eurekapd Chapter 242 Zhao Qingxue, I Want You to Be the Empress of the Great Qin
Chapter 242 Zhao Qingxue, I Want You to Be the Empress of the Great Qin
Qingxin Pavilion.
The candlelight flickered.
Zhao Qingxue sat on the edge of the bed, her moon-white dress appearing particularly dim in the yellowish light.
The dress was already tattered and torn, with crisscrossing tears revealing bruised skin underneath.
She sat there, her back still ramrod straight, as if the bone that had supported her pride for twenty-five years would never break.
Those deep purple phoenix eyes were now looking towards the doorway.
I looked at the man standing with his hands behind his back, his moon-white robe gleaming warmly in the candlelight.
He also looked at the woman following behind him, whose eyes were slightly red.
Zhao Qingxue's gaze lingered on Jiang Zhaoyue's face for a moment.
It was just a fleeting moment.
But in that instant, she was able to see many things clearly.
What was the look in Jiang Qingxue's eyes when she looked at Qin Mu yesterday?
Zhao Qingxue remembers it very clearly.
Yesterday, in the side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, when she was being tortured by Sister Hong while being hung up, she caught a glimpse of the woman standing in the corner out of the corner of her eye.
At that time, Jiang Qingxue was pale and her eyes were darting around. Whenever Qin Mu's gaze swept over her, her body would stiffen slightly.
It was a fear that went deep into your bones.
It was a kind of anxious unease, a feeling of being ready to escape at any moment.
She was a pitiful woman imprisoned in the deep palace, experiencing an instinctive fear of not being able to control her own destiny.
But at this moment...
Zhao Qingxue's gaze fell on Jiang Zhaoyue's face again.
That face was still pale, the eyes were still red and swollen, and the tear stains were still clearly visible.
But those eyes...
Zhao Qingxue's pupils contracted slightly.
The fear and trepidation of yesterday were no longer in those eyes.
Instead, she saw a radiance she had never seen in Jiang Qingxue's eyes before.
The light was soft, yet exceptionally bright.
When the light fell on Qin Mu, it was as if the whole world became gentler.
Zhao Qingxue has never been in a relationship.
For the past twenty-five years, she has been immersed in politics and power struggles since she was eight years old, and has never considered romantic love.
But she was, after all, a woman.
She could read that look in her eyes.
That's the look a woman has when she looks at the person she loves.
Zhao Qingxue's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
From yesterday to today—
In just one day.
What happened?
Can a person change this quickly?
The woman who was filled with fear and unease yesterday now looks at the man with admiration and affection in her eyes.
Zhao Qingxue couldn't understand it.
But she didn't have time to think about it.
Because Qin Mu spoke up.
"Zhao Qingxue".
His voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
"So, have you made up your mind?"
Zhao Qingxue looked at him without saying a word.
But a complex emotion flashed in those deep purple phoenix eyes.
Of course she considered it.
These days, she's been thinking about it constantly.
From the moment she was abducted, from the moment the Emperor's edict was shattered, from the moment she was hung up and beaten, from the moment Sister Hong slapped her across the face—
She was considering it.
Consider what you should do.
What should be done if one is separated from Yang?
Considering whether or not to bow down...
Qin Mu looked at her silence and smiled gently.
He took a step and slowly walked towards the bedside.
Every step he took landed squarely on Zhao Qingxue's heart.
He stopped three steps away from her.
He looked down at her.
The faint glow of the candlelight was reflected in those deep eyes.
"Zhao Qingxue," he spoke again, his voice still gentle, "do you know her?"
He paused, his gaze lingering on her face, and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"To attach oneself to the strong is what the weak should do."
"Instead of—"
A meaningful smile curved at the corners of his lips:
"To unite with another weak person and try to overthrow the strong."
Zhao Qingxue's eyes trembled slightly.
Qin Mu continued, each word like a sharp blade tempered with ice:
"You're collaborating with Xu Longxiang."
"There is no future."
"It will only lead to its destruction."
"This principle—"
He leaned slightly closer:
"Haven't you seen it clearly yet?"
Zhao Qingxue looked at him.
Looking at that handsome and composed face so close to mine.
Looking into his eyes, I saw the unwavering, all-encompassing light.
She knew he was right.
of course I know.
The torment and humiliation she had endured these past few days had made her see everything clearly.
Xu Longxiang is unreliable.
That Northern Prince, who thought he had broken through and built anew, and who saw through Qin Mu's true intentions, was, from the very beginning, the most laughable pawn on Qin Mu's chessboard.
He thought he was planning a grand scheme.
Little did they know, every step was exactly as Qin Mu had anticipated.
Every action was contributing to Qin Mu's plan.
And she,
Empress Zhao Qingxue of Liyang.
How could they be so foolish as to ally with someone like that?
Zhao Qingxue closed her eyes.
Take a deep breath.
When she opened her eyes again, there was a cold calm in those deep purple phoenix eyes.
"I've already said that," she said, her voice hoarse but clear.
"The Li Yang Dynasty..."
She paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"We can submit to the Qin Dynasty."
The moment she said those words, her heart felt as if it had been stabbed by something.
Submission.
What do these two words mean to the Li Yang royal family?
This means that three hundred years of glory came to an end in her hands.
This means that the empire built by the founding emperor was handed over to someone else by her.
This means that from now on, Liyang will no longer be the overlord of the Eastern Continent, but merely a vassal of the Great Qin.
The price is too high.
It was so heavy that she could barely bear it.
But she had no other choice.
Because of their refusal to submit, only destruction awaits Li Yang.
She had witnessed Qin Mu's methods firsthand.
The phantom image conjured by the Emperor Taizu's decree was crushed by him with a casual wave of his hand.
He easily neutralized Li Chunfeng's all-out sword strike.
And there are the forces hidden behind this unfathomable man that she doesn't know about.
Any one of these would be enough to bring Li Yang to his doom.
Submission would at least save the people of Liyang.
At least it can save those innocent lives.
This was the last thing she, as the Empress of Liyang, could do for her people.
Of course, there was one more crucial thing: she would no longer have to endure the humiliation of imprisonment.
No more being tormented by that damned woman named Sister Hong.
She could be freed, and even return to the throne.
Apart from Qin Mu and those around her, no one else knew that she had suffered such torment and humiliation.
But Qin Mu smiled after hearing her words.
The laughter was soft, yet it made Zhao Qingxue's heart sink.
"Submit?" he repeated the word, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Then, he shook his head.
"You know that,"
He looked at her, speaking slowly and deliberately:
"What I want is not just this."
Zhao Qingxue's pupils contracted slightly.
Of course she knew.
This man said it himself yesterday in a private room at Zuixianju.
He wanted more than just Li Yang's submission.
It wasn't just about paying tribute.
It's not just those bargaining chips that are enough to change the landscape of China.
What he wanted—
is her.
Zhao Qingxue's fingers clenched tightly inside her sleeve.
My fingernails dug deep into my palm, sending a sharp pain through me.
But that pain was nothing compared to the turbulent waves churning within her heart.
She looked up and met Qin Mu's gaze.
"Qin Mu," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
"I have already said that Liyang can submit to the Great Qin."
"Isn't that enough?"
Qin Mu looked at her.
Looking into her deep purple phoenix eyes, I could see the complex emotions churning violently.
He laughed softly.
"Not enough," he said.
These two simple words were like a boulder, crashing into the lifeless lake in Zhao Qingxue's heart.
Qin Mu continued, his voice gentle yet undeniably authoritative:
"What I want—"
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"It's about marrying you."
"I will marry you as my concubine."
His gaze fell on her face, deep and unfathomable.
"At that time, you will be the Empress of my Great Qin Dynasty."
