Chapter 32
Prince Yun, Shao Siyun, is inherently suspicious, mean, and ungrateful. This is the foundation upon which he has been able to navigate the treacherous waters of the court for many years and build up a vast power base, but it also often becomes a constraint in his decision-making.
Despite Qi Nian'an's perfect performance that day, the rumors of his past favor still left a lingering doubt in the heart of the Prince of Yun.
At the corner of the palace wall, in the hazy glow of moonlight and palace lanterns, he leaned against a vermilion pillar, as if he had stood there since time immemorial.
His long, jet-black hair was not tied up; it was loosely draped down, with a few strands falling across his forehead, partially obscuring his eyebrows and eyes, but unable to hide his eyes that were like stars tempered in cold light.
When those eyes look at people, they have a lazy and unrestrained air, with slightly upturned corners, giving them a naturally charming demeanor. Yet, deep within their eyes, there seems to be a sharpness and aloofness like that of a lone wolf.
His facial features, compared to the gentle and handsome ideal favored in the court, had a more angular and rugged look.
His nose was high and straight like a mountain ridge, and his thin lips naturally had a slight, ambiguous smile, as if mocking all the rules and etiquette of the world.
He was not wearing the elaborate court attire befitting a prince, but only a dark brocade robe with subtle patterns. The collar was slightly open, revealing his well-defined collarbone, and the wide sleeves fluttered in the wind, adding to his unconventional and unrestrained air.
"Nian'an, it's been years since I last saw you, and you've become so skilled."
He muttered to himself, then laughed.
He couldn't fully trust this woman who seemed to have her weaknesses exploited.
The most unpredictable thing in this world is the human heart, especially a woman's heart. Once love and affection are involved, uncontrollable variables are more likely to arise.
He cannot entrust his grand ambitions to a potential threat that might betray him in the face of battle.
On the eve of the palace coup, the night was as dark as ink, the stars and moon were nowhere to be seen, and the oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe.
A series of shadowy figures, darker than the night itself, stealthily approached the outer perimeter of Qi Nian'an's palace, using the cover of the wind.
The surveillance network tightened abruptly, transforming from covert observation into almost blatant tailing and encirclement.
That chilling killing intent, like a thorn in one's back, silently licked every corner of the palace like the forked tongue of a venomous snake.
Inside the palace, Qi Nian'an was removing her hairpins in front of the mirror. Her face reflected in the bronze mirror seemed calm, but the knuckles of her fingers holding the jade comb were slightly white. She keenly sensed the changes in the outside world—the abnormal flow of the air, the unnatural stillness among the shadows of the trees in the distance, and the occasional, extremely faint sound of clothes rustling outside the palace walls.
Those weren't the emperor's secret guards sent to protect her; their presence was more concealed and gentle. This was more like... a setup before a hunt!
Wait, buddy, I've realized something!
As expected, the King of Clouds still didn't believe her!
Furthermore, he has already decided to kill!
It's likely that they won't wait until things go wrong, but rather take her into custody before the palace coup even begins, and might even... silence her to prevent future troubles!
A chill instantly spread throughout his body.
My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, crashing against my ribs with a drum-like sound.
The time was of the essence; it was a critical moment! She had to immediately pass on the crucial intelligence she had just obtained, otherwise, not only would she and Shao Sizhi be in grave danger, but the entire plan to quell the rebellion would also be in vain!
However, at this moment, the palace and its surroundings must be under close surveillance, like an iron barrel. Any unusual action, even a small note, could be intercepted and alert the enemy.
what to do?
Qi Nian'an's gaze swept rapidly across the hall, finally landing on a plate of untouched snacks on the table.
It was delivered by Li Xiaoran in the evening, saying it was a newly made pattern for her to try.
The pastries were wrapped in ordinary oil paper, oil paper...
A thought flashed through my mind like lightning!
She quickly got up, walked to the table, and casually picked up a pastry, eating it slowly. With her other hand, she very discreetly flattened the oil paper wrapping the pastry.
With her back to the window, she took out an extremely fine eyebrow pencil from her vanity case, held her breath, and began to write rapidly on the inside of the oiled paper in simplified Chinese characters that only Li Xiaoran, who came from the same world as her, could understand.
