Chapter 57 What happened last night?
Su Die suddenly raised her head, her eyes blazing with a strong desire to survive, and she kowtowed desperately: "I want to! Shang Shi! I want to live! My parents are old, and I have a young brother to feed. I can't die!"
Yun Zhao's gaze was as sharp as a knife, as if it could penetrate her soul. He spoke word by word, "Your name is Su Die. You are Xiao Tao's sworn sister, right?"
Su Die's whole body was trembling. She looked at Yun Zhao in disbelief, her lips trembling. "Yes... yes... Shang Shi... how did you know?"
"That's not important." Yun Zhao's voice was decisive, with the coldness of someone who controlled life and death. "What's important is that nothing happened tonight!"
"Your Majesty was only disturbed by thunder and muttered a few words in his sleep, that's all! He never stood up, never drew his sword, and certainly never hurt anyone!"
"And you," she stared at the bleeding wound on Sudie's shoulder, "you weren't injured either. You just... accidentally slipped while on duty and bumped your shoulder, understand?"
"As for me," Yun Zhao pointed at his soaked robe, "I have never set foot in the main hall! I was sleeping in the side hall the entire time. I was awakened by the thunder and discovered you had 'slipped' here, so I came to check. Do you understand?"
Su Die met Yun Zhao's bottomless eyes, seemingly capable of swallowing every secret. A chill ran from her feet to her head. She instantly grasped the danger and the way out. She nodded desperately, her voice weeping but crystal clear: "I understand! I understand! Your Majesty was mumbling in a nightmare, and I slipped and fell, so the Chef Merciful came to check! Everything is normal tonight!"
"Very good." Yun Zhao nodded slightly, her tone a little slower. "Wait in the side hall. I'll treat your wounds later. However," she changed the subject, looking at him with scrutiny, "It's such a heavy thunderstorm tonight, why are you the only one on duty in the main hall?"
Su Die, still terrified, hurriedly said, "To the chef, there were originally two people. The other one... caught a cold, and was granted leave personally by the Shangqin Lord. Your Majesty... Your Majesty has always disliked having people on guard in the bedroom, so... so no one usually asks too much about this place at night..."
"Got it." Yun Zhao waved his hand, "Quickly go to the side hall and deal with the bloodstains. Don't leave any traces!"
Su Die felt as if she had been pardoned. She endured the severe pain in her shoulder, crawled back, and began to wipe the blood spots on the ground with trembling hands.
Yun Zhao stood beside the dragon bed, looking at Xiao Jin, who was unconscious with his brows still furrowed, as if enduring endless pain. Listening to the violent thunderstorm outside the window that seemed to never end, the doubts in his heart were heavier and deeper than the night.
Concubine Mother? Poisonous Woman? Cold Palace?
Xiao Jin...what kind of bloody past is hidden in your heart?
Inside the Zichen Palace, the thunder gradually subsided, leaving only the rustling sound of rain hitting the window frames.
Yun Zhao stood quietly before the dragon bed, gazing at Xiao Jin's pale, bloodless face, still unconscious. His brows were furrowed, and every time a muffled thunder rolled in the distance, his frail body trembled slightly.
Even when I was unconscious, I was still so afraid of thunder...*
An indescribable complexity crossed Yun Zhao's heart. He felt so fragile, defenseless, as if he would break at the slightest touch. The dragon robe that symbolized supreme power had slipped away, leaving only a frail, helpless soul haunted by nightmares.
She even had the illusion that if she just pinched it lightly, the emperor who controlled the world would disappear silently.
But the thought only flashed through my mind.
How is that possible?!
She knew Xiao Jin's cunning all too well. The secret guards, the feathered guards, the spies and eyes scattered throughout the palace... this moment of vulnerability was but a brief vacuum after the storm.
If she really dared to act rashly, she would be doomed in an instant.
Besides... she never thought of taking action.
He broke the shackles between her and the King of Qin, and handed over the military power and trust to her father again. He went against the majority opinion and appointed talented people... He was completely different from the brutal and incompetent ruler rumored in the streets.
