《Detective Ghost Empress》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1: Three ghosts! ¡± Ah! That really hit the spot!¡± Liu Hui Ying chugged down a big gulp of beer and let out a contented sigh before picking up her chopstick and taking a bite of the webfoot octopus. ¡± Hmmm! This is what I call life! A pic under shimmering moonlight, what more do we need!¡± ¡± Humph, that¡¯s one way to put it,¡± said a young girl in her twenties as she took a sip of her beer and rolled her eyes. ¡± You promised us a pic in a field with roses, not having me drive to this abandoned cliff.¡± She pointed to the edge of the cliff with a big boulder sitting next to it. A big signboard with safety precautions about not getting close to the edge of the cliff was hanging on top of the big boulder¨C maybe this was the reason why no human was visible in in sight. ¡± She is right, you know,¡± said an elderly woman as she sipped on her green tea and looked at Liu Hui Ying, her white hair twinkling under the moonlight. ¡± We worked so hard so that you can get the promotion, a field with roses was the least we deserved.¡± Liu Hui Ying stared at the two of them chiming after one another and raised her beer can in the air. ¡± Jia Li, Grandma Lan Fen, what are you guysining about?¡± She pointed her hand at the man who was chugging his beer down while munching on fried chicken and said, ¡± Look at Li Gang, see how he is enjoying himself quietly, do you really have to be so harsh on me? I looked long and hard to find a spot where we can have our pic without any disturbance, yet you guys are ming me.¡± ¡± He is enjoying himself because he has long given up having hopes from you, Boss Hui Ying,¡± said Jia Li with a snort, her big almond eyes sharply looking at the gloomy-looking man with a buzz cut. ¡± And he can even enjoy himself next to a trash can, what are youparing us gentledies with him.¡± Li Gang stopped his munching and raised his head and looked at Jia Li with his fox eyes that glinted sharper than any de. ¡± I have long learned my lesson to not expect anything from this miser,¡± he tipped his chin at Liu Hui Ying and snorted. ¡°It is not my fault that you guys keep having high hopes whenever she says that she is going to reward us. Last time she promised that she will get me my favourite French wine and look what she got me.¡± He raised his beer can and scoffed, ¡± A ten-dor beer.¡± As he finished speaking, he gulped the rest of the beer down in one go. ¡± Li Gang is right, you could have given us better offerings even if you didn¡¯t bring us to a rose garden,¡± said Jia Li licking her chopsticks as she ate the webfoot octopus. ¡°I wanted to eat, Peking roasted duck you know?¡± ¡± And I wished to eat some tiramisu, my sweet cravings have been getting to me these days.¡± sighed Grandma Lan Fen ..... ¡± Oi, Oi, Oi!¡± mming her hand on the ground, Liu Hui Ying stared at the three people who were munching on the food without stopping yet they were stillining about one thing after another. She tipped her head at the three of them and snapped, ¡± You all think that earning money is an easy peasy job, don¡¯t you? Do you have any idea how hard it is to raise the three of you?¡± She pointed at Grandma Lan Fen and said, ¡± Your granddaughter needed to go on a study trip, who gave her ten thousand yuan secretly? I did.¡± Then turning her head to look at Jia Li, she smiled and added, ¡± You are the one who is the most high maintenance, you want clothes with the softest fabrics and if that¡¯s not enough, you are also addicted to watching detective dramas, who pays for your subscription?¡± She pointed to herself and said, ¡± That¡¯s right, I do.¡± Finally, she turned to look at Li Gang who lowered his head before he started munching on his fried chicken. Seeing him avoid her gaze, Liu Hui Ying snorted. ¡± And this one is simply a hopeless case, from all the women he can go for, he chases the ones who are nothing but gold diggers,st time he bullied me into buying a diamond ring because apparently, the girl he found was true love and what happened? That girl vanished into thin air after she took the ring from him. And this guy is still single.¡± Sweeping a nce at the three employees of hers, she clicked her tongue. ¡± That¡¯s right, you might think that being promoted is something good but the money that you guys spend on yourself is simply astronomical. I can¡¯t even start on the expenses that you all have... especially food, you all order food without letting me know and when Ie home, you want my hard-earned money to be offered,¡± she snapped her fingers. ¡± Like this, you see?¡± Neither of the three spoke and only then did Liu Hui Ying suck in a breath and said, ¡± And as for the rose garden that you all wanted to visit so much¨C let me ask you one thing? What would we have done lest someone saw three pairs of chopsticks and three beer cans flying in the air? Maybe you have forgotten but you all are dead. DEAD. Right now except me, no one can see you all, so better be grateful and say thank you boss¨C¡± she was cut off when something or someone stepped on a leaf behind them. Eyes widening, she looked at the three ghosts in front of her and said, ¡± What are you all doing? Put those things down.¡± The three ghosts obliged at once, as Li Gang snorted. ¡± So much for a peaceful spot.¡± Liu Hui Ying simply red at him. The four of them waited with abated breath for the person to step out in the moonlight and they did ¡ª Dressed in a vibrant red wedding dress that might have been fashionable in the era of an old dynasty, a woman stepped out of the forest and headed towards the cliff. ¡± Is she trying tomit suicide?¡± whispered Jia Li with a stunned look on her face. ¡± That¡¯s not good, is it? If she dies before her time, then her soul will be eradicated.¡± ¡± And what¡¯s worse is that I will be suspended!¡± snapped Liu Hui Ying as she climbed to her feet, as the newly appointed head of the detective unit, she couldn¡¯t allow the woman tomit suicide lest the matter was chased back to her. ¡± Jeez, these people. They never let police department rest.¡± With a haughty snort, she strode towards the woman in red and called out, ¡± Hey miss, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you but let¡¯s not be hasty, we can talk it out ...what do you say? Come with me, have some alcohol and dried squid or something ...we can make it better.¡± ¡± Ev...Everything is lost, I can¡¯t do this anymore...¡± the woman in red muttered as she continued to walk towards the cliff. ¡± Lost ...Lost ....¡± ¡± Heydy!¡± Thest thing Liu Hui Ying remembered was sping onto the wrist of the woman in red who jumped and the screams of her three ghost employees. As she plunged into the darkness together with the woman. Chapter 2 Chapter 2: Boom transmigration: poisoned wine ¡± Liu Hui Ying, wake up we are in deep shit!¡± ¡± Hui Ying! Wake up! Or else I am going to whack your ass!¡± ¡± Hui Ying dear wake up please before you be just a spirit of the dead like us!¡± Death ¡ª the word was scary enough for Liu Hui Ying to wake up at once as, though her head felt like it has been smashed with a baseball bat with a then thrown in front of a bus to be trodden on, she still sat up straight despite the rolling and tilting world. ¡± What¡¯s going on, I don¡¯t think that I drank so much right?¡± She blinked the haze out of her eyes and then looked around, what she saw made her frown ¡ª she was lying on a bed that had a circr opening with curtains hanging on both sides, the stuffing of the bed was harder than the one she was used to, and what was more the entire room was filled with the thing she has only seen in historical dramas. ¡± W..What is this?¡± She jumped out of the bed and almost stumbled because of the length of the dress she was wearing, stunned she looked down and what she saw nearly made her pass out. ¡± This ...This ..why is this on my body?¡± she asked the three ghosts hovering in the air, though what she was going through was simply unexpected but at least she had her three employees with her or else Liu Hui Ying was sure that she was going to lose her mind. ¡± What happened? Are we dragged into some shooting or something ¡± Jia Li stared at her with aplicated expression before pointing to the small mirror that was sitting on the table across the bed and saying, ¡± You better take a look at your face first, you will get a better understanding of what¡¯s happening.¡± ..... ¡± My face? Is it scarred? Did I receive stic surgery or what¨C¡± Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words were cut off the second she looked in the mirror because in the mirror, it wasn¡¯t her but the woman in red. Her peach blossom eyes blinked along with the rhythm with which Liu Hui Ying was blinking her eyes. ¡± This can¡¯t be happening ...No way is this happening...¡± muttered Liu Hui Ying as she backed off from the mirror. ¡± That¡¯s ..That¡¯s not me!¡± And what was more the girl was too slender like a frail little flower! All the muscles that she worked hard for in the police unit were gone and were now reced with silky, soft skin that was nothing like her. Even her double D¡¯s were gone! Covering her face with her hands, Liu Hui Ying shook her head. ¡± This can¡¯t be happening to me, not a night before my promotion!¡± ¡± Well, this really did happen,¡± said Li Gang as he floated down on the floor and rubbed his jaw. ¡± I don¡¯t know what happened when you touched that woman, but as soon as you caught her something weird happened and then we were here.¡± ¡± Li Gang is right,¡± said Jia Li as she too came to stand next to Liu Hui Ying and softly spoke, ¡± I know that you are shocked but the truth is that you are now in the body of the woman who was trying to jump from the cliff.¡± Liu Hui Ying stared at the two of them before snapping angrily. ¡± You two should at least let me deny my reality in peace for two seconds, can you? What is this fierce way of making me realise the truth of my situation? Do you really need to do something as cruel as that?¡± ¡± It will be better for you to get hold of yourself as quickly as possible because the woman was delivered poisoned wine just a minute ago,¡± said Li Gang causing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s thoughts to pause at once. ¡± What did you say ...what wine ...?¡± For the first time in her life, Liu Hui Ying felt like she couldn¡¯t wrap her head around a peculiar situation, which was new to her given that she was in the police and was prepared to tackle the worst out of the worst situation. ¡± Poison wine,¡± said Grandma Lan Fen as she took a sniff of the jar that was kept on the cab next to the bed and shook her head. ¡± The scent of death in there is very faint but it is there, I am afraid that even if the poison doesn¡¯t have the ability to kill you ... constant consumption will lead to a very slow painful death.¡± Liu Hui Ying chuckled, looking at therge jar and said, ¡± Who in their right mind would drink a poisoned wine?¡± ¡± They will if all the sources of water, food and everything else were taken away from the room,¡± muttered Li Gang under his breath, only then did Liu Hui Ying take a nce at the room and realised that her third employee was right. Except for the poisoned wine, there was nothing else in the room, it was as if the one who was keeping this woman here, was waiting for the woman to be desperate and take a sip of the poisoned wine. ¡± You have got to be kidding me,¡± she strolled out of the bedroom, the three ghosts following behind her. As she walked out of the bedroom, she realised that whoever had the woman locked in the bedroom was really serious¨C they really wanted the woman to die! The entire room waspletely empty of anything edible and the woman was the only one inside the room. ¡± This woman must have done something really bad,¡±mented Jia Li as she surveyed the surrounding. ¡± I mean a slow death than a painless one, it¡¯s really terrible.¡± ¡± And that terrible death is going to befall on me in case I don¡¯t get out of this room quickly!¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she headed towards the door of the room but no sooner did she push open the door than several swords were aimed at her at once. Chapter 3 Chapter 3: Informant Disimer: All characters, dynasties, names and everything else in this book is imaginary. Any corrtion is simply a coincidence. Li Gang immediately pulled Liu Hui Ying back with her cors as he murmured in her ears, ¡± I don¡¯t want to tell you this but those are the real deal, if they passed by you ...then we will be holding your funeral tomorrow.¡± Listening to his words Liu Hui Ying stiffened as she took a step back voluntarily and looked at the swords that were aimed at her and said, ¡± This is the most unlucky day of my life...I swear.¡± ¡± Your majesty,¡± a deep voice with a timbre that was hard to ignore echoed in the wooden corridor and Liu Hui Ying looked over her shoulder to see who this ¡®your majesty¡¯ was when Jia Li turned her head in the front and said, ¡± You are the one wearing a crown, what are you looking back at for?¡± ¡± Have you lost your investigation skills along with your observation? Why are you making so many mistakes one after another?¡± said Grandma Lan Fen as she stared at Liu Hui Ying with concern. ¡± You must have seen the crown in your head when you looked in the mirror right now, right?¡± ¡± You are talking like I transmigrate every day,¡± murmured Liu Hui Ying in a low voice. ¡± And with a poisoned wine waiting for me.¡± ¡± I think we can still take this many men,¡± said Li Gang rolling his right shoulder while cracking his neck. ¡± We can just go bam and then whoosh and then bam, I am sure they will be down.¡± ..... Jia Li rolled her eyes at him. ¡± Do you think that its that easy? From what I can see, we are in apletely different ce and era. We transmigrated here so surely the way of going back lies in this very ce, if we were to leave then how will we go back huh?¡± When Jia Li said those words, the lock on Liu Hui Ying¡¯s mind finally opened and she punched her right fist in the palm of her left hand. Jia Li was right, if she wanted to go back then she will have to look around for clues and see if there was any invisible path that led her back to her world. Just as she was thinking about how to go back to her world, a hand reached out to her followed by a very foul smell and she immediately dodged it. ¡± Uh oh,¡± said Li Gang with a shake of his head. ¡± You have to be kidding me.¡± ¡± That¡¯s what I think it is, right?¡± said Grandam Lan Fen as she peered at the face of the neer. Jia Li winced. ¡± Yes, it¡¯s a man.¡± ¡± Your majesty,¡± the man dressed in ck hanfu with armour on his chest looked at Liu Hui Ying and spoke cordially, ¡± This general is afraid that you cannot leave your room¨C¡± He was still speaking when Liu Hui Ying closed the door on his face and turned her back to the figure standing outside before striding in and rubbing her temples. ¡± What is that doing here?¡± ¡± You might be forgetting but we aren¡¯t in our house anymore,¡± said Li Gang with an amused voice. ¡± Man, you should see your face, you look like you have stepped in shit or something of the sort.¡± ¡± Well, men are no different from trash anyway,¡± said Liu Hui Ying feeling an itch almost crawling on her skin. ¡± Hey, I am a man too, you know?¡± ¡± You don¡¯t count.¡± Li Gang ced his hands on his waist and said, ¡± How so?¡± ¡°You are a ghost and...¡± her eyes shed before she shook her head and said, ¡± I can take you on if you try anything .¡± Seeing that her expression has turned really bad, Li Gang said nothing. On the other hand, Jia Li sympathetically floated towards Liu Hui Ying and said, ¡± Just take a deep breath and think of him as a potato or something, just like you did when you went to work and nothing more.¡± Liu Hui Ying sucked in a breath and sat down on the bed with a circr opening, her fingers drumming on the edge of the wooden frame. ¡± What we need right now, is someone who will let us know what kind of mess we are in at the moment.¡± She blinked her eyes, her curled eyshes fanning her cheeks as she looked around the almost empty room beforeing to a stop at the poisoned wine. ¡± Or else, I will have no chance but to take the most extreme step. Because no way I am getting executed like the old way ...I heard that dying like that hurts a lot.¡± Grandma Lan Fen nodded. ¡± A few years ago I met with a traitor general¡¯s soul and he told me that when he died, he was literally begging for death to take him. I don¡¯t see you begging but you never know..¡± she trailed off when Liu Hui Ying looked at her. Getting up from her seat, she started pacing around the room. ¡± I think you three¨C¡± ¡± I am telling you that my mistress is innocent and if you want to give her a prejudiced death then so be it! I will die together with her!¡± A female shouted outside the room causing Liu Hui Ying to pause and turned to walk back into the front hall from her bedroom and stare at the ck silhouette that was outside the paper sliding door. ¡± Qui Ai, listen to me¨C¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to listen to you general Yu Lingyun, I have decided my fate. If death is what awaits my mistress then I will happily follow her!¡± After saying that the female silhouette threw the hand of the man outside and pushed open the door. ¡± What the, she looks like she is sixteen or something,¡± said Liu Hui Ying taking the small tear-stricken face with round eyes. Two bouncing buns were tied on the head of the maid and she was dressed in a pink blouse with a sky blue skirt, her steps unsteady because of how much she was crying. Jia Li looked at her and pointed out. ¡± You don¡¯t look that old either, seventeen at most.¡± ¡°The Emperor must be a pervert,¡± sneered Liu Hui Ying as she stared at the maid and pped her hands. ¡± But who cares about him, I got what I want.¡± Grandma Lan Fen turned to look at the maid and said, ¡± You wanted a servant? Are we not enough for you? Did we make a mistake?¡± ¡± Shii,¡± making an annoyed sound, Liu Hui Ying looked at Grandma Lan Fen and said, ¡± I meant that I got my information ticket,¡± while peering out of the room, she pointed at the girl and said, ¡± She is going to be our informant.¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4: ns to save her life ¡± Your majesty!¡± Qui Ai saw Liu Hui Ying peering out of her room and immediately shrieked in delight before running towards her as if she was preparing tounch herself at Liu Hui Ying causing thetter to take several steps back. Right now, she saw that the maid was being held by that man keeping guard outside, she immediately retreated and looked around before her gaze fell on a ceramic water bowl with a washcloth, though there was no water in the bowl, the cloth looked wet enough. Picking it up, she threw it at the maid, the second she tried to throw herself at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Sheesh, what are you doing?¡± Jia Li reprimanded her with a harsh tone. ¡± Do you think she is your servant or something like us? How can you treat her so harshly?¡± ¡± Well, in a way she is my servant,¡± said Liu Hui Ying with an awkward expression. ¡± Liu Hui Ying!¡± ¡± All right, all right,¡± she snapped before turning to look at the little maid that was staring at her in shock and cleared her throat before stretching her neck in a way to look impressive as she said, ¡± Its because you were touched by a man outside, why don¡¯t you wipe that hand, ande at me after you are done wiping?¡± The maid named Qui Ai stared at her before she burst out in tears, nheless even after bursting out in tears she still wiped her arm that was held by General Yu. ..... ¡± Oh..why is she crying?¡± Liu Hui Ying was an orphan after her parents died while dealing with a particrly evil spirit and ever since then she was raised by her aunt. Because she could see spirits, she was often ostracised by her ssmates and hardly any friends other than the ghosts she talked with every day, seeing a woman cry in front of her, all of a sudden, startled Liu Hui Ying so much that she almost jumped back. ¡± There is no need to cry is it?¡± ¡± Girls are delicate things you see?¡± with the generous amount of dating experience, Li Gang immediately gave his two-piece as he looked at Qui Ai. ¡± She announced outside that she was willing to die with the owner of this body, clearly she likes the owner a lot but then you threw a wet cloth at her, she might have been hurt by that action, all right?¡± ¡± I don¡¯t want to hear it from you, have you forgotten that six months ago you were awarded as ¡® Mister Bachelor¡¯ on the fortune asion of you being single for more than four hundred years?¡± hissed Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Even ghosts younger than you are getting a chance at dating and what about you?¡± Li Gang immediately shut up but Jia Li who was standing next to him patted Liu Hui Ying on her shoulder and said, ¡°No, I think, he is onto something... he might be right.¡± ¡± You might have really hurt, that little girl with your attitude, my dear,¡± said Grandma Lan Fen with a slight nod at the maid. Seeing that they were still going on and on about how she hurt the maid, Liu Hui Ying sighed and looked at the maid as she said, ¡± Hey listen, I think¨C¡± ¡± How hurt you must have been, your majesty,¡± finally done wiping her arms, Qui Ai threw herself at Liu Hui Ying and cried out. ¡± You love the Emperor so much that you aren¡¯t even willing to touch another man indirectly and yet the Emperor locked you up without thinking about it even once, he is such a ...such a ...such a ...¡± ¡± A jerk?¡± said Liu Hui Ying helpfully, Qui Ai in her arms stiffened before nodding against her. ¡± And what did that jerk do?¡± asked Liu Hui Ying promptly, given that Qui Ai was so agitated by the Emperor, then she will surely tell her everything that she wanted to know. ¡± The jer¨C The Emperor ordered you to be locked in your courtyard after Concubine Shenined that her abdomen was hurting andter on she lost her child and indirectly med you, your majesty saying that you might have mixed something in her drink at the congrattory banquet where the concubines were asked to pay their respects to you and that too right before your wedding night, your majesty.¡± Qui Ai said everything in one breath before taking a pause and said, ¡± But you already know this, your majesty, why are you asking me this again?¡± ¡± Ah, this is because...¡± ¡°WHAT?!!!¡± After listening to what Liu Hui Ying said Qui Ai screamed out loud causing Liu Hui Ying to shush her down. ¡± Don¡¯t shout, do you want everyone to know that I lost my memory wouldn¡¯t they take advantage of the situation.¡± Immediately, Qui Ai shut up and looked at Liu Hui Ying before asking in a soft voice. ¡± Did you really forget everything, your majesty?¡± ¡± Would I lie to you if I didn¡¯t,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she turned around and sat down on the bed before pointing at the wine in the cab. ¡°What is the scene with the wine?¡± Qui Ai looked at the jar of the poisoned wine and answered, ¡± The Emperor bestowed it on you, saying that he will be merciful and give you three days to end your life.¡± ¡± And if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡± He will end it for you.¡± ¡± Fucking bastard,¡± cursed Liu Hui Ying with a sneer. This was why she will never trust men, they just have their eyes on so many women and wouldn¡¯t care about hurting anyone. She rolled her tongue in her mouth before she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and asked, ¡± Qui Ai, do you have a dress simr to what the general outside is wearing?¡± Qui Ai stopped crying and nodded. ¡± I do, but what do you want to do with the dress, your majesty?¡± ¡± I have my ns regarding that dress, just get me one and I will show you what I can do,¡± said Liu Hui Ying with a smile before turning to look at the three ghosts standing behind her and added, ¡± And if you don¡¯t mind, can you bring it as quickly as you can?¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5: Brainwashing ¡± Here you are your majesty,¡± Qui Ai brought back a ck robe that was quite simr to the one that the General outside was wearing, Liu Hui Ying took it from Qui Ai¡¯s hands and took a look at the robe that she was holding on to very carefully, she looked left and right before taking in a breath and asked, ¡± Why is this robe exactly the same as the one that man is wearing?¡± If Qui Ai said that she borrowed this from theundry or something, Liu Hui Ying was sure that she was going to lose her mind and vomit all over the ce until the food she ate in her world came hurling out her stomach. ¡± This...¡± Two red spots appeared on Qui Ai¡¯s cheeks and she shyly answered, ¡± The general asked me to embroider a crane on it, he said that because he has recently received a promotion, he needs to upgrade his wardrobe but since he doesn¡¯t have a family member there was no one at the house who will do it for him, that¡¯s the reason, he handed it to me, asking me to do it for him.¡± All the while she was talking about the bastard General, Qui Ai kept twisting and turning making Liu Hui Ying¡¯s right eye twitch. This was not going to work, if this girl wanted to work as her informant that she needed to be smarter than this...can¡¯t she see that the general had no feelings for her but was just using her teenagers¡¯ pheromones to his advantage to spy on the newly enthroned and soon to be dead Empress? She ced a hand on Qui Ai¡¯s shoulder and pulled her further inside the room, as she said, ¡± Qui Ai, look I am your mistress, I will never harm you all right?¡± She whispered in the ear of the maid as she began her brainwashing. It was a good thing that Qui Ai was still young and nodded seriously upon listening to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words. ¡± Oh here she goes again,¡± muttered Li Gang as he rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air, Liu Hui Ying shot him a re before turning to look at Qui Ai with a gentle and considerate expression before saying, ¡± Look, just now when you came rushing inside the room what did you say to that bas¨C General?