Chapter 73 "She is the Empress, I must leave something for her..."
The shackles on Ling Zhenli were removed.
The sound of the chains hitting the ground was crisp and heavy; fate had tolled a belated bell in her ears.
The cold metal eroded the skin of her wrists and ankles day and night, leaving deep red, festering wounds, and repeatedly tearing her heart apart.
Now that the chains have been removed, she is too weak to get up.
Having not eaten for many days, the drugs festered in her body like venomous snakes, and the aphrodisiacs that were forcibly administered to her burned her internal organs, exhausting her last bit of strength.
Ling Zhenli felt that this body was no longer her own, and her soul was like a flickering candle in the cold wind, about to be extinguished.
She lay on the bed like an abandoned white porcelain doll, pale to the point of being almost transparent, her slender wrists hanging limply over the edge of the bed, her fingertips icy cold, her chest rising and falling weakly, as if even breathing had become a burden.
The door was slowly pushed open, and the scent of sandalwood mixed with the chill of late autumn rushed into the room.
Xiao Chongheng walked in.
Today he was wearing a long robe with a black python pattern, his steps were steady, and his face was stern.
Looking at the woman on the bed, who was almost unrecognizable, Xiao Chongheng's heart clenched as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
Looking at Ling Zhenli's inhuman, ghostly state, it would be better to let her die than to let her linger on in this world.
He wished he could strangle her to death and end it all.
"Are you going to fight me to the end?" Xiao Chongheng approached.
Ling Zhenli had been in a state of near-death for the past few days, and no matter how hard he tried, it was to no avail. He was filled with inexplicable anger, so Xiao Chongheng kept drugging her, just to see her beg, to see her suffer, and to see her alive.
Hearing Xiao Chongheng's voice, Ling Zhenli lazily moved her eyelids, barely managing to open them a crack.
With just one glance, he was indifferent and detached, even showing a hint of pity, as if looking at a madman, a stubborn prisoner.
Her high fever had just subsided, and her forehead was still damp with cold sweat, her hair stuck to her cheeks, making her look disheveled and broken.
Days of inhumane sexual acts had stripped her bare, leaving her white back covered in bruises, like a broken doll. Her bare back, with its snow-white skin covered in bruises, was the mark left by Xiao Chongheng's repeated uncontrolled possession.
The whole person was like a painting created by violence, decadent and dazzling.
Seeing that Ling Zhenli ignored him, Xiao Chongheng became furious and went over to grab her chin, forcing her to open her eyes and look at him.
"Do you really want to die? Speak up!" His voice trembled, and his eyes reddened.
Ling Zhenli was in pain from his pinch, but she was too weak and didn't want to talk. She just forced a smile and gave him a mocking one.
How pitiful.
But this was the quickest way for her to see Pei Xuanlin.
She had fallen hopelessly in love with Pei Xuanlin, who loved her wholeheartedly, so no matter how hard Xiao Chongheng tried, she could no longer give him even a little bit of her heart.
Since that's the case, she decided not to waste each other's time.
The sooner you die, the sooner you'll be reborn.
Seemingly sensing what Ling Zhenli was thinking, Xiao Chongheng laughed in exasperation.
"You won't get your way because you hate me."
Then, seeing Ling Zhenli's dejected and helpless gaze, Xiao Chongheng smiled and kissed Ling Zhenli's lips.
His lips were burning hot, as if he wanted to devour Ling Zhenli and re-imprint his mark on her soul.
Xiao Chongheng bit her lip until it bled, the taste of blood filling the air between them. He didn't let go until she struggled to breathe, pushed him, hit him, and tears welled in her eyes. Only then did Xiao Chongheng release her.
Seeing Ling Zhenli's tearful eyes and red nose, Xiao Chongheng smiled with satisfaction.
"You hate me, don't you?" Xiao Chongheng panted, his forehead pressed against hers, his voice low and hoarse. "Say it, speak, beg for mercy, beg me, and I won't give you the medicine today."
"Ha, Xiao Chongheng, is that all you've got?"
Ling Zhenli smiled, tears streaming down her face. She weakly broke free from his grasp and turned her head away.
"Why, why are you so fixated on Pei Xuanlin?"
Xiao Chongheng's voice was hoarse, like a demon crawling out of the depths of hell; he was so jealous he was going crazy.
"I was the first man you fell in love with. I even went so far as to murder the emperor and seize the throne for you. Why can't you turn around and look at me? Why can't you realize that we've finally overcome our hardships?"
"After hardship comes happiness, are you kidding me?"
Ling Zhenli struggled to sit up, her gaze broken yet stubborn, filled with a stubborn determination.
