“Treacherous minister, is that you?”

Her vision was still somewhat blurry, but by instinct she knew it wasn’t Little Zhou. She quickly sat up and tried calling out again, just as that person’s gaze met hers.

She was completely stunned.

“I’m not Quan Feitong. Are you disappointed?” The newcomer raised his eyebrows, asking with cold indifference.

Suzhen only felt her forehead throbbing. She suddenly realized something and quickly scanned the bed – plain colored brocade quilts, where was the bright red color? Where were the red dates, peanuts, lotus seeds and other items scattered across the bed?

This wasn’t the Quan mansion! She didn’t know how much time had passed.

She had wanted to resolve some matters with him and Gu Xiluo, but this wasn’t the situation she wanted! She despised being alone with him, her heart surging with bitterness and hatred.

“Did you drug the food? Where have you brought me?” For a moment, her heart filled with rage as she looked up and loudly questioned him.

“No, the Quan mansion is heavily guarded. You couldn’t have drugged anything, much less taken me away…” She then shook her head extremely quickly, pulling open the gauze curtain hanging between them, wanting to see clearly.

Lian Yu stared at her, smiling very lightly, yet also extremely coldly – cold enough to chill one’s heart.

“After age sixteen, there have been few things I absolutely had to do but couldn’t accomplish.”

Suzhen felt her heart trembling, that surge of anger and hatred seeming ready to drown her!

Though she knew this might be another opportunity, she suddenly stood up, wanting to rush toward the door, wanting to escape his gaze.

What came into view around her made her somewhat aware of where she was. This place – she had lived here before. This was the palace, the room she had stayed in when working on cases.

He had brought her into the palace. He had actually brought her into the palace, right under his nose!

But Lian Yu was faster than her, immediately blocking her path. Suzhen viciously struck and clawed at him. Lian Yu made no sound either. His eyes held an extremely deep, indescribable dark hoarseness, his fierce energy no less than hers. He reached out to seize her hands and unceremoniously dragged her forward.

There was a stand with a copper basin on it, the basin filled with clear water, with a clean cloth towel placed beside it.

Before Suzhen could react, Lian Yu pushed her head into the water, his hand covering her face, forcefully washing away the rouge and powder.

That kind of force, that kind of roughness – it brooked no resistance!

She screamed, swallowing several mouthfuls of water. Only then did he pull her out, but didn’t release her. Instead he dragged her back to the bedside, saying not a word as he pressed her onto the bed. His foot immediately pinned down her legs as he reached out to tear her clothes.

Suzhen screamed miserably. She remembered that day in the palace when he had treated her the same way… She was afraid, furious, filled with hate. Writhing and struggling, using all her strength to shout: “Lian Yu, I hate you! If you dare touch me, I’ll die right before your eyes!”

Lian Yu laughed once – a sharp, cruel laugh that also seemed self-mocking. He said nothing, his breathing rough like a wild beast, his hands sealing several acupuncture points on her body wherever they went.

Suzhen saw the faint bloodthirsty color in his eyes, as if he were the one bearing a blood feud, as if she were the one who owed him!

She tried to make a sound but he barbarically stuffed two fingers into her mouth, making it impossible for her to even bite her tongue!

She bit down hard on his hand, feeling the sweet metallic liquid flowing from his hand, quickly filling her mouth. She choked, and the liquid flowed down her throat, burning her stomach and abdomen with pain!

Yet he seemed to feel no pain, not even furrowing his brow. His other hand began tearing her clothes.

The sound of fabric tearing left Suzhen completely empty and dazed, tears streaming down.

She didn’t understand why he was treating her this way.

He said to wait for him, so she waited quietly. He said for her to leave, so she departed silently without entanglement. He killed her entire family, yet she still couldn’t bring herself to kill him.

Why did he still treat her this way?

Her gaze became vacant, losing focus. She thought she had already reached the depths of pain, but she still hurt worse than death.

