Chapter 58 Oh no, I've softened my heart again.
Although Xue Wenmian advised Ling Zhenli to stay obediently in the Prime Minister's residence at such a crucial time, she still called for a carriage and went to the palace.
Taiji Hall of the Imperial Palace
The winter sun shone through the sheer curtains of the high windows, falling on the gleaming gold-brick floor, but brought no warmth whatsoever.
A cold, somber atmosphere permeated the hall. Pei Chang'er had just issued an edict ordering the late emperor's concubines to be buried alive with him or guard his tomb, and her mood was heavy at this moment.
The eunuch whispered, "Your Majesty, the Lady of the Imperial Concubine requests an audience outside the palace."
Upon hearing that Xue Yingyue had arrived, Pei Chang'er responded indifferently, "Summon her."
A moment later, Ling Zhenli slowly entered.
She wore a white top with wide red sleeves and floral patterns, paired with a red and black striped waist-length skirt. Her hair was adorned with gold and jade, and her eyes were calm.
Reaching the foot of the imperial steps, Ling Zhenli knelt and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty."
Why aren't you wearing... Never mind.
Pei Shang'er looked up and sized her up. She wanted to question her about why she wasn't wearing her official robes, but then she changed her mind.
"Rise."
Pei Shang'er's voice was devoid of emotion, "Didn't you ask for leave today because you had family matters to attend to? Instead of staying at home, you came to the palace to see me. What brings you here?"
Ling Zhenli stood up, her eyes lowered, her voice calm and without a trace of emotion: "Your Majesty, I have heard that Princess Wuyang and the Duke of Yan have defected, and Your Majesty intends to punish their relatives."
Pei Shang'er raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that she would bring this up. Then, a faint but cold smile appeared on her lips: "Xue Yingyue, you're quite well-informed. That's right, if the two of them don't return before sunset, I will have Yang Chongzheng and Xiao Huan executed. What, are you trying to plead for them?"
Ling Zhenli raised her head and looked directly at Pei Shang'er, her gaze almost frantically calm.
"On the contrary," she answered clearly, "Princess Wuyang and the Duke of Yan have finally managed to secretly escape from Chang'an. They will certainly not return to walk into the trap. Since Your Majesty is going to deal with the consort and the Prince of Gao'an anyway, why don't I do it for Your Majesty?"
Pei Shang'er's eyes deepened with amusement. She leaned forward slightly, looking at this seemingly weak woman who exuded a resolute and ruthless spirit: "You hate Xiao Chongheng so much that you actually want to kill his father and brothers with your own hands? What a ruthless woman. I really underestimated you before."
Ling Zhenli's lips curled up slightly: "Then, Your Majesty, will you agree or not?"
Pei Shang'er did not answer immediately, but looked at Ling Zhenli carefully, as if trying to find even the slightest hesitation or pretense on her face.
But all she saw was a bottomless, icy pool and an intense, suppressed hatred.
After a moment of deathly silence, Pei Shang'er laughed, her laughter light and airy, carrying cruelty and pleasure: "You are so interesting. I promise, I promise you. A king's word is law. Hahahaha, I really want to see what Xiao Chongheng will do after he finds out you killed his father and brothers."
As she spoke, Pei Chang'er picked up a token from the table and casually tossed it down.
"With this decree, no one, inside or outside the imperial prison, will dare to stop you. Do whatever you wish; I will only consider the outcome."
The token landed on the gold floor tiles with a crisp sound. Ling Zhenli looked at the token on the ground, speechless, and glanced at it sideways.
Since the two were both enemies and friends, and Ling Zhenli was used to being arrogant in front of Pei Shang'er, Pei Shang'er didn't mind Ling Zhenli's little tricks and simply ignored them.
"Oh, by the way, let me tell you a secret. Actually, that Yang Chongzheng isn't a member of the Yang family at all. He was raised by that harlot from Wuyang who had an affair with a monk. His biological father doesn't acknowledge him at all, so Wuyang had no choice but to let her husband become a ghost. If he were even related to Chengxiu by blood, I wouldn't have killed him. What a pity."
As she spoke, Pei Chang'er shook her head in a mocking manner, feigning regret.
As Ling Zhenli listened to Pei Shang'er's words, she bent down and very slowly picked up the heavy token. The icy touch went straight from her fingertips to her heart, and her heart pounded like a drum.
