An extremely faint scent of blood wafted over. Only people like Zhan Beiye and Meng Fuyao, who had gone through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, could smell it.
Meng Fuyao subconsciously reached into her bosom to check for Yuan Bao's reaction, only to realize that the Yuan Bao version of the danger alarm was not with her. She had drunk too much and kept burping. Since she could not force the alcohol out herself, it was no longer an alarm, but an indicator.
Without hesitation, Zhan Beiye pulled Meng Fuyao and retreated.
Suddenly, a creaking sound came from below. The door opened, and a man dressed in grey, the one who had given the secret signal in the restaurant earlier today, walked out with a bleeding finger. "Of all the things you could have knocked, why did you have to knock on the hot water jug on top of the fire? The jug broke and cut my finger!"
He raised his finger and waved it in the air. Under the moonlight, it was still bleeding. Meng Fuyao lifted the tiles and saw that there were indeed broken pieces of pottery on the stove. The fire had been extinguished, and there was a large puddle of water on the ground.
Relieved, Zhan Beiye and Meng Fuyao landed together. The man immediately signaled for them to enter the house. There was another person in the house, hidden in the dim light. When he saw Zhan Beiye, he wanted to greet him, but Zhan Beiye stopped him and asked, "How is Her Highness?"
"News from the palace: Her Highness is fine. Don't worry, as long as you don't appear, the Emperor will not touch her."
"I'm going to pick her up," Zhan Beiye said straightforwardly. "Do you think it'll be difficult?"
"Yes," the man answered without hesitation. "The 300 guards are secondary. The Emperor and Prince Heng have set up many traps inside and outside the Xihua Palace, just waiting for you to walk into them." He simply drew the layout of the Xihua Palace and said, "I suspect that there are cannons in this tower. The Double Lotus Palace's wall is taller than the Xihua Palace's, so it can be used to set up guns. In addition, Her Highness is forbidden from going to the front yard, which means that there is an ambush there."
"Three hundred guards are guarding the place so tightly that even when they change shifts, there are no loopholes. In fact, during the break between shifts, there will be even more guards — because they change shifts a quarter of an hour in advance and leave a quarter of an hour later. They are very orderly, and no one dares to slack off. Prince Heng said that if the Queen Consort goes missing, the whole team will be beheaded without question."
"We tried to dig a tunnel, but the location of Xihua Palace is in the center of the harem. To the left is the Zhengyi Hall, and to the right is the Fengming Palace. The emperor and empress are eyeing it, and it is also the place with the most guards in the entire palace. If we wanted to dig a tunnel, it would be too long and dangerous.
Moreover, when we dug into the inner city, the road was blocked by stone slabs, so we couldn't continue. "That person used his fingers to narrate the layout of the possible traps in Xihua Palace to Zhan Beiye, as well as the various methods they used to rescue the Queen Consort. Meng Fuyao listened with her chin resting on her hand. The more she listened, the more she felt that it was an impossible task. They were deliberately trying to send Zhan Beiye to his death.
Zhan Beiye had been listening attentively. The oil lamp was dim, and the shadows in the room were dim. His expression could not be seen clearly, but his eyes were still bright and black. When he swept his gaze across them, they were as heavy as steel. The two people had been calm the whole time, talking with confidence and composure. Although their looks were ordinary, their temperament was calm.
After listening to them, Zhan Beiye grunted and didn't speak for a long time. Listening to the two people's advice of 'Your Highness be careful', he nodded and said, "Yes, it's not good to beat the grass and startle the snake. Let's think about it first. Now that I hear that Imperial Concubine Mother is well, I can rest assured."
He smiled and said, "You did well. You must continue to be careful."
The two men bowed in acknowledgment, and Zhan Beiye and Meng Fuyao walked out of the door. Once they were out of the courtyard, Zhan Beiye quickened his pace. Meng Fuyao looked in the direction he was going and realized that he was not heading back to the inn. She quickly reminded him, "Hey, you have no sense of direction. You're going the wrong way."
