"The Empress is too much!" Yi Zuo gritted her teeth, utterly helpless.
"I'm so cold, where is Mo Mo? I want to see Mo Mo~" Liu Lanxue hugged herself, trembling all over.
Yi You rubbed her hands, gently comforting her, "Your Highness, please don't worry, the young lady will surely come. She'll be here soon."
Her Highness's health was already poor, and in this freezing weather, with the Empress having sealed the cold palace, what could be done?
"I'll go ask them for braziers!" Yi Zuo gritted her teeth and moved to open the door.
The door opened from the outside first.
Three palace maids carried in charcoal.
Behind them followed Madam Qin.
Madam Qin said haughtily, "Her Majesty the Empress, in her concern for the palace residents, feared Consort Liang would be cold and has bestowed upon you charcoal basins. You should be grateful to Her Majesty."
The charcoal basins were sealed shut, containing some unknown type of charcoal. Although burning, they emitted no warmth, only a thick smoke.
Everyone coughed, choked by the fumes.
Yi Zuo angrily retorted, "If Her Majesty truly cared, she would provide proper charcoal. What is the meaning of this?"
Such things were worse than having nothing.
"Since it is a gift from Her Majesty, you must accept it with gratitude. How dare you be so picky?" Madam Qin pointed at Yi You.
"What use are such disobedient servants who don't know their place? Beat her! Beat her to death!"
Four or five palace maids rushed into the room and seized Yi Zuo, beating her.
Yi You rushed to intervene, "Stop, everyone, stop! We thank Her Majesty for her kindness. We accept the gifts!"
"Hmph, that's more like it." Madam Qin sneered, waved her hand, and left with her entourage.
Yi Zuo's fury burned, "This is too much, they are all too much!"
Yi You, coughing, covered her mouth, "Bear with it for now. The Empress came with such force, how can we two stop her? Moreover, Consort Liang is still here, don't frighten her."
Liu Lanxue was calling for someone.
Yi You quickly returned to the bedside.
The outer door was locked, and the room door was tightly shut.
Soon, smoke filled the room, making it impossible to open one's eyes.
Yi Zuo endured the pain, walked to the window to try and ventilate, but the window was sealed shut.
Thick smoke quickly billowed inside, and Liu Lanxue couldn't help but cough.
The two gradually sensed something was wrong.
"All the windows are sealed shut!" Yi Zuo exclaimed in shock after checking all the doors and windows.
Yi You's expression also changed drastically. She drew her sword and tried to chop at the doorframe.
The door was completely sealed from the outside, impossible to break.
"Cough cough… the Empress wants to burn us to death!" Yi Zuo desperately pounded on the door, "Open the door, someone, open the door!"
Yi You also panicked, joining in banging on the doors and windows, but there was no response from outside.
The room was soon filled with thick smoke, making it impossible to see anything.
Liu Lanxue coughed and began to gag, "Mo Mo… Mo Mo…"
It feels so awful, A Yao, A Yao…
"Someone, quickly, someone, open the door! Your Highness! Your Highness!" Yi You shouted, her consciousness beginning to blur.
Outside the courtyard, Luo Yun'e watched the two figures darting about inside, a smile gradually widening in her eyes.
Soon, the sounds grew much fainter, leaving only Liu Lanxue's weak calls.
Madam Qin, watching the thick white smoke billowing from under the door, reported, "Your Majesty the Empress, rest assured, at this rate, everything here will be resolved soon."
Luo Yun'e watched with cold eyes, a satisfied curl to her lips, "It better be."
Liu Lanxue, Liu Lanxue, you've fought with this palace for so many years, only to die by my hand in the end?
You will soon disappear from this world, and no one will come to save you.
His Majesty will not come, and that damned girl from the General's Mansion will certainly not come.
"How dare you! Who are you to trespass into the cold palace!" A sharp scream sounded from outside the cold palace door.
Luo Yun'e turned her head to look.
A small figure darted in from outside the cold palace.
Luo Yun'e was greatly alarmed, "Su Yun Mo? How did you get in? Someone, stop her, stop her!"
The palace maids rushed to block her.
The little dumpling leaped past everyone with extreme speed, heading straight for the sleeping quarters.
The sounds inside had weakened, almost inaudible if not listened to carefully.
A cold glint flashed in Su Yun Mo's eyes. She snatched a spear from a palace maid's hand, used her abilities, and hurled it.
The spear cut through the air, piercing the room door.
With a bang, the door exploded open, and the dense smoke immediately rushed out.
The little dumpling continued her charge into the room without pause.
Luo Yun'e shouted, "Useless! All of you are useless! Hurry and stop her, don't let her save them!"
Damn it, didn't His Majesty previously order this girl not to enter the palace? By rights, even with the Empress Dowager's token, she shouldn't have been able to get past the palace gates!
The palace maids stepped forward to block her.
Su Yun Mo, moving faster than them, slipped into the room.
On the bed, Yi Zuo and Yi You shielded Liu Lanxue, all three on the verge of fainting.
Su Yun Mo's brows knitted in anger.
Although she had guessed the Empress would eagerly make a move on her Highness the day His Majesty left the palace, she hadn't expected her to come up with such a method.
"Yi Zuo, Yi You, wake up!" The little dumpling ran to the bedside, disregarding everything else, and slapped each of them on the face.
The smoke in the room dissipated slightly, and the two slowly regained consciousness.
"Young miss?"
The little dumpling pulled Liu Lanxue, dragging her off the bed, "Don't talk so much now, let's get Her Highness out."
Yi Zuo and Yi You covered their mouths, coughing as they struggled to help Liu Lanxue run out.
The palace maids were about to seal the door again.
Before they could act, Su Yun Mo waved her hand.
The spear that had been shot into the room suddenly flew back, striking the palace maids and knocking them to the ground.
The little dumpling cleared the path ahead, Yi Zuo and Yi You carrying Liu Lanxue, breaking through the encirclement and reaching the courtyard outside.
They laid Liu Lanxue on the ground. Liu Lanxue remained motionless.
Yi Zuo panicked, "Young miss, quickly come and see, what's wrong with Her Highness?"
Su Yun Mo quickly checked her pulse and said gravely, "She's just been affected by the smoke, she'll wake up soon."
Moreover, the smoke contained a soporific. It seemed the Empress had prepared for both eventualities, intending for none of them to leave alive from the start.
Seeing Su Yun Mo rescue them, Luo Yun'e's eyes were filled with hatred, "Audacious Su Yun Mo! Who gave you the courage to trespass into the imperial harem!"
Why did this damned girl always get in the way? She was so close to succeeding!
Su Yun Mo took off her outer cloak and draped it over Liu Lanxue. She stepped forward to shield them, looking directly at Luo Yun'e.
"And who gave the Empress such audacity to commit murder by torture against a consort in the cold palace?"
Luo Yun'e sharply rebuked, "Presumptuous! With which of your eyes did you see this palace harming anyone? This palace was merely enforcing palace regulations by sealing the cold palace. As for the near fire, it was caused by the carelessness of subordinates!"
Su Yun Mo sneered, "That's a good excuse you've found. I hope His Majesty believes you when he hears it."