Chapter 64 – All to Be Beaten to Death

Consort Yu’s heart trembled with fear. Shen Qing’s ghost-like murderous expression sent chills down her spine. The hand around her neck left her unable to speak; darkness surged before her eyes.

Wen Qiu saw that Consort Yu was being choked so hard her eyes were rolling back, but she couldn’t pry Shen Qing’s hands off no matter what. In a panic, she snatched a plank from a eunuch nearby—who had been frozen in place—and struck Shen Qing’s arms with it.

Shen Qing’s grip instantly loosened, and Wen Qiu shoved her away, sending her sprawling to the floor.

Shen Qing lay on the ground, struggling. Things had already come to this—Consort Yu was definitely not going to let her off. Shen Qing forced herself to stand. Her arms were too weak to fight anymore—then she’d bite her to death!

Consort Yu, just saved by Wen Qiu and still shaken, caught sight of Shen Qing’s fierce gaze and screamed in fright, “Ah! Beat her to death! Quickly! Beat her to death with the rod!”

Emperor Xuanyuan Ling had just arrived when he heard that scream, and his expression instantly turned thunderous. “Insolent!”

Everyone was stunned upon seeing the emperor’s sudden appearance. None had expected him to come at this moment. Immediately, a wave of people dropped to their knees.

Zhao Hai followed behind Xuanyuan Ling. Xiao Quanzi had gone ahead to report the matter, and when Zhao Hai heard the news, he figured Consort Yu was courting death. Normally, punishing a liangren (Fifth-Rank Imperial Lady) wasn’t a big deal for someone of consort rank. But since the emperor clearly favored Shen Liangren, Zhao Hai had chosen to report it directly to him.

He had thought the emperor would just have someone inform the Empress, but unexpectedly, not only was she informed, the emperor came in person.

Of course—Xuanyuan Ling had explicitly ordered someone to keep watch over Zhaohua Palace. Even if he hadn’t outright said it was to protect her, imposing house arrest was already a form of shielding. And now Consort Yu had gone and removed her just like that? It was a slap to the emperor’s face.

Shen Qing looked utterly disheveled—her hair ornaments had fallen, her hair was loose, her arms hung unnaturally at her sides, clearly badly injured.

“Imperial Physician!” Xuanyuan Ling shouted to Zhao Hai.

Zhao Hai immediately turned and ordered a young eunuch to fetch one.

The moment Shen Qing saw Xuanyuan Ling, her murderous haze vanished, replaced by a strange clarity, as if she had suddenly grasped something.

Just now, even after being beaten within an inch of her life, not a single tear had fallen. But now, upon seeing Xuanyuan Ling, her eyes reddened and tears fell like pearls.

And then, she could no longer stand.

Xuanyuan Ling instinctively stepped forward to catch her. As he embraced her, he felt her trembling violently.

“It hurts,” Shen Qing said, her voice trembling as well.

The last time he saw her cry, it took forever to comfort her. And now she was this injured—how much pain must she be in?

“Your Majesty!” Consort Yu screamed. She had just been frightened by Shen Qing and now watched in disbelief as Xuanyuan Ling cradled her in his arms. Rage surged in her once again. “Shen Liangren struck me! She tried to strangle me to death, Your Majesty!”

“Silence!” Xuanyuan Ling glared at Consort Yu.

Consort Yu was stunned.

The emperor—because of a liangren who had only entered the palace six months ago—had humiliated her so publicly?

At that moment, Shen Qing coughed, and it hurt so badly—especially her abdomen, which had been aching fiercely since earlier. The more it hurt, the more hatred boiled in her heart. Shen Qing, trembling, grasped a corner of Xuanyuan Ling’s robe just like she usually did when acting coy.

Her breath was unstable, her voice full of grievance and repressed fury, as if she couldn’t understand it at all. She asked Xuanyuan Ling, “She wanted to kill me. What did I do wrong? Why does she want to kill me?”

Xuanyuan Ling’s heart clenched.