The pen tip grazed the rough oiled paper, making a barely audible hissing sound.
Every word embodies immense risk and unwavering resolve:
[Prince Yun will make his move tomorrow, forcing me to assassinate him. I will feign compliance, but he will already suspect me and want to eliminate me as soon as possible. Quickly inform Si Zhi, and we will use this plan against him, closing in outside the Imperial Study at 3:45 AM.]
After writing the last sentence, she quickly folded the oil paper back to its original shape, except that the creases were slightly different.
Hopefully, Li Xiaoran will find out.
She summoned Yixing and, with a calm expression, instructed, "These pastries taste very good; I enjoyed them. Send the rest, along with the oil paper, back to Consort Ling. Tell her that I thank her for remembering you, and that I will visit her again tomorrow if I have time."
Qi Nian'an subtly squeezed Yi Xing's hand, his gaze sharp as a knife, conveying an unquestionable command.
Yi Xing was taken aback for a moment, then understood. She took the seemingly ordinary pastry bag with both hands and respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
She carefully tucked the oil paper package into her bosom as if carrying a heavy burden, then turned and left the palace.
The message, delivered through that secret and efficient channel, spread rapidly like a pebble thrown into still water, reaching precisely Li Xiaoran, who was anxiously waiting in her palace.
When Li Xiaoran unfolded the piece of paper, which still had some pastry oil stains, and saw the familiar yet abrupt simplified Chinese characters on the inside, her pupils suddenly contracted and her heart trembled violently!
Although it was expected that King Yun would make a move, it was unexpected that he would do so so quickly, and even more unexpected that King Yun would be so ruthless as to have already decided to kill Nian An!
"Tomorrow... at 3:45 AM... in the Imperial Study..." she murmured these keywords, each word carrying immense weight.
There's no time to hesitate, no time to be afraid!
There wasn't even time to dwell on when Prince Yun entered the palace or even when he entered the city!
Li Xiaoran suddenly stood up. Her face, which usually carried a lazy smile, was now filled with only icy calm and decisiveness.
"Does the secret passage in Consort Chen's palace still exist?"
Zhiyang leaned forward slightly and replied, "It's still here."
In the darkness of night, the piece of oil paper, bearing a shocking secret and a life-or-death entrustment, seemed to grow wings and swoop around the layers of palace walls and sentries, traversing the pervasive killing intent, and finally, was silently placed on Emperor Shao Sizhi's desk by a steady hand.
When Shao Sizhi unfolded the oil paper and saw the handwriting translated by Li Xiaoran, a terrifying aura instantly erupted from his body!
"What a Yun Wang!" His knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, his voice as cold as the dead of winter. "You forced me to this point, you touched my most precious treasure... Tomorrow will be your death day!"
He abruptly looked up, his eyes devoid of any tenderness, filled only with the unquestionable majesty and ruthless decisiveness of an emperor: "Send the order down! Proceed according to plan! At three-quarters past dawn, outside the Imperial Study, I will ensure that no traitor has a foothold in this palace!"
A thunderclap in the dark night is already brewing on the horizon.
The final battle will begin at dawn, with a bloody curtain rising.
Shao Sizhi immediately summoned his most trusted confidants and, at the same time, responded and gave instructions through the top-secret channels established by Li Xiaoran.
That night, between the emperor's study and Consort Ling's palace, information flowed back and forth like shooting stars in the dark night, silently yet with unparalleled precision.
Li Xiaoran kept reassuring herself that she would be alright.
The palace's powerful and meticulous network relayed Shao Sizhi's orders, mobilizing the absolutely loyal Imperial Guards and Secret Service.
Every step of the plan was meticulously planned down to the individual, and every ambush was calculated down to the millimeter.
In the shadows of the palace walls, beneath the eaves of the halls, and among the flowers and trees of the artificial hills, countless sharp eyes opened in the darkness, bowstrings were drawn silently, and blades hummed in their sheaths.
An invisible yet deadly net is quietly unfurled in the deepest darkness before dawn, waiting for the fish to fall into its trap.
