Chapter 215

The Qianqing Palace is the Emperor's residence, and there is a family banquet tonight; the Emperor will not come to the front hall before the banquet begins, but in fact, he has been staying in the back hall all along.

After Huang Jin was heavily injured, the two attendants roughly stopped the bleeding and brought him back to the palace to report to the Emperor. When they passed through the front hall, they were seen clearly by the clan members, and after some questioning, they learned about what happened on Zhu Zai's side.

Hearing the news, the woman knew her young sister had suffered a disaster and was anxious for a moment, not knowing what to do. After waiting anxiously for a long time, seeing her young sister safe and sound at this moment, she hugged Princess Si Rou and cried like rain.

It was just that she did not notice two strange gazes scanning her.

One was Li Miao, his gaze containing a hidden smile, eyebrows raised. It was his first time seeing this woman show such weakness, and he found it fresh.

One was Zhu Zai, who was more satisfied the more he looked; although he didn't show it on his face, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes were actually bunched up.

"Not bad, not bad."

Zhu Zai was greatly comforted, stroking his beard and squinting at Li Miao with an expression of "you finally did something right."

Li Miao shrugged and said in a low voice.

"Commander, can you be serious? Your family might be wiped out today, and you still have the heart to worry about my little affairs?"

After saying this, Li Miao stepped forward and pressed one hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Princess Gongyi, the incident was sudden; fortunately, Princess Si Rou is fine, which can be considered a great stroke of luck."

"If you are feeling uneasy right now, why not apologize to His Majesty and return to the mansion first. It would avoid losing etiquette at the banquet later and offending His Majesty."

This action of his was very abrupt and very inappropriate.

Princess Gongyi was not yet married, and when meeting men, she had to be separated by a screen, yet Li Miao had directly put his hand on her shoulder, and in the Qianqing Palace at that. If one were to be serious, one could completely accuse Li Miao of "impropriety before the Emperor."

She already had someone in her heart and immediately raised her eyebrows, about to angrily rebuke this lecher who wanted to take advantage of her sadness to get close.

But before she could speak, suddenly, an extremely warm and gentle true energy poured from her Jianyu acupoint into the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, and then wandered to her heart meridian, slowly smoothing out her anxious mind.

Princess Gongyi widened her eyes abruptly and looked up at Li Miao.

Li Miao laughed softly, his lips moving.

"Danger, be obedient."

"Go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Princess Gongyi's hand trembled; she looked deeply at Li Miao, and without hesitation, she immediately stood up and summoned a eunuch, saying a few words to him.

Seeing her decisive manner, Zhu Zai's eyes narrowed again, and he kept stroking his beard, clearly becoming more and more satisfied.

But unexpectedly, after a while, Princess Gongyi came back hugging Princess Si Rou and said to Li Miao in a low voice.

"I can't leave; that little eunuch said His Majesty gave instructions, saying that rebels are plotting against the imperial clan, and for the sake of safety, until the rebels are brought to justice, no clan members are allowed to leave the palace."

Zhu Zai's face turned cold, and Li Miao also twisted his fingers.

A family banquet held in the Qianqing Palace like this is not a very formal occasion. Princess Gongyi, an unmarried princess, has neither real power nor a husband's family; logically speaking, with a plausible reason, she could have left.

The Emperor's explanation could fool others, but it could not fool Zhu Zai and Li Miao.

The Jianwen Emperor was being chased all the way by those eight attendants and was unable to take care of himself; how could he have the energy to target the imperial clan?

The Emperor keeping these clan members in the palace was either to cut off the Jianwen Emperor's "provisions," or—

It was to use the clan members to do something.

Zhu Zai gave Li Miao a look, Li Miao shrugged and returned a look.

Zhu Zai understood immediately and called a eunuch, asking him to arrange their seats together.

After sitting down, Princess Gongyi couldn't wait to lower her voice and ask Li Miao.

"What did you sneak in for?"

"Something important, a big thing."

"How big?"

"Related to the Emperor."

Princess Gongyi's face became solemn, and she hugged her younger sister tighter.

"What do you need me to do?"

Li Miao laughed.

"Not afraid?"

Princess Gongyi sighed softly.

"What's the use of being afraid? If you marry a chicken, you follow the chicken; if you marry a dog, you follow the dog. If you want to kill someone, I'll hand you the blade. When the time comes to be beheaded at the Meridian Gate, I'll have a companion on the Yellow Springs road; it's better than you going on the road all alone."

"I am a clan woman who has lost her purity; if you die, how could I possibly have a good outcome?"

Speaking of this, Princess Gongyi glared fiercely at Li Miao.

"Where have you been these past few months? Why haven't there been any messages? I sent people to your house to ask your foster daughter several times, and she wouldn't even reveal a hint."

"I almost thought you had faked your death to escape and gone to some prefecture below to live a life of leisure."

Li Miao spread his hands helplessly, his eyes glancing at Zhu Zai, who was pricking up his ears to the side.

"I eat the government's grain; there are tasks assigned from above, and I have no choice~"

Seeing him use himself as a shield again, Zhu Zai glared at Li Miao, then smiled kindly and greeted Princess Gongyi.

Princess Gongyi had long known Zhu Zai's weight in Li Miao's heart, and seeing her "father-in-law" by mistake, she also respectfully bowed to Zhu Zai, and the two began to chat.

Seeing that no one was talking to him again, Li Miao had no choice but to close his eyes in boredom, listening intently to the movement in the back hall.

It was already approaching the hour of the dog (7-9 PM).

In the back hall, the Emperor did not care at all about the clan members waiting for him, leaning comfortably on the couch with his eyes closed.

The smell of blood permeated the room.

After a while, a person raised his head and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Huang is having trouble holding on; should we continue looking?"

At his feet, Huang Jin lay flat on the ground, eyes wide open, teeth clenched, enduring the pain without letting out a wail. A large opening had been made in his chest and abdomen, and blood was gushing out.

One of that person's hands was inserted inside.

The Emperor opened his eyes slightly and looked at Huang Jin.

"Eunuch Huang, can you still hold on? If you can't, say so, and I will let Attendant Jiang stop."

Huang Jin knew that he actually did not have the right to choose.

If he said he couldn't hold on, the Emperor would really let that person stop. But then, he would no longer let anyone treat his wounds. With his chest and abdomen wide open and blood flowing endlessly, he would truly be dead for sure.

A few days ago, when Wang Zhi was punished, if he had really let his disciple hit him lightly, he would have truly died; it was the same logic.

The choices given by the Emperor were always only two.

Loyal service, perhaps you can live.

Surviving by luck, you will definitely die.

So Huang Jin clenched his teeth and managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"The official can hold on."

"Loyal service to Your Majesty, I have no regrets even in death!"

The Emperor closed his eyes.

"Since Eunuch Huang has said so, Attendant Jiang, continue."

"Yes."

(End of chapter)