With a thunderous boom, the Empress channeled every last ounce of her inner strength into a palm strike, landing it squarely on Feng Jiu’er’s back.

Jiu’er’s lips parted slightly as a mouthful of fresh blood surged forth. Unable to keep herself upright, she grabbed hold of Dowager Empress Ning and collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Dowager Empress Ning appeared to have been frightened witless. Lian’er, who had been walking beside her, let out a sharp shriek of alarm and rushed in a panic to help the Dowager Empress to her feet.

This had truly been a disaster that came out of nowhere. They had only just rounded the corner from the archway and had not yet had a chance to take in their surroundings, when Feng Jiu’er suddenly lunged toward them.

What followed was utterly bewildering — Feng Jiu’er had, for some incomprehensible reason, vomited blood and collapsed on top of the Dowager Empress, bringing her down to the ground.

“Your Highness! Your Highness, are you all right?” Lian’er’s face had gone deathly pale with fright, and she scrambled frantically to help her up.

But with Feng Jiu’er still pressing down upon the Dowager Empress, the two were a tangled heap, and Lian’er could not pull them apart.

“Feng Jiu’er, how dare you show such disrespect to the Dowager Empress!” A fleeting gleam of amusement flickered through the Empress’s eyes before vanishing without a trace. She stepped forward and stood over Jiu’er, looking down at her from above.

“You—” Feng Jiu’er raised her head, struggling desperately to steady her breathing.

The Empress, however, gave her no such opportunity. Without warning, she delivered a vicious kick to Jiu’er’s body. Jiu’er immediately flew through the air like a kite with its string snapped, light as a feather, yet crashing to the ground with brutal force.

Her mouth opened, and yet another mouthful of fresh blood came surging out. The state she was in was beyond wretched.

“Jiu’er!” The Dowager Empress finally came back to her senses. Supported by Lian’er, she struggled to her feet and made to go to her.

But Empress Rong shoved her aside, pushing her directly into Lian’er’s arms.

“Feng Jiu’er harbors treacherous intentions. She just attempted to assassinate Heng’er, and now she dares to make an attempt on the Dowager Empress as well. This is an unforgivable crime!”

With a sharp rasp of steel, she drew the long sword from the waist of a nearby guard and strode toward the fallen Feng Jiu’er.

“This Empress shall personally put an end to you, this lurking assassin, today. She will absolutely not allow you to harm Heng’er or the Dowager Empress!”

The shove Empress Rong had given her sent Dowager Empress Ning tumbling straight into Lian’er’s arms. Lian’er was slight of build, and it was nearly too much for her to bear. Mistress and servant both nearly toppled over — it was only a quick-eyed guard standing nearby who hurried over in time to steady them.

Even so — Feng Jiu’er had attempted to assassinate Heng’er? What in the world was going on? What had become of Heng’er right now?

The Dowager Empress was both frantic with worry and bewildered, desperate to get to the bottom of things, yet in her agitation — combined with having just been knocked down and then shoved — the moment she opened her mouth, she immediately fell into a fit of coughing.

The Empress’s sword tip was barely half a step from Feng Jiu’er’s throat. From behind, a voice rang out in urgent desperation: “Your Highness, spare her life!”

The Empress’s sword tip hesitated for a brief moment. She had already recognized whose voice it was. But after only that momentary pause, her fingers tightened around the hilt, and she thrust the blade directly toward Feng Jiu’er’s heart.

Jiu’er gathered her strength in her palms, trying with all her might to push herself up. But weakened as she was from Empress Rong’s palm strike and kick, the moment she attempted to draw upon her inner energy, blood again surged to her lips.

“Your Highness!” Qing Yun’s courage nearly shattered with terror. It was already too late for him to lunge forward and stop her.

The Empress’s sword thrust went straight into Feng Jiu’er’s chest!

And yet — it could not pierce through? The garment this girl was wearing was…

Before Empress Rong could make sense of it, a sharp clang rang out as Qing Yun, arriving a step behind, flicked his long sword upward, deflecting the Empress’s blade aside.

“You!” The Empress fixed her eyes on him, her jaw clenched with fury. “How impudent! How dare you show such insolence toward this Empress! Guards, seize him!”

Today, she would take Feng Jiu’er’s life no matter what. Anyone who dared stand in her way would die.

Qing Yun naturally dared not show disrespect to the Empress. But Feng Jiu’er was the Crown Prince’s most treasured person.

