"Now that you've seen it, don't you have anything to say?"
Jun Zechen's voice was low and powerful, like a sudden thunderclap in the hall, breaking the oppressive silence.
Su Jingyao was frightened by the sudden voice and trembled all over. She stood up and knelt in front of him.
"Your Highness, I didn't discover it intentionally. I wouldn't violate palace rules or discuss state affairs. I don't know what the Su family did wrong, but...but Your Highness, can you please spare the lives of the Su family members?"
Su Jingyao's voice was tearful, her words were confused and urgent, and she seemed to be in extreme panic.
Seeing this, Jun Zechen subconsciously reached out his hand and wanted to help her up.
But Su Jingyao seemed to be even more frightened, and her body shook violently.
Jun Zechen's hand stretched in the air suddenly froze, as if it was frozen there.
"Afraid of being alone?"
There was a hint of disbelief in Jun Zechen's voice. He reached out and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.
"Jiaojiao, have you ever thought that I might let the Su family go because of you?"
Before, every time Jun Zechen called her Jiaojiao, his voice was full of tenderness and affection, which was full of interest and doting.
But this time, the word "jiaojiao" made Su Jingyao feel like a bird trapped in his palm, with her fate completely controlled by him.
Because she was forced to look up, Su Jingyao's eyes were full of grievance and fear. Many tears accumulated in her eye sockets, like crystal pearls rolling in her eye sockets, but she kept holding back and not letting them fall.
"Will Your Highness?"
Her voice trembled, holding a last glimmer of hope.
"Is it true that Your Highness loves and favors me?"
"Or...is all this Your Highness doing to confuse the Su family and make them obey Your Highness, so that You can eliminate the Su family without any soldiers?"
Jun Zechen's expression changed again and again.
Is that what she thinks of him?
An indescribable anger and loss surged in Jun Zechen's heart.
Seeing his horrified expression, Su Jingyao felt as if she had seen a flood or a beast. Her legs, which were kneeling on the ground, involuntarily took a few steps back and struggled to break free from his hand that was clamping her chin.
"Your Highness, please forgive me. I spoke without thinking."
"Your Highness is the future emperor of Junguo. Whether you reward or punish the Su family, the Su family will accept it. Even if you really use me or pretend to favor me, I am willing to bear it."
Su Jingyao was trembling.
Jun Zechen looked at her kneeling on the ground in a humble and cowardly manner, and felt annoyed for no reason.
What he liked was her bright and fearless attitude in the past.
"True use, false pampering?"
Jun Zechen's voice instantly rose a few notches, and undercurrents surged in his deep black eyes.
"Then Jiaojiao, tell me, how did I use you? What are you thinking?"
His compelling gaze seemed to see through her soul.
Su Jingyao knelt there, in extreme inner struggle. She didn't know whether she should say it or not. Once those words came out, it would be a crime of rebellion, which would probably make the Su family's crime even more serious.
She raised her head, her eyes full of hesitation and entanglement, but Jun Zechen's ink-black eyes locked onto her in an instant, leaving her nowhere to escape.
"explain."
His voice was cold and authoritative.
Su Jingyao gritted her teeth, as if she had made a great decision, and finally spoke.
"Your Highness, I have always had doubts in my heart."
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
"Before I married into the Eastern Palace, I heard that Your Highness and the Crown Princess were deeply in love. But after I entered the Eastern Palace, Your Highness has always favored me and neglected the Crown Princess."
When she spoke, her eyes were always lowered, not daring to look Jun Zechen in the eye. Her long eyelashes kept trembling, and her voice became lower and lower.
"I don't know the reason, but I think it's just a rumor and shouldn't be trusted."
Su Jingyao pursed her lips slightly, and her face became paler.
"However, last time, the Crown Princess sent Aokiji to Huamei Residence to ask His Highness to leave. His Highness also found contraceptive drugs from Aokiji, but His Highness did not punish the Crown Princess."
There was a hint of reluctance and grievance in her voice.
"Now that I think about it, perhaps I have been blinded by your favor."
"Your Highness has always been protecting the Crown Princess."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly tilted her head back to prevent them from falling.
"So, I have the audacity to ask Your Highness, was the contraceptive drug in my body injected at your instruction when I first entered the Eastern Palace?"
"You want to deal with the Su family, dote on me to the utmost, let the Su family relax their vigilance, and prevent me from getting pregnant with your child..."
Su Jingyao's voice was as light as the breeze, but it was particularly clear in the silent palace.
After hearing this, Jun Zechen's whole body froze, and the fingers that were turning the ring became harder and faster.
So this is what she really thinks. This is how she sees herself?!
Ling Yue did send Aokiji to call him away, so he ruthlessly took back her palace power. In his opinion, this punishment was already very severe.
As for the contraception issue, it was not Ling Yue's doing. Jun Zechen would deal with the matter objectively and would not punish Ling Yue for something she had not done.
However, Jun Zechen did not explain to Su Jingyao that this matter was related to Concubine Shu and Prince Duan. After all, it involved state affairs. How could he easily reveal these power struggles to her?
After Su Jingyao finished speaking, she lowered her head like a frost-bitten flower, and her curled eyelashes tightly blocked all the emotions in her eyes.
Jun Zechen’s heart is not easy to conquer, but isn’t that how it was portrayed in previous TV dramas?
The male and female protagonists misunderstand each other, which deepens their feelings.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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