Neun Lieder

Kapitel 32

If Rongyue still couldn't figure out what was going on now, she'd be a fool! Her hateful, heartless father had dumped this deadly mess on her and then escaped without a care in the world! Gritting her teeth in resentment, she hadn't anticipated that her father had this plan, or that he would escape so quickly—

Last night at midnight.

"What is it now?" Rongyue looked at Liu Zhiyi, who had suddenly arrived, her eyes stinging with sleepiness. She yawned repeatedly. This is infuriating! Why is he bothering us so late? Does he even want a person to live?!

Liu Zhiyi remained silent, but stared intently at Rong Yue, whose face was full of displeasure, with his two shrewd old eyes, as if trying to see through her skin to her very bones.

After a long pause, Liu Zhiyi sighed softly and said, "Father has always underestimated you."

Huh? He's been acting crazy and causing her sleepless nights, all just to bring this up? How absurd! Rolling her eyes inwardly, Rongyue lazily poured herself a cup of tea to clear her head.

Unperturbed by Rong Yue's rudeness, Liu Zhiyi casually pulled up a chair and sat down opposite her. A hint of relief flickered across his usually cold and expressionless face: "The women of our Huye family are indeed all extraordinary! Back then, your aunt was just a lowly palace maid, summoned and dismissed at will, as insignificant as a roadside weed in the palace. But who could have imagined that such an unassuming maid, through cunning and meticulous planning, would stir up such chaos and unrest in the harem! Ultimately, amidst the chaos..." Speculation, risk-taking for victory, led to her ascension to the throne, becoming a revered empress and empress dowager! And you, Yue'er, you surpass even your aunt! For so many years, you've successfully deceived so many with your feigned willfulness and capriciousness, without a single flaw. Even your father and aunt are envious of your cunning! The martial arts demon Blood Demon, the number one martial artist Chu Xuyao, have all fallen to your flying needles! Hidden talents, knowing how to conceal one's brilliance—Yue'er, you truly possess the legacy of your great-grandmother! With you here, the restoration of the Huye Kingdom is hopeful!

Huye Kingdom? What's that? Great-Grandmother Empress? And what's that?

Seemingly oblivious to Rongyue's questioning gaze, Liu Zhiyi remained lost in his own emotions. Then, as if remembering something, his wrinkled old face suddenly hardened with a terrifying ferocity: "Your father was truly blinded back then to raise that vile woman's daughter as the chosen one… Tch! Dog meat is dog meat, utterly worthless! Not of the Huye family bloodline, she'll never amount to anything! More trouble than she'll cause, what a waste of all the years of my teaching! Fortunately, it's never too late to mend! Yue'er, the Huye Kingdom depends on you!"

Rongyue finally vaguely understood what was going on! Wasn't this the same as the anti-Qing restoration movement? Descendants of a fallen nation? Traitors in the eyes of the world? Rebellious subjects? If they were caught, would they be paraded through the streets? Perhaps they would be pelted with rotten eggs, stones, vegetable leaves, or even stinky shoes and socks by the onlookers? Shrinking her neck, Rongyue groaned inwardly: It's truly unfortunate to be born into such a family…

Seeing Rongyue's complex and unreadable expression, Liu Zhiyi said in a low voice, "Yue'er, you guessed right, we are indeed descendants of the Huye Kingdom. Don't blame your father for only telling you this today, but... sigh, never mind, time is of the essence, let's talk about this later!" He took out a black porcelain bottle from his sleeve, looked at Rongyue opposite him, and said solemnly, "Yue'er, hold out your hand."

Rongyue was confused and glanced sideways at Liu Zhiyi, who remained unmoved. Seeing that she had no intention of reaching out, Liu Zhiyi forcibly pulled her hand holding the cup, pried open her palm, and before Rongyue could pull back, quickly opened the bottle and pointed the porcelain bottle at her palm.

With a piercing pain, Rongyue was horrified to discover that a small, white worm, about an inch and a half in size, had pierced her subcutaneous tissue and entered her blood vessels in the blink of an eye!

"What are you doing!" Rongyue flung the porcelain bottle away and hurriedly reached out her other hand to squeeze the direction where the insect had just entered.

"Moon, don't panic. That's a Soul-Binding Gu from the Western Frontier. It's a female Gu, used to control male Gu, but it won't harm you in the slightest. Moon, from now on, you are the new leader of the Netherworld Sect!" Liu Zhiyi said meaningfully, patting Rongyue's shoulder.

