By now, Nie San had already been severely tortured.
It was said that the Crown Prince was the one who had inflicted the torment.
On his way, the Crown Prince encountered Nie San being escorted by the Imperial Guards and had mercilessly beaten him.
This gentle and refined young man, when faced with a man who might have eloped with the woman he loved, revealed the ruthless severity of a future emperor, using every means to extract a confession from Nie San through torture.
Thus, when A’Wu saw Nie San, she was shocked.
She could hardly recognize him.
A’Wu stepped forward, took a duster, and directly whipped Nie San with it.
The duster’s bristles stung painfully, especially since Nie San was already injured.
He lay there in agony, clenching his teeth.
Though he made no sound, it was clear he was enduring immense pain.
Finally, A’Wu imitated Emperor Jingxi, standing with her hands behind her back in front of Nie San, “Nie San, I should thank you.”
Nie San lay there weakly, his thin, pale face pressed against the cold ground.
There was no light in his eyes.
A’Wu continued, “If it weren’t for you deceiving me and luring me out of Yan Yang Temple, I wouldn’t have had this incredible fortune, soaring to the highest branch in the world.”
Nie San’s gaze slowly lifted, looking up at A’Wu.
This is a proud and radiant Awu.
He slowly smiled and said, “Congratulations.”
In a low, strained voice, he repeated, “Congratulations, Immortal Lady.”
Awu lowered her eyes and asked, “Aren’t you going to ask who I encountered that night?”
Nie San hadn’t known before, but now he did.
Awu was someone the emperor disliked, someone even the crown prince couldn’t protect.
But now, she had risen above it all, unburdened and fearless.
So, the man who protected Awu was the only one in the world.
He laughed even more, his vision blurring as he said, “Immortal Lady, Nie San has fallen to this state for you. It’s only fitting.”
There was nothing to regret.
After all, even the emperor, who once dismissed her as an unworthy woman, had torn apart his own words and taken the woman who belonged to his son into his arms.
What was he, then, in comparison?
In truth, the initial Emperor Jingxi wasn’t wrong.
This young woman was indeed a calamitous enchantress.
What man could escape her grasp?
It’s just a pity that Emperor Jingxi had been too merciful back then.
He hadn’t directly sought her death, giving her the chance to bewitch the emperor.
Now, even he himself was deeply entangled in her web, unable to extricate himself!
As Nie San thought this, a mocking glint appeared in his eyes.
With this woman entering the palace, it was likely that the emperor and his son would turn against each other, and the very foundation of the Great Hui dynasty would be shaken.
Awu sighed softly and looked at Nie San.
“I wish I could beat you to death, but I’m too soft-hearted to kill. What should I do?”
Fang Yue felt that Awu at this moment was like a cat staring at a fish, unable to take a bite.
After a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward and told Awu about Emperor Jingxi’s arrangements for Nie San.
Awu was surprised. “Really?”
Fang Yue nodded. “Yes.”
He could only say that when the emperor was jealous, he was utterly irrational.
The man’s obsession with this delicate young woman was beyond imagination.
He couldn’t tolerate Nie San having once coveted his woman.
Awu looked at Nie San with some sympathy.
“It seems this is the only way.”
Nie San struggled to lift his head, looking at Fang Yue and Awu, a sense of foreboding rising within him.
His hands clawed at the hard ground as he stared at Fang Yue.
“Fang Yue, for the sake of our past acquaintance, just kill me!”
Fang Yue was also helpless.
He comforted Nie San with sympathy.
“A miserable life is still better than a good death. Even if you’re maimed, you’ll still be alive.”
At the word “maimed,” the sturdy frame of the seven-foot-tall man trembled with fear.
The veins on his forehead bulged as he convulsed.
“No, I don’t want that! Fang Yue, I beg you, kill me!”
Awu watched Nie San’s terrified expression in disbelief.
So, men were this afraid of such things?
It had reduced Nie San to this state?
It was just becoming a eunuch, not death.
Was it really that bad?!
She scoffed disdainfully.
“As expected, just a cowardly weakling!”
Hearing this, Nie San slowly turned to look at Awu, only to see her innocent expression, as if this were just some trivial matter.
Of course, she didn’t care.
She had no affection for him, only contempt.
