Chapter 84: Don't be afraid of me hurting, Lu and Tao.
Many things happened the night Tao Qing lay supine in the Princess's residence.
That night should have been Long'an's wedding night, but Tao Qingyang was led to Long'an's bedroom instead.
When he arrived, the incense had already spread, and the two people on the bed were already entangled in a passionate embrace.
The princess, who should have been consummating her marriage with the son of the Pillar of State, was instead having an affair with the Crown Prince of Ningnan in the palace.
Regardless of how infamous the Prince of Ningnan is, even if he were a saintly man who could remain unmoved by temptation, Tao Qingyang would only think that he had taken liberties with the current princess in this situation.
Young and hot-blooded, Tao Qingyang blindfolded himself and rushed into the bedroom, picking up a stool and smashing it against the back of the lecher's head.
There was no sound from inside the room. Not wanting to have anything to do with Long'an, he didn't say a word and turned to leave.
But in the instant he turned around, Long An hooked his belt.
The woman's soft hand slid across the room, and Tao Qingyang then realized that there was something wrong with the fragrance in the room.
He shouldn't have covered his eyes; he should have covered his nose.
No, he should just leave.
But he had already been affected. His legs felt unsteady and his whole body felt abnormal. He pushed Long An away, tore off the blindfold, and felt so dizzy that his vision began to blur.
He straightened up, leaning on the bedpost, but unexpectedly, the Prince of Ningnan, who had just collapsed, woke up again.
The other person's eyes were red, blood was smeared on the back of his head, and he approached step by step with a dagger in his hand. It was unclear whether he wanted Long An or wanted to kill him.
Tao Qingyang was already restraining his physical reaction, but now, driven by his survival instinct, he picked up the stool again and swung it at the lewd man.
However, the opponent was incredibly strong, seemingly possessing inexhaustible brute force. At that time, Tao Qingyang had been studying at the Imperial Academy for two years, and his martial arts skills had become rusty. Even though the opponent's moves were unorthodox, his brute strength made it difficult for Tao Qingyang to deal with him.
Tao Qingyang didn't remember how it ended. He gradually lost consciousness during the fight, but he vaguely remembered that the brand-new dagger pierced the chest of the Prince of Ningnan.
Before I closed my eyes, I saw a scene of blood red.
Tao Qingyang, still in a coma, was deeply trapped in this nightmare. His fingertips curled up from time to time, his brows were furrowed, and he was not sleeping soundly.
That old eunuch knew far more than Long'an had told him earlier.
The marriage of the eldest princess to the son of the pillar of the state was a grand banquet in the palace. Wine cups were clinked in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, but amidst the festivities, the prince consort was nowhere to be seen for a long time.
The late emperor sent the old eunuch to check on the situation. After asking around, he discovered that the groom had already returned to the princess's bedchamber.
"This prince consort is really impatient; he went to find His Highness before the banquet was even over," he teased as he went to look for him.
Before they even entered the Princess's palace, they discovered scattered bloodstains on the ground.
Just as they realized something was wrong, a young eunuch exclaimed that the soil under the peony tree in the garden had just been dug up, and the soil was only loosely covering the area. Near the grass, a corner of bright red fabric was still showing.
The color of the fabric was so striking that it was hard not to arouse suspicion, so the old eunuch sent people to dig up the soil.
As the soil was gradually removed, the expressions of the eunuchs changed slightly.
It turned out to be the prince consort's trusted attendant!
The old eunuch dared not delay and immediately ran to the princess's bedroom, fearing that something might have happened to her.
But someone had already arrived before him.
A group of people stood guard outside the princess's palace. When he arrived, they bowed as if to report, but he dismissed them with a hiss and quietly approached the inner courtyard.
The late Empress's voice, straining to suppress her anger, came from inside the palace: "Fool! What have you done?"
The young princess, her voice as calm as a dry well, said, "It's nothing. We just killed the prince consort together with the Prince of Ningnan, and then deliberately let the young master of the Tao family in—"
"What did you say?!" The late Empress's voice trembled. "You killed the Imperial Son-in-Law?"
