"Hey, it's time to eat..." The maid who brought food to Xue Yunlan placed the lunchbox on the ground and kicked it towards Xue Yunlan.
Just as she turned to leave, there was a bang. The maid was startled and looked closer, seeing the person lying on the ground by the dim light filtering in from outside.
The maid stumbled back several steps, her voice trembling, "You... don't scare me..."
"Save... save me..." Xue Yunlan, lying on the ground, called out weakly.
The maid fled in terror.
Watching the maid's retreating figure, Xue Yunlan, who had been lying on the ground moments before, got up and asked, "Will this really work? Will Xue Yu come?"
From the darkness, An Ning stood there and thought for a moment before saying, "Close enough. At least it will attract one person."
Xue Yunlan looked at the wide-open door and said, "Why don't we escape now? The doors are both open anyway."
An Ning shook her head. "Once you leave the room, do you know the way to the main gate? If not, it's just a walk around the block before you're caught again, and then there will be no escape. It's better to do it once and for all."
Xue Yunlan nodded in agreement. "You're right, but I don't believe Xue Yu will come."
She had been confident before, thinking she could hold Xue Yu's attention, but now she had no confidence. She realized she didn't know what Xue Yu was thinking.
The maid who fled from Xue Yunlan ran out and bumped into Xue Changan in the courtyard. Xue Changan ordered her to be apprehended and asked coldly, "Why are you running around here?"
The maid was startled, looked at the woman before her, and quickly knelt on the ground, "Your... Your Majesty..."
"Weren't you sent to bring food to Xue Yunlan?"
After Xue Changan's question, the maid remembered her purpose and quickly said, "Your Majesty, Xue Yunlan is not doing well."
Xue Changan paused, "You said Xue Yunlan?"
The maid nodded, "Yes, when I went to deliver food just now, Xue Yunlan was lying on the ground, and I fear she is not doing well."
Xue Changan frowned, "If she's not doing well, why haven't you called a doctor?"
The maid quickly replied, "I... I'll go and get one now."
"Wait, you don't need to get a doctor. You take me to see Xue Yunlan," Xue Changan said.
She wanted to see Xue Yunlan for herself, and Xue Yunlan was also a bargaining chip in her hands, wasn't she?
After all, the Xue Family Army only recognized the royal family as their master, and Xue Yunlan was the only royal bloodline left.
Otherwise, how could she resist those restless rebels who refused to accept her as empress?
Arriving at the room where Xue Yunlan was held, she found the door wide open. Xue Changan strode in and immediately saw Xue Yunlan lying on the ground.
With a nod, the maid stepped forward to help Xue Yunlan up.
Xue Changan then realized that Xue Yunlan was so frail that a gust of wind could blow her over.
Looking at the overturned food in the room, which already had a moldy smell, it was clear that Xue Yunlan was on a hunger strike.
After being given a sip of water, Xue Yunlan slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Xue Changan before her, she couldn't help but sigh. She hadn't managed to lure Xue Yu, but she had managed to lure Xue Changan.
"Xue Yunlan, your hunger strike is useless. Even if you die, Xue Yu won't even glance at you," Xue Changan said coldly.
Xue Yunlan raised her eyes and asked, "Why? Does he not care about my life or death at all?"
Her question was filled with sorrow.
Xue Changan let out a low, cold laugh. "Yes, so do you think your hunger strike is necessary?"
"Xue Changan, can I see him?" Xue Yunlan asked.
Xue Changan shook her head. "No."
"Why?" Xue Yunlan couldn't help but question loudly.
Xue Changan leaned down and said, word by word, "Because he doesn't know you are here, Xue Yunlan, do you understand?"
Xue Yunlan was stunned. "You mean, he doesn't know I'm being held here?"
Xue Changan remained silent.
"How... How is that possible? Xue Changan, why are you imprisoning me?" Xue Yunlan did not understand.
Xue Changan squatted down and smiled triumphantly. "Because of the Xue Family Army!"
Xue Yunlan trembled and suddenly realized, "So that's how it is..."
Xue Changan sighed. "Xue Yunlan, you were clever your whole life, but foolish at this moment."
Upon hearing this, Xue Yunlan suddenly chuckled softly. "Is that so? As long as I'm not foolish from now on, that's all that matters."
Xue Changan paused, looking at Xue Yunlan's smiling face, and felt a sense of unease. Suddenly, a chill appeared behind her. Just as she was about to turn, a dagger gleaming with cold light was placed at her throat.
A clear, frosty voice came from behind, "Don't move. My dagger is not discerning. If it cuts your throat, you'll truly be sent to hell."
"You... Who are you?" Xue Yunlan looked at the maid who had led the way and found that the maid had been knocked unconscious at some point.
The clear voice behind her spoke faintly, "Didn't you want to capture me earlier? Have you already forgotten?"
Upon hearing this, Xue Changan gritted her teeth and said, "You... You are An Ning?"
"Thank you, Empress, for remembering my name," An Ning said with a light smile.
"Let me go..." Xue Changan only managed to utter these three words, and her subsequent words were choked back by the dagger pressed against her throat.
"An Ning, tie her up." Xue Yunlan had already gotten up from the ground. Xue Changan realized that the iron chains on Xue Yunlan's hands and feet were gone.
What else could Xue Changan not understand? Xue Yunlan had cooperated with An Ning to lure her here. Damn it, she had actually believed it.
At this moment, she truly hated herself. She should have brought more people in, instead of letting those useless guards stay outside while she was threatened here.
An Ning followed Xue Yunlan's suggestion and tied Xue Changan up securely. She lay on the ground like a dead fish, unable to move.
Xue Yunlan, not reassured, tied Xue Changan up again and carefully tied up the maid whom An Ning had knocked unconscious.
After finishing, Xue Yunlan looked at An Ning and said, "The rest is up to you. I'll guard the door."
With that, Xue Yunlan went to the door. She was now wearing the clothes she had stripped from the maid and closed the door. Because she kept her head down, the guards outside did not notice anything unusual.
Xue Yunlan felt fortunate that the room was dim, making it difficult for those outside to see clearly what was happening inside.
Xue Changan never imagined that one day she would fall into the hands of this young girl. She had always been in control of others, but today she was so pathetic.
An Ning squatted down and looked at Xue Changan, who was tied up like a bundle, and said coldly, "Where are An Ru and An Ping?"
Xue Changan glanced at her and sneered, "If you want to know how they are, let me go first."
An Ning heard this and coldly laughed, "Xue Changan, I'm not stupid, and you're not foolish. Do you think I would let you go?"
"Then you'll never know where they are?" Xue Changan turned her face away.