Even if he died here, she wouldn’t spare him a second glance.
Despair washed over him as he gazed at her, feeling as though his heart were being pierced.
He, who had once been a towering, upright man, had fallen to such a state!
At this moment, Emperor Jingxi was listening to the report from his plainclothes imperial guards.
Of course, Emperor Jingxi would not send only Fang Yue and his thirty men to Yan Yang Temple.
He wanted to cherish A’wu, to hold her in the palm of his hand and dote on her, but he also wanted to keep her firmly in his grasp.
The woman who was already sitting in his arms—he absolutely would not allow her heart to leave even the slightest gap for another man.
He tilted his head slightly, resting his chin on his knuckles, as he listened to the plainclothes guard’s report.
Everything was laid out in detail before Emperor Jingxi: how A’wu discussed matters with Fang Yue, how she entered Yan Yang Temple, how she confronted the old nun, how she met with the Crown Princess, and what she said to the Crown Prince.
Even her conversation with Nie San and her reaction when Nie San was castrated-nothing was missed by the plainclothes guards.
After the report, Emperor Jingxi remained silent for a while.
Futai, standing nearby, gave a subtle glance, and the plainclothes guard understood, silently withdrawing.
Emperor Jingxi lightly tapped his fingers on the imperial desk, deep in thought.
In the silence, Futai slowly began to grasp the emperor’s intentions.
He was satisfied.
Indeed, Emperor Jingxi suddenly chuckled, “That little thing has returned to Yan Yang Temple with her tail held high, flaunting her power.”
Futai also smiled and said, “Lady Ning must have suffered some grievances in the past, so it’s only natural for her to vent a little. Besides, she’s still young. With Your Majesty’s support, she naturally wants the whole world to know. This shows she truly cares for Your Majesty.”
Emperor Jingxi seemed to agree, saying, “She must be feeling quite proud of herself.”
Hearing the faint trace of indulgence and tolerance in the emperor’s words, Futai understood even more.
Emperor Jingxi held the highest authority in the land.
The woman he cherished could naturally look down upon the world.
If his beloved used his power to settle scores, wasn’t that only right?
The emperor had sent the plainclothes guards not out of concern for anything else, but to ensure that this young lady did not form any connections with other men, especially the Crown Prince.
Lady Ning’s words and indifference toward the Crown Prince, as well as her coldness toward Nie San, naturally pleased the emperor.
He wanted to see Lady Ning sever all ties with those men!
If Lady Ning had shown even the slightest hint of sorrow or distress when facing the castrated Nie San, the emperor might have had Nie San chopped into pieces and shown to her!
Now that he was satisfied, if Lady Ning were before him, he would even order someone to pluck the stars from the sky for her.
Futai sighed with a smile, “Lady Ning’s temperament is truly straightforward and endearing.”
Futai always tried to subtly speak in A’wu’s favor.
“Although Lady Ning can be a bit willful at times, and even anger His Majesty, she is truly likable!”
Emperor Jingxi, seemingly lost in thought, smiled slightly and said, “She hasn’t experienced much in life. Her heart is pure, and she is ultimately too kind and soft-hearted.”
Futai quickly agreed, “Your Majesty is right. Lady Ning has a good heart. Even when others wrong her, she doesn’t hold grudges. Instead, she helped them eliminate the rat infestation. What kind of person does that?”
At this, Futai gritted his teeth.
Emperor Jingxi said casually, “Issue my decree: The disciples of Yan Yang Temple have acted improperly, violating the teachings and disrupting the peace of the Taoist order, tarnishing the reputation of Taoism.”
“To rectify the Taoist discipline, all those involved shall be stripped of their Taoist status as punishment and sent to the imperial mausoleum to recite scriptures and pray for blessings, to atone for their past misdeeds.”
Futai replied, “As Your Majesty commands.”
The young lady’s show of bravado was nothing more than a childish display of claws and teeth, harmless and inconsequential.
Yet, the emperor’s calm words carried the weight of a final verdict.
The nuns involved in the incident would never leave the imperial mausoleum for the rest of their lives.
While Futai was deeply shaken by this, he also realized that the emperor’s decree held a deeper meaning.
The emperor intended to pave the way for Lady Ning, allowing her to step out of Yan Yang Temple openly and enter the imperial palace.