"Our two companies will join forces—"
A confident smile curved his lips:
"It will surely sweep across the entire world."
"Why not?"
Zhao Qingxue fell silent after hearing this.
She sat on the edge of the bed, motionless.
Only in those deep purple phoenix eyes did the complex emotions grow increasingly intense.
This man never wanted Li Yang.
He wants her.
It's Zhao Qingxue.
It was about making her willingly give herself to him.
This demand was even harder for her to accept than submission.
Because submission is merely a humiliation at the national level.
And give yourself to a man—
That was a complete collapse at the level of personality.
That was the pride, dignity, and perseverance she had upheld for twenty-five years—
Crush it all.
Zhao Qingxue slowly lowered her head.
Her long hair was loose, obscuring her face.
It obscured the light that was slowly shattering in those deep purple phoenix eyes.
Qin Mu looked at her like this and didn't say anything more.
He just stood there quietly.
waiting.
Waiting for her answer.
Jiang Zhaoyue stood by the door, motionless.
From the moment Qin Mu spoke, she stood there quietly, listening to everything.
Listen to Qin Mu say, "Supporting the strong is what the weak should do."
Hearing Zhao Qingxue say, "Liyang can submit to the Great Qin."
Hearing Qin Mu say, "I want to marry you and take you as my concubine."
Every word was like a stone thrown into the still lake in her heart.
It stirred up ripples.
wedding.
He took her as his concubine.
The Empress of the Qin Dynasty.
These words surged through her mind.
An unsettling feeling inevitably arose in her heart.
The feeling was light and faint, yet it was real.
It's a sense of loss.
It's sour and astringent.
It was an indescribable feeling that made her heart tighten slightly.
She quickly lowered her head.
I dare not let anyone see the light in my eyes.
She said to herself in her heart—
Jiang Zhaoyue, what right do you have to feel disappointed?
You are nothing but a traitor.
An undercover agent sent from the North.
A prisoner who was pardoned from the death penalty and had his life saved.
His Majesty's decision not to kill you is already an immense favor.
His Majesty's favor is a stroke of luck you could never have dreamed of.
How can you ask for more?
Jiang Zhaoyue's fingers slowly tightened inside her sleeve.
My fingernails dug deep into my palm, sending a sharp pain through me.
But the pain kept her conscious until the very end.
She took a deep breath.
He forcefully suppressed the inappropriate emotion that was surfacing in his heart.
Then, she looked up.
He remained standing there, head down, obediently standing.
It was as if that brief moment of lapse in composure had never happened.
The room fell into a deathly silence.
The only sounds were the faint flickering of the candlelight and the occasional rustling of the night wind through the bamboo leaves outside the window.
Zhao Qingxue kept her head down and remained motionless.
Her long hair was loose, obscuring her face.
I couldn't see her expression, I couldn't see her eyes.
All that could be seen were her slightly trembling shoulders.
Qin Mu remained standing in front of her, his hands behind his back.
His gaze fell upon her, deep and unfathomable.
Jiang Zhaoyue remained standing by the door, her head bowed.
It was as if all of this had nothing to do with her.
Time seemed to slow down dramatically at that moment.
I don't know how much time passed.
It may be just a moment, or it may be a long time.
Qin Mu looked at Zhao Qingxue's slightly trembling shoulders and the pale cheeks faintly visible through her long, loose hair, and the smile on his lips deepened.
He stopped urging him.
He simply turned around and walked towards the door.
The moon-white robe traced an elegant arc in the dim candlelight, its hem gently brushing the ground and stirring up a faint breeze.
"It seems you need to think about it for a while longer."
His voice came from ahead, still gentle.
"In that case, I will come again in a few days."
He paused, a meaningful smile playing on his lips:
"And let Sister Hong keep you company while you're at it."
Sister Hong.
These two words were like two cold knives, piercing Zhao Qingxue's heart.
Her body trembled violently.