Volume 1 Chapter 115 Turning Clouds

  Yu Guang glanced over and saw that two of the four people she had thought were Cao family servants were already standing quietly by the door, apparently preparing to block the way. Anyone who still didn't understand whose people those four were was an idiot.

  Both sides have four bodyguards, but it's unclear who will win or lose in the end.

  Zhen Shining's eyes quickly swept across the eight people, but unfortunately, she was completely ignorant of martial arts and couldn't tell which side had the upper hand.

  "Madam Shen, please..." Seeing her hesitate, the Marquis of Anqing called out in a warm and gentle voice, with a loving expression but also a hint of urgency.

  "He's planning to take me hostage first, and then be prepared for Shen Zhongjie to suddenly burst in and change the situation." Zhen Shiniang thought to herself with a wry smile.

  Unfortunately, Marquis Anqing's abacus was miscalculated.

  They were just tied together by the cruel fate, she was nothing but a weed in Shen Zhong's heart, he couldn't wait for her to die early and give way to Chu Xinyi.

  "Miss!" Seeing Zhen Shining about to step forward, Qiu Ju tightly grabbed her, and in her anxiety, even the form of address changed to "miss".

  "It's all right, I'll just go and knock my head on the ground." Zhen Shi Niang gently squeezed Qiu Ju's hand.

  If she doesn't go and kowtow, I suppose we can take action right away in this side hall?

  Chrysanthemum tightly pursed her lips as she watched Zhen Shiniang's calm back, after a while, she ran several steps to stand beside Xiao Yu.

  Xiao Ye stared intently as Zhen Shi Niang slowly walked towards Cao Xiang Ye's corpse, Xiao Ye opened his mouth but ultimately didn't make a sound to stop her.

  Both sides were on high alert, and at this moment, any slight movement could trigger the tense situation prematurely. They had not noticed beforehand that Anqing Hou had used his servant's identity to sneak in four extraordinary experts. By the time they discovered it, Shen Zhongge had already been sent out by Wansui. Now there was a commotion outside, and it seemed that this side hall had also been surrounded by Anqing Hou's men early on.

  The lone army was trapped, and it was another case of being unprepared against the prepared. He and Wan Sui had lost all chance of winning long ago. Leaving Zhen Shiniang here would also mean certain death for her; it would be better to let her go and stall for time.

  Shen Zhong should be back soon, and every moment they can drag on will increase their chances of survival!

  It's just that it fell into the hands of Anqing Hou, and Zhen Shining is afraid...

  Thinking that she might be gone forever, Xiao Yu's fists clenched tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulged one by one, and fresh blood dripped from his fingers onto his dark blue long sleeves.

  Zhen Shiniang was already kneeling beside Mr. Cao's corpse.

  She knelt down, and a martial artist dressed as a family servant from Anqing Marquis's household stepped forward.

  Anqing Hou silently shook his head.

  Success or failure hangs in the balance, and although Marquis Anqing's face remains calm, his heart is on the verge of collapse.

  The serene aura emanating from Zhen Shining's body seemed to dispel the suffocating tension that was driving him mad. He couldn't bear to destroy her immediately, as she had already been subdued and was within his grasp. So he decided to wait a little longer, until she kowtowed before taking action.

  A huge shadow loomed behind her, and Zhen Shiniang's heart tightened as she stepped into this shocking conspiracy. Her luck had indeed turned against her, and she couldn't help but think to herself, "I wonder if I'll be sacrificing my life for the country today... Will His Majesty appreciate my loyalty in saving his throne? Perhaps he'll reward Jian Wu and Jian Wen with a few carts of gold and silver, so they can grow up safely..."

  In her mind, she was thinking wildly, but her face remained unchanged. "Uncle, your unfilial niece has come to see you..." Without immediately kowtowing, Zhen Shimiang picked up the wine jug from the offering table and poured a cup of wine. She muttered to herself, "...Niece offers you a cup, Uncle, may you have a good journey."

  Heart-wrenching sorrow.

