Under the fluttering curtains, the black shadow was like a demon from the underworld, emitting a cold aura. Yuan Xi couldn't see the man's face, but his cold fingers were like a slippery venomous snake tightly wrapped around her neck, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Yuan Xi opened her eyes wide and tried to scream but no sound came out. Her throat was tightly gripped and she tried desperately to pry it open with her hands but it was in vain. Her lungs became increasingly burning, as if she was a fish that had been pulled ashore, all its life force robbed from it.

Finally, her struggle began to weaken. The strength in her body seemed to be drained away, and her consciousness gradually became blurred. The dark black in front of her eyes turned into a vast expanse of white, and her body continued to fall down, but she could not touch the ground.

At this moment, a face suddenly flashed in the white light, a gentle yet resolute face, eyes full of reluctance and attachment. She suddenly opened her eyes and kicked her legs with her last bit of strength. Perhaps because of her great will to survive, she kicked the curtain rod in front of the bed and broke it. The curtain rod and the gauze curtain fell to the ground with a "clack", waking up the guards and palace maids outside.

Seeing that things were not going well, the shadow quickly pulled back his hand and fled. Yuan Xi held her neck and kept coughing. Thinking of the struggle between life and death just now, her back kept getting cold. The slippery sweat wrapped around her body, making her want to vomit constantly.

At this time, the palace lanterns were already lit outside. Because it was the inner room for the women, the guards could not enter, so they only let the maids in to see what happened. As soon as the maids stepped into the room, they saw Yuan Xi with disheveled clothes, stroking her neck and vomiting. There was a clear bruise on her neck, which scared them all. They rushed over to help her up, but Yuan Xi waved her hands and said in a weak voice: "Quick! Go after him, that man just ran away!"

The maids were stunned for a moment, and one of them said, "But we just came in from outside, and we didn't see anyone go out."

Yuan Xi was stunned for a moment, then said, "Where are the guards outside the palace gate? Go ask them! He may have escaped through the window."

An assassin had entered the palace, which was a serious matter that could cost one’s life. The maids did not dare to be careless. Two of them were left to help Yuan Xi get dressed and get up, and they poured her a cup of hot tea to calm her down. The rest of them ran out to report to the guards that the wife of Marquis Xuanyuan was in danger. Suddenly, the lights in Yikun Palace were brightly lit. The guards led the way with palace lanterns and searched inside and outside. In the quiet garden, the sound of busy footsteps could be heard continuously.

At this time, the princess had finished dressing and hurried to Yuan Xi's room. Seeing Yuan Xi holding a cup of hot tea, she looked frightened and asked with a frown, "What happened?"

Yuan Xi turned to look at her in a daze. Although she was not close to the princess on weekdays, she had just experienced life and death. Seeing a familiar face at this moment still made her nose sore and she almost cried. She lowered her head and sniffed, and told the princess what had just happened. The princess also showed a horrified look, her hands trembling a little, and said: "How could a thief enter the palace for no reason, and why did he want to harm you?"

Yuan Xi shook her head with empty eyes. She still didn't understand why someone wanted to take her life. Did that person do it on a whim, or did he come here specifically for her?

At this time, a guard came in and reported: "Princess, Madam, the Yikun Palace has been checked inside and outside, and there is no trace of outsiders entering or leaving."

Yuan Xi's eyes widened, and she suddenly felt a little dazed. Could it be that what happened just now was not real, but just a nightmare? But the clear bruises on her neck reminded her that this could not be a dream. In the heavily guarded Yikun Palace, even a fly would leave traces if it entered or left, but the black shadow could come and go without a trace. Is he a human or a ghost?

For a moment, the room was strangely quiet, with only the dripping sound of the kettle being particularly clear. Finally, the princess sighed and broke the silence. She waved her hand to let the guard leave first, and then said to Yuan Xi: "I will report this matter to the emperor tomorrow morning and ask him to send someone to investigate. You have been so scared this night, you should have a good rest first. If you get sick, it will be really difficult to deal with."

