I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Chapter 229 The Initial Fall of the Empress of Liyang

Jiang Qingxue's body trembled violently.

She looked up at Qin Mu.

Qin Mu remained leaning back in his chair, one hand supporting his chin, his posture languid.

The afternoon sun streamed in through the carved window, casting dappled shadows on him.

On his moon-white robe, the light and shadow flowed slowly as if they were alive, making him appear as if he had stepped out of a painting.

His gaze fell on her face, and he smiled.

That smile was gentle, as gentle as the spring sunshine.

But when Jiang Qingxue met that gaze, she felt a chill run down her spine.

The chill rose from the soles of her feet and spread along her spine, making her shiver involuntarily.

Jiang Qingxue's fingers clenched even tighter inside her sleeve.

My fingernails dug deep into my palm, and the pain was excruciating.

But the pain kept her conscious until the very end.

She took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

His voice trembled, but he tried hard to remain calm:

"His Majesty……"

She paused, lowered her eyes, and dared not look at him.

"Your Majesty, I dare not speak presumptuously."

There was a moment of silence in the side hall.

Qin Mu smiled.

"You dare not speak recklessly?"

He repeated those four words, his tone slightly playful.

He slowly sat up straight, leaned forward slightly, and moved closer.

They were very close, close enough that Jiang Qingxue could feel the warmth emanating from him and smell the faint scent of ambergris on his body.

"I ask you," his voice was soft, yet each word was clear, "what were you thinking just now?"

Jiang Qingxue's body tensed up even more.

Her eyelashes trembled violently, and her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

But it felt like something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't say a word.

She dared not say it.

She dared not say that she had been thinking about Xu Longxiang just now.

She dared not say that she had just intended to pass on a message.

I dare not say what she just did—

Qin Mu's smile deepened as he looked at her.

He didn't ask any further questions.

He simply reached out and gently lifted her chin.

This forced her to look up at him.

Those deep eyes were right in front of her.

Very close, very close.

Jiang Qingxue's lips moved slightly.

Those clear, cold eyes reflected Qin Mu's face, which was so close to hers.

She took a deep breath.

"Your Majesty..."

Her voice trembled slightly, but she tried her best to remain steady:

"I am indeed quite shocked."

Qin Mu didn't speak, he just looked at her quietly.

Those deep eyes held both a smile and a sense of anticipation.

Jiang Qingxue continued:

"Just now, I was thinking about many things."

Her gaze lowered slightly, landing on the hand Qin Mu was using to support her chin.

The hand was long and slender, with distinct knuckles, and it was firmly supporting her, not too strong, but not enough to make her break free.

"Speak freely." Qin Mu's voice was soft and gentle, like a spring breeze.

Jiang Qingxue raised her eyes and met his gaze.

His face was reflected in those deep purple phoenix eyes.

"I'm thinking—"

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the pale figure still hanging there, trembling slightly.

"Now that Your Majesty has captured Empress Liyang..."

Her voice was soft, yet every word was clear:

"Then wouldn't the Li Yang Dynasty be within easy reach as well?"

The moment the words were spoken, the side hall fell silent for a moment.

Zhao Qingxue's eyelashes trembled slightly.

Qin Mu looked at Jiang Qingxue, at the light that was flashing in her cold eyes.

In that light, there was flattery, probing, and a barely perceptible, deep weariness.

He smiled.

The laughter was soft, yet it was exceptionally clear in the quiet side hall.

"That's right."

He released his hand from her chin, leaned back in his chair, and became increasingly languid.

"That's absolutely right."

His gaze fell on Jiang Qingxue's face, his eyes full of appreciation and satisfaction.

It seems to be saying—

Very good, you finally understand.

When Jiang Qingxue met that gaze, the weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted.

Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and her breathing became easier.

She lowered her eyes, not daring to let Qin Mu see the complex emotions in them.

Her gaze swept over the suspended, moon-white figure stealthily and swiftly.

Zhao Qingxue kept her head down, her long hair cascading down, obscuring most of her face.

Only those deep purple phoenix eyes, peering through the gaps in her hair, were fixed on her.

There was so much in those eyes.

When Jiang Qingxue met that gaze, an indescribable bitterness welled up in her heart.

But she quickly suppressed the bitterness.

She recalled the decision she had just made.

No more messages were sent to the North.

I will no longer be a pawn of the Xu family.

I will no longer waste my time on someone who doesn't even remember who Chun'er is.

Seeing Zhao Qingxue's current miserable state only strengthened his resolve.

She doesn't want to become like that.

