Hold Out for Three Days

Huangfu Chen glanced at Weishao Qianyu, then at Lu Yanran. Both of them were acting rather strangely over what was merely a joke...

And Lu Yanran—though Weishao Qianyu had casually tried to pair them up, what was the meaning of that obvious repulsion and disgust on Lu Yanran's face?

Word had it that when Weishao Qianyu got married, Lu Yanran had practically thrown herself forward to become Feng Jinye's concubine, and later she had almost been betrothed to Yun Ming. Did her rejection just now mean she could marry Feng Jinye, and she could marry Yun Ming, but she simply could not marry him?

Was he really less handsome than Yun Ming and Feng Jinye?

Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, the sound of Huangfu Xi's footsteps echoed from outside the Changming Palace, followed by a large entourage of attendants...

Weishao Qianyu asked Huangfu Chen with her eyes what he planned to do.

"You go serve the emperor!" Huangfu Chen ordered naturally, expecting Weishao Qianyu to do the dirty work.

"I'll go your—" Weishao Qianyu almost blurted out a vulgarity. She did not want to look at Huangfu Xi's disgusting face for even a single second.

"I'll go!" Lu Yanran said as she took the powder from Huangfu Chen's hand and concealed it in her sleeve. The task of poisoning was something female assassins excelled at.

"What about those palace maids from earlier?" Weishao Qianyu asked doubtfully.

Huangfu Chen pointed toward Huangfu Xi's bedchamber. "They've fainted. They'll wake up soon enough to wait on Huangfu Xi."

"Then what are we doing here?" Weishao Qianyu suddenly felt that listening to Huangfu Chen and coming to the Changming Palace had not been the right decision.

"..." Huangfu Chen leaned close to Weishao Qianyu's ear and whispered a few words.

Weishao Qianyu's eyes widened abruptly. She stared fixedly at Huangfu Chen, who nodded with absolute certainty.

Huangfu Xi's footsteps grew closer as he stepped into the inner hall and stared fixedly at the four people standing there...

A palace maid who had followed Huangfu Xi inside reported in a low voice, "There was a fire at the Changle Palace, and the Heavenly Maiden forced her way in with these people."

"The palace maid sent to summon us said the Emperor was gravely ill, so this Princess Consort has brought the Emperor's brother to check on His Majesty," Weishao Qianyu said, still not fully recovering from the news Huangfu Chen had just given her, while clenching her fists to maintain her composure.

Huangfu Xi remained on guard against Weishao Qianyu and Huangfu Chen. Earlier today on the city walls, the two of them had remained completely silent when Weishao Qianyu's divorce from Feng Jinye and subsequent bestowal in marriage to Huangfu Chen were announced. Could they be here now to exact revenge on him?

Lu Yanran watched Huangfu Xi guard against Weishao Qianyu and Huangfu Chen, realizing it was the perfect opportunity. She bumped into Weishao Qianyu rather casually...

Weishao Qianyu, completely unprepared for Lu Yanran's move, fell backward from the impact. Flustered, Lu Yanran threw her hands out as if to catch Weishao Qianyu, while the powder hidden in the sleeve of her other hand was precisely scattered, blowing directly toward Huangfu Xi's face...

Watching Lu Yanran's performance, the corners of Weishao Qianyu's lips couldn't help but curve into a smile. Lu Yanran had sprinkled the powder, yet she had intentionally refrained from pulling Weishao Qianyu back...

Amidst Lu Yanran's mischief, Weishao Qianyu fell right into Huangfu Chen's arms...

Weishao Qianyu immediately stood straight, entirely unashamed. Lu Yanran was clearly retaliating for her earlier remark about marrying her off to Huangfu Chen.

As a wave of fragrance rushed over him, Huangfu Xi immediately knew he had been drugged. What were these people plotting, to actually drug him with an aphrodisiac?

Before Huangfu Xi could dwell on it, the palace maids around him collapsed one by one, and shortly thereafter, Huangfu Xi himself fell to the ground...