  Zhen Shining slowly poured the wine in front of the altar, perhaps too excited, her hand slightly trembling, more than half a cup of wine spilled onto the Longming lamp, rolling up a faint blue flame, the suddenly surging flames made a hissing sound like a poisonous snake spitting, in this dead silence it seemed especially clear, giving people a thrill that Cao Xiangye was about to resurrect.

  Everyone in the hall was shocked.

  The martial artist behind Zhen Shining instinctively raised his hand and struck her in the back of the head.

  "Halt!" Duke Anqing shouted loudly.

  The martial artist's hand hovered just above Zhen Shiniang's forehead.

  Anqing Marquis Changshu let out a breath of air, if he really slapped Zhen Shining to death with one palm, then once Shen Zhongjie rushed in, there would be no more scruples.

  Zhen Shi Niang turned her head back in shock, timidly looking at Wu Shi's palm.

  "He was just frightened, thinking he had run into a ghost." Anqing Hou looked at Zhen Shiniang with kindness, "Madam Shen, you may get up after kowtowing."

  Zhen Shi Niang responded with a "yes", then turned around and slowly kowtowed three times before standing up.

  Marquis Anqing beckoned her over, letting her come to his side.

  Zhen Shiniang turned her head and looked at Wansui.

  "Zhen Ai Qing has paid her respects to Lord Cao, now go keep Lady Cao company." The Emperor's voice was unusually warm.

  But didn't let her pass by his side.

  Madam Cao was also in her own control, after hearing this, Anqing Hou didn't resist much. Seeing Zhen Shining passing by the west corner of the hall where Madam Cao was, he subconsciously turned his head to take a look at Madam Cao.

  Several palace maids surrounding Lady Cao were all present, just as they turned their heads to signal the crowd to take action. Suddenly, he felt something was off and quickly turned his head again. Zhen Shi Niang had already arrived at Lady Cao's side, only two zhang away from them. His martial arts skills could have controlled her in one breath, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. What surprised him was that the several palace maids surrounding Lady Cao were all sleeping on the soft couch.

  "No wonder it's so quiet." Anqing Hou muttered to himself, suddenly startled, "They're all unconscious!"

  How did they faint?

  This side hall, before the banquet, Wu Shi had carefully investigated it. The eunuchs and palace maids inside were all personally selected by the Empress herself. Except for the Emperor's personal eunuch attendants and guards, as well as Xiao Yu and Zheng Ge who escorted Cao Xianggong in, everyone else was his person.

  From the time Master Cao was helped in until now, everything has been under his nose. Whose hands and feet were at work, how could he not have discovered it?

  Who poisoned him again?

  A dizzy spell hit Anqing Hou, and he suddenly remembered the blue smoke and fire that Zhen Shiniang had just lit during the worship ceremony. He abruptly turned his head to look at his four martial artists.

  Also found that things have changed, the martial artist who had been monitoring Zhen Shiniang's movements all along had already jumped up and rushed straight to Zhen Shiniang, who had retreated to the corner of the Western Hall.

  The silence was suddenly broken, and everyone's heart skipped a beat.

  "Miss!" Qiu Ju cried out in a heart-wrenching voice, lifting her foot to rush over, but was tightly pulled back by Xiao Ye.

  It's slow to say, but it's fast. As soon as Anqing Hou made a move, Zhu An, who had been accumulating momentum behind him, also jumped up and seized Xie Shiying in his arms before Wu Shi could react, then turned around and flew back.

  The martial artists launched by Anqing Hou were like arrows shot from a discarded old bow, rising high into the sky before fluttering down like withered willow catkins and landing right where Zhen Shiniang had just stood.

  "Miss......" Seeing Zhen Shining being rescued back, Qiu Ju struggled free from Xiao Ye and rushed over, hugging Zhen Shining tightly as tears fell down her face.

  Just at that moment, she really thought her young lady was beyond saving.

