Neither of them dared to think any further, yet they felt they had done nothing wrong; they were simply following the prince's orders.
The burly man, who had been so tough and resentful, now forced a smile and said coldly, "Who are you trying to fool with this pitiful act? Don't think you can fool us by pretending to be pitiful. It's just a few lashes, it won't kill you! Don't try to fool us."
Luo Zhiheng shook her head with difficulty, her face displaying a myriad of emotions. In the end, she seemed to despise her own weakness, stubbornly clenching her teeth. A fierce glint resurfaced in her eyes, and her face returned to its previous ruthless state, glaring at them with a sinister look, as if she wished she could devour them alive! The hatred in her gaze was so intense, as if they had killed her family.
The two men were even more terrified. The burly man, unable to bear the sight, swung his whip again and lashed it hard across Luo Zhiheng's body. Once was enough, so he did it again. Feeling satisfied, the burly man cursed, "You wretch! You deserve to die! You killed so many of our brothers, even killing you wouldn't be unjust! Why are you so sentimental? You've caused the prince's condition to be very serious, who knows how he is now. You wretch, close your eyes!"
Luo Zhiheng's gaze was terrifying, almost suffocating. The burly man seemed intimidated by Luo Zhiheng, and the more frightened he was, the harder he hit her, inflicting more wounds on her body. Luo Zhiheng gritted her teeth and endured it, but suddenly, a whip struck her lower abdomen again. She couldn't hold back any longer and screamed, causing the two men to tremble once more.
This time, the two of them looked at Luo Zhiheng with surprise and doubt in their eyes.
Luo Zhiheng was tied to the frame, but her body seemed to be convulsing; she was spasming!
"What should we do? Are we really going to kill her?" the short man whispered anxiously again.
"N-nothing! She's just trying to trick us again. That witch is too cunning. Don't worry," the big man said through gritted teeth.
But this time, they both noticed something was wrong. It wasn't deception or any cunning scheme. Luo Zhiheng was convulsing, twitching, her whole body almost contorted together. She was bound, preventing her from shrinking back. Her face was pale, and the filthy marks on her skin were shockingly visible. She clenched her teeth, biting her lip tightly, her brows furrowed, as if she were enduring some immense pain.
That appearance was so real and terrifying!
Her stomach was churning violently, and Luo Zhiheng was genuinely frightened. This unfamiliar feeling tormented her with extreme terror, yet she also found it unbelievable. Even a severe external injury could cause pain, not this much? The feeling of falling was even more intense, and the pain made her want to cry! 1.
Suddenly, as if struck by a sudden realization, her face paled, her eyes flashed with a sharp light, her lips trembled, and a lump formed in her throat, but nothing came out. Her expression was one of idiocy and suspicious blankness. 17722635
She finally couldn't help but raise her head, looking weakly at the two men, her gaze seemingly pleading yet cold: "Let me go, or you'll regret it!"
"Ha, ha! Sorry, capturing you and torturing you were all on the Prince's orders. We only obey the Prince's orders, and there's nothing to regret!" the big man said with a forced smile.
Luo Zhiheng lowered her eyes, seemingly lost in thought, before coldly saying, "Release me now, and I might spare your lives. But if you don't release me now, the prince you've made so loyal to will certainly not let you off the hook later. It doesn't matter if you hurt me, Prince Mu doesn't care, but if you hurt anything else, I don't believe Prince Mu can calmly express his gratitude for your loyalty."
Both of them were stunned, and their unease grew. As Luo Zhiheng's face grew paler and her breath became weaker, they seemed to sense something, but they didn't understand what it was.
The short man tugged at the big man and whispered, "Judging from her current state, she can't escape. Why don't we go ask the prince first?"
"No, His Highness is currently undergoing treatment. How can we be distracted by this vixen? Besides, what could possibly happen to her? Look at her now; it's because she was beaten. Anyway, she's injured, so we can just stop hitting her for now. We'll wait for His Highness to arrive. As for her talk of regret and that His Highness won't let us off the hook, do you think that's possible? His Highness already hates Luo Zhiheng to death; he won't care whether she lives or dies." The burly man said sarcastically.
"Let's inform the Prince. I have a bad feeling about this." This time, the short man ignored the big man's advice and hurriedly headed outside.
How could Luo Zhiheng let them actually bring Prince Mu here! If they did, things would be even worse, and there would be no chance of leaving this place.
She hurriedly and weakly whispered, "Now that you've found Prince Mu, I guarantee you'll die a much more gruesome and faster death!"