¡± Qui Ai blinked and then a sort of childish voice said, ¡± I told him that I am going to go and follow my mistress, even if she was to die ...I will die with her.¡± ¡± That¡¯s right,¡± snapping her fingers, Liu Hui Ying patted Qui Ai on the shoulder and unhurriedly said, ¡± The man didn¡¯t even stop you from dying with me do you know what it means?¡± ..... ¡± That he understood my loyalty to you?¡± ¡± Tsk, NO!¡± clicking her tongue, Liu Hui Ying immediately rejected the super ¡®romantic idea¡¯ in Qui Ai¡¯s head and said, ¡± That¡¯s not the truth, the truth is that he doesn¡¯t care about you at all... if he did, he would have stopped you or at least said things like I care about you Qui Ai, don¡¯t do this...did he say something like that to you?¡± Qui Ai shook her head looking dumbfounded. ¡± That¡¯s what I am telling you,¡± straightening up, Liu Hui Ying waved her hands left and right as she continued, ¡± What kind of guy would he be to understand your loyalty towards me when he cannot even understand his loyalty towards you.¡± Pointing at Qui Ai, Liu Hui Ying wrapped her arm around thetter¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡± A man should keep his woman over everything else, I am not saying that he should sacrifice his everything for her but if he can, he should try his best to save the woman he is interested in, can that General save you?¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Qui Ai to nod her head. ¡± He can save me.¡± ¡± But he didn¡¯t even try,¡± with a disappointed sigh, Liu Hui Ying ced both her hands on Qui Ai¡¯s shoulders. ¡± This shows that he approached you with a hidden agenda, if he doesn¡¯t care about you, why will he try to get closer to you?¡± ¡± That¡¯s because...¡± ¡± That¡¯s because?¡± Liu Hui Ying prodded her. Though Qui Ai was young, she grew up all the while resisting the schemes of the inner courtyard after Liu Hui Ying helped her do a quick run, she immediately cottoned on and her whole expression turned livid. ¡°He was trying to get close to me so that I will help him spy on you, your majesty!¡± ¡± Aren¡¯t you a smart little girl,¡± patting Qui Ai on the back, Liu Hui Ying swiftly added, ¡± That is why from now on if you see that man evering inside our courtyard ever again, send him back. In fact, there is no need to be nice, send him packing while chasing him with a broom.¡± She cupped Qui Ai¡¯s chin and said softly, ¡± That man hurt our dear little Ai, so he doesn¡¯t deserve to be here, at all. You got that?¡± ¡± I got it,¡± Qui Ai looked like she was going to cry making the three ghosts all feel bad for her. ¡± Why did you have to be so blunt?¡± Jia Li never got a chance to have her first love, she was always in a hurry to earn more money and that was why she studied harder than ever to be a forensic expert, but who would have thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to live past twenty and die so soon. Seeing Qui Ai¡¯s pitiful expression, she felt her heart tug and harshly reprimanded Liu Hui Ying, ¡± Why did you break her heart so cruelly? Can¡¯t you see, she is still young.¡± Liu Hui Ying heaved a heavy sigh before turning her head behind her and whispered, ¡± Be grateful, because of me this naive and pure girl¡¯s heart was saved from being broken even more severely. Imagine if she developed true feelings for that jerk? He would have just used her and then dumped her.¡± ¡± Your majesty, why are you hissing behind your back?¡± noticing that Liu Hui Ying was whispering something in the air, Qui Ai couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± smiling Liu Hui Ying turned to look at the girl in front of her and said, ¡± I was just cursing that guy for hurting you like that.¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6: A mouse to catch ¡± All right, now you stay here,¡± pointing to the small couch that was sitting outside the room, Liu Hui Ying ordered Qui Ai. ¡± I have something really important such as preparing myself to think about how to get out of this situation all right? Let me think in peace, okay?¡± ¡± Will you be all right, your majesty?¡± said Qui Ai with a concerned expression. ¡°The Emperor¡¯s cruel decision shocked you a lot tonight, I don¡¯t want to leave you alone, why not we think something in the morning?¡± ¡± Ah no, we can¡¯t leave the matter till tomorrow, what if someone tries to harm us tonight?¡± said Liu Hui Ying with a smile. ¡± That¡¯s why you stay here and protect the room, in case someone tries to barge in the room, you need to protect me, all right?¡± Qui Ai immediately puffed out her tiny chest and patted it. ¡± Don¡¯t worry, your majesty, I will certainly do that, you can leave your safety in my hands and I will surely protect you till thest breath.¡± Liu Hui Ying simply smiled and nodded. ¡± You do that, we will talk in the morning then.¡± After that, she ignored what the little girl had to say and closed the door shut before turning to face the three employees of her. ¡± Now you three listen to me very carefully, that concubine Shen, I don¡¯t know who the fuck she is but she got me in this mess and if I don¡¯t retaliate now, then I will be writing my name backwards from tomorrow morning.¡± After thinking it through carefully, Liu Hui Ying came to the conclusion that the only person responsible for her current predicament was Concubine Shen, she was the one who schemed against this sensitive woman, forced her into a corner and pushed her intomitting suicide. So, the person that needs to be dealt with was none other than that Concubine! ¡± What are you nning?¡± asked Li Gang with a raise of his brow. ¡± I don¡¯t like that expression on your face.¡± ..... ¡± My n is very simple,¡± she walked to the bed that sitting at the end of the room and picked up the robe that she has thrown on the table and burned it, letting Li Gang wear it. ¡± From what I heard from Qui Ai, the matter only happened an hour ago ¡ª if we minus all the sympathy and pity party that might have happened at her courtyard, upon losing her child... I am pretty sure that Concubine Shen must have started cleaning the evidence right now, and from the basic structure of the servants¡¯ hierarchy here, I can be sure that she must have at least three to four loyal servants, who will help her clean the scene. Since she just had a miscarriage, then that woman will be bedridden for a few days¡± raising her head she looked at the three of them and added, ¡± Go and catch the one who is hiding the evidence and have them confess make sure that it happens within an hour, I am not patient enough.¡± Tipping her chin at the door where the crowd of guards was standing, she scrunched up her nose and said, ¡± I really hate breathing the same air as those men, get them away from me.¡± ¡± Got it, boss,¡± Jia Li took the lead as she saluted Liu Hui Ying and walked through the wall, Li Gang and Grandma Lan Fen followed suit as they came out of the room through the wall. With his hands behind his head, Li Gang snorted. ¡± She always makes us work so hard, and yet we can¡¯t even get a decent meal.¡± ¡± We will try to talk about thatter with her,¡± getting up in the air, Jia Li opened the map that was drawn by Qui Ai andter on burned by Liu Hui Ying for her to study. ¡± Right now, our main focus is to stop her from dying, if we lose this host then I am afraid we will be taken by the Grim reaper since we will lose our jobs.¡± Grandma Lan Fen shivered. ¡± I heard the grim reaper of this era were a lot stiffer and the rules of the underworld were even more strict, I don¡¯t fancy going to the underworld of this time.¡± ¡± Then let¡¯s make sure that host of ours doesn¡¯t die,¡± cracking his neck, he rose to the air and said, ¡± Let¡¯s split up, the one who gets hold of the person we are looking for, will make a loud screech for others.¡± ¡± God I hate screeching,¡± said Jia Li clearing her throat. ¡± It¡¯s such an udylike thing.¡± ¡± Then go and get another option,¡± said Li Gang before shooting out towards the north where Concubine Shen¡¯s courtyard was. ¡± I will see youter dear,¡± said Grandma Lan Fen as she too flew away while muttering, ¡± All I wanted was a nice retirement and here I am working even after death.¡± Jia Li flew to the south where the cold pce was ¡ª after staying at the forensic department she understood a few things, since they wanted to make it look like the Empress was the one who killed Concubine Shen¡¯s child then they will surely hide the evidence where the Empress would be taken away in case she made out of the ordeal alive. A cunning person always had a second option prepared. And sure enough, as she flew towards the cold pce, Jia Li saw a maid trying to sneak inside the cold pce and immediately sucked in a breath before screeching as loudly as she could, ¡± The mouse is here at the cold pce! Hurry!¡± She didn¡¯t need to add thest word as Li Gang and Grandma Lan Fen teleported at once beside her causing her to choke. ¡± Oh, I forgot that we can do it.¡± Grandma Lan Fen smiled. ¡± Isn¡¯t it nice of Hui Ying to share so much of her spiritual energy with us?¡± ¡± What nice? She only shares it with us because she wants us to get her work done as quickly as she wants,¡± muttered Li Gang rubbing his head. ¡± Then let¡¯s end this matter as soon as we can,¡± said Jia Li before flying down in the direction of the maid who was sneaking inside the cold pce. ¡± We have a mouse to catch.¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7: Scaring the little maid The maid that was sneaking inside the cold pce was named Xiao Mi, she was the youngest out of Concubine Shen¡¯s maids but she was one of her trusted servants, after all, she once put her life on the line for her mistress and even got a scar on her face for the sake of her mistress. Thus, even if Xiao Mi was young, she was trusted by Concubine Shen because of her sacrifices, even this task of hiding the abortion medicine in the cold pce came into her hands, after all the Liu family was putting pressure on the Emperor to let Empress Liu go and since the evidence was faint, there was a chance that the Empress would be able to get away from this matter but what if they were to provide a piece of evidence? Then what will the Liu family do? ¡± Hehe, after I finish with this task, I will be rewarded by concubine Shen,¡± Xiao Mi chuckled under her breath as she skipped past the guards that were guarding the gates and walked inside the cold pce through the dog hole that was at the wall of the back of the pce. ¡± I just need to bury this thing here and then the Empress will be finished¨C¡± just as she took out a bowl to dig into the ground of the pce, she felt a burst of cold wind sweep past her, stunned she dropped the bowl and stuttered, ¡± Wh...Who is here? I am telling you...I am concubine Shen¡¯s personal maid, don¡¯t even think abouting at me.¡± A cold voice snickered as a dark shadow swept through her. ¡± Concubine Shen ...Concubine Shen she says..! Ahahaha what fun! This little maid thinks that she can scare us off with the name of a mortal Concubine, Hehehehe!¡± The shrill voice echoed through the dark courtyard causing Xiao Mi¡¯s heart to turn cold. She was already spooked when the shadow walked through her, and when it went through her, she felt like she has been dumped into a frozenke, she has been staying in the pce for a long time, and she has heard all the rumours about the cold pce being haunted because of the number of concubines and Empresses took their life here, at first she thought that they were just rumours but now that she was experiencing it, Xiao Mi felt like she was going to lose her life. She immediately threw the abortion medicine carelessly on the ground and tried to flee but she was blocked by another dark shadow and a snickering voice echoed in the courtyard. ¡± She is running, she is running..e and catch her or else our meal will be gone!¡± Meal? She was going to be eaten? Nervousness and fear flooded her system and she immediately turned around to leave but just as she was trying to run, she came face to face with a figure that was dressed in a long robe. ¡± Are you running after sinning?¡± The ck figure said in a loud and domineering voice causing Xiao Mi¡¯s face to turn purple and she shook her head, ¡± I didn¡¯t...I didn¡¯tmit a sin.¡± ¡± LIES!¡± The figure boomed loudly and raised his hand in the air as if he was clutching someone¡¯s throat and Xiao Mi suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. Her eyes popped as she looked at the figure and strutted, ¡± Please...Please let me go...I didn¡¯t...I wasn¡¯t the one who did it...¡± ..... ¡± But you lent your hand, didn¡¯t you?¡± said the ck robe figure. ¡± Because of you, an innocent soul will die... tonight ...I cannot look away from this terrible sin... you will have toe with me and be the meal of those two...¡± He unclenched his hands and Xiao Mi dropped to the floor, bursting with fear she turned her head to look over at the dark figures that were approaching her and shuddered. No, she couldn¡¯t be eaten! If she was to get eaten then what will happen to her brothers? But if she was, to tell the truth, she will be punished then as well. Li Gang saw the calctions in her eyes and he immediately smirked, fooling and ckmailing people was something that he knew best. He immediately took a step forward and said, ¡± If you don¡¯t tell the truth... and save that innocent soul from dying, then your entire family will die tonight...I will take them with myself!¡± Xiao Mi shuddered as she turned to look at the ck figure, its eyes were dark pits with a fire burning in them, she could almost imagine her family being roasted alive in that burning fire. ¡± I will...I will go and tell the truth to the Emperor right now! Just let me go!¡± Xiao Mi cried as she looked at the figure in front of her. ¡± Please ...I will do as you ask me to but let me go!¡± ¡± Uh-huh.¡± The figure shook his head. ¡± You havemitted a sin, only when you correct it will you be freed.¡± Xiao Mi gulped and unsteadily got up from her spot and walked towards the exit of the cold pce when something came zooming towards her, smacking her right across the face. She was almost going to yell out loud when she saw that it was the pouch of the abortion medicine that she was burying in the ground just now, stunned she looked over at the figure who said, ¡± Don¡¯t try to act smart with me, take out all the evidence you have against the concubine and go the Emperor with me or I will send you to hell along with your family.¡± This time Xiao Mi didn¡¯t act up anymore, she obediently walked to her room and took out all the letters and their responses that she has hidden under the cab and pulled out every single thing that she could find against Concubine Shen and brought it to the Emperor, what was even scarier...no one seemed to have seen her as she did what she does right now, it was as if she was invisible. A shudder went through her spine as she approached the Emperor¡¯s pce and announced the reason for her arrival. Chapter 8 Chapter 8: We are not flirting ¡± Your majesty,¡± the second prince, Zhai Heng came bursting inside the study of the Emperor. ¡± A maid just came in, she is saying that she is here to prove the innocence of the Empress.¡± With his long hair tied up with a crown sitting on top of his head, Zhai Tianyu flipped through the book and lightly said, ¡± Just ignore that maid of the Empress, she has beening here ever since thest hour. Yet she has brought nothing at all ...she just keeps repeating that the Empress is innocent as if someone from the Liu family can be innocent.¡± ¡± But that¡¯s the thing,¡± said Zhai Heng approaching Zhai Tian Yu¡¯s table. ¡± The maid doesn¡¯t belong to the Empress, she belongs to Concubine Shen.¡± Zhai Tian Yu snapped his book close and looked at his brother, the two of them exchanging a nce. Xiao Mi shuddered when the door of the Emperor¡¯s pce opened, she wanted to run till thest second but ¡ª her gaze flickered to the ck robe man and she almost passed out. The thing has dropped its mask and now she could see its skeletal face, it was as if someone has brought back a rotten corpse to life again,pared to that scary thing, she would rather face the Emperor. ¡± I greet the ruler of the heavens and earth,¡± Xiao Mi bowed in front of Zhai Tian Yu and ced the letters and evidence that she has collected against Concubine Shen and said, ¡± These are all the evidence that Concubine Shen¡¯s child wasn¡¯t the Emperor...that child.. it belonged to her lover.... Aftering to the pce, she was abandoned by you, your majesty and she found sce in her lover... but unfortunately, she got pregnant and couldn¡¯t hide it on time, so she used this chance to frame the Empress and kill that child altogether.¡± Once those words were said a deadly silence spread all over the courtyard, a man being cheated on was never a good thing. Whether it was the past or the future. ..... ¡°Uh huh, so that ck hair is actually dark green huh?¡±mented Li Gang with an arch of his brow. ¡± Cheated on and even named that child after himself, this might hurt.¡± Jia Li snorted. ¡± Well he deserves that, didn¡¯t you hear that he abandoned that Concubine? Does a woman have no need? Only men do? That¡¯s so sexist.¡± ¡± Why are you telling me that?¡± said Li Gang staring at her in stunned surprise. ¡± I am not the one who is whoring here and there, why are you snapping at me huh?¡± ¡± With that ugly face of yours, you can hardly ever get close to a female ghost much less whore around,¡± scoffed Jia Li, her voice disdainful. ¡± What do you mean by that?¡± ¡± I mean exactly what I said right now.¡± ¡± You bitch!¡± ¡± You bastard.¡± ¡± All right you two, that¡¯s enough,¡± separating the two of them Grandma Lan Fen said, ¡± Just look at what¡¯s happening, there is no need for you two to get all raging.¡± The two of them red at each other but then for the sake of Grandma Lan Fen, the two of them separated and turned to look at the Emperor whose face had turned purple. He motioned the eunuch behind and thetter picked the letters up and handed it to the Emperor. He took one of the letters and tore it open to read what he read must have been pretty smutty because his face turned red, then blue and finally he started looking like a badly mixed ck current ice cream. ¡± That¡¯s what you get for keeping so many wives,¡± said Jia Li channelling her inner Liu Hui Ying with a disgusted expression. ¡± I can¡¯t believe that such a good looking man is such a g of a man.¡± ¡± I just hope that he allows Liu Hui Ying to get a divorce,¡± said Grandma Lan Fen with a worried expression. ¡± Not for her sake but his... Hui Ying is a stubborn woman and she really hates womanisers, she will rather chuck herself off a cliff than consummate her marriage with that man.¡± ¡± More like chuck him off,¡± amended Li Gang as he folded his arms and stared at the Emperor. ¡± I don¡¯t think that there will be a divorce though, didn¡¯t you see that instead of sending her away, he ordered her to die...the rtionships in this era were messy, I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s going to be that easy.¡± Jia Li only sneered. ¡± Then I will pray for his and his little brother down there.¡± ¡± Where are you looking?¡± Seeing that she was staring at another man¡¯sher regions, Li Gang immediately whipped to stand in front of her. ¡± What is it to you? They are my eyes, I will look wherever I want to,¡± said Jia Li with a huff. ¡± No, you don¡¯t ..¡± ¡± Why not?¡± Li Gang moved his mouth but when he couldn¡¯t say anything he just crossed his arms and said, ¡± You just can¡¯t all right?¡± ¡± You ...¡± Grandma Lan Fen sighed and interrupted their bickering, ¡± Is this the time or ce for you two to flirt?¡± ¡± We are not flirting!¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9: Never mention the Emperor The two of them stopped quarrelling and turned to look at the Emperor who was standing in front of the crying maid with a sullen expression, Jia Li especially liked the greenplexion that matched the green hair on top of his head and said, ¡°It is amazing, just look at the face of the Emperor, he looks like he has eaten a piece of meat that has been rotting for days, just look at that expression of his.¡± ¡± The piece of meat was indeed rotten,¡±mented Li Gang as he crossed his arms behind his head and rolled his eyes. ¡± I really can¡¯t understand what¡¯s the point of keeping so many women? It is like filling your wardrobe with a different set of clothes from teleshopping and then having trouble over what to wear every day, only to pick the two favourite clothes lying in the corner of the wardrobe.¡± Grandma Lan Fen looked at Li Gang and smacked his arm. ¡± Don¡¯t use Hui Ying to make an example, if she finds out she won¡¯t offer you any clothes, then you can go on your dates while dressed in those ck rags that you always wear.¡± ¡± How many times I have to say they are not rags, they are fashion¨C¡± ¡± Shhhh, that jerk is going to say something,¡± Jia Li immediately silenced the two as she looked at the Emperor point nkly. He was looking at the maid with an expression that can only be read as nothing but pure rage and then a scream that was enough to shake the entire courtyard echoed in front of them, ¡± Royalmander!¡± The man dressed in a midnight blue robe immediately went on his knees and shouted back, ¡± Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡± Drag this maid and have punished with dismemberment and offer white linen to everyone in Concubine Shen¡¯s courtyard, tell them to end their life before midnight or they this one shall do it for them,¡± he paused and then breathed heavily with a dejected expression added, ¡± And send word to the phoenix pce, the Empress proven innocent will be allowed to leave her courtyard and the wedding rituals shall be continued as per they were thews. Let the word that the Empress has been pardoned be spread all over the Imperial pce.¡± ¡± Yes, your majesty!¡± The royalmander cupped his hand and bowed to the Emperor who turned around and walked inside the pce with a flick of his sleeves as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered by the screams of the maid on the floor. ..... ¡± That¡¯s it?¡± Jia Li was stunned upon seeing that the Emperor actually left after saying a few words when it came to Liu Hui Ying and simply walked back inside his pce as if she didn¡¯t mean a damn. ¡± Where is the apology? The gifts? Shouldn¡¯t he be seeking Liu Hui Ying out and asking for forgiveness?¡± ¡± You watch too many dramas,¡± said Li Gang with a look of disdain on his face as he looked at Jia Li. ¡± That man was willing to watch the host of the body that is now in Liu Hui Ying¡¯s possession, do you think he will send gifts and an apology? Didn¡¯t you hear what he said just now? He said pardoned instead of saying that she wasn¡¯t proven guilty which meant that he might have notpletely believed the maid, instead he will actually send someone to see whether or not the letters that the maid showed him were real or fabricated.¡± Jia Li¡¯s mouth turned into an ¡®O¡¯ before she said, ¡± Then ... what about the concubine that he just ordered to die?¡± ¡± She must be like the host of the body, easily disposable,¡± Li Gang turned around and started to walk down the stairs, the pce of the Emperor was filled with pure Yang energy it was difficult for ghosts like them who relied on Yin energy to stay there for long. ¡± Most probably he already knew that the child wasn¡¯t his and wanted to kill that concubine sooner orter after taking care of the host but now that she was caught and confessed against, he got angry because his ns were ruined and he had no other choice but to punish her.¡± ¡± He is so ruthless,¡±mented Jia Li as she looked over her shoulder at the Emperor¡¯s pce which waspletely shut now that the entire drama was over. ¡± Killing women like they were chicken and radishes.¡± ¡± Men are often ruthless,¡± when the three of them returned and told the proceedings to Liu Hui Ying, she calmlymented. She wasn¡¯t angry or upset that she didn¡¯t receive any apology from the Emperor, in fact, she was less relieved that she didn¡¯t ¡ª if she did then that jerk would be one up and she wouldn¡¯t have liked that! ¡± But this is so wrong,¡± Jia Li threw herself on the bed and rolled around, when she was alive, she used to stay in the forensicb for days and would even forget to eat and sleep now that she was dead at least she was able to roll on the bed with ease, without worrying about anything but the spiritual energy of her master. ¡± I mean he was the one who killed off the host of this body and yet he didn¡¯t even apologise.¡± Li Gang was munching on an apple that Liu Hui Ying has offered for his good word as he interrupted Jia Li and said, ¡± Technically that man didn¡¯t kill that woman, the body wasn¡¯t poisoned, he might have handed her the gun but she was the one who shot it with her own hands instead of fighting back, didn¡¯t you see the matter was quite simple if that woman and her family would have acted quickly they would have been able to catch the culprit but they gave up before they could even fight the battle, such an easy thing yet they failed to do it.¡± ¡± Sometimes giving up seems much less easy than standing up and fighting,¡± Liu Hui Ying ced her hands on the armrest and raised one finger asking the ghosts to turn silent. As soon as she did that the door of her room opened and Qui Ai walked in and looked at the Empress with a sullen expression, seeing her unjustified Liu Hui Ying felt that something must have happened. ¡± What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qui Ai stomped towards her before she sat down in front of her with her legs crossed. For two minutes she said nothing before bursting out in anger, ¡± The Emperor went to Concubine Ji¡¯s courtyard, he knows that you have been married over as his wife and he should be spending your first night with you but instead he went to that royal Concubine! Can you believe it, your majesty?¡± ¡°Con..cubine Ji?¡± This was the first time Liu Hui Ying was hearing about this royal concubine so she raised one brow and asked, ¡± Who is this concubine Ji, that you are talking about?