  It fell into Qiu Ju's arms, and Zhen Shi Niang's heart was still racing. She hastily turned her head to take a look, and An Qing Hou had already fainted on the ground. The four martial artists hadn't fainted, but were subdued by Wan Sui's guards.

  It turned out that although it was impossible to see who was stronger or weaker between the two sides inside the house, seeing Wan Sui yielding to Anqing Hou and even letting Anqing Hou force her to go and kowtow to Cao Xiangye without making a sound to stop him, Zhen Shiniang had already guessed that the martial arts of their side were not as good as the other's. Wan Sui was thinking of every way to drag it out until Shen Zhongjie came in to save the situation!

  Otherwise, even if she is not liked, she is still Shen Zhongjie's nominal wife. In this precarious political situation, in order to win over Shen Zhongjie, Emperor Wu should not have handed her over to be executed.

  Fortunately, because of Autumn Chrysanthemum's frequent mountain runs, Zhen Shiniang had previously prepared many defensive medicines such as anesthetics and snake venom for her to carry with her. Knowing that she was beautiful and easily tempted others, coupled with her weak physique and lack of physical strength, Zhen Shiniang always carried these items with her whenever she went out.

  Just now Qiu Ju pulled her, she thought of the anesthetic, and then borrowed the excuse of holding Qiu Ju's hand to give her three of the only four antidotes on her body.

  On ordinary days, she was extremely familiar with these people. As soon as she saw Zhen Shiniang give her this, Qiuju understood what she meant and hastily ran to Xiao Ye's side, adding the few grains of antidote on her body to those in Xiao Ye's hand, which were then distributed among everyone.

  Zhen Shi Niang took advantage of the moment when she was pouring wine to secretly pour the anesthetic into the cup and then splashed it onto the fire, instantly releasing its effects.

  She had mixed this anesthetic, usually just a whiff would knock someone out, now with the stimulation of wine and fire, its efficacy increased by half, those ordinary palace maids and eunuchs were dazed as soon as they smelled it, Anqing Hou and Wu Shi, although they possessed martial arts skills, found that when they discovered it was too late to hold their breath, and when they tried to use their internal energy to force out the toxin, the imperial guards had already arrived.

  What a narrow escape!

  Zhen Shiniang let out a long sigh, patted her chest with one hand, and said, "Amitabha, I can see tomorrow's sun again!" Feeling a gaze on herself, she raised her head to find Wansui looking at her with relish. She hastily pushed away Qiuju, who was still hugging her tightly, stood up straight without looking at him, and immediately regained her calm and dignified composure.

  For some reason, although he was extremely wary of her, when he saw her little girl-like appearance, Wan Si suddenly felt a lightness in his heart. His mouth corners slightly curved, and a hint of indulgent smile appeared.

  This woman is not of a sinister mind.

  She is so clever, and in the future, following Shen Zhongge will be a great help.

  The emperor's gaze fell on Anqing Hou again, just as he was about to speak, the door of the side hall burst open with a loud crash, and Shen Zhongge rushed in, covered in blood and holding a large knife. "Your Majesty, I've been...". Before he could finish speaking, he saw that the emperor was sitting safely on the ground, and his voice came to an abrupt halt.

  Take a closer look, and apart from Zheng Ge's old man fainting to the ground, everyone else is fine. When his gaze fell on Zhen Shiniang, who was safe and sound, Shen Zhongjie's tense expression noticeably relaxed, although he still looked somewhat bewildered at the situation in the side hall, a hint of a relieved smile had already appeared in his eyes.

  "What's the situation outside?" Seeing him lead his troops in, Wan Cai slowly let out a breath and his voice returned to its usual calm.

  Shen Zhong threw down his sword and knelt to the ground, knocking his head on the floor. "Your Majesty's three thousand elite soldiers are currently facing off against the guards of the Linhua Palace. The Nine Gates Commander-in-Chief Gu Ding and Zhou Ge Lao have been spreading rumors among the people and have already been beheaded by me." He knocked his head again, saying: "...I acted first and will report later, I beg Your Majesty to punish me."