is 'resting quietly' here. After all, His Majesty is benevolent; even though the young lady is under suspicion, he has given her such a place to stay, which is already a great favor."
They spoke one after another, each word laced with barbs, implying that she was in an awkward position, neglected, and that the Emperor was too ill to care for her, leaving her to fend for herself in this cold palace.
Fangru listened with her eyes lowered, her nails digging deeply into her palms.
They had no idea that the emperor they spoke of, who was "unwell" and "too busy to attend to anything else," had relentlessly pursued her until the wee hours of the morning last night. His forceful embrace and burning body temperature almost gave her the illusion that his injuries were no longer a problem.
But in the daytime, in the eyes of all outsiders, he was still the critically injured emperor who needed to recuperate, while she was the forgotten, isolated, and easily bullied "sinful woman."
This extreme sense of separation made her chest feel tight, and resentment clung to her like vines.
If he can come at night, why can't he provide her with even the slightest protection during the day?
Even a mere verbal order or a glance could make her life a little easier in this cannibalistic harem.
But he refused. He let her endure all the cold stares and difficulties during the day, as if only in the dead of night did she belong to him, be his secret that could not be exposed to the light of day, or be a pet that he carefully raised and needed to have all its claws worn down.
That night, Zhou Ling burst into the bedchamber, reeking of medicine, his movements even more hurried than the day before.
He loosened his belt and tried to pull Fangru into his arms, but was unexpectedly met with fierce resistance.
"No!" Fangru suddenly pushed away his approaching chest, her voice trembling with tears.
Zhou Ling paused, his eyes suddenly turning cold in the darkness.
He recalled the report from the secret guards that the father and daughter looked strange when Shen Wenzheng entered the palace today, and he also heard that she had inquired about Gu Zhou's execution. He was furious and assumed that she was still grieving for that traitor.
"What?" he asked in a somber voice. "Still thinking about your fiancé?"
These words were like a dull knife stabbing into her heart, and Fangru's tears flowed even more fiercely. She bit her lower lip tightly, refusing to utter a sound, but a surge of unspeakable grievance welled up inside her. Did she have to say it herself, "I was bullied because of your inaction during the day"? The thought of seeking his comfort made her feel ashamed.
In the flickering candlelight, her reddened eyes and tightly pursed lips appeared to Zhou Ling as a stubbornness that had been exposed.
Anger mixed with inexplicable jealousy burned his reason. Without saying another word, he grabbed her struggling wrist and pressed it against the pillow. At this moment, he only wanted to declare his possession in the most primal way.
His burning palm pressed against her slender wrist, while his other hand roughly ripped off the ties.
The cool air touched her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. Fangru twisted her body in panic, bracing her elbows against his firm chest and kicking her legs forcefully: "Let go... let me go!"
Zhou Ling's movements did not stop at all. Instead, he firmly held her slender wrist above her head, his deep voice carrying an undeniable pressure: "In front of me, when have you ever had the right to say no?"
"How...how could you do this!"
She turned her head away from his hot breath, her voice choked with humiliation, "He ignores me during the day, and then at night he... he humiliates me like this..."
"Humiliation?" Zhou Ling chuckled, his burning palm gripping her slender waist. "If I really wanted to humiliate you, I could summon you to my bedchamber in front of everyone." His fingertips traced her trembling lips. "Making you submit to pleasure in front of everyone, that would be humiliation."
"You... shameless!" Fangru trembled with anger and raised her hand to punch him in the chest.
The blow landed squarely on the wound, and Zhou Ling let out a muffled groan, a violent dark light instantly surging in his eyes.
"Very well." He grabbed her wrist as she swung it again, the force almost crushing her bones. "Since you have so much energy..."
His clothes were roughly ripped off, and his burning hot body pressed down heavily on him.
Fangru's struggles were all confined to a small space, and she could only let out broken sobs.
"Let go... you bastard..." she kicked and struggled in vain, her tears soaking the pillow.
Zhou Ling gripped the back of her neck, forcing her to endure the bloody kiss. "Remember..." he whispered on her lips, "What I give you is never humiliation."
It is a possession that is more terrifying than humiliation, a possession that is etched into one's very bones.
When everything calmed down, Fangru curled up in the corner of the bed, buried her face in the brocade quilt, and silently shed tears.
Zhou Ling put on his robe and got up. Before leaving, he paused by the bedside, lifted her chin with his fingertips, and looked into her red-rimmed eyes:
"Remember your place. Since you're staying by my side, put away those inappropriate thoughts."
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