The Royal Family of Ying State lived in a palace named Yuanya Palace. But it was not accurate to call it "a palace". It seemed to be a huge stone fort.

Compared with the resplendent complex palaces in Da Yi, Yuanya Palace of Ying State with the high ridge and octagonal eaves, green tiles, and white stone walls, which were hidden among cherry trees, had a simple appearance. Although it was magnificent, it was less oppressive than Qinming Hall.

On the two sides of the fort, two yards were located in the west and east respectively.

Behind the fort, a delicate and peaceful garden was there.

In one room in the eastern yard, several Honour Guards stood around Captain Zhu. They complained to Captain Zhu.

"Captain, when do we do it?"

"Well. We always monitor Huanan He. We are tired. If you give us an order, we will kill him!"

Captain Zhu frowned and shook his head.

"Please wait. I am more anxious than you. We plan to bring the coffins to Ying State and then kill him on the way back. But the people of Ying State invite us to Yuanya Palace. He could live a few more days. It's not good for us to kill him in Yuanya Palace of Ying State."

One of the Honour Guards looked towards the door and then he turned around to whisper to Captain Zhu.

"Captain, does His Highness realize what we did? That day, in the forest, he seemed to show that he knew our plan!"

Captain Zhu sighed.

"Be cautious. If we don't do it well, we will be punished by His Majesty after we come back."

―

"Your Highness, do you ask me to come here?"

In another room, a guard from the Ninth Prince's Mansion, who was a disciple of Tianyan Faction indeed, raised a fist salute to Gu Di. He behaved properly.

Gu Di crossed his legs by the table and wiped his gold flute with a white cloth repeatedly.

"Can you go in and out of Yuanya Palace at will?" Gu Di asked.

The guard raised his eyebrows and said to him confidently.

"Yes, I can. You don't have to worry."

"Well. When it gets darker, you take my gold flute and come to Presbyter Lin in Tianyan Faction. Tell him to immediately send 200 killers here. And they must be disguised as the warriors of Ying State and try to infiltrate into Yuanya Palace of Ying State. They must do what I tell them." Gu Di said.

"Yes."

When the guard took the flute, lowered his head, and was about to go out of the room, someone knocked on the door.

The young guard grasped the flute tightly. He might want to kill the one who knocked on the door. He looked towards Gu Di.

Gu Di made a gesture of asking him to hide behind the golden screen.

A figure of a beautiful woman was cast on the windows of the wooden door.

Gu Di realized who she was. He sneered and said to that woman casually.

"It's so late. Who are you?"

Empress Dowager Yuanya answered him in a delicate soft voice that came through the door.

"It's me! Your Highness, do you go to bed? Can I come in?"

Gu Di thought, "It's her indeed!"

Gu Di did not like the beautiful Empress Dowager Yuanya who lost her husband at a young age. But Gu Di was so polite that he opened the wooden door for her since she had come here.

It was quiet outside the door. At night, it was as dark as the dense black ink. Only two lanterns glowed softly.

The lanterns shed a soft glow on her beautiful face as if she had been shone by the warm sunset. She put on lipstick, which made her lips delicate.

She wore thin and white clothes, which looked like nightclothes. In this kind of clothes, she looked sexy.

The neckline was wide open, so her tender neck and most of her breasts were seen.

She smiled softly at Gu Di and bent slightly towards Gu Di in a polite way to greet him.

"Tonight, we should have held a banquet to entertain you. But we have to hold the funeral for Mr. and Mrs. Yuancang. I am sorry about that. Tomorrow, His Majesty will hold the luncheon personally for you."

"It doesn't matter. I have had dinner. Thank you for your concern." Gu Di answered.

Gu Di wanted to send her away and then went to bed for a short time because he would disguise himself to explore Mount Fuyue later.

If he could catch Snow Toads in the mountain, that would be great.

Seeing that Gu Di wanted to send her away, Empress Dowager Yuanya took the initiative to walk forward and put her delicate hand on the door to let the door open.

"Your Highness, I think you may not like the food of Ying State, so I ask cooks to cook some meals of your country. Your Highness, please let me take the meals to your room3" Empress Dowager Yuanya said.

Before Gu Di realized it, she rushed into the room through the narrow doorway, and then she turned around to make the wooden door wide open.

The female slaves of Ying State followed her orderly. They took the plates and cups into the room. Then the dishes and wine were placed on the table.

The female slaves bent towards Empress Dowager Yuanya and Gu Di and then walked out of the room, closing the door.

A sudden silence fell in the room.

Whether Gu Di liked her or disliked her, she smiled properly and filled two glasses with wine. She took one of them in both hands and offered it to the handsome man.

Gu Di stared at Empress Dowager Yuanya quietly and looked carefully at what she did.

He saw her tender arms that were like vines almost wrap him. And she tried to flirt with him with her delicate fingers.

She sprayed perfume on her body. The perfume could come into the nasal cavity, making men sexually aroused.

Gu Di had much experience, and he encountered different kinds of people and things. He could deal with everything properly.

He suddenly realized that the woman had sprayed perfume that could make men sexually aroused.

Suddenly, there were blue veins on Gu Di’s temples. Gu Di raged and he wanted to kill the b*tch with one blow.

When Gu Di narrowed his beautiful eyes and felt dazed, Empress Dowager Yunaya walked closer to him with a charming smile. She stroked his warm and strong chest with her tender hands again and again.

Her red lips moved closer to Gu Di's lips slowly. She breathed out the fragrant air towards Gu Di's face to flirt with him.