If the King dares to come, we'll teach him a lesson he won't return!
Anyone who dares to harm Consort Chen shall die!
On the day of the palace coup, it was still dark, the time between 3 and 5 AM, which is when people are most tired and relaxed.
However, an unusual tension permeated the heart of the entire palace.
As planned, Yun Wang's henchmen launched their attack.
Several seemingly inconspicuous fires broke out outside the palace, accompanied by faint shouts of battle, creating chaos and attracting the attention of some of the guards.
Several key gates within the palace were quietly opened, and squads of assassins dressed in black and wielding sharp blades sneaked into the inner court like ghosts, heading straight for the imperial study where the emperor conducted his daily affairs.
Their actions were swift and their coordination seamless, clearly indicating that they had been planning this for a long time.
Prince Yun, dressed in his princely robes and covered with soft armor, appeared on the long palace path leading to the Imperial Study, surrounded by a group of elite assassins.
He was smug and his face showed barely suppressed excitement and ruthlessness.
After years of patient maneuvering and careful planning, we have finally reached this final step! As long as we work together with our inside accomplice to control Shao Sizhi, this vast empire will change hands!
He could almost see himself sitting on the dragon throne, receiving the homage of all the officials.
When he led his men into the relatively open square outside the Imperial Study, the expected inside helper did not appear.
The square was deserted and eerily silent.
Only the door to the Imperial Study was wide open, and bright lights shone from inside.
A figure slowly walked out from inside the door.
Wearing a black dragon robe, with a golden crown binding his hair, and standing tall and straight like a pine tree, he was none other than Emperor Shao Sizhi.
His face showed no panic, only an icy calm. His deep eyes, like an unyielding pool, coldly stared at the intruder.
“King Yun,” Shao Sizhi’s voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the entire square, each word like an ice bead falling to the ground, “How have you been?”
The smugness on Yun Wang's face froze instantly, like a mask that had been frozen in place.
His gaze swept rapidly across the surroundings—the corridors flanking the imperial study and the high palace walls were now filled with a formidable array of archers, their cold arrowheads gleaming deadly in the dim morning light. Countless imperial guards in iron armor poured out from every corner, swords drawn, completely surrounding their mere hundred or so men, leaving them no escape!
They've fallen for the trap! The plan has been completely exposed!
Damn Qi Nian'an, how did she manage to leak this news if she wasn't being held hostage?!
King Yun instantly understood, and a chilling despair mixed with overwhelming rage surged to his head.
He turned his head sharply, his gaze like a poisoned arrow, locking onto the edge of the crowd—where Qi Nian'an had appeared at some point, being held hostage by several reliable guards.
Her face was somewhat pale, but her eyes were unusually calm, even carrying a hint of mockery, as she met his gaze.
It was her! That bitch must have betrayed him!
"Qi, Nian, An!" King Yun spat out these three words through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with an extreme, insane killing intent.
Now that things have come to this, there is no hope of escape. The evidence for treason is irrefutable; only death awaits him.
Even if he dies, he will take someone down with him, dragging the woman who ruined his life's plans down to hell with him!
Qi Nian'an sneered and finally unleashed his hidden skills in an instant. In a short while, all the guards fell to the ground, groaning.
She flicked her wrist and swaggered past the rebels.
A bunch of amateur troupes.
Qi Nian'an complained in this way.
King Yun watched all of this unfold. He was extremely skilled in martial arts, but now that he had no hope of survival, he unleashed his full ferocity.
His figure sprang up like a ghost, so fast that he left only a blur. In the blink of an eye, before the surrounding guards could fully react, he made a clear target, like an eagle spotting its prey, and pounced on Li Xiaoran, who was closest to him and had just broken out of the protective circle!
"Watch out!" Exclamations arose from all sides.
But Cloud King's speed was too fast!
Qi Nian'an felt a blur before her eyes, and a sharp gust of wind rushed towards her. Before she could even make any protective movements, a dagger that gleamed with a dark blue light and was clearly coated with poison was pressed against her best friend's snow-white neck like a venomous snake.
The sharp blade tip pierced the skin instantly, and a thin line of bright red blood snaked down, a shocking sight.
