The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 138
Chapter 138
The four major city gates of Luoyang—the Beigu Gate, the Xiyong Gate, the Pingcheng Gate, and the Dongzhongdong Gate—had already been completely surrounded by Wei Shao’s massive army.
The remnants of Xing Xun's defeated troops, who had retreated to defend the city, were still putting up a final, desperate struggle like cornered beasts.
...
Following the grand victory at the Battle of Muye, Wei Shao took the counsel of Gongsun Yang and others, making the decisive move to press their advantage, thoroughly annihilate Xing Xun, and conquer Luoyang in a single stroke.
On his way retreating toward Luoyang with his remaining one hundred thousand defeated soldiers, Xing Xun had managed to set up two additional lines of defense at Hulao Pass and Mount Mang.
However, how could an army of defeated troops—completely dispirited, broken in soul, and depleted of morale—hope to withstand Wei Shao's soaring, formidable grand army, whose military spirit was as magnificent as a rainbow swallowing the sky?
Advancing along the way with irresistible force, smashing everything like splitting bamboo, it took less than a brief half-month of practically facing no decent resistance before Wei Shao’s grand army drove straight down. They crossed Mount Mang, ferried over the Luo River, and launched the final siege against Luoyang.
...
In the Yutang Hall, situated within the rear chambers of the Northern Palace.
Su Ou came stumbling inside from the courtyard outside the hall.
"How is the situation?"
Su Ehuan rushed forward to meet her.
The moment she laid eyes upon Su Ou’s face, which looked as utterly devastated as if she were mourning her own parents, her heart sank like a stone.
Yet, she still harbored a final, faint glimmer of hope.
"It is bad! The guards say the Pingcheng Gate is on the verge of collapsing. Wei Shao’s army will soon breach the imperial palace—"
Su Ehuan’s face instantly changed. "So fast? Where is Ding Qu? Has he arrived?"
Su Ou shook her head in sheer panic. "Everything is in utter chaos. This old servant did not see General Ding anywhere—"
Su Ehuan shoved Su Ou aside with force, calling out the names of the guards at the top of her lungs as she hurriedly made her way outside. In her haste, she failed to notice that her skirt hem had caught on a gold-plated bronze corner piece at the side of a nearby black-lacquered, vermilion-painted dressing table. With a sharp tearing sound, the massive four-leaf patterned bronze mirror standing upon the dressing table wobbled for a moment before tilting forward, crashing down and striking a jewelry box resting upon the tabletop.
The box fell to the floor.
Amidst the crisp sound of gold and jade shattering, the luminous pearls, agates, colored glass, cat’s eyes, and various gemstones contained within the box scattered out, rolling and spinning all over the floor.
Su Ehuan gritted her teeth, ruthlessly ripping away the skirt hem that was still firmly snagged. Stepping over the gemstones littering the floor, she bolted forward.
Before she could run more than a few paces, a palace maid's agonizing, blood-curdling shriek echoed from outside the hall.
She skidded to a violent halt.
Xing Xun burst through the entrance, materializing right before her eyes.
He was clad in his imperial dragon robes, yet the hems of the robes were completely splattered with foul blood stains.
The ceremonial crown atop his head had also tilted precariously to one side, swaying violently as he walked and looking ready to drop at any moment. This lent a touch of the absurd to the distorted, crazed countenance hidden behind the dangling beads of the crown.
He held a long sword tightly in his hand.
Above the blade, blood clung thick and heavy, dripping down incessantly in a continuous patter.
"You vile woman! You have ruined me to this point!"
Xing Xun gnashed his teeth in hatred, pressing closer and closer toward Su Ehuan.
Su Ehuan slowly retreated backward.
"Your Majesty, you must not—"
Su Ou shrieked, throwing herself forward to firmly grab hold of the hem of Xing Xun's dragon robes. She was violently kicked away by Xing Xun, who then ran her through with a single thrust of his sword. Pulling the blade free, he lunged after Su Ehuan.
Su Ehuan spun around, fleeing frantically inside the hall.
Xing Xun wielded his sword, pursuing her with all his might around the pillars and beams.
His physique was bloated and heavy, and on his way here, he had already chased down and slaughtered numerous palace maids. Furthermore, having been steeped in wine and women over the years, his martial prowess was long gone from his glory days. After running a few laps, Su Ehuan managed to evade him entirely by using the massive pillars in the hall for cover.
Xing Xun was panting heavily, his rage escalating into a furious storm. With a sudden movement, he hurled the precious sword straight toward Su Ehuan ahead.
The blade whistled past Su Ehuan’s ear, embedding itself deeply into the massive vermilion-lacquered pillar at her side.