"That's right." Zhan Beiye grinned, his white teeth gleaming. "I'm hot, I want to take a walk."
"Walk my ass." Meng Fuyao rolled her eyes. "It's not even summer yet, and you're feeling hot? The whole city is waiting for you to enter the net, and you want to take a walk? "
Zhan Beiye's answer was brilliant. "Why? Can't I? "
"Fine, fine." Meng Fuyao was exasperated. She carefully looked at the surrounding buildings and suddenly asked suspiciously, "You're not going to the palace, are you?"
Zhan Beiye's smile disappeared, and he remained silent.
Meng Fuyao replied with an "uh" and only reacted after a while. "Were you … lying just now?"
Zhan Beiye raised his eyebrows and turned to leave. Meng Fuyao pounced on him and pulled him back. "Are you crazy? Didn't you hear what they said just now? Even if you brought all 3,000 Black Wind Riders with you, it would still be useless. Besides, you haven't even gathered all your old subordinates yet. Why are you in such a hurry? Why can't you wait until everyone is here and the plan is complete before making a move? "
Zhan Beiye did not speak. He brushed her hand away and continued walking.
"Stop right there!" Meng Fuyao was furious and chased after him. "I can't just watch you throw your life away!"
"Mother will only die if I don't go." Zhan Beiye turned around and said calmly, "At the very least, I must let her see me tonight."
Meng Fuyao stared at him with her mouth agape. Only then did she realize that Zhan Beiye's tone was normal, but his eyes were filled with pain and worry. The heavy anxiety was like a black wind blowing against her face, causing her heart to skip a beat.
"Mother may be crazy, but we have a natural rapport," Zhan Beiye said softly. "Her mind is extremely sensitive, probably because she's crazy. She can sense the danger around her and that we're both in danger. She knows that I've been risking my life for the past few days. I'm burning with worry, and she must be feeling the same. But if I can get through it, can she?
"She's weak to begin with. If she continues to worry day and night, how can she persevere until I slowly plan to save her?" Zhan Beiye's eyes sparkled. "I've asked Eunuch Hua to bring the keepsake during the day. She must be waiting for me tonight. No matter what, I must let her see me. Even if I can't save her, this will be the reason for her to persevere!"
Meng Fuyao stared at Zhan Beiye's eyes. She finally understood his determination to walk that path despite knowing how terrifying the Gui Clan's tomb was. Three days and nights of traversing the belly of the mountain, several life-and-death tribulations, and watching his subordinates sacrifice themselves, all for the sake of reaching her mother's side as soon as possible!
Suddenly, she recalled how Zhan Beiye had waited half a day for Little Luo's disappearance after escaping from the tomb. Only now did she know how anxious he had been to wait for his subordinates. He had been waiting for Little Luo, whom everyone knew had no chance of survival.
The detour from Chang Han took ten days to reach Pangdu. Zhan Beiye had risked his life in exchange for seven days of time, but he had wasted half a day waiting for someone he knew had no chance of survival. Every minute and second of that half a day had been torturous. Torturous for the mother and son, torturous for Zhan Beiye's worry for his mother.
Never abandoning, never giving up.
This filial and righteous man who never lost hope in anyone!
She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She only reached out and grabbed Zhan Beiye's shirt.
"Together," she said.
Zhan Beiye wanted to reject her immediately, but she quickly said, "If you do, I'll disappear from your sight forever."
Zhan Beiye looked at her with a burning gaze. "I'd rather you disappear forever, as long as you're safe."
Meng Fuyao was so angry that she scratched the wall for a long time. "I saw the map just now, I'll go myself."
Zhan Beiye laughed and pulled her away from the wall. "I knew you'd say this. Let's go."
= = =
Pangdu had been heavily guarded lately, and no one was allowed to walk around at night. The businesses of various brothels and gambling houses had been disrupted, so they closed early. The streets were so deserted that not a single soul could be seen, but if a cat were to pass by, someone would immediately pop their head out to check.
