Chapter 105 Dead Without a Trace "None of the ministers dared to step forward, only Chief Pei..."

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, please look! This 'Hundred Blessings for Birth' painting was painstakingly drawn by the people of the capital, and they even incorporated the Northern Rong language to symbolize the friendly relations between our two dynasties. May our friendship last for a thousand years!"

The bright red cloth with dazzling gold embroidery made it stand out among the jade and precious artifacts.

Xiao Ting also leaned forward slightly, intrigued, and clapped his hands, saying, "Excellent! You've really put your heart into this!"

"Bring it here, let me have a good look at it!"

The Imperial Guard leader straightened his back a little more and beckoned to the people behind him, "Archie, present this to His Majesty!"

Lin Zhi originally wanted to see the auspicious embroidery on it, but she couldn't help but frown when she heard the name Aqi.

When Lu Jue was still alive, he seemed to have mentioned to her that his two brothers' nicknames were derived from the characters for "unicorn" (麒麟). However, she didn't know why he, as the elder brother, was called "A-Lin" (阿麟), while the younger brother, who wasn't even as tall as a person's waist, was called "A-Qi" (阿麒)...

"You dog emperor! Die!"

Lin Zhi was still lost in her memories and couldn't help but let her mind wander, but she was suddenly startled by the angry shout. When she looked up again, she saw that the imperial guard who had just presented the Hundred Blessings Picture had actually raised a dagger from behind the picture and stabbed Xiao Ting!

Because Xiao Ting was in a good mood, he deliberately did not let the eunuch take it, but instead gave this person a chance. He watched as the gleaming dagger was only half an arm's length away from his heart.

At the critical moment, Xiao Ting kicked out and pulled the nearest Consort Yu to block it!

The sudden turn of events startled everyone, leaving them unsure how to react. Upon seeing that Consort Yu's arm had been cut and was bleeding, Pei Lang abruptly stood up, pulled Lin Zhi behind him, glared around, and coldly shouted, "What are you all standing there for! Imperial Guards, come and protect Her Majesty!"

Lin Zhi's vision blurred, and all she heard was the clashing of armor and weapons, an ear-piercing sound.

It seems this assassin wasn't alone; the assassination was planned long ago!

Lin Zhi was pinned against the palace wall, looking at Pei Lang who was protecting her with a sense of panic. Seeing his complicated expression, she felt uneasy.

"what you do?"

Pei Lang raised his hand and slammed it heavily on the wall next to her face, speaking urgently: "Hurry! Run all the way out from here, Xingyun and Jifeng are waiting for you at the end of the secret passage!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Zhi heard a few slow creaks coming from the wall behind him, and in the blink of an eye, a secret passage that could be passed by one person appeared in front of him.

Pei Lang reached out and pushed her away, but found that Lin Zhi's slender hand grabbed his arm instead: "And what about you!"

"This man dares to assassinate the Emperor; he must be a desperate fugitive!"

Lin Zhi stared intently at Pei Lang, two voices echoing in her mind: "Take this opportunity to run away and never see Pei Lang again."

But another voice emerged: He cannot die; even if she resented him, she did not want him to die like this.

Pei Lang stared at Lin Zhi's slightly reddened eyes, trying his best to restrain himself, but still raised his hand to press her hair, which was covered with pearls and jade, and kissed her.

A deep, tender kiss, filled with reluctance and deep affection, yet abruptly ended. "Go!"

Lin Zhi was steadily pushed out, and the dark wall in front of her slowly closed in the blink of an eye.

In her fear, the last thing Lin Zhi saw was Pei Lang's eyes, which were full of affection.

The sounds coming from behind the hidden wall were faint but never clear. Lin Zhi groped around in the dark passage, which was lit only by a dim candle, but could not find the mechanism to reopen the hidden wall.

Her rapid, heavy breathing made her heart beat even faster, but she still couldn't find a way to go back.

