“Don’t worry about me, quick, save Caiwei first,” Han Shiyuan gasped, followed by several coughs.
Zhu Yan quickly ran towards her third sister, but Zhu Caiwei shouted, “Little Six, don’t mind me! I can hold on. Save your brother-in-law first!”
Hearing Zhu Caiwei’s words, Zhu Yan swiftly turned to run toward Han Shiyuan. Suddenly, a strong hand grasped her wrist, accompanied by a stern command, “Don’t go!”
Zhu Yan was utterly shocked. She couldn’t believe these words came from Shen Du’s mouth.
Although he held a lofty official position and was known as the White King of Hell, in Zhu Yan’s heart, this man had always possessed a sense of justice. Even if some things were done out of necessity, when lives were at stake, he could still make the right decision.
But now, what was happening?
It was bad enough that he wasn’t going to save them, but he was also preventing her from doing so. Had he gone mad?
How could he watch two lives disappear before his eyes, especially when these two people were directly related to her?
“Let go.”
Zhu Yan’s eyes were filled with hatred as she struggled against Shen Du’s grip. “You may be able to ignore human life, but I can’t. If you won’t save them, fine, but don’t stop me.”
Shen Du stared coldly at Zhu Yan, his eyes filled with determination. “I said you’re not allowed to go, and that means you’re not allowed to go!”
His tone was firm and irrefutable. Zhu Yan was thoroughly disappointed in this man and couldn’t understand why Shen Du had become like this.
“You weren’t like this before,” Zhu Yan said, shaking her head. “Now you’re cold-blooded and heartless, completely different from before!”
Zhu Yan shouted at Shen Du, but he chose to ignore her. “Since you say I’m cold-blooded and heartless, I might as well be completely cold. Today, you won’t interfere in this matter.”
“Let go!” Zhu Yan was like an enraged lioness. Seeing that Shen Du still wouldn’t release her, in desperation, she bit down on the back of his hand.
Despite her fierce biting, Shen Du’s grip on her wrist didn’t loosen at all.
The strong taste of blood filled her mouth. Zhu Yan bit until she was exhausted. She released her bite and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, looking at Shen Du with utter despair. “What will it take for you to let go? My third sister is about to die. I can’t just stand by and watch without helping.”
Shen Du remained silent. Blood flowed freely from the back of his hand, but his expression remained unchanged.
Zhu Yan was completely hopeless. She wanted to save her sister and brother-in-law, but now it seemed she was powerless to do so.
She felt guilty and helpless about her inability to act. At that moment, Qi Yeyun arrived.
His expression was one of uncontrollable terror as he pointed at the stage and shouted, “Look, the moth flying out of the fire has swallowed them both!”
Qi Yeyun, for some reason, was completely overwhelmed by the scene before him.
He saw a giant moth emerge from the flames and swallow the two people on the stage in one gulp.
He collapsed to the ground, at a loss for what to do. Seeing Qi Yeyun’s state, Zhu Yan also broke down.
“Let go! Let go!” Zhu Yan shouted at Shen Du, struggling frantically.
Shen Du pulled Zhu Yan into his arms and spoke to her with a sharp tone, “Calm down. It’s not real. It’s just an illusion!”
Zhu Yan could no longer hear Shen Du’s words. It was as if she saw a wolf in human skin, constantly preventing her from saving people.
Her mind was in complete chaos, having lost all ability to think rationally. No matter how much Shen Du tried to explain, she couldn’t hear a word.
Finally, with no other option, she buried her face in Shen Du’s chest and sobbed loudly.
Just then, with a loud “clang,” an imperial sword cut through the ropes binding the two, lodging itself in the doorpost of the stage.
The two suddenly fell, and two black shadows flashed by, rescuing them from the edge of the flames.
Hearing the sound, Zhu Yan in Shen Du’s arms stopped crying and quickly turned around. She saw two unfamiliar faces, wearing jade-adorned official robes and caps, untying her third sister and brother-in-law.
Though the men were strangers, their imperial swords and attire made their identity clear.
With imperial swords and such martial prowess, they must be the Qianniu Guards from the palace.
The “Qianniu Guards,” also known as the “Left and Right Qianniu Guards,” were specially established by the Empress.
Their insignia was the imperial sword. The “Left and Right Qianniu Guards” were two of the “Sixteen Guards” of the Southern Court, not commanding regular troops but specializing in “wielding imperial swords for close protection and attendance.” They were the Empress’s inner circle of personal guards.
Such people rarely left the palace, and their presence always indicated the arrival of an important figure.
Sure enough, just after the two were untied, Zhang Baohuan, the Empress’s male favorite, hurriedly arrived.
Seeing the scene before him, Zhang Baohuan was quite angry. “What’s going on here?”
Zhu Caiwei, newly freed, quickly thanked Zhang Baohuan, but he seemed displeased and instead fixed his gaze on Han Shiyuan. “Are you injured? What exactly happened here?”
Han Shiyuan didn’t speak, only looking at Zhang Baohuan with an extremely cold and indifferent gaze.
Zhu Caiwei didn’t understand why Han Shiyuan was acting this way and hurriedly apologized to Zhang Baohuan. “Please don’t be angry, Sir. He’s just in shock. I’m sure he hasn’t come to his senses yet. Please forgive him.”
Hearing Zhu Caiwei’s words, Zhang Baohuan lost patience to pursue the matter further. He waved his hand impatiently and said, “Enough, enough. It’s good that no one’s hurt. Be more careful in the future. Don’t let such dangerous things happen again, or I won’t be able to explain it to those above.”
“Yes, yes, we’ll be more careful in the future,” Zhu Caiwei quickly agreed.
Zhang Baohuan’s anger subsided somewhat. He then turned his gaze to Shen Du. “Grand Secretary, given today’s unusual events, and since you’re here, I order your Internal Affairs Office to take full responsibility for this matter. You must investigate thoroughly and give me an explanation.”
“Yes, sir,” Shen Du bowed, accepting the task.
Zhang Baohuan nodded with satisfaction, then cast a deeply meaningful look at Han Shiyuan.
Han Shiyuan’s expression flickered as if deliberately avoiding Zhang Baohuan’s gaze.
Both Shen Du and Zhu Yan noticed this.
“Let’s go,” Zhang Baohuan said, leaving with the Qianniu Guards.
Only after their figures had completely disappeared did Han Shiyuan turn a concerned gaze to Zhu Caiwei. “How are you? Are you hurt?”
Seeing Han Shiyuan’s concern, Zhu Caiwei was delighted. She quickly shook her head, “I’m fine, I’m alright. How about you? Should we find a doctor to check on you?”
“Yes, let’s find a doctor,” Zhu Yan, having stopped crying, said to the couple. “Even if you’re fine, it’s best to get checked just to be sure. Don’t dwell on today’s events. After seeing the doctor, go home and rest well. Leave everything else to us.”
“Mm,” Zhu Caiwei responded, still shaken. She cast an uneasy glance at Han Shiyuan, and the two supported each other as they left.