Xie Lingqin stared at the young eunuch in front of her. This young eunuch was quite handsome, with delicate features and fair skin. It was a real waste for him to be a eunuch.
"OK."
She was curious to hear what story Duanmu Rong wanted to tell.
“Miss Lingqin, is it because the palace servants are negligent and refuse to light the lamps?”
As soon as the eunuch entered, the surrounding palace was only faintly illuminated by the moonlight, creating a dim and indistinct atmosphere.
"Hmm, I don't like it too bright. Tell me your story, and if it's good, I can look around this palace and see what I can reward you with."
As Xie Lingqin spoke, her gaze swept around the room again, then she lowered her eyes, sat on the couch, and seemed to be surrounded by an aura of loneliness and desolation.
The eunuch then stepped forward quietly, head bowed, and began to recount, "Once upon a time, in a place of clear water and lush mountains, there lived a little boy of seven or eight years old. He was very lonely, with no one to play with him. But soon, a lovely little girl came along. Unlike him, this little girl was extremely popular. Almost all the boys seemed to be unconsciously drawn to her, constantly moving closer to her. They played together happily..."
“Heh…” Xie Lingqin looked at the eunuch with a meaningful expression, “Little girls are naturally more popular than boys.”
The young eunuch did not refute, his dark eyebrows gleaming with a pale light. His voice softened as he continued, "The little boy felt that these lonely days were too unbearable, so one day, he finally came up with a plan..."
The eunuch's voice wasn't as grating as that of a typical male eunuch; on the contrary, it was low, melodious, and soothing, making one want to listen even if they were bored.
"So the little boy prepared gunpowder, put it in a football, and then said to the little girl, 'Would you like to play with me? It'll create beautiful fireworks...'"
The eunuchs spoke with such a witty tone that it was almost perfect.
Xie Lingqin, who had been staring at the ground with boredom, gradually developed a mysterious look in her eyes as she gazed at the long, thin moonlight streaming through the window, lost in thought.
"However, the little girl proudly refused and ordered her men to drive the little boy away, saying he was not qualified to play with her. But the football was indeed played beautifully, so the little girl happily stayed. Then... not long after, a fire went off, and the little girl died."
Although the eunuch made no description of the fireworks explosion, the abrupt cessation of the sound in the vast, empty hall still sent a chill down one's spine.
Xie Lingqin abruptly turned her gaze away from the window. She was now casually sitting on the couch, looking at the eunuch. "That's all?"
"Yes, it's over."
Xie Lingqin lowered her eyes slightly and commented softly, "That little boy likes little girls."
Something flashed in the eunuch's lowered eyes, and he continued, "However, our Crown Prince instructed me to ask Miss Lingqin, in your opinion, should the little boy have taken the football away?"
The eunuch asked calmly and without emotion, as if he were merely relaying his master's words.
Xie Ling thought for a long time, a hint of melancholy flashing in her starry eyes.
"The little boy didn't intend to blow up the little girl. He must have wanted to get her attention. However, he didn't expect it to turn out this way. So, whether he takes it or not is meaningless. If he really cares, he might as well pretend that nothing ever happened. The little boy... just killed one person."
The eunuch listened to Xie Lingqin's flat tone, her slightly lowered eyebrows and eyes filled with something unreadable. After a moment, he bowed respectfully and said, "This servant will withdraw."
The palace doors opened and closed, taking away some warmth and letting in a touch of coolness.
Xie Lingqin turned around, got onto the bed, pulled the covers over herself, and went to sleep.
...
Meanwhile, not far from Jinse Tianxia, the eunuch stopped. Standing before him was Duanmu Rong, dressed in red, with a playful expression. His charming and delicate face held a hint of amusement. "Is that what she said? That's quite a novel argument."
The eunuch remained silent because he knew it wasn't his place to answer.
"Alright, you may leave."
Duanmu Rong turned and left.
"Treat it as... just killing one person... so that you won't feel pain? Xie Lingqin, you really are Xie Lingqin."
The murmurs faded into the distance.
The eunuch watched Duanmu Rong's retreating figure disappear into the moonlight. He quickly entered the servants' quarters, went into his own room, and soon... raised his hand to condense a light mist on his face. Then, he removed the human skin mask from his face, which was as thin as a cicada's wing and aroused no suspicion.
Her sharply defined face was exposed to the air, and a faint blue line flowed across her long, straight nose. Beneath her black eyelashes, like black feathers, was a patch of blue shadow.
A moment later, a figure appeared behind him. "As you expected, he's not here."
...
The next day, early in the morning, Xie Lingqin was taken by palace maids to a torture chamber.
Despite being called a torture chamber, it is actually a very beautiful torture chamber.
On one side, a huge round wooden table was filled with delicacies, while on the other side, there were torture instruments that would make anyone's heart tremble at just a glance.
Xie Lingqin's gaze swept lightly over the table of delicacies in front of her, and looked to the side, in the dim light, at a person bound to a cross.
The man was dressed in white, his hair was disheveled, and his head drooped listlessly. His body was covered in blood, and he looked frightening at first glance.
"Miss Lingqin, our Crown Prince will be here shortly. Please have your breakfast first." Beside her, the young eunuch who had been in charge the night before was considerately inviting Xie Lingqin to take a seat.
"Whoosh—"
The whip cracked.
Xie Lingqin looked at the eunuch, but before she could say anything, she saw a whip flash in the corner. The long whip was raised, and the barbs on it were pulled. The person who was tied up groaned in pain, but seemed to be trying his best not to scream.
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