Eunuch Xu couldn’t understand what had just happened, Especially how Qi Yuan always managed to take things to the absolute extreme.
Only now did he finally understand the terror that Princess Baorong, even Noble Consort Xiao Liu, had once felt, And that sense of suffocating frustration from Duke Chu’s household, who had power but nowhere to wield it.
Because Qi Yuan… never played by the rules.
Just like now, under normal circumstances, even if someone found out about his manipulations, his crimes, The “normal” thing to do would be to detain him, interrogate him, gather evidence, maybe use him as a bargaining chip…
But Qi Yuan wasn’t like that. She was like the King of H*ll, once she set her eyes on you, you were as good as dead.
Eunuch Xu suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, sticky and warm against his face. He opened his mouth, and what sprang to mind was, Xiao Yunting. “If you kill me… you’ll be sentencing His Highness the Imperial Grandson to death!”
He already knew from Gao Qing’s letters, and from what Li Changqing and Feng Caiwei had written, about Qi Yuan’s relationship with Xiao Yunting.
So now, he had no choice. Even if it exposed his schemes against Xiao Yunting, he had to use it. Because this woman, this killer, showed no hesitation at all. If she said she’d kill you, she’d kill you.
Qi Yuan let out a soft laugh. Under the moonlight, her face was like polished jade. She clicked her tongue. “Oh? Eunuch Xu, are you scared now?”
The wind in Hongdu was harsh, biting through even the bravest hearts.
As the night wind swept past, Eunuch Xu felt chilled to the bone. His heart sank with fear. “Miss Qi,” he stammered, “I know you’re bold, I know you kill without blinking, but surely you wouldn’t risk His Highness’s life?”
He hurried to add, “Only I can stop them now! Otherwise, His Highness the Imperial Grandson will die!”
Qi Yuan curled her lips slightly, watching his panic-stricken expression. In her mind, though, she recalled her past life.
Most eunuchs, at worst, were greedy for silver or petty power.
But Eunuch Xu was different.
He had ambition.
Others craved wealth. Eunuch Xu craved authority. Craved fame.
A eunuch, who actually dreamed of becoming regent, sticking his fingers into every major state affair.
In her past life, it was his instigation that led Qi Wang to give up the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, letting the Western Corridor fall into the hands of the Oirats.
The worst part was what happened to the soldiers, who fought to protect the people, never knowing they had already been abandoned by the court and this eunuch.
Three cities fell. Over sixty thousand soldiers died. And when the Oirats entered the cities, they started a campaign of vengeance, massacres, turning bloodshed into fuel for more bloodshed.
Even though Qi Wang now was just a regional prince, far less powerful than in the past, Eunuch Xu was still up to his tricks.
Jiangxi was overrun with bandits.
Even a flood had turned into a disaster.
Of course, it wasn’t all Eunuch Xu’s fault.
But without a doubt, he was the main culprit behind all of it.
And thinking of that, Qi Yuan felt his fall just now still wasn’t nearly hard enough.
She patted his cheek, smiling faintly. “What a shame, Eunuch Xu. His Highness the Imperial Grandson has already left Gaojia Town. He’s in Hongdu now.”
What?! Xiao Yunting had escaped Gaojia Town? He was in Hongdu?
Eunuch Xu’s body shook as he hacked out another painful cough, feeling like he’d been struck by lightning.
How?!
How did he get away? How did he make it to Hongdu…?
Qi Yuan slowly drew a blade from a corpse nearby.
“Xu Gonggong, the over thousand people in Xujiagou are still staring at the gates with their eyes open, waiting for you. I know why you tried to stop me from coming to Hongdu.”
She lowered her eyes, smiling as she met his horrified gaze. “You wanted to protect Qi Wang, didn’t you? Afraid this ‘demon girl’ would harm him. That it?”
Eunuch Xu couldn’t help but swallow hard. Even now, this demon woman understood him better than Qi Wang ever did.
But her understanding only terrified him more.
He opened his mouth. “You can’t kill me. If you kill me, you’ll suffer a terrible end, ”
From upstairs, Liujin rolled his eyes and let out a mocking laugh.
He’d heard plenty of threats like that, especially toward Miss Qi.
But none as unimaginative as this.
Other people, at least, had presence.
Eunuch Xu’s words just reeked of panic and desperation.
Which only meant he’d die faster.
Sure enough, Qi Yuan raised a brow and sneered, “Oh? That terrible death you’re talking about, is that because of Xu Hai?”
Xu’s eyes went wide, as though she’d just uttered something unthinkable.
Qi Wang had always gone on and on about “the previous life” and now, it hit him: Qi Yuan knew. She knew everything.
Seeing his face, Qi Yuan seemed almost amused. She chuckled. “Eunuch Xu, look at you. Can’t even hide your last card properly.”
How?!
That whistle, he hadn’t told anyone. Not even Qi Wang.
How could Qi Yuan know?!
Now thoroughly panicked, he tried to lift his hand, but Qi Yuan didn’t hesitate. Her elbow struck his chest with a heavy crack.
He spat blood again.
Qi Yuan pried open his clenched hand and took a small, simple whistle from his palm. Smiling, she turned it in her fingers, then suddenly flipped it around and brought it to her lips.
Fwoosh, a tiny dart shot from the whistle and embedded itself squarely in Eunuch Xu’s forehead.
At last, he let out a scream, too late.
His eyes widened in death, staring at Qi Yuan.
And in that final moment, he heard her click her tongue and sigh: “Eunuch Xu, didn’t I tell you? If you’ve got a hidden card, hide it properly. Why didn’t you listen?”
Upstairs, Beize coughed a few times into his sleeve. Now he finally understood why Liujin and Old Zhao always acted so obedient in front of Qi Yuan.
Truth was, Miss Qi wasn’t the type who needed advice from others.
She was swift, sharp, and ruthless. Once she made a decision, she acted without hesitation.
Never second-guessing. Never hesitating.
Yes, perhaps a bit too brutal.
But Beize couldn’t help feeling… satisfied.
If the Imperial Grandson had just a little of Qi Yuan’s dominance, would he have been suppressed by Qi Wang for so many years?
Would the Imperial Grandson have been forced to grow up in exile, tucked away in a Daoist temple?
Eunuch Xu died with his eyes wide open.
Qi Yuan, however, didn’t feel like she had killed anyone important.
To her, the dead were just dead.
She calmly raised her eyes and looked toward Little Dongzi, who was now cowering, scared out of his wits.
He had seen everything.
How she’d dragged Eunuch Xu down from the second floor, how she’d killed him with a dart to the forehead.
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