"What?"
The Empress of Xia did not understand what Gu Qianying meant by her words.
It was only when she met Gu Qianying's cold eyes that she felt uneasy, as if something had slipped from her grasp.
"Gu Qianying, what do you mean?"
"Five days. Exactly five days. Your death day has arrived!"
Suddenly, Gu Qianying struck the closest palace maid unconscious with a palm. As she turned, the Empress of Xia shouted, "Quick, someone! Seize her for me!"
Guards swarmed in. Some protected the Empress of Xia, while others surrounded Gu Qianying.
From half a zhang away, the Empress of Xia saw that Gu Qianying knew martial arts, and her internal energy was quite profound. She suddenly realized, "So it was you!"
That day, the person who had broken into Zhongyang Palace with Nangong Mo was indeed Gu Qianying!
"It seems I wanted to give you a good position, allowing you the honor of approaching His Majesty. Now, you are so disobedient. In that case, I have no reason to keep you any longer." After her surprise, her eyes filled with murderous intent. She commanded the guards, "Kill her!"
"Zhizi, Lugen, Xiakucao, Danzhuye, Huanglian, Longdan Cao. Take eight liang of each medicinal ingredient, and simmer them. This can cure the minor ailments you have. Normally, the medicinal meals you consume are also checked one by one by the imperial physicians attending you. Whether it's the prescription or the medicinal meal, none of them have any issues.
However... when these are mixed with the most common incense, they become a toxin. A poison that will disfigure you and cause your hair to fall out."
Gu Qianying's voice was clear and cold, as calm as if she were asking what was for dinner, completely disregarding the uproar such words would cause in this situation.
"What? What did you say?"
The Empress of Xia's voice suddenly rose. She stared at Gu Qianying in disbelief.
"Oh, besides these, this poison cannot be cured by any imperial physician. If Empress Dowager does not believe me, she can have the imperial physicians by her side try it."
Gu Qianying's lips curved into a cold smile, her gaze sinister and eerie, like ice blades dipped in poison.
"No, this is impossible! You wretched woman are lying!" The Empress of Xia touched her hair bun. With a light touch, several strands of hair came away in her hand. She touched again, and a small clump came off. "Ah..."
A large amount of her soft, dark hair instantly fell out. The Empress of Xia trembled with anger. Before she could even react to this "shocking" event, a palace maid beside her suddenly cried out, "Ah, Empress Dowager, your face... your face..."
"What's wrong with my face?"
The Empress of Xia touched her face. Pockmarks covered her entire face, and her skin was extensively red. She couldn't see it, but she could feel the pockmarks on her face.
"Ah..."
She screamed.
Unable to accept herself like this, she covered her face with a handkerchief. In a fit of rage, she pointed at Gu Qianying and ordered the guards beside her, "Kill her! Hurry and kill her! I want her dead!"
Anger and hatred made the Empress of Xia lose her reason. She glared at Gu Qianying, wishing she could tear her to pieces!
Several guards drew their sabers and surrounded Gu Qianying.
Gu Qianying stood in place, calm and composed. A dagger was revealed beneath her water sleeves, held in her palm. She glanced at the outside. Judging by the time, Lu Zhu's side should be almost ready.
Yesterday, she had learned from some gossiping palace maids that the Empress of Xia had imprisoned Nangong Mo in Zhongyang Palace. Although Zhongyang Palace was difficult to breach, this was the only chance to save Nangong Mo.
What she needed to do now was to stall the Empress of Xia as much as possible, to buy time for Lu Zhu and the others to rescue him.
Suddenly,
A man in a red robe, accompanied by several subordinates, entered Kunning Palace.
"Imperial Sister-in-law! It's been many years. When did you become so cruel?"
Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice. At a glance, they were greatly shocked.
"Third... Third... Third Highness?"
The man possessed an aura of conquering the world. Wherever he went, palace maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground.
After the man entered, under the shocked expression of the Empress of Xia, he walked up to Gu Qianying and looked at her with a wicked smile, "When did you run to this place again? You little troublemaker, you've made it so hard for this Highness to find you?"