Lin Zhi dug her slender white nails into her palms, exhaled slowly, and hurried along the dark passage. Every few steps, a small candle would be lit, so she wouldn't be in the dark and worried.

Lin Zhi walked faster and faster, not daring to stop listening to Pei Lang's words, but her mind was in complete turmoil.

Xingyun and Jifeng were his most loyal and capable subordinates. If they were really waiting for him at the exit, how would he escape?

Lin Zhi held back her tears, clutching the wide hem of her skirt tightly, afraid that if she slowed down even a step, Pei Lang would lose a chance of survival.

"lady!"

Xingyun looked anxious, and as soon as he saw Lin Zhi rushing over, he quickly went to greet her.

"Your subordinate will escort Madam out of the palace immediately!"

"What about Pei Lang! Aren't you going to help him?!"

"If something goes wrong within the Imperial Guards, I'm afraid even Xiao Ting and his men are now in dire straits!"

Ke Xingyun's expression was somewhat complicated: "Madam, this place is not safe to stay for long. The master only instructed me to take you away safely. Please come with me quickly!"

Lin Zhi was about to say something when she heard a shrill scream and the sound of swords clashing. She quickly turned around and saw Ji Feng running from another direction. His long sword, which he hadn't had time to sheathe, was dripping with blood and lay on the ground in a winding, rugged path.

"Madam! The palace is in chaos now, but fortunately His Majesty still has close bodyguards, so he should be alright."

"But now those important officials' families are probably doomed. If you don't leave quickly, what about the young lady in the manor? What will become of her?"

Xingyun was extremely anxious, but he didn't dare to forcibly take Lin Zhi away, so he tried to persuade her patiently.

Lin Zhi raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, her eyes resolute: "Leave the palace!"

The three moved extremely fast, and with Xingyun and Jifeng being particularly agile, they delivered Lin Zhi to the palace gate before she could even be stopped.

"Madam, things have been quite unsettled in the capital these past few days. Please take good care of yourself and the young lady while you stay at the manor. After I escort you back, I will take the rest of my men to support you, sir!"

Xingyun spoke very quickly, but Lin Zhi's heart tightened, and she gritted her teeth, gripping the cushion beside her tightly: "He had already planned this all along?"

"You're still keeping this from me, are you afraid I'll cause you trouble?"

Xingyun's expression stiffened, and he said somewhat sullenly, "Madam has misunderstood. The assassination attempt today was sudden, and you are not a god."

"But the master instructed us that the emperor is now wary of the Pei family, and this is a trap. We must make plans early and not be careless."

Lin Zhi sat in the carriage, but her mind remained uneasy.

Even someone as cunning and calculating as Pei Lang is now forced to be so on high alert; it seems Xiao Ting truly has the intention to kill him.

Thinking of Mianmian, who can barely speak a few coherent sentences now, Lin Zhi felt as if a boulder was pressing down on her heart, making it hard to breathe. Could her Mianmian grow up safely?

Lost in thought the whole way, Lin Zhi immediately dispatched a group of servants to go out and buy supplies as soon as she returned to the mansion. She also instructed Xingyun to lead the remaining servants and guards to set up manpower at each gate.

Once everything was settled, Lin Zhi finally had a chance to catch her breath while holding Mianmian.

The baby, who has just grown in his milk teeth, has no idea how dangerous this situation is.

She just bit her finger and snuggled into Lin Zhi's arms.

As the night grew darker, Lin Zhi felt increasingly uneasy.

She originally thought that dealing with those assassins wouldn't be difficult with Pei Lang and his subordinates' abilities, and that the delay would just mean staying in the palace to clean up the mess.

But the later it got, the more restless Lin Zhi became.

"Madam, it's late, please rest."

"I haven't taken my medicine yet. If the master finds out, he'll blame us for not taking good care of myself."

Seeing the maid bring over the warm bowl of medicine, Lin Zhi frowned slightly but said nothing, took it, and drank it down in one gulp.

