You Are the Cruel One (Part Three)
There was an uproar among the crowd, as Ning ChengZhi finally spoke his true feelings.
Gu ShuBai stood up to leave his seat but was quietly pulled back by Gu HuaiJiang, “Sit down.”
He looked at Gu HuaiJiang in disbelief. He did not understand what he was feeling when he gave that order, nor did he know what he was feeling when facing His Majesty, who was basically asking for her hand in marriage.
Since ancient times, marriage had been decided by the parents and matchmakers. The person present with the greatest right to decide this was Gu HuaiJiang, thus everyone turned to look at him.
Just as Gu HuaiJiang was about to stand up, he suddenly saw a figure next to him stand up. It was Ji DaoGong.
It was Ji DaoGong, the one who never spoke up for his own selfish desires. He very rarely took the initiative to voice his opinion. The previous time, it had been after the late emperor was assassinated, and he had taken control of the situation. This was just the second time.
He ran his fingers through his beard and said with a smile: “Since today is new year’s eve, could it be that Your Majesty drank too much? The late emperor personally sanctioned the engagement between Princess ZhenJiang and Marquis Gu’s heir. At that time, the Deity of Medicine was also present. Princess Zhenjiang is already engaged, so how could she become empress?”
The corner of Yin Shuo’s mouth twitched, and he took a sip of tea while feigning ignorance to what was happening around him.
Even Ji DaoGong had spoken up. Who knew if His Majesty would give him face?
Ning ChengZhi was shocked by Ji DaoGong’s unusual behavior, but he refused to relent, “Already engaged does not mean already married. More importantly, after the late emperor engaged them, they did not exchange gifts. How can they be considered engaged?”
“Your Majesty, with an imperial decree, there is no need to go through the usual customs of exchanging…”
“We don’t care!”
Ning ChengZhi waved his broad sleeves, and a fierce expression appeared on his face, “If We say it doesn’t count, it doesn’t count. Ji DaoGong, are you opposing this decree?”
Ji DaoGong was stunned, and Gu HuaiJiang immediately stood up, “Your Majesty must not be so unreasonable. Lord Ji is a senior official who has served in three different courts. Not even the late emperor dared to address him by his given name. How can Your Majesty act like this?”
Ning ChengZhi coldly snorted and did not give Gu HuaiJiang any face, “Based on what Marquis Gu is saying, because We ascended the throne at a young age, and most of the officials in court are Our seniors, We must be respectful to all of them? Or do you hope that We will show respect to you like when We were a prince?”
“This subject does not dare.”
Gu HuaiJiang cupped his hands and bowed. Ning ChengZhi did not react, as a contemptuous smile appeared on his face.
He refused to accept Gu HuaiJiang’s plea. Could it be that he would only accept it if Gu HuaiJiang kneeled?
Gu HuaiJiang stepped forward from his seat, and Yu Fu strode over, stopping Gu HuaiJiang, who was about to kneel. She quietly said: “Head general, you must not! Not even the late emperor had you perform such a grand salute. How can you…”
Gu HuaiJiang said: “If kneeling will allow you and ShuBai to have a good outcome, as a father, why should I not do it?”
“Of course, you can’t!”
Yu Fu turned around and walked back up, speaking in a clear voice, “Who said that the heir and I didn’t exchange gifts?”
She walked toward Gu ShuBai and removed a pouch from her hip. She was thankful that she had brought this with her, as it would see use in this situation.
Opening the pouch, there were two pieces of jade inside. Looking carefully, they were multi-colored gems.
One person wildly exclaimed, “Isn’t that the multi-colored gem that heralds victory and is found on the border with Western Kun?”
“That’s right. Back then, Princess ZhenJiang gifted a small piece to the late emperor, and the late emperor loved it dearly. The multi-colored gems are so hard to find, so it’s hard to believe that there are two pieces of such a large size!”
Yu Fu said: “The multi-colored gem that I gifted the late emperor was found by the head general in Zhu Mountain. The two pieces of jade that I currently have were found on Zhu Mountain after I rushed to the border to treat the poisoning that they had suffered from. Not only does it symbolize victory, but it also symbolizes the soul of the Gu family’s army. This was the gift exchanged between him and me.”
