The smell of fresh blood, thick and nauseating…
In the large courtyard, two massive bronze pillars stood. A man and a woman, their bodies a blur of flesh and blood, were tightly bound to the front of them. Piteous moans escaped their nostrils, their mouths stuffed with thorns, rendering them speechless. The weak groans, however, struck like thunder into every person forced to stand in the courtyard and watch their execution.
On both sides of the courtyard, parasols were set up. Beneath them sat more than a hundred beautiful women in resplendent floral robes. Behind them, numerous palace maids and eunuchs, all pale with fright at this moment, were completely unable to maintain their composure or etiquette.
The women seated were all concubines and consorts of the current Crown Prince. Just a few days prior, the woman being tortured beyond recognition in the center of the courtyard had also been one of them. Now, transformed into this state, whether they had once vied with her in jealousy, or now hated her to the bone, they could not bear to witness her tragic sight.
The two were bound naked to the bronze pillars, their entire bodies tightly wrapped in fishing nets. Two executioners gripped the handles of small knives tightly in their palms. A silver gleam flashed, and a piece of bloody flesh fell, dropping into the basin held by the assistant standing nearby.
The two knife-wielders and the assistant wore indifferent expressions, as if those they were slowly slicing were not their fellow humans, but merely two lifeless blocks of wood. Without the slightest hesitation, they sliced again and again, their technique precise…
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had decreed that the man and woman who dared to commit adultery behind his back be subjected to the thousand cuts of *lingchi*. They would have to endure all thousand cuts before they could be released!
She sat on a raised platform placed before the courtyard, held in the embrace of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was clad in black brocade robes embroidered with golden dragons. Beneath the scorching sun, she felt no warmth at all, only coldness, a coldness that pierced to the bone.
The miserable groans were like a death curse, causing her entire body to tremble incessantly. She desperately wanted to cover her ears and escape it all, but she dared not… nor could she.
The arm wrapped around her waist was like an iron band, restricting her every movement. She could only try to straighten her convulsing body, striving to force herself to forget the horrifying events unfolding beside her, to forget the terrifying man who had ordered this gruesome torture, and who was now holding her in a tight embrace.
Noticing her trembling, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince let out a low chuckle. He pulled her closer, lowered his head and bit her earlobe, saying languidly: “My poor little beauty is scared? Don’t be afraid… If you are obedient, I will love you very, very much.”
Obedient… Obedient… But what if she wasn’t obedient? She dared not imagine what would await her…
Her bitten ear was both itchy and painful. The hot breath exhaled into her ear made her tremble violently once more. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping those two could quickly grant the tortured a swift end, and wishing that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who held her, could also grant her a swift end… She felt as if in the next moment, this man would mercilessly bite off her ear, then devour her alive, mouthful by mouthful.
The Crown Prince greatly enjoyed watching her tremble weakly in his arms. His hands began to roam wantonly over her body, like a hungry wolf that had caught delicious prey. He proudly surveyed his catch, considering where to bite first to savor the utmost delicacy.
She struggled to control herself, not wanting to flinch away out of fear and humiliation. She knew very well that every involuntary twitch or attempt to pull away would result in severe punishment. The more she tried to escape, the more thorough and complete the humiliation and torment she would ultimately receive.
The pain and tingling in her ear hadn't stopped. The Crown Prince seemed to particularly enjoy biting and licking her small ear…
She still remembered two years ago, a mama sent by the Empress. Upon discovering she hadn't had her ears pierced, the mama took it upon herself to put two pearl earrings in her ears. The result was that after he found out, he ordered the mama's hands to be chopped off on the spot. The reason given was, "Touching his property."
From then on, the palace servants attending her became even more terrified. Their gazes towards her no longer held any warmth or familiarity, only caution and wariness. They dared not casually touch her.
The sight of the two embracing intimately on the platform. Normally, this would have driven countless concubines of the Eastern Palace to jealous fury. However, at present, everyone was so disturbed by the extremely cruel and bloody scene in the courtyard that their minds were in chaos. A faint sense of sympathy for the young girl held in the Crown Prince's arms vaguely rose from the depths of their hearts.
Being near a ruler is like being near a tiger! Especially a vicious tiger that craved blood, loved killing, and was utterly unpredictable in its moods!
The torture in the courtyard was still ongoing. Several concubines forced to "witness the ceremony" couldn't help but bend over, dry heaving in spasms. Others simply fainted outright. Yet no one dared to suggest leaving.
The Crown Prince's intention was very clear: he wanted every single person in the Eastern Palace to clearly see the consequence of betraying him!
The strong scent of fresh blood seemed to greatly stimulate his interest. Without any restraint, in broad daylight and in public, he reached his hand into the layers of her clothing, casually caressing her body.
Could anyone save her? The intense sunlight made her eyes swim. In the periphery of her vision, the eunuchs and palace maids serving on the platform retreated one by one. They stood far away, not even daring to glance back…
“Be obedient, understand?” A deep, warning voice echoed in her ear. Her body was lifted and placed onto the cold, jade-green table in front of them…
This is a nightmare, I just need to wake up! Just wake up!
Using all her strength, Chu Chu forced her eyes open. What met her gaze was a coarse, self-sewn curtain that had begun to yellow. A fresh, distinct scent of mountain herbs wafted through the air…
She calmed her mind, silently repeating, "It was just a nightmare…"
Her uncontrollably pounding heart gradually returned to normal. Chu Chu sat up and looked at the simply, even crudely, furnished room. She felt a wave of relief, a sense of liberation almost like escaping from a dangerous situation.
She casually threw on some clothes and got out of bed. Like a wandering spirit, she walked to the kitchen. She tilted her head, pondering for a while, unable to understand why she, perfectly fine, would so often dream such dreams. In the dream, she couldn't clearly see the facial features of these people, but she recognized their identities, relationships, and interactions. Even when she herself became the female lead in it, she seemed to possess a different kind of memory, knowing everything that had happened to "her."
Waking from the dream, everything was once again hazy.
Bending her head to look at her reflection in the brass basin before her, Chu Chu felt a profound sense of vexation—a typical, plain village girl's face, moreover, one that was malnourished, pale and sallow, with large, lifeless eyes, sparse eyelashes, and a small, flat nose. The palace maid in her dream was probably a hundred times prettier than her. Did that Crown Prince actually like this kind of rustic charm? What peculiar taste!
Chu Chu was utterly bewildered. She clearly remembered being nothing more than an orphan whose parents had both died, who had fled with her grandmother as a refugee to settle in this tiny village. Half a year ago, her grandmother had also passed away. In her meager memories, let alone an imperial palace or a crown prince, she had never even met an official, no matter how minor.
That scene, hazy yet so real—how could she have possibly imagined it?!