Gu Yanbei closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then slowly raised his gaze. “What you should be concerned about right now is how to survive.”
He continued rubbing his brow as if nothing were wrong, emotions churning in his eyes that no one else could read.
“What use would my concern be? Your Majesty won’t release me anyway,” Su Tuan’er lowered her eyes. “When the sovereign wishes a subject dead, the subject must die. But before I die, I’d like to do one last thing.”
Gu Yanbei leaned back against the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Climb into my bed again?”
“Cough, cough…” Su Tuan’er broke into a fit of urgent coughing. “I wouldn’t dare, Your Majesty. You labor tirelessly for the welfare of the people, letting them live in peace and prosperity. So I, too, wish to contribute what little I can for Your Majesty.”
A hint of mockery curled at the corner of Gu Yanbei’s handsome lips. “Not even dead yet, and you’ve already gone mad?”
Su Tuan’er: “…”
Fine. He didn’t believe her, and that was understandable.
Her original self was a pampered, delicate young lady raised in the General’s household—too fragile to even care for herself. To anyone, these words would sound like wild nonsense.
Not only would Gu Yanbei refuse to believe her, but likely the entire city of Shengjing would call her insane.
“Give me seven days, Your Majesty. If after seven days I haven’t brought you any relief, then without Your Majesty lifting a finger, I’ll end my own life.”
Gu Yanbei looked at Su Tuan’er thoughtfully, his eyes filled with probing curiosity.
“The Empress Dowager has arrived!”
Suddenly, a proclamation rang out from beyond the doors.
Shortly after, the Empress Dowager appeared, supported by Li Manman, slowly turning a string of prayer beads in her hand.
Though the Empress Dowager was already past fifty, she was well-preserved and still retained her charm. Standing beside Li Manman, one might mistake them for sisters at first glance.
“Your son pays respects to Mother.”
Gu Yanbei rose to offer his greetings.
“If not for Manman telling me, would the Emperor have kept this a secret?” The Empress Dowager’s expression was grim. “Someone, drag this girl out for me!”
She hadn’t spared Su Tuan’er a single glance since entering, issuing her harsh command immediately.
Gu Yanbei swept a look toward Li Manman, a complex expression surfacing in his eyes.
Li Manman covered her mouth with her handkerchief, deliberately lowering her gaze to avoid meeting his.
As her eyes passed over Su Tuan’er, a barely perceptible cold, sinister smile curved at her lips.
Su Tuan’er sighed silently to herself.
She had heard plenty from Cuicui about what a ruthless character this Huangguifei was. Falling into her hands tonight was bad luck—she’d be lucky to escape with her life…
Soon, two towering guards strode in, grabbing Su Tuan’er’s arms and dragging her out of Yangxin Hall like a dead dog.
Su Tuan’er felt that the people in the palace had no hearts. She was such a delicate thing—couldn’t they show a little mercy?
Now not only did her wrists ache, but both arms had gone numb from the strain.
She said she could walk on her own, but they wouldn’t listen. So she bent her knees, letting her feet leave the ground, swinging like on a swing until the two guards were huffing and puffing with exertion.
Before long, Su Tuan’er was dragged from the resplendent Yangxin Hall into a dimly lit courtyard, where the two guards forced her to kneel on the ground.
The Empress Dowager and Li Manman followed out of Yangxin Hall.
Li Manman ordered her personal maid, Maisui, to bring over a small table, then laid out some items on it—the instruments of torture from the Ten Great Tortures of Qingbei. Each implement was stained with dried blood, clearly having seen frequent use.
Just looking at it is enough to make one’s scalp tingle.