In the dungeon of Yao Country, many people have been added recently.
Each of these people has a remarkable background, dressed in luxurious garments and robes, with even their official hats not yet removed before being thrown into the prison by the two generals, Ye.
A nobleman lost his jade pendant from his waist, and his crown on his head went missing as well. He was already tied to the torture frame and shouted loudly to General Ye Juege beside him, “General Ye! When Her Majesty reclaimed the lost territories, my Sun family made significant contributions. How can Her Majesty forget the merits of this marquis and resort to burning bridges?”
Ye Juege had a cold expression on her face. She wiped the blood off her hands and glanced at the nobleman.
“Marquis, that was just a minor matter from two years ago. It hasn’t been long since then, so why discuss the past? Besides, even without you, Her Majesty would still have reclaimed Yao Country.”
“You misspoke and made a mistake a few days ago. Her Majesty showed exceptional mercy by not following your strategy and locking you and the fierce hound in the same cage.”
The nobleman was stunned for a moment, then sharply exclaimed, “Mercy?!”
“When Her Majesty treats her meritorious subjects so severely, how can the people of the world be pleased and loyal? With such a monarch in Yao Country, the day of the country’s demise is not far away! Just wait and see, for the sake of a war criminal, she has arrested so many people. I wonder who will dare to remain loyal… Ah!”
Before he could finish his words, Ye Feiyan, who stood by, grabbed a whip soaked in saltwater and chili and mercilessly lashed it against his neck.
The nobleman received several lashes, crying out in pain while continuing to curse and yell loudly.
“You despicable creature! How dare you strike this marquis? You’re just an outsider, not a true citizen of Yao Country. What are you even worth?”
Ye Feiyan sneered, “At a time like this, your mouth is still so foul. Do you think you’re the only one in the world who can speak?”
She then dropped the whip, took a step forward, and picked up a heated branding iron. She ordered the guard to open the nobleman’s mouth and swiftly shoved it inside.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!”
The branding iron was scorching hot, emitting a cloud of white smoke as soon as it entered his mouth. The smell of burnt flesh filled the dungeon.
In the other prison cells, the imprisoned noble ministers could smell the scent and their faces turned pale. They tightly gripped the iron bars, continuously crying out to General Ye Juege, “General Ye, save me! General Ye, please save me…”
“Your Majesty, I want to see Your Majesty!”
Ye Juege stood silently outside the prison cell, not even raising her eyes.
Inside the dungeon, the cries of agony echoed, sharp and mournful, never ceasing.
Although the screams were piercing and incessant, they couldn’t reach the deepest cell, the one submerged in water.
This deepest level only contained one prison cell. It was dark, damp, empty, and quiet.
Today, Chu Shao didn’t wear her royal attire but instead a narrow-sleeved robe, covered with a black fur coat.
Standing beside the torture frame, she looked down with lowered eyes at the grand general bound to the iron frame.
Qin Xueting’s legs were soaked and swollen, no longer bleeding, and unable to move. When she heard the sound, she lifted her head and looked at Chu Shao.
Seeing that the other’s eyes remained silent and calm, a touch of ink sinking to the depths, dim and cold, like a shadow in a pool, Qin Xueting couldn’t help but laugh.
Chu Shao furrowed her brows slightly, seemingly surprised that Qin Xueting, who had her legs crippled and was thrown into the water dungeon, could still find reason to laugh.
Qin Xueting’s vision was bloodied, but it didn’t prevent her from fixating on the clothes Chu Shao was wearing.
She smiled and said, “Your Majesty, it’s getting cold. Didn’t Prince Yan remind you? Shouldn’t you add another layer of clothing?”
Chu Shao looked at Qin Xueting without speaking.
Qin Xueting smiled even more pleasantly, “It seems that she didn’t.”
After hearing this, Chu Shao’s expression remained emotionless.
She simply raised her hand, scooped up a ladle of water, and poured it down.
Then, she softly said, “This is the twenty-second ladle. There is still a long way to go before two hundred ladles.”
The cold water poured on her face, chilling her to the bone.
But Qin Xueting laughed, “Two hundred ladles?”
“I poured two ladles of water on Xiao Jin. Are you going to repay me a hundredfold? Truly, you love her so deeply that I can’t help but feel sorry for you.”
Chu Shao furrowed her brow again.
What is love?
Chu Shao used to think that she was close to understanding the concept of loving someone. But now, she realized that she still didn’t understand.
The question that came out was: “Who are you?”
Qin Xueting was stunned.
Looking at Chu Shao’s face, she suddenly realized that the reason why there was nothing in those eyes was because, apart from that person, Chu Shao had never truly looked at anything or anyone.
Chu Shao asking who she was wasn’t a rhetorical question.
It was because she had never regarded her, never cared about her as a person.
