Chapter 151

When Qi Sheng arrived at the Cold Palace with a vast procession of court officials, the first thing they saw was the towering blaze and the corpses scattered across the ground.

The officials erupted into an uproar. The fire at the Cold Palace on New Year’s Eve had not been an accident at all—there had even been a murder.

The moment Qi Sheng saw the woman’s body being carried out by the Jinwu Guards who had gone to fight the fire, his expression darkened. Clinging to a shred of hope, he shouted, “What’s going on? Has someone truly become bold enough to break into the Cold Palace at night and violate one of the imperial concubines?”

The commander of the Jinwu Guards was drenched in cold sweat. He clasped his fists and replied, “Your Majesty, I do not know. By the time we arrived after seeing the fire, it was already like this.”

Forgetting all imperial decorum, Qi Sheng’s eyes nearly split with fury as he roared, “Where is the thief who broke into the Cold Palace?”

The commander bent even lower.

“I have already dispatched the Jinwu Guards to search the entire palace. As long as the culprit has not left the palace grounds, he will surely be captured.”

Qi Sheng’s face was so gloomy it seemed capable of devouring people whole.

He had planned everything so meticulously. He had even managed to obtain the long-lost forbidden drugs Soft Bone Powder and Tender Willow.

Why had Xie Zheng still escaped?

Wasn’t Soft Bone Powder said to be powerful enough to bring down a wild ox? Wasn’t Tender Willow capable of turning even the most virtuous woman into someone more wanton than a brothel courtesan?

Could it be that neither had worked on Xie Zheng?

The rage of a carefully crafted plan failing, mixed with terror at the thought of Xie Zheng’s retaliation, tore at Qi Sheng’s mind. His expression became increasingly twisted. Under the bewildered gaze of the officials, he kicked over a half-full bucket of water used for firefighting and shouted:

“Search! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find that thief for me!”

The commander accepted the order and led his men away to search the palace.

Turning around amid the increasingly fierce flames, Qi Sheng swept a dark gaze over the uneasy officials.

“This is outrageous! What has my imperial palace become? Tonight, I invited only the ministers of the court. Your servants are all waiting outside the Meridian Gate. Could it be that the one who took advantage of the chaos to sneak into the Cold Palace is one of my beloved ministers?”

The charge of violating the imperial harem was no small matter.

The officials exchanged looks. They found Qi Sheng’s words utterly absurd.

Yet Qi Sheng seemed completely oblivious.

“The man managed to kill so many of my Jinwu Guards. His martial skills must be extraordinary indeed.”

Only the Marquis of Wu’an had been absent from the banquet for an unusually long time.

The implication behind Qi Sheng’s words was so obvious that the officials became even more silent.

Qi Sheng might be the Son of Heaven, but ever since ascending the throne, he had merely been a puppet supported by Wei Yan. The officials feared him far less than they feared Xie Zheng.

After all, one was an emperor with no real power, while the other was a border marquis commanding hundreds of thousands of troops.

The sharper-minded officials had already pieced everything together.

Tonight’s fire was likely a trap orchestrated by Qi Sheng. He had deliberately brought them here so they could serve as witnesses and use the entire court to nail a crime punishable by extermination of nine generations onto the Marquis of Wu’an.

Something had clearly gone wrong midway, resulting in the current situation.

Those who understood this became deeply terrified.

If the Marquis of Wu’an truly fell into Qi Sheng’s hands, that would be one thing.

But if he survived, and they had been forced into becoming “witnesses,” wouldn’t the Marquis eventually silence them?

Quite a few officials found their backs soaked in cold sweat.

Tang Peiyi, He Xiuyun, and the others followed near the rear of the procession. Hearing Qi Sheng’s words and thinking about how Xie Zheng had been gone for so long—and how Fan Changyu had also yet to return—they exchanged glances.

Worry clouded their brows.

—

Taiye Lake.

After Xie Zheng kissed her, Fan Changyu became frantic with worry that the Jinwu Guards might search this area.

He was injured, and she did not dare push him too hard. As a result, he managed to hold her head and kiss her for several breaths.

As his lips moved downward and he nuzzled and kissed the side of her neck, Fan Changyu vigilantly surveyed the area around Taiye Lake.

After confirming it was temporarily safe, she seized an opportunity and dragged the increasingly unconscious man out of the water, half-pulling and half-supporting him.

During the process, Xie Zheng pushed aside her collar and followed the faint fragrance on her body, attempting to continue downward.

Whether from heat or nervousness, Fan Changyu’s face turned red as well.

She pushed away the head buried against her and wanted to lose her temper. Yet knowing he was under the influence of drugs and unable to control himself, she couldn’t truly get angry.

Grinding her teeth, she said, “Endure it a little longer. I’ll get you out of the palace.”

After she settled him onto the ground against a rock formation, the paleness from being soaked in icy water had already given way to a flush across his face.

His powerful chest rose and fell violently with each breath.

His soaked robes had fallen slightly open, revealing a section of porcelain-white skin. The snow-white inner garments clung tightly to his muscular frame, nearly becoming transparent.

His drenched black hair stuck to his collarbone and shoulders, making him appear both beautiful and dangerously alluring.

The clarity had vanished from his blood-red eyes, yet he continued staring fixedly at Fan Changyu.