She placed one piece in Gu ShuBai’s hand. The piece of jade carried some of the warmth from her palm, and warmed his heart.
He looked down at it carefully. The multi-colored jadestone that they had found back then was the size of a chicken egg, but these two stones were much smaller. He could not help but quietly say: “You actually cut the multi-colored gem like this. Where is the rest?”
Yu Fu whispered, “There are another six pieces. One piece was given to head general and each of the elder brothers. The multi-colored gem symbolizes victory, so no matter which one of you goes onto the battlefield, you will surely return home safely.”
It turned out that every member of the family had one, yet Yu Fu had presented it as an engagement gift, and this actually managed to stump Ning ChengZhi.
She… She actually exchanged engagement gifts with another man in front of him?
The two were speaking as if there was nobody else present. It looked as if Ning ChengZhi’s eyes were about to spew flames.
He wanted to have Gu ShuBai killed in the same way as Liu RuYi. As long as Gu ShuBai died, Yu Fu’s engagement would be annulled.
It was at this moment that Yin Shuo gave him a look.
Gu ShuBai was not Liu RuYi and could not be killed.
At the very least, he could not be killed right now.
Gu HuaiJiang had given up a portion of his army, but the Gu family’s army was still present. Nobody in Eastern Ling was capable of standing up against the strongest army.
Ning ChengZhi was the new ruler, and his rule was not yet stable. If he wanted to have the young general of the Gu family’s army killed, it would surely cause them to revolt.
He could not take this risk.
He angrily sat down, “Fine, since that’s the case, have Liu RuYi dragged out and decapitated!”
From 50 strikes to white silk to decapitation, Ning ChengZhi’s anger continued to escalate. Unfortunately for the unconscious Liu RuYi, she had absorbed all of his anger.
How could Yu Fu not know that Liu RuYi was suffering because of her and Gu ShuBai?
“Your Majesty,” She said: “Liu RuYi’s guilt is not worthy of death. Is Your Majesty truly unwilling to forgive her?”
Ning ChengZhi’s gaze landed squarely on her, “We already said it. As longa s you are willing to become Our empress, We would surely give face to Our empress and not kill Liu RuYi.”
Gu ShuBai’s pupils slightly contracted, as he clenched the multi-colored gem in his hand.
Yu Fu was kindhearted. Though she was an immortal practitioner of poison, she had the heart of a doctor. She would not be willing to watch an innocent person die on her behalf.
To save Liu RuYi, she had to become empress. If she did not become empress, Liu RuYi would die…
Everyone’s gaze was focused on Yu Fu, as they waited to see what she would choose. For others, the position of empress was lofty and unattainable, but this was clearly not the case for her.
Would she agree to Ning ChengZhi’s condition to save one person’s life?
Yu Fu suddenly smiled. Her charming dimples were so sweet that they were moving.
She stood in the middle of the hall in her plain dress. To her side stood a man more handsome than Pan Yue, yet even that was suppressed by the beauty of her smile.*
The entire hall was filled with splendor and magnificence, yet only she shone as bright as the moonlight.
Her cherry-red lips parted, “Then- just let her die.”
It was such a cruel sentence, yet Yin Shuo nearly spat out his tea from laughing. Ning ChengZhi shot a displeased glance at him.
Yin Shuo wiped the corners of his mouth and smiled apologetically.
Liu Zhen, who was kneeling on the ground, looked at Yu Fu in disbelief. With a trembling hand, he pointed at her, “Princess, how can you be so cruel?! Though my daughter has offended you, this is still a life! You could occupy the supremely noble seat of the empress and save my daughter’s life at the same time. Why would you not take it?”
Seeing Yu Fu ignore him, he decided to start kowtowing toward Yu Fu, “Princess, this subject begs you. This subject is begging you! This subject begs you to save my daughter’s life!”
Thunk, thunk, thunk, the sound reverberated in the hall, and blood spilled forth, dyeing Yu Fu’s embroidered shoes red.
Meng Fei frowned and was about to move forward to stop him, but Eunuch Chi stopped him.
“Commander, don’t go. His Majesty has not permitted you to go.”
Meng Fei opened his mouth in shock. He only understood Eunuch Chi’s intention after a while, and he slowly returned to his original spot.
