In the incense hall, Li Xun reached out to check the man’s neck. Though his body was still warm, he was no longer breathing.
Li Xun turned the body over, and upon seeing the deceased’s face, his pupils contracted in shock. He quickly stood up, hurried over to Xiao Heye, and whispered something into his ear.
Xiao Heye frowned, and his gaze toward Su Tiyue, which had been calm and unruffled, suddenly turned fierce and sharp.
He asked Li Xun, “Are you certain?”
Li Xun replied, “Chief, it’s absolutely true.”
Xiao Heye fell silent for a moment before saying, “Have someone keep a close watch here. No one is allowed to approach the incense hall without my permission. Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot.”
“Yes, Chief.”
“Also, keep an eye on her.” Xiao Heye pointed to Liu Wan, who was kneeling on the ground.
“Yes.”
After giving these orders, Xiao Heye, his brow tightly furrowed, roughly grabbed Su Tiyue’s wrist and dragged her into the incense hall, slamming the door shut behind them.
Inside, the incense and fruit offerings were scattered across the floor, the tables holding the candle stands were overturned, and the entire room was in disarray, stained with blood.
“Does Your Highness know who this person is?” He pulled her roughly to the side of the corpse, his voice icy cold.
“Yes,” Su Tiyue bit her lip and answered honestly. “He is Prince Rong, Zhou Li.”
At this moment, Su Tiyue’s voice trembled, and her delicate, soft body quivered slightly in the air. Her blood-stained fingers clutched helplessly at the hem of her skirt, crumpling the pink fabric.
Just moments ago, she had accidentally killed him—how could she not know his identity?
“Prince Rong is the fourth brother of the current Emperor. Does Your Highness know that harming a member of the imperial family is a crime punishable by the extermination of one’s entire clan?”
Hearing this, Su Tiyue trembled like a frightened kitten. She reached out to grasp Xiao Heye’s arm, her voice slightly hoarse. “Chief Eunuch Xiao, this really was an accident. I… I was forced…”
Xiao Heye glared at her and expressionlessly shook off her hand.
The air around them grew cold and tense.
He crouched down to examine Prince Rong’s body closely, finding three wounds: one on the back, one on the chest, and one on the neck.
Though the wounds were deep, they were extremely small, indicating that the weapon must have been a slender, sharp instrument.
Frowning, he stood up and took two steps toward her. His long fingers gripped her chin tightly, forcing her to look directly at him. His gaze was cold and piercing as he asked, “Your Highness insists it was unintentional, but Prince Rong’s wounds are all fatal, each one striking a vital spot. Your Highness’s hand was rather ruthless, wasn’t it?”
Though Prince Rong was known for his dissolute and idle nature, a prince with no real power, he was still the Emperor’s own flesh and blood. And now, this had happened—and on Xiao Heye’s territory…
In truth, a single life meant little to Xiao Heye, but the person Su Tiyue had killed was no ordinary individual.
Tears welled in Su Tiyue’s eyes as she choked out, “I’m telling the truth, Chief Eunuch Xiao… It happened so suddenly. I lost control and… accidentally killed him.”
Her chin ached from his grip, and she tried to pry his strong hand away with both of hers, but her strength was too feeble to make any difference.
Now, Xiao Heye stood high above her. Before him, explanations were useless, and resistance was futile.
Su Tiyue steeled her heart and finally lowered her hand, instead curling her fingers to tremble as she untied the fastenings of her goose-yellow cloak.
As the cloak slid down her body, a biting chill surged toward her.
At that time, candles burned in the room, providing a relatively bright light. By the flickering candlelight, Xiao Heye finally saw that beneath her thick cloak lay such a pitiful sight?
Indeed, it was not an exaggeration to describe it as pitiful.
Su Tiyue wore a light pink ruqun today, but the garment had already been torn to tatters, barely covering her body.
Through the tattered fabric, the wounds on her body were clearly visible.
From her neck to her shoulders, and even her snow-white chest… there were blood marks of varying depths—scratches and bite marks…
From these wounds, it was not difficult to discern what she had just endured.
