Li Jiancheng said noncommittally: “Sounds decent enough, but how do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“If you don’t believe me, this palace can swear an oath before you!” Though she didn’t want to spare Li Jiancheng, the urgent matter was preserving Li Shimin’s life.

“Swear an oath?” Li Jiancheng sneered: “Do you think I’d believe that? Even if you don’t act personally, you could still send others to take my life. Am I right, Noble Consort?”

“This palace guarantees that as long as you hand over the antidote, not a single subject of the Great Tang will pursue you. Are you satisfied with this answer?!”

Li Yuanji stared blankly at their exchange. The plague poison actually had an antidote? He’d never heard Li Jiancheng mention this.

“Not bad, but…” Li Jiancheng said coldly: “What if I don’t hand over the antidote?”

Yunyi stared at him for a moment, then said coldly: “This palace knows what you’re thinking. You believe that as long as His Majesty doesn’t wake up, no one can deal with you.”

Li Jiancheng’s expression changed slightly, then immediately returned to normal, his thin lips curving slightly: “So what if that’s true?”

Yunyi said coldly: “If this palace weren’t in Luoyang city, your wishful thinking might work, but unfortunately, this palace is here!”

“So what if you are?” Li Jiancheng said mockingly: “Noble Consort… heh, in the end, you’re still just a woman of the inner palace. The harem must not interfere in politics – you couldn’t possibly order our deaths, could you?”

Yunyi said slowly: “Just as you said, if you don’t hand over the antidote, this palace will take your life and let you go keep Jirong company!”

Though clearly a weak woman, that bone-chilling voice made Li Jiancheng’s neck feel waves of cold, as if a blade hung there ready to fall at any moment.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Before Li Jiancheng finished speaking, Yunyi had already said coldly: “If you don’t believe it, feel free to test it!” Speaking thus, she shouted sternly: “Drag Li Yuanji out!”

Du Ruhui had also come along. Hearing her words, he said quietly: “Your Ladyship, what are you planning to do?”

Yunyi said coldly: “Since he doesn’t believe this palace’s words, then kill Li Yuanji first!” Compared to Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji’s life wasn’t as important – perfect for making an example!

“Though these two have committed many crimes, they are still Li family descendants. Your Ladyship doing this might invite criticism.” Facing Du Ruhui, Yunyi said coldly: “As long as it can save His Majesty’s life, let alone mere criticism – even ten thousand generations of curses, this palace would not hesitate!” After saying this, she shouted at the jailers still standing stupidly to the side: “Why aren’t you quickly bringing Li Yuanji out?!”

The jailers dared not delay, quickly bringing Li Yuanji out. Though he was wounded, the jailers still didn’t dare be careless, tightly binding his arms to prevent him from harming anyone.

Yunyi ordered the jailers to bring a knife and held it across Li Yuanji’s neck, saying coldly: “Li Jiancheng, this palace asks you one more time – will you hand over the antidote or not?”

Meeting her cold gaze, Li Jiancheng shook his head: “You needn’t put on this act here. You don’t…”

Before he could say “dare,” Yunyi had already slashed Li Yuanji’s left shoulder, cutting open a bloody wound that left him speechless with pain.

“This palace never likes empty talk, so think carefully before answering!” Her eyes were as cold as a pond that had been silent for countless years. Even Li Jiancheng felt a trace of fear.

“Speak – will you hand over the antidote or not?” This time, facing Yunyi’s demand, Li Jiancheng didn’t immediately respond. He feared that once he said “no,” Yunyi would really kill Li Yuanji. This woman had gone mad!

At this moment, Li Yuanji recovered, clutching his wound and gasping for breath, gritting his teeth: “Bitch, you dare wound me?!” For Li Yuanji, being injured by a woman’s hand was undoubtedly the greatest humiliation, especially by Yang Yunyi.

Yunyi glanced at the blood on the blade and said coldly: “If he doesn’t speak, next time won’t be as simple as wounding you. Li Yuanji, if you want to live, then you’d better…”

“Bah!” Li Yuanji spat on Yunyi’s cheek. Seeing this scene, Du Ruhui flew into a rage, grabbing Li Yuanji’s throat and shouting: “Insolent!”

Though already unable to breathe from being choked, Li Yuanji continued laughing. Yunyi wiped the spittle from her cheek and said calmly: “Ruhui, release him!”

Du Ruhui glanced at her and slowly let go. Li Yuanji gasped heavily, and after recovering, sneered: “Yang Yunyi, if you have the guts, go ahead and kill me. At least I’ll have that rebel Li Shimin as company in death – this lord dies without regret!”

Blue veins appeared on Yunyi’s pale forehead. The next moment, Li Yuanji had another bloody wound on his leg. At this moment, Yunyi looked like a rakshasa from hell, her entire body emanating a cold, sinister aura.

“If you still don’t speak, he really will die.” Yunyi looked coldly at Li Jiancheng. “For these ten years, he’s followed you without complaint, willingly serving as your vanguard. Do you truly not care about his life at all?”

Li Jiancheng bit his teeth hard. Apart from Jirong, he only had some feelings for Li Yuanji. Now seeing him lying on the ground covered in wounds, his heart truly felt unwell. But asking him to spare Li Shimin was absolutely impossible!

“Big brother, don’t worry about me!” Li Yuanji raised his sweat-covered face and said with difficulty: “Li Shimin stole your imperial throne – absolutely… absolutely cannot spare him!”

Before he finished speaking, the still-dripping blade tip was already at Li Jiancheng’s throat: “If you don’t spare His Majesty, he’ll die just the same!”

Li Jiancheng’s eyes turned red as he gritted his teeth: “What makes you so certain I have an antidote? Just based on your so-called understanding of Rong’er? How ridiculous!”

Yunyi said with cold eyes: “Whether it’s ridiculous or not is none of your concern. Just say whether you’ll hand it over or not?”

Li Jiancheng clenched his fists tightly. To guard against contingencies, Jirong had indeed made one antidote pill – only one. He never would have thought that today it would be used to save Li Shimin. How ironic.

Li Jiancheng’s response was another deep, bone-visible wound on Li Yuanji’s body. A large pool of fresh blood dripped to the ground, gathering into a small bloody puddle. As for Yunyi, half of her moon-white palace dress had been stained red with blood. Combined with the murderous, sinister aura emanating from her body, it made the jailers retreat three steps, not daring to approach.

Li Yuanji had always been fierce, cruel, and vicious, with countless lives staining his hands. Now he had become fish on a chopping board, at others’ mercy. This was absolutely unacceptable to him – rather than this, it would be better to…

Taking advantage of when no one was paying attention, the blood-covered Li Yuanji gathered all his remaining strength, leaped up from the ground, drew the steel blade from a jailer’s waist, and slashed viciously toward Yunyi, roaring: “Thieving hag, take this!”

No one could have expected that the severely wounded Li Yuanji would suddenly strike. For a moment they couldn’t stop him in time, and could only watch helplessly as that steel blade slashed toward Yunyi!