Ping Zhao Lu

After a long time, Chu Yunxiao and Xu Zhouye slowly arrived at the door of the Golden Palace.

When the two of them walked near the palace gate, they almost simultaneously and tacitly turned their eyes to Concubine Li who was kneeling there.

I saw Concubine Li with her head lowered, her delicate figure looking a little lonely.

However, the moment the emperor approached, Concubine Li, who had originally looked lost, seemed to be suddenly injected with vitality, and a faint bright color quickly returned to her face.

But when her eyes accidentally fell on Xu Zhouye, the brightness that had just appeared was like a flash in the pan, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Despite her mixed feelings, Concubine Li knew that court etiquette was essential. So, she forced herself to gather her spirits, respectfully performed a standard salute toward the Emperor and Empress, and softly said, "Your Highness, Your Majesty!"

Chu Yunxiao nodded slightly and responded expressionlessly: "Get up." His cold tone was like a cold wind blowing, making people shiver.

At the same time, his tall and straight figure naturally moved behind Xu Zhouye, shielding his lover from the slight chill from the outside world. Then, Chu Yunxiao turned to look at Lipin and said calmly, "What's the important matter? Let's talk inside."

Lipin replied "yes" and bowed again to express her gratitude. After standing up, she carefully followed the emperor and empress into the hall.

After entering the hall, Chu Yunxiao waved his hand, signaling all the palace servants around him to retreat.

After everyone left, he gently took Xu Zhouye's hand, walked towards the couch together and slowly sat down.

After everything was settled, Chu Yunxiao turned his gaze back to Lipin who had just stood there and asked, "What's the matter?"

Before she finished her words, Lipin's knees suddenly went weak and she fell to the ground with a thud.

She raised her head, her eyes filled with fear and determination, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, what I am about to say is extremely important. I am afraid it will be inconvenient with the Queen here!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunxiao's face suddenly darkened, like a gathering dark cloud, making one shudder. "The Queen is my wife, so why is it inconvenient?"

Concubine Li was suddenly choked by Chu Yunxiao's cold words. Her throat seemed to be blocked by something. She wanted to say something but didn't know where to start. She could only spit out one word with difficulty: "But..." However, before she could finish her words, she was ruthlessly interrupted by Chu Yunxiao.

Chu Yunxiao only heard coldly: "If you don't want to tell me, go back!" His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.

Concubine Li was startled and immediately panicked. She knew that the emperor in front of her was not someone to be trifled with. If she did not confess, the consequences would be disastrous.

When she thought about the danger she was in and the helplessness she had, she could only grit her teeth and resign herself to her fate and tell him everything.

She trembled and said timidly, "Actually...actually, I am a spy sent by the King of Yue..." As soon as she finished speaking, she kowtowed heavily, one after another, and her forehead made a crisp sound when it hit the ground.

"Your Majesty, please spare my life! I have done such a heinous thing because I have no other choice..." Concubine Li cried miserably.

However, what Lipin never expected was that after she said this, Chu Yunxiao and Xu Zhouye beside her did not show the shock on their faces as she expected. Instead, they looked indifferent, as if they had already known about this matter.

Seeing this, Concubine Li became more and more flustered.

She originally thought that as long as she confessed, there might be a glimmer of hope, but now it seems that the situation is much worse than she imagined.

Then, she called out again in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty..."

At this moment, Chu Yunxiao remained calm and asked calmly, "He sent you to assassinate me?"

This simple sentence felt like a heavy burden on Lipin's heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Although she was extremely frightened, Lipin still suppressed her fear and answered with a stiff upper lip: "Yes..."

Hearing this answer, Chu Yunxiao couldn't help but snort coldly, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a hint of disdain.

"It's a shame you didn't get the chance."

His tone was light, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.

After hearing this, Concubine Li felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar and her body began to tremble involuntarily.

She stared at Chu Yunxiao blankly, her eyes full of despair.