After picking up the token, Ling Zhenli calmly bowed again, her voice steady: "In that case, thank you, Your Majesty. I will certainly deal with the traitor for you carefully."
After saying that, she turned around and walked out of the main hall step by step.
Pei Shang'er watched her disappearing figure, the smile on her face gradually fading, turning into a deep and unfathomable contemplation.
The hatred between Xue Yingyue and Xiao Chongheng is probably not just about the pain of losing a child; there must be something else involved.
...
As Ling Zhenli stepped out of the Taiji Hall, the sunlight outside was dazzling, causing her to squint slightly.
She quickly lowered her head, hurrying along, wanting to leave as soon as possible.
However, just as she stepped down the white jade steps in front of the hall, a figure appeared in front of her.
The man was dressed in the uniform of the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard. He was tall and handsome, with a deep sense of worry and urgency between his brows.
It is Fang Wenzhou.
Ling Zhenli's heart sank suddenly, and she instinctively wanted to walk around him and pretend not to see him.
"Consort Xue!"
Fang Wenzhou called out to her, quickly stepped forward, and blocked her way. His voice was low and filled with undisguised concern.
"I heard you took the day off today, and I was so worried. How are you? Last night... did the Prime Minister and the others give you any trouble after you got home?"
His gaze swept over her urgently, as if trying to make sure she was alright.
Judging from his expression, Ling Zhenli knew that he had clearly heard some rumors about what had happened at the Prime Minister's residence last night, but did not know the details. His worry was evident in his words.
But the person Ling Zhenli least wanted to see at that moment was him.
The false warmth, the concern built on deception, seemed utterly ironic to her at that moment, making her even more upset.
Ling Zhenli raised her head and looked at him as he wished, her eyes cold as she said, "Get out of my way."
Her tone was extremely harsh, filled with undisguised disgust.
Fang Wenzhou was stung by the coldness and disgust in her eyes. His face paled, but he still stood there stubbornly, his voice pleading: "I just care about you. Don't be so quick to hate me. If I cause you trouble, or if you just don't want to see me, I can leave, stay far away from you, and never appear in front of you again, okay?"
If Ling Zhenli had heard these words in the past, she probably would have been moved to tears and her heart would have softened. But now, she only felt that they were incredibly hypocritical and ridiculous.
Ling Zhenli scoffed, showing no appreciation whatsoever, and even a hint of mockery: "Since you've said that, then get lost."
"Can you please stop hating me so much? I just want to know what happened to you..."
"Can't you tell I don't want to tell you? Why do you have to ask so many questions? It's so annoying!"
Her words were like a blunt knife, cutting deeply into Fang Wenzhou's heart.
Looking at the undisguised aloofness and disgust in Ling Zhenli's eyes, a terrible thought surfaced in his mind, causing his heart to clench suddenly and making it difficult to breathe.
Fang Wenzhou's hands, hanging by his sides, trembled slightly, and his voice became hoarse: "Do you know something?"
Looking at his seemingly deeply hurt appearance, Ling Zhenli felt extremely ironic.
A smile appeared on her lips.
"Yes, I understand."
She spoke each word clearly and distinctly.
“I know that you, Fang Wenzhou, approached me and showed me kindness, but it was only to avenge the Fang and Lu families against the Xue and Cui families, and to avenge my parents and your parents for breaking off the engagement. Because of this, your Fang family hates my Xue family to the core, so you want to take this opportunity to take revenge on me, don’t you?”
Ling Zhenli took a step forward, her gaze sharp, staring straight at him, her eyes revealing her regret and hatred.
"You've succeeded now, you've slept with your enemy's daughter, how does it feel? Are you satisfied? Now that you've taken your revenge, get out of here! Don't let me see that hypocritical face of yours again! Otherwise, I'll report to His Majesty and have you charged with treason and beheaded!"
"That's not it! Let me explain!" Fang Wenzhou tried to grab her arm urgently, but she shook him off forcefully. He still said quickly, "I approached you because I like you! I didn't do it to hurt you! I never intended to hurt you!"
His explanation was hasty and chaotic, his words sincere and full of pain, an attempt to salvage something, but from the beginning, there was nothing.
So Ling Zhenli just looked at him coldly, her eyes showing no wavering, only endless weariness and annoyance.
She couldn't even be bothered to discern the truth or falsehood in his words, because it all meant nothing to her.
"You should save your breath, Fang Wenzhou."
Ling Zhenli interrupted his explanation, her tone filled with impatience.
