Nanmen Rong let out a thunderous shout, as though Feng Jiu’er had truly done something unforgivable to Dowager Empress Ning.

Her sword thrust forward, and in the eyes of everyone present, that strike appeared to be aimed at stopping Feng Jiu’er from harming the Dowager Empress — reckless, perhaps, but driven by the intent to protect Her Highness.

Yet Feng Jiu’er knew the truth with absolute clarity: this sword thrust from Nanmen Rong was aimed squarely at the Dowager Empress herself.

She had always known Empress Rong to be cruel and ruthless. Even so, she had never imagined she could be this ruthless.

That blade carried a sharp and piercing inner force; the sword’s energy had already surged toward their faces before the tip even arrived.

Dowager Empress Ning’s constitution had always been frail. Struck by the wave of sword energy, she could not catch her breath and collapsed unconscious on the spot.

Yet Empress Rong’s blade continued to come, aimed straight at her face.

She intended to run the Dowager Empress through in a single thrust — and then pin the blame on Feng Jiu’er.

This woman was truly too vicious.

The Dowager Empress had already fainted. That burst of sword energy had wounded her vital essence; if Nanmen Rong drew even a few steps closer, the Dowager Empress’s life would very likely be forfeit.

Could Nanmen Rong truly be so ruthless and savage as this — cutting down lives with impunity in the inner palace, utterly without restraint?

“Damned poisonous wretch!” Feng Jiu’er shoved Dowager Empress Ning aside — pushing her into Lian’er’s arms a short distance away — and with bare hands, no weapon of any kind, she concentrated her inner energy in both palms and went to meet the Empress’s blade head-on.

Sword energy and palm force collided. With a deafening boom, one figure was sent flying obliquely through the air, and a moment later landed on the ground with a resounding crash.

No one had expected it: the one sent flying by the force of the collision was the Empress herself.

The impact left the Empress instantly coughing up blood, unable even to crawl back to her feet.

Feng Jiu’er was herself stunned. She had not imagined that at the most critical moment, the inner energy within her body would come through and save her life.

But the moment that breath of focus gave way, her legs buckled beneath her, and she went down on one knee with a heavy thud — drained of every last bit of strength to rise again.

The Empress’s inner energy had been forcefully reversed; she opened her mouth and blood came surging up again, unable even to speak.

The Empress’s attendant matron saw Feng Jiu’er go down on her knee and immediately shrieked in a shrill voice: “Feng Jiu’er not only attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince — she has now also harmed the Dowager Empress and the Empress! This crime is beyond all forgiveness!”

“Come! Hack her apart with your blades this instant! Do not let her harm the Dowager Empress and Her Highness the Empress any further!”

Being hacked apart would be a brutal way to die, certainly — yet if Feng Jiu’er were allowed to injure the two Imperial Highnesses again, their own heads would likely not survive either.

The guards all drew their long swords, the tips leveled as one at Feng Jiu’er.

Qing Yun moved to intervene — only for the Empress, who had regained a ragged breath, to cry out sharply: “Guards! Qing Yun has colluded with Feng Jiu’er to plot against the Crown Prince and the Dowager Empress — seize him as well! If he resists, execute him on the spot!”

And so another dozen or more swords, trailing gusts of cutting air, swung to point at Qing Yun.

The situation on the scene teetered on the verge of eruption.

“Stand down!” Suddenly, a sharp, piercing voice rang out from outside.

It was the chief eunuch who served at the Emperor’s side.

Nanmen Rong’s brow darkened slightly, yet she paid it no particular mind.

Emperor Qiwen strode in with his entourage. The guards immediately sheathed their swords and bowed in unison: “We pay our respects to Your Majesty!”

Qing Yun likewise sheathed his weapon at once and bowed respectfully: “This subordinate pays his respects to Your Majesty!”

Feng Jiu’er was already half-kneeling on the ground, and after expending her inner energy just now, she had scarcely enough strength left even to stand, let alone offer the proper salutations to His Majesty.

Nanmen Rong, taking advantage of her own injuries, saw no need to bow to the Emperor and simply ignored the formality.

“What is going on here?” Emperor Qiwen surveyed the scene before him with undisguised displeasure. “How dare you start a brawl in Heng’er’s quarters!”

