Jinwei joins hands in rebirth: villains can also eat at the table

Chapter 267 The End

At night, the small, dim room seemed to be swallowed by darkness, with only the faint candlelight on the candlestick struggling to illuminate the small space around it.

Xiao Lingzi sat alone in the dim light, staring blankly at a pillow on the bed. The flickering candlelight made his shadow sway back and forth on the wall, adding to his loneliness.

This was a gift from the Empress before he left. The pillow's fabric looked soft, and although the color was a little blurry in the dim light, its exquisiteness could still be felt. It was filled with the finest chrysanthemums, which gave off a faint fragrance.

The Empress said that chrysanthemum can help with sleeping. She knew that she couldn't sleep at night, so she asked someone to make this pillow.

Xiao Lingzi recalled the Queen's expression when she said this, which was so gentle and caring, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

But now, he is in such a situation, far away from the Queen. The fickleness of fate makes him feel extremely helpless and sad.

The pillow was the only neat thing on the bed, which was in disarray. The surrounding beds were in disarray, with quilts piled haphazardly and sheets wrinkled.

But this pillow just sits there quietly, like a touch of peace and comfort in the chaos.

Xiao Lingzi raised his hand and stroked the pillow, his fingers gently stroking it, feeling the delicate touch. His eyes were filled with uncontrollable worry. He was worried about the Empress's situation, wondering if she was safe in the palace, and whether she was also suffering and under pressure.

I don’t know what happened to the Queen. Xiao Lingzi thought silently in his heart, with a look of worry on his face.

She was placed under house arrest in the Yiku Palace. The once glorious and bustling Yiku Palace is probably deserted now.

Without the empress's seal, the token that symbolized the empress's honor was taken away, which was like stripping her of her identity and status. The emperor also found an excuse to remove the Ulanara family's first-class duke title, which meant that the family lost important support and protection in the court.

Now the Ulanara family has no important officials in the court. Those who might have been able to speak for the family in the past are either suppressed by the emperor or are unable to protect themselves and dare not step forward easily.

Without a favorite concubine in the harem, the Empress was isolated and helpless, with no one behind her. Without the support of her family and the favor of the Emperor, how difficult it must have been for her in that deep palace.

I guess life is not pleasant either.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice anything around him. It wasn't until a shadow loomed before him that he realized there were several more people in the room. The shadow's sudden appearance startled Xiao Lingzi.

He raised his head along the shadows, and what caught his eye were those cold and fierce eyes.

"Eunuch Jinzhong..."

Xiao Lingzi's voice trembled slightly, with a hint of fear and helplessness that was hard to conceal. The moment he saw Jinzhong, his eyes flashed with panic and fear.

It's him again. This thought flashed through Xiao Lingzi's mind, like a shadow once again shrouding his world. He subconsciously shuddered, his body's instinctive reaction to the painful memory.

He clearly remembered how he became a eunuch. It was an experience that he could not bear to look back on, and Jinzhong played an ignominious role in it.

Every time he recalled that scene, his heart was filled with pain and shame.

He would also never forget that when he was being humiliated by the emperor, Jinzhong stood by and saw all of his suffering.

At that time, he felt like a pitiful person abandoned by the world, and Jinzhong's gaze was more like a knife, deeply piercing his self-esteem. He felt that he had no dignity in front of Jinzhong, and all his embarrassment and vulnerability were seen by him.

Logically, he should hate him, and that hatred should burn in his heart like a raging fire.

But he had lost the energy to hate him. In these long and painful days, he had experienced too many hardships and setbacks, and was exhausted both physically and mentally.

His hatred seemed to have been worn away by time and fate, leaving only deep helplessness and despair.

He looked at Jinzhong, his eyes no longer filled with strong hatred, but instead with numbness and emptiness, having lost hope in everything.

"Are you here to take my life?"

Xiao Lingzi spoke in a trembling voice, filled with fear and despair. His eyes were fixed on Jinzhong, revealing deep fear and helplessness.

