Chapter 28: The Beautiful Princess vs. the Deranged Tyrant (Part 5)

Empress Qi felt as if her mind was on fire, the flames raging uncontrollably.

She screamed at Pei Tingche, her voice sharp and grating:
“Beast! Pei Tingche, you’re a beast! Changyu is your sister—how dare you treat her like this?! You’ll face retribution for this!!”

Pei Tingche smiled slightly. “Though Seventh Sister is not my blood sister, I have always treated her as one. What’s wrong? Is Your Majesty dissatisfied with the marriage? Or are you dissatisfied with me?”

“Pei Tingche! A nobleman can be killed but not humiliated!”

Pei Tingche tilted his head slightly and turned to King Qi, asking,
“King Qi, do you have any objections to the marriage I have granted?”

King Qi lowered himself submissively, his smile uglier than a cry.
“No, no, none at all! Very satisfied! Very satisfied! Changyu is in Your Majesty’s hands—you may do as you please! I only beg Your Majesty to spare my life!”

Empress Qi gnashed her teeth in fury. “Are you even a man?! Changyu is your own daughter!”

King Qi had no time for reason. He responded with disgust, “If sacrificing Changyu can ensure our survival, then why not?”

Empress Qi hated herself for ever trusting this man. Poisonous curses spilled from her lips, and she wished she could kill every man in this room.

Eunuch Su gave a subtle signal, and several guards stepped forward, forcibly separating Empress Qi from Ning Wanguan and her mother. Ning Wanguan was dragged away, pushed along with Wen Qingshan toward the side hall.

“Mother…”

Behind her, Empress Qi’s heart-wrenching cry rang out:
“Changyu! Better to die with honor than live in disgrace…”

The chaotic scene made Ning Wanguan’s head throb. Amidst Empress Qi’s sobs, Pei Tingche suddenly spoke again.

“Wait.”

Ning Wanguan thought for a moment that Pei Tingche had had a change of heart. But what came next was even more brutal.

“Grand Preceptor Wen, your son is still young and may not fully understand marital duties. Why don’t you go in and offer some guidance?”

Grand Preceptor Wen’s face darkened. Was this an order for him and his son to defile the princess together?

Ning Wanguan’s face turned deathly pale. She was barely holding it together.

What kind of dog-blooded drama was this?! She glared at Pei Tingche, but he remained as composed as ever. That indifferent coldness on his face only became more apparent.

Damn it, this man was an absolute monster!

Now she finally understood why the system had activated a defense mode. Who could endure Pei Tingche’s insanity?

Grand Preceptor Wen sighed—whether he stuck his neck out or cowered, the result was the same.
“I obey the decree!”

Empress Qi could not bear to see her beloved daughter humiliated in public. Taking advantage of the chaos, she suddenly grabbed a guard’s sword, gripping the hilt with one hand, and plunged it straight into King Qi’s heart.

King Qi: “??????”

Empress Qi threw her head back and laughed, her face twisted with madness.
“The Son of Heaven guards the border, and the King dies for the nation! If you cannot protect your wife and daughter, if you cannot protect the people, then you might as well die!”

King Qi collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

Empress Qi yanked the sword out, flashing a fierce smile at Ning Wanguan.
“Changyu, I can’t protect you. From now on, you’re on your own.”

She was about to take her own life when Eunuch Su barked, “Stop her!”

A guard struck the back of her neck, and she fainted on the spot.

Eunuch Su sneered, “Take her away!”

Everyone in the hall was paralyzed with fear, kneeling in silence, not daring to make a sound.

Pei Tingche remained completely unfazed, his deep eyes unreadable.
“Proceed.”

Eunuch Su signaled for Ning Wanguan and the Wen father and son to be dragged into the side hall. Guards stood watch outside while the main hall fell into eerie silence.

No one dared to breathe too loudly, terrified of becoming the next target.

Then came a girl’s terrified scream.
“Ahhh—stay away!”

The sheer panic in her voice sent chills down everyone’s spines.

Pei Tingche calmly took a sip of wine, his pitch-black eyes fixed on the cup. He set it down lightly, his expression indifferent, his emotions unreadable.

The trembling palace maid beside him refilled his cup. His fingers tightened around it, his knuckles turning white.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed outside, followed by a torrential downpour. The wind howled, rattling the hall doors, making everyone inside flinch.

Strangely, the side hall fell deathly silent.

There were no screams of agony—only an unsettling quiet.

Pei Tingche glanced at Eunuch Su, who immediately understood his meaning.
“Open the doors. See what’s going on.”

“Yes!”

The guards unlocked the doors and peered inside. At once, they raised their weapons in alarm.

Pei Tingche’s curiosity was piqued.

He strode over and looked inside.

Seeing the scene before him, he smirked, excitement flickering in his cold eyes.

Inside, the Wen father and son lay dead, their throats slit, blood pooling across the floor.

The girl stood in the center, gripping a dagger, her clothes stained with crimson. Her pale face was framed by long lashes casting shadows, but hatred burned unmistakably in her eyes.

Pei Tingche’s lips curled into a cold smile as he stared at her.

“Ning Wanguan, release my mother!” she demanded.

His expression remained unreadable, but his gaze was filled with malice.
“What right do you have to negotiate with me?”

She clenched her teeth. The dagger in her hand gleamed as she suddenly lunged—aiming the blade at Eunuch Su’s throat.

Eunuch Su had not expected such audacity. In the next instant, the cold steel was already pressing against his skin.

“And now?” she challenged, a defiant glint in her eyes.

Pei Tingche’s gaze remained deep and unfathomable.
“You think I care about a mere eunuch’s life?”

Eunuch Su, unflinching, declared, “This servant’s life belongs to His Majesty. I am loyal unto death. If the princess wishes to kill me, go ahead.”

Ning Wanguan’s composure crumbled. She bit her lip, tears welling in frustration. How foolish of her to think she could negotiate with a man like this!

In her moment of distraction, Pei Tingche suddenly closed in, effortlessly twisting the dagger from her grip. His fingers wrapped around her throat once more.

A slight squeeze was all it took to confirm—she had no martial skills. She was frail, powerless. A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.

How had she managed to kill the Wen father and son?

“Seventh Sister.”

His voice softened, a smile playing on his lips, yet his gaze was dark and unfathomable.
“You will never have the right to bargain with me.”

She shut her eyes. “Just kill me.”

She was exhausted. Let it all end.

But instead of tightening his grip, he released her.

His long fingers lifted her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

His voice, like a whisper from the depths of hell, sent chills down her spine.
“A girl as interesting as you… should be thrown into the snake pit to keep my pets company.”

Ning Wanguan’s face turned deathly pale.

Eunuch Su commanded, “Take the princess away!”

She was mercilessly dragged off and thrown into the snake pit.

Once she was gone, Eunuch Su respectfully asked, “Your Majesty, what should be done with the others in the hall?”

Pei Tingche showed no emotion. “Handle them as you see fit.”

Eunuch Su nodded. “Understood.”

After Pei Tingche left, Eunuch Su turned to the trembling courtiers and coldly announced,
“All men shall be sent to the frontier as slaves. The women… to the military brothels. Those who refuse—beaten to death.”

A wave of wailing and despair filled the hall.