The sword hilt vibrated tremulously a few times before slipping loose and clattering to the floor.
Xing Xun took a massive stride forward, catching up to the cornered Su Ehuan before she could escape. Wrapping both hands tightly around her neck, he gnashed his teeth and shook her head with immense violence.
"You vile woman! If I hadn't listened to your bewitching lies back then, how could I have fallen to such a wretched state today? Why did you ruin me like this?"
Su Ehuan struggled desperately, her legs kicking wildly out, but her throat felt as though it were clamped shut by iron pincers. How could she possibly break free?
Her face turned a deep shade of purple, and her breath grew increasingly shallow. Just as her eyes began to roll back into her head, a sharp clink echoed as the butterfly mask affixed to her face shook loose, falling to the floor and instantly exposing the disfigured countenance hidden beneath.
Back when her nose was severed, it happened during the height of the summer heat, causing the wound to fester horribly.
Now, although the ulcerations had healed, they left behind an uneven, dark-purple scarred surface that crawled along the side of her remaining half-severed nose bridge.
The features that remained on this woman's face, such as her eyes and brows, were exceptionally charming and enchanting; yet, this true visage, which was normally concealed beneath the butterfly mask, was equally grotesque and horrifying.
Xing Xun was utterly dumbfounded.
Staring fixedly at this disfigured face, the immense force exerted by his hands gripping her neck subconsciously loosened a fraction.
A moment later, as if suddenly realizing something, his fury erupted anew. He delivered a brutal, savage slap across Su Ehuan's face.
"Vile woman! This ghostly face of yours must be the handiwork of Wei Shao! You hate him to the very bone, which is why you used demonic words to delude me?"
To think that he, a legendary lord of an era who was peerless and invincible across the lands, had actually been deceived to such a degree by a hideous woman who resembled a malicious specter.
It felt as though a heavy hammer was slamming repeatedly against the inside of his skull from within, threatening to break through his very crown.
Even tearing her body into ten thousand pieces would not suffice to vent the hatred consuming his heart at this moment.
Letting out a furious roar, his eyes bulged wide. Just as he was about to snap her neck, a sudden, searing pain flared at the top of his head, as if a torrential flood inside his body had abruptly ruptured his skull. Half of his body instantly turned rigid, the corner of his mouth twisted sideways, and the hand clamping her throat began to tremble violently.
Just as he gathered the final remnants of his strength across his body, determined to snap this slick neck, a sudden coldness pierced his chest.
A dagger had materialized in her delicate hand.
The sharp tip of the blade pierced through the imperial ceremonial robes, slicing through flesh and burying itself deeply into Xing Xun's heart.
Xing Xun's body shuddered continuously, his eyes still glaring at Su Ehuan with pure hatred, while his mouth let out a strange, rattling sound.
Su Ehuan gasped for breath in huge gulps. Finally, she shoved away the hand that was still clamped onto her neck, pulled the dagger out slightly, plunged it in even deeper, and gave it a final twist.
Xing Xun's massive body crashed heavily to the floor.
Su Ehuan's face was as ghastly pale as a ghost. Clutching her throat, she coughed painfully a few times before finally scrambling up from the floor. Seeing that Xing Xun was still staring dead at her, bearing an ugly look of utter grievance even in death, she sneered coldly, "I originally thought you were somewhat of a figure, believing you could achieve great things. That was why I endured the humiliation and heavy burden of serving your bloated carcass. I never expected you to be so utterly incompetent! You may depart in peace now! To tell you the truth, I kept a hidden hand long ago, having thoroughly subdued that Ding Qu. He is utterly devoted to me and had already prepared a route to escape once the city falls. With death at your doorstep, instead of reflecting on your own failures, you actually fantasized about dragging me down as your cushion? Keep dreaming your grand illusions!"
She spat fiercely onto Xing Xun's bloated corpse on the floor before forcefully yanking away the corner of her skirt that was pinned tightly beneath him.
A flurry of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the hall.
A former maidservant of hers, whom Su Ehuan had dispatched earlier to wait for Ding Qu, came rushing inside in a frantic state.
"Madam! The people sent by General Ding have arrived! They ask Madam to quickly head to the Zhuolong Gate to wait—"
Before she could finish her sentence, her eyes collided directly with Su Ehuan’s disfigured, incomplete face. Her eyes widened to the extreme, as if she had laid eyes upon a malicious ghost. Letting out a piercing shriek, she turned on her heel and bolted outward.
Su Ehuan subconsciously touched her own face, instantly giving chase.
