Chapter 5
Upon hearing this, Qi Nian'an rolled her eyes at Shao Sizhi and said, "You should feel honored to have won my heart!"
These words caused an uproar.
Throughout history, no concubine has ever dared to speak to the emperor in such a manner.
To everyone's surprise, Shao Sizhi was not annoyed at all upon hearing this. His eyes deepened as he looked up at her expression and chuckled softly.
"Consort An, you're drunk."
By this point in the installation, the CPU was almost overheating. My brain had never been used like this before, and I was feeling a bit dizzy for a moment.
But Shao Sizhi was a cunning and calculating ruler who refused to trust others easily. Why was he being so lenient with him? Could it be that he had really taken a liking to him?
Qi Nian'an slapped away the hands that were about to put on her neck with a bit of irritation.
Now that the game has been brought to the open, Consort Yi dares to ignore Consort Ling, because the Li family behind Consort Ling and the Gao family behind Consort Yi are essentially in cahoots.
She must have been alarmed by the fact that mud had been thrown into her own palace and she was unharmed, which is why she was so eager to take precautions.
Just then, Consort Qi's secret meeting with the guards was exposed. With such a huge handle on her, and the Wu family being at a low point, the combination of kindness and coercion easily caused a huge loophole in the palace security. Consort Yi used the pretext of folk skills to send in a bunch of assassins.
But where did the Prince of Yun get the information to sneak in and send his men into the palace to assassinate her? Although he asked her to cooperate, she didn't do any work.
There is another possibility.
Consort Yi was also one of Prince Yun's people.
The two cooperated in this matter, so that when the truth came out, it would be obvious that Consort Yi wanted to kill her. Whether it was a hidden arrow, an assassin, or an explosion, Consort Yi and the Wu family would take the blame, and Prince Yun would be able to rest easy and not be implicated.
What are you thinking about?
Shao Sizhi pinched her chin with his fingertips, turning her back to his face, a faint smile on his lips: "Just now you were so assertive in challenging me, why are you so quiet now?"
Suddenly, a few rays of sunlight pierced through the dense web of knowledge. On the intricate web, it was as if an enormous spider with fangs had been spun around, slowly climbing to the point where Consort Ling was weaving, its venom imprinted on the side of her dearest friend.
She stared intently at the mockery and disdain in Shao Sizhi's eyes, her heart clenching with pain and confusion.
"Fireworks are set off, and explosives are buried deep underground. Once detonated, you may be able to rest easy, but will it cause widespread death and destruction, shock the government and the people, and bloodshed throughout the country? Is that what you want?"
Qi Nian'an involuntarily reached out and grabbed his collar. The soft, wrinkled fabric was buried in her palm, still warm, but no longer as tender as before. Only a heartless scheme of self-interest remained, with cold calculations and illusions behind it.
"Consort Ling, you also want to eliminate all traces of this weed, yet you hypocritically tell me you're unique! You!"
Upon hearing this, Shao Sizhi raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly burst out laughing.
"I underestimated you before."
He withdrew his smile, replaced it with a condescending scrutiny, looking her up and down. His gaze was particularly unsettling, like a sharp blade piercing her heart, causing a dull ache.
She shook her head in frustration, ripped off the peony from her chest, and threw it onto Shao Sizhi's robe.
Shao Sizhi followed her with amusement, remaining silent as he scanned her again and again.
Below the high platform, countless pairs of suspicious, calculating, envious, and indifferent eyes were all fixed on the absurd yet somewhat eerie scene in the center of the hall.
Suddenly, an arrow pierced the air and shot straight at Qi Nian'an's brow.
Screams echoed throughout the palace.
In the chaos, Qi Nian'an had no time to react; her pupils dilated suddenly, and she fell backward—
With a swift movement, Shao Sizhi pulled her into his arms, the fragrant scent of spices enveloping her tightly, his firm tenderness shielding her from the bloodshed and violence outside.
Why didn't this person abandon her and go it alone?
How could she then feel at ease leaving him to be caught in the crossfire?
She glanced up at Shao Sizhi, who looked quite smug, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the overwhelming assassination attempts offended the imperial authority. His brows were full of admiration for his earlier success in dodging arrows and saving the beauty.
"What a beautiful scene of lovers in love, it makes me envious."