"Your Highness, I am willing to keep you company tonight..."

Hearing that, the guard behind the screen looked at the woman coldly and wanted to kill her.

Although Gu Di got angry, he still decided to deal with it by himself. So, he glanced at the guard to show that he could handle it.

Then the guard calmed down and kept quiet behind the screen.

His tongue touched his palate. Gu Di took a deep breath and blocked his acupoints, which could affect his sense of smell.

After he turned to be conscious, he pushed away that woman, picked up the tea on the table, and poured it on the woman's face quickly.

Empress Dowager Yuanya yelled. Her hair was untidy and her face was wet.

Gu Di was gloomy and calm. She looked at Gu Di's handsome face in surprise. She was about to cry and said in a trembling voice.

"Your Highness, don't you like me? I like you..."

"I know what happened to you, so I only sympathize with you..." Gu Di said.

Gu Di crossed his hands, looking at the woman coldly.

He said directly, "You should behave yourself. Otherwise, I will despise you."

Empress Dowager Yuanya had no idea about what to say.

She froze, being pale. She stared at Gu Di sadly for a short time. And then she covered her face with hands and cried sadly.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I should not despise you and myself. I'm sorry!"

She straightened up suddenly and went out of the room hurriedly.

The guard taking the flute moved closer to Gu Di quickly. He looked towards the door with hatred.

The guard said, "How dare she offend you! Your Highness, why didn't you let me kill her?"

Gu Di sneered.

"Forget it. She's a poor woman. She just seems to be noble. I don’t think this is her real intention."

Gu Di took the dishes and chewed them. And then he spat them on the floor. He frowned and complained about it.

"Terrible! Yunxi's cooking can't be compared. I don't want to stay here any longer!"

After the guard left, Gu Di stood in front of the window and looked at the silent and vast sky. He was thinking about something.

The travel was full of danger.

The Imperial Guards sent by Huanan Xin monitored them and regarded Gu Di as Huanan He who they wanted to kill.

Kamagawa Zhushui who managed to take control of Ying State also troubled them.

Judging by Kamagawa Zhushui’s appearance, Gu Di could know that he was a defiant guy. He got down from his horse and ingratiated himself with the Prince from Da Yi, which was against his nature.

Gu Di clearly realized that Kamagawa Zhushui inviting him into Yuanya Palace and forcing Empress Dowager Yuanya to seduce him were a conspiracy

Gu Di did not want to trouble himself. But he thought the most dangerous place was the safest one.

He went into Yuanya Palace because he wanted to warn those Imperial Guards not to take any action by taking advantage of Yuanya Palace.

Gu Di believed that if there was a proper opportunity, he could go out of Yuanya Palace of Ying State successfully and kill those who wanted to kill him after making some preparation.

―

In the top room of Yuanya Palace of Ying State, Empress Dowager Yuanya sobbed, which could be heard vaguely through the wooden door.

Under the shadow of candlelight, she crouched on the ground. She tried to escape the kicks of a merciless man. She cried sadly.

"Please don't kick me. I could not seduce him. I really failed..."

"You dare to disobey me!"

Kamagawa Zhushui raged and looked even scarier. He showed no pity for the woman who cried.

Slowly squatting, he grabbed the woman's untidy hair with his hand suddenly, lifting her head closer.

He said, "I know you like that man. You tried to attract him in the street of Jingdu and invited him into Yuanya Palace."

"I support you! I allow you to sleep with him. But now, you pretend to be chaste?"

"You're dirty! I said before that he seemed to fall from heaven and cannot be profaned. It is you who regard him as a dirty man like you!" Empress Dowager Yuanya said.

Being obstinate, the woman cursed him. Her face was red from the pain. When she turned her head, she groaned in agony because her hair was grasped by the man.

Kamagawa Zhushui sneered and pinched the woman's chin with his fingers. He said to her angrily.

"I know him better than you. In Da Yi, he is the Prince who is famous for his disreputable deeds. He must like beautiful women."

"You're the noble woman, Empress Dowager Yuanya. If you flirt with him, he must like you. You failed because you didn't do what I asked you to do!"

"Shut up! Let go of me!" Empress Dowager Yuanya shouted.

The poor woman struggled and continued to cry.

"Don't ask me to do such a shameful thing again. I don't want to be looked down upon by him!"

"Well, you really fall in love with him at first sight and care so much what he thinks of you..." Kamagawa Zhushui said.

Kamagawa Zhushui smirked and pushed the woman down.

Empress Dowager Yuanya's hair came down. She crawled on the smooth wooden floor and burst into tears.

Kamagawa Zhushui was annoyed. He pushed the woman to make her lay down on the floor. He moved closer to her and shouted at her.

"The deceased emperor's concubine, Daiji, has ingratiated herself with General Hemao. Her son might be the Emperor with the help of General Hemao."

"If you disobey me, I will join hands with Hemao and replace the Emperor with Taku. When you and your son lost everything, you can only be exiled!"

"No... No. Please don't replace my son..."

The woman widened her eyes and kneeled towards Kamagawa Zhushui, crying.

Kamagawa Zhushui sneered smugly. He put his hand into the woman's clothes and stroked her body. He liked to see that the woman had no choice but to endure it.

Kamagawa Zhushui said, "Now that you didn't want to sleep with Huanan He, you sleep with me. I'll have him sign the treaty tomorrow at luncheon! He couldn’t avoid that tomorrow!"