"When I beco the Emperor, how about you becoming my Empress?"
His tone was disdainful, his eyes filled with an intense possessiveness.
Xia Ruqing was already extrely weak, her whole body on the verge of collapse.
She forced a bitter smile while holding herself up.
"Just you?"
"Even if everyone in the Great Chu Dynasty died, it wouldn’t be your turn to be Emperor!"
She had three sons and a daughter beneath her.
Leaving aside that Chenchen had already grown up, even Henger and Yeye were legitimate heirs.
Truth be told, all three of them were rightful inheritors; how could it possibly be his turn?
Zhao Junqi laughed heartily.
"What?"
"Even Zhao Junyao is no match for ? And you expect your ten-year-old little brat to be?"
"Hahaha..."
Xia Ruqing gripped the bedsheet tightly, letting her wounds open, the pain piercing, blood flowing freely!
"You’re spouting nonsense!"
"Zhao Junyao will not die!"
"He will never die!"
Zhao Junqi sneered lightly.
"You still don’t believe it!"
"The body has already been carried out of the cave. For the sake of our kinship, I can even arrange a funeral for him!"
"But as for the cause of death, it will not be up to you to fabricate!"
"In any case...it’s definitely unrelated to !"
A body?
Xia Ruqing’s heart sank.
Could it really be?
No! Impossible! How could Zhao Junyao die?
He was so strong, capable of anything, how could he possibly die?
No matter what, she wouldn’t believe it.
But...what about the body? Was there really a body?
Xia Ruqing swayed and tears of despair fell.
"I...I don’t believe it!"
Zhao Junqi looked at her bleeding hands where the wounds had burst open and frowned slightly.
"The wounds were just starting to heal!"
"How could you be so careless?"
He turned and instructed a servant.
"Soone, go fetch the doctor!"
"Yes!"
The maid outside answered and left.
Xia Ruqing could no longer care about much, burying herself into the bed, crying loudly.
Zhao Junqi appeared sowhat regretful, and his tone softened.
"Qingqing, I truly care for you!"
"If you really can’t let him go,"
"how about I take you to see him one last ti?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Ruqing’s heart sank heavily again.
"One last ti?"
He’s daring enough to take to see a body; could it be...
The resolve she’d held so long began to waver for the first ti.
Zhao Junyao!
Could you really be...
She rembered seeing the entire cave collapse with her own eyes that day.
No matter how strong Zhao Junyao was, he was just a human, not a god; he couldn’t have flown out!
In such circumstances, what use would wings have been?
Xia Ruqing fell into complete despair, her tears flowing like a river bursting its banks.
Zhao Junqi felt a little panicked.
"You...stop crying!"
"If you don’t want to go, then don’t go!"
"After all, there’s nothing to see in a body crushed beyond recognition!"
"Please stop crying!"
Xia Ruqing suddenly raised her head, biting her teeth with determination.
"No!"
"I want to go! I must go!"
"Even if he’s reduced to minced at, I have to see!"
A flicker of complexity flashed in Zhao Junqi’s eyes, gone in an instant, and he nodded in agreent.
"Fine!"
"Once the doctor cos to bandage your wounds, I’ll take you there, okay?"
Xia Ruqing nodded politely.
"Thank you!"
...
Half a Shi Chen later, the doctor ca to change her dication.
Her hands were seriously injured, with so areas where the skin was scraped off. New skin couldn’t grow, and the wounds began to fester.
The doctor shook his head repeatedly.
"Madam!"
"These wounds mustn’t be knocked or touched; don’t move too much, change the bandages regularly!"
"Also, you cannot be stimulated again!"
Xia Ruqing wasn’t in a mood to listen to these things?
She didn’t even care about her life; why would she care if her hands would rot or not?!
Seeing that she wasn’t listening, the doctor shook his head and continued.
"Now I’m going to remove your infected and necrotic tissue; it might hurt a bit, Madam, bear with it!"
Xia Ruqing lay limp on the cushion, expressionless, looking like she’d lost her spirit.
The old doctor took out a small, exquisite silver knife, disinfected it over the lamp fla.
Then he used cloth strips to secure her hands before beginning to carefully scrape off the necrotic tissue bit by bit.
Zhao Junqi frowned, turning his head unable to watch.
The maid was so scared she shivered, wishing she could press herself to the ground.
However, Xia Ruqing showed no reaction.
Usually so delicate, she didn’t make a sound, not even furrowing her brows this ti.
Compared to the pain in her heart, this pain was nothing to her.
When soone no longer fears death, what else is there to fear?
After another half a Shi Chen, the wound was finally re-bandaged.
After a string of empty words from the doctor, he was seen out by the maid.
Leaning on the cushion, Xia Ruqing’s face was ashen white, looking horrifying.
The pain wasn’t quite pain; she felt utterly drained, like all her soul had been extracted.
Zhao Junqi felt very distressed.
"Qingqing, are you alright!"
Xia Ruqing’s eyes suddenly opened.
"I’m fine, take there now!"
Zhao Junqi had no choice but to slowly bend down, wanting to carry her there.
Unexpectedly, Xia Ruqing recoiled as if facing a great enemy.
"If you dare touch , I’ll die right before your eyes!"
A tinge of anger flickered in Zhao Junqi’s eyes, fortunately suppressed in the end.
He faintly smiled.
"Fine, I won’t touch you. You can walk there yourself then!"
Xia Ruqing was still cautious.
"Leave, I want to change clothes!"
"Oh!"
Zhao Junqi responded impatiently, turning to leave.
At the last mont, he gentlemanly closed the door for her.
In the room, apart from herself, there was no one.
Xia Ruqing wrapped herself in the quilt, crying out once more.
Then she hurriedly wiped her tears, changed into clothes without blood on them, and went with Zhao Junqi.
...
Along the way, she walked slowly.
Zhao Junqi walked ahead, occasionally stopping to wait for her.
Only then did Xia Ruqing realize.
This courtyard was huge, without many street views around, no families; it seed...an estate built deep in the mountains.
No wonder!
No wonder Zhao Junyao sent so many people but couldn’t find him.
What an old fox!
The mountainous area of Guangnan, Zhao Junqi had been living there for over twenty years, truly difficult to find if he wished to hide!
Haha!
Truly an old fox hiding his skills!
This place seems aged, most likely...built by Prince Yan!
This father-son duo, indeed, had been plotting for many years!!
Xia Ruqing remained expressionless, though her heart was filled with extre disdain, mostly sadness!
A tidal wave of sorrow was almost sweeping her away.
If not for the last glimr of hope in her heart, she would want to die imdiately!
She no longer wanted to endure this kind of pain.
...
They walked for a full quarter of an hour.
Finally arriving at a remote house in the front yard.
From afar, they could see the house surrounded by heavily ard guards.
Seeing Zhao Junqi approaching, those people hurriedly saluted.
Zhao Junqi waved his hand casually.
"All of you, step back!"
"Yes!" those people responded and left.
Zhao Junqi personally went over to push open the door and said to her.
"Co in and see."
Xia Ruqing hesitated for a mont, her hands on her chest.
She wanted to see, yet dared not look, afraid of the despair, scared of truly finding him inside.
"What? Too scared now?"
Xia Ruqing gritted her teeth and carefully walked inside.
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