Suzhen went over but saw Li Zhaoting drinking and laughing with someone in the pavilion of the imperial garden.

Looking closely, it was Sangzhan.

She was startled, unsure whether it was because of Sangzhan’s connection to Lian Jie and others that made her feel uncomfortable, or something else. She was about to leave when she turned around—

“You came? Come over.”

Li Zhaoting’s eyes were sharp and he spotted her immediately.

Suzhen had no choice but to go over.

“Looking for me?” Li Zhaoting glanced at her.

He had sent those pastries to convey this very meaning—some things he didn’t want to say outright, but he wanted her to know his thoughts.

She had indeed come.

Suzhen’s peripheral vision inadvertently swept over Sangzhan.

Sangzhan seemed to be avoiding suspicion, slightly lowering his eyes.

How would he explain this to Lian Jie and the others when he returned? Thinking of this made her feel uncomfortable all over.

But since Li Zhaoting asked, she still said, “Since Your Majesty has a guest here, Suzhen will come back later…”

“It’s no matter. Sangzhan and I hit it off at first sight and get along quite well. Today I specially invited him into the palace to visit, and to learn about various tribes outside our Great Zhou’s main peoples… What we’re discussing isn’t state affairs. You sit with us too and dine with me.” Li Zhaoting looked at her and said calmly.

When he said “dine with me,” his tone was quite tender.

Suzhen was first delighted by this so-called “turning point,” but now felt anxious. However, since Li Zhaoting had spoken, she could only sit beside him.

Liang Song was one to read the wind—seeing this, he immediately ordered eunuchs to bring another set of bowls, chopsticks, and wine vessels.

But Li Zhaoting first pushed his own set in front of her, “Use these first.”

Suzhen was startled. She was right next to Li Zhaoting, and he actually reached under the table to grasp her hand.

She trembled involuntarily. Whether from a “guilty conscience” or not, she seemed to see Sangzhan across from them give her a indifferent glance.

That strange feeling of discomfort grew even stronger. She felt restless.

She forced herself to endure and didn’t shake off Li Zhaoting’s hand.

At this moment, there was movement outside the pavilion. To ease the awkwardness, she deliberately looked over and discovered it was more than ten imperial kitchen supervisors and palace maids bringing new dishes.

“How did you girl come up here! Don’t you know the rules? Just stand where you are—others will fetch things. Go receive your punishment later,” Liang Song suddenly spoke out, scolding a palace maid who was trying to come forward to curry favor.

“This slave is new, this slave deserves death…”

The other person said tremblingly, her voice carrying tears.

This was a girl of seventeen or eighteen years.

Suzhen was about to plead for her when she suddenly felt something wrong with the person’s gaze—there was no fear in her eyes, but more killing intent. Her heart grew cold. Just then, she heard Sangzhan shout loudly, “Your Majesty, be careful!”

She turned in alarm to see the palace maid draw a knife from under her tray, already thrusting toward Li Zhaoting’s chest!

Li Zhaoting was no ordinary person—he naturally noticed too! He sneered coldly and without much movement, simply leaned back—

Imperial guards from all around pounced forward.

“Concubine Shu, be careful.”

Sangzhan’s voice suddenly rose, for that palace maid, failing with one strike, her gaze turning fierce, didn’t continue attacking Li Zhaoting but while her momentum remained and her move wasn’t finished, changed to strike at Suzhen beside him.

Not to mention post-childbirth weakness—even normally, with such lightning speed, Suzhen couldn’t have avoided it.

With great revenge unaccomplished, treacherous ministers uneliminated, and unable to see Little Lotus once more, must she die here?

In that split second, Suzhen smiled bitterly.

When a muffled groan and several screams rang out, she stared in amazement at the figure before her.

This blade didn’t fall on her!

Someone had blocked it.

At the critical moment, the other person could have avoided it but stepped forward, intercepting in front of her—

“Your Majesty…”

Liang Song, Little Four and others cried out as they rushed forward to support Li Zhaoting.

“What are you standing around for? Summon the imperial physician, call the head physician,” the old eunuch shouted with a mournful face.

Several nearby eunuchs ran off immediately.

From the side, Si Lanfeng and several imperial guards thrust their swords at the assassin, but to enable interrogation, they didn’t harm vital points.

That palace maid was full of fresh blood, glaring hatefully at Li Zhaoting, “You reformed the administration and killed my father. I entered the palace as a slave and lay dormant for so long. It’s a pity Heaven won’t show mercy—today I cannot take you…”

The dagger was embedded directly between Li Zhaoting’s chest and abdomen, blood staining his dragon robes red, yet he still stood straight, looking coldly at her, “Administrative reform was ordered by the former dynasty’s Lian Yu. I was merely executing it then. You killed the wrong person! But even if it were me, I would continue the reforms now. If your father weren’t a corrupt official, he wouldn’t have been killed.”

“Today you attempted to harm someone important to me—you cannot be spared. But I won’t pursue your family members further. Let this matter end here!” As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled the dagger from his body and threw it forward.

The small blade immediately buried itself in the palace maid’s throat, right to the hilt.

