Mercy and Death
The Little Demon Empress’ icy voice reverberated in the Demon Imperial Hall, causing everyone’s face to become extreme ugly. The Little Demon Empress had only mentioned Duke Xuan… and that also meant that she was not going to handle all these sinners who were kneeling here at the same time. Instead, she was going to have a private chat with each and every one of them.
All those present felt their hearts beat violently in their chests. They faced the Little Demon Empress together so they felt a slight sense of camaraderie from one another, but if it was a private summons… then everyone would do their utmost to try to make amends for their crimes and reveal everything they knew about everyone else’s sin. In order to live, they would do whatever it took prove their loyalty at all costs…
And besides the Little Demon Empress, no one else would know what the other person said or vowed, so they would not even know who betrayed whom.
Not only that, if anyone left anything out or did not prove their loyalty enough, it was extremely likely that they would be made into examples by the Little Demon Empress.
In addition, given the Little Demon Empress’ current power, killing anyone present would be as simple as squashing a bug.
With that, in an instant, these people, who were already soaked in sweat, started to sweat even more as they desperately tried to think of what they ought to say. Moreover, in this seven day period, the plan they had come up with to present a united front and cover up each other’s ugly deeds quietly collapsed amidst the desolate and terrifying atmosphere.
Duke Xuan, who had been first to be summoned, trembled with fear as he rose, and under the gazes of all who were present, he made his way, step by step, towards the stone room. With only the intervening space of less than two hundred paces, he nearly collapsed to the floor on at least three different occasions. Each and every step he took made it seem as if he was approaching an endless abyss.
The Duke Xuan in Yun Che’s memory was short and fat man with a sincere smile. But in just these short seven days, he had actually shrunk considerably. Once Duke Xuan entered the stone room, he collapsed to his knees and his entire body shook like a leaf. “This insignificant duke… gree… greets the Little Demon Empress… this insignificant duke knows that he has sinned… but it was only this insignificant duke who had sinned… and even this insignificant duke’s wife had advised him to never ever become involved with Duke Huai. But this insignificant duke lost his mind… and the rest of my Duke Palace was really not involved at all.”
“I beg the Little Demon Empress to kill this insignificant duke alone. The others in my Duke Palace, they really do not know anything. They were only dragged down by this insignificant duke… I beg the Little Demon Empress to show mercy and let off this insignificant duke’s family… after this insignificant duke has been executed, I will definitely be deeply grateful to you… I just beg that the Little Demon Empress will show mercy regarding…”
Duke Xuan’s entire body kept shaking, and he was weeping violently as his face was filled with a mixture of extreme regret and terror. As he continued to desperately beg the Little Demon Empress, he had already kowtowed many times to her and had bashed his head against the floor with such force that his forehead was covered in blood.
“Did this empress say that she wanted to kill you? Do you really desire death that much?” coldly asked the Little Demon Empress.
Duke Xuan lifted his head, and his expression turned blank as he could scarcely believe the words that he had just heard.
“Hmph!” The Little Demon Empress gave a cold snort and continued in a solemn voice, “Even though your Duke Xuan Palace has not made any major contributions in these hundred years, you have not committed any errors either. What was truly rare was that when this empress’ power had waned and a good majority of the Duke Palaces secretly defected over to Duke Huai, your Duke Xuan Palace had never betrayed or abandoned this empress before. In addition, even if you had thrown your lot in with Duke Huai, it was only because you thought that this empress had died, and it was the only way to ensure the safety of your Duke Palace.”
“Duke Xuan, you are at fault. But this empress is also at fault. My fault lay in the fact that I was too weak, so weak that those who were loyal to this empress were subjected to continuous abuse and humiliation by those traitors and renegades. Furthermore, in the hundred years of this empress’ decline, you had never once thought to betray or abandon me. Instead, you remained faithful, and that in and of itself is enough to cover the greater than four months of wrongdoing… so you may rise.”