I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Chapter 77 Jiang Qingxue seems to have awakened some strange attribute!

The next day, at dawn.

Inside the east wing of Tingtao Garden in the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

Jiang Qingxue, dressed in a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and without any makeup, sat alone on a soft couch by the window.

The morning light shone through the carved window lattice, casting dappled shadows on her.

The imperial concubine's court dress, with its flowing, light green sleeves and gold-embroidered phoenixes, had been put away. Now, she was only wearing the simplest moon-white cotton ruqun, its hem plain and without any embellishment.

Her long hair was not tied up in a bun, but loosely tied up with a wooden hairpin, with a few strands falling around her cheeks.

She sat there quietly, her gaze fixed on the old plum trees in the courtyard outside the window.

The tree trunk is gnarled and twisted, its branches reaching towards the sky, swaying gently in the morning breeze.

This should have been a scene all too familiar.

She lived in the Prince's mansion for twenty years, and every tree and every stone there had been vividly present in her memory.

But at this moment, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity she had never experienced before.

It was as if all of this was just a fragment of a distant dream.

broken.

This word, like a cold dagger, repeatedly slashed across her heart.

Her body was broken.

Last night, after Qin Mu carried her back to Tingtao Garden, that man, under the influence of alcohol, almost disassembled and reassembled her.

Her heart was broken.

The image of Xu Longxiang hiding in the wooden box, the image of Chun'er's forehead covered in blood, Qin Mu's smiling yet unfathomable eyes...

These images intertwined, like countless sharp shards of glass, churning within her, cutting her flesh and leaving her bloodied and mangled.

What terrifies her most is that her feelings for Xu Longxiang seem to be quietly crumbling.

Last night, when Xu Longxiang was hidden in the wooden box, when Qin Mu picked her up and carried her towards that box...

For a fleeting moment, she even hoped that Xu Longxiang would come out.

She didn't want Xu Longxiang to come and save or protect her.

Instead, he simply hoped that Xu Longxiang would watch from the sidelines.

Just thinking about it like that.

Jiang Qingxue felt a strange emotion spreading within her.

She couldn't quite describe the feeling, but she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Perhaps this is a self-protective mechanism of the body?

An escape and paralysis response resulting from extreme fear.

"Brother Longxiang..."

Jiang Qingxue murmured softly, her voice so low that only she could hear it.

"I think... I'm about to break down."

Tears welled up in my eyes without warning.

She thought she had cried all her tears last night.

But at this moment, the deep-seated exhaustion and despair still made her unable to stop herself from crying.

But she couldn't cry.

At least, you can't cry in the sunlight.

She took a deep breath, forcing back her tears, then raised her hand and gently stroked her lower abdomen.

There, the fingerprints left by Qin Mu last night had not completely faded.

It was warm, with a slight stinging sensation.

That was possession, that was a mark, that was... a brand she could never get rid of.

The scenes from last night are still flashing through my mind.

The kitchen was dimly lit; Qin Mu's breath reeked of alcohol; in the corner, a large wooden chest covered with an oilcloth stood, and inside the chest, Xu Longxiang's suppressed breathing...

And then there was her own statement: "Your Majesty...didn't you want me to...use that position last time?"

Those words were like a poisoned dagger, not only wounding Xu Longxiang, but also piercing her own last shred of dignity.

Why did she say that?

Is it to escape?

Was it to protect Xu Longxiang, who was hidden in the box?

Or... at some point, did she really want to use that method to please that man?

Jiang Qingxue didn't know.

All she remembered was that when Qin Mu carried her out of the kitchen, she could feel the deathly silence coming from the wooden box behind her.

That wasn't anger, nor was it murderous intent; it was something deeper, something more terrifying—

despair.

Xu Longxiang must have heard it.

I heard her bring up "that position" on her own initiative, and I heard the almost seductive allure in her tone.

What will he think?

Would you think she's despicable?

Do you think she's already used to this kind of life?

Do you feel that... she is no longer the Jiang Qingxue she used to be?

Jiang Qingxue gently stroked her lower abdomen, her fingertips icy cold.

The old plum trees outside the window swayed gently in the morning breeze, their gnarled branches mirroring her heart, now riddled with wounds.

She recalled a similar morning many years ago.

She was thirteen years old then, and Xu Longxiang was sixteen.

The first snow of winter fell in the North, and the plum blossoms in Tingxuexuan (Listening to Snow Pavilion) bloomed.

She got up early, put on her fox fur coat, ran to the yard, and reached out to catch the falling snowflakes.