"Look, he's under the bed, staring at Mother Empress with wide eyes." Long'an knelt on the ground, directly facing the bed, and pointed ominously under the bed, causing the late Empress to break out in a cold sweat for no apparent reason.
She quickly ordered people to carry the body out.
The body of the imperial son-in-law lay under the bed, while Tao Qingyang lay unconscious on the bed. Both were sons of influential ministers of the court.
The late Empress was furious: "Why did you do this? And why was Tao Qingyang in your palace?"
"Because he's handsome, if I let him kill my lover and then people find him lying with me, will Mother let me marry him?" She asked with a touch of innocent longing.
The late Empress felt a tightness in her chest. She clutched her chest and looked at Long An in disbelief: "What nonsense are you talking about! Just because he's handsome, you've done such a ridiculous thing? Have you thought about the consequences of what you've done? If he's found in your bed, can he still live? How can he marry you then?"
Long An smiled inexplicably, then looked up and stared straight at the late Empress: "Can these things possibly trouble Mother?"
The late Empress felt uneasy under her gaze. She looked away and thought carefully. She could indeed find a way to resolve the matter, but there was still a loophole: the Prince of Ningnan had escaped.
That's the tricky part; they're completely on the defensive.
She wanted to slap Long An, but she was her most beloved daughter, and she couldn't bring herself to do it. She felt a chill run through her heart.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and composed herself before asking Long An with her eyes closed, "Why did you provoke the Prince of Ningnan? Are you aware of his actions?"
Long An remained calm: "I know."
"You know? Don't you like him? You abandoned the son of the Pillar of the State, lost your dignity as a princess, and the person you were intimately involved with has repeatedly made outrageous remarks outside the palace, saying that you are a shameless woman. Aren't you heartbroken? The person you like treats you like this, aren't you disappointed?" The late Empress spoke faster and faster, her anger and resentment palpable.
Long An merely glanced at his mother, then lowered his eyelashes again, staring straight ahead, neither pleased nor sad. "Who said I like him? He's despicable, foolish, frivolous, arrogant, narrow-minded, and utterly useless. How could I possibly like him?"
The late empress was even more puzzled. She stared blankly at her daughter for a long time before stammering, "Then why... why did you do that?"
"Why? Because he's stupid. Only he dares to provoke me and belittle me." Long An's tone remained calm, so calm that it was as if she were talking about someone else. "I am the legitimate princess, the empress's daughter, and the elder sister of the future crown prince. I am of noble status, shoulder great responsibilities, and follow the rules, restrain myself and follow etiquette, and am knowledgeable and reasonable. I am a model for the royal family and an example for noble ladies."
She sighed almost imperceptibly, then looked up at her astonished mother. "You praise me, so I'm worthy of any man in the world. I'm so good, how dare that idiot provoke me?"
"Since you know that, why are you still with him, still with him..."
The late empress hesitated, repeatedly weighing her words in her mind, unable to find a dignified yet precise way to question her most beloved daughter.
Long'an knew perfectly well what her mother was being wary of, but she didn't care at all, blurting out, "Dishonest? Yes, it's because he provoked me. If it were anyone else, I would have done the same thing. If it were Tao Qingyang or Lu Youchuan, I would have been even more—"
"Slap." The dull thud of a slap on the cheek interrupted Long An's words.
A burning, stinging sensation spread across my cheeks, and a faint taste of blood filled my mouth.
Long An covered her cheek, her eyes fixed on the right hand that the late Empress had just slapped her with. "That's how it is. Every time I get dressed, I slap him too. No, sometimes it's several slaps. I had forgotten how much it hurt."
Long An has gone mad; how could she say such a thing?
The late Empress was struck dumb, her legs trembled, and she staggered back two steps. Her nanny helped her up, and she barely managed to steady herself. "Shameless! How could I have raised a daughter like you! Absurd, utterly absurd!"
Long An suddenly opened her phoenix eyes wide and stared straight at the late Empress. "What's wrong? Mother, are you dissatisfied with the daughter you raised? Didn't you always say that I was more proper than all the noble ladies in the capital? I can be sent to anyone's bed as you wish, whether he is a king, a general, or the emperor of an enemy country..."
