xymnovel Chapter 460 I want to bring your two daughters into the palace!
Chapter 460 I want to bring your two daughters into the palace!
Upon hearing this,
Liu Ruolan's pupils suddenly contracted, as if she had been pricked by a needle.
Her body suddenly stiffened, and she knelt on the spot, unable to move, as if she had been struck by a pressure point.
Deceiving the emperor? Rebellion? These two words struck Liu Ruolan's world like thunderbolts!
She suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open, her pupils filled with unbelievable shock, and her lips trembled violently.
"Impossible! Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible!"
Her voice became sharp with excitement, and every word seemed to be spoken with all her might.
Qin Mu smiled, raised his right hand, and waved it gently.
A screen of light slowly emerged in the void, like a mirror suspended in mid-air, with the image in the mirror as clear as reality.
Han Zhong and Xu Longxiang stood side by side in the moonlight in the woods, their black python robes and black iron armor gleaming darkly in the twilight.
Xu Longxiang's voice came from the light screen, deep and urgent, each word like a nail driven into Liu Ruolan's ears.
"General Han, let me get straight to the point. You cannot wipe out the Moon Goddess Cult."
Han Zhong's voice was hoarse and hesitant, carrying a hint of suppressed struggle.
"Your Highness, I have been ordered to suppress the rebels. Fifty thousand troops have arrived, provisions are ready, and the arrows are on the bowstring. If you order me not to suppress them, how can I explain this to the court? How can I explain this to His Majesty?"
"General Han, the Northern Border has formed an alliance with the Moon Goddess Cult. The Moon Goddess Cult is holding back the Qin army in the southwest, while the Northern Border is advancing south from the north. With this two-pronged attack, the great cause can be accomplished."
Han Zhong remained silent for a long time, so long that the moonlight moved from the treetops to the trunk.
His voice was hoarse, carrying a deep-seated weariness.
"Your Highness, I can agree to your request. But I have one condition. This is a one-time event. After this, the Han family and the Xu family will be even."
Liu Ruolan stared blankly at the scene on the screen, watching her husband and the prince of the Northern Border plot a rebellion, listening to the words that could be used to exterminate nine generations of their families as they uttered one by one.
Her eyes were filled with disbelief, and tears silently welled up in her eyes, streaming down her pale cheeks!
At this moment, Liu Ruolan finally understood why His Majesty had executed Han Zhong!
This is a crime of treason, and it's already unbelievable that they weren't exterminated along with their entire family!
Liu Ruolan's lips trembled violently. She wanted to shake her head, to say no, to say that this must be fake, that someone must be framing Han Zhong.
The images were so realistic, the sounds so clear, every word seemed etched into her heart, impossible to erase.
She knew her husband's various postures very well, and Han Zhong in the picture was indeed her husband's posture.
This realization completely devastated her, leaving her even more desperate!
Countless images flashed through Liu Ruolan's mind.
Han Zhong was restless after returning to the capital. He would sit in his study every night until dawn. When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with guilt and reluctance, as if he were saying goodbye.
She finally understood. She finally knew why Han Zhong was like that, why he made arrangements for his affairs, and why he wanted her to leave the capital with the children.
He committed a capital crime, a crime punishable by the extermination of his entire family.
He didn't tell her anything, he didn't say anything.
He carried it all alone, bearing the weight of that mountain of guilt, the knife hanging over the Han family's heads.
Liu Ruolan braced her hands on the ground, her fingertips trembling violently.
She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but it was as if her throat was blocked, and she couldn't squeeze out a single word.
With a wave of his hand, Qin Mu caused the light screen to dissipate.
The candlelight continued to burn quietly inside the lampshade, illuminating the room with a dim and warm glow, as if everything that had just happened was merely a nightmare.
Liu Ruolan knelt on the ground, tears streaming silently down her face, dripping onto the gold brick and spreading out a small, dark stain.
She lowered her head, looking at her slightly trembling hands, feeling a chill in her heart.
She is finished.
Han Zhong is finished.
The Han family is finished too.
Qin Mu looked at Liu Ruolan kneeling on the ground and smiled faintly.
"Do you still think Han Zhong's crime is a minor one?"
Liu Ruolan's lips trembled violently, and she couldn't utter a single word; tears streamed down her face silently.
Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at her. His voice was still very soft, but it carried an undeniable coldness.
