“Does Liu’er still hold a grudge for what happened last time? When you are as old as I am, you will understand.”
The Empress Dowager sighed and stood up. She didn’t want to say more. She would let the children handle their own affairs. She was old now and couldn’t afford any more fuss.
“Mother, you should go back and rest.”
“Alright.
Liu’er escorts Mother, goodbye,” Liu Liu watched the Empress Dowager’s receding back. It was entirely the back of an elder, especially her last sentence, filled with so much helplessness. She was silent and dejected.
Outside the grand hall, the eunuchs’ voices rang out: “We await the arrival of the Empress Dowager.”
Liu Liu casually sat down on the couch. Cui’er walked over and served tea. Seeing that her master looked tired, she spoke softly, “Master, let me help you carry some of the burden.”
“Alright,” Liu Liu nodded. Since her inner energy was sealed, she felt unusually tired. Did people without martial arts experience feel like this? No wonder Cui’er used to complain about being tired after walking only a short distance with her.
She used to find it inexplicable, but now she realized the vast difference.
Thinking of her current situation, she couldn’t help but resent Feng Xie. She couldn’t understand why he insisted on keeping her in the palace. With his celestial demeanor, what kind of woman couldn’t he have?
She remembered that when she first entered the palace, he had been desperate to throw her out. What was the meaning of these small gestures now?
Liu Liu’s face flickered with changing emotions. Cui’er was skillfully massaging her shoulders with just the right pressure. It was truly comfortable. Just then, a high-pitched voice sounded from outside the hall.
“The Emperor has arrived.”
Liu Liu opened her eyes, filled with resentment. It was true that what you think about often comes to you. As of now, she did not want to see this man at all. He had captured her aunt and refused to release her, and he had sealed her inner energy.
Lost in thought, the person with a handsome and ethereal appearance had already flashed into the grand hall, exuding nobility and dominance. His face was handsome and alluring.
His eyebrows were lightly raised, his dark eyes gleamed, carrying waves of intense, radiant light. A gentle smile played on his lips, showing no regard for Liu Liu’s attitude.
“Liu’er, come, I will take you somewhere!”
As he spoke, he reached out to pull Liu Liu. Liu Liu struggled but couldn’t move. Her slender, fair hand was still firmly held in his. She glared at him unhappily, “Your Majesty, where are you taking Liu’er?”
“To prison, don’t you want to see your master?” Feng Xie’s voice was filled with laughter. Liu Liu’s eyes widened upon hearing this, her charming eyes shimmering like clear lake water, rippling with ripples. Forgetting to struggle, she happily said, “Really? Then let’s go.”
“Good,” Feng Xie pulled her along, and the two of them flashed out of the grand hall of Weiyang Palace. Cui’er, Cai Bian, and the others watched the situation unfold, momentarily unable to react.
The Emperor and the Empress seemed to be truly different now. Did this mean they could follow their master with peace of mind? The few of them quickly rushed out, following their master from a distance.
Master Ming Hui and the other assassins were imprisoned in the imperial prison in the harem, very close to Liu Liu’s Weiyang Palace, but she didn’t know it. Moreover, Feng Xie hadn’t sent them directly to the Ministry of Justice. If they had been sent to the Ministry of Justice’s prison, they wouldn’t have been released so easily.
After all, he had to give an explanation to the world. Otherwise, what would be the point of laws and punishments? Feng Xie’s original intention was to let these people assassinate him so that he could lure Liu Liu out.
This was because he had sent Ri Ying to investigate and discovered that the old nun in the nunnery was Liu Liu’s master. And this woman was also the one who had assassinated him in the past. Since she had assassinated him,
she might assassinate him again. When the Empress was in the palace, she had some reservations. Now that Liu Liu had left the palace, it was the best opportunity for them to assassinate him, so he had been waiting.
Just as he was about to give up, they actually came. However, he had a selfish motive: to imprison them in the harem’s prison, otherwise Liu’er would surely hate him when she returned.