Consort Yi raised her hand to order someone to deal with the assassin who had been shot dead in an instant. With her skirt swaying gently, she stepped forward and bowed gracefully. Her eyebrows and eyes were elegant and refined, her hair was straight and slightly raised, and she was clearly the head of the noble ladies, with a dignified demeanor.
“Consort Ke’an, I will give you the truth out of consideration for your youth.”
"Your Majesty is a man of auspicious destiny, a pillar of the nation. You must not allow yourself to be tainted by the ominous calamity previously detected by the Astronomical Bureau, or the people will not forgive you."
As they were talking, Consort Ling stepped forward with a smile and chimed in, "Yes, Consort An, look at you, you attracted the murderer and assassin by getting close to His Majesty. Luckily, His Majesty is the true Son of Heaven."
The two of them, working together, managed to shift the blame onto her.
She could understand Consort Yi's motives; even a ghost would know that the conspiracy had been exposed. But why was Consort Ling getting involved?
Shao Sizhi pretended to cling tightly to her waist, but Qi Nian'an pulled away with obvious disgust, ignoring Consort Ling and turning to smile at Noble Consort Yi.
"What are you saying? As a villain and spy, you've been exposed like a sieve, you know that? Instead of wasting time stirring up trouble here, you should hurry up and send your family to the palace with a good coffin."
She looked quite serious, and her voice wasn't quiet either.
Those around him gasped, their furtive glances drifting towards Shao Sizhi. Seeing him standing tall with no intention of punishing him, they were surprised but also understood most of what was going on.
Upon hearing this, Consort Ling pointed sharply and said, "How dare you! How dare you, a mere concubine, presume to associate with the Imperial Concubine? Kneel down and apologize!"
"Whether what I said is true or false, Your Highness knows perfectly well. The assassins are already sitting on the wall eating melon seeds. Do you dare to open your eyes and take a look?"
She retorted loudly, showing no intention of bending her knees.
With assassins deployed both horizontally and vertically, and communicating only on a single line, Consort Yi has no way out. An assassination attempt is bound to happen tonight, so why not take this opportunity to bring Consort Yi down from her position?
If you're going to make a scene, make it big! Everyone gets a share of the blame, and nobody can escape.
"His Majesty!"
Suddenly, Consort Qi stood up from her seat, lifted her skirt, and staggered to her knees in the center of the hall.
"They are all your subjects, they are all your subjects!"
Having said that, she picked up the wine vessel filled with liquid and threw it hard to the ground, her nails adorned with red nail polish.
The loud crash was particularly clear in the otherwise empty hall where you could hear a pin drop.
Shao Sizhi's pupils suddenly dilated, and an arrow pierced the air, grazing his cheek and drawing out a few streaks of bright red blood.
"Protect the Emperor—"
The chief eunuch's loud, panicked shouts instantly ignited the already tense situation.
The crowd inside the hall, who were already itching to escape, scattered and fled in all directions. Shao Sizhi, with a stern face, shouted: "If you don't want your entire family to be exterminated, then sit back down in peace."
After he finished speaking, the crowd fell silent for a moment.
"Liu Zhao, lead your men to open the secret door of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and lead everyone there."
"I want to see who has the audacity to ruin my grand ceremony."
The emperor's majestic voice struck the crowd, and for a moment no one dared to disobey him. They all shrank back and scurried to the back of the hall.
The dense crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only a thin patch of bright yellow on the dragon throne.
Shao Sizhi rubbed his temples and leaned against the dragon head that Jin Tong was perched on, resting his chin on his hand as the guards inside the hall surrounded him tightly.
He sighed and slowly opened his eyes, but amidst the cold-glowing armor, he caught a glimpse of a pale blue, soft skirt and paused in surprise.
How could it be her?
Qi Nian stood still, looking at Shao Sizhi staring at her, tilting her head in utter confusion.
No, what kind of assassination attempt would be so kind as to give people time to evacuate?
She couldn't help but walk slowly forward. Just as she reached the outer edge of the encirclement, she heard a cold shout: "Didn't you hear what I said?"
Shao Sizhi frowned, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes, before resuming his indifferent cold expression and staring sternly at her.
"Or is it Consort An? Do you really think you're special?"