A chill ran down his spine, spreading throughout his entire body, as if he were in an ice cellar. When he saw Jinzhong's face, he felt an ominous premonition, almost anticipating his purpose.

Xiao Lingzi knew clearly his current situation. He had lost everything.

His former status, dignity, and even his complete body as a man have all left him.

Now, he had nothing but his life. He felt that he had no value in this palace anymore and had become an object that could be abandoned and trampled upon by everyone.

He looked at Jinzhong, as if awaiting the final judgment of fate. His body trembled slightly, and his hands clenched unconsciously, his nails digging deep into his palms, but he felt no pain.

All he could do was wait for Jinzhong's next move. In this dimly lit room, the atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating. Xiao Lingzi's fate had come to an end, and he could only wait for the unknown outcome in fear and despair.

"You're quite clever, Xiao Lingzi. Look at what the Empress has become because of you. She lost her imperial seal and title, and is now imprisoned in the Yikun Palace. She's no different from a deposed Empress..."

Jinzhong had his hands in his pockets, wrapped in warm sleeves, revealing only his slender fingers. He walked at a leisurely pace, his slender back straight, as if to show off his superiority.

Perhaps because of the strong wind and snow, he was completely wrapped in a black cloak. The black cloak looked thick and luxurious, with fur surrounding his handsome little face. There were still unmelted snow particles on the black fur, which sparkled in the candlelight like tiny diamonds, but also added a bit of coldness to him.

He had a smile on his lips, but that smile didn't reach his eyes, and it held a hint of mockery and complacency. He paced and spoke slowly, and every word seemed to strike hard at Xiao Lingzi's heart.

He also took a look at the furnishings in the room, his eyes sweeping over the simple tables and chairs, and the shabby bed, with disdain and disgust in his eyes.

This room was a world apart from the magnificent palace he usually lived in.

His gaze finally fell on Xiao Lingzi, and there was a hint of disgust in his eyes, as if he was looking at a person who was lowly and insignificant.

"Someone deliberately framed us. The Queen and I are innocent." Xiao Lingzi's voice was trembling and anxious, but seemed so powerless.

Although they are innocent, but... it is true that he likes the Queen.

"Oh? Who is that? Who hid the Queen's handkerchief?"

Jinzhong's voice sounded coldly, with a hint of sarcasm and pride. His eyes were fixed on Xiao Lingzi, as if he was admiring his despair.

These words, like a heavy hammer, hit Xiao Lingzi's heart hard, leaving him speechless in an instant.

Xiao Lingzi remained silent. He lowered his head, his eyes were dull, and his lips were tightly pursed, as if he had swallowed all the words back into his stomach.

His hands hung limply at his sides, his fingers trembling slightly.

He couldn't refute it because he knew that every word Jinzhong said was true, and those cruel realities were like sharp knives, stabbing straight into his heart.

Indeed, everything started with him. If he hadn't hidden those things, perhaps this incident wouldn't have happened.

Those items he secretly hid have now become the source of his sins. He has regretted his greed and stupidity countless times.

If he had treated Maoqian well, the woman who once slept with him might not have revealed his secret, and their relationship would not have reached such a terrible point.

If he had not met the Queen from the beginning, nothing would have turned out like this.

Without his burden, the Queen will live a better life.

It was not like now, where he had lost the title of Queen, was imprisoned in Yikun Palace, and suffered from the scorn and neglect of the people. He felt like a sinner, and that he had personally destroyed the Queen's beautiful life.

If he had died when he became a eunuch, perhaps the emperor wouldn't have had the opportunity to humiliate the empress. Xiao Lingzi often thought so.

Without him, the Empress might not have fallen into such a difficult situation, and the Emperor wouldn't have caught her and humiliated her. He felt like a source of trouble, bringing endless disasters to the Empress.

In the past few months, he has been holding a candlestick in front of the Queen's bed almost every night.