That voice in her heart grew louder: Only in death, only in death can you find release, only then will you never hurt again.

Lian Yu finally tore open her entire wedding dress. Like discarding worn shoes, he threw the clothing violently off the bed. Turning back, he suddenly met her gaze. His entire body shook, and all his previous wildness seemed to suddenly die into stillness, suppressed by something even more dangerous.

“I won’t do anything to you. I never planned to do anything to you. It’s just that you shouldn’t be wearing those clothes. I…”

After a long while, he actually seemed to be in the wrong, the corners of his lips curving with a trace of bitterness. Speaking in a low voice, each word said very slowly, the blood red still in his eyes but the fierce energy no longer present.

Then he quickly withdrew his fingers from her mouth and with several “pop” sounds, released her acupoints.

Suzhen sat up without a sound and reached out to slap his face, using all her strength.

Ten or twenty slaps until her hand hurt and her strength was exhausted before she stopped, then kicked him in the stomach.

This kick wasn’t light either. Though his martial arts were high, he still let out a muffled grunt. Only then was she somewhat satisfied as she pursed her lips and looked at him coldly. This kick landed on his former wound, even though his injury had healed by now.

She kicked him again.

He still didn’t fight back.

“Send me back to the Quan mansion.” She stared at him, her eyes radiating deep hatred and disgust.

“The wedding is already over. Two hours ago.” He curved his lips in a smile, the movement pulling at the wound at the corner of his mouth, making him grunt softly.

That expression clearly showed several parts despicable, several parts self-mocking, and much more that couldn’t be clearly defined.

He slowly stood up, not even wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth: “I’ll go out first. You calm down and think clearly – Quan Feitong marrying you certainly wasn’t from genuine feeling. You can marry better men in the future. He’s not a good man.”

Suzhen found it all laughable. She looked at him with contempt, laughing uncontrollably: “He’s not a good man? Then tell me, great Your Majesty, who is a good man? You, Lian Yu?”

“Then marry me! Then want me!” She lifted her chin, looking at him mockingly.

Lian Yu’s Adam’s apple moved almost imperceptibly.

“I won’t marry you.” Very quickly, a voice emerged from deep in his throat – extremely dry and tight, yet with cruel decisiveness.

She no longer wanted him to marry her, but this concise and clean rejection still tore forcefully at that already bloody wound in her heart. Her heart twisted with pain, making her want to bend over. Yet she somehow didn’t let this suffering show on her face, even gradually returning to calm: “If the wedding is gone, then it’s gone. He and I have already completed the ceremony. In this life, I am his wife, just like you and Gu Xiluo.”

“Also, the day he brought me back, I slept in his bed. What husband and wife should do, we did it all. Even if you imprison me, even if you treat me like some used object you once owned and imprison me, I’ll be able to return to him sooner or later.”

She saw his pupils suddenly contract sharply. He didn’t move, just stared at her like that, blood red in his eyes as if harboring a storm.

For an instant, intense killing intent flashed in his eyes, and that jade-like handsome face actually twisted and contorted.

With that ferocious and terrifying look in his eyes, Suzhen had no doubt he would come forward and stab a knife into her stomach, just as she had once done to him.

“Think it over carefully.” In the end, his lips only opened and closed, and he turned to walk out.

“Let me go. If you imprison me, I’ll die. If I can’t be with him, I’ll die.” But she fearlessly provoked him from behind, speaking slowly.

He whirled around.

“If you dare die, I’ll kill all those people from your Court of Judicial Review – Zhuiming, Tieshou, Wuqing, Little Zhou, everyone, I’ll kill them all. Feng Suzhen, don’t force me anymore. If I want to kill them, it would be like crushing a few ants.”

Every corner of his eyes and brows was wrapped in cold air. Each breath he took was extremely light, yet so light it made her… afraid.

After a long while, she finally realized something: “Zhuiming and the others… they’re not dead?”