"You first killed my biological parents, then you killed my child, and now you've killed my husband. You've ruined my life, locking me in this tower like a prisoner, using aphrodisiacs to arouse me day and night, forcing me to have sex with you. You call this 'bitterness finally turning into sweetness'? Xiao Chongheng, are you insane? You're enjoying the sweetness, but what about me?"
He knew that Ling Zhenli was right.
But he just wouldn't let go.
Xiao Chongheng's voice was deep, as if he were trying to persuade her, or perhaps he was trying to persuade himself.
“Those things are in the past, let them be in the past, okay… Pei Xuanlin is dead, so don’t think about him anymore, okay? God gave you life, not so you would die for anyone. Here, have some water to soothe your throat.”
Xiao Chongheng understands Ling Zhenli's heart very well and knows what she cares about most, so when Ling Zhenli is calm, she can listen to what Xiao Chongheng says.
Ling Zhenli reached out, tremblingly took the cup, and sipped the water.
The water was warm, sliding down my parched throat and bringing a long-lost sense of comfort.
These past few days she's been suicidal, refusing to eat. With winter approaching and the weather getting colder, her already weak body will soon fall ill.
Last night, she suddenly developed a high fever, her body burning hot. Xiao Chongheng summoned three imperial physicians to come and see her, but Ling Zhenli refused to drink a single drop of medicine, preferring to die from her illness.
It felt like he was back in the days when Ling Zhenli was unconscious after her miscarriage. Xiao Chongheng was terrified, afraid that she would leave him like this. He quickly removed the shackles from her body and forced her to drink nourishing soup while she was unconscious, which saved Ling Zhenli.
Ling Zhenli spoke softly, her voice filled with weary tenderness: "I know you love me and don't want me to die, but have you ever thought about me? Chongheng, I'm suffering terribly right now. Every time I close my eyes, I think of Pei Xuanlin. What should I do..."
Xiao Chongheng felt as if his heart was being torn apart by a thousand knives.
As Ling Zhenli spoke, he draped a plain white thin garment over her shoulders gently, as if afraid of disturbing her.
"Wearing it will make you cold."
“Xiao Chongheng, answer me.” Ling Zhenli’s gaze was gentle yet firm as she looked at Xiao Chongheng. “Do you really love me, or are you just unwilling to accept that I fell in love with Pei Xuanlin?”
Xiao Chongheng knew that Ling Zhenli was stubborn and would not give up until she achieved her goal, and he also witnessed her determination to die.
Of course he loves her.
He couldn't tolerate her loving someone else, couldn't tolerate her not having him in her eyes. He would rather Ling Zhenli disappear or die than see her love someone else.
He lost.
They suffered a crushing defeat.
"What I'm about to say is the truth. Listen carefully, understand?"
Xiao Chongheng smiled gently and reached out to ruffle Ling Zhenli's messy hair.
Ling Zhenli's eyes were filled with sorrow. She looked at Xiao Chongheng wearily, forcing a smile, wanting to hear what other nonsense he would say.
This will probably make her give up again.
Xiao Chongheng looked at her with lingering affection, his eyes filled with reluctance, and called her name.
"Lingzhenli"
"Mmm," she responded softly.
"I love you," Xiao Chongheng said with a smile.
"I know you love me."
It is precisely because she knows this that she is in pain.
Because she loved.
Ling Zhenli smiled weakly. She knew that her days were numbered if she continued to be so dejected. In the final days, it would be better for both of them to say goodbye happily.
Xiao Chongheng was struggling internally.
If he continues to deceive Ling Zhenli, she will truly choose to die. But if he tells her the truth, he will not be able to secretly kill Pei Xuanlin, and she will have no chance to fall in love with him again.
The question is whether to let her live or to let her die.
The two of them continued to torment each other in agony.
Just like before, he could easily pull out a strong drug at the drop of a hat, forcefully pour it into Ling Zhenli's mouth, then press her down on the bed, forcibly tear off her clothes, kiss her, possess her, and no matter how she cries, struggles, or even bites his shoulder, he would not stop.
She cried until she lost her voice and finally fainted.
but.
"Ling Zhenli... I know you're living a life worse than death right now, and so am I. Do you think I feel any better than you when I watch you fall in love with another man?"
Ling Zhenli shook her head, feeling a pang of sadness at Xiao Chongheng's words, and tears silently streamed down her face.
"No, why are you sad? You have no heart. You keep saying you love me, but what have you done? You marry one woman after another. If you love me, why don't you swear not to marry like my brother did? Is it so hard to not marry other women for my sake?"
Ling Zhenli also felt wronged and resentful towards Xiao Chongheng, but she knew that she already had Pei Xuanlin, and she had no reason or right to interfere in Xiao Chongheng's affairs. No matter how many women he married, it was none of her business.
"That's true. I am Pei Xuanlin's wife. I have no right to interfere in your affairs, Xiao Chongheng. No matter how many women you marry, it's none of my business."