The emperor's torture and humiliation did not hurt him much, but when he saw the empress trying her best to hide her humiliation and tears flashing in the corners of her eyes, his heart felt like it was burning in a raging fire.

The candlelight danced above his head, and the wax burned his hands inch by inch along the candlestick, but he still chose to endure it.

But the tears in the corners of the Queen's eyes flickered in the candlelight. At that moment, Xiao Lingzi felt that her heart was about to break.

He hated his own incompetence, unable to share the Queen's pain and protect her from harm.

For the first time, he felt ashamed.

He felt that he had let down the Queen's trust and care for him. He once thought that he could do a lot for the Queen, but now he found that he could do nothing.

If he had not chosen to live a miserable life but instead committed suicide, the Queen would not have suffered so much humiliation.

At least the Emperor wouldn't take pleasure in humiliating the Empress just to torture him.

"You understand, right? If so, let's end it all. Let's let go of yourself and the Empress. It's meaningless for you to live like this all day long. It's better to die and let the Empress have peace..."

"You know, as long as you're alive, the Emperor will constantly speculate about your affair with the Empress. Do you want this to continue endlessly?"

Jinzhong wore a seemingly hypocritical smile as he spoke slowly, his tone hinting at a hint of impatience. He stood there, already tired of this endless tangle.

He had been dealing with this for too long, and now he was really impatient. In his mind, it was time to end this cat-and-mouse game.

After saying this, a hint of expectation flashed across his eyes.

He wanted to kill him from the beginning.

"Thank you, Eunuch Jinzhong, for your help."

Xiao Lingzi's voice was weak and hoarse. He sat quietly by the bed, his eyes always fixed on the clean pillow.

His lips were as white as the first snow in winter, without a trace of blood. His dry, cracked lips trembled slightly, leaving a trail of dry cracks.

In this silent room, it seemed particularly desolate. His body trembled slightly, not knowing whether it was out of fear or a little attachment to her.

Jinzhong nodded generously upon hearing this, and didn't care about his ignorance of the rules.

He slowly took off the ring from his thumb and put it in his arms, then made way for a young eunuch who showed his head, holding in his hand the tool that would solve his pain.

Jinzhong walked straight to the table where the items were placed with great interest, and reached out to touch the things that determined his fate one by one.

First of all, there was the sharp dagger, the blade flashing coldly in the dim light, as if it couldn't wait to drink blood.

Jinzhong's fingers gently ran across the edge of the dagger, feeling the sharpness.

Next came the small bottle of poisoned wine.

Lastly, there was the bundle of rough hemp rope, the strong hemp ropes coiled together like a poisonous snake waiting to bind a life.

"You can do it yourself... or?"

Jinzhong turned around and looked at Xiao Lingzi with an expression that seemed polite but was actually indifferent.

He was well aware of the palace rules, and before taking action, he even pretended to ask Xiao Lingzi what he thought. His tone was calm, as if it was just a trivial matter.

Xiao Lingzi's hands tightened and tightened, his fingers turning white from the excessive force. His gaze slowly returned to the pillow, the one that seemed ordinary but held so many of his thoughts.

"Then I'll bother you, father-in-law."

He spoke bitterly, his voice filled with endless helplessness and sadness. The corners of his mouth drooped slightly, and the bitterness seemed to overflow from his heart and fill the entire room.

He was afraid, so afraid that his whole body was trembling slightly. He was afraid that he would regret choosing this dead end, afraid that in his final moments, the desire to survive would suddenly surge in his heart, plunging him into an endless struggle.

However, he knew more clearly that if he continued to live in shame, only endless pain and torture would await him.

His life was nothing but suffering. He spent every day in fear and despair, without seeing a glimmer of hope.

His death would at least free the Empress from the Emperor's suspicion. This was the only thing he could do for the Empress in this desperate situation. He hoped to use his life to buy the Empress a little peace.