Several guards stepped forward in response, their blade edges glinting with cold light, pointing 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 with the force of a thousand pounds and delivered a vicious kick straight to Jiang Heng's chest—the very man who still had Yun Zhao in his grip.
A dull thud!
Jiang Heng was sent flying by that single kick, crashing heavily onto the steps below.
The renowned "Lantai Scholar," the dream suitor 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 drastically, his features a mask of disbelief, shock, and humiliation. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and promptly fainted on the spot.
Xiao Qi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down with cold disdain, his murderous aura almost tangible.
Every person his gaze touched felt as though ice water had been poured over them, silenced into trembling submission.
His voice was not loud, yet every word dripped with spine-chilling menace: "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 campaign after another, forged through seas of blood and mountains of corpses!
The guards fell to their knees, heads bowed, sweat streaming down their faces. The assembled nobles felt their scalps prickle, none daring to speak.
The Crown Prince struggled to maintain his composure as heir apparent, but his face had turned ashen.
Only Jiang Wanxin spoke up, her voice gentle and cautious: "But today, everyone saw that only Miss Yun touched His Highness's precious hairpin, under the pretense of repairing the feather ornament."
The noble ladies gathered around her nodded in agreement.
Jiang Wanxin's eyes held a deep, unfathomable look as she gazed 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 soft-spoken, asking gently: "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. She whipped her head around, 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 poison 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're trying to frame my birthday gift."
She sobbed uncontrollably. "How terrifying… How can there be such an evil woman as you in this world…"
Jiang Wanxin was already famed throughout the capital for her talent and beauty. Her pitiful display immediately drew sympathy from all present, and gazes of doubt and disgust shot toward Yun Zhao like arrows.
"Is that so?" Yun Zhao showed no trace of 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 tense standoff, Xiao Qi had already helped the Princess Royal onto 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 expression turned displeased: "Our aunt's person is precious beyond compare—how can we allow someone of unknown origins to wield needles on her at will? If any mishap occurs, who would bear the responsibility?"
Behind him, several ministers immediately bowed in agreement:
"What the Crown Prince says is most true! This young woman appears even younger than this old minister's granddaughter—how could she possibly be a physician?"
"These wandering arts from the jianghu cannot be trusted! The Princess Royal's person is invaluable—Prince Qin, pray reconsider!"
Xiao Qi's expression had already 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 stood guard beside her.
Nanny Zhou raised her head and announced in a clear voice: "Her Highness has decreed that Lady Yun Zhao may administer acupuncture immediately."
Yun Zhao acknowledged the order and stepped forward, while Nanny Zhou summoned a maidservant to set up a folding screen for privacy.
Yun Zhao bent down to take the Princess Royal's pulse and examine her complexion. She then unrolled her acupuncture kit, withdrew the finest golden needle among them, and precisely inserted it into the Yintang point between the Princess Royal's brows, twisting gently and lifting slowly.
Following that came the second and third needles, targeting the Baihui and Shenting acupoints respectively.
Moments later, the Princess Royal's tightly knit brows gradually relaxed, and a comfortable sigh escaped her throat as she slowly regained consciousness.
The Princess Royal opened her eyes, her expression dazed. Subconsciously gripping Yun Zhao's hand, she murmured: "Just now, I seemed to see Baozhu again…"
Nanny Zhou, still trembling with lingering fear, hastily looked to Yun Zhao: "Lady Yun, what has happened to Her Highness? Could it be that the poison hasn't been fully expelled?"
Having personally experienced the potency of the poison powder earlier, and having witnessed Yun Zhao's calm and composed demeanor in every gesture, she unconsciously began to regard her as the pillar of support.
"Rest assured, I have everything under control." Yun Zhao remained perfectly composed. "Her Highness was not deeply poisoned, and since I administered the golden needles in time, she is 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. Hearing that today is Your Highness's birthday, I have specially prepared this as a congratulatory gift."
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 may help calm your mind and ease the burdens of your heart."
Beyond the folding screen, the crowd could hear her words but could not see the details.
The Crown Prince's voice rang out with slight urgency: "Has our aunt awakened?"
The Princess Royal tightened her grip on the Yellow Talisman and gently waved her hand, signaling for the screen to be removed.
Everyone 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 guard nearby, allowed his tightly clenched jaw to relax almost imperceptibly.
Having witnessed with his own eyes his aunt's turn from danger to safety, a trace of comfort and relief that he could scarcely suppress flickered across those deep, unfathomable phoenix eyes.
The Princess Royal was the only close relative he cared for, and the only person in this world who genuinely cared for him. Had anything happened to his aunt today… His gaze dimmed slightly; he dared not think further.
And the one who had saved his aunt was none other than this young woman he had brought back from the borderlands on a whim…
Xiao Qi's gaze involuntarily settled on Yun Zhao.
"Aunt, the imperial physician has arrived. For safety's sake, please allow the physician to take your pulse!" The Crown Prince insisted on having the imperial physician confirm her condition before he would be at ease.
The two imperial physicians stepped forward at the order. After taking her pulse, they exchanged a glance and reported respectfully:
"Her Highness's pulse is steady and calm—indeed, stronger and more vigorous than in days past. This is likely due to her recent uplift in spirits. Her Highness need only continue to maintain a cheerful disposition, and her health will naturally be free of concern."
The Crown Prince then pressed further: "Is there any residual poison remaining in my aunt's body?"
The two physicians shook their heads in succession:
"There are no signs of poisoning."
"Her Highness's pulse is peaceful—how could there be any talk of poison?"
The Crown Prince furrowed his brow slightly and spoke: "The matter of my aunt fainting must surely have been a misunderstanding. When my aunt was unconscious just now, the physicians already examined the painting and confirmed it to be non-toxic."
With that, he cast a seemingly casual glance at Yun Zhao, who stood beside the Princess Royal.
The crowd's attention once again fell upon Yun Zhao.
"See, I told you—someone was just making a fuss over nothing!"
"Deliberately saying such alarming things—who were they trying to scare? Ruining the birthday gift that Miss Xin'er had prepared so carefully!"
"And to dare lie right in front of the two Highnesses—utterly audacious!""
Only the Princess Royal, upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, let her gaze sharpen slightly.