Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Ning Wuyu leaped to her feet and threw herself in front of Wen Zhiyi, sending Qiurui flying with a powerful kick before the woman could strike.
The nearby guards immediately drew their swords and slashed at the attacker.
Qiurui let out a bloodcurdling scream as blood sprayed through the air.
“Protect His Majesty! Protect His Majesty!”
The eunuchs and palace maids shrieked as they rushed to surround Li Jinghuai.
Meanwhile, Li Jinghuai instinctively pulled the terrified Lu Ningrou tightly into his arms.
His face twisted with fury.
“Guards! Drag this wretched maid away and beat her to death!”
Wen Zhiyi stood frozen, still shaken by the close call.
Ning Wuyu waved a hand in front of her face and frowned.
“Wen Zhiyi? Noble Consort Wen? Don’t tell me you’re scared senseless.”
“Your Grace! Your Grace!”
Hongyi hurried over and anxiously checked her from head to toe.
“You’re not hurt… thank heavens. Consort Ning, thank you for stepping in!”
“Heh.”
Ning Wuyu smirked playfully.
“You’re welcome.”
Only then did Wen Zhiyi come back to herself.
She thanked Ning Wuyu sincerely before gently patting Hongyi’s hand to reassure her.
Ning Wuyu merely shrugged and turned to Li Jinghuai.
“Your Majesty, since the person behind Lady Zhaorong’s attempted murder has already been dealt with, and Zipei’s innocence has been proven, I’ll take her back to Changxin Palace.”
Li Jinghuai glanced toward Wen Zhiyi.
“It seems Noble Consort Wen has also suffered quite a fright today.”
His tone sounded concerned, but the coldness in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.
“You should return to your palace and rest as well.”
Wen Zhiyi understood perfectly.
According to Qiurui’s confession, everything stemmed from Chancellor Wen’s alleged seizure of farmland. It was only natural that Li Jinghuai would redirect part of his anger toward her.
She had no desire to argue.
Like Ning Wuyu, she simply bowed and withdrew.
Before leaving, however, she instinctively looked back at Lu Ningrou.
The boneless beauty nestled softly against the young emperor’s chest, tears shimmering in her eyes.
Her gaze overflowed with admiration and devotion.
Her pale crimson skirts intertwined with the emperor’s dragon robes, making them look every bit like lovers bound together until death.
Sensing Wen Zhiyi’s searching gaze, Lu Ningrou lowered her eyes as if by accident.
Her butterfly-like eyelashes trembled ever so slightly.
Wen Zhiyi quietly withdrew her gaze and left with Hongyi without another word.
Master and servant walked in silence until they reached the grove outside Luanming Palace, the very place where Qiurui had attempted to poison herself.
Only then did Wen Zhiyi stop.
Hongyi looked around in confusion.
“Your Grace?”
A smile tugged at Wen Zhiyi’s lips.
“So when Consort Ning said she was returning to her palace…”
“…she actually meant waiting outside mine.”
A few footsteps echoed from the dark woods.
A flash of goose-yellow robes emerged beneath the moonlight.
Branches swayed gently, revealing Ning Wuyu’s striking, heroic features.
Getting straight to the point, she said,
“I admit I’m no match for you when it comes to all these twisted palace schemes.”
“But I could tell tonight’s farce was aimed at me.”
“You blocked one disaster for me.”
“I saved your life.”
“We’re even.”
Wen Zhiyi answered without the slightest politeness.
“As long as you understand.”
“However…”
Ning Wuyu’s expression grew serious.
“I’ve also heard about Chancellor Wen’s case.”
“If someone claims the Grand Chancellor of the empire would destroy his own reputation over such petty gains, I’d call it utter nonsense.”
“But if someone already dares use this case to plot against you inside the palace…”
“…then sooner or later they’ll use it against Sister Yun as well.”
“You should prepare yourself.”
Wen Zhiyi immediately caught something odd.
“The incident only happened this morning.”
“How did news reach the palace so quickly?”
Ning Wuyu avoided her probing gaze and coughed lightly into her fist.
In an instant, Wen Zhiyi understood.
A sly smile curved the corner of her lips.
“Hongyi.”
“Go fetch Lurao.”
“Yes.”
Knowing her mistress had already started another scheme, Hongyi smiled knowingly before jogging back toward Luanming Palace.
Ning Wuyu, on the other hand, looked thoroughly suspicious.
“Wen Zhiyi…”
“You’re plotting to use me again, aren’t you?”
Wen Zhiyi smiled sweetly.
“You’re mistaken, Young Lady Ning.”
“It’s just that Lurao spends every day cooped up in the palace. She’s practically becoming a block of wood.”
“As her mistress, I can’t bear to watch it.”
She continued with a cheerful smile.
“Back then, Lurao and Zipei trained under the same martial arts master.”
“Why don’t you take her back with you for a few days so she and Zipei can catch up?”
“And the next time Zipei leaves the palace to purchase supplies, bring Lurao along.”
“Let the poor girl breathe a little life outside these walls.”
As they spoke, Lurao quietly arrived.
Having heard every word, she simply stood silently, raising no objection.
Ning Wuyu eyed both mistress and maid suspiciously.
A flicker of annoyance crossed her face.
She wasn’t foolish.
She understood perfectly well that Wen Zhiyi wanted to use her as a cover to send Lurao out of the palace to make secret arrangements.
What irritated her was how naturally Wen Zhiyi treated people like pieces on a chessboard.
Still…
She also knew why.
Li Jinghuai feared powerful maternal families more than anything. He hated seeing officials in court colluding with women inside the palace.
To reassure him, the Wen sisters, despite their exalted positions, never dared openly inquire about affairs beyond the palace walls, much less send their own people outside.
In the end…
Ning Wuyu sighed.
She asked no further questions.
Silently accepting her role, she took Lurao away.
…
Over the following days, the Censorate continued investigating the Chen Village case.
Meanwhile, Chen Daniu’s reputation soared.
After boldly presenting his grievance during the Imperial Spring Plowing Ceremony, he had become something of a hero among the villagers.
For several days in a row, he traveled alone into the capital to cooperate with the investigation.
Whenever people recognized him on the streets as the man who had dared plead directly before the emperor, they eagerly dragged him into taverns and begged him to recount the story.
Chen Daniu basked in the attention.
Over cups of wine, he enthusiastically retold every detail of that glorious day.
His listeners marveled at his courage, praising him as a fearless man who dared challenge the powerful.
That evening, as usual, Chen Daniu ate and drank his fill.
By the time he finally left the city, the sun was already setting behind the western hills.
About two miles outside the city gate, he spotted several men walking toward him.
Every one of them wore black.
Something gleamed silver in their hands.
From a distance, the flashes looked strangely beautiful beneath the fading light.
Chen Daniu had drunk a little too much.
His feet still knew the road home, but his mind felt sluggish.
He watched the strangers approach at an unusually fast pace.
Only when they drew near did he realize what reflected that cold silver light.
They weren’t ornaments.
They were swords.
His drunkenness vanished instantly.
Cold sweat broke out across his body.
He spun around and ran for his life.
One of the black-clad men lunged forward.
A blade slashed viciously across Chen Daniu’s legs.
“AAAH!”
He crashed face-first onto the ground, screaming in agony.
Unable to stand, he dragged himself forward with his mangled legs, leaving two long trails of blood behind him.
“Mercy! Please spare me!”
The assassins said nothing.
With swords in hand, they advanced step by step.
One of them slowly raised his blade…
…then brought it crashing down.
The icy gleam of steel forced Chen Daniu to squeeze his eyes shut.
At the top of his lungs, he screamed,
“Help! Somebody save me!”