What kind of bullshit Netherworld Cult is this? Did she even say she wanted it? Damn it, will this bug have baby bugs...? How disgusting! Rongyue rubbed her hands vigorously, her eyes burning with fury!

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, Father. Yue'er has no ambition. She has no interest in the Netherworld Cult or the Huye Kingdom! I'm afraid you've entrusted yourself to the wrong person!"

"You!" Liu Zhiyi glared angrily, "You unfilial daughter! Are you still angry about forcing your mother to her death back then? Sacrifice is inevitable for the restoration of the kingdom! As the chosen one, if you can't understand this, how will you achieve great things in the future! Don't forget, the blood of the Huye Kingdom flows in your veins. Secrets can't be kept forever, and the truth will eventually come out! Even if you behave yourself, what will happen once your identity is known? You should know very well what will happen to you! So, at this critical juncture, you can't refuse! Yue'er, this is your fate!"

After saying this, Liu Zhiyi turned and left Rongyue's room, but when he reached the door, he paused again: "Yue'er, let me give you one last piece of advice. No matter what happens in the future, you must remember one word—endure! If you can endure, you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you can't, there will only be one outcome for you: death! However, I believe that the chosen one of Huye Kingdom will not be so easily defeated!"

Liu Zhiyi's last, meaningful words made Rongyue's heart pound. Was he implying something...?

At this moment, Rongyue finally understood. Her father had foreseen the changes at the Liu residence this morning, which was why he had seemingly handed over the entire task of restoring the kingdom to her last night! Damn it, didn't he say she was the chosen one of Huye Kingdom, his hope for restoring the kingdom? Why didn't he risk his life to protect her and escape, instead running away himself and pushing her into a fire pit? What puzzled her even more was that her father was quite powerful, wasn't he? As far as she knew, his power was so great that he could rival the imperial court. Why would he flee without a fight? She had been leisurely waiting for her father and Dongfang Lie to clash, hoping to give her a chance to escape! Good heavens, she hadn't expected her father to play the coward and run away! She really wanted to crack open her father's head to see what was going on inside, how could he do something so incomprehensible?

Volume One, Pear Blossom Courtyard, Melting Moon, Chapter Thirty-Nine: Slave

"Have you figured out where your father is?" The gloomy voice pulled Rongyue back to her senses, which had just been far away in Java.

Meeting Dongfang Lie's sharp, almond-shaped eyes, Rongyue forced a harmless smile: "My father didn't go to the morning court... ah--"

Before Rongyue could finish speaking, Dongfang Lie suddenly grabbed her chin, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Liu Rongyue, do you think I'm a fool! I'm giving you one last chance. Will you talk or not?"

The harmless smile vanished from Rongyue's lips, her eyes turning cold and clear. She raised her head, meeting Dongfang Lie's sinister and piercing gaze without fear: "Forgive my boldness, but I wish to ask Your Majesty, on what basis do you believe my father would inform me of his whereabouts? Is it because I am his daughter? Ha, I believe Your Majesty is aware that we, father and daughter, have always been irreconcilable enemies. The title of father and daughter is merely a formality, a hollow name! From the moment he forced my mother to her death, he ceased to be my father, and from the moment I forced my mother to her death..." From the moment of that incident with his concubine, Rongyue was no longer his daughter! He hated Rongyue, and Rongyue hated him in return. Imagine, if it were Your Majesty, would you entrust a matter of life and death to a daughter who hates you to death? Surely not, right? Your Majesty wouldn't do something so tantamount to courting death, and of course, my father wouldn't either! Moreover, I believe Your Majesty knows better than Rongyue how cunning my father is! If he wanted to escape, he would do so flawlessly, with no loopholes whatsoever, leaving not a single trace.

The coldness in Dongfang Lie's eyes gradually dissipated, and the grip on Rongyue's chin loosened slightly. Clearly, he had begun to believe seven-tenths of Rongyue's story.

"You really don't know?"

Looking calmly at Dongfang Lie, who still harbored some doubt, Rongyue gave a faint, indifferent smile, which was her way of agreeing.

Looking at Rongyue's serene expression, Dongfang Lie suddenly felt inexplicably uncomfortable. He disliked her smile; it was somewhat forced, cold, and indifferent, making him feel as if she existed in a world beyond his reach. This filled him with a strange sense of unease and apprehension…

Is something wrong with her face, or is it just growing weeds? Why is Dongfang Lie looking at her so strangely? Feeling a chill run down her spine under his gaze, Rongyue awkwardly touched her face, secretly wondering if Dongfang Lie was up to something.