The short man paused, his face turning pale as he looked at Luo Zhiheng. The burly man beside him also had a gloomy expression.
"What exactly do you mean? The prince will never care about your worthless life! Don't think too highly of yourself," the burly man sneered.
Luo Zhiheng looked weak, and with a barely audible laugh, she said, "Yes, I am a worthless life, I am worthless, and the Prince will not care whether I live or die. But..." She suddenly raised her head, her eyes bright like the will-o'-the-wisps of a ghost, dark, piercing, and extremely ferocious. Her ethereal voice was filled with cold-blooded violence as she said, "If you kill Prince Mu's first eldest grandson, do you think that narrow-minded and vindictive Prince Mu will treat you?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the expressions on the two men's faces changed drastically!
"What did you say?!" The two spoke almost simultaneously, even the tough-looking man's voice sounded trembling with panic.
Luo Zhiheng continued in a cold, ethereal voice, "Your two lashes could very well have killed your prince's own grandson! Did you hear me clearly? Your whip struck the belly that was carrying that little life. Now, I'm in so much pain, it's as if that little life is about to leave me. It hurts so much, it's more painful and terrifying than the whip you used on me!"
Her voice and expression sounded extremely abnormal, as if she had been driven to madness by a violent impulse. But the more she acted this way, the more real and terrifying it seemed!
The two people stood frozen in place, feeling a sense of terror and bewilderment they had never experienced before.
Killing the prince's eldest grandson—what a crime! It's a crime deserving of death and for which one cannot escape blame!
The prince may not have cared about the princess in the past, but that was then! Now, the prince clings to the only letter the princess has left, even willing to risk his life for it. The prince may not care about Mu Yunhe, but Mu Yunhe is the princess's only bloodline in this world, and his legitimate son at that. How could he truly not care?
Since ancestors are close, if there really is a little life in Luo Zhiheng's belly, that child will be born to call the prince "grandfather" or "grandpa".
The prince might not like Luo Zhiheng, which means he might also dislike Luo Zhiheng's child. But even if he doesn't, the child is still his grandson, and the prince has no reason not to care about or value him. Besides, what if the prince happens to like the child?
The two of them could hardly bear to think about it; they felt like they were on the verge of collapse. Had they unintentionally harmed the prince's grandson?
"Impossible! You must be lying. In the middle of the night, you rode your horse to the villa to set fire and kill. If you really had a child, would you dare to be so brazen? Your actions could have killed the child. If riding your horse didn't kill the child, how could my two lashes have taken his life? You're just lying; you just want us to release you! This is your scheme!" the burly man suddenly shouted angrily.
If it weren't for his trembling body, pale face, and fear in his eyes, Luo Zhiheng would have really thought... he didn't believe her at all.
Unfortunately, he was so scared, and she was in so much pain!
"Deceive me? Do you think I would lie to you about my own child? Do you think I didn't let you go to the Prince? It's because if you did, you'd be doomed! This child is the grandson the Princess has always longed for. If I tell the Prince that this child is the one the Princess has been waiting for and that she loves dearly, do you think he would treat the child well, given the Princess's current feelings for me? Even if he hates me a thousand times, he'll probably still have people take good care of me and make sure I give birth smoothly, right? Maybe the Prince will even cherish this child like a precious jewel! After all, besides that letter, this child is the only thing the Prince and Princess can share memories with! Or do you think you're more important to the Prince than the Princess?"
Luo Zhiheng was really weak; she was already panting and about to collapse after only saying those few words.
But the two men heard every word she said, and that's what terrified them even more. They panicked instantly, not knowing what to do. Their only hope now was that Luo Zhiheng wasn't pregnant, so they wouldn't have to die.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
Luo Zhiheng, who was tied to the frame, did not have both feet completely on the ground; one foot was raised, which made the bloodstains flowing down her legs even clearer and more obvious.
She was wearing a bright red dress, so a little blood wouldn't normally be noticeable. But now, there was a trickle of blood dripping from her feet. It wasn't a pool of blood like in a miscarriage, but it was precisely this slow, steady flow that made it all the more terrifying and horrifying!
Blood! It really is bleeding!
They knew the blood wasn't from Luo Zhiheng, because it was flowing down her ankle and dripping onto the ground.
A moment of silence fell over the room, and everyone's breathing became heavy.
Luo Zhiheng seemed to fall into despair instantly, her body slumped against the frame, her expression blank as she stared at the ground. After a long while, she suddenly forced a desolate yet crazed smile, abruptly raising her head, her gaze fierce, and uttered each word in a chilling, sinister tone: "You...killed...my...child!!"
The two men were stunned by Luo Zhiheng's gaze, gasping in shock. For a long time, they were speechless with terror. Then, the shorter man, trembling under Luo Zhiheng's deadly gaze, said, "No, maybe there's still hope! I saw how my mother miscarried my brother; the blood gushed out all at once. It's not like this, it's not like this! Maybe there's still hope!"
His words seemed to give Luo Zhiheng hope. Her expression froze for a moment, then returned to a pleading look, choking back tears as she pleaded urgently, "Really? Then please put me down quickly! My child, this child absolutely cannot be lost! If it can be saved, it must be saved! Please, I beg you! I'm guilty, please punish me, Your Highness. I really can't run away like this. Let me go; binding me like this is so painful. My stomach hurts so much! My child, please save my child! As long as this child is still alive, I promise I won't pursue the matter. No matter what, as long as you help me save my child, I promise I won't make things difficult for you. I will even beg Your Highness to spare you and not harm your families. The young prince will also certainly not blame you for hurting me!"
The two men were clearly moved, but the big man still refused to give in. This time, the short man, however, did not listen to the big man and hurriedly ran over, trembling, and said, "Don't worry, little princess, we will definitely save the child. I'll put you down."
"OK……"
First update! Haha, early today, right? One more update to go! Huasha will keep working hard! Please support Huasha, my darlings! Leave lots of comments, please vote, please leave comments, please give monthly tickets! Group kisses!
402 A clever counterattack, ruthless and decisive! (Bonus chapter for 29,500 comments)
Updated: 2013-10-23 13:30:57 Word Count: 3368
Luo Zhiheng responded weakly in a soft voice, and in the flickering light, a strange light seemed to rise from her eyes.
The short man didn't notice anything amiss, focusing only on frantically untying the ropes. But the more anxious he became, the more chaotic things got. In desperation, he hurriedly called out to the burly man standing nearby, "Come and help! Do you really want to see the prince's grandson die?"
"I still believe this woman is lying!" the burly man said stubbornly, though he lacked confidence.
The short man roared in exasperation, "What nonsense are you spouting! Even if she's lying, she's already been beaten up like this by you. What good would it do to let her go? Are you afraid she'll run away? Is that all the confidence you have in yourself? Come help me, or it will really be too late."
The burly man was undoubtedly persuaded, and gritted his teeth as he stepped forward. The two of them together lowered Luo Zhiheng down. However, Luo Zhiheng was too weak; as soon as the ropes were untied, she went limp and collapsed forward. The shorter man hurriedly helped her up, muttering "Excuse me," and placed the nude photo on a nearby stool.
"I'll go inform the Prince right away." The short man put Luo Zhiheng down and hurried away.
Luo Zhiheng said weakly, "His Highness is currently very angry and I'm afraid he won't see me easily. He might even think I'm lying, which would be detrimental to you. I, Luo Zhiheng, will never forget your help today. Anyway, I'm half-dead now, and I don't even know if I can keep this child. What if I can't..."
She choked up as she spoke, seemingly unable to continue, her eyes reddening with distress.
Those two weren't having an easy time either. If the child really couldn't be saved, they would both be killed along with it, and it might even implicate their innocent families. In an instant, their hearts turned cold.
Luo Zhiheng pushed her emotions to their peak, and said in a desperate tone, "If we really can't save this child, then I won't blame anyone else. It's my own fault for being so foolish and reckless, harming this innocent little life. But I am a mother, and I just want to do everything I can to protect this child. So please, could you find a doctor to take a look at him first? Maybe there's hope? If we go to the Prince first, I'm afraid his anger will not subside, and it will implicate you, and the child will be harmed because of the hasty decision."
“If we can find a doctor to treat me as quickly as possible, maybe this child can be saved. Even if the prince is angry, he won’t be too angry and implicate you if the child is saved. And I will have protected my child. If I can’t save the child, then I, Luo Zhiheng, will definitely not implicate you. Let’s just pretend that this child never came.”
Luo Zhiheng was very loyal and righteous, and although she looked calm, she actually gave off a feeling of despair, making it impossible for anyone to refuse her suggestion.
She genuinely wanted to save the child as soon as possible, regardless of her true thoughts, but her love for the child was undeniable.
The two men were also moved, but the big man clearly still didn't quite trust Luo Zhiheng. Luo Zhiheng didn't care, she just looked at the short man.
