Gu Yunyao fell sideways with trembling limbs, staring at Imperial Mother Xiao in amazement. She looked sullen and startled. Her fingers trembled and she couldn't say a word anymore.

Several eunuchs walked over. One of them carried the Seventh Prince, turned around, and left.

"I want Her Grace Yu. I want Her Grace Yu..."

The Seventh Prince was frightened and started making noise. He raised his bloodshot face on the eunuch's shoulder and his little legs kept kicking. He kept beckoning to Gu Yunyao with his little hands, crying heartbreakingly.

"Lin'er... Give Lin'er back to me!"

Gu Yunyao burst into tears on the spot, struggling to get up, but she was stopped by those eunuchs.

Song Qin was shocked. Fearing that her master might get hurt, she stretched out her arms to protect her but was pushed out of the encirclement by a eunuch.

Those eunuchs acted rudely and unscrupulously. They pressed Gu Yunyao to the ground quickly and made her arms crossed behind severely.

"Master, master! You are not allowed to do this!"

Song Qin was frightened and angry, running over to help the woman. But then she was slapped by a eunuch, getting a swollen face. Sparks flew before her eyes, and then she fainted.

When the other concubines saw this scene, they were all terrified. They even didn't dare to cry. They allowed the eunuchs to drag and drive them, going to an independent courtyard at the back of the Funeral Palace with trembling limbs.

The withered branches and willows in the courtyard looked bleak, and it seemed that it was not an important place.

There were dozens of coffins parked outside the western side hall. On the porch of the Main Hall, there was an old nanny with white temples and a female slave on her each side.

All three of them were in mourning clothes with cold faces, and the Main Hall was behind them.

Looking into the hall through the open door leaf, the pieces of white silk hanging high could be seen clearly. In the dim light, they looked especially clear and dazzling, like countless ghosts dancing in the wind. The severe atmosphere of death pounced on the weak and helpless women in the courtyard.

A few young concubines could no longer endure the bitter coldness surging from the lonely and gloomy hall, fainting to the ground.

The nanny on the porch did not show any sympathy for them. She lowered her sagging eyelids, saying in an indifferent voice quickly like a routine,

"Her Graces, please eat more when you have dinner later. Only if you are replete, you can have the energy to serve His Majesty again after death. Okay, I won't say more. Please go to the East Chamber for dinner."

Since they were going to die soon, the concubines were just heartbroken, with no mood to have dinner.

When the nanny saw this, the flesh on her face twitched, and she looked annoyed. She gestured in annoyance, and then the eunuchs on both sides pushed and shoved the women again, driving the poor weak ladies into the East Chamber.

Song Qin sat up in a daze, rubbing her sore neck, and then she found that her master had disappeared.

"Master…"

She looked around blankly. After crying sadly for a moment, she gradually calmed down.

Thinking silently, she suddenly thought of someone.

Her fingers inserted into her black hair, clenching firmly, and her teeth bit her lower lip.

Song Qin was too eager to save her master, so she couldn't consider too much.

Even if that person was a monster, she would like to beg him for her master, whatever it cost.

If she failed, she would accompany her master to die at best, and they could take care of each other after death. But if she succeeded, her master would not have to be buried alive then!

Hurrying all the way, she stumbled straight to Qinming Hall. But when she arrived at the steps, she was stopped by the eunuch.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into such a dignified place? Drag her down and beat her to death!"

Lord Rong squinted at Song Qin with cold eyes, shaking his horsetail whisk irritably.

He recognized her, the chief Madam in Jingyang Palace.

At this time, she was like a homeless dog who lost her master. Even if she was dead, no one would ask about it.

Before the little eunuchs came forward, Song Qin fell on her knees and shouted sadly in the direction of the hall.

"Your Highness, it is not a pity for me to die, but I beg you! For the sake of the past and the relationship between Her Grace Yu and Her Grace Yunxi, please let go of my master!"

"What nonsense are you talking!"

Lord Rong roared in anger, and stepped forward to kick her.