The rare words of comfort from the princess warmed Yuan Xi's heart. She nodded and said, "I'm fine. It's just that my mother-in-law has been frightened. You should go back and rest as soon as possible."

The princess stood up and slowly walked towards the compartment. Her figure was gradually lengthened by the flickering candlelight, casting a dark shadow on the ground. Yuan Xi's heart suddenly jumped: the shadow standing in front of her bed just now was somewhat similar to the princess's figure. Then she thought again, being able to avoid the heavy guards and the palace maids outside, it seemed that only the princess sleeping in the compartment could do it...

She shook her head quickly, forcing herself to get rid of this terrible idea. The princess had no reason to harm her, and they were tied together now. If something happened to her, it would not be of any benefit to the princess. She drank the hot tea in her hand, but her body was still shivering with cold.

It was already three o'clock in the morning, but Yuan Xi was no longer sleepy and just sat on the bed with his knees hugged all night.

The night passed and the morning came. In the blink of an eye, it was already New Year's Eve. After the New Year's Eve palace banquet, the old marquis Xiao Yunjing hurried back to the mansion. Before he had time to change out of his thick fur coat, Xiao Du had already rushed over anxiously and asked, "Dad, what's wrong! How are mother and Xi'er doing!"

The old marquis shook his head with a gloomy face and said, "I still can't find out any information. I went to ask the emperor, and he just told me not to worry, saying that he would never neglect my aunt, but he didn't let me see them." His face was stern, and he lowered his voice and said, "But the queen mother did not attend the palace banquet. Everyone was talking about it at the table. It seems that the news we got was correct. The emperor has been holding them captive. I'm afraid it's really related to the queen mother."

Xiao Du sneered and said, "It's been three days. It's been three whole days! I'm afraid they are not waiting for the Queen Mother to wake up, but they have other plans."

The old marquis sighed and said, "Du'er, you must not act impulsively. If you can't bear it and rush into the palace, you will most likely fall into their trap. The situation in the palace is unclear now, and they probably won't dare to do anything to your mother and Xi'er. All we can do is wait. The queen mother can't stay unconscious forever. As long as we wait until the queen mother is fine, I will go and put some pressure on her, and the emperor will have no reason to keep holding the Grand Princess and me."

Xiao Du turned his head, his voice trembling, and said, "But Dad, what if the Queen Mother really can't wake up again?"

Xiao Yunjing was shocked, and then he said, "Impossible! The emperor has always been filial and obedient, there is no way he would do such a thing!"

Xiao Du shook his head and looked out of the courtyard blankly. Tonight was New Year's Eve. Every house was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Children were laughing and playing, covering their ears and lighting loud firecrackers. When families are reunited, separation is the most unbearable. Although there is only a palace wall between them, it seems thousands of miles away at this moment, enough to make the longing brew into bitter wine and chill the heart.

On the other side of the palace wall, Yuan Xi was enjoying the New Year's Eve banquet given by the Emperor with the princess. The table was filled with delicacies, but Yuan Xi felt that each of them tasted like wax, and the hustle and bustle outside the window made it increasingly difficult to swallow.

The princess ate a few bites with difficulty, then slammed her chopsticks down on the table, saying, "I can't stand this anymore! It's almost New Year's Day, when will you let us go back?"

Yuan Xi raised his eyes to look at her, picked up the jade chopsticks on the table and put them back into the bowl for her, and said softly: "The longer the time, the more we have to be patient. I believe that the old man and A'du will have a harder time than us now, and they will definitely try their best to save us. So we must be patient, otherwise it will only make things worse and cause them more trouble."