"I don't need your affection at all. I have things to do, so now, get out of my sight immediately."
After saying that, she walked around him and continued walking forward.
Looking at her cold and resolute profile, Fang Wenzhou's heart shattered into dust, yet a sliver of humble hope remained. He asked in a hoarse voice, "What are you going to do? Is it urgent? Can you tell me?"
Ling Zhenli didn't understand. Had she not expressed herself clearly? Didn't she mean that she didn't like him at all and wanted him to get lost?
Why isn't he leaving yet?
She took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, and turned to look at Fang Wenzhou.
"I'm going to kill Yang Chongheng and Xiao Huan."
Fang Wenzhou's pupils contracted, clearly taken aback by the answer.
But after the initial shock, a deeper sense of worry and heartache welled up inside me.
He could understand Ling Zhenli's deep hatred for Xiao Chongheng and her desire to personally end his family's lives, but he was truly worried about her facing the brutal scene of murder alone.
So Fang Wenzhou blurted it out almost subconsciously.
"I'll go with you."
Ling Zhenli looked at him as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world, as if he were an idiot.
"Are you crazy, Fang Wenzhou?"
"No."
"Why do you want to go? Did I say I would take you with me? Or do you think that just because you asked, I have to take you? What makes you so presumptuous?"
Ling Zhenli's sarcasm lashed out like a whip, but Fang Wenzhou seemed oblivious to the pain, stubbornly staring at her.
“The prison is a dark and complicated place. Murder is no trivial matter. I’m worried about you going alone. I’ll go with you so I can protect you if anything happens.”
His tone was unusually serious, even carrying an undeniable insistence, and the worry and protectiveness deep in his eyes did not seem entirely fake.
Ling Zhenli was stunned for a moment.
She anticipated his various reactions—perhaps continuing to pester and explain, perhaps becoming angry and embarrassed, perhaps leaving heartbroken—but she never expected him to say something like that.
He said he would accompany her to kill someone and protect her.
Oh no.
I softened again.
In the end, Ling Zhenli didn't say anything more harsh. She just glanced at him coldly, ignored him, and walked straight ahead.
Silence is the best answer.
Fang Wenzhou took a gamble and followed behind her, keeping a few steps away. Sure enough, she didn't stop him.
The two stood one in front of the other, the sunlight casting long shadows of them, a tangled web of emotions separating them.
*
Deep within the prison, it was dark and damp, filled with the smells of mold, blood, and despair.
Led by the eunuch, Ling Zhenli passed through a series of heavy iron gates and finally stopped in front of a separate cell.
The cell was relatively clean, but the chilling cold and sense of confinement that seeped into your bones were ever-present.
Inside the prison cell, a young man in brocade robes that had become dirty and wrinkled sat against the wall. He was Yang Chongzheng, the eldest son of Princess Wuyang.
Xiao Chongheng's half-brother (same mother, different father).
Hearing the noise, he looked up. His once handsome face was now full of exhaustion, but the moment he saw Ling Zhenli, his eyes suddenly flashed with astonishment and a glimmer of hope.
"The...Crown Princess?" He lunged at the fence. "Crown Princess, what are you doing here? The new emperor didn't kill you? Where are my mother and brother? How are they!"
Ling Zhenli ignored Yang Chongzheng's words. She waved her hand, signaling the eunuch who was leading the way to step back first, leaving only the guards and Fang Wenzhou. She also told the guards and Fang Wenzhou to stand aside and not disturb her.
She stood quietly outside the cell door, coldly observing Yang Chongzheng's disheveled appearance through the bars, her eyes looking at him as if he were a filthy ant.
"You seem to be doing quite well here."
She chuckled softly, her voice sounding exceptionally clear and cold in the empty prison.
"King Gao'an, oh no, you are a sinner now. Let me think, what should I say to you? Is it not good for me to kick you when you're down, after all, you haven't actually harmed me?"
Yang Chongzheng's hope froze instantly, replaced by wariness and unease: "What do you mean?"
Ling Zhenli took a step forward, almost touching the fence. She lowered her voice, which sounded like a viper spitting its tongue: "I have come on His Majesty's orders to personally send you on your way."
Yang Chongzheng's pupils contracted sharply, and his face turned deathly pale: "Why would His Majesty allow you to send me on my way? Why would he..."
Why can't it be me?
Ling Zhenli interrupted him, a vicious smile curling at the corner of her lips.
"Yang Chongzheng, do you know what? I'm so happy to see your family reduced to this state."
