Chapter 113: Defiance

Chapter 113: Defiance

Qiu Shuiyi stood up abruptly, her sharp, cold gaze fixed on Zhu Zexing.

Zhu Zexing narrowed his eyes slightly. "So, Second Miss Qiu intends to defy the imperial decree?"

As if pricked by his gaze, Qiu Shuiyi lowered her head slightly, putting on a timid and cowardly act. "Since it is His Majesty's decree, how would I dare defy it? It's just..."

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at Qiu Lianying, her voice choked with sobs. "Commander Zhu, as you've seen for yourself, my elder sister, convinced of her grave sins, attempted to take her own life yesterday but failed. In light of our sincere repentance, could Commander Zhu grant us a bit of dignity?"

"Oh?" Zhu Zexing raised an eyebrow. "What sort of 'dignity' did you have in mind, Second Miss?"

"Could... could you allow us to end our own lives?" Qiu Shuiyi's eyes brimmed with tears, her almond-shaped eyes glistening, a picture of utter misery.

"Yi'er!" Madam Mei cried out in disbelief. "What nonsense are you saying?"

"Mother, things have come to this. My sister and I must die." Tears streamed down Qiu Shuiyi's face, her willow-leaf brows tightly furrowed, her expression filled with sorrow. "Rather than dying by the blade, it would be better to let us end our own lives."

"Yi'er, you'll be the death of me." Madam Mei was beside herself with grief.

"Mother."

Qiu Lianying in her arms slowly regained consciousness.

In her semi-conscious state, she had heard many words and had a rough idea of what was going on.

Gently grasping Madam Mei's hand, she whispered, "Do as younger sister says."

Madam Mei shook her head, weeping.

Looking at the two sisters, Zhu Zexing snorted derisively. "Fine."

He untied the long sword from his waist and casually tossed it aside. "Then, please, young ladies, proceed on your way."

"Commander Zhu, could you allow my sister and me to go inside the house?" Qiu Shuiyi pleaded tearfully. "I do not wish to end my life before my mother's eyes."

Zhu Zexing's eyes sharpened dangerously, his voice cold. "Are you trying to play tricks?!"

Qiu Shuiyi gave a tragic smile, tears streaming down her face. "At this point, what tricks could I possibly play?"

She covered her face, tears seeping through her fingers, her body trembling as she sobbed. "I can't bear the thought of my mother watching her daughters die. If you suspect me, Commander, feel free to search the room yourself to see if I have any tricks up my sleeve!"

By the end, her voice was thick with a sorrow that was hard to bear.

Zhu Zexing lowered his gaze, flicking it over Qiu Shuiyi and Qiu Lianying and her mother, Madam Mei, slumped on the ground. He tilted his head slightly and gave a meaningful look to a Golden Guard behind him.

The man immediately understood, leading a team of Golden Guards into the house.

A series of crashing and clattering sounds erupted from inside.

Qiu Shuiyi covered her face and wept. Madam Mei and Qiu Lianying clung to each other. In the courtyard, the kneeling maids, seemingly anticipating their mistresses' fate, were all weeping as if their hearts would break.

Zhu Zexing averted his eyes, preferring not to see.

When nearly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed, the Golden Guards exited the house and shook their heads at Zhu Zexing. "Commander, everything inside is normal. There are no secret rooms or tunnels."

Zhu Zexing nodded. "Young ladies, please."

Qiu Shuiyi wiped her tears and bowed to him. "Thank you, Commander Zhu, for this kindness."

She extended her hand to Qiu Lianying. "Sister, let's go."

Qiu Lianying took her hand.

As she stood up, Qiu Shuiyi gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head to Madam Mei.

Madam Mei paused.

Hand in hand, the two walked into the house, their steps calm and composed.

Behind them, a heart-wrenching wail suddenly erupted.

"My daughters!"

Xin Tao and Bi Wan knelt towards the retreating figures of Qiu Shuiyi and Qiu Lianying, their faces streaked with tears.

Zhu Zexing frowned. "Go."

The Golden Guards surrounded Minghui Courtyard, leaving no chance for the two to escape.

The door closed, shutting out all the gazes filled with pain, sorrow, or scrutiny.

Inside, Qiu Shuiyi asked, "Sister, do you trust me?"

A smile appeared on Qiu Lianying's pale face, and she nodded firmly. "I trust you."

"Good." Qiu Shuiyi smiled. "Don't be afraid. When you wake up, everything will be over."

