After bathing, Zhao Hanqing laboriously applied medicine to his wounds before dressing and walking over to the wooden tub. Reaching inside, he fished out the item he had left at the bottom. He gripped it tightly, wishing he could crush the filthy thing into powder, yet he knew he couldn’t. If he actually did that, Sima Huayao would only subject him to even more intensified torment.
Swallowing his humiliation, he grabbed a clean cloth, wiped away the moisture, and placed it inside the secret compartment by the head of his bed. The compartment contained numerous torturous playthings, yet he was the only one they were ever used upon.
“Your Majesty, this servant begs an audience.” Chun Hai’s voice sounded from outside the bedchamber.
Frowning slightly, Zhao Hanqing suppressed his excess emotions and spoke calmly, “Enter.”
The palace doors were pushed open, and Chun Hai walked in, bowing as he reported, “This servant pays respects to Your Majesty.”
“Has the Regent returned?”
“No.” Chun Hai stated bluntly, “Your Majesty, the person who illicitly consorted with Consort Xian has been identified: Gao Da, commander of the Imperial Guard. His Highness has decreed that the culprit be handed over to Your Majesty for disposition.”
At the mention of Lin Ling’er, Zhao Hanqing’s expression twisted. Had it not been for her, he wouldn’t have suffered such grueling torment over the past few days. Raging fury scorching his reason, he said through gritted teeth, “Bring them in!”
Chun Hai acknowledged the command and signaled the imperial guards waiting at the entrance to bring the prisoners forward.
Lin Ling’er was shoved roughly to the floor, letting out an “Ouch!” of pain. Her bright almond eyes instantly welled up with moisture, presenting a tearful, alluring picture of delicate pity.
“Ling’er, are you alright?” Gao Da cried out with a heart-wrenching tone of anguish.
Ignoring Gao Da entirely, Lin Ling’er turned her tear-streaked face toward Zhao Hanqing. Two trails of clear tears slipped down her cheeks, dripping into the collar of her robes as she sobbed pitifully, “Your Majesty, this concubine knows her crime. This concubine was forced by him, I beg Your Majesty to spare my life!”
“Oh? Who forced whom?” Zhao Hanqing gazed down at her impassively.
Pointing directly at Gao Da beside her, Lin Ling’er wept, “It was him! It was Gao Da. He forced his way into this concubine’s bedchamber and violated me by force. He is the Commander of the Imperial Guard, after all; how could a fragile woman like me possibly resist? I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and spare my life!”
Staring blankly at Lin Ling’er, Gao Da watched a flurry of shifting emotions ripple through the depths of his eyes before he finally lowered his gaze. “Your Majesty, what the noble consort says is true. It was this subject who forced himself upon her; the consort has done nothing to wrong Your Majesty.”
It seemed Lin Ling’er hadn’t expected Gao Da to react this way, freezing for a split second before hastily chiming in, “Your Majesty, this concubine has already aborted that vile spawn. I beg Your Majesty to spare me, considering that I, too, was coerced.”
Zhao Hanqing glanced briefly at Gao Da, watching the light slowly drain from the man’s eyes, and asked, “The child is gone?”
“Gone. I was defiled, and that child was nothing more than an abomination. How could I ever allow such a thing to remain in my womb? I wanted it gone long ago.”
Turning his gaze to Chun Hai, Zhao Hanqing ordered, “Go fetch a dagger.”
Chun Hai acknowledged the command, requested a dagger from the guards stationed outside, and presented it to Zhao Hanqing with both hands.
Taking the blade, Zhao Hanqing handed it straight to Lin Ling’er. “You go castrate him.”
“Your Majesty…” Lin Ling’er’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief as she stared at Zhao Hanqing.
“Wishing for death?” Zhao Hanqing looked down at her with a blank expression.
The single question jolted Lin Ling’er back to her senses. Hesitating for a brief moment, she took the dagger in her trembling hand. She scrambled to her feet and stumbled over to Gao Da, her tear-washed eyes shining with a sudden, ferocious glint. “Don’t blame this consort; if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for doing wrong.”
Gao Da chuckled bitterly, fully recognizing reality from Lin Ling’er’s words. “My Lady is right. This subject committed a wrong, and suffering this fate today is entirely my own fault.”
