Chapter 63 The Death Feud: Did He Really Bear My Child?
The bandit suppression headquarters was set up in an abandoned manor on the outskirts of the city. The blue bricks and gray tiles were covered with a thin layer of dust. The candlelight flickered in the main hall, making the mountain and river maps on the walls appear to light up and then dim.
"Your Majesty, all the remnants of the Baiyang Society have been captured, except for Ma Xian, the adopted son of the sect leader, who is still at large." The camp commander knelt on one knee, his voice tense. "This villain is cunning. According to reports from our undercover agents, he goes to Puji Temple in the west of the city every day to participate in the morning chanting of scriptures. At other times, he stays at home and no one has ever seen his true face."
Fangru stood respectfully by the incense burner, the wisps of smoke from it blurring the turmoil in her eyes.
That day, in the dense forest outside Guanyin Pavilion, she accidentally stepped into an animal trap, just as the man who claimed to be a hunter happened to pass by.
The man's palms were rough, but his movements were swift. He not only protected her in front of the Imperial Guards, but the water bag he handed her was also imbued with the coolness of mountain spring water.
Dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes, with an open and honest demeanor, he would have been mistaken for an ordinary mountain dweller by anyone who saw him.
"We searched the entire city, but not a single person recognized Ma Xian's appearance," the battalion commander reported again.
"No one knows his face, how can we capture him?" Zhou Ling tapped his knuckles on the table and said in a deep voice.
The silence was immediately broken by Grand Secretary Li, who stepped forward at the opportune moment, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable emphasis: "Your Majesty, regarding the incident at Guanyin Pavilion last time, all the soldiers were too far away from the traitor Ma Xian to see his true face clearly. Only... Lady Shen, who was right next to him at the time, saw him clearly."
Shen Fangru stood beside Zhou Ling with her head bowed. Upon hearing this, the corner of her lips curled up almost imperceptibly from an angle unseen by anyone.
So that's where they were waiting for her.
She didn't even need to look up to feel Grand Secretary Li's seemingly respectful but actually sharp gaze fixed firmly on her.
She recognized that look all too well; it was exactly the same look he had given her when he first identified her as a spy planted by the Baiyang Society and unhesitatingly threw her and her father into prison.
It seems that Grand Secretary Li is determined to make this fabricated charge even more solid for her and the Shen family.
Do you all think that I, Shen Fangru, am clinging to Zhou Ling's side, coveting this immense wealth and the empty title of "femme fatale"?
A chilling sense of absurdity washed over her.
They didn't want her to stay by Zhou Ling's side, as if she were some kind of bewitching femme fatale. But they didn't know that she herself was also willing.
The image of her father, Shen Wenzheng, growing increasingly hunched over flashed before her eyes.
That cautious and prudent Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, now, in the yamen, how many open and hidden attacks has he suffered, how much ridicule has he heard, all because of his reputation as the "father of the evil concubine"? And her upright cousin, his future is probably already overshadowed.
To her, this palace was nothing more than a magnificent cage. She only felt exhausted.
Since the string of prayer beads that could bring rebirth could not be found anywhere, and since keeping them would only bring endless trouble to my father and cousin...
A thought became clear in her mind: forget it, if she can't find it, so be it.
Why drag them into this? I might as well leave cleanly on my own. Once I'm gone and disappear, Zhou Ling will find it boring and naturally won't keep bothering the Shen family anymore.
My father and cousin can always find some peace and quiet.
The thought gave her a sense of "what's the use" and "carefree" attitude.
Grand Secretary Li, and those who saw her as a thorn in their side, probably never dreamed that the path they were so painstakingly trying to force her onto was precisely the path she herself... wanted to choose.
"Let the imperial concubine identify the traitor?"
Zhou Ling's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a piece of ice falling into boiling oil, instantly silencing the entire hall.
"Grand Secretary Li," he said calmly, yet each word carried immense weight, "my secret guards and military commands are filled with high-ranking officials, yet now they must rely on a woman from the inner palace to identify wanted criminals? Is there no one else in the world, or are you... simply too incompetent?"
