lcionline Chapter 674 Beauty Suffers from a Precious Sword
Chapter 674 Beauty Suffers from a Precious Sword
Zhu Meichu trembled and immediately knelt down, her voice trembling as she said, "Father, please calm your anger. I originally thought that someone else was to be arrested, and Liu Ye was just an innocent bystander..."
Emperor Chongzhen's expression grew increasingly grim, and he pressed, "Who told you that I wasn't dealing with him?"
Zhu Meichu remembered that she had promised Wen Tiren that she would not betray him, and she did not want to involve Liu Ye again and deepen the hatred between her father and Liu Ye. So she replied, "Please forgive me, Father, I cannot say."
Seeing that she was deliberately concealing the truth, Chongzhen became even more suspicious and pressed her for an answer: "I'll ask you again, how did you and Liu Ye meet, and why did you save him?"
Zhu Meichu was at a loss for words. Could she say that they met while drinking and carousing in a brothel? And that it was because she had taken a liking to his woman? She stammered and couldn't come up with a coherent answer for a long time.
Chongzhen sneered a few times and said, "You think I wouldn't know anything if you didn't tell me? Luo Yangxing told me that you acted recklessly outside the palace, even opening your own brothel and often playing fake love games with women. And a few days ago, when his men followed Liu Ye, they discovered that he had entered your brothel, and you later chased those men away. Is this how you met Liu Ye?"
Zhu Meichu was struck dumb, and it took her a long time to come to her senses before she asked, "Father, did you send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate me?" She never expected that her actions, which she thought were very secretive, were all under her father's surveillance.
Emperor Chongzhen snorted and said, "The Imperial Observatory says you have a hurdle in your destiny and must be raised outside the palace in a lowly manner, otherwise you will die young. But no matter what, you are of royal blood, and your every move represents the royal family. If I don't have the Embroidered Uniform Guard keeping an eye on you, I'm afraid you will go down a more crooked path. Now is not the time to talk about this. You must answer my question: What exactly is your relationship with Liu Ye, and why did you save him?"
Zhu Meichu was only a fourteen-year-old girl, in her rebellious phase. She was initially uneasy because of her mistake, but after learning that Chongzhen was outwardly kind and benevolent but secretly had people monitoring her, she was provoked to rebel and stubbornly replied, "Your subject likes him, so what?"
Emperor Chongzhen was furious. How could he possibly like Liu Ye? He grabbed a paperweight and was about to strike Zhu Meichu, shouting, "You actually say you like him? Do you know who he is or what he's done? Just an hour ago, he led a large army to besiege the capital, forcing me to sign a treaty under duress. In my eight years on the throne, I have never suffered such humiliation. Why did you have to choose him as my consort?"
In truth, Zhu Meichu's feelings for Liu Ye were more of an admiration and attachment than romantic love. However, once her stubborn temper flared up, she refused to back down. While dodging Chongzhen's pursuit, she shouted, "I just like him! I just like him!"
"No, no matter what, you must never have any contact with him again. Cut off all ties immediately and never see him again!"
Zhu Meichu was extremely frustrated. It was bad enough that she had been sent out of the palace at a young age, but her father and mother rarely cared about her. One of them was always engrossed in reviewing memorials, and the other only had eyes for the princes. Now that they had finally met a few times, she learned that she had been under her father's surveillance all along. In the end, they even interfered with who she met. She couldn't help but retort: "Since you put me out of the palace to be raised in poverty, then don't care whether I live or die. When you ignored me, did you ever treat me as a royal princess?"
Emperor Chongzhen coldly replied, "Who gave you the right to be born into an imperial family? Liu Ye opposed me, and I told you to sever all ties with him, and you must!"
Zhu Meichu felt a surge of anger and blurted out, "It's impossible to break up now, we've already consummated our marriage!" She didn't think about the consequences when she said this in anger.
Emperor Chongzhen was struck dumb, staggered, and it took him a while to recover. Once he came to his senses, he flew into a rage, grabbed a sword hanging on the wall, and swung it down at Zhu Meichu. Zhu Meichu, utterly shocked that her father would use a sword to kill her, was stunned and stood frozen in place.
Just as the sword was about to strike Zhu Meichu's head, Chongzhen saw the bewildered Zhu Meichu and remembered how she used to fawn over him. His heart softened, his hand trembled, and the sword deviated a few inches, striking her left arm instead.
A flash of cold light, blood splattered everywhere, and Zhu Meichu screamed as her left arm was chopped off at the shoulder.
Wang Chengen, who was standing to the side, had originally intended to remain uninvolved and pretend he hadn't witnessed the father and daughter's argument, since the affairs of the imperial family were not something a mere servant like himself could meddle in. However, things took such a swift turn that before he could even react, the tragedy had already occurred.
Zhu Meichu had fainted from the pain, and blood was everywhere. Chongzhen's hands trembled uncontrollably, and with a clang, his precious sword fell to the ground.
"What are you lackeys standing there for? Quickly summon the imperial physician!"
Outside the capital.
"No!"
Liu Ye, half-asleep, witnessed this bloody tragedy and screamed out.
The curtain was lifted, and Shimazu Chiyo's pretty face peeked in. She asked, "Master, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
Liu Ye opened his eyes, looked around, and only after his mind cleared did he realize he was in a carriage and had fallen asleep; it was just a dream. But the dream felt so real, as if it had happened right before his eyes. Although he hadn't harbored any romantic feelings for Zhu Meichu, this little girl, he still had a good impression of this quirky and unconventional princess. Moreover, she had saved his life in the military camp, making her his savior. Even seeing this scene in his dream still made him feel uneasy.
He steadied himself, telling himself it was just a dream, and then asked, "Where am I now?"
Chiyo Shimazu replied, "I heard from them that they've already reached Tongzhou and will arrive in Tianjin tomorrow..."
After leading a large army in a mutiny in the capital and obtaining everything he wanted, Liu Ye wasted no time and left the capital that very day, returning to Tianjin and heading south by sea. The capital was no place to linger; Emperor Chongzhen and Yang Sichang hated him to the core and were sure they had other insidious schemes against him. It was easier to dodge a spear than a hidden arrow; it was best to leave as soon as possible. However, too many changes had occurred during this period—the great battle against the Tartars, the battle of wits with Yang Sichang, and even a brush with death. Even with his good energy, Liu Ye couldn't keep up. Instead of riding a horse, he lay down to rest in the carriage, falling asleep after a few bumps along the way.
Upon hearing that Liu Ye had woken up, Yan Guang came to ask for instructions.
"General, after departing from Tianjin Port, should we return directly to Qiongzhou or detour through Shandong?"
Liu Ye said without hesitation, "I'll go to Shandong first; I have some things to take care of." Having secured control of Shandong, the first step was to consolidate the gains to fulfill his future plans.