Yang Chongzheng knew what Ling Zhenli meant and immediately sensed something was wrong. He grabbed the bars tightly, his fingers turning white from the force, and roared, "My mother and brother didn't return to the capital, did they! Yongtai and Roujia aren't in the prison. Yongtai is at the Lu family's house, but where is Roujia! Tell me where Roujia is!"
“Pei Chanlian…she fell off the city wall and died.”
Ling Zhenli slowly and deliberately revealed Pei Chanlian's fate, successfully seeing Yang Chongzheng's panicked expression. All his anger and questions were stuck in his throat, and his face showed only great shock and disbelief.
"What...what did you say?" His voice began to tremble.
Ling Zhenli's smile grew more and more beautiful, and more and more cruel. She said almost word by word, "I said, your beloved Princess Roujia has turned into a pile of mud."
"You're talking nonsense!"
Yang Chongzheng's eyes were bloodshot as he frantically shook the fence, making a loud crashing noise.
"You're lying to me! Roujia was perfectly fine, how could she have fallen off the city wall? You must be making this up, you bitch!"
"I'm talking nonsense?" Ling Zhenli sneered, her eyes full of mockery. "That was the final resting place I carefully chose for her, right on the palace wall. When I pushed her off, the look in her eyes when she looked at me was just like yours now, full of terror. Then, with a thud, hahaha, she fell to her death, her flesh torn to pieces, completely dead."
She tilted her head slightly, enjoying Yang Chongzheng's instantly broken expression, and continued to speak the most hurtful words in the gentlest tone.
"Do you know why she deserves to die? Just because she plotted against me? No, no, it's because she's like a fly, not only disgusting me but also constantly buzzing around me, making my life miserable!"
"You slut! You poisonous woman! How dare you say such things about her! You were clearly in the wrong first. You're promiscuous, you'll sleep with anyone, you shamelessly seduced her husband, you're the one who deserves to die!"
Yang Chongzheng went completely mad. He desperately tried to reach out through the gaps in the fence to grab Ling Zhenli, letting out a beast-like roar: "I'm going to kill you! You promiscuous slut! You'll die a horrible death!"
"She is fickle and promiscuous, and will sleep with anyone."
Ling Zhenli repeated his curses, not angry at all, but her smile widened, and a kind of almost manic light burned in her eyes.
"Ha, you indiscriminate dog, if you looked like me, you would have been promiscuous and died of syphilis long ago. How could you be alive now? I originally wanted to let you live a little longer, but your mouth is too filthy. I'm going to kill you now."
She clapped her hands, and the prison guard opened the cell door from the outside. The guard went in and restrained Yang Chongzheng.
"You're a despicable woman! My brother was blind to have fallen for you, and you actually killed his wife and then tried to kill his brother! You ungrateful woman, you deserve to die a horrible death!"
Ling Zhenli stepped into the cell and approached Yang Chongzheng, who was trembling with extreme anger and fear.
“Yang Chongzheng,” her voice was extremely cold, “I can tell you, since you are about to die, that I killed you to get revenge on Xiao Chongheng. Even if Xiao Chongheng grovels at me like a dog, I still find it disgusting. I can’t just suffer myself; I have to do something to disgust him too. So your remains will soon be thrown into the wilderness to feed the dogs.”
Then, Ling Zhenli gave a signal, and the jailer holding the cleaver beside her received the order and brought it down.
Yang Chongzheng's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the sharp blade embedded in his body. Blood gushed out instantly, staining his filthy clothes.
Ling Zhenli leaned close to him, and before he breathed his last, she spoke viciously, word by word, in his ear: "You were never meant to live in this world, you are not a child of the Yang family at all. Your biological father does not acknowledge you, and your nominal father despises you because you are the bastard born of your mother's affair. Now that I have killed you, it is considered to be doing justice for heaven. When you get to the King of Hell, don't forget to thank me properly."
These extremely insulting words became the last sounds Yang Chongzheng heard in this world.
He made a gurgling sound in his throat, his eyes filled with endless resentment, pain, and distortion, and finally died. His body fell heavily to the ground, his eyes still staring fixedly upwards.
Ling Zhenli stared coldly at the corpse on the ground, her eyes devoid of any emotion, only the emptiness of revenge and a deeper chill.
She took out a handkerchief, covered her mouth and nose, turned around, and glanced at the jailer waiting to the side.
"It's all packed up."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
