The emperor’s wrath sent a tremor through the crowd.
Emperor Chu’s furious voice was filled with murderous intent. “Investigate! Investigate for me! Find out who tampered with that stool! And who placed those nails on it! Investigate!!”
“Yes, yes, yes…” Eunuch Desheng was so frightened that sweat covered his forehead. He scrambled backward, stumbling as he retreated.
Meanwhile, at the academy.
The leader of the Golden Scale Guard received the order and led his men to surround the entire academy, allowing no one to enter or leave.
Many people were so terrified they collapsed to the ground.
One hour later, the Golden Scale Guard uncovered who had tampered with the stool and placed the nails. The second prince, the third prince, and several sons of high-ranking officials were apprehended.
No matter how much the imperial consorts and court officials pleaded for mercy.
The emperor remained in a state of rage. He ordered each of them to receive twenty heavy strikes with a board and, not forgetting, had a nail driven into the palm of each of their hands. They were also placed under house arrest, forbidden to leave without imperial decree.
Because the nails were driven so deep, the pain of having them pierce their palms was excruciating. Throughout the palace, the agonized, pig-like screams of the second prince and the others echoed.
With this incident, everyone in the palace came to understand even more deeply just how favored Princess Yun Xi was in the emperor’s heart.
Over at Zhongcui Palace, when Consort Rong received the news, she was so enraged that she choked on her breath and collapsed to the floor.
During this period, even though she was under house arrest, certain rumors from the palace had reached her ears.
Things like, “Because her face resembles the late empress’s, Princess Yun Xi has been so grief-stricken that she has yet to recover.”
Or, “As long as Consort Rong stays out of sight, Princess Yun Xi’s complexion improves greatly.”
If she knew which palace maids were spreading these rumors, she would tear their mouths to shreds.
Because of these malicious whispers, she had been trapped in this Zhongcui Palace all this time, unable to find a way to break the house arrest, and thus had fallen out of favor.
And now, her son…
For so many years, she had carefully protected her precious son, fearing he might suffer even the slightest bump or bruise.
If it weren’t for that wretched girl vomiting blood at the sight of peach blossom pastries at such an inopportune moment, how could she have been placed under house arrest by the emperor?
And now, she had even caused her son to be beaten so severely.
She would not let that wretched girl get away with this.
Consort Rong’s nails dug into her flesh. She viciously smashed the teacups on the table to the floor, her eyes filled with ferocity…
That night.
The night was deep and heavy, its dark tendrils winding and covering heaven and earth. A desolate wind rustled the chaotic shadows of the trees, and strange sounds occasionally flashed from the low bushes, making one’s hair stand on end.
Beside the Cold Palace.
Inside the hall.
In the vast inner chamber, only a single candle struggled to emit faint, flickering light, casting its glow upon the dark floor.
Black Shadow Han Qi knelt on the ground.
“Master.”
“Princess Yun Xi is no longer in any serious danger.”
The person beside the low table let out a faint “Hmm,” his voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Han Qi glanced at his master and continued, “Master, I truly didn’t expect that Princess Yun Xi would allow herself to be thrown like that for your sake.”
“With that one fall, all those who bullied you have been confined.”
“However, her body was already weak. She’s quite bold, not even afraid she might have died from the fall.”
Without even waiting for his master’s reply, Han Qi’s chattering mouth didn’t stop.
“Master? What do you think her purpose is in doing this? What does she want?”
“Wealth? Power? She doesn’t seem to lack anything.”
“Could it really be… because she admires you?”
“Aside from being fond of you, this subordinate truly cannot fathom what other motive she could have for such actions…”
Before Han Qi could finish his sentence.
With a sudden, sharp “whoosh,” a chess piece infused with piercing Internal Energy shot toward Han Qi’s face.
Startled, Han Qi hastily dodged, lost his footing, and tumbled to the ground.
The chess piece embedded itself into the window panel, instantly splitting the wooden board with a large crack down the middle.
Jun Qi’s voice was icy cold, his eyes narrowing as a chilling frost seemed to settle over him. “You talk too much.”
Glancing at the crack in the window panel, Han Qi let out a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his brow, and scrambled to his feet.
Not forgetting to give his own mouth a light slap for good measure.
A cold wind blew in from outside the window, causing the candle flame to flicker and dance several times before abruptly extinguishing, plunging the area around the desk into pitch-black darkness.
The faint moonlight filtering through the window cast shifting, indistinct shadows across Jun Qi’s face.
Perhaps he recalled Gu Xi’s words from earlier that day.
“Do you trust me?”
“But from now on, you will not be hurt again.”
“Don’t be afraid. With me here, no one will dare bully you anymore.”
Jun Qi suddenly laughed, but the laughter seemed laced with biting ice, so cold it sent shivers down Han Qi’s spine.
“Han Qi, she said that from now on, no one will dare bully me again.”
Named directly, Han Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead once more. “Y-yes… that’s right.”
Jun Qi’s dark eyes instantly overflowed with shadowy depths, cold and menacing like an abyssal pool. “I’ve heard those words twice. Do you know who said them to me the other time?”