roccoschili Chapter 216 Your Majesty, I have a way to make her suffer unbearable pain!
Chapter 216 Your Majesty, I have a way to make her suffer unbearable pain!
Willingly.
These four words were like four cold iron nails, driven deep into Zhao Qingxue's heart.
Her face grew even paler.
True emotions finally surfaced in those deep purple phoenix eyes—
It wasn't anger, fear, or resentment.
But -
A sense of powerlessness bordering on despair.
This man didn't want her body, her submission, or her surrender.
He wanted her heart.
She completely abandoned all pride, all dignity, and all her principles, willingly giving herself to him.
This is crueler than any humiliation.
Because it meant that she had to kill the once arrogant Empress Li Yang with her own hands.
He personally buried Zhao Qingxue, who was once a powerful figure in Dongzhou.
Transform yourself with your own hands
His possessions.
Zhao Qingxue took a deep breath.
She looked at Qin Mu, speaking slowly and deliberately, each word like a sharp blade tempered with ice:
"That's impossible."
You're dreaming.
The private room fell into a deathly silence once again.
Sunlight continued to stream in through the window, casting dappled shadows on the rosewood round table.
The sounds of hustle and bustle outside the window still drifted in faintly—hawking, laughter, and children chasing each other—as if they were from a different world.
Hongjie clung to Qin Mu's leg, her whole body stiff.
Her brain was racing, trying to understand what had just happened.
Zhao Qingxue proposed paying tribute, but was refused.
Qin Mu wanted Zhao Qingxue herself, but was rejected.
The negotiations broke down.
What about her?
What about her life?
Hongjie suddenly raised her head and looked at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on Zhao Qingxue's face, the smile still on his lips.
He felt no disappointment or anger when he heard Zhao Qingxue say "impossible" and "dream on."
He simply nodded slightly.
It was as if they had expected this answer all along.
"Then there's nothing to talk about," he said.
Sister Hong was stunned.
There's nothing more to discuss?
What about her?
What about her life?
She stared blankly at Qin Mu, at his expressionless face.
My mind went completely blank.
Then, a thought flashed through her mind like lightning—
She survived!
Qin Mu did not agree to Zhao Qingxue's conditions!
She doesn't have to die!
Hongjie's tears welled up in that instant.
Those were not tears of sorrow, nor tears of fear, but tears of joy for those who had survived a catastrophe.
She's still alive!
She's still alive!
She abruptly released her grip on Qin Mu's leg, collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, tears streaming down her face.
"Thank you, Your Majesty... Thank you, Your Majesty..."
She murmured to herself, her voice broken and trembling.
Looking at Sister Hong's appearance, Zhao Qingxue's eyes flashed with a complex emotion.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the carved window frames, casting dappled shadows on the floor of the private room.
Zhao Qingxue knelt on the ground, her knees resting on the cold blue bricks. Her moon-white skirt spread out around her, like a withered lotus flower touched by frost.
She lowered her eyes, appearing calm, but her heart was pounding.
She had mustered up a lot of courage to say those words.
Actually, she had already achieved her goal for today, because after what happened today, Sister Hong should not dare to be so rude to her again.
The thought flashed through her mind, bringing a faint sense of comfort.
Hong Jie's arrogance just now was based on Qin Mu's tacit approval.
But once Zhao Qingxue showed a "willingness to submit" attitude, Hongjie's value was completely exhausted.
A tool should be put away after it's used up; how can it possibly have the right to continue to flaunt its power?
What's more, Sister Hong almost lost her life because of a single sentence she uttered.
That kind of deep-seated fear is enough to teach anyone to restrain themselves.
From now on, Sister Hong will probably avoid her as much as possible when she sees her.
Zhao Qingxue breathed a sigh of relief.
Although her "surrender" was just a temporary measure, and although the word "impossible" had already pushed the negotiations to the brink of collapse, at least the woman she loathed would no longer have the chance to humiliate her.
This realization allowed her to relax her tense nerves, which had been taut all morning, for a moment.
however--
Just as she breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Mu's voice rang out lazily, carrying a nonchalant, playful tone:
"Little Red."
Sister Hong trembled all over, quickly scrambled to her feet, and crawled to Qin Mu's feet, her face full of fawning relief: "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, propped his chin on one hand, and stared at Zhao Qingxue, a half-smile playing on his lips.
"Just now," he raised his other hand, his long, slender fingers pointing at Zhao Qingxue, "she was about to kill you."
Sister Hong was stunned.