The entire hall was filled with officials and soldiers, all silent and drenched in cold sweat.
Grand Secretary Li, steeling himself, stepped forward and kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! If Ma Xian is not eliminated, the Baiyang Society will be like a centipede that, though dead, does not fall down! Once it incites a popular uprising, the consequences will be unimaginable! The people inside Puji Temple are all ordinary worshippers, and Ma Xian is all alone, without any help. Consort Shen only needs to glance at him from afar, confirm his presence, and then leave immediately. This old minister guarantees with his life that she will not be put in any danger!"
"Your life?" Zhou Ling chuckled, a laugh that was icy and chilling.
He finally stood up, walked over to Grand Secretary Li, and looked down at him, scrutinizing him. "What is your head in front of her? If she suffers even the slightest harm, you, and the lives of your entire clan... cannot compensate for it."
The ruthlessness in those words sent a shockwave through everyone.
Fangru's heart stirred.
Puji Temple... that was the only way out of the city, and her only chance.
She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, the affairs of the state are of utmost importance. If I can help the court capture the traitors and save the people from danger, I will gladly sacrifice myself."
Zhou Ling suddenly turned to look at her, his deep eyes swirling with complex emotions, a mixture of suspicion and inquiry.
After a long pause, he parted his thin lips slightly, his voice icy: "You want to go? Fine, I grant your permission."
He leaned closer, his warm breath brushing against her ear, and whispered in a voice only she could hear, "Ru'er, you can go. But remember this well..."
"Your life is mine. Your person is mine too." His voice was as gentle as a lover's whisper, but the content was chilling. "If you dare to take this opportunity to escape, or even hurt a single hair on your head... your father Shen Wenzheng's career, and the future of your cousin Li family, will all be doomed because of your choice today... forever lost."
Fangru lowered her eyes, her thick eyelashes concealing all the turmoil in them.
She sensed the unquestionable control in his words and felt his almost insane obsession.
He was too clever; he had already seen through the resentment and restlessness in her heart.
But her resolve did not waver; on the contrary, it became even stronger.
It was precisely because he was pressing her so relentlessly that she was determined to leave. Only by letting him witness her "death" could she sever this entanglement and give her father and cousin a peaceful rest of their lives.
"Your Majesty..." She raised her head, meeting his insightful gaze, and offered a flawless, gentle smile, "I will obey Your Majesty's decree."
At that moment, she seemed to see a fleeting, pain-like emotion in Zhou Ling's deep eyes.
But he immediately straightened up, resuming his domineering imperial demeanor, as if his momentary loss of control was merely her illusion.
The next morning, the army quietly surrounded Puji Temple. Their armor gleamed in the morning mist, and even birds dared not approach.
Fangru, dressed in plain clothes, followed the group toward the temple. Just as she reached the temple gate, she heard two military officers behind her talking in hushed tones, their voices neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for her to hear: "Grand Secretary Li said to leave an opening at the west side gate later. As soon as Ma Xian runs away, we'll chase after him. We have to grab this credit!"
Fangru paused, her fingertips feeling icy cold.
Grand Secretary Li didn't want her to identify people; he clearly wanted to frame her for "releasing traitors"!
When the side gate opens and Ma Xian escapes, all the evidence will point to her tipping off the Shen family, and she and the Shen family will be unable to clear their names.
Side rooms outside the temple.
As the maidservant was helping Fangru change her clothes, Zhou Ling gestured for everyone to leave. The palace door closed softly, and the candlelight flickered between his deep-set eyes.
He took the coarse cloth garment, his fingertips tracing the rough fabric. "This material is abrasive," he said in a low voice, "but it's still better than the prison clothes in the imperial jail." As he spoke, he personally tied the belt around her neck, his thin lips brushing lightly against her earlobe. "My dear, you should know what's important."
Fangru held her breath and watched him fetch the makeup powder.
