Chapter 209: Shouldn't There Be Poison in It?

Wu Zhui turned his head and saw Jiang Lian'er.

Her hair was tied up in a simple, hurried fashion, and she had a moon-white cloak draped over her shoulders; evidently, she had heard the news and rushed over in a hurry.

Wu Zhui walked toward her and asked, "Why are you up?"

Jiang Lian'er clutched her hem and asked him, "Is it possible that outside...?"

She looked left and right, then lowered her voice, "Are they going to fight?"

Wu Zhui looked at her and couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips: "It is likely they are going to fight."

Jiang Lian'er revealed a worried expression and glanced at her, "Then are you going out? Did His Highness the Crown Prince give you a very important task?"

Wu Zhui nodded: "Yes, very important."

"Then..." Jiang Lian'er seemed to want to say something, but she wasn't sure if it was appropriate, so she stammered, her cheeks gradually flushing with a rosy glow.

Wu Zhui lowered his eyes to look at her.

As if driven by some emotion, an inexplicable impulse rose within him, and he suddenly said: "It might be a little dangerous."

Jiang Lian'er was stunned.

"But, Miss Jiang, wait for me in the Eastern Palace; I will definitely return safely," Wu Zhui added.

Jiang Lian'er's face turned even redder.

Watching her appearance, the impulse in Wu Zhui's heart surged even more intensely, so he simply gathered his courage and squeezed Jiang Lian'er's fingers.

Jiang Lian'er did not pull away.

Wu Zhui lowered his voice: "Wait for me to return; I have a very important matter to discuss with you."

Jiang Lian'er didn't make a sound at first, so Wu Zhui didn't let go, saying "Hmm?" with the tail of his voice rising, "Alright?"

This was him waiting for her answer.

Jiang Lian'er was extremely shy; she lowered her head and whispered: "Alright..."

Wu Zhui smiled and reluctantly let her go.

Wu Zhui's task tonight was indeed full of danger.

He knew that if Xiao Mingyu intended to rebel, he must have already left the city by now.

The four major military camps in the southeast, west, and north of Fengdu were all under the control of Xiao Youlan, but if they were to be mobilized, they still required the Emperor's written order; without it, the camps would only symbolically dispatch a few dozen men or small squads of only ten or so for Xiao Youlan to command.

As for Xiao Mingyu, based on Wu Zhui's understanding of him, there were several people in the Fengdu Imperial Guard who were his men, either promoted by him personally or simply following him in corruption.

Under the manipulation of these people, Fengdu could easily fall into Xiao Mingyu's control.

Furthermore, if Xiao Mingyu had decided to rebel, he must have already sent orders everywhere long ago.

Over the years, he had raised many Hidden Guards and Death Soldiers under his command, who must have already gathered toward Fengdu, or rather, had already gathered inside Fengdu City.

They were only waiting for Xiao Mingyu's order to seize Fengdu City under the cover of night, and to seize the imperial throne in the palace as well.

Tonight, although Wu Zhui's task was dangerous, it was also simple.

He had to guard the Armory in the north of the city.

If Xiao Mingyu wanted to rebel, weapons were of vital importance; he had them at the Duan Prince Mansion in Lianzhou, but the Jiaoyuan here was prepared for him by the Emperor, so if he wanted things like bows and arrows, he had to come to Fengdu City to seize them.

Preventing the leakage of weapons was Wu Zhui's task tonight.

Wu Zhui and the Armory were naturally the primary targets for tonight.

However, Xiao Youlan had specifically arranged a partner for him.

After leaving the Eastern Palace, the youth who had been waiting outside for a long time yawned, "Hello, my name is Shu Yu. His Highness the Crown Prince said that the two of us will guard the Armory together tonight."

Wu Zhui nodded politely: "I am Wu Zhui."

Shu Yu said with a grin: "Actually, I know your name, and I also know you used to be under the Duan Prince."

Wu Zhui also said: "Actually, I have long known your name is Shu Yu; we have met before."

Shu Yu stared at him for a long while, scratched his head, and couldn't remember.

Wu Zhui reminded him: "Two years ago, Lianzhou, Apricot Blossom Pavilion."

Shu Yu's memory finally revived, and he drew out the tone, "Oh—," "At that time, did you shoot me with an arrow? Right in my left shoulder?"

Wu Zhui was very apologetic, "My apologies, Officer Shu. At the time, we served different masters, and there was really no other way."

Shu Yu had a good temper and didn't mean to blame him, joking: "Just don't shoot me a second arrow tonight."

Wu Zhui waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no. I know being shot is quite painful, and it's troublesome to recover."

After all, no one else was Nan Xueyin, whose wounds would heal rapidly.

"That's not it, who would be afraid of pain," Shu Yu said seriously, "It's mainly that if I get injured, my wife will feel distressed. I don't want her to shed tears because of me."

Wu Zhui:...

I mean, this Eastern Palace, why is everyone a hopeless romantic?!

On the other side.

Nan Xueyin followed Xiao Youlan into the palace and went straight to the sleeping quarters of the Yongzheng Emperor.

The Yongzheng Emperor had not yet awakened; inside and outside the hall, the personnel were basically all arranged by Xiao Youlan.

Of course, there were also a few unfamiliar faces mixed in at this moment.

Xiao Youlan didn't mind, but Nan Xueyin took in every one of those faces.

Most of these people were the Virtuous Consort's, which is to say, Xiao Mingyu's people.

Sure enough, the Virtuous Consort was inside the hall.

She was holding a bowl of medicine, sitting in front of the bed, patiently feeding the medicine to the Yongzheng Emperor; each spoonful was very small, only a shallow layer at the bottom of the spoon.

"The Virtuous Consort truly has such patience; it has been many years since you have had to toil, yet you are still personally feeding medicine to the Imperial Father."

Xiao Youlan spoke slowly.

The Virtuous Consort did not turn her head, scooped up another spoonful, and gently fed it into the Emperor's mouth.

"This bowl of medicine, it shouldn't be poisoned, should it?"

Xiao Youlan spoke again, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

Consort Xian's fingers trembled violently, and because of this movement, the medicine went astray, sliding continuously down Emperor Yongzheng's chin, making him look extremely disheveled.

Consort Xian set down the medicine bowl and turned her head abruptly: "I don't know what nonsense the Crown Prince is spouting! What poisoning? I don't understand at all!"

Xiao Youlan tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Then perhaps I should be more blunt."

He stood still in the hall, his gaze cold and clear as it fell upon Consort Xian, carrying a biting intent to kill, "Back then, you hated my mother, the Consort, and arranged for people to add a slow-acting poison to her medicinal soup, bit by bit, until you killed her."

Consort Xian was stunned.

She seemed as though she were about to be angry, but then she merely sighed: "Crown Prince, I know that in your heart, Empress Rouyi is unique. Even after the Empress passed away, even though I wanted to treat you as my own, you were never willing to accept me. I don't know why, but you hate me deeply, and by extension, you hate my Mingyu as well... But you must know, I have never had any hostility toward you or Empress Rouyi."

She wore an expression of deep emotion, "Back then, if Empress Rouyi hadn't protected me, I would have long since died in the struggles of the inner palace. How could I possibly have harmed her? Crown Prince, you must have listened to someone else's nonsense and misunderstood me."