It was obvious that Zhan Nancheng and Zhan Beiheng had put in a lot of effort to capture this brother of theirs who refused to die and made them unable to sleep in peace.
Fortunately, with their Qinggong, they were nothing more than two shadows flitting by in the eyes of the guards. Before long, they had already reached the vicinity of the north gate of the palace.
Meng Fuyao quietly asked Zhan Beiye, hiding on the roof of the Celestial Street Passage Office outside the palace square, waiting for the arrows to change direction. "Who were those two just now?"
"Grandfather's former advisor. After he passed away, he gave me all the power and subordinates he had managed through two dynasties," Zhan Beiye answered. "It's not a small amount of power."
"To outsiders, you're just a prince with 3,000 guards who won't be able to stir up any big waves." Meng Fuyao patted the tiles beneath her and grinned. "For example, this official hall below seems to be the office of a prince with no followers."
"Yes, I learned how to sign during that time." Zhan Beiye answered seriously. "My signature looks good, and my posture is dignified. People call me the 'Pangdu's Number One Visa Prince'."
Meng Fuyao laughed so hard that tears rolled down her cheeks. She turned her head and quietly wiped them away, changing the topic as if nothing had happened. "Hey, when are you going to give me a certificate? Fufeng, Qiong Cang, Xuanyuan, Xuanji, something like that?"
"The Qiong Cang Kingdom doesn't have many passes. They don't have any relations with us, so no one would dare to go without an invitation. Besides, I've already been warned not to give you a pass." Zhan Beiye answered.
"Who warned you? Which bastard?" Meng Fuyao turned her head abruptly, her eyes blazing.
"That bastard Zhangsun Wuji." Zhan Beiye looked at her maliciously. "He said that even if we can't stop General Meng's ambitions, we can't just add fuel to the fire."
Meng Fuyao was speechless. That bastard Zhangsun Wuji! He'd ruined her plans. She'd wanted to help Zhan Beiye while he was being honest and swindle a few passes from him. Now, all her plans had gone down the drain.
The more she thought about it, the more hatred she felt, but she had nowhere to vent it. A certain bastard was far away in Wuji, probably whispering sweet nothings to his fiancée. 'F * ck, I'm acting like a hooligan, and now I'm trying to ruin her plans.' Fuyao's head fumed once more. She started scratching the tiles as if they were Zhangsun Wuji's skin. She scratched them fiercely and happily. Zhan Beiye was amused. He pulled her over and patted her hand.
The two of them soared into the air and passed through the plaza like a plume of black smoke. Just as the two groups of guards crossed each other, the fifteen-meter-tall city wall was nothing to them. Zhan Beiye waved his hand, pulling out the iron arrow from the giant ballista and piercing it into the throat of the guard who was about to cry out in shock. He even destroyed the ballista along the way.
Like a fish, Meng Fuyao swam into the small room behind the tower and dealt with the remaining guard. They changed their clothes. Zhan Beiye thought it was too small, while Fuyao thought it was too big. They looked at each other and laughed.
The palace was divided into eight gates, and the north gate was also known as the Gate of Chang Xin. The Tian Sha Central Government Office was concentrated in this area, and this was the gate where the civil and military officials came and went. Among the eight gates, the guards were average. Zhan Beiye did not choose to go in and out of the sinner's dung carts. He chose the weakest gate out of the eight gates. Based on his understanding of his family's eldest brother and sixth brother, the easiest gate to enter and exit was probably the most difficult gate to enter.
