Empress Ning raised her head, her eyes fluttering with a dark red glow that reflected Chu Shao’s face.
At that moment, she realized that there was really no such thing as coming back to life once someone had died.
Staring into Chu Shao’s eyes, Empress Ning grinned, a muddled laughter spilling from her throat. No one knew what she was laughing at.
Chu Shao looked at the scars on Empress Ning’s face and slowly crouched down.
She reached out her hand and lightly touched her with her fingertips, tracing the rough scars and wounds.
Through the gap in the pattern screen, Xiao Jin couldn’t really see Empress Ning’s expression clearly.
She turned her head slightly and realized that the madness in her eyes had gradually faded, replaced by a kind of innocent obsession.
Obsession?
Xiao Jin almost thought she had seen it wrong.
However, under Empress Ning’s fixated gaze, Chu Shao withdrew her hand.
She looked at her with extremely gentle eyes and said softly, “How pitiful.”
Upon hearing this, Empress Ning’s face suddenly changed.
The light that had finally burst forth from her eyes was like a shooting star, disappearing into the dark and cold night sky.
After a moment, Empress Ning looked at the white-robed woman in front of her and moved her lips.
It was as if she was chewing on something as she struggled to squeeze out a few syllables. “You… are Chu Shao.”
Chu Shao smiled and replied, “Yes, Empress Mother.”
Empress Ning’s face instantly contorted into a ball, her voice hoarse as she laughed out loud. “Chu Shao, Chu Shao… you are clearly even more pitiful than I am. What right do you have to pity me now?”
Chu Shao’s smile deepened.
Her fair and slender fingers lightly covered the withered knuckles of the Empress Ning, who gripped the iron bars, and looked straight into her eyes as she spoke softly, “Empress Mother, I have never felt sorry for myself.”
“Only people like you, who have lost everything and think of themselves as miserable creatures, constantly pity themselves.”
The Empress Ning had long since lost the use of her legs and now crawled towards the iron bars like a pile of soft mud. “You’re talking nonsense…I haven’t lost.”
She clung to the iron gate, all the strands of hair on her face falling away, and a strange smile on her face.
Her visage was aged and horrifying as she stared at Chu Shao and intermittently shouted in a hoarse and unpleasant voice, “Don’t think that I don’t know, from the day I returned to Yao Country, Nan Jin has been crazy…”
“Nan Jin is a lunatic. Even if you killed Shen Ronglian, she would never let you go.”
Chu Shao laughed softly, “As you said, the national teacher has already gone crazy. How could a lunatic be constantly thinking about who to make suffer?”
She reached out and gently brushed away the hair covering the face of the woman whose features had withered.
Ignoring the Empress Ning’s trembling, she spoke warmly, “Of course, the national teacher treats you differently. You are a unique privilege. After all, my mother detests you, so I imagine the national teacher hates you too.”
Perhaps recalling the tortures that Nan Jin had inflicted upon her, the Empress Ning’s eyes widened and the red in her pupils grew more intense.
Desperately she reached out her hand towards Chu Shao’s face, wanting to scratch her with her fingers.
However, even though her skin was scratched until it bled, Chu Shao remained out of reach.
The veins on the back of the Empress Ning’s hand bulged, and she was suspended in front of Chu Shao’s smiling eyes.
“Empress Mother, do you really want to kill me like this?” Chu Shao lowered her eyes with pity, looking at the few bony knuckles on the Empress Ning’s hand.
The Empress Ning had lost her sanity.
Her facial expression is extremely strange, like she’s crying and laughing at the same time: “Die! Shen Ronglian, Nan Jin – all of you die!”
Shangguan Xun sat in a chair drinking tea, watching everything in front of him with great interest, as if he was watching a play.
But after a moment, he was forced to become a part of the play.
It was because while Shangguan Xun was watching the play, Chu Shao suddenly turned her head and looked at the sword at his waist, praising, “Indeed, it’s a good sword.”
Shangguan Xun was confused.
His sword may be good, but what does it have to do with Chu Shao?
Soon, he found out because Chu Shao came to his back like a ghost and took the sword at his waist without hesitation before he could react.
Seeing his treasured sword taken away, Shangguan Xun was both shocked and angry, and he cried out like a woman whose oil had been stolen, “Princess that’s our family’s heirloom sword…”
Even Xiao Jin, who was hiding behind the screen, couldn’t help but twitch at the sound of his cry.
However, Chu Shao’s emotions remained unchanged.
She just smiled and held up the sword, feeling its weight.
She casually waved her white sleeve and cut through the iron cage from the center with ease.
Her smile was very gentle, and the sword seemed to be as light as a feather when she swung it.
But the iron cage, which was carefully crafted by the Blood Rain Pavilion, was cut in half by the sword.
Xiao Jin had already estimated Chu Shao’s strength, knowing that she could cut open the wooden door of the ladder with a folding fan.
So at this moment, she was not surprised.
But Shangguan Xun didn’t know.
When he saw Chu Shao easily cut open the iron cage, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped in amazement.