Qin Xueting figured out this point and asked softly, “If that’s the case, why did you save me that day?”
Chu Shao furrowed her brow, unable to remember which day Qin Xueting was referring to or what event she was talking about.
She smiled and spoke candidly, almost hurting.
“I don’t remember saving you.”
“I only remember that Her Highness asked me to do something that day. Even though I thought it was unnecessary, since she requested it, I was willing to do it.”
Qin Xueting was briefly taken aback, then she smiled.
“I see.”
“I also wondered why someone like you, who doesn’t care about anything, would take the initiative to save our family. So that’s the reason.”
Chu Shao became even more puzzled.
“Otherwise, what else could it be?”
She had no interest in saving others. The only one who truly wanted to save others was Xiao Jin.
Clearly, Qin Xueting also understood this point, which was why she started laughing, a big laugh.
“Sister Shao, how can you always wear such a beautiful expression, speak with such an innocent tone, and say such cruel words?”
“Cruel?”
Chu Shao didn’t think of herself as cruel, and she even chuckled softly, “I think you are more cruel than me.”
“You, who hesitate even to touch someone, dare to treat me like this.”
“By being so cruel to me, you have made me somewhat puzzled. I don’t know how to punish you.”
“But there is still a long time ahead, and I have plenty of time to think about what I should do to repay you for your cruelty towards me.”
After saying these words, Chu Shao no longer wanted to waste any more time on this boring matter.
She turned around, preparing to leave, but she heard Qin Xueting’s voice from behind:
“She will leave you.”
Chu Shao paused, turned her head, and saw the smile on Qin Xueting’s face.
There seemed to be mockery or resentment in that smile.
“She can leave you once, and she can leave you a second time.”
“She will leave.”
“Because she doesn’t love you at all.” Chu Shao looked at Qin Xueting intently.
Once again, she went against her own words and did something completely unpredictable.
By the time Chu Shao realized it, her sword had already pierced through Qin Xueting’s chest, and blood oozed from the swollen flesh.
Qin Xueting looked at Chu Shao and shook her head. “Sister Shao, look at you. Every time you encounter Xiao Jin, you end up losing completely.”
“You are also a foolish person, no different from those people.”
“So now, I don’t like you anymore.”
Blood stained Qin Xueting’s face.
Chu Shao withdrew her sword and looked at the splattering blood with a smile. She said, “Well, then I must thank you.”
….
Xiao Jin had been doing well these past few days. The good thing was that her vital signs were normal, and since becoming a cripple, she no longer needed to think about what she should do every day.
 She didn’t have to contribute anything to this world.
Just staying alive was already her greatest effort.
Although Su Tan had mentioned the possibility of a cure after seeing her leg, judging from the worried expression on Doctor Su’s face, the chances were probably slim.
But Xiao Jin didn’t mind. Whether she could walk or not, she was just a puppet hidden by Chu Shao in the palace.
Once she accepted this setting, Xiao Jin felt a strong sense of immersion and comfortably played the role of a waste.
After all, besides being a waste, she had no other options.
Since Chu Shao didn’t mention her return home, she wouldn’t bring it up either.
If Chu Shao wanted her to accompany her, then she would accompany her.
Whether for ten days, ten months, ten years, or until death, it was all acceptable.
As long as Chu Shao could kill her before that.
Then she could go home.
Xiao Jin thought this way, and she didn’t even bother to ask the system how much time in this world differed from the modern era.
Since Chu Shao was willing to maintain the illusion in front of her, she was also willing to hypnotize herself and create a delusion.
As for how long this illusion could last, Xiao Jin didn’t know, nor did she care. If she could live one more day, then it was one more day.
However, today, Chu Shao came again, and Xiao Jin felt that something was off.
She thought maybe it was because Chu Shao had sent away the attendants and carried a damp, bloody smell on her.
Xiao Jin wasn’t surprised by the scent of blood on Chu Shao.
It’s just that a few days ago, Chu Shao would at least burn some incense to cover it up.
But today, she couldn’t even be bothered with the incense.
Xiao Jin was pondering these thoughts when Chu Shao, as usual, smiled and said, “Your Highness, your complexion seems to be better than a few days ago.”
Indeed, her complexion couldn’t be worse than a few days ago, no matter how bad it was.
Xiao Jin nodded and agreed, “Yes.”
Chu Shao looked at Xiao Jin and smiled again, softly saying, “Winter is almost over, and when summer comes, the locust trees in the courtyard will blossom. We can pick some locust flowers and make flower cakes or brew wine.”
These words didn’t sound like something Chu Shao would say.
It was more like a standard response that Su Tan provided after Chu Shao asked about the uses of locust flowers.
In fact, Xiao Jin’s guess was correct.
That was exactly how it happened.
