Xue Zining suddenly sat up from the bed, still not fully awake from the nightmare, when she heard rustling footsteps outside the door. A voice then softly called, "Your Majesty, are you feeling well?"
In the dim candlelight, a figure vaguely appeared behind the soft curtain by the bed.
Xue Zining took a deep breath, concealing the panic in her heart. After a moment, she asked, "Who is on duty tonight?"
"Your Majesty, it is I, Xueyan."
Xue Zining paused for a moment. Xueyan tentatively called out again, "Your Majesty."
"Come in," Xue Zining said.
Xueyan walked in from the outer hall and approached the soft curtain, bowing. "Your Majesty, is there anything you need?"
"Nothing," Xue Zining replied.
"Your Majesty, I will be waiting in the outer hall. If Your Majesty needs anything, you may summon me," Xueyan said.
"What time is it now?" Xue Zining asked.
Xueyan hesitated and answered, "It has just passed midnight."
"You may withdraw!" Xue Zining waved her hand, signaling Xueyan to leave.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Xueyan bowed and was about to leave when Xue Zining spoke again from behind her. "Go and rest. You don't need to stay on duty for me."
Xueyan was taken aback and quickly shook her head. "This servant dares not!"
"Go. There's nothing for me here. You look much paler. Go and rest!" Xue Zining said.
Upon hearing this, Xueyan's face lit up with joy, though she appeared somewhat timid. "This servant dares not! If Aunt Yuan finds out, she will scold me."
"With me here, Aunt Yuan will not," Xue Zining reassured her.
"Then this servant obeys your command?" Xueyan asked tentatively.
"Go!" Xue Zining said as gently as she could.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Xueyan withdrew, her heart filled with delight.
In fact, even if Xue Zining had not said anything, Xueyan had planned to go back and rest in the latter half of the night. After all, if His Majesty was asleep, who would know if she had stayed on duty?
Even if it were discovered, given her favored position with His Majesty, who would dare say anything?
After Xueyan left, Xue Zining got out of bed. Her hand touched the clothes on the screen, and she called out tentatively, "Is Feng Yin here?"
With a rustling sound, four figures appeared out of thin air before Xue Zining.
They knelt on one knee. "Your subordinate, Feng Wu."
"Your subordinate, Feng Yu."
"Your subordinate, Feng Ying."
"Your subordinate, Feng Jiu."
"We greet Your Majesty!"
Xue Zining looked at the three women and one man kneeling before her, their backs ramrod straight, her eyes moistening.
Feng Yin had always been the guardian of the Crown Prince of Huangze Kingdom. Her father had given Feng Yin to her when she was still young.
In her previous life, she had followed the Imperial Advisor's arrangements and sent all of Feng Yin to Xue Zixuan, to protect Xue Zixuan's safety. By the time she died, she had never seen Feng Yin and the others again. However, she could imagine that since Xue Zixuan dared to plot against her, Feng Yin's fate was likely also predictable.
Feng Yin served the Crown Prince her entire life, recognizing the royal bloodline.
And Xue Zixuan, who had schemed to usurp her throne, naturally would not let Feng Yin go.
Only by removing Feng Yin from her side could he plot against her.
Feng Yin and the others had not heard Xue Zining's voice for a long time. Feng Wu, the leader, boldly asked, "Your Majesty, is there something you need your subordinates to do?"
Feng Wu's voice pulled Xue Zining back to reality. She did indeed have something to do, and she was impatient to do it.
Xue Zixuan, Yan Zhao, this lifetime, you will not take my throne so easily, nor harm those close to me.
"Accompany me to the Prime Minister's mansion."
Feng Wu and the others were taken aback. "Your Majesty, it's so late. You wish to go to the Prime Minister's mansion?"
Xue Zining glanced at Feng Wu and said coldly, "Feng Wu, you are my ears. Do you not know if anything has happened?"