The dishes on the table, though not plentiful, were exquisite and clearly prepared with great care.
Unlike the delicacies in the palace, these were likely signature dishes of Guangning. As Yun Xiao picked up her jade chopsticks, ready to eat, she suddenly thought of Ye Jingyi. That man was now lurking within Guangning City; what kind of mischief could he not concoct?
Yun Xiao casually took out the silver needles she carried and tested the food.
She hadn't taken it seriously at first, but as the silver needle went in, the tip turned entirely black. The jade chopsticks in Yun Xiao's hand fell with a clatter. Several figures from outside rushed in. Upon seeing the silver needle in Yun Xiao's hand, their expressions changed, and they immediately shouted.
"How dare you frame the Empress!"
The two attending maids had never encountered such a situation. Their legs turned to jelly, and they fainted.
Meanwhile, someone had already sped off to inform the guards outside.
Soon, the Guangning prefect, the deputy prefect, and other yamen officials arrived. Leading them was General Wei Chi Jun, the Protector of the Nation. He reached out, grabbed Prefect Yuan Xiu, and roared, "Yuan Xiu, you audacious dog! How dare you attempt to poison the Empress!"
Yuan Xiu's face turned deathly pale. He waved his hands, shook his head, and even cried out in fear, "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! How could I dare commit such a treasonous act?"
Yun Xiao's face was a little pale. Fortunately, she had a sudden impulse; otherwise, she would have been poisoned. While she might not have been unable to cure it, she had a child in her womb.
She looked up at Shangguan Yin. She saw a terrifying predatory light in his pupils. If Zi Jun beside him hadn't restrained him, he would have already gone into a furious rampage. Yun Xiao waved her hand, signaling Wei Chi Jun to release Yuan Xiu, and spoke slowly.
"He does not have the courage to poison me. The one who poisoned it is someone else. Release him."
"Your Majesty."
Wei Chi Jun certainly did not agree with this. He glanced back at the Emperor beside him. He saw that the Emperor's eyes were blood-red, like a lion on the verge of madness.
Wei Chi Jun dared not provoke him further. If the Emperor were to reveal himself, it would be troublesome. He quickly took the order and released the Guangning Prefect, Yuan Xiu.
Yuan Xiu's face was not only deathly pale, but he couldn't even stand straight. The several Guangning officials behind him were kneeling on the ground, trembling like shrimp. If anything had happened to the Empress, none of them would have escaped. Not only would they themselves surely die, but their families would also be implicated.
Yun Xiao waved her hand, signaling everyone to leave. "You may go."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty."
Yuan Xiu and the others behind him repeatedly kowtowed their thanks. They were old, and with snot and tears, they cried with great sorrow, as if they had narrowly escaped death.
Crying together in the hall, Yun Xiao raised an eyebrow. She wasn't crying, but they were weeping so miserably. It annoyed her, and she waved her hand, "You may go."
If she hadn't restrained herself, she would have truly wanted them all to get out. If they hadn't colluded with the merchants' guild, today's events wouldn't have happened.
They still had the audacity to cry. It was only because her primary objective now was to deal with Ye Jingyi that she couldn't be bothered with them. After dealing with Ye Jingyi, she would deal with them properly.
Yuan Xiu and the others quickly retreated.
Yun Xiao ordered people to clear the dishes from the table. After such an incident, she had no appetite. She ordered the people behind her to leave and not disturb her, as she wanted to be alone.
Liu Xing, Jing Yun, and the others, though distressed for their mistress, dared not say much.
In the room, a breeze blew in from the window, making the candlelight flicker, casting her shadow on the wall, ever longer and more confused.
Suddenly, there was a sound at the window. Yun Xiao looked up, knowing it was Mu Rong entering. He flashed in from outside, closing the window behind him.
Yun Xiao turned to look at him. Because she knew he was by her side, she felt strangely not sad at all.
"Xiao'er."
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
"Are you hungry? I'll have someone prepare some food."
He saw that she hadn't eaten much all day and must be very hungry. Now, her body carried two lives; how could she not be hungry?
Yun Xiao was too lazy to speak. She nestled in his embrace and quietly said, "I don't want to eat. Just stay with me."
She had actually been very hungry, but after what had just happened, she had lost all appetite.
Shangguan Yin held her. Pregnant women were inherently a bit weak. He truly shouldn't have let her get involved in this mess, almost causing her to be poisoned. If such a thing had truly happened, he would never forgive himself.
"Xiao'er, it's alright. If you don't want to eat, get some more rest."
As they spoke, they leaned against the bed. The room was very quiet. Yun Xiao closed her eyes, and Shangguan Yin also slightly closed his.
The air was filled with a faint, clear fragrance that pierced the nostrils.
Suddenly, a hint of a strange scent wafted over. Yun Xiao's eyes snapped open, and she quickly reached out to pinch Shangguan Yin's nose.
With her other hand, she pinched her own nose. They were now resting quietly on the bed. A glazed screen blocked the view from the outside, so the person outside spreading the scent couldn't see them, which was why they did this.
As Yun Xiao made her move, Shangguan Yin knew something was wrong. A subtle light flickered in his eyes, and his gaze turned fierce.
Ye Jingyi, you've indeed come. You wouldn't possibly not come, would you?
The two of them lay motionless and hidden until the person outside the window grew impatient. He pushed open the window, and several figures, as light as ghosts, flashed in and swiftly lunged towards the bed.
At this moment, the crisp and sharp sounds of clashing swords rang out in the dark night. It was clear that those outside had begun fighting.
Shangguan Yin, on the bed, reached out, embraced Yun Xiao, and flashed to evade. He set her down and then leaped up.
The familiar black guard uniform seemed to dissolve into powerful kinetic energy. His sleeves billowed like wind, and he suddenly sprang out, striking the approaching man in black, sending him flying back with a thud.
Another person rushed forward from behind, but he wore a bronze mask, making his face indistinguishable. Yun Xiao stood inside the bed, and for the moment, the assassins could not harm her. She sneered, staring intently at the masked man in black, and spoke in a deep voice.
"Ye Jingyi, I didn't expect you to be so incorrigible. If you have the guts, take off the mask. What kind of thing are you, hiding your face? I didn't expect you to have become so pathetic."
As her voice fell, the man suddenly roared, his body seemingly erupting with energy. He tilted his head and let out a furious cry, like boundless indignation, or perhaps the roar of a tiger or lion. He lunged at Shangguan Yin as if driven mad.
At this moment, someone had already rushed in from outside – it was Zhui Feng and Zhui Yue.
The two of them engaged the intruders who had come from the window. Shangguan Yin dealt with Ye Jingyi. For a time, the room was filled with the fierce sounds of fighting, sparks flying as weapons clashed.
Soon, someone was injured. The several black-clothed men who had entered, seeing they were at a disadvantage, noticed the heavily pregnant woman at the innermost part of the bed.
They immediately split into two groups. One group attacked Zhui Feng and Zhui Yue, while the other group rushed towards Yun Xiao.
Yun Xiao's figure slid away smoothly. As the two men approached, she threw a handful of powder at them. The powder entered their eyes, and they cried out in pain, covering their eyes. Zhui Feng and Zhui Yue, with a sword each, sent them to their deaths.