Song Tangli gritted her teeth, her eyes more determined than ever before: "I want to join the Dark Gate!"

Zhan Ming chuckled and loosened his grip: "Fine, I'll spare your life today. Your identity is special, and I don't want to cause any trouble. If I find out in the future that you've told others where the secret door is, don't blame me for being impolite. You should know my methods."

Song Tangli collapsed to the ground and coughed a few times, her heart filled with despair. Was there really no one left to help her? If things continued like this, she might lose her position as Crown Princess.

A hint of mockery flashed in Zhan Ming's eyes. This Song Tangli was no match for Song Tangxue. Now that His Highness the Crown Prince's position was in jeopardy, this woman was still thinking about fighting for his affections. She should be thinking about how to save her own life.

Song Tangli was driven away and remained motionless on the street for a long time. Fang Jing stayed by her side the whole time. Logically speaking, he had already repaid his life-saving debt and there was no need for him to stay here. But no matter what, he and she had already had that kind of relationship, and he should not leave her alone here for both reason and emotion.

"Fang Jing, could you do me one more favor? This Song Tangxue is blocking my way. I just want her dead!"

Song Tangli was almost going crazy. Before, her life had always been smooth sailing. She could get anything she wanted. But ever since Song Tangxue changed, her good days were over. Everyone was thinking about her and everyone started to like her. It was as if Song Tangxue had stolen everything that should have belonged to her.

Even Lee So-hyeon, who has always doted on her, is now speaking on the side of others.

Why should she?! She's struggled for so long just to gain a foothold in this palace, what did she do wrong?!

Song Tangli blamed all the mistakes on Song Tangxue, completely forgetting that she was just a concubine's daughter and that everything, including the position of Crown Princess, should have belonged to Song Tangxue.

Back at her residence, Song Tangxue was still reeling from Li Zhaoxian's transformation that day.

I had only been sitting in the house for a short while when Pei Xi arrived.

"Your Majesty, Peixi requests an audience. She says that if you refuse to see her, she will kneel in front of the door and wait for you to come out!"

The biggest mistake Song Tangxue made since her rebirth was giving Peixi that medicine. If she had known it would cause such big trouble, she should have left back then.

"Then let her kneel. Anyway, I won't go out to see her."

at night.

Song Tangxue gradually drifted off to sleep. Just then, the door was slowly opened, and a petite figure appeared in the doorway. She waited for a while and, finding that the person on the bed was not moving, stepped inside. She gripped a bamboo tube tightly in her hand. Just as she was about to touch Song Tangxue, the person suddenly opened her eyes and twisted her hand behind her back.

What kind of days are these days? Every night someone comes to see her. If she hadn't already developed the ability not to sleep too soundly, she wouldn't have noticed.

"Pei-hsi, what exactly do you want to do in my room so late at night?"

Pei Xi was startled. As a member of Zhu Nanmen, she was certain that ordinary people could not detect her actions. How did Song Tangxue know?

"Your Majesty did not wish to see me at night, so I had no choice but to come to see you in person. This bamboo tube is what I wanted to give you."

Song Tangxue then realized that she had been tightly clutching a letter tube in her hand. The moment she opened it, white powder rushed out and she fainted before she could say anything.

Pei Xi said smugly, "I knew that no one could resist what Zhu Nanmen had done. You should take a nap for now. Since you refuse to save me, I will have no choice but to turn you into a puppet who only listens to me."

...

Western Regions.

The Imperial Advisor's scout reported: "My lord, that woman has already left the Western Regions. Her identity is definitely not simple. Should I continue the investigation?"

The Imperial Advisor looked up with a clear and bright gaze, and even the moonlight outside the window paled in comparison to him. On the sheet of Xuan paper placed on the table, only one word was written—"scheme".

“Continue the investigation. I want to see what kind of background the woman next to Zhi’er is. I have a feeling that his trip to Yongfeng Kingdom was not in vain.”

I have a vague feeling that this woman has some connection with Yongfeng Kingdom, and maybe she knows about that matter.

"There's another important matter..." The scout hesitated, unsure whether to speak, but the Grand Preceptor was clearly impatient. "Speak if you must!"

"His Majesty seems to have woken up. When our people were patrolling above the palace, they saw that His Majesty was safely reviewing memorials, and none of today's memorials were delivered."

"What?!" The Imperial Advisor slammed his fist on the table and stood up, cracking the table in the process.

Once the emperor wakes up, he will know who plotted against him, and by then it will be too late for him to seize the throne.

"How do you do things? Didn't I give you all the instructions beforehand? There absolutely cannot be any loopholes in this matter, and this is your answer to me!"

Several bodyguards also appeared before the Grand Preceptor and knelt down. They admitted that they had failed in their duties. Despite the Grand Preceptor's gentle appearance, he was far more ruthless than anyone else. Someone who had accidentally offended him was torn apart by five horses and was now being eaten by that wild dog without even knowing it.

"Please forgive me, Imperial Preceptor!"

It can be said that he is the most untouchable person in the entire Western Regions; even the Emperor does not have his abilities.

The Imperial Advisor is the most mysterious person in the Western Regions. All that is known is that he took this position not long after arriving, and the Emperor has always trusted him implicitly, ignoring what anyone else says. He discusses political affairs with the Imperial Advisor every day, and it can be said that many decisions are made on his behalf by the Imperial Advisor.

"My plan is almost complete, just one last step. Could it be that one of you has betrayed us?!"

“It’s definitely not one of us who betrayed us. It seems that the woman who was with the prince before cured His Majesty’s poison.”

Regardless, the Emperor is still safe and sound, but there has been no news of him regaining control of the government. They must have other plans.

"Find out that woman's identity as soon as possible, continue to keep an eye on the Emperor, and if the situation becomes unfavorable, proceed directly..."

After speaking, he made a throat-slitting gesture. If others had heard what he said today, they would have been shocked that a national advisor would harbor such thoughts and completely disregard the emperor. To them, anyone could be killed.

The next day.

Today, the Crown Princess is unwell and is staying at home. She won't even come out when Li Zhaoxian comes, which worries him greatly. He has come three times this afternoon but hasn't been able to see her once.

"What's wrong with Xue'er? She won't even see me when I go there!"