“That’s right. Except for Wuqing, they’re all in my hands now. Don’t force me to kill them.”

He left the room without looking back, the two doors slamming so violently they nearly fell off their hinges.

Something flashed quickly through her mind – the Court of Judicial Review fire, his preventing her from moving the bodies, the soup… Suzhen’s body slowly slid down. She seemed to think of something, yet it still remained hazy and unclear. She sat down on the ground, burying her head in her knees, not knowing whether to rejoice that Zhuiming and the others were alive, or hate this person’s despicability!

Great joy and great hatred – in an instant, they nearly tore her apart.

She screamed frantically.

The fierce screaming in the room, like a caged beast, made Lian Yu stop in his tracks.

“Master…” Several people standing quietly outside, not daring to disturb, saw the appearance of the person before them and gasped in horror at the terrible state.

His head and face were covered in wounds – bleeding scratches, both cheeks swollen high, blood congealed at the corners of his mouth.

Mingyan Chu wanted to ask about his injuries, but for the first time, though his lips moved several times, he didn’t dare speak.

Lian Yu’s face was so dark it seemed water could be wrung from it. His hands hanging at his sides were clenched into fists, gripping so tightly his tendons showed white and blue. He looked back at the palace room and spoke first: “Go.”

After leaving the courtyard, he suddenly threw a punch, viciously striking the archway wall.

The snow-white wall top cracked and crumbled, the wall surface also stained with shocking blood red.

Everyone was startled, but no one dared to persuade him, until he spoke with instructions: “Mingyan Chu, go to the Ministry of Justice and ask if there are any criminals to be executed recently. Bring them all over.”

The several people looked at each other, not knowing what he wanted to do. Mingyan Chu hesitantly spoke: “Master, let this servant first take you to the Imperial Medical Bureau—”

“I said go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Are you deaf?” He asked with a gentle voice.

Mingyan Chu trembled all over and immediately stumbled away.

The remaining three didn’t dare make another sound, and even Xuanwu, who usually considered himself supremely elegant, didn’t dare show off.

“Zhuque, stay. You two retreat to the back.”

After a long while, he spoke coldly again.

“Yes.” Xuanwu and Qinglong immediately responded, their figures flickering as they used lightness skills to retreat into the shadows.

“Master?” Seeing the man’s eyelids lift slightly, the purple-clad youth beside him frowned and spoke.

“She…”

“These past days, has she been in the same room with Quan Feitong? Have they… have they slept together?”

Lian Yu suddenly turned his back. She couldn’t see his expression, but that voice was hoarse and cold enough to frighten people.

Zhuque swallowed and paused for a long time before organizing her words: “Because of wedding taboos, not these past few days. Earlier days, this subordinate… this subordinate isn’t clear.”

“Where did she sleep? A guest room?”

“Quan Feitong’s… Quan Feitong’s room, later a guest room.” Zhuque swallowed again lightly.

“Have they ever been… intimate in daily life? I want the truth, every detail.” He asked almost continuously, giving her almost no time to think.

“The night they were married, Quan Feitong entered her room. When this subordinate went in, I saw… saw her tying her… her sash. Today when they returned, Quan Feitong kissed her and she didn’t avoid it.”

“The night they were married, how long was Quan Feitong inside?”

This time, he didn’t speak for a very long time.

“About half an hour.” She squeezed out these few words with difficulty. Even though he had his back to her, she kept her head down, trembling all over.

This time, Lian Yu finally said nothing more. She watched him standing with his back to her, his white robes fluttering in the wind, yet he remained perfectly still.

She didn’t dare speak again either, just standing behind him like this. She didn’t know how much time passed before Mingyan Chu led many military officers, escorting over ten men and women.

Palace lanterns rendered the night bright. Xuanwu and Qinglong also slowly emerged from the shadows, wanting to see what instructions Lian Yu had.

