Chiyou gasped in pain as a powerful force slammed her onto the cold ground, her spine pressing against the icy surface. Suffocation choked her, bringing tears to her eyes.
She endured the pain, staring at him coldly, spitting out a few words through gritted teeth.
"Shameless!"
Liu Rongruo raised an eyebrow, a cold smile curling his lips. "We kissed, didn't we?"
Seeing his expression, Chiyou gnashed her teeth in hatred.
In the past, she had deliberately seduced him, wanting to plant a curse, and also to see if this man, who was always so serious, was just as indifferent in bed.
Now, she saw it. He was nothing but a beast who forgot all about her after he was done!
*Pah.*
Even calling him a beast was an insult to beasts.
Liu Rongruo looked at the deep hatred in her eyes, his expression unchanged.
He grasped her neck, lifting her with force, and spoke calmly.
"Stay in Da Liang, and I will ensure a hundred years of peace for Nanjiang."
Hahaha.
Ensuring peace for Nanjiang was a joke.
Who had killed the hundreds of thousands of troops in Nanjiang? Who had destroyed the Twelve Caves? Who had breached the royal court and forced her to travel to Shangjing for a political marriage?
It was you, Liu Rongruo.
You are the culprit, and yet you dare to speak of peace for Nanjiang.
Chiyou looked at him with a mocking smile, her eyes red with resentment.
But her neck was being squeezed, her face turned red, and she couldn't utter a sound. She was about to suffocate, unable to open her mouth to curse him.
Liu Rongruo met her gaze indifferently, a lazy smile on his face.
"Hate me?"
As he spoke, his grip on her throat loosened slightly.
In an instant, Chiyou felt her breathing ease. She immediately broke free from his hand, collapsing onto the ground and coughing heartbrokenly, gasping for air.
Liu Rongruo slowly stood up, looking down at her.
"With such little strength, perhaps I should just kill you."
Chiyou, her face flushed red, pushed herself up with her hands, propped on the ground, and looked up at him mockingly.
"Prime Minister hasn't had enough fun yet, why would you be willing to?"
Liu Rongruo chuckled lightly. "Indeed, she is a beauty. I'll kill her after I've grown tired of her."
Chiyou suppressed the pain in her body, propped herself against a pillar, and laboriously stood up.
"Then your fresh novelty should be short-lived. Don't lose your life."
He glanced at her indifferently and said, "A mere bed warmer. I'll get tired of her after a couple of times."
Chiyou's heart ached from anger. She didn't want to waste words on him, so she coldly brushed him aside and walked towards the palace.
Liu Rongruo watched her retreating back coldly, then turned and walked out.
He would make the prey willingly enter his den.
When Chiyou woke up again, she found herself still in Qu Tai Palace.
She sat on the bed in a daze, her mind suddenly recalling what had happened before she fainted.
Ah Yun Ge?!
Her heart trembled, and she quickly put on her shoes and got off the bed, running out.
The imperial kitchen was some distance from Qu Tai Palace. She ran for a long time, arriving out of breath. The sky was already dark, and there weren't many people at the entrance.
She casually pulled someone aside to ask. It happened to be a companion who lived with Xia Yun. He shook his head.
"He hasn't returned. Someone asked the master, and the master said that he seemed to have offended someone in authority and was taken away."
Chiyou's heart tensed. She stamped her foot, grabbed her skirt, and ran towards Qu You Palace.
Qu You Palace, study.
Liu Rongruo sat in his chair, holding a cup of tea.
Qin Yunshang watched the white pieces being surrounded, her hand hovering over a white stone, unable to place it.
"Senior Brother, you're too good. No matter how I play, I can't win."
Liu Rongruo sat opposite her, his expression placid.
"Will you give me a handicap, alright?"
She smiled at him, half-joking and half-acting coy.
"As you wish."
Qin Yunshang, hearing his words, took a chess piece and smiled, "I knew Senior Brother cared for me the most."
As they spoke, Bai Ze respectfully entered.
"My Lord, Consort Qing requests an audience."
Before Liu Rongruo could respond, Qin Yunshang leaned forward to peek.
