webnovelvip Chapter 103 Your Majesty, you mustn't!
Chapter 103 Your Majesty, you mustn't!
"boom--!!!"
Dead silence.
Absolute silence.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
The expressions on everyone's faces in the hall froze.
Zhao Wenxuan suddenly raised his head, his face drained of color, his eyes bulging out, his mouth wide open, but he couldn't make a sound.
The stewards and concubines were as if they had been frozen in place, forgetting even to tremble, their eyes filled only with horror and disbelief.
To marry...to marry Xu Fenghua as a concubine?
The emperor wants to... take a courtier's wife, who has been married for six years, as his concubine?!
This is absolutely ridiculous!
This is contrary to human ethics!
To defy the world's will!
Xu Fenghua was struck dumb, frozen in place.
Her mind went completely blank for a moment!
All the carefully constructed psychological defenses, all the contingency plans, and all the feigned composure collapsed in the face of this one sentence!
She even suspected there was something wrong with her ears.
Qin Mu...is going to marry her?
How is this possible?!
He is the emperor! The supreme ruler! What kind of stunning beauty in the world can't he have?
Why would someone want to steal a merchant's wife?
A daughter of the Xu family, and the older sister of the Crown Prince of the Northern Border?
Moreover, it was done in such a humiliating way, openly in front of her husband and more than a hundred people in her Zhao household!
This is blatant provocation!
It's trampling!
It means to trample and crush the dignity of her, the Zhao family, and even the entire Xu family underfoot!
Countless thoughts raged and collided in her mind like a chaotic blizzard—
He knows! He must know everything!
I know she was managing things for the northern border in Jiangnan, I know her connection with Cao Wei, and I know everything she was doing in secret!
That's why he used this method to retaliate! To humiliate! To completely destroy her!
Or... is this a conspiracy he's plotting against the Xu family and Xu Longxiang?
To hold her hostage in this way? To use her as leverage to blackmail the North?
Or perhaps... he's just a madman!
A foolish ruler who acts without any rhyme or reason, based solely on his likes and dislikes!
Just like the rumors say, it was just a whim, because he was attracted to her looks or... something else?
Xu Fenghua's chest heaved violently, and she was breathing rapidly.
She could feel her cheeks burning, her blood rushing to her head, only to freeze instantly.
The pale purple dress seemed to weigh a ton, tightly enveloping her and almost suffocating her.
Xu Fenghua gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to lose control, not to scream, and not to reveal any real emotions.
However, those amber eyes were always calm and composed, and unfathomable.
At this moment, however, he could no longer conceal his shock, bewilderment, humiliation, and deep panic.
Qin Mu took in her reaction, and the playful smile on his lips deepened.
He waited patiently.
Like a cat that has caught its prey, it doesn't rush to bite, but instead enjoys watching its prey's final struggle with great interest.
The air in the hall was so solid it felt almost tangible, making it hard to breathe.
I don't know how much time passed, maybe just a few breaths, but it felt like an eternity.
Xu Fenghua finally found her voice, which was terribly dry and trembling uncontrollably:
"Your Majesty...You...What did you say? I...I didn't hear you clearly..."
She was still making a last-ditch effort, hoping it was just a nightmare, an auditory hallucination.
Qin Mu chuckled softly, the sound particularly clear and jarring in the deathly silent hall.
"I say,"
He took a step forward, closing the distance between himself and Xu Fenghua.
"I believe Zhao Wenxuan is not worthy of you. And the Zhao family cannot keep you here."
His gaze swept over Zhao Wenxuan, who was trembling like a leaf, his tone contemptuous:
"How can a good-for-nothing who can't even protect his own wife and hold onto the family business possibly have a woman like you?"
Then, his gaze refocused on Xu Fenghua, his eyes becoming deep and carrying an undeniable air of dominance:
"Only I, who possess the world and have the wealth of the four seas, can give you the honor and status you deserve."
He paused, his tone softening, yet carrying even greater weight:
"Xu Fenghua, I wish to marry you as my concubine. After entering the palace, you will have a bright future ahead of you."
"As for the Zhao family..."