You're wrong.
Xiao Chongheng said softly, "You always have the right."
Xiao Chongheng's eyes were also filled with the same mist. He leaned down and gently embraced Ling Zhenli, letting out a long sigh.
"What do you think I married those women for? You think I did it to win over powerful families, right? But that's not it. You can't imagine how naive I am. I wanted to make you jealous, to make you reconsider, to make you look back at me, to make you care about me again. But you're so fickle. You never look at me. You only have eyes for Pei Xuanlin. Even though he's dead, you only remember him. And me? Besides those slaps you gave me that day, I have nothing. It's not fair. Why can't you treat your men equally? Why won't you give me even a little love?"
Ling Zhenli nestled quietly in his arms, listening to him speak, without struggling.
She was too tired.
Endless sorrow, a relationship that could ignite at any moment, and accusations made without any basis.
“Xiao Chongheng,” she said softly, her well-defined hand slowly stroking Xiao Chongheng’s face, “Let me go, let’s break up, this can’t go on.”
"I won't let go."
Xiao Chongheng held her tightly, his voice resolute, "If you dare to leave, I will dig up Pei Xuanlin's grave, burn his body to ashes, and scatter his bones to the winds, so that he will never be reincarnated."
"Why are you so heartless..." Ling Zhenli looked at him blankly, her hand stroking under his eyes. "Is it because of me, Chongheng? Pei Xuanlin is not only my husband, he is also your brother, your elder brother."
Ling Zhenli was on the verge of tears; she no longer knew how to explain things to a madwoman.
But Xiao Chongheng had been tormented by Ling Zhenli to the point of losing his mind. No matter what he did, Ling Zhenli wouldn't accept him, and he was going crazy.
"I don't care about him! I don't even remember having a brother! I don't have a brother like him who steals his younger brother's woman! You can only be mine!"
"You're insane, you're absolutely insane..."
"Yes, I've gone mad, Ling Zhenli. You're going to stay here for the rest of your life and you're not allowed to go anywhere!"
He had just tried a gentle approach, but Ling Zhenli still wouldn't listen. That proved that Ling Zhenli really didn't love him anymore, so neither gentle nor forceful tactics worked.
Since that's the case, don't blame him for being ruthless.
"Let me tell you the truth, Pei Xuanlin is not dead at all. He is alive and well, but he will die soon. As soon as he returns to the palace, the elite troops who have been lying in ambush will pour out from all directions. When his head falls to the ground, I will definitely bring it back to you and place it in front of our bed so that he can watch us do it!"
After saying that, Xiao Chongheng took out another pill and, despite Ling Zhenli's weak resistance and painful screams, forcibly pried open her mouth and forced her to swallow it.
"Cough cough cough... cough cough... cough cough cough..."
The enormous impact made Ling Zhenli's face turn red and her heart pound wildly. She lay on the bed coughing so hard she couldn't get up. It felt like she was coughing up her heart, liver, and lungs, and the pain was excruciating.
Xiao Chongheng didn't help her either, he just stood coldly to the side and watched her cough painfully, choking so badly that she couldn't straighten up.
After a long while, her body began to feel hot, which finally helped her suppress the discomfort in her throat.
"Xiao Chongheng, you actually lied to me... cough cough, you actually... why aren't you dead yet!"
"Keep being stubborn, let's see how long you can keep it up." Xiao Chongheng sneered and began to take off his clothes. "Do you want me to bring a mirror so you can see what you look like now? Tsk tsk, I wonder if Pei Xuanlin would still want you if he saw you."
"You'll die a horrible death... cough... you actually dared to threaten me with Pei Xuanlin's life... Xiao Chongheng, you... cough cough cough..."
“I’ve said it before, Pei Xuanlin loves you because you are Xue Yingyue. If it were Ling Zhenli, would he still accept you? Why won’t you wake up? You pathetic, stupid woman. Only the one I love is the complete you.”
Ling Zhenli's tears flowed incessantly, her eyes red from crying. She glared at Xiao Chongheng with grief and indignation, wishing she could turn into a vengeful ghost and die with him.
"Xiao Chongheng, you don't understand what love is at all."
Xiao Chongheng was disgusted by her resistance and struggle, disgusted by the hatred in her eyes. He went up and grabbed Ling Zhenli's chin hard, so hard that she almost dislocated her jaw.
"I don't understand love. Ha, do you think I would still care about your feelings now? I've said all sorts of nice things and all sorts of nagging, but you don't care. Ling Zhenli, all of this is your own fault. You'd better just suffer the consequences."
Yes, he brought it on himself.
Let's just keep hating like this.
As long as he's still with her, that's enough.
***
at the same time.
The night was as thick as ink, pressing heavily on the Daming Palace.