¡± Qui Ai stared at her before letting out a sigh. ¡± I forgot that you have lost your memories, your majesty ...concubine Ji is the Emperor¡¯s childhood sweetheart, the two of them grew up together and the Emperor is really fond of her, that woman is really too much! She knows that you just married over but instead she snatched the Emperor away so shamelessly! What is she trying to show off huh?¨C¡± ¡± Alright that¡¯s enough,¡± Liu Hui Ying raised one hand and stopped Qui Ai from going on about the concubine Ji. She calmly looked at Qui Ai with a smile and said, ¡± Qui Ai, there is one thing that you need to learn very carefully tonight, can you do that?¡± Qui Ai immediately nodded. As long as her majesty said it, she was willing to learn anything! ¡± Very good, then the thing I want you to learn is ¨CNever. Ever. Mention the Emperor in front of me again,¡± with her fingers tied around the poisonous wine jar, she squeezed it hard. Making sure that it broke into crumbs causing Qui Ai along with the three ghosts to be startled. ¡± It makes me want to vomit.¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10: Tell me Qui Ai was terrified by Liu Hui Ying¡¯s expression, she was so scared that she didn¡¯t even dare to ask why and simply nodded. ¡± Empress Liu please take the Imperial decree offered by the Emperor!¡± The loud voice of the general echoed in the room, Liu Hui Ying raised her brow and got up from her chair, now that her ghost employees have done their work surely the Emperor would have sent word to let her out of the courtyard? She walked towards the front door of her room but was quickly stopped by Qui Ai who seemed to have gotten hold of her bearings. ¡± Your majesty what are you doing? As the Empress you should never open the door for anyone beneath yourself, the general¡¯s position is high but he is still under you, so you cannot open the door for him, let me do it.¡± ¡± Oh, is that so?¡± Liu Hui Ying chuckled with a dark expression, she wasn¡¯t allowed to open the door for him but he was allowed to point the sword at her was that it? Heh. She might have been temporarily discarded but the disrespect was just too much! Liu Hui Ying was very angry. Liu Hui Ying was infuriated to the point of no return. ¡± That damn general!¡± Enraged she didn¡¯t hold her shout back at all, causing her loud voice to echo in the courtyard causing everyone including the damn General standing outside to be left stunned, still clutching on the imperial decree that he received he pointed at the door of the Empress¡¯s room and said with a slightly confused expression. ¡± The Empress did she just curse at me?¡± One of the soldiers in his squad nodded his head after hesitating for a while. ..... ¡± I thought so too because there is no other general except me in this pce,¡± he swept his hair back looking at the door of the Empress¡¯s room, he was going to shout again but then he saw the door being opened by Qui Ai. Seeing the little maid, as usual, he shot her a soft smile that was neither too flirtatious nor too friendly but surprisingly this time the little maid didn¡¯t blush or gave him a smile in return instead, she stared at him before snorting in a very unfriendly manner then turned around to walk back inside. What in the world? Yu Lingyun touched his face before turning to look at his soldiers and asked, ¡± Have I gone ugly? Did the glow on my face turn dim? Or do I not look good?¡± This was the face many women were willing to die for. How in the world a little maid like Qui Ai dared to snort at this gorgeous face of his? Was she looking down at him? ¡± You still look as handsomely dashing as you always do, General,¡± one of the soldiers answered before adding, ¡± maybe Miss Qui is upset because of what happened tonight?¡± Yu Lingyun nodded his head and snapped his fingers at the soldier who spoke before he pointed at him. ¡± You know what I think you are right, she must be angry at me.¡± With that, he turned around cleared his throat and walked inside the room but as soon as he strode in, his feet paused in the air and he blinked because it was one thing for Qui Ai to be ring at him but even the ever gentle Empress stared at him with a gaze that could be described as a fierce tigress staring at her prey waiting for her turn to jump on it. What in the world happened in just a few hours? The Empress wasn¡¯t only cursing at him but she was also staring at him as if she wanted to eat him raw. Yu Lingyun smiled before stretching out the imperial decree in his hands and said, ¡± Your majesty, please take this...its the decree from the Emperor.¡± Liu Hui Ying peered at the scroll wrapped in a shy red paper that Yu Lingyun was calling decree and said, ¡± What is it? My execution date?¡± She knew that she wasn¡¯t going to die but that didn¡¯t mean that she was going to let those who were behind this incident off so easily. If these idiots would have done what they did now then she wouldn¡¯t have transmigrated here... she would still be in her world and would have relished the sweet taste of promotion but no! These idiots pushed that woman to die and now she was stuck here, for god knows how long...her promotion, her big house!¡± Her words caused Yu Lingyun to choke on the air that he just breathed and coughed out loud before he hurriedly cleared his throat and said, ¡°That¡¯s not it, your majesty. The Emperor has granted you amnesty¨C¡± ¡± Amnesty?¡± Liu Hui Ying parroted the word before letting out a disdainful scoff as she crossed her arms in front and said, ¡± Amnesty for what? What did I do wrong? Tell me. I am standing right here, tell me. Come on.¡± This was the first time that the Empress was acting so aggressively, Yu Lingyun who was only used to the delicate and calm Empress, was a bit stunned at her overbearing attitude. ¡± Look at that man, he looks so surprised,¡± snorted Jia Li as she watched the scene happening in the main room with Li Gang and Grandma Lan Fen. Grandma Lan Fen smiled with a sly hint as she said, ¡°Well of course he is, I don¡¯t think the Empress was half as confident as Hui Ying. That girl has always been vengeful, she never lets anyone off for causing her trouble and this time it¡¯s a big one.¡± ¡± I am surprised that she hasn¡¯t chopped that man¡¯s thing up with his sword up,¡± chimed in Li Gang. ¡± She is dealing with this matter really calmly.¡± ¡± Of course not,¡± snorting Jia Li looked down at Li Gang who was crouching on the floor to look at the scene in front of him. ¡± She is only waiting, as the wise men say best for thest, the one who will face a sword pointed at his crotch will be that ruthless king.¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11: Allergy ¡± Your majesty, the incident that happened this evening¨C¡± Yu Lingyun began but then Liu Hui Ying took a step closer to him and raised her chin haughtily. ¡± Yes, what about the incident? Did you find any evidence that will prove that I am the culprit? If so then where is it?¡± She took out a handkerchief from the pocket of her robe and carefully spread it over her other hand as she pointed at it and said, ¡± Put it right here, I want to see the evidence that will show that I was the culprit, given that you are here with the amnesty granted by the Emperor you must have brought the evidence right?¡± Yu Lingyun looked at the back of her hands and then at her face that was looking at him brimming with impatience. ¡± Your majesty there is no evidence¨C¡± began Yu Lingyun, the maid of Concubine Shen confessed so how was it possible for them to pursue the matter? What was more the evidence was hard to refute. Everything was written in ck and white, from asking for the abortion medicine to asking the maid to frame the Empress everything was written on paper. With such conclusive evidence was there any way to still prove that the Empress was the one who caused the abortion? ¡± Oh then it means that I wasn¡¯t the culprit at all from the beginning, so how in the world will I be granted amnesty when I am not even the culprit?¡± With her head tilted to the side, Liu Hui Ying questioned once again looking at the man in front of her with a point-nk stare. ¡± Tell me?¡± With her hands crossed behind her back, she retreated. ¡± How can one pardon someone when they are not even proven criminal?¡± Her questions were valid but that didn¡¯t mean that she could question the Emperor like that, she might be the Empress but even she has to bow in front of the Emperor. How can she say such things? ¡°Your majesty, I know that you are angry but¨C¡± ¡± I am angry?¡± Liu Hui Ying questioned back interrupting Yu Lingyun again causing him to grind his teeth in anger. ¡® Will you just let me finish?¡¯ ..... Seeing his face turning red, Liu Hui Ying¡¯s lips curled up. This was so easy, just ask a few rational questions and men like him will get angry. At times like this, she couldn¡¯t help but remember her senior who was different from others, he always treated women with kindness and respect¨Cwas attentive to what they said, in fact, it was better to say that he was the only man who didn¡¯t re her allergies. With her lips curled, she sighed and added, ¡± I am not angry at all, if I was angry then I can assure you General even the heavens would have felt my wrath.¡± As she said that the temperature of the room dropped to freezing point causing everyone inside along with those who were standing outside shiver with cold, Yu Lingyun looked at the Empress and then looked over his shoulders¨C it was the middle of summer how in the world the room got so cold? But if he was surprised by this much, then he was in for a lot of trouble because someone went ahead behind his back caught his hand and raised it before bringing it down as a heavy p thatnded on the face of the soldier¡¯s face. Both Yu Lingyun and the soldier were stunned as they looked at each other before the soldier said, ¡± General why did you hit me? Did I do something wrong?¡± What can Yu Lingyun say? He didn¡¯t know what just happened either ¡ª all he knew was that he was standing silently on the side but then all of a sudden his hand moved and struck the soldier. Liu Hui Ying stared at the General in front of her before she nodded her head Li Gang who was standing behind Yu Lingyun raised his hand and this time instead of striking the face of either the soldier, he pped Yu Lingyun on the face causing a sudden hush to fall all over the courtyard. Once Li Gang was done, he let go of Yu Lingyun as thetter brought his hand down and stared at the palm that was supposed to be in his control. What was happening? Hitting his soldier was one thing but hitting himself? Was he no longer in control of his limbs? ¡± Oh look even the heavens are angry about you spouting nonsense,¡± said Liu Hui Ying causing the entire crowd to turn silent at once. Yu Lingyun raised his head to look at the Empress, he wanted to think that this thing had something to do with the Empress but when he took a look at his hand, he didn¡¯t find any invisible string or anything attached to it¨C it was as if he really hit himself in the face but why will he hit himself? Did that even make sense? ¡± Maybe you should have phrased it like this....¡± Liu Hui Ying took a step closer to Yu Lingyun as she continued, ¡± Your majesty, even though you were innocent neither the Emperor nor I could be bothered with an innocent life being lost so we ignored you. No, in fact we were more than happy to do so ...because we didn¡¯t want you to make it out alive of this ce, that¡¯s why we did that but now that there is a conclusive piece of evidence that we cannot deny, we have no other choice but to let you go but our ego is too big for us to ignore, so that¡¯s why we¡¯re going to act as if you were in the wrong and we were the bigger person here...oh my, a bit impulsive aren¡¯t you?¡± She said with a sudden sharp intake of breath as she took a step back when he aimed the sword right at her neck. ¡± Please do not make me force my hand, your majesty,¡± said Yu Lingyun with his sword at Liu Hui Ying¡¯s neck. ¡± The Emperor is a great ruler¨C¡± ¡± Oh, he is such a great ruler that he cannot even apologise when he is in the wrong?¡± Liu Hui Ying blurted out before she could stop herself, behind her Jia Li and the other winced. ¡± She really can never let a man have one up over her can she?¡± said Jia Li with a grimace. ¡°And this habit of hers is going to get us all killed,¡± Li Gang already had his hands over his eyes as he said, ¡± Anyway it was good knowing you all... I will miss our time together.¡± Just as he said that Yu Lingyun moved and so did Liu Hui Ying, she wasn¡¯t going to stand still and let that man make bloody holes in her body but what she didn¡¯t expect was that even though she was in apletely different body¨C her brute strength was still with her! With a quick snap she dodged the sword that was aiming at her, caught Yu Lingyun¡¯s wrist, and with her hand on his waist she did a spectacr body throw! ¡°Ahhh?!!¡± ¡± General!¡± ¡± Your majesty!¡± At once three people moved themander of the army, Yu Lingyun who slumped on the floor and Liu Hui Ying who screamed in pain. ¡± I touched a man! I touched a man! Qui Ai bring a vat of water as soon as you can!¡± As soon as she said that red dots started to appear on her skin causing Qui Ai and Yu Lingyun to get startled. ¡± Your majesty, I will bring the royal physician at once,¡± Qui Ai shrieked in panic but before she could run away, she was stopped by Liu Hui Ying who blew on her rashes and said, ¡± I don¡¯t need the royal physician, I need a bath and kick these men out of my room! They are the ones who made my skin be like this..¡± ¡± You mean to say your majesty...¡± before Qui Ai could say anything, Yu Lingyun shrieked. ¡± You are allergic to men?¡± Liu Hui Ying was already in bad mood because of the allergic reaction and now that Yu Lingyun shouted all of a sudden, she got even more furious as she red at him with such a cold gaze that Yu Lingyun swallowed in a gulp. ¡± Your majesty...¡± ¡°It¡¯s you ...you are the one who red my allergies up...¡± she was furious enough to chop Yu Lingyun up as she approached him and pulled him by his corner. Yu Lingyun was six feet tall with sturdy muscles and a powerful build but as Liu Hui Ying picked him up like he was a weak chicken, Yu Lingyun¡¯s eyes popped but before he could even stomach the shock¨C he was thrown out of the room with a bang. ¡± General are you okay?¡± The soldiers that came with Yu Lingyun were only three to four and when they saw the brute strength of the Empress they didn¡¯t dare to say anything much less make a move. But they didn¡¯t need to make any move as Liu Hui Ying was already on move, scratching her face she red at Yu Lingyun and his soldiers as she said, ¡± I don¡¯t want to see any men ever in this courtyard, as long as I am here, you all stay away and...¡± with her eyes coldly sweeping at their group she added, ¡± If either of you let a word about my allergy then let me warn you, if I find out that the information is leaked then I will find you all five of you, I have burned our faces in my mind and when I find you ...¡± her gaze skimmed to a certain part of their body before she raised her hand and stomped on the floor heavily causing the wooden tform to break. Almost at once Yu Lingyun and his soldiers closed their legs in fear. ¡± You understood right?¡± asked Liu Hui Ying with a sharp grin. Did they have any other choice other than nodding? Chapter 12 Chapter 12: Zhen¡¯s fault ¡± You are here?¡± Zhai Heng raised his head from the memorandum that he was reading as Yu Lingyun walked in, however, upon seeing his drooping appearance he frowned and further asked, ¡± What happened why are you looking like that? Did the Empress make things difficult for you?¡± Zhai Tianyu was working on the new army strategy upon hearing his brother¡¯s question, he took raised his head and looked at Yu Lingyun, the Empress dowager and the Liu family has been keeping an eye on him from the day he rose to the throne, fortunately, his childhood friend and cousin Ji Yue was there to screen his actions, an hour ago he went inside Ji Yue¡¯s courtyard and then walked out of there while wearing a guards uniform, he knew that he should have gone to the Empress¡¯s courtyard since it was their wedding night but breathing the same air as someone from the Liu family was simply impossible for him to do so. That was why he went to Ji Yue instead of visiting Liu Hui Ying, anyway he was famous for his treacherous, fickle and debaucher nature, no one was going to suspect anything. Of course, he might receive tant criticism from his grandmother but he was willing to listen to it. Yu Lingyun let out an exaggerated sigh as he slumped on the chair in front of Zhai Tianyu and threw his head back. ¡± Making things difficult for me will be putting it lightly, she was jumped on me like a fierce tigress I was afraid that if I stayed even a minute there, I will lose my life and my manhood altogether.¡± ¡± What kind of things are you spouting?¡± Zhai Heng admonished him lightly as he shot a nce at the Emperor who was looking at Yu Lingyun with a frown. ¡± I am not saying nonsense!¡± Yu Lingyun set up straight as he looked at his two friends and colleagues. ¡± You know when I went to the Empress¡¯s courtyard to let her know that she was granted amnesty, do you know what she did?¡± ¡± Threw a vase at you?¡± guessed Zhai Heng. ..... ¡± No, she must have scolded him,¡± said Zhai Tianyu, he knew Liu Hui Ying before marriage and had a good understanding of her spoiled nature, she was the princess of the Liu family and her father was known for his corrupt activities used to favour her to high heavens as far as he heard the rumours Father Liu has decorated the entire room of his daughter with gold, silver and antiques. ¡± Most probably said some rude things andshed out on the soldiers.¡± But Yu Lingyun simply shook his head and said, ¡± You are wrong. She didn¡¯tsh out at me, she was angry but totally rational, she straight up looked me in the eyes and asked, what crime did shemit for her to be granted amnesty?¡± This time both Zhai Heng and Zhai Tianyu ced the scrolls in their hands down as they looked at Yu Lingyun. ¡± Did she really say that?¡± as far as Zhai Tianyu knew the Empress was a childish, easy-to-manipte person, there were two reasons he sanctioned this marriage, number one, he wanted to get the Liu family off his back. These days they have been mouring a lot in the court and the second reason was to make use of the Empress¡¯s foolishness and discard both Liu Hui Ying and the Liu family but for these two things to work he needed Liu Hui Ying to be as irrational and arrogant as she was before getting married to him. In case she suddenly start to act smart what was he going to do? ¡± Of course, she said that, do you think I will lie to you?¡± Yu Lingyun ced one arm on the table and enunciated each word as he looked at Zhai Tianyu with a slightly offended expression. ¡± No, it¡¯s just that if the Empress is not like the soft persimmon as I thought she is then all our ns are going to be ruined,¡± what was more he even took away the title that Ji Yue deserved from her all to get rid of the Liu family if he couldn¡¯t get rid of the Empress and her maternal family, how will he look Ji Yue in the eyes? ¡± If the Empress is really not acting as we want her to then it¡¯s going to be troublesome,¡± said Zhai Heng fretfully, the reason Zhai Tianyu didn¡¯t visit the Empress was not only because he didn¡¯t want to stay in the same room as someone from the Liu family but also because he wanted the Empress to blow up her top and act unreasonably that way Zhai Tianyu would have been able to scold the Liu family on the pretext of them not teaching their daughter how to be big-hearted and act in ordance with how yin was supposed to respect the yang. That way they would have knocked the Liu family down a notch or two. But if the Empress was calm then the person to be criticised will be Zhai Tianyu! Zhai Tianyu¡¯s eyes shed and his knuckles turned white because he was clenching his fists so tight, he was able to already imagine how the Liu family was going to use this matter tomorrow morning in the court and taunt both him and the Ji family ministers, they will also make use of what happened tonight to drag Ji Yue in the mud along with him. ¡± We underestimated the Empress, she is smarter than we thought. Of course, someone from the Liu family can never be, after all, it¡¯s Zhen¡¯s fault that Zhen believed her to be easily manipted.¡± ¡± There is no need to get angry, your majesty,¡± said Zhai Heng as he reached his hand towards his younger brother¡¯s shoulder and patted him lightly. ¡± The Empress might be able to stop herself today but I am sure that once she sees you giving out favour to everyone other than her, she will definitely blow up.¡± ¡± Zhen¨C¡± ¡°I doubt that,¡± before Zhai Tianyu could say anything, Yu Lingyun snickered. ¡± I bet the Empress will be truly happy if he never visits her.¡± Both brothers turned to look at Yu Lingyun as Zhai Heng frowned and said, ¡± what do you mean by that?¡± Yu Lingyun looked left and right before whistling at the guards who were keeping guard on the roof and said, ¡± Leave us for a while,¡± only when he sensed that the two guards were gone, did he lean toward Zhai Tianyu and Zhai Heng as he whispered, ¡± The Empress is allergic to men.¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13: Not easy to bully There was an awkward silence followed by Zhai Heng¡¯s admonishing voice, ¡± What in the world are you talking about? Do you even know what you are saying? Saying such things can get you in a lot of trouble, don¡¯t you know that?¡± ¡± I am not lying though,¡± said Yu Lingyun with a slightly hurt expression, his lips pouting as he looked at his childhood friends. ¡± When I went to announce the decree to the Empress, she said some things that made me lose my temper and I raised my sword against her. But she wasn¡¯t intimidated by it instead, she grabbed my wrist and then ...¡± he paused with a confused expression on his face before continuing, ¡± I don¡¯t know what she did but her move was swift, brutal and very painful ...¡± he whispered, afraid that someone would hear him saying such things. ¡± Anyway, she did some ...¡± with very violent moments of his hands to exin the move that Liu Hui Ying used on him, Yu Lingyun said, ¡± Something really weird and bang before I knew it ...my sword dropped on the ground and I was lying on the floor without a weapon in my hand, I thought that I will die then and there but then suddenly very ugly, red rashes started to pop all over the Empress¡¯s skin.¡± With his arm ced on the tabletop, Yu Lingyun leaned forward and looked at Zhai Heng and Zhai Tian Yu. ¡± After what I witnessed I am sure that the Empress really hates man.¡± He drawled the word ¡®hate¡¯ nice and long. ¡± And what¡¯s more when I was facing her, she didn¡¯t look like the naive, spoiled andpletely bumbling young miss as everyone make her out to be, she looked me in the eye like an equal. Not as a frail woman who needs to rely on a man but as an equal, do you get what I am saying? From what I saw I can tell you one thing for sure, she doesn¡¯t need a man.¡± This information of course didn¡¯t bring any joy to either Zhai Heng or Zhai Tianyu instead the two of them looked at each other with an rmed expression on their faces. ¡± If what Lingyun said is true then I am afraid, all our ns will fall through...Yu¡¯er, what are we going to do now?¡± asked Zhai Heng, his eyes popping wildly as he looked at his younger brother. The Empress ...if she really hates man then what will happen to all the ns that they have made? For the sake of those ns to work it was very important for the Empress to be under the palms of their hands. Zhai Tianyu said nothing but the brush in his hands snapped in half because of the strength that he was putting at it. ¡± She yed a really, really smart game, just like my mother.¡± ..... The Liu family belonged to a very old n and had been in power since the era of his great-great-grandfather, the power that the Liu family have umted was no joke. This was the reason that even though he inherited the throne and became the Emperor, he was still fearful of the Liu family ¡ª every move that he made, he had to be cautious, worrying about being caught by the Liu family, if he was to make the slightest bit of a mistake then he will be nothing but a puppet in the hands of those ministers of the Liu family who have been eyeing him like a bunch of vultures. Making a mistake wasn¡¯t an option and angering the Liu family was even more impossible for him to do. For the sake of silencing their mouring, he had to make his childhood sweetheart Ji Yue a royal concubine while leaving the seat of Empress to someone from the Liu family. Only he knew how badly his heart bled that day when he had to bring Ji Yue into the pce like a small, insignificant Concubine. She was his beloved and deserved nothing less than being brought into the pce dressed in bright red veils apanied by gongs and a big hoo-hah..yet because he was being suppressed by the Liu family he had to bring Ji Yue silently like a dirty little secret. As for the daughter of the Liu family, she came inside the pce with such a big and high fanfare that she might as well dere herself the ruler of the world. He didn¡¯t want Ji Yue to be bullied that was why he chose a woman who was naive and easy to take care of from the Liu family but never did he think he would be crossed like this! ¡± Zhen, really made a big mistake choosing that woman didn¡¯t he?¡± Zhai Tianyu threw the broken brush in the basket where all the trash from his study was thrown and then turned to look at his brother. ¡± To think we made such a big mistake, just like our father ... what will happen to us now? Will we be killed¨C¡± ¡± Don¡¯t!¡± Zhai Heng immediately reached his hand out and stopped Zhai Tianyu from finishing the words that he was going to say before he said, ¡± I am sorry for stepping out of my line, your majesty. But you don¡¯t need to fear, no matter how smart that woman is, she can¡¯t take care of all of us at the same time can she? We also have the great Empress dowager with us... there is no way she will have the chance to retaliate against you.