Cui Ji endured the pain and said, “You did this deliberately to make me think I had already controlled you, thus letting down my guard.”

“If not for this, with Young Master Cui’s martial arts skills, how could I have succeeded with one strike?” As she spoke, she leaned close to his ear, “How is it? After bleeding so much, has that evil fire subsided?”

Cui Ji’s body trembled incessantly, whether from pain or anger. After a long while, he said, “Yang Yunyi, I truly underestimated you. But I clearly had people remove all sharp weapons from Feixiang Hall. Why do you still have a dagger?”

Yunyi said with a half-smile, “You’ll have to ask your people about that. They searched very carelessly – they didn’t even discover the dagger I kept under my pillow.”

Cui Ji looked down at the dagger still embedded in his body and said hatefully, “If you kill me, you won’t survive either. Why don’t we make a deal?”

Yunyi raised her delicate eyebrows and said, “What deal?”

“As long as you release me, I’ll let you leave the Imperial Palace. From then on, the sky is high and the sea is wide – you can go wherever you want…” “Ah!” Before he finished speaking, the dagger in his shoulder twisted another circle, while Yunyi’s cold, stern voice reached his ears, “Do you think I would believe the words of a despicable villain? I’m afraid the moment I release you, you’ll have people come in to capture me. Cui Ji, I’ve already been fooled by you once – I absolutely won’t let there be a second time!”

Having his thoughts exposed, Cui Ji was speechless. After quite a while, he finally said, “Killing me won’t benefit you at all. Instead, it will make my father hate you to the bone.” Before Yunyi could speak, he continued, “I know you’re not afraid to die, but what about Empress Dowager Xiao? Yuwen Huaji is just a paper tiger. He won’t be able to hold the position of Prime Minister for long. When that time comes, who will protect Empress Dowager Xiao?”

Yunyi sneered, “Would releasing you ensure Mother Empress’s safety?”

“I can’t say it would ensure safety, but at least no one would target her.” Cui Ji endured the waves of severe pain in his shoulder and arm, saying through gritted teeth, “I know you don’t trust me, but what I’m saying now is all true. Whether Empress Dowager Xiao lives or dies – you decide for yourself.”

These words made Yunyi hesitate. She could disregard her own life or death, but she couldn’t disregard Xiao Shi’s life or death. In this moment of distraction, she gave Cui Ji an opportunity. He kicked Yunyi away, and before she could react, he endured the pain to pull out the dagger from his shoulder and held it across Yunyi’s neck, saying coldly, “Stinking wench, you’ve lost!”

Facing the suddenly reversed situation, Yunyi didn’t show too much panic. She stared coldly at Cui Ji and said, “Young Master Cui is truly sinister and cunning enough!”

“The feeling is mutual.” Cui Ji leaned close to her ear and said slowly, “Don’t worry. I won’t just treat you well – after that old ghost Yuwen dies, I’ll treat Empress Dowager Xiao well too!”

“I’m afraid Young Master Cui won’t have that chance!” Although the situation was under his control, Yunyi’s words still made Cui Ji feel uneasy. He wanted to speak, but suddenly a wave of dizziness surged through his mind. Something seemed to float before his eyes, and his vision became double. He shook his head forcefully and said, “What do you mean?”

Yunyi smiled leisurely, “How is it? Do you feel your head spinning and your eyes blurring?”

Cui Ji’s expression changed as he hurriedly said, “How do you know?”

Yunyi said coolly, “Young Master Cui was so focused on thinking about how to turn defeat into victory that he forgot to look at whether the blood flowing from his body was… red or black!”

Cui Ji hurriedly looked down and saw that the blood he was dripping had somehow turned as black as ink, strange and terrifying. He stared in horror at the dagger in his hand that was faintly glowing blue, “Poisoned?”

Yunyi smiled charmingly, “I said I would succeed with one strike – how could I give you a chance to win?”

“Wench!” When had Cui Ji ever been schemed against like this? He was so angry that his veins bulged. Before he could speak, Yunyi continued, “Don’t think about using the dagger to wound me in exchange for the antidote. I already secretly took the antidote. This poison… has no effect on me!”

By now, in addition to the previous symptoms, his wounds began to feel numb and itchy. Cui Ji knew the poison was gradually spreading, and he didn’t have much time left. “Wench, hand over the antidote immediately, or I’ll make you unable to live or die!”

Yunyi retreated to the table and leisurely poured herself a cup of tea, drinking it slowly. Seeing her like this, Cui Ji was both hateful and anxious, roaring fiercely, “Did you hear me? Quickly give me the antidote! Fast!”

Yunyi played with the teacup and said slowly, “If I were you, I definitely wouldn’t get angry. That would only make the poisoned blood flow faster. Once the poisoned blood attacks the heart, even if the great immortals descended from heaven, they couldn’t save you.”

Hearing this, Cui Ji quickly took several deep breaths to suppress the anger in his heart and reached out his hand, “As long as you give me the antidote, I’ll pretend what just happened never occurred, and I won’t come to Feixiang Hall again in the future.”

Yunyi smiled without speaking. Her appearance immediately rekindled the anger that Cui Ji had just suppressed. He pounded the table forcefully, his eyes bloodshot, “It’s just a small poison! There are so many imperial physicians in the palace – could they really not cure it?” With that, he staggered toward the outside. Just as his hands touched the palace door, he heard a clear, cold voice from behind, “What I used was a rare poison from the Western Regions. In all the world, very few can cure this poison. And with your condition, before you reach the Imperial Medical Academy, the poisoned blood will have already attacked your heart, beyond medical help!”

Cui Ji stopped and turned back, saying through gritted teeth, “Then give me the antidote. Don’t forget – if I die, both you and Empress Dowager Xiao will find it hard to escape death.”

“If you don’t die, Mother Empress will truly find it hard to escape death.” As Yunyi spoke, Cui Ji could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground. He struggled to drag his body to crawl beside Yunyi, saying with difficulty, “I know I was wrong. Please, give me the antidote. As long as… as long as you spare me, I will definitely repent thoroughly and devote myself to good!”

“Devote yourself to good?” Yunyi laughed coldly, looking down at him from above, “But I believe more in ‘rivers and mountains may change, but nature is hard to alter’!”

Cui Ji felt his breathing becoming difficult. He struggled to gasp a few breaths and said, “No, I promise you, I will definitely change. I won’t pester you anymore. Please, give me another chance. The Princess has always… has always been kind-hearted. I believe… you won’t just watch as I… I…” By the end, his breath was failing, and he couldn’t speak the last word.

Yunyi crouched down and said with a smile, “Won’t just watch as you die, is that it?”

Looking at Cui Ji who was struggling to nod, Yunyi’s smile suddenly turned cold as she said sinisterly, “You’re wrong. The most venomous are women’s hearts. These hands have already been stained with blood – what harm is there in staining them with one more? Moreover, you killed Zheng Yang, persecuted me in every way, and hunted throughout the city to put Ruhui to death. You absolutely deserve more than death!”