Locking eyes with Gao Da, Lin Ling’er felt a fleeting pang of guilt, her grip on the blade hesitating.
Zhao Hanqing’s cold voice cut in, “What is this? Reluctant? If you wish, I can grant your wish and send you both down to the underworld to be a pair of ill-fated mandarin ducks.”
Lin Ling’er’s heart violently constricted, and she stammered in panic, “No! This concubine has only Your Majesty in her heart! It’s just, it’s just that this concubine doesn’t know how to begin.”
“That’s easily solved. Chun Hai, call someone in to assist Consort Xian.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Chun Hai summoned two imperial guards, instructing them to strip off Gao Da’s lower garments and pin his body firmly to the floor.
“Do it.”
Zhao Hanqing’s urging tightened Lin Ling’er’s nerves. Hesitating no longer, she raised the dagger and brought it down.
“Aah!”
A shrill, agonizing scream pierced the air. Gao Da’s face instantly drained of all color, his body writhing in agonizing struggle before being pinned relentlessly back down.
Splattering across her face, the hot, heavy stench of fresh blood made Lin Ling’er’s stomach heave violently.
Zhao Hanqing spoke once more, “Consort Xian is acting so soft-hearted. Could it be that she has truly developed feelings for him?”
“No, absolutely not!” Frantically shaking her head, Lin Ling’er raised her hands once again, hacking down repeatedly until the flesh was reduced to a bloody mush.
Gao Da had already passed out cold long before.
As if completely entranced, Lin Ling’er drove the blade one final time straight into Gao Da’s chest. Roused briefly by the agonizing pain, Gao Da cast one final look at Lin Ling’er before his head slumped sideways, breathing his last.
Staring at Gao Da’s wide-open eyes, Lin Ling’er panicked and dropped the dagger, which clattered sharply against the floorboards.
Unmoved, Zhao Hanqing stated flatly, “A sovereign never goes back on his word. Since you fulfilled your task, I shall spare your life.”
A spark of hope lit up in Lin Ling’er’s eyes as her expression gradually stabilized.
A faint smile touched the corners of Zhao Hanqing’s lips as he commanded, “Chun Hai, dispatch people to escort Consort Xian to Liaodong and send her into the military camps as a camp follower.”
Stunned for a moment, Lin Ling’er comprehended the decree and cried out frantically, “Your Majesty! This concubine was forced! You cannot treat me this way!”
“Forced?” Zhao Hanqing chuckled softly. “In your eyes, am I truly such a fool?”
The words left him momentarily dazed. Sima Huayao had uttered a remarkably similar sentiment during the morning court session earlier that day. The realization only fanned the flames of his fury higher. “Since you are so unable to endure loneliness, I shall fulfill your wish and let you experience what it means to be trampled by thousands of men!”
“No! Stop!” Staring in absolute terror at Zhao Hanqing, Lin Ling’er wailed, “Your Majesty, I beg you to spare me just this once! Ling’er knows her wrong, Ling’er will never dare do it again!”
Ignoring her entirely, Zhao Hanqing turned to Chun Hai. “What are you waiting for?”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Seeing Chun Hai turning to summon the guards, Lin Ling’er scrambled across the floor and latched onto the hem of Zhao Hanqing’s robes, weeping hysterically, “Your Majesty, you can make Ling’er do anything! Please rescind this order, Ling’er knows she’s wrong, truly knows she’s wrong…”
With a sharp kick, Zhao Hanqing flung her away, disgustedly brushing off his robes. “Gao Da deserved to die, but he was far better than you. At least his feelings were genuine—he was willing to die if it meant helping you escape punishment. What a pity he misjudged his person. You are nothing more than a selfish, cowardly, self-preserving bitch!”
“Cowardly? Self-preserving?” Realizing the utter hopelessness of her situation and knowing Zhao Hanqing would never spare her, Lin Ling’er broke into wild, hysterical laughter that grew louder and shriller by the second. “Zhao Hanqing, what right do you have to judge me? If you weren’t a coward terrified of death, would you willingly degrade yourself to become a plaything servicing a man beneath him? When all is said and done, you’re even worse off than I am! At least someone genuinely loved me, while you are nothing more than a cheap toy played with at whim!”
“You’re courting death!”