Qi Nian'an pouted, said nothing, and stubbornly kept walking forward.
The next second, a familiar sword flashed in the guard's hand. It was that same guy who had said her "accomplice was really ruthless" again, professionally dodging her and stabbing at Shao Sizhi.
She shoved the assassin aside, reached out and grabbed Shao Sizhi, pulling him out of the dense circle. She gripped his strong waist with all her might; it was a bit heavy to pull, but it was manageable.
A hint of surprise flashed in Shao Sizhi's eyes, and his pupils widened slightly.
Qi Nian'an looked up at him, her eyes filled with a carefree smile.
The assassins who had killed him countless times before swarmed forward. His movements, ingrained in his memory, unconsciously became muscle memory, dancing to the rhythm of his feet—familiar yet strangely funny.
She simply launched into a rumba, her slender wrists encircling Shao Sizhi to avoid him, her hair brushing against the man's neck and shoulders, glistening with sweat, shattering the tense atmosphere in the hall.
Shao Sizhi looked back at her, his expression unreadable, his face still bearing the scar from the arrow.
He'd probably be curious about her, since the guards around her were fighting the assassins, making her look like a backup dancer.
The bluestone bricks and tiles may seem a bit obscure, but when danced upon, they become undeniably romantic.
Qi Nian'an pulled her along, jumping happily, unable to suppress the corners of her mouth that wanted to turn up. She slowly moved her hand, which was tightly wrapped around Shao Sizhi's robe, up. The delicate texture of the Shu brocade brought a silky smooth feeling. She gently pushed his chest back, then bent her waist and pulled him back into Shao Sizhi's arms. The two were pressed against each other at the waist, and the tip of the sword just happened to pierce a lock of Qi Nian'an's hair that she had intentionally left uncombed.
He spun around and dodged several more precise arrows.
I jumped, and the assassin missed, no longer giving me a thumbs up.
I closed my eyes, pretending not to see Shao Sizhi's murderous gaze.
The last arrow grazed the corners of their sleeves, piercing the night sky, and then, with the resounding clang of the guard kneeling and reporting that the assassins had been completely wiped out, it embedded itself deeply into the floor tiles.
The chaos is finally over.
Shao Sizhi slowly released his arms from around Qi Nian'an's waist, looking at the person in his arms covered in sweat, staring intently at something, his heart pounding and his breathing rising and falling noticeably.
Unconsciously, Shao Sizhi placed his hand on her face, his own heartbeat seemingly leaping in his ears, a crack of uncontrollable anxiety slowly creeping into his heart.
Is she crazy?
What was that novel dance? He had never seen anyone else dance it before, yet they danced it so smoothly, as if they were destined to be together.
Qi Nian'an looked back at Shao Sizhi with some dissatisfaction.
He slowly pressed against his temple, rubbing the veins, seemingly oblivious to her excellent timing, perfect dodge, and the deliberate near-miss interaction.
What does this guy mean?!
"Consort Ling is a good person, please don't kill her."
A plaintive voice rose from his chest, gradually pulling him back to his senses. He looked down and met those resentful, round eyes.
Qi Nian'an buried her head back in his chest, and when he looked down, he could see the girl's heaving chest.
A sense of loss of control slowly crept into his heart, but he forcefully suppressed it and then grabbed her wrist.
Qi Nian looked up in bewilderment. The previous tenderness had vanished, and her eyes had returned to their annoying contempt and suspicion.
"Who said I wanted to kill her?"
"Since you are so intelligent, go back and think carefully about how to keep your head from being accused of treason."
Shao Sizhi became even more ruthless as he spoke of this, shoving her aside and leaving.
Qi Nian'an stumbled and lost her balance, falling to the ground and staring blankly at that retreating figure, tears welling in her eyes.
“Consort An acted arrogantly and rebelliously, and dared to interfere in court affairs by presuming to know the Emperor’s will. She should have been sent to the Cold Palace as a warning to others. However, considering her merits in protecting the Emperor, her merits and demerits are offset. She is hereby placed under house arrest at the residence of Consort Ling and is not allowed to leave without imperial decree.”
Shao Sizhi touched the still-damp bloodstains on his cheek with his fingertips, then turned his head slightly to give a cold look back at the person sitting on the ground.
The sound was like ice shards.
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