Zhan Beiye, who was familiar with the terrain, led Meng Fuyao to the center of the palace, avoiding the guards along the way. The deeper they went, the more guards there were. Eventually, they had to dodge every few steps. Fortunately, Zhan Beiye was so familiar with the layout of the palace that it made one's hair stand on end. There was one time when a guard came from both the front and the back. Seeing that they were about to collide, Meng Fuyao was ready to kill. Zhan Beiye pulled her and magically turned them into a small house hidden behind the bushes, easily avoiding them. Meng Fuyao looked at his astonishingly bright eyes in the dark. She thought about how he had been forced to stay in the palace at the age of 18. He must have been familiar with every grass and tree here.
The Zhan father and son had neglected and envied this son of theirs, refusing to let him leave the palace. Never would they have thought that they would help him after so many years.
Even so, by the time the two of them had walked to the outside of Xihua Palace unscathed, they had already spent too many hours. Although the sky was dark, it was already the darkest period before dawn. Soon, the sky would brighten.
Opposite them, the Heavy Lotus Palace was silent. Nothing could be seen from the higher palace walls, but one could guess that the entire Xihua Palace, especially in the direction of the backyard, was under the surveillance of the Heavy Lotus Palace.
The Xihua Palace, on the other hand, was brightly lit, so bright that even an ant could be seen crawling by.
Fuyao was a little anxious, but Zhan Beiye looked calm. He made a gesture, and the two of them swam to the outer wall of the Xihua Palace, facing the side of the Heavy Lotus Palace. This was the only blind spot of the Heavy Lotus Palace.
Leaning on the wall, they could vaguely smell the fragrance of flowers in the wind. In the depths of the flowers, in the Xihua Palace Garden.
In the depths of the flowers, a soft sound came slowly.
The sound was weak and weak, floating like gossamer. In the depths of the flowers in the middle of the night, it fluttered like a butterfly. However, it was also a butterfly in the middle of winter. Its withered wings could not carry the cold wind of the mortal world. Although it was weak, it still flew bit by bit in the frost and snow.
Listening carefully, one could vaguely hear the voice of a woman humming a song.
"… The vast wilderness, the vast ocean, my son has left, I don't know where he is … The mountains are vast, the sun is bright, my son has not returned, I don't know when …"
The voice was slightly hoarse. It was unknown whether it was natural or because it had been singing for a long time. However, in those simple words, every word was filled with longing and deep affection.
In the middle of the night, in the depths of the palace, an ancient and simple local folk song, and the weak and distant voice of a woman singing.
Fuyao was shocked and felt a little creeped out. Suddenly, she saw a flash of light from the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw two thin streams of water slowly flowing down Zhan Beiye's face, who was leaning against the wall and listening attentively.
The water slowly gathered in the eyes of the man who almost never cried. It slowly filled up, then fell down in a thin stream.
The water reflected the moonlight and was frighteningly bright.
Fuyao's fingers clasped into the palace wall.
This was a miserable pair of royal mother and son.
His mother did not sleep, singing continuously in the depths of the flowers closest to the palace wall.
His son, separated by a palace wall, listened to his mother, who was close at hand but could not see him, singing as she missed him.
His mother had already gone crazy, but she was clear-headed and aware of his situation.
His son ran day and night, disregarding all sacrifices, just to rush back to her side, but in the end, he could only imagine her withered face through the palace wall.
So close, yet so far away.
Fuyao pressed her forehead against the cold wall, tears welling up in her eyes as she thought of her mother lying on the sickbed in her previous life.
Was she also waiting for her every day, singing the song 'Good Baby' in between her longing?
Was she also sleepless at night, walking into the flowers under the moonlight and caressing the half-asleep flower buds with her frail fingers?
Her silent tears wetted the deep red wall. Zhan Beiye turned to look at her. The tear stains in his eyes had already dried up, but at this moment, there was an additional trace of pity and pity in his expression. Leaning against the wall, he could not move too much, so he stretched out his fingers and gently caressed Fuyao's shoulder.
Fuyao forced a smile at him, the light in her eyes swaying and shattering the starlight of the sky.
Looking at her, Zhan Beiye felt as though he was looking at a scar that he had been born with, a scar that he could not bear to part with.
