Yun Xiao's pupils suddenly turned cold. Two silver needles appeared in her hand, glinting as they mercilessly pierced the acupoints on Murong Yingxue's feet.
Even in her sleep, the latter couldn't help but frown in pain. Yun Xiao mercilessly twisted the silver needles in her hand. With these two needles, her feet would be crippled.
If she still harbored thoughts of harming others, she wouldn't even be able to walk. Let's see how she would harm anyone then.
Whether she could walk again depended on her performance, or perhaps she might spare her when they went to the Northern Kingdom.
However, for now, she should stay put in the Ten Thousand Flowers Palace and not cause trouble. If it weren't for Shangguan Yin's sake, she would have killed her long ago.
Yun Xiao let out a cold laugh, withdrew the silver needles, glanced at the sleeping quarters, took out the antidote, and scattered it into the air. She then slipped out through the window. Before she had completely left, she heard Murong Yingxue's pig-like screams.
Yes, having been pricked by silver needles, she was naturally the first to wake up.
Yun Xiao returned to Qingxiao Palace. Shangguan Yin had not yet returned, so she instructed the eunuch outside to prepare a carriage to take her back to the Yun King's mansion.
She had not returned all night yesterday, and by this morning, her father and brother must be worried, so it was best to return as soon as possible.
The eunuch dared not disobey this woman who appeared so cold. She was the Emperor's favored lady and the former foolish empress of the palace. Many people recognized her and knew how formidable she was when fighting, so no one dared to provoke her.
Yun Xiao took the carriage all the way back to the Yun King's mansion.
When Shangguan Yin returned, he found the sleeping quarters empty. However, he did not become angry. He only had one thought: to quickly marry this girl. It seemed he had to pay a visit to the Yun King's mansion to meet his father-in-law.
In the flower hall of the Yun King's mansion, Yun Xiao sat at the head, surrounded by her father and brother. They scrutinized her from head to toe, from left to right. Yun Xiao smiled sheepishly, feeling guilty. Yun Mo, with a stern expression, spoke seriously.
"Speak. When has the Emperor decided to send the betrothal gifts and when will the wedding be?"
"It's not... me?"
Yun Xiao was about to say that she hadn't decided whether to marry yet, but Yun Zhen spoke again, "You cannot mistreat our Xiao'er."
The two men had already spotted the kiss marks revealed on Yun Xiao's neck. It seemed the Emperor had already "gotten her," and he hadn't been gentle. He was quite fierce.
Yun Mo's eyes gleamed with a smile, while Yun Zhen, though happy for his sister, couldn't hide his melancholy.
Although he had let go, his emotions were sometimes difficult to control. However, he was happy for Yun Xiao. Finally, she had weathered the storm and seen the dawn, and they loved each other deeply.
Yun Xiao would become the Empress, the dream of every woman. To become a noble lady, and the man would give her the best things in the world.
"Father, Brother?"
Yun Xiao called out again. Yun Mo didn't give her a chance to speak and began pacing in the flower hall. "Let me think about what dowry to prepare. My daughter is not what she used to be; of course, we can't be stingy."
Yun Xiao's expression became a line of black. She hadn't been stingy before, and how much more did they need to prepare? The things in the Yun King's mansion were meant for her brother. She didn't want much from them.
"I'm not getting married, why are you in such a hurry?"
As this voice sounded, the flower hall suddenly fell silent. The two men stared at her in surprise. Then, Yun Mo's eyes became misty, and he walked over, grabbing Yun Xiao's shoulders.
"Xiao'er, Father knows you want to stay in the King's mansion to accompany Father, but you can still accompany me after you marry. Father will visit you in the palace often."
Yun Zhen, standing nearby, nodded repeatedly. Yes, things were different now. It used to be a taboo, but now there was nothing to fear, so what was their sister worried about?
"Xiao'er, don't worry. Father has me."
Seeing that these two men were talking back and forth and not giving her a chance to speak, Yun Xiao became angry. She glared at them and roared, "Can you let me say a few words?"
Yun Mo and Yun Zhen immediately stopped. So, she wanted to speak, and they hadn't given her a chance. Alright, let's see what she wanted to say. The two pairs of eyes looked at her earnestly.
Yun Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, smiling at them. "Actually, the Emperor has already asked me to marry him, but I haven't decided yet."
As soon as she spoke, Yun Mo wanted to say something. Yun Xiao quickly raised her hand to stop him. Yun Mo curled his lips like a child and fell silent, waiting for his precious daughter to speak.
"You should know my personality. I am naturally active and like to do things, to do what I like.
But if I marry into the palace, I can only stay in the palace all day. One or two days might be fine, but after a long time, I will get bored. What will I do then? So, I really haven't decided to get married."
"But you and the Emperor..."
Yun Mo pointed at Yun Xiao, somewhat speechless. Usually, women in such situations would be afraid of being rejected by the man. How could their own daughter be playing hard to get, and even look like she didn't want to marry? She was truly unconventional.
However, the father and son thought about it seriously and felt that Yun Xiao's words made sense. This girl loved to do things and run around. If she truly married into the palace, she would definitely be depressed.
Yun Zhen also sighed. Before, there were some women in the palace for her to play with. Now, there was nothing. Could she stay in the palace obediently?
Yun Xiao pondered. Although it was said that princes and princesses lived happily ever after, no one saw how happy they truly were.
And she didn't want her and Shangguan Yin's love to end in regret, so she would carefully consider how to live her life.
Love between men and women was a great taboo in ancient times. Even a renowned general like her father couldn't be open about it, let alone others.
Perhaps if this matter fell into other people's ears, she would be considered unwanted. But so what? She truly didn't know if she could stay in the palace for a lifetime. She couldn't make such a promise, so she dared not marry.
"Xiao'er, does the Emperor know?"
Yun Zhen asked with a heavy tone. He had thought that if the Emperor wanted to marry her, Xiao'er would happily agree. But he finally realized that the issue wasn't about marrying or not, but about whether their love could last a lifetime.
Yun Xiao shook her head. Seeing that her father and brother were in low spirits because of her affairs, she quickly changed the subject, not wanting to discuss it.
"Father, it's almost New Year's. Go and bring Eldest Mother back."
Yun Mo was stunned upon hearing this and then became somewhat flustered. Yun Xiao and Yun Zhen exchanged a look.
It seemed Father still had some feelings for the Yun King's Consort. Although not romantic feelings, their marital affection was also very deep, otherwise, he wouldn't have divorced her for her back then.
"Father."
Yun Zhen also called out. Knowing that his father had always kept his word and likely wouldn't go back on his decision, he slowly said, "How about I go and bring Mother back?"
Yun Xiao disagreed immediately and frowned to stop him.
"No, this matter should be handled by Father. Otherwise, Eldest Mother might not come back. And Father has owed her for so many years. She is the wife you married, and since you married her, you should treat her well. It was Father who wronged her first, so bow your head for her now."