Chapter 1906

Gao Yang's body stiffened imperceptibly, and he finally raised his eyes to look at Wu Zhao.

In those eyes of his, there was finally no longer calmness, but a long-suppressed pain and cold disappointment.

Resigning from office was a helpless act of self-preservation, but even more so, it was a bone-chilling coldness of heart!

He had originally thought that Wu Zhao would maintain the final shred of an emperor's decency and would not tear through this layer of awkward window paper.

Yet, she had actually laid it out so directly!

Since the situation had already become so unbearable, the last remaining bit of hesitation in Gao Yang's heart vanished in an instant; he met Wu Zhao's gaze and nodded slowly and heavily.

"Your Majesty's wisdom shines like a candle, and you have your own judgment in your heart; this subject... has nothing to say."

"Nothing to say?"

"Good!"

"What a 'nothing to say'!"

Wu Zhao was stung by the desolation in those eyes, and even more thoroughly enraged by these four cold words; her suppressed emotions burst forth like a mountain flood breaking a dam!

She stared straight at Gao Yang's face, tears swirling in her eyes but stubbornly refusing to fall.

"Gao Yang, I tell you! I trust you! I trust you more than I trust anyone else in this world! I even... I even view you as the only light in this cold, deep palace! My only salvation!"

"I am willing to be a monarch-subject pair with you that has no equal in history, and share this vast empire!"

"I have laid my heart out, bloody and raw, before you, and this is how you repay me?! Just because I... I felt at that time that you would certainly succeed, just because you wanted to massage until you died and were unwilling to go on the expedition, I... I took advantage of the Xiongnu's hand to force you?!"

"You are so heartless?! You distrust me so much?! You... trample on my intentions so much?!"

In Wu Zhao's eyes was deep heartache, and on her stunningly beautiful face was intense rage.

She admitted that she had borrowed the Xiongnu's momentum to force Gao Yang.

But she had also considered that Gao Yang could stir up the Xiongnu royal court with eight hundred elite troops and capture the Chanyu's grandfather alive.

She had given him ten thousand elite cavalry—they were true elites drawn from all the armies of Da Qian, each capable of taking on five!

With Gao Yang's intellect, added to this force, she had repeatedly simulated it; the odds of victory were extremely high, and the risk was extremely low!

Moreover, among all the civil and military officials, she trusted no one but Gao Yang, even though at that time, Gao Yang only had experience in one battle against the Xiongnu.

Since he possessed world-shaking talent, why not take action?

A real man born in troubled times should wield a three-foot sword, establish peerless merit, and leave his name in history!

She had mentioned earlier that she wanted Gao Yang to lead the army, but Gao Yang had flatly refused.

As an emperor, she chose to respect that.

It was just that the matter of the Xiongnu Great Chanyu made her see an opportunity, and she admitted... she was tempted.

Wu Zhao admitted she had selfish motives in this matter, but she had also provided compensation.

Duke of the State, the python robe—bestowing the entire country, granting titles beyond the norm; throughout history, who else has had such an honor?!

Could it be... that this is not enough?

Even if I have a thousand faults.

How could this fault be so unforgivable?

You, Gao Yang, could have entered the palace privately to question me, to denounce me; although I am the Emperor of Da Qian and would not admit fault to others, you are Gao Yang—I could bow to you, I could apologize to you!

But why?!

Why did you have to choose the moment I conferred upon you the title of Duke of the State and bestowed upon you the python robe, adding supreme glory to your person, to publicly remove your crown and kneel before all the civil and military officials, shattering my face, my dignity, and my heart into pieces?!

This... how heartless! How soul-crushing!

Gao Yang stared straight into Wu Zhao's eyes, and a trace of anger rose in his heart as well.

You, Wu Zhao, by what right are you so righteous?

He laughed, his voice carrying a long-suppressed coldness and disappointment.

"Trust?"

"The trust Your Majesty speaks of is knowing full well that it was a Xiongnu plot aimed at this subject's life, watching the Xiongnu Great Chanyu threaten this subject with his relatives, threaten this subject with his children and women, and then using the mouths of the world to force this subject onto that road of nine deaths and one life?"

Wu Zhao's pupils contracted.

Gao Yang stepped forward; in this instant, his aura even surpassed Wu Zhao's, and he raised his voice.