Long'an's words were erratic, but the late Empress suddenly discerned a deeper meaning in her speech: "Are you blaming me? Are you taking revenge on me?"
Long'an remained silent, only watching the late empress laugh freely.
The late Empress was alarmed by her laughter and ordered her nanny to hold down Long'an's shoulders to stop her from laughing.
Long An finally calmed down, and she continued to gather her thoughts and compose herself, saying, "Long An, what happened to you? How could you say such absurd things?"
Long An, his arm pinned down, looked up at her. "No, it's just not exciting enough, not exciting at all. Mother, you should continue killing people. Kill the Imperial Noble Consort, oh no, kill Consort Ling. She's the prettiest. Father has been favoring her lately. Kill her first, and then..."
"Shut up! Long'an, you've gone mad, you're absolutely insane!" The late Empress saw the young woman kneeling on the ground. She was so beautiful and intelligent, how could she have become like this?
Because her words were too extreme, even the late Empress was frightened by her expression, as if she felt that even the slight upturn of her lips was so ferocious and terrifying.
She quickly found someone to gag her, and without regard for decorum, fled in panic.
The old eunuch knew the late empress's methods. Now that the matter concerned the dignity of the royal family and involved important officials in the court, he dared not make a decision on his own, nor did he want to confront the late empress directly. So, before anyone else came out of the palace, he left the princess's bedroom.
But he happened to witness everything that happened that night.
He hurried back to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, only to bump into Tao Junlan, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, covered in blood, in the Imperial Garden. Tao Junlan rushed towards the front hall.
Before the other party had even left the Imperial Garden, they ran into Lu Youchuan, the then Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy.
"Commander Tao, what happened? Why do you look like this?" Lu Youchuan, who looked like a young man, steadied Tao Junlan.
Tao Junlan was Tao Qingyang's grandfather. He had fought bloody battles all his life and had just returned to the capital after being discharged from the battlefield to secure a position in front of the emperor.
Because of the relationship between Tao Qingyang and Lu Youchuan's mothers, Tao Junlan was considered Lu Youchuan's elder, and she was quite pleased to see Lu Youchuan: "Little Lu?"
The old commander's anxious expression was somewhat relieved. "Quick, Xiao Lu, go save A Yang! I saw him go to the Princess's bedroom. You can't go there!"
Lu Youchuan was mature and composed, but his steps were hurried. He glanced past Tao Junlan toward the Princess's palace, his expression sorrowful: "Alright, I was just about to go find him."
Tao Junlan noticed Lu Youchuan's unusual expression and was about to ask him something when Lu Youchuan noticed the anomaly in the Imperial Garden before he could, "Commander Tao, you..."
Lu Youchuan's gaze shifted from the corpse lying in the Imperial Garden to the face of the breathing old general. "Did you do this?"
Tao Junlan made no attempt to hide his feelings, "Yes, I will go to His Majesty to apologize right away. Please take good care of A Yang for this old man."
Lu Youchuan's hand, which was supporting Tao Junlan's shoulder and arm, suddenly tightened. He did not obey Tao Junlan's instructions, but instead pulled him into the rockery next to him.
The old eunuch still dared not disturb those around him. Pretending to have just arrived, he deliberately avoided the location of the Prince of Ningnan's body and hurried back to the front hall.
After he secretly reported the situation at the Princess's residence, the late Empress immediately sent someone to report it as well.
The news she brought was completely different from what he had reported.
She claimed that Tao Qingyang admired the eldest princess and, dissatisfied with her marriage to another, impulsively entered the palace and accidentally killed the son of the princess's husband and the Prince of Ningnan.
The late emperor had already seen through the late empress's scheme, but because the grand banquet was underway, he did not disturb everyone and went to the palace of the eldest princess beforehand.
The eldest princess was still kneeling on the ground, and the unconscious Tao Qingyang and the body of the consort were just as the old eunuch had left them, except that there was now another body of the Prince of Ningnan next to the consort.
Given the current situation, once Tao Qingyang wakes up, no amount of explanation will clear his name of suspicion.
