NOVEL NEXT I tried to open my mouth and explained several times, and eventually found it pointless. In the end, I sighed, “It would forever remain as a myth whether Qi Sheng had feelings for me in the past or not. At any rate, he won’t come to this palace anymore. Well, you can think what you will, but I am tired, and I want to sleep.”
I waved my hands at Xie Yi and laid on my back on the bed.
Xie Yi remained on my bedside for a while before eventually leaving, looking dejected.
I let out a long sigh in relief, but surprisingly, Xie Yi swooped in a few minutes later, shouting in a suppressed voice, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty. His Majesty is coming this way! He is coming!”
My mind went blank at this news. Qi Sheng is here again?
Seeing that I remained motionless in bed, Xie Yi came up to yank me up. But before I could put my shoes on, Qi Sheng had already entered the hall and walked up to me in a few swift steps.
I was still sitting on the bedside, and so I simply looked up at him.
Qi Sheng’s breath was heavy and there was a hint of unusual pink on his face. His eyes were seething with flames as he looked at me from above. Realizing what was about to happen, I hurriedly titled my body sideways, trying to stand up. However, before I could stand, he swiftly stretched out his hands to pinch my chin and then forced me to hold up my head while he carefully surveyed my facial features with his squinted eyes.
His pinch hurt me and so I tried to break free, but as soon as my hand touched his wrist, he suddenly shook off his hands as if having been touched by something disgusting. The force with which he threw off my hand was so great that I fell back down onto the bed.
Luckily, the bed was soft, otherwise I might have fainted from concussion.
The nearby Xie Yi was stunned by what she was witnessing and upon seeing me fall down, she shouted out, “Your Majesty!”
“Get the hell out!” commanded Qi Sheng.
Being the submissive girl that she was, Xie Yi didn’t even dare walk up to check on me. Instead, she scurried away and closed the door while she exited the palace.
As the saying goes, a person’s true colors are often revealed under a crucial moment. What the heck, Xie Yi? Why did you have to close the door?
Qi Sheng bored down on me as he approached, gritting his teeth, “How smooth. Is her life really worth that much?”
I nodded, and replied calmly, “Yes, and it’s not only her life that I am saving, but my conscience as well.”
“Conscience?” Qi Sheng sneered.
How could a man like him ever be able to appreciate the value of human conscience? I looked at him with a mocking face and nodded, “You heard me right. What else do you think? Relationship? Love? Have you forgotten that I am a woman? I have always been a woman, Your Majesty!”
Qi Sheng’s face momentarily froze upon hearing what I said and then he suddenly pulled me up from the bed with his hand yanking at my collar. He gritted out the following words, “Woman? Fine, let me show you how to be a woman!”
As he uttered those words out, he suddenly loosened my waistband with one hand.
The robe was loosely held together by a waistband, and now without it, the robe simply opened up. All of a sudden, every part of me above waistline felt a coolness as there was nothing covering up my top.
I was startled and subconsciously moved to cover myself up. But half way through, I changed my mind as I thought that kind of shyness was too lame, and so instead, I clinched my hand into a fist and then swung it at Qi Sheng’s face. However, before my fist could land on his face, he had already pinched my face and held both my hands upright and tied them up with my own waistband…
I couldn’t wriggle my way out and so I snarled, “Qi Sheng, you bastard!”
With a grim face, Qi Sheng held down the leg that’s aiming at him and forced open my legs with his knees, forcing himself on me.
His intention was as clear as daylight.
I had lived through two life times and not once had I been humiliated like that. Raging anger got the better of me as I struggled up and bit down on his artery on his neck.
If I was going down, then I would drag him down with me!
He quickly shunned away by tilting his head, while my teeth landed squarely on his shoulder. I was in such rage that I proceed to bite down hard. As soon as I did that, I felt blood inundating my entire mouth.
Qi Sheng’s hand quickly followed to chock my throat as he groaned, “Let go!”
Instead of letting go, my teeth bit further down into his flesh as if trying to tear a chunk of his flesh away to rant my fury.
Qi Sheng felt his finger up my artery on my neck and after he exerted a bit of force on it, I felt a sudden fit of dizziness and then loosened my bite as my strength gradually drained away. He then pinched my lower chin, lowered his head and proceed to press his mouth on my lips.
I opened my mouth, trying to bite him, but since my chin was locked by his hands, I couldn’t move at all, and could only watch as he had his way with my lips. The blood in my mouth had grown thicker, and there was no telling whether they were his or mine.
While we are struggling, a sudden baby cry rang out in the palace, rendering both me and Qi Sheng stunned. Amid the crying was Xie Yi’s nervous voice, “Your Majesties, the Princess suddenly started crying and I can’t stop it. What should we do?”
After a short while, Qi Sheng gradually loosen his grip on me, lowered his head to check his shoulder, and then tidied himself up before walking out.
Outside the palace, Qi Sheng was clearly talking to Xie Yi, but the long distance and the crying of the baby made the conversation almost inaudible.
My wrists were still tied up tightly by the waistband and as I couldn’t wriggle free, I frantically used my lips to tear at the band.
The crying of the baby gradually subsided and after another while, I heard a flurry of steps coming my way. I hurriedly made my way to the corner of my bed and yelled, “Don’t come any closer!”
The incoming steps halted and then I heard Xie Yi’s voice marked by strained gentleness, “Your Majesty, It’s me.”
“Come no further!” I nonetheless commanded, and after I made sure that she wasn’t coming, I hurriedly lowered my head to tear away at the waistband with my mouth. It took me a long while to finally break free and both of my wrists were covered with bruises which caused stingy pain. But I nonetheless felt a huge relief and stood up to wrapped myself up with the ruffled robe. Then, I also tidied up the bed before summoning Xie Yi into the palace.
Xie Yi lowered her head, not daring to look me in the eyes.
I got off the bed nonchalantly and asked, “Where is the child?”
Xie Yi looked at me and paused a while as her gaze swept across my wretched lips. She then lowered her head again, saying, “The Princess is alright. The nanny has taken her back. I brought the Princess out because I was worried about Your Majesty. I took the liberty of pinching the Princess just to make her cry…”
I was wiping away the stains of blood when I heard that. I was a bit stunned and then said, “Xie Yi, thank you for what you just did. Really. Thank you.”
Xie Yi held up her head and looked at me in surprise. Then, she suddenly covered up her mouth and turned back, trying to hide her crying.
I didn’t know how to console her, and so I simply sat where I was. I waited for the crying to stop before asking with a solemn face, “Now that you understand what I am facing, do you still wish to remain by my side?”
Xie Yi wiped her tears and replied with a resolute face, “I will follow Your Majesty to wherever fate sees fit to take Your Majesty.”
I smiled and shook my head, “No need. You should always cherish your own life. You will be proportionally rewarded for your service.”
Xie Yi looked at me with a baffled face, “What do Your Majesty want me to do?”
I thought for a while and said, “Just go back to sleep first.”
Xie Yi was clearly struck dumb by my reply.
I nodded, “Nothing that can’t wait. We will talk about it later.”
People don’t tent to make good decisions when they are in a state of chaos and confusion, and they certainly can’t place their trust in others when they are on a spur of the moment.
What I need to do right now, is to calm down. That’s right.
As if Qi Sheng was also trying to create a quiet environment for me, he quarantined my palace the next day. He didn’t say that he was grounding me up, and instead claimed that the Empress needed time for convalescence. Meanwhile, he visited my place at least once a day, but never entered my chamber. Instead, he simply stayed for a while to see the little Princess.
Then, rumor began to spread about how deeply the Emperor loved the Empress.
To which I had only this to reply, “Piss off!”