"It's alright." Li Zhaoyun has now regained her senses, but she has no memory of what happened before and only feels a sense of confusion.
The only person capable of poisoning him would be the Empress, since everything had to go through her hands, and the poison could not have been administered without her consent.
This empress is truly no ordinary person. She wants to control Li Zhaoyun for her own use, put a puppet emperor, and then the whole world will be under her control.
Just then, the Empress returned and immediately noticed that Li Zhaoyun's poison had been cured: "Crown Princess, you may continue to come to my palace to teach Yun'er her lessons. I have some other matters to attend to, so I will be leaving now."
Living in the palace was like walking on thin ice. The Empress was also a tragic figure. She was the daughter of a powerful family and was destined for a life of prosperity, but she mistakenly entered the palace and never had the chance to leave.
......
Wen Sizhi has been in Yongfeng Kingdom for some time now, and it's time for him to return to the Western Regions. The emperor has specially held another banquet to send him off. As the Crown Princess, Song Tangxue naturally has to go, but Song Tangli declined on the grounds that she is pregnant and it is inconvenient for her to attend.
The assassin, Song Tangli, was not in her own palace. She followed Fang Jing to the secret door. Fang Jing hesitated for a moment before opening the door for her: "If you've made up your mind, then go in."
Song Tangli stepped in without hesitation. This was a great opportunity to get close to the secret door, and she couldn't miss it. Li Zhaoxian didn't dote on her as much as before, so she had to make some plans for herself.
The interior was decorated in a simple and elegant style, without any sense of battle as one might have imagined. A man wearing a black mask and dressed in black robes sat in the main seat, with an ancient zither in front of him. Song Tangli was somewhat dazed and thought that the person sitting there was Xie Qianzhong.
"Fang Jing, why did you bring a woman with you today?"
Fang Jing's heart tightened. Although Zhan Ming's face was calm and expressionless, he usually appeared refined when killing people. Now, he was clearly angry. He always disliked his subordinates acting on their own, and doing so had touched his sore spot.
"Master, she is Song Tangli..."
He is the leader of the Dark Gate!
Song Tangli smoothed her hair, swayed her hips as she walked over, and poured him a glass of water: "I'm his savior. This time, I begged him to bring me here. You can't blame me, can you?"
Zhan Ming looked up, and Song Tangli smiled confidently. She was very confident in her appearance and was sure that she could attract a man at first glance. However, Zhan Ming frowned and said, "Get away!"
Fang quickly pulled her away: "My master has always disliked contact with women, so please keep your distance when you speak."
Song Tangli's smile froze on her face, and she quickly softened her voice.
“I understand. I came here today to ask the Dark Gate to do something for me.”
Actually, I had told Fang Jing about this before. I just wanted to get close to the rumored leader of the Dark Gate so that I could walk around the capital with impunity in the future. Song Tangxue was no match for me!
Zhan Ming pulled out the Xuan Sword from the side and held it against her neck. A flash of cold light made his eyes grow colder.
"You..." Song Tangli's legs went weak and she fell to the ground. Ignoring the pain, her first instinct was to run, but her legs felt like they were made of lead and she couldn't move them.
This was the first time Song Tangli had felt such intense killing intent. Through that eerie mask, she could almost see a handsome face, as if the sword in his hand would be swung down at any moment.
"Master!" Fang Jing was anxious. After all, Song Tangli was his savior.
Zhan Ming suddenly smiled, sheathed his sword, and returned to his desk to play the zither: "Please go back. If you act on your own again, you know how the Dark Gate treats traitors."
Even after leaving, Song Tangli was still in a daze, her hands still trembling.
"I told you before, the Dark Gate is not a good place, don't come here again." According to Zhan Ming, Song Tangli should be dealt with, but Fang Jing planned to help her complete a task first as a way of repaying her life-saving grace.
Song Tangli grabbed his arm to keep herself from falling: "Just who... is he?"
Song Tangli turned around and realized that the path behind her was a maze of crisscrossing paths. She couldn't remember how she got there. No wonder no one in the world could find the location of the secret door.
"I'm not too sure about that either. After all, the Dark Gate has a rule that you can't talk about the boss. You should be glad you didn't see him take off his mask. Anyone who is not a member of the Dark Gate who does would suffer a terrible fate."
Aside from one person, no one knows why Zhan Ming values Song Tangxue so much.
The banquet at the palace was already halfway through, so Song Tangxue went out for some fresh air.
Xie Qianzhong followed her out and wrapped the cloak around her. The night was deep and the dew was heavy; they felt cold after less than an hour outside.
"The night is getting colder and colder." Song Tangxue remembered that there would be another flood soon, which would cause grain prices to rise again. She had kept a batch when she sold the grain this time, so she could sell it again at the original price.
"He's finally leaving."
Wen Sizhi's feelings for Song Tangxue were known to Quan Yongfeng. Now that Li Zhaoxian's power had diminished, the Emperor might actually do something like marrying Song Tangxue to the Western Regions.
"Oh, so you're here talking badly about me?" Wen Sizhi's face was flushed. He had been forced to drink a lot of wine by the ministers that night. If it weren't for the fact that people from the Western Regions are naturally good at drinking, he would have been drunk.
Xie Qianzhong, oblivious to the embarrassment of being caught red-handed, said: "Yes, you, the envoy from the Western Regions, have stayed in Yongfeng Kingdom long enough. It's time for you to go back."
"It's best if you never come back," Xie Qianzhong silently said to himself.
Wen Sizhi deserves much credit for Song Tangxue's successful approach to the Dark Gate, and as a friend, he should repay her.
"If I have the chance later, I'll treat you to a meal in the Western Regions."
Wen Sizhi laughed heartily, and seemed different today: "If you come to my Western Regions, I will definitely take you to taste the strongest wine in the world and appreciate the most beautiful scenery!"
Xie Qianzhong's tone carried a hint of jealousy that he himself didn't realize: "Let's go back."
Song Tangxue was in a good mood, but then she thought of the flood that was coming soon, and her smile disappeared instantly. If she remembered correctly, the flood was coming in the next few days. People would suffer, and with the waterways blocked, it would be impossible for the flood to be over in less than a year or two. In her previous life, the emperor sent countless craftsmen and it took them a full year.
The grain stored up by Song Tangxue was far from enough; it could only solve the immediate needs of the people.
"Your Majesty, it's almost time, so I'll take my leave." Wen Sizhi said goodbye, and even winked at Song Tangxue.
This time, Winslow's departure was just as whirlwind as his arrival. A caravan of carriages gradually disappeared in front of them, and Song Tangxue silently wished him all the best.
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