The late emperor stood in the Princess's palace, glanced at the scene, asked no further questions, and turned back to his study.
The old eunuch had served the late emperor for many years, and from his gait, he had already discerned the joy hidden in the late emperor's heart.
It seemed that everything was going as he had hoped.
Back in his study, he waited quietly for the two ministers who had lost their sons to come and demand answers.
Unexpectedly, Lu Youchuan, who came alone, was the first to arrive.
His story changed again; he claimed that he had accidentally killed the sons of two court officials and asked for punishment.
However, in the end, they could not escape the fate of the entire Tao family being exterminated.
Upon hearing what the old eunuch had said, Qin Song felt a strange tightness in his chest.
This night was so complicated.
Overnight, everything changed dramatically, involving the Tao family, the Lu family, Kunning Palace, the Pillar State Mansion, and the Ningnan Prince's Mansion.
No one can understand the state of mind of the people at that time, and no one can imagine that the root of everything was just a single wrong thought of Long'an.
Qin Song remained silent for a long time before shifting his gaze from the old eunuch's face to Lu Youchuan standing to the side.
"So what deal did you make with the late emperor? How did you manage to protect Tao Qingyang and his sister?"
Lu Youchuan's face was somber, his hands, casually resting on his knees, clenched the hem of his robe. He didn't want to recall the events of that night, but after a barely perceptible sigh, he said softly, "The Tao couple had already perished on the eve of the Princess's wedding. The late Emperor was worried about not finding a suitable reason to make this news public."
"What?" A huge weight was lifted from Qin Song's heart, far more shocking than hearing that Long An had killed and buried the body. "So you already knew about this when you were anxiously searching for Tao Qingyang?"
Lu Youchuan nodded sullenly, "No matter what happened that night, the fate of the Tao family couple was sealed. After General Tao learned that the Tao family couple and tens of thousands of Tao family soldiers had been ruthlessly slaughtered on the battlefield, he bravely drew his sword, intending to rush into the imperial study and personally behead the late emperor on the dragon throne."
Qin Song's face was still somewhat pale, but his mind was very clear. "Did you stop him? He's already gone. You can only do everything you can to save the lives of the Tao siblings?"
"Hmm." Lu Youchuan nodded and briefly explained his plan with General Tao.
The late emperor was deeply suspicious and wanted to consolidate his imperial power. He had long been wary of Tao Jiang's growing power and was plotting to eliminate the Tao family's influence.
Although the Tao family's young and capable commander had died on the battlefield, the Tao family army was disciplined and could quickly regain its strength even after Tao Qingyang's parents passed away.
They might even be rewarded again for the glorious sacrifice of General Tao and his wife.
Tao Jiang already held great prestige. In the eyes of the late emperor, further bestowing titles and rewards upon him would only needlessly fuel his ambition. Therefore, the late emperor was very satisfied with Tao Qing lying supine in the Long'an Palace.
Regardless of whether he killed the person or not, a final verdict must be reached.
He could easily ruin the Tao family's reputation and slaughter the entire clan.
This is a dead end, and there's no way to salvage it.
In desperation, Tao Junlan made a risky decision. He knelt down with difficulty and pleaded, "Lord Lu, please save A Yang, please."
He changed his title and kowtowed repeatedly.
Young Lu Youchuan's heart was in his throat. He didn't immediately help Tao Junlan up because he had already guessed how difficult it was for this elder to make such a request.
He wanted him to get involved, even the entire Lu family, to become an unexpected twist in this game.
Lu Youchuan comes from a prominent family in Wu County, and he is the eldest son of the most renowned family. At a young age, he has already entered the capital as an official, and his future is bound to be limitless.
He used his official position and the Lu family as leverage to persuade the emperor to exterminate the Tao family.
When Lu Youchuan met the emperor alone, he had no idea that the late emperor already knew the whole story. But as it turned out, the crime of deceiving the emperor was itself a blatant threat.
