"The Ministry of Punishment was burned down? That person has quite the audacity! Who could it be?" Mo Chou was the first to speak, her voice filled with alarm.
Mu Qingyao's expression turned grim, her brows furrowed. Without a doubt, the one who had abducted the King of Beijin was Chu Qianyi. But why had he chosen to abduct the King of Beijin instead of saving the Chu family? Mu Qingyao had not informed the Emperor about the strong possibility of Chu Qianyi colluding with another country. She believed that someone as shrewd as him would already be aware of it. A self-deprecating smile touched Mu Qingyao's lips.
She would wait and see, trusting that he would handle the situation appropriately.
"The Prime Minister's eldest son," the simple, direct words caused the three subordinates beside her to stare in disbelief. A single thought flashed through their minds simultaneously: why hadn't the eldest son of the Chu family saved his own kin, yet led a large group to rescue the King of Beijin? What logic was there to this? Their gazes all converged on their mistress. xxs
Mu Qingyao pondered, then finally spoke.
"The eldest son of the Chu family rescued the King of Beijin first because the King of Beijin is scheduled to be executed tomorrow. He did this because the King of Beijin still holds value for him. As for the Chu family, if he still possesses any sense of righteousness, he will surely find another way to save them. Furthermore, it wouldn't be easy to rescue so many people."
The three listened to their mistress's analysis, their minds reeling. The affairs of the court were truly unpredictable. One moment was like this, and the next, who knew what would happen? Fortunately, their mistress had decided to leave this place...
After late autumn came the biting cold of winter.
The north wind howled, withered branches swayed, rustling as they swept up fallen leaves in a few circles before spiraling down.
The sky was overcast, casting a pall over the entire sleeping chambers.
Mu Qingyao, holding a warm stove, stood by the window, gazing out into the stillness. A cold wind blew in through the open window, chilling her to the bone. The sleeping chambers were utterly frigid.
"Mistress, close it. It's too cold," Mo Chou exclaimed as she tidied up.
Mu Qingyao sighed softly. Winter had finally arrived. In the darkness, the north wind swept by, and it began to snow. The white snow, like white plum blossoms in the wind, danced and swirled before falling to the ground, only to be stirred up and fall again. Everywhere was desolate. She reached out and closed the window.
"It's snowing outside."
"Yes. It's hard to believe we've been in the palace for almost four months. The weather has turned cold. Mistress, you must wear more clothes tomorrow morning. Appreciating the plum blossoms after snow is truly delightful. There are several plum trees behind the Fengluan Palace, and two days ago, this servant already saw them budding. After a night of north wind, those cold plum blossoms must be in full bloom."
"Alright, we'll go admire the plum blossoms tomorrow," Mu Qingyao agreed, nodding. She walked to the large bed, and Mei Xin stepped forward to remove the white cloak from her shoulders.
Just then, a gust of icy wind carrying snowflakes blew in. The window was suddenly flung open, and several swift figures darted in.
Mu Qingyao retreated, quickly pulling Mei Xin aside. Mo Chou's body shot upwards, and the soft sword at her waist appeared in an instant, meeting the invading figures head-on. With a flick of her sword, several sharp and powerful sword flowers shot forward.
Mei Xin's face turned pale with fright, and she couldn't help but cry out, "Guards! There are assassins! Assassins!"
Mo You, who was waiting outside the sleeping chambers, rushed in upon hearing the cry. He tossed his silver crescent shovel, sending out a powerful wave of light that struck one of the men. This man was handsome and slender, with a tall, straight build. It was...
"The King of Beijin?"
Mu Qingyao spoke in a cold, deep voice. In the chamber, only the dull clang of clashing weapons could be heard, accompanied by the occasional spark.
The leading man was indeed the King of Beijin. A chilling, murderous aura surrounded him. Without a word, he waved his palm, unleashing a fierce gust of wind that targeted Mu Qingyao's vital points.
Mu Qingyao gasped, not daring to delay. She leaped aside swiftly. The palm wind missed its mark. Mo Chou and Mo You were intercepted by the other men. Fighting as they tried to break through, they were hampered by the agility and formidable martial arts of their opponents, unable to break free.
The King of Beijin, his palm strike having missed, watched Mu Qingyao leap away. His expression grew colder. Without hesitation, his jade-colored robes swept through the air with powerful, imposing force as he lunged towards Mu Qingyao. The two engaged in a fierce battle in an instant.
Though frightened, Mei Xin was not foolish. Seeing her mistress in combat, she calmed down slightly, slowly retreated, and then ran out. Once outside the sleeping chambers, she sprinted all the way, shouting.
"Guards! There are assassins! Guards! There are assassins!"
This shout put everyone in the sleeping chambers on high alert. Each person exerted their full strength, prioritizing offense.
The King of Beijin's martial arts style was extremely potent. Every palm strike was accompanied by sharp, piercing energy. Mu Qingyao dared not confront him directly, opting only to evade. After several exchanges, she was already panting.
At this moment, a figure flashed in from outside the sleeping chambers and directly joined Mu Qingyao's side. The two attacked the King of Beijin together. Mu Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief and followed her gaze to the person attacking opposite her. It was Ximen Xinyue. Her eyes flickered with confusion. What did this woman mean? She had hit her last time, and now she was coming to her aid.
Mu Qingyao faltered for a moment, and a palm strike aimed directly at her. Ximen Xinyue swiftly extended her long sword, deflecting the palm strike and simultaneously letting out a cry of alarm.
"Empress, be careful!"
Mu Qingyao snapped back to attention. At this moment, it was more important to focus all her efforts on dealing with the King of Beijin before her. As for Ximen Xinyue, she would consider her matters later.
"Good," she responded, then leaped forward swiftly. The two women focused their full might on the King of Beijin.
Who would have thought that the King of Beijin's martial arts were so unfathomably profound? The two women fighting him were no match, slowly falling into a disadvantageous position.
Both were struggling, their footsteps becoming sluggish. The King of Beijin dared not be careless, his palm strikes becoming even more ferocious. One palm fell, and another rolled upwards.
Powerful internal energy condensed into domineering palm winds, flying in waves.
His primary target remained Mu Qingyao, so most of his energy was directed at her, and he was relatively more relaxed towards Ximen Xinyue.
After fighting for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Mo Chou and Mo You were fighting five or six other individuals and did not appear to be struggling, but they also couldn't break free. The two women fighting the King of Beijin alone were already at a disadvantage and were about to be defeated.
Footsteps sounded from outside the sleeping chambers. The King of Beijin panicked, swatting Ximen Xinyue's sword energy away with a backhanded palm strike and then launching a double palm strike at Mu Qingyao.
Mu Qingyao sidestepped, and the palm energy transformed into a massive surge of internal force, emitting a deafening roar. The ancient mirror and jade platform in the sleeping chambers were blown to pieces. Both palm strikes missed. Undeterred, he attacked again.
At this moment, Ximen Xinyue, having recovered, suddenly lunged forward, knocking Mu Qingyao aside and taking the King of Beijin's palm strike herself. Her body was sent flying with immense force, like a broken doll, slowly descending from mid-air.