This time, it was Di Lingwei who was startled.
What the hell? She actually attacked?
Di Lingwei panicked. If her opponent really charged at her, wouldn’t her flimsy act be seen through immediately? Having only recovered 1% of the Original Host’s martial power, she was currently no different from a helpless weakling.
Just as Di Lingwei’s heart was in turmoil, a flash of snowy blade-light gleamed.
“Clang!”
The dagger in Yun Xiang’s hand was sent flying by the crisp impact.
Immediately after, Wang Feifei’s figure flickered and appeared in front of Di Lingwei.
“Your Majesty, Feifei has said before, as long as Feifei is here, there is no need for Your Majesty to lift a finger. This is also the promise Feifei made to Your Majesty long ago. Feifei would absolutely never break her word,” Wang Feifei said, her tone resolute.
Looking at Wang Feifei’s back, Di Lingwei couldn’t help but reveal a relieved smile.
When she had first won Wang Feifei over, she had indeed received this very promise from her.
With Wang Feifei here, she truly felt at ease.
“You’re called Yun Xiang, right? For scum like you, why would Her Majesty need to personally intervene? You want to assassinate Her Majesty? Did you ask the blade in Feifei’s hand first?”
Wang Feifei gave a cold snort and lunged towards Yun Xiang, swinging her weapon.
Yun Xiang retreated hurriedly, but there was nowhere left to retreat. She only saw that snowy blade-light flash before her eyes.
Immediately after…
“Splat!”
Intense pain wracked Yun Xiang’s body, forcing a miserable shriek from her lips.
A fresh red gash bloomed across Yun Xiang’s chest. Blood sprayed, and the agony made her collapse to the ground, struggling and unable to rise.
Di Lingwei called out to stop Wang Feifei: “Injuring her is enough. No need to kill her. Zhen still needs to interrogate them.”
By now, the Imperial Guard had also rushed forward.
These palace maids who wanted to assassinate Di Lingwei certainly possessed some combat ability, but they were far outmatched against the Imperial Guard. In no time, they were all apprehended. Despair filled each of their faces.
“Throw them all into the dungeon.”
Di Lingwei gave the order to have them all taken away.
At the same time, she pondered.
These people were probably palace maids arranged to enter the palace by Xing Ruolan, right?
“Summon Ruolan to see Zhen.”
Di Lingwei issued another order, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure.
No one could remain completely unbothered when someone was trying to kill them. After all, they were after her life.
Just what role did Xing Ruolan play in this matter?
Di Lingwei returned to her palace and sat down in a chair cushioned with soft padding.
Not long after, an Imperial Guard came to report that everyone at the Cloud Roaming Palace, including Xing Ruolan, had been drugged unconscious. Furthermore, they had found the senior palace maids collapsed in a corridor leading to Phoenix Perch Palace. However, the senior palace maids had not been so fortunate—they had all lost their vital signs.
From this perspective, it seemed the matter might have nothing to do with Xing Ruolan. She appeared to be just another victim. But was that truly the case?
Di Lingwei dared not be careless.
At that moment, she thought of the situation in the Slums and decisively instructed Mu Fuwan: “Little Wan, personally take some men to the Slums—the same place we went last time. Arrest everyone there.”
Since there were people in the palace who wanted to assassinate her, heaven only knew if there were also some in the Slums?
On this point, Di Lingwei felt she needed to show sufficient gravity.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Mu Fuwan understood the severity of the matter and immediately left to carry out the order.
…
Sometime later, Xing Ruolan arrived.
Although Xing Ruolan had been knocked unconscious, once discovered, the Imperial Guard quickly revived her.
Upon waking, Xing Ruolan soon learned exactly what had transpired. Therefore, upon entering the Bedchamber and seeing Di Lingwei, she immediately knelt down, her expression looking quite haggard.
Looking at Xing Ruolan, Di Lingwei’s face remained devoid of emotion. She spoke flatly: “Ruolan, do you have any explanation?”
Xing Ruolan hung her head, her voice tinged with sorrow: “This Servant never knew that among the sisters I’ve cared for so long, so many were actually here to assassinate Your Majesty. This Servant does not seek Your Majesty’s forgiveness. Your Majesty may punish this Servant however you see fit. This Servant dares not utter a single complaint. However, this Servant believes that not all of them are guilty. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and spare those innocent sisters.”
She already knew that Di Lingwei had rounded up everyone from the Slums as well, and her heart was naturally filled with worry. After all, the vast majority of those people were surely innocent.
“Are you making demands of Zhen?” Di Lingwei asked unhappily. “Do you not realize that you can barely protect yourself right now?”
“This Servant dares not make any demands of Your Majesty. This is merely a plea. This Servant is also willing to bear any responsibility.”
“Can you bear it?”
“This Servant does not know. Your Majesty may do anything you wish to this Servant.”
“Is that so? Then Ruolan, tell Zhen: what else have you not confessed to Zhen?”
Di Lingwei’s gaze was sharp as she fixed it upon Xing Ruolan. With matters having developed to this stage, her dissatisfaction with Xing Ruolan’s situation was growing. If Xing Ruolan still refused to honestly confess everything to her, she felt she might change her approach to certain things.
Xing Ruolan was stunned, not understanding why Di Lingwei had brought this up again, still so certain that she was hiding something.
But the matter she was concealing shouldn’t have the slightest connection to the current incident.
After a moment of silence, Xing Ruolan spoke softly: “This Servant indeed still has some matters not fully explained to Your Majesty. But that is another matter entirely.”
“No matter, speak. Let Zhen hear it.” Di Lingwei appeared unhurried and patient.
In any case, the assassination matter was now handed over to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation. It was only normal for her to handle Xing Ruolan’s side of things first.
Xing Ruolan pursed her lips. A fierce internal struggle raged in her mind, and finally, as if coming to some resolution, she spoke:
“This Servant has a Little Aunt who was once a palace maid. She told me many things about the Imperial Palace, making me yearn for its existence. Since childhood, I dreamed of becoming a palace maid. Until that day my Little Aunt returned home. She said she could no longer be a palace maid. She had been framed, and she couldn’t go back.”
Di Lingwei did not interrupt, listening quietly as Xing Ruolan spoke.
“This Servant still remembers the weather was bad that day, the environment gloomy and deathly still. But for some reason, this Servant felt my Little Aunt’s eyes were even more deathly still. They were the eyes of someone who had suffered a grave injustice. Unfortunately, no matter how this Servant pressed her, Little Aunt never revealed the specifics. She only let people know she had been framed on false charges and forced to leave the Imperial Palace.”
“No one knew what happened except Little Aunt herself. But this Servant knew how deeply she cared about this matter. She often shed tears over it, grew despondent, lost her appetite, and couldn’t sleep… until finally, she passed away from her accumulated sorrow.”
