prison
"What exactly are your intentions in approaching me? Who are you, whose orders are you following, and what exactly are you doing hanging around the Huo, Wei, and Liu families?"
At this point, he no longer believed she was merely Pingyang's flatterer. She claimed to be Han Chinese, but she grew up in the Western Regions. Her family had never been seen or mentioned. Pingyang thought he had found a useful pawn, but he didn't realize he had already been playing into someone else's game, becoming the enemy. The Western Regions had long been subject to the Han. Beneath the surface of calm lay green eyes and bared fangs. Wolfish ambitions, only temporarily suppressed.
"Last year, a spy from the Western Regions came here. He spoke Chinese very well and didn't look like a Hu person. He spent every day riding, hunting, and writing poetry with me. But I discovered he was a spy. Can you guess where he is now?"
That year, he was recruiting talented individuals. His uncle recommended a handsome young man from Fufeng County. He was eloquent, skilled in riding and shooting, and quite rightly suited his taste. He promoted him throughout his career, becoming his personal guard, always by his side. But one night, when the guards were lax and only he and a few eunuchs were present, he approached his bed curtains with a knife in hand...
Liu Che looked around and then walked to the center of the corridor.
She looked up following his gaze, and he was staring at the huge lamp above his head without blinking.
It has a unique shape, constructed from layers of ochre lacquer frames, hanging upside down in the shape of a teardrop, as if a drop of blood is dripping from the heart, shaky and ready to fall.
The light veil in the middle is extremely delicate, softer than the gauze itself. The fiery flame radiates through the translucent white veil, like the skin of a newborn baby. Although the whole veil appears to be divided, it is actually not cut. Without any envy, it forms a beautiful shape, slowly rotating like a revolving lantern.
This strange and gorgeous red light slowly flowed across Liu Che's face with the shadow of the lamp, and his dark pupils contrasted with the different color. It passed through the tall nose bridge and extended to the cheekbone. From her point of view, it looked like a bloody wound.
"Usually, the most interesting thing about this kind of revolving lantern is the paintings on the lantern screen. The red, yellow, green and purple colors blend together. Between the light and shadow, the paintings move with the water, just like watching a shadow play."
He looked intoxicated, and as if he remembered something, he suddenly turned around and looked at her, "You grew up in the Western Regions, so you haven't seen shadow puppetry before."
"A piece of good leather is extremely rare. It starts with catching the prey. Go deep into Sheshan Mountain and hunt a strong cow. It can't be too fat or too thin. The skin of a fat cow is thick and oily, loose and easy to tear. The skin of a thin cow will not be much left after drying, and it will easily crack when carving."
He spoke to himself, and she pretended to listen, her peripheral vision already scanning the two stone doors in front and behind. This kind of stone chamber usually had more than one exit; it must have led to a secret passage somewhere. Since it was a secret passage, no one except Liu Che himself would know about it. So, as long as they could find that place, they could escape.
As if aware of the distraction of the people around him, Liu Che cast a light glance at her, and she immediately focused her attention and admired the lantern with him.
What on earth is this madman trying to do?
"After cutting the neck of a strong, lean black ox and draining the blood, use the best knife to completely peel off the skin from the neck. Tie it to a board with a rope through the holes. Then scrape off the top layer of hair, which falls like catkins. After cleaning it all, you will get a flawless skin. The excess fat can be collected, boiled, and stored in a jar to make a skin-smoothing ointment."
He pointed at the white candle in the center of the lamp and said, "Although the oil on him is good, it's a little low. The jar is almost empty. I need to prepare some more and make new candles."
She didn't react for a moment and was a little stunned when her eyes met his.
"The lamp stand above is made of his bones. The blood was mixed into the lacquer while it was still fresh, while still warm. This makes the lacquer more durable and won't melt easily even at high temperatures. As for the lamp screen, it's the one I'm most satisfied with. It's pure and flawless, warm to the touch, like jade and milk...
The only flaw is the red mole on his back, right in the middle, impossible to avoid, so I asked an artist to draw a picture of a Rakshasa bathing in fire there instead."
As he spoke, he pulled her hand and walked to the center. She slowly raised her head and saw a ghost-faced Rakshasa with bloodshot eyes, holding a knife and stepping on a fire array, rushing towards her.
Her heart trembled violently, and her stomach churned.
Liu Che seemed to appreciate her reaction, considerately holding her arm to prevent her from falling. "What's wrong? Didn't the people behind you teach you the art of skinning and bone removal? A spy from the Western Regions shouldn't be familiar with this..."
The warmth came from his palm through the cloth, and she felt icy cold, with the hairs on her body standing on end.
He harbored murderous intent, and things took a turn she hadn't anticipated. Yes, he was the emperor, and she knew she was out for revenge, determined and calculating. But Liu Che didn't know. He ignored the sentimental entanglements and fawning over favors. Her repeated provocations and sabotage, in his view, were driving political chaos.
Indeed, in his opinion, the inexplicable appearance of a Western Hu woman next to him was really suspicious.
"Your Majesty, I do not understand a single word you say. How could I possibly be a spy? When I was young, I moved with my parents to Yongcheng in the Western Regions, where the Han and the Hu peoples meet. My parents ran a restaurant there, as everyone knows. My mother died young, and my father died when I was fourteen. Later, I met the general, and was eager to commit my life to him, so we hastily married.
"I may have the intention of clinging to Your Majesty and coveting his glory, but I have absolutely no intention of harming Your Majesty or the Han people, Your Majesty! If you don't believe me, you can send someone to Yongcheng to investigate."
"Since you have such a desire to get close to me, why do you refuse so much when I ask you to enter the palace?"
"Because... because I suddenly feel ashamed."
Liu Che sneered, "Oh? Why are you ashamed?"
"When I married the general, I didn't know his identity. I thought he was just an ordinary general. Later, when I met the Queen and Your Majesty, I realized the splendor of the Golden Palace. Greed arose in my heart, and I wanted to move up a level and become Your Majesty's concubine.
But the moment Your Majesty approached me, I suddenly realized that I did have feelings for the General. The General treated me with such deep affection and care that I had already, without realizing it, fallen deeply in love with him. I could not betray him, damage Your Majesty's reputation, or put my beloved in an unjust position. So I regret it."
"Regret?" He didn't believe a word she said. He pulled out a long scroll of silk from his sleeve and threw it at her. It was something she had copied for Liu Ju.
"If you regret it, why did this thing end up in my hands? And where did this handwriting come from?"
Liu Che's voice gradually deepened, and a subtle glimmer of excitement flickered in his eyes. Although he knew it was impossible, he still secretly hoped for it.
Cheng Jiao's silence heightened his anticipation. After a long pause, she looked at him and said, "I paid a high price to buy Princess Pingkang's calligraphy from a servant in the Princess's mansion. Although they are all scraps, if one is willing to imitate them, they can be pieced together to be enough."
"You've improved so much in just these few days?" Her handwriting is no different from hers. If she hadn't trained early on, she would be a genius in calligraphy and painting.
"It's not difficult, actually. I can also write your Majesty's calligraphy."
As she spoke, she knelt down and said, "I have admitted my mistake. I should not have coveted fame and wealth and betrayed the general. Your Majesty, please forgive me. I will never do it again. I hope that the general and his wife will be of the same mind and treat each other as equals."
She was showing weakness, sensing the danger of the game, wanting to quit midway and never participate again. Liu Che didn't respond to her, but walked towards the stone gate at the other end.
With a sound, the gate leading to the stone palace slowly opened.
While she was stunned, Liu Che had already walked up to her, helped her up and pushed her into the door.
The interior decoration was just like that of an ordinary palace, with tables, screens, soft couches, curtains, and incense burners. It seemed that Liu Che came here often, and the files he had read were placed on the table.
He sat down at the table and poured her a cup of tea. Feeling anxious, she took the tea and took a sip, just touching her lips, pretending to sip, before immediately wiping it away with her sleeve.
Liu Che looked up at her, and Cheng Jiao said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I wonder when I can return? Your Majesty is busy with official duties, and it's not time for me to worry about my affairs..."
"Do you think my place is well decorated?"
