Chen Ying stooped and walked into Qianyuan Hall. Immediately, a thick sense of Ambergris overwhelmed him.

Huanan Xin wore a dragon robe, sitting in front of a rectangular table on which wisps of blue smoke were curling. He held a rare bloodstone on his hand, trying to carefully engrave a beauty's face.

A priest sat beside him. Sometimes he pointed at the bloodstone, whispering something to Huanan Xin.

When Chen Ying came into the hall, Huanan Xin was sighing. He looked so disappointed, turning his eyes from the bloodstone to the priest,

"Wu Yong, my handcraft eventually can't catch up with that of servants in The Imperial Ceremonial Service!"

The priest rubbed the thin beard above his lips, saluting and flatteringly smiling,

"Your Majesty, you are the Son of Heaven. Therefore, anything handcrafted by you is attached with the blessing of Dragon God, being unique in the world. People of The Imperial Ceremonial Service just make productions according to people's demand. So, how could their productions be compared to yours?"

Huanan Xin happily smiled. As he raised his eyes, he saw Chen Ying standing in front of the rectangular table. The eunuch held the imperial edict in his hands, appearing embarrassed and exhausted.

"What? Are you refused?"

Huanan Xin lowered his eyes, continuing to fiddle with the graver. He knew clearly, the girl in the Qushui Hall couldn't be easily persuaded."

Being asked by Huanan Xin, Chen Ying instantly looked more embarrassed. He ceaselessly grumbled and poured out his bitterness,

"Your Majesty, Lady Yun is so fussy! Before I finished reading the imperial edict, she became anxious. She not only broke up the things you rewarded, but also... Look at the imperial edict... the imperial edict... Aye yo! I should be blamed!"

While speaking, Chen Ying suddenly knelt and groveled on the ground, crying in a soft voice.

As Huanan Xin casually shifted his eyes to the golden silk on Chen Ying's hands, he immediately found there were some new footprints on it. Then a smile spread slowly across his face,

"Great! The fact of being able to throw tantrums proves that she is energetic. Why are you crying? Stand up, I pardon you."

"Your Majesty, thank you..."

In tears and snots, Chen Ying stood up. He had been working on the Palace for decades of years. But he had never confronted such a troublesome girl as today.

However, His Majesty was neither angry nor impatient with her. How strange!

Wu Yong quietly observed the expression of Huanan Xin and Chen Ying, taking a step forward,

"Your Majesty, it has been eight hours since yesterday night. Presumably, after such a long tantrum, Lady Yun could be tired. We might as well wait for her to calm down, and then let someone give her some cates and toys, coaxing her in soft words. If we repeatedly treat her in such a carrot-and-stick approach, for several days, she might change her attitude. After all, she is a woman! Even a woman is much too disobedient, we just need to try to give her some lessons."

"Ha, you are a fake priest. But you should learn more about women than me?"

Huanan Xin looked askance at Wu Yong, raising his eyebrows.

Priest Wu felt that two eyes were as sharp as the blades, chillingly fixing on him. He was frightened and shrunk his neck, putting his hands in the loose sleeves of his prunus-printed robe, deeper and deeper.

But in the next moment, Huanan Xin suddenly laughed. Laying down the tool on his hands, Huanan Xin stood up and said,

"Yunxi is not a common woman. What Min Rui knows must be what she knows. As long as Leng Qingtang is still alive, even being detained in my Palace, she always thinks about Leng Qingtang."

Suddenly, Chen Ying stopped crying and appeared malicious and ruthless,

"Your Majesty, we could directly order two teams of Royal Guards, besieging the camp of the Eastern Depot and immediately killing Leng Qingtang."

"No!"

With hands held on his back, Huanan Xin denied in forceful words,

"I also want to directly kill him. But Princess Anhe tried to safeguard Leng Qingtang. She is a tough woman! I have just taken the throne so we can't appear hostile to Udan. But if Leng Qingtang first makes the mistake of taking away Lady Yun, things will be different,"

Chen Ying pondered and then he understood,

"Your Majesty, what your mean is..."

"Deliver my order, I, emperor of Da Yi, have conferred the daughter of Zheng Ran to the honor of Lady Yun. Tomorrow Lady Yun and I will step on the Wangxian Rise together, to pray for the well-being of all citizens."

