Chapter 365
**Chapter 363: The Imperial Noble Consort**
Unable to return to Nan Chu, she longed to gaze day and night towards her homeland.
Princess Donglin nodded, “Alright.”
...
Two days later, nightfall.
The dark and cold prison of the Ministry of Justice felt like a realm of despair. Yan Yunting, dressed in official robes, bore the fatigue of his handsome face as he trudged forward, lantern in hand, guided by a jailer to the innermost cell.
The jailer said, “Lord Yan, you can only speak with the criminal for the duration of a stick of incense. Despite the torture, she hasn’t confessed. We need your assistance to make her talk.”
Thinking of his family, which was on the brink of collapse, Yan Yunting nodded slightly, “I will do my best.”
The jailer unlocked the cell, and with a heavy creak, the door swung open.
The jailer left.
Inside the dim cell, the oil lamp flickered like a dying ember.
Yan Yunting was hit by a strong stench of blood and decay. He raised the lantern, its pale light dispelling the darkness, revealing a frail figure curled up in the corner.
It was Dan Tai Rou.
Having endured brutal torture, her body was a bloody mess, her ankles bound by chains, making her look as if she had been pulled from a river of blood. Yan Yunting’s heart ached at the sight. He set the lantern aside and softly called, “Rou’er?”
The chains rattled.
Dan Tai Rou slowly opened her eyes. Upon seeing Yan Yunting, tears streamed down her face as she struggled to crawl towards him. “Brother Yunting... I’m not a spy. Please help me; someone is framing me.”
Yan Yunting’s heart tightened painfully as he wiped the blood from her face.
Dan Tai Rou sobbed, “They tortured me... Brother Yunting, I’m dying... it hurts so much.”
The gentle and graceful lady he once knew had become such a tragic figure, and Yan Yunting felt a deep sorrow. Yet he couldn’t help but ask, “Rou’er, did you exchange the list for the Qingeng Ceremony?”
Dan Tai Rou choked on her words, denying it with a pitiful look, “Of course not...”
Her bloodied hands clutched at Yan Yunting’s sleeve in agony, her pleading eyes evoking a sense of compassion.
Yan Yunting desperately wanted to believe Dan Tai Rou.
But the evidence was overwhelming!
All signs pointed to Dan Tai Rou being a spy for Nan Chu. The little daughter of the Dan Tai family, “Dan Tai Rou,” had long been replaced.
His heart felt like it was being sliced open. He grasped her hand and patiently said, “Rou’er, you are my wife. I will do everything I can to save you. First, tell me where the spies of Nan Chu are based in Yan Jing.”
Dan Tai Rou’s gaze grew cold, her expression no longer pitiful.
Inside, she scoffed.
With a sly smile, she said, “Come closer, and I’ll tell you where the base is.”
Yan Yunting’s heart leaped with hope as he leaned in. With all her strength, Dan Tai Rou suddenly yanked at his sleeve.
Yan Yunting, a scholar unaccustomed to physical confrontation, stumbled and fell. Dan Tai Rou’s fingers, like eagle talons, clutched tightly around his throat, while her mouth bit down hard on his ear.
Pain shot through his ear, and Yan Yunting let out a pained whimper!
The jailers outside heard the commotion and rushed in.
“Quick! Save Lord Yan!”
“What on earth is happening here?”
In a flurry, they separated Dan Tai Rou from Yan Yunting.
Dan Tai Rou, bloodied, spat out half of Yan Yunting’s ear, disdainfully saying, “If it weren’t for Nan Chu, who would want to serve a man as insincere as you? You are the most hypocritical and heartless man in the world. Spending these years with you has been nothing but nauseating.”
Yan Yunting, with half of his right ear bitten off, felt faint from the pain.
Dan Tai Rou continued to curse, “Princess Zhaoyang doesn’t want you, and neither do I. You foolish man, so full of yourself.”
The agony in Yan Yunting’s ear was excruciating, and Dan Tai Rou’s words twisted the knife deeper in his heart. He could never have imagined that his usually gentle and virtuous wife had such a ruthless side.
Suddenly, Dan Tai Rou turned and slammed her head against the stone wall.
Bang—
Blood splattered.
Dan Tai Rou collapsed in a pool of blood, her fingers trembling as they reached towards the south, as if trying to touch the sky of Nan Chu across distant mountains and seas.
Her eyes widened, breath leaving her.
...
The news of Dan Tai Rou’s death quickly reached far-off Nan Chu.
Nan Chu was in chaos.
In a bid for power, the royal family incited bloody conflicts, and flames of war raged throughout the land. The palace was heavily guarded, and Li Yuanli, clad in a dark black dragon robe, summoned his trusted generals to issue orders to suppress the rebels.
Blood flowed like rivers inside and outside the imperial city.
“Your Majesty, how should we deal with Lu Yun?” the chief eunuch reported.
With the fall of the Lu family, their youngest daughter, Lu Yun, had been imprisoned in the sky prison, but no one knew how she had escaped. In any case, when Li Yuanli left Qing Guo, he brought the bloodied Lu Yun back to Nan Chu.
Lu Yun possessed the ability to dream of the future, which was quite extraordinary. Li Yuanli recalled the mysterious prophecy left by the female emperor of Nan Chu; perhaps keeping Lu Yun could unravel the secrets of the female emperor.
Thus, Li Yuanli casually said, “Find a courtyard to keep her under watch. We’ll see her again once I’ve quelled the rebellion.”
The chief eunuch took his leave.
Li Yuanli rubbed his temples, reflecting on the chaotic situation in Nan Chu, all thanks to his good brother!
He regretted his impulsive actions—storming into Qing Guo to assassinate his brother had been reckless and costly.
He needed to learn from this, to gather his strength and wait for the right moment to return. Li Yuanli’s eyes flickered, and the image of Shen Wei’s beautiful face appeared before him.
A slow smile crept onto his lips.
He would see Shen Wei again; there was plenty of time ahead.
...
...
With Dan Tai Rou’s suicide, the Yan family was affected. The scandal became a topic of gossip among the common folk and even reached the inner palace.
“Dying by crashing into a pillar, Dan Tai Rou was indeed a woman of spirit,” Liu Ruyan mused for a moment in Yuxiu Palace upon hearing of Dan Tai Rou’s death.
Then she picked up her brush and continued painting on ordinary rice paper.
As dawn broke, the light was dim. The courtyard of Yuxiu Palace lacked plum blossoms, and even ordinary flowers and grasses failed to thrive, appearing barren and lifeless. Liu Ruyan gradually grew accustomed to using coarse brushes and paper for her art.
A newly arrived palace maid stood by the table, dozing off frequently, too lazy to pay attention to Liu Ruyan’s mutterings.
Liu Ruyan focused intently on finishing a painting of ink plum blossoms, then examined it closely—though the ink plum was elegant, the rough paper marred the purity of such a noble flower.
“Your Highness, the new auspicious robes from the Ministry of Internal Affairs have arrived,” a young eunuch announced, holding the splendid garments. “Tomorrow at the hour of the dragon, please change into the auspicious robes to attend the ceremony at Yongning Palace.”
Liu Ruyan raised an eyebrow, displeased. “Why should I go to Yongning Palace?”
She would rather keep her distance from Shen Wei.
Every time she saw Shen Wei, she felt utterly uncomfortable.
The young eunuch replied, “During today’s morning court, the Emperor conferred the title of Imperial Noble Consort to Chen Guifei, and tomorrow is the ceremony. According to protocol, all the palace consorts must wear auspicious robes to attend.”
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