This woman who would cry because of him …
These people that he was destined to cherish for the rest of his life …
As the song drifted, Zhan Beiye's eyes lit up with a blazing flame. He shook his body and was about to rush over the palace wall.
"… My son has not returned …"
"Greetings, Old Consort."
The sudden man's voice startled both Meng Fuyao and Zhan Beiye. Meng Fuyao quickly grabbed Zhan Beiye and forcefully pulled him back down from his position.
"It's late, you should go in and rest." The voice sounded like a eunuch's, as though he was trying to persuade Zhan Beiye's mother.
There was no reply. She was still singing her song.
"Invite Old Consort into the house!" It was the voice of another man, young, cold, and slow. The tone of the word 'invite' was very heavy.
The eunuchs and guards heard the sound of footsteps, as though someone was going to help Old Consort up. Old Consort's song suddenly stopped, but the person seemed unwilling to cooperate. Indistinctly, there were sounds of struggling, panting, kicking, and dragging. Then, someone shouted, "She bites!"
The moment Fuyao heard the sounds of struggling, she immediately reached out to stop Zhan Beiye.
Her face was full of pleading as she looked at Zhan Beiye, whose eyes were bloodshot and hair seemed to be standing on end. She pleaded silently with her eyes, "Don't, please don't!"
There were many guards in the palace, and the young man was probably his younger brother. They were waiting for him, so appearing now was tantamount to sending him to his death.
Zhan Beiye leaned against the wall, his whole body trembling. His fingers dug deep into the wall, and his knuckles were a bloody mess.
He turned his head very slowly and looked at her. He had fearlessly charged in and faced Zhan Beiheng's traps and snares just to save his mother from those rude people. His mother was so afraid of strangers that she would never let herself be touched by anyone other than him. Whenever he thought of how frightened and helpless she was right now, he wished he could take her place … But he could not.
He wasn't alone. Fuyao was by his side.
He had to be responsible for his mother, but how could he not be responsible for her as well? How could he put her in danger for his own selfish reasons?
Zhan Beiye closed his eyes.
He pressed his forehead against the wall. He did not make a sound, but he did it with all his might. He rubbed his forehead against the wall without any mercy. The deep red paint was rubbed off, and a bright red slowly appeared. The red gradually expanded, but he refused to stop. It seemed that this was the only way he could withstand the immense pain in his heart. He knew that his lady mother was being bullied, but he could not save her.
Fuyao gritted her teeth so hard that they sank deep into her lower lip. She turned her head away from Zhan Beiye and forced herself to think of a way to save his mother, even if it was just to see her. That pitiful woman seemed to have no strength left to persevere any longer.
The struggle in the palace continued. Fuyao pressed down on Zhan Beiye, afraid that he wouldn't be able to withstand the torment of every second. Amidst the chaos, she suddenly heard someone speak.
"Forget it."
It seemed to be the voice of a middle-aged man, carrying with it the dignity of someone who had been in a high position for a long time. Beside her, Zhan Beiye's eyebrows twitched. Fuyao immediately understood that Zhan Nancheng was there as well.
The palace was silent. The woman did not cry. Instead, she started singing again the moment they released her.
"… My son has yet to return, I do not know when he will …"
The people in the palace listened in silence. After a long time, the Tiansha Emperor seemed to sigh softly. "I seem to have heard this song when I was young."
His tone was filled with distant memories and disappointment. "Empress Dowager passed away early, but I vaguely remember that she liked Consort Gong Jing very much. It was said that they often met. When I was six, I heard this song on her knees."
The crowd became even more silent. Zhan Beiheng seemed to be coughing.
Consort Gong Jing suddenly stopped singing. After a while, she stammered, "… I shouldn't have sung it for you."
"Oh?" Zhan Nancheng replied.
Consort Gong Jing shouted, "You want to kill him — kill him —"
At that moment, her thoughts were clear and her words were smooth. She even knew what Zhan Nancheng wanted to do. She did not seem like a lunatic at all. She loudly accused the Tiansha Emperor, "You want to kill your brother!"
