Wen Qitian looked up and met those tyrannical eyes.
Heaven had blessed Nan Leli with a handsome appearance, making him not look unsightly even in such a state. Instead, like the villains portrayed in television dramas, the fiercer he was, the more captivating he became.
The System was in utter chaos: 【Ho… host, be human, please quickly pacify him.】
In the moment Wen Qitian was lost in thought, the man’s gaze fell on her fair neck, and he reached out to grab it.
Nan Leli had practiced martial arts since childhood and had even led troops into battle before ascending the throne. In such a state, if Wen Qitian were to be grabbed by the neck, it would surely be snapped.
Imperial Physician Chen, with the compassion of a healer, showed panic on his aged face: “Young lady, be careful.”
Unfortunately, his old limbs couldn’t save her in time.
Wei Chang could have, but he hesitated noticeably.
After all, this young lady seemed to have been placed in Nanli Palace by him for His Majesty to kill for amusement…
At that time, Wei Chang had no idea what kind of creature he had delivered to His Majesty.
In the blink of an eye, just as everyone thought Wen Qitian would meet her end, a loud slap echoed through Junlin Palace, plunging the entire hall into silence.
Everyone was dumbfounded, not daring to blink, staring in disbelief as His Majesty’s imposing aura shifted from dominating the scene to losing all strength, causing him to slump back into his chair. The young girl withdrew her hand, tears welling in her eyes as she whimpered: “My hand… is numb. Imperial Physician Chen, please go check on him.”
Everyone: “…” With such a loud slap, how could her hand not be numb?
Imperial Physician Chen stared blankly, his gaze shifting between Nan Leli and Wen Qitian.
The Emperor seemed to have been struck senseless—his head no longer hurt, his temper no longer raged, and he appeared more docile than ever before.
As for the one who struck him, a clean and beautiful young woman, she used the most harmless face to strike the fiercest person…
Seeing them remain motionless for a long time, Wen Qitian awkwardly fidgeted with her fingers, her expression as innocent as could be. “What’s wrong with you?”
She even had the nerve to ask what was wrong?
This question jolted Eunuch Zhang awake. He let out a cry, raised a delicate finger, and pointed at Wen Qitian: “This woman attempted to harm His Majesty! What are you all standing around for? Seize her and drag her out to be beaten to death!”
Eunuch Zhang couldn’t believe it—how dare someone harm the Emperor right under their noses?
His heart turned cold with fear, worried that if they delayed any longer, His Majesty would regain his senses and vent his anger on them.
Thus, he decided to strike first.
Eunuch Zhang was the Emperor’s personal eunuch, holding the highest authority among the servants. As soon as he gave the order, the eunuchs immediately moved to apprehend her.
Although Wen Qitian had learned self-defense techniques, they were clearly insufficient against these people. Moreover, before striking, she had naturally considered an escape plan.
So, just as everyone moved around the marble table to seize Wen Qitian, her face turned pale, the corners of her eyes reddened, and like a startled rabbit, she darted into Nan Leli’s embrace. Her small hands tightly grasped his collar as her delicate body trembled.
“Yo… Your Majesty.”
Her voice echoed through the hall, lingering endlessly, as mournful as could be. Yet, her tone was pleasant, like a golden oriole in a mountain stream—melodious and clear.
Everyone: “…”
For a moment, they dared not move, fearing that if they accidentally touched the Emperor, even ten heads wouldn’t be enough to atone…
With warm fragrance and soft jade in his embrace, Nan Leli finally emerged from his daze. One hand instinctively held Wen Qitian, while the other touched his stinging cheek in disbelief.
As a grown man, such pain meant little to him.
But here, in front of so many people, had he gone soft again?
No, wait—had he been struck again?
He lowered his head, a few strands of his disheveled black hair intertwining with those of the woman in his arms. His face darkened as he prepared to demand an explanation, only to find Wen Qitian pale, her rabbit-like eyes misty with tears, her pearly teeth lightly biting her lip. “Your Majesty, I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have struck you, but you were so frightening just now… I was scared.”
After speaking, her slender shoulders hunched, and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. The warmth of her breath brushed against his skin, and for some reason, Nan Leli’s neck flushed red as well.
For a moment, Nan Leli’s hands felt awkwardly out of place—resting them on her shoulders seemed inappropriate, but leaving them hanging felt foolish.
Annoyed, he turned his head and saw the crowd poised to seize Wen Qitian. His brows furrowed sharply. “What are you doing? All of you, get out!”
The crowd shuddered and hastily retreated to a safe distance, not forgetting to tidy up the scattered items on the floor along the way.
Anyone with sense dared not mention the Emperor being struck.
Wasn’t it obvious? Hadn’t they seen the Emperor embracing her?
