Yun Xiao ignored her, and coquettishly addressed the person in her arms, "Master, please go back. I will serve you, and I guarantee you won't want to come here again."
Shangguan Yin seemed helpless yet reminisced, finally agreeing. The two left Wan Xi Pavilion, their passage unimpeded, no one daring to stop them.
Though bold and meticulous, Yun Xiao still felt a bead of sweat on her brow.
Wan Xi Pavilion was no ordinary place. From a brief glance just now, she could tell there were many thugs in the building, and she wondered if there were hidden passages or mechanisms. In short, it was too mysterious.
They actually used aphrodisiacs on guests. As a result, any male guest who entered the building would spend money. This place was truly a bottomless pit of extravagance.
Outside the pavilion, a carriage was just driving out. The driver was a palace guard who served Shangguan Yin closely. Upon seeing his masters emerge, he quickly dismounted, lifted the carriage curtain, and invited them inside.
As Yun Xiao and Shangguan Yin left Wan Xi Pavilion, they saw a group of people rushing out. It was the servants of the Shen family, presumably having discovered their young master missing and chasing after him.
The two headed straight for the palace. The sky had already darkened, and the sleeping quarters were pitch black. Although those guarding the door found it strange,
the Empress had ordered that no one was to enter. Anyone who dared to trespass, even Wan Wan and Qiao Er, would not dare to come in casually, until Yun Xiao's lazy voice rang out.
"Someone, light the lamps."
Wan Wan and Qiao Er quickly entered, followed by Li Shangshi, who was in charge of the Empress's meals, along with several young palace maids, who filed in one after another.
Someone came forward to help the Empress up, and someone went to light the lamps. The sleeping quarters were bustling.
When the lamps were lit, everyone finally saw clearly that the Emperor and the Empress were both neatly dressed and sitting by the bed.
Although surprised, no one dared to think further; it would be suicidal. They all knelt in unison.
"Your servant greets His Majesty, the Empress."
"You may all rise. I am hungry, serve the meal."
Yun Xiao gave the order, and Li Shangshi immediately waved her hand. A young palace maid walked out, and soon, palace maids specifically in charge of meals filed in, laying out the evening meal dish by dish.
As Yun Xiao had instructed, only a few exquisite dishes were selected. Yun Xiao waved her hand, dismissing them all, leaving only Wan Wan and Qiao Er to attend her.
Having run around all afternoon, she was indeed hungry and ate ravenously. Shangguan Yin, beside her, felt both heartache and tenderness.
He knew that everything Yun Xiao did was to help him, to help him rule Dong Qin well, and that she herself did not like these things.
Perhaps she disliked everything about the palace. In truth, he didn't want to wrong her, but with everything in such disarray, he hoped to sort things out quickly so that he could...
Shangguan Yin's gaze was as deep as a well, hiding all his thoughts. He only wished to handle everything before him as quickly as possible.
"Xiao'er, eat slowly."
Shangguan Yin meticulously attended to Yun Xiao, leaving Wan Wan and Qiao Er with no room to intervene. Bathed in a warm, flowing radiance, the Emperor's exceptionally handsome features were filled with a soft glow, his entire being focused on his mistress.
His eyes churned with deep affection like surging waves, moving them both deeply. Their mistresses were truly fortunate.
After they finished their evening meal, Zi Yang and Zi Jun appeared. Yun Xiao waved for Wan Wan and Qiao Er to clear the dishes.
"How is it? Was Shen Si Yuan captured?"
"He was captured. I didn't expect Lord Shen to know martial arts, and his skills were not weak. However, it's impossible for him to escape our grasp."
Zi Yang said in a low voice. Yun Xiao's lips curled into a cold smile. Shen Si Yuan's greatest strength was not his surface combat skills.
If he were a member of the Skull Blood Bandits of Xishan, his underground skills would likely be even more formidable.
As for the Wen family, they were surely minor players, either manipulated by him that day or willingly acting as scapegoats.
Regardless, Shen Si Yuan's most skilled area should be his underground techniques, which naturally made him unable to contend with Zi Yang and the others on the surface.
"Let's go, let's go see him."
Don't let him escape. If he knew they had discovered he was a member of the Skull Blood Bandits, he would probably have fled long ago.
Yun Xiao led the way outside, with Zi Yang and Zi Jun leading the path. They encountered Liu Xing and Jing Yun coming in, murmuring a few words. Yun Xiao nodded.
The group exited the hall. The sky outside the hall was pitch black, with dense stars adorning the boundless firmament, as beautiful and magnificent as shimmering silk.
Zi Jun held a torch in front, and Zi Yang followed closely, leading the way. Shangguan Yin and Yun Xiao followed behind, with Liu Xing and Jing Yun bringing up the rear.
The surroundings were eerily dark. The night wind rustled the branches in the shadows, making a whispering sound, like the wail of ghosts, which was chilling...
Beneath Qing Xiao Palace, behind a side hall, lay a delicate and beautiful garden. The perimeter of the garden was bordered by a uniquely shaped stone, carved with the inscription 'Heart Follows Will'.
The character 'heart' was the mechanism. Pressing the center point with one's hand activated the secret chamber's switch, revealing a stone door. Shangguan Yin strode in first, with Yun Xiao closely following. The stone door behind them slammed shut with a *whoosh*.
Entering the secret chamber, they saw stone steps descending from high to low. On both sides of the stone walls were carved various depictions of torture, all exceedingly grim. Looking down this path, one's resilience had to be strong, otherwise, ordinary people would surely not be able to bear it.
The footsteps of the group echoed with a heavy sound as they trod lightly.
The torches cast a dim, yellow light into the secret chamber, reflecting coldly and profoundly on people's faces.
The chill emanating from Shangguan Yin was palpable. His handsome, alluring features were illuminated by the cold, piercing light in his eyes, causing an involuntary shiver. Even though he was stunningly beautiful, combined with his current bloodthirsty expression, he looked like a demon from hell, making one's blood run cold.
The group followed the long passage into the innermost prison cell.
There, a man was bound to a rack. He was in his fifties, but his gaze had changed from the gentle demeanor he usually displayed. Now, he looked ferocious like a wolf, staring bloodthirstily at the people entering the prison gate, his face filled with bewilderment.
The Emperor? Why would the Emperor send people to arrest him secretly?
Inside the prison cell, the lighting was dim, the light mottled and hazy, making it impossible to clearly discern everyone's expression. However, one could vaguely see patches of black bloodstains on the walls, flowing ominously within them.
Although Shangguan Yin had never used this prison to detain criminals, it had always been the residence of past emperors. It was likely that many criminals had been secretly imprisoned and interrogated here, hence the mottled bloodstains on the walls.
They looked ancient. Even the most daring and ruthless person would feel a sense of dread.
Minister of Personnel, Shen Si Yuan, felt his heart pounding like a suspended water basin, not knowing what had happened. Why would the Emperor secretly arrest him? His eyes flickered with confusion, fear, and a trace of panic.
"Your Majesty, why have you arrested this subject? What crime have I committed?"
Shangguan Yin remained silent, gazing at him darkly. His entire figure was silhouetted against the light, obscuring his face. Only the pupils of his eyes, like cold stars in the deep night, revealed his murderous intent.
Shen Si Yuan couldn't help but shiver again. The Emperor clearly intended to kill him.