Meet Your Death

Seeing that gentle persuasion was getting him nowhere, Song Qingshu decided to change tactics and break through her defenses first. He deliberately asked in a grave voice, "Other than your husband, how many men have touched you?"

He was not some pervert curious about that aspect of her past. He merely intended to use it as an opening, steering the conversation toward her sisters who had suffered the same hardships and, in turn, learning about those princesses.

The Courtesan Queen's face went pale. "Could... could I not answer that question?"

Song Qingshu reached out and pinched her chin. The feel of her skin beneath his fingertips gave him a slight start. Despite all these years of torment, her skin was still so delicate.

He quickly collected himself and stared at her from close range, his gaze full of pressure. "No!"

The Courtesan Queen's lashes trembled, and an indelible sorrow flashed through her eyes. "Since my lord wishes to know, I will tell you. But after hearing it, do not be traumatized and lose interest later. Then all the money you spent tonight will have been wasted."

Song Qingshu smiled faintly. "It is not my money anyway. Besides, even if I lose interest, hearing a princess's romantic history would not be a waste."

"Romantic history?" A mocking expression appeared on the Courtesan Queen's face. "What kind of romantic history is this? Back then, your Second Crown Prince, Wanyan Zongwang, demanded that I be sent to him. That very night, he took me by force in his tent. Afterward, I naturally became his concubine. Looking back now, apart from having to satisfy his... his needs, those days were not entirely unbearable. After all, he did dote on me."

"Not long afterward, he died. His wife believed he had died young because he