Hearing the footsteps behind her, the maidservant turned her head in sheer terror. Seeing her approaching with that blood-stained dagger in hand, her gaze sinister and her countenance resembling a vengeful specter, the maidservant’s legs shook so violently from fright that she could no longer run. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed heavily onto the floor, weeping and begging for mercy, "Please spare me! I am utterly loyal to Madam! I did not see anything! I swear, I won't say a single word to anyone—"
Su Ehuan’s expression remained completely blank as she ran the maidservant through with a single thrust of her blade. Returning to the hall, she scooped up the butterfly mask that had been flung aside earlier, swiftly securing it back in place to conceal her face before hurriedly rushing toward the Zhuolong Gate.
The magnificent palaces and jewel-encrusted halls, which in the past were filled with floating purple mists, songs, and dances, had plunged into a state of immense panic today.
Palace maids fled in every direction, and the palace guards had long since taken advantage of the fire to pillage and loot. Everywhere the eye could see was a scene of utter devastation.
Flanked and protected by the last few remaining personal attendants at her side, Su Ehuan ran in one breath until she reached the Zhuolong Gate of the Northern Palace.
Yet, the area was completely deserted; there was no sign of the person who was supposed to be waiting for her here.
In her ears, she could faintly catch the roaring battle cries of Wei Shao's soldiers as they breached the Zhuolong Palace gates.
She grew extremely anxious, pacing back and forth continuously across the jade steps of the Zhuolong Gate, curses spilling from her lips. The phoenix-headed gold and jade ornaments pinned on both sides of her temples trembled unceasingly with her hurried steps.
"We won't wait any longer, we leave on our own—"
She gritted her teeth, halting her steps abruptly. Leading her personal attendants, she turned around, intending to flee toward the direction of the Zhuolong Garden, when a sudden flurry of chaotic footsteps echoed from behind her.
Turning her head, she saw Ding Qu leading a squadron of followers, rushing toward this direction in great haste.
Su Ehuan was overjoyed. Calling out "General Ding," she lifted her skirt hems and bolted toward him.
...
Ding Qu had long heard of the famed Lady of the Jade Pavilion. After switching his allegiance to Xing Xun, he finally managed to catch a glimpse of her face during a palace banquet.
In his heart, he had secretly made a comparison.
Although her beauty was far inferior to the stunning, breathtaking looks of Wei Shao's wife—whom he had caught a fleeting glimpse of at the Luli Terrace that remained unforgettable to this day—she nonetheless possessed a distinct feminine charm, and with the butterfly mask covering her face, she was mysterious and alluring.
Furthermore, hearing that she was the most favored by Xing Xun within the Lotus Terrace, it was inevitable that he would harbor certain designs.
Behind Xing Xun's back, it did not take long for Ding Qu to become a willing captive beneath Su Ehuan’s skirts, completely devoted to her.
Today, seeing that Luoyang was on the verge of being breached, he quietly slipped down from the city walls and doubled back. Seeing that she was indeed waiting at the Zhuolong Gate, he hurriedly strode forward to meet her, saying, "Madam, quickly follow me! I know there is still a gap at the Shangxi Gate. If we fight with all our might, we might be able to carve out a path of survival. I shall escort Madam out—"
Before his words could fully leave his mouth, he saw that during her run, the golden butterfly mask upon Su Ehuan’s face suddenly slipped loose, clattering to the floor.
Beneath the mask, an incomplete, disfigured countenance was exposed.
The brilliant midday sunlight beat down directly from above; every single line and scar was laid bare, with nowhere to hide.
Ding Qu halted his steps in sheer horror, his eyes widening into the size of copper bells.
Su Ehuan suddenly felt a sensation of coldness across her face. Looking up, she saw the eyes of Ding Qu and the followers behind him instantly widen like copper bells. She immediately realized that in her earlier haste, the mask must not have been properly secured, causing it to fall off during her run. Her heart trembled violently, and she subconsciously let out a sharp shriek, covering her face with her sleeve.
"General Ding! Do not be afraid! I was not like this in the past! I originally possessed a face as beautiful as flowers and a countenance like the moon; everyone in Luoyang knows my name as the Lady of the Jade Pavilion! It was all Wei Shao who ruined me like this! If you take me away from here, I shall assist you in seizing this realm under heaven!"
Ding Qu stared dead at her face, which was normally half-concealed by the butterfly mask, completely unable to believe his own eyes.
Finally, it dawned on him why she never allowed him to spend the night with her.
As if he had swallowed a fly, a look of profound disgust and disdain washed over his face, and he turned around to bolt away without a second thought.
Su Ehuan was gripped by terror. She immediately pursued him, grabbing hold of his sleeve from behind with a death grip.
