Huan Juntian, who had been pampered since childhood, could not bear such a blow. He would immediately break ties with Lu Pianpian and hate her to the bone, thus ending their brotherhood.
Given Lu Pianpian's gentle nature, she would inevitably take the blame for Huan Juntian becoming a cripple upon herself.
Lu Pianpian will feel immense guilt and will never be able to face Huan Juntian again for the rest of her life. She will also have no face to return to the sect. There will be no place for Lu Pianpian in this world except by Huan Changming's side.
His side will become the only place Lu Pianpian can rely on and find refuge.
But why hasn't Lu Pianpian returned yet?
Could it be that Huan Juntian, in his desperation, vented all his anger and resentment on Lu Pianpian?
Given that idiot's personality, he might actually stand still and let Huan Juntian beat and scold him.
Thinking of this, Huan Changming became restless. "Someone come here!"
Suddenly, a heavy rain began to fall outside the palace, lightning tore through the night sky, and the light inside the palace was momentarily shrouded in an eerie purple hue.
Lu Pianpian walked into the hall, soaked to the bone, raindrops dripping down his hair.
The white cloth on his forehead was completely soaked, and the unhealed wound tore open again, with blood mixed with raindrops dripping onto his eyebrows and eyes.
He stood at the palace gate, his gaze towards Huan Changming like a stagnant pool, devoid of any luster.
Seeing his dejected and downcast appearance, Huan Changming assumed that things must be going according to his plan.
He walked to Lu Pianpian's side with a gentle smile, and considerately took out a handkerchief to wipe the rain and blood off Lu Pianpian's face. "Why did you come back in the rain? You didn't even ask a palace servant to hold an umbrella for you."
Lu Pianpian remained silent, like a puppet being manipulated by him.
Huan Changming noticed that something was wrong with Lu Pianpian. After thinking for a moment, he disregarded the fact that Lu Pianpian was soaking wet, opened his arms, and gently embraced her.
He gently placed Lu Pianpian's head on his shoulder, making her lean on him, and said softly, "From now on, my side will be the only place you can rely on..."
Lu Pianpian stared blankly into the void. After a moment, he asked in a hoarse voice, "Why are you doing this to me?"
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 44
Outside the palace, the rain was sparse and the wind was strong, and the raindrops shattered the flowers and leaves, scattering them all over the garden. Thunder and lightning raged in the night sky, casting strange and surreal light inside the palace. The candles were suddenly blown out by the wind, and the palace became much darker in an instant.
Huan Changming took a few steps back. "How have I treated you? You asked me to save Huan Juntian, and I gave you the antidote so you could save him. He's been cured now and has survived."
He spoke with an incredibly gentle expression, but Lu Pianpian knew it was just a pretense, a trick to lure him in.
Lu Pianpian shoved him away, hysterically shouting, "But his cultivation is gone!"
"You tricked me into destroying his cultivation with my own hands! How could you do this!"
My junior brother is such a proud person. He lost the city, lost his status, and now his cultivation has been destroyed by his own hands. How painful it must be for him!
"Why do you have to take everything from him! He has no father! You've won, you're already the King, why do you still want me to take away his cultivation, why..."
Lu Pianpian collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted, as if all hope had been drained from her body, leaving her like a walking corpse.
"Lu Pianpian, since ancient times, only the victors are remembered! If I hadn't fought and scrambled, I would be in Huan Juntian's situation now! No, I would be even worse off than him—"
Huan Changming's facade of tenderness crumbled, and he reverted to his sinister and obsessive tyrannical self.
He grabbed Lu Pianpian's shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "At least he had you pleading for him on my behalf, but what about me? If I were in his shoes, the entire Li Kingdom would hate me, a foreigner! No one would plead for me; they'd rather I die!"
"So what if Huan Juntian has lost his cultivation? I spared his life; that's already showing him great mercy!"
Huan Changming was right; he spared Huan Juntian's life only because of Lu Pianpian. But Huan Juntian was a thorn in his side, and if he were to let Huan Juntian go unharmed, it would be tantamount to releasing a tiger back into the mountains, leaving himself with a hidden danger.
Therefore, crippling Huan Juntian's cultivation is the best solution. Without cultivation, Huan Juntian is like a tiger with its claws and teeth removed. Even if someone harbors resentment towards him, they won't be able to cause any trouble.
Lu Pianpian blamed herself for being too naive. She tried the antidote and sent it to her junior brother without thinking about the consequences, which harmed him.
How could someone as ruthless as Huan Changming let his junior brother go just because of a few weak pleas for mercy?
He made a foolish mistake, believing Huan Changming's lies once again.