The strength in Xiao Heye’s fingertips gradually lessened, and he finally released her completely. Though he remained silent, his sharp, hawk-like eyes fixed coldly on the wounds covering her body, and he unconsciously clenched his fists.
Su Tiyue said, “It was Prince Rong who bullied and humiliated me, attempting to take advantage of me while drunk… Chief Eunuch Xiao, if I hadn’t resisted, I fear I would not have escaped his clutches.”
He remained silent, merely staring at her coldly.
Su Tiyue knew that Xiao Heye would certainly not let her off. She admitted her guilt, but if this matter implicated the entire Su family, she would surely die with everlasting regret.
Tears welled in Su Tiyue’s eyes, her lashes trembling like butterfly wings in the air. With just a gentle blink, crystal-clear teardrops fell from her eyes, like broken strings of pearls, one after another.
A beauty in tears, delicate and moving, evoked pity in anyone who saw her.
Xiao Heye’s face darkened as he looked down at her from his superior position.
Seeing him unmoved, Su Tiyue raised her hand to wipe the tear stains from her face haphazardly. Then, she lowered her head and untied the blood-stained sash around her waist. The pink garment slowly slid from her slender, fragrant shoulders. She turned around, revealing a long, narrow wound on her fair and smooth back—a sword injury, and a severe one at that.
“Chief Eunuch Xiao, he injured me first. I truly had no choice… If not for such a desperate situation, I would never have dared to harm Prince Rong in the slightest.” She spoke with her back to him, her cherry lips slightly parted, her voice intermittent:
“I am willing to pay with my life, only asking that you ensure the safety of my family.”
Xiao Heye’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the wound on her back for a long while. Finally, he clicked his tongue and drawled in a leisurely, indifferent tone:
“Prince Rong injured and humiliated you, but his crime does not warrant death. Your Ladyship, striking with such deadly intent… could it be that you harbored ulterior motives? This servant has heard that your relationship with Prince Rong is far from ordinary…”
At these words, Su Tiyue’s brows furrowed slightly, and a flicker of guilt and nervousness passed through her eyes.
Xiao Heye slowly stepped forward, raising his hand to gently pull the garment that had slipped to her waist back up to her neck, careful to prevent it from sliding down again. His thick palm lightly grasped her fragrant shoulder.
Xiao Heye leaned down, bringing his head close to her ear, his voice low and sinister: “This servant has heard that your younger sister, Su Nianyue, married Prince Rong less than half a year ago and met an untimely demise. Moreover, there are many rumors about the cause of her death… Could it be that Your Ladyship sought to avenge her tonight?”
The icy, piercing voice came from behind her, sending a chill down Su Tiyue’s entire back.
“No, it’s not what you think!” She turned around, her small face flushed crimson, with two faint trails of tears still glistening on her cheeks. She said, “One thing has nothing to do with the other. These two matters are completely unrelated. Is Chief Eunuch Xiao speaking nonsense? Clearly, he was the one who started it first. Could I not resist? If you were me… how would you respond?”
Just because he was Prince Rong, should she let him bully and humiliate her?
But she was the Emperor’s consort. If her purity were tainted by someone else, she might not survive either.
Xiao Heye paused for a moment before replying coldly, “This servant would never dare to kill a prince. It is Her Ladyship who is truly bold.”
“You…” Su Tiyue was left speechless by his words.
Xiao Heye lowered his head, absentmindedly twisting the white jade thumb ring on his finger. When he looked up again, his expression suddenly softened, becoming gentle and amiable. “Your Ladyship, do you trust this servant?”
Hearing this, Su Tiyue looked at him with surprise, momentarily unsure of the meaning behind his words. She asked softly, “What?”
Xiao Heye said, “Your Ladyship, do you need help?”
“Chief Eunuch Xiao, what do you mean by that?” Su Tiyue gradually calmed down, her voice soft and gentle, though her eyes, reddened from crying, were slightly swollen, with faint redness around the rims and corners.
“Your Ladyship need only answer: yes or no.”