"Qingyao, don't worry, I'll find a way to handle this," Wuqing said softly. Yao, lying on the bed, released his hand and narrowed her eyes, looking at him doubtfully. If he truly had a way, why would it have come to this?
To obtain the antidote, there were only two options: first, follow his instructions, kill the Danfeng Empress, and seize the throne; second, force him to hand over the antidote. However, Qingyao understood that the first option was more reliable than the second. Yet, a small doubt lingered in her heart: if this man was so powerful, why didn't he seize the throne himself?
"Then why didn't he directly snatch the Danfeng Empress's throne? Why use you?"
"Someone as shrewd as him must have realized that the throne isn't so easily taken. It's not just about killing an empress."
"Would the ministers of the Danfeng Kingdom all tolerate him ruling alone? He can't kill all the officials. But if I were to seize the throne, it would be different. He could eliminate all the royal children, and I would be the rightful heir. The ministers would have no grounds to object. If something were to happen to me, it wouldn't be hard to imagine who would inherit the throne."
"What a vicious scheme."
Qingyao sighed, thinking how she truly wanted to meet such a person. Every move was a calculated maneuver, every step a trap. If this person held great power or became a ruler, Danfeng would likely become too dominant.
The two of them spoke in the room, resolving their inner turmoil. Qingyao instructed Wuqing to rest, as he must be exhausted after a sleepless night.
Wuqing nodded in agreement, then gave Qingyao another pill to heal her internal injuries before leaving with peace of mind.
After he departed, Mochou and Xiaoyuer quickly darted in. Seeing that their mistress's complexion had improved, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. These two troublemakers truly knew how to torment people.
"Mother, are your internal injuries alright?"
Xiaoyuer's primary concern was this matter. Qingyao nodded vigorously.
"Don't worry, I took Wuqing's medicine. I'll be fine. It'll just take a couple of days to recover."
"That's good," Xiaoyuer said, relieved. The small body leaped onto the bedside, gazing at her mother's much-improved complexion.
"What did Master say to you?"
Mochou was also very curious about this question, her beautiful eyes fixed on her mistress. Qingyao glanced at them, amused and exasperated. All women were rather gossipy.
"It's nothing much, really. He just told me about his background."
"Background?" Mochou and Xiaoyuer exchanged glances.
What background did Young Master Wuqing have? They had never known the details. The thought of Wuqing's background made Qingyao's heart ache for him. He should have been a precious prince, but instead, he had fallen into such a predicament.
And all of this was the doing of his own father. If the Empress knew about this, she surely wouldn't allow him to act so recklessly. The thought suddenly made Qingyao's eyes brighten.
How could she have not thought of this? She was so excited. Since that man cared so much about status, if the Empress were to learn the truth of the matter, obtaining the antidote might be much easier.
Yes, that's what she would do. As soon as she recovered, she would go to the Danfeng Kingdom's imperial palace, infiltrate it, and meet the Empress. She refused to believe that the Empress, like that man, would be so heartless as to abandon her own child.
The fact that Wuqing was a prince was something the Empress had been unaware of from the beginning.
Moreover, Ji Xue already knew about it, and it was likely the Empress knew by now.
The thought made Qingyao feel even better, and she smiled, no longer hiding anything from Mochou and Xiaoyuer.
"Wuqing is actually the eldest prince of the Danfeng Kingdom. His biological father is the Empress Consort of the Danfeng Empress."
The moment Qingyao finished speaking, Mochou and Xiaoyuer were terrified. They never expected Wuqing's identity to be so complex, ultimately making him a prince of a nation.
But if he was a prince, why did he end up here? And why would the Imperial Husband curse his own son? Mochou was bewildered and dared not ask her mistress further.
Qingyao stretched lazily and spoke slowly.
"I'm tired. I need to rest."
She hadn't slept well last night either, and now that her heart was unburdened, she felt much more relaxed. She was feeling drowsy, her eyelids growing heavy.
Mochou and Xiaoyuer immediately responded, "Okay, you sleep for a while. Don't overexert yourself."
The room was soon filled with the sound of soft breathing. Xiaoyuer and Mochou retreated, fearing they might disturb their mistress.
Mochou stayed outside. Due to what had happened last night, Mochou was on high alert. She didn't check on the children today, instructing Little Peach to guide them diligently, while she remained by her mistress's side.
Qingyao had intended to go to the Danfeng Kingdom's imperial palace to see the Empress as soon as she recovered. However, no one expected that some matters would resolve themselves without her intervention.
That night, dark shadows flashed rapidly through the air, like a dozen large birds, swift and steady. In an instant, they crossed the peach grove and landed on the open ground before the door, silently. This indicated the extreme skill of these individuals.
The leader, clad in a black cloak that obscured his face, was neither tall nor short, with a distinguished bearing like bamboo. His hands were clasped, the black cloak fitting snugly around him. His footsteps were as light as a phantom's.
The visitor stood by the window for a moment. The cloak on his body suddenly billowed open without a breeze, revealing a face of exquisite beauty. His eyes were like paintings, his skin smooth and lustrous, and his every movement exuded an aura of nobility. However, his entire being was permeated with a killing intent, his eyes so sinister they lacked any trace of humanity.
With a wave of his hand, a low, cold voice commanded, "Attack."
In the blink of an eye, several figures suddenly emerged from another side and rushed forward.
It was Mochou, Mo You, and Qing Feng, who had been hiding in the shadows to protect their mistress. This was done on Wuqing's orders.
Based on Wuqing's understanding of him, he would surely reveal himself. To prevent Qingyao from being harmed by him, he had arranged for people to protect her.
He hadn't expected him to arrive so quickly.
In the first exchange, Mochou and Mo You shivered. This man exuded such a cold, fierce aura, and his face resembled Young Master Wuqing's, appearing ageless, but rather more mature and polished. His sinister black eyes held a thunderous rage that was about to erupt.
Was this the legendary biological father of Wuqing, the man who stole the secret treasures of the Hua Jiang Tribe? Was he the Empress Consort of the Danfeng Empress?
As Mochou pondered, a sword strike came at her. She immediately collected herself, not daring to be careless.
The sounds of fighting outside alerted Qingyao in the room, and she flew out, clad in a flowing white gown, standing on the long corridor.
Looking down, she immediately saw the man in the black cloak. His features were similar to Wuqing's, each one exquisite, smooth like fine porcelain. However, this man, having weathered the passage of time, appeared more mature and restrained than Wuqing, with an aura of readiness, like a magnificent bow and arrow.
As soon as Qingyao appeared, the man moved swiftly, gliding over. He extended his hand, his fingers spread, aiming directly for Qingyao's neck.
Qingyao dodged backward. At this moment, a silk thread from a celestial silkworm shot out from a distance, swiftly repelling his attack. He abruptly stopped, looking into the distance. There, seated in a wheelchair, Wuqing was coldly staring at him.