"Fei Li, no, Your Majesty, I beg you, spare my child! I beg you, please..."
In the dark and damp prison, Qu Ruyan, dressed in a reddish-brown prisoner's robe, knelt beneath the imperial yellow dragon robe and kowtowed repeatedly.
Her face was smeared with blood and tears, her features obscured, only her beauty vaguely discernible.
Chu Fei Li fiercely kicked her, his voice laced with killing intent, "Spare him? Impossible! Today, I will cut him out of you alive, and extinguish your hopes!"
"No! You can't!"
Qu Ruyan shrieked, scrambling back to his feet, tears streaming down her face as she kowtowed, "Fei Li, this is your own flesh and blood. Even tigers don't eat their cubs. How can you be so cruel?"
Chu Fei Li sneered as he bent down, forcefully gripping her fair neck, and gritted his teeth, "Qu Ruyan, your Qu family forced me to marry you, forced me to make you Empress. Do you think I would allow you to conceive a child?"
"Don't think that just because you schemed your way onto my dragon bed, you can make this bastard a legitimate prince. You are not worthy, and he... is... even... less... worthy!"
"Let alone if this bastard isn't mine. Even if he were, I wouldn't let him live today!"
With that, he violently flung his hand away, strode to the dragon throne, and roared, "Imperial Physician Xue, why do you tarry!"
"Cough, cough, cough..." Qu Ruyan's neck had nearly snapped. The moment the suffocating sensation disappeared, she clutched her neck with her hands, gasping for fresh air.
Before she could even take two breaths, she heard the man's indifferent words. She could no longer concern herself with breathing, turned, and scrambled towards the corner of the wall, retreating while shaking her head in terror, "No! No! You can't!"
"As you command!"
Imperial Physician Xue respectfully bowed to Chu Fei Li on the dragon throne, then picked up the dagger from the tray and, with a chilling smile, approached Qu Ruyan.
Qu Ruyan curled up in the corner of the wall. Though her body trembled, she struggled desperately.
"Guards, restrain her!"
Chu Fei Li's cold voice echoed once more in the grim prison, like a death knell, sending Qu Ruyan to hell.
Four guards responded and moved forward, pinning her limbs down tightly.
"Ah~"
A heart-wrenching scream reverberated through the sky above the prison.
A bone-piercing pain surged through her. Qu Ruyan felt her blood gushing out from her severed abdomen.
Soon, her eyelids grew heavy. She was so tired; she just wanted to sleep.
"Reporting to His Majesty, the placenta has been completely retrieved."
Imperial Physician Xue, holding the bloody, steaming placenta, stood before Chu Fei Li and announced loudly.
A gentle light flashed in Chu Fei Li's eyes. He urged, "Quick! Send it to Qingchen Palace immediately, as a medicinal guide for Qingqing!"
Qingchen Palace! Liu Qingqing!
A wave of desolation washed over Qu Ruyan's heart.
She had once thought that if she loved this man wholeheartedly, he would eventually be moved.
How laughable. She had even relied on her father and brothers' favor to force them to help this man ascend the throne.
Now, it seemed, her devotion was worth nothing in this man's eyes, not even as much as Liu Qingqing's lie!
"As you command!"
Imperial Physician Xue replied, then hurried off with the guards and the placenta towards Qingchen Palace.
Only then did Chu Fei Li slowly walk to Qu Ruyan's side, slowly crouched down, a chilling smile on his face.
"I forgot to tell you. The Qu family has been executed for colluding with the enemy and treason. The corpses of your father and eight brothers are now displayed at the city gates."