She couldn’t even cry out, her eyes showing shock and resentment as she collapsed sideways.

“Your Majesty, this subordinate will help you back to your sleeping palace.”

Since Li Zhaoting wasn’t pursuing the matter, Si Lanfeng quickly sheathed his sword and came to support him. Though Li Zhaoting’s face was pale, he still managed to speak, “You come with me.”

He looked at Suzhen with intense eyes.

Suzhen nodded silently.

Because of the assassination attempt on the Emperor, hundreds of surrounding imperial guards gathered. The group proceeded with great fanfare toward the imperial palace.

Sangzhan followed silently behind.

…

Arriving at the imperial palace, Si Lanfeng helped Li Zhaoting onto the bed while Suzhen stood several steps away in silence. Little Four was wiping tears nearby when he suddenly burst out angrily at her, “It’s all because of you, all your fault!”

Li Zhaoting sternly commanded, “If you keep shouting nonsense, get out!”

Little Four was stunned. Li Zhaoting said quietly, “Feng Suzhen, come here.”

Suzhen licked her dry lips and slowly walked over. Following his gaze, she sat by the couch as he reached out to grasp her hand.

“If the Dowager Empress hears and comes, no one is to tell her the specific circumstances. Just say someone attempted to assassinate me… Lanfeng, you say I have an oral decree ordering Concubine Shu to care for me here.”

As he spoke, his brow furrowed and he lost consciousness. But his hand still gripped Suzhen’s tightly.

Si Lanfeng and Liang Song exchanged glances, both seeing alarm in each other’s eyes. They both knew Li Zhaoting had feelings for Concubine Shu, but hadn’t expected them to be… so deep.

Especially Si Lanfeng—he had long believed Li Zhaoting held considerable affection for Suzhen, but today’s events still exceeded his expectations. Fortunately, though the wound was severe, it didn’t appear to have hit vital organs…

But at that moment, who could think about vital organs or not—

Little Four stared wide-eyed in disbelief at everything before him.

Suzhen’s hand was gripped so tightly she couldn’t break free even if she tried, her heart filled with complex emotions.

She had never expected that he… After everything that had happened, her hatred for him was no less than for Wei Chenghui.

Love—she definitely no longer loved him, but hate—at this moment, she felt a moment’s confusion.

Just as her thoughts were in turmoil, she felt someone watching her.

So intensely it was frightening! She shuddered and looked up, inadvertently glancing toward Sangzhan again. But she found him speaking quietly with Si Lanfeng, his gaze on Li Zhaoting showing mild concern.

This one was also quite the actor…

Earlier must have been just her imagination.

However, even if it was imagination, she didn’t dare look at Sangzhan again. For some inexplicable reason she didn’t dare, she was afraid—how strange!

“The physician is here, the physician is here!”

Outside the hall, a eunuch suddenly called out. Immediately after, led by the head physician, multiple physicians carrying medicine boxes rushed in. Clearly the Imperial Medical Academy was so nervous that nearly everyone had come out!

Suzhen wanted to move away, but though Li Zhaoting was unconscious, his grip was extremely tight. She used all her strength but couldn’t break free. Only when the head physician administered needles and Li Zhaoting’s acupoints responded did his hand finally loosen.

Everyone busied themselves with stopping the bleeding, stitching wounds, applying medicine…

Another rush of hurried footsteps sounded from outside the hall.

The Dowager Empress and various consorts had arrived.

Miaoyin immediately grabbed a eunuch to ask questions, and Wei Wulei also anxiously listened.

The Prince of Jin’s consort looked at the ground covered in bloodstains and bloody gauze, her face changing dramatically. Saying “My son,” her body began to sway. Si Lanfeng quickly reported, “Replying to Your Ladyship, His Majesty’s martial arts are strong—the wound didn’t reach internal organs and should be no serious problem. Please don’t worry excessively—your phoenix body is most important!”

The Prince of Jin’s consort nodded with difficulty, her gaze suddenly falling on Suzhen, “Why are you here?”

A Luo’s face was deathly pale. Without speaking, she stepped forward and slapped Suzhen across the face.

The dull sound echoed in the hall.

“His Majesty was wounded saving you. Why did you return? What exactly are your intentions!”

She stared at her and said harshly.

Everyone in the hall changed color. Si Lanfeng was alarmed—Li Zhaoting had forbidden telling the Dowager Empress, and though the Dowager wouldn’t randomly have people inquire about such things, there were plenty of eunuchs and palace maids who gathered information for the consorts! Moreover, there had been many people from the imperial kitchen earlier—that was exactly under Xiao Sishan’s jurisdiction. No wonder the Empress…

He silently cursed, about to step forward when the Prince of Jin’s consort, upon hearing this, was already furious.

“Empress, what are you saying?”

A Luo said, “Mother Empress, people from the imperial kitchen came to say this assassin was originally targeting—Concubine Feng Shu.”

The Prince of Jin’s consort’s gaze suddenly turned dark as she said through gritted teeth, word by word, “Someone come, bind this woman for me!”

“Wait.”

Several eunuchs stepped forward when a voice suddenly rang out, and someone moved to block in front of Suzhen.