Chapter 687: Chapter 649: The Death of Wan Qiu (Part 2)

When Wan Qiu woke up, she found herself with her hands tied behind her to a post and a cloth stuffed in her mouth.

The peeling, dilapidated wall post indicated that she was still inside Qingfang Palace.

Wan Qiu remembered that she had agreed to accompany Zhi Xia to meet her cousin, but after entering, instead of seeing Zhi Xia’s so-called childhood friend, she herself got knocked out.

Her wrists were likely bruised from being tied, causing some pain.

Wan Qiu tried to move, but the more she struggled, the tighter the knots became.

She furrowed her brows, able only to make muffled “mm-mm-mm” sounds.

At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside, followed by the creak of the door opening, and several old eunuchs entered, led by one with white hair and a face full of wrinkles.

Seeing Wan Qiu dressed in eunuch’s robes, the old eunuch sneered, “Indeed, quite a sight. Much more promising than the previous one.”

The moment he opened his duck-like voice, Gu Yu got goosebumps all over, widened her eyes, and looked at this group in terror. The outline of the entire situation formed in her mind.

She had heard before that many eunuchs who had stayed long in this deep palace completely twisted their mindset, becoming incredibly perverse, especially humiliating the newly arrived little eunuchs with insane and unspeakable methods.

Thus, many newly arrived little eunuchs could only endure in silence, waiting until they built up seniority, to vent their anger by bullying newcomers.

In such a vicious cycle, few eunuchs in the entire Imperial Palace remained clean.

When she first heard about it, Wan Qiu had sighed, though back then, without personal experience, she simply thought those new eunuchs were very pitiful.

Unexpectedly, she would one day end up in such a situation.

Before coming, she even wondered why Zhi Xia must wear eunuch robes. Now it seemed, it wasn’t because her cousin disguised as a eunuch to infiltrate the palace, but rather that Zhi Xia had conspired with someone to deliver her into the hands of these old eunuchs.

Wan Qiu could clearly feel her limbs gradually turning cold.

They were sisters. Even if Zhi Xia was dissatisfied with her enjoying His Highness’s favor, how could she harm her like this?

Thinking this, mist gathered in Wan Qiu’s eyes, and she struggled with muffled sobs, but her chin was grabbed by the old eunuch.

The other approached closer, twisted and perverse light flashing in his aged eyes.

Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!

Wan Qiu yelled loudly in her heart, humiliated to the extreme.

“Little thing, this is Qingfang Palace. Don’t say you can’t shout out—even if you could, who would come to save you?”

As he spoke, he tugged at her clothes.

Wan Qiu shook her head frantically, tears flowing even more furiously. She kicked her legs, trying to boot the old eunuch away, but another old eunuch held her feet down.

…

A moment later.

“Damn, it’s a woman?”

“A woman is even better—I’ve never tried that, fresh!”

…

After leaving the Eastern Palace, Song Yuanbao did not immediately exit the palace but loitered around Taiye Pool. He wasn’t a petty person, and wouldn’t become estranged due to the Crown Prince’s cold words.

On the contrary, Song Yuanbao was pondering how to ease relations with Zhao Xi.

He was wandering aimlessly, and unknowingly drifted outside Qingfang Palace.

Song Yuanbao had spent two years in the palace, knowing Qingfang Palace was an abandoned palace that usually no one visited. However, today the door was ajar, as if it had recently been opened.

Out of curiosity, Song Yuanbao took a few steps forward, standing outside the door, he asked, “Who’s in there?”

No one answered, only the occasional sound of birds on the roof.

Was he just being paranoid?

Thinking this, Song Yuanbao didn’t give it further thought, turned around, and left, continuing to ponder ways to apologize to Zhao Xi.

With matters on his mind, he didn’t realize he was going in circles, and after some time, he arrived at Qingfang Gate a second time.

The ruined gate remained ajar, occasionally creaking in the wind, a heavy sound that unsettled the heart.

Eunuch Sanbao once said the master of Qingfang Palace hung themselves to death, and since then the gate remained shut, with palace attendants and eunuchs taking detours.

Given that, why was the door opened for no apparent reason?

Growing ever more curious, Song Yuanbao approached the two doors.

This time, instead of asking who was inside, he quietly pushed the door open and entered.

When they reached outside the main hall, faint voices could be heard from inside.

Song Yuanbao concentrated and listened, hearing the voice of one of the eunuchs.

“Looks like she’s out of breath, could she be dead?”

Another laughed slyly: “She just fainted, wake her up and continue.”

Song Yuanbao could listen no longer and kicked open the door.

The heavy force frightened all the eunuchs inside, making them turn their heads in unison.

Upon seeing it was Song Yuanbao, several of them were scared out of their wits, more panicked one than the other.

Song Yuanbao’s gaze swept past them, seeing a girl lying on the ground, with a large bloodstain underneath her, passed out, clothes in disarray, long hair scattered, covering most of her face, making it unclear who it was.