Since it was inconvenient for the hidden guards to show themselves, Huangfu Chen picked up Huangfu Xi with one hand and tossed him into the bedchamber, then grabbed the remaining maids one by one and threw them all inside as well...

Watching the triumphant, cunning smile at the corners of Huangfu Chen's lips, Weishao Qianyu wondered why she had never noticed before that Huangfu Chen was so well-suited for palace and inner-court struggles.

With everyone tossed into the bedchamber, Huangfu Chen sat down in front of a mirror and began the art of disguise...

Weishao Qianyu almost forgot that Huangfu Chen had mastered both the pupil-stealing and shadow-repairing techniques of the Xuanyuan family.

In no time at all, Huangfu Chen transformed into the likeness of the Emperor. Looking at Huangfu Xi's robes with utter disdain, he pulled one out and put it on...

"Someone come! The Heavenly Maiden has brought people here to serve the sick. Clear out the most remote and distant side hall in the Changming Palace and have these people stay there!" Huangfu Chen mimicked the Emperor's voice to absolute perfection.

With Huangfu Chen's orders given, a group of attendants led Weishao Qianyu and the others away. No one noticed that Huangfu Chen was missing, especially since they had heard only one man and one woman had entered the palace with the Heavenly Maiden today...

Just as the attendants led the three of them across the threshold, Huangfu Chen spoke up again to detain Weishao Qianyu: "The Heavenly Maiden stays."

"Someone come, prepare a bath!"

At Huangfu Chen's command, a group of attendants bearing all the necessities for bathing waited outside the gates of the Changle Palace. Huangfu Chen walked out first and said with stern authority, "Didn't the Heavenly Maiden say she came to serve the sick? Today, let the Heavenly Maiden attend to My bath!"

"Why aren't you following?"

With those words, a large, bustling crowd headed toward the bathhouse. Weishao Qianyu followed along with a reluctant expression, though her heart could not help trembling...

Arriving at the bathhouse not far from the Changming Palace, the attendants had already adjusted the water temperature and prepared all bathing supplies. Huangfu Chen spread his arms and said lazily, "Come here and undress Me."

The words were clearly meant for Weishao Qianyu.

Weishao Qianyu glared angrily at Huangfu Chen, walked over with feigned reluctance, and just as she reached out to untie Huangfu Chen's belt, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "You are supposed to treat me as Huangfu Xi."

Suddenly enlightened, Weishao Qianyu struck Huangfu Chen in the abdomen with a palm strike, sending him flying into the pool...

Huangfu Chen was not entirely unprepared; he immediately leaped up from the water and grabbed Weishao Qianyu as she turned to leave...

With a "rip," Weishao Qianyu's outer robe was torn by Huangfu Chen, and she fell backward, plunging into the bathhouse pool...

Huangfu Chen stood frozen in shock, while the surface of the water remained calm and undisturbed...

A few breaths later, with a splash, Weishao Qianyu broke through the surface of the water...

Huangfu Chen glanced at her, and with a single look, recognized that a replacement had been made. Seeing that the person emerging was Dongnuan, he instantly let out a sigh of relief, looked at Dongnuan coldly, and uttered a single word: "Boring."

Weishao Qianyu had dived to the bottom of the pool and felt along the wall where Huangfu Chen had whispered to her earlier. Sure enough, there was a protruding stone. She pressed it three times, pulled out the protruding block from the wall, and revealed a small set of stairs in the corner.

Stepping onto the small staircase, Weishao Qianyu looked down to find an underground river. No wonder Huangfu Chen had been confident enough to let her go alone. Seeing the small boat moored beside it, she figured that drifting along the current would likely lead straight to the Prince of Zhan's Manor...

Soaking wet, Weishao Qianyu shuddered involuntarily. Would leaving like this truly cause no problems?

Although Huangfu Chen's plan seemed relatively thorough, could it really deceive Xuanyuan Ran?

"I understand how to guard against Xuanyuan Ran better than you do," Weishao Qianyu recalled Huangfu Chen's words, let out a breath, pushed the small boat on the bank into the water, and jumped aboard...

The small boat drifted steadily and leisurely downstream...

