When the words “crime of deceiving the emperor” came out, Qi Zhen’s legs nearly gave out.
But at least on the surface, he managed to hold himself together—he was still worthy of his status as the heir of the Marquis household.
Old Marquis Qi took a deep breath and looked at Qi Yuan: “Ah Yuan, this time is far more dangerous than anything before. Grandfather hopes you will think carefully. The entire Qi family, every member of our clan, is now in your hands—we entrust everything to you.”
He did not doubt Qi Yuan’s abilities at all.
Right now, Emperor Yongchang was practically handing the knife directly to Qi Yuan.
If Qi Yuan really wanted to kill someone, one strike would be enough to end Noble Consort Xiao Liu’s life.
But if that happened, the Qi clan would be finished too.
The old man suddenly seemed to have aged in an instant. He no longer looked like the firm, decisive patriarch who had always made the final call in the family.
Qi Yuan looked deeply at him and simply said two words: “Trust me.”
Then she turned and strode away.
Qi Zhen pulled a long face: “How can we possibly feel at ease about this?! Father, what should we do now?”
This time, the Old Marquis no longer trembled. Even his tone had become firm: “We’ll wait in the meditation hall! I trust her!”
If she said “trust me,” then it truly meant they could trust her.
At this moment, Xiao Yunting was waiting at the entrance of the meditation hall. When he saw Qi Yuan, he quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her into the shadows under a tree, and asked in a low voice: “What are you planning to do? Noble Consort Xiao Liu brought eight palace maids, six eunuchs, and one eunuch specialized in poison detection. Additionally, Princess Baorong has six maids, six eunuchs, and a twelve-man Embroidered Uniform Guard guard team.”
The implication: poisoning was unreliable, and using force was also not an option.
Xiao Yunting lowered his voice even further: “If you insist on killing her, I’ll do it!”
“You’ll do it?” Qi Yuan chuckled lightly, calmly smoothing her hair. “Your Highness, I don’t need you to charge ahead for me. I can handle these things myself. All I ask is that you live a long life as the Crown Prince son, ascend that throne, and when that day comes, grant me all the rewards I deserve as your meritorious subject—that’s enough.”
In her past life, it wasn’t that she hadn’t developed feelings for Xiao Yunting.
He was like a Daoist immortal—handsome, gentle, and calm. He reached out to her in a brothel when she was on the verge of death.
She still remembered his gentle words: “Do you want to come with me?”
From then on, she saw Xiao Yunting as her lifeline.
She fought desperately. The Divine Physician Xue had said it was already a miracle her leg could still be crippled—it was wishful thinking to fully recover.
But she refused to give up. In order to become someone useful, her leg was broken and reset by Physician Xue over and over again.
Until they finally found a rare Western salve, her leg eventually recovered completely.
She endured countless nights of pain, drenched in sweat, silently pushing through while crying out for a mother who had never truly loved her.
She remembered every moment of it, crystal clear.
She had cared for Xiao Yunting, had once clung to him as a lifeline.
But it had never earned his love in return.
Love is one of those things—there’s no middle ground. Love is love. No love is no love. It cannot be forced.
So she had pulled herself away in time.
And this lifetime would be the same.
If she couldn’t feel love, then they should go their separate ways. She would never beg for a love that was only so-so, and no one was ever worth her putting down her pride again.
Xiao Yunting only felt powerless. He had never met a girl like her before.
It was as if she always had a way out. Even if you trampled her into the mud, she could still make herself bloom.
A seed quietly began to sprout in his heart: “Qi Yuan, I can take a risk for you. With my skills and the help of Babao and the others, I can kill Noble Consort Xiao Liu—even Baorong.”
“Thank you, but I don’t need it!” Qi Yuan refused just as decisively, “If I were you, I’d go back now and stay with His Majesty and Liu Wangfei. Don’t worry, I won’t die. I never do anything I’m not sure of.”
Like h*ll he believed that!
Xiao Yunting was both anxious and angry, but in the end, he could only take a deep breath: “Be careful in everything. Don’t worry—if anything goes wrong, I’ll take all the blame!”
……
Qi Yuan glanced back at him, her expression indifferent, giving him a half-hearted wave.
She went to see Noble Consort Xiao Liu first.
Both Noble Consort Xiao Liu and Princess Baorong had ugly expressions the moment they saw her.
Especially Princess Baorong, who immediately snapped when Qi Yuan knelt to pay her respects and was about to rise: “Did I tell you to get up?! Do you not understand the rules?”
Qi Yuan had always known when to bend and when to stand tall. She didn’t mind—kneeling wouldn’t cost her anything.
But Princess Baorong suddenly walked over and stepped hard on Qi Yuan’s hand.
This was something Princess Baorong was used to doing.
Whether in the modern world or in the palace, she enjoyed torturing people like this.
But this time, she met her match.
Somehow, she suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot from the tip of her foot all the way to the top of her head. The pain was so intense that she let out a loud cry and fell heavily to the ground.
Qi Yuan quickly reached out to help her: “Your Highness, what’s wrong? Your Highness, are you alright?”
In her palm, she was actually holding a silver needle. It would have been simple—if she had pretended to steady Princess Baorong and driven that needle into her Tongtian acupoint, Princess Baorong would have died right there.
But with the Embroidered Uniform Guard guards watching so closely, she finally withdrew the needle and instead put on a worried face: “What’s wrong, Your Highness? You are noble and precious, if you have anything to command, just say it—there’s no need to walk over. Look, you’ve slipped and fallen.”
The Embroidered Uniform Guard guards had already come over to inspect the area but found nothing suspicious.
Princess Baorong’s foot hurt so much she could barely lift it, and she stared intently at Qi Yuan. Ignoring Noble Consort Xiao Liu’s calls, she changed her expression to a fake smile and asked: “Didn’t Miss Qi say you had a way to cure my mother? What exactly is your method?”
Qi Yuan let out an “oh” and stepped forward to check Noble Consort Xiao Liu’s pulse, examined her eyes, and went through a full set of diagnoses, looking entirely professional, before saying: “I will prescribe a herbal decoction for the Consort. Boiled down from three bowls of water to one, it will temporarily relieve her pain. After that, she will need slow and careful nourishment.”
Princess Baorong smiled and nodded: “Is that so? That’s wonderful. Then I’ll trouble you, Miss Qi. Since you’re so capable, why don’t you personally prepare the medicine? That way, you can best control the dosage, right?”
Qi Yuan smiled and agreed.
By noon, the medicine was ready. Baorong’s maid, Shuanghua, served the decoction to Noble Consort Xiao Liu.
Noble Consort Xiao Liu soon fell asleep.
Meanwhile, Emperor Yongchang was still patiently trying to coax Liu Wangfei: “If you don’t return to the palace with me, where can you possibly go, given your status? What will happen to Ah Mo? And what will the world say?”
Liu Wangfei was just about to sneer when Pu Wuyong suddenly rushed in like his own mother had died, falling to the ground and lifting his ashen face to the Emperor, stammering: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty! The Consort… the Consort has passed away! The Consort has passed away!!”
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