¡± Zhai Tianyu smiled softly but there was a hint of mncholy to it as he turned to look at the moon shining in the sky. ¡± You are right, even if she has the Liu family behind her, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that she was destined to die, the second she stepped inside this pce. No matter how strong she is, in the end, she is all alone, isn¡¯t she? Zhen will love to see how long she will be able to defend herself against us.¡± ¡ª¡ª¨C ¡± Don¡¯t worry your majesty, I am always with you..no matter what happens with little Ai here, you will never be alone,¡± Qui Ai kept on chattering as she made Liu Hui Ying¡¯s bed, maybe it was because she was young but she kept yammering on and on until Liu Hui Ying started to feel her ears twitching, maybe if she heard to Qui Ai¡¯s chatter a few more minutes, her ears will really fall on the ground. ¡± So what if the Emperor didn¡¯te to see you? I am sure as soon as left prime minister Liu finds out what he has done he will scold the Emperor until he is willing to spend the night with you, your majesty.¡± There was no need for anyone for the left prime minister to do anything of the sort like that, she was very happy without the Emperor trying to get close to her. With Qui Ai being such a loudmouth, Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t even have to ask anything about the owner of the body. Qui Ai who firmly believed that her mistress was the best in both worlds told her everything that she wanted to know after finding out that Liu Hui Ying lost all her memories. Turns out the owner wasn¡¯t a daughter from an easy-to-bully family, she hailed from the biggest n that has been ruling over this country for more than a hundred years, their history was deep and it wasn¡¯t easy to knock them down either. The Left prime minister about whom Qui Ai was talking was the uncle of the owner of this body that Liu Hui Ying was upying, from what she heard it was clear that even though there was a right prime minister, the court was sort of ruled by this uncle of the owner all alone. After listening to what Qui Ai had to about the Liu family, Liu Hui Ying wasn¡¯t surprised that the Emperor tried to take the Empress down before she could gain a firm foothold in the inner courtyard of his pce. He was already being rolled around like a ball by the left prime minister, surely he wouldn¡¯t want to be ruled by another one from the Liu family in his inner courtyard will he? ¡± Your majesty¨C¡± ¡± Little Ai, I think it¡¯ste, you can go and take a break now,¡± Liu Hui Ying was more than just tired after listening to Qui Ai¡¯s chatter. She was supposed to be head of the detective department, she liked solving cases with her ghost employees and taking care of thugs by beating them every now and then... when has she ever sat down and gossiped to anyone like this? It was one of the most boring things that Liu Hui Ying has ever faced in her life. But because she didn¡¯t want the little girl to start crying again, she smiled and looked at her. ¡°It¡¯s been a tough day, hasn¡¯t it? You ran around so much for the entire night, you deserve to lie down on afortable bed and sleep in peace.¡± ¡± What about you, your majesty?¡± asked Qui Ai with her head tilted to one side. ¡± About me? Haha, I think I will stay awake a little more.¡± How can she sleep? Her promotion was gone! Her body was gone and now she was stuck in this annoying ce! It was good enough that Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t go crazy, what sleep! Chapter 14 Chapter 14: I will shove her soul right back in Liu Hui Ying said those words as calmly as possible with the intention of not making Qui Ai cry but thetter took a look at her and before Liu Hui Ying knew Qui Ai¡¯s lips were wobbling as big drops of tears started to fall from her eyes. ¡± Hey..Wh..why are you crying now?¡± It was safe to say that Liu Hui Ying was stunned as she looked at the young girl who was crying in front of her. ¡± W..What did I say now huh? What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± She didn¡¯t understand what was going on with Qui Ai but a secondter as the young girl¡¯s hoarse voice echoed in the silent room she understood what exactly was going on in her head of this young girl. ¡± Uwaa! My missy can¡¯t even sleep because of heartache and that ..jer¨C¡± she paused before huping twice. ¡± And that bad Emperor is sleeping with his concubine with ease, what a bad emperor!¡± She cried as she turned around and left the room causing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s lips to twitch as she shook her head and looked at the back of the sobbing maid. ¡± She really has some great imagination,¡±mented Jia Li as she stared at Qui Ai who shut the door behind her, as soon as the door slid close, her cries became muffled returning to the calm of the night. ¡± I have to say if she was born in the modern world, she could have directed a hell of a lot of melodramatic dramas and I am not even kidding when I say that they all would have been a hit.¡± Liu Hui Ying threw her head back and let out a heavy moan as she red at the closed door and smacked her arm on the windowsill. ¡± I just can¡¯t understand ...exactly how much did this woman loved the Emperor for everyone to link every single thing I do with that dog of an Emperor! Like I just want to sit here and calmly stare at the beauty of the moon, what is there to cry about!¡± She threw her hands up in the air and moved her butt to continue looking at the moon, only to get stuck in the ce because of the heavy skirt that she was wearing. Liu Hui Ying looked at the fabric that was twined around her legs and impatiently tore it away from her skin before snarling, ¡± And what is this? What in the world is this? Do they want me to train my core or something, what is the meaning of making me wear this heavy skirt?¡± She was angry, she was really angry and she really missed herfy pants what exactly was this ... she couldn¡¯t even take off the piece of cloth that was tied around her chest. What a stifling situation aargh! ..... Though she was angry she didn¡¯t show her temper as she would have when she was in the modern world, instead, she calmly turned around and looked at the moon with a scowl on her face. ¡± I have to go back...there is no way I can stay here. Myfort, my delicious snacks, my beer and most importantly my promotion...¡± Liu Hui Ying dragged thest word with a cry as she smacked her head on the arm that was resting on the windowsill. ¡± I need to go back, I have to go back! Or else that evil man Xue Jing will take away my hard-earned opportunity!¡± The three ghosts were startled by her loud cry and they exchanged a look with each other before turning around and looking at Liu Hui Ying. Li Gang was pushed to the front of the battle line by Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen, he red at the two of them before he summoned his courage and said, ¡± Umm, I think this is not bad either, I mean ...you are the Empress¨C I am sorry...¡± he immediately changed his words when he saw Liu Hui Ying raise her head and re at him. Mommy! He was a ghost but this woman was really scary! ¡± Yes this is amazing, I am an Empress that has a sword hanging at the back of my neck!¡± snapped Liu Hui Ying as she picked up a pillow that was resting on the small wooden cab-like sitting stool and threw it at Li gang. ¡± Can¡¯t you see my life is in danger here! If I stay here, I am sure it wouldn¡¯t take long for those dog men to turn me into a ghost-like you three! No, I have to look for this woman¡¯s soul and catch her, since she was the one who brought me into this world then she will be the one who will send me back! There is no other choice!¡± ¡± But will that woman agree?¡± asked Jia Li with a confused expression on her face. ¡± I mean she was the one who you know jumped off the cliff, you also heard what she said when she was preparing to jump, she said that there was nothing left for her. If the spirit doesn¡¯t have anything to hold on to wouldn¡¯t they just move on to the next life?¡± ¡± No, I felt a very heavy grudge emanating from her soul,¡± Liu Hui Ying shook her head as she leaned her chin against the back of her hand. ¡± She might have said those words but she had a very deep regret...she wouldn¡¯t have moved on..no, it¡¯s better to say that she can¡¯t move on...most probably she is somewhere around here, we just have to find her and shove her back in this body!¡± ¡± Can you do that? I mean if she isn¡¯t willing to return then how will you do it?¡± Li Gang arched a brow as he looked at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± If she wanted to return then she would have returned by now, after all, we solved her predicament.¡± Liu Hui Ying squinted her eyes as she red at Li Gang and said, ¡°It¡¯s not up to her to decide whether she wants toe back in this body or not, I am a celestial master and if I want I can blow her soul into pieces with a snap of my fingers,¡± and did she snap her finger. ¡± I don¡¯t believe that shoving a spirit back into its original body is going to be that hard and even if it¡¯s hard, I will still do everything in my power to get her inside for the sake of my promotion!¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15: You are just trying to ck off ¡± I don¡¯t think this is going to work,¡± said Li Gang as he went plop on the bed. ¡± If that woman wanted toe back to her body, she would have already done that..but she is not here, so who knows?¡± Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen turned to look at him before shrinking their neck when they saw Liu Hui Ying turning her head and staring at the three of them, something about her gaze made them feel terrified even when they knew that they couldn¡¯t die again. ¡± If she doesn¡¯te back then I am not the only one who is going to suffer in fact I will suffer a lot lesspared to the three of you.¡± ¡± What does that mean?¡± Li Gang immediately opened his eyes and sat up straight before looking at Liu Hui Ying who was smiling at him with a sly glint in her eyes. ¡± What else can I mean? If we don¡¯t go back then neither of you can move to the afterlife,¡± she turned to look at Grandma Lan Fen and smiled sharply. ¡± Grandma Lan Fen, you want to see your granddaughter go to college and get married right? But if you are stuck in this world how are you going to that? With us being stuck here for who knows how long maybe by the time we go back to our world, your granddaughter will be an old grandma herself?¡± Grandma Lan Fen felt as if something seemed to have stuck in her chest, even though her heart was no longer beating, she swore that it jumped several heartbeats. Then Liu Hui Ying turned to look at Jia Li with a sympathetic expression and continued, ¡± You too Jia Li, you worked so hard for six months and helped me solve so many cases..all because you wanted me to buy you the premium membership of your favourite Chill and Flix site, if you stay stuck in here then how will you watch all your favourite romantic, thriller and horror dramas? Wouldn¡¯t your membership expire if we don¡¯t go back? Then what will you do? Didn¡¯t you want to spend the rest of your time doing nothing but eating fried chicken and binge-watching shows?¡± Jia Li¡¯s immediately ced her hands on her ears not wanting to listen to anything that Liu Hui Ying was saying. However, Liu Hui Ying wasn¡¯t done, she turned around and looked at Li Gang who stared back at her with a slightly defensive expression. ¡± And you Li Gang, if we don¡¯t go back what will happen to your dream? Didn¡¯t you want to find a hot, voluptuous, sizzling subus to get married to? But if we don¡¯t go back then where will you find that hot diva-like subus for yourself? Don¡¯t forget we are in ancient times, the only ghosts you are going to find now will be those soft, conservative types who will blush twice before even holding your hands. Without the modern set-up, you will have no choice but to make do with one of those ghosts, have a ghost marriage with them and move on to the afterlife, because if I can¡¯t go back then you three will stay here with me as well.¡± ..... Silence ensued in the entire room before Li Gang jumped to his feet. ¡± That damn woman, I swear I am going to drag her even if that¡¯s thest thing I have to do.¡± ¡± That¡¯s right,¡± greatly affected by what Liu Hui Ying said, Jia Li too jumped up. ¡°Everything in this world can expire but not my subscription to Chill and Flix, I don¡¯t think I will be able to withstand the grief.¡± The two of them turned to look at Grandma Lan Fen who sighed and got to her feet as well. ¡± I am not one to support something this boorish but for the sake of my granddaughter ... I will drag this woman¡¯s soul even from the gates of hell!¡± Seeing that she has sessfully riled up her three employees, Liu Hui Ying got to her feet and arched her back before patting the three of them on the shoulder. Since she was their master and the three of them were more or less of poltergeist, it was easier for her to touch them though she did feel an icy feeling sweep right against her skin when she touched the three. ¡°It¡¯s good that you three understand where I aming from now, so listen to me carefully..¡± she swept her gaze at the three ghosts and lowered her voice. ¡± The woman had a very deep grudge along with heavy regrets, she couldn¡¯t have moved onto the afterlife with that many regrets, you see? That¡¯s why ...you three just need to look around for her, since she died in this pce, then her soul is bound to be stuck here, just work hard! All right¡± After saying so, she shrugged her shoulders and yawned. ¡°Any way you three go and look for that woman, I will take a small nap... this entire night has been such a hassle that I feel really sleepy.¡± ¡± Ok¨C wait a minute,¡± Li Gang already had his feet lifted in his air when he paused and turned around to look at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± What about you though? Are you going to just close your eyes and sleep?¡± ¡± What else?¡± Liu Hui Ying sat down on the bed, took off her shoes and then squeezed her toes before raising her head to look at Li Gang with one brow arched. ¡± I can¡¯t walk through walls or make myself invisible from others, after such a thing happened surely that dog Emperor would have his gaze locked on me like some evil spirit. If I leave wouldn¡¯t I be delivering my head to his door on a silver tter, if I die then what will happen to the three of you? Don¡¯t forget that it¡¯s because of me that the grim reaper hasn¡¯t dragged you to the underworld.¡± Jia Li however wasn¡¯t going to let go of Liu Hui Ying so easily, she pursed her lips and sullenly looked at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± You are just trying to make excuses, if you want even the king of the underworld can catch you. Because you don¡¯t want to work hard, you areing up with one excuse after another.¡± ¡± Who says I am not working hard?¡± With a pout, Liu Hui Ying pushed herself off the ufortable bed and looked at the three ghosts. ¡± Whose spiritual energy you three are sucking up to do things? Mine. All right, I am sharing my great spiritual energy with you three even when I haven¡¯t eaten anything aftering here, do you know how tiring this is? How dare you say that I am trying to ck off ?¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16: He is still young The three ghosts were shocked into speechlessness by Liu Hui Ying¡¯s shamelessness but there was nothing they could say against her because she was indeed right. She was sharing her spiritual energy with the three of them and even if they wanted to say that just because she was sharing her spiritual energy doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that she was doing all the hard work here while they were having the time of their afterlives, they couldn¡¯t do it¨C so, with a heavy heart, Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen dragged Li Gang away who was cracking his knuckles as if he was preparing to throw fists at their master. ¡± Why did you two drag me out? Li Gang tore his arms away from Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen and angrily pointed at the courtyard where Liu Hui Ying was. ¡± Do you really like being ordered around by that woman? She always spouts out difficult orders left and right as if they are easy to carry out, don¡¯t you think she is being too much? She might be sharing her spiritual energy with us but we are the ones who are doing all the hard work here.¡± Jia Li rolled her eyes at him as she simply said, ¡± Then go ahead and tell her that you don¡¯t want to follow her orders, I and Grandma Lan Fen will wait for you right here.¡± ¡± Do you think I don¡¯t dare to? I will do it.¡± Li Gang looked at Jia Li with great determination if she dared to say anything against him, he will definitely raise his fists and fight with her. ¡°Go ahead then,¡± with her chin slightly tilted Jia Li tipped her head towards the courtyard. ¡± Go and tell her that you are done taking orders from her and won¡¯t be following her anymore.¡± ¡± Fine,¡± with a grave expression Li Gang turned around and rolled his shoulders making it look like he was preparing himself to step into the battlefield but inwardly he was praying that Grandma Lan Fen would stop him. He really didn¡¯t want to say anything against Liu Hui Ying because thest time he went against her, she trapped him in a small ss bottle and refused to let hime out until he started begging her. He raised his feet and then looked over his shoulders but as soon as he turned around and looked at Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen, he was surprised to find that the two of them were actually looking at him without any intention of stopping him. His momentum slightly iled as he said, ¡± I am really going in.¡± ..... ¡± Go then,¡± replied Jia Li with her arms crossed and her face a mask ofplete calmness. Seeing that she really wasn¡¯t bothered, Li Gang swallowed and then turned to look at Grandma Lan Fen as he said, ¡± Grandma, I am really going in...so if something happens to me then make sure to sacrifice some good wine as offerings for me.¡± After saying this, he turned around and started walking towards the wall of the courts but under his breath he kept muttering, ¡± Please stop me, Please..please, I am banking my hope on you Grandma Lan Fen.¡± ¡± Wait!¡± Just as he reached the wall and raised his feet to step inside, Grandma Lan Fen¡¯s voice came from behind stopping Li Gang just on time. His heart soared and his lips curled into a big smile but then he suppressed the grin and then turned around to look at Grandma Lan Fen as he looked at her with a solemn expression. ¡± What is it, Grandma Lan Fen? Do you know that you are being annoying?¡± ¡± I am sorry dear but,¡± with a hesitation-filled heart, Grandma Lan Fen looked at Li Gang as she said, ¡± If you go in there then you know what she will say.¡± As soon as Grandma Lan Fen said that, those horrifying memories of the past came surging up as they all remembered the lecture that Liu Hui Ying gave them thest time they tried to go against them. [ It was one fine day in summer and they were looking for a serial murderer because the case was tricky the three of them had to work extra hard given that the murderer never buried the body as soon as he killed his victims, instead he would keep their body trapped somewhere and would only dump it after the body waspletely rotten. What was even more surprising, the murderer knew how to disguise himself in such a way that he wasn¡¯t caught by the CCTV cameras in fact with his makeup skills he was able to escape right under the nose of the police department. The three of them were asked to work overtime and when they refused. ¡± Are you saying that you don¡¯t want to work overtime?¡± Liu Hui Ying had looked at them with a calm expression, her sses resting at the bridge of her nose, she didn¡¯t shout or get angry with them instead she calmly looked at them, leaned forward on the table and dangerously whispered, ¡± If you don¡¯t work overtime then I do not have any use forzy bums like you, since you don¡¯t want to work hard, then you all can go to the underworld, I will look for some other ghosts, I bet many of them want to escape the clutches of the grim reaper.¡± After that neither of them dared to say a word.] But till this day they could remember the spiritual pressure that Liu Hui Ying used on them. ¡± Grandma Lan Fen¨C¡± Jia Li wanted to tell Grandma Lan Fen that there was no need for them to worry about Li Gang since they weren¡¯t the ones who were finding trouble with Liu Hui Ying this time but before she could say that Li Gang interrupted her at once. ¡± Fine, Fine ...since you two are such scaredy cats I won¡¯t go and make trouble with Hui Ying, lets¡¯s go we will look for the ghost of that Empress.¡± Then he swaggered past Jia Li as if he was worried she will stop him again. ¡± You should have just let him poke the tiger in the eye,¡± muttered Jia Li as she rolled her eyes at the haughty profile of Li Gang. Grandma Lan Fen chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right, he is still young.¡± ¡ª- Chapter 17 Chapter 17: I caught you ¡°Your majesty, Your majesty please wake up.¡± Liu Hui Ying covered her face with the nket ignoring the calls of the desperate maid as she tried to wake her up as gently as possible. However, no matter how many times Qui Ai called Liu Hui Ying, thetter simply ignored her before turning her head to the left and then ignoring what the little maid was saying. Even though Liu Hui Ying was awake she didn¡¯t want to wake up, after all, who would want to wake up in this horrible nightmare? Qui Ai looked at her missy who was bent on ignoring her and sighed with a bit of annoyance, really what happened to her mistress? Every day she was the one who woke up before everyone else and even lit incense for the Gods and her ancestors yet now she was still in bed even when dawn was approaching. ¡± Your majesty, I know that you are tired but you really need to wake up now, if not you will bete for your greetings to the Grand Dowager Empress and she will have another chance to take jabs at you!¡± This time Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes did snap open as she sat up straight on her bed and looked at Qui Ai in surprise. ¡± What did you say? I am meeting whom?¡± Seeing that her mistress was finally awake, Qui Ai smiled at her before answering her questions in a rapid-fire motion, ¡°It¡¯s like this your majesty since you have newly married over, you need to go and greet the Grand dowager Empress before offering her tea.¡± Liu Hui Ying stared at Qui Ai¡¯s smile while her eyes flickered with shock and disbelief. These people! They were simply not human! She almost died yesterday...no, this woman whose body she was upying was already dead yet instead of giving her a day to get over the shock, they wanted her to go over and greet them as if nothing happened? So heartless! So freaking heartless! ..... Why don¡¯t these crazy freaks ascend and rebel in the heavens? ¡± Do I really have to go?¡± asked Liu Hui Ying, if there was a chance for her to get out of this mess then she was very much willing to do so. Who wanted to greet that old hag from the opposition party? Surely, nothing good wille out of this stupid greeting! Qui Ai thought that her miss was nervous about meeting the Grand Dowager Empress, so she smiled excitedly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared your majesty, this time the Emperor will be apanying you, so there will be no problems at all.¡± Liu Hui Ying was still in a sort of daze but after hearing these words, all her sleepiness vanished as she looked at the smiling Qui Ai and asked, ¡± What did you say? Who is apanying who?¡± Seriously, this ce was really dangerous. She only stayed here for a night and already felt like her IQ was slowly going down. ¡± The Emperor!¡± Qui Ai saw the shocked look on the face of her miss and thought that she was shocked silly by the news that the Emperor wasing to see her and was even willing to apany her to the pce of the Grand Dowager Empress. She sped her hands and with eyes that were brimming with happiness and excitement, she gushed like a love-sick girl, ¡± I bet the Emperor felt sorry for what he did yesterday that¡¯s why he is trying to make it up to you, your majesty!¡± Liu Hui Ying turned her head to look at her three employee ghosts who looked just as stunned as her and realised that she didn¡¯t mishear anything. The emperor was really here and he was actually looking for her? That demonic, irrational only cares about his own skin murderer? ¡± YOUR MAJESTY! SOMEONE COME AND CATCH HER MAJESTY, SHE IS RUNNING!¡± Qui Ai had expected a lot of reactions, from her miss getting angry to shyly scolding the Emperor but what she didn¡¯t expect was her missy to run away from the bedroom! And that too in her nightdress! What in the world was this? Even if her missy forgot about all her memories there was no way she would forget even her noble teaching and elegance that everyone praised her for. Right? Right? But as Liu Hui Ying ran out of the main hall like an excellent runner, Qui Ai realised that her missy was no longer the same as she was before! ¡°Your majesty please stop! Someone catch her majesty!¡± Will Liu Hui Ying listen to Qui Ai? No. Not even if the hell was to freeze here and now. Seeing that old hag was already bad enough but now she has to apany that devil as well? Why not just ask her to jump off the cliff and chuck her life in a pit? Running like an Olympic runner, Liu Hui Ying dodged the eunuchs and the maids who were running behind her, trying to catch her as per Qui Ai¡¯s orders. Fortunately for her, her courtyard was simple, maybe it was a small f*ck you to the Liu family by giving their daughter, the Empress of this country a simple courtyard like this but Liu Hui Ying was very d about its simplicity. Just a main hall with an aligned bedroom, bathroom and a dining room all, as for the rest of the courtyard it was nothing but corridors and empty rooms. Running through them was like running into a maze something that Liu Hui Ying was happy to do! ¡± Your majesty! Please stop and listen to what I have to say, if you run like that then you will surely bete for your meeting!