"Your Majesty, how dangerous is Mount Canglan, how bone-piercing is the cold wind on the summit, how desolate is the Sudan Desert, how terrifying is the black sandstorm that destroys everything—do you... know?"

"Your Majesty trusted that this subject could break the deadlock, and this subject luckily succeeded."

"This elite force of Great Yan lunged straight at this subject, wanting only this subject's life; this subject has a big life, and Yurong blocked a fatal arrow for this subject, so this subject also luckily survived."

"But what about next time? What about the time after that? Will Your Majesty, because you 'have confidence in this subject,' throw this subject into another certain-death situation again?"

"Next time, will there be a second Yurong who can jump out and block another arrow for this subject?"

Wu Zhao's delicate body trembled violently, her silver teeth almost biting through her lips, staring fixedly at Gao Yang, her lips losing all color.

Gao Yang took a deep breath, as if wanting to spit out all the accumulated coldness in his chest.

These words, he had intended to let rot in his heart, never to be mentioned again. But at this moment, Wu Zhao's "grievance" completely ignited him.

You are aggrieved? Then what about me, Gao Yang?! Is the root cause of all this, could it be me?!

"This subject's power today is already at the peak, with no more titles to confer; if Your Majesty can force this subject to break a deadlock today because of 'confidence,' who is to say you won't bestow a cup of poisoned wine upon this subject tomorrow because of suspicion?!"

"This subject does not want to reach that point with Your Majesty one day! This subject... is afraid; this subject has always been greedy for life and afraid of death, this subject wants to live! I beg Your Majesty... to show mercy, I beg Your Majesty... to grant my wish!"

Saying this.

Gao Yang knelt on the ground again and performed a grand salute to Wu Zhao.

Wu Zhao's phoenix eyes were bloodshot; when Gao Yang spoke of his life hanging by a thread, and of Lu Yurong blocking the arrow for him, even as the supreme ruler, a huge panic and regret instantly permeated Wu Zhao's heart.

She wanted to say it was her fault, she wanted to apologize, she even felt a trace of bewildered panic!

However—

Suspicion?

Bestow... a cup of poisoned wine?

Show mercy, beg her to grant his wish?

These three terms, like three arrows dipped in deadly poison, whistling as they tore through the air, shot through her with absolute precision!

These three arrows.

Shot through all the longing for a "monarch-subject pair for the ages" that she had just established in the ancestral temple!

Shot through the secret and fiery feelings in the depths of her heart that she hadn't even fully seen clearly herself!

Shot through the last shred of pride and fantasy she had as an emperor, as a woman!

In an instant.

Crack!

Everything shattered.

Wu Zhao's body stiffened suddenly, as if struck by an invisible heavy hammer, staggering back a step and hitting the imperial desk.

Clatter.

The brushes, inkstones, and memorials on the desk fell in response, a mess; the remaining color on her face faded instantly, pale as gold leaf, swaying as if about to fall.

Wu Zhao looked at the person before her; the anger, grievance, and expectation originally in her phoenix eyes all vanished, replaced by a despair and humiliation of being thoroughly denied!

She stared fixedly at Gao Yang, as if for the first time, she truly and clearly saw this person.

In those eyes, there was not the dead-silent calmness and pity!

That... was a detachment and severance more terrifying than hatred! It was a determination to cut off all connections and draw a clear line of all boundaries!

So she, Wu Zhao, was actually so unbearable in his heart!

So... hideous!

Ridiculous.

Too ridiculous.

Just because she forced him once, all her sincerity, all her devotion, all her exceptional favor... had all turned into dust? Had all become the handouts of imperial power?!

This Duke of the State, this python robe... in his eyes, they were actually worth less than dog shit!

Wu Zhao's lips trembled violently; she wanted to say something, but could not make a sound.

Tears were no longer swirling in her eyes, but like pearls with broken strings, they rolled down without warning, surging down her pale, cold cheeks.

This was not a cry of weakness, but the most instinctive release of the body after beliefs had completely collapsed and emotions had been thoroughly trampled!

"Hahaha..."

Wu Zhao let out a sharp and shrill laugh, tears surging like a broken dam, mixed with endless self-mockery and madness.

"What a 'show mercy', what a 'let me grant your wish'!"