Chapter 15: The human heart cannot be killed completely

The whole body of Qingyuan was covered in blood, and her neatly tied long hair was now disheveled on her face. A thin hand grabbed her chin and lifted her head.

Qingyuan coldly opened her eyes, glancing at the disgusting old face in front of her.

"Beauty, if you don't behave, someone will end up dead," the murky old eyes of Emperor Liang twinkled like a poisonous snake. "Just be my queen, isn't that all you need to do?"

He removed the cloth from her mouth, and Qingyuan looked at him coldly, suddenly bursting into silent laughter.

"Beauty, what are you laughing at?"

Emperor Liang squinted, a dangerous murderous intent filled his eyes. He was never a kind and virtuous emperor, especially in such chaotic times. He was able to control the ferocious tribes and build a powerful empire in the north using absolute force.

As Qingyuan continued to laugh, she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood towards him. Emperor Liang was stunned to see a fresh mark on his dragon robe.

"You..." Emperor Liang's old face trembled, and his sinister eyes fixed on the woman who seemed unaware of her impending doom.

Tears rolled down Qingyuan's face as she laughed, "You, an old man, also want to marry this princess? Why don't you look at yourself in the mirror and see what kind of person you are?! An old man like you wants to feast on swan meat, pah!"

"You...!" Emperor Liang was seething with anger, his whole body trembling, his face turning ashen, as if he was about to devour her on the spot.

"Guards! Guards! Suspend this woman and beat her!" he roared madly.

Just then, the voice of a eunuch hurriedly rang out, "Your Majesty! The Crown Prince and Mr. Dongfang have arrived."

Emperor Liang, who was just about to lose control, suddenly calmed down. He glared at the eunuch delivering the news, "How could my son come here? And Dongfang also followed?"

"Father Emperor!" Crown Prince Chai Chengsi hurriedly stepped forward, "Father Emperor, spare her life!"

Qingyuan looked up and, through her blurred vision, she saw the Crown Prince hurrying, followed by a figure in white.

She had seen the Crown Prince Chai Chengsi before, but had no other impression of him besides being refined and cultured. Yet the person behind him...

She didn't know why she suddenly wanted to take a closer look at the newcomer, who was even deemed as Mr. Dongfang by this twisted old emperor.

But she was pressed down too tightly to even lift her head, and the Crown Prince stood in front of the man in white, so all she could see was a figure in fluttering white clothes gently passing by. Amidst the bloody atmosphere, she caught a very faint scent of pine, refreshing and endearing.

The scent was long and enchanting, making one forget the vulgar world and feel a sense of goodwill.

"Father Emperor! Please have mercy on Princess Qingyuan, she is a celestial being Father Emperor has painstakingly found," Crown Prince Chai Chengsi knelt and pleaded.

Emperor Liang sneered, "What of it if she's a celestial being? Disrespecting me warrants death! If I don't kill her, won't I regret it when she falls into someone else's hands in the future?"

The Crown Prince Chai Chengsi was at a loss, unable to argue on her behalf. He looked anxiously at the barely conscious Qingyuan, but she did not even glance at him.

"Father Emperor... this..." Crown Prince Chai Chengsi was so anxious, sweating profusely, and had to keep glancing back.

Just then, a gentle voice filled the hall, "Your Majesty, disrespecting a celestial being deserves death."

His voice was like a spring breeze, instantly dispelling the previous grim and bloody atmosphere. Qingyuan couldn't see the person at first, but now she could only see the hem of his robe.

She was amazed, as this person did not kneel before Emperor Liang.

Before she could finish her astonishment, Emperor Liang snorted and asked sarcastically, "Do you, Mr. Dongfang, also agree to my killing of this wench?"

The man seemed to smile, "Your Majesty is the emperor, and all decision-making falls within your right. Now that the Tang Dynasty has just been conquered, the unification of the world is within reach. This celestial being is said to hold the world. Since Your Majesty is about to unify the world, it's inconsequential to keep this celestial being."

Emperor Liang seemed greatly pleased by the flattery, bursting into laughter.

"Father Emperor... Mr. Dongfang, you..." Crown Prince Chai Chengsi was alarmed, and pleaded, "Mr. Dongfang, please spare Princess Qingyuan, she is already pitiful enough. She has suffered enough punishment, spare her, please."

Emperor Liang snorted angrily, "The prince says spare her?"

Crown Prince Chai Chengsi seemed to fear his father greatly, and fell silent. The atmosphere in the hall was heavy, making it hard to breathe.

Qingyuan smirked; she knew she should have died long ago. Though she couldn't avenge her enemies today, spitting in his face was satisfying enough. With this thought, she smiled slightly.

Amidst this deathly silence, the man in white calmly said, "Your Majesty, while you may kill a person, you cannot quell their spirit."

Emperor Liang was stunned, and the smile on Qingyuan's face froze instantly.

"Considering that the Tang Dynasty was just defeated, the centuries-old foundation has been destroyed in an instant. If Your Majesty kills all the royal family of the Tang Dynasty, only Li Luoyao, revered by the people of Tang, remains. The remaining forces of the Tang Dynasty are still at large, and even though the country has surrendered, the people's hearts have not. If Your Majesty were to kill their revered celestial being, do you think they wouldn't rebel again?"

With a loud bang, Emperor Liang slammed the table, his eyes burning with fury, "They dare!"

Qingyuan's heart turned cold. She tried to force herself to lift her head, but the eunuch pressing her down was too strong, and she couldn't even get a clear look at this man known as Mr. Dongfang.

The hearts of the people! The hearts of the people! The Tang nation has fallen, but the hearts of the people have not... At this moment, she felt a kind of fear.

One Su Yu Tian had almost made her desperate, and now there was another man who was good at plotting and manipulating people’s hearts.

Too terrifying! This man is too terrifying!

"The people of the Tang nation claim to be descendants of the Li and Tang dynasties and yearn for the prosperity and elegance of the great Tang Dynasty. The elderly and the young are as numerous as hairs on a cow. His Majesty also understands that these people are the most stubborn. Although the Tang nation is broken, if someone raises their arms and shouts for vengeance and to settle grievances, it is likely to be a major obstacle to His Majesty's unification of the world," the man in white said indifferently.

Emperor Liang panted heavily for a while, then snorted coldly, "Guards! Release this wretched woman! When she has recovered from her injuries, I will marry this so-called heavenly maiden. I want those stubborn people of the Tang nation to see that the esteemed princess they worship is at the mercy of me! Haha..."

He laughed heartily as he departed.