Don't become the one who gets hung up, beaten, and humiliated.

She wants to live.

To live like a human being in this deep palace.

To achieve this—

She has to obey.

We must satisfy Qin Mu.

must……

Jiang Qingxue's fingers slowly loosened inside her sleeve.

Those deep nail marks left several whitish marks on my palm.

She raised her eyes and looked at Qin Mu.

Those once cool and aloof eyes were now filled with gentleness and respect.

"alright."

Qin Mu's voice rang out again, interrupting her thoughts.

He reached out and gently patted her cheek.

The movement was very light and casual, like patting an obedient cat.

"It has been a long time since we last met," he said gently. "Go and wash up first, and I will come to see you tonight."

Jiang Qingxue's heart skipped a beat.

tonight.

These two words were like a stone thrown into the calm lake in her heart, stirring up ripples.

Her cheeks instantly flushed red.

The blush spread from the cheekbone all the way to the ear, then to the neck, and burned deep into the collar.

Her eyelashes trembled violently, and her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

But this time, she couldn't utter a single word.

Because in her heart, there was no intention to resist—

On the contrary, there was a hint of anticipation.

This realization stirred up a deep, complex emotion within her that even frightened her.

She quickly lowered her eyes, not daring to let Qin Mu see the emotion in them.

She simply bowed down, her forehead touching the ground:

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Her voice was very soft and gentle, with a slight, deliberately suppressed tremor.

Qin Mu looked at her kneeling figure, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"Go ahead," he said.

Jiang Qingxue slowly stood up and took two steps back.

Then, she turned around and walked towards the entrance of the side hall.

The steps were steady and slow.

But her heart was pounding so fast it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

She didn't dare to turn around.

I dare not look at that pale white figure hanging there.

She dared not look into Qin Mu's smiling eyes.

He simply lowered his head and walked out of the side hall, step by step.

The moment she stepped across that threshold, she took a deep breath.

The afternoon sun shone on her face, warm yet dazzling.

She stood under the corridor of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, gazing at the vermilion palace walls in the distance and the azure sky above them.

My heart is filled with confusion.

tonight……

He's coming to see her tonight.

But deep down, she was actually looking forward to it.

What exactly is going on?

What happened?

Jiang Qingxue closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, her once clear and cold eyes now held a complex and clear understanding.

She took a step and walked towards Yuxiu Palace.

Behind her, the door to the side hall slowly closed.

......

Inside the side hall.

The smile on Qin Mu's face faded like the tide.

Only those deep eyes remained, still as unfathomable as an abyss.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the pale white figure that was hanging there.

Then he spoke.

The voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable authority:

"That's fine."

"Stop."

The wooden stick in Sister Hong's hand stopped in mid-air.

She turned her head and looked at Qin Mu.

His pale face was filled with a lingering, unfulfilled gleam.

"Your Majesty..." She opened her mouth, as if to say something.

Qin Mu did not look at her.

He just waved his hand.

The movement was very light and casual, yet it sent a shiver down Hong Jie's spine.

She quickly put down the stick and stepped aside.

The light in their eyes faded, leaving only deep fear and awe.

The side hall was deathly silent.

Only Zhao Qingxue's suppressed, almost inaudible breathing echoed in the air.

She was hanging there, her arms numb and devoid of feeling, and the bruises on her body were shocking.

The moon-white dress was tattered and covered in blood and dust.

Her long hair was loose, covering most of her face.

Only those deep purple phoenix eyes, peering through the gaps in her hair, fell upon Qin Mu.

There was no anger, no fear, no pleading in those eyes.

There was only a cold, almost resigned calm.

Qin Mu slowly stood up.

He walked up to Zhao Qingxue and stopped.

Sunlight streamed in from behind him, casting a shadow over him and enveloping Zhao Qingxue entirely.

He raised his hand.

Long, slender fingers gently touched her cheek.

The touch was scalding hot, and the red, swollen palm print was clearly visible under the fingertips.

His movements were very light and slow, as if he were caressing a precious but broken piece of porcelain.

"You've suffered," he said.

The voice was very soft and gentle, as gentle as a lover's murmur.

Zhao Qingxue looked at him.

A flicker of emotion finally appeared in those deep purple phoenix eyes.

The fluctuations were very complex, very complex.

There was ridicule.

There was self-deprecation.

There was also a deep, almost desperate weariness.

She opened her mouth.

My throat was as dry as sandpaper, and every word felt like it was being ground out of sand and gravel.

"You just want me to..."