"I have already shown extraordinary mercy by not ordering the extermination of the entire Han family, including nine generations of relatives, out of consideration for their generations of loyalty. And now you're asking me to pardon Han Zhong? Do you think that's even possible?"
Liu Ruolan felt a deep sorrow, as if she had been thrown into an ice cellar, completely frozen from head to toe, inside and out.
Her mind raced, each thought flashing by like a shooting star before quickly fading away.
She couldn't give up, she couldn't just accept her fate. She had to find a way, she had to fight for Han Zhong's last chance at life.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Liu Ruolan, like a lamp being lit in the darkness.
She suddenly raised her head, looking at Qin Mu with teary eyes, her voice hoarse and urgent.
"Your Majesty, I believe... Han Zhong is still useful!"
Qin Mu looked at the other person, the smile on his lips deepened, and a playful light flashed in his eyes.
"Oh? Then tell me, what use is he?"
Liu Ruolan dared not hesitate and spoke very quickly.
"My husband is colluding with Xu Longxiang of the Northern Border and plotting a rebellion. Xu Longxiang must trust my husband very much. If my husband can become the traitor in His Majesty's hands, he will definitely help His Majesty to take down Xu Longxiang and make amends for his mistakes."
If Your Majesty spares my husband's life, he will be willing to go through fire and water for me!
After she finished speaking, her forehead touched the gold brick, her shoulders trembling violently, awaiting the answer that would determine her life or death.
Qin Mu looked at her and smiled.
He slowly squatted down to look her in the eye.
He reached out, his slender fingers gently hooking Liu Ruolan's chin. The touch was delicate and slightly cool, like a piece of jade soaked in spring water.
Her skin was very white, glowing softly in the candlelight, and her chin was delicate and slender, trembling slightly.
Liu Ruolan's chin was lifted by his fingers, forcing her to raise her head and meet his gaze.
Her eyes were red and swirling with tears. Glistening teardrops clung to her eyelashes, trembling slightly like two feathers shaking in the wind.
Her face was streaked with tears, her lips were pale, and she looked as fragile as a flower broken by a storm, swaying precariously in the wind.
She still felt fear inside, like a mouse pinned under a cat's paws, afraid to even breathe.
But she bit her lip, mustered her courage, and looked Qin Mu in the eye, her eyes filled with pleading, despair, and a hint of desperate resolve.
Qin Mu looked at her, and the smile on his lips deepened.
"You are quite clever, even offering me advice."
Liu Ruolan's voice was hoarse, with an uncontrollable tremor.
"I dare not. I only hope that my husband can redeem himself and fight for Your Majesty one more time."
Qin Mu released her chin, stood up, and stood with his hands behind his back.
His gaze fell on the deep night outside the window, and his voice was soft.
"Then why should I trust him? He has already betrayed me once. Who can guarantee he won't betray me a second time?"
Liu Ruolan trembled all over.
Her mind raced again.
She gritted her teeth, raised her head, and spoke in a hoarse and urgent voice.
"Your Majesty! The entire Han family, totaling 142 people, is in Your Majesty's hands! Han Zhong dares not disobey, nor dares to rebel again! I believe that my husband is not rebelling for the sake of rebellion; he simply... simply wants to repay Xu Longxiang's favor!"
Qin Mu smiled, a faint smile carrying an indescribable coldness.
"Favors? Ha."
He turned around, his back to her, and stood with his hands behind his back. His voice drifted from in front of him, very soft and faint, as if through a thin veil, indistinct.
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'Emperors have no family ties since ancient times'? Do you know how many brothers and sisters died when I ascended the throne? Including the previous emperor, how many brothers and sisters died when he ascended the throne? Family ties are worthless to me; I have never believed in family ties."
Liu Ruolan was utterly desperate. That last glimmer of light was like a lamp blown out by the wind, its smoke dissipating completely.
Her hands were on the ground, her fingertips trembling violently, and tears silently welled up in her eyes, dripping onto the gold bricks and spreading out a small dark stain.
Qin Mu remained silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke again, his voice carrying an indescribable meaning.
"However, I still have some faith in the bond between parents and children. After all, even a tiger won't eat its own cubs."
Liu Ruolan's heart skipped a beat.
Her pupils suddenly contracted, and a thought flashed through her mind.
She dared not think any further.
But the ominous fear grew stronger, like a thick fog enveloping her entirely.
