Chapter 57 The Empress Dowager Interferes Abruptly

Chang’an came to Yue Guanyi’s side, not noticing anything unusual between the two, with his attention fully focused on the corpse not far away: “What’s this?”

“An assassin. He ambushed us here and was stabbed to death by Lord Qiu.” Yue Guanyi’s voice was ice-cold, devoid of any emotion, looking at Chang’an as if he were an unwelcome guest.

Chang’an thought Yue Guanyi was unhappy because of the assassin’s death, after all, with the assassin dead, they couldn’t find any clues: “Since the assassin has already been brought to justice, this humble official will now send someone to report to Your Majesty.”

Yue Guanyi’s horse had already been killed by the assassin’s hidden weapon. Chang’an led the horse and knelt before Yue Guanyi, presenting the reins with both hands: “Your Highness, please mount.”

Yue Guanyi instinctively looked towards Qiu Shuzhi, his voice trembling and soft: “My Lord……”

Chang’an heard this and felt a tingle at the base of his ears, his hands almost unable to hold steady.

Qiu Shuzhi just smiled faintly, her eyes clear, white, and gentle: “Your Highness, please.”

With her permission, Yue Guanyi finally mounted the horse, his phoenix eyes lowered, hiding indescribable emotions.

The group returned to the hunting grounds with the assassin’s corpse to report their mission.

This night was destined to be quite tumultuous.

The young Emperor, the Empress, the Noble Consort, and even the bedridden Empress Dowager, struggling to support her frail body, all gathered together, with the corpse brazenly placed in the center.

“Is this the assassin? Have you found out who it is?” Qin Qing supported his weary body, asking in a lazy voice.

“In response to the Empress Dowager, this humble official has already sent people to investigate,” Qiu Shuzhi said, kneeling on one knee.

Qin Qing’s body was weak and powerless, his palm playing with a few pieces of candy, his loose long hair like wind and mist as he leaned obliquely against the chair back: “Rise. Lord Qiu has rendered meritorious service in killing the assassin. This palace will remember it.”

Soon after, the person Qiu Shuzhi had sent to investigate the assassin’s identity returned. It was a sweeper from Jing Guiren’s palace.

When Jing Guiren was dragged in by Chang’an, his face was ashen. Upon learning that an assassin had come from his palace, Jing Guiren fainted on the spot. He was later awakened by Chang’an with a basin of cold water in front of everyone. Jing Guiren was so frightened that his face turned deathly pale, and he kowtowed and cried out hoarsely: “Your Majesty, this servant is wronged. How could this servant do such a treasonous thing?”

Instructing a servant to assassinate the emperor was a crime punishable by execution of the entire clan, implicating nine generations of relatives. Jing Guiren came from a humble background and was selected to enter the palace due to his beauty. He had just enjoyed a few days of glory, only to encounter this catastrophe.

He cried and crawled to the young Emperor’s feet, pulling at her clothes: “Your Majesty, please believe this servant. This servant would never do anything to betray you. This servant doesn’t even know this person. Someone must be framing this servant. This servant is wronged! Wronged!”

Jing Guiren’s desperate cries did not elicit any sympathy from the young Emperor. Her expression showed not the slightest sign of being moved.

The Noble Consort’s charming face rested on Yue Shen’s shoulder, her red lips parting slightly, her coquettish and soft words wrapped in a chilling coldness: “Jing Guiren certainly knows how to cry. Anyone can pretend to be innocent, but the assassin was found in your palace. If it wasn’t you, who else could have given the orders?”

Jing Guiren suddenly raised his head, his vicious gaze piercing through his tear-filled eyes as he glared at him venomously: “It was you! It must have been you!”

Jing Guiren shouted: “You vixen, you must have framed me!”

Lan Xuezhao contemptuously curled his lips: “Frame you? You really think highly of yourself.”

“It was you, you framed me.” Jing Guiren had clearly gone mad, this was a crime that would lead to the execution of his entire clan. His family members and siblings would all be implicated because of this. He was both frightened and enraged, his eyes as red as if filled with blood.

Lan Xuezhao’s eyes were contemptuous as he curled up in Yue Shen’s arms like a boneless creature: “Your Majesty, look at Jing Guiren’s state now. He clearly had ill intentions, yet he dares to slander others. This servant is so scared!”

Qin Qing peeled a piece of candy and put it in his mouth, quietly watching the show. As the sweet taste spread in his mouth, he narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. Hmm, almond flavor.

“Vixen! Slut!” Jing Guiren lunged forward recklessly, his ten fingers turning into evil ghostly claws as he tightly gripped his neck, shouting in a frenzied state: “You poisonous man, you want to kill me, kill my family, I won’t let you go even as a ghost!”

Lan Xuezhao was choked to the point where he couldn’t breathe, his face turning deathly pale from lack of blood.

Qiu Shuzhi quickly stepped forward to forcibly pull Jing Guiren away, but he had already gone mad, his strength was extremely great. His nails left several deep scratches on Lan Xuezhao’s neck and he refused to let go, even scratching a mark on Qiu Shuzhi’s face. The meticulously trimmed nails dyed with cinnabar were forcibly broken, leaving bloody flesh exposed.

Qin Qing’s palm tightened, just about to shout.

In a flash, a dazzling sword light flashed, blood splattered three feet high, and the hand that had scratched Qiu Shuzhi was chopped into two halves.

“Ah—” Jing Guiren looked at everything before him in disbelief, falling to the ground in pain, his face covered in blood and mud, letting out heart-wrenching wails.

Yue Guanyi put away his sword expressionlessly, his cold eyes dark and flashing with piercing coldness. Anyone who hurts Qiu Niang deserves death!

“Insolent!” Yue Shen, who had been silent all along, suddenly slammed the table, her somewhat immature voice not diminishing her authority in the slightest: “Jing Guiren has committed the crime of lèse-majesté, attempting to assassinate the emperor, an unforgivable offense. Take him away for slow slicing, and implicate his parents and clan!”

“No—” Jing Guiren cried out in despair, his bare half arm pitifully begging: “I am wronged, my parents are innocent.”

Jing Guiren’s hot blood splattered on his face, leaving Lan Xuezhao stunned in place.

Yue Shen kicked away the pleading Jing Guiren, her eyes as cold as an unsheathed sword: “Why haven’t you taken him away yet!”

“Vixen! Vixen! I won’t let you go even as a ghost!” Jing Guiren’s eyes were bulging, and Chang’an, leading the Imperial Guards, forcibly took him away despite his cries.

The desperate cries gradually faded away, leaving the room in silence.

Lan Xuezhao covered his neck, lowering his head, the silver ornaments in his hair making empty tinkling sounds, two clear tears falling silently.