Pregnant
After some investigation, Liu Che discovered that Zhao Chunfang was indeed Lu Wu's illegitimate daughter. Lu Wu had only this one daughter, and because he admired her wealth and status, he had his daughter brand her hand with the copper coin seal so that she could pretend to be the reincarnated person.
Liu Che wanted to chop the father and daughter into pieces alive, "Does the person I'm looking for really have that copper coin seal?"
"The copper coin seal is real. This villain is absolutely not lying. I hope Your Highness will spare our lives."
Liu Che looked at Zhao Chunfang who was standing beside him. "Why did you send someone to kill He Liangdi right after entering the palace? What old grudge do you have against her?"
While Zhao Chunfang had ulterior motives, He Qingping was likely no pushover either. Their previous encounter in the Imperial Garden was accidental, and since then, she'd married the Crown Prince and had a grudge against Zhao Chunfang. If someone like this stayed with the Crown Prince, who knew what kind of trouble she would cause in the future? It would be better to kill them all today.
Zhao Chunfang, tortured, lay on the ground like a stagnant pool, her sweat mingled with blood, her mouth still salty and fishy. She forced one eye open, and before her lay Liu Che's dark dragon-patterned boots. The hem of his robe was stained with the scent of sandalwood, dry and elegant. He seemed to be at the opposite end of the spectrum from her: she, a dusty creature on earth, had strayed into the heavens, won his affection, and had only just dreamed a dream.
When he woke up from the dream, he seemed to have become another stranger, and the warmth he had before was no longer there.
Hehehe, He Qingping, is he the person he is looking for?
Why was she so lucky? She hated him, hated fate. She was going to die anyway, and she wanted them to suffer with her.
She said, "Because she laughed at me. She said I was ugly and would never find a good husband."
She laughed, her bloodshot eyes looking at Liu Che, "But I found it. Not only am I married, I'm married to the emperor, second only to the emperor, above everyone else. The emperor treats me so well, even better than the empress. She's not reconciled, and she even wants to replace me. She wants to snatch you from me. Your Majesty, didn't you say it? This isn't jealousy, this is love. I kill people not because I'm jealous of them, but because I love you. The more I kill, the more I love you. Your Majesty, don't you like seeing me angry for you the most? Why are you going to kill me now just because of He Qingping?"
"You said I could do anything, and that you would always love me no matter what I did! Why did you break your promise? Why did you go back on your word after promising me that? Why!"
!!!
The woman's sharp voice echoed from the hall. She was almost crazy. Her bloody hands grabbed the corner of Liu Che's robe, and her questions made Liu Che a little dazed.
Gillian did the same thing at the beginning, questioning him almost madly.
He seemed a little frightened and shook her off. "Jiang Chong, she's gone mad. Madam Zhao and Lu Wu have ulterior motives, deceiving their superiors and subordinates, deceiving the emperor. Take her away and sentence her to death."
A crisp sound came from outside the house, and the golden hairpin on Qingping's head fell off. She heard Zhao Chunfang's voice and the emperor's order to execute her. Her heart was pounding like thunder, as if the sword hanging over her head would cut off her head at any moment. From Liu Che's previous words, she probably already knew that the prince wanted to use the emperor to kill her. He had tricked her into wearing the clothes of that old friend and playing that song. The emperor could not tolerate deception the most. Now that she tried to deceive him, what would be her fate?
She shivered unconsciously and heard the man's voice coming from inside.
"He Liangdi, come in."
Qingping walked into the room and saw two palace servants dragging the unconscious Lu Wu and the raving Zhao Chunfang away. They then quickly began to mop up the blood on the floor, and soon it was clean again. A pool of dark, shiny brick reflected the emperor's massive form. The faint scent of blood lingered in the air, a reminder of what had just transpired.
Qingping was trembling all over, and he knelt in the center of the hall with his body stiff.
After the farce ended, Liu Che rubbed his brows, took a deep breath, and sat at the head of the table. Jiang Chong poured him a cup of tea with a look of understanding. He took it and let it cool, then took a sip. He seemed to be thinking about something, staring at the teacup intently.
The stone bricks, just wiped, were cold and hard, and her knees ached from kneeling. She dared not move, only scratching them quietly with her hands tucked into her sleeves. What was he thinking? Was he planning to kill her, or was he considering some form of punishment? He didn't have to do it, as soon as he opened his mouth, she would tell him everything. A quick knife would be enough for her, but if he used some unheard-of torture method, she might as well just hang herself.
No, her death wasn't enough. If she died, she had to take the Crown Prince with her! If he wasn't happy with this marriage, he could have gone to the Queen to cancel it. He could have discussed it with her. Why did he have to kill her? She'd thought he was a good man, but he turned out to be a coward who only cared about the weak.
"He Qingping, Zhao Chunfang said you mocked her for being ugly and saying she'd never find a good husband? Were you familiar with Zhao Chunfang?"
"I'm innocent! I never talk to anyone at home, and I don't socialize with them. Although we live close, we've only met a few times. How could I possibly scold her? Besides, I'm plain-looking, not even as good-looking as Madam Zhao... If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can send someone to my house to investigate. The neighbors can all testify."
