The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 840 Truly Invincible

Several years later, good news came from the frontier.

Zhu Xiong Ying led his troops to quell a rebellion on the frontier and made outstanding military achievements.

Upon receiving the news, Zhu Di was overjoyed and immediately issued an edict to recall Zhu Xiong Ying.

Zhu Xiong Ying returned to the capital and received a hero's welcome.

He donned the dragon robe once more and stood once more in the imperial court, receiving the homage of all the officials.

Looking at the civil and military officials kneeling at his feet, he was filled with pride and satisfaction.

"I'm back!"

He raised his hands high and roared to the sky.

……

However, he did not know that all of this was just Zhu Di's plan.

Zhu Di recalled Zhu Xiong Ying not because he truly wanted to take him back, but because he wanted to use him.

He needs a puppet emperor, a pawn to shield him from the storm.

Zhu Xiong Ying was his best choice.

……

Zhu Xiong Ying regained the throne, only to find that he had lost real power.

His every move was monitored and controlled by Zhu Di.

He was like a bird imprisoned in a gilded cage, having lost his freedom and his dignity.

He began to regret his past actions.

If he hadn't indulged in wine and women and hadn't taken advantage of Catherine, perhaps none of this would have happened.

But it's too late now.

He could only watch helplessly as he walked step by step into the abyss...

One day, Zhu Di came to Zhu Xiong Ying's palace.

“Xiongying,” Zhu Di’s voice sounded incredibly kind, “I recently acquired a treasure that I would like you to see.”

Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Zhu Di, feeling a vague unease in his heart.

Zhu Di clapped his hands, and two guards carried in a box.

“Open it,” Zhu Di commanded.

The guard opened the box, revealing its contents.

It was a human head.

A woman's head.

Catherine's head.

Zhu Xiong Ying stared at the head, her pupils contracted sharply, and her face turned deathly pale.

"Ah!" he screamed and fell to the ground.

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Xiong Ying's terrified expression and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"U.A., are you scared?"

Zhu Xiong Ying was trembling all over and couldn't speak.

Zhu Di walked up to him, squatted down, and gently patted his face.

"Xiongying, let me tell you a secret," Zhu Di's voice was deep and cold, "I am the one who is truly invincible under heaven!"

Zhu Xiong Ying slumped to the ground, his eyes vacant, as if he had lost his soul. Catherine's head stared at him with unseeing eyes; those once loving blue eyes were now only empty and filled with fear.

Zhu Di's laughter echoed in the palace, like the whisper of a demon from hell, grating and chilling. "What? Scared stiff? This is what happens when you toy with women!"

Zhu Xiong Ying's lips trembled, but no sound came out. He had once been a high and mighty emperor, an invincible powerhouse, but now he was like a stray dog, at the mercy of others.

"I...I..." He finally managed to squeeze out a few words, but he was just repeating the word in vain.

"I? You think you're still the emperor? You're nothing but a puppet, a piece of trash!" Zhu Di kicked Zhu Xiong Ying in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

Zhu Xiong Ying curled up on the ground, like a wounded beast, emitting low whimpers. His former pride and dignity were utterly shattered at this moment.

"Guards," Zhu Di stood up, looking down at Zhu Xiong Ying, "hang this head in his bedchamber so he can see it day and night!" Two guards stepped forward and hung Catherine's head on the wall of the bedchamber. Those empty eyes seemed to be accusing Zhu Xiong Ying of his sins.

Zhu Xiong Ying dared not look up; he was afraid to see those eyes, afraid to see that familiar yet unfamiliar face. He closed his eyes, letting the tears flow freely, his heart filled with regret and despair.

He regretted it, regretted his foolishness and recklessness. If he could do it all over again, he would cherish Catherine and treat her well.

However, there is no going back in life.

He could only spend the rest of his life in regret and despair.

……

After leaving his palace, Zhu Di went to the Imperial Garden, where he felt particularly relaxed.

He looked at the blooming peonies, a smug smile appearing on his lips.

"U.A., you're still too green. Do you think I don't know you're playing with women? I'm just waiting, waiting for the right opportunity to completely crush you."

He plucked a peony, held it to his nose and sniffed it lightly, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Now, you have lost everything—power, dignity, and the woman you love most. What do you have left? What do you have left to fight against me?"

He threw the peony on the ground and stomped on it several times, as if venting his anger.

"I am the only one truly invincible under heaven!"

……

Zhu Xiong Ying spent several days in a daze in his palace. He dared not sleep, for he was afraid of having nightmares. He was afraid to see Catherine, afraid to hear her weeping.

He could only stare with his eyes open at the head on the wall, letting fear and despair devour his soul.

One day, he suddenly heard a voice.

"Heroes, heroes..."

The voice was very soft and gentle, as if it came from the distant horizon.

Zhu Xiong Ying suddenly raised her head and looked at the head on the wall.

That head was moving!
Catherine's eyes slowly opened.

She looked at Zhu Xiong Ying, a strange smile appearing on her lips.

"U.A., do you miss me?"

Zhu Xiong Ying was terrified. He tried to scream, but no sound came out.

He tried to escape, but found that he couldn't move his body.

Catherine's head slowly floated up and flew towards him.

"U.A., let me stay with you..."

……

Meanwhile, Zhu Di was reviewing memorials.

Suddenly, he felt a palpitation, as if something bad was about to happen.

He put down the memorial, walked to the window, and looked at the night outside.

Dark clouds filled the night sky, accompanied by flashes of lightning and thunder, as if foreshadowing something.

"Guards!" Zhu Di shouted.

A guard rushed in.

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"Go, go see U.A. High..."

Before Zhu Di could finish speaking, a shrill scream suddenly came from Zhu Xiong Ying's bedroom.

The screams were filled with fear and despair, and were chilling.

Zhu Di's expression changed drastically; he immediately realized that something was wrong!
He rushed out and ran towards Zhu Xiong Ying's bedroom.

He pushed open the door to the palace, and the scene before him stunned him.

Zhu Di strode into Zhu Xiong Ying's bedroom, and the scene before him felt like a sharp blade piercing his heart.

The floor was littered with flickering candlelight, and Catherine's head on the wall had vanished, leaving only two empty nails. An eerie chill permeated the entire bedchamber, the floor seemingly covered with a thin layer of frost. Zhu Xiong Ying, meanwhile, huddled in a corner of the bed, his hair disheveled, eyes wide open, muttering something incessantly, as if trapped in a nightmare from which he could not escape.

(End of this chapter)