Time stood still at that moment.
Li Xiaoran looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes, a hint of helplessness in her expression.
Fresh blood.
"Get out of my way! Otherwise, I will die with Consort Ling!" King Yun gripped Li Xiaoran's shoulder tightly with one hand, while holding a dagger to her throat with the other, roaring fiercely with a ferocious expression.
This was his last and only bargaining chip, which might give him a glimmer of hope!
Everything happened too fast, from Yun Wang's outburst to Li Xiaoran being taken hostage, it was all over in the blink of an eye.
The guards hesitated to fire, the archers held their bows but did not release their arrows, and everyone froze, their eyes fixed on their emperor.
Shao Sizhi's face was ashen, and he exuded a terrifyingly low pressure. However, he dared not make any rash moves. The Prince of Yun was a desperate man, and any provocation could make him kill immediately.
The bloodstains on Li Xiaoran's neck stung Qi Nian'an's eyes.
She looked at her best friend's eyes, slightly widened by suffocation and fear, and at the poisoned dagger pressed against the artery. Her mind went blank.
She could almost foresee the next second: Yun Wang would tighten his grip on her wrist, blood would spurt out, and Li Xiaoran would perish tragically...
Her dearest friend, who shared her laughter and sorrow, and offered her the most warmth and support in this deep palace, was about to appear before her eyes...
"No!!!" A heart-wrenching scream almost burst from her throat.
In that critical moment, when everything seemed to freeze, Qi Nian'an's ultimate trump card, deep within her consciousness, was completely activated by this extreme fear and despair—it was the power to reverse cause and effect, a miracle not belonging to this world, imprinted deep within her soul after traversing the torrent of time: reloading her save!
There was no earth-shattering momentum, no dazzling spectacle.
In that instant, before anyone, including Qi Nian'an herself, could fully comprehend it, the surrounding scenery began to ripple, distort, and rewind silently, like water rippled by a stone thrown in…
At this moment, the river of time was forcibly pushed back a little by an invisible force!
Everyone experienced a very brief moment of disorientation, as if they were having a dream that vanished in the blink of an eye.
The ripples of time and space have subsided, the scene remains the same, but some things have quietly changed.
You have successfully loaded the save file.
Time rewinds to the instant before King Yun launched his attack!
He had just shaken off the guard beside him, his body about to move, the poisoned dagger not yet fully raised!
This time, Qi Nian'an did not hesitate for a moment!
"Xiao Ran, step back!" She shouted with all her might, her voice slightly distorted by extreme tension.
The shout was like a thunderclap, exploding in the stagnant air!
Almost simultaneously, as if telepathically connected, the commander of the guards suddenly reached out and pulled Li Xiaoran, who was standing slightly in front, backward violently, and then slammed forward!
"Ugh!" King Yun groaned, feeling his entire arm instantly go numb and throbbing with pain, as if struck by lightning, and his fingers involuntarily loosened.
"Clang!" The poisoned dagger fell to the ground with a crisp, chilling sound.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that it was dazzling.
Before King Yun could even fully process what had happened, his determined attempt to kidnap him had already failed.
Before the ferocious expression on his face could fade, countless cold swords were thrust forward and held to his neck. The heavy force pressed down on his shoulders, forcing him to slam his knees hard onto the cold bluestone ground with a "thud," rendering him unable to move.
The square was deathly silent, save for heavy breathing and the faint sounds of swords rubbing against armor.
Qi Nian'an's legs went weak, and she almost couldn't stand up, but was supported by the palace maid beside her in time.
Looking at the Cloud King who was firmly restrained, and at Li Xiaoran who was still in shock and being protected by the guards, the tension in her heart finally eased. A huge sense of exhaustion and relief at surviving the ordeal overwhelmed her like a tide.
It was a success.
With this extraordinary means, they rewrote the inevitable tragedy.
When Big and her best friend are both transported to a tragic palace drama, the tragedy is far from over!
The blood-red dawn has finally passed.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, scattering across the blood-stained square, heralding the arrival of a new era. It also illuminated the depths of Qi Nian'an's eyes, revealing the secrets and power belonging to a time traveler that no one could fathom.
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