"Never talk to anyone? That's a bit of an exaggeration. I see you're very articulate, you don't seem to be unable to speak."
"It's true. I was born with bad omens. My mother died in childbirth, my father died of illness soon after, and my brother died of overwork. It's not that I deliberately avoided them, but the neighbors were afraid of me and didn't talk to me."
"What ominous sign?"
Qingping rolled up her sleeves and began to remove the gauze on her right hand. "This is the birthmark. They say I was born in the twelfth lunar month, but the crabapple trees in the yard were already in bloom, a bad omen. Later, my mother passed away. I usually wrap it in gauze, afraid people would see it. Now that Your Majesty is here, with his majestic presence, I feel a little more at ease."
Jiang Chong's hand trembled violently as he refilled his tea, spilling it onto the table. He immediately glanced at the emperor's face, and sure enough, he saw him glaring at the woman kneeling on the ground, practically furious. He couldn't help but curse inwardly, "What a fool! One just died, and here comes another one using this mark as a gimmick." Didn't he see what happened to Zhao Chunfang and Lu Wu?
Qingping's hands were rough, and even after careful care, traces of past labor could still be seen. The dry lines on the palms were crisscrossed, and there was a round mark on the lower left side, which was exactly the same as Zhao Chunfang's mark, even the position was exactly the same.
The emperor suddenly grabbed her hand. Seeing him lower his eyes and remain silent, her heart began to beat fast. "Your Majesty...ah——"
"ah--"
Jiang Chong saw the woman's face twisted in pain and quickly lowered his head. Liu Che broke her wrist and stepped on it, as if to crush her to dust. "Who sent you here? Who taught you these words? Who planted spies in my palace, trying to gather secrets? If you won't speak, I have a hundred ways to make you speak. Don't rush to die. If you bite your tongue, I'll pull out your teeth. If you can't speak, you still have your hands. If those are cut off, I'll have to use my feet. Even if I have to turn you into a human pig and use your blood and your head as a pen, I won't forgive you!"
As he spoke, he glanced around at everyone in the hall. Jiang Chong broke out in a cold sweat. Only a few of the emperor's closest confidants knew about the copper coin reincarnation seal. Lu Wu had lied and told Zhao Chunfang, manipulating the emperor into submission, effectively trampling on the emperor's dignity. Now He Qingping was using the same old trick again. This was no longer just a matter of imperial dignity. The emperor suspected someone was trying to control him and had extended their reach into his palace. Jiang Chong's first thought was the crown prince. He Liangdi was the crown prince's concubine. She had also said that Zhang Yannian, the crown prince's tutor, had instigated her to play the zither in the bamboo forest. The crown prince was getting older, while the emperor remained healthy and free of illness. It was inevitable that he would harbor rebellious thoughts and wish to replace him. It could also be the empress. The crown prince's temper was well known to the palace servants, and he wouldn't dare, or rather, he would disdain, to do such a thing. Even if he wanted to give someone a gift, he would never send his own concubine to seduce the emperor. But the queen is different. Although she seems not to be competitive, she is most concerned about matters concerning the prince. As she grows older, she develops a terrible silence, and her eyes seem to be quietly spying on everyone in an empty corner all the time.
She brought He Qingping from outside the palace and arranged for her to marry the crown prince. Although no one knew why she did this...
Just as Jiang Chong was wondering who it was, Liu Che suddenly yelled angrily and kicked He Qingping against the wall, sending the furnishings falling to the ground and crashing down on his head. Jiang Chong hurried over to Liu Che and discovered the blood on the hem of his robe was the tooth mark from He Qingping's recent bite.
"Oh, Your Majesty, I will call the imperial physician right away."
"No need." Liu Che was furious. His dark eyes stared at the woman panting in the corner. Her lips still bore the mark of his blood, and she stared at him with a defiant look. She was like a leopard, panting in the shadows. He had no doubt that if he approached again, she would pounce on him without hesitation and bite his flesh. Such a provocative look infuriated him. He sneered and fended off Jiang Chong, who wanted to check his wound. "Bring me my whip."
"If His Highness wants to punish her, just throw her into the Imperial Prison. Why get angry and hurt yourself? The wound on your foot hasn't healed yet..."
The whip's blade lashed out at her, landing on her ear. The sudden buzzing sound instantly blinded her to pain, leaving her head feeling as if it were encased in a bell, being hammered repeatedly. Blood streamed from her ears, and she clutched her head, cowering and screaming. "Your Majesty, what evidence do you have? What crime have I committed? Can the Son of Heaven simply convict someone without the censorship and the three courts? Can the Son of Heaven murder people at will, unfettered by the law? Your Majesty's disregard for human life is no different from the tyrants Jie and Zhou."
Liu Che sneered, "I won't take your life. I want you to tell me who's behind this. Who sent you to me? Who taught you that piece of music? What do they want you to do? If you tell me everything, I might spare your life. If not... you're right. I can take human life lightly and do whatever I want. You're just a lowly person. Even if I skin you alive, no one would dare to say a word! So you'd better give up the idea of letting the people behind you save you. Zhao Chunfang is a lesson for you."
