Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Because I had written a divorce letter right there in court, Tan Sanque moved Beauty Song into a separate residence. I heard she grew more spoiled by the day.
That day, I was in the imperial study swapping out the Imperial Heirloom Seal when Song Baoping suddenly appeared outside the window.
“You work so hard, Sister, even handling state affairs for His Majesty.” Song Baoping lifted a hand to adjust her hair with a delicate, swaying grace. “No wonder you have no time to dress yourself up, and no time to serve His Majesty either. His Majesty has no choice but to spend every night with me.”
I tucked the Imperial Heirloom Seal into my robes and walked straight out.
Seeing that I was ignoring her, Song Baoping hurried around to block my path.
“His Majesty said Sister owns a Phoenix Hairpin of the Former Dynasty, and that he will certainly give it to me another day. I see you have not worn it in ages. Why not part with it now? After all, Sister is getting on in years. Such pretty, charming jewelry no longer suits you.”
“All right.” I smiled faintly. “Someone, bring me my Phoenix Hairpin.”
The Phoenix Hairpin was magnificent, and Song Baoping looked immensely pleased. “If Sister had been willing to live in harmony with me earlier, His Majesty would never have grown estranged from you.”
“Well said. Come, I will pin it on you myself.” I picked up the Phoenix Hairpin, seized her slender throat with one hand, and slammed her down onto the stone table.
“Ah-what are you doing?!”
The Phoenix Hairpin drew close to her face. My eyes burned wild. “Skin as white as snow, flesh as smooth as jade. Naturally, it will look better with a little blood.”
“Liu Ninghuan! How dare you! His Majesty will never let you off! Let go of me! Protect the sovereign-”
The guards drew their blades. I cut them a glance.
“I am standing right here. Whose sovereign are you protecting? I would like to see who dares commit treason today!”
They looked at one another, then silently sheathed their swords.
Only Song Baoping’s shrieks remained in the room. “Aaaaaah!”
On her pretty face, I carved the two characters for “petty wretch,” one on the left and one on the right. Then I tossed the girl to the ground, her face streaming with blood, her body limp, and a foul stench rising from beneath her skirts.
Under the sunlight, I examined the hairpin.
“When I was eighteen, I was the most beautiful woman in Chang’an. The Late Emperor treasured me like the pearl in his palm and bestowed the Phoenix Hairpin upon me.”
“Later, when the Former Dynasty fell, the world only knew that Tan Sanque rode a thousand li alone to escort me out of Chang’an. In truth, on the night we left the city, I killed more than fifty pursuers from horseback and escaped unscathed.”
“Over these past ten years, I spent seven of them leading troops in the field to kill rebels. And you-have you ever even killed a chicken, you pretty little thing full of nonsense?”
I wiped the blood from the hairpin and smeared it across my lips, then smiled radiantly at her.
“Your blood truly does make the loveliest rouge.”