Qin Mu turned around, looked at her, and the smile on his lips was still there.
"If you and Han Zhong's two daughters can enter the palace as hostages, then I might be able to trust Han Zhong a little, release him, and spare his life."
Liu Ruolan was deeply shocked.
Her mouth opened, and a "hoarse" sound came from her throat, as if someone had grabbed her by the neck.
She finally understood.
Qin Mu's real target was her two daughters.
Han Xin'er and Han Qin'er.
Her tears flowed like a burst dam, unstoppable.
She shook her head frantically, her long hair disheveled, her hairpins falling off, but she didn't care.
Her voice became shrill with fear and anger.
"Your Majesty! They are just children! They understand nothing! We beg Your Majesty to have mercy! We beg Your Majesty to spare them!"
Qin Mu looked at her, his gaze calm as still water.
"It is precisely because they are children that I am at ease. Children do not lie, nor do they betray. When they grow up, I will find them good families and marry them off in style. I will not mistreat them."
Liu Ruolan shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face.
"Your Majesty! I...I am willing to enter the palace as a hostage! I beg Your Majesty to spare them!"
Qin Mu shook his head, his voice indifferent.
"You are not worthy enough. When Han Zhong betrayed me, did he ever think of you? If he truly cared about you, he wouldn't have made such a choice."
Liu Ruolan's body stiffened abruptly, as if she had been struck hard on the back.
Her lips trembled violently; she wanted to retort, but not a single word could be squeezed out of her throat.
Qin Mu is right. Did Han Zhong ever think of her when he did this?
Have you ever thought about your daughters? Have you ever thought about this family?
Qin Mu turned around and walked towards the door.
He took two steps, then stopped without looking back.
"I will give you one night to consider. Give me your answer before noon tomorrow. If you agree, Han Zhong will live. If you disagree, Han Zhong will die, and the Han family... I will show no mercy."
He stepped across the threshold and disappeared into the night outside.
Liu Ruolan knelt on the ground, her forehead touching the cold gold bricks, tears streaming silently down her face.
At this moment, Liu Ruolan had only one thought in her mind.
What should she do? What should she do?
.......
Qin Mu quickly returned to the main hall of the Han family.
His moon-white robe fluttered gently in the night breeze, and his steps were unhurried, as if he had just gone out for a stroll.
When the elders of the Han family saw Qin Mu return so quickly, they looked at each other in disbelief, their eyes filled with shock and confusion.
They couldn't believe His Majesty would do it so quickly.
How long has it been? A stick of incense? No, not even a stick of incense.
That's simply impossible.
How could something like that happen so quickly?
Could it be... that it didn't work out?
This thought was like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of every elder, chilling them to the bone.
If even this one move fails, then Han Zhong is truly doomed, and the Han family may also be in danger.
Han Demao's face was ashen, and his hand, which was holding a cane, was trembling violently.
Han Dechang's legs went weak, and he could only stand up by holding onto the edge of the table next to him. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead and nose.
Han Deren's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly.
Some of the other elders slumped in chairs, some leaned against the wall, some covered their faces with their hands, and some lowered their heads and remained silent.
Despair and fear were written on everyone's face, like a group of prisoners sentenced to death, waiting for the knife hanging over their heads to fall.
Xu Fenghua stood beside Qin Mu and was slightly taken aback when she saw him return so quickly; a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.
She originally thought Qin Mu would be gone for at least two hours, since Qin Mu always tormented her for no less than two hours, and he probably wouldn't torment Jiang Zhaoyue and Zhao Qingxue for long either.
I didn't expect them to come back so quickly this time.
Did Qin Mu not do anything to that woman?
How is this possible? Has Qin Mu changed his mind?
Her gaze fell on Qin Mu's face, his handsome features still bearing that ambiguous smile, revealing nothing about him.
A complex mix of emotions welled up inside her, including surprise, confusion, and a hint of relief that she herself didn't even realize.
Xu Fenghua quickly lowered her eyes, suppressing the emotion that shouldn't have been there.
Qin Mu walked to the main seat and slowly sat down.
He leaned back in his chair, propping his chin on one hand, his gaze sweeping over the pale-faced, trembling elders, a smile still playing on his lips, revealing no emotion.
"Han Zhong will be executed at noon tomorrow. All members of the Han family must witness the execution; no one may be absent. Otherwise, you will be killed without exception."