Even just once!

Chu Li, you didn’t—you never did. Although you entrusted me with the command of the Black Guard, all the things that every Black Guard knew, I alone was kept in the dark. When I was desperately anxious to rescue you, you were probably hiding in some tent somewhere, quietly waiting for news of victory. Whether Zhuang Qing Xia lived or died was completely irrelevant to you from beginning to end.

An emperor’s word of trust is indeed the cheapest thing in the world, and someone with great talent and strategy like you—how could you ever truly believe in anyone in this lifetime?

You manipulate heaven and earth between your palms, but did you ever think that there was someone who almost truly came to believe in you? When you ruthlessly designed traps and eliminated dissidents, did you ever think that there was someone who almost decided to stay by your side forever? When you were severely poisoned and on the verge of death yet didn’t forget to speak words to strike your opponents, did you ever think that the person listening to those words truly wanted to agree to you?

No! You never thought of it. From beginning to end, everything you did was only for your own future, for your own hegemony, for your Southern Chu imperial power.

And foolish as I am, I actually stayed beside such a person, being deceived time and again, yet still choosing to believe in you!

Those words Chu Li said to Concubine Dan in Yunxiang Hall that day echoed in her ears again: “In this world, no person or thing is more important than Great Chu’s territory.”

Indeed, you are a successful emperor, and I am an idiotic woman.

Slowly wiping away the tears from the corner of her eyes, Qing Xia coldly raised her head. The woman covered in blood from head to toe slowly spoke: “This tear is not shed for you—it’s shed for Xi Lin Yuqiao. She was blind, believing in someone she shouldn’t have believed in.”

Chu Li sat on his throne, looking at Qing Xia’s appearance—covered in filthy blood and wounded all over—and suddenly couldn’t say anything. All explanations at this moment were pale and superfluous. He could only look at her like that, watching helplessly, unable to utter a single word.

Using the intimidating power he had over the eight great families, the Imperial Guards collectively transformed into fierce bandits, killing their way out from the inner camp. Caught off guard, the eight great families naturally suffered complete annihilation. Lady Zhu Lan had already borne the crime of secretly communicating with Southern Frontier, and now with her rescue, her guilt was even more confirmed. Although the eight great families lost their elite forces, their wealth remained. Only by destroying all their power in court could there be a chance to gradually reclaim supreme authority. Chu Li’s series of interconnected schemes was perfect beyond comparison—no one dared match him. Even she herself, being within the game, was deceived by him, let alone others. By the time those people realized what had happened, the eight great families had long since vanished into smoke and ashes. Even knowing the truth, how could they avenge this blood feud?

No wonder Li Zihou suddenly wrote a letter pledging loyalty. It turned out Chu Li had long known about the relationship between Li Yuan’s Li Zicheng and Southern Frontier. By winning over Li Zihou and striking both openly and covertly, he cut off Lady Zhu Lan’s escape route and obtained forged letters with Lady Zhu Lan’s personal seal. Chu Li’s arrangements were brilliantly clever at every step, with people everywhere to charge into battle for him. From beginning to end, he seemed to be within the game, in the center of the storm, but in reality had long since withdrawn to coldly observe from behind the tempest.

Backstabbing arrows, using others’ knives to kill—he used these effortless masterful techniques to perfection, with extraordinary cleverness.

Qing Xia suddenly remembered what Father Zhuang had said: Prince Li was a person of stunning talent and beauty—how could he repeatedly place himself in traps?

“The Xi Lin family—did you kill them all?” Qing Xia stood before Chu Li, asking in a deep voice.

“Yes,” Chu Li slowly nodded. “Xi Linyu escaped with Xi Lin Yu’s youngest son, but within a hundred li radius, they’re all surrounded by Black Guards. He can’t escape.”

“Why?” Qing Xia slowly furrowed her brow. She still couldn’t help but shout loudly: “The Xi Lin clan of Heng City was utterly loyal. In the desert lands, when all the family heads thought charging at the beast herd meant certain death, only he was willing to follow you. His father repeatedly protected you, and Xi Lin Yuqiao was willing to die for you! Such a family—why not spare them?”

Chu Li looked at Qing Xia with resolute eyes, slowly saying: “I cannot guarantee whether Xi Linyu is deeply scheming and saw through the secrets of the desert lands. I also cannot guarantee that the next generation of the Xi Lin clan will still be loyal to the sovereign and love the country.”

Qing Xia raised her eyebrows in disbelief. What kind of person was this? Was there anything worth believing in his heart? Could such reasons of “not being able to guarantee” become grounds for killing?

“The eight great families are Southern Chu’s greatest malignant tumor. For years they’ve grown too powerful to control. If there’s an opportunity, how could I not eliminate them in one stroke?” Chu Li suddenly stood up from his seat. His expression became slightly agitated as he slowly walked toward Qing Xia, his eyes bloodshot, saying in a deep voice: “But Qing Xia, I never intended to harm you. In the battle at the desert lands, I was afraid you’d go and get hurt, so I didn’t tell you. I didn’t expect you’d still receive the news and rush there. When the seven great families stormed the camp, I also didn’t plan for you to handle it. Later, when it was time for the Imperial Guards to attack the camp, I also told Xu Quan to bring you back to the central military tent. There’s a secret passage in the tent that could avoid this disaster. I didn’t expect Xi Lin Yuqiao to cause complications. Qing Xia, I never intended to harm you—this is true.”