Qin Mu glanced at Zhao Wenxuan, whose face was ashen, and the terrified Zhao family members in the hall, and said indifferently:
"I will bestow generous rewards upon them, ensuring their lifelong wealth and peace. If Zhao Wenxuan is sensible, he may marry another beautiful woman to continue his family line. If he is unwilling..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the invisible chill had already caused Zhao Wenxuan to collapse to the ground.
There was even a small, dark stain that was damp in the crotch area!
He was so frightened that he lost control of his bladder.
Looking at her husband's wretched state, Xu Fenghua felt no pity, only a cold desolation and a deeper sense of shame.
The hall was deathly silent, like a graveyard.
Xu Fenghua stood there, her heart sinking to the bottom.
She could tell that Qin Mu wasn't joking.
He was serious.
This realization sent chills down her spine.
She forced a bitter smile.
Her smile was broken and forced, and coupled with her pale face, it did indeed give her a pitiful look.
"His Majesty……"
She slowly knelt down, her pale purple skirt spreading out on the ground like a suddenly withered violet.
His forehead touched the ground, his voice trembling with barely suppressed pleading:
"Your Majesty's kindness is beyond words, Fenghua is deeply grateful. But... but this is absolutely impossible!"
She looked up, her eyes already brimming with tears.
This is not a pretense, but a genuine reaction born from extreme humiliation and panic:
"Fenghua has been married for six years and is the lawfully wedded wife of the Zhao family. If Your Majesty were to forcibly take my wife into the palace, this...this would be against propriety and human ethics!"
She paused, her voice becoming even more mournful:
"How will the people of the world view Your Majesty? How will the historians record this? How will posterity judge you? Your Majesty... please think carefully!"
She's gambling.
Even if Qin Mu, this "tyrant," still has some dignity, he still has to consider the opinions of the people.
An emperor who forcibly takes a subject's wife will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame and cursed for all eternity.
He shouldn't be able to afford this price.
Xu Fenghua lay prostrate on the ground, her forehead pressed against the cold, hard blue bricks, waiting for Qin Mu's response.
She could hear her heart pounding and feel her back soaked in cold sweat.
Time passes little by little.
Every breath felt like an eternity.
finally--
Qin Mu smiled.
The laughter was soft and faint, yet it made Xu Fenghua freeze.
"Etiquette and law? Human relations?"
He repeated the two words, his tone full of sarcasm:
"Madam Zhao, do you think... I care about these things?"
"How the world sees it, how the historians record it, and what future generations will say..."
Qin Mu slowly bent down, reached out and lifted Xu Fenghua's chin, forcing her to look up at him.
"That's their business."
His voice was soft, yet every word pierced the heart:
"I am the emperor. My words are law and order. My actions are the law of humanity."
Xu Fenghua's pupils suddenly contracted!
Is this human talk?
This is utterly depraved and immoral, reaching a point that is outrageous and intolerable to heaven and earth!
She knew Qin Mu was a tyrannical ruler, but she never expected him to be so licentious and shameless!
This is utterly inhuman and worse than an animal!
Xu Fenghua was internally ranting and raving, but dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction on her face.
"But Your Majesty..."
Xu Fenghua still wanted to make a final struggle, her voice filled with desperate pleading:
"Fenghua... Fenghua is already a withered flower, how dare she offend Your Majesty's holy eyes? There are three thousand beauties in the palace, all of them peerless, why should Your Majesty..."
"Because I love you."
Qin Mu interrupted her, his tone suddenly becoming gentle.
He released his hand from her chin, straightened up, and looked out the window, as if recalling something.
"I saw you once six years ago on the day you got married."
His voice was soft, with a strange, lingering tenderness:
"Back then, you were still the young lady of the Xu family, waiting to be married. You stood in front of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion in a bright red wedding dress. The wind and snow in the north were heavy, and your skirt and long hair fluttered in the wind. You were so beautiful... breathtaking."
Xu Fenghua was stunned.
six years ago?
The day she got married?
She tried hard to recall, but she couldn't remember whether Qin Mu was present at the time.
At that time, Qin Mu was still the Crown Prince, living deep within the Eastern Palace and rarely appearing in public.