The short man wiped his face hard and nodded hurriedly, saying, "The little princess is right. Saving the child is the priority. I'll go find a doctor right now and then talk to the prince. You must hold on."
After saying that, the short man ran out and disappeared like a gust of wind.
The burly man who had been brutally beating Luo Zhiheng was scrutinizing her with a strange look, a mixture of wariness, suspicion, and complex disgust and worry. His only concern was probably whether he himself would survive. Zhiheng was suddenly caught off guard.
Luo Zhiheng lay weakly on the table, seemingly oblivious to the burly man, but her hand rested on her lower abdomen, gently undulating, and painful groans escaped her lips.
She looked genuinely in great pain, which eased the burly man's tension somewhat, but he still dared not let his guard down easily. The prince had warned him that Luo Zhiheng was cunning and treacherous; he had to be careful!
Time ticked by, but Luo Zhiheng made no other move. She lay weakly on the table, her breathing barely audible. Blood continued to flow intermittently from beneath her, a constant reminder that this woman truly couldn't save the child. The burly man also began to feel agitated and uneasy.
Anxiety is a driving force that makes a person panic and unable to calm down. The big man's breathing gradually became impatient and heavy. He even started to get anxious, pacing back and forth in the room and frequently checking the door to see why the doctor hadn't been brought yet.
A cold, murderous smile appeared on Luo Zhiheng's pale face, mockery etched on her disheveled appearance. She gently lifted her head from her arm, watching the tall figure pacing uneasily, unable to focus his attention entirely on her, his attention more on the situation outside.
Perhaps he was also afraid that Prince Mu might suddenly arrive?
We must not be careless, we must not be careless!
When she finally regained some strength, and when it was quiet outside for a short while after the dwarf left, Luo Zhiheng was finally certain that the dwarf had indeed listened to her and gone to find the doctor instead of the prince first. And now that she finally had some strength, she slowly reached for the whip on the table beside her.
She rose like a ghost, trying to control her swaying body and suppressing her breathing to avoid giving herself away. Despite her current state of disarray and pain, killing was something she had been doing since she was thirteen, so she wasn't afraid!
Besides, the person in front of her was a bastard who dared to abuse her!
Kill! Kill without mercy!!
She walked lightly behind the person, almost without making a sound. The wind howled outside, sounding mournful like a death knell, eagerly cheering for the dying soul, overjoyed at the prospect of possessing a spirit. 17722635
When she finally stood behind the burly man, she gripped the not-so-long whip tightly in both hands, and then, unexpectedly and suddenly, she raised it quickly, across the man's head, and precisely and ruthlessly strangled his neck as he kept looking out. She pulled hard, tightened, and twisted it, preventing the man from making a sound.
She kicked the man's shin with her small feet, and pulled him backward with all her might. The man fell backward, and because he couldn't keep his balance, he fell completely to the ground. Seeing the opportunity, Luo Zhiheng immediately dragged the man backward, but the strength she had accumulated in that short time was almost completely used up by these few simple movements.
The man, strong and powerful, was still struggling desperately. Although he couldn't breathe or speak, he could still move his hands and kick his legs forcefully. He reached back to grab Luo Zhiheng's hair and face, but unfortunately, he was caught and pulled hard. His bulging eyes stared intently at Luo Zhiheng, filled with resentment, fear, anger, and regret!
At this moment, the man finally realized he had been tricked! Despite his caution, he had still been deceived by this woman. She was indeed cunning!
Just a moment ago, he was in control of Luo Zhiheng's life, but now, this Luo Zhiheng, who was clearly already extremely weak, has suddenly risen up and is demanding his life! This woman is too terrifying. In such a short time and in such a tense and frightening environment, she can still come up with such quick thinking.
Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets!
Luo Zhiheng had no strength left, and she didn't care about the painful tugging on her hair. All she knew was to hold on to the whip tightly and not let go, to strangle him! She had to strangle him to death!
She twisted the rope again, putting in all her strength, but the man was incredibly strong. Luo Zhiheng was panting heavily. Her gaze fell on the weapon rack to the side, just two or three steps away from her, where there were swords and knives!
But the distance is too great; she can't reach it, and she can't let go. If she does, the man might immediately retaliate, and then she'll really have no advantage at all.
Luo Zhiheng felt a chill run down her spine; this was the first time she had ever been in such a desperate and helpless situation. "Lord Mu, we've made a huge grudge!"