Weishao Qianyu lowered her gaze in sorrow, knowing that ultimately, she was still letting Dongnuan take risks for her...

"Mistress, I am not doing this for you. I could escape alone, but you cannot, because you do not know the way."

Even though Dongnuan had tried to comfort her with a nonchalant excuse, Weishao Qianyu knew that had it not been for her, Dongnuan would never have gone. Ultimately, Dongnuan was taking this risk entirely for her.

Inside the Changci Palace, the palace maid who had escorted Weishao Qianyu to the city walls earlier entered the inner hall to report: "Grand Preceptor, the Changle Palace has caught fire."

"Where is she?" Xuanyuan Ran asked indifferently. It was just a palace; if it burned, let it burn.

"They are all in the Changming Palace," the maid reported.

Xuanyuan Ran nodded. The Changming Palace was under defenses she had personally arranged; as long as they were still there, she would let them make a fuss. That useless Huangfu Xi was due for a lesson anyway.

"Ensure the Emperor does not die," Xuanyuan Ran instructed flatly.

In Xuanyuan Ran's eyes, Huangfu Chen's endless rebellions were merely the tantrums of an unloved child craving his mother's attention—though she would never grant him even a glance.

Her primary vigilance at the moment was directed at Feng Jinye and Guan Lin-cheng.

Today, the imperial edict forcing the divorce between Feng Jinye and Weishao Qianyu had been issued, and Weishao Qianyu had been betrothed to Huangfu Chen...

In a few days, she would engineer the Emperor's demise, pass the throne to Huangfu Chen, and arrange the grand wedding between Huangfu Chen and Weishao Qianyu. At that point, Feng Jinye would undoubtedly lead troops to storm the city and seize Weishao Qianyu...

By then, the cold gu poison in Yun Ming's body would be beyond control and would have to be unlocked. We would just have to see who died then, and how many perished!

No matter who died by then, the survivors would be utterly vulnerable. Once Feng Jinye was dealt with and Weishao Qianyu was kept by her son's side...

Huangfu Chen was already afflicted with gu poison and his days were numbered. Once Huangfu Chen died, she would have Huangfu Xi take his place on the throne.

As for the prophecy of the Xuanyuan clan elders—"When the Heavenly Maiden appears, twin sons claim the realm"—she would let each of them watch from the netherworld how she destroyed their "realm of twin sons"!

She was determined to ensure that Xuanyuan Yuan could not rest in peace even in death, forcing her to watch with her own eyes as both Feng Jinye and Huangfu Chen were destroyed at her hands!

Back in the bathhouse not far from the Changming Palace, Huangfu Chen slowly opened his eyes. Xuanyuan Ran truly had not come looking. This time, no trace of disappointment could be found in Huangfu Chen's eyes; instead, he curled his lips into a smile...

"Prepare a set of clothes for the Heavenly Maiden." With those words, Huangfu Chen stood up immediately, walked to the bank, and casually dressed in his undergarments...

Dongnuan likewise stood up and dressed immediately, whereupon she heard Huangfu Chen say in a chillingly detached tone: "Come and wait on me!"

Without overthinking it, Dongnuan seized the opportunity to approach Huangfu Chen and whispered, "In three days, the army will arrive."

Huangfu Chen listened expressionlessly, hoping only that Dongnuan could hold out for three days. Although Dongnuan lacked Weishao Qianyu's cleverness, he had to send Weishao Qianyu away; otherwise, that lunatic Feng Jinye was simply too uncontrollable...

This was also one of the reasons Huangfu Chen had persuaded Feng Jinye to let Weishao Qianyu take the risk in Yuyue.

Huangfu Chen shook his head. At the very least, this would protect both Weishao Qianyu and Lu Yanran. Weishao Qianyu had kept her secret so well, never even telling him that Lu Yanran was the true legitimate daughter of the Weishao family.

At that moment, inside the bedchamber of the Changming Palace, the eight palace maids and Huangfu Xi woke up one by one, though each of them wore a hazy, distant look in their eyes. The aphrodisiac had taken full effect...