If his words were known to others, it would be difficult to silence the old pillar of the state and the Prince of Ningnan. After all, there were many suspicious points about the situation of the Princess. If Lu Youchuan said even one more word, it would become bait for the two important officials to hold onto. If the late emperor wanted to make sure that the Tao family was guilty without any problems, he had to convict them as soon as possible.
However, Lu Youchuan's sudden impersonation and taking the blame could neither be directly convicted of deceiving the emperor nor ignored.
Caught in a dilemma, the late emperor had no choice but to feign "protection" of Lu Youchuan in private, allowing Lu to write a complaint about the Tao family army's treason, promising not to pursue the matter further.
Lu Youchuan could write such a defamatory statement, but only if Tao Qingyang and Tao Yao were spared.
Lu Youchuan knelt at the emperor's feet, his back straight, his attitude leaving no room for argument: "The Tao siblings should not have died for me. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
The late emperor was quite displeased: "Alright, this matter was all caused by Tao Qingyang. If I let him go, how will I explain it to the two old ministers?"
Lu Youchuan uttered the most vicious thought of his life: "Isn't it enough to give the Tao family justice? Moreover, Tao Qingyang's awakening was all due to one person's mistake, which led to the upheaval of the family. Isn't that more painful than killing him?"
The late emperor finally approved the conspiracy, quelling the anger of the two high-ranking officials at the cost of the entire Tao family. Overnight, the Tao family's fortunes changed drastically.
Because of this deal, Lu Youchuan completely severed ties with the main Lu family, truly becoming a tool to safeguard the nation and its people.
He was actually waiting for the day when a wise ruler would ascend the throne and clear the Tao family's name.
Fortunately, he waited for Qin Song.
After hearing the whole story, Qin Song broke out in a cold sweat.
The former emperor who easily slaughtered meritorious officials—ha, is this the tyrant that the original owner's mother needed to win over?
How ridiculous! This kind of person doesn't even deserve to be seduced! He's even less worthy of being a ruler!
Qin Song looked at Lu Youchuan, unable to hide his mixed feelings.
The connection between him and Tao Qingyang was so deep-rooted, yet so difficult to explain.
"I deserve to die," Lu Youchuan muttered softly, his eyes lowered in despair.
Perhaps this is the biggest knot in Lu Youchuan's heart, despite his stern and aloof demeanor.
Qin Song's eyelashes trembled slightly, and for the first time, she tenderly embraced him, without lust or possessiveness, only gentle comfort.
"No, you didn't. Believe me, it's not you who deserves to die."
Lu Youchuan hugged her tightly, resting his chin on her shoulder, as if he wanted to unload all his weariness, even if only for a moment.
The two were embracing quietly when a noise suddenly broke out inside the room.
"Miss, General Tao has woken up," a guard rushed in to report.
Qin Song quickly released Lu Youchuan, recalling the situation before Tao Qingyang fainted.
She dared not delay, and entered alone, closing the door behind her, leaving only her and Tao Qingyang alone in the room.
Tao Qingyang's eyes were still red, and she was still out of control.
She had just closed the door when he pinned her against it. He took a deep breath and placed one hand on her shoulder, which was pressed tightly against the door. "Ah Song, move aside."
"No. Ah Yang, look at me." Qin Song pressed herself firmly against the door, her body unwavering, and she called him in the same way her grandfather had called her.
He didn't tighten his grip any further; his resolute gaze, which had been fixed on Qin Song's face as he walked out the door, softened and settled on Qin Song's face. "What did you call me...?"
"A-Yang," Qin Song called again, "A-Yang, do you like it if I call you A-Yang?"
She withdrew her hands from the door, hooked them around his neck, tilted her head back to kiss him, and bit him, trying hard to arouse his desire.
"Carry me to bed. Don't be afraid of the pain. Let me explain slowly."
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Author's Note: Ah, to be honest, I now write every day's chapters on the spot. I never expected my typing speed to become so fast. I look forward to the day when I can write 10,000 words a day!!
This story really exhausted me. I set the story framework in the early stages, but the more I wrote, the more complicated it became. Ah, it's completely different from my synopsis.
For my next book, I'll definitely follow the synopsis and plot points very carefully! Go me!!
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