Zhan Beiye was shaken. The entire palace became even more silent.
"So what if I want to kill him?" Zhan Nancheng was silent for a long time. Surprisingly, he admitted it readily. "How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed?"
"… He doesn't care for you!" Consort Gong Jing misheard the word 'soundly' and defended her son even more passionately.
Zhan Nancheng seemed to laugh. Perhaps he felt that it was ridiculous for him to talk to a crazy woman. He coldly said, "It's been half a night. Seal Consort Gong Jing's acupoints and send her back to her bedroom. The rest of you, stand guard." He then said to Zhan Beiheng, "Brother Heng, follow me to the Imperial Study."
"Yes."
The sound of footsteps was heard, followed by a large group of guards. The guards who were patrolling in front also moved towards the palace wall. Meng Fuyao and Zhan Beiye swam to the other wall and continued to hide in the shadows.
From afar, Meng Fuyao glanced at the Emperor and calculated the distance and the number of people around him. She felt that it was impossible to rush over and capture the two of them, so she could only give up.
After waiting for a while, they waited until midnight, when people were the most sleepy and relaxed. Just as they were about to sneak in, they suddenly heard the sound of a door opening and closing. Someone approached the wall and leaned against it lazily. He yawned loudly and said, "It's been so many days in a row. I haven't had a good night's sleep. It's so tiring."
Another person said, "I've calculated the time. It's impossible for King Lie to appear in Pandu now. Even if he had wings, he wouldn't be able to fly over. Why do we have to guard him day and night?"
The first person said, "I also heard that King Lie died in Mount Chang Han."
"Really?" There seemed to be three people asking the question. Two were pleasantly surprised, and one was disappointed.
"Tens of thousands of elite soldiers surrounded him and forced him into the Forest of Death. You guys know that no one has ever come out of that place alive."
After a moment of silence, someone said in a low voice, "It's a pity that King Lie was a hero …"
"Cunzhi! Be careful of what you say! "Someone immediately reprimanded him." That traitor was personally killed by His Majesty's order! "
That person was silent for a moment before he said angrily, "Old Sun, how can you say that? Three years ago, your son had smallpox. A famous doctor could treat it, but you couldn't afford it. You borrowed money from your relatives and still needed more than half of it. Your son was about to die. If it weren't for His Highness, who was on his way back to the capital to report on his work, the grass on your son's grave would have been a foot tall!"
Old Sun choked and did not speak. The man named Cunzhi snorted and stood up. "I'm going to the toilet."
He walked a few steps and turned to the toilet behind the palace. Just as he undid his pants, a black shadow flashed before him. He looked up in panic and saw a pair of large, bright eyes.
The owner of the eyes smiled at him kindly and helped him pull up his pants, which had not been buttoned properly due to the shock. "Shhh …" she whispered.
The person who ran into the men's toilet in the middle of the night to help someone pull up his pants was, of course, Meng Fuyao.
The man named Cunzhi opened his mouth to scream, but Meng Fuyao straightened her palm. The man suddenly felt suffocated and could not even open his mouth. He stared at her in horror, not knowing what she was going to do to kill him.
Behind Meng Fuyao, a black shadow slowly turned around.
The man's expression changed. First, he was surprised, then happy, and then terrified. Meng Fuyao stared at his expression and said, "Brother Cunzhi, we heard what you said just now. Thank you for your loyalty. I'm sure you know very well why His Highness King Lie is here. Are you willing to help us?"
The man hesitated and said in a low voice, "I'm really happy that His Highness is still here … but I have to advise His Highness that Her Highness can't be saved. Outside and inside the palace, outside of this toilet, there are traps everywhere. Even if I put my life on the line, I won't be able to help you save Her Highness."
"I just want to see her," Zhan Beiye said in a low voice. "I want her to see that I'm fine."