Qing Xia looked coldly at the man before her, feeling he was so unfamiliar. How could he mention Xi Lin Yuqiao’s name with such indifference? That stubborn and competitive young lady died for him on that desolate grassland and even now her body remained exposed in the wilderness, pierced by countless arrows.

She was still so young—not even seventeen years old.

Endless grief and despair rose like a tide in Qing Xia’s chest. She suddenly felt difficulty breathing, tightly grasping her chest and raising her other hand to stop Chu Li from approaching.

“Qing Xia, how are you? I beg you, please treat your wounds first. You can do whatever you want to me afterward.” Chu Li could no longer maintain that expression of believing himself to be right. He looked at Qing Xia’s wounded appearance with heartache, saying sadly: “You can hit me, curse me—I’ve wronged you, but don’t torture yourself like this.”

With a thunderous sound, everything went black before her eyes. Qing Xia had fought for a day and night, and her previous battle with the fierce beasts had nearly cost her life. The severely exhausted girl leaned against the tent support pole, trying to calm the anger in her chest. Suddenly, her blood and qi surged violently, and she spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood that splattered on the luxurious carpet.

“Qing Xia!” Chu Li cried out in terror, about to rush forward.

“Get away!” Qing Xia roared fiercely, her long spear suddenly raised high, angrily pointing at Chu Li as she shouted: “Take one more step forward and I’ll kill you!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t come closer. Don’t get agitated.” Chu Li quickly said, shouting to the guards outside the door: “Call for a military physician! Call for a military physician!”

“Your Majesty,” Le Song’s voice came from outside the door, “there are temporarily no military physicians left in the northern camp.”

Chu Li was stunned, then said to Qing Xia: “We’ll go to Huan Chao Yi, we’ll return to the capital. Qing Xia, I’ll definitely find the best doctors, find imperial physicians to treat you.”

With the complete extermination of the Xi Lin lineage, where would there be any so-called military physicians left? Hearing this, Qing Xia’s heart was pierced like a knife. She looked coldly at that graceful jade-like gentleman and gave a light, cold laugh: “Chu Li, at this point, do you still think I would go back to the capital with you?”

Chu Li was greatly shocked upon hearing this. He urgently said: “You promised me—you promised that as long as I didn’t die, you’d return to the capital with me.”

“Hehe.” Qing Xia laughed coldly, the mockery in her eyes growing thicker, but she no longer wanted to say another word to this man. She dragged her heavy long spear, her steps almost trembling slightly, but still resolutely walked bit by bit toward the tent entrance, her voice low yet carrying the coldness of sharpened iron.

“Chu Li, I cannot kill you now, and Xi Lin Yuqiao would not want me to kill you now either. But you should know that from this day forward, Zhuang Qing Xia has no relationship with you whatsoever. Whether you live or die, whether you rise to great heights or face national destruction and family ruin, I will never spare you another glance. Likewise, whether Zhuang Qing Xia wanders the streets or dies exposed in the wilderness has nothing to do with you. We two have no more connection. If we meet again in the future, we’ll either be strangers or enemies!”

“Qing Xia!” Chu Li was startled and suddenly rushed out of the tent, chasing after Qing Xia.

Qing Xia roared angrily. Without turning back, she suddenly swung her spear with a whoosh, carving a deep mark in front of Chu Li. Just then, wild wind swept up in reverse, with flying sand filling the sky. Countless grains of sand formed a dim yellow line between the two of them, making it impossible for them to see each other’s faces.

With her back to Chu Li and her silver spear planted in the ground, Qing Xia shouted sternly: “You’re a man—if you’ve done it, you must acknowledge it! If you’ve lost it, don’t regret it! Why act with the twisted, coy manner of a woman, only disgusting people!”

Chu Li was stunned and his steps suddenly stopped. Xu Quan and the others looked at Qing Xia’s resolute figure and knelt on the ground in unison, loudly calling: “Miss!”

“I’ve said my piece. Take care of yourself!”

Under the pitch-black night, Qing Xia’s figure gradually disappeared into the dense darkness. The desolate wind coldly swept over the withered grass as Chu Li stood for a long time in the empty camp.

This day was the most important day in Chu Li’s life. He successfully eliminated the elite forces of the eight great families at the smallest cost, completely uprooting the power of each great family in court. For the first time in Southern Chu’s three-hundred-year history, he truly reclaimed royal authority. From this day forward, Southern Chu’s emperor would no longer be a powerless figurehead. He controlled all of Southern Chu’s elite forces, wielding supreme power alone, laying a solid foundation and establishing deep roots for his future thousand-year legacy.

But many years later, when he recalled that night of dramatic change, he still didn’t know how to describe his feelings. He only knew that on that deathly silent night when blood flowed like rivers, he sat alone at the northern gate of the northern camp, drinking all night long, wanting only to get completely drunk and never wake up again.