As she spoke, her breath carried the scent of wine. To ask such an obvious question—Wei Lingci took the sobering tea from Xian Yun’s hands. “Though you are a princess, you are only borrowing a stay for one night. Assigning you the side hall would also be her way of showing hospitality. There is not just one bed here—what are you lying on right now?”
With a laugh, she lifted the tea lid, blew on it to cool it, then placed it in Xun Changqing’s palm. Xun Changqing held the teacup and took a few sips. “It’s strange to have two beds in one hall.” She returned the cup to Xian Yun, stood up, leaned close to Wei Lingci, gazed at the faint veins visible on her neck, and whispered, “Do you think there will be assassins tonight?”
The spot where Xun Changqing stood was slightly higher than the level ground where Wei Lingci sat. She tilted her head, her wine-scented breath spraying against Wei Lingci’s ear—it was somewhat itchy, but more uncomfortable. Wei Lingci stepped back half a pace, wrung out a cloth from the hot water basin Zi Jin held, and wiped her cheek, replying softly, “If we were staying in Changle Palace, there would be an eighty or ninety percent chance. But since the Wise Noble Consort invited us, we will be safe.”
The Wise Noble Consort, Gu Liangrou, had raised the Third Prince in the palace and stood in opposition to the Empress—her influence in the palace was undoubtedly substantial. Even though the Third Prince had passed away, protecting two people in her own palace was not difficult for her.
The key was that they were in Radiant Benevolence Palace. If the Empress wanted to send assassins to probe, she would have to weigh the Wise Noble Consort’s power carefully. If the assassins were captured, the Wise Noble Consort would not let go easily. That was precisely why Wei Lingci had accepted the Wise Noble Consort’s invitation.
Xun Changqing nodded. “You mean the Wise Noble Consort will guard us from outside? We are guests—if assassins appear, the hosts should be the anxious ones.”
The Empress had plotted her scheme, but the first attempt had failed, and she had pinned her hopes on the second act. Who would have thought the Wise Noble Consort would interfere halfway through? She was probably stomping in fury inside Changle Palace.
At night, heavy snow enveloped the entire Forbidden Palace. Beneath the black curtain of night, large snowflakes drifted down, and in the stillness, only the soft rustling of falling snow could be heard. Listening to the snow in a quiet night was a beautiful human pleasure.
In Changle Palace, however, no one had their mind on the snow. Empress Shao Yun trembled with rage, the cups, bowls, and dishes within reach shattered across the floor. Palace servants knelt everywhere in the hall, prostrating themselves without daring to speak. The ominous atmosphere was even more terrifying than the wind and snow outside.
“Gu Liangrou, your son is dead, yet you still won’t stay quiet and meddle in my affairs. I refuse to believe a mere Radiant Benevolence Palace is as impregnable as an iron fortress with no flaws.” The Empress’s lips twitched fiercely as she slammed her palm on the table. Glaring at the palace servants in the hall, she grew even angrier. “Get out—all of you, get out of here. What use are you?”
Beneath her slender eyelashes, her eyes flashed with unmasked icy chill. She ordered the man standing nearby, “Proceed according to plan. Send people to Radiant Benevolence Palace to test if Wei Lingci was truly yesterday’s assassin, if it was all a ploy by Pingnan Prince’s Mansion. If it was their doing, I won’t let a single one of them go.”
The smile at the corners of her mouth was like a toxic flower on the verge of blooming, the venom seeping deep into her bones. But the man standing beside her was already accustomed to it. The exquisite engravings on the long saber at his waist indicated his extraordinary status—Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, Cen Li. Though only one word separated deputy commander from commander, their statuses were worlds apart.
After a moment’s thought, he clearly disagreed with the Empress’s desperate gambit. “Your Ladyship, this matter cannot continue. Radiant Benevolence Palace’s guards are under Yuan Qingming’s command—my men cannot enter. Moreover, if they are captured, it will implicate Your Ladyship and His Highness.”
Empress Shao Yun waved him off. “Even if they are caught, as long as we expose Wei Lingci as the assassin, all will be well.”
“Your Ladyship, this is all just your speculation without solid proof. If Wei Lingci is not the assassin, you risk losing His Majesty’s trust and suffering a great loss over a trifle.”
“Cen Li, it was you who informed me that Pingnan Prince’s Mansion quietly summoned a physician, and that physician is still in the mansion without leaving. That is the best evidence.”
Cen Li’s brows furrowed deeply as he explained further, “It is merely summoning a physician. Princess Xiang’an might have felt unwell, and it is only natural not to call the imperial physicians.”
“Cen Li, I don’t care how you do it—you must probe Radiant Benevolence Palace. This is my command.” Empress Shao Yun ordered coldly. This matter involved the Shao Family, and she could not sit idly by. Lately, the Emperor had grown dissatisfied with her and the Shao Family. Though his attitude toward Xun Yiran remained acceptable, she could not guarantee the Emperor would not implicate Xun Yiran because of the Shao Family.
A cooked duck held in hand—how could it be snatched away by others? She ordered further, “Send people to investigate that physician. Bring him before me by all means to see if he was treating Wei Lingci’s wounds.”
This action would surely alarm His Majesty. If it turned out false, the consequences would be unimaginable. Though Cen Li served the Empress, he could not bring himself to commit such self-destructive folly. After receiving her command, he immediately left Changle Palace.
However, he detoured to Containment Origin Hall and reported the matter to Xun Yiran. The Empress was His Majesty’s principal wife—if this failed, he would bear the blame, and his entire family would be doomed.
