The matter of Fu Ning's assassination attempt on Chu Qianli was soon reported to Feng Yexuan.
"Fu Ning is a spy from the Southern Underworld Kingdom?" Even Leng Ji found it impossible!
But Chu Qianli insisted, "That's right, we all trusted her wrongly! Tonight, she almost killed me."
Chu Qianli looked at Feng Yexuan, who sat beside her without speaking, and said gravely, "Yexuan, you must issue a kill order. Anyone who sees her is to be killed without mercy."
A kill order!
Leng Ji's body trembled and he immediately said, "Your Highness, this must not be done. A kill order means life and death! But we haven't even seen Fu Ning, nor have we heard a single word from her!"
Even a criminal should be given a chance to appeal.
Perhaps it was all a misunderstanding?
If a kill order was issued, what room would there be for any misunderstanding? Anyone seen would be killed without mercy, without even a chance to explain!
"Your Highness, Fu Ning has shared life and death with us. We have a bond forged through shared peril. How could she possibly..."
"Then your implication is that Fu Ning is not a spy, but I am?" Chu Qianli's expression turned extremely ugly.
Staring at Leng Ji, she angrily declared, "Are you doubting my words?"
"This subordinate dares not!" She even resorted to using "朕" (Zhen), the imperial "I." In terms of status, where was there any room for him to speak?
But...
"Yexuan, I endured countless hardships to reach this position today, and finally have the chance to return and marry you."
To Chu Qianli, what was Leng Ji? He didn't even have the qualification to speak to her.
In her eyes, there was only Feng Yexuan: "In the past, how much grievance did I suffer, how much danger did I face? Each time, I survived by bleeding on the edge of a blade!"
"There are so many people around me who want to take my life. What is one more, Fu Ning, today?"
"I am simply heartbroken. I treated her like a sister, yet she wanted to take my life!"
She looked at Feng Yexuan, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Yexuan, my survival until now is already a miracle, but I cannot endure such grievances anymore. I don't want to be sad again, nor do I want to see the person who hurt my heart again!"
...In the end, Prince Xuan still issued the kill order.
He could not let his woman be so heartbroken any longer.
The most terrifying thing was that recently, there was one more person causing her sorrow, and that was himself!
Feng Yexuan had been very troubled these past two days. Leng Ji had never seen him so vexed.
Was reuniting with Her Majesty the Empress truly a good thing?
Why had the Prince not smiled happily since their reunion?
After Chu Qianli left, Leng Ji looked at Feng Yexuan. Although he knew he was overstepping, he was truly worried.
"Your Highness, Fu Ning has been through life and death with us for so long. For Her Majesty the Empress, she nearly lost her life several times. How could she possibly betray Her Majesty?"
"So, you are more inclined to believe that it is Li'er who has ulterior motives?" Feng Yexuan's voice sounded somewhat weary.
Leng Ji immediately panicked and quickly said, "How would I dare?"
"If Li'er has no issues, then Fu Ning must have the problem."
Feng Yexuan leaned back against the chair, his brows etched with exhaustion.
His body was not tired, but his heart was weary.
What was helpless was that even he himself did not know what he was weary of.
"But Your Highness, shouldn't we at least give Fu Ning a chance to speak?"
Once the kill order was issued, what would be brought back would likely be a corpse.
Why couldn't someone who had shared hardships with them have the right to explain themselves before them?
"Your Highness..."
Feng Yexuan waved his hand, his expression indifferent. "If you can find her before the Four Killings, I will give her a chance to speak."