“Your Majesty, Feng Jiu’er attempted to assassinate Heng’er and harmed the Dowager Empress.” The Empress, supported by the matron’s arm, barely managed to stand. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and spoke in fury: “This consort was just about to have her executed on the spot!”

“She… attempted to assassinate Heng’er… and the Dowager Empress?” His gaze drifted to a figure at the corner of his vision — the silhouette of the Dowager Empress.

Seeing that she had fainted, Emperor Qiwen was overtaken by alarm: “Come quickly! See to the Dowager Empress at once!”

Several imperial physicians had been present in the Crown Prince’s chambers to begin with. When the noise outside finally fell quiet and they heard the Emperor’s summons, how could they dare remain in hiding any longer?

Two of them immediately emerged from within, helping the Dowager Empress inside to be treated.

Lian’er wished to follow, but the chief eunuch called out sharply to stop her: “Lian’er — tell me honestly, exactly what happened here just now!”

Having served at Emperor Qiwen’s side for so many years, the chief eunuch understood his master well.

In a situation like this, the Empress was the one with the authority to dictate the account of events — which guard among them would dare say otherwise?

But Lian’er was different. Lian’er had attended Dowager Empress Ning since childhood, and the Dowager Empress had always been a woman of pure, simple heart, devoted to her Buddhist faith and utterly removed from the strife of the inner palace.

Lian’er’s account would at least be more credible than anyone else present.

Lian’er inclined herself slightly toward Emperor Qiwen. She was a young girl who knew nothing of martial arts; the scene that had just unfolded before her had been far beyond her comprehension. So she could only relate, one by one, exactly what she had seen with her own eyes.

“In response to Your Majesty — just now, Feng Jiu’er attacked the Crown Prince, and Her Highness the Empress moved to apprehend her…”

Jiu’er opened her mouth to explain — and only blood came out.

Her meridians had been damaged, and she had forced herself to draw upon her inner energy on top of it; wound layered upon wound. That she was still conscious at all was no small feat.

Qing Yun immediately spoke up: “Your Majesty, Miss Jiu’er did not—”

“Qing Yun! You are Feng Jiu’er’s accomplice — who are you to speak here?” The Empress’s voice dropped low and sharp.

Her guards immediately surged forward and seized hold of Qing Yun, restraining him where he stood.

The guards behind Emperor Qiwen also pushed forward, reaching Feng Jiu’er a step ahead of the Empress’s men and taking her into custody.

“Lian’er, continue.” The chief eunuch pressed.

Lian’er cast a glance toward Feng Jiu’er, resentment flickering in the depths of her eyes. She said: “The Empress intended to arrest Feng Jiu’er, but unexpectedly, Feng Jiu’er turned on the Dowager Empress and attempted to take her hostage and flee the palace. The Dowager Empress has a frail constitution; with Feng Jiu’er’s hands around her throat, she fainted on the spot!”

Feng Jiu’er’s brow drew into a tight knot, but she was beyond the strength needed to offer any explanation.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor’s expression darkened at once. He spoke in fury: “You dared make an attempt against the Dowager Empress! Guards — escort Feng Jiu’er and Qing Yun to the Jiantian Office and have them confined to prison!”

Having heard that the Crown Prince had been poisoned, the Emperor had no further patience to deal with Feng Jiu’er. He immediately turned and, accompanied by the chief eunuch, went inside to check on Zhan Yuheng.

And so Feng Jiu’er was led away under guard. The Jiantian Office — in less than a single month, she was somehow headed back to prison once again. She and the Jiantian Office must truly be fated to clash at every turn.

Having Feng Jiu’er imprisoned was, of course, not enough to satisfy Empress Rong — but with even Emperor Qiwen present now, there was temporarily nothing more she could do.

Left with no other choice, she could only watch helplessly as Feng Jiu’er was escorted away.

She made to go and check on Zhan Yuheng, but the moment she took a single step, her complexion shifted dramatically. For all her efforts to suppress it, she could hold it back no longer — her mouth fell open, and with a violent retch, another mouthful of blood came gushing out.

Damned Feng Jiu’er — who could have imagined she possessed such ferocious inner strength? Where on earth had she learned it from?

Even if she had learned it from somewhere, inner energy was nothing like martial arts techniques — it was not something that could simply be picked up at will.

Building inner strength required years upon years of dedicated cultivation to achieve. And yet hers had manifested in such an inexplicable manner!