His thoughts were written all over his face; he was too easy to guess.
Huan Changming said to him slowly, "That antidote only works on those poisoned by the demonic dragon. But then again, even if I told you that the antidote would prevent Huan Juntian from ever using spiritual power again, would you still refuse to give it to him?"
If he doesn't take it, his junior brother will die from the poison. If he does take it, his junior brother will lose his cultivation.
Lu Pianpian would prioritize saving her junior brother's life, but she wouldn't find out about it in this way.
Huan Changming was merely finding a nice excuse for his despicable methods.
"You're just using me... using the little trust I have in you to harm my junior brother and sow discord between us!"
"So what?" Huan Changming gripped Lu Pianpian's shoulders tightly and pulled her up from the ground. "I'm just using you. Who told you to be as stupid and gullible as ever!"
"Lu Pianpian, what do you plan to do? Will you kill me like you did on Flower Sleep Island?" Huan Changming smiled at Lu Pianpian, his exquisite face revealing an extreme allure. "But this time I won't give you that chance. Your father, your senior sister, your junior brother... all their lives are now in my hands. If I die, they will die with me! They will be buried with me!"
He grabbed Lu Pianpian's chin, forcing her to look at him. But Lu Pianpian's eyes were filled with darkness, and there was no trace of him in them.
An unnamed fire welled up in his chest. He picked up Lu Pianpian and roughly threw her onto the bed, then pressed his body against hers.
In the matter of Huan Juntian, he had already broken his principles for Lu Pianpian, showing exceptional leniency and sparing Huan Juntian's life. Yet Lu Pianpian still didn't take him seriously, and wasn't even slightly moved!
"Lu Shaoyan!" He leaned over Lu Pianpian, glaring at her. "Look at me!"
Lu Pianpian's eyes flickered, and then she looked at him as he wished, but Lu Pianpian's gaze only made him feel cold.
It felt as if he had been plunged into an abyss of ice, a chill running through his entire body.
That's not the look Huan Changming wanted.
He kissed Lu Pianpian's lips roughly, thrusting and ramming relentlessly between her lips and teeth, finally provoking a fierce resistance from Lu Pianpian, "Let go..."
It was only when Lu Pianpian confronted him that Huan Changming realized he was a real person, not a puppet doll whose soul had been sucked away.
What began as a rough probing gradually took a turn for the worse as Lu Pianpian resisted him. He grabbed Lu Pianpian's arms, pulled them above her head, and lifted her head up, temporarily releasing her lips.
Lu Pianpian's lips were ravaged by him until they turned a bright red, as if they would break if he sucked on them any longer.
Lu Pianpian's clothes were soaked through, clinging messily to the curves of his body. His waist was slender, his neck long and thin, and his white outer garment was so wet that it was transparent, revealing his jade-white skin. The hollow shape of his collarbone was particularly noticeable through the clothes.
Lu Pianpian felt Huan Changming's breathing become heavier and sensed the lust surging in his eyes. He belatedly realized that Huan Changming tonight would not be satisfied with just one kiss, and a sense of fear welled up in his heart. He began to struggle within Huan Changming's grasp.
Huan Changming was so engrossed in examining Lu Pianpian's body that he loosened his grip on her wrists, giving her an opportunity to take advantage.
He pushed Huan Changming away, turned over and got off the bed, but before his feet even touched the ground, he was pulled back onto the bed by the person behind him who grabbed his coat.
With a tearing sound, his coat was torn into two pieces in Huan Changming's hands and thrown hard to the ground.
Huan Changming pressed down on Lu Pianpian, his long, slender fingers untying the ribbons of her undergarment, his voice thick with lust, "Lu Pianpian, now you're thinking of running away? Too late..."
A sudden clap of thunder sounded outside the hall, and a torrential downpour began. The pure white crabapple blossoms were battered by the rain, falling to the ground and into the dirty mud. Their fragrance was buried, tainted by the smell of mud, and they became utterly desolate.
The next morning, the court officials waited in the main hall for more than an hour before the young emperor finally arrived.
Jingyi has now succeeded his father Jingyuan as prime minister, a position second only to the emperor.
As he bowed and kowtowed to the emperor on the dragon throne along with the courtiers, he caught a glimpse of the emperor's handsome face, radiant and full of spirit, with a hint of a smile on his lips. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly tried to hide it.
Huan Changming was indeed in a good mood today, and the atmosphere in the court was also much more relaxed than usual.
A minister dared to presume to propose a marriage before Huan Changming, saying, "Your Majesty, my daughter is of marriageable age. Since she met Prime Minister Jing by chance two years ago, she has secretly fallen in love with him. Now that Prime Minister Jing is still unmarried, I humbly request Your Majesty to grant my daughter a marriage agreement with Prime Minister Jing..."