That young woman’s slap had resolved what even the imperial physicians couldn’t fix.
But some were as dense as wood, like Wei Chang. With his rigid appearance and somewhat “straightforward” temperament, he bowed respectfully and asked, “Your Majesty, this woman has committed treason and harmed the imperial body. According to Jingnan Law, she should be dragged out and subjected to the waist-cutting punishment as a warning to others.”
Wen Qitian trembled, burrowing deeper into Nan Leli’s embrace. Her hands clutched tightly at the fabric of his robe over his chest, as if grasping a lifeline, her voice choked with sobs. “Your Majesty, I was wrong. I’ll never do it again. Besides, the situation was urgent earlier. Are you feeling unwell anywhere else?”
Her earnest tone, as if deeply concerned for his well-being, made the tips of Nan Leli’s ears burn. His restless hands instinctively moved to her waist.
Her waist was so slender it seemed he could encircle it with one hand—if it were severed, he’d never be able to hold it again.
An improper thought flashed through his mind, and Nan Leli jerked his hand back as if scalded.
“She acted to save me. I will decide her fate,” Nan Leli said coolly, casting a sidelong glance at Wei Chang. “As for you, your negligence in guarding last night is unforgivable. Given your years of service, I will spare your life. Zhang Defu, take him for punishment—thirty lashes, not one less. As for the others involved in this incident, strip them of their skins and send them back to whoever ordered them.”
Wei Chang’s negligence was evident, but in the depths of the palace, more than one person must have been involved in delivering Wen Qitian to him.
Twenty lashes with the palace rod were enough to beat a frail person to death. Though not fatal for Wei Chang, it would still strip a layer of skin. Zhang Defu accepted the order and led him away. Once outside Junlin Palace, he couldn’t help muttering to Wei Chang, “Why provoke His Majesty? And after serving him for so many years, how can you be so wooden, letting just anyone approach him? What if it had been an assassin?”
Wei Chang showed no awareness of his impending punishment, his expression unchanged. “Wouldn’t an assassin die even faster?”
The Emperor’s martial skills were formidable, especially when he was in pain—ten Wei Changs wouldn’t be a match for him.
Zhang Defu fell silent, unwilling to waste words on this blockhead. They had worked together for many years, and if it were anyone else, he wouldn’t have bothered to offer advice.
“Commander Wei, first take this humble one to find the evildoers, lest after thirty strokes of the rod you won’t even recognize anyone.”
…
Since last night, Xiao Huazi had been restless, unable to sit still. After all, he had done something wrong, and he planned to go to the residence in a while to rescue his sister.
“Huazi, the Chief Eunuch has ordered us to go to Anle Palace. Could something have gone wrong?”
Xiao Huazi was greatly alarmed. Although Anle Palace had a peaceful name, it was well known to be a torture chamber. Basically, anyone who entered would either die or be stripped of a layer of skin.
His legs went weak, his pupils dilated in extreme terror: “No, we can’t go.”
If they went, they wouldn’t come back.
The eunuchs who had been with him that day also turned ashen-faced. But there was only one Chief Eunuch in the palace—Eunuch Zhang, who served by the Emperor’s side. How could lowly subordinates like them defy his orders?
Trying to escape would only lead to a more gruesome death. They had no choice but to resign themselves to fate, hoping they might somehow avoid disaster.
Holding onto a sliver of hope, they went to Changle Palace.
A heavy atmosphere surrounded Anle Palace. Eunuchs from all over the palace were called in groups, and those unaware of the inside story were filled with anxiety. Only when they realized it had nothing to do with them did they breathe a sigh of relief.
Xiao Huazi and the others were not so fortunate.
With Wei Chang involved, the truth was eventually exposed.
The smell of blood permeated the entire torture chamber. A Xingtai platform, nearly two meters high, was stained with blood, and thick, bloodied chains tightly bound the victims, leaving them unable to move an inch.
Xiao Huazi and the others were mercilessly dragged up by Wei Chang. In full view of everyone, they were terrified out of their wits, their bodies restrained. Two guards swiftly and skillfully shaved their heads, carving a cross-shaped incision into their scalps. Blood flowed down their skin, splattering everywhere.
The eunuchs below who had not been seized trembled in fear, their bodies shaking like sieves.
Their Emperor was bloody and violent, with a fondness for flaying. To save effort, he had even devised many variations of the method.
Xiao Huazi and the others had never regretted anything more. Had they known such a fate awaited them, they would never have worked for Yongwen Hou, no matter what.
It was merely that their relatives had been threatened. At least they could have died with their bodies intact, but now they were suffering cruel torture.
Desperately struggling was futile under the firm grip of the iron chains. The chains clattered and rattled, vibrating in everyone’s eardrums. Guards poured silver liquid into the incisions on their heads, and an indescribable pain spread through them. Their bodies convulsed, and skin as thin as cicada wings, still attached to the flesh, peeled off layer by layer.
