Meanwhile, Chu also dispatched Duke Protector General Meng to lead three hundred thousand troops to stand ready at the border. People living near the Qi-Chu border in the east all fled southward with their families. The atmosphere of impending war grew increasingly obvious. Even in this far southern capital, the atmosphere was taut as a bowstring, ready to snap at any moment. The rumors and condemnation regarding Qing Xia spread like plague. No one was interested anymore in stories of flying into rage for a beauty’s sake. With war imminent and people’s hearts unsettled, such romantic tales were only suitable for future generations to relish. For those directly threatened by war, they would only curse the femme fatale who had caused the two nations to clash and destroyed their peaceful lives.

At this moment, Zhuang Qing Xia, reviled by all under heaven, was in the main hall of Lanting Palace, sweeping aside a table full of delicacies with one stroke. Her bright red garments had dazzling splendor under the sunlight. The clattering sound of shattering porcelain rang in everyone’s ears. Sharp broken ceramic pieces cut her tender skin, but she seemed completely unaware, still crying continuously with tears streaming down her face: “Get out! Everyone get out!” Her voice was shrill, like the wailing of ghosts.

The servants trembled with fear, and the great hall quickly quieted down. The servants and maids, who had more than doubled in number due to her great favor, all knelt properly outside the doors. Qing Xia threw a tantrum, appearing heartbroken, her hair disheveled as she ran around the hall, throwing everything breakable outside the palace, with crackling sounds never ceasing. After making a commotion for a while, perhaps tired, Qing Xia cried out loudly once and returned to her inner chambers, slamming the door shut.

The moment the door closed, the woman who had been weeping bitterly immediately quieted down. She frowned slightly, secretly calculating. Yesterday, Zhuang Dianru had already departed for the frontier with the eloquent scholars from Donghua Pavilion, and Chu Li hadn’t set foot in Lanting Palace since that day. Time was running out – she couldn’t passively wait any longer.

Since everyone believed that Zhuang Qing Xia and Prince An shared an unbreakable bond of life and death, then she would fulfill their expectations.

A white silk rope hung across the room. Qing Xia gripped the end of the silk rope, tied a noose, and counting Xiangju’s jingling footsteps, quietly stood on a corner stool.

“Why are you all kneeling here? Is anyone attending inside?”

The timing was perfect. Qing Xia smiled cunningly and applied slight pressure with her toe – the stool fell to the ground with a thud.

The inner chamber door was pushed open, and Xiangju’s sharp, terrified voice instantly spread throughout the six eastern and western palaces!

“Ah! Your Ladyship!”

If the real Zhuang Qing Xia were still alive, she probably would have done exactly this.

But Tang Xiaoshi could not. Wrongs committed needed to be rectified, and those who had harmed her had no reason not to pay the corresponding price!

“His Highness the Prince arrives!”

A long, shrill voice broke the silence of the Southern Chu palace night. Several magnificent steeds galloped like flying from the Purple Gold Avenue, passing through the main palace thoroughfare, Anshou thoroughfare, and Lianhua Avenue, stopping steadily before Lanting Palace in the Eastern Palace.

Chu Li wore silver-white armor, incomparably handsome, with a black iron silver helmet that added to his martial bearing. But at this moment he seemed like a god of death, making people shudder with cold. His attendants all unconsciously kept their distance from him to avoid being implicated.

“We respectfully welcome His Highness the Prince. May His Highness have ten thousand blessings and golden peace.” The kneeling palace maids greeted him in unison, though their faces couldn’t hide their nervous fear. Xiangju’s hands and feet were still slightly trembling, but she still boldly bent forward and said softly: “This servant is guilty…”

But before she could finish speaking, with a sharp whoosh, Chu Li suddenly raised the riding whip in his hand and struck Xiangju’s tender face heavily.

Xiangju cried out in pain but immediately prostrated herself on the ground, trembling all over, kowtowing repeatedly, unable to speak a single word.

“A bunch of useless things – drag them all out and execute them!” His personal guards thunderously received the order and rushed in like wolves and tigers, grabbing the many servants who were suddenly crying and begging for mercy, about to take them outside.

“Why don’t you drag me out too and execute me as well!” A voice clear and cold as snow suddenly rang out from the inner chamber. Though the voice was low and somewhat hoarse, Chu Li heard it clearly. He slowly turned his head and saw Qing Xia barely supporting her upper body with her hands, lying on the canopy bed, her face deathly pale, her cherry lips like blood. After saying one sentence, she seemed to lack strength and was breathing heavily.

A cold gleam flashed through Chu Li’s eyes. He pressed his lips tightly together, strode forward, and gripped Qing Xia’s pointed chin. His eyes were like gathering storms, dark and deep, yet showing the sharp look of violent rage. Chu Li’s voice was low and cold: “Finally can’t pretend anymore? Where have your composure, calmness, and self-control gone? Weren’t you unafraid even of death? What’s wrong now? You can’t live after I captured him? You want to die because I captured him?”

