Chapter 45

After much pestering from 'Lu Yi', Lu Fei finally agreed to let 'Lu Yi' sleep in the same room with her, but they were absolutely not allowed to sleep on the same bed. She slept on the bed while 'Lu Yi' slept alone on the couch.

Wen Weili naturally agreed without hesitation. After all, she was not a strange woman like Lu Yi who could touch her sisters without paying attention to others.

To be honest, after Wen Weili heard Lu Yi's information, she once wanted to give up disguising her identity as Lu Yi. After all, Lu Yi's temperament was really unbearable. She was a real weirdo.

But out of helplessness, she didn't expect that the backup plan she prepared at this step was actually the best way. There were other ways to enter the palace, but none of them were as legitimate as "Lu Yi"'s entry, and it was also convenient for her to act. Before the queen discovered her suspicion, "Lu Yi", who was the third prince on the surface but the prince's subordinate in reality, was really useful.

This was a necessary sacrifice, Wen Weili desperately told herself. Yes, this was the best way to complete the plan. Even if her reputation was damaged, so be it... Anyway, it wasn't Wen Weili's reputation that was damaged.

That night, moonlight streamed in from the window, falling on the sleepless face of "Lu Yi", revealing a cold look.

Wen Weili climbed up from the soft couch nimbly, picked up Lu Fei's clothes and put them on carefully. The two of them had similar figures, and Lu Fei was thinner than Wen Weili, so Wen Weili simply didn't change her inner clothes and just stuffed them into her outer clothes with difficulty.

After adjusting her palace dress, Wen Weili felt a little tight. Touching the tightly covered hem of the skirt, she casually collected some small items under the skirt in case of emergency.

After changing her clothes, Wen Weili sat in front of the bronze mirror and carefully drew her eyebrows. With the help of the moonlight outside the window, Wen Weili looked at herself in the mirror. When she pursed her lips and said nothing, she was not much different from Lu Fei.

As expected, one should learn more skills, as they will one day be useful in unexpected ways. Wen Weili thought silently. When she was a child, she learned some camouflage from Li Zhigu, but she didn't expect that she would use it many times recently, and it seemed to be getting more and more advanced.

Pushing open the door, Wen Weili inadvertently turned around to look at Lu Fei who was sleeping soundly on the bed: she was still curled up in the bed.

Wen Weili smiled silently, turned around and gently closed the door, and let a short black hair fall by the crack of the door. It was inconspicuous in the boundless night but it would be very useful at certain times. She just hoped that it would never be needed.

After leaving the room, Wen Weili quickened her pace. She tried her best to run but had to walk briskly because she couldn't make any noise. Her soft-soled embroidered shoes were always silent, but they made a brisk "tap, tap, clack" sound in the silent night.

From this demeanor, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Lu Fei had something important to do, and it was probably an urgent summons from the Queen.

"Hello, Sister Lu Fei..."

The palace maids who met "Lu Fei" on the road were smart enough to greet her from a distance and did not approach her, whispering to each other with envy and awe.

"...where are the favorites around the Queen?"

"That's right. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the regent, and among those in Fengxiang Palace, these senior palace maids are the most respected..."

Gradually leaving the crowd, Wen Weili walked towards the side hall of Fengxiang Palace. The reason why she had to borrow Lu Fei's identity tonight was very simple. She had an idea that she had to confirm.

When they arrived at the main hall of Fengxiang Palace, candles were still flickering all over the palace, and palace servants with lanterns were patrolling back and forth from time to time. As Wen Weili got closer to the side hall, the number of people patrolling increased.

This is unreasonable, Wen Weili thought. Generally, the Fengxiang Palace where the queen resides is a palace complex, and the largest main hall is the queen's residence, including living, receiving concubines, and meeting with high-ranking ladies in the main hall. The palace maids who serve her personally will sleep in the side rooms in the main hall, and those who serve her at night will sleep directly outside the master's room in case the master has any needs at night.

But as Wen Weili walked from the main hall to the side hall, she found that the number of patrolling palace guards in the main hall was not the largest in the entire Fengxiang Palace. Instead, the closer she got to the side hall, the more guards with serious expressions there were. They guarded the area layer by layer, keeping a close eye on every palace person nearby, not to mention anyone who dared to enter the side hall.

Wen Weili decided to give it a try. After all, she was using the identity of 'Lu Fei', which was much easier than others. Taking a deep breath, Wen Weili suddenly ran out and walked quickly towards the guards.

"Who is it!" The palace servant was very alert and immediately stopped the woman who suddenly appeared from the dark.

Wen Weili frowned and said, "The Queen has ordered you to leave immediately." After that, she took out Lu Fei's ID card from her arms.

The palace attendant naturally recognized the sign in Wen Weili's hand and immediately smiled. "It's Miss Lu Fei. Why did you come here in such a hurry tonight? The brothers didn't receive any orders from the Queen."

As he spoke, the palace servant glanced at the surrounding night, and an imperceptible murderous aura locked onto the unaware Wen Weili.

However, Wen Weili was prepared. She carefully revealed a corner of the sign with the Crown Prince's mark and lowered her voice slightly, "No need to say more at this time. All matters are subject to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"——So it's... Your Highness," the palace attendant couldn't help but bow to Wen Weili, "I didn't know. I hope you will forgive me."