Her voice was hoarse and broken:

"Should I put on such a show in front of Jiang Qingxue?"

She paused, a bitter smile curving her lips:

"I'll grant your wish."

Qin Mu looked at her.

Looking at that swollen face, there was a sad yet stubborn smile.

He laughed softly.

The laughter was soft, yet it carried a genuine sense of appreciation.

"As expected of the Empress of Li Yang," he said, emphasizing each word, "truly intelligent."

Zhao Qingxue looked at him.

The mocking light in those deep purple phoenix eyes intensified.

"So?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "Are you satisfied now?"

Qin Mu did not answer.

He simply reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder.

The touch was warm, with a thin callus.

Zhao Qingxue's body stiffened slightly.

Then, she felt a warm current flow from Qin Mu's palm into her body.

The warm current was like the spring sunshine; wherever it passed, the tearing pain and the burning sensation melted away like ice and snow.

The bruises on her body began to fade at a visible rate.

From deep purple, to light purple, to pale blue, and finally—

Disappear.

Zhao Qingxue was stunned.

She lowered her head and looked at the once shocking scars on her body.

At this moment, everything is smooth.

It's as if it never existed.

Qin Mu withdrew his hand.

Then, he took out a pill the size of a longan from his pocket.

The pill was pure white and emitted a faint fragrance; just smelling it made Zhao Qingxue's spirits lift.

"Eat it," he said.

Zhao Qingxue looked at the pill.

She knew what it was.

A miraculous medicine for healing wounds.

Even pills of at least grade seven or higher would be extremely precious treasures in the Li Yang Imperial Palace.

Qin Mu held the pill to her lips.

Zhao Qingxue hesitated for a moment.

Then, she opened her mouth.

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm current that slid down the throat and into the stomach.

The warm current quickly spread to every part of my body, and the fatigue, weakness, and soreness that had been tormented all day were greatly relieved at this moment.

Her complexion regained a sliver of color at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Zhao Qingxue swallowed the pill, raised her head, and looked at Qin Mu.

Those deep purple phoenix eyes were churning with extremely complex emotions.

Feeling grateful?

No, she refused to admit it was gratitude.

Is there any wavering?

She didn't know if that was a wavering.

There is another type—

It was a feeling of unfamiliarity that even she herself didn't want to face.

That feeling is called "a sense of security".

It's as if as long as you obey and follow orders, you'll never suffer again.

It was as if as long as she stayed by this man's side, she would no longer be tormented.

as if--

The moment this thought crossed Zhao Qingxue's mind, she was jolted.

She quickly lowered her eyes, not daring to look at Qin Mu again.

No.

You can't think like that.

She is the Empress of Liyang.

She is Zhao Qingxue.

She must not let this feeling control her.

She must never be tamed by this man.

But that feeling, like a bone-deep infection, quietly grew in the deepest part of her heart.

Qin Mu looked at her slightly trembling eyelashes and the fleeting panic in her eyes.

He knew what she was thinking.

He smiled.

They didn't say anything more.

He simply turned around and walked back to the main seat.

He leaned back in his chair, looking languid.

His gaze fell on Yunluan.

"Tonight," he said, his voice soft but each word clear, "let her hang here."

Yunluan was slightly taken aback.

She then bowed in greeting:

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Qin Mu nodded.

He glanced at Zhao Qingxue one last time.

Then, he stood up and walked towards the entrance of the side hall.

A moon-white robe flashed at the doorway and disappeared into the afternoon sunlight.

In the side hall, only Yunluan, Sister Hong, and Zhao Qingxue, who was hanging there, remained.

Yunluan walked to the window and stood with her hands behind her back.

Her gaze fell on the view outside the window, as if she were admiring the afternoon scenery.

Sister Hong huddled in the corner, head down, not daring to look at anyone.

Only her left hand unconsciously caressed her empty right wrist.

Zhao Qingxue was suspended under the crossbeam, motionless.

She stared at the closed door.

I watched the figure disappear.

The complex emotions churning within me lingered for a long time.

She told herself—

We must not yield.

We must never yield.

But that unfamiliar and frightening sense of "security" spread quietly in the deepest part of her heart like a poisonous vine.

Outside the window, the afternoon sun slowly dipped westward.

Long shadows were cast on the floor.

The light and shadow fell on Zhao Qingxue, making her slender figure appear very long.

She was left hanging there.

Not moving at all.

I gazed at that door.

I gazed at the figure that had already disappeared.

My heart is filled with confusion.

There was also a deep, unacknowledged part—

Complex.

........