Chapter 446: Extra Story - Chu Rui 4
The Xie family's wedding banquet lasted until nightfall.
As part of the bridal escort, Chu Rui should have returned to the palace after the feast ended.
But for some reason, he didn't want to leave.
The guests in the courtyard had all dispersed, servants were cleaning up, and the red lanterns cast faint, blurry shadows.
"Your Highness, it's time to return," a palace eunuch approached and said. "It's getting late. Any later and the palace gates will be locked."
"I... I want to see my elder sister before I leave."
Chu Rui had drunk some wine and felt dizzy as he stood up, quickly steadying himself by holding onto the young eunuch.
The eunuch awkwardly replied, "Your Highness, it might not be appropriate to visit the Princess Consort on her wedding night."
Chu Rui paid no heed to such concerns.
When they were in the palace, he could visit his elder sister whenever he wished.
He refused to believe that just because she had married, he could no longer see his own full-blooded sister.
Staggering, he made his way toward the inner courtyard. The further he went, the quieter it became.
Surprisingly, there was no one outside the bridal chamber.
When his elder sister married, the Empress Dowager had provided sixty-four palace servants as part of her dowry!
He turned and ordered, "Go find out where the matrons and maids have gone."
Before long, the young eunuch returned. "This servant inquired and learned that the household prepared a feast for the servants. All the Princess Consort's dowry attendants have gone to dine."
Chu Rui nodded. It seemed the household did not dare neglect his elder sister's people. With that, he felt reassured.
He turned to leave.
Suddenly, a gust of wind carried a woman's cry for help.
He halted. "Did... did you hear something?"
The eunuch listened carefully. "It seems... a woman is crying..."
Chu Rui's intoxication vanished in an instant.
He hadn't misheard—it was his elder sister crying.
In one swift motion, he rushed toward the main residence of the Xie family. Finding the courtyard empty, he charged straight to the bridal chamber door.
This close, he could clearly hear a woman's sobs from inside: "No... don't come closer... Ah, it hurts..."
Chu Rui felt his heart's blood surge, a metallic taste rising in his throat.
Swallowing the blood, he kicked the bridal chamber door open.
He saw the forty-something-year-old Master Xie, stripped to the waist, standing beside the bridal bed, a long whip in his hand.
His elder sister was huddled in the corner of the bed, her wedding dress torn to shreds, exposed skin covered in welts...
In that instant, Chu Rui understood.
Why the deaths of the three previous matrons of the Xie family could never be uncovered, why the outside world only said they died of illness.
This beast sent all the servants away when he committed his violence. Aside from the victims, no one knew Master Xie was such a despicable animal.
"Who's there?"
Hearing the noise, Master Xie turned around.
He had drunk heavily and didn't immediately recognize who had entered.
Chu Rui's eyes burned with rage. Grabbing a nearby chair, he hurled it at Master Xie.
Master Xie raised his whip, lashing out at Chu Rui. The first strike knocked the chair aside; the second landed squarely on Chu Rui's chest.
Chu Rui immediately coughed up dark blood.
"Where did this petty scoundrel come from, daring to barge into my bridal chamber? Prepare to die!"
The third whip strike was meant to kill, aimed with lethal intent.
"Stop!" Chu Zhixia threw herself from the bridal bed, wrapping her arms around Master Xie's waist. "He is Prince Zhuang, my younger brother! My lord, do not harm him!"
In that moment of Master Xie's hesitation, Chu Rui scrambled to his feet and, supported by the young eunuch, quickly retreated from the room.
Chu Zhixia breathed a heavy sigh of relief, sobbing as she said, "My brother will not speak of this matter to anyone. I can guarantee it..."Minister Xie grabbed her by the throat: "If it weren't for the Empress Dowager holding evidence of my Xie family's embezzlement, I would never have married you! Marrying you means incurring the Emperor's suspicion - the Empress Dowager has truly landed me with a huge problem! If you behave obediently, there will be a place for you in the Xie family. But if you dare use my family to pave the way for the Empress Dowager, I'll take your life!"
Chu Zhixia, being choked, suddenly widened her pupils.
"No..."
She forced out a single word through suppressed breaths.
But it was already too late.
Chu Rui had returned, holding a kitchen knife.
The kitchen knife struck Minister Xie's head, immediately causing blood to gush out.
But Chu Rui's strength was far too weak. Despite using all his might, his chronic illness prevented him from inflicting a fatal wound.
Minister Xie turned around, snatched the kitchen knife, and swung it at Chu Rui.
How could a sickly person like Chu Rui resist? He was forced into a corner.
As the blade came down, a young eunuch rushed over and took the blow, dying in Chu Rui's arms.
Minister Xie had already lost all reason, no longer caring about the consequences.
The blade descended.
However, before it could reach Chu Rui,
His neck was caught by a whip.
"Rui'er, run! Get away from here, quickly!"
Chu Zhixia pulled the whip tightly, screaming hoarsely.
Chu Rui stood up from the ground: "He dared to lay hands on my elder sister - he must die."
"No, Rui'er, you mustn't..." Chu Zhixia cried, "Please leave, get away from here. Let me handle this, leave everything to me, alright..."
Chu Rui shook his head.
His elder sister was like the bright moon in the sky, yet she had been whipped into this state.
And this was only their wedding night.
If this man named Xie didn't die, his elder sister would eventually perish at the hands of this beast.
Without another word, he picked up the kitchen knife, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Rui'er!"
Chu Zhixia's voice carried a pleading tone.
"If... if he must die, let me do it. Let your elder sister handle this."
Her younger brother wouldn't even drink medicine containing human blood - if he killed someone, how could he live without burden?
Chu Zhixia tightened the whip with force, gradually increasing the pressure.
The struggling man slowly lost strength and collapsed to the ground.
Feeling it wasn't enough, Chu Zhixia took the kitchen knife and struck Minister Xie's neck - once, then a second time...
"What are you doing?"
Several angry shouts came from outside the room.
The three legitimate sons of the Xie family stood there, rushing in and pushing Chu Zhixia away.
The eldest son checked Minister Xie's breathing, exclaiming in disbelief: "You... you killed my father! How dare you! How could you!"
He grabbed Chu Zhixia by the collar.
"Let go!" Chu Rui struggled to his feet. "How dare you disrespect the esteemed Junzhu of the Great Jin Kingdom! Xie Zun's disrespect toward Junzhu Fukang warrants death!"
He pulled Chu Zhixia's hand, "Let's go, we're returning to the palace!"
Once outside, he took off his outer garment and draped it over Chu Zhixia's shoulders: "Elder sister, don't be afraid. I'll bear all the consequences. Don't be scared..."
Chu Zhixia trembled all over.
The head of the Xie family had died on his wedding night.
She had personally killed her own newlywed husband.
There was no way she could escape unscathed from this.She spoke slowly, "Since I married into the Xie family, I am one of them now and cannot return to the palace. Rest assured, I am the Blessed Princess, the Empress Dowager's most beloved granddaughter. The Xie family wouldn't dare harm me... Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow—have the Empress Dowager issue an edict for my divorce, then I can return to the palace... Be good now, Rui'er, go back first. I'm fine, truly, nothing will happen..."
Just then, Chu Zhixia's dowry entourage arrived as well—over sixty people, an impressive procession.
Only then did Chu Rui set his heart at ease.
OpenNovel