Was that uncontrolled killing intent just now the "wind syndrome" deeply rooted in his bones? Only those who experienced extreme terror in childhood and witnessed the tragic death of loved ones would be completely consumed by the inner demons on a thunderstorm night.
There might have been spies among the people he killed in the past, but I'm afraid... not all of them were.
No wonder he never lets anyone get close to him at night, refuses to serve him personally, and even... refuses to stay overnight in the concubines' palace.
This dragon bed in the deep palace is probably another even more lonely cage for him.
The tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and a strong feeling of fatigue came like a tide.
She wanted to leave, but she didn't dare leave him defenseless and alone in this empty chamber. Yun Zhao glanced at the large, soft rosewood couch beside the dragon bed, then walked over and lay down on his side, fully clothed.
The soft couch and the dragon bed are only a few steps away.
She lay on her side, her eyes fixed on Xiao Jin's sleeping face.
In the dim light, the lines of his silhouette were still clear and hard, but they had lost the sharpness of the daytime, revealing an almost fragile handsomeness.
An indescribable ripple quietly spread across the silent lake of her heart. Unbeknownst to her, she fell into a deep sleep amid the sound of rain outside the window.
This was the second time since she entered the palace that she slept with the emperor in the Purple Palace.
When she woke up again, she was disturbed by the sound of someone talking in a deliberately low voice. Before she even opened her eyes, she heard Xiao Jin's low voice, with a subtle... softness?
"Let her sleep. I can go and see her off myself."
Farewell! Father!
Yun Zhao sat up suddenly, the quilt sliding off: "I'm awake! Your Majesty, wait for me! I need to go see my father off!"
Xiao Jin, who was about to leave, stopped and turned around when he heard the voice.
He was dressed neatly, and the black cloak made his figure look even more upright and noble. Although his face was still a little pale, he had regained the majesty of an emperor.
His gaze fell on Yun Zhao, his brows furrowed slightly. "Now that you're awake, hurry up. Don't let the soldiers of the army wait for you in the cold wind."
"Yes!" Yun Zhao responded, not bothering to tidy up her messy hair. She jumped off the soft couch barefoot and started to put on her boots.
Xiao Jin watched her hurried movements, his eyes sweeping over her thin nightgown. He spoke again, his tone tinged with a hint of cold disapproval: "Are you planning on wearing this to Xuanwu Gate? Let the Duke see me and think I'm being so stingy with his precious daughter that I couldn't even afford a piece of warm clothing?"
Yun Zhao paused, then remembered that his thick clothes were all in Yanying Palace, and said, "My clothes are not here. It's okay. I'm not cold. Let's go!"
Xiao Jin's brows knitted even tighter. Just as he was about to say something, Su Die hurried in, holding a thick black cloak and whispered, "Shangshi, this is an old cloak I found. If you don't mind..."
"You don't mind! Very good!" Yun Zhao grabbed it, shook it open and put it on. The wide cloak almost wrapped her whole body, with a faint scent of agarwood belonging to the Zichen Palace.
In order to save time, the imperial chariot was already waiting outside the palace.
With Xiao Jin's tacit consent, Yun Zhao made an exception and rode in the same chariot with him. In the enclosed space, his refreshing scent mixed with the agarwood fragrance stained on his cloak, lingering silently.
The chariot started, and amidst the slight sway, Yun Zhao suddenly remembered something. He turned his head to look at the emperor who was resting with his eyes closed beside him and asked, "Your Majesty, has the chef delivered breakfast?"
Xiao Jin still had his eyes closed, his jawline tense, and his voice was emotionless: "I've sent it off, but I have no appetite. After the farewell is over, you can serve me some."
"Okay. It will take no more than half an hour to see you off. It won't be a waste." Yun Zhao agreed, his eyes falling on his slightly pale lips. It was obvious that the thrilling event last night had consumed a lot of energy.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Jin suddenly opened his eyes, his deep eyes looking straight at her, with inquiry and a sharpness that left no room for evasion: "Last night...what exactly happened in the main hall?"
He really noticed something unusual!
Yun Zhao's heart skipped a beat: [How should I answer this? Could it be that he almost killed Su Die with his own hands?!]
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