Chapter 93 Why be so persistent?
Yun Zhao's eyes glared, not allowing Cao Suzhu any more chance to accuse others or deceive others. His voice was firm and resolute, with unquestionable determination: "Be beaten to death immediately! This maid dared to try to frame His Highness the Prince of Qin. Her crime is even more severe!"
She knew very well that the King of Qin's spies must not be allowed to stay! Moreover, Cao Suzhu mentioned Xiao Yan in a panic. Even if she was let go today, Xiao Yan would never let her live!
Upon hearing this, Cao Suzhu unleashed her last remaining strength, cursing loudly, "Yun Zhao! You will die a horrible death! Do you think you can rest easy just by clinging to the emperor's leg? Sooner or later, the situation will change! You've chosen the wrong side, and one day you will be torn into pieces!"
Yun Zhao's face was as calm as water, but his heart was as clear as a mirror.
How could she not know the hidden meaning behind Cao Suzhu's words? And how could she not know the evil intentions harbored by Qin Wang Xiao Yan?
Far from being shaken by the curse, she grew even colder and harder, her words falling like icy beads to the ground: "Unfortunately, you are destined not to see the day you spoke of. Stealing imperial gifts, having an affair with a man outside your family, defying superiors, making irresponsible remarks about state affairs, cursing imperial concubines... Each of these offenses carries the death penalty! Execute! After being beaten to death, the body will be dragged to a mass grave and left for wild dogs to devour!"
She would never let the tragedy of her previous life happen again!
She would never let King Qin's ambition succeed!
In this life, the path she chooses will never be wrong!
The heavy board fell again, even more brutally than before.
Cao Suzhu's shrill howls gradually became weaker and eventually turned into dead silence.
Dark red blood meandered and flowed, soaking the bluestone floor.
Yun Zhao stood there with his back straight, but his fingertips couldn't help but tremble slightly under his wide sleeves.
This was the first time she personally ordered the taking of a life.
At that moment, Qin Wang Xiao Yan returned, seemingly intending to speak to Yun Zhao again, only to witness the bloody finale. He looked at the lifeless Cao Suzhu on the ground, his eyes flashing with disbelief and astonishment. He quickly turned to Yun Zhao, "Ah Zhao...is this your order?"
Yun Zhao forced himself to suppress his turbulent emotions, met his gaze, and tried to sound calm, even with a hint of consideration for him. "Yes. This maid had an affair with a man outside her family and stole the night-shining pearl Your Highness gave me. The evidence is irrefutable. Even more abominable is that before she died, she had the audacity to lie and claim to be your servant."
She paused, carefully observing Xiao Yan's expression, then shifted her tone to one of deliberate defense and distancing herself from the truth. "Although Your Highness has broken off the engagement with me, I still know your character to some extent. You are of such noble status and such high standards, how could you lower yourself by becoming involved with a lowly palace maid? She is making false accusations in an attempt to tarnish Your Highness's reputation. She deserves death! Do you agree with my decision?"
A flash of embarrassment and anger quickly crossed Xiao Yan's face, but he quickly regained his composure and even managed a smile of approval: "Of course! Such a traitorous and slanderous slave deserves death! Ah Zhao, you handled it very well!"
He changed the subject and asked casually, "But...is there really one missing night pearl?"
Yun Zhao's mind raced, and his guess was immediately confirmed from his subtle reaction and question - Cao Suzhu did not steal, and the missing pearl was probably given to her by Xiao Yan himself as a reward!
Her face remained expressionless as she echoed his words, "Indeed, one is missing. Although it is priceless, since it is incomplete, there is no point in me keeping it." She raised her hand to signal, and Xiaotao immediately brought the brocade box over.
Yun Zhao took the box and thrust it directly into Xiao Yan's hands. He then quickly took two steps back, creating some distance between them. His tone was distant but firm: "Your Highness, no merit is unacceptable. I truly dare not accept this generous gift. Please accept it."
Seeing his own spy being removed, and now facing such a blatant rejection from Yun Zhao, Xiao Yan's face darkened instantly. He gripped the box of night-shining pearls, his knuckles turning white. Finally, he snorted coldly, "Good! A true example of not accepting rewards without merit! Concubine Yun, I hope you won't regret this someday!"
After saying that, he suddenly flicked his sleeves, strode away with a cold air, and didn't even look back.
In just a cup of tea, the side hall courtyard had been cleaned as clean as new, and the strong smell of blood was blown away by the cold wind, as if nothing had happened.
Only Yun Zhao himself knew that something had changed.
She returned to her room and did not step out of the room for two days.
The impact of giving the order to take someone's life for the first time was far greater than she had imagined. She was haunted by nightmares every night, and in a trance she always saw Cao Suzhu coming to her in a bloody state to take her life... But every time she was most frightened, she felt a vague warmth and protection, pulling her back from the depths of the nightmare.
When Zhang Fuan came to visit her on imperial orders, he saw that she was pale with gray under her eyes.
"Oh, my dear Lady Shang Gong, what's wrong with you?" Zhang Fuan stamped his feet anxiously. "Your Majesty's eyesight has fully recovered, but why did you fall down again? The Duke will be returning to the capital in two days. Wouldn't your appearance distress the old marshal?"
Yun Zhao leaned against the soft pillow, his voice light and weak, "Thank you for your concern, Eunuch. I've been working so hard these past few days, and I'm a little tired and lazy. Tomorrow... tomorrow I'll be fine. Please tell Your Majesty that I'm just feeling unwell and need to rest for another day."
Zhang Fuan sighed and left. After that, several waves of people came to visit the patient, but they were all turned away by Yun Zhao on the grounds that he was not fully recovered.
However, there are always uninvited guests who refuse to let her have peace.
When the eighth princess Xiao Yao heard that Yunfeng was being married to the daughter of the Yunshan Earl's family, she knew that the marriage was hopeless. After crying and making a fuss in front of Xiao Jin and the Queen Mother for several days without any results, she suddenly felt a surge of anger towards Yun Zhao.
She ignored the palace servants' attempts to stop her and rushed into the inner chamber. Pointing at Yun Zhao, she began to scold him unreasonably, "Yun Zhao! Is it you? Are you behind this?! Just because I offended you in the past, you instigated your brother to refuse to marry me, right?"
Yun Zhao was distracted by his worries and illness. He suppressed his temper, but his tone was as cold as iron: "Your Highness, please be careful with your words! Your Majesty has decided on my brother's marriage. What does it have to do with me? Moreover—"
She looked up at the spoiled Eighth Princess, her words clear and even with a hint of undisguised sharpness: "Forgive me for being blunt, but if Your Highness the Princess were to marry my brother, I would not be happy. Now, perhaps this is a relief for you. Your Majesty is wise and will choose a marriage of equal status and satisfaction for you. Why should you be so obsessed with my brother?"
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