Xiao Linzi, every time he passed through the main gate, would subconsciously glance at the trees, but why did the Shadow Guard suddenly appear?
Oh, had His Majesty just called for them, then was he still going to catch someone, but who was it to be caught?…
Before Xiao Linzi could sort out the chaotic thoughts in his head, Xiao Jizi, who had returned empty-handed to the corner of the veranda, heard some noises and even heard Lian Hua’s voice, though what he cried out wasn’t quite clear. His heart skipped a beat, and he took to his heels, soon appearing behind Xiao Linzi.
Seeing him, Xiao Linzi turned his head and cried out as if he had been saved, “Brother Xiao Ji, His Majesty inside is ordering people to catch them, what do we do?” This text is hosted at NoveI-Fire.ɴet
As Xiao Jizi’s gaze fell upon the Shadow Guard, his heart missed a beat. This was the Shadow Guard that His Majesty had arranged to secretly protect His Majesty. Now appearing here, didn’t that mean…
Before he could let his thoughts run wild, he saw Lian Hua’s figure appearing on the secluded path. She seemed unharmed, and Xiao Qing, with hands partially opened, tightly followed behind, like a steadfast warrior refusing to leave her side by even an inch.
Xiao Jizi let out a heavy sigh of relief and jogged over, “Your Majesty, you’re not hurt… right…?”
Seeing Lian Hua’s expression, he was completely dumbfounded. He saw Lian Hua enveloped in an aura of deadly calm, her cherry lips tightly pursed, and her eyes… carrying a murderous intent?
Xiao Jizi suddenly found himself speechless; this was the first time he felt murderous intent from Lian Hua. His mistress was usually sweet and gentle, and even when she bared her teeth and claws in anger, it was with a girl’s playful nature.
His mind went “boom,” and rage ignited within him. Who had angered his mistress, turning his carefree master into this state?
What on earth had happened during the short while he was away?!!
This Lian Hua felt so unfamiliar to Xiao Linzi; he rubbed his eyes, looked again, and there was his master, the same as always, and yet something had changed. Before, he would have been scared, but now, for some reason, his master seemed more vulnerable, and it broke his heart.
Lian Hua stepped forward with measured steps, seeming to float outside this world, falling into a strange state. She felt exceedingly calm, her mind clearer than ever before, yet at the same time, something in her mind had cracked open, strange voices emanating from the fissure—sobs, the sound of water, the clanking of chains, myriad noises interwoven and jumbled together.
She stared fixedly at the sudden Shadow Guard, a thought surfacing from her heart: His Majesty would not deceive her, Immortals have come. With thoughts of the Emperor, a thread of warmth slowly flowed towards her heart, but as soon as she thought of the words “family ruined and people perished,” the crack in Lian Hua’s mind grew wider, uncontrollable flashbacks of previously unremembered scenes flickering by.
“Have you caught them?” she heard her voice ask.
The Shadow Guard, expressionless, did not answer immediately, silently listened for a while, and then said unemotionally, “They’ve been caught.”
“Not one missing?” her voice was unnervingly calm.
The scene fell silent, save for the alternating questions and answers between the two people.
Xiao Jizi, his eyes nearly crimson with anger and worry, looked towards Xiao Qing who, still with partially opened hands, protected Lian Hua from behind. Sensing Xiao Jizi’s gaze, her eyes warmed, teeth clenched, fighting back the tears, feeling so helpless once more; under her very eyes, her mistress had been schemed against yet again.
She was no longer the Xiao Qing of old; she knew those words certainly contained some provocation that dramatically changed Lian Hua’s demeanor, but she couldn’t discern it and didn’t know how to protect her mistress.
Lian Hua spoke the third sentence with calm authority, “Take me there.” The tone was decisive and brooked no argument.
Xiao Jizi and the others had not yet grasped the meaning of her words when the Shadow Guard immediately bowed with a fist and responded, “Yes, pardon the offense.” The person moved swiftly towards Lian Hua, lifting her up and, with a tip of the toe over the rockery, arrived at the other side of the rockery.
In the blink of an eye, the figure had vanished from sight, leaving Xiao Jizi and the other two aghast, their hearts racing. The three of them could not leave their mistress’s side, not even for half a step.
Anxious in heart yet lacking the skill to cross the rockery, Xiao Jizi remained the most composed. When Xiao Linzi attempted to climb the rockery, Xiao Jizi pulled him down, and together with Xiao Qing, they hurriedly detoured from the front courtyard of Qianqiu Hall.
On the other side of the rockery.
Two Shadow Guards, one in front and one behind, held two palace maids with bound hands and feet, facedown on the ground.
Qing Ya struggled to look up but was pinned to the ground, unable to move; she could only see the embroidered satin pearl shoes of the person above her but could not discern their face by any means.
At that moment, her heart was filled with shock and despair. She had calculated everything but did not anticipate that His Majesty would send the Royal Dragon Shadow Guard to protect Beauty Lian. She was captured before getting far, had no chance to react, lost the ability to resist, and was roughly thrown to the ground, soon seeing a pair of embroidered shoes appear before her eyes.
The phrase “The dragon has its scales, and touching them is to court death” came to mind. Beauty Lian was His Majesty’s untouchable scale. No wonder Changzai Zhou was unwilling to make a move no matter what. She understood now, but it was too late!
Qing Ya wasn’t afraid to die; she feared implicating Consort Liu, but she didn’t even have the chance to end her own life!
Yet, she didn’t regret it. Beauty Lian’s presence here was proof that Qing Ya’s plot had worked, right? Once she revealed the Noble Consort’s actions and pushed a little further, her plan could succeed. But how could she ensure her mistress would not be implicated?
Qing Ya’s thoughts raced. To come out of this unscathed was a pipe dream for herself, but after all, she had not done any real harm to Beauty Lian today, only shared the “truth” she knew.
“Let her go.” A crisp and indifferent voice came from above.
The pressure on Qing Ya immediately eased, and she looked up to see the legendary Beauty Lian appear like a vengeful deity. In her large almond eyes, the pupils were like swirls of brilliant light, seemingly able to illuminate all dark corners, making Qing Ya shrink away and lower her head to avoid the gaze, feeling a spine-chilling coldness and fear arise for no reason.
Was this Beauty Lian? Why was she so different from the one Qing Ya had imagined? Tender and naive without cunning, she couldn’t even dodge the most clumsy trap set by Lady Li after Consort Liu’s warning. Frank and straightforward yet not of a forbearing nature, she dared to openly confront the Noble Consort and challenge all the concubines targeting her. But why did this Beauty Lian in front of her evoke a sense of dread even greater than the Noble Consort? Which one was the real her?
Struggling to maintain calm, Qing Ya forced herself to look up again and said with an air of defiance, “I don’t know why Beauty wishes to apprehend me. What crime have I committed?”
No one answered such a foolish question. Under the gaze of those eyes, that seemed to see through everything, all her prevarications seemed futile.
Qing Ya’s resolve began to falter, but with a trembling voice, she persisted, “Noble Consort Xue has tried to harm Beauty several times before, and though I was powerless to stop it and despised such acts, if you don’t believe me, I can die to prove my sincerity.”
With those words, a great relief flooded through her; this way, she could be discharged from suspicion regarding Consort Liu. She could now die with a clear conscience.