The agonizing screams sent chills down everyone’s spines. In no time, the bloodied, unrecognizable human forms lay on the verge of death, devoid of all strength, with only the rise and fall of their chests indicating they were still alive.
“Drag them out and send them to Yongwenhou Residence.” Zhang Defu stepped forward, warning everyone: “From now on, don’t let me see any of you making small moves, or this will be your fate.”
Everyone broke out in a cold sweat, their stomachs churning with nausea. Any thoughts of scheming vanished, replaced by the fear that they might be the next to be flayed.
On the other side, Wen Qitian was not unaware of Nan Leli’s orders, but she felt no sympathy or desire to plead for mercy. Although the System had advised that reducing the tyrant’s killings would help lower the Darkening value, those people had clearly harmed her before.
Were their lives worth more than hers?
If she hadn’t crossed over, the original host’s fate would have been to be flayed and sent back to Yongwenhou Residence, setting off the series of events between the male and female leads.
Moreover, she was in no position to protect herself now, as the tyrant had begun settling scores with her.
After they left, the tyrant immediately put on a stern face, withdrawing his hand from Wen Qitian and sneering coldly, “Still not getting down? It’s your turn now. How many times is this?”
The man frowned coldly, thinking to himself that time and again, this woman dared to publicly humiliate him—she absolutely could not be let off lightly.
As the warmth in his arms slowly faded, the young girl’s dress swayed as she slipped down and stood up, as if he were some ferocious beast. For a moment, Nan Leli felt displeased again.
“I asked you a question. Do you dare to look down on me?”
Wen Qitian: “…”
Didn’t he tell her to get lost? Where was the disdain? It was clearly fear, wasn’t it?
This man was truly difficult to deal with, changing expressions faster than flipping a book.
Though she had countless grievances, she only lowered her head, barely noticeable as she pursed her lips. When she looked up again, her expression remained timid.
“Your Majesty, I can help relieve your headache,” she said, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her eyes filled with hope. “Will you not punish me then?”
Even at this moment, she was still trying to divert his attention. Nan Leli found it amusing, but then he thought of something. His tall figure rose, his imposing presence suddenly intensifying, and a fierce aura surged around him.
“Who gave you the confidence? Although you can relieve my headaches, you’ve also crossed my bottom line. Do you think you can threaten me?”
For a moment, Wen Qitian was intimidated by his presence and instinctively took a few steps back. However, her wrist tightened as his large hand clamped down on it firmly. The man looked down at her from above, his hawk-like eyes filled with overwhelming pressure, as if he could tear her to pieces at any moment.
His grip tightened with a creaking sound, and the pain in her wrist felt as though it were about to shatter. In an instant, new injuries were added to old ones.
Her heart skipped a beat, and genuine panic set in.
It was at this moment that she realized she didn’t understand ancient times. Rashly trying to guess the emperor’s thoughts was far too presumptuous. The Wen family had protected her well, and in the modern rule of law, such dangerous individuals simply didn’t exist.
What right did she have to overestimate her ability to handle an emperor who viewed people as mere grass?
The overwhelming pressure left her breathless, her rosy lips trembling slightly, unable to utter a single word.
Her body was as frail as a willow, and her legs felt almost weak.
Just then, the System’s voice echoed in her mind: [The villain’s Darkening value has decreased by 2%. It is detected that the villain is in a good mood and currently has no intention to kill. Please stay calm and make the right choice in time. Moreover, he is currently in a physically weakened state…]
You call this physically weakened? How strong must he be when he’s not weakened?
Wen Qitian was stunned for a moment. She slightly raised her head and immediately met his deep gaze.
His expression was fierce, his lips pressed into a displeased straight line, and his entire body was tense. Wen Qitian had been too intimidated earlier to notice, but now she saw that his cold eyes were filled with malicious emotions.
Malicious??
What did that mean?
The System remained silent for a while before responding: [Have you ever seen a cat play with a mouse?]
Wen Qitian: “…”
[First, it catches the mouse but doesn’t eat it, enjoying the thrill of toying with its prey. It releases the mouse, catches it again, and repeats the process until the mouse is terrified before finally devouring it.]
“…” So, this man was now intimidating her?
[Author’s Note]
Nan Leli: “That year, I had my hands in my pockets, unaware of what it meant to be henpecked.”
① The skinning method originates from ancient torture, slightly adapted. The male lead is quite a ruthless character, huh? In this lifetime, he treats everyone as mere paper figures, devoid of emotion, and is only kind to the female lead. Later on, he will also take care of the female lead’s feelings, and the female lead won’t act like a naive saint either—she won’t show mercy to those who offend her.