“It must be Feng Jiu’er — she must have given the Venerable Master a sedative so that he would believe he had been with her the entire time.” Leng Yue’s voice continued. “Venerable Master, you have been deceived by her!”
Feng Jiu’er had dared to wound her once and twice — regardless of whether that white-clad woman was truly her, this time Leng Yue had no intention of letting this vile woman go again.
Emperor Ji closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. When he looked up at Feng Jiu’er, his gaze was heavy with killing intent.
“Wu Ya, step aside. Today, even if I expend this old life of mine, I will not allow this vile woman to harm you brothers any further.”
Watching Emperor Ji readying to strike once more, Feng Jiu’er stepped forward, shielding herself in front of Di Wu Ya.
“What you are doing will only injure those you care about. I did not use a sedative. Ninth Imperial Uncle has been sleeping poorly of late, so I mixed in a calming fragrance…”
“With a smell that heavy, who are you trying to fool?” Leng Yue pressed a hand to her chest, rose to her feet, and cut off Feng Jiu’er’s words.
“You clearly did not want the Venerable Master to wake, so that he could prove you never left.”
“My fragrance was indeed meant to help Ninth Imperial Uncle sleep soundly, but I absolutely did not have the intentions you are accusing me of.”
Feng Jiu’er gave Leng Yue a sweeping glance and turned around.
She looked up at Di Wu Ya, her voice gentled slightly. “Whether or not you believe me, I have no time to explain right now.”
Leaving those words behind, she walked quickly out of the hall.
Of all the unfortunate timing — wanting Ninth Imperial Uncle to sleep well, she had laid the fragrance on a little heavily today.
Right now, who on earth had disguised themselves as her and wounded Mu Mu? Just how seriously was Mu Mu injured?
Feng Jiu’er truly could not be bothered with any of it. She only wanted to go and save him now. As long as Mu Mu was all right, she would let these people say whatever they wished.
“Wu Ya, do not let her leave — I saw with my own eyes that she wounded Mu’er. How can you…”
“Foster Father.” Emperor Ji’s words were not yet finished when Di Wu Ya cut in with a firm voice. “It was not Jiu’er. There must have been a misunderstanding.”
“Saving lives is what matters. Now is not the time to pursue this.”
The moment those words fell, Di Wu Ya turned and walked away without looking back.
The nearly distant Feng Jiu’er heard her man’s words, and her heart found at least some measure of comfort.
She had indeed placed the fragrance on him. Forcing himself awake would surely have left him feeling at least somewhat unwell. Yet he had not doubted her for so much as a moment — and that was enough.
Leng Yue watched Di Wu Ya leave and immediately returned to Emperor Ji’s side.
“Foster Father, the smell of a sedative was unmistakable — you smelled it too, did you not? It was Feng Jiu’er, it had to be Feng Jiu’er, there can be no mistake.”
“Feng Jiu’er is skilled with medicines and potions. Perhaps the Crown Prince has long since been brought under her control through drugs. Otherwise, he would not…”
“Mu’er — I must go and see Mu’er.” Di Wu Ya’s words pulled Emperor Ji back from the chaos of his thoughts.
At this moment, what mattered most was Mu’er. How had he been so muddleheaded — what use was there in chasing after Feng Jiu’er’s responsibility right now?
Paying Leng Yue no mind, Emperor Ji steered his wheeled chair forward and left on his own.
“Foster Father.” Leng Yue hurried after him. “It must be Feng Jiu’er. We cannot allow Feng Jiu’er anywhere near the Second Prince — absolutely not.”
“Old Venerable Master.” Yu Jingfeng did not immediately follow after Di Wu Ya. Instead, he turned and looked at Emperor Ji as he emerged. “It could not have been Miss Jiu’er.”
“Even if she truly did put the calming fragrance on His Highness, it was out of good intentions. I believe she would never bring harm to His Highness or General Mu.”
“Yu Jingfeng, have you also been drugged?” Leng Yue shot Yu Jingfeng a cold glance.
But Yu Jingfeng did not so much as look at Leng Yue. His gaze remained on Emperor Ji.
