Huanan Xin had ordered the palace maids to light lamps before it was quite dark.

Sitting alone in the brightly-lit and luxurious hall, he stared at the candle flame in front of the table. His decadent appearance seemed as if he had aged several years in the blink of an eye.

Until Liang Zhen entered the hall lightly and reported many times that the minister of Court of Judicial Review was waiting outside, the man in the dragon robe came to his sense.

Slowly making a gesture, Huanan Xin did not have the mood to talk to him.

Seeing this, Liang Zhen quickly kowtowed and respectfully left. Then the minister of Court of Judicial Review, Pang Yin, came in.

Pang Yin entered the hall and prepared to kneel. However, Huanan Xin raised his eyebrows impatiently and interrupted him.

"That's it. Let's get rid of unnecessary etiquette. At present, only we're here. Just tell me what you have found?"

Pang Yin hurriedly lowered his head, keeping his confused expression away from the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, Her Grace's remains are really weird..."

The Emperor had been dispirited just now and had been lost in a fog. However, he became serious quickly and looked directly at the official on the opposite of the table.

"Just say it!"

"Yes."

Pang Yin trembled and raised a fist salute. He replied carefully and obediently.

"Your Majesty, in accordance with your order, I led people to secretly examine the remains of Concubine Yun and her maid. As Her Grace is in high status, I did not dare to go too deep for fear of desecrating her spirit in heaven. We only examined the parts above her chest cavity."

"We found that the smoke-burning traces from Her Grace's mouth to her lungs were not obvious. That is to say..."

"Before Jingyang Palace caught fire, they were already dead!"

Huanan Xin preemptively said what Pang Yin was going to say on his own. Then he raised his hands and overturned the table, roaring with grief.

"I know it. I know. Yunxi... What a wrongful death!"

Pang Yin's heart suddenly beat faster. He knelt on the ground and lowered his sad face more.

"Your Majesty, please restrain your grief. I'm guilty. Please give me a few more days, and I'm determined to do my best to find out the murderer who mutilated Her Grace."

"Don't bother. I know who killed Sister Yun."

As the sound like thin ice without temperature came, Noble Concubine Hui with heavy makeup entered the hall and greeted the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, I pay respects to you. I bring one person here. Your Majesty, after you ask her, everything will come out in the wash."

She turned her head and ordered those outside.

"Help Her Highness come in. Be careful of the threshold..."

―

Gu Yunxi woke up in the evening of the next day after she was rescued from the Palace.

The cyan tassel tent above the canopy bed looked very strange. The man sleeping in the outer part of the bed had a handsome face. He breathed evenly and his long hair was like silver frost and snow, which was eye-catching.

He slept very lightly. As long as the woman next to him moved slightly, he immediately opened his beautiful eyes. Suddenly, there was tiredness at the bottom of his pair of good-looking but bloodshot eyes.

"Are you awake? Yunxi, how do you feel? Where is the pain in your body? Tell me quickly!"

Huanan He worried about her very much. Seeing that she only looked at him in a daze, he busily lifted the quilt, sat up, and wiped away the sweat for her with a towel. Then he held her hands and looked her up and down with concerns in his eyes.

Gu Yunxi gazed quietly and stared at Huanan He's handsome face. Then she suddenly reached out to stroke his eyebrows.

He did not move and looked at her gently and affectionately.

"Darling... Darling, I'm out of the Palace, right? I escaped. It's not a dream..."

"Yes, you are out of the Palace. You escaped. It is not a dream!"

He answered clearly word by word without missing a single point and looked determined.

"Great…"

She murmured softly in her memory, and her eyes were always reluctant to move away from his face.

The beautiful face in front of her was gradually covered with a hazy mist because of the warm tears gushing up under her eyes.

She remembered that she was rescued from the Palace by Gu Di who was transfigured and then she hid in the empty barrel on the waterwheel.

On the way, she fainted because of the extreme pain caused by Qianji poison.

It was great!

The ups and downs of the deep Palace in the past two years seemed to be an unreal dream, which was long and chaotic.

Now, she had escaped from that dream.

Gu Yunxi closed her eyes and laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Oh, good. I'm now a dead person."

Huanan He put on a coat for Gu Yunxi and put his arms around her intimately.

"Rest assured. This is Fu Danqing's teahouse, a very safe place. You were sent here by her men last night and have been sleeping for almost a day..."

Someone knocked at the door outside.

"Your Highness, it's me. Madam Yun's medicine is ready."

Gu Yunxi was immediately excited when she heard this. She looked at the door with her bloodshot and tearful eyes.

"Imperial Doctor Jiang, Uncle Jiang, are you there?"

The door was opened decisively, and Jiang Huaian walked to the bed with the medicine bowl in his hand. He opened his mouth and called her with tears.

"Madam Yun..."

She raised her hand to wipe away the traces of blood and tears on her face. Then she smiled softly at him.

"It's nice to see you again. Seeing you, I feel like I'm back in the Eastern Depot with Master Leng."

"How about me?"

The clear sound like the jade being dragged came, and Yu Xuanji went into the room lightly. Seeing that the little woman on the bed was miserable and gaunt, he rushed up and hugged her with tears.

"Ruo, I'm sorry. I'm late!"

Gu Yunxi held the man's shoulders and wept with joy.

"Brother, when did you come back? Have you ever seen Brother Xian? Last night he ventured into the Palace to save me and Xiuyu... By the way, where's Xiuyu?"

At this time, Gu Yunxi remembered her young maid. She quickly freed herself from her brother's arms and looked around hastily.

"Why don't I see her? She came out with me!"

