Chapter 106 Collapse

Yun Zhao walked down the stairs quickly. With every step he took, he felt the wooden steps under his feet shaking uneasily. An ominous premonition wrapped around his heart like a cold vine.

She walked out of the store hesitantly and merged into the bustling crowd of the night market, but the feeling of palpitations lingered.

She stopped abruptly—No, Xiao Yan must not die in Yunxiang Tower, after having dinner with her! Otherwise, the entire Yun family would never be able to clear their name even if they jumped into the Yellow River!

She immediately turned around and hurried back inside the restaurant. She found Boss Luo, who was fiddling with an abacus, and said in a hurried and serious tone, "Boss Luo, how long has it been since your store's stairs were inspected and reinforced?"

Boss Luo was stunned for a moment, then, though feeling awkward, replied, "About... a year. I was planning to close the shop in a few days to renovate and redecorate it."

Yun Zhao raised his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping across the beams and supporting columns, and suddenly discovered several barely perceptible cracks! The sense of crisis that the building was about to collapse grew stronger.

"Boss, listen to me! Evacuate all customers from this shop immediately! I, Yun Zhao, will bear all the losses tonight!" Her tone was firm and unyielding. "I have a bad feeling this building is in danger of collapse! When I was going downstairs just now, the stairs were shaking abnormally. This is definitely not a good sign!"

Boss Luo recognized this regular customer, the daughter of the Yun family. Seeing her serious expression, she didn't seem to be joking. He also considered that the people who came to the shop were either wealthy or noble. If something went wrong, the consequences would be disastrous. He hesitated for only a moment, then stamped his foot, "Alright! I'll trust Miss Yun this time!"

He immediately ordered all the waiters to notify each private room and the hall one by one, using the excuse that the boss had an emergency and the shop needed to be closed immediately, and respectfully asked all guests to leave.

Seeing the stream of people pouring out, Yun Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and followed the crowd out of the store. Shortly after she stopped, she saw Boss Luo hurried out, holding the account book and a small box of silver.

At this moment——

“Boom——!!!”

A deafening roar tore through the tranquility of the night!

The Yunxiang Tower, which had stood for a century, collapsed with a loud bang as if its bones had been pulled out, before the horrified gaze of the crowd! Wood and stone flew everywhere, smoke and dust rose into the sky, instantly swallowing up its former prosperity!

Across the street, Xiao Yan, who had just escaped a disaster, looked pale and was still frightened.

Yun Zhao was about to step forward when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye - Wang Gui, the eunuch beside the emperor, who was looking around anxiously in the chaotic crowd!

Yun Zhao's heart instantly sank to the bottom! She rushed over desperately and grabbed Wang Gui, her voice trembling with fear: "Eunuch Wang! Where is His Majesty?! Where is His Majesty?!"

Wang Gui was so anxious that he was sweating profusely and babbling incoherently: "I, I don't know either! I was clearly still in the building just now... Logically speaking, I should have come out..."

At this moment, the roar of the collapse mixed with the terrified screams and cries of passers-by. The scene was in chaos, and the crowd of onlookers gathered more and more, all stunned by the tragic scene of this century-old store turned into ruins in an instant.

Xiao Yan calmed down and walked over with big strides. He glanced suspiciously in the direction where Yun Zhao had just spoken. "Who were you talking to just now?"

Yun Zhao suppressed his shock and quickly covered it up, "It was... it was an old friend of my brother's. We happened to meet and exchanged a few words, but he left in a hurry."

Xiao Yan hummed, but didn't delve into the matter. At the moment, he was more concerned about something else: "This place is dangerous, and it's not advisable to stay here for long. I'll send someone to escort you back to the palace."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Yun Zhao responded, but he was extremely anxious in his heart - Wang Gui was here, and Xiao Jin must be nearby!

Did he follow me here?

When Xiao Yan's men were a little further away, Yun Zhao immediately used the excuse of buying some women's products to cleverly get rid of the surveillance.

She went back to the ruins, but was shocked to see a figure that should not be there - Su Mingli, who had been demoted and should have been in the temple, had boarded Xiao Yan's carriage like a ghost!

Yun Zhao's eyes flashed, and he immediately put his finger to his lips and blew out a very light but very penetrating whistle.

A dark shadow arrived as promised, kneeling silently in the shadow beside her - it was the Yun family secret guard left to her by her father.

Yun Zhao spoke quickly, his instructions clear: "Immediately send someone to keep a close eye on the Prince of Qin's carriage. I want to know every word he speaks to the people inside! You, follow me to find His Majesty!"

"Yes!" The secret guard received the order and disappeared in an instant.

Yun Zhao took a last look at Boss Luo, who was holding the cash box and crying bitterly at the ruins. He suppressed the reluctance in his heart, took another secret guard, quickly disappeared into the chaotic streets, and began to anxiously search for Xiao Jin's whereabouts.

…

At this moment, inside the King of Qin's luxurious and secret carriage, there was a completely different scene.

Su Mingli had long since lost the delicate demeanor she had displayed in front of others. Her hair was slightly disheveled, tears welled in her eyes, and she was burning with jealousy and hatred. Her voice was shrill, "What should I do? You keep saying you want to marry her, so what am I?! I've done so much for you, and yet I've ended up like this!"

Xiao Yan's face was gloomy. "She refused. Her heart is with the emperor, and her attitude is firm."

"If that's the case, why don't you take action?!" Su Mingli practically roared, his eyes gleaming with a maddening ferocity. "Who in the court would support a blind, deaf, and insane emperor? Who in the world would trust him? Spread the news now that he's blind, insane, and dying, and let everyone know! By then, gossip will melt gold, and even if he truly possesses extraordinary abilities, there's nothing he can do to save him!"

A calculating glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes, but he still had concerns. "Everything is basically ready. If he's sensible and willing to write a letter of abdication, it will naturally save trouble. If not... we should also take action. However... the 200,000 troops at Yunfeng in the northern border are always a hidden danger."

Su Mingli sneered, her tone venomous. "Distant water can't quench a nearby fire! Even if we gallop at full speed, the northern border will still take half a month to reach here! Moreover, Yun Chongshan and Yun Zhao are still in our hands in the capital. How dare Yun Feng act rashly? Once the situation here is settled, we will immediately charge the Yun family with treason and confiscate their property and exterminate their clan to eliminate this threat once and for all!"

Xiao Yan stared at her beautiful face, twisted with jealousy, and said slowly, "Ah Li, I never realized you had such a cruel heart. But... you're right. It's exactly the same plan as Prime Minister Su." He suddenly changed the subject, speaking sharply, "But, what you did to Yunxianglou today was just because I had a meal with Yun Zhao? What? Are you planning to bury me under those ruins too?!"

Su Mingli raised her head abruptly, a flash of panic in her eyes, which were then filled with deeper resentment. "Not long after your highness went in, the emperor followed right after him! Didn't I send someone to notify you in time and ask you to come out as soon as possible? I want Xiao Jin's life! Only when he dies can you ascend the throne with full legitimacy! Only then can we..."

"What did you say?!" Xiao Yan interrupted her abruptly, his pupils suddenly contracting, and for the first time, a look of genuine horror appeared on his face. "Your Majesty... was also in the building at that time?!"

How could this be? Xiao Jin couldn't even see, so how could he have followed him?