Xiao Jinghan had been in a long coma since he was injured. No matter how hard the imperial doctors tried, they were unable to wake him up.
However, not long after Emperor Wen issued the decree granting the marriage, exciting news arrived. Wen Fu from the Haoxue Palace hurried to the imperial study and reported, "Your Majesty, Prince Xiao has regained consciousness!"
Upon hearing this good news, Emperor Wen was filled with excitement. He murmured to himself, "Great! It seems the Imperial Observatory's prediction is true. Granting Prince Xiao this marriage will truly save him from danger!" Emperor Wen secretly congratulated himself on having made the right decision.
After calming down a bit, Emperor Wen asked thoughtfully, "What does he think of my decree granting the marriage?"
Wen Fu hesitated for a moment, as if pondering his response. After a moment, he spoke cautiously, "Your Majesty, Prince Xiao only said one thing... He was worried about wasting the prime of Princess Luo's youth." He then glanced up, observing Emperor Wen's reaction.
Emperor Wen frowned, sighed deeply, waved at Wen Fu, and said in a heavy tone: "You must take good care of Prince Xiao!"
Wenfu bowed respectfully and slowly left the imperial study.
Emperor Wen's eyes turned cold, and he called over a guard hidden in the dark and asked in a cold voice, "Where is Princess Nanzhi now?"
The guard's forehead was covered in sweat, and he replied with a slight tremor in his body, "Your Majesty! The people we sent to fetch Princess Nanzhi were attacked by a large number of assassins in Nanyi and failed to retrieve her. Furthermore, there's a hunt for her in the martial arts world. I'm sure Princess Nanzhi has already fled Nanyi."
Emperor Wen's face became extremely gloomy. He clenched his fists tightly and said with gritted teeth: "Immediately take people to kill all those assassins who are chasing Nanzhi along the way! I want to see how many such desperate criminals they can tame!" His eyes flashed with anger and determination, as if he wanted to tear the enemy into pieces.
The secret guard remained silent for a moment before speaking again, "Your Majesty, I have learned that Princess Nanzhi has personally paid out 10,000 taels of gold to hire two renowned assassin organizations to ensure her safety. According to our intelligence, the person currently working with Princess Nanzhi is the Dark Moon Pavilion's leader, Dark Moon Demon. This woman is an expert in disguise, her skills unparalleled, making it difficult for us to track her down!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wen felt a sense of relief. "Since even you can't pinpoint their whereabouts, surely everyone else is helpless!" He knew the Secret Guards were incredibly powerful. If even they couldn't find a clue, then tracking Princess Nanzhi and Dark Moon Demon would be nearly impossible for anyone else. With this, Emperor Wen finally felt relieved.
An Qingxuan rushed to the general's mansion in a hurry. Everywhere he looked was filled with sadness. Only Luo Lingyue stood there in a daze with an expressionless face.
An Qingxuan sighed helplessly, walked to Luo Lingyue, and comforted her softly: "Now we can only hope that Princess Nanzhi can successfully cure the poison that Prince Xiao has been poisoned with. Let's try to think positively!" He knew that any words would seem pale and powerless at this moment, but he still tried to cheer Luo Lingyue up.
Meanwhile, the Empress, who was in Kunning Palace, was surprised to hear the news. She frowned and asked the young palace maid beside her in confusion, "Didn't An Qinghuan go to His Majesty to cry and complain?"
The young maid lowered her head and replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, this time it was County Lady Luo who agreed on her own. Even Imperial Concubine An didn't have time to make a fuss!"
The Queen sneered inwardly, but remained expressionless. She calmly instructed, "You may withdraw now. Remember to find a time to stir up trouble for An Qinghuan." She knew the cruelty of palace struggles and the need to constantly monitor the situation and exploit every opportunity. This, perhaps, was a perfect opportunity to eliminate dissidents. The young maid nodded and cautiously slipped back to Yihuan Palace.
The queen slowly extended her arm and gracefully accepted the tea that Matron Liu carefully handed over. She took a sip; the tea was just the right temperature, but her heart was filled with gloom.
"I had originally thought that, given An Qinghuan's stubborn personality, she would have a huge argument with Emperor Wen over Luo Xiaoqi." A hint of disappointment and resentment lingered in the Empress's voice. She had been expecting a fierce conflict, but things hadn't turned out as she had anticipated.
Aunt Liu stood aside, lowering her head and softly persuading her, "Empress, please calm down. Actually, this is a good thing. If Prince Xiao is gone, then Luo Lingyue will have to remain a widow. This will undoubtedly be a heavy blow to that evil concubine!"
The Queen nodded slightly in agreement. She thought, while she hadn't seen the farce she'd expected, this outcome seemed like it would still make the enchanting concubine suffer. Madam Liu's plan offered her some solace, to some extent.
The empress put down her teacup, a sly glint in her eyes. She felt this plan was indeed quite clever. It would punish Luo Lingyue without causing too much trouble. This way, she could vent her anger without angering Emperor Wen.
However, the Queen was well aware of the complexity and cruelty of palace struggles. She knew that to completely eradicate dissidents, she would need more strategy and patience. This step was only a small victory, and there was still a long way to go...
When the prince heard that Luo Lingyue had actually taken the initiative to agree to the engagement with Xiao Jinghan, his face instantly became extremely gloomy: "This woman is really as unruly and fickle as the rumors say! The attitude of being desperate for me and not marrying anyone else is gone now! And now she has even turned to the arms of that sickly ghost. It's really infuriating!" He thought to himself that what happened before must have been a deliberate teasing by Luo Lingyue on him. It was really annoying and hateful!
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