Xu Longxiang was standing under the eaves at some point, quietly watching her.

After she had finished playing, he came over, draped a thicker cloak over her shoulders, and said gently, "Be careful not to catch a cold."

At that moment, she turned around and smiled at him, her smile pure and without a trace of impurity.

At that time, his eyes were filled with tenderness.

And now...

Jiang Qingxue closed her eyes, tears silently streaming down her face.

There is no going back.

From the moment she stepped into the palace, from the night she served Qin Mu in his bedchamber, from the moment she forced a smile in Qin Mu's arms...

She could never go back.

The girl who caught snowflakes under the plum tree at Tingxuexuan Pavilion is dead.

To die in this deep palace, to die amidst the power struggles, to die in this inescapable fate.

The only one alive now is "Consort Xue".

A beautiful but soulless porcelain doll, a pawn manipulated by an emperor.

"Consort Xue..."

She repeated the newly acquired title in a low voice, a bitter smile curving her lips.

Imperial Concubine.

What a prestigious title.

The position that every woman in the world dreams of.

But for her, it was just another, more sophisticated shackle.

He kept her firmly by this man's side, locked in this magnificent yet cold cage.

Footsteps could be heard outside the window.

It is very light and very stable, with a unique sense of composure.

Jiang Qingxue froze.

She could tell.

It's Qin Mu.

The footsteps stopped outside the door, and then the door was gently pushed open.

The first thing that catches the eye is the hem of a black dragon-patterned robe, followed by a tall and upright figure, and finally a handsome, smiling face.

Qin Mu walked in.

He looked to be in good spirits today, with a gentle smile on his face and clear eyes, showing no trace of the confusion he had after drinking last night.

It was as if the person who had been holding her in the kitchen last night, talking drunkenly, and almost doing something indecent to her on the wooden crate, was not him at all.

"What is my beloved concubine looking at?"

Qin Mu's voice rang out, gentle as a spring breeze.

Before Jiang Qingxue could even stand up and bow, he gently hugged her from behind.

Warm arms encircled her waist, his chin rested on her shoulder, and his breath brushed against her ear.

Their actions were intimate and natural, as if they were truly a loving couple.

Jiang Qingxue's whole body stiffened.

She could feel the warmth from Qin Mu's chest, smell the faint scent of ambergris on his body, and hear his steady heartbeat...

All of this made her feel suffocated.

She forced herself to relax, managed a smile, and tried to keep her voice calm:

"Your Majesty, I didn't see anything... I just felt that the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion was too quiet and not as lively and prosperous as the Imperial Palace. It makes me miss the days in the Imperial Palace."

This is half true.

The Prince of Zhenbei's mansion was indeed deserted.

Compared to the luxurious and elaborate palace, this place is more solemn and dignified.

But do you miss the palace?

No.

She just longed for... a place where she could temporarily escape all of this.

Even if that place is also a cage.

Qin Mu chuckled softly, tightening his grip on her arm slightly:

"So, my beloved concubine wants to go back."

Jiang Qingxue was startled and quickly said:

"Your Majesty dares not. Your Majesty has traveled thousands of miles to search for my relatives, and they have not yet been found. How could I dare to suggest returning?"

She spoke sincerely, and a perfectly timed hint of fear flashed in her eyes.

Qin Mu lowered his head and gently kissed her hair:

"It's alright. Since my beloved concubine misses the palace, let's speed things up and expedite the search today so we can return as soon as possible."

Jiang Qingxue lowered her eyes:

"Then this concubine...thanks, Your Majesty."

Qin Mu released her and took her hand in his:

"Let's go, that old guy Fan Li should be waiting already."

Jiang Qingxue obediently stood up and let him lead her by the hand towards the door.

His steps were a little unsteady.

I was exhausted last night, and my legs are still sore and weak.

She gritted her teeth, forced herself to straighten her back, and tried to walk steadily.

We must not let anyone notice anything amiss.

Especially... we can't let him see anything amiss.

Outside the door, the sun is just right.

Su Wanqing and Lu Wanning were already waiting there.

Su Wanqing was still dressed in a scarlet palace gown, with exquisite makeup and dignified demeanor.

When she saw Qin Mu leading Jiang Qingxue out, a fleeting emotion flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly concealed by a gentle smile.

Lu Wanning, dressed in a pale yellow dress, stood timidly to the side. Seeing Jiang Qingxue's unsteady steps, she looked worried but dared not ask any questions.

"Your Majesty." The two women curtsied in unison.

Qin Mu nodded:

"Let's go."

......