Chapter 1: Binding the City Wall

"Bind her up for me!"

A tender scolding voice rang out, and a woman covered in blood was tied to the city wall of the imperial palace by the soldiers. Her face was pale and haggard, but she couldn't hide her stunning beauty.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with intense hatred as she looked at the woman who had just given the order, and she cursed with all her strength, "Shen Jingci, even if I become a ghost, I will not let you go!"

"Giggle!" The woman being cursed wore a silver armor, looking valiant, but compared to the woman tied to the city wall, she appeared slightly inferior, with a more sinister look in her eyes.

Upon hearing the woman's curse, she laughed with great joy, her eyes filled with mocking glances. "Not let me go even if you become a ghost? Well, you can try. Don't forget, your Xie family has already been executed for disrespecting the new ruler. Now, the Xie family is only waiting for you and Xie Huainan to reunite with your family. It's a sisterly affair, my dear sister, how can I let you and your family be separated in life and death?"

The woman tied to the city wall was none other than Xie Ruzhuo, the only legitimate daughter left of the Xie family, who was once the queen when Emperor Xiao Junhan was still a prince.

The Xie family, a prestigious family with a hundred years of heritage, had Xie Shengli, Xie Ruzhuo's grandfather, who served as the imperial tutor and helped the Xie family assist the founding emperor in conquering the world. They were highly respected, but after the second prince, Xiao Zhen, ascended the throne, the Xie family was executed for disrespecting the royal family, and Xie Ruzhuo, the wife of the second prince, was demoted to a prisoner.

At this moment, upon hearing the words of Shen Jingci, the concubine who was once considered a sister by Xie Ruzhuo, her eyes gradually dimmed, and tears welled up in her eyes. It was her fault that the Xie family had suffered. Now, her only brother, Xie Huainan, was the only heir of the Xie family, and he must not die!

Thinking of this, Xie Ruzhuo fiercely bit her pale, chapped lips, the taste of blood stimulating her nerves, and she looked at Shen Jingci in front of her and said, "Shen Jingci, you hate me! Do whatever you want to me! You've tortured me in the dungeon, can't you spare my brother, considering how I helped you in the past?"

Upon hearing Xie Ruzhuo's words, Shen Jingci smiled smugly. Ridiculous! If you don't eradicate the roots, it's like raising a tiger.

Thinking this, she crossed her arms, her face filled with pride as she said, "Xie Ruzhuo, at this point, you still want to whitewash yourself? Helped me in the past? What a joke! What did you do to help me? You stole my man, took away my position as queen, and made me his concubine. Is that helping me?"

"You..." Xie Ruzhuo's breath hitched upon hearing Shen Jingci's words.

Before Xie Ruzhuo could finish speaking, Shen Jingci snorted coldly and said triumphantly, "Or, you can kneel down and kowtow to me a few times. Maybe I'll be satisfied and let your brother go. Ha!"

Upon hearing Shen Jingci's conditions, Xie Ruzhuo's eyes suddenly narrowed. Her grandfather had taught her that as a member of the Xie family, she must never bow down. But now, it was her only brother who was in danger!

Suppressing the surge of sweetness and blood in her throat, Xie Ruzhuo gritted her teeth and lowered her head to Shen Jingci, "I beg you!"

"Hehehe!" Shen Jingci laughed when she heard Xie Ruzhuo's words. After she finished laughing, her face turned cold. "Someone, send a message to Xie Huainan, tell him that his own sister is in my hands. He must come to see me before tomorrow, or I will hang Xie Ruzhuo at the city gate!"

"You!" Xie Ruzhuo's face flushed with anger upon hearing Shen Jingci's deceitful words, her eyes sharp as knives, wishing she could kill the woman in front of her.

In the evening, the sound of horse hooves approached from a distance, and the leader was none other than Xie Huainan...