Several guards stepped forward in response, their blades glinting coldly as they pointed directly at Yun Zhao.
At that very moment, a figure in dark robes swept in like a gust of wind!
Before the crowd could even register what had happened, Prince Qin had already raised his leg and, with the force of a thousand pounds, delivered a vicious kick straight to Jiang Heng’s chest—the very man who had been gripping Yun Zhao without letting go.
A dull thud!
Jiang Heng was sent flying by that single kick, crashing heavily onto the steps below.
The renowned “Gentleman of Lantai,” the dream lover of countless young ladies in the capital, now lay with his official robes stained with dust, his jade crown askew, utterly disheveled.
He raised his head in shock and fury, only to meet Xiao Qi’s icy, bone-chilling phoenix eyes!
Jiang Heng’s expression shifted dramatically, his brows and eyes filled with unconcealable shock and humiliation. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.
Xiao Qi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down with cold disdain, his malevolent qi so thick it felt almost tangible.
Every person his gaze touched felt as if doused in ice water, silenced into trembling submission.
His voice was not loud, yet every word carried a bone-chilling ferocity: “Who dares lay a hand on my people!”
The reputation of the “Jade-Faced Yama” was no empty legend. As the sole surviving bloodline of the late emperor, his battle honors and glory had been won through one hard-fought battle after another, waded through seas of corpses and rivers of blood!
The guards fell to their knees, heads bowed, sweat streaming down their faces. The assembled nobles felt their scalps go numb, none daring to speak.
The Crown Prince struggled to maintain his composure as heir apparent, but his face had turned green.
Only Jiang Wanxin spoke up, her voice gentle and soft as she carefully ventured: “But today, everyone saw it—only Miss Yun touched His Highness’s precious hairpin under the pretext of repairing the feather.”
The noble ladies gathered around her nodded in agreement.
Jiang Wanxin’s eyes were dark and unfathomable as she looked at Yun Zhao: “No wonder Miss Yun has been targeting us all day, causing the hairpin to fall… It seems this was all premeditated.”
Hearing this, Nanny Zhou slowly raised her head and looked at Jiang Wanxin.
Seeing this, Jiang Wanxin grew even more gentle and demure, asking softly: “Nanny, think carefully. Did you also touch that hairpin today? Just now, His Highness also collapsed because of the hairpin. The evidence is conclusive—”
“Please think carefully, Nanny.” Yun Zhao’s clear, cold voice cut off Jiang Wanxin’s accusation. “Before you lost your composure just now, what exactly did you touch? Did you notice any unusual scent?”
Nanny Zhou panted heavily, then abruptly turned her head, her gaze fixed intently on the painting that had been soaked with tea, its ink bleeding and smeared.
“It’s… it’s that painting!” Nanny Zhou rasped, her finger trembling as she pointed at it.
“Just now, Miss Yun grabbed this old servant’s hand and forcibly pressed it against the painting. A very strange, sweet fragrance rushed into my nose… After that, this old servant’s mind went hazy, as if possessed by a nightmare!”
Yun Zhao nodded, then turned to the startled crowd: “His Highness’s sudden collapse was caused by inhaling the poisoned powder on this painting.”
Jiang Wanxin shook her head repeatedly, tears falling like pearls. “Clearly, you tampered with the hairpin. Now that your scheme has been exposed, you want to frame my birthday gift instead.”
She sobbed uncontrollably. “How terrifying. How could there be such a vicious woman as you in this world…”
Jiang Wanxin had always been celebrated for her talent and beauty, renowned throughout the capital. Her pitiful display immediately drew waves of sympathy, and gazes of doubt and disgust shot toward Yun Zhao like arrows.
“Is that so?” Yun Zhao showed no fear. “If that’s the case, why not summon the imperial physician immediately to examine this painting, and then take His Highness’s pulse? Whether poison was involved will be clear at once!”
Just as Jiang Wanxin and Yun Zhao were locked in a razor-sharp standoff, Xiao Qi had already helped the Princess Royal to the phoenix-patterned throne.
Yun Zhao stepped forward on her own initiative, intending to take the Princess Royal’s pulse.
But the Crown Prince’s face showed displeasure: “Our aunt’s body is precious beyond measure. How can we allow a person of unknown origins to casually apply needles? If anything goes wrong, who will bear the responsibility?”
Behind him, several ministers immediately bowed in agreement:
“The Crown Prince speaks perfectly! This girl is young—looks even younger than this old minister’s granddaughter. How could she possibly be a physician?”
“Folk tricks cannot be trusted! The Princess Royal’s body is invaluable. Prince Qin, please think twice!”