The man remained silent. Suddenly, Meng Fuyao asked, "Isn't there a women's toilet next to the men's?"
"Yes," the man replied. "There were too many guards, so they built these two toilets. They're very close to each other, with the back windows facing each other."
"Let Her Highness come to the women's toilet. Won't they be able to see each other then?"
"No," the man replied. "With Her Highness's status, she can't possibly come out and use this simple toilet."
"Let's just substitute her," Meng Fuyao laughed and said a few words to the man. The man thought for a while and nodded. Zhan Beiye immediately asked, "Fuyao, what are you going to do?"
"Do what I have to do." Meng Fuyao patted the man's shoulder. "Brother Cunzhi, please. If it succeeds, I'll have a chance to thank you in the future."
"Your Highness's name is Chong Tiansha. You treat our tribe well, expel Mo Luo, and protect the peace of our people at the border. Such a virtuous king shouldn't receive such treatment." The man bowed. "It's my honor to serve you, Your Highness."
Meng Fuyao stared at the man and saw his clear, sincere eyes. Her eyes flickered, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Go." She shoved a small bottle into his hands.
The man left carefully with the bottle. Zhan Beiye and Meng Fuyao were afraid of being seen by other people using the toilet, so they retreated to a shadowy spot above the toilet. They were already close to the palace, so they didn't dare to speak. Zhan Beiye slowly wrote on the wall. "What are you going to do?"
"If possible, take her away." Meng Fuyao wrote.
Zhan Beiye's eyes flashed, and a fierce look appeared on his face. He reached out to grab her, but she dodged and pointed below. Helpless, Zhan Beiye glared at her and wrote, "Don't even think about it!"
"My mind has never been straight." Zhan Beiye's eyes flashed.
Just as he was contemplating whether to take her away by sealing her acupoints, a palace maid hurried over from below. She hugged her stomach and ran towards the toilet.
Meng Fuyao smiled and floated over to his side.
Zhan Beiye immediately understood what she was going to do and was about to give chase when she suddenly turned around in mid-air and shot him a fierce glare. Even the fearless Zhan Beiye was stunned.
While he was stunned, Meng Fuyao had already entered the female toilet from the shadows between the two toilets. She lifted her hand and sealed the acupoints of the palace maid who was having a stomachache.
He casually tore off her clothes and changed his appearance to match the palace maid's. Suddenly, she heard a gust of wind behind her and immediately dodged to the side.
As she changed her clothes, she dodged Zhan Beiye, who was trying to stop her, in the narrow space. She only said two sentences.
The first was, "She can't hold on much longer."
The second was, "Trust me."
The gust of wind stopped, and Zhan Beiye stopped in a daze. Meng Fuyao had already changed her clothes. She looked up at the struggling Zhan Beiye and smiled sweetly. She pointed to the male toilet and walked out without looking back.
The moment she left the toilet, she immediately bent over and clutched her stomach, pretending to have diarrhea. She then hurried into the hall.
The guard named Cunzhi was patrolling the front of the hall, his long spear pointing to a dark corner in the inner hall.
Meng Fuyao gave him a grateful look. She had asked him to find a way to throw the powder into the palace maid's room when he passed by the window in the inner hall. He was smart and did it in no time.
She hurried into the inner hall and scanned the hall. With one look, she could tell that the two eunuchs guarding the outer hall actually knew martial arts.
Upon seeing her return, one of the eunuchs called out, "Lan 'er, did you have a stomachache? Remember to close the window. Be careful not to let the wind in. "
Meng Fuyao replied vaguely and walked over. The eunuch looked up and suddenly exclaimed, "Eh, aren't you …"
Before he could finish, Meng Fuyao had already knocked them out with one hand and dragged them behind the curtain. She quickly entered the inner hall and did the same thing. In the blink of an eye, all the palace maids were subdued. She did not know which of them was trusted by the old concubine, but for safety's sake, she had to put them all down.