How could this cage made of Xuan Iron be so weak in front of Chu Shao?
Instead of doubting the material of the cage like Shangguan Xun did, Xiao Jin was more curious about what Chu Shao wanted to do by cutting open the iron cage with her sword.
And Chu Shao didn’t make Xiao Jin wait too long for an answer.
She looked at Empress Ning, who was still in a daze, with a hint of pleasure on her lips.
She took out the dagger inserted in her waist and threw it in front of Empress Ning.
The people in plain sight were stunned, and even those hiding in the dark were bewildered.
It had to be said that Chu Shao was indeed very strong, strong in that she was never fully understood by anyone.
Chu Shao didn’t care about anyone’s opinion, always following her own heart and doing what made her most happy.
At this moment, she looked at Empress Ning and a smile of interest appeared on her lips, “Didn’t you want to kill me? Now, I’m giving you the chance.”
“Pick it up and kill me.”
….
Empress Ning had been constantly affected by the poison of gu worms for years, and her mind was no longer clear, and her reaction was not as quick as before.
But at the moment when Chu Shao spoke those words, she grabbed the dagger very quickly, almost instinctively, opened her crimson eyes wide, and stabbed towards Chu Shao.
Even though Chu Shao knew that Empress Ning’s legs had already been broken and her martial strength was a mystery, Xiao Jin still held her breath and unconsciously pressed the trigger of her sleeve arrow mechanism.
Compared to Chu Shao’s safety, the whereabouts of the left seal was obviously not that important.
Empress Ning’s movement was fast and sudden, but not as fast as Chu Shao.
Shing- the tip of the knife swept across the floor, producing a sharp and ear-piercing sound.
Chu Shao placed her hand behind her back, just slightly moving her feet to avoid the other party’s hysterical attack.
However, Empress Ning was clearly not at ease.
Her legs were already broken, and using all her strength to stab down was a reaction that had reached its limit.
Unfortunately, not only did she miss the stab, her body also lost balance and fell on the cold, hard floor.
The iron chain wrapped around her ankle made a clanging sound, like the sound of pearls and jade falling.
Fingers grasped the floor, blood accompanied by pus flowing out of the wound, slowly spreading on the stone slab.
It was beautiful enough, but it also emitted a foul smell.
Shangguan Xun sat on a chair, frowning.
With a swish, he opened his folding fan and covered his nose and mouth.
Empress Ning’s white hair was disheveled, but she used her blood-soaked hands to prop herself up on the ground and crawled up forcefully.
Her face was distorted, dragging chains and immovable legs, grasping a dagger in her hand, and once again stabbed Chu Shao: “Die, die! All of you go and die for this palace!”
Chu Shao smiled faintly, evading calmly, moving only a small step each time.
She was so cruel, giving Empress Ning the hope of killing herself.
Then she moved calmly one step at a time, letting the other’s expectations fall empty and turning into more powerless despair.
Tormenting others was the most boring behavior for Chu Shao.
She moved her feet elegantly, her eyes full of joy, treating this competition as a game.
A game where she had a winning hand, gradually losing interest.
Chu Shao didn’t like games with predetermined outcomes from the beginning.
So when Empress Ning collapsed and laughed while coughing up blood, she even lost some interest.
Picking up the dropped dagger from the ground and putting it back into its sheath, she smiled and said to Shangguan Xun, “Master Shangguan, let me think… You sent the empress here to force her to tell me the whereabouts of the Seal, right?”
Shangguan Xun was a little surprised but still calm on the surface: “Vice Master has interrogated Empress Ning for months, and she hasn’t revealed any information. How could I pin my hopes on the Princess to give you what you want?”
Chu Shao tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear and smiled: “Or, you know that you can’t get any information from the empress’s mouth, and you are sure that I will kill her. So, you took advantage of the situation and sent me a favor?”
“Or, do you actually want the news that the empress was killed by me to spread so that certain people can be reassured?”
“The Princess worries too much. I have no such intention,” Shangguan Xun answered Chu Shao’s gentle gaze, sweating in his palm for no reason.
Even when facing the Blood Rain Pavilion Master, he was rarely so nervous. Chu Shao took a step closer and said softly, “Since we’ve come to this point, Master Shangguan, I’m a little curious.”
“Several months ago, when the Prince Yan sent prisoners back to the capital, there was a sudden attack by bandits who abducted Empress Ning and Princess Roujia, but they left me behind. Why was that?”
“Or, has your organization already known who I will be given to, so there is no need to make an extra move?” Shangguan Xun’s face changed suddenly.
At the same time, Xiao Jin’s brows also furrowed.
Given to who?
In the original story, Chu Shao was supposed to be given to the crown prince, but if it wasn’t for the latter’s polite refusal, there wouldn’t have been anything to do with the Fourth Prince.
Xiao Jin is not the original owner herself, she did not know about the Blood Rain Pavilion incident before.
Now that she knows, she suddenly feels like she may have been mistaken about something all along.
