As Yun Shu stepped inside, the palace maid closed the door behind her.
A moment later.
The palace maid, timing it just right,
opened the door a crack.
She called out inside, "Second Miss Yun?"
There was no response.
She confirmed again, "Second Miss Yun?"
Still no movement.
The palace maid softly pushed the door open.
At the same time, two men emerged from the shadows.
"You two go in. Remember, finish it quickly, don't be too slow. Others will arrive later. If they don't witness the real scene, she'll have an opportunity to quibble. If you fail to handle this, we'll all lose our lives! Furthermore, as you saw at the banquet, Second Miss Yun is not only not foolish, but her beauty is utterly captivating, surpassing all other young ladies present. This is truly your good fortune! Cherish it!"
The palace maid said to the two men.
The men's eyes gleamed.
They rubbed their hands together and assented in low voices.
"Don't worry, we'll handle this perfectly! We secretly observed Second Miss Yun at the banquet; she is truly ethereally beautiful, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Today, even if we die in the palace, we accept it!"
"Indeed, Second Miss Yun is too beautiful! Stop talking, don't waste any more time! Otherwise, we brothers won't have any time to enjoy ourselves!"
The two were now impatient, eager to rush into the room.
The palace maid, recalling Yun Shu's exquisite beauty, felt a flicker of jealousy.
What if she was the daughter of General Yun? Wasn't she destined to be played with, her reputation ruined forever, perhaps even worse off than them, the palace maids.
"Good! Go in!"
After the two men entered, they shut the door behind them.
They grinned and walked towards the bed.
Looking around, the bed was empty.
The woman had been drugged, perhaps she wasn't lying on the bed. The two men then looked at the floor.
They began to search the ground meticulously.
But they found nothing, not a trace of anyone.
"What's going on? Where is she?"
"We clearly saw her walk in just now, and we didn't see her leave?"
The two men's expressions changed.
This was no joke!
"Imperial guards?"
Suddenly, a woman's voice came from above them.
The woman looked down at them from her elevated position.
The two men were startled.
They quickly looked up towards the ceiling.
There sat Yun Shu, straddling a roof beam, her legs swinging leisurely.
Her gaze was as if she were watching two clowns.
"Yun, Second Miss Yun?"
"You, how… how is this possible? Second Miss Yun, shouldn't you be…"
Shouldn't you have drunk the drugged tea and be unconscious by now?
Why was Second Miss Yun perfectly fine now?
The two men's faces suddenly contorted in shock as they looked at Yun Shu.
"Now tell me who bribed you, and I'll spare you. How about one of your lives?" Yun Shu asked with a smile.
"We don't know what Second Miss Yun is talking about!"
One man's eyes darted, as if thinking of a counter-strategy. "Didn't Second Miss Yun invite us brothers here?"
The other person also reacted. "That's right, Second Miss Yun. Have you forgotten the bond between us brothers? You even said you wanted to follow us brothers forever. How can you forget such a deep friendship so easily?"
The two brothers exchanged glances.
They nodded simultaneously.
Then they leaped up towards the roof, intending to capture Yun Shu and subdue her.
Yun Shu smiled charmingly, her tone still leisurely. "It's been a while since I've had to get my hands dirty."
Since Jing Heng wasn't here, she would handle it herself.
A moment later.
A woman gracefully left the palace hall.
Her steps were leisurely and composed as she headed towards the Imperial Garden.
Suddenly, Yun Shu stopped.
She had stepped on something!
Thinking she had stepped on a palace cat or dog,
she was about to bend down to pick up the startled little animal.
However, when she looked down.
Her outstretched hand froze mid-air.
It wasn't a cat or a dog.
It was a person.
Not a stranger, nor a palace attendant.
It was the young emperor, Zhan Tianhong!
He lay on the cobblestone ground, unconscious.
Under the moonlight, his face looked incredibly pale.
"Why is he here?" Yun Shu raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise and confusion in her voice.
Wasn't he supposed to be at the banquet?
She stood up.
She looked down at him.
She didn't like to meddle in other people's affairs.
She believed palace attendants would find him soon, and he wouldn't die in a moment.
Just as she took a step away.
She suddenly heard a phrase uttered by the young emperor.
"Mother Consort… don't go… Father Emperor… I don't want to be emperor… I don't want to…"
"Mother Consort…"
Yun Shu heard it clearly.
She turned back to look at the young emperor.
He looked like a child.
In her eyes, he was indeed like a child.
After all, he was only nine years older than Yun Xiao Jing and Zhan Xiao Li.
The young emperor appeared malnourished and gaunt, clearly showing his frail health.
As she had given birth to three children, she understood as a mother.
Fine.
She would save his life.
She bent down, picked up Zhan Tianhong's arm, and felt his pulse.
After examining his pulse, Yun Shu's lips twitched severely.
"It's a miracle he's alive."
She looked around again. There was still no one within dozens of meters.
She took out a pouch from her waist.
Inside the pouch were a silver needle and a stack of silver notes.
This silver needle was for emergencies.
She hadn't expected it to be useful today.
With a swift movement, she inserted the needle.
She continued to prick various acupoints.
A moment later.
Zhan Tianhong's complexion had improved slightly.
He wasn't as deathly pale as before.
Then, she poured out a pill from a small porcelain bottle she carried.
This was an antidote pill.
She had spent years developing it.
The formula was meticulously calculated.
The young emperor had been poisoned since childhood, which was why his health had always been frail.
It was a miracle he had lived this long.
He must have taken some antidotes in between.
Or he had taken an antidote recently.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived until now.
Royal affairs had always been complicated, and the young emperor was truly pitiful.
After the young emperor swallowed the pill, she felt his pulse again.
"Hmm, he's alright now."
She stood up, preparing to leave.
Suddenly, Zhan Tianhong opened his eyes.
He stared at her intently.
His eyes didn't blink at all.
"You saved me?"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but cough. He suppressed the cough and looked at Yun Shu.
Just as he was about to ask further, his eyes widened in disbelief and surprise.
This!
How could this be possible?
Every time he fell ill, he suffered unbearable pain and would have to sleep for over an hour, and he would be extremely weak. He remembered that feeling of helplessness vividly.