Chu Yunxiao completely ignored her reaction and continued to speak: "I will not give you such an opportunity."

These words were like a sharp sword, piercing straight into Lipin's heart.

Her face instantly turned as pale as paper, her pupils suddenly contracted, her lips trembled but she couldn't utter a complete sentence.

So it turns out that the emperor already knew her identity a long time ago!

Chu Yunxiao looked at the woman in front of him, who seemed to have suddenly realized something, and couldn't help but feel a little ridiculous.

The corners of his mouth rose slightly, and he said with thin lips: "The reason why I haven't touched you yet is naturally because I took the King of Yue into consideration."

Upon hearing these words, Concubine Li's face instantly turned as pale as paper, her body trembled involuntarily, and her eyes were full of fear.

She stammered in response, "Your Majesty, are you doing this... to deliberately confuse the King of Yue, so that he will have the illusion that you are not aware that I am a spy?"

Facing Lipin's question, Chu Yunxiao neither admitted nor denied it, but just glanced at her calmly. However, this silence seemed to have given the answer.

At this moment, Lipin seemed to suddenly understand something, and she collapsed to the ground as if all her strength had been drained away.

She murmured to herself, "So you've known Liang Lu for a long time... She's actually my biological sister."

Chu Yunxiao sneered upon hearing this, and said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, "Originally, I knew nothing about this, but when the two of you joined forces to frame the Queen, I began to have doubts."

Hearing this, Concubine Li closed her eyes in despair, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She knew very well that the crimes she and her sister had committed were irreparable, and now it seemed that they had been nothing more than pawns in the hands of the emperor from the beginning to the end.

Thinking of this, Lipin felt hopeless and kept repeating, "So, when you didn't execute my sister immediately, you were actually making a bet with us sisters, betting on what I would do next..."

At this moment, Concubine Li finally realized that after all this trouble, she had become the biggest joke in this power struggle!

Chu Yunxiao raised his lips and said slowly, "I have said everything I need to say. You can go back now. Starting tomorrow, you will be free again and leave the palace with the other concubines."

His tone was as calm as a lake in autumn, without any ripples.

However, when Concubine Li heard these words, she was struck by lightning. She froze in place instantly, the blood drained from her face, and she became as pale as paper.

She widened her eyes and looked at the emperor in disbelief.

For her, such an execution was tantamount to taking her life.

Can I survive if I leave the palace?

Thinking of this, a deep despair surged in Lipin's heart.

Perhaps because she knew she was about to die, Concubine Li was much braver than usual.

She gritted her teeth, mustered up the courage to look directly at Chu Yunxiao, and asked without hesitation: "Your Majesty, by treating me like this, is this also giving the King of Yue a chance?"

After all, if the mistakes she made were really investigated thoroughly, they would be enough to punish her with death. But now the emperor has neither directly ordered her execution nor announced her crimes to the world as he did to Liu. Is there any other deeper meaning in this?

Facing Lipin's questioning, Chu Yunxiao did not answer, but just looked at her silently, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

This silence made the atmosphere even more solemn and depressing, as if even the air had solidified.

Seeing that the emperor remained silent for a long time, Concubine Li couldn't help but laugh at herself.

Yes, the emperor was still the emperor after all. How could others easily guess his thoughts? No matter how hard he struggled, it was ultimately in vain.

"I understand..." Lipin murmured to herself, tears streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably.

While crying, she continued, "I beg Your Majesty to spare my sister's life. She will be the only one left in the Liang family in the future..." At the end, Lipin's voice was trembling and she couldn't stop crying.

All along, Lipin knew that she had committed many evil deeds and committed serious sins, but in her heart, her sister was always a light in her life.

Whenever she encountered difficulties or got into trouble, her sister would always step forward to clean up the mess and protect her from the storm.

This time, Lipin really couldn't bear to implicate her sister again. Even if it meant sacrificing her own life, she hoped her sister could live in peace...