Chapter 21

Mingzhu stood up from the ground, turned around, and handed the dagger back to Feng Yaoguang, saying once again, “Thank you, General.”

Then he returned to the hall, his steps still difficult and sluggish. As he stepped into the hall, he heard Madam Chu’s hysterical questioning and saw her crazed expression. His expression became momentarily dazed.
This once proud and untouchable mistress of the Chu family, a woman who was high and mighty in everyone’s eyes, was an eternally elegant and unattainable figure in Mingzhu’s eyes. Now, she looked like a mad and desperate stray dog, angrily shouting at Yan Donghuang as if she wanted to fight her to the death. But the Grand Princess sat in the main seat at the front, not even lifting an eyelid, while the elite guards on either side firmly kept Madam Chu ten steps away.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get close to the Grand Princess. Even in such anger, despair, and hatred, the harshest word Madam Chu used to curse the Princess was “demon.” This was the stark contrast between different statuses and powers.

Madam Chu’s eyes were red with despair.

When Mingzhu walked in, her gaze instantly fell on him, her venomous eyes looking as if she wanted to eat his flesh and strip his bones.

The once noble and proud Madam Chu also had moments of madness. So, her previous cold and ruthless methods, her indifferent attitude towards life and death, and her cold-bloodedness in treating human lives as worthless all needed a foundation to support them. Her noble birth, powerful backing, inherent class status, and those priceless jewels and luxurious clothes supported her calm elegance. She was not a god and could not truly ignore life and death. She only ignored the lives of those she considered inferior. She treated human lives as worthless if they were the lives of concubines, maids, and servants.

One day, if someone stronger than her appeared, she would also be angry, desperate, hateful, and hysterical like a madwoman.

One day, if her children were hurt or crippled, she would also wail in pain.

Mingzhu was silent for a moment, then spoke quietly, “Madam is right. I am a wretch, so I can’t repay all the torment you inflicted on my mother and me over the years. Because I am lowly, I deserve any torment. You are noble, so… just a taste will do.”

“You little beast! I should have killed you long ago!” Madam Chu’s teeth gnashed, “I should have skinned you, pulled out your tendons, boiled your bones into soup, and sent you to hell after death!”

Mingzhu blinked lightly, his eyes empty, “Death is not scary to me, nor is hell. Skinning, pulling out tendons, and boiling bones into soup are not scary. What is scary is not being able to die.”

What is hell?

Some people appear noble and elegant on the surface, like the sons and daughters of noble families, but are more cruel than demons in private.

Mingzhu took a deep breath, walked to the main seat, and knelt slowly, “Thank you, Grand Princess, for your grace. I only ask for death.”

A suppressed and desperate cry echoed in the hall as soon as he finished speaking.

“Mingzhu…” Madam Chen bit her teeth hard, not daring to cry too loudly, “If you die, what will I do?”

Mingzhu lowered his eyes and said nothing. He could no longer find a reason to continue living. For many years, he had been isolated from the world, unable to interact normally with people. He was of low status, not good at poetry, unable to practice martial arts, and his body was extremely weak from long-term torture. He couldn’t even serve others.

What use was there for someone like him to live? He would only waste air and food.

“Death is not scary nor difficult,” Yan Donghuang said indifferently, “What is difficult is accepting a new life.”

Mingzhu didn’t understand what she meant. He had never read books, had little interaction with outsiders, and sometimes couldn’t even understand what people were saying. Over the years, the most familiar words he heard were the vicious curses and insults often spoken by Madam Chu and Chu Yuanzheng. Day after day, without interruption.

It seemed to remind him every moment that his existence was a sin, that he was born to be a target for venting anger. He had no dignity, no freedom, not even control over his life and death. He was lowly, shameful, dirty, a stinking bug.

“From today, your name is no longer Mingzhu, but…” Yan Donghuang paused, her gaze falling on his weak body, thinking that he was not only powerless but also uneducated. She didn’t know what identity to give him for a moment and looked at Feng Yaoguang, “Yaoguang, what is he suitable for?”

Feng Yaoguang answered without thinking, “A sickly young master who falls with a gust of wind, a life of wealth.”

Yan Donghuang’s mouth twitched, and she fell silent.

The words “life of wealth” sounded like a great irony at this moment.

“Take him back to my residence, find a doctor to see him, and wait for the key to the chains. After settling him, you don’t need to come here again. Take people to the Duke’s residence and bring the entire Sheng family to the Grand Princess’s dungeon.”

The Chu family was large and wealthy, and she needed to wait here for the soldiers to finish confiscating their property. Sheng Jing’an was her enemy; she would not let him off easily.

Feng Yaoguang originally wanted to stay with her. However, upon hearing about the Sheng family, he seemed to think of something and gladly accepted the order, “I will go immediately.”

Feng Yaoguang turned to look at the Chu family members, his gaze sweeping over their faces filled with hatred and fear, then turned to Mo Lin, “Take care of things here. No matter what happens, ensure the Grand Princess’s safety.”

Mo Lin nodded.

Feng Yaoguang called two people to support Mingzhu and then turned to leave. The commander of the Imperial Guards, Ying Rong, and his men were blocked outside the Chu family’s gate.

Si Ying and Rong Ying, the two highest-ranking martial artists on Yan Donghuang’s side, were the left and right side soldiers and also shadow guards.

Ying Rong, known as the top martial artist in the inner court, couldn’t even gain an advantage in front of Xie Yunjian, let alone against Si Ying and Rong Ying.

Feng Yaoguang stepped out of the Chu family’s gate, meeting Ying Rong’s gloomy eyes, raising an eyebrow, and speaking lazily and playfully, “Is the Emperor’s side only capable of producing one top martial artist? Why is Commander Ying injured, and the Emperor still makes you run around without worrying that you might die outside the palace, leaving him without a bodyguard?”

Ying Rong said coldly, “The Emperor has issued an edict, but the soldiers have blocked me outside the residence, not even allowing me to see the Grand Princess. Is this open defiance of the imperial decree?”

Feng Yaoguang seemed to ponder for a moment, then nodded slowly, “Hmm, it should be.”

Ying Rong’s expression darkened, his eyes flashing with a terrifying light.