¡± Qui Ai shouted behind Liu Hui Ying causing thetter to increase her pace even more. Gettingte? That¡¯s exactly what she wanted! Who wanted to ept this marriage certainly not her! So, why should she serve that old hag tea and ask for her blessings? She was fine without those stupid blessings! ¡± Ah careful!¡± shouted Jia Li who was flying right beside her but she was a step toote as a pair of arms reached Liu Hui Ying¡¯s waist and hugged her. ¡± I have caught you, your majesty!¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18: I want to go home ! ¡± I got you, your majesty!¡± Liu Hui Ying turned to look at the face of the elderly woman standing behind her, with her lips that were painted redder than the apples, powdered to the point that she looked paler than the moon and wrinkles that cross crossed their way throughout her face, the woman looked just as scary as the ghost. Liu Hui Ying who was suddenly caught by this strange-looking woman stared at her face for two seconds before she turned around and started to il in the arms of the woman again. ¡± I don¡¯t know who you are but you better let go of me before I deliver a German suplex to you, just so you know I am a very strong woman!¡± ¡°Yes, yes..her majesty is really strong,¡± the woman didn¡¯t let go of Liu Hui Ying but at the same time spoke to her as if she was coaxing a child, Liu Hui Ying who for some unknown reasons was treated as a six-year-old at the spiritual age of thirty-six, turned to look at the woman with goosebumps crawling all over her skin as she scrunched up her nose and spoke in a disgruntled voice, ¡± You speak to me in that voice again and I am gonna make your soul fly off, old woman!¡± ¡± O..Old woman?¡± This time the elderly woman did let go of Liu Hui Ying as she sped the spot where her heart was and cried in a loud voice, ¡± Your majesty! What¡¯s wrong with you? I just left you for three days, howe you became like this?¡± ¡± Looks like she knows you,¡±mented Li Gang as they stared at the wailing and howling old woman with tears running down her cheeks. ¡± Shouldn¡¯t you stop her, she is looking scarier than me.¡± That much was true since there was no such thing as waterproof makeup at this time as the old woman sobbed tears of agony, her powdered face started to look more and more scary. Liu Hui Ying looked at the old woman before she raised her hands but she only used her hands to beat others, she has never used to coax anyone, especially someone who cried this loud. After a long pause as she iled her hands, she took out her handkerchief and covered the face of the old woman. ..... Since she couldn¡¯t see her face, there was no need for her to feel bad either. ¡± She is hiding the evidence,¡± said Jia Li. ¡± I didn¡¯t think that you were such a person, Ying¡¯er,¡± chimed in Grandma Lan Fen with her hand cupping her cheek. Li Gang on the other hand sped his hands behind his head and said, ¡± But I knew that you were this kind of ruthless person, you truly deserve to be the boss of a gang leader like me.¡± Liu Hui Ying: ¡°.....¡± I don¡¯t wish to acknowledge them! ¡°Nanny Gong!¡± Just as Liu Hui Ying was feeling a bit hopeless about her situation, Qui Ai came running in their direction. She hurried over to Nanny Gong as she crouched on the ground and asked worriedly, ¡± Nanny Gong, what¡¯s the matter? Why are you crying like this who made you cry?¡± The guilty Liu Hui Ying tried to slowly sneak off but this time Qui Ai was prepared, she immediately raised her head and ordered the maid below her, ¡± Catch her majesty and don¡¯t let her run away.¡± Immediately a bunch of maids stepped forward and apprehended Liu Hui Ying like a criminal. Seeing her situation, Liu Hui Ying¡¯s right twitched as she inwardly thought, ¡® they are quite fortunate that they are women if not I would have broken their hands! How dare they treat her, the head of City Y¡¯s detective department! Do they even know who she was?¡¯ ¡± WHAT?!! HER MAJESTY LOST HER MEMORIES?¡± Nanny Gong who was coaxed and calmed by Qui Ai shrieked as she whipped her head to look at Liu Hui Ying who was sitting on a stool while wearing the most ufortable dress of her life. ¡± Your majesty, you don¡¯t remember... your favourite Nanny Gong?¡± ¡± No,¡± answered Liu Hui Ying rubbing her waist, gosh why did they have to tie so manyyers? It felt like she was going to be crushed! Seeing that Nanny Gong¡¯s eyes once again filled with tears, Liu Hui Ying instantly raised her hands. ¡± Don¡¯t...Don¡¯t cry again or else your makeup will be ruined.¡± And my mood. Nanny Gong sniffed as she summoned her tears back and wiped her eyes, ¡± If I knew that something so terrible will happen I wouldn¡¯t have even thought about leaving you, your majesty.¡± ¡± It doesn¡¯t matter, Nanny Gong,¡± Qui Ai too sobbed as she patted Nanny Gong¡¯s arm. ¡± Her Majesty is all right, that¡¯s what matters the most, right?¡± ¡± That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right,¡± said Nanny Gong as she nodded and picked up the heavy crown on the cab next to the dressing table and approached Liu Hui Ying. Though she was holding a golden crown, Liu Hui Ying felt like she was approaching her with an axe, as she retreated back and tilted her neck back. ¡± You are kidding right, you want me to wear that thing?¡± ¡± Your majesty, please be respectful ...this is the crown of the Empress,¡± nanny Gong hurriedly looked around to make sure that no one heard Liu Hui Ying and then without giving Liu Hui Ying a chance to refuse strapped the crown in ce causing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s neck to bury a few inches. ¡± This the evidence of your identity, your majesty... please be polite to it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can totally feel it....¡± This heavy of a crown can only belong to a heavy position like the Empress! ¡± Okay now, you are ready your majesty,¡± said Nanny Gong as she helped Liu Hui Ying up. ¡± Watch your step, your majesty!¡± She hurriedly caught Liu Hui Ying when thetter iled and almost broke her neck. Liu Hui Ying sped her fingers around her throat and suddenly started sobbing, ¡± I want to go home.¡± Look at this she only wore this stupid crown and almost died! Chapter 19 Chapter 19: I deserve to die your majesty ¡± Tell me again, why do I have to see the jerk who nearly killed me yesterday night and that too with so much fanfare.¡± Liu Hui Ying stared at her reflection in the mirror, it was one thing for her to wear a crown that weighed a ton but it was apletely different thing if they were to make her wear at least seven pieces of clothing including a floaty long veil like a thing that was attached to her shoulders leading all the way up to wrists. What was even more amazing was that despite making her wear all this they even added a corset-like thing wrapped around her waist to make her look even slimmer than usual like she needed to look any more slim! This woman¡¯s waist was already thin as a stick, just one wrong move and she would snap into half like a twig. Looking at her frail figure Liu Hui Ying really missed her six-pack abs, ten years ... it took freaking ten years for her to get a body that could overthrow any man down and now that body was gone. Bloody hell, she was so saddened by the loss of her muscr body that she wanted to cry tears of blood. Refund! Give her a refund at least! ¡± Your majesty, you cannot call the esteemed emperor a jerk...¡± Nanny Gong¡¯s eyes teared up instinctively as she looked at Liu Hui Ying. Goodness, her majesty who was the embodiment of ss and manners actually called the Emperor a jerk! ¡± How shocked you have been to start acting like this, it¡¯s all my fault if I hadn¡¯t left the Liu mansion for my family emergency then something like this would have never happened, I deserve to be killed, your majesty!¡± As she shouted Nanny Gong got to her knees and kowtowed in front of Liu Hui Ying. It was a good thing that Qui Ai helped Liu Hui Ying up before dropping to her knees along with Nanny Gong. Once she and nanny Gong were on their knees the other maids followed suit, dropping to their knees one by one. ..... ¡± Oh this looks fun,¡± Li Gang looked at the row of maids who were on their knees in the long corridor and nodded his head in appreciation. ¡± I don¡¯t know about you but when I was the leader of my gang, my underlings would greet me like this as well! Man, this is taking me back down to my memoryne.¡± ¡± If you are going down memoryne you might as well drown there already,¡± deadpanned Jia Li as she looked at the maids kneeling in front of them before yawning. ¡± Man, I really want to go and get myself a coke or something of the sort, this is all too boring.¡± ¡± You call this boring? It¡¯s so much fun!¡± ¡± Have you not seen the current drama that I was watching? That was what I call interesting and fun, this is simply a repetition of actions, just how many times have we watched them go down their knees and repeat the same thing over and over again? I am getting tired of listening to the same thing. They all look like freaking NPCs!¡± Liu Hui Ying had to agree with Jia Li this time, these maids have been going on with the same routine ever since the morning. She didn¡¯t have time for this damn it! She didn¡¯t get a chance to finish her beauty sleep, nor did she get the chance to look for this woman¡¯s soul and now she has to listen to their cries. She was tired. They were even more annoying than the new intern in thepany! Maybe she should really ¡ª ¡± Calm down, violence is never the answer.¡± Grandma Lan Fen¡¯s calm voice broke through the daze that was covering her eyes. That¡¯s right, she shouldn¡¯t let her anger rule her like this ... even though these maids were annoying they were still her only way to get information about this ce. Since they were still useful, killing them was a big no-no. ¡± Look you all, I know that you all are very upset with the happenings of yesterday but nothing is going to change if you keep crying like this, you all need to calm down and take a deep breath,e on follow me.¡± As Liu Hui Ying spoke, she even demonstrated how to breathe in and out showing her maids to calm down. ¡± Forgive me, your majesty,¡± nanny Gong was the first one to recover her wits as she bowed her head in front of Liu Hui Ying and apologised. ¡± This servant should have paid attention to her bearings before showing you such an unsightly sight in front of you. But what am I supposed to do, seeing you like this makes me want to die.¡± ¡± Look I can kill you if that¡¯s what you want,¡± Liu Hui Ying offered generously but then Nanny Gong¡¯s head snapped up and she looked at her in shock and fear, so Liu Hui Ying had to back peddle immediately. ¡± But that is not going to solve anything will it?¡± Nanny Gong shook her head and Liu Hui Ying smiled at her with a polite attitude. ¡± See, you dying for me won¡¯t change a thing. Then why don¡¯t you calm down and show me the way?¡± Just get on with this already! I need to take this crown off my head! Chapter 20 Chapter 20: Meeting the Emperor ¡± How long?¡± Liu Hui Ying felt her legs tremble as she carried the heavy weight of being the Empress on her neck while her entire body was so tightly wrapped that she felt like she was going to star in one of those S and M shows. The dress was so heavy that even all those sumo squats felt like baby steps in front of it. ¡± We are just almost there,¡± stated Nanny Gong as she smiled at Liu Hui Ying with a patient expression that only pissed Liu Hui Ying even more. ¡± You said the same thing ten minutes ago, Nanny Gong,¡± retorted Liu Hui Ying as she looked at the path that didn¡¯t seem to have any end at all, wasn¡¯t this pce a bit too big for the small courtyard she was living in? Nanny Gong raised her hand and pointed at the wall that was at least a kilometre away from where they were as she smiling said, ¡± The Emperor is standing right behind the wall, your majesty. Just push yourself a little then you will be able to meet the Emperor!¡± ¡® Who wants to meet that bastard?¡¯ snarled Liu Hui Ying inwardly, that man was lucky that he was born with a diamond spoon coated with tinum or else she would have smashed the only tree in his forest all the while enjoying the sight of him writhing in pain. The cause of her predicament was that man! If he hasn¡¯t fed the poisoned wine to this woman then she would have never been dragged to this ce! How she wished she could punch that guy just once! ..... ¡± Just a bit more your majesty!¡± Nanny Gong pushed Liu Hui Ying forward with her hands while thetter simply trembled with all the weight that she was carrying, damn if this was her body she would have definitely walked this far without a hitch but ¡ª ¡± I can¡¯t let¡¯s cancel it, I am done... I can¡¯t walk anymore,¡± Liu Hui Ying felt like she was dying, she couldn¡¯t breathe nor could she walk it was as if she has been pushed to do at least a thousand squats in just a day. ¡± We are almost there, your majesty!¡± cheered Qui Ai as she dragged Liu Hui Ying to the front gate that was at least three kilometres away from the courtyard where she stayed. Feeling like every bit of her energy was drained, Liu Hui Ying leaned against Qui Ai as she huffed and puffed, this was a killer workout. They might as well buy a casket when they bring her back! ¡± Your majesty, please straighten up.¡±Nanny Gong pulled Liu Hui Ying off Qui Ai¡¯s shoulder and had her stand up straight before tucking the strand that escaped past her carefully tied-up bun. ¡± As the Empress, you have to be the embodiment of nobility and ss, if you act like such then many Concubines will look down on you.¡± ¡± Honestly, Nanny Gong with all due respect I don¡¯t really care if they look down on me.¡± Anyway, she was going to escape from this ce after finding out the reason as to why her soul fell in this time slip. Once she gets hold of the thing that made her transmigrate she was going to fly back to her world, who cares whether the women of that jerk¡¯s harem look down on her? Did she look like she cared about it? ¡± And stop crying,¡± she firmly stated when she saw that nanny Gong was going to cry again. She softly held the hand of the elderly woman and wiped her tears. ¡°If you keep on crying over such small things like this then you will have end up crying a river.¡± Then she turned to look at the guard who was staring at her and her procession with a bemused look, all the softness that she had on her face vanished at once. ¡± What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for me to send you an invitation to open the door?¡± The guard felt his brows jump as he hurriedly opened the door, why was it that the Empress was so soft and careful with her nanny but she spoke to him as if she wanted to him skin alive? ¡± Calm down Hui Ying,¡± Jia Li hurriedly stopped her from saying anything more. ¡± You have to remember that we are in a ce where we don¡¯t know anyone if you show off your hatred for men so much. Everyone will find out that you are allergic to them, you can¡¯t hand in such a big bomb in the hand of someone else.¡± Liu Hui Ying rubbed her temples and nodded Jia Li was right, she cannot hand such ammunition in the hand of just anyone but the problem was ¡ª The door opened with a loud creak and a man dressed in a matching white robe with a red undershirt and embroidery came into her sight. ¡± Oh, he looks even good when he is dressed up.¡± Jia Li gushed as she looked at the man over Liu Hui Ying¡¯s shoulders. ¡± Tsk what is so good about him?¡± Li Gong rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms in front of him. ¡± He looks like a pretty boy at best, do you have to exaggerate so much?¡± Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t have any good feelings towards men, her mind simply distributed the men she came in contact with ¨Cas someone she could bear and as someone she wished would be obliterated the very next second. So, when her gaze fell on the Emperor, whose long hair was carefully tied with the golden crown, his respondent and bright clothes sitting a bit too well with his skin and those sharp phoenix eyes that were staring at her, she didn¡¯t even think twice before dumping in thetter list. Even with that charming smile and handsome face, she wished that she wouldn¡¯t have to see him anymore. ¡°We greet the esteemed majesty!¡± The maids along with Nanny Gong bowed in front of the man and just when Liu Hui Ying thought that she wouldn¡¯t be bowing to anyone, nanny Gong kicked her in the shin and she dropped to her knees under the weight of the crown. Chapter 21 Chapter 21: Do you forgive me my queen? ¡± My Queen, I am d that you are feeling all right and I know that you are feeling really happy after seeing me but there is no need for you to greet me with such a deep ceremonial bow.¡± The Emperor¡¯s voice was nice to listen to but Liu Hui Ying has never been appreciative of men or anything rted to them. She did swoon at the sight of the man in front of her nor did she feel her heart tickle instead what she felt was nothing but annoyance¨C a deep ceremonial bow? Happy to see him? Why does he not simply soar to the high heavens? Can this man even withstand the impact of her, Liu Hui Ying¡¯s bow? ¡± Here,¡± a hand with long slender fingers stretched out in front of her, with those veins sticking out of his skin and slightly tanned skin, even the hand of the Emperor looked like it has been carved by the most skilled craftsmen but it was a pity that Liu Hui Ying was no appreciator of this art. She didn¡¯t take the hand in front of her instead she ced her hands on the ground and stood up straight, not even ncing at the Emperor before taking several steps behind. His scent was making her dizzy, so dizzy that she almost fell on her butt. She hasn¡¯t been allergic to men all her life but after what happened to her sister, Liu Hui Ying developed a subconscious instinct of staying away from men. Her psychiatrist told her that what she wascking was trust in men as long as she was able to walk past the hurdles that were inside her heart, she would be able to get used to the presence of men but the thing was that Liu Hui Ying never found men whom she could trust. The men she met all wanted to either belittle her and her opinion or they wanted to drag her down such that they will be able to take her position, having grown up in such an atmosphere it would be surprising that she even had the slightest bit of trust in men. After taking a few steps Liu Hui Ying exhaled and took a fresh breath but the scent of jasmine tea that was lingering on the sleeves of the Emperor¡¯s clothes was so strong that even after walking further away from him, she wasn¡¯t able to get rid of that scent. Her gag reflexes started working and she almost threw up, if not for the stupid ceremony of serving tea to her mother-inw as soon as the sun woke up and without eating any breakfast, she would have really hurled all over the ce. This was why she always chose to work with females instead of men. ¡± Are you feeling okay?¡± Jia Li noticed the paleplexion of Liu Hui Ying and couldn¡¯t help but softly ask, she knew just how much Liu Hui Ying hated men but now ¡ª she raised her head and looked at the three men standing in front of them. One was of course the General whom they already sawst night what was his name¨C oh yes, Yu Lingyun. The man in the ceremonial clothing must be the Emperor as for the other one Jia Li hasn¡¯t seen him yet. ¡± My Queen, are you feeling okay?¡± The Emperor repeated Jia Li¡¯s question despite not hearing it, his gaze skimmed at Liu Hui Ying¡¯s face and thetter felt goosebumps break all over her skin. The memories of that night fluttered inside Liu Hui Ying¡¯s head and she almost shivered¨Cno, she cannot show any weakness in front of a man. They will surely take advantage of her if they found out that she still held some fear when it came to men, she has already handed the biggest ammunition in the hand of that general, she could not allow any more slip-ups to happen. ¡± I am fine,¡± she straightened her back and took a few more steps away from the Emperor. ¡± Or at least as fine as a woman who was almost poisoned to death can be.¡± ..... Her barbed words have been her defence for a long time and so did her sarcastic tongue. Many men have thrown their hands in front of her after engaging in a battle of wits with her, she did not believe that the Emperor was any better than those men. However, thetter deserved the position of Emperor, even after listening to her arrogant tone and sarcastic jab, he did not even flinch in the slightest instead he smiled apologetically and said, ¡± Forgive me as I am nothing but human, my queen. Last night I made a grave mistake by trusting a woman who wasn¡¯t worthy of my trust and made you suffer... but believe me, I did not for one moment wanted something like that to happen, if not for me falsely believing that the woman was carrying my child, I would have never done something as foolish as that, I was subjected to falsehood and blinded by my emotions, that is why I made a mistake such as that ... I sincerely and humbly ask for your forgiveness. Please ept my sincere apology and let bygones be bygones.¡± ¡°Yeah right, I can feel your sincerity.¡± Sincerity to kill me ¡ª This woman¡¯s body was poisoned yet this man did not even send a physician to check up on her, it didn¡¯t matter whether her spiritual powers stored in her dantian was able to heal her or not, what actually mattered was that this man was very sincere in killing her. The Emperor¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he softly asked, ¡± Does that mean, you forgive me, my queen?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked back with the same soft smile. ¡± I don¡¯t think that my forgiveness means anything to the esteemed Emperor, after all, I am nothing but a subject that can be killed at any moment.¡± As soon as she said those words a terrible silence fell upon the people standing in front of her courtyard. Good, this was what she wanted as long as this Emperor was disgusted by her, she would be free to look for a way to return to her world. Chapter 22 22 I will walk Liu Hui Ying caught a glimpse of Nanny Gong¡¯s almost going to faint expression and shrugged casually. Did they really expect her to put on a freaking smile and look at the man who was the cause of her predicament like he was literally her blinding sun and she was his oh-so-poor servant? If not for this man here pushing this woman to kill herself off, she would not be trapped in this body. Oh, her promotion, her money and her million dors house. She has worked so hard to achieve all of that just how many cases did she has to take before she was able to save that much money and climb up the ranks? Now because of one man, all her hard work has gone into drains...even if she was to return now who knows how much time might have been wasted already? If she was to go back now maybe she will find that annoying Mr Guo sitting in her position! Damn it! Today was supposed to be her most amazing day and it turned out to be a horrible nightmare! Now she was dressed in this freaking dress that was choking the life out of her and heading to her doom, why her? Why not someone else? She might be a little greedy and a bit too awkward with men but...but she was a good woman! What did she do to deserve this? ¡± My Queen, do you mean to say that you do not forgive me?¡± The man in front of her called her again and Liu Hui Ying almost snapped her teeth at him, what was up with him? Why was he calling her my queen, my queen at every turn? Liu Hui Ying drew to her full height or at least tried to with the crown weighing down on her as she crossed her arms and said, ¡± Why not I pick up a sword and drive through your chest right now, esteemed majesty? Let¡¯s see if you have the heart to forgive me then.¡± ¡± Your majesty!¡± ¡± Her highness, what are you saying?¡± ..... This time both Nanny Gong and Qui Ai nearly fainted as they looked at Liu Hui Ying. What was the empress doing? She was talking about harming the body of the esteemed Emperor? Did she not know that doing something like that may get her killed? They all turned to look at the Emperor who was staring at Liu Hui Ying waiting for him to blow up but instead... ¡°Hahaha, looks like my queen knows how to joke now,¡± the Emperorughed jovially as he looked at Liu Hui Ying and nodded his head. ¡± That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great, a pair of husband and wife should have such jesting happening between the two of them, only that way will we get close to each other.¡± ¡± I would rather jump in front of a hungry tiger than get close to you,¡± Liu Hui Ying shot back with a disgusted expression on her face, getting close to a man? She would rather choke on cat vomit. ¡± Joking, Joking!¡± Seeing that everyone has stiffened again Nanny Gong immediatelyughed out loud as she dragged Liu Hui Ying back and murmured, ¡± What are you doing your majesty? That is the esteemed emperor how can you be this rude to him?¡± ¡± Be d that I am only being rude to him,¡± said Liu Hui Ying in a whispering voice. ¡± What I want is to kick him right in between his legs and end the misery of this country once and for all.¡± Nanny Gong turned to look at Liu Hui Ying with a shocked expression before shaking her head while thetter simply nodded her head and said, ¡± You better not stop me or else...¡± she made a kicking motion and nanny Gong immediately let go of Liu Hui Ying. ¡± It seemed that my queen and her nanny have a lot of things to talk about,¡± the two women had been whispering but the Emperor with his Martial arts skills was able to hear everything, a part of him wanted to think that Liu Hui Ying was only pretending to be angry with him and this was all her n. After all, he knew how treacherous the Liu family could be but as Liu Hui Ying turned to look at him, he noticed that there was indeed no infatuation she had in her eyes before instead she was now looking at him with disgust as if seeing him caused her eyes to hurt. Was it because she was the daughter of the Liu family? They were indeed poisonous snakes who knew how to hide in the dark. So maybe the empress was simply doing something simr to what her uncle and aunt were doing to him? ¡°It¡¯s nothing, esteemed majesty,¡± nanny Gong bowed even lower as she answered his question. ¡± I am just telling her majesty what she can and cannot do, as a young miss and the only child she is a bit wilful please don¡¯t mind us.