The wind blew, carrying a sweet scent, and a dark shadow darted into Weiyang Palace with swift, agile movements. The figure moved as if strolling through their own backyard, easily locating Liu Liu's sleeping quarters.
Standing beneath the chamber window, the intruder listened quietly to the sounds within. Once no noise could be heard, they gently pushed the window open and slipped inside.
On the tall, vermillion wooden bed, a beauty lay asleep, fragrant and alluring, striking a captivating pose that made the flower thief's heart race.
This figure of the night was a flower thief, one who could not only pluck flowers but also earn a handsome sum of money. The employer had assured him there would be no trouble, and he believed it.
Even though these women were the Emperor's, what could they possibly achieve deep within the imperial harem?
The flower thief grinned and reached out to touch Liu Liu. But in the very next instant, before he could even comprehend what was happening, his hands went numb.
The beauty on the bed swiftly rolled over, her hands darting out to press his acupoints. With a flick of her ankle, she kicked out rapidly.
The flower thief was sent flying straight into a pillar of the chamber, crashing against it, spitting blood, and then rebounding to the ground with a thud. He lay there, unable to move, his eyes wide with terror, his lips trembling slightly.
Who was this woman? Why was an Emperor's woman so formidable? Was this his fated end? Why hadn't he checked the almanac before leaving home? He was truly out of luck, the flower thief thought painfully.
The commotion inside the sleeping quarters alerted Hong Xiu, who was guarding outside. Hong Xiu gasped in fright, "Your Highness, what happened? Your Highness!"
Listening intently again, she found that there was no movement from within. Could something have happened to her Highness? She pressed her ear against the door, too afraid to force her way into the chambers, growing increasingly anxious.
Liu Liu paid no mind to Hong Xiu’s frantic calls outside. She walked over to the flower thief, crouched down, her gaze as cold and sharp as an ice blade, and fixed him with a chilling stare. She reached out and patted his face, then let out a cold哼.
"You call yourself a flower thief coming out like this? Speak, who sent you?"
The flower thief looked up at the woman before him in panic. Her face was no less terrifying than that of a ghost from hell.
Although beautiful, she exuded a seductive killing intent. Her mere gaze pierced his heart countless times. To save his life,
He dared not conceal anything further and quickly spoke, "Your Highness, please spare me. Someone paid me to come here. I don't know who that person is. Please spare me."
"Spare you? Since you know I am Your Highness, you still dared to intrude into the palace. That means the person paid you an astronomical sum, didn't they? Since you're willing to do anything for money, why should you fear punishment?"
As Liu Liu finished speaking, a sharp dagger appeared in her hand. The dagger was her close-quarters weapon, usually kept by her thigh. Her long weapon was a soft sword. With a flash of the dagger, the flower thief's face was disfigured. The searing pain made him cry out in terror.
Liu Liu swiftly reached out and pressed his mute acupoint, preventing him from screaming. The dagger then plunged directly towards his lower body. The man's face turned deathly pale.
Unable to cry out, he could only bite his lip fiercely, his pupils dilating in extreme agony. Finally, he let out a shuddering breath and fainted.
Liu Liu, her face grim, picked up the man and tossed him outside the sleeping quarters. She meticulously cleaned up the bloodstains inside. Disgusted by the man's blood, she cursed the man behind the scheme. "Vile creature, if I catch you, I will make you pay."
Once everything was cleaned, Liu Liu returned to her position, waiting for the next move. She was confident that the real show was about to begin.
Indeed, not long after, the Emperor Feng Xie, his face gloomy, arrived outside the sleeping quarters with a retinue of eunuchs. His cold, icy voice rang out.
"A Feng, you say there's a man in Your Highness's chambers? Who told you?"
"This servant heard a eunuch from the palace report that a man entered Your Highness's chambers. As the chief eunuch of the harem, this servant naturally had to report this to Your Majesty. I pray Your Majesty investigate," xxs1
The speaker was the chief eunuch of the harem, A Feng. He used to be under the command of the former chief eunuch, Jiang Cheng. In fact, this person had no prior connection to Empress Liu. It was unclear why he had suddenly decided to help Consort Lou De.
"You scoundrel, you dare to suspect even the Empress?" A crisp slap was heard, followed by the sound of people falling to their knees with a thud. "This servant deserves to die."
A crowd of eunuchs and palace maids knelt outside the sleeping quarters. Feng Xie turned to look at Hong Xiu, the maid standing outside the chamber door.
"What is happening? Why are you not attending to Your Highness, but standing outside the chambers?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Your Highness wished for quiet rest, so this servant waited outside the chambers,"
Hong Xiu replied. Although she knew her answer was not favorable to her Highness, she was facing the Emperor. She had no habit of lying, and more importantly, her Highness was unharmed. How could she possibly allow an outside man to get close to her?
Hong Xiu glared fiercely at the chief eunuch. This damnable dog slave, she wondered what he was up to.
Feng Xie was about to turn away. If he entered now, it would seem as if he didn't trust Liu'er. In reality, these eunuchs and palace maids did not know how skilled Liu'er was.
Forget about outside men, no one could get close to her. However, if he didn't go in, he feared Liu'er's reputation for impurity would never be cleared. Thus, he frowned and ordered Hong Xiu, "Go in."
"Yes, Your Majesty,"
Hong Xiu opened the chamber door and led the way into the sleeping quarters. Liu Liu was sitting leisurely on the large bed, watching the newcomers. A faint smile played on her lips as she looked at Feng Xie, who was leading the group.
His handsome face was calm, and his eyes were exceptionally clear and bright. As he looked at her, the corners of his lips curved into a smile, and his magnetic voice rose.
"Liu'er, are you alright?"
"I am,"
Liu Liu stated decisively, her gaze searching for the chief eunuch A Feng. But in that brief moment, the chief eunuch A Feng had disappeared.
It was evident that he had taken advantage of the crowd to leave the chambers. Why had he left?
Liu Liu's gaze darkened. That A Feng was a capable subordinate of Jiang Cheng and had always treated her well. She believed that person would not betray Jiang Cheng's trust.
Therefore, there was another possibility: this A Feng was a fake, an imposter. Who was impersonating him? Feng Luo? If it was him, it would be truly terrifying.
"Your Majesty, immediately send people to find Chief Eunuch A Feng, right away. He is very likely Prince Xiang, Feng Luo."
Liu Liu commanded in a deep voice. Feng Xie paused, recalling the A Feng from earlier, who had calmly accused Empress Niang Niang's chambers of harboring a man, as if he had seen it himself.
It was impossible for him to do such a thing. He clearly knew Liu'er was the mistress of the harem, yet he came to report that there was a man in Empress Niang Niang's chambers. This made no sense, so that A Feng must have been a fake.