Xiao Qi’s expression had turned utterly frigid.
At that very moment, a faint yet clear voice sounded from behind the crowd:
“Let… let her try…”
Everyone followed the sound and saw that the Princess Royal had somehow slightly opened her eyes. She whispered a few words to Nanny Zhou, who was guarding her side.
Nanny Zhou raised her head and announced: “Her Highness has decreed that Miss Yun Zhao shall administer acupuncture immediately.”
Yun Zhao accepted the order and stepped forward, while Nanny Zhou summoned a maidservant to set up a folding screen for privacy.
Yun Zhao leaned down to take the Princess Royal’s pulse and examine her complexion. She then unrolled her acupuncture kit, selected the finest golden needle from within, and precisely inserted it into the Yintang point between the Princess Royal’s brows, gently twisting and slowly lifting.
Then came the second and third needles, targeting the Baihui and Shenting acupoints respectively.
Moments later, the Princess Royal’s tightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and a comfortable sigh escaped her throat as she slowly regained consciousness.
The Princess Royal opened her eyes, her expression dazed. Instinctively, she grasped Yun Zhao’s hand and murmured: “Just now, I thought I saw Baozhu again…”
Nanny Zhou, still shaken with lingering fear, quickly looked at Yun Zhao: “Miss Yun, what happened to Her Highness? Has the poison not been fully expelled?”
She had already personally experienced the potency of the poison powder, and seeing Yun Zhao’s composed and steady demeanor, she unconsciously regarded her as her pillar of support.
“Rest assured, I have everything under control.” Yun Zhao remained calm and collected. “Your Highness was not deeply poisoned, and I administered golden needles in time. You are now out of danger.”
She calmly produced a yellow talisman that had been prepared in advance and gently placed it into the Princess Royal’s hand. “Yun Zhao has only recently arrived in the capital. Having heard that today is Your Highness’s birthday, I have prepared this small gift as a congratulatory offering.”
Meeting the Princess Royal’s slightly surprised gaze, Yun Zhao’s voice was gentle, carrying a reassuring strength: “When Your Highness retires for the night, you may place this talisman beneath your pillow. It should help calm your mind and ease any troubled thoughts.”
Beyond the folding screen, the others could only hear her voice without seeing the details.
The Crown Prince’s voice rang out with slight urgency: “Has my aunt awakened?”
The Princess Royal tightened her grip on the yellow talisman and gently waved her hand, signaling for the screen to be removed.
The assembled guests saw that although the Princess Royal appeared somewhat weary, her eyes were clear and her breathing steady—she seemed to have fully recovered.
Xiao Qi, standing watch nearby, allowed his tightly clenched jaw to relax almost imperceptibly.
Watching his aunt turn from danger to safety, those deep, unfathomable phoenix eyes could hardly suppress a flicker of relief and gratitude.
The Princess Royal was his only beloved relative, and the only person in this world who genuinely cared for him. If anything had happened to his aunt today… His gaze dimmed slightly; he dared not dwell on it.
And the one who had saved his aunt was this young woman he had brought back from the borderlands on a whim…
Xiao Qi’s gaze involuntarily fell upon Yun Zhao.
“Aunt, the imperial physicians have arrived. For safety’s sake, please allow them to take your pulse!” The Crown Prince insisted on having the physicians confirm her well-being before he could rest easy.
The two imperial physicians stepped forward at the command. After taking her pulse, they exchanged glances and respectfully reported:
“Her Highness’s pulse is steady—indeed, even stronger and healthier than before. It seems her state of mind has improved of late. As long as Her Highness continues to maintain a cheerful disposition, her health will naturally be of no concern.”
The Crown Prince then pressed further: “Is there any residual poison remaining in my aunt’s body?”
The two physicians shook their heads repeatedly:
“There are no signs of poisoning.”
“Her Highness’s pulse is calm and even—how could there be any talk of poison?”
The Crown Prince furrowed his brow slightly and spoke: “My aunt’s fainting must have been a misunderstanding. When she was unconscious earlier, the physicians already examined the painting and confirmed it was harmless.”
With that, he cast a seemingly casual glance at Yun Zhao, who stood beside the Princess Royal.
The crowd’s attention once again turned to Yun Zhao.
“I said it all along—someone was just making a fuss over nothing!”
“Deliberately saying such alarming things—who were they trying to scare? Ruining Miss Xin’er’s carefully prepared birthday gift for nothing!”
“And to dare lie right in front of the two princes—utterly audacious!”
Only the Princess Royal, upon hearing the Crown Prince’s words, narrowed her gaze slightly.