These past days, the palace had mobilized a group of experts, including searching for and creating fake corpses to deceive, coordinating inside and outside, drugging everyone, burning the Court of Judicial Review, forcing Feng Suzhen to leave the prime minister’s mansion, getting Zhuque into the mansion, Zhuque drugging the food, switching Suzhen’s and the wedding coordinator’s clothes, disguising the wedding coordinator as drunk, and calmly taking her from the room.

In the back courtyard, a group of people provided support with ten carriages and countless wheel tracks. Even if people noticed immediately afterward and gave chase, they wouldn’t know which way to go.

“Master, the people are brought.”

Seeing Lian Yu still silent with his head down, Mingyan Chu softly reminded him, while he and Xuanwu exchanged glances with Zhuque.

Zhuque smiled bitterly and shook her head.

Just as everyone was wondering what exactly Lian Yu intended to do, Lian Yu suddenly stepped forward, drew the sword from Qinglong’s waist, and with one strike cleaved off half of one death row prisoner’s head. The man didn’t even grunt before falling down.

The others screamed in terror, struggling to escape, but were held tightly by the soldiers, unable to move. Lian Yu became excited by the killing, sweeping his sword across, repeatedly stabbing and thrusting with ruthless strikes. In moments, all the prisoners were slain by his sword.

Throughout the process, no one dared say a word.

His white robes were stained with blood, like red plum blossoms blooming in snow. Unlike usual, he didn’t care about the heavy smell of blood on his body. He wiped his face with his sleeve, threw the sword back to Qinglong, and softly instructed Mingyan Chu: “Send a few skillful and discreet palace women over to attend and care for her. Whatever she wants, as long as the palace has it, give it to her. If the palace doesn’t have it, come report to me. Bring her over and tell her – if she dares seek death, these people are what will happen to the people from the Court of Judicial Review!”

“Yes.”

Everyone hadn’t expected his eyes to be calm and unruffled, yet flashing with cruel light.

“Don’t follow me. I need to be alone for a while. If Consort Chen looks for me, don’t see her. If Consort Gu looks for me,” he paused, “Qinglong, you go to Consort Gu’s place. Have Baihu guard her as much as possible and don’t let her come out. If she insists on finding me, none of you are allowed to stop her or be disrespectful. Tell her I have urgent eight-hundred-li documents to handle and will go see her first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Yes.” Everyone replied.

After giving these instructions, he immediately left.

“Master, how do you plan to deal with her? She’s naturally active – if you do this, she…”

Behind him, Zhuque bit her teeth and asked.

“I don’t know.”

Lian Yu didn’t stop walking, his ice-cold voice carrying through the night.

Everyone stood there dumbfounded, and even the usually quick-acting Mingyan Chu didn’t move. This was the first time the words “I don’t know” had come from Lian Yu’s mouth.

“This isn’t a solution.” Xuanwu frowned as he spoke.

Qinglong was irritated and replied without courtesy: “Nonsense.”

“Then we’ll do something.” Zhuque suddenly said, a fierce look crossing her brow.

“What do you want to do?”

Mingyan Chu almost immediately heard something ominous in her tone and asked at once.

“A base idea, but it might make Master happy.” Zhuque’s tone was somewhat careless as she gestured for the three to lean in.

The three exchanged glances and each moved closer.

After listening, Qinglong was first to object: “No way. Don’t you always pride yourself on being clever? How did you come up with such a rotten idea?”

“Master will know and definitely kill all of us!”

Zhuque laughed coldly: “Don’t you also always pride yourself on loyalty? Turns out you’re just someone who’s greedy for life and afraid of death!”

“Zhuque, don’t slander people!” Qinglong argued angrily. He wiped his forehead fiercely: “Fine, if we’re doing it, we’re doing it. You think I’m afraid of you?”

Zhuque patted his shoulder: “Why are you so agitated? How about we push our responsibility onto Baihu?”