Chen Ying was astonished, ceaselessly waving hands,

"Your Majesty, please don't! In the Wangxian Rise, there is plenty of gunpowder. To check and search and those floors one by one will cost several days. We had better not step on the Wangxian Rise until the hidden danger is solved."

Huanan Xin flicked his sleeves and sneered,

"Check? Why checking? Now that they want to blow the Wangxian Rise up, just let them do! Previously, Ronghou disguised as me but he wasn't recognized. Why not let a maid disguise as Yunxi? I just want to entice Leng Qingtang and his members to take Yunxi away. At that time, they even won't dare to ignite the gunpowder!"

Hearing that, Chen Ying was surprised. He lowered his head and flattered,

"Your Majesty, you are so sensible!"

Huanan Xin thought for a while, casually pointing at one person,

"You immediately carry Min Rui's Nanzhu Jade and go to the camp of Dongqing Fleet, moving fifty blessing ships to secretly anchor on the sea near the east Wangxian Rise in Kunhuang Island at night. On the ships, there are blunderbusses and cannons. Tomorrow, when Leng Qingtang appears, immediately bombard the Wangxian Rise."

Chen Ying heard and carefully nodded. Eventually, as Huanan Xin stopped his ruthless words, a flicker of panic uncontrollably crossed on Chen Ying's pale and pink face.

Even Huanan Xin and Gu Yunxi could be replaced by substitutes, but the numerous members of Honour Guards and officials were also the people of the imperial court.

If the Wangxian Rise was bombarded, those people...

Although Chen Ying felt they were pitiful, he didn't dare to speak or express any questions.

Wu Yong appeared obedient and quietly stood by. In his long and narrow eyes, there were wisps of gloomy glints.

With time flying, it was almost at night soon.

After being out of Qianyuan Hall, Wu Yong walked quickly all the way, through the long porch paved by white jade of the Imperial Palace. In vigilant eyes, he sometimes glanced at the surroundings.

A gust of cold wind blew on his back, making Wu Yong astonished mentally and physically. He suddenly stopped, being shoved on a wall by a kind of force.

"Aye yo, who..."

The instant he spoke, his throat was choked by five chilling and forceful fingers. A strange in scarlet eunuch's suit occupied his vision.

"Do not speak!" The man said in his lower and slightly husky voice,

"Wu Yong, can you still recognize me?"

...

Gu Yunxi leaned on the window, overlooking the scene of spectacular buildings, green mountains, and floating clouds. She also watched the leaves of phoenix trees in front of the window, swinging and falling down at twilight.

Several hours ago, when she knew she was forced to be a concubine by Huanan Xin, Gu Yunxi got angry. In madness, she threw her tantrums. She not only grabbed the imperial edict and stepped on it, but also broke up all kinds of treasures and jewelry given by Huanan Xin.

At the moment, she stood in a mess. As her gentle eyes gradually became wet, tears washed her delicate face.

Recalling the previous things, Gu Yunxi couldn't help sighing. Even the falling leaves could go back to the ground. However, in the vast world, why couldn't she a small girl find a steady place to settle down?"

Through the closed gate, she suddenly heard some noisy dialogues outside,

"Please don't force or embarrass me, I just act according to the order..."

"You are talking f*rts! You act according to the order, so do I! Though you don't believe in me, you should also keep your eyes open! This Lord is just the eunuch who serves His Majesty! Could that be a fraud? If you are smart enough, just be quick to open the gate. If Lady Yun were starved and became ill, you will be killed many times!"

"..."

Then the gate of the Qushui Hall opened again. A priest led a eunuch to come in.

"Are you Wu Yong?"

Gu Yunxi first recognized the priest Wu Yong.

Wu Yong stood steadily and became a little blank. In tentative eyes, he carefully looked Gu Yunxi up and down. Then he realized something and opened the gate.

In surprised and confused eyes, Priest Wu stared at Gu Yunxi's delicate and young face, hustling to ask,

"Madam Mu, is it really you?"

Gu Yunxi's lips trembled. She wanted to express too many things, but didn't know where to begin. Hence, she could only ceaselessly shed tears.

When she saw Wu Yong, Gu Yunxi reminded the past thing. Previously in the Eastern Depot, she and Leng Qingtang once went together to interrogate Wu Yong at night.

But now among the three people, Leng Qingtang had died.

The eunuch beside Wu Yong put a plate of food down, hustling to rush in front of Gu Yunxi. That behavior astonished Gu Yunxi, and she nervously stepped backward.