The wind swept through the corridors and halls, swirling up fallen leaves, and the air was filled with the smell of rust and burnt wood.
Pei Xuanlin's Shadow Guards infiltrated the imperial city like ghosts, clad in black, their blades dripping with blood, silently reaping the lives of traitors under the moonlight.
Screams shattered the silence, only to be quickly swallowed by the darkness.
One rebel after another fell in pools of blood, their souls departing for the underworld before they could even beg for mercy.
The palace lanterns swayed, casting shadows of severed limbs and broken arms, like evil spirits wandering on the wall.
Daming Palace had become a living hell, with rivers of blood flowing and corpses strewn everywhere.
Within the palace walls, the once magnificent halls are now scattered in ruins.
The final, chilling act before the purge and replacement of power.
Emperor Pei Xuanlin, who ruled over all of this, stood on a high platform outside Chang'an City. His black dragon robe fluttered in the night wind, his eyebrows were cold and sharp, and his eyes were unfathomable.
The scout rushed over and knelt down to kowtow.
"explain."
"Your Majesty, the Empress is indeed as the Princess of Xiangcheng said, living in the Huaiming Temple Tower with Duke Xiao Chongheng of Yan. The two eat and live together, inseparable."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Xuanlin's heart skipped a beat. He gripped the wooden railing tightly, his knuckles turning white, as if he wanted to crush something.
He didn't speak, but slowly closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. He felt resentful, but he forced himself to suppress his anger.
Pei Qianguang, who was standing at the back, was both angry and anxious when she heard the scout's report. She stepped forward and knelt in front of Pei Xuanlin.
"Your Majesty, please punish the Empress and the Duke of Yan! The two of them have been having an affair for a long time and wish they could get rid of Your Majesty so that they could ascend the throne and live happily ever after! You must not let them go!"
Her words, one by one, pierced Pei Xuanlin's heart like needles.
Pei Xuanlin looked down at Pei Qianguang, his eyes flickering slightly.
He knew why Pei Qianguang was in such a hurry for him to deal with it quickly. Xiao Chongheng was Pei Qianguang's husband. Pei Qianguang was a proud person. She could not tolerate her husband betraying her and falling in love with another woman, especially loving this woman so much that he wanted to abandon her.
Normally, Pei Xuanlin would have simply waved his hand and made the decision for her, but this wasn't a matter of fairness.
The woman Xiao Chongheng fell in love with was his wife, Pei Xuanlin's empress, Xue Yingyue.
Pei Xuanlin loved her, loved her hopelessly.
For her sake, he didn't sleep a wink last night, clutching the love poem written by Xue Yingyue tightly in his hand, each word like a knife, each sentence like a curse.
It was written in her own hand, containing love words that Pei Xuanlin had never seen before, but it wasn't for him; it was for Xiao Chongheng.
He flipped through it repeatedly, asking himself again and again, "She clearly hated Xiao Chongheng to the bone from the beginning, and the Xue family and Princess Wuyang's family have always been irreconcilable enemies. Xue Yingyue had even spoken of her grievances against Xiao Chongheng. So why, why did she write such tender love poems for him before?"
Is it just because Xiao Chongheng has a handsome appearance?
Pei Xuanlin was heartbroken and couldn't accept it. He believed he had never mistreated Xue Yingyue. Yes, he had neglected her during his campaigns, but he had tried his best to make up for it. He not only spent every day with her, but even defied public opinion by ordering the Emperor and Empress to be honored together. What else could he have done wrong? Yet, his love and care for Xue Yingyue had only resulted in her having someone else in her heart, and even now she was with that man.
All those whispered conversations in the dead of night, the tender moments on the pillow, the shared hatred against a common enemy, the vows of life and death... were they all just an act? Was all that love and sweetness in the past just a performance she put on for him to gain status?
Even though everything was a lie Xue Yingyue had woven for him, Pei Xuanlin still couldn't bring himself to punish her.
"She is the Empress."
After much deliberation, Pei Xuanlin finally spoke, his voice low and cold, carrying an undeniable authority.
"She is my first wife, I must give her some face."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Qianguang smiled bitterly, a hint of mockery and disappointment flashing in his eyes.
She knew that His Majesty had softened his heart. Given Pei Xuanlin's ruthless nature, if he really wanted to kill, he would have already ordered the tower to be razed to the ground and those two adulterers to pieces.
But he didn't.
The word "face" proves that Pei Xuanlin is willing to give the Empress a way out.
Pei Qianguang slowly stood up, took a step back, and bowed his head obediently: "Yes, Your Majesty's decree."
After saying that, she left the platform, and the moment she turned around, her eyes turned dark and sinister.
It's alright. If the emperor can't bring himself to punish that adulterous couple, then let her do it.
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