No need to ask; just a glance and it was clear the girl had been violated.

In this lifetime, Song Yuanbao hated such sordid acts the most, burning with rage, he charged forward in a few steps and kicked the leading eunuch square in the chest, cursing, “A bunch of heartless things, what are you doing?”

Though his martial arts weren’t as skilled as real practitioners, dealing with a few eunuchs unable to bind a chicken was more than enough.

The old eunuch was kicked over onto the ground, rolling in pain, while the others hurriedly knelt to beg for mercy, “Young Master Song, spare us, this palace maid committed an offense, we were merely following orders to punish her.”

“Whose orders?” Song Yuanbao’s handsome face darkened, eyes ablaze with fury, bending down to grab his collar, first punching him on the nose bridge, then following with a kick, causing the man to collide with a pillar, the old eunuch groaned in pain and fainted.

The remaining ones were all trembling in fear, “Young Master Song forgive us, it was him, he instructed us, saying if we didn’t obey, he would kill us, we were forced into it too!”

As they spoke, they pointed at the eunuch who had fainted.

Song Yuanbao’s eyes were already red with anger, ignoring their explanations, fists and feet combined, knocking down all four or five eunuchs to the ground.

Seizing the moment while they were all unconscious, he tore down the dusty gauze curtain from the ceiling, twisting it into a rope, binding them back-to-back to the pillar, then squatted down, reaching out to brush aside the woman’s hair to lift her up, but unexpectedly discovered the violated girl was Wan Qiu.

At that moment, Song Yuanbao’s mind went blank.

He recalled before leaving the Eastern Palace, Eunuch Sanbao mentioned Wan Qiu had just received Zhao Xi’s favor last night, becoming the Crown Prince’s Enlightenment Lady.

Then why is she here?

“Wan Qiu.” Song Yuanbao reached out and removed the cloth from her mouth, bringing out a mouthful of blood, gently patting her small face, “Dear sister, wake up.”

The person on the ground was unconscious.

Song Yuanbao was both angry and anxious, “Dear sister, open your eyes and see me, it’s Yuanbao.”

He patted for quite a while before Wan Qiu’s fingers moved slightly, then her eyelids opened slowly.

Upon seeing Song Yuanbao’s face, Wan Qiu’s tears uncontrollably fell, then she turned her face to the side in shame, unwilling to look at him.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, I’ll take you back right now.” Song Yuanbao comforted her in a gentle voice.

Wan Qiu curled up on the ground, face to the side, lips trembling, tears falling along her cheeks onto the ground, after a long time, she finally spoke with an extremely weak voice, “Young Master Song, Wan Qiu… can’t go back.”

“Silly sister, don’t say such silly things, don’t let your thoughts run wild, as long as there’s life, everything will get better.”

As he spoke, Song Yuanbao planned to lift her in his arms, but Wan Qiu said: “Don’t, dirty.”

As she spoke, it seemed she exhausted all her dignity and strength, that choked, squeezed voice from her throat made Song Yuanbao’s eyes turn red too.

“His Highness is a good person, it’s just I’m not worthy.” Her eyelids grew heavier, consciousness starting to blur, “If there’s a next life, this servant will repay him by being a horse and ox.”

Finally, like a plea, she looked at Song Yuanbao, “After I’m cremated and my ashes fill the well, throw away everything I’ve touched in Chengming Hall, don’t let His Highness touch them again.”

“Dear sister, don’t say anymore!” Song Yuanbao ignored everything and lifted her against the pillar.

With this movement, blood surged from Wan Qiu’s throat, spilling from the corner of her mouth, she gasped slightly, leaving her final words, “Beware… Zhi… Zhi Xia.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her arms fell, eyes completely closed.

“Dear sister, dear sister, don’t scare me…”

Song Yuanbao’s chest felt heavily blocked, violently shaking Wan Qiu’s shoulders, he remembered when he first arrived at Qingfang Gate, he didn’t enter but turned away, if only he hadn’t stopped then, if he had boldly opened the door, could he have saved her chastity, saved her life?

A fist slammed into the pillar, Song Yuanbao was filled with regret and guilt, he lifted Wan Qiu’s body and staggered out.

After a palace maid dies, she must first be sent to Anle Hall for cremation, then the ashes are placed to fill the well.

Song Yuanbao carried Wan Qiu’s corpse, had just stepped out of Qingfang Palace when he encountered Zhao Xi’s soft carriage.

A carved stone arch bridge separated the two.

Song Yuanbao stood holding Wan Qiu at one end of the bridge, Zhao Xi sat on his soft carriage at the other.

The two looked at each other for a moment, Zhao Xi’s gaze moved to the person in Song Yuanbao’s arms, his expression instantly stiffened, eyes darkening with a black mist, “What happened to her?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep