The night was lonely and quiet. Warm orange lanterns lined the broad official road, their soft candlelight spilling across the ground, adding a touch of warmth.
The soft palanquin moved forward slowly. The man who ruled over all under heaven sat upright within, eyes closed in repose.
Under the dim light, his silhouette grew ever more mysterious and cold, radiating a suffocating pressure that made it hard to breathe.
Su Tuan’er sat at a distance from him, the scent of his signature Longxianxiang lingering around her nostrils, the warmth of his touch still faint on her palm—it only made her thoughts more chaotic.
Rumor had it that this reigning sovereign was bloodthirsty and cold-hearted. He killed when pleased, and he killed when displeased. His methods were so cruel that the flayed corpse hanging on the city gate was still there to this day, already dried into a mummy.
Given his nature, he should have taken her life. Yet instead, he had saved her from the Empress Dowager’s hands…
Was he planning to torment her slowly? ┭┮﹏┭┮ How terrifying.
“Your Majesty saved your subject’s daughter—does that mean you believe she is innocent?”
Su Tuan’er’s voice fell softly into the silent air.
“I do not.” Gu Yanbei answered without a moment’s thought, the words slipping out.
Su Tuan’er: “…”
“Then why did Your Majesty save your subject’s daughter? You might as well have let the Empress Dowager beat me to death with rods, saving you the trouble of having to do it yourself.”
Let’s see if she could pry some words out of him.
First he wanted to take her as a consort, then he personally escorted her back to the mansion—she simply couldn’t figure out what schemes he was harboring in his heart.
“I prefer to do things with my own hands.” Gu Yanbei still kept his eyes closed, not even lifting an eyelid.
Su Tuan’er stared speechlessly at that flawless profile, cold sweat suddenly beading on her skin.
So those rumors were all true. The dog emperor really was terrifying…
She’d always had a soft spot for handsome men, but this one, with his ceiling-of-beauty face, gave her the urge to punch him into a swollen pig’s head.
“Then has Your Majesty decided how your subject’s daughter should die?”
“Not yet,” Gu Yanbei said in a frigid voice, still resting his eyes. “But it won’t be a pretty death.”
Su Tuan’er: “…”
“Then Your Majesty should not forget what you said—investigate the truth and clear your subject’s daughter’s name.”
Gu Yanbei turned his head and quietly regarded Su Tuan’er for a few moments without speaking.
With his silence, the air instantly turned deathly still.
Though a distance lay between them, Su Tuan’er sat as if on pins and needles. He exuded an air of danger that warned others to stay away. Even across the gap, she could faintly detect a hint of bloodlust hidden on him.
It was just that the scent was masked beneath his unique Longxianxiang, not quite discernible.
This man’s temperament was unpredictable. She felt she would die at his hands sooner or later. But the moment she thought about entering the palace to become his consort, she felt utterly miserable.
She was a novice at palace intrigue—the kind who wouldn’t survive three episodes. And she’d gone and made enemies of the Empress Dowager and Li Manman, neither of whom was someone to be trifled with.
“Your Majesty, could I not enter the palace? I promise to stay put in the mansion and go nowhere until you’ve gotten to the bottom of this matter.” After mulling it over, Su Tuan’er steeled herself and spoke up.
Gu Yanbei cast her a faint glance. “No.”
Su Tuan’er’s expression froze. She really, really wanted to punch him.
“Your Majesty—”
“Enough noise!”
Su Tuan’er: “…”
She needed to devise a foolproof plan to escape the dog emperor’s clutches. Who knew if he wasn’t deliberately bringing her into the palace just to scheme some way to torment her.
After all, Father often clashed with him in the court, so perhaps he harbored a grudge. But since he couldn’t directly strike against a loyal official of the court, he might seize this opportunity to take revenge…