The harem had its own private prison, used to detain errant palace maids, eunuchs, and even concubines. However, because the Emperor had few concubines, this prison was mostly used to detain palace maids and eunuchs.
It usually didn’t have much use, but this time it was used to detain a group of assassins.
The prison, at best, was a dilapidated house, similar to a woodshed in an ordinary household. It was furnished with some torture instruments, dark and damp. Because no one had been held there for a long time, there was a musty smell, and dust covered the ground.
Liu Liu followed Feng Xie’s back and walked all the way in. Soon, she saw her master imprisoned in the innermost cell.
The other young nuns were all imprisoned in the cells outside. When they saw Feng Xie and Liu Liu appear, they said nothing, looking at them as if they no longer had the strength to hate.
Upon seeing her master, Liu Liu quickly broke free from Feng Xie’s hand and rushed to the cell door, shouting loudly, “Master, Master?”
Master Ming Hui’s voice trembled upon hearing this sound. She immediately turned around and saw Liu Liu, dressed in simple clothes, standing before the prison door. The Emperor whom she had tried to assassinate was also standing outside. She couldn’t help but speak angrily.
“Liu’er, why are you here? He’s threatening you again, isn’t he? Don’t worry about me, hurry and leave here, hurry and get out of the palace.”
Liu Liu turned and shouted at the eunuch standing behind the guard: “Open the prison door.”
The young eunuch looked up at the Emperor with fear and, receiving the Emperor’s signal, quickly walked over and opened the prison door. Liu Liu rushed in. Her master weakly stood up, took Liu Liu’s hand, and examined her from head to toe, asking in shock.
“Liu’er, what’s wrong with you?” After speaking, she pressed Liu Liu’s arm and realized that all of Liu Liu’s inner energy was gone. Her face turned pale, and she staggered uncontrollably. Could it be that she had implicated Liu’er?
“Where is your inner energy? Was it crippled by this dog emperor?” Master Ming Hui, as Ming Hui Shita, actually cursed the Emperor in front of Feng Xie. Liu Liu, fearing Feng Xie would fly into a rage, quickly pulled her master’s hand, “Master,
your expression is not right, what exactly is wrong?”
“It’s all his fault. He crippled all of our martial arts. If he wants to kill us, let him kill us. Why go through so much trouble, and then humiliate us before we die?” Master Ming Hui said hatefully.
Upon hearing her words, Liu Liu knew that Feng Xie had accepted her proposal, crippled everyone’s martial arts, and let them go. She turned and scanned the surroundings, a grateful gleam in her eyes. It was not easy for him to release her master and the others. After all, they were assassins who had attempted to assassinate the Emperor. If it weren’t for Feng Xie showing favor to her, he would never have let these people go.
“Master, don’t think too much. You should go out. Don’t think about revenge anymore. Live a peaceful life.”
Upon hearing Liu Liu’s words, Master Ming Hui’s expression froze. She looked at Liu Liu, what did Liu’er mean? Did this dog emperor let go of people who had tried to kill him twice?
Or was he harboring malicious intentions, crippling their martial arts first and then pretending to be kind in front of Liu’er, only to find a way to secretly execute them later? Master Ming Hui’s expression was gloomy and uncertain, but she couldn’t say it in front of Liu Liu.
“Liu’er, Master won’t go out. I won’t go out.”
Liu Liu didn’t expect her master to refuse to go out. How could this be? Even if her master didn’t want to go out, what about these nuns?
Did her master want to watch them remain in prison? Liu Liu’s expression darkened.
She didn’t know what to say to such a stubborn master. She looked up at Feng Xie behind her. Feng Xie’s sharply defined face had a brilliant glow. He lightly clapped twice towards the outside, and a figure suddenly appeared at the prison entrance.
Because he was standing in the shadows, everyone couldn’t see him clearly. It wasn’t until he walked out that Liu Liu could see him clearly. It was the person who had tried to intercept the execution. Master Ming Zheng Hui was stunned when she saw this man. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at the tall and extraordinary man.
He was still as handsome as before, but she had aged. Twenty years of hatred had almost reduced her to a person filled with vicissitudes.