"Consort Qing?! Why would a concubine in the harem visit Senior Brother so late at night?"
Bai Ze remained silent.
Liu Rongruo said, "Let her in."
"Yes."
As Chiyou rushed in, she saw Qin Yunshang sitting in Liu Rongruo's embrace by the tea table behind the bamboo rack. They were whispering, and the woman's profile was adorned with a blossoming smile.
Her heart suddenly ached, but she could no longer afford to be sad. Thinking of Xia Yun's life, she hurried over and spoke.
"A--"
She paused, glancing at the person in his arms, and changed her address.
"Prime Minister, where is Ah Yun Ge? What have you done to him?"
Prime Minister?!
Liu Rongruo played with the stray hair by Qin Yunshang's ear, his gaze instantly turning as cold as ice.
Qin Yunshang, sitting in his embrace, could clearly feel the chill emanating from him.
She deliberately smiled and reached out to wrap her arms around Liu Rongruo's neck, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Senior Brother, why aren't you paying attention to me?"
Liu Rongruo turned his head to look at Chiyou by his side and said indifferently, "Are you looking for an eunuch from me?"
Chiyou vaguely felt his tone was off, but she didn't understand. Recalling that Ah Yun Ge had been taken away during the day and she didn't know if he was alive, she was extremely anxious.
"Didn't you send people to take him away? It was my fault for being ignorant and breaking the rules. Please don't kill him. He's the only friend I have."
Liu Rongruo looked at her anxious face, his eyes almost cold enough to freeze.
He looked at her quietly, saying nothing.
Chiyou, frightened by his gaze, took a step back, her face paling.
The atmosphere between them was strange, which made Qin Yunshang extremely displeased.
She wasn't foolish. Her Senior Brother had never been this intimate with her in private. Him suddenly embracing her was clearly a performance for this woman.
Thinking this, a murderous intent flashed in her eyes. This woman could not be kept.
"Senior Brother, who are you talking about, what eunuch? Could it be that Consort Qing is involved with an eunuch?"
Chiyou instinctively felt that this woman's words were not good and retorted, "He is my friend."
Qin Yunshang smiled, "Your Highness is indeed sharp-minded, making friends with eunuchs."
Chiyou's breath hitched, and she bit her lip, remaining silent.
She glanced at her silent brother, her heart feeling bitter, and she wanted to cry. She held back and asked softly.
"Prime Minister, where is Ah Yun Ge? Can you release him?"
Liu Rongruo said coldly, "Dead."
What?!
Chiyou instantly felt as if she were filled with wind, with ice shards raging within her, chilling her and causing her pain and spasms.
She couldn't believe it, her eyes turning red. Her body staggered backward.
Ah Yun Ge was her only friend here, and he had died because she had broken palace rules.
Her body stiffened, and tears uncontrollably streamed down her cheeks.
Liu Rongruo glanced at her crying face, a cold glint in his eyes.
"It is truly against the rules for a palace consort to trespass into Senior Brother's chambers in the middle of the night. The Empress Dowager will surely punish her if she finds out."
Qin Yunshang said, then called out, "Nanny Xu."
A nanny walked in.
"Take Consort Qing away and teach her the rules properly. I think the weather today is quite nice, so let her kneel in the courtyard for a few hours to clear her head."
The nanny paused, looking at Liu Rongruo, who remained silent.
Qin Yunshang's eyes flashed with displeasure. She grabbed Liu Rongruo's collar and said coquettishly,
"Senior Brother, Consort Qing coming to you crying over an eunuch is truly improper. Anyone who doesn't know might think they have some kind of relationship."
Hearing this, a fierce glint flashed in Liu Rongruo's eyes. He looked at Chiyou, her eyes red from crying, and said nothing.
Chiyou, hearing their words, retreated in fear. But she thought of how kind Xia Yun had always been to her. She stumbled and knelt on the ground, her eyes red.
"It was my fault. I shouldn't have been drinking or indulging. I beg Prime Minister to let me see him."
Liu Rongruo lowered his eyes, looking at her actions, and sneered.
"You like kneeling so much? Kneel for a night, and I'll let you take his corpse."