In a time of open social customs, it was not uncommon for women to ask their parents to arrange marriages for them if they were interested in a man.
In addition, Jing Yi is outstanding in both talent and appearance, and is now the youngest prime minister in the history of the Li Kingdom. His future is immeasurable, and countless old ministers want to win him over as their son-in-law.
Huan Changming glanced at Jing Yi and, seeing that the other man looked somewhat caught off guard, said, "The matter of bestowing a marriage is of great importance. I feel that we should hear Prime Minister Jing's opinion."
"Your Majesty is right!" The minister walked up to Jing Yi with a smile and said, "Prime Minister Jing, you should have met my daughter. She is beautiful and talented in every way, and she is a perfect match for you!"
Jing Yi cupped his hands in thanks to him, “Thank you for your kindness, sir. Your daughter is naturally wonderful. However, my heart already belongs to another, and I will never change my mind in this lifetime…”
He had already said so much that, apart from the woman in his heart, the daughters of other ministers would have no chance either, thus giving up any hope of marrying their daughters to him.
The minister, having been publicly humiliated by Jingyi, couldn't afford to be angry. Instead, he took the opportunity to back down, praising Jingyi as "a truly devoted man" before retreating.
Huan Changming pursed his lips and slowly said, "When I was still a hidden dragon, it was Prime Minister Jing who was always by my side, supporting me, which is why I have achieved what I have today. I will always remember these favors."
Jingyi felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is too kind! Your Majesty is the chosen one of Heaven, and everything Your Majesty possesses is rightfully yours. I am unworthy of the word 'support'..."
"You have worked hard and made great contributions, and I will never forget it." Huan Changming said leisurely, then suddenly changed the subject, "I have been thinking about what to reward you with, but after listening to Jing Xiang's words just now, I realized that what Jing Xiang wants most is simply to be with his beloved forever. What's so difficult about that? I will definitely make Jing Xiang's wish come true!"
Jingyi's heart pounded like a drum, his eyes fixed on the young emperor on the throne. "Your Majesty... is what you said true?"
"My words are as good as gold, and naturally they are true." Huan Changming smiled lightly, "Moreover, when the late emperor was alive, he arranged a marriage between you and Qu Surou long ago. Although Qu Surou made a mistake, I will always remember the merits you made for me. How could I possibly break up your marriage and make you lose the person in your heart?"
Jingyi's face paled little by little under Huan Changming's words. "Then, Your Majesty, what do you intend to do?"
"Naturally, it's to bestow a marriage upon you and Qu Surou!" Huan Changming laughed heartily, clearly showing that he was considering Jingyi's best interests. "After court, you should take Qu Surou back to your residence, and I will choose an auspicious day to hold your wedding!"
Jing Yi remained silent for a long while, his expression frozen. The minister behind him nudged him and reminded him, "Lord Jing, why don't you hurry up and thank His Majesty for his great favor!"
Jing Yi forced an extremely ugly smile, and under Huan Changming's expectant gaze, he knelt down and kowtowed, "Your subject Jing Yi kneels to thank Your Majesty..."
The cell door was pulled open with a screech, and light shone in from outside, so bright that Qu Surou could hardly open her eyes.
The jailers came forward and removed her shackles, leaving only the ropes binding her hands and feet to suppress her spiritual power. She asked in confusion, "What are you doing? Are you planning to let me out?"
Would Huan Changming really be so kind as to let her go? Qu Surou didn't believe it from the bottom of her heart.
The jailers pulled her up from the ground without saying a word and took her outside the prison.
Jing Yi stood at the entrance of the imperial prison, wearing a vermilion official robe that swayed in the wind, truly deserving the description of a handsome and refined man.
The jailer brought Qu Surou before Jing Yi. "Lord Jing, the person has been brought here."
Jing Yi glanced at Qu Surou; her disheveled appearance was hardly that of a proper young lady.
He and Huan Changming were birds of a feather, and Qu Surou gave him a cold look whenever she saw him. "What do you want?"
Jingyi gestured to the jailer, "Take her into the carriage."
The woman before them was the future Prime Minister's wife, so the jailers dared not act recklessly and carefully led Qu Surou into the carriage accompanying Jingyi.
"Hey Jingyi! What exactly do you want to do!"
Jingyi followed closely behind and boarded the carriage, ordering the driver to drive towards the Prime Minister's residence.
Qu Surou asked him several questions, but he remained silent. When she got angry, she kicked Jing Yi with her bound legs, yelling, "What do you want to do by tying me up, you dog of a man!"