Wanyan, who had been silent, suddenly lowered her head and spoke respectfully.
"Reporting to Consort De, the Empress has been a fool since birth; this is known to everyone in the world."
"Who are you?"
Consort De narrowed her eyes, examining Wanyan as if just noticing the presence of a stranger, someone not from the palace, an unfamiliar face.
Wanyan spoke without humility or subservience.
"Your servant is from the Yun Prince's manor. The Prince feared that someone in the palace would bully Your Highness again, so he ordered this servant to enter the palace to attend to Your Highness properly. On that day, the Empress Dowager issued an imperial decree to bring Your Highness back to the palace, stating that no one would harm Your Highness again. I wonder what Consort De means now by saying that someone who has been foolish for over a decade is no longer foolish."
Yun Xiao, perched on the treetop, couldn't help but praise her inwardly.
Good job, Wanyan. I didn't take you in for nothing. This move, unseen and unheard, a "flying over the wall with iron cavalry" tactic, is truly well-executed. Even the Emperor is wary of the Yun Prince's manor and the Empress Dowager.
Indeed, Shangguan Yao's expression instantly turned dark and cold. With a sudden flick of his hand, he spoke coldly.
"Return to the palace."
"Your Majesty?" Consort De cried out. She didn't know where things had gone wrong. It was all planned, yet a single move had cost them dearly. She watched helplessly as the Emperor, his face ashen, led a group of eunuchs away.
And the culprit behind all this was this detestable palace maid. Ye Suyue's anger flared, and she kicked Xiao He. Xiao He cried out and fell to the side. Still not appeased, Ye Suyue commanded Yue Mei.
"Drag this insolent slave away and give her twenty large boards."
In the cold night, Xiao He could no longer hold on. With a yelp, she fainted. However, the people of Zhaoyang Palace did not let her go. Yue Mei waved her hand, and several eunuchs stepped forward, lifting Xiao He away.
Xiuxiu, Xiao Yuan, Xiao Zhao, and the others were all pale with fear, not daring to breathe. Consort De, Ye Suyue, ignored them. She raised her head, glared at the person in the tree, and said in a low voice, "Return to the palace."
"Consort De is returning to the palace."
The eunuch's high-pitched voice rang out, and the procession left the Imperial Garden in a grand manner.
The wind blew, and fallen leaves, like dancing butterflies, rustled and tumbled to the ground.
The few people below the tree stood up, looking up at their master in the tree. Wanyan spoke softly, "Your Highness, please come down. It's late, let's go back."
Her tone was still a gentle coaxing, showing no carelessness. Although the Emperor and Consort De had left, they likely still harbored shadows in their hearts, and the palace would be restless from now on. Therefore, they had to be cautious.
Yun Xiao knew this. She nodded with a sweet smile.
"Alright, sister, let's go back to sleep."
As she slid down the tree, the surroundings suddenly turned cold. A gust of wind blew, and her vision became hazy. Darkness enveloped her clear eyes. Her descending body seemed to be supported by a layer of mist, floating upwards leisurely until she landed in her original position.
Yun Xiao's heart sank. Her pupils turned cold and murderous. Who was it? Such powerful internal energy.
"Who?"
Silence. But a faint fragrance filled the air beside her. The slight breathing indicated that this person was close by. Such speed and skill, controlling everything in an instant.
She wouldn't sit idly by. Before the person could reply, she flicked her wrist. A silver light emanated with a faint chill, spinning into a lotus shape and striking towards the source of the breathing…
Moonlight fragmented, shadows blurred. Yun Xiao only had time to catch a glimpse as a shadow instantly shifted, standing poised among the dense branches like a phantom in the cold night.
The strong wind dissipated, and the man's white brocade robe slowly draped down. The embroidery of a half-bloomed lotus dazzled the eyes.
This man seemed to particularly favor wearing white. This was the second time they had met, and he was wearing white, either embroidered with seawater patterns or half-bloomed lotuses, showing his elegant disposition. But why would such a person cover his face with a silver mask and attempt to harm a fool?