“Even if His Highness slept deeply tonight, I stood guard outside the entire time. However skilled Miss Jiu’er is in martial arts, she would not have been able to leave without my knowing.”
“I was not drugged, and I did not leave my post for a single step.”
With a soft sigh, Yu Jingfeng turned and was gone, swift as an arrow.
Such a fine New Year’s Eve of reunion — how had things come to this?
It had taken His Highness such great effort to find a woman both suited to him and dear to his heart. Why could heaven not be a little kinder to him?
“Foster Father, do not believe a word of Yu Jingfeng’s nonsense. Perhaps he too has long been swayed by Feng Jiu’er.” Leng Yue came up behind Emperor Ji.
Emperor Ji only stiffened for a moment, then continued forward.
“Foster Father, wait — let me take you.” Leng Yue hurried alongside him. “Foster Father, it must be Feng Jiu’er. This time we cannot let her go free again.”
“We both saw it with our own eyes — can there still be any doubt? We cannot allow her to harm the Crown Prince and the Second Prince any further.”
Leng Yue pushed Emperor Ji forward, all the while continuing to speak without stopping.
In the largest courtyard within the residence, outside the hall, more than ten skilled martial brothers stood guard.
By the time Di Wu Ya and Feng Jiu’er arrived, several physicians had already been brought inside.
When the Elder Shi saw it was Feng Jiu’er, he immediately led his men forward to block their path.
“Your Highness, Crown Prince.” Elder Shi cupped his fists toward Di Wu Ya.
Feng Jiu’er, however, walked on as though she had not seen him at all.
“Miss Jiu’er, you may not enter.” Seeing this, Elder Shi stepped in front of Feng Jiu’er.
“Move aside.” Di Wu Ya stepped forward.
Not even the ordinary brothers — even Elder Shi was forced back several paces by Di Wu Ya’s aura alone.
Seeing that they could not be stopped, Elder Shi said in a firm voice, “Your Highness, the Palace Mistress has given orders that Miss Jiu’er may not be admitted. Do not put the brothers in a difficult position.”
Elder Shi raised a hand, and the brothers behind him surged forward with their weapons drawn.
Di Wu Ya halted, reached out to take Feng Jiu’er’s small hand, and pulled her behind him.
Feng Jiu’er’s mind was fixed entirely on saving Di Feimu. She had no eyes for the danger ahead.
Suddenly yanked back, she wrenched her hand free with force.
“I must go in.” She looked up and met Di Wu Ya’s gaze, drawing a deep breath. “Ninth Imperial Uncle, I must go in. Mu Mu is still waiting for me.”
Knowing how critical the situation was, Feng Jiu’er had no faith in any of the other physicians.
She had to see Mu Mu. If he was all right, she would leave. But if something happened to him — what would she do?
Mu Mu’s martial arts were so formidable. Why had he been gravely wounded? And the one who had taken him away was a woman who had disguised herself as her.
If anything happened to Mu Mu, she knew she would be uneasy for the rest of her life.
Di Wu Ya tightened his grip on Feng Jiu’er’s small hand, turned, and swept a cold gaze over everyone present from the Night Underworld Palace.
“If you do not move aside, do not blame me for showing no mercy!”
“Your Highness.” Elder Shi had his orders and found himself in a difficult position.
He had barely seen Di Wu Ya’s brow crease ever so slightly when every person there immediately raised their guard.
With Ye Luosha’s command in force, even at the cost of their lives, the brothers dared not step aside.
At the moment Di Wu Ya’s five fingers gave the faintest stir, Ye Luosha came striding rapidly out from within the hall.
“Wu Ya.” She called out sharply and appeared before Di Wu Ya.
Her gaze fell upon Feng Jiu’er, and Ye Luosha’s voice was saturated with killing intent. “This vile woman — it is she who tried to kill Mu’er.”
“Men, seize the vile woman at once!”
No sooner had Ye Luosha’s voice fallen than from all around the courtyard, brothers of the Night Underworld Palace came surging forth in a continuous stream.
In no time at all, they had surrounded Di Wu Ya and Feng Jiu’er on all sides.