¡± Zhai Tianyu: ¡°....¡± I heard everything but then again Nanny Gong was indeed speaking the truth, she tried to stop the Empress from hitting him. ¡± Ahem, let¡¯s go shall we?¡± He motioned to the pnquin that was standing behind him and said, ¡± I believe that we are runningte we do not want grand dowager empress to wait anymore¨C¡± ¡± Where is mine?¡± Before he could finish speaking Liu Hui Ying very arrogantly and conveniently interrupted him. But being the gentlemanly and soft to the fairer gender Emperor he was, he smiled at her and said, ¡± What do you mean, my queen?¡± ¡± My ride,¡± she pointed to the pnquin behind him and added, ¡± Where is mine?¡± What did she mean by hers? Zhai Tianyu wanted to know what game she was ying but he still calmed the annoyance in his heart and said, ¡± We are supposed to share a ride on the first day of our marriage, my queen.¡± He saw her getting stunned by his words before she turned to look at her nanny who nodded her head and then.... ¡± I will walk.¡± Chapter 23 23 Bottom low ¡± You will what?¡± For a second even Zhai Tianyu thought that he might have misheard her, did she really say that she was going to walk all the way to the grand dowager pce? Was she really serious? Nanny Gong noticed the stunned expression on the face of Emperor¡¯s face and then the stubborn expression on the face of the Empress before she carefully trotted to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s side walking through Grandma Lan Fen and shivering when she felt a chill crawl up her spine. Turning around she looked at the spot where she just walked past, what was that? ¡± My, My she seemed to have been scared by me,¡± Grandma Lan Fen chuckled but took a step away from where she was standing when she noticed that Nanny Gong was carefully stretching her hand to touch her. ¡± Of course, she just walked past you, she should be scared no matter what,¡± said Li Gang. Walking past a ghost was not a pleasant feeling, as far as he knew it was like being pressed by an ice boulder for a millisecond. Even if humans couldn¡¯t see them, they could at least sense their presence, so it would be surprising in case Nanny Gong wasn¡¯t scared. The three ghosts took a few steps back simtor and Nanny Gong who didn¡¯t feel a simr chill crawl up her spine also left the matter in the back of her head as she turned to Liu Hui Ying and tugged at her spine before saying, ¡± Your majesty, the pce of Grand Dowager Empress is at least three kilometres away from here. How will you walk that far? Isn¡¯t it better for you to take the pnquin?¡± Three kilometres? She might die after walking for that long with this damn crown on her head but ¡ª Liu Hui Ying turned to look at the pnquin that looked like a fking lovers¡¯ seat and decided to hold on to her will. There was no way she was going to sit on the dumb pnquin with that damned Emperor! Last night that man gave this stupid woman a poisonous wine who knows what he might be nning right now? And what¡¯s more, if she really went down to sit next to her then it will be her funeral! ¡°I will walk,¡± Liu Hui Ying gritted out, she didn¡¯t want to itch to death so even if that pce was thirty kilometres away she would have still chosen to walk to that pce. So, a three kilometres distance didn¡¯t scare her! ..... With her determination rejuvenated, Liu Hui Ying picked the long skirt that was trailing on the ground up to her shins ignoring the ¡®oh mys¡¯ and ¡®oh dears¡¯ and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡± Your majesty you cannot raise your skirt like that!¡± Nanny Gong almost fainted when she saw Liu Hui Ying raise her skirt like that, what the hell happened to her elegant and noble missy? ¡± Your majesty, please wait for us!¡± Qui Ai chased after Liu Hui Ying who was walking ahead of them acting as if she couldn¡¯t hear a thing that they were saying and dragged the swooning nanny Gang together with her. The Queen¡¯s procession rushed after her while the Emperor who came to escort his queen was left behind. ¡± She...She really left like that?¡± General Yu stared at the Empress who was walking ahead of them with a stunned expression on his face. What the hell happened to the most graceful daughter of the Liu family? Didn¡¯t they say that Liu Hui Ying was their most carefully raised daughter and that she was a woman who knew what she could and could not do? So why was she suddenly doing something so udylike? ¡°Carefully raised? More like carefully riled,¡± muttered Zhai Heng while looking at Liu Hui Ying sideways. ¡°She looks like she wants to kill us and if not for our positions and powerful stature, she really would have jumped on us.¡± ¡± And you two said that I was joking when I told you thisst night,¡± pointed out Yu Lingyun as he rolled his eyes and looked at Zhai Tianyu as he asked, ¡± What now? If the Empress is not in love with you what are we going to do now?¡± Zhai Tianyu didn¡¯t say anything, he looked at the back of the woman with an indescribable expression on his face before calmly muttering under his breath, ¡± Allergic to men was it?¡± ¡± Your majesty, please take a breath and calm down!¡± Nanny Gang chased after Liu Hui Ying who was climbing the stairs of the Grand Dowager pce and fanned her with a handkerchief as she tried to stop thetter from climbing the stairs anymore. ¡± Your face is turning red, please stop and take a breath.¡± ¡± And whose fault do you think it is huh?¡± snapped Liu Hui Ying as she snatched the handkerchief from Nanny Gang and wiped her face. Whose idea was to make this ce this big? Why did they have to make this entire ce as big as a freaking city, what was more they did not even have signboards ced on every corner and turn, she had to double back at least half a mile before she was able to find this pce. What was even more annoying she has to carry so much weight on her shoulders! ¡± Maybe you should have taken the ride with the Emperor,¡± said Nanny Gang with a hesitant expression. ¡± The Emperor might be rash sometimes but he is a good man, he treats his concubines really well.¡± ¡± Can you like stop telling me about how well he treats other women? It is going to make me puke.¡± Liu Hui Ying turned her head sideways and rolled her eyes at nanny Gang, she of course knew that the Emperor was a phnderer but there was no need for Nanny Gang to repeat the same thing over and over again, it was making her annoyed. Like she needed any other reason to hate that man! Her impression of that man was already bottom low! You see! Chapter 24 24 Better than taking someone¡¯s life as a joke. ¡± Hah! Why do they call this pce? Why not dere it as a district huh? maybe better dere it as a freakin city, this was three kilometres? More like thirty kilometres!¡± Liu Hui Ying felt her legs almost give out when she climbed the fiftieth step that led to the Grand dowager Empress¡¯s pce, why was it that this pce had such excessive grandeur but her pce looked like a puny shack? Was this about the difference in their positions or was it about her not being favoured by the Emperor? ¡®These assholes if they had the slightest bit of guilt then they would have at least given her time to recover, this body was still recovering and thanks to them, she was on the verge of fainting again.¡¯ Liu Hui Ying pulled her skirt even further as she took a trembling step forward and almost stumbled to the ground if not for Nanny Gong and Qui Ai holding her from her waist, she would have smashed her face on the step ahead of her. ¡± Your majesty, this is why I said¨C¡± ¡± Don¡¯t you dare,¡± Liu Hui Ying raised a finger as she silenced Nanny Gang with a stern voice, an annoyed expression shing on her face as she pushed herself off the ground and wheeled to look at Nanny Gang and Qui Ai staring at the two of them fiercely. ¡± Don¡¯t you dare to say that the Emperor is a gentleman and I should have taken a ride with him, if he was that much of a gentleman then he would have allowed me to take the ride alone, it¡¯s not like his majestic self wascking a pnquin or two? But no, he let me walk away, he could have stopped me and told me to take the pnquin but did he? No, he didn¡¯t! Instead, he let his wife who is still recovering from the poisonous wine walk this far and for your information, he was the one who sent that jar of wine to me! So don¡¯t call him a gentleman, you are putting all the gentlemen in this world to shame!¡± Nanny Gang and Qui Ai immediately shut up seeing that Liu Hui Ying was angry, noticing that the two of them had turned silent Liu Hui Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief and then turned to look at the pce that was still far away and stomped her feet. ¡± Why? Why is that pce situated at such a high ce? Is the Grand dowager Empress looking for booking the first ss ticket?¡± The first-ss ticket that Liu Hui Ying talking about was of course to the heavens. Why else would someone live in a pce that was so high up? Of course, no one understood a word she said given that the term ¡® first-ss ticket,¡¯ was something that they have never heard before. A good thing too because if anyone understood what she was saying then Liu Hui Ying would have been dragged to the execution ground, after all, what she just said could be counted as her cursing the Grand dowager Empress. Liu Hui Ying looked at the pce that was nearly touching the sky and huffed a tired breath as she picked up the skirt in her hands and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ..... Because she knew that even if she was to die on these steps today, she has to shove that brewed tea down the throat of that old hag or else why would she, a woman who was just almost poisoned to death be pushed to do something like this? Who knows if she was to die on these very steps these people might have her corpse brew tea for that Grand Dowager Empress because of their so-called customs. ¡± My Queen, you are here?¡± As soon as Liu Hui Ying reached the top of the steps, her gaze fell on the jerk who didn¡¯t seem to have broken even a drop of sweat and looked as refreshed as he did when he came to see her in the morning, of course, he did! That damned jerk had a pnquin! She nced at his impable appearance and then looked at her sweaty appearance before letting out a snort. If anyone dared to call this jerk a gentleman in future, she was going to fight them to death, what gentleman? He was a ck stain on the name of gentlemen! ¡± No, I am not here,¡± replied Liu Hui Ying taking the handkerchief from Qui Ai and wiping her face. ¡± This is my ghost, my body is somewhere down on the steps, wait for a few minutes, it¡¯s trying its best toe up.¡± Another stretch of silence settled between the group before nanny Gang pped her hands and said with a smile that was worse than crying, ¡± Joking, her majesty is just joking hahaha, ha...¡± ¡± Haha, it seems that the Queen has learned how to joke,¡± said Zhai Tianyu as he chuckled along with Nanny Gang. Liu Hui Ying twisted her lips from left to right in a disdainful manner before scoffing. ¡± At least it¡¯s better than taking someone¡¯s life as a joke, goodness the price of life here sure is cheap.¡± This time theughter stopped at once as Nanny Gang shot a fearful look at the Emperor before lowering her head but Liu Hui Ying who was the target of Zhai Tianyu¡¯s gaze hitched up a brow and curled her lips in a mocking smile. ¡± What? You didn¡¯t like my joke? I thought that you of all people will understand it, your esteemed majesty.¡± She was an officer, a detective who was used to more danger than this pretty boy can even think of, did he believe she was scared of dying? Hah, if he was under this delusion then he was going to be very disappointed. ¡°It seems that the Queen is like a ming ze when she is angry,¡± said Zhai Tianyu breaking the sudden silence as he looked at Liu Hui Ying with a smile that was as serene as the breeze of the spring. ¡± I didn¡¯t know that the Queen can get this upset.¡± Liu Hui Ying smiled back at him but her smile was as harsh as the blizzard of winter as she said, ¡± There are a lot of things that your esteemed majesty does not know about me, what a pity that you will never get a chance either.¡± ¡ª P.s: Please support this book by powerstones! Chapter 25 25 Kidnapped Please support this book by golden tickets and power stones. ¡± Should we go in?¡± Zhai Tianyu stretched his arm out, proffering it to Liu Hui Ying who took several steps back while looking at Zhai Tianyu with a suspicious look on her face. ¡± What? What do you want to do?¡± ¡± Aren¡¯t we newly married?¡± Zhai Tianyu smiled at Liu Hui Ying, using his most charming smile that would make any woman fall for him. ¡± We should go hand in hand to see my grandmother, she will like seeing us getting along.¡± ¡± I would rather get along with a pig than you,¡± snapped Liu Hui Ying casting a disgusted nce at Zhai Tianyu, behind her she could hear Nanny Gang¡¯s coughing and Qui Ai¡¯s ¡®Oh my¡¯s¡¯ but she did not look at them instead she raised her hands and made a move away gesture. ¡± Instead of getting along why don¡¯t you walk on yourne and I will walk on mine? I believe in world peace you see? There is no need to start a world war by making a woman angry, so just let¡¯s go separately.¡± ¡± World war? Lane? World peace? My queen... I only left you alone for a day and yet you have learned to speak rather weirdly.¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s brows scrunched up a little as he looked at Liu Hui Ying before stretching his arm. ¡± I know that you are angry but there is no need to be stubborn like this, lets go¨C¡± He did not get a chance to say anything as a hand covered in a handkerchief pped his palm away making everyone gasp. Yu Lingyun who was standing behind Zhai Tianyu leaned in closer to Zhai Heng and said, ¡± You see that, she is all weird like that, is she okay? Do you think something happened to her? Are you sure that you gave her a poisoned wine and not a... personality-alternating wine?¡± ¡± If I had such a thing then I would have given it to you first,¡± Zhai Heng solemnly shot back as he pped Yu Lingyun¡¯s head away. ¡± And why don¡¯t you use your spiritual energy to shout out to the world that we gave the queen poisoned wine, do you think that we don¡¯t have enough trouble as it is? The Liu family is waiting like a prowling tiger to pounce on us and here you are making things difficult for us.¡± ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Yu Lingyun bowed his head and then turned to look at the sight in front of him before chuckling. ¡± But this is really entertaining don¡¯t you think so? I believe that the days in the pce are going to be really interesting.¡± He faltered when Zhai Heng nced down at him and cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡± I mean¨C¡± ..... ¡± Say another word and I will have his majesty send you to the cold north, I heard the people there stay alive by living on stale fish and coarse pancakes.¡± ¡± Sorry, really sorry...¡± under Zhai Heng¡¯s threats, Yu Lingyun could only shut his mouth. ¡± You pped Zhen?¡± Zhai Tianyu who has never been pped in his entire life was so shell-shocked that he looked at Liu Hui Ying in surprise. In fact, his shock was so great that he even forgot to get angry at Liu Hui Ying. ¡°You actually pped Zhen?¡± ¡°Why you tried to touch me without my permission, what did you think I was going to do?¡± Liu Hui Ying shot back, a heart attack she almost got a heart attack. If this man had touched her right now, her allergy would have red up pretty badly. ¡± I am your husband, do I need to have your permission to touch your hand?¡± Zhai Tianyu echoed in shock and surprise, this was the first time someone has said something like this to him. ¡± Did you know me before marriage?¡± asked Liu Hui Ying with a raise of her chin causing Zhai Tianyu to frown as he shook his head, seeing that he was shaking his head Liu Hui Ying pped her hands together and pointed at him and said, ¡± You see, we didn¡¯t even know each other before getting married, that means we are basically strangers and strangers are not supposed to get close to each other, strangers don¡¯t touch each other and they definitely not talk with each other.¡± She frowned and then looked at him with an inquisitive look. ¡± No one taught you that you should not be talking to strangers? Gosh, you can be kidnapped, pay attention to your surroundings and stay away from strangers, in fact, it would be better if you don¡¯t talk to strangers at all.¡± Then after dumping this ¡®useful¡¯ information on the naive emperor who did not even know that he should not be talking to strangers she walked towards the pce¡¯s courtyard leaving Zhai Tianyu behind. ¡± Forgive us, your majesty!¡± Nanny Gang wanted to say something more to Zhai Tianyu but she couldn¡¯t think of what she should say, in the end, she could only bow to Zhai Tianyu and run after Liu Hui Ying, following her was Qui Ai who deliberately ignored Yu Lingyun waving at her and chased after Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Goodness women are so hard to understand,¡± muttered Yu Lingyun as he looked at Qui Ai¡¯s vanishing back and then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who was staring into the space with a shocked look on his face and tapped him on his shoulder.¡± Your majesty, are you okay?¡± Zhai Tianyu snapped out of his daze and then turned to look at his elder brother and best friend before opening his mouth with a rather torn expression on his face. ¡°Zhen ....why do I think that the queen just made a fool out of me?¡± ¡± You are probably overthinking, your majesty,¡± said Zhai Heng with an ever-calm expression. ¡± I believe that the Queen is just angry and making you confused, don¡¯t let her stray you... all right?¡± Zhai Tianyu nodded as he pursed his lips and took a step forward but then suddenly stopped causing his procession to stop all of a sudden and knock into each other. ¡± But what does kidnapped means? ¡± Maybe a kid taking nap?¡± suggested Yu Lingyun wisely. ¡± Why will a kid nap if I talk to strangers?¡± Chapter 26 26 Golden goose ¡± The Grand dowager Empress really likes to eat sweet things, her favourite colours are ck, navy blue and purple,¡± Zhai Tianyu was indeed thrown off by what Liu Hui Ying said but soon he picked himself up and started to go on and on about what the Grand dowager Empress liked and what she didn¡¯t like a good husband. Liu Hui Ying on the other hand hummed ordingly but inwardly she was cursing the emperor. She has sent her ghost servants to see around the pce earlier and they have risen to the task amazingly, after all, if they were going to stay in this ce then it was better to know the enemy base properly and from the information that her ghost employees have collected¨C the Grand dowager Empress hated everything that was sweet and she almost killed one of her maids when she bought a bolt of ck cloud silk. Apparently, the grand dowager Empress lost her daughter a few years ago and she started hating the colour ck and white from then on. So, this bastard was actually telling her a lie! If she didn¡¯t know better she would have lost her life without even knowing what she did wrong! Schemers every one of them was a ck-hearted schemer! She has to get out of here or else¨C Liu Hui Ying turned to look at the Emperor and her left eye started to twitch looking at that innocent smile, if she didn¡¯t use to deal with psycho killers and murderers on daily basis she wouldn¡¯t have known what was going on inside this man¡¯s head. ¡± What are you looking at my queen?¡± as if just sensing her gaze, the emperor turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who in turn smiled and said, ¡± Just wondering how can your smile be this innocent.¡± When you are nning to murder me so tantly asshole. Zhai Tianyu¡¯s lips curled even more as he looked at her and said with a happy smile, ¡± Really? Even my royal grandmother says that I was born with a distinct innocence, apparently, she is very fond of telling everyone that I was born with an angel-like smile¨C why are you looking like that my queen?¡± ¡± Nothing...¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she pressed a hand over her mouth and stopped her gagging reflex, honestly she never thought that one day she would be so disgusted by someone¡¯s nonsense that she would want to vomit everything out. She nced at the Emperor who was looking at her with a politely bewildered nce and she couldn¡¯t help but scrunch up her face ¡ª really, just how in the world anyone can say such bullshit without cringing even once? Thankfully, the two of them reached the doors of the grand dowager empress¡¯s pce and Zhai Tianyu¡¯s nonsense stopped seeing that he has stopped speaking, Liu Hui Ying heaved a sigh of relief, and finally, he stopped yammering in her ears. ..... ¡± My Queen?¡± Just as she was relishing the peace, she heard the same annoying voice drifting over to her ear and she twisted her head with such a fervent angry re that even Yu Lingyun who was standing behind Zhai Tianyu took a step back. ¡± What?¡± She snapped with such annoyance in her voice that Zhai Tianyu forgot to speak, he could see that Liu Hui Ying was really angry this time and in case he said anything that was foolish, it will be her hand and his cheek. ¡°Nothing,¡± he wasn¡¯t scared of her not at all, it was just that a good man never tried to test the waters with an angry woman. Seeing that he was not going to say anything Liu Hui Ying turned to look in the front nursing her forehead, she was really getting a bad feeling about this. ¡± The Esteemed Emperor and the Empress are here!¡± The guard standing in front of the doors announced their arrival and opened the door, as soon as the doors were opened Liu Hui Ying could see two women sitting in the hall that was well furnished with every rare antique the Emperor could have found, a wonderful and convenient brazier burnt in the middle of the hall because the grand dowager Empress pce was always could since it was at such a height. But Liu Hui Ying did not even nce at the rare antiques or the manyforts, her gaze didn¡¯t even stray to the young woman sitting next to the Grand dowager Empress, instead, all her attention was focused on the pale woman with many injuries and a dagger sticking out of her throat. She haphazardly greeted the Grand Dowager Empress after following the Emperor and returned her attention to the woman, though her skin was pale with many rotting wounds and dirt sticking to her face, Liu Hui Ying could see the resemnce between her and the grand dowager empress. ¡± That¡¯s...¡± Jia Li began but Liu Hui Ying cut her off with a snicker in her head. ¡± Oh, I am going to make this old hag suffer so much just you wait.¡± Just as they were looking at the ghost woman, the woman who was standing behind the grand dowager empress with her hands on her shoulder also looked up and gazed straight at Liu Hui Ying and her three ghosts. Liu Hui Ying saw the ghost¡¯s eyes widen but she did not move away from the grand dowager empress, Liu Hui Ying knew why she didn¡¯t do that. Ghosts who have lingering attachments to this world would either fade away or they would turn into malicious spirits only to be exorcised by the ghost exorcisers. If they didn¡¯t want that to happen then they had no choice but to clutch onto someone who would be their anchor holding them down without letting them be an evil spirit. The ghost woman seems to be dead for a long time and from the looks of it she was carrying a lot of resentment as well, if not for sticking close to her mother, she would have really lost consciousness by now. Liu Hui Ying¡¯s lips curled slightly as a wave of glee shot through her. Oooh, her first golden goose was here! Chapter 27 27 *beep* ¡± You two are here?¡± The Grand Dowager Empress raised her head and looked at Liu Hui Ying and even though she was being suppressed by a spirit, she still looked rather vigorous and active, her eyes sharply nced at Liu Hui Ying who raised her brow as she noticed the evident dislike in those elderly eyes. Awesome, just what she needed another enemy without doing anything at all. ¡± Grandmother, I hope I find you in great health?¡± Zhai Tianyu walked in front leaving Liu Hui Ying behind, of course for Liu Hui Ying who has been breathing short intakes of breath because of Zhai Tianyu¡¯s proximity it was like liberation from year-long restraints, she looked at the Emperor leave and took a deep breath. Finally, she was free! Because she was busy inhaling a long gulp of air, she didn¡¯t even look at the Emperor who took a seat next to a rather delicate-looking woman very naturally. It was only when Nanny Gang gasped and silently moaned, ¡± What is she doing here?¡± Did Liu Hui Ying raise her head and took a second look at the female who was sitting next to the Emperor with a soft smile ying on her lips? Liu Hui Ying wasn¡¯t someone who would judge someone by their looks but after she looked at the woman sitting next to the Emperor and was reminded of the looks of the woman¡¯s body she was currently upying, she couldn¡¯t help but reach an understanding. Sure enough, the wise men were right, love was really blind. Though the woman sitting next to the Emperor was beautiful she wasn¡¯t an ethereal beauty like this woman who was left to die,pared to this woman¡¯s look, the woman next to the Emperor was a bitcking. But that wasn¡¯t something that she has to care about, was it? It was totally fine if the emperor was to get cosy up to that woman in fact it would be even better if just kept getting cosy with that woman. That way she would be able to look for a way back in peace and then get out of this ce as soon as she can! However, Liu Hui Ying soon realised that the emperor wasn¡¯t the only one who has problems with his eyes, his grandmother was the same. Even though it was supposed to be her tea ceremony, the grand dowager empress didn¡¯t even take another look at her, she kept yammering on and on about this and that with the woman who was sitting next to the emperor. She didn¡¯t even allow her to sit down, did she think walking three kilometres with this baggage on her back was an easy task? This damned hag! ..... ¡± What do you say, if I punch that old hag in her face would I be executed?