“Insolence!” The woman standing to the side turned cold, her voice sharp with anger. “Feng Jiu’er, who do you think you are, to be so disrespectful toward Her Majesty the Empress?”

Indeed. The woman now seated in that chair was none other than the Empress herself, traveling in plain attire — Nanmen Rong.

As for the two men Feng Jiu’er had recognized as vaguely familiar — that was because she had seen them before. They were always at the Empress’s side, formidably skilled, their movements like shadows. They rarely revealed themselves, but when they did, it was invariably to act.

Feng Jiu’er had crossed paths with them once or twice, and so their faces had left an impression.

She simply had never imagined that the Empress would appear in a place like this. Had she come specifically to seek out the Ninth Imperial Uncle?

A consort of the inner palace — how could she be this capable? And this audacious, to leave the palace without sanction and travel such a vast distance?

Nanmen Rong was dressed in plain clothes, yet even so, the bearing of an Empress remained unmistakably present.

She studied the flawless face of Feng Jiu’er, contempt flickering through her eyes. “Feng Jiu’er, were you not supposed to be leading the new Longqi Army brothers toward Phoenix City? Why are you here?”

“You have abandoned your duties, deceived your superiors, and deserted your troops without authorization. Do you not know what crime that is?”

Feng Jiu’er had no patience whatsoever for even half a word from the Empress. Her voice remained cold. “The Ninth Imperial Uncle needs rest. I ask that Her Majesty the Empress leave immediately.”

“Feng Jiu’er, it seems you truly prefer punishment over persuasion!”

The woman standing at the Empress’s side stepped forward, palm swinging in a strike aimed straight at Feng Jiu’er’s face. She looked refined and composed, yet unexpectedly, she was also a formidable fighter. The strike carried dense, powerful force, and with those vivid crimson lacquered nails — if that palm landed squarely on Jiu’er’s face, it would utterly ruin Jiu’er’s beautiful features beyond all recovery.

Feng Jiu’er had not expected the Empress to have this many skilled fighters at her side. Even a palace maid who had simply accompanied her out of the palace could strike with this level of skill.

She gathered force in her palm, preparing to defend herself.

At her side, Long Yi and Long Eleven also stepped forward, moving to protect Jiu’er.

But without warning, a swift and ferocious burst of force swept outward.

A sharp cry rang out, and the woman’s figure flew as though struck by something enormous, launched from their sight and hurtled out of the tent to land somewhere unknown beyond it.

The sound of a heavy impact came from outside, followed by the sounds of someone going to her and carrying her away. After that — silence.

“Your Highness!” Yu Jingfeng understood that the moment any threat arose to Miss Jiu’er’s life, the Prince would always be the first to act.

He simply had not expected that with all of them present here — all of them who would certainly protect Miss Jiu’er — the Prince would still act regardless.

What he had expected even less was that the Prince, wounded as he was, could still deliver such devastating force with a single casual strike.

Were it not for the fact that his complexion had visibly grown even paler, and the dark, suffocating shadow between his brows had deepened, that single palm strike just now would have made it very difficult for anyone to believe he was truly injured.

But he was truly injured. Not a trace of color remained in his face.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle.” Feng Jiu’er rushed to him, seized his wrist, and pressed her fingertips to his pulse.

He had clearly had some color in his face when she coaxed him to sleep tonight, after drinking her blood.

Yet now — he was this pallid. This completely drained.

The Empress had been genuinely furious — furious at Feng Jiu’er, who had seemingly incited A’Jiu to strike one of her people.

Of course, no matter what A’Jiu did, the Empress would never be angry with him. Her A’Jiu could do no wrong, whatever it was.

Everything was Feng Jiu’er’s fault.

But now, seeing A’Jiu coughing up blood, looking this unwell — she was too consumed with worry to have room for anger anymore.

“A’Jiu, are you all right? Don’t be alarmed — let me channel my energy to heal you!”

Away from the palace, the Empress had even set aside her own identity. Standing before Zhan Qingcheng now, she was simply an ordinary woman.

She moved toward him, reaching out to push Feng Jiu’er aside.

Feng Jiu’er blocked her hand without ceremony. “Empress, I need to treat the Ninth Imperial Uncle right now. Please go outside.”

“You — how dare you touch this person of mine!” Setting aside her identity was for A’Jiu’s benefit, not for the likes of these people!

This wretched Feng Jiu’er, actually daring to lay a hand on her — did she have a death wish?

“Yu Jingfeng, get her out.” With the Ninth Imperial Uncle this badly hurt, Feng Jiu’er had no capacity left for arguing with the Empress.

All she wanted now was for the Ninth Imperial Uncle to improve quickly. The way he looked right now, it seemed he could cough up blood again at any moment.

His blood was precious — every drop lost was a drop gone. How could this be allowed to go on?

“Feng Jiu’er, you — Yu Jingfeng! Don’t you dare!” Seeing Yu Jingfeng truly plant himself in her path, Nanmen Rong lashed out in fury, striking toward him.

Long Yi and Long Eleven immediately positioned themselves in front of the Prince and Feng Jiu’er, dreading that any stray force from the exchange might reach the Prince.

The two men at the Empress’s back also stepped forward at the same moment, falling into a ready stance, poised to strike at any instant.

Yu Jingfeng was so furious he could have struck this woman away himself. The Prince was already this gravely injured, and she was still here causing havoc!

Long Yi and Long Eleven were filled with regret as well. They should never have let her in, Empress or not — they ought to have known better.

Not only had she pushed the Prince to cough up blood, but she had further goaded him into expending true energy with that strike. Now he was on the verge of coughing up blood again at any moment.

“Feilong Shi’er Qi!” Long Yi’s voice rang out in a sharp command. Within moments, four more members of the Shi’er Qi came bursting in.

Without a word, they struck simultaneously at the two men at Nanmen Rong’s back.

Yu Jingfeng no longer hesitated. Together with Long Yi and Long Eleven, he unleashed a combined strike at Nanmen Rong.

Had Nanmen Rong not possessed formidable martial skill herself, those three strikes would have dealt her grievous injury.

But her heart was bound to Zhan Qingcheng, and she had no will to prolong the fight. Combined with Yu Jingfeng striking together with Long Yi and Long Eleven, and each of them bringing only five parts of their full force — even so, the combined effect was not to be underestimated.

The Empress caught one strike on her shoulder, and her footing faltered — she nearly went down.

Yet another strike from Yu Jingfeng was already pressing in.

She was driven back, step by step, retreating further — until she looked up and found that she had truly been forced all the way outside.

“Your Majesty!” The guards stationed in the distance immediately rushed forward, surrounding Nanmen Rong in a protective formation, facing off against the brothers of the Feilong Shi’er Qi.

The brothers of the Longqi Army — all those not required to remain at their posts on watch — came rushing over, enclosing the Ninth Prince’s tent in an impenetrable ring of protection.

“Yu Jingfeng — no one is to enter!” From within came Feng Jiu’er’s voice, increasingly urgent.

“Understood!” Yu Jingfeng called back in a clear, carrying voice. “Feilong Shi’er Qi, on your lives, protect the Prince! No one shall approach!”