When Wan Jinlan and Anyang rushed to the depths of the dense forest, they encountered the nobles and guards who were fleeing from being chased by a tiger.
Wan Jinlan jumped onto a tree, drew his bow and shot two arrows on the string, which he shot towards the tiger's eyes.
She was born with great strength, and the bow in her hand was of a special type. The bow force was less than three stones, which was the limit of her ability to pull. In the army, those who could pull two stones were one in a thousand.
The tiger made too much noise, and the twenty imperial guards injured it and made it frenzied. It rushed out of the encirclement regardless of the pain.
The arrow pierced through the leaves, cut through the air, and arrived instantly.
The tiger roared towards the sky in pain, its eyes were pierced, and it jumped out without direction and hit a tree. As it stumbled, Tuoba Zong jumped from the tree to the tiger's back, and boldly reached his hand into the tiger's mouth. He used both hands to pry it open, and the tiger's jaw was deformed.
Wan Jinlan felt a chill run down her spine as she watched. This northern barbarian was like a ferocious beast in human form, even more ferocious than a beast. She even felt a little sorry for the tiger.
The imperial guards took advantage of the opportunity to attack, and half an incense stick of time later, the tiger fell to the ground without a sound.
When Concubine Wan was found, she was leaning against a huge rock in a miserable state. While fleeing in panic, she twisted her ankle and almost died in the tiger's mouth. It was Xiao Minghuan who suddenly appeared with his guards, angered the tiger, and led it away.
"What happened today? My daughter encountered a black bear over there before, and the guards were chased to death or scattered. How come there are tigers and black bears now? Where did so many ferocious beasts come from in the hunting ground?" Anyang helped Concubine Wan to get up.
Wan Jinlan simply helped his aunt onto the horse and led the way by the reins.
Xiao Minghuan rode over and asked with concern, "Mother, are you okay?"
Concubine Wan Guifei regained her usual composure and said, "Nothing serious."
She looked Xiao Minghuan up and down, and saw that apart from being in a mess and having some external injuries, he didn't look miserable at all, so she felt relieved.
If something happened to Xiao Minghuan because of saving her, how would she deal with it?
After the tiger was dealt with, everyone relaxed and started discussing what had happened today.
"Let's go back quickly. Who knows if there are other ferocious beasts in the hunting ground." Concubine Wan sat on the horse and looked at everyone.
As soon as Concubine Wan finished speaking, the ground began to shake slightly.
Her face turned serious, "Run."
The sound was very familiar, and everyone started a new round of escape. Wan Jinlan didn't want to be a hero, so he pulled Anyang onto the horse and galloped towards the outside.
The sons of princes and nobles could run away, but the imperial guards had to face the challenge head-on.
At this time, the large army led by the emperor was galloping over, including the Duke of Zhenguo and the commander of the imperial guards.
At this time, Emperor Jian'an looked anxious. A young man with a bloody hole in his abdomen was lying on his horse, and his whip was almost leaving an afterimage.
"Your Majesty, please go back first. We will follow you." The Duke of Zhenguo raised his voice while covering his bleeding arm.
Chasing behind were two black bears.
King Rui was seriously injured by a half-grown black bear after hunting it.
The emperor was worried about Prince Rui's life and did not want to fight anymore. However, they encountered ferocious tigers and a group of wild leopards along the way. Many of them were killed and injured, and the Duke of Zhenguo's arm was almost broken.
Not long after Wan Jinlan and his party arrived at the camp, they saw the emperor leading a small number of imperial guards riding their horses into the palace.
The temporary palace was built in the style of the imperial palace and was divided into the inner and outer palaces. The inner palace was home to concubines, while the outer palace was home to princes and their families.
Wan Jinlan and his men all lived in barracks built around the palace.
Many people recognized that the person riding on the emperor's horse was Prince Rui, and the bloody hole on Prince Rui's body was surprisingly large.
In the afternoon, while Wan Jinlan was still in Concubine Wan's palace, news arrived that Prince Rui had died from excessive blood loss. The emperor was furious and, in his grief and anger, personally executed the two imperial doctors who had treated Prince Rui.
The imperial concubine's residence in the temporary palace was not far from the emperor's Shangyang Palace, and Concubine Lai's heart-wrenching cries echoed throughout the palace.
Wan Jinlan felt scared when he heard this and subconsciously looked at his aunt.
Concubine Wan glanced at her and said calmly, "Stay calm, this has nothing to do with us."
It just so happened that her legs were injured at this moment, and she had no involvement in today's events. She could rest in peace in the palace. If she approached the emperor at this moment to seek a sense of presence, that would be foolish.
Anyang had suffered a shock today and nearly died. She was still a little scared, but when she heard that Prince Rui was gone, her mind became more active than ever. She glanced at the two of them and whispered, "Did the Queen do it?"
Wan Jinlan thought the same thing. The Queen's revenge had finally arrived. But what about Xiao Minghuan? How would the Queen retaliate against him?
Xiao Minghuan risked his life to save Concubine Wan today. Many people saw it. After returning to the palace, he was still busy running around.
Concubine Wan could no longer treat him coldly.
Concubine Wan was still somewhat suspicious whether Xiao Minghuan had done what happened today on purpose, but after learning that Prince Rui had been in trouble and that many ferocious beasts had appeared in the hunting ground today, that suspicion was suppressed by her.
After having dinner at his aunt's house, Wan Jinlan left the palace and only learned of his father's injury when he returned to the barracks.