I was just about to reach for a candied plum to ease the bitterness when I reached for nothing.

She looked over hesitantly before remembering that Pei Lang usually brought it over himself, and the maid was unaware of this habit.

Feeling a tightness and soreness in her chest, Lin Zhi took several deep breaths to calm herself down. After waiting a while longer, she couldn't bear it any longer and let the wet nurse bring Mianmian to sleep with her.

Startled awake in the middle of the night, Lin Zhi abruptly sat up from the bed, her long, black hair cascading over her shoulders, the moonlight revealing her forehead, which was faintly glistening with moisture.

Cold sweat soaked her forehead, and Lin Zhi's palms were ice-cold.

She frowned and clutched her undergarment tightly at her chest, the white fabric crumpled and tattered.

Breathing heavily, Lin Zhi's eyes were still blank; she couldn't remember what had happened in her nightmare.

Yet I still remember the excruciating panic and helplessness.

"What happened?"

She struggled to get up from the bed and lit the candlestick beside the bed. By the flickering candlelight, she could see that Mianmian, who was sleeping next to her, was also frowning and seemed to be sleeping restlessly.

Lin Zhi couldn't bear it and gently moved closer, patting her little body softly to lull her to sleep.

But the heart that was hanging in suspense could never find peace; it swayed and fluttered in the chest.

"lady......"

A muffled knock came at the bedroom door, and the sound coming from outside was one of barely suppressed pain.

Recognizing the sound of the wind, Lin Zhi quickly changed her clothes and went out to open the door.

"How is it! Is Pei Lang back?!"

But when she eagerly opened the door, she was startled to see Jifeng covered in blood, as if he had been pulled out of a pool of blood.

There wasn't a single unblemished spot on this person's body, and it was impossible to tell whether the blood was his own or someone else's.

This sight made Lin Zhi's heart clench, and she asked in a trembling voice, hesitant to speak, "...Where is Pei Lang?"

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the Pei family's carriage hurriedly entered the palace, and the palace gates were solemnly wide open without any obstruction.

When Lin Zhi stepped down from the carriage, she was dressed in a dark blue dress and a dark fox fur cloak, looking dignified and upright, with her hair neatly combed and not a single hair out of place.

Apart from a slight redness at the corner of her eyes, there was nothing wrong with her.

"This humble woman greets Your Majesty the Empress."

Lin Zhi slowly walked up to the palace. Upon seeing the Empress, he did not kneel but merely curtsied slightly.

But the Empress no longer had the energy to find fault with her; she pinched her brow and looked pale and unpleasant.

"Madam Pei...the assassins' intrusion into the palace today was truly an unexpected event."

“Even His Majesty, since you left the palace, has been taken advantage of by that thief, who slashed his knees.”

"Even with the combined efforts of numerous imperial physicians, they were powerless to save him."

Lin Zhi stood below the steps, her delicate hands slowly clenching within the wide sleeves of her dress: "Your Majesty, I have entered the palace today only for Pei Lang."

"Pei Lang, where are you now?"

Lin Zhi's voice was firm and sharp, prompting even the Empress to look up.

"Today the assassins were ruthless, not only injuring His Majesty, but also killing Consort Yu in the chaos, resulting in the deaths of both her and her unborn child."

"None of the ministers dared to step forward, except for Chief Minister Pei... who, loyal to the emperor and the country, led the imperial guards and personal guards to pursue the assassin."

"He cornered the man at the edge of a cliff, but during the fight, he accidentally fell off the cliff along with the assassin..."

With a sharp "crack," the jade pendant at Lin Zhi's waist suddenly broke off and shattered on the ground.

Lin Zhi lowered her eyes to look, but everything in front of her became increasingly blurry.

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Author's Note: I expect to finish writing this next week! The young couple will overcome one last obstacle before they can finally get married. Thank you all for supporting the official version!

Feel free to add this pre-order novel to your favorites! I'll be updating it continuously next week!