The Jin Dynasty, Jincheng, clear skies for miles, brilliant sunshine.

The commoners of Jin Dynasty's capital city were not afraid of the scorching heat, and they all gathered in the square outside the imperial city.

"Burn to death!"

Burn the demon to death!

……

The clamor of the masses, a deafening roar.

"Crack, crack…" On the execution pillar in the center of the square, a whip soaked in salt water lashed out one after another on the white prisoner.

The once white prisoner had already been stained crimson by the blood, but the prisoner seemed oblivious to the pain as if it were nothing. A pair of eyes, already somewhat clouded, stared fixedly at the majestic palace of the imperial city.

Song Xingchen was a former imperial concubine and the scourge of the nation in the eyes of the common people, known as a demon who brought ruin to the country.

Song Xingchen looked at the dry land, then lifted his head to glance at the sun already high in the sky. His eyes shifted once more to the towering palace not far away, hope flickering in them. He hoped he would come soon, that before death claimed him, he could see him one last time. It would be a mercy from heaven.

Ye Yihen sat on the bright yellow palanquin, looking at the person on the execution pillar, his eyes deepened a few points.

Song Xingchen had already seen that bright yellow shadow. He twitched his dry, cracked hook and spread a smile. Even with messy hair and a withered appearance, the smile still revealed his peerless charm!

Ye Yiheng, who had just taken a step forward, saw the hint of a smile and his heart skipped a beat. But in the next instant, his face turned even colder.

With a flick of his hand, a bucket of cold salted water had poured over Song Xingchen's head. Song Xingchen, already blurry-minded, jolted awake with a start and opened his eyes once more.

Looking at the man standing before him, a smile once again curled up at the corner of his lips.

The man before her was strikingly handsome, his deep-set eyes still bore the resemblance of his younger years. However, where once warmth and affection resided, now only a chillingly profound coldness lingered.

Looking at the smile, Ye Yihen only felt a fire in his heart, and suddenly grabbed his neck, "Song Xingchen, where is he?"

Song Xingchen helplessly shook her head slightly.

"Slap!" Ye Yihen suddenly slapped in the face. He felt a salty, fishy taste rushing up his throat, but he didn't want to appear too embarrassed in front of him, so he swallowed it back down.

"You're just like this, aren't you? Even if he dies, you'll still protect him!" Ye Yihen's pitch-black eyes were filled with rage. A terrifyingly cold aura emanated from him, causing the palace attendants around him to involuntarily step back several paces and prostrate themselves on the ground.

The crowd in the square, distant but sensing something amiss, all knelt down trembling. It was common knowledge that while the new emperor was known for his diligent rule, his temper was capricious and unpredictable.

Ye Yihen's grip loosened, "Since you put it that way, then I shall let you live. See how he died!"

"I said, I don't know!" Song Xingchen spoke with difficulty, her voice like a blade slicing across porcelain, gratingly harsh and piercing to the core.

"Heh, I don't know!" Ye Yihen let out a cold snort. "You defend him so much, but he doesn't necessarily remember you. You were tied up here for three days, and not even one of his people showed up. Song Xingchen, what's the point of all your hard work helping him seize this throne?"

Song Xingchen looked at the ruthlessness between the man's brows and eyes. She finally couldn't hold it in and vomited. The fishy smell spread in her mouth, and she felt her head and stomach heavy. It was scorching hot under the sun, but she felt like she was underwater, cold to the bone!

Ye Yihen's fists clenched together, "Oh, so this is what it takes to stimulate him? He really is sincere about that man!"

Song Xingchen struggled to lift her heavy eyelids, gazing at the handsome man before her. She mustered all her strength to pull up the corner of her mouth into a faint smile, but she couldn't utter a word.

"Song Xingchen, since you're willing to die for him, then I shall give you everything!" Ye Yiheng's voice was devoid of any emotion. The hand that had been gripping his throat suddenly loosened, as if throwing away something filthy and disgusting.

Song Xingchen had exerted all his strength, but he still couldn't capture that resolute figure as it disappeared. The timber surrounding him, doused in oil, had been set ablaze, burning along with the sky above, roasting this scourge of the nation.

His last ounce of strength was drained, the one eye struggling to open finally couldn't hold on any longer. His eyelid drooped helplessly, and he lost all consciousness.

……

Song Xingchen thought she would just die like that, but she didn't expect a bucket of icy salt water to be poured on her. The salt water soaking the wounds, the piercing pain spread to every bone in her body.

As soon as I struggled to open my eyes, a pale yellow shadow stood before me. I couldn't help but frown. Could it be that I wasn't dead yet?

“Sister, don’t keep resisting like this. Emperor Jin is already at the end of his rope; now it’s Your Majesty’s world.” A gentle voice sounded in her ear. Song Xingchen looked up and saw Song WIXUE in fine silk garments. Her hoarse voice struggled to speak, “Sister?”

Song Wuxue heard this word "sister", but her dark eyes flashed a hint of madness and malice. However, her expression remained gentle and elegant. "Yihen is the true destined husband for everyone to see. Sister, by stubbornly resisting this, you are not only hurting yourself, but also dragging down Father, Second Mother, and your younger brother!"

When it came to these three people, Song Xingchen felt a surge of anger rise within her. She didn't know where she found the strength, but she struggled desperately, grabbing onto that faint gleam of yellow in front of her. "Ye Yihen, what did you do to my parents?"

Ye Yihen squatted and raised his head, "They are still alive now, but whether they can continue to live well depends on you!"

Song Xingchen gazed straight into Ye Yihen's deep eyes. Once, those eyes held nothing but tenderness when they looked at her, but now they were filled with cold hatred.

"Some shouted, “I’ve told you already, I don't know! Why can’t you just believe me?”

“I believe in you!” Ye Yiheng suddenly roared, grabbing Song Xingchen’s neck. “Song Xingchen, I once wholeheartedly believed in you, but you cruelly tried to take my life. Once I could give up everything for you, but you betrayed me and turned to Ye Ze Xi, helping him ascend the throne!”

"Fine! I believe you. Just keep your promise and take good care of me!" His harsh voice was filled with a chilling madness.

Song Xingchen trembled uncontrollably. Back then, she had vowed to marry him and only him. He, too, had said he would never marry anyone else. But reality was so painful.

"Will you let my parents and little brother go if I do what you ask?" Song Xingchen didn't want to remember the past, she raised her head and asked in a hoarse voice.

Ye Yihen's pitch-black eyes stared, saying nothing but struggling to raise his arms that were almost crippled, peeling off the strips of cloth that had been beaten to pieces and stuck to him with filth.

The kind of pain that reaches down to your very bones made him bite down hard on himself.

As the last bit of fabric touched the ground, Ye Yihen's face grew even darker, "Oh, I didn't expect that the esteemed consort favored by the Jin Emperor would be nothing more than a woman any man could have!"

He said, disdainfully pinching the back of her neck, lifting her up directly and pressing her against the wall, "Song Xingchen, when you betrayed me before, did you ever think there would be a day like this!"

As he was speaking, he had already taken it very hard.

(Editor in charge:fifty shades novels)