Blood being spilled in the imperial palace on new year’s eve was an ill omen.
The officials frowned, as some began trying to persuade Yu Fu, “Princess, just agree to His Majesty’s idea! Princess is capable and virtuous, and you have a noble status. Only you are worthy of advising His Majesty!”
“That’s right, princess, just agree with his Majesty. Only with you becoming empress can we feel at ease!”
Capable, virtuous, and possessing noble status, all of it was bullshit.
Gu ShuBai coldly watched from the side. The officials that were pleading with Yu Fu all looked away in shame when he looked at them.
Pleading with his fiancee to marry another man in front of him, these officials sure were good. They sure were two-faced.
He knew deep down that these people were either trying to curry favor with Ning ChengZhi or understood Yu Fu’s personality and hoped that she would be able to make Ning ChengZhi a virtuous ruler.
Liu Zhen continued to kowtow without any sign of stopping.
Yu Fu finally bent down, and everyone held their breaths…
Leaning over, she pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the blood from her shoe.
Liu Zhen raised his head in a daze. Yu Fu faced his bloodied forehead and did not feel any guilt, “Lord Liu, you’re kowtowing to the wrong person. The one who wants to kill young miss Liu is His Majesty. How is this related to me?”
Liu Zhen: “But…”
“But as long as I agree to His Majesty’s conditions, young miss Liu would be spared. Young miss Liu bullied me back then, so why should I give up on a life of happiness for that sort of person? I have pleaded to His Majesty for her life, and I have done my best. Why should I sacrifice my happiness for her?”
Liu Zhen: “How… How can you be so cruel and not save someone when you can?”
“The cruel one is you, Lord Liu.”
Yu Fu raised her head and looked at him with contempt from the corner of her eyes, “Back when young miss Liu was sentenced to not be allowed into the palace, I did not see you beg to such a degree. Today, Lord Liu kowtowed to the point of bloodying your forehead, was it for the sake of saving young miss Liu’s life or for the sake of currying favor with His Majesty?!”
*TN: Pan Yue was a poet known for his good looks. It was such that his name became a byword for handsome men.
You Are the Cruel One (Part Three)
There was an uproar among the crowd, as Ning ChengZhi finally spoke his true feelings.
Gu ShuBai stood up to leave his seat but was quietly pulled back by Gu HuaiJiang, “Sit down.”
He looked at Gu HuaiJiang in disbelief. He did not understand what he was feeling when he gave that order, nor did he know what he was feeling when facing His Majesty, who was basically asking for her hand in marriage.
Since ancient times, marriage had been decided by the parents and matchmakers. The person present with the greatest right to decide this was Gu HuaiJiang, thus everyone turned to look at him.
Just as Gu HuaiJiang was about to stand up, he suddenly saw a figure next to him stand up. It was Ji DaoGong.
It was Ji DaoGong, the one who never spoke up for his own selfish desires. He very rarely took the initiative to voice his opinion. The previous time, it had been after the late emperor was assassinated, and he had taken control of the situation. This was just the second time.
He ran his fingers through his beard and said with a smile: “Since today is new year’s eve, could it be that Your Majesty drank too much? The late emperor personally sanctioned the engagement between Princess ZhenJiang and Marquis Gu’s heir. At that time, the Deity of Medicine was also present. Princess Zhenjiang is already engaged, so how could she become empress?”
The corner of Yin Shuo’s mouth twitched, and he took a sip of tea while feigning ignorance to what was happening around him.
Even Ji DaoGong had spoken up. Who knew if His Majesty would give him face?
Ning ChengZhi was shocked by Ji DaoGong’s unusual behavior, but he refused to relent, “Already engaged does not mean already married. More importantly, after the late emperor engaged them, they did not exchange gifts. How can they be considered engaged?”
“Your Majesty, with an imperial decree, there is no need to go through the usual customs of exchanging…”
“We don’t care!”
Ning ChengZhi waved his broad sleeves, and a fierce expression appeared on his face, “If We say it doesn’t count, it doesn’t count. Ji DaoGong, are you opposing this decree?”
Ji DaoGong was stunned, and Gu HuaiJiang immediately stood up, “Your Majesty must not be so unreasonable. Lord Ji is a senior official who has served in three different courts. Not even the late emperor dared to address him by his given name. How can Your Majesty act like this?”
Ning ChengZhi coldly snorted and did not give Gu HuaiJiang any face, “Based on what Marquis Gu is saying, because We ascended the throne at a young age, and most of the officials in court are Our seniors, We must be respectful to all of them? Or do you hope that We will show respect to you like when We were a prince?”
“This subject does not dare.”
Gu HuaiJiang cupped his hands and bowed. Ning ChengZhi did not react, as a contemptuous smile appeared on his face.
He refused to accept Gu HuaiJiang’s plea. Could it be that he would only accept it if Gu HuaiJiang kneeled?
Gu HuaiJiang stepped forward from his seat, and Yu Fu strode over, stopping Gu HuaiJiang, who was about to kneel. She quietly said: “Head general, you must not! Not even the late emperor had you perform such a grand salute. How can you…”
Gu HuaiJiang said: “If kneeling will allow you and ShuBai to have a good outcome, as a father, why should I not do it?”
“Of course, you can’t!”
Yu Fu turned around and walked back up, speaking in a clear voice, “Who said that the heir and I didn’t exchange gifts?”
She walked toward Gu ShuBai and removed a pouch from her hip. She was thankful that she had brought this with her, as it would see use in this situation.
Opening the pouch, there were two pieces of jade inside. Looking carefully, they were multi-colored gems.
One person wildly exclaimed, “Isn’t that the multi-colored gem that heralds victory and is found on the border with Western Kun?”
“That’s right. Back then, Princess ZhenJiang gifted a small piece to the late emperor, and the late emperor loved it dearly. The multi-colored gems are so hard to find, so it’s hard to believe that there are two pieces of such a large size!”
Yu Fu said: “The multi-colored gem that I gifted the late emperor was found by the head general in Zhu Mountain. The two pieces of jade that I currently have were found on Zhu Mountain after I rushed to the border to treat the poisoning that they had suffered from. Not only does it symbolize victory, but it also symbolizes the soul of the Gu family’s army. This was the gift exchanged between him and me.”
She placed one piece in Gu ShuBai’s hand. The piece of jade carried some of the warmth from her palm, and warmed his heart.
He looked down at it carefully. The multi-colored jadestone that they had found back then was the size of a chicken egg, but these two stones were much smaller. He could not help but quietly say: “You actually cut the multi-colored gem like this. Where is the rest?”
Yu Fu whispered, “There are another six pieces. One piece was given to head general and each of the elder brothers. The multi-colored gem symbolizes victory, so no matter which one of you goes onto the battlefield, you will surely return home safely.”
It turned out that every member of the family had one, yet Yu Fu had presented it as an engagement gift, and this actually managed to stump Ning ChengZhi.
She… She actually exchanged engagement gifts with another man in front of him?
The two were speaking as if there was nobody else present. It looked as if Ning ChengZhi’s eyes were about to spew flames.
He wanted to have Gu ShuBai killed in the same way as Liu RuYi. As long as Gu ShuBai died, Yu Fu’s engagement would be annulled.
It was at this moment that Yin Shuo gave him a look.
Gu ShuBai was not Liu RuYi and could not be killed.
At the very least, he could not be killed right now.
Gu HuaiJiang had given up a portion of his army, but the Gu family’s army was still present. Nobody in Eastern Ling was capable of standing up against the strongest army.
Ning ChengZhi was the new ruler, and his rule was not yet stable. If he wanted to have the young general of the Gu family’s army killed, it would surely cause them to revolt.
He could not take this risk.
He angrily sat down, “Fine, since that’s the case, have Liu RuYi dragged out and decapitated!”
From 50 strikes to white silk to decapitation, Ning ChengZhi’s anger continued to escalate. Unfortunately for the unconscious Liu RuYi, she had absorbed all of his anger.
How could Yu Fu not know that Liu RuYi was suffering because of her and Gu ShuBai?
“Your Majesty,” She said: “Liu RuYi’s guilt is not worthy of death. Is Your Majesty truly unwilling to forgive her?”
Ning ChengZhi’s gaze landed squarely on her, “We already said it. As longa s you are willing to become Our empress, We would surely give face to Our empress and not kill Liu RuYi.”
Gu ShuBai’s pupils slightly contracted, as he clenched the multi-colored gem in his hand.
Yu Fu was kindhearted. Though she was an immortal practitioner of poison, she had the heart of a doctor. She would not be willing to watch an innocent person die on her behalf.
To save Liu RuYi, she had to become empress. If she did not become empress, Liu RuYi would die…
Everyone’s gaze was focused on Yu Fu, as they waited to see what she would choose. For others, the position of empress was lofty and unattainable, but this was clearly not the case for her.
Would she agree to Ning ChengZhi’s condition to save one person’s life?
Yu Fu suddenly smiled. Her charming dimples were so sweet that they were moving.
She stood in the middle of the hall in her plain dress. To her side stood a man more handsome than Pan Yue, yet even that was suppressed by the beauty of her smile.*
The entire hall was filled with splendor and magnificence, yet only she shone as bright as the moonlight.
Her cherry-red lips parted, “Then- just let her die.”
It was such a cruel sentence, yet Yin Shuo nearly spat out his tea from laughing. Ning ChengZhi shot a displeased glance at him.
Yin Shuo wiped the corners of his mouth and smiled apologetically.
Liu Zhen, who was kneeling on the ground, looked at Yu Fu in disbelief. With a trembling hand, he pointed at her, “Princess, how can you be so cruel?! Though my daughter has offended you, this is still a life! You could occupy the supremely noble seat of the empress and save my daughter’s life at the same time. Why would you not take it?”
Seeing Yu Fu ignore him, he decided to start kowtowing toward Yu Fu, “Princess, this subject begs you. This subject is begging you! This subject begs you to save my daughter’s life!”
Thunk, thunk, thunk, the sound reverberated in the hall, and blood spilled forth, dyeing Yu Fu’s embroidered shoes red.
Meng Fei frowned and was about to move forward to stop him, but Eunuch Chi stopped him.
“Commander, don’t go. His Majesty has not permitted you to go.”
Meng Fei opened his mouth in shock. He only understood Eunuch Chi’s intention after a while, and he slowly returned to his original spot.
Blood being spilled in the imperial palace on new year’s eve was an ill omen.
The officials frowned, as some began trying to persuade Yu Fu, “Princess, just agree to His Majesty’s idea! Princess is capable and virtuous, and you have a noble status. Only you are worthy of advising His Majesty!”
“That’s right, princess, just agree with his Majesty. Only with you becoming empress can we feel at ease!”
Capable, virtuous, and possessing noble status, all of it was bullshit.
Gu ShuBai coldly watched from the side. The officials that were pleading with Yu Fu all looked away in shame when he looked at them.
Pleading with his fiancee to marry another man in front of him, these officials sure were good. They sure were two-faced.
He knew deep down that these people were either trying to curry favor with Ning ChengZhi or understood Yu Fu’s personality and hoped that she would be able to make Ning ChengZhi a virtuous ruler.
Liu Zhen continued to kowtow without any sign of stopping.
Yu Fu finally bent down, and everyone held their breaths…
Leaning over, she pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the blood from her shoe.
Liu Zhen raised his head in a daze. Yu Fu faced his bloodied forehead and did not feel any guilt, “Lord Liu, you’re kowtowing to the wrong person. The one who wants to kill young miss Liu is His Majesty. How is this related to me?”
Liu Zhen: “But…”
“But as long as I agree to His Majesty’s conditions, young miss Liu would be spared. Young miss Liu bullied me back then, so why should I give up on a life of happiness for that sort of person? I have pleaded to His Majesty for her life, and I have done my best. Why should I sacrifice my happiness for her?”
Liu Zhen: “How… How can you be so cruel and not save someone when you can?”
“The cruel one is you, Lord Liu.”
Yu Fu raised her head and looked at him with contempt from the corner of her eyes, “Back when young miss Liu was sentenced to not be allowed into the palace, I did not see you beg to such a degree. Today, Lord Liu kowtowed to the point of bloodying your forehead, was it for the sake of saving young miss Liu’s life or for the sake of currying favor with His Majesty?!”
*TN: Pan Yue was a poet known for his good looks. It was such that his name became a byword for handsome men.