"System, can you speed up the exchange for the fake death pill?"

The System replied, "At normal speed, no. But I can use a special channel to directly contact the Main System. However..." It paused. "My energy is insufficient."

"What do you need?" Qiu Shuiyi immediately grasped the key point. "My lifespan?"

"Correct."

"How much?"

The System was silent for a moment. "Ten years."

"Fine, I'll give it to you." Qiu Shuiyi agreed without hesitation.

"Host, are you certain?" the System asked. "Once the fake death pill is exchanged, you will have less than half a year of lifespan remaining."

Qiu Shuiyi was very calm. "I am certain."

Lifespan could be earned again, but if they could not avoid today's calamity, both she and Qiu Lianying would undoubtedly die.

"Understood."

Since she had made her choice, the System ceased its persuasion. "Host lifespan reduced by ten years. Transmitting your request to the Main System."

"Countdown: Five minutes."

Qiu Shuiyi found two white silk ribbons.

"Three minutes."

She fastened the white silk to the beam.

"One minute."

Standing on the stool, Qiu Shuiyi and Qiu Lianying smiled at each other.

"Application approved. Host, confirm you wish to exchange ten years of your lifespan for two doses of the fake death pill?"

Qiu Shuiyi mouthed, "I am—"

"Stop!"

...

"The women of the Qiu family are a calamity to the nation and its people. They are sentenced to death."

As Emperor Tianhong's voice fell, the courtiers cheered, exclaiming in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The voice of the Marquis of Yun'an was drowned out by the cheers. He lowered his head slightly, a strand of hair slipping down to shadow his somber expression.

"Who dares to kill my wife?"

A male voice thundered from outside the hall, startling the courtiers like a clap of thunder.

"Your Highness, without summons, you cannot enter!"

"Your Highness, you must not enter!"

Despite the eunuchs trying to block him, a figure strode in from outside the hall.

All the courtiers turned to look.

The newcomer's fine brocade robes were crumpled and stained with mud at the hem. His handsome features were set in a stern expression, a stray lock of hair falling at his temple, and his collar slightly askew—clear signs of a hurried journey.

He stepped into the hall, his entire being radiating a palpable murderous intent.

"Prince Duansu! You dare face His Majesty with a sword in hand—do you intend to rebel?"

From among the crowd, Xu Zhi spotted the sword in Shen Yuchao's grasp and barked in rebuke.

Shen Yuchao shot him a glance. "Was it you who was clamoring to kill my wife?"

"Prince Duansu!" Xu Zhi seethed. "Why don't you lay down your weapon?"

"That," Shen Yuchao replied with a gentle smile, like a cool spring breeze dispelling the summer heat and soothing restless hearts, "is to..."

"Punish the wicked and eradicate evil."

"Swish—"

The blade left its sheath, a flash of cold light. Xu Zhi clutched his neck in disbelief.

Crimson drops of blood pattered onto the smooth floor. His pupils contracted, and a gurgling sound escaped his throat, as if shocked that Shen Yuchao would dare kill him in front of Emperor Tianhong.

Blood seeped through his fingers, and Xu Zhi's body crumpled with a heavy thud.

"Ah!"

The corpse fell onto a nearby minister, who let out a terrified shriek and scrambled backward in panic.

"Master Xu... Master Xu is dead!"

A cowardly minister stammered, stating the obvious.

"Prince Duansu!" Marquis Yu accused angrily. "In this grand hall, before His Majesty, you've slain a senior court official! Could it be that you truly intend to rebel?"

"A sycophant who flatters superiors and bullies subordinates—and Marquis Yu calls him a high-ranking official?" Shen Yuchao raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly. "I have good reason to suspect that Marquis Yu is in league with that Xu scoundrel."

"You!" Marquis Yu pointed at Shen Yuchao in fury. "I seek justice for my tragically deceased young son. Master Xu acted only for the good of the state. We simply shared the same goal."

"Indeed, you shared the same goal," Shen Yuchao said with a smile. "Aligned in your collusion with remnants of the previous dynasty to shake the foundations of the Yin Dynasty."

"Prince Duansu! You must have evidence for your words and actions!" Marquis Yu's eyes reddened with rage. "You accuse me without evidence—what grounds do you have to accuse me of colluding with remnants of the previous dynasty?"

"Without evidence, what grounds do you have to slander my wife and her elder sister as enchantresses?" Shen Yuchao's lips curled, his eyes glinting with icy cold. "Did you witness it with your own eyes?"