Then the lazy and prolonged sound came out slowly from the hall,

"Is Madam Song Qin in Jingyang Palace outside? Ronghou, let her come in."

Hearing this, the tall and long-faced eunuch immediately changed his arrogant attitude, bowed to the hall, and said flatteringly,

"Yes, Your Highness."

Turning around, he glared at Song Qin with sharp eyes and lowered his voice, saying threateningly,

"Talk carefully after you go in!"

Song Qin's eyelashes trembled and teardrops rolled down. She swept her face, lowering her head to walk into Qinming Hall.

Stopping outside the inner room, Song Qin was dumbfounded after she looked up.

In the room, there were five or six maids and eunuchs who were surrounding Prince Chen and waiting for him to try on the newly made dragon robe and golden crown.

Emperor Jingxiao hadn't been buried yet. During the funeral, he just took off his mourning clothes. Was he so eager to ascend the throne and become the new emperor?

Despite the turmoil in her mind, Song Qin did not dare to make any sound. She lowered her eyes obediently, pretending that she hadn't seen anything.

"Your Highness, I… I am the chief maid in Jingyang Palace, Song Qin."

"Get up. We always stayed together in the past. I naturally remember you."

Prince Chen dropped his arms which raised horizontally just now. When he turned around, the gold beads and tassels on the dragon crown flickered and hit each other, making a lingering sound.

His young and handsome face did not show any embarrassment at all. On the contrary, he held his head high and looked proud.

"What's going on? Why is your hair disheveled like this?"

Looking at the chief maid who was in a mess, Prince Chen frowned and asked her puzzledly.

Song Qin burst into tears, knocking her forehead heavily on the ground and begging him,

"Your Highness, please show mercy to my master! Her Grace Yu and Her Grace Yunxi grew up together since they were young. Although they are not related by blood, they are just like siblings. Her Grace Yu was framed by the malicious Concubine Wan before, which led to her life-long infertility. For the sake of the relationship between Her Grace Yunxi and my master, please save my master from death! I beg you, please. And I'll be willing to be buried for my master if it is necessary..."

"What?"

Prince Chen blinked in confusion, muttering,

"I indeed spared Her Grace Yu from being buried with His Majesty..."

Song Qin stopped crying at once. She raised her face, and her teary eyes lit up with hope,

"A little while ago, my master was dragged away by the eunuchs in the Funeral Palace. I dare not speak nonsense. Your Highness, please show your mercy!"

Prince Chen's handsome face turned sullen gradually. He clenched his fists tightly, muttering to himself,

"Of course, I know the relationship between Her Grace Yu and Yunxi, so how will I let her die... Ronghou!"

A short while after his angry shout, a tall eunuch bowed to trot into the hall. His shrill voice trembled obviously.

"Your Highness, I'm here…"

While guarding on the porch, the alert eunuch kept pricking up his ears and paying attention to the movements in the hall.

Since he was called by his master, he would be blamed for something certainly.

Prince Chen looked at the eunuch with icy and sharp eyes, forcing him to have no retreat,

"Tell me, who let Madam Min be buried with His Majesty?"

In fact, Prince Chen already had the answer in his heart and there was no need to ask.

At this time, his father and Empress Qian both died, so people who could manage the Palace and Da Yi could only be his mother and him.

He interrogated eunuch Rong with Song Qin present at this moment just to let the female slave know that it was not his idea to kill her master.

Anyway, he didn't care whether Concubine Yu would hate him, but he cared so much about Yunxi. He didn't want to be hated by the one that he loved.

The eunuch's face twitched and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. His body trembled and he didn’t dare to speak.

"Talk!"

Prince Chen's eyes widened, and he asked again in a cold voice.

The eunuch's legs felt like jelly. He knelt down and replied tremblingly,

"Your Highness, please calm down. Your Highness, please calm down. It's Imperial Mother... It's Imperial Mother Xiao..."

"You b*st*rd!"

Prince Chen kicked eunuch Rong and pulled Song Qin to run out of Qinming Hall.