“Help me…”

The Soft Bone Powder left him almost powerless.

Only by cutting himself with a blade could he maintain even a little strength. Otherwise, standing up was difficult.

He had endured for far too long.

Several veins bulged prominently beneath his neck, as though they might burst through his skin at any moment.

Seeing him like this made Fan Changyu’s heart ache.

Thinking of the emperor’s despicable scheme filled her with uncontrollable fury.

She hastily wrung out some water from both their soaked clothes before cupping his face with her icy hands.

“This isn’t the place. Someone could come at any moment.”

His skin was scorching.

Whether from the drug or from having soaked in the lake too long and developing a fever, his face burned alarmingly hot.

The moment her hands touched him, he grabbed her wrist with a hand whose wounds had turned pale from the water and tried to press himself closer.

Fan Changyu asked, “Where did you leave your court robes?”

He wasn’t wearing them now.

If the Jinwu Guards found them and the emperor used them as evidence in the Cold Palace, tonight’s trap would still succeed.

The coolness of her hands seemed to restore some of his awareness.

While lightly sucking on her fingers, he answered between breaths, “In a cave among the rock formations in the imperial garden.”

Taiye Lake covered a vast area.

It was divided into eastern and western sections.

The eastern lake bordered the Cold Palace—the area where they currently were.

The western lake formed the center of the imperial harem. The imperial garden stood beside it, with an entire forest of artificial rock formations built along the shoreline.

After learning that Xie Zheng planned to investigate the Cold Palace, Fan Changyu had carefully studied a map of the palace.

The moment he mentioned the cave in the imperial garden, she knew exactly where it was.

The Cold Palace fire was massive.

The water stored along the imperial roads had likely already been used up. The eunuchs and guards fighting the fire would probably draw water from the eastern lake.

The western side should remain relatively safe.

Fan Changyu tore a strip from her eunuch uniform with her teeth and ripped it into bandages.

As she wrapped his palm and arm wounds, she said, “I’ll take you there now.”

The fire at the Cold Palace had drawn away most of the nearby patrols.

As a result, Fan Changyu encountered almost no obstacles while carrying Xie Zheng on her back toward the rock formations in the imperial garden.

If there was one obstacle, it was Xie Zheng himself.

Even on her back, he continued kissing the back of her neck and tugging at her collar.

Several times she nearly stumbled.

Finally, with a dark expression, she struck him unconscious with a chop to the neck.

Only then did she manage to continue.

After finding the cave, she discovered that although the entrance was narrow, the interior was surprisingly spacious.

Afraid of being discovered, she dared not light a fire starter.

Fortunately, an oval opening in the cave ceiling allowed moonlight to spill inside.

Looking up, she could even see the not-quite-full moon.

The faint moonlight gave her just enough visibility.

After finding the cloak and court robes Xie Zheng had hidden there, she was about to remove his soaked clothes and wrap him in the dry garments when torchlight suddenly flashed outside.

The sounds of armor clashing followed.

“Hurry! Seal the palace gates! An assassin has infiltrated the palace! A concubine has already been killed in the Cold Palace!”

Fan Changyu immediately froze with Xie Zheng in her arms.

She dared not make a sound.

Unexpectedly, Xie Zheng woke up at that moment.

Just as a hoarse groan escaped his lips, Fan Changyu panicked and covered his mouth with her own.

Acting entirely on instinct, he tangled with her kiss.

The Soft Bone Powder had drained his strength, making the kiss gentler than usual.

Even so, Fan Changyu found it difficult to breathe.

He was far hotter than before.

It felt as though the blood beneath his skin had been boiled.

He seemed to have reached some critical limit.

If this continued, it felt as though blood might start flowing from all seven orifices.

Even through their soaked clothing, Fan Changyu could feel the intense heat radiating from him.

Both their breathing grew heavier.

Meanwhile, footsteps approached.

Xie Zheng had completely lost awareness.

Fan Changyu let him continue burying himself against her neck while she stared coldly and vigilantly toward the cave entrance.

One hand had already slipped to the boning knife hidden inside her boot.

The footsteps came closer.

Her grip tightened around the knife.

At the same time, Xie Zheng, who had been kissing her neck, suddenly raised his head.

His blood-red phoenix eyes no longer resembled those of a human.

Only savage killing intent remained.

Like a lone wolf defending its territory.

Just then, several shrill cat cries echoed from above the rock formation.

The cries sounded eerily like a crying infant.

The searching Jinwu Guards relaxed.

One of them laughed.

“So it’s just the palace’s wild cats in heat.”

He struck the nearby branches with his scabbard.

Two cats yowled and fled in opposite directions.

The guard sheathed his blade and walked away.

A companion ahead asked, “Find anything?”

“Just two wild cats. False alarm.”

The footsteps finally disappeared.

The taut string inside Fan Changyu snapped loose.

Her body went weak as she leaned against Xie Zheng and caught her breath.

The heat radiating from him had warmed even their soaked clothing.

Lowering his head, he kissed her cheek.

His Adam’s apple bobbed.

Sweat had begun to appear along his neck.

Fan Changyu gently stroked his face.

Her fingers slipped through his hair at his temples.

Looking at the corner of his lips, bitten bloody from enduring so much, her moonlit eyes filled with tenderness.

After pressing her lips together, she softly said:

“I’ll help you.”