"Xue Panrou?" Zhao Lian at the table couldn't help but exclaimed in surprise and looked at her third brother Zhao Shen beside her.
Everyone started whispering to each other. After all, Xue Zhentong was the Minister of Revenue at the time, and Xue Panrou was a well-known official's wife. She was almost engaged to Zhao Shen, so many people recognized this face.
Even though Zhao Shen later married her fourth sister Xue Hanshu, the two families were still related by marriage.
Unexpectedly, after Xue Zhentong fell, all the daughters of the Xue family entered the palace and became slaves. Even if they all became slaves, one was a royal attendant to the empress dowager, and the other was a low-level servant in the palace. The difference was too great.
You have to know that even the wives of officials from prominent families may not be selected for the position of Imperial Attendant in Jianzhang Palace. So why would Xue Zhiyi, the daughter of a criminal, be selected?
Could it be true, as Xue Panrou said, that he gained the favor by harming the princess and deceiving the empress dowager?
In this situation, Huo Wuyou couldn't help but sit up straight. This matter was indeed unexpected.
He just scoffed, "You said Xue Zhiyi plotted to murder Princess Anle in order to win Grandmother's favor. So why would he take the risk and leave himself a handle now?"
Xue Panrou seemed to have memorized the answer in advance, displaying a cleverness that was unlike her usual foolishness. "Perhaps he's worried that the princess might harbor doubts about what happened that day. Or perhaps, he's been instructed by someone, or perhaps he simply dislikes the marriage between Dayong and Beidi?"
After these words were spoken, the emperor's eyes became more profound.
What he cared about most was this peace negotiation. If Xue Zhiyi was really instructed by someone to sabotage the marriage... then he would be punished with death by slow slicing.
Huo Wuyou said, "I've heard that Miss Xue never leaves her house and is known to be dull and unintelligent. I'm afraid she can barely read. But now that she's been confined to the imperial palace, she can actually speak freely about court affairs."
He couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh: "Uncle, the palace is short of imperial physicians, but it seems that there is no shortage of teachers."
Xue Panrou was speechless for a moment because she had never memorized the answer to this question.
"Marquis Lin'an." At this time, the imperial concubine said worriedly, "We don't know whether this matter is true or not, but the princess's safety is the most important thing. Instead of arguing with this servant, why not find the princess's whereabouts first?"
Huo Wuyou just slowly lowered his brows to hide the expression in his eyes.
He knew very well that this was a conspiracy against Zhiyi and Ayu, and he also knew that he had already made arrangements and these two people would be fine.
It was precisely for this reason that when the crime was falsely pinned on Zhiyi, he lost his composure in his anxiety.
In an instant, his brows were filled with anxiety. He stood up and bowed to the emperor: "Uncle, please give the order to search for A Yu first."
Since the matter was related to the marriage, the emperor agreed to look for people, not only Huo Zhiyu and Xue Zhiyi, but also Helian You.
The Palace Guards are the emperor's personal guards and are deployed throughout the palace. Ge Jingyang is the commander of the Palace Guards and should lead people to search.
In particular, when he thought that his sister Ge Yuanhui had not returned yet, he became more anxious. Now was the opportunity to go look for her, so he hurriedly left the table.
But no one noticed that Wu Lifei's pupils were trembling slightly, and the handkerchief under her sleeve was almost torn to pieces by her, as if something was out of her control.
She quietly looked at Concubine Ge, and saw that although Concubine Ge was comforting the emperor with a worried look in her eyes, the fan in her hand was waving methodically, which clearly revealed her mood at the moment, and she was calm and composed.
…
But no one knew that it happened not long ago.
Xue Zhiyi was dragged away in a daze, and when he woke up again, he found himself in an unfamiliar house.
She felt weak. If she had not been alert and held her breath in time when the cloth with the sleeping pills hit her, she would have fainted for who knows when.
I quietly opened my eyes and looked around. Looking at the room, I should still be in the palace.
She breathed a sigh of relief and continued to close her eyes and pretend to be dead.
Elsewhere in the room, a maidservant was heard advising, "Miss, the banquet is about to begin. Should we go back? The Master and the Madam have arranged everything. They've even specifically instructed you not to act on your own to avoid complications..."
The other person sneered. Xue Zhiyi was very familiar with that voice, which was as beautiful as that face. It was a pity that the words were vicious at this moment.
"Yes, she dared to murder the princess. From today on, she will be skinned alive, but..."
The voice seemed to sink into a pool of icy cold water. "But that bitch is too cunning. I will never allow her to escape unscathed. Even if she escapes death, I will make her live a life worse than death from today on! I want her to feel my pain a thousand times over!"
The maid wanted to persuade her again, but Ge Yuanhui's footsteps were already getting closer.
Xue Zhiyi only felt that his chin was being pinched hard by a hand.
Ge Yuanhui's voice was filled with resentment and hatred: "Why... She is clearly inferior to me in every way, why did such a face bewitch His Highness the Cousin!"
At the side, the maid wanted to stop him, but Ge Yuanhui had already pulled out the hairpin given by Gu Shichong from Xue Zhiyi's head.
She smiled contemptuously: "I can have as many things as I want, but there is only one queen, and it can only be mine."
The hairpin moved gently on Xue Zhiyi's face, as if he was considering where to start.
"Xue Zhiyi, if you are lucky enough to survive after today, you will end up like me, facing a shattered face every day, waking up from nightmares every night, hating yourself for living like a pile of rotting meat..."
Her voice was tearful, as if she felt wronged.
Xue Zhiyi muttered in his heart: Not really, not really. She's still quite beautiful now. Besides, she wasn't the one who got the scar in the first place...
Having said that, the moment Ge Yuanhui raised his hand holding the hairpin, she mercilessly sprinkled a handful of powder from her sleeve.
The protective item she asked Huo Wuyou to bring her today was this bottle of medicine powder.
She closed her eyes tightly, huddled up and covered her mouth and nose to ensure that the powder would not enter her body. Then she slowly opened her eyes and saw that Ge Yuanhui and the maid had fainted on the ground.
Looking at the hairpin that had not yet stabbed her face, Xue Zhiyi thought to herself that it was a blessing in disguise.
Her original plan was to use herself as bait to lure Ge Yuanhui out and then take him down.
Fortunately, Gu Shichong gave her this hairpin, which made her plan go more smoothly. Otherwise, she would have to find another reason to deceive Ge Yuanhui.
Her hands and feet were tied, but Xue Zhiyi was not in a hurry to escape.
I saw a person jumping down from the beam, it was Yan Gui.
Yan Gui bowed to her and untied the rope for her. Xue Zhiyi seemed to have expected it and was not surprised.
Yan Gui sighed slightly: "It was a close call. If Miss Xue hadn't acted quickly, it would have been my turn to take action."
From the very beginning of the plan, Huo Wuyou arranged for Yan Gui to follow secretly in case Xue Zhiyi failed to wake up in time so that he could rescue him.
Xue Zhiyi thanked him and looked at the two people on the ground. He said, "Take Ge Yuanhui to where she should go. Then we should go find the princess. Don't keep her waiting for too long."
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