Chapter 868: The Young Empress (5)

 

Chapter 868: The Young Empress (5)

Crack!

Crack!

The sound of the whip striking flesh echoed intermittently through the courtyard, accompanied by Yin Qiu's muffled groans.

His arms were pinned behind his back by two highly skilled women, leaving him completely unable to resist.

Even if he wanted to fight back, he didn't dare.

Within the Moon Prince's Estate, he was merely one of the foolish prince's attendants.

If he showed even the slightest disrespect toward the Moon Prince, there was no telling how the late emperor's loyal retainers would punish him.

Hatred for this fool burned fiercely within his heart.

Yet on the surface, he maintained an expression of pitiful misery and stubborn dignity.

Watching his delicate, heart-wrenching appearance, Tang Nuoyue sneered inwardly.

She almost wanted to laugh.

From the very beginning, Yin Qiu's greatest weapon had been his tragic background and his ability to inspire sympathy.

Back then, after hearing about his circumstances, she had genuinely pitied him.

Although he had never been her favorite, she had treated him exceptionally well.

And what had she received in return?

When Xiao Jin's blade pierced her heart, the only thing she saw on Yin Qiu's face was ridicule.

Mockery.

Contempt.

The words he spoke had cut even deeper than the sword.

"What are you, exactly, that you deserve this young master's affection?"

"If it weren't for our grand plans, why would I ever lower myself to be with you?"

"You foolish woman."

At the time, she hadn't been able to see her own expression.

But she imagined her eyes must have been bulging in disbelief.

She must have looked utterly ridiculous.

She was foolish.

She was naïve.

And after dying once because of it, she understood herself better than ever.

Yes, she was foolish.

Yes, she was selfish.

But wasn't that simply human nature?

She was an ordinary person.

She possessed no lofty virtues.

Being schemed against and killed in her previous life had happened because she was stupid.

Because she was blind.

Because she failed to see through people's hearts.

In a way, she had brought it upon herself.

This time, however, she would only choose the path most beneficial to herself.

And while she was at it...

She would take revenge.

Since heaven had given her another chance, she absolutely refused to waste it.

These damned men.

She would settle every last account with them.

As for love?

What kind of nonsense was that?

These men had already taught her exactly what love was.

A completely useless thing.

A thing capable of getting people killed.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

The harder the whip landed.

The blows grew heavier and heavier.

Eventually, Yin Qiu passed out from the pain.

Yet Tang Nuoyue continued smiling foolishly as she whipped his limp body.

“Yin Qiu! Yin Qiu!”

She pouted dramatically.

“Why are you sleeping?”

“Wake up and play!”

“Come play with this prince!”

“Wake up and play with me!”

“Come keep me company!”

Then she suddenly burst into exaggerated sobs.

“Waaah... Yin Qiu doesn't want to play with me anymore!”

“Yin Qiu, hurry up and get up!”

The servants assigned to Tang Nuoyue by the late emperor naturally obeyed her every whim.

Without hesitation, one of them turned and fetched a bucket of cold water, clearly intending to wake Yin Qiu by dumping it over him.

Tang Nuoyue had anticipated exactly this reaction.

If she hadn't been so stupid in her previous life...

If she hadn't allowed herself to be charmed by those men...

If she hadn't handed control of the late emperor's loyal experts over to them...

If she hadn't let them use those people to carry messages and frame the Empress...

Then perhaps things would never have ended the way they did.

With the Empress's intelligence and abilities, those men would never have succeeded so easily.

The problem had always been her.

Her stupidity.

Her foolishness.

Even these loyal retainers had ended up becoming tools for those men's schemes.

So now, as she watched them prepare to splash Yin Qiu awake, excitement surged through her heart.

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

Just then, a gentle voice interrupted the scene.

“Your Highness, Yin Qiu is exhausted and has fallen asleep.”

“Why don't I play with you instead?”

The moment she heard that voice, Tang Nuoyue nearly exploded with excitement inside.

This was perfect.

If she wasn't going looking for him, he had delivered himself right to her doorstep.

In that case...

She wouldn't be polite.

Maintaining her silly grin, Tang Nuoyue swung her whip lazily and turned toward the newcomer.

Her eyes locked directly onto Shan Ge.

The Prince Consort of this body.

The man she had once trusted.

The man who had betrayed her.

To everyone else, her gaze merely looked vacant and foolish.

But if one looked carefully, it almost seemed as though a green light was glowing in her eyes.

The instant Shan Ge met that gaze, a faint trace of regret unexpectedly surfaced in his heart.