"Don't laugh like that again!"

"Huh? What?!" What does he mean?! Is it illegal for her to laugh?!

Ignoring Rongyue's angry, glaring eyes, Dongfang Lie released his grip on her and asked, "How did you get here?"

Rubbing her chin, which was probably bruised from being pinched, Rongyue's thoughts raced. After a slight pause, she finally spoke: "That day after leaving the palace, Rongyue was ambushed and knocked unconscious on her way to the Prince's mansion. When I woke up, I was already in this secluded little courtyard of my family's. Originally, Rongyue didn't understand Father's intentions, but now, seeing this situation... Ha, Rongyue finally understands. It turns out that Father wanted to use Rongyue, his disliked daughter, as a scapegoat... How ridiculous!"

A self-deprecating smile played on her lips at just the right moment. Rongyue raised her chin, her face resolute: "Your Majesty, I have said all I needed to say. Although I am willful, capricious, and arrogant, I still understand reason! The ruler is the guide for his subjects, yet my father has committed such a heinous act. As a subject, he harbors wolfish ambitions, offends the Emperor's majesty, and has committed heinous crimes beyond description, unforgivable and deserving the extermination of his entire family... With such a father, I have no choice but to accept my fate! But Your Majesty, I ask for nothing more than that you, after all, consider that I am your cousin and grant me a complete burial, so that I may face my mother in the afterlife... I beg Your Majesty to grant my request!"

With her feet touching the ground, her flowing robes billowed in the moonlight as she rose from the soft couch and knelt in worship.

Before Rongyue's knees could even touch the ground, Dongfang Lie lifted her up by the waist and carried her back to the bed.

Startled by Dongfang Lie's actions, Rongyue stared at him with eyes that seemed to widen as if he were a monster. Dongfang Lie, who had always loathed her, was now acting so intimately towards her—this was simply too abnormal, too incomprehensible…

Rongyue's surprised expression displeased Dongfang Lie, and his large hand on her waist tightened slightly. The soft touch sent a shiver down Dongfang Lie's spine, making his mind wander, and his thoughts drifted back to the day he applied medicine to Rongyue… His large, well-defined hand began to gently caress Rongyue's waist through the fabric. Dongfang Lie knew clearly how smooth and soft the skin hidden beneath the fabric was, and how intoxicating it was to touch…

This scene was witnessed by Chu Xuyao, who was not far away. Instantly, a raging fire, the reason for which he did not know, rose in his heart! With a taut, cold face, Chu Xuyao strode towards Rongyue and the others. When he got close to the soft couch, his iron palm slammed down on Dongfang Lie's shoulder with a loud thud. The sound was so loud that Rongyue wondered if Dongfang Lie's bones would be shattered by that iron palm.

"Lie, what are you still dawdling for! Are you going to soften your heart just because of a few words from this woman?! Don't forget, the Liu family is in cahoots, even your bedmate wants to harm you, let alone this woman!" As he spoke, his sharp eyes swept over Rongyue on the bed, making Rongyue furious!

What does he mean by this?! What's wrong with her? What did she do to him that he would do this to her?! Her sob story was about to work, and she was only one step away from escaping! But who knew this unexpected obstacle would appear, spouting nonsense and misleading the emperor! Seeing Dongfang Lie's handsome face, which had just calmed down, darken again, threatening to unleash a storm, Rongyue sadly sensed that her entire plan might be ruined! It was all because of this damned Chu Xuyao that she was about to fail! Glaring hatefully at Chu Xuyao, whose iron face seemed to scream "business as business," Rongyue imagined in her mind shooting out thousands of flying needles, whizzing like lasers, towards the cold-eyed, scornful Chu!

Those eyes…no, no, it can’t be! How could she possibly be him…?

Shaking off the sudden flutter in his heart caused by those familiar eyes, Chu Xuyao's face hardened again, and his tone returned to its formulaic tone: "Therefore, we absolutely cannot tolerate evil! We cannot allow the Liu family to cause further harm to our Eastern Dynasty! Guards, take this woman to the dungeon!"

Two guards with swords arrived on either side of Rongyue with loud footsteps, lifting her up from the left and right, but not dragging her away, waiting for their final boss's decision.

"Get out of the way!" With two sharp cracks, the hands of the two guards on Rongyue's shoulders fell limply to their sides. Dongfang Lie's face was grim, his dark expression sending chills down one's spine!

They dared to touch her! They're asking for it!

"Lie! You..."