He had not understood before why Feng Jiu’er had struck the Crown Prince and injured him. Yet when the Empress and Jiu’er had been fighting here, he had followed the imperial physician inside.

The imperial physician had said that it was fortunate someone had sealed the Crown Prince’s meridians in time, halting the spread of the poison through his bloodstream.

Furthermore, it was thanks to someone applying forceful pressure beforehand — causing the Crown Prince to expel the tainted blood — that the toxin’s effects had somewhat receded.

When he thought it through carefully, the credit for all of this belonged to Feng Jiu’er.

The palm strike Feng Jiu’er had dealt the Crown Prince just now — that had not been an attempt to harm him. She had been saving him.

So how could he stand by and watch the Empress run Feng Jiu’er through with a sword? What would the Crown Prince do when he woke up?

“Your Highness, this matter is riddled with suspicious points. This subordinate humbly asks Your Highness to wait a moment — to let His Highness wake and then render a verdict.”

“How impudent! This Empress witnessed with her own eyes Feng Jiu’er’s attempt to assassinate Heng’er, and you, a mere captain of the guards, dare to plead on behalf of an assassin!”

Empress Rong’s eyes narrowed, and she let out a cold laugh. “Or could it be that you and Feng Jiu’er are accomplices from the very start? That the two of you conspired together to assassinate my Heng’er?”

“This subordinate would never dare! This subordinate’s loyalty to His Highness is known to heaven and earth alike!” Qing Yun immediately dropped to his knees.

“Then get out of this Empress’s sight! Otherwise, this Empress will charge you as Feng Jiu’er’s accomplice and sentence you to beheading!”

“Your Highness…”

“Get out!” Empress Rong dealt a kick to Qing Yun. He instantly coughed up a mouthful of blood from the force of it.

He had not anticipated that the Empress’s inner strength would be so formidable. Caught off guard, he was sent tumbling heavily backward.

By the time he turned to go back and rescue Feng Jiu’er, it was already too late.

This time, the Empress’s sword tip was no longer aimed at Feng Jiu’er’s heart — it was aimed at her throat.

Even if her garment were some divine armament that could deflect blades, the throat was completely unprotected. She refused to believe she could not drive her sword clean through it.

During the brief moment that Qing Yun had stepped forward to plead for her, Feng Jiu’er had managed to recover a sliver of strength. The instant the Empress’s blade came thrusting toward her, she wrenched herself sideways in a desperate roll.

By the barest margin, she narrowly evaded the strike — but in doing so, she inadvertently rolled to a stop right at the Dowager Empress’s feet.

Dowager Empress Ning was still coughing, yet her gaze was fixed unwaveringly on Jiu’er, her eyes flickering with emotion, clearly with something urgent to convey.

Feng Jiu’er shook her head. In the state the Dowager Empress was in right now, any further agitation — she dared not think what the consequences might be.

Yet the Dowager Empress grew increasingly anxious, and the more anxious she became, the worse her coughing grew.

She kept her eyes locked desperately on Feng Jiu’er, her fingertips trembling incessantly. This girl needed to take her hostage, quickly, and escape the palace — they could figure out the rest later.

If she fell into Nanmen Rong’s hands, with how vicious and ruthless Nanmen Rong was, there would be absolutely no hope of her keeping her life.

Empress Rong advanced with sword in hand, bearing down on them once more.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Feng Jiu’er finally steeled herself, bit her lip, and lunged toward Dowager Empress Ning.

“No one come any closer!” She shoved Lian’er aside, pressing her five fingers firmly against the Dowager Empress’s throat, and with great effort straightened herself upright. “Everyone stay back, or I will kill her!”

“Do you truly believe that taking the Dowager Empress hostage will save you from death?” Though Nanmen Rong had halted her steps, she was still advancing toward them steadily.

Feng Jiu’er’s heart lurched. The fingers she had pressed against the Dowager Empress’s throat instinctively relaxed somewhat.

This was bad. Just a moment ago, Nanmen Rong — that venomous woman — had used the Dowager Empress as bait to lure her into a trap, deliberately setting herself up to be injured. She had never cared one whit about the Dowager Empress’s safety.

If she were to take the Dowager Empress hostage now, she might inadvertently hand Nanmen Rong the opportunity to strike the Dowager Empress down.

And sure enough, the smile faded from Nanmen Rong’s face, her gaze turning cold and murderous. “Feng Jiu’er — you dare harm the Dowager Empress!”