Witnessing the situation, Nanli knew the method of exchange.
She opened the spirit pouch, and the soul flew out, still enveloped by a seal that remained under Nanli’s control.
"You’re alright, Junior Sister?" Xuan Lianzi didn’t lift the carriage curtain but sensed her Junior Sister’s soul aura.
"Senior Brother!" Zhou Min’s face lit up. "I’m fine."
She knew her Senior Brother would come to save her.
Xuan Lianzi hmphed before releasing Tian’s soul.
Nanli inspected it and confirmed that Tian’s soul was intact, without any missing or scattered fragments, before removing the seal on Zhou Min.
Xuan Lianzi thought that Miss Chu was young but straightforward.
Without wasting any words, he released Tian’s soul.
Nanli immediately formed hand seals, intending to guide Tian’s soul back to the carriage and restore it to its rightful place.
Seeing this, a hint of fierceness flashed in Zhou Min’s eyes.
She still had a trick up her sleeve – the ability to disperse nearby souls with her own soul!
As the two met, Zhou Min struck out with her palm!
Nanli’s lips curled slightly, and with a flick of her finger, she dispersed Zhou Min’s soul backward.
Zhou Min felt dizzy and almost scattered!
"Junior Sister!" Xuan Lianzi used a seal to protect Zhou Min, barely saving her.
"If there’s a next time, I will annihilate your body and soul," Nanli’s cold voice echoed, as if it came from an icy cellar.
Inside the carriage, Xuan Lianzi’s face darkened as he retrieved Zhou Min’s soul.
Ye Siheng had already given the order: "Capture them."
The Black Armor Guards were about to step forward.
Xuan Lianzi didn’t hesitate and immediately used a teleportation talisman, not even caring about the coachman who had brought him here.
The coachman, understanding the situation, swiftly slit his own throat.
Ye Siheng had many informants within the Jing City. If they were to return to the city in a carriage, they would undoubtedly be detected by Ye Siheng.
Qing Feng had returned, so he naturally went to investigate.
Upon his return, he sneered. "Quite cautious."
In this way, there was nothing left to investigate.
"It’s fine as long as my second aunt is safe," Nanli said, and the joyful voice of Chu Hanming came from inside the carriage.
He shouted, "Madam, Madam! You’re awake!"
Tian had indeed awakened, but her soul had been separated earlier, and her body had become stiff and cold. She hadn’t fully adjusted yet.
Feeling groggy, she looked at Chu Hanming, whose eyes were red and swollen, and shook her head in confusion. "What happened?"
Upon hearing Tian’s voice, Chu Hanming burst into tears, unable to find the words to respond.
Nanli lifted the curtain helplessly and said, "Second Aunt, it was just a minor incident. Everything is fine now."
"How can you call it a minor incident? I almost lost my wife. If things had gone wrong, I would have been burdened with the reputation of a wife-killer."
Chu Hanming wiped away his tears.
"Madam, thanks to Nanli, I won’t have to spend my remaining years in loneliness."
Although Tian didn’t know what had happened, she hurriedly expressed her gratitude.
Nanli shook her head gently. "Actually, they came for me. It’s my fault that Second Aunt encountered this calamity."
Chu Hanming hurriedly said, "Li’er, you mustn’t say that. We are family, and there is no such thing as causing trouble or not. If it weren’t for your protective talisman, I would have long departed from this world."
The Chu family had never been selfish individuals.
They could share prosperity and endure hardships together!
Tian also nodded, her eyes devoid of any blame.
Nanli’s heart warmed, and she smiled. "Alright, let’s return to the mansion."
Ye Siheng sat in the same carriage with Nanli.
He handed her a warm bowl of soup.
"Yesterday, Consort Yang summoned me to the palace. It was quite coincidental," Nanli said.
Ye Siheng reclined lazily, exuding an air of nonchalance.
His countenance was exquisite, his lips reminiscent of the blush of early spring blossoms, as he gently curved them into a smile.
"In truth, this endeavor has not been entirely fruitless. At the very least, we now know that Yang is not as innocent as she appears."
Nanli furrowed her brows slightly. "But she is with child now. It would not be wise to act against her, would it?"
"Indeed, our imperial brother values this pregnancy greatly," Ye Siheng’s expression also turned solemn.
Due to his defense of Empress Xie, there was now a certain distance between him and his imperial brother.
Perhaps it was due to Yang’s whisperings, but the imperial brother demanded that he surrender the command token of the Forbidden Army, stripping him of his authority to mobilize them.
Though he did not desire to be entangled in excessive power, he found it unacceptable to hand over the army to Yang’s brother.
However, given the strained relationship between him and his imperial brother, he had no choice but to relinquish the token.
The current situation was undeniably precarious.
After escorting Nanli back to her residence, Ye Siheng returned to the Mansion of Prince Yu.
Qingyang had been waiting for him.
"My lord," Qingyang pursed her lips, her face filled with worry, "Yang’s unborn child is in danger. The Emperor has withdrawn all our personnel, leaving none behind."
Ye Siheng sat down, supporting his chin with one hand, a faint cold smile playing on his lips.
"Our imperial brother has grown old, and not only his eyes but also his heart have been veiled by a layer of dust."
Qingyang sighed, "It’s no wonder the Emperor is so anxious. After all, he only has two surviving imperial sons, and the second prince died previously."
Ye Siheng’s smile gradually faded.
"It’s all because Ye Chengyan was not competent enough in the past."
Now his imperial brother was on guard against him, and their fraternal bond had begun to crack.
He couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear.
If this matter implicated the Anyang Marquis Mansion, what would they do?
The court struggles would become even more fierce, and the consequences far-reaching.
His imperial brother had high hopes for Yang’s pregnancy, and now he was weakening Ye Siheng’s influence.
Would his imperial brother still allow A’Li to marry him?
Seeing Ye Siheng lost in thought, Qingyang asked, "My lord?"
Ye Siheng lowered his gaze, his voice slow and deliberate. "It seems that I must fight and seize what is rightfully mine."
Qingyang’s heart trembled.
Previously, the lord had never shown disloyalty towards Emperor Muwu.
The lord had once said, "If the ruler wants the subject dead, the subject has no choice but to die."
But now... the lord actually said he would fight and seize?
With this change in the lord, it all began when Miss Chu appeared!
Both Qingyang and Qing Feng knelt down, proclaiming, "We will follow you, my lord!"
Ye Siheng nodded slightly, his gaze sharp and foreboding.
In this lifetime, there was only one person he couldn’t bear to let go of, so no one should even think about taking her away!
Tian’s safe return brought great joy to everyone.
However, to prevent a recurrence of the same incident, Chu Hanlin ordered that they must be accompanied by guards whenever they went out.
It wasn’t a matter of being accused of ostentation, but rather a precaution against further calamities that could harm them.
Nanli also created an advanced version of the protective talisman, directly embedding it into their bodies, ensuring that incidents like Tian’s would not happen again.
Such talismans were not something everyone could create.
Xie Beihan, needless to say, had no talent for drawing talismans.
As for Zhi Mi, despite his efforts, he either had stiff hands that couldn’t continue drawing or the talisman caught fire and was destroyed halfway.
He pouted, feeling disheartened. "Senior Sister, it seems I can’t draw such a protective talisman. How did you manage to do it? Why don’t your hands get stiff, and why haven’t you made a single useless talisman?"