Pei Yuanhao lowered his head. Although I could see his face, I felt like I couldn't see his expression at all. Or maybe no one could see clearly at this moment whether it was anger or sadness.

Can't even tell the difference.

Only his eyes could be seen, so dark that even the light couldn't penetrate the deep pool, which had condensed into ice in an instant. He looked at Nangong Lizhu kneeling in front of him so coldly, without saying a word, and in the main hall

There were so many civil and military officials, concubines and concubines in the harem that one could not even hear a breath. Only the wind outside was blowing as if it was about to overturn the whole world.

In this extremely quiet and chaotic time, Pei Yuanhao spoke, his voice no longer warm: "Zhu'er, I want you to say something."

"..."

"You said."

"..."

"Even if you say no."

"..."

"You said."

My palms were covered in cold sweat. The more I heard his questioning, the faster my heart beat, as if it was about to burst from my chest. The pounding made my ears hurt.

I don’t know how long it took, but I heard Nangong Lizhu slowly bend down and kowtow, and whispered: "Your Majesty, I understand that I have sinned."

I know my crime.

These four words were like a heavy blow, driving Pei Yuanhao into the abyss of the earth. I felt that all the heat in his body was gone. He looked straight at Nangong Lizhu, and his voice trembled slightly:

"Is it really you?"

"..."

"Is it really you who hurt the second prince?"

"..."

"Is it really you who tortures my son like this?"

"..."

After asking her questions one by one but never getting an answer from her, he slowly stood up holding the dragon chair. Chang Qing subconsciously walked over to help him. I seemed to feel that he was about to collapse, but

But the tall figure still stood firmly, but that kind of stability, like a palace, a stone monument, any cold and lifeless thing, stands like this.

He said word by word: "Tell me, why?"

"..." Nangong Lizhu was silent for a moment, still lying deeply on the ground: "I know my sin."

"Tell me!"

"I know my crime."

"Tell me!"

"I, my concubine...can't say."

When Pei Yuanhao heard this, there was a look of shock on his face, and my heartbeat also jumped. I saw him straighten his back slightly, and his voice became colder and harder: "Say!"

Nangong Lizhu was silent for a long time, so silent that even the sound of the wind became more and more violent. She finally slowly raised her head, lowered her eyes and turned slightly red, and said: "Concubine - I did beat the second prince before.

, I am—I am so angry."

"Can't you be angry?" Pei Yuanhao narrowed his eyes slightly: "Because of that sinful woman?"

"..." She paused again and said nothing.

A glimmer of light flashed in Pei Yuanhao's eyes: "I want you to say it!"

Nangong Lizhu's eyes welled up, as if she was in severe pain, her whole body was trembling, and she choked with sobs: "Actually, I have always wanted to forget this matter, but - but the empress asked me to take care of the second prince.

, when I saw this child, I remembered those things again. I couldn't forget them, but I couldn't find the culprit to take revenge. I was really angry, so I beat the second prince a few times. "

"The culprit?!" Pei Yuanhao's eyes suddenly widened: "Who are you talking about?"

My body felt cold.

Suddenly, I suddenly understood where the uneasiness just now came from.

Nangong Lizhu had raised her head, and her tearful eyes slowly moved from Pei Yuanhao's body to mine. Everyone's eyes followed her, and she choked and said: "Yue Qingying

, I also want to ask you, you are so heartbroken even when the second prince was beaten, and you want to seek justice for him. Then, is my unborn child guilty? He is so innocent, what did you do when you killed him?

Such a cruel heart!?"

As if a thunder struck from the top of his head, Pei Yuanhao froze and turned around to look at me.

I stood there blankly and lost all reaction.

She-how did she know?

How could she know that it was me who caused her miscarriage?

Could it be said——

I subconsciously turned my head to look at Mingzhu. She had already been so frightened by this incident that her face turned pale, and her soul seemed to have left her body. When I looked at her, her eyes also looked at me with shrinking eyes.

When our eyes met, I immediately screamed in my heart - Oops.

It was too late, Mingzhu was already trembling and shaking her head, and said to me with a frightened look: "No, no, it's not me, it's not what I said."

Everyone around was shocked.

Even Chang Qing's expression changed and she looked at me with wide eyes in disbelief.

Nangong Lizhu no longer concealed the hatred in her eyes at this moment. It was like thousands of sharp needles piercing my body in an instant. The viciousness and deep hatred made me shiver.<

/p>

And Mingzhu was still murmuring: "I, it's really not me who said it. I didn't tell others, I——"

Pei Yuanhao gritted his teeth: "Take him down!"

The maids and nuns on both sides of the hall came up immediately after being stunned for a while, but stood there a little at a loss. They didn't know who the emperor wanted them to take away, or Chang Qing who calmed down first and turned her head.

He went to Mingzhu and said, "Young servant, if you have anything to say, go down and think it over first. The emperor will come and ask you questions."

As soon as he said this, the palace maids came up immediately and took the pearl away with half pulling and half supporting.

Looking at her devastated look, I turned around and saw that although Nangong Lizhu was still kneeling there, the previous confusion on her face had completely disappeared, leaving only a sinister sneer, facing me.

.

She did it on purpose!

Treating others with their own medicine, she actually used the method I just forced to interrogate her, so it was easy for Mingzhu to tell the truth.

I just felt an unspeakable suffocation and almost fainted. However, no matter how my eyes went dark and my back broke out in cold sweat, I still stood like this, accepting everyone's gaze.

Among these eyes, there was one who was very familiar at first, but at this moment, he looked at me as if he were looking at a stranger. I felt a pain in my heart, and subconsciously raised my head and looked at the crowd under the Highness.

He just stood there.

At this moment, Liu Qinghan's face was paler than before. After the anger faded, what was left was a strange and empty space as blank as a snowfield.

He seemed to be looking at a complete stranger, even with a hint of panic, as if no matter how he tried to identify and differentiate, the person in front of him was obviously familiar, but he couldn't recognize him at all.

Yes, he doesn't know.

He never knew or even thought that I would harm anyone, nor could he imagine that I would harm a pregnant woman. But when the blame was pointed at me just now, I had no room to refute.<

/p>

Maybe, I am not what he thought I was at all, but now, what do I look like in his eyes?

I shrank, not daring to look into his eyes anymore, so I could only turn my head slowly. When I looked into Pei Yuanhao's dark eyes, I saw that pale shadow, like a ghost of myself.

That is me, the most real Yue Qingying.

I am not a piece of pure white paper, nor am I the spotless fairy painted on the paper. I am a person who has come out of the darkest place, like the depths of hell. My hands have never only had the fragrance of powder, but

There has always been a strong smell of blood, and even after so many years, it has not faded away.

However, I haven't had time to let him know all this.

I haven’t had time to tell him my secret in person yet.

If I tell him, if I tell him everything, maybe he will understand and won't look down on me, but now - it's too late.

It’s too late.

Thinking of this, I gently closed my eyes.

Pei Yuanhao had already walked in front of me, and the cold voice rang in my ears: "It's really you?!"

I nodded my head vigorously and solemnly: "Yes."

Indeed, it’s me.

There is no way to deny it, and there is no room to deny it. Although that accident was unexpected by me, it was indeed controlled by me.

"Why?"

Why?
To be continued...