“You used me!” Tears immediately rolled down the woman on the bed. She raised her pale face and shouted at Chu Li: “You made him misunderstand me like this – you might as well kill me!”

Hearing this, Chu Li’s expression became deadly cold, his eyes red with fury, and he raged: “If you dare to die, I’ll have everyone outside buried with you!”

“What do their lives and deaths have to do with me?” The woman’s expression was fierce as she shouted back: “Don’t threaten me with the lives of these unrelated people!”

“What about me?” Chu Li suddenly cupped Qing Xia’s face, using such force he almost crushed her facial bones. His eyes were black, filled with a gambler’s reckless determination. His voice was gloomy, his words steady, as he asked word by word: “This is a life-and-death battle between Qi and Chu – either he dies or I perish. What about me? Am I also an unrelated person?”

Qing Xia was momentarily stunned, looking at this violent man. Her mind was even somewhat confused. Hadn’t he always held Zhuang Qing Xia in contempt? Hadn’t he only married Zhuang Qing Xia into the imperial palace to maintain the balance of power at court? Before her arrival, hadn’t he never set foot in Lanting Palace? But why would he speak such words now? A sudden pain on her face immediately brought Qing Xia back to her senses, and her eyes immediately became coldly fierce, filled with intense hatred: “If possible, I truly wish I could act personally.”

“Boom!” A muffled sound immediately came as Chu Li’s right fist struck the bed post heavily, wood chips flying, blood dripping.

“Everyone get out!” Chu Li suddenly roared, “Without my orders, no one is allowed to enter!”

The door slammed shut with a crash. Chu Li tore off his armor and pressed down on Qing Xia, saying coldly: “I’ll let you know right now that in your life, I can never be an unrelated person!”

Sudden great force tore apart the garments at Qing Xia’s shoulder. Her snow-white, rounded shoulder immediately stimulated Chu Li’s eyes, and he suddenly lowered his head, biting down heavily on Qing Xia’s body.

Unfortunately, he didn’t see the expression on the woman behind him at this moment.

Hand held like a blade, aimed at the pressure point – she had practiced this countless times and experienced it in countless battles large and small. The downward chop was clean and efficient. The next second, what had been a roaring lion was now sleeping peacefully like a docile cat.

After lighting sleep-inducing incense, Qing Xia nodded with satisfaction. Everything went smoothly. Chu Li had returned to the imperial city and come to Lanting Palace as she wished, been provoked by her, and ordered that no outsiders disturb them. Now he was unconscious and wouldn’t wake for two hours, giving her ample time to do what needed to be done.

Efficiently changing into black night clothes, securing her dagger, and taking rope, flint, small knife, wire, and other tools, Qing Xia gently opened the rear window. She glanced back at Chu Li sleeping peacefully on the bed, then nimbly disappeared into the night.

The third watch drum had just sounded when Qing Xia had already successfully escaped the palace. In this ancient palace without infrared sensors, cameras, or thermal detectors, she was like a swimming fish – agile and nimble, moving silently toward the prison in the east of the capital.

The night was thick, cold crows cried long on the branches – their harsh sounds were annoying.

On the horizon, moonlight was slowly obscured by dark clouds. On a night when the moon was full and stars sparse – a killing night – the scent of blood quietly permeated the air.

The night was dense. The moon that had been hiding behind clouds slowly emerged, its light growing brighter, illuminating the capital streets that now appeared calm and peaceful, casting down patches of bright white radiance.

Normally, the capital didn’t impose curfews, but this was wartime emergency. People from all households voluntarily obeyed the capital magistrate’s orders and obediently returned to their homes. After all, at this moment, no one was in the mood for entertainment. All this, however, brought convenience to Qing Xia’s operation.

The capital prison was located in a desolate area in the eastern part of the city. Next to it was the capital’s military camp, backed by a river, occupying superior geographical advantages. For Qing Xia, who was accustomed to modern infrared sensors, cameras, closed-circuit television monitors, and other high-tech anti-infiltration measures, as well as skyscrapers hundreds of meters high, this ancient metropolis was like an undefended amusement park. What needed to be guarded against were only the guard soldiers and sharp-nosed hunting dogs – all of this seemed elementary.

Qing Xia crouched under the high walls outside the prison, calmly taking out rope and estimating the height of the walls. Not bad – Chu Li still had some competence. Just looking at these walls, they had sufficient safety factors. In this technologically backward ancient era, few walls were built this high. Qing Xia glanced at them and lowered her head – about fifteen meters, not a problem. Around the walls, all tall trees had indeed been cut down for security to ensure no one could infiltrate. Qing Xia’s gaze swept to a slightly more distant location where there stood a tall shaft over thirty meters high with Southern Chu’s phoenix flag hanging from it.