"Yunxi, it is me..."

The eunuch directly uncovered the disguise on his face, then his real scarred face appeared.

Gu Di!

Astonishment occurred in Gu Yunxi's eyes. But when she came to the sense, her look turned to be indifferent.

Wu Yong deliberately shouted in a voice, in order to make guards outside the hall heard clearly,

"Your Grace, I salute you. Ordered by His Majesty, I deliver some food to you. Please let me serve you at your table..."

The instant he finished the words, Wu Yong changed to a lower voice. He walked close to Gu Yunxi and Gu Di,

"Miss Yun, please be quick to talk with my Uncle-Master. Don't delay too much time."

"Is Gu Di... your Uncle-Master?"

Gu Yunxi's delicate face was covered with astonishment.

Gu Di stood aside, coldly and proudly raising his mouth,

"Wu Yong's Master, Lei Huan, is my Senior Brother. On the basis of hierarchy, he should certainly call me Uncle-Master."

In bewildered eyes, Gu Yunxi looked at their faces,

"So, Wu Yong, why do you come to the Imperial Palace in Guiping?"

"Ah, it's a long story..." Wu Yong disappointedly sighed and answered,

"After the Wans was toppled, for the sake of the things in Kunhuang Tomb, the deceased emperor didn't kill me at once, but detained me in Court of Judicial Review. Now the new emperor has been the throne. Then he continued to do the unfinished things of the deceased emperor. When he left for Wei Hai in person, he also took me with a paddy wagon."

"The new emperor is in favor of carving jade, and I know some techniques about that. Therefore, I grab the opportunity and instruct him. Gradually, I also gain his trust..."

Gu Yunxi raised a sneer,

"You are indeed excellent. By means of a silver tongue, you can live well everywhere."

Wu Yong slightly blushed and smiled embarrassedly,

"Miss Yun, please don't mock me. I just seek to survive. But anyhow, I will never forget you and Master Leng's favor of saving me. Formerly, without Master Leng, I would have been a dead body that had been thrown to feed dogs in mass graves. In order to repay your favor, I planned to secretly walk there and say something to you. Unexpectedly, on the half way, I met Uncle-Master..."

Gu Di had already been a little impatient. He reached to grab Gu Yunxi's wrist,

"Yunxi, go with me!"

Watching this, Wu Yong was surprised and stopped him,

"Uncle-Master, don't be impetuous! Miss Yun is firmly concerned by His Majesty. Haven't you seen the members of Honour Guards around the Qushui Hall? He deliberately delivered the news that he had conferred Miss Yun the honor as Lady Yun, just to entice you to appear and take her away!"

Gu Di heard and felt blank. He refrained from his madness and asked Wu Yong,

"What do you mean?"

"Aye yo! Uncle-Master, you haven't known. Min Rui, the man who was given the poisonous wine by His Majesty, is still alive. And he came to visit His Majesty, bringing him the news that Master Leng is still in Guiping..."

"What?"

Gu Di and Gu Yunxi almost simultaneously shouted in surprise.

They had never thought, Min Rui, who was saved by the Eastern Depot, should repay them with betrayal.

Gu Di became furious, ceaselessly clenching his fist and setting his jaw,

"Min Rui, the villain, just as I expected... He is really an ingrate!"

Gu Yunxi appeared more astonished. She just felt a sense of blood instantly flooding over her brain, being dizzy and sleepy.

Gu Yunyao was such a firm and candid person, but why, her biological father was a snaky villain?

Wu Yong glanced at the gate and turned around, continuing to say,

"I once thought Master Leng was still alive. But I didn't realize the truth until I saw you in person. In fact, Uncle-Master, you and Master Leng are twin brothers. No wonder you always wore a mask and never showed your real face."

The word outraged Gu Di's susceptibility. In gloomy and cold appearance, he reprimanded,

"Shut up! Be quick to find a way to get me and Yunxi out of here!"

"No, I won't leave with you! Let me go..."

At that moment, Gu Yunxi struggled to resist him. After a while, her smooth hand eventually got rid of Gu Di.

Gu Di looked at her in astonishment, seriously questioning,

"Why?"

Gu Yunxi appeared cold and firmly confronted with Gu Di, indifferently asking in reply,

"Between the choice of casting myself to you and being detained in the Imperial Palace, are there any differences?"