Chu Shao wasn’t interested in locust flowers, just as Xiao Jin wasn’t interested in fresh flower cakes.
Both of them had no interest, yet they were discussing this topic.
Chu Shao sensed Xiao Jin’s silence but continued to smile. “I remember there are osmanthus trees planted in the Yan Mansion. If Your Highness doesn’t like locust flowers, I will have them replaced with osmanthus trees.”
“Whatever you like, whatever you want, as long as you tell me, I will help you get it.”
Xiao Jin looked at Chu Shao.
After a while, Xiao Jin spoke in a soft voice, “Shao’er, you know what I want.”
Chu Shao gazed at Xiao Jin, her snowy white and indifferent face, the countenance she couldn’t let go of.
Snow from the corridor drifted into the hall, but it melted quickly.
Chu Shao chuckled softly, her brows and eyes gentle as melted snow. “Does Your Highness want to hold the Phoenix Seal and become the Emperor and Empress of Yao Country? Or perhaps, you want to reclaim the title of Yan of Qi Country?”
“If you wish, I can issue an edict now and assign that place to you.”
Xiao Jin remained silent.
Chu Shao continued, lost in her own thoughts. “Does Your Highness desire to rule this world as the supreme ruler of the Nine Provinces and Four Seas? Once I conquer the western countries, I will give you the Jade Seal. Then, you will be the Emperor, and every mountain and river in the world will be yours.”
A long time passed.
Xiao Jin shook her head. “Shao’er, I don’t want any of these things. I just want…”
“Xiao Jin.”
Chu Shao suddenly interrupted her, calling out her name.
Xiao Jin was stunned.
There was still a smile in Chu Shao’s eyes. “Please don’t continue speaking, alright?”
After a while, Xiao Jin nodded.
“Alright.”
Chu Shao looked at her tenderly.
“Su Tan said your wounds are almost healed. Now, I want to see if that’s true.”
Xiao Jin had no objections. “Go ahead.”
But when Chu Shao removed her clothes and leaned down to kiss her neck, Xiao Jin suddenly realized that things weren’t as simple as they seemed.
To prevent herself from overthinking everything, Xiao Jin took a breath and gently reminded Chu Shao, “Shao’er, it’s daytime now.”
After saying it, Xiao Jin had a strange feeling that she had heard this sentence somewhere before.
Before she could figure out when she had said it, Chu Shao’s lips had already pressed against her waist.
Ticklish
.Xiao Jin felt an indescribable ticklish sensation and instinctively tried to push Chu Shao away but found herself unable to move.
And after a moment, Chu Shao took off the hair tie that bound Xiao Jin’s hair and used it to bind her hands.
“…”
No, this isn’t right, is it?
Before Xiao Jin could ask, her vision darkened and everything turned black.
Chu Shao had another hair tie in her hair, so she had enough strength to pull out another one and blindfold Xiao Jin’s eyes.
At this point, if Xiao Jin still didn’t know what Chu Shao was doing, then all those years she spent reading online novels would have been in vain.
She wanted to advise Chu Shao not to act impulsively, considering she was still a disabled person.
However, the fact proved that Chu Shao was indeed impulsive. She even pressed her lips forcefully, kissing Xiao Jin’s neck to prevent her from uttering a word.
With a ribbon covering her eyes, everything became dim.
Xiao Jin could barely see the tassels hanging from the palace lamp, swaying shadows.
It felt as if her neck was being held by hands soaked in snowwater, with Chu Shao’s warm lips and slightly cool teeth pressing against it.
A suffocating sensation overwhelmed Xiao Jin, and she could hardly catch her breath.
Before she could exhale, a sudden and chilling sensation froze her whole body.
Unfortunately, Chu Shao held one of her wrists firmly while the other hand was still in motion.
Xiao Jin struggled to breathe, and her heart was filled with despair.
Despair, despair, despair.
Chu Shao’s voice came from above, and Xiao Jin could almost imagine Chu Shao smiling while gazing at her with those cold eyes.
But the words she spoke were suffocating.
“Why won’t you develop feelings for me?”
“Why?”
The icy and bone-chilling sensation grew stronger, and Xiao Jin was on the verge of passing out.
She wanted to say, “Shao’er, Your Majesty, my good Majesty, without any foreplay, how can I develop feelings for you?”
Unfortunately, Xiao Jin was destined not to utter those words.
In the vastness of the world, she could only drift in the boiling snow, her consciousness fading, until she reached a serene and cold mountain peak.
There, silver fir trees gently swayed, snowflakes falling.
Chu Shao turned around, smiled at her, and called her: “Your Highness.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: Sigh… What kind of book did I just read? It seems different from before. Sigh… What is love? Who knows! These two fools are both killing each other and engaging in a twisted form of foreplay 🙂. Both of you are insane! Sigh…
TO BE CONTINUE…Â
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