¡± She asked her ghosts, since her ghosts and she was in perfect coordination, Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t need to speak anything aloud for them to hear, she could always what she wanted to say in her head and with their link, the ghosts were able to hear her without any problem. ¡± I bet you will be,¡± replied Jia Li after thinking a little. ¡± I mean that man does look like he cares a lot about his grandmother.¡± ¡± I say you should try punching that old witch,¡± chimed Li Gong from the side as he looked at the sight in front of him with his hands crossed over his head, he carelessly shrugged and added, ¡± Maybe if you die, you will be able to return to our world.¡± ¡± And what if I really die and get stuck in this world?¡± ¡± Then we can say that we are tired? I mean being a ghost is not that bad and the pain of death is the only thing that¡¯s scary.¡± ¡± I don¡¯t think that she should do something as stupid as that,¡± snapped Jia Li in an angry voice as she looked at Li Gong disapprovingly. ¡± I saw in one of those historical dramas that the punishment of defying the royalty is to be cut in half, it said that after being cut in half, the executioners ce your behind in front of your eyes since a person retains their consciousness for quite a while even after being cut like that..at least that was what they showed in the drama.¡± ¡± Cool, I kind of want to see that...hey Hui Ying try hitting that woman, I will back you up!¡± Li Gong eximed excitedly after all he was a gangster and every time he saw something that was gore and bloody, he would get thrilled at the sight of it, having never seen such an execution before he sort of forgot that Liu Hui Ying was his master. ¡± Even if you die, we all can look for a new master.¡± ¡± Li Gang,¡± said Liu Hui Ying in a stoic voice as she turned to look at a corner and said, ¡± Go and stand in the corner before I burn you to a crisp.¡± ¡± Yes, mam.¡± Seeing that Liu Hui Ying was serious, he did not dare to say anything anymore and obediently floated to stand in the corner. ¡± Ara!¡± Just as Li Gang floated to a side, the grand dowager Empress turned to look at Liu Hui Ying with a surprised expression as if she was just realising that Liu Hui Ying was standing in front of her. ¡± Forgive me, child, I was so engrossed in talking with my grand-niece that Ipletely forgot that you are also here,¡± she turned to look at the woman in front of her and lightly pped the back of her hand and said somewhat admonishingly, ¡± Look at you, Yu¡¯er... you always make me lose track of time, see Ipletely forgot about little Ting.¡± ¡± Grandmother doesn¡¯t hit Yu¡¯er, she is just trying to make you happy,¡± said The Emperor with an expression of heartache as he softly caressed the woman¡¯s hand and added, ¡± And the Queen¡¯s name is Ying, not Ting.¡± ¡± Aiya! Look at my memory!¡± Grand dowager Empress smacked her forehead as she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying with an apologetic expression but her eyes were full of proactiveness as she said, ¡± Forgive me, little Ying... I am getting old and can no longer remember things as easily as I used to.¡± Knowing what the three of them were ying at, Liu Hui Ying simply smiled and said, ¡± No, it¡¯s okay... your majesty, there is no need for you to apologise to me.¡± You three just you wait, I am going to fck your *beep* up! Chapter 28 28 Making things difficult for her There were many things that Liu Hui Ying hated¨C 1) being ignored, 2) being looked down upon and 3) being treated like air and currently, all three things were happening to her at once. ording to what Nanny Gang told her she just needed to serve tea, take the gift that the grand empress dowager has prepared for her and then go back to the safety of her own room where she was free to do whatever the freak she wanted to do but it was as if these blind dogs could not even see her. She has been standing next to the grand dowager empress with the cup of tea in her hands while the old hag was busy giggling andughing with that concubine Ju and the jerk who sat next to her. It was a rather humiliating sight as too, the grand dowager empress, the emperor and his beloved Concubine were all sitting on chairs while she alone like the rest of the maids was standing with half of her waist bent as she waited for the old hag to pick up the cup and take a sip. Fortunately, Liu Hui Ying who was used to hitting walls while solving cases had a lot of patience and was able to withstand this ordeal without throwing the cup of tea at the head of the old dowager empress. If someone else other than her was standing here, they might have lost their patience by now and dumped the entire thing. But not Liu Hui Ying, oh she was smarter than that, she knew that these three idiots were looking forward to her making a fool out of her but she remained as calm as ever and remembered what was important ¡ª all right, alright, she was on the verge of losing her temper as well, okay. But after she listened to Jia Li and Li Gang, she realised that she was no longer in the modern world where they had all thews about no killing, not murdering anyone and absolutely no execution until very necessary. This was the era where she would be chopped to death if she made the slightest mistake, now she wasn¡¯t very scared of death, knowing how vengeful she was, Liu Hui Ying was very certain that the person who wille to regret her death would be that prissy jerk, given she will make his life simr to living in hell. However, she would like to die in a rather simple way instead of being hacked into the middle and most certainly she didn¡¯t see her half-chopped butt as thest thing before dying, that was the only reason she was silent till now or else she would have long thrown this teacup at the bastard who was giggling as if Concubine Ji was telling him some real good joke. What was there tough about her maid spilling tea and almost slipping on it? Was there anything tough about in it or was there an inside joke? She sure as hell wasn¡¯t getting why the heck they wereughing. Just when she was nning to do something, the grand dowager Empress once again let out a startled yelp and then turned her head to look at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Aiya, what are you standing there for huh, little Ying? Come here and sit down.¡± Though she did take the tea cup from the tray, the sly grand dowager Empress did not take a sip of it. ..... The meaning was clear she didn¡¯t ept Liu Hui Ying as her daughter-inw. Nanny Gang and Qui Ai¡¯s expressions turned to sour but Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t care, why did it matter to her whether the grand dowager Empress epted her as her daughter-inw? The thing that mattered the most was whether she epted her as her grandmother-inw or not, after all, Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t need this old hag to help her out, in fact, it was the grand dowager Empress who needed her. Or else how will her daughter go to the underworld and attain reincarnation? Forget about drinking tea, just wait until she does her thing.. she will make that old hag worship the ground she walks on. Liu Hui Ying sat down and took a long breath, the crown on top of her head was heavy enough and after standing for half a day with her waist bent, she felt like she was almost going to die. ¡± Little Mimi, go and bring the gift that I prepared for little Ying,¡± the grand dowager empress turned to look at the maid behind her, however just as the maid turned around, the grand dowager empress stopped her and then said, ¡± Wait, how could I forget such an important thing... little Mimi, I prepared something for Yu¡¯er go and bring it as well.¡± Little Mimi, Little Ying and Yu¡¯er,... so the old hag was treating her in the same manner as she would treat her maid huh? Liu Hui Ying curled up her lips as she skimmed the red embroidered roses on her dress and licked the inside of her lips. She was so going to make this old hag beg her, can her precious Yu¡¯er send her daughter to the afterlife? She raised her head and looked at the ghost woman who was standing behind Grand dowager Empress and smirked, seeing the amount of grudge this woman has, forget about grand dowager empress precious Yu¡¯er not even a celestial master of great attainment will be able to take care of her at all. Liu Hui Ying caught sight of Zhai Tianyu¡¯s gaze as he quickly looked at her, seeing him look at her, she not only nodded her head, she even shot a dazzling smile at him as she thought inwardly¨C ¡®I am going to make this man¡¯s life so hard, he has no idea about it, disrespecting me? If your granddaddy was to wake up from his grave now, even he will have to bow down to me and call me master, how dare you... a man who don¡¯t even know the ways of the world make things difficult for me and disrespect me like this, just wait and watch.¡¯ Chapter 29 29 Rob her down to her underwear. Little Mimi soon returned sooner than Liu Hui Ying thought that she would, at first she thought that she will take her sweet time just like the Grand Empress Dowager did but after a second Liu Hui Ying understood why little Mimi came in a rush. On the tray she was carrying were two hairpins, one was simply made out of some cheap quality jade and the other one was made of gold, so exquisitely designed that it was clear from one nce that a highly skilled craftsman has made it. And even before the Grand Empress dowager said anything, Liu Hui Ying already knew which hairpin she was going to get and sure enough, a secondter she heard the grand Empress dowager speak, ¡± Little Ying, I have heard that your father is a very sessful merchant and he always brings you all kind of treasures from all over the country, that is why I chose this hairpin of mine. When I was first married to thete grand Emperor, my mother-inw gifted this hairpin to me, back then it was a rare treasure, though it can not bepared to what your father has brought for you this hairpin is something that I really cherish.¡± ¡® At least polish the hairpin properly before lying through your teeth,¡¯ Liu Hui Ying thought in her head as she looked at the jade pin that looked so old and carelessly taken care of that she was sure that the old hag simply asked her maid to look for the cheapest and old hairpin that she no longer use and yet the old hag called it her most cherished hairpin without a change in her expression? Did she look like a blind fool to her? ¡± Thanking grand empress dowager for her grace,¡± though Liu Hui Ying was cursing the old hag in her head, she didn¡¯t show it on her face. She could sense that not only Zhai Tianyu but even the concubine and the two most trusted of people were looking at her trying to gouge her reaction. Haha, she once served in the detective department of her city, one that dealt with the most dangerous cases in the city, did they think that she was so easily angered? Heh, little kids. As a detective she not only has to act as a bumbling woman but also had to pretend to be someone¡¯s arm candy, she was a woman who has seen all. These little tricks were so poor for someone of her calibre. Jia Li and the others who can hear what she was thinking: ¡°...¡± Can she not see the throbbing nerve in the back of her hand? She looks ready to kill. Seeing that Liu Hui Ying was still calm, the grand empress dowager empress was a tad bit upset, she thought that with her skills she will be able to take a woman like Liu Hui Ying down with just a few swift moves but instead of angering Liu Hui Ying, she was the one who was getting angry. Just what kind of thick skin this woman had? Not only was Liu Hui Ying silent when she ignored for ages but she was also able to stomach such a humiliation. What happened to the noble Liu Hui Ying, whose pride was bigger than her heart? ..... Zhai Tianyu also clenched his fists, he hadn¡¯t expected Liu Hui Ying to be so difficult to deal with, he wanted to make use of his grandmother to rein in Liu Hui Ying and the Liu family, the n was to anger Liu Hui Ying to the point that she will be disrespectful to the Grand dowager Empress but even after being humiliated as such, she was able to smile at him. It was as if she was looking at a bunch of clowns performing a show in front of her, this arrogance... this arrogance was just like the rest of the Liu family. They all too thought that he was easily controlled and manipted like they knew better than him. He wanted to shake Liu Hui Ying awake and have her act as she used to when she wasn¡¯t married to him, like an idiot but he couldn¡¯t do it. He has to keep a close leash on his temper because he was here to find ammunition against the Liu Family and not the other way around. Turning his head to look at his grandmother, he cleared his throat and the grand empress dowager¡¯s expression went through another change as she benevolently smiled at Ji Yu and said, ¡± Yu¡¯er, I have been looking for a perfect gift for you, after all, you have done so much for me these past few weeks, seeing how filial you are... I asked master Wu to prepare this hairpin for you, I also especially ordered him not to replicate this hairpin¡¯s design for anyone, so I assure you that you will be the only owner of this beautiful hairpin.¡± As she spoke, the Grand dowager empress nced at Liu Hui Ying who caught her gaze upon seeing that she was looking in her direction and smiled at her, looking like a generous and benevolent wife leaving the Grand dowager Empress to feelpletely helpless. However, what the Grand dowager empress didn¡¯t know was that Liu Hui Ying was indeed furious inside. Not because she was being treated like Ji Yu¡¯sckey but because she lost that gold hairpin¨C Goodness, look at that shine, if she got her hands on that gold pin then she would have sold it for a good sum of money! Though the dowry that Liu Hui Ying brought with her was grand, she has heard from Qui Ai that the dowry was currently under inspection and it will take at least a month before she will be able to warm her hand with those shiny silver, a month ¨Chow was she supposed to stay without money for a month? The more she thought the angrier she got, surely it must be the n of this jerk and the old hag, not only were they dying her dowry inspection, but they were also snatching the chances of making money from her. How dare they! ¡± Jia Li, Li Gang, Grandma Lan Fen... go and look for every precious thing that this old hag has,¡± said Liu Hui Ying suddenly causing Jia Li and the others to be startled, they turned to look at each other before Jia Li hesitatingly asked, ¡± Are we...?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right we are going to rob this old hag down to her underwear.¡± Chapter 30 30 Something better Liu Hui Ying of course wouldn¡¯t steal the underwear of this old hag but that didn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t make this bag of old bones dirt poor! She swept her gaze through the entire room but she couldn¡¯t find anything worthwhile¨C, antiques she didn¡¯t care about them nor did she care about that jewellery that was spread all over the dressing table, those didn¡¯t look like they were of going to be sold for a good sum of money. Her eyes twitched when she looked around the room only to find that the entire hall was filled with nothing but religious scriptures with some books, she wasn¡¯t interested in those either. Her gaze inadvertently skipped the ghost woman who was standing behind the grand dowager empress before her gaze fell on a small cab that was resting behind the screen, of course, Liu Hui Ying did not possess any infrared vision, she couldn¡¯t see what was behind the screen but she could feel a grudgeful resentmenting from behind the screen, her eyes lit up and she immediately sat up straight before speaking to her ghosts inside her head, ¡± You three go and see what is behind that screen, in the cab, go and find out at once, see if that thing can help me raise my cultivation level o not.¡± Jia Li and Li Gang turned to look in the direction in which she was looking and frowned when they saw the dark ck yin energy swirling around the small cab that had a talisman stuck to it, with just one nce they could see that the talisman didn¡¯t have much strength left in it, it was just a matter of days and then it will snap under the pressure of the evil that was inside the cab. Grandma Lan Fen too looked at the small cab and couldn¡¯t help but pursue her lips as she looked at the heavy yin energy flowing through it, whatever was locked inside the cab wasn¡¯t supposed to be taken out but she knew that this was how Liu Hui Ying raised her spiritual energy. She would look for ornaments, dolls and anything that was covered in the malevolent Qi of the dead and suck it all up to level up her spiritual energy, it was the most dangerous way of cultivating but for Liu Hui Ying who didn¡¯t want to go through the trials and tribtions of the heavens, this was the perfect way to be a highly skilled exorcist. The three of them rose in the air while Liu Hui Ying pretended to listen to the high praises that the Grand dowager Empress was singing for concubine Ji, she kept her lips curled in a smile throughout the entire time making Zhai Tianyu furious enough to grind his teeth. And the more he ground his teeth the happier Liu Hui Ying was, who asked him to look down on her? ¡± Come to think of it, Yu¡¯er is really capable in Guqin and calligraphy, you might not know this little Ying but she is praised as the most talented woman in the capital,¡± The grand dowager empress also noticed that Liu Hui Ying wasn¡¯t ying by the rules that they have set up and could only change her tactics, fine since she wasn¡¯t getting angry upon hearing the heap of praises that she has for Ji Yu, then she might as well humiliate Liu Hui Ying to the point where she will have no other choice but to fly into a rage. ¡°However, I have heard Yu¡¯er y Guqin loads of times, why don¡¯t we make a little change and you y the Guqin for me?¡± Liu Hui Ying¡¯s lips started twitching, she can knock a man out in twenty seconds and pop his bones in rhythm but ying an actual musical instrument and that too the one that was this old? She might as well do the walk of shame here and now. ¡± That thing in the cab is a bead ne from the dynasty of Tan,¡± Jia Li swooped down next to her along with Li Gang and Grandma Lan Fen as she blinked her big eyes and then pointed at the ghost woman who was still standing behind the grand empress dowager. ¡± She told us that it belongs to the high priest, he was killed by the emperor of his time because he made a prediction that the Emperor will lose his throne if he doesn¡¯t learn from his mistakes and starts caring for his people when the emperor heard it, he took his sword and killed the high priest then and there when the priest died that ne was in his hands and it collected the grievance and anger that the priest felt when he died.¡± ..... ¡°Ah, so he was killed by a jerk like the one who is sitting in front of me?¡± mused Liu Hui Ying as she curled her lips into a derisive smile. ¡± I swear half of these people who died with grudges were killed by bastards like him.¡± She nced at Zhai Tianyu and shot him a disdainful nce before rolling her eyes. ¡°Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter.. that bead ne is going to be my wheel of fortune.¡± She turned to look at the Grand Empress dowager and blinked her eyes while smiling at the old woman as if she was one of her potential customers, whom she was going to sell a rip-off product. ¡± ying Guqin is something anyone can do nowadays,your majesty... of course, I am not looking down on anyone here,¡± ¡®of course, I am looking down at you, what¡¯s so good about ying a musical instrument, all because she wanted to gain the attention of that whore of a man? If that Ji woman has be some sort of idol or something I would have respected her a lot.¡¯ She added in her head before ignoring the offended look on the faces of the people who were looking at her as if she has cursed their mother, she continued, ¡± I can do something much better than that, would you like to see it, your majesty?¡± ¡ª¡ª- Chapter 31 31 Medical skills ¡± You can do something much better than ying Guqin?¡± The Grand Empress dowager clenched her fingers so tightly that her knuckles turned white but she still smiled at Liu Hui Ying, she was indeed rather upset with what Liu Hui Ying has said just now, Ji Yu was not just her the granddaughter inw that she loved and adored but she was also her grand-niece, she has watched Ji Yu grow up in front of her, how can she let anyone disrespect her like this? ¡± What else can you do sword dance or something of the sort?¡± As far as she knew Liu Hui Ying was indeed a woman who knew the womanly arts much better than Ji Yu but she has always beencking, unlike Ji Yu who was a genius, Liu Hui Ying has to try hard for everything that she had in her life, the grand dowager empress didn¡¯t even consider Liu Hui Ying as a threat to her niece, the only reason she was able to wear that crown of Empress was all because she was born in a family much bigger than her Ji Yu! ¡± Oh no, that¡¯s ... I don¡¯t think I canpare my skills with concubine Ji when ites to that,¡± said Liu Hui Ying, they wanted to embarrass her? They were much too naive to do something like that. She raised her hand and folded her hands on herp as she looked at the Grand Dowager Empress with a mysterious glint in her eyes. ¡± I do know a little medical skill why not I show it to you? After all,petition should be fair right, my lousy skills couldn¡¯t bepared to concubine Ji simrly my medical skills can not bepared either.¡± ¡± Medical skills?¡± Grand Empress dowager didn¡¯t say anything she simply chuckled on the other hand it was Zhai Tianyu who looked at Liu Hui Ying with a sort of superiorly mocking look in his eyes as he chortled hard. ¡± My Queen, if you cannot y something there is no need for you to try so hard... Zhen understands that you are having a hard time,¡± then he turned to look at Ji Yu and said, ¡± My dear Yu¡¯er why don¡¯t you y¨C¡± ¡± The grand dowager Empress might feel extremely stifled these days as if something is weighing on her shoulders, even after going through countless massages, acupressure and medical treatment your condition might still be the same as it has been before,¡± Liu Hui Ying did not let the Emperor finish his mockery, instead she shot off one thing after another as she looked at the grand dowager empress, her eyes resting on the dark hands that were covered with thick Yin energy. ¡± Around three in the morning your conditioned gets even worse and you feel extreme chill crawling up your spine as if you are locked in an ice-cold cer even though you do not have any cold, am I right?¡± Her words caused not only the Grand Empress dowager¡¯s eyes to pop out, even the Emperor turned to look at her with a wild look in his eyes. This...how did she know this? Because they didn¡¯t want the Liu family to take advantage of the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s situation they have been keeping it under wraps, all the physicians they hired were carefully selected and dealt with, no one should know about the condition of the Grand Dowager Empress, so how did Liu Hui Ying know? ¡± How... How do you know this?¡± Finally, the Grand Dowager Empress couldn¡¯t help but ask causing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s lips to curl even more as she looked at the old woman and replied calmly, ¡± I did say that I am an expert in these things, didn¡¯t I? If you give me a chance then I will be able to help you, your majesty.¡± Grand Dowager Empress leaned back on her chair, she didn¡¯t trust anyone from the Liu family, there was a chance that the woman in front of her was simply trying to dwindle things and make her lose sight of what was important but ... she rolled her shoulders but paused when she felt something press on it. She stiffened and then turned around to look behind her but there was nothing, if she didn¡¯t know better she would have thought that she was being haunted by something evil. ¡± Are you sure that you can help me with my shoulder pain?¡± asked Grand Dowager Empress, if not for the physician and everyone else running into a hard wall she would have never taken of someone from the Liu family. ..... ¡± Grandmother...¡± Zhai Tianyu also knew that his grandmother was having a hard time because of her stiff and heavy shoulders but falling for Liu Hui Ying¡¯s sweet talks, was simply a desperate move. ¡± I know what I am doing your highness,¡± said Grand Empress Dowager as she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying, who nodded her head confidently and said, ¡± Of course I can, the ailment has been for years that¡¯s why it will take some time for you to recoverpletely but I can at least give you a moment of peace for a day and night, would you like to try it? I mean, it has been a very long time at least six years ever since you had a decent sleep, your majesty?¡± She nced at the ghost woman who looked at her nkly, she watched as the woman dug her nails into the grand empress dowager¡¯s shoulders causing thetter to wince. ¡± If only she pierces the skin...¡± she murmured under her breath causing everyone to turn and look at her. Grand Empress dowager looked at her with confusion before nodding her head. ¡± Okay I will give you a chance to show your skills but let me tell you if you make a mistake then you will be thrown into the cold pce after all the punishment for lying to us is not as simple as getting grounded in your own courtyard, do you agree?