Qingping was silent for a moment, then suddenly felt the irony. "Untouchables? Your Majesty calls himself the Son of Heaven, and all the people in the world are your subjects. If you want to talk about untouchables, who is more untouchable, Your Majesty or me?"
Another whip landed on her hand, leaving a bloody mark on her wrist. She hurriedly dodged to the corner of the wall. Liu Che caught up with her slowly, "He Qingping, are you discussing with me the value of human life and the equality of all life?" Liu Che seemed to think she was a huge joke. "Do you know who in the court is most concerned about the equality of the poor and the noble families, and the equal distribution of land among tenants and commoners? It is those poor families, those farmers who have no place to live. They are passionate and indignant, thinking that they are standing on the side of justice and denouncing the oppression of the noble families and the exploitation of the rich. But once they have fame and land, they become the ones who exploit others.
It has always been this way: those who sit on a mountain praise its height, those who stand by a body of water praise its brightness. You think you uphold justice in this world, the truth for all people, but in reality, you are only lamenting for yourself. You hate why you have no power, no authority, and therefore you demand that others be like you, but this is impossible.
His whip fell again, and seeing the man instinctively retract his hand, he curled his lips in mockery. "Weakness is a sin, unless you have the strength to resist. Only with strength do you have the right to reason. Otherwise, your words, your life, are like an ant on the ground, like smoke in a furnace. No one will take the words of an ant to heart."
Qingping pursed her lips and bit her tongue, the blood of the stranger seeping between her lips and teeth. She clenched her fists. She didn't think she could discuss this with the emperor. She was just waiting, waiting for another whip to fall, waiting for him to feel that she had reached the limit of her tolerance. Then her words would have a reasonable basis to speak out, and he would believe her a little more. After the man's ridicule, he raised the whip again, "Tell me! Who sent you?"
"It's His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
Qingping seemed to have reached the limit of her patience, and cried out as the whip fell. Her entire body was drenched in sweat, and she slowly lowered her arms, a bewildered look on her face. "I don't know why, but the Crown Prince came to me and said he loved listening to the zither. He arranged to meet me in the woods that day, and he asked me to play this piece. He also said that after I finished playing this piece, the person I wanted to see would naturally appear. This dress, this jewelry..."
She hurriedly pulled the things off her head, "These are all gifts from the Crown Prince. Your Majesty, you can see that the Crown Prince has always been cold to me and only favors Concubine Rong. Concubine Rong is jealous and often deducts my salary. I can't afford these expensive things."
"Prince?" Liu Che stroked the end of the whip in his hand, seemingly unconvinced. Qingping was a little nervous, and added, "Your Majesty, please send someone to investigate. Everything I said is true."
"I will naturally investigate. If there is even a single falsehood..."
"This villain will not die well."
Liu Che glanced at her, half-smiling, then turned and called over a young man who looked like a general, saying something. Qingping breathed a sigh of relief. Whether he believed it or not, at least he had passed this hurdle. As for whether it was true or not, what she said was not wrong. It was Zhang Yannian who asked her to do this. As the prince's man, he naturally obeyed the prince's orders.
Jiang Chong had already found the medicine and handed it to the emperor. Liu Che turned around and whispered something to him.
Seeing Jiang Chong approaching her, Qingping knelt upright, waiting for him to lead her out of the palace. Suddenly, he pulled a white silk from his sleeve and wrapped it around her neck. Qingping was horrified and tried to struggle, grabbing the silk. However, Jiang Chong's skillful technique had already locked it tightly against her flesh, and her face immediately turned purple.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
"I've said everything..." She said everything she needed to say, why!
Jiang Chong sneered and ordered another palace servant to hold the other end. "You bitch, you actually slandered the Crown Prince and alienated His Majesty and the Crown Prince. It is already a mercy from His Majesty to leave you with an intact body. If you want to speak, go to the underworld and speak to the King of Hell."
Qingping's heart leaped, and she thrashed about like a frantic, dying cat, trying to grab anything she could. Jiang Chong dodged her attacks, his expression growing even colder as he grabbed the white silk and dragged her to the ground, heading out.
"Drag him out of the palace and don't dirty His Majesty's eyes."
Qingping stared at him blankly, turned his head, moved his lips, opened his mouth, and said something.
Jiang Chong didn't care at first. He dragged her and watched her holding her lower abdomen, waving it, and repeating the same sentence over and over again.
Suddenly, he thought of something, trembled all over, and stopped where he was.
"Let go, let go! Let go!"
When he reached the door, he hurriedly ordered the palace servant to let go of his hand, and trotted into the inner hall, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty..."
Liu Che raised his eyes and asked, "Dead?"
"No..." Jiang Chong panted, his heart still unsettled. He took a few deep breaths and said with a flushed face, "He Liangdi... He Liangdi said..."
"say what?"
"She said she was pregnant."
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