"A-Yang..." the emperor called her name softly.
This was the first time he had called her name.
Jian Yang was stunned for a moment, then said irritably, "Your Majesty, please stop playing the sentimental card and let me go. I am truly tired of this harem and everything here."
She spoke frankly and directly, and the emperor's eyes showed some disappointment.
"The Lunar New Year is just a few days away. Would it be alright if you stayed until after the New Year?"
Seeing the hurt look on his face, Jian Yang suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She said in a slightly unnatural voice, "Okay."
From that day on, the few remaining restless concubines in the harem dared not provoke them any further.
As for Consort Ning, she was placed under house arrest by the emperor.
“It’s not that I want to keep her,” the emperor explained patiently. “Her father is the current Minister of Revenue. In order to get him to work well for me, I have no choice but to keep her in the palace for the time being.”
Jian Yang: Whatever, I don't care.
Even if you care, what can you do?
In order to keep his officials in check, emperors often resorted to marriage alliances.
Even if he dismisses the harem today, those officials will still try every means to send their daughters to the harem in the future.
Consort Ning is a good example.
It was precisely because she saw through this that Jian Yang became even more determined to leave.
During this time, she also secretly went to see Zhou Kun.
The little guy has grown much taller and thinner than before.
What surprised Jian Yang the most was his personality; it could almost be described as a complete change in temperament.
If Zhou Kun was once an innocent little rabbit, then he is now a sleeping beast, cold and taciturn.
Jian Yang felt extremely distressed.
But she had no other choice.
They had no choice but to secretly summon Xiqiu and instruct her to take good care of the young prince.
New Year's Eve arrived in the blink of an eye.
The royal family holds a New Year's Eve banquet as usual, and Jian Yang certainly wouldn't go to join in the fun.
While all the members of the royal family were attending a banquet at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she was happily cooking a hot pot in the Palace of Longevity.
We even had a little wine; with wine and meat, we were very happy.
“Um,” Jian Yang thought for a moment and said, “Lanxiang, the soup base is almost boiled dry, could you add some more soup for me?”
Lanxiang was originally a palace maid who served the emperor. After Jianyang arrived, the emperor designated Lanxiang to serve her alone on a daily basis.
Lanxiang did not neglect her at all because she was a "palace maid"; on the contrary, she served her extremely well.
In just a few days, Jian Yang, who had become accustomed to a self-sufficient life, began to indulge in this extravagant lifestyle of having everything done for her.
"Lanxiang, hurry up, the soup base is about to dry up." Jian Yang raised her voice and called out again when Lanxiang did not respond.
Still no response.
"This girl, she probably ran out to watch the fireworks, oh well, I'll add it myself."
Jian Yang got up, seemingly heading towards the soup pot, but actually went to the bed and picked up her self-defense pouch.
The small bag was filled with various poisons.
Her expression also became very serious.
Lanxiang was the emperor's most capable palace maid, and it was absolutely impossible for her to abandon her post. However, she didn't come even after being called twice, which could only mean one thing.
Lanxiang was intercepted.
As for who intercepted her, she doesn't know yet.
It's always good to have self-defense items prepared in advance.
The repeated assassination attempts had honed Jian Yang's extremely keen sixth sense.
Sure enough, as soon as she turned around, a dark figure pounced on her.
It was a man in black holding a sharp dagger.
In her panic, Jian Yang only had time to dodge and didn't have time to take out the poison from her bag, which resulted in her arm being stabbed solidly.
Ignoring her deep, bone-revealing wound, Jian Yang endured the excruciating pain, pulled a white porcelain bottle from her bag, and smashed it at the man in black.
The man in black instinctively used his dagger to block.
The porcelain bottle struck the blade and shattered instantly, releasing white powder that covered the man in black.
However, the man in black just sneered and said, "Don't waste your energy. I already knew you were good at using poison, so I took an antidote before I came."
Jian Yang: "..."
It seems the emperor will be eating at her banquet after he finishes his own.
But she would never give up her life easily.
So Jian Yang screamed at the top of her lungs, "Help!—"
The emperor always kept secret guards by her side, but she was concerned about her privacy and never allowed them to appear in her bedchamber. However, she did not expect that this would give the assassins an opportunity.
Her roar was so powerful that it exhausted her entire life's maximum decibel level, causing her voice to crack.
The man in black sneered, "The guards are changing shifts now. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to your rescue."
However, the next moment, a cold knife was placed against his neck.
Soon the emperor learned of the commotion and, abandoning his officials, his mother, and his concubines, hurriedly returned to the Longevity Palace.
At this point, Jian Yang had already fallen into a coma due to excessive blood loss.
Upon seeing this, the emperor's brows furrowed with gloom.
Upon learning that the assassin had been imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, he rushed there without stopping.
The emperor was released from the imperial prison the following morning.
His once bright yellow dragon robe was now splattered with blood.
Her usually meticulously combed hair was somewhat disheveled, and her eyes were bloodshot from staying up late and being angry.
At that moment, he looked like a demon who had just returned from hell, and the palace servants were so frightened that they all gave way.
Others may not know, but Eunuch Zhang knows very well.
The emperor, who was usually gentle and refined, seemed to have become a different person last night.
He not only personally tortured the assassin who tried to kill Jian Yang, but also killed him with the final blow.
The bloodstains all over his body were splattered during the execution.
Eunuch Zhang had never seen the emperor in such a terrifying way before, and he was now somewhat frightened.
At the same time, he became increasingly aware of Jian Yang's position in the emperor's heart.
A man would risk everything for a woman; there is no greater example than this.
Jian Yang woke up three days later; it is now the third day of the Lunar New Year.
She had no idea what had happened in the past few days, only that she had a long and wonderful dream.
If it weren't for the pain in her arm reminding her of the assassination attempt she had suffered three days prior, she would have almost forgotten about it.
Jian Yang sighed.
She said, "I can't stay in this palace."
Therefore, she must bid farewell to the emperor today no matter what, and if the scoundrel emperor does not agree, she will threaten to kill herself.
Since I'll be killed sooner or later anyway, I might as well just end it all myself.
No sooner had she finished a bowl of chicken porridge than the emperor rushed over.
"Ayang, I have had your luggage packed for you. I have also had your little savings put in the carriage. Since it is still early, you can set off later."
Jian Yang: "???"
Why doesn't this person play by the rules?
But for some reason, at this moment, she felt a conflicted sense of reluctance.
"Your Majesty, why are you in such a hurry for me to leave?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
