When her father and elder brother were at home, they taught her some anti-wolf techniques and some skills to save herself when being held hostage. However, she only knew how to play around at the time and didn't put any effort into learning.

Concubine Xu was in tears. If she had known earlier, she should have studied hard and she would not be so powerless to resist now.

Seeing that Concubine Xu was not behaving well, the man in black had no choice but to take her out of the bedroom through the window to avoid alerting other people and causing unnecessary trouble.

Concubine Xu's face turned pale with fright. She was almost scared to death as she watched the place where she had lived for a year moving away from her.

Where was the man in black taking her? Concubine Xu watched in fear as the man in black took her over the walls, fearing that the man in black would loosen his grip and throw her off in the next second.

She subconsciously grabbed the black-clad man's arm tightly, thinking that she would have someone to take him with her if she fell.

But in the blink of an eye, they arrived at a remote and deserted place.

The man in black let her go, not afraid of her yelling or screaming.

As soon as Concubine Xu was free, she opened her mouth and shouted, "Help! Someone, there are flower thieves and assassins here!"

It howled for a long time, but there was nothing else except the chirping of insects.

The man in black said lightly: "Even if you scream your throat out, no one will come to save you."

Concubine Xu suddenly stopped calling for help. She found this remote and uninhabited yard, so she hid behind a pillar in fear. She secretly looked at the man in black leaning against the wall and found that he was very tall. Because the light here was very dim, she could not see his face at all.

"How about I give you money and you let me go?"

The man in black looked at the woman hiding behind the pillar in the moonlight and asked, "How much?"

Concubine Xu stretched out her hand and said, "Five thousand taels, how about that?"

The man in black laughed softly: "You are only worth five thousand taels?"

"This is all I have. No more." Concubine Xu sent someone home with a letter asking her mother to send her some silver to support her.

The man in black took a few steps forward, and Concubine Xu was so scared that she hurriedly stepped back a few steps until her back was pressed against the wall, with no room for retreat.

"You, what are you going to do? Let me tell you, my father is a general, and my eldest brother is also a general. If you dare to touch me, they will not let you go." Concubine Xu was trembling violently, and she did not forget to say harsh words.

The man in black laughed softly twice, obviously not taking Concubine Xu's words seriously.

"Let me ask you something."

Concubine Xu asked, "After I ask, will you let me go?"

The man in black nodded readily, "Well, if you answer, I'll take you back."

Concubine Xu was somewhat skeptical about the truthfulness of the black-clad man's words, but she had no other choice now.

"Then ask."

The man in black asked, "Is there anyone named Xiaojiu in the palace?"

Concubine Xu told the truth: "I don't know anyone named Xiaojiu."

The man in black frowned, took a few steps forward, took out a dagger from his pocket and put it against Concubine Xu's neck.

Concubine Xu was so frightened that she dared not move. She could feel the cold dagger against her neck. If she applied a little force, blood would splatter on the spot.

"Didn't you say you would send me back if I answered? How can you, a man, not keep your word?"

The man in black asked coldly, "Are you sure there is no one named Xiaojiu in the palace?"

Concubine Xu was about to cry, "The palace is so big, how can I possibly know them all? Can you go find someone else? I really don't know anything."

The black-clad man stroked Concubine Xu's cheek with his slender fingers. He sighed softly, "You are so young, your skin is so good, and you are so beautiful. How about I scratch your face?"

When Concubine Xu heard about the disfigurement, she was so frightened that she trembled violently, "What's the point of living if a woman's face is disfigured? You might as well kill me with a knife."

The man in black asked coldly, "Then tell me, do you know someone named Xiao Jiu?"

"I really don't know him..." Concubine Xu thought for a moment and said, "Can't I help you find him?"

The man in black paused and thought this method was feasible.

"Can."

The man in black took out a pill from his arms, and with his other hand pinched Concubine Xu's jaw, forcing her to open her mouth. He stuffed the pill in before letting her go.

“It’s poison.”

As soon as Concubine Xu was freed, she held her throat desperately, trying to spit out the medicine, but nothing came out.

The man in black reminded: "The pill will melt in your mouth and you can't spit it out. It won't kill you immediately. I'm the only one who has the antidote. As long as you help me find someone, I'll give you the antidote."

Concubine Xu paused in her action of scratching her throat, feeling that she was doomed this time. The palace was so big, where could she find Xiaojiu?

After the man in black sent Concubine Xu back, he agreed to give her the antidote every three days.

Just as the man in black climbed out the window and left, Concubine Xu called out to him, "Is Xiaojiu a boy or a girl? How old is she? Is she pretty? Or ugly... an ordinary palace maid or eunuch?"

"Xiaojiu is fifteen years old this year, and her sixteenth birthday is coming soon." The man in black paused and said, "She is very beautiful and cute."

Concubine Xu asked subconsciously: "Could it be your sweetheart?"

This work is organized and uploaded by Liujiu Book Bar~~

The man in black did not answer Concubine Xu's question. He jumped out of the window and left swiftly. After a while, his agile figure disappeared into the night.

Concubine Xu seemed to have walked through the gates of hell. She was so frightened that her soul left her body. She sat on the head of the bed in exhaustion, "I was scared to death."

Dream Palace

Xueyan sat on the bed all night without changing her posture, and the scarf on her cheek was still worn.

The big red candle with the word "happiness" on it has burned out.

Xiao Jinyan did not show up the entire night.

Xueyan clutched the veil tightly. No matter what, she was a princess after all, and Xiao Jinyan should come.

Shui Yao felt sorry for her young mistress, so she gently advised, "Princess, His Highness might have been busy until very late, and thought that the princess had rested, so he didn't come. Princess, please rest for a while."

Xueyan didn't know whether Xiao Jinyan was really busy until late at night or deliberately didn't come. Whatever the reason, it made her, a princess, lose face.

She said in a deep voice: "Help me bathe and change clothes, I will go to pay my respects to His Highness."

Shui Yao responded, "Yes."

Hehuan Hall

Shen Chuwei turned over and touched a solid object. She touched it subconsciously and felt it was smooth and delicate. She touched a certain spot and pinched it...

A muffled groan was heard from inside the bed.

Suddenly, someone grabbed his hand tightly. Shen Chu was stunned for a moment. There was someone on the bed.

She slowly opened her eyes and met a pair of sparkling eyes, and was stunned for a few seconds.

When did Xiao Jinyan climb into bed?

"Your Highness, weren't you busy reviewing memorials in the study last night?"

Xiao Jinyan understood the implication of her words. He had to work all night long. "I can't keep reviewing memorials without rest."

Shen Chuwei's brain had not yet fully come to its senses. After hearing this, she thought about it carefully and nodded in agreement, "Your Highness is right."

Good evening, my darlings!

Four chapters have been updated today, totaling 8,000 words. There will be more updates soon!

…

...I want to pair up Concubine Xu with a couple, I hope you guys have no objection!

I’m acting cute and coquettishly to ask for monthly tickets and recommendations!

(End of this chapter)