Zhao Hanqing lunged forward, his hand wrapping around Lin Ling’er’s throat.
“Cough, cough…” Choking and wheezing, Lin Ling’er spat out, “Zhao Hanqing… is that thing between your legs even usable anymore? Or has it already been cut off just like theirs? Ha, ha… cough, cough…”
Tightening his grip, Zhao Hanqing squeezed her neck mercilessly until her face turned livid and her eyes rolled back, bringing her to the absolute brink of death.
Abruptly, Zhao Hanqing loosened his fingers, and Lin Ling’er collapsed onto the floor, gasping hungrily for air as she coughed violently.
“Want to die? It won’t be that easy! Your life from now on will be extraordinarily colorful; I will personally instruct them to take good care of you.”
“Zhao Hanqing!” Lin Ling’er’s voice turned into a shrill screech.
“Drag her away and set out immediately,” Zhao Hanqing commanded.
Acknowledging the order, Chun Hai motioned for the guards to haul Lin Ling’er away and ensure his instructions were executed to the letter.
As she was dragged across the threshold of the bedchamber, Lin Ling’er shrieked at the top of her lungs, “Zhao Hanqing, you’re nothing but a useless piece of trash! A pathetic plaything used and discarded at will, even lower than a male prostitute in a brothel!”
Every single word Lin Ling’er uttered struck like a sharp blade straight into Zhao Hanqing’s heart, inflicting a tearing, excruciating agony.
Clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white, he desperately repeated to himself that this was only temporary. One day, he would take back everything that belonged to him and return every ounce of humiliation a thousandfold.
Yet, how much longer would he have to wait? Could he truly survive to see that day?
Back at the Regent’s Manor, the moment Sima Huayao stepped into his courtyard, a servant hurried forward to report, “Your Highness, Young Master Wei has come to pay his respects.”
Searching his memories, Sima Huayao retrieved the dossier on this “Young Master Wei.” His name was Hua Ziwei, operating under the alias Wei Qiao. He was an orphaned relative from the maternal side of Sima Huayao’s mother, Hua Lian’er, making him Sima Nanyao’s cousin.
Hua Ziwei’s father had been Sima Nanyao’s uncle. When the rebellion first broke out, the Hua family had entrusted someone to smuggle a pregnant Sun Youyou Hua Ziwei’s mother out of the capital, a backstory identical to Sima Nanyao’s own. For this reason, Sima Nanyao had felt a closer affinity to him and even brought him to live in the Regent’s Manor.
Upon laying eyes on Sima Nanyao for the very first time, Hua Ziwei had fallen hopelessly in love with him. Terrified that Sima Nanyao would reject him or drive him away, he never dared to confess his feelings. Instead, using his special status, he ruthlessly suppressed all the other concubines and male partners in the inner courtyard, scheming and framing anyone who gained favor. Over the years, the number of lives lost directly or indirectly by his hands could easily surpass the fingers on two hands.
Later, when Sima Huayao was killed, Hua Ziwei narrowly escaped, only to become infatuated with an opera singer whom he exhausted his family fortune to marry, eventually fathering a son and a daughter to continue the Hua family line.
At his core, he was merely obsessed with Sima Nanyao’s peerless physical shell, not true love.
Frowning deeply upon recalling this information, Sima Huayao felt a rising tide of aversion toward the yet-unseen Hua Ziwei. However, since he needed to sort out the identities of the people around him and match names to faces, he commanded, “Let him in.”
The door swung open, and Hua Ziwei stepped inside holding a food box. Approaching Sima Huayao, he bowed and greeted, “Wei Qiao pays his respects to Your Highness.”
“Did you need something?”
Hua Ziwei failed to detect anything amiss in Sima Huayao’s tone. “I haven’t seen Your Highness in three days and have missed you dearly. Coincidentally, I made some of Your Highness’s favorite peanut crisps, so I brought them over for you to try.”
“Leave them on the table. I have matters to attend to; you may withdraw.”
Hua Ziwei’s hands paused mid-motion. Catching the strange tone in Sima Huayao’s voice for the first time, he asked, “Has Your Highness encountered something troubling? Though unintelligent, perhaps Wei Qiao can help lift Your Highness’s worries.”
“Did you not understand my words?”