Chapter 173 Then, you'll have another child for me.
The Qianqing Palace.
The window was half-open, and the night wind blowing in from outside made the candlelight on the table flicker wildly.
In the candlelight and shadows, Emperor Zhaoheng's face appeared even more somber and uncertain.
After receiving the letter, he stood there motionless for a long time.
Suddenly, he swept away the mountain of memorials, scattering them all over the floor with a clatter, just like his chaotic thoughts at that moment.
"What a brilliant move by Yi Xingyao! What a clever feint!"
Emperor Zhaoheng's chest heaved, his imperial rage almost reaching the heavens.
"I personally orchestrated this, deploying all my elite troops, and searched the valleys of Huizhou for an entire day to track his movements! Yet he dared... he dared to abduct Consort Jin right under my nose!"
In the center of the hall, Xiao Lizi knelt on both knees, her robes stained with dried, blackened blood and dust.
He pressed his forehead tightly against the gold brick and said in a pained voice, "Your subordinate... Your subordinate is incompetent! I failed to see through the traitor Yi's treacherous scheme, causing Consort Jin to be in danger!"
"Your Majesty, I am guilty beyond redemption! I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
Although Xiao Lizi was a eunuch, she was trained as a secret guard. Emperor Zhaoheng initially sent her to Shuixian's side to protect her safety.
Unexpectedly...
Xiao Lizi fought valiantly, but still couldn't protect Consort Jin... Xiao Lizi's voice was hoarse from extreme pain.
After his extreme anger subsided, Emperor Zhaoheng took a deep breath, his voice still cold, but he did not punish Xiaolizi.
"Get up. This matter... is not entirely your fault."
If he hadn't sent the narcissus out of the palace in the first place...
Emperor Zhaoheng clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. He said coldly, "It was me. I've been so focused on keeping a close eye on the Cining Palace these past few days, preventing them from harming Xian'er, that I forgot about Yi Xingyao..."
"I underestimated his madness! For the sake of Narcissus, he dared to gamble everything, even his life!"
At this moment, Feng Shunxiang stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards are ready to depart. Should we...should we immediately impose martial law throughout the city and search every household?"
"No!"
Emperor Zhaoheng flatly rejected the idea, saying, "If we launch a city-wide manhunt, the news that the Consort has been kidnapped by the rebels will immediately spread throughout the land! How will Xian'er face the consequences? What kind of reputation will our unborn son bear?"
If the news is leaked, Narcissus will have no choice but to prove her innocence with her death!
He suppressed his anxiety and strode quickly to the palace entrance, gazing at the dark night sky.
"Little Riko, how are your injuries?"
"It's a superficial wound, nothing serious!"
Xiaoli immediately looked up, her eyes resolute.
"Good! You immediately take the elite of the Dark Guard Battalion, break into smaller units, and secretly monitor all the city gates and main roads of the capital, especially the places where supplies and personnel are transported in and out. Carefully check any suspicious vehicles and people, especially those with pregnant women or women who appear to be sickly!"
"But remember, do not alert the enemy!"
"Your subject obeys the decree!"
Xiao Lizi kowtowed, then quickly got up and left.
Emperor Zhaoheng then turned to Feng Shunxiang, and after pondering for a moment, said, "Feng Shunxiang, convey my oral decree."
"Consort Jin, mindful of the Empress Dowager's poor health and sincerely praying for her well-being, voluntarily agreed to stay at Jingguang Temple for an extra month to pray for the Empress Dowager and the nation's fortunes. During this time, she will not receive any outside guests, and all affairs will be temporarily handled by Consort De."
He turned around, looked at Feng Shunxiang with a serious expression, and said in a low voice, "You must keep this information under wraps. If even a single rumor gets out, I will hold you responsible!"
"This servant understands!"
Knowing the gravity of the matter, Feng Shunxiang quickly bowed and stepped back to make arrangements.
After the two left, only Emperor Zhaoheng remained in the empty Qianqing Palace.
He raised his hand to press his throbbing temples, his eyes revealing a worry he didn't need to hide when no one was around.
In the darkness, the man murmured softly, as if in prayer.
"Xian'er, you must hold on, I will definitely find you..."
——
Meanwhile, an inconspicuous blue-canopied carriage wound its way through the crisscrossing narrow alleys of the capital, finally stopping at the back gate of a seemingly ordinary courtyard house.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Yi Xingyao jumped out first. He had already changed out of his night clothes and was now wearing a faded coarse cloth outfit. He had deliberately smeared some dirt on his face to cover his overly handsome and sharp features, making him look like an ordinary street person at first glance.
He glanced around warily, then turned and reached out to steady the daffodils inside the car.