Yun Xiao sized up the man opposite her, playing with the gleaming silver knife in her hand, while listening to Wanyan and Xiuxiu calling from below. They had not seen the previous scene and were only curious why their master had gone down and then returned.
This man who trespassed into the palace was Murong Chong, whom she had met once before.
At this moment, he stood elegantly against the wind. Moonlight filtered through the branches, casting a silver glow upon him. His hair was tied with a silver hairpin; it was longer than that of ordinary men, falling smoothly and emitting light, like the finest silk.
A butterfly mask covered the upper half of his face, revealing a high-bridged nose, naturally rosy lips, and a slightly upturned chin, exuding an innate dominance.
Yun Xiao suspected she was mistaken. How could a petty rogue from the martial world possess such powerful dominance? Upon closer inspection, indeed, this man exuded a strong aura of authority, as if he were the supreme ruler of heaven and earth.
His eyes, dim like starlight, caught the moonlight, becoming even colder, more profound, and unfathomable, filled with a bloodthirsty killing intent. He stood there quietly, like a Asura in the dark night, looking down at Yun Xiao, and spoke word by word.
"Who are you? Who exactly are you?"
Yun Xiao's pupils darkened. This man actually suspected her. Did this mean he had investigated her? Therefore, he was certain that the daughter of the Yun Prince's manor was a fool, and she was merely a fake. It was a pity he would never know the truth.
"Murong Chong, you're not sleeping in the middle of the night and coming here to spout nonsense."
Yun Xiao didn't want to deal with this fellow. If he wanted to go mad, let him. He shouldn't bother her; she wasn't in the mood to accompany him. There were still a bunch of people in the palace plotting against her, and she should focus on dealing with them.
As for Murong Chong, since she could escape his grasp, he wouldn't be able to make a move against her in such a short time.
Moreover, killing her now might not go as he wished. Yun Xiao sneered and moved, falling downwards.
Murong Chong's sharp, dark eyes clouded with coldness, like the eyes of a wolf on the prairie, cold and sharp.
Did this woman think he wouldn't kill her, making her so fearless? He stretched out his palm, and a powerful internal force surged out, enveloping Yun Xiao's body like white mist.
He retracted his hand, and Yun Xiao lunged forward. He flicked his body, meeting her, and with a single touch, pinpointed her pressure points. With a flick of his long sleeve, he tossed her steadily onto another branch.
He landed lightly on another branch and said in a cold, icy voice.
"Do you think I dare not kill you?"
Yun Xiao's body was suddenly immobilized. She immediately knew that this man had sealed her acupoints and couldn't help but retort angrily, "Do you think you can kill me?"
"Why not?" Murong Chong stretched out his long arm to grab Yun Xiao's neck. But before his arm reached her, he felt a discomfort in his chest, as if thousands of tiny needles were pricking his heart. He abruptly withdrew his hand, shouting with fierce, icy anger, "You dare to drug me."
"Why not? You wanted to kill me, right? Then let's perish together. I would have lived a worthwhile life, having someone accompany me in death. But are you beautiful or ugly? Don't scare me."
Yun Xiao even managed to tease Murong Chong at the end.
Murong Chong's lips curled into a wicked, sinister smile.
"Good, very good. This is truly interesting. I didn't expect the fool from the Yun Prince's manor to not be a fool. I wonder if, when this news reaches the Emperor's ears, Yun Mo and everything in the Yun Prince's manor can still be preserved."
After the cold threat, he said in a deep voice, "Give me the antidote, and I'll spare you once."
"Antidote? There isn't any. Even if there were, I wouldn't give it to you. Didn't you want to tell the Emperor that I'm not a fool? Hurry up and go. I want to see if the Emperor is more interested in the Yun family or in you."
This last sentence was Yun Xiao's bold guess. The Murong family must have an ancient feud with the Shangguan family, which was why Murong Chong covered his face, to prevent Shangguan Yao from recognizing him.