The light from the bead curtain swayed, and the silk curtains fluttered slightly. The eight treasures bronze incense burner emitted a faint fragrance. Amidst the faint white smoke, the woman was sound asleep.
Meng Fuyao squatted down in front of her bed and looked at the Old Princess. Zhan Beiye's eyes and brows were very similar to hers, both exuding an unyielding aura. It was just that she was pale and skinny, and her hair had turned gray. Although her facial features were beautiful, the beauty of the Empress of the past was long gone. All that was left was the endless sorrow of the chaotic years.
Meng Fuyao hesitated. She had risked her life to come here, but she could not be sure if Zhan Beiye's crazy mother would be able to meet her son as planned. After all, she had been crazy for many years …
The hourglass rang silently, and the golden sand silently destroyed time. Meng Fuyao thought of Zhan Beiye's anxiousness and hardened her heart. She reached out and unsealed the old concubine's acupoints.
The old concubine slowly opened her eyes.
When she saw Meng Fuyao, she blinked and looked very confused, but she did not scream immediately.
Meng Fuyao heaved a sigh of relief and gently leaned in front of the old concubine. "Zhan Beiye asked me to come. Zhan. Bei. Ye."
She enunciated her words very clearly, and the old concubine's eyes immediately lit up. She whispered, "Little … Ye?"
"Yes, Little Ye." Meng Fuyao's eyes were slightly teary. For the sake of her mother's clarity, she pointed to the latrine outside the window and said, "The ladies' room. He's waiting for you."
"Waiting … for me?"
"Yes." Meng Fuyao went to undo her clothes, and the old concubine shrank back. Meng Fuyao patted her back and said gently, "Change your clothes and you can see Little Ye."
The moment the old concubine heard that she could see Little Ye, she immediately opened her arms and cooperatively let Meng Fuyao change clothes with her. Meng Fuyao changed her clothes and changed her appearance to that of a palace maid. She brought her to the window and pointed to the old concubine again. "The ladies' room. Lower your head and you'll see Little Ye when you enter. Don't say anything."
"If you don't say anything … he'll kill Little Ye," the old concubine suddenly said clearly.
Meng Fuyao's nose turned sour, and her eyes turned red. She nodded encouragingly and said, "Yes, don't let him kill him."
"He can't." The old concubine giggled. Her expression was cheerful, and in an instant, she bloomed with the charm of a young girl.
Meng Fuyao nodded and gently pushed her to the door of the hall. She looked at the old concubine, lowered her head, and carefully stepped out of the doorway.
She saw the Old Princess gathering her dress and walking slowly towards the washroom without any mistake. She saw the guard named Cunzhi intentionally or unintentionally blocking other people's sight and watching her step by step. Finally, no one disturbed her as she walked into the women's washroom.
Everything was unimaginably smooth.
Meng Fuyao quietly stood in front of the window, watching the old concubine's back finally disappear into the darkness of the ladies' room. She felt slightly relieved. She thought of the old concubine's surprise when she looked up and saw Zhan Beiye's face through the window of the opposite men's room. She thought of Zhan Beiye's comfort when he saw that his mother was fine. She thought of how the old concubine, who had been crazy for many years, would magically become clear-headed when things related to her son were mentioned. She thought of how Zhan Beiye always had the greatest and most worldly emotions around him: loyalty, trust, love, and kinship.
She was fascinated by these thoughts, and with tears in her eyes, she smiled slightly.
Then, she stepped back, put on the old concubine's palace dress, and lay on the bed, waiting for the old concubine to return.
In her heart, she hoped that if possible, Zhan Beiye would simply take his mother away. Anyway, she would be able to protect herself better than his mother. But in reality, she knew that Zhan Beiye would never abandon her.
She smiled and lay on the bed with her hands on her head, feeling that she had accomplished a very happy thing.
However, her smile suddenly froze at the side of her lips.
Outside the hall, the thin voice of the eunuch could be heard.
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