Although Narcissus is now awake, she is still weak all over because he used a muscle-relaxing drug on her, and she can only let him help her out of the car by half supporting and half carrying her.
Just then, a warm voice came from the neighboring courtyard: "Hey, isn't this the new guy who just moved in?"
Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw a friendly-looking older woman from next door. She smiled and asked, "And this is...your wife? Judging by her belly, she's quite far along, isn't she?"
Yi Xingyao instantly put on a simple smile and nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Yes, this is my wife."
"She's in poor health and has been living in the countryside to recuperate. Now that she's about to give birth, I've brought her to the city so it's easier to get a doctor. We'll be neighbors from now on, so I'll be relying on you to look after her!"
As he spoke, he subtly tightened his grip on Narcissus's wrist, a warning to her.
Narcissus lowered her head, cooperating with a shy demeanor, but her heart was ice-cold.
While smiling and dealing with his neighbors, Yi Xingyao almost pushed and shoved the narcissus into the yard, then closed the heavy wooden door behind him, instantly shutting out the noise from the outside world.
The courtyard was clean and tidy, with some common flowers and plants, making it look no different from an ordinary house.
But Shui Xian vaguely noticed that although the entire courtyard seemed calm, it was actually filled with an invisible atmosphere of murderous intent, and was guarded by Yi Xingyao's assassins.
Yi Xingyao brought the narcissus directly into the main room.
The room was simply furnished with only a table and two chairs.
Yi Xingyao didn't stop, gripping her shoulders tightly as he led her into the inner room, where the most prominent feature was a canopy bed...
The moment Shui Xian saw the bed, her heart tightened, but Yi Xingyao was still holding her shoulders tightly, and Shui Xian almost bumped into his arms.
"Yi Xingyao! What...what are you doing?!"
Yi Xingyao locked the door behind him with a soft click.
He walked to the wardrobe, took out a plain cotton dress that he had prepared beforehand, and threw it in front of Narcissus.
"Change your clothes. This is the fabric from the palace; it's too conspicuous."
His gaze once again swept uncontrollably over the narcissus's round belly, his eyes flickering with a complex mix of emotions.
"The conditions here are a bit simple, I'm sorry to trouble you. But only in a place like this would Xiao Yiheng (Emperor Zhaoheng) not have thought of. Only then can we... be safe."
Shui Xian clenched the hem of her clothes, suppressing her disgust for Yi Xingyao, and deliberately stalled for time: "I...I'll change myself, you can leave."
Instead of leaving, Yi Xingyao stepped forward and reached out to unbutton the buttons on her palace dress.
“You’re pregnant and it’s hard for you to move around, let me help you.”
"Don't touch me!"
Narcissus jerked backward, her back slamming heavily against the cold bedpost.
Under Yi Xingyao's dark gaze, Shuixian clutched her clothes tightly with her hands. "Yi Xingyao! The imperial physician diagnosed me as being in poor health..."
"If you force yourself on me and aggravate the pregnancy, I will die! Is this what you call saving me?!"
Yi Xingyao's outstretched hand froze in mid-air. Looking at her almost instinctively wary expression, a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.
What he wanted was a living daffodil that belonged to him.
Finally, he reluctantly withdrew his hand, but his tone remained firm: "Fine, I won't touch you. But I'll stand here and watch you change. Don't try anything funny..."
"I've already lost you once, and this time, I will absolutely not give you another chance to leave me!"
His gaze was terrifyingly obsessive, and his words were even more chilling.
"Even in death, we will die together!"
Narcissus's heart sank to the bottom, knowing that resisting was useless.
She slowly picked up the rough cotton dress, pretending to change her clothes while trying to probe with her words.
"Do you really intend to take me with you, like a rat in a gutter, hiding for the rest of your life?"
"Emperor Zhaoheng will never let this go! All land under heaven belongs to the emperor. Once he finds this place, death is the only thing waiting for us!"
A hint of arrogance flashed in Yi Xingyao's eyes, "Once you take the medicine and get rid of this bastard... I'll take you to Jiangnan."
"Nobody knows us over there. We can buy a small courtyard there and live a peaceful life..."
As Yi Xingyao spoke, it was as if he could see those days, and a hint of longing flashed across his obsessive and crazy eyes.
"Then, you'll give me a child, a child that belongs only to the two of us..."
Narcissus lowered her eyes and suddenly asked softly, "What about Madam Yi? Will she also come to Jiangnan with us?"
She raised her eyes, seemingly hesitating for a long time, but finally slowly said, "Back then, it was she who sent me into the palace, severing the...fate between us."
"How can you guarantee that once we get to Jiangnan, she won't send me away again, or even... kill me?"
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