At this time, there was a sound of applause outside the door, and the corner of a bright yellow robe embroidered with a golden dragon came into view, which surprised Yuan Xi and the princess. Yuan Xi was about to kneel down to salute, but Zhao Yan smiled and gestured that there was no need for salute, and asked them to sit down together, and then said: "Today is New Year's Eve, I came to have a meal with my aunt and cousin. We are all relatives, so why should we be so polite."

He cast his eyes on Yuan Xi again, showing an approving look, and said: "Prime Minister Xia once told me that his daughter has loved to stay in the house and read books since she was a child. She never leaves the house. I thought you would be panicked and cry all day long after suddenly leaving your husband and the danger you encountered last time. I didn't expect that you could still be so calm and restrained after hearing what you said just now. I really admire you."

Yuan Xi's heart skipped a beat. She didn't expect that he had really heard everything she had just said. She lowered her head and stroked her hair to hide her panic. When she raised her head again, she was smiling and said, "I don't understand anything, but I tried my best to think of something to appease my mother-in-law."

Zhao Yan said "Oh" meaningfully, and said, "Then your nonsense is quite reasonable and convincing."

The atmosphere at the table suddenly became a little tense. The princess picked up her chopsticks and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, since you are here for a home-cooked meal, why bother mentioning these disappointing things? I haven't had a meal with Your Majesty for a long time. When I left the palace, Your Majesty was just a child who couldn't speak."

Zhao Yan smiled and asked about the princess's life before she left the palace. The atmosphere at the table finally became warm. Zhao Yan chatted with the princess for a few words and seemed to be in a good mood. He said, "Tonight is New Year's Eve. I have prevented you from reuniting with your family. Now I will agree to one of your requests as compensation." The princess showed an excited look and was about to speak, but Zhao Yan took over slowly and said, "It's just that my mother hasn't woken up yet, so I can't let my aunt go easily. Apart from this, you can ask for anything else."

The princess's hand holding the jade chopsticks trembled, and then she looked away in disappointment. At this time, Yuan Xi, who had been silent, suddenly spoke: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. Yuan Xi wants to go somewhere tonight. Can Your Majesty please make it convenient for me?"

Zhao Yan was very curious about why she made this request, so he answered readily: "Okay, as long as it's within this palace, any place will do."

Yuan Xi quickly stood up to thank her for her kindness, and then put on a fox fur coat. She was led by the palace maid through the palace halls and colorful lanterns, and finally arrived at the highest tower.

From the high building, you can almost have a panoramic view of the prosperity of the entire capital, and beyond the green tile palace wall, that is the direction of the Marquis's Mansion. Tonight, are you looking at the same sky as me, with the same longing?

At this time, there was a "bang" sound, and colorful fireworks lit up the night sky, and the stars scattered like flying flowers. There were lively screams and cheers from the city tower. Yuan Xi wiped the tears from her face and said silently in her heart: "Adu, you always said that the fireworks in the capital are the most beautiful, and you must accompany me to watch them on New Year's Eve. Now, we can see it together."

At this moment, there were bright lights and loud music under her feet, and the night wind blew gently, making her figure standing on the city wall look thin and lonely. Yuan Xi tugged at her fox fur coat, but her body suddenly froze, and she quickly turned around and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty."

Zhao Yan followed her gaze and said, "It's beautiful, isn't it? Only in the palace can you see the most beautiful fireworks in the capital. But..." He lowered his head and pulled the corners of his lips, saying, "I have watched it for so many years, and sometimes I want to know what the fireworks would look like if I could walk out of this palace wall."

Yuan Xi lowered her head and did not answer. Standing on the top of the imperial city, the loneliness and emotion were not something she could participate in. She saluted Zhao Yan again and prepared to go back to her room. However, when she passed by him, she suddenly stopped, took a deep breath and said, "Can I have the courage to ask your majesty a question?"

Zhao Yan turned his head. Her voice was very soft, almost drowned out by the huge sound of fireworks, but he still heard clearly what she said: "Your Majesty is determined to keep us here. His intention is not that simple."