The owner of the Blood Rain Pavilion may not be Xiao Shuang(Princess Zhao Yang).
But…Just at this moment, a feather arrow flew through the air and suddenly hit the pattern screen, interrupting her thoughts.
Xiao Jin opened her eyes and looked at the silver and cold arrowhead.
It was only three inches away from her face.
In an instant, many things could happen.
Like Ye Juege pulling out her sword, like Chu Shao’s smile suddenly disappearing and quickly moving towards the screen.
Shangguan Xun also suddenly stood up from his seat and threw the tea cup out of the window.
Bang, bang, bang…
The sound of the cup shattering was very clear in the night, not because it was shattered on the ground.
But because it was pierced by a shiny blade, like a spray of flowers, and instantly shattered into countless petals.
….
In the Imperial Palace of the capital, in the Palace Hall.
The floor was paved with jade and stones, but also littered with broken porcelain pieces.
The Crown Prince looked at the porcelain pieces on the ground, his expression momentarily stunned.
He quickly regained his composure, raised his head, and smiled at the Emperor Qi on the couch. “Father, I have been rude.”
The eunuch serving on the side quickly knelt down to pick up the porcelain pieces.
The Emperor Qi leaned on the couch, looked at the Crown Prince, and said, “You rarely seem so absent-minded. You just came back from Qingzhou, and must be tired from the journey?”
After the palace attendants finished picking up the porcelain pieces and withdrew, the Crown Prince smiled helplessly and shook his head. “Father, it’s not that.”
“I just suddenly remembered the urgent letter sent by Shangguan Xun. I was careless for a moment, and didn’t hold the cup steady.”
The Emperor Qi nodded, then asked, “What did the letter say?”
The Crown Prince seemed hesitant.
The Emperor Qi noticed the Crown Prince’s hesitation and became interested.
He fiddled with the Buddhist bead bracelet on his wrist and waved his hand. “Yuer, it’s okay to speak.”
With the permission of the Emperor Qi, the Crown Prince then told him the contents of the letter in detail.
When he heard the sentence “struck by five thunders, will not have a good death,” the Emperor Qi was first stunned, and then burst into laughter. “Does the Prince Yan really want me to make such a vow?”
The Crown Prince nodded.
The Emperor Qi was not angry, but rather pleased. “Reply to Shangguan Xun and tell him that I agree to the Prince Yan’s terms.”
“However, I am really a bit wronged. I haven’t dealt with Blood Rain Pavillion affairs in these years, and most of the matters are also handled by you. But the one who makes the vow is me.”
The Crown Prince smiled gently, “Only Third Brother can come up with such an idea.”
The Emperor Qi nodded slightly, and then brought up another matter. “A few days ago, some remnants of Yao Country seemed to have gone to Qingzhou. I don’t know if they were trying to rescue Empress Ning or do something else.”
“It should be very lively tonight. Why didn’t you stay in Qingzhou, but came back to the capital city?”
“It’s a foregone conclusion, there is no need for me to stay.” The Crown Prince’s voice was warm and gentle, but there was a hint of coldness.
The Emperor Qi nodded, then asked, “And what about Jin’er?”
This seemingly nonsensical question was a bit abrupt.
However, the Crown Prince understood the meaning behind Emperor Qi’s words and smiled in response, saying, “With Chu Shao here, Third Brother will be fine.”
Emperor Qi sighed and remarked, “Chu Shao is quite capable.”
The Crown Prince laughed and said, “If Chu Shao were not capable, Princess Zhao Yang would not have thought she could control her and instead turned against her.”
Emperor Qi remembered something and narrowed his eyes, saying, “Indeed, if she were not capable, I would not have gone along with helping Princess Zhao Yang.”
He then sighed, “The Chu family only needs one person like Roujia. Having more only makes me more troubled.”
The Crown Prince smiled and said, “Although Father helped Princess Zhao Yang, he did not expect that the people she had planted under her would become victims of Chu Shao’s sword.”
With this, he mercilessly exposed Emperor Qi’s weakness. “That’s why I quite capable.”
At this point, Emperor Qi became slightly angry and said, “In the beginning, I did not order anyone to take Chu Shao away and had the idea of giving her to you.”
“Chu Shao and Princess Zhao Yang had some grievances, and she has the blood of the Yao Country imperial family. She was the best candidate. Who knew that on that day in the great hall, you did not discuss it with me beforehand and unilaterally refused this marriage.”
There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Emperor Qi’s words, “In the end, not only did you offend me, but you also made me have to kill her, losing a group of spies I had buried in the Chang Princess’s residence for nothing.”
The Crown Prince did not explain much, only smiled and shook his head respectfully to Emperor Qi, “Father, your son will not marry her.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: Ta-da! I’m not entirely surprised that he’s the Blood Rain Pavilion Master. At the beginning, both Emperor Qi and the Crown Prince seemed suspicious. Sigh… I’m worried about what happened to Xiao Jin. 🤧 I hope she wasn’t hurt by that arrow!
TO BE CONTINUE…
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