Xuanwu nodded somewhat unethically: “I think that works. Better one person suffer than all of us suffer.”

Mingyan Chu: “…”

The several people exchanged glances again but ultimately made up their minds.

Half an hour later, Qinglong and Xuanwu found Lian Yu at the ice cellar entrance.

Though called an ice cellar, it was actually a wine cellar. The palace originally had one ice cellar specifically for chilling wine and snow fruits for the palace masters’ enjoyment.

Later, he ordered a new cellar built specifically, moving all the best wine from the old cellar, and had the Internal Affairs Department send dozens of people out to collect fine wines from various places to store upon return.

But he actually wasn’t much of a drinker. The old ice cellar was usually used by Xiao’an and Lian Xin, so it was unknown how he’d developed this wine interest.

He’d always loved cleanliness, but those robes stained with blood still hadn’t been changed, wrinkled and caked together. He didn’t care, sitting on the ground with one foot upright and one foot stretched on the ground, both cheeks flushed, holding a wine jar in his hand.

Several wine jars were placed beside him, plus broken ceramics scattered on the ground. The wine smell was strong, immediately hitting one’s nostrils. Apparently some had been drunk and some smashed.

Two eunuchs beside him had bitter expressions as they carefully attended him. Seeing the two arrive, they immediately felt somewhat relieved.

“Bring me more from inside…” He seemed not to see the two, his eyes cloudy, only harshly instructing the two eunuchs: “Two jars of maiden’s wine.”

“Yes, yes, this servant obeys.” The two eunuchs respectfully agreed while quickly making eye contact with the two newcomers, whispering: “His Majesty doesn’t know what’s wrong. Please persuade His Majesty, my lords.”

“Master, this subordinate has something to report.”

Seeing the two push the door to enter the cellar, Xuanwu and the other exchanged glances. Qinglong spoke – he’d lost the drawing of lots.

Lian Yu’s drunken yet still extremely sharp eyes glanced over. Qinglong’s heart trembled. Behind him, Xuanwu struck his back hard with a palm chop. Qinglong steeled himself and said through gritted teeth: “Master, Magistrate Li has been drugged. You… you’d better go see her.”

“What drug?” Lian Yu almost immediately jumped up, grabbing him and asking.

“The kind the palace uses… uses for excitement.” Qinglong said in one breath.

Lian Yu’s expression immediately changed. He kicked Qinglong to the ground, glaring fiercely at Xuanwu, his voice like a storm: “Who gave it to her?”

Xuanwu rolled his small eyes. Before he could answer, Lian Yu had already asked coldly: “Where is Zhuque?”

“She left the palace, said she was going to see what the situation at the Quan mansion was.” Xuanwu observed his expression and secretly cursed, but having reached this point, he could only go all in.

“Very good. Tell her that I will personally flay her alive! You several are equally guilty!” Lian Yu laughed coldly, his eyes bloodthirsty.

But he immediately dropped the wine jar in his hand and stumbled toward the exit.

At this time, the two eunuchs emerged carrying wine, but not seeing Lian Yu, they wondered: “Where is His Majesty?”

Xuanwu snatched the wine and sat down on the ground: “Brother, let’s drink. If we don’t drink now, I’m afraid we won’t have a chance tomorrow.”

Qinglong also took a jar and sat down with a dark expression.

When Lian Yu rushed to Suzhen’s room, Mingyan Chu was restlessly pacing outside with three palace women, not because he wanted to stay there, but because Zhuque had drugged her too severely. He had to lead people to guard outside the door – if the person inside ran out, ten heads wouldn’t be enough to lose!

Seeing Lian Yu arrive, he smiled ingratiatingly: “Your Majesty—”

Lian Yu kicked him to the ground and pushed through the door without a word.

Through the gauze curtains, he froze completely.

The lamplight before the bed was bright. She was writhing on the bed somewhat deliriously, moaning softly, not wearing a stitch – they had even had the palace women strip her clothes!