Her gaze followed Qin Mu's finger and landed on the moon-white figure still kneeling on the ground.
The relief of surviving the ordeal gradually faded from those eyes, replaced by a complex emotion that was slowly rising within them.
She felt a lingering fear—just a moment ago, she was truly on the verge of death.
She harbored resentment—it was this woman who almost took her life with a single sentence.
There is also an almost insane urge to prove oneself.
His Majesty didn't kill her; His Majesty spared her life, so she's still useful!
As long as she is useful, His Majesty will not abandon her!
Hongjie's breathing became rapid.
She slowly stood up, her gaze fixed intently on Zhao Qingxue.
That once breathtakingly beautiful face that she feared was now kneeling on the ground, her eyes lowered, her long hair disheveled, looking disheveled and vulnerable.
He's just a prisoner.
A prisoner who almost took her life.
A ruthless glint flashed in Sister Hong's eyes.
She turned to look at Qin Mu, her voice trembling slightly with excitement, yet she tried her best to maintain a fawning and obsequious demeanor:
"His Majesty--"
She spoke slowly and deliberately, each word carrying a deliberate air of loyalty:
"I have a thousand ways to make this lowly servant wish she were dead, and she'll eventually submit!"
The moment she said those words, a surge of almost excited emotion welled up inside her.
A thousand methods!
She really has a thousand tricks up her sleeve!
In those years in brothels, what kind of fiery women hadn't I seen? What kind of stubborn girls hadn't I tamed?
Soft, hard, insidious, ruthless—
She had personally witnessed the effects of each method.
Strip them naked, hang them up, beat them, and apply salt water to their wounds—that's the beginner level.
Locking her in a water dungeon and having rats and snakes keep her company overnight is the advanced version.
Using a branding iron to leave a scar in an unseen place, so that she would never dare to expose her body in front of others for the rest of her life, that is the ultimate method.
Even more insidious methods exist—using drugs to destroy her mind, turning her into a mindless, obedient zombie.
Countless images flashed through Sister Hong's mind in an instant.
Those once unruly women were now kneeling at her feet, crying and begging for mercy.
Those chaste and virtuous women who were once willing to die rather than submit eventually became as docile as dogs.
Those ones--
The more she thought about it, the more intense the light in her eyes became.
She was going to use these methods to teach this wretched maid a lesson!
Let her know the consequences of offending Sister Hong!
Let her know who is truly useful in His Majesty's eyes!
She didn't say these words explicitly, but her eyes, tone, and expression were enough to make anyone understand what she meant.
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu's smile deepened.
He nodded slightly without saying a word.
But that tacit approval was all too obvious.
Upon receiving this signal, Sister Hong's last remaining concerns vanished.
She turned around and strode up to Zhao Qingxue.
The afternoon sun shone in from behind her, casting a shadow over her and enveloping Zhao Qingxue completely.
Zhao Qingxue remained kneeling on the ground.
From the moment Qin Mu uttered those words, her heart clenched.
Little Red, she's going to kill you.
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over my head.
She thought that Sister Hong would restrain herself from then on, and she thought that her "submission" would at least bring her temporary peace.
But she forgot—
Forgot about Qin Mu.
Forget about this man; his sole purpose from beginning to end was to tame her.
Use every means possible.
Sister Hong is just a tool, a tool that can be replaced at any time.
The value of a tool lies in its ability to serve a purpose.
When Sister Hong's value was about to be exhausted because of her "surrender," Qin Mu only needed to say one sentence—
"She was about to kill you."
This would reignite Sister Hong's resentment and desire for attention.
This will allow Sister Hong to continue to play her "role".
They can continue to use this vulgar woman, continue to humiliate her, torment her, and destroy her dignity and pride little by little.
Until she completely broke down and utterly surrendered.
Zhao Qingxue's fingers clenched tightly inside her sleeve.
My fingernails dug deep into my palm, sending a sharp pain through me.
But the pain was nothing compared to the chill that welled up inside her.
Careless.
She was so focused on the fact that Sister Hong wouldn't dare do anything to her again.
But I forgot—
There's also Qin Mu.
He is the true ruler.
With just a gentle push, he can steer the situation in his favor.
And all her calculations, her expedient measures, her self-righteous sense of "relief"—
In his eyes, it was nothing more than a laughable struggle on the chessboard.
Zhao Qingxue's eyes trembled violently.
She knew she had to do something.
must--
But at that very moment, as she frantically racked her brains for a solution...
Sister Hong had already walked up to her.
Those rough hands grabbed her hair and pulled it upwards forcefully!