Liquidation
When Gillian quietly left the scene, Jiang Chong stopped her, "Madam, this way please."
The door slammed shut, leaving her feeling a bit uneasy in the empty room. After a while, the door opened again. Liu Che's face was expressionless, even with a slight smile on it. Perhaps she had seen it wrongly.
She was looking at the magnolia tree outside the window. The white magnolias were in bud, raising their proud heads towards the sky, and the shadows of their branches were swaying.
"Madam is quite leisurely and calm at this time."
A Jiao closed the window and bowed her head to him like a frightened rabbit. However, Liu Che personally helped her up. In mid-air, she raised her eyes slightly, her head still lowered, shy. Her eyes were bright and dark, with the corners of her eyes tilted upwards, which was inadvertently captivating.
Liu Che still didn't let go of her hand. She was a little scared and tried to pull her hand back. "Your Majesty, what can I do for you?"
His strength was too great, and perhaps there had been a mark there. Her arms were too thin, and the two of them were deadlocked in the confrontation in silence.
Liu Che's face remained gentle. "I order you to be my queen, okay?"
He looked at her tenderly, with a hint of excitement. Gillian's voice was trembling, and a little shocked, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I am the general's wife, your..."
She suddenly knelt down, tears in her eyes, "Your Majesty, please forgive my aunt. She was just drunk and mistook a palace maid. Even if you don't consider it for the sake of the little prince, please consider the general's life of military service and his outstanding military achievements..."
The man in the black robe in front of him also half-knelt down. He gently wiped away her tears, wiping them into her black hair. He looked at the woman in front of him whose eyes were red from crying and said gently, "Why are you crying? When a king takes his minister's wife, a father takes his son's wife, women are afraid of losing their chastity and being cursed, right? But I am the emperor, who dares to say anything?"
Otherwise, being a concubine would be fine. Ignoring worldly affairs, I could live a comfortable and carefree life."
A line of tears fell on Liu Che's robe and was swallowed by the endless darkness. Only the humid and hot temperature through the robe made him feel a little.
She choked up and said, "I dare not, I dare not marry Your Majesty. There are so many beauties in the harem, of noble status, outstanding talent and beauty, they are all a hundred times better than me."
"But they are not as good as you." Liu Che's hand stroked her temples, and the fragrance of gardenia oil permeated his fingers.
"Appearance is just skin, what's inside... is what really captures a person's heart." His hand gradually moved to the slightly bulging button. Gillian's heart suddenly jumped, as if she was entangled by a snake. She stepped back in fear and bumped into the tables by the window.
She seemed to have thought of something, "Your Majesty, I swear I will never tell anyone about what happened today. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
She bent back slightly, her hands resting on the edge of the table, tightly grasping it as if grasping a drowning duckweed. Unbeknownst to her, this very gesture aroused the man's desire to possess her even more...
No, she knew that Liu Che was gradually approaching her, and the dark figure was getting closer and closer, getting bigger and wider, until it completely enveloped her.
The fear in her eyes was even more obvious, and her eyes were glistening with tears. Her fair little face was flushed because of crying, and it looked more red than rouge without any rouge.
"I'll spare you..." He leaned over and pushed her down, wiping her tears with his fingertips. When his fingertips reached her temples, he suddenly grabbed her hair and pulled her against the window, pressing her tightly into the pane.
"Madam Cheng, how was the show that the Queen and I put on for you today? The feeling of teasing me, the feeling of pulling people's hearts, it was very refreshing, right?"
He grabbed her neck, almost lifting her into the air. "Pingyang asked you to come, and she was the one who pushed that actor in? Do you think you have everything under control? Do you think you can manipulate me at will?"
"Madam, why don't you speak?" He sneered and increased the intensity of his movements. He watched her face turn purple, her eyes filled with tears, and she struggled while grabbing his hand.
"I forgot you can't speak, but that doesn't matter. I've learned your voice, your demeanor, your gait, your preferences... I've learned about 70% of them. You're pretty pleased with yourself, aren't you?"
Liu Che turned her chin to look at him, looking at her with contempt and disdain. A Jiao finally got a chance to breathe, taking deep breaths, tears streaming down her face.
The next moment, her heart was lifted again. The scabbard with gems and the smell of cattle slashed across her face, to the thin veins on her neck, and to her chest...
"Then I'll start with your face. I'll gouge out your eyes, cut off your arms, rip out your throat, and peel off your skin to make parchment for the Yuefu."
"I don't understand what Your Majesty is saying, Your Majesty... I really won't tell anyone, I swear! I want to go home, I want to see the general." Her body began to tremble, and she didn't dare to look directly into Liu Che's eyes.
The tip of the knife hidden in the leather pressed against her heart. The smile in Liu Che's eyes had completely faded. He was filled with disgust and hatred, as if he wanted to dig a big hole in her heart and then crush it to feel relieved.
"You don't understand? How could you not understand? You schemed to get close to me, imitated her, and framed the Queen, wasn't it just to become my woman?"
He suddenly kicked her leg, and she almost fell to her knees. "You lowly slave! Are you worthy of using her name?"
Ah Jiao covered her leg with her hands, tears streaming down her face. Anger and stubbornness appeared on her face. She raised her head and stared at Liu Che, "I really don't understand. My body and hair are given by my parents, and my father gave me this name. Should I be humiliated like this by Your Majesty just because of someone I've never met?"
"I don't understand a single word your majesty is saying. But I have always been diligent in my duties, never daring to offend the king in the slightest. Your majesty, harboring resentment and suspicion, is taking it out on me, a betrayal of the dignity of a ruler. Catch-and-fail, baseless speculation—is this the way of a ruler?"
She stood up, holding onto the table, and swept down a white porcelain bottle, pointing the shards at her neck. "If Your Majesty wants to kill me for this, I have nothing to say. I'm cutting my own neck to death, not to prove my pointless innocence, but because I refuse to die in humiliation."
Liu Che narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand. "Do you think I'll let you go just by pretending to be a chaste heroine and saying a few harsh words?"
Just as he was about to raise his arm, Cheng Jiao nervously grabbed the broken porcelain piece and scratched it. Blood began to seep out of the sharp part. Liu Che was still looking at her, as if appreciating her performance.
"Your Majesty..." Jiang Chong's voice sounded at the door, "General Huo is here to take your wife back home."
Cheng Jiao and Liu Che exchanged a glance. Her hands were still trembling, and she shrank back with a wary air. He lowered the dagger and, with a sneer, pushed her away. His force was so great that it broke open the window, and a cold wind suddenly blew in, carrying with it the fragrance of magnolia flowers.
Liu Che threw a silk handkerchief on her face and walked away. "If you do this again, you'll be the fertilizer for the flowers in Changxin Palace."
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