Chapter 32: The Tyrant's Trick
The crisp and harsh sound of the slap was interrupted by Zhang Fuan's shrill, anxious voice: "Hey! Miss Yun! Stop it! No more!"
He trotted forward, wanting to stop her but not daring to actually touch her. He stamped his feet anxiously, "You are the face of the Emperor! What if your face is ruined? I'll call the imperial physician right away!"
Xiao Jin sat high on the throne, his eyes fixed on Yun Zhao's face.
The originally beautiful cheek was now red and swollen, with finger marks crisscrossing, and a glaring trace of blood at the corner of the mouth.
He was silent for a moment, his voice devoid of emotion. "That's enough. Ah Yao, step back. You've vented your anger and received your punishment, so why are you still standing here getting in the way?"
Xiao Yao was frightened by her brother's cold tone. She could only swallow her resentment and grievances. She glared at Yun Zhao fiercely and then reluctantly bowed and took her leave, with resentment showing from her back.
Yun Zhao was allowed to return to the side hall.
The imperial physician carefully applied the cold ointment to the wound, causing waves of burning pain.
Zhang Fuan watched from the side and couldn't help but sigh deeply, lowering his voice: "My girl, your temper... is too fierce! His Majesty asked me to mention the general because he wanted to protect you. He didn't want you to suffer this!"
Yun Zhao leaned back in his chair, and the coolness of the ointment could not suppress the anger and grievance boiling in his heart.
She took a breath, her voice hoarse from the injury and filled with suppressed anger: "Thank you for your help today, eunuch. But this royal relative... the Yun family is too high for me to marry, and I dare not marry them!"
She paused, her eyes seemed to be burning with flames, carrying the pride and sadness accumulated by a family of generals for hundreds of years.
The men of our Yun family have guarded the border for generations, sacrificing their lives to protect the Xiao clan's empire! And in the end, what have we earned? Suspicion of being 'too successful to be a threat to the master'! Slanderous allegations of 'disloyalty'! If our Yun family truly harbored rebellious intentions, why would they have waited until today? How can a century of loyalty be treated with such disrespect?
[How can someone as stupid and domineering as Xiao Yao be worthy of a man as dignified as my brother?]
My father lived a life of integrity and never accepted any second wife. He only had three children, my brother and I, and he treated them as his own children.
My brother has been stationed at the border for many years, enduring hardships from the wind and sand. If he is forced to marry such a wife and suffer such grievances, how can he be happy in his life?
Zhang Fuan was startled by the grief and anger in her eyes that threatened to consume everything. He quickly waved his hand and lowered his voice, soothing and warning: "Young lady, you are too serious! You are too serious! What happened today may not be the will of His Majesty... Please calm down and take good care of yourself. I will serve you tonight. As for the Eighth Princess..." He paused meaningfully, "She acted so rashly today, I'm afraid someone must have been giving her some advice behind the scenes."
Yun Zhao pulled the corner of his mouth, pulling the injured area and causing a sharp pain.
She picked up the ointment and without asking anyone else to do it for her, she faced the bronze mirror and smeared the cold ointment on the red and swollen wound with a slightly rough movement.
"Don't worry, father-in-law," she said, looking at herself in the mirror, disheveled but with sharp eyes. Her voice calmed down, but with a hint of cold edge, "I understand everything I need to understand."
When Zhang Fuan bowed and retreated into the main hall of Yanying Palace, the flickering candlelight illuminated the cold and sharp Qingyun sword in Xiao Jin's hand.
He was using a plain white silk handkerchief to slowly and attentively wipe the sword. His movements were gentle, yet revealed a heart-pounding chill.
"How is she?" Xiao Jin's voice was calm, as if he was asking casually, without any concern in his voice.
Zhang Fuan reacted quickly, bowing his head and saying, "Your Majesty, the imperial physician has examined Miss Yun. She has some superficial injuries on her face. The swelling will subside after two days of careful care. Thankfully, there will be no scars."
"Yeah." Xiao Jin responded and casually hung the polished Qingyun Sword back on the sword rack, making a slight sound of metal colliding with stone.
He turned around, and the candlelight danced in his deep eyes, casting dark shadows.
"Zhou Si, what have you been doing recently?"
Zhang Fuan's heart tightened, and he lowered his voice to an almost inaudible level. "Your Majesty, the people who followed him have returned. Commander Zhou...does indeed have frequent interactions with Prime Minister Su's residence. Furthermore...among the Imperial Guards, I'm afraid more than half will only recognize Commander Zhou's token. Commander Zhou also frequently 'travels' around Ci'an Palace and Zhaixing Tower."
The air in the hall froze instantly.
Xiao Jin's eyes suddenly became icy cold, like ice spikes soaked in poison, silently spreading a creepy murderous aura.
His slender fingers unconsciously stroked the cold hilt of the sword, and his knuckles turned slightly white due to the force.
"Heh," a faint sneer escaped from his throat, carrying a bone-chilling chill, "Even the commander of my personal guards has become their dog? Am I still safe on this throne, within these palace walls?"
Zhang Fuan's forehead was covered in sweat, and he quickly advised, "Your Majesty, calm down! You still need to... still need to be patient! Xiao Guizi has been secretly working, secretly selecting available personnel from the lower ranks of the Imperial Guards and the Eastern Compilation Office..."
Xiao Jin's fingers tapped lightly on the cold imperial desk, making a dull sound, like a death-prompting drumbeat.
"Without a pretext, we can't move an inch." His voice was deep, with unquestionable determination. "Act in secret, be extremely cautious! Not a single word can be leaked!"
"Yes, I understand!" Zhang Fuan bowed deeply.
It's late at night and everything is quiet.
In the side hall, Yun Zhao finally fell asleep amidst the stinging pain on his cheek and the confusion in his heart, but was suddenly awakened by a black shadow standing silently in front of the bed!
"Ah——!" She gasped, her heart almost jumping out of her throat. She instinctively covered her chest and looked at the clearly outlined figure in the darkness in shock - it was Xiao Jin in casual clothes!
[Is the Dog Emperor crazy?! He's not sleeping in the middle of the night and comes here to act like a ghost and scare people!]
"Did I scare you?" Xiao Jin's voice rang out in the silence, so calm and without a trace of emotion.
Yun Zhao sat up with half of his cheek still red and swollen, his voice taut with shock and pain: "Yes, Your Majesty. It's late at night and the dew is heavy. What are your instructions, Your Majesty?"
Xiao Jin did not answer. Instead, he walked to the table, picked up the half cup of cold tea that Yun Zhao had left before going to bed, and drank it all.
"I can't sleep." He said, his eyes fixed on the dark night outside the window.
"Don't bother me if you can't sleep!" Yun Zhao screamed inwardly. "The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel are colluding with that old scoundrel Su Yuan, causing chaos all over the city, and there's no solution! The Prince of Qin is traveling south to provide disaster relief, what a godsend opportunity! Why not quickly eliminate him? Su Mingli is stirring up trouble in the harem, and the Empress Dowager is watching covetously from Ci'an Palace. Instead of cleaning up this mess, they have the time to come here and disturb my sleep!"
"Your Majesty," she said, suppressing her irritation and trying to sound calm, "Herbal tea is harmful to your health. The more you drink, the harder it is to fall asleep."
Xiao Jin put down his teacup and turned to look at her. The candlelight illuminated his half-dark face. "I have already sent your brother the military pay he needs. I have also sent the decree to summon him back to the capital to report on his duties and visit his family. Why...are you still unhappy?"
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