Chapter 385: I'll Fight You to the Death
Although it was currently summer, this place exuded a chilling coldness everywhere.
Qinghua wore only a single layer of clothing, feeling a bone-deep chill from head to toe. She glanced around—the room contained only her and Chu Rui.
Chu Rui was a sickly weakling. She should be able to escape from his grasp, right?
She quietly rose from the floor. Just as she was about to turn around, whoosh—something whizzed past her ear and thudded into the pillar before her. She touched her ear. Her hand came away sticky and wet.
A piece of her earlobe had been sliced off, blood dripping incessantly. The droplets fell onto her shoulder, instantly soaking through her garment.
Chu Rui spoke with a smile, "Princess Qinghua, now shall we discuss cooperation properly?"
Trembling all over, Qinghua turned around. Only then did she notice a young eunuch standing in the shadows of the room, casually juggling several small knives. She had no doubt that if she dared attempt escape again, those blades would slit her throat.
"What... what do you want from me!" Qinghua forced out the words with difficulty.
"Now that's more like it." Chu Rui's smile widened. "Why remain standing? Have a seat. Let's talk over some tea."
The young eunuch moved a small table over and poured tea for both of them. The tea fragrance wafted upward, but Qinghua remained motionless.
"What? Is the tea not to your liking?"
At Chu Rui's words, Qinghua immediately picked up the teacup with trembling hands. She realized this man before her was utterly mad—how could her imperial father allow such a person to live? He should have died long ago with the Empress Dowager!
Though filled with terror and fury, she didn't dare show it. Her hands shook as she held the teacup, not daring to drink. She feared being implanted with a slave gu like her mother had.
Chu Rui finally spoke, "The slave gu in Yin Fei was destroyed by Yun Chu, so I have no choice but to seek your assistance. If you must blame someone, blame Yun Chu. Originally, you wouldn't have needed to suffer this ordeal."
Qinghua clenched her jaw. If Yun Chu hadn't discovered the slave gu in her mother, who knew what might have happened to her imperial father by now... She was grateful Yun Chu was clever. But she herself was too foolish, completely at a loss for how to escape.
"I've invited Princess Qinghua here to request your help with a small matter," Chu Rui said politely. "You will now write a letter to Meng Shen. Write exactly what I dictate."
Qinghua's pupils contracted sharply. "...Alright." Whatever it was, she would agree first. A princess of her status going missing would surely be discovered quickly—she would definitely be rescued soon...
The young eunuch presented brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Chu Rui said unhurriedly, "My dear Shen'er, your mother has been captured. Feed this packet of medicine to the Emperor, and your mother will be safe and sound."
As he spoke, he took a packet of medicine from his sleeve and placed it on the letter paper.
Qinghua only wrote the two characters "Shen'er" before stopping. "What kind of medicine is this?"
"That is not something the Princess needs to know."
The moment Chu Rui finished speaking, Qinghua set down her brush. "Since we're discussing cooperation, shouldn't I have the right to know? I... Ah!"
The young eunuch picked up a teacup and coldly splashed the tea in her face. Though the tea was no longer scalding, for a princess to be treated like this by a servant was more humiliating than being slapped."Calling it a discussion of cooperation is merely giving face to the princess," the young eunuch sneered. "Our prince is showing the princess respect, so the princess should cherish it."
Qinghua wiped the tea from her face, her shoulders trembling. "I won't discuss this cooperation anymore, Chu Rui! Give up this idea—I would never harm my father... Ah!!"
Her long hair was seized by Chu Rui, forcing her head to jerk backward.
"Since soft methods don't work, we'll have to resort to force," Chu Rui said with a smile, producing a pair of scissors and cutting off Qinghua's beautiful locks.
Qinghua let out a piercing scream.
She cared deeply about her appearance, which was why, the year before last, she had sought out the divine physician's disciple for miraculous beauty-preserving elixirs.
Her most prized hair fell to the ground in clumps.
She was on the verge of collapse.
"If the princess still refuses to write the letter properly, next, these scissors will mark the princess's face," Chu Rui said, still smiling. "Hair can grow back, but scars on the face will make you an ugly woman forever."
"Ahhh! I'll fight you to the death! Chu Rui! You heartless, ungrateful wretch! My father spared your wretched life, and now you dare harm him? I'll kill you!"
Qinghua lunged forward in a rage, trying to strangle Chu Rui.
But the young eunuch effortlessly threw her to the ground.
Chu Rui crouched down, pressed the scissors below Qinghua's eye, and made a forceful slash. A gash welled with blood.
The pain caused Qinghua to faint instantly.
The young eunuch fetched a bucket of water and splashed it over Qinghua's face.
Choking on the water, Qinghua awoke. At the sight of Chu Rui's face, she was terrified to the core: "Kill me! Just kill me outright!!"
Chu Rui's expression was dark and grim.
He had abducted Qinghua because, in his understanding, she was a fool who could be easily manipulated with a mix of threats and incentives.
Unexpectedly, despite alternating between soft and hard tactics to this extent, Qinghua still refused to cooperate and even wished for death.
Chu Rui said sternly, "Go, capture Meng Shen."
Qinghua cried out in disbelief, "If you dare lay a hand on my son, I'll haunt you even as a ghost! Chu Rui! Matters between adults have nothing to do with children! Don't touch Shen'er—you mustn't harm him!"
"Fine, I won't touch him, but you must write this letter!"
Qinghua wept in furious despair.
Between her father and her son—whom should she choose?
Who?
Whom should she choose?
Her ears ached, her head throbbed, her face stung, and her body was drenched in tea. In all her life, she had never experienced such torment.
"I... I..."
Qinghua wept incessantly.
Her instinct was to save Shen'er.
But!
If she wrote this letter, her father would surely come to harm!
If her father were harmed, Chu Rui would ascend the throne, Chu Yi would die, and then she, too, would perish. Could Shen'er possibly survive?
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact.
Though she was foolish, how could she not understand this basic truth?
"No... I won't write!"
Qinghua closed her eyes.
A vicious kick landed squarely on her face.
Her head struck the ground heavily, and she lost consciousness immediately.
"Your Highness!" The young eunuch looked up. "The palace is currently searching everywhere for Princess Qinghua. Capturing Meng Shen at this time might prove difficult."
Chu Rui punched the wall.
Something he had been so confident about had actually failed.
If he waited a few more days and the Gu died, he would never have another chance to turn the tables.
There was only one method left...
Just then, a sudden blaze of light flared up outside."Not good! Someone's coming!" The young eunuch's face changed color. "Your Highness, I'll escort you to retreat!"
A strange smile curled at the corner of Chu Rui's lips. "Retreat? We'll wait right here. It's time for a direct confrontation."
The chaotic footsteps outside grew increasingly closer.
Torchlights ignited from all directions.
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