Yu Linglong was gone.
Jian Wuying looked at Chu Qianli, her clothes disheveled and her body covered in blood.
After Yu Linglong left, the gushing blood gradually slowed.
Perhaps, after death, blood flowed more slowly.
Jian Wuying was an assassin, and he had killed many people, but he had never witnessed someone bleed to death with his own eyes.
Today, he didn't know why he was still guarding Chu Qianli's corpse.
To throw her out to the wolves…
Finally, Jian Wuying stood up, leaning against the stone wall.
The wound in his abdomen was no longer bleeding profusely, but a small amount of blood was still seeping out.
This wound was stranger than any he had sustained before.
Was it retribution?
He never believed in retribution before, but now he was beginning to believe.
"Perhaps, it's heaven punishing me."
Jian Wuying chuckled coldly and was about to pick up Chu Qianli's corpse.
He didn't intend to throw her to the wolves.
Regardless, this little girl was a remarkable person.
He planned to carry her out and bury her in a quiet place.
But as soon as he picked up Chu Qianli's corpse, he distinctly felt her move slightly?
Jian Wuying was quite brave and never believed in the saying of reanimation.
He immediately placed Chu Qianli back on the ground and placed his long fingers on her nose.
The breath that had disappeared moments ago was now intermittent, returning.
His eyes lit up with a sense of joy, as if he had found something lost.
"Little thing, it seems your fate is not yet sealed! But whether you can truly survive depends on yourself!"
Gritting his teeth and enduring the severe pain in his abdomen, he scooped her up and quickly walked out of the cave.
…
That night, Long Ziyue held the imperial decree, feeling uneasy.
Tomorrow morning, this imperial decree would surely cause a huge stir in the court.
In all her years, she had never faced such a great challenge.
To stabilize a newly conquered empire, and she was merely a prince, how could it be easy?
If only her mother were here, how good would that be?
Long Ziyue tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. After tossing for a long time, she finally got up.
She wanted to find Fulong; perhaps Fulong could give her some advice.
At least, tomorrow in court, she wouldn't feel so isolated and helpless.
Long Ziyue changed her clothes and immediately went out.
Fulong lived next door to the Emperor's sleeping quarters. Because the Empress had just ascended the throne, many matters had not yet been handled.
The palace was still somewhat chaotic.
Everyone's living arrangements were also haphazard, and even Long Ziyue was still in the imperial palace, yet to return to her princely mansion.
The more it was like this, the more Long Ziyue understood that the responsibility that fell upon her shoulders would be even greater with A'li's departure at this time.
In this imperial palace, besides A'li, Fulong was the person she trusted the most.
However, Long Ziyue did not expect that before she reached Fulong's courtyard, she saw a figure walking into the sleeping quarters not far away.
"A'li?"
Long Ziyue suspected she was mistaken.
But this face…
"A'li."
Long Ziyue immediately chased after her.
Yu Linglong paused. The call from behind startled the maids in the sleeping quarters.
The maids and guards rushed out. Upon seeing Yu Linglong, they immediately knelt and saluted, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Strangely, why had His Majesty returned from outside at this hour?
Long Ziyue also caught up. Seeing clearly that it was indeed Chu Qianli, she was stunned, "A'li? You… you weren't…"
Yu Linglong glared at her.
Her gaze was incredibly cold, which scared Long Ziyue into quickly closing her mouth and daring not to speak.
That's right, no matter why A'li returned at this time, the fact that she had left the imperial palace could not be known to anyone.
Long Ziyue lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty, this subject has something to report."
Yu Linglong thought for a moment before saying, "Come with me… come with Us inside."
They entered the sleeping chambers.
As soon as the door closed, Long Ziyue, full of curiosity, quickly walked towards Yu Linglong, "A'li, how…"
"Presumptuous!" Yu Linglong's expression darkened, and she said displeasantly, "What did you call Us?"
Long Ziyue was a little slow to react. She looked around carefully, still not understanding the situation.
Was there someone else in the room? "A… Your Majesty, you… why have you returned at this time?"
"This is my imperial palace, why can't I return?"
"But…"
Yu Linglong glanced at her and then frowned, thinking, and seemed to understand something.
She softened her voice, "There was a slight unforeseen circumstance."
Long Ziyue looked at her, still with some confusion in her eyes.
She felt that A'li in front of her was a little different from usual.
But she couldn't pinpoint exactly how she was different.
She was clearly A'li, but why did she feel… so strange?
"Why are you looking at Us… at me like this?" Yu Linglong suddenly curved her lips and smiled, "There were outsiders just now, so I had to be stern. You don't mind, do you?"
"How… how could I?" Long Ziyue gave a dry laugh.
This was A'li! The look she gave her earlier must have just been an act, right?
After all, she was now the Empress, and she couldn't be too casual in front of outsiders.
"Um, A'li, now that you're back, then… what about the imperial decree?"
Yu Linglong almost blurted out, "What imperial decree?"
However, her mind was sharp, and she could figure out many things on her own.
"My plan has changed. Take back the imperial decree first, and we'll discuss anything else tomorrow."
Long Ziyue didn't suspect anything and quickly went back to retrieve the imperial decree and handed it back with both hands.
Although A'li seemed a little different tonight, it was good that she didn't leave.
However, Chu Qianli seemed very tired. After glancing at the imperial decree, she sent Long Ziyue away.
Long Ziyue walked out of the Empress's sleeping quarters, still feeling somewhat uneasy.
She had an indescribable feeling, a strange sense of unease, but she couldn't pinpoint where the strangeness lay.
"Ziyue?" Fulong happened to be wandering by and saw the dejected Long Ziyue emerging from Chu Qianli's sleeping quarters. He was somewhat surprised.
Such a major event as A'li's departure, had she not informed Long Ziyue?
But she had clearly called Long Ziyue in before she left.
Hearing the call, Long Ziyue looked up.
Seeing Fulong's figure, she suddenly felt as if she had grasped a lifeline and quickly went over, grabbing his sleeve.
"Brother Fu, I feel… I feel something strange."
Fulong glanced in the direction of the sleeping quarters, pulled her into a corner, and lowered his voice, "Before she left, didn't she explain things clearly to you?"
From his understanding of A'li, A'li would not have left without explaining anything.
He was not from the Longteng Kingdom, and to appease the court, he had to rely on Long Ziyue.
How could she not tell Ziyue about this?
Long Ziyue shook her head, "She explained clearly, but she… she came back."
"A'li is back?" Fulong was taken aback.
But what was Long Ziyue's expression now?
Was A'li's return not a good thing?
However, what had A'li encountered that made her suddenly change her mind?
Long Ziyue suddenly grabbed his wrist, "Brother Fu, I… I have a very strange feeling about A'li… Why don't you go and see her?"