Commoner Queen: Falling in Love with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince - Chapter 37

He didn’t tell Xiao Zhuzi to stop until Li Yingshui’s voice was hoarse from screaming.

“It’s not over yet,” he said through clenched teeth.

Li Yingshui was terrified. She was already in so much pain, it felt like she could die at any moment. And yet the Crown Prince still wasn’t done with her. She feared she wouldn’t live through the day.
“Your Highness, please spare—”

“Shut up! Did you ever think of sparing Ziying when you were hurting her? Someone, take off her shoes!”

The guards quickly removed her shoes.

“No, please! I beg you! Your Highness, help me!” she cried to Princess Li.

Princess Li turned away and sighed. She didn’t dare speak or look. She couldn’t help anymore.

Li Yingshui froze. Even the princess wouldn’t save her. She was doomed.

The Crown Prince held up a thin needle and waved it in front of her.
“If I’m right, those little holes on Ziying’s feet were from the needles. You should feel that too. I bet it feels wonderful. Xiao Zhuzi, do it.”
He angrily handed the needle over.

“No—ahhh!”
Each time the needle pricked her, she screamed so loudly it was hard to listen to.

Murong Ziying couldn’t take it anymore.
“Enough! Your Highness, please stop! If you’re doing this for me, it’s enough—enough! ” She couldn’t bear to watch it any longer.

He finally raised his hand to signal Xiao Zhuzi to stop.

By then, Li Yingshui was barely alive. Her body was a mess—no one could bear to look at her. Even Princess Li didn’t dare go near. She stood frozen, horrified by what she saw.

The Crown Prince looked at Ziying.
“Ziying, maybe you think I’m cruel. But this is the palace. If I don’t do this, the one who gets hurt will be you. I can’t always be there to protect you. Only by doing this can I make sure others won’t dare bully you again.”

She felt sad.
“I can avoid being hurt… as long as I’m not in the palace. If I go back to the Murong home, I can live peacefully. I don’t need all this.”

He looked guilty.
“I don’t want to lose you. I also don’t want you caught in the palace’s dirty games. That’s why I’m doing everything I can to protect you. Please believe me—what happened today won’t happen again.”

She sighed.
“It will happen again. Fighting for love and power is human nature. Even if I don’t want to fight, that doesn’t mean others won’t see me as a threat.”
She looked at Princess Li and Li Yingshui. They were proof of that. She shook her head in sorrow.

He stayed quiet. She was right… But what could he do? Let her leave? No. He couldn’t do that.
“I will do everything I can to protect you. You just have to trust me.”
He didn’t want to talk more about it. He turned to the nearly dead Li Yingshui.
“Pass down my order. Remove her title as concubine. From now on, she’ll be a servant in the Eastern Palace.”

“Yes, Your Highness! Xiao Zhuzi immediately told others to carry her away”.

Now it was Princess Li’s turn. He walked toward her.

“Don’t come closer! I have the emperor’s pardon token! ” she shouted, holding up the gold token in fear.

He shook his head.
“I can’t kill you now, but that’s only for the moment. One day, that token will be useless.”
His meaning was clear—once he became emperor, her death would be certain.

She collapsed into a chair, speechless from fear. He was terrifying—she finally understood that now.
“Your father… What about him? ” she asked weakly.

“I won’t expose you yet. But that doesn’t mean I forgive you. I just don’t want to embarrass my father in his old age.”

“I understand. Thank you, Your Highness,” she nodded quickly.