Dark powder melted between his fingers, gradually covering her fair skin.
His movements were extremely gentle, unlike those of an emperor, but more like those of a considerate husband.
His gaze remained fixed on her eyes: "The imperial physician reported this morning that your period is half a month late." His fingertips lightly traced her lower abdomen. "If you are truly carrying my child..."
Fangru's heart sank suddenly, but she quickly regained her composure. She had been taking the contraceptive soup on time these past few days, so how could she be pregnant?
He must be bluffing her.
Fangru smiled and said, "Perhaps it's because you've been worrying too much lately..."
"That would be for the best." He chuckled, tucking the signal flare into her clothes, his palm lingering on her chest for a moment. "This flare concerns the lives of many people. Your father submitted a petition for medical treatment this morning, and I have already sent the imperial physician to take care of him."
With his other hand, he took her wrist and placed the warm jade pendant in his palm. "Wear this, so that I may always be with you."
Finally, he cupped her face in his hands, his thumb tracing her trembling lips: "Remember, you must come back safely." His tone suddenly turned cold, "I hate it when someone takes away what belongs to me without permission."
Fangru gripped the signal flare in her sleeve tightly, feeling as if the small bamboo tube weighed a ton.
Every gentle gesture of his carried the chilling weight of chains, cutting off her escape routes one by one.
"Your Majesty..." She lowered her eyes, concealing the resolute surging within them, "I understand."
The moment Fangru stepped into the temple gate, her fingertips gently caressed the smooth outline of the jade pendant, and she knew in her heart that this was not only a token, but also an invisible chain that he had tied with his own hands.
The emperor who ruled the world still didn't believe she could escape the inescapable trap he had laid.
...
Gently push open the side door of the chanting hall, and a rich aroma of incense, carried on a cool breeze, wafts towards you.
The gatekeeper monk lowered his eyes, his voice as faint as the smoke outside the hall: "You're late."
“It’s never too late to be sincere.” She lowered her voice and responded in the rough, hoarse tone of a peasant woman.
The monk said no more and stepped aside to make way for a narrow passage.
As soon as I stepped across the threshold, a tidal wave of chanting came rushing over.
The main hall was packed with worshippers, all with their eyes closed and chanting softly, their fingertips twirling prayer beads.
Fangru's gaze, however, was like a hawk poised for battle, quickly sweeping across the crowd and soon landing on the figure kneeling on a prayer mat in the corner. Even though he was dressed in the most ordinary gray cloth, she recognized him at a glance as Ma Xian.
She took a deep breath and, using the crowd as cover, slipped past him silently, like a slippery fish. As she passed by him, she pretended to be pushed and lightly and quickly hooked her fingertip onto his sleeve.
Ma Xian paused almost imperceptibly, turned his head slightly, and a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes before he became wary.
Fangru didn't dare linger and went straight to the secluded corner behind the main hall where the scriptures were stored. A moment later, a figure appeared in the shadow of the pillars—it was Ma Xian.
“There’s no time to ask more,” she began, her voice barely audible, her words rapid like drumming. “The imperial court deliberately let you go to the woods outside Guanyin Pavilion, hoping to follow the trail to arrest your adoptive father. Now that they’ve heard the Baiyang Society is about to rise up, they’ve decided to close the net ahead of schedule. The entire temple is surrounded by the army, and even outside this chanting hall, there are spies sent by the emperor.”
Ma Xian's eyes were sharp as knives. He lowered his voice and asked, "You are an imperial concubine. Why would you risk your life to deliver a message?"
“My request is the same as it was at the hunting lodge.” Fangru met his gaze without flinching. “Take me away, away from Zhou Ling.”
Ma Xian's lips curled into a sarcastic smile: "I heard you're currently enjoying the Emperor's favor. Wouldn't it be better to be an imperial concubine? Why do you insist on following this wanted criminal, a fugitive, to the ends of the earth?"