Upon seeing Ouyang Qinglin, Gu Qianying was not surprised. Ouyang Qinglin was the Third Prince of Xia, and she had known this for a long time. However, she had not expected Ouyang Qinglin to appear at this time, nor to speak to her in such a tone.
What did he want to do?
Gu Qianying remained silent, only frowning at Ouyang Qinglin.
Ouyang Qinglin's charming, demonic eyes were filled with her pretty silhouette. Before she could speak, he turned around, facing the Empress of Xia, and said with a half-smile, "Imperial Sister-in-law, when I came, I heard that my woman has not been doing well here these past few days. I don't want to understand why she was imprisoned here by you, nor do I want to know what she did to you. But I do want to settle the score for her being bullied and nearly beheaded here by you!"
As he finished speaking,
Ouyang Qinglin commanded his subordinates, "You heard it all. Make your move!"
"Yes!"
*Swish...*
Under the glint of swords and blades,
All the guards who had obeyed the Empress of Xia present were slaughtered.
Blood splattered everywhere. Palace maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground in fear, not daring to move.
The Empress of Xia was so frightened that she forgot to cover her face. The handkerchief fell, revealing her almost disfigured face.
"So ugly!"
Ouyang Qinglin glanced at it.
The Empress of Xia's lips trembled with anger.
"Ouyang Qinglin, you... you actually killed my people in the imperial palace! You... are you rebelling? Guards, quickly! Ouyang Qinglin is rebelling! Quickly seize him for me! Quickly report to His Majesty! Quickly!"
A person she had clearly killed appeared before her after many years. How could she not be shocked?
But she was not an ignorant woman. While shocked, she quickly made a move to resist.
However, the palace maids and young eunuchs kneeling at her feet dared not move at all.
"You... you... rebel! All of you have rebelled!"
With no one to command, no one to obey, and no one to use, the Empress of Xia was momentarily flustered, and she also sensed the abnormality in the palace at that moment.
"Your people have taken control of the palace?"
"Imperial Sister-in-law, you're not completely beyond saving..." Ouyang Qinglin's lips held a wicked smile. "However, Imperial Sister-in-law is mistaken. This Highness does not have the ability to persuade these tens of thousands of Imperial Guards. But this Highness can persuade the Emperor, to have him... depose you, the Empress!"
"No, this is impossible! His Majesty would never listen to you! What have you done!"
The Empress of Xia's eyes turned crimson. She roared hysterically.
"As the Empress of Xia, you secretly harbored a prince of an enemy kingdom and had an illicit affair with him. Such a crime is enough for His Majesty to depose you! Imperial Sister-in-law, oh, no, Madam Wu Na, you should abdicate! Guards, take her down and imprison her in the heavenly prison to await judgment!"
Upon hearing the words "prince of an enemy kingdom," Gu Qianying's gaze suddenly turned cold. She took half a step forward. Ouyang Qinglin, standing beside her, held her wrist, signaling her not to speak. In a voice only they could hear, he said to her, "He is well. Rest assured."
Who "he" referred to was clear to both of them, and neither of them pointed it out.
Gu Qianying glanced at Ouyang Qinglin, her heart filled with confusion. So many things did not make sense.
Why did Ouyang Qinglin help her?
And why did he appear so timely, and immediately know her thoughts and plans?
How did this person manage all of this?
Ouyang Qinglin's subordinates, two of them, grabbed the Empress of Xia and dragged her away.
"No, impossible! His Majesty would not be so heartless to me! Let go of me! I want to see His Majesty! I want to see His Majesty!"
The Empress of Xia struggled desperately, only to be knocked unconscious by a slap from one of them.
After she was taken away, the accompanying Nanny Lan and all the servants of Kunning Palace were dragged away.
An hour ago, Kunning Palace was bustling with activity, with the Empress of Xia at the center. In an instant, power waned, and a hundred people were massacred.
In the outer hall of Qiankun Palace,
Gu Qianying looked at the man sitting before her, gently sipping fragrant tea.
The man's lips were alluringly red, dressed in red. His well-defined fingers toyed with the teacup.
There was no one else beside them.
"Ask whatever you want to ask. This seat will tell you everything you want to know."
"I am not His Highness's woman!"