On the day of her wedding, the imperial court did send an envoy to observe the ceremony, but she remembered that the envoy was a vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, not the crown prince.
Qin Mu... really saw her?
"I thought to myself at the time," Qin Mu's voice pulled her back from her memories, "that such a woman should not marry into a merchant family, nor should she waste her youth in this secluded mansion in Jiangnan."
He turned around, his gaze returning to Xu Fenghua's face, a near-obsessive light flashing in his eyes:
"You should stand at a higher vantage point to see a more distant view."
"It's a pity that at that time I was only the crown prince, and my every move was subject to many restrictions, so I couldn't do as I pleased to protect you."
At this point, Qin Mu sighed softly.
He looked as if he were truly a man heartbroken for the one he loved.
However, in reality, he had never seen Xu Fenghua get married.
He was just making things up.
However, Xu Fenghua's heart still started pounding.
Of course, it wasn't out of gratitude, but out of fear.
Qin Mu's words were half true and half false, making it difficult to discern the truth from the falsehood.
She didn't believe that Qin Mu had truly fallen in love with her at first sight.
That's absurd.
But she believed that Qin Mu had indeed "noticed" her.
It wasn't because of her appearance, but because of her status.
The eldest daughter of the Xu family, and the elder sister of Xu Longxiang.
This identity is what Qin Mu truly cares about.
"So for the past six years," Qin Mu said slowly, "I have been waiting. Waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to keep you by my side."
He paused, a meaningful smile curving his lips:
"Now, the time has finally come."
Xu Fenghua felt ice-cold all over.
She got it.
All that talk about love at first sight or years of infatuation is just a facade.
What Qin Mu truly wanted was her as a person, and the Xu family she represented.
Holding her in their hands is tantamount to holding half of the Xu family's lifeline in their grasp.
No matter how ruthless or cunning Xu Longxiang is, would he disregard the life or death of his own sister?
What a ruthless plan.
Such ruthless methods.
Xu Fenghua slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was a deathly stillness.
"Your Majesty," her voice regained its usual composure, but it carried a sense of resigned weariness, "Feng Hua... thank you for your favor, Your Majesty."
She paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"However, this matter is far too shocking and involves too many people. I implore Your Majesty... to rescind your decree."
She was putting up a last-ditch effort.
Despite knowing the chances were slim, she had to try.
Qin Mu looked at her quietly, the smile on his face gradually fading away.
A chilling glint flashed in those deep eyes.
"You don't want to?"
His voice was soft, yet it caused the temperature in the hall to drop suddenly.
It's not an illusion.
It's really cold.
Xu Fenghua could see that her breath condensed into white mist in the air.
A thin layer of white frost began to condense on the walls, window frames, and even the blue brick floor!
This is not an anomaly caused by the release of true qi.
This is... the power of heaven and earth!
Xu Fenghua's pupils constricted sharply, and the hairs on her body stood on end!
She has cultivated martial arts for over twenty years and is now at the second-grade Vajra Realm, making her one of the best among the younger generation in the Northern Territory.
But at this moment, standing before Qin Mu, she felt a tremor that came from the depths of her soul!
That's the fear of an ant facing a dragon!
It's an absolute crushing defeat on a life level!
How is that possible?!
Isn't Qin Mu the infamous tyrant? Isn't he a martial arts failure?
How could someone possess such terrifying strength?!
Xu Fenghua's mind was in complete chaos.
She forced herself to calm down, and her internal energy circulated wildly in an attempt to resist the chill.
But it didn't work.
The chill seemed to penetrate her protective inner energy and directly invade her bone marrow.
Her teeth began to chatter, her fingers became cold and stiff, and even her thoughts became sluggish.
"I'm asking you a question."
Qin Mu's voice rang out again, carrying an undeniable authority:
"Xu Fenghua, you're unwilling?"
Every word was like an ice pick, piercing Xu Fenghua's heart.
She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but found that she couldn't make a sound.
My throat felt like it was being choked by an invisible hand, and every breath was accompanied by a burning pain.
At this critical moment—
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty! You mustn't! You mustn't!"