"I want more than just to go with you!" Fangru's eyes suddenly flashed with a deep-seated hatred. Her voice was soft, but every word was like ice. "I want you to promise me that if you have the chance, you will kill Zhou Ling with your own hands! As long as we can escape, I will do everything in my power to help Baiyang Society take his life!"
This undisguised murderous intent startled Ma Xian.
He stared into her eyes, seeing the resolute determination and hatred surging within them, which seemed genuine.
After a moment of silence, he finally nodded: "Okay, I believe you. But we're surrounded right now, how do we get out?"
Fangru immediately recounted the news she had overheard upon entering: "At the west corner gate, Grand Secretary Li deliberately left an opening, seemingly to steal credit, but actually a trap set for me. We can just turn the tables on him!"
...
As the morning sun just dipped over the temple walls, Zhou Ling stood in the thin mist, the hem of his dark dragon robe already soaked with dew.
His gaze was fixed on the heavy wooden door, his knuckles unconsciously rubbing the jade thumb ring at his waist. The touch of his fingertips was exactly like the warmth of his caress on her delicate neck when he pressed her down on the dragon bed last night.
"It's been a quarter of an hour." He spoke, his voice as deep as a stone soaked in water, whether he was speaking to the guard beside him or challenging himself.
The scene from last night suddenly flashed into her mind: she was trapped beneath him, her body trembling slightly, her eyes gleaming with tiny, fragmented light, like a small, panicked animal.
He should have locked her in her bedchamber and chained her to the headboard with a gold chain, instead of letting her walk into this situation where she might never return.
"Your Majesty," the commander of the secret guards knelt on one knee, his voice extremely low, "the chanting of sutras in the hall has not stopped, and no cries for help have been heard."
Zhou Ling's lips curled into a cold smile. Cry for help? How could the woman beneath him, her eyes reddened from the torment, biting her lip to keep quiet, easily cry for help?
Anxiety, like a vine, coiled around my heart, tightening its grip with each passing moment.
He suddenly regretted it. Knowing she might be involved with Bai Yang, why did he give her this opportunity? What if she encountered real danger...?
Immediately, a wave of self-mockery washed over me.
If she were truly a member of the White Sun Society, she would be thriving inside right now, plotting how to escape his control. Only he, the fool, is here worrying about her safety in vain!
Time ticked by, each breath like torture. He could no longer contain himself and summoned the hidden agents lurking in the temple, his voice barely audible with urgency: "What's the situation inside? Any unusual activity? Or...did you hear Shen Cai Nu's voice?"
The spy's reply was exactly the same as before: "Your Majesty, everything is as usual. The chanting of scriptures has not stopped, and we have not heard Consort Shen calling for help."
This unusual calm only heightened Zhou Ling's unease to the extreme! He abruptly raised his hand, about to order the soldiers to force their way in and break down the door.
"Squeak!"
The door to the chanting room slowly opened from the inside.
The worshippers who had finished their religious services poured out of the temple like a floodgate being opened, walking shoulder to shoulder towards the exit.
Zhou Ling's gaze was fixed on the crowd like a nail until the last person walked out and the door closed again. The figure he had been waiting for never appeared.
Fangru didn't come out! Nor did Ma Xian!
A chill instantly shot up from the soles of my feet to the top of my head!
"Your Majesty!" A general under Grand Secretary Li rushed over at that moment, his voice deliberately urgent, "A man and a woman acting suspiciously were spotted at the west gate, and they have been intercepted as planned!"
A cold glint flashed in Zhou Ling's eyes, and he immediately led his men to rush over.
However, the people being escorted by the soldiers were just an ordinary man and woman who were pale with fright and trembling. Although their clothes were similar in color to Fangru and Ma Xian, they were clearly two completely unfamiliar faces.
"Spare me, sir! I... I was just... just having a secret rendezvous here..." the man stammered, while the woman was already sobbing uncontrollably.
Zhou Ling's eyes turned cold. He strode forward and brushed aside the woman's disheveled hair, revealing a completely unfamiliar face.
"It wasn't her." His voice was icy as he abruptly released his grip.
The pair of wild mandarin ducks were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, trembling like leaves.
Grand Secretary Li hurriedly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, since the person has already escaped through the side gate, we should immediately..."
"Shut up!" Zhou Ling interrupted sharply, a violent crimson surging in his eyes. "She's still in the temple."
Zhou Ling's gaze swept across the silent temple like that of a hawk, and an ominous premonition gripped his heart.
He ignored the crowd's discussions, turned around abruptly, and personally led the Imperial Guards into the chanting room.
The lingering scent of sandalwood incense still lingered in the main hall, and the prayer cushions lay scattered haphazardly on the floor, yet the hall was already deserted.
But just a few steps inside the palace by the Imperial Guards, a shocking change occurred!
In a corner of the side hall, a man and a woman suddenly turned the wooden buckets in their hands upside down, spilling kerosene that instantly soaked their clothes!
Immediately afterwards, the tinderbox flashed a crimson light!
"boom!"
Blinding flames suddenly erupted, engulfing the two of them!
The acrid smell, accompanied by the crackling sound of burning flesh, quickly filled the air. Twisted figures struggled futilely in the fire, a scene so horrific that it was unbearable to look at.
Judging from the remaining coarse cloth clothing and body outline, it was clearly the peasant woman "Fangru" who had just sneaked into the temple, and the imperial criminal Ma Xian!
"Ah!" someone in the civil service cried out in surprise.
Grand Secretary Li stared at the figure in the fire, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
Grand Secretary Zhang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and others were deathly pale and trembling like leaves.
Shen Cainu was forced to perish together with the traitor!
In His Majesty's fury, how could those who initially suggested she come to identify the person possibly survive?!
Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and everyone was utterly shocked by this horrifying scene.
Only Zhou Ling!
After that brief, heart-stopping shock, he let out a low growl like a trapped beast and charged headlong at the still-burning humanoid flame!
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!" Li Zuo, the commander of the Imperial Guards, was terrified and rushed forward to stop him, but Zhou Ling swatted him away.
Zhou Ling's eyes were bloodshot, but his movements were incredibly fast. He ripped off his black embroidered gold cloak and threw it over the smaller, female burning body, using his own body and the heavy cloth to suppress the flames!
The sound of cloth rubbing against the ground and the charred corpse was sickening.
Seeing this, Li Zuo was terrified, but he immediately followed suit, tearing off his outer robe to extinguish the remaining fire on the charred male corpse next to him.
The fire was finally extinguished.
The two corpses were burned beyond recognition, curled up in a charred and horrifying shape, emitting a strong stench.
Just as everyone was still in shock, a member of the Imperial Guard suddenly exclaimed, "Your Majesty! This woman's waist..."
At the waist of the charred female corpse hung a blackened jade pendant, the very same dragon-patterned jade pendant that Zhou Ling had personally tied for Fangru that morning!
Grand Secretary Zhang scrambled to Zhou Ling's feet, looking at his barely recognizable corpse, tightly wrapped in his cloak, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please accept my condolences! Consort Shen... she has died for her country... You... you must take care of your health!"
Zhou Ling slowly raised his head. His hair was disheveled, his dragon robe was stained with soot and dirt, and there were even black scorch marks on his face.
But his eyes were unusually clear, terrifyingly sharp, burning with an almost insane stubbornness.
He stared intently at the charred corpse in his arms, speaking slowly and deliberately, his voice hoarse yet resolute:
"She is not Shen Fangru."
The moment he lunged at the corpse, he seemingly embraced the charred body in grief, but in reality, he secretly examined the corpse's finger bones. Fangru, who had played the zither for many years, would never have such large knuckles.
He reached out and took the jade pendant, then shoved the corpse aside abruptly. He ran his fingertips along the patterns burned by the flames and suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"What a masterful escape!" His voice was deep, yet every word was clear and distinct, reaching everyone's ears. "He even left behind the jade pendant I bestowed upon him..."
He gripped the jade pendant tightly, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall like a sharp blade: "Search for her! She must still be in this temple!"
The soldiers looked at each other, all thinking that the emperor had lost his mind due to excessive grief, but none of them dared to disobey the imperial decree.
They reluctantly began the search, but the main hall was empty, with almost nothing visible except for Buddha statues, prayer cushions, and scriptures.
Once, twice... the result was always "no findings".
The Vice Minister of Justice quietly pulled aside Li Zuo, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, and whispered, "Commander Li, quickly go and persuade His Majesty. This person cannot be brought back to life. If His Majesty does this... it may harm the Emperor's health and shake the foundation of the nation!"
Li Zuo looked hesitant, but was about to bite the bullet and step forward.
“She’s waiting,” Zhou Ling said again, his voice low and chilling, “waiting until I think she’s dead, waiting until I give up the search.”
As he finished speaking, his gaze was already fixed precisely on the floor in front of the Buddha shrine, where there was a very shallow drag mark, as if it had been hastily wiped. The incense ash next to the mark was scattered unnaturally, as if it had been blown by a faint airflow from the ground.
He strode toward the floor, each step so steady it was almost unsettling.
Just when everyone thought he was about to bend down and examine the room closely, he suddenly stopped, chuckled softly at the empty hall, his voice so gentle it sent chills down one's spine:
"Ru'er, guess..." He paused, a determined glint in his eyes, "Which is faster, me finding you or your father receiving my decree?"
A very faint gasp came from underground, barely audible, but it did not escape Zhou Ling's ears.
He smiled with satisfaction, then stomped heavily on the floor, the hollow "thump" echoing clearly in the silent hall.
He leaned over the cave entrance, his voice so soft it could melt water, yet carrying an undeniable air of control:
"The game is over, my beloved."
...
Fangru and Ma Xianzheng, who were hiding in the cellar, held their breath.
Just moments ago, they were whispering about how to exploit the "gap" set up by Grand Secretary Li to create a false impression and how to contact the remnants of the Baiyang Society.
The two bodies used to escape were those of Ma Xian's most loyal subordinates, a brother and sister who had been adopted by the Baiyang Society since childhood.
Upon learning that Ma Xian's identity had been exposed, they did not hesitate to choose this dead end.
“They were raised by the leader since childhood…” Ma Xian’s voice echoed in the cellar, “This is their own choice.”
Fangru clenched the hem of her clothes, recalling the resolute look in the eyes of the brother and sister.
Although she felt reluctant, she understood that this was indeed the only way out at the moment.
The commotion and burning smell outside at this moment are probably proof that the plan has succeeded.
“As long as they confirm we are dead and the search becomes lax, we will have a chance…” Ma Xian’s words were cut short.
Suddenly, the sound of wooden planks being pried open and a blinding light came from above!
Fangru's heart sank to the bottom instantly. It's all over!
The next second, countless soldiers poured into the narrow cellar and easily subdued the two unsuspecting men.
As Fangru and Ma Xian were being escorted and forced to kneel on the cold floor of the chanting room, she didn't even dare to look up at those dragon eyes that were sure to be filled with thunderous fury.
Zhou Ling's gaze swept over her body, which was wrapped in coarse cloth and slightly disheveled from struggling, as if it were a physical object, and finally settled on her pale face.
He didn't speak, but that silence was more suffocating than any question.
He didn't even glance at Ma Xian, only telling the accompanying officials, "Interrogate him."
Then, under everyone's gaze, Zhou Ling took a step to Fang Ru, bent down, and hoisted her onto his shoulder as if she were a lifeless piece of cargo!
His actions were rough and showed no mercy to women.
Fangru cried out in surprise, her stomach throbbing painfully from his shoulder, her blood rushing to her head, and all her struggles were futile under his iron arm.
She could only be carried away by him, like a sack of rice, in front of all the ministers and soldiers, with an air of absolute control and punishment, from this place of trouble she was trying to escape.
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