"General Ding, I was born with an exceptionally noble destiny! A fortune teller once prophesied that I would certainly become noble beyond words in the future! You must believe me—"
With a sharp ripping sound.
Ding Qu drew his blade, slicing off the sleeve she was clutching so tightly, and strode away without casting a single glance back.
The few personal attendants who had originally followed close at her side also stared at her face in sheer horror before slowly backing away. Exchanging a glance, they suddenly spun around, fleeing for their own lives in separate directions.
Su Ehuan collapsed heavily onto the floor, her face deathly pale. Her fingers were still tightly gripping the severed piece of fabric from Ding Qu’s sleeve, trembling unceasingly. Suddenly, she called out at the top of her lungs, "General Ding, please wait! You should know that over these past years, that old scoundrel Xing Xun has amassed treasures vast enough to rival an empire! The gold and silver hidden within the Lotus Terrace is nothing more than a single hair from nine oxen to him! I enjoyed his utmost favor, and while he was deeply intoxicated, I managed to extract the location of his alternative treasure hoard! If you bring me out alive, I shall reward you with that treasure!"
Ding Qu hesitated for a moment, halting his steps before slowly turning his head around. "Are your words true?"
Though Su Ehuan’s face remained pale, her expression gradually regained its composure. Bending down to retrieve the fallen butterfly mask, she secured it back in place before speaking, "How much that old scoundrel Xing Xun favored me in the past—if others do not know, could it be that you do not know either? To extract a mere treasure location from him, what difficulty could that possibly pose for me? If you wish to leave, then leave; I shall not force you either! The treasure of the Lotus Terrace belongs to Wei Shao from this day onward! What a pity that the alternative treasure amassed by that old scoundrel Xing Xun will accompany me in being buried away from the world from now on!"
Ding Qu was half-believing and half-doubting. Seeing that Su Ehuan had turned around to leave after speaking, her silhouette bearing a proud demeanor.
He could not help but waver.
Over these past years, Xing Xun had plundered the wealth of the realm, and rumors dictated that it was hidden across various locations. Among them, the Lotus Terrace was a known treasure site that everyone under heaven was aware of.
At this moment, hearing the words of this Su woman, his heart was instantly swayed.
He thought to himself that though this ghost-faced, ugly woman was detestable and repulsive, having actually deceived him to such a degree, since things had already reached this point, if there truly was a treasure, he might as well believe her one more time.
Once they escaped, if he discovered that she had deceived him, it would not be too late to slaughter her then.
The moment greed took root, his countenance shifted immediately, and he said, "Madam, please wait! Follow me! Any later, and I fear we won't be able to escape!"
...
The citizens of Luoyang, who had barred their doors and remained secluded inside their homes, endured a long and terrifying day in a state of nervous trepidation.
The sounds of fierce slaughter echoing from the directions of the four city gates finally grew sparse before completely dying down.
From the Pingcheng Grand Avenue leading toward the imperial palace, the orderly and heavy thuds of marching army boots echoed through the air.
A curfew was implemented in Luoyang starting from that very night; anyone who dared to leave their homes without authorization would be executed on the spot without exception.
However, from within their homes, the citizens could still see a massive, towering column of fire rising from the direction of the eastern suburbs outside the city.
The fire raged fiercely, burning continuously throughout the entire night, the brilliant flames illuminating half the night sky over Luoyang's eastern suburbs.
The following day, the news spread like wildfire.
The Marquis of Yan from You Province, Wei Shao, had conquered Luoyang.
Xing Xun, who had functioned as the Emperor of the Great Jiang dynasty for just over half a year, was dead.
Wei Shao's grand army was stationed entirely outside the four city gates. Last night, they had only dispatched two thousand troops into the city to secure control over the imperial palace and the three estates of the Grand Commandant, the Minister of Works, and the Minister of Education.
The Governor of Luoyang issued a proclamation to reassure the public early this morning, stating that the Marquis of Yan had issued strict orders forbidding the soldiers from harassing the residents.
The populace finally let out a long, collective sigh of relief.
Immediately following that, another piece of news began to circulate frantically throughout the marketplaces and streets.
It was said that the Marquis of Yan's wife, the Qiao lady, possessed a beauty that could topple states and cities.
Xing Xun had once openly declared his intention to seize the Qiao lady and keep her within the Lotus Terrace.
After Wei Shao conquered Luoyang, the very first thing he did last night was to unleash a torrent of fire to burn the Lotus Terrace to the ground.
The brilliant flames that had illuminated half the night sky over Luoyang's eastern suburbs last night were precisely from that raging inferno that reduced the Lotus Terrace to ash.