The Imperial Palace.
Qutai Palace.
This was an extremely desolate palace.
Inside the hall, the decorations were very simple.
On the bed lay a woman.
Her entire body was covered in whip marks, and the tattered quilt could not conceal her body, revealing dense scars.
She seemed to be trapped in a nightmare. Her bewitching face was twisted terribly, and thin beads of cold sweat trickled down her fair, smooth forehead.
Her slender fingers tightly gripped the quilt beneath her, so hard that her knuckles turned faintly white.
"Ah, no--"
A piercing scream erupted, and the person on the couch sat up with a start.
The desolate cold palace was terrifyingly silent.
Outside, the chirping of cicadas and insects drifted in through the wide-open window.
Chi You glanced around in panic, then collected herself.
She took a deep breath, wiped away the tears streaming from her eyes, and leaned against the bed, lowering her gaze.
She had dreamed again.
She had dreamed of the defeat in Southern Xinjiang, the annihilation of her clan, and the day she was sent to the execution block.
Ever since she was sent to Daliang for a marriage alliance, she had repeatedly dreamed of that day, tormenting her sleeplessly.
She pressed a hand to her forehead, concealing the hatred in her eyes.
Liu Rongruo!
Liu Rongruo!
The biggest mistake she had ever made in her life was offending Liu Rongruo, such a terrifying person, for the sake of the Daliang border defense map, which resulted in the ruin of her nation and family.
His vengefulness was so strong. Just because she had tried to use him, he had retaliated so severely, bringing disaster upon Southern Xinjiang and destroying herself.
Did he force her to marry into the Daliang imperial family to have an easier time tormenting her?
He had destroyed Southern Xinjiang, and it wasn't enough; what more did he want from her?!
Chi You gritted her teeth, her eyes turning red uncontrollably. But the moment she moved, a slight stinging pain shot through her body to her heart. Startled, she quickly pulled away the quilt, only to find several new wounds on her body.
Furious, she flung the quilt aside, got off the bed, and pulled on the clothes from the rack.
That idiot, why couldn't she resist and was bullied again!
She walked to the wardrobe, retrieved her bundle, took out a medicine bottle, and began to apply ointment to her body.
Ever since she arrived at the Daliang imperial family, her wounds had never healed.
Even palace maids and eunuchs could bully her. This Daliang imperial palace was like a slaughterhouse, where anyone could take a piece of her.
Hatred.
She hated so much.
What could she do to kill Liu Rongruo and avenge the destruction of her clan?
But in her current state, she could barely survive in this palace.
She had to restore her body to normal before she could plan her next step.
As Chi You thought, the words of the High Priest flashed through her mind.
"As long as you find your beloved and have intercourse with them, you can recover."
Beloved?!
The figure of Xie Beihan flashed before Chi You's eyes. She closed her eyes wearily.
Could it be that she would never be able to break free from this Toad King Gu in her lifetime?
Her stomach began to rumble.
Chi You snapped back to reality, clutching her abdomen in hunger.
She got up and walked outside the hall.
This was a place that could be called a cold palace, a dilapidated imperial garden with no attendants.
Ever since she was brought to the Daliang imperial family, she had lived here.
On their wedding night, the Emperor of Daliang did not visit. However, many concubines came out of curiosity to see her a few times, tormenting her terribly.
Indeed, a saintess from a defeated nation sent for a marriage alliance, anyone could step on her.
That idiot didn't know how to resist and ended up covered in injuries.
What's more, Liu Rongruo disliked her and deliberately arranged such a place for her. People in the palace were the most snobbish, so of course, they all came to bully her.
Chi You looked at the peach tree in the courtyard, suppressed the hatred in her heart, and narrowed her eyes slightly.
This Daliang imperial family was like an empty shell. The old emperor was bedridden and practically imprisoned. King Dingbei Xiao Chizhan held absolute power. If so, wouldn't she be at the mercy of others in the palace? The old emperor could offer her no help.
Moreover, Xiao Chizhan was friends with Liu Rongruo. It was impossible for her to kill Liu Rongruo.
With whom should she conspire?
As she was thinking, a person suddenly flashed in her mind: "Eighth Prince Li Yu," King Dingbei's puppet.
If she could win over Li Yu, perhaps there would be a glimmer of hope.
Otherwise, if she couldn't kill Liu Rongruo and couldn't return to Southern Xinjiang, she would eventually die in Daliang.
Liu Rongruo was deliberately playing with her, making a fool of her. She simply couldn't fight him. She had to save herself.
"Li Yu, Li Yu."
Just as she was lost in thought, a torturous pain began to coil in her belly.
Bad.
It was happening again.
Blood-eating silkworm!
Chi You doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach. She leaned against a red pillar, trying to return to the hall, but wave after wave of pain assaulted her, spreading through her limbs and rushing straight to her heart.
Her body instantly collapsed, her face pale as she fell onto the corridor.
"Ah--"
She cried out in agony.
The pain from being tormented by the blood-eating silkworms day after day had worsened her condition, but she couldn't get rid of the poison. She had to drink that scoundrel's blood.
She strongly suspected that the scoundrel Liu Rongruo had done this intentionally. Knowing her body was not right, and that she would turn like this at night, he had deliberately poisoned her, causing her to suffer the agony of the blood-eating silkworms tearing at her at night.
What kind of monster had she provoked?
He knew everything, yet he had deliberately acted with her, used her body's condition to destroy her Southern Xinjiang and annihilate her clan.
Kill him.
She must kill Liu Rongruo. She must avenge this.
The hatred for her clan was irreconcilable.
She and he were sworn enemies.
Chi You's eyes were terrifyingly red. She used the hatred in her heart for Liu Rongruo to force herself to bite her lip and remain silent. However, the pain, like being bitten by insects and snakes, made her miserable.
Her entire body writhed uncontrollably, looking terrifying.
When Liu Rongruo arrived, he saw her curled up in pain on the corridor in the night, sweat pouring down her forehead, her bewitching eyes turning red and then black, contorted terrifyingly.
The crescent moon shone on her. In her struggle, her clothes slipped open, revealing large patches of skin, some of which were covered in whip marks.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze unreadable.
Chi You painfully bit her lip, blood oozing from her mouth. She struggled to stand up.
At this moment, a pair of ink-black boots slowly stopped in front of her, and a clear, cold voice from above sounded faintly.
"Consort Qing, not sleeping at night and disheveled. What play are you putting on?"
Consort Qing, the title bestowed by the Emperor of Daliang.
To put it plainly, it was given by Liu Rongruo. Most of the court affairs were handled by him on behalf of King Dingbei, and these appointments were basically done through him.
Upon seeing him, Chi You's intense hatred surged. She bit her lip tightly, a flicker of mockery in her eyes.
"Consort Qing?"
What a laughable title.
She didn't want to show weakness in front of him. She bit her lip tightly, regaining her composure, and supported herself to stand up, desperately suppressing the tearing sensation within her body.
"Does Daliang have such rules? Can a former court official intrude into the inner palace?"
Liu Rongruo glanced at her sideways and smiled faintly.
"You can report me."
Chi You knew she couldn't confront him directly. She softened her expression, realizing she was in a vulnerable position and had to bow her head.
She suppressed the pain, and a scheme suddenly flashed through her mind.
Pretend to submit, seduce him into being intimate with her, and find an opportunity to kill him.
No.
It wouldn't work.
He was very wary, his martial arts unfathomable. He was just toying with her, like before.
That tactic wouldn't work on him.