Huanan He grabbed her waving hand. He held her in his warm strong chest and reassured her.

"Don't worry. That little girl is very good. She accompanied you for the first half of the night. Now I tell her to go back and rest."

Jiang Huaian handed over the decoction with a smile. He turned his head to wipe the tears at the corners of his eyes and then said to her.

"Girl, take this medicine first. I need time to make an antidote to the poison. During this time, you have to take a bowl of this medicine every four hours. This can concentrate the scattered Qianji poison in your body and transfer it to a certain part of the organ to relieve some pain."

Gu Yunxi smiled gratefully.

"Uncle Jiang, thanks a lot."

Yu Xuanji watched his sister take the medicine and took the empty bowl. His eyes lighted up.

"What antidote is needed? It would be nice if you could lock the poison in Ruo's body in one place. Then I could gather internal strength for her and force out the fatal poison. Is that easy?"

However, Jiang Huaian shook his head.

"No, you can't. Madam Yun's viscera are the most vulnerable due to the poison, which can't resist your internal strength. If her heart pulse is shattered by your slap, then I really have no power to save her."

"Alas, I don't want to see Ruo painful..."

In desperation, Yu Xuanji could only sigh in despair.

Gu Yunxi smiled faintly and took her brother's arm.

"Brother, don't worry. It was Uncle Jiang who cured me of blood phobia and helped me quit the drug addiction of Hanfu Powder. This time he will find the solution."

The light in the room dimmed, and it was time to light up again.

Huanan He got up, fixed his robe, and sat down at the bedside with a guilty face.

"Yunxi, I have to go back to the mansion. Tomorrow I will send the coffins of the envoys of Ying State out of Jing City. The most urgent thing is to go back and order some people for preparation."

Gu Yunxi fixed the side buttons for him and said worriedly.

"Huanan Xin just forced me to take the poison and sent you to Ying State. I'm afraid he has other plans. Darling, I want to go with you. I can pretend to be a maid..."

"Don't be mischievous. Stay in Jing City and wait for me. For you, I will also protect myself. As soon as I return, I will force Huanan Xin to give me the Seal of Prince Regent. I'll first establish a solid foundation in the court."

Now Gu Yunxi didn't demand him and only nodded.

Yu Xuanji glanced at Jiang Huaian and went forward.

"Brother He, you'd better stay here and accompany Ruo for another night and return home early tomorrow morning. It's not a big deal. After a while, I will go back first. Just tell me what you need to prepare. I ask Huanan Xian to arrange for you."

Huanan He thought for a moment and agreed.

Seeing this, Jiang Huaian laughed.

"It's getting dark. I will light up for you two."

When Huanan He helped Gu Yunxi with the tea, Jiang Huaian took a special red wax from his sleeve pocket and held it on a candlestick to light up. Then he put on a fine yarn lampshade, opened the door, and left with Yu Xuanji.

―

Yue Xilou was summoned to the Palace. He led his people and walked hurriedly under the vast night.

The dark palace road was long and endless. The silence was filled with a gloomy and eerie atmosphere.

Since Yue Xilou heard the news of the fire in Jingyang Palace, his right eye had been jumping.

It was this kind of palace emergency call in such a starless and moonless chaotic night again. He didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse.

Yue Xilou inevitably felt uneasy, so he rushed to Qinming Hall.

In front of him, Yue Xilou saw the head of the cabinet, Shi Ling, standing under the porch of the splendid palace with his arms crossed. The old man looked at him from a distance with a cold and arrogant sneer.

The red official robe was striking like blood.

Yue Xilou suddenly stopped. At this time, his right eyelid jumped more violently.

Immediately, he saw Noble Concubine Hui help Commandery Princess Jingle to slowly walk out of the door of Qinming Hall. They stood next to Shi Ling with cold expressions.

Yue Xilou was horrified. He turned violently but saw that the road behind him had been blocked by Imperial Guards who rushed up.

The leader of the group dusted a brand new azure Kylin embroidered robe and stepped leisurely. With clear eyes, he stared at Yue Xilou and gave a spurious smile.

Yue Xilou's legs were so weak that he almost had a fall.

It was sheer fantasy!

Did he strangle Leshuang by himself? Leshuang's body should have been eaten by jackals and wolves at this time.

"How could it be...?"

"That year on the border of western tribes, I once said that whoever could save Yunxi from dying would get half of my country. Unexpectedly, you have been remembering this until now..."

The deep voice with anger sounded behind Yue Xilou.

He quickly turned back on his toes and saw Huanan Xin slowly walking down the steps without any expression.

In his right hand was the mutilated The Exquisite Collection of Delicacies.

"Yue Xilou, I ask you a question. If I share my country with you at this time, do you dare to accept it?"

The Emperor's eyes were sharp like swords. He stared at the person who was trembling in panic on the other side and gasped heavily.

Yue Xilou looked up and sighed silently. When he opened his eyes again to look directly at the Emperor, he smiled coldly and evilly.

"If you, the dissolute and shameless Emperor, dare to give me, I will dare to take it!"

"How dare you!" The Emperor roared in anger.

"You, an emasculated eunuch, also dare to covet my country and my Ruiji!"

On the side, Shi Ling raised his eyebrows and pointed at Yue Xilou.

"What are you waiting for? Catch this traitor quickly!"

When one hundred Imperial Guards drew their blades, a guard of the Eastern Depot shouted.

"Lord, leave here fast!"

Yue Xilou raised his eyebrows, gritted his teeth, and fought with his rivals. He then jumped to the turret.

"Yue Xilou, you have done all the bad things. Today you should resign yourself to death!"

Leshuang slapped his palm to kill a person and chased him.

…