Liu Che continued to talk to himself and didn't respond to her. She cursed inwardly, but she couldn't do the same as him, so she bit the bullet and continued.
"The decoration is sober and not flashy. Your Majesty has good taste."
"Can you see if there's anything missing?"
She was completely bewildered, her nerves on edge, unable to fathom what this man was thinking. She cautiously replied, "Nothing is missing."
Liu Che smiled with satisfaction, "Okay, then don't buy anything else, just stay here."
Gillian looked at him with her pupils trembling, filled with shock, "Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?"
Liu Che took a leisurely sip of tea, seemingly observing her little movements. He knew everything about her was under his control. "Madam, aren't you afraid of the Queen's revenge? What if you leave the palace and someone kidnaps you and harms you? Changqing will come back and blame me."
Ah Jiao seemed unable to maintain her composure any longer. She suddenly stood up and glared at Liu Che, "Your Majesty, are you planning to imprison me? I am Chang Qing's wife, your Majesty's daughter-in-law. Are you planning to emulate Duke Xuan of Wei and commit such beastly acts?"
She was burning with rage and spoke fiercely, completely disregarding the identity and status of the person in front of her. She only felt a surge of evil fire rising from below and rushing straight to her forehead.
Liu Che looked at the angry woman in front of him, smiled lightly, and stood up with her.
"You said you regretted accusing the Queen last time, but why did the Crown Prince come to your house and imitate her handwriting again to seduce her? Madam has not yet answered my question."
She only revealed the source of the handwriting, attempting to evade investigation, but she was riddled with suspicious points and loopholes. If there was no one behind the scenes to guide her, there must be something fishy about this woman.
Why did I need to attract his attention when I admired Changqing? Yes, why? This didn't make sense.
Ah Jiao was silent for a long time, and Liu Che said, "Madam, you don't think you can clear yourself of all charges with just a few words, right?"
Whether you are Chang Qing's wife, my nephew's wife, remains to be verified. If you are truly a spy from the Western Regions, eloquent and deceptive, how can I let you go?
"Then what does Your Majesty want?"
She gritted her teeth, the heat in her body making her feel unsteady. She pinched her palms secretly in her sleeves. A dangerous aura filled the air, the fragrance particularly strong.
Something was wrong—something was wrong with her body…
The person in front of me had a flushed face, just like the blooming peach blossoms, from head to neck. A layer of gauze crossed around her neck was half-covered, revealing a mysterious pink from the goose yellow.
Her eyes were sharp and sharp, and her beautiful pupils were like a wild lynx in the forest. A strange emotion flashed across Liu Che's cold and deep face. There was medicine in the incense burner, and the solution was in the water.
He endured her provocation again and again, but she became more and more aggressive, as if she wanted to play him with her hands. She was just a little lowly Hu girl, but she dared to step on his bottom line again and again, using her as a raft to seduce and tease him. Her crime was heinous!
When he saw the handwriting that night, he felt heartbroken and furious at the same time. The two emotions were running rampant in his body. He was filled with murderous intent and wished he could catch her and punish her immediately.
But there were still hundreds of eyes watching him in the palace, and reason told him he couldn't. She was certain of this, as she was his younger daughter-in-law, and it was presumptuous for her to call him uncle.
As a result, the image of the woman smiling and pretending to be gentle appeared in front of him.
He soaked in the warm water, seemingly calm, but his hands on the bucket were tightly clasped around the edge, veins bulging.
He really couldn't do anything in public, but what if they were not in public? No one saw them, no one knew. He could then vent his anger and pain. She had to pay the price for her actions, which was what she should have expected when she angered the emperor.
When Liu Che's gloomy eyes met her gaze, her heart suddenly trembled. Even when he caught her practicing witchcraft, she had never seen him like this.
His usual imperial dignity, his inviolable sanctity, his rational self-control, all vanished without a trace. A smile played on his lips, his arms drooped, and a thick murderous aura emanated from his entire body. With each step, he approached like a demon from hell, determined to devour her completely...
As she looked at him, she picked up a candlestick and ran away.
Liu Che dodged the things she threw at him and watched her run into the depths of the stone palace. He slowly took the bow and arrows on the table and walked slowly inside.
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