"I... I..." Marquis Yu was left speechless but stubbornly insisted, "My son died because of the Qiu family women. How can she not be an enchantress?"

"To kill oneself over a failed romance—that's your son's own failing." Shen Yuchao advanced slowly toward Marquis Yu. The ministers on either side instinctively moved aside to clear a path, eyeing the blood-dripping sword in his hand warily.

"In my view, it is clear that your son, consumed by hatred born of love, could not bear to see First Miss Qiu and the Crown Prince utterly devoted to each other, and deliberately used his own life to frame her."

"You're a slanderous liar!" Marquis Yu's eyes bulged with hatred. "So many people in the capital have died over Qiu Lianying. Are you suggesting they all conspired together, using so many lives just to frame her?"

Shen Yuchao nodded seriously, a smile playing on his lips. "Of course, it's possible."

"You!"

Marquis Yu trembled with rage.

Witnessing this scene, the Marquis of Yun'an felt a surge of satisfaction.

This man had been so aggressive earlier, and now Shen Yuchao had rendered him speechless with just a few words—deeply gratifying.

However...

The emperor had remained silent since Shen Yuchao's appearance.

The lives of his two daughters were still at that man's mercy.

"Utterly preposterous!"

Shen Yuchao turned to the speaker.

It was the old Earl of Ling'an.

His son, Zhou Qian, had committed suicide at the gates of the Marquis of Yun'an's residence.

The old Earl of Ling'an had been in retirement for many years. His return was undoubtedly for his son.

Shen Yuchao regarded him for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" demanded the old Earl, his face darkening.

"Lord Bo is right to laugh," Shen Yuchao said, a hint of laughter in his voice. "It is indeed utterly absurd."

The old Lord Ling'an was seething with fury. With his decades of experience, he could clearly see that the absurdity Shen Yuchao referred to was not the same as his own.

"Your Majesty," Marquis Yu, after a moment of silence, suddenly knelt and addressed Emperor Tianhong on the dragon throne with a grave voice, "Prince Duansu has shown disrespect before the court, openly executed a court minister, and defied a direct imperial decree. I implore Your Majesty to punish him!"

Emperor Tianhong's eyes darkened as he remained silent.

Shen Yuchao curled his lips. "Marquis Yu has secretly colluded with remnants of the previous dynasty. I request that this traitor be executed to serve as a warning to others."

"Shen Yuchao!" Marquis Yu roared. "Where's your evidence! How exactly have I colluded with the previous—"

Before he could finish, blood sprayed three feet.

Shen Yuchao put his sword away, bent down, and gave a faint smile to the wide-eyed Marquis Yu. "You indeed covered your tracks well. But I don't understand—you were never particularly fond of that youngest son of yours. Why this time were you so determined to seek justice for him?"

Marquis Yu opened his mouth, but a wave of agony overwhelmed him. He convulsed twice and died with his eyes wide open.

Witnessing Shen Yuchao kill a second man, the ministers were terrified.

The Prime Minister angrily rebuked, "Prince Duansu! His Majesty is present. Do not be so insolent!"

"A Chao!" Prince Xian looked at him disapprovingly. "You have overstepped. Quickly ask His Majesty for pardon."

Shen Yuchao did not respond to either of them. Instead, he looked toward the emperor on the high platform. "On the twenty-third day of the seventh month in the twelfth year of the Jianhe era, I agreed to Your Majesty's condition. Today, I have only this one request: I beg Your Majesty to spare the Qiu sisters."

The twenty-third day of the seventh month in the twelfth year of Jianhe...

Emperor Tianhong's fingers trembled, his pupils dilating sharply.

*He* had known all along!

"Thirty thousand troops of the Shen Family Army have assembled outside the city. The remaining seventy thousand are on their way. In three days, they will follow me to quell the rebellion."

Emperor Tianhong's gaze turned fierce.

"Are you threatening me?"

If Shen Yuchao gave the order, those thirty thousand Shen Family Army troops could storm the capital at any moment.

By then, the one dragging him from this dragon throne might not be the remnants of the previous dynasty, but the wolf cub he had raised with his own hands.

"I dare not."

Shen Yuchao knelt on one knee.

Emperor Tianhong's lips twitched.

He had misjudged. How could the offspring of two wolves ever be a docile dog?

Emperor Tianhong closed his eyes.

A cold voice rang out.

"I grant it."