Shen Qing turned to Consort Yu and growled, “Tell me! What did I do wrong? Why do you want to kill me?!”

Ordinarily, for a mere liangren to shout at a consort in front of the emperor would be a death sentence.

But in her current condition, Xuanyuan Ling could no longer care about palace etiquette. His voice was deep as he asked, “Consort Yu, why did you use such severe punishment on Shen Liangren?”

What could Consort Yu say? How could she explain herself in front of so many people? Say that last night the emperor had called out Shen Qing’s name while in bed with her?

Shen Qing’s questioning hadn’t fazed her—but this question from Xuanyuan Ling stabbed her straight in the heart. She couldn’t give no reason at all. Forcing herself to stay composed, she said, “I heard that Shen Liangren feigned illness to avoid Your Majesty’s favor, which is disrespectful. So I enforced palace discipline.”

Xuanyuan Ling’s face darkened even more.

Did she think he couldn’t see through that excuse?

“I’ve already handled it. Do you find my punishment lacking? Or are you acting as if the Empress is not present?”

Consort Yu clenched her teeth. “I wouldn’t dare. It’s just that this person showed such blatant disregard for Your Majesty’s favor, and I—thinking of Your Majesty—made a mistake. I beg Your Majesty to understand.”

She made it sound like she was punishing Shen Qing out of devotion to the emperor.

Xuanyuan Ling frowned, about to speak, but then Shen Qing coughed again, drawing all his attention. Shen Qing looked at him, her eyes full of reluctance and longing. “Am I going to die?”

Xuanyuan Ling felt a pang in his heart. “No, the physician will be here soon.”

Shen Qing didn’t seem to believe it. She cried while gritting her teeth, her gaze sweeping past Consort Yu and the servants who had beaten her. Her eyes were full of unmasked hatred. “It was them. They hit me. It hurts so much.”

Xuanyuan Ling followed her gaze and saw the servants now all kneeling in obedient silence. His eyes turned icy cold.

Wicked masters and cruel servants.

The servants all trembled with fear.

Just then, Shen Qing passed out.

Xuanyuan Ling’s heart lurched. “Shen Qing!”

Even Zhao Hai jumped in alarm. If something truly happened now, it would be a huge disaster. He glanced at Consort Yu. This woman—she was finished.

Xuanyuan Ling couldn’t help but check her breath with his fingers. Thankfully, she was still breathing.

At that moment, the imperial physician finally arrived.

“Save her!” Xuanyuan Ling ordered grimly. “If you can’t, bring me your head!”

The physician broke into a cold sweat—there was no room for error.

Amid the chaos, Shen Qing was in no condition to be moved, so they treated her on-site at Zhongyu Palace.

After sending her off for treatment, Xuanyuan Ling turned to look at Consort Yu and the servants. He no longer had the patience to listen to Consort Yu’s excuses. Fury burned in his chest.

“The servants around Consort Yu are useless, and their mistress is foolish and cannot be dissuaded. They deserve death. Beat them all to death with rods!”

Consort Yu nearly lost her voice. Only when Wen Qiu, who had always been by her side, was dragged away and beaten did she cry out, “Your Majesty!”

Xuanyuan Ling gave her only an icy, unfamiliar gaze—like he was looking at a stranger he’d never seen before.

That look made Consort Yu collapse to the floor, as if she’d fallen into an icy abyss.

It was then that the Empress finally arrived. She had received word earlier but hadn’t rushed over immediately—not because she didn’t want to save Shen Qing, but because she figured Consort Yu wouldn’t go so far as to kill her. Even if Shen Qing were injured and lost favor, Consort Yu causing a scene would surely displease the emperor.

The Empress had already been annoyed over Consort Yu regaining favor, and now this incident—ironically—played right into her hands.

But when she arrived and saw the scene, she was dumbfounded.

Consort Yu sat on the floor in utter despair, with no one daring to help her. The servants of Zhongyu Palace were all being beaten senselessly; some had already died.

What on earth had happened?