Although the incident happened suddenly, Yunyi was after all someone well-versed in martial arts. She quickly retreated several steps, avoiding vital areas in the nick of time, but her arm was still slashed, and blood rushed out rapidly.

When Li Yuanji wanted to pursue and deliver a second blow, Du Ruhui had already reacted. He immediately struck out to seize the steel blade and flew up with a kick that knocked Li Yuanji to the ground. Li Yuanji slid for a long distance before finally stopping his momentum, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground!

Du Ruhui couldn’t spare a glance for Li Yuanji and supported Yunyi, asking anxiously, “Your Majesty, how are you?”

Yunyi endured the pain and said, “I’m fine, it’s just a flesh wound.”

Seeing her wound continuously bleeding, Du Ruhui quickly tore off part of his own clothing and tightly bound the wound on Yunyi’s arm. After ordering the jailers to fetch Imperial Physician Jiang, he said, “Your Majesty, this subject will escort you out!”

“Without obtaining the antidote, this palace will not go anywhere.” Saying this, she broke free from Du Ruhui’s support and walked to the dying Li Yuanji’s side. She lowered her blade to press against his back and said to Li Jiancheng, who was locked in the prison cell, “It seems you truly don’t intend to spare his life. Very well, this palace will fulfill your wish!” With these words, the cold blade tip pierced into Li Yuanji’s back, taking away his last breath.

“Yuanji!” Li Jiancheng cried out in grief, staring fixedly at Li Yuanji’s wide-open eyes. He knew that Yuanji had died with his eyes open in resentment. This vile woman had such a malicious heart—killing as she pleased, and he didn’t even have a chance to stop her.

Yunyi endured the severe pain in her arm and pulled the blade from Li Yuanji’s body. “If you don’t want to follow in his footsteps, tell this palace where the antidote is. Otherwise, the one who dies will be you, though this palace guarantees you won’t die as painfully as he did!”

“Vile woman, I should never have spared you back then!” Li Jiancheng was so filled with hatred he nearly vomited blood. If he had known this day would come, he would have killed this woman at any cost.

Yunyi said coldly, “It’s too late—you’ve already missed your chance to kill this palace. Speak, where is the antidote?”

Li Jiancheng looked once more at the deceased Li Yuanji, then gritted his teeth and said, “If I give you the antidote, will you truly spare me?”

“Once a word is spoken, even four horses cannot catch it!” After Yunyi uttered these eight words, Li Jiancheng nodded and spoke the words Yunyi most wanted to hear: “Fine, I agree!”

Yunyi’s heart leaped with joy as she urgently asked, “Where is the antidote?”

Li Jiancheng didn’t answer immediately, but instead said, “Send me outside the city, then give me a swift horse that can travel a thousand li in a day. After I mount the horse, I’ll naturally tell you.”

Yunyi’s expression, which had just relaxed, immediately tensed again. “Are you toying with this palace?”

Li Jiancheng said mockingly, “You are the current Noble Consort—how would I, a prisoner, dare to toy with you? I’m doing this only to ensure you won’t cross the river and burn the bridge.” Without waiting for her response, he continued, “Don’t speak of oaths. Not only would I not believe empty words, I wouldn’t believe even written contracts in black and white!”

Du Ruhui said coldly, “If you mount the horse and then refuse to reveal the antidote’s location, what then?”

Li Jiancheng smiled coldly, “That depends on whether you dare to gamble.”

Yunyi bit her cherry lips and called out, “Please ask General Du to go to the Imperial Stables and bring a swift horse to the city gates.”

Before Du Ruhui could agree, Li Jiancheng had already said, “If I discover you’ve tampered with the horse, this deal is void. Also, only you may come—otherwise it’s equally void. When that time comes, you can wait to collect Li Shimin’s corpse!”

“Do as he says.” Facing her words, Du Ruhui said quietly, “Your Majesty, should we discuss this with Lord Liu?”

This visit to the prison to see Li Jiancheng was Yunyi’s idea; Liu Hongji didn’t know about it. Now Li Yuanji was dead, and they were about to release Li Jiancheng—the situation was becoming increasingly serious.

“No need. Just do as this palace says.” Seeing Yunyi’s insistence, Du Ruhui had no choice but to comply.

After Du Ruhui left, Yunyi said to the jailers, “Bind him, then escort him to the city gates.”

Soon, Li Jiancheng was tightly bound with multiple layers of rope, then placed on a horse cart and taken toward the city gates. They had just dismounted when they heard hoofbeats. Looking up, they saw Du Ruhui riding a dark red horse toward them, with no other figures around him.

After riding up close, Du Ruhui dismounted and said to Li Jiancheng, “Very well, everything has been arranged according to your demands. You can now reveal the antidote’s location.”

Li Jiancheng looked down at the ropes binding him and raised an eyebrow, “How am I supposed to ride like this?”

“Untie him!” At Yunyi’s command, the jailers untied his ropes. Li Jiancheng moved his hands and feet, walked to the swift horse, examined it carefully, and after confirming no tampering had been done, mounted the horse. Seeing this, Du Ruhui immediately grasped the reins and said sternly, “Without revealing the antidote’s location, don’t think of leaving!”

Li Jiancheng smiled, “No need to be so tense. Since I’ve agreed, I’ll certainly speak. Release your grip.”

At Yunyi’s signal, Du Ruhui slowly loosened his grip, but his gaze remained fixed on Li Jiancheng. If he showed the slightest suspicious movement, Du Ruhui would immediately act.

Fortunately, in this matter, Li Jiancheng had no intention of playing tricks. Taking hold of the reins, he said, “In the Ziwei Palace’s Dongde Hall sleeping chamber, under the pillow, there’s a hidden compartment. Inside is a brocade box, and the antidote is there.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Du Ruhui had no trust in Li Jiancheng whatsoever.

“I already said this is a gamble.” Saying this, Li Jiancheng added, “But I did indeed place the antidote there. After all… I don’t want to be captured by you again.”

Du Ruhui looked at Yunyi beside him, “Your Majesty, why not wait until we find the antidote before letting him go?”

Li Jiancheng raised an eyebrow, “General Du, are you planning to break your word so quickly? The Noble Consort just swore solemnly that once spoken, even four horses cannot catch it.”

“That applies to trustworthy people, but you—lies and deception have long been your daily bread.” Saying this, he again addressed Yunyi, “Your Majesty, before we confirm we’ve found the antidote and that His Majesty is safe, we absolutely cannot let him leave.”

Li Jiancheng looked at Yunyi, “Does the Noble Consort truly wish to become a faithless person who breaks her word?”

After a brief hesitation, Yunyi said, “Ruhui, let him go!”

“Your Majesty?!” If Yunyi’s previous actions could be explained by her concern for Li Shimin, then now Du Ruhui had no explanation at all. True, Li Jiancheng was currently without troops or territory, but correspondingly, he would be easier to hide. Once he left their sight and intended to conceal himself, unless they turned the entire Great Tang upside down, they would never find him. If there was no antidote, or if the antidote was fake, Li Shimin would be doomed!

Yunyi said coldly, “Didn’t you hear this palace’s words? Let him go!” Seeing her determination, Du Ruhui had no choice but to gradually step back.