Xia Jingshi couldn’t possibly beg for mercy, simply because he was Xia Jingshi.
Xia Jingshi smiled faintly, his lips still firmly pressed together—perhaps what the Holy Emperor wanted was precisely his determination. If he couldn’t force him to submit, then he would push him towards death.
The Holy Emperor smiled slyly, slowly moving the blood-dripping iron needle toward Xia Jingshi’s other shoulder. With a slight tremor of his wrist, a drop of blood fell, staining Xia Jingshi’s plain robe red. “Well then, let’s play once more!”
Night had fallen deep. In the campsite surrounded by covered wagons, Yi Xiao sat hugging her knees by the bonfire, staring blankly at the dancing flames. Feng Suige walked out of the tent, gazed at her back for a moment, and sighed. He quietly approached her, “Go back to the tent and rest. Worrying won’t help; what’s happened has happened. It’s better to conserve your energy to deal with what’s to come.”
Yi Xiao turned her head at the sound of his voice and glanced at him. “So you know what I’m thinking about again?” “What?” Feng Suige asked with a sly smile, sitting down beside her. “Do you know what I’m talking about?”
Resting her head on Feng Suige’s shoulder, no longer bantering with him, Yi Xiao closed her eyes wearily. “I feel so tired. I’m worried about His Highness, Ning Fei, Wei Ran, Xue Ying, and even about you and me.” “Silly girl,” Feng Suige gently chided, “Worrying about them is one thing, but why worry about us?”
“I don’t know,” Yi Xiao said heavily. “Perhaps this incident has shaken me too much. I still don’t understand why His Highness, who has devoted his life to serving the country, is now accused of treason by His Majesty the Holy Emperor, who wants to destroy him. Is being born into the royal family such a painful thing?”
“I wish I could tell you it’s not,” Feng Suige sighed. “You might be disappointed to hear this, but I was once part of that vortex too. Fortunately, I was the one who came out on top.” His gaze lingered on the dancing flames, his face filled with hidden pain. “I haven’t told you about my Imperial Consort Mother, have I? She was one of the victims…”
“What!” Yi Xiao exclaimed, sitting up straight. “You even… to your mother?” “Stop your wild imagination!” Feng Suige almost shouted. “My Imperial Consort Mother was murdered by someone else.” Yi Xiao shrank back, pouting, “Well, you didn’t explain it clearly.”
Feng Suige gave her a sidelong glance and continued, “It was very hot that day. I was playing in the garden with Xi Yang and other princes from different palaces. A palace servant brought me an iced lily and lotus seed soup, but I was busy playing, so I told him to leave it in the nearby pavilion.”
“A while later, my Imperial Consort Mother woke up from her afternoon nap and came to the garden looking for me. Seeing that I was happily playing, she sat in the pavilion watching us. She noticed the soup and casually picked it up to drink a few sips. I remember her wiping her mouth with a silk handkerchief and telling the maid beside her that the soup was still bitter despite having so much sugar added. She said some lotus cores must not have been cleaned properly. Then she asked the maid to throw it away and have the kitchen make a new batch…” His tone revealed a bone-deep pain, and Yi Xiao couldn’t help but lean closer, wrapping her arms around his, silently conveying her comfort.
“Who would have thought that not long after, my Imperial Consort Mother would be struck with excruciating abdominal pain, collapsing on the spot? My Royal Father brought many imperial physicians to attend to her for a day and a night, but they still couldn’t change her fate,” Feng Suige suddenly threw the small pieces of twigs he had been breaking into the fire. “The problem was in that soup. The palace servant who brought the soup had already committed suicide out of fear of punishment. The soup had been thrown away long ago, and even the porcelain bowl that held it had been sent back to the kitchen and washed clean. So, in the end, the matter was left unresolved.”
“On the day of my Imperial Consort Mother’s funeral, my Royal Father summoned me to his chambers and told me that only by becoming strong could one protect those they love most,” In the firelight, Feng Suige’s eyes seemed to dance with flames. “At that time, I didn’t know what love was, but I understood one thing: if I didn’t kill others, others would kill me. My Imperial Consort Mother died in my place. If I couldn’t avenge her, I wouldn’t even deserve to be human!”
“I spent four years gathering a group of royal relatives and nobles. I made them various promises and immediate benefits. When my brothers tried to harm me again, I took the opportunity to eliminate their support. By the time everything settled down, nearly six years had passed,” Feng Suige turned to look at Yi Xiao, smiling faintly. “Of those brothers, some died, some were demoted, and the luckiest ones were exiled to remote posts. So, the one sitting in the position of Regent Prince today is me!”
Hearing this, Yi Xiao let out a long sigh and smiled bitterly, “So all royal families are the same—Actually, I’ve never told you, but the further I get from Xi Sha, the less I want to return there. But I don’t want to go to Jin Xiu either. I keep thinking how nice it would be if we could just keep traveling like this forever, with no hidden daggers or false accusations, going when we want to go, stopping to rest when we’re tired—But I know I can’t be that selfish. You have things you must do…”
“I understand all of this,” Feng Suige threw another dry branch into the fire. “As long as you give me time, any problem can be solved eventually.” “Then, what about Marquis Jian Xin’s sisters…” Yi Xiao said awkwardly, but still brought it up.
“Don’t worry too much. She already has someone she loves, so before we left, Marquis Jian Xin promised to try to delay my Royal Father and mediate,” Feng Suige said helplessly. “I don’t know how it’s going now, but you must trust me. Even if I end up marrying someone else, you will always be the one I love most.”
“The one you love most?” Hearing this, Yi Xiao let out a cold laugh and pushed him hard. “Hmm! Of course, there are also the somewhat loved ones, the barely loved ones, the not-so-loved ones, the least loved ones, and the never-loved ones, right? In the end, the entire harem will be colorful and harmonious. Is that what you want?”
“Yi Xiao, be fair,” Feng Suige caught her wildly pushing hands. “Think about it. Which emperor in history didn’t have three palaces and six courts? This is not only to raise more and better royal heirs to inherit the throne but also to prevent noble families from monopolizing power, and even to win over capable officials…”
“I didn’t realize you were so capable,” Yi Xiao angrily shook off his hands and stood up. “Why don’t you say that as long as you marry enough to fill three palaces, six courts, and seventy-two consorts, Xi Sha will have peace throughout the land and bountiful harvests—Let me tell you, all that talk of inheritance, power balance, and winning people over means nothing to me compared to a small thatched cottage, a few close neighbors, and grandchildren around my knees. All these so-called royal traditions are just excuses for you shameless men!”
Feng Suige suddenly chuckled, “Ah, I seem to smell a strong scent of jealousy.” Yi Xiao glared at him for a moment before turning to leave. Feng Suige quickly got up from the ground and chased after her. “Hey, you’re angry again. I promise, okay? As long as you don’t agree… A promise isn’t enough? Then what do you want me to do?”
Yi Xiao suddenly stopped and turned around, hands on her hips. Feng Suige nearly crashed into her, quickly jumping aside and watching her warily. Yi Xiao’s face broke into a strange smile, and she said triumphantly, “How about this: you find one, and I find one. That way, neither of us loses out. How’s that?”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Feng Suige’s roar echoed throughout the camp. “Whoever dares to touch a single hair on your head, I’ll chop them to pieces!!”