Daming: After self-explosive time travel, Lao Zhu's mentality collapsed

Chu Ze walked towards the captain of the guards step by step, his eyes like cold arrows. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped him directly.

"Snap!" A crisp sound resounded through the night sky.

"Relax? Very good! What use is this emperor having such a lax guard?" His tone suddenly rose, "Do you think that what was stolen was not my imperial study, but your mother's tailor shop!?"

The chief guard knocked his head to the ground, his forehead thumping. "Your Majesty, spare me! I was so careless and embarrassed! But please forgive me once, and give me a chance to atone for my sins!"

Chu Ze leaned forward, his eyes level with the head guard crawling on the ground, and a sneer slowly rose at the corner of his lips: "Forgiveness?" He said it lightly, but everyone present felt a chill down their spines, "My forgiveness, is it so easy to get it?"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly pulled out the sword from the waist of the guard next to him, and threw it heavily in front of the guard leader with a flash of cold light. The latter trembled all over, raised his head, and saw Chu Ze staring at him coldly: "Since you want to atone for your sins, then use your life to pay for it!"

These words were as deafening as thunder. The captain of the guards trembled for a moment. Seeing that the emperor had no room for negotiation, he gritted his teeth, stretched out his hand to grasp the hilt of the knife, ready to die.

Just as everyone was holding their breath for the blood that was about to splatter and wet the ground, a clear female voice sounded leisurely: "Why is the uncle so angry? I'm afraid that a human life can't be exchanged for even a single word of the confidential letter."

The sound was accompanied by the flying of her hair, and Changle actually walked out slowly from the side. Her skirt swept across the cold ground, and her leisurely and calm manner shocked the people kneeling on the ground.

Chu Ze narrowed his eyes and waved his hand to stop the guard from hitting the knife. He sneered, "Why, you are so eager to give advice, Changle, do you think I can't punish those who deserve to be killed, or... do you have other plans?"

Changle took two steps closer, her pair of eyes as bright as water locked onto Chuze's gaze through the night wind. "I dare not." Her tone was soft but sonorous. "I just want to remind the uncle that if the imperial study was really broken into by an outsider, the death of a mere guard would not only fail to serve as a warning, but would instead show off your anger and give the enemy a taste of sweetness."

"Oh?" Chu Ze raised his eyebrows, his tone a little more playful, "It sounds like it makes sense. So, tell me, Changle - should I chop off the head of this guard and then settle the score?"

Changle raised her eyes and looked at him fearlessly, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised: "Uncle Emperor is so wise, I think he should know that before the truth comes out, he can't make mistakes in saving his life and finding the murderer."

Chu Ze was silent for a moment, then his eyes turned cold. He waved his sleeves and kicked his saber aside, his eyes sweeping over the trembling figures kneeling on the ground: "Since someone has pleaded for you, I will spare your life. Don't give me a second chance, otherwise, your whole family will be killed."

The chief guard kowtowed frantically as if he had been pardoned: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity!"

Chu Ze turned around with his sleeves swung, but without looking at Changle again, he said coldly: "Li Huaide - immediately find out who has entered and left the imperial study. If anyone hides anything - be careful of that head!"

Changle bowed her head and raised her eyes, which were as bright as stars and extremely beautiful. "The uncle emperor has a very strong temper. I suddenly feel that I have to try my luck to live until tomorrow."

The words were as light as a feather, but they stirred up a few ripples in the cold night. Chu Ze paused and said coldly: "Changle - don't be too pushy."

Then he strode quickly in the dark, but Changle slowly curled his lips, looking quietly at the spread-out snow-white chessboard like a hunter.

Chu Ze strode along the winding path of the Imperial Garden, his bright yellow dragon robe fluttering like flames in the night wind, and his whole body exuded a kind of oppressive majesty that was so overwhelming that it made people breathless. Every step he took was as steady as a mountain, but the path under his feet seemed to be a little longer than usual, as if even the thorns were deliberately testing his patience.

As the lights flickered, Chu Ze could vaguely hear the rustling sound of people following behind him. He frowned slightly, paused, and spoke coldly without asking:
"Changle, you are becoming more and more courageous."

As soon as the voice fell, the usual unhurried chuckle came from behind: "Uncle, what you said is wrong. I dare not offend you casually. I am just afraid that Uncle will be too angry. The night wind is cold and it will hurt your health if you get angry. So I want to walk with you to show my concern."

Chu Ze turned around and glanced at Changle's smiling face. The smile was like the light in amber, gentle but hiding an unfathomable sharpness. He snorted coldly, breaking her carelessness like breaking ice.

"Then do you know that my anger often does not require others to 'show some concern'?"

Changle lowered her eyes slightly and sighed coquettishly, "I understand, but even so, I believe that the emperor will not be easily blinded by anger. Those people with ulterior motives must be the ones the emperor really wants to warn, right?"

"You are good at talking. You are helping me to share my worries, but I don't think I will be more lenient with you because of this." Chu Ze approached slowly. With every step, he seemed to be drawing a bowstring, full of murderous intent but restrained. "Don't think that I can't see through your cleverness. Just go back as soon as possible. If you continue to pester me... Changle, you are not afraid that I will punish you one day, right?"

"Of course I am afraid." Changle suddenly raised her head, her smile revealing a bit of cleverness and cunning, "But if I was really afraid, I wouldn't have come all the way to persuade the uncle. Now walking in the wilderness doesn't seem like I don't care about my own protection, right?"

Chu Ze's face darkened slightly, and he was forced into silence for a moment by her question, which was both righteous and coquettish. His eyes fell on Changle, whose plain white shawl seemed to blend in with the cold moonlight, making her face look picturesque yet exceptionally cold. He gritted his teeth secretly, and his tone still revealed a hint of helplessness: "What exactly do you want from me?"

"How dare I ask for anything?" Changle smiled slyly, her peach blossom eyes seemed to be able to seduce souls, "But I do want to share the worries of the uncle. For example, the loss of the imperial study tonight is something that makes the uncle worried, isn't it?"

Her words actually made Chu Ze's face freeze. He stared at Changle coldly for a moment, thinking that this woman was simply unfazed. It was obvious that when the chief guard was shaking like a sieve, she could still stand here and talk and laugh.

"Changle." He uttered her name in a decisive tone, as if he wanted to strip off all the disguises of this woman in the next second.

Chu Ze stood still, and saw that Changle was still smiling, as if he was not afraid of his pressure at all. He looked so calm, as if every word he said in the cold night was just a casual conversation with him while flipping through the Book of Songs. (End of this chapter)