She hurried over but didn't see her father. It was Mr. Zhang, an official who often followed her father, who said that the emperor had sent his father to investigate today's incident with the imperial commander.
"Were the wounds on father's body caused by a wild beast?"
This was what Wan Jinlan was worried about. While in Yucheng, she'd heard stories while walking the streets of a mountain village of people bitten by wild animals. Though the wounds were minor, they ultimately died a month later. Doctors called this condition "bite syndrome." Once it struck, the only option was death.
Seeing how nervous she was, Mr. Zhang comforted her, "Don't worry, young lady. The master was fighting a wild beast and hit a sharp rock. The doctor has treated him, so he should be fine."
Wan Jinlan felt relieved, that was all good.
After returning to the barracks, Wan Jinlan got on the bed, but tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. She analyzed the current situation based on the known information. If Prince Guangling really rebelled, what would happen to her grandfather's family?
Inside the palace, the Duke of Zhenguo and the commander of the imperial guards reported what they had found to the horrified Emperor Jian'an, who then angrily went to the Empress's residence, Liangyi Palace.
The Duke of Zhenguo and the commander of the imperial guards exchanged a glance and then left the palace.
In the Liangyi Palace, the queen was neatly dressed in a phoenix robe, with her face neatly made up and her hair combed into a peony style. The phoenix on her bun spread its wings as if ready to fly, and she looked as graceful and elegant as ever.
The Empress was already in full bloom, but she was wearing all her makeup. What else did Emperor Jian'an not understand? What a bitch!
"I, what have I done to let you down?" The emperor pinched the queen's neck with one hand, veins bulging on the back of his hand, and slowly lifted her up.
When the queen thought she was really going to be strangled to death, she was thrown to the ground, gasping for breath.
After calming down, the empress slowly stood up, tilted her head slightly, and looked at Emperor Jian'an with an expression that was not willing to be outdone. "I also want to ask Your Majesty, how have I wronged you?"
"When we were in Tanzhou, I shared your hardships..."
The emperor interrupted her, "I give you the throne of queen!"
The Queen sneered, "I am the Queen, and my son should have been the Crown Prince. Yet, for Lai Lizhen's sake, you allowed Prince Shun to fight with my son, and deliberately gave Xiao Minghuan, a man of low birth, to Concubine Wan as her son. My Majesty, how could I not have realized before that you were treating the son born to a woman you didn't love like a Gu-raising insect? I will not do as you wish!"
Seeing the emperor's gloomy face, the queen felt happy but sad.
"Now I understand why Your Majesty annihilated the late Queen and the Fang family. It wasn't because the Fang family was too arrogant in seeking revenge, but because the first child Lai Lizhen was pregnant with was stillborn, and it was Queen Fang who did it. She sensed your intentions, and that's why you wanted to eliminate her and the Fang family to prevent future troubles!"
The Queen's neck cracked again, and she spoke with difficulty, "Your Majesty, do you think there are still many people who don't know what you are thinking?"
Emperor Jian'an loosened his grip slightly.
"Let me tell you a secret. Everyone in the palace knows it. Hahaha..."
The hall was empty and the queen's laughter was hoarse and unpleasant.
The Queen was thrown to the ground again and started coughing.
Emperor Jian'an squatted down and looked at the queen coldly, "Tell me, who told you that?"
"Tell me, and I might spare the Wang family."
The queen laughed, leaning forward and backward. "Whether they live or die is none of my business."
The Wang family sided with Xiao Minghuan after her son got into trouble. The queen could only hate traitors, even if they were blood relatives.
The emperor pinched her neck and gritted his teeth, "You are crazy!"
The Queen cried and laughed, "I am crazy. Your Majesty has banished my son to the imperial mausoleum. His wounds haven't healed yet, and his eye sockets are festering. He couldn't bear it and committed suicide."
In grief and anger, the empress pushed Emperor Jian'an to the ground, slapped him angrily, and the pearl hairpin in her hand pierced his chest.
"Why don't you die? Why don't you die with your good son today?"
"You should just go down and accompany my Jue'er. You are the one who deserves to die the most!"
The crazy queen cried so hard that tears streamed down her face. The pearl hairpin in her hand was stained with blood. Her hair was loose and the pearl hairpins were scattered all over the floor.
Emperor Jian'an covered his chest and kicked the man away. The empress fell to the ground and died.
Li Fu, who had been acting as a pillar for a long time, hurried forward and said, "Your Majesty, I will call the imperial physician for your injury."
Emperor Jian'an clutched his chest and gasped, "Let's see how the queen is doing."
Li Fu stepped forward and saw that Queen Wang was bleeding from all seven orifices, her eyes wide open. He checked her breath and bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, the Queen is dead."
Emperor Jian'an had a grim expression on his face. He had wished he could cut the empress into pieces, but now that she had taken poison and died prematurely, he had no place to vent his hatred, and his aura was extremely violent.
The Queen's maid appeared from behind the screen, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, the Queen has previously instructed me to explain clearly what happened before and after the palace banquet after her death."
Li Fu looked at the blood on His Majesty's chest and said worriedly, "Your Majesty, you should go back and treat the wound first."
Emperor Jian'an ignored it, stepped over the queen's body, lifted his robe and sat on the chair.
The female official bowed her head and told the queen everything she had been told.
Thinking about how the empress endured the pain brought by the poisoned wine and insisted on talking to the emperor before her death, the female official felt uncomfortable.
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