"It's okay," Wen Weili said seriously, "If anyone asks, just say it's the Queen's order, okay?"

"Yes, Miss Lu Fei." One of the palace servants made a gesture behind Wen Weili, indicating that there was no problem. The murderous intent that had been secretly waiting for an opportunity to strike suddenly disappeared.

"Sorry for the offense." Another palace servant signaled to Wen Weili that they were just following orders and there was no need to offend 'Miss Lu Fei' who was under the prince's command over such a small detail.

Wen Weili said nothing, simply shaking her head to indicate she wasn't concerned, and walked towards the checkpoint. The further she went, the calmer she became. The palace attendants at the next checkpoints seemed to have gotten the message, and they didn't examine 'Miss Lu Fei' too carefully, simply searching her pockets and waist before letting her in.

It was not until she entered the outer door of the side hall that Wen Weili breathed a sigh of relief. Her fingertips were clenched white in her fists, and her back was soaked with cold sweat. The clothes were so damp that they could only be worn after washing. She probably had to think of an excuse to prevent Lu Fei from pursuing the matter.

But none of this matters. What Wen Weili is most concerned about right now is what is hidden in this side hall. Could it be, as she thought, Emperor Duanmu Qing?

Compared to the layers of guards outside the side hall, the inside of the side hall seemed extremely spacious. Without the gold and silver ornaments of the main hall, there were only plain white candles dimly lighting up on the candlesticks. The hot summer night wind and the long chirping of insects could be heard through the open windows. Everything seemed exceptionally cool and quiet.

Wen Weili lifted up a large piece of curtain that was fluttering in the wind, and walked step by step to the innermost part. It seemed that something had been overturned or dropped, probably food. The ground was a little dirty, with a stuffy sour smell. Wen Weili was very familiar with this stench from food.

The bed in the innermost room was blocked by a screen painted with women in various coquettish poses. Wen Weili walked around the unsightly screen and saw an old man lying on a wide lacquer-carved bed with a pearl and jade phoenix, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

He was dressed in bright yellow fabric, covered from the chest down by a thin quilt. In the dim candlelight, the old man had a peaceful smile on his face, as if he was in a sweet dream.

Apart from the old man's inner clothes, Wen Weili couldn't tell that this was the emperor's bedroom. It was even more simple and plain than the queen's bedroom. Doesn't this explain the current situation?

"Your Majesty, you have come to this day." Wen Weili took out a small bottle from under her skirt and leaned over to hold it against Duanmu Qing's cheek, forcing him to open his mouth. "I, Lu Fei, have been ordered by His Majesty to settle old scores. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

After saying that, Wen Weili tilted the bottle with one hand, controlled Duanmu Qing's open mouth with the other hand, and dripped three drops of ominous green liquid into the emperor's mouth.

As soon as the liquid entered his mouth, Duanmu Qing's body twitched involuntarily.

"...there's actually movement." Wen Weili put away the small bottle in surprise, lifted the thin quilt on the dragon bed, revealing Duanmu Qing's lower body, and took out a row of silver needles from under her skirt, and stabbed them towards Duanmu Qing's neck. The people in the dark gasped silently.

Wen Weili started pricking Duanmu Qing with needles. Soon, Duanmu Qing's face, back of his hands, thighs, calves and feet were all pierced by thin silver needles, and he was completely unable to move.

Wen Weili no longer cared about Duanmu Qing, and leaned against the screen with her eyes closed, resting her mind. After running around these days, she always fell asleep late at night. Although she could resist falling asleep in the middle of the night, she was still very sleepy.

Counting silently in her mind, a quarter of an hour later, Wen Weili pulled out the silver needles from Duanmu Qing's body one by one and inserted them into a new needle bag. After doing this, Wen Weili left the side hall without looking back.

After Wen Weili left, a man in black jumped out from the dark. He respectfully took the emperor's pulse and returned to his companions in surprise.

"The master's condition hasn't worsened! I can't believe it, Mu Tou. What do you think this woman wants to do here?"

"Kill the master."

"But apart from that small bottle of liquid, the way she inserted the needle didn't look like she was going to kill him. She must be like the Empress, trying to stab her master to death."

"Don't kill the master."

"Don't kill the master..." The person in the dark was silent for a moment, "Wood! She came to save the master! But that's not right, isn't she the Crown Prince's? Oh, right, I think I've heard the name Lu Fei around the Queen. There's no reason for this girl to save the master."

"Kill the master."

Another person: “…”

"Wood, sometimes I really wish you wouldn't say anything. That way you might not seem so stupid, and I wouldn't have to be so talkative."

"Don't kill the master."

"Alright, that's enough, Wood, you don't have to say anything. I shouldn't have gossiped with you if I didn't want to know."

wood:"......."

Wood: “Oh.”

Help! I'm so unlucky to be teamed up with this piece of wood. The man in the dark secretly resented him, hoping that if the master woke up, he would allow him to change his companions.

After a long silence.

"Mu Tou, you continue to watch here. I'll go find that woman." Mu Tou's partner fled from the side hall like a flash. He would rather risk being discovered in the palace to find that girl Lu Fei than to stay here and get moldy.