¡± ¡ª please do support this book by gifts, powerstones andments for regr update! It gives me motivation! Chapter 32 32 Beads of blood wood. Liu Hui Ying understood at once that the old woman was trying to set her up, she cursed the old hag in her head until she dug the grave of her ancestors and whipped them up but the smile on her face didn¡¯t falter, instead, she looked a bit hesitant as she dropped her gaze a little and blinked her eyes. That cursed beads ne was something that she very much wanted to raise her spiritual energy, since she was a woman who had a severe allergy to men, her bodycked the Yang energy that she needed while raising three ghosts, only by sucking the Yin energy of cursed things and ghosts was she able to maintain her life. Now that she found something so appetising she could not let go of it! So, she tilted her head and looked at the old woman with a slight wince on her face. ¡± Punishment? I thought we were just showing off our skills, from where did this talk of punishment pop up, your majesty?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s different, my queen. ¡± Zhai Tianyu has cottoned on to the scheme of his grandmother, he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying with an innocent expression that had a slightly troubled smile on his face as if he was really in a bad situation. ¡± Grand dowager empress¡¯s body is not something that you can experiment on, of course, the stakes will be high...if you can¡¯t do it why not just drop the entire thing, my queen? There is no shame in epting that you couldn¡¯t do it. No one will say a word about it outside,¡± then he turned to look at his headmander and General before sternly saying, ¡± Don¡¯t breathe a word about this outside.¡± ¡± We won¡¯t your majesty,¡± said Zhai Heng as he lowered his head while Yu Lingyun simply nodded but Liu Hui Ying could see the mocking glint in their eyes. ¡± See my queen, there is no need for you to force yourself,¡± Zhai Tianyu turned his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying with a doting smile, even his eyes were filled with warmth as if he truly cared about her. ¡± If this man lived in our world, he would have won an oscar,¡± Liu Hui Ying muttered in her head. Jia Li nodded her head seriously as she flew in the air and took a sit on the invisible chair. ¡± That¡¯s true, he is really good... if we didn¡¯t know any better, I would have thought that he truly adores you but it¡¯s clear from the small crinkle of his be that he is finding this situation really annoying .¡± She has been working in the forensicb ever since she graduated from college and after solving so many cases she could even detect the slightest bit of change in the emotions of a person from the smallest change in their physical anatomy. ¡± And he is baiting you, dear,¡± said Grandma Lan Fen, when she was a police officer, she has seen many psychological tactics by the criminals, they would threaten the police in a such manner sometimes. Baiting them to make a move when they knew that they had the situation under their grasp. ¡± It will be foolish for anyone to jump in this carefullyid trap but ...¡± ..... ¡± But you are not just anyone,¡± Li Gang threw his hands back and locked them behind his head and smirked at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± I bet you are already thinking about how to counterattack them and push them into the pit that they are digging for you.¡± ¡± Of course,¡± Liu Hui Ying turned her eyes slightly to look at her three ghost servants and said with a slight curl of one end of her lips, ¡± Who do you think I am.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she turned to look at Grand Dowager Empress and caught the sh of victory that glinted in her eyes. She suppressed the mocking curl of her lips before she continued speaking, ¡± I will take my chances and see what I can do.¡± ¡± Oh my dear,¡± she heard Nanny Gong groan behind her and from the way two maids tried to hold her up, it was clear that she almost passed out again. Liu Hui Ying slightly turned her head and looked at the extremely pale Nanny Gong and Qui Ai and winced slightly as she mumbled an apology to them in her head, ¡® I am sorry Nanny Gong and Qui Ai, but you both better get used to it because I am going to continue dancing with the Devil.¡¯ So, she deliberately ignored Nanny Gang and her pallid-looking maid as she smiled at Grand Dowager Empress and pped her hands as she said, ¡± But if there is a punishment then, there must be a reward as well, right? After all, that is only fair....right?¡± She dragged thest syble as she looked sharply at Grand Dowager Empress and smiled with a knowing glint in her eyes. Seeing that glint, Grand Dowager Empress was a bit stunned. It was as if they weren¡¯t the one who was in control of the situation but instead it was Liu Hui Ying was the one who was making a fool out of them, did she really know some medical skills? Grand Dowager Empress turned to look at her grandson who calmly closed his eyes and opened them, only then did her heart ease a little. That was right, if Liu Hui Ying knew any medical skills they would have known, how can such a thing be hidden? Surely, this girl was just trying to make a fool out of them by looking all confident like that, Grand Dowager Empress calmed her heart and smiled at Liu Hui Ying before she asked, ¡± A reward, what is it that you want?¡± Though she asked that, she already knew what Liu Hui Ying was going to ask, she looked at the hairpin that Ji Yu¡¯s maid was holding and snorted mockingly. Who in the empire didn¡¯t know that Liu Hui Ying liked topete with Ji Yu, surely she will ask for the hairpin or something simr to it. ¡± I want the beads of bloodwood.¡± Chapter 33 33 Contempt. ¡± I see, I will get the craftsman to ...¡± Grand Dowager Empress began speaking, she was expecting Liu Hui Ying to ask for a simr hairpin as Ji Yu which was why her reply was already set but when Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words registered in her head, she frowned and then raised her head to look at Liu Hui Ying with a frowning expression as she asked, ¡± What did you say ...what do you want?¡± Liu Hui Ying only smiled in the face of the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s frown as she repeated her words, ¡± I want the beads of cursed blood wood, your majesty...you know the one that you received as a gift from someone.¡± Her words shocked everyone in the hall, everyone knew that the beads of bloodwood were a cursed item that was snuck inside the gifts that Grand Dowager Empress received on her fiftieth birthday. At first, she didn¡¯t know what it was and casually wore it since she was a religious woman, to begin with but then after she wore it, weird nightmares started to bug her. She couldn¡¯t sleep for a week and her appearance turned haggard, at first she couldn¡¯t understand what was happening, butter on when little Mimi pointed it out, she realised that her nightmares started the day when she started wearing the beads. As an experiment, she closed the beads in a cab where she prayed and that night she was indeed not bugged by any nightmare! The Grand Dowager Empress was spooked and she immediately threw the beads away but after a week she realised that the beads were still in her room, it was as if she never threw them away, afraid that something was up, she immediately called a priest who locked the beads away and told her that she can never throw the beads away unless someone voluntarily takes them. By the time she found out about it, the rumours about the beads had already spread all over the ce and she couldn¡¯t give them to anyone. In the end, they stayed with her locked and forgotten in the cab where the priest locked them but now Liu Hui Ying was saying that she wanted them. For what? ¡± You want the beads of bloodwood?¡± Grand Dowager Empress was simply stunned, she was expecting Liu Hui Ying to ask for a hairpin or two but she didn¡¯t expect her to ask for that cursed thing. What was going on in her head? Did she know that she cannot throw that thing away once she gets her hands on it? ¡± Of course, if I didn¡¯t want it then I wouldn¡¯t have asked for it, your majesty,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she smiled brightly at the Grand Dowager Empress. ¡± Do you agree, I mean there is no need for you to not agree...after all, if I can¡¯t treat you then you can punish me as you wish your majesty and if I treat you then you don¡¯t need to have to lose anything, this entire thing is a win-win situation for you.¡± It was indeed a win-win situation, thought Zhai Tianyu as he looked at Liu Hui Ying, he could not understand what was going on in her head, but he couldn¡¯t let her have the beads of bloodwood, so easily. He has seen his grandmother¡¯s condition back then and he knew that it was a horribly dangerous thing, to leave such a thing in the hands of someone from the Liu family, he didn¡¯t like the thought of it. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Liu Hui Ying with suspicion as he asked, ¡± Why do you want it, what do you have in mind?¡± ..... Liu Hui Ying turned her head and the smile on her face dropped at an rming rate while facing the Grand Dowager Empress she at least had a smile on her face but when looking at Zhai Tianyu, her eyes glinted contemptuously as she looked at him. ¡± Why do you think that I will do any harm to others your esteemed majesty? As far as I know, the beads couldn¡¯t be given to someone else without their consent and everyone knows about the beads of the bloodwood, who will take it from me?¡± Was it his imagination or the way the Queen was talking to him with a tone that was even more contemptuous than how he talked about her? Even the Grand Dowager Empress found it bewildering, as far as she knew Liu Hui Ying has tried her best to marry her grandson but now that she was married to him, why did it look like she didn¡¯t like him as much as they thought that she did? Zhai Tianyu¡¯s lips twitched as he looked at Liu Hui Ying and smiled softly, seeing that the hard approach wasn¡¯t working he wasn¡¯t shy of giving the soft approach a try. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that, my queen. I am just worried about my wife, can¡¯t I be worried about you?¡± When he spoke, his voice was full of love and affection ...Liu Hui Ying who despised everything that had to do with men and their affection, shivered as goosebumps broke all over her skin as she leaned back on her chair as if she was trying to get away from the invisible, fake love that was flying in the air. ¡± There is no need for you to worry about me, in fact...¡± she paused when she felt someone pinch the back of her neck, stunned she turned around and looked at Nanny Gong who was looking at her with a pleading look on her face. ¡± Please... your majesty have mercy on us,¡± Nanny Gong said in a pitiful voice causing Liu Hui Ying to clear her throat ufortably as she turned around and decided to ignore the emperor altogether, she knew her habits too well, if she was to look at him much less hear what he has to say, she would not be able to stop herself from splitting his butt! Chapter 34 34 Taking care of the grand dowager Empress Liu Hui Ying took a deep breath and crushed her desire to chop the neck of the Emperor as much as she hated him, there was nothing that she could do to him. If she so much as touched him, Liu Hui Ying was afraid that she will have to see the sight of her chopped butt before dying, so for the sake of dying beautifully, she chose to magnanimously ignore the Emperor. Out of sight, out of mind! ¡± Grand Empress Dowager, what do you have to say?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked as she turned her attention to the old woman, as long as the person in front of her was a woman, no matter how scheming and despicable she was, Liu Hui Ying was confident in controlling her temper. She ced a hand on her bosom and solemnly spoke to the grand dowager Empress. ¡± Everyone knows about the beads of bloodwood, its impossible for me to harm anyone with it, if you still do not trust me then you can send the word out that you have given the beads to me, I believe then even if I am nning something, it would note to fruition, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Liu Hui Ying was indeed right, they could always stop her from doing something like sending the beads of the bloodwood to someone else after all, but if she didn¡¯t want the beads for the sake of harming someone, why was she asking for the beads? ¡± Very well,¡± though the grand dowager Empress was indeed confused by the peculiar request of Liu Hui Ying, she wanted to see what thetter was nning. After all, they all know very well that no one from the Liu family would do things without any benefit in return, sooner orter Liu Hui Ying will show her vixen tail and they just have to make sure to catch it on time. ¡± I agree, I will give you the beads of bloodwood, but do remember Empress if you do not hold the side of your promise then you cannot me me.¡± ¡± Of course, I won¡¯t do something like that Grand Dowager Empress,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she pushed herself off the chair and stood up before walking towards the Grand Dowager Empress. Seeing Liu Hui Ying walk towards the Grand Dowager Empress, Nanny Gong ced the back of her hand on her forehead and grimaced slightly, ¡± Little Ai, why do I see the light?¡± Qui Ai heard nanny Gong¡¯s words and was terrified, she immediately caught hold of the elderly woman¡¯s arm and said, ¡± No, Nanny Gong! Don¡¯t go into the light...just wait for a while we all will go into the light in a while, I don¡¯t want to leave alone, I am scared!¡± ..... ¡°It¡¯s just a figure of speech!¡± seeing that Qui Ai was taking her words seriously Nanny Gong immediately snatched her hand back from her, when did she say that she was willing to die? What idiot said that, she was still too young to die damn it! The two of them bantered as softly as possible but Liu Hui Ying heard everything that they were saying with her sharp senses, though she was smiling, her entire face was stiff as she walked towards the grand dowager Empress. ¡± They really have no confidence in you, do they?¡± said Li Gang, his eyes filled with amusement as he looked at the two women who were muttering behind them. ¡± Well, you don¡¯t really look reliable....¡± ¡± If you want to starve today then you can continue that sentence you know?¡± Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t get angry at Li Gang instead she smiled dashingly at him, which only made him fly and hide behind Grandma Lan Fen who shook her head and chided him lightly, ¡± If you cannot go against her, why do you even try to do it?¡± ¡± Who says that I can¡¯t go against her? I ...I totally can go against her...¡± though he said that his voice was quivering making Grandma Lan Fen sympathise with the young ghost, he was once the thug boss of his group but now he was scared of a young woman after his death. What a pity. Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t pay any attention to her ghost servants, she already knew that the three had no good feelings for her, and paying attention to these three might just get her blood pressure high. ¡± Then please ignore my rudeness, your majesty,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she came to a stop in front of the Grand dowager Empress who was sitting on the sit of head and then crouched down such that she was at eye level with the elderly woman. Seeing Liu Hui Ying get so close to his grandmother, Zhai Tinayu was scared out of his wits, though he sat in his seat and remained unmoved, Ji Yu could see that his fists were clenched tightly in his sleeves. She patted him on the back of his hands before turning her head and motioning to her maid to move closer to the Empress, in case the Empress tried anything then her maid would be able to intervene. Ji Yu¡¯s maid was called Xiao Bai, when she noticed that her mistress was asking her to keep an eye on the Empress, she nodded her head and then moved ever so slightly so that she was able to see what the Empress was doing. Of course, Liu Hui Ying also noticed the changes that just took ce, as a detective her senses were more alert than anyone in the room. She didn¡¯t avoid the gaze of the maid who was looking at her instead she calmly ced her hands on the shoulders of the grand dowager Empress. To others it looked right she was simply putting her hands on the shoulders of the grand dowager Empress but only Liu Hui Ying and her ghosts knew that she was actually holding the wrists of the ghost woman who was using the grand dowager Empress as her anchor to this world. Liu Hui Ying smiled at the ghost woman who looked shocked at the sight of Liu Hui Ying being able to hold her but then her shock turned into pain when Liu Hui Ying instilled her spiritual energy and wrenched the hands of the ghost woman away. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 35 35 Just tickled ¡± What are you ...¡± at first the grand Dowager Empress was surprised at Liu Hui Ying¡¯s actions, after all, what kind of medical treatment can Liu Hui Ying give her with no instruments whatsoever in her hands? But then she felt a warm current flow inside her body, surprised she blinked her eyes as she touched her shoulders and then moved them slightly, her expression full of astonishment as she looked at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± How did you...How did you do it, no doctor has been able to ease my pain, even with their skilled hands they couldn¡¯t take the pain off my shoulders, so how did you?¡± Liu Hui Ying smiled at the Grand Dowager Empress, with her arms behind her back as she softly asked instead of answering the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s question, ¡± Your majesty, you are feeling all right, right? Your shoulders are no longer in pain, am I right?¡± ¡± That¡¯s...That¡¯s right, they no longer hurt,¡± Grand Dowager Empress was stunned, when she agreed to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s request, she truly had no intention of believing that Liu Hui Ying would be able to help her. She was, in fact, waiting for her to perform some lousy set of skills but instead, she actually healed her years-old pain with just a slight massage, how was it possible? Did Liu Hui Ying really learn some medical skills? If so, why didn¡¯t they have any idea about it? Zhai Tianyu¡¯s eyes widened after he finished listening to his grandmother¡¯s words, it seemed like Liu Hui Ying truly knew what she was doing. He clenched his fingers even tight, so tight that his fingernails dug into his palms, what else was the queen hiding from him? Liu Hui Ying sensed a re at the back of her head, a bit surprised she turned to look at the person ring at her but when she turned her head, her gaze met with the Emperor¡¯s smiling face and her mood turned sour, surely this two face was the one who was ring at her but seeing that she was turning to look over her shoulder, he started smiling. Such duality, why was he born a man? He should have been a woman ying schemes like a white lotus in the pce. She smiled at him in return before she returned to her seat and sat down and ced her hands on herp while waiting for the grand dowager empress to bring out the wheel of fortune, she could already feel the powerful grudge from those beads surely, she might be able to raise her spiritual energy to level five? That way she can share more spiritual energy with her ghosts, at present only Li Gang was the one who could turn into a poltergeist and that too for a very short amount of time. Those beads can help her a lot! ¡± Little Mimi, go and bring the beads of bloodwood,¡± Grand Dowager Empress didnt want to give those dangerous beads to Liu Hui Ying but a promise was a promise, she has already given her word that she will reward Liu Hui Ying with those beads if she was to take care of the pain in her shoulder. ..... Now that she has given her word, she of course couldn¡¯t take it back. Little Mimi squeaked in surprise causing everyone to turn and look at her, seeing that everyone¡¯s attention was on her, the little girl shivered. ¡± D..Do I have to bring it out, your majesty?¡± The beads of bloodwood were cursed, it was said that whoever touched it would have to see their worst memories, thest time Grand Dowager Empress touched them, she cried in pain and agony for three days every night. For her to touch such a thing she was really terrified at the thought of it! ¡± What else do you want me to bring it out?¡± Grand dowager Empress asked in an eximing voice as she looked at her maid, her maid was really quick and efficient but she was too straightforward and didn¡¯t think before speaking. This was one thing that she was really afraid of and unsatisfied with. ¡± I... I will go and get it,¡± the little maid replied with a teary sort of voice as she hurried behind the screen. Liu Hui Ying watched her take the beads out of the cab that was locked with a talisman. Even though the talisman did not have much Yang power left in it, the second it was pulled away from the cab, everyone felt the sudden change in the temperature as the entire room plunged into darkness and they all shivered. Little Mimi who was in charge of bringing the beads out of the cab was shivering so much, she resembled a shivering cat in rain. ¡± Here, here you go your majesty,¡± she rushed to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s side with the beads tied in a white handkerchief before opening her mouth as she said, ¡± Your majesty please be careful don¡¯t¨C¡± she wanted to tell Liu Hui Ying not to touch the beads by her hand but before she could say anything Liu Hui Ying has already picked up the beads from the handkerchief and ced it on top of her palm. No sooner did she touch the beads, a familiar voice rang in her head¡ª ¡± Ying! Run! Don¡¯te here!¡± The image of her bleeding sister popped into her head and she clenched the beads tightly in her head as her right eye twitched, ah she forgot how her sister looked when she died. ¡± Hui Ying, are you okay?¡± She was snapped out of her daze as she heard Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s voice and raised her head to look at the old woman who was looking at her with an inquisitive gaze. ¡± You look rather pale, is everything okay? Did you see anything unsightly?¡± ¡± I am fine, your majesty thank you for your concern,¡± Liu Hui Ying closed her eyes as she looked down at the ckend beads and smirked. ¡± I am just tickled a little by the cute attempt.¡± Chapter 36 36 Yin defying Yang ¡® Should I kill him?¡¯ This was the first thought that came to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s head the second she stepped out of the courtyard of the Grand Dowager Empress, she has gotten what she wanted and now all she needed was to take off this heavy burden that she was carrying on top of her head and just roll around her bed but ever since she stepped out of the archway that led to the stairs of hell, she has gotten a tail that she couldn¡¯t rid of, and that tail was none other than ¡ª ¡± My Queen wait! Zhen has something that Zhen wants to talk about with you.¡± The Emperor strode towards her after stepping off his pnquin, Concubine Ji and the others too followed suit as they got off the pnquin and walked behind the Emperor. ¡® Son of a bitch!¡¯ Liu Hui Ying sourly looked at the pnquin behind them her lips twitching in anger as she clenched her fists. Just one hit, she just wanted to hit this man for once! ¡± You can¡¯t,¡± said Jia Li with a heavy sigh as she looked at Liu Hui Ying¡¯s clenched fingers, she has been with Liu Hui Ying long enough to know that she wasn¡¯t even joking when she said that she wanted to hit the Emperor. ¡± You do know that if you die right now, then this tight corset and everything else will be your dress code?¡± She motioned to herself and pointed to her penguin pyjamas and deadpanned, ¡± I am embarrassed every day and which brings us to the promise you made to mest month, you said that you will get me a Chanel dress!¡± ¡± Are you an idiot?¡± She turned her head and shouted at Jia Li who wasining about her dress code all of a sudden but in her anger, she forgot to shout inside her head, instead, she shouted out loud at Qui Ai who was standing behind her. The little girl¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she blinked at Liu Hui Ying rapidly and asked with a sobbing voice, ¡± M..., your majesty, are ..are you okay why are you shouting at me like this, di...did I make a mistake ?¡± ¡± No, no, no, it¡¯s not you...¡± Liu Hui Ying shot a re at Jia Li who started whistling and looked away as if she couldn¡¯t see Liu Hui Ying¡¯s re leaving thetter to coax Qui Ai. ¡°It is not your fault, I ... I was just thinking something and lost control, don¡¯t cry okay?¡± Qui Ai nodded her head but she still had a sullen pout on her face causing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s head to throb. ¡± My queen?¡± And of course, the Emperor has to open his mouth when she was in a sullen mood. Liu Hui Ying turned her head with a ferocious expression on her face that caused Yu Lingyun to step back and drag Zhai Heng with him as he muttered, ¡± Stay alert the Queen do a fantastic shoulder throw.¡± ..... Zhai Heng: ¡°.....¡± He turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was as frail as the small peach blossom, easily crushed and trodden before turning to look at his friend and the general of the army as he calmly and sternly advised him, ¡± Do not drink so much at night...and start working out a little, I see that you have gotten smaller than before.¡± This time it was Yu Lingyun¡¯s turn to be speechless, he was a six feet tall man with nothing but muscles and buff, yet he was being called small just because he was an inch shorter than Zhai Heng. Ptui! Fine! Just go and do your thing, he will enjoy the show when the Queen throws him over her shoulder if she was to get her hands on him. Seeing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s ferocity even Zhai Tianyu was a bit surprised as he took a step back instinctively causing everyone to look at him. It was only then did he realise what he just did now and cleared his throat ufortably, ¡± Ahem, my queen what Zhen was trying to ask was where did you learn your medical skills from?¡± ¡± And why do you care about that, your esteemed majesty?¡± asked Liu Hui Ying with a raised brow as she looked at him with a haughty smile on her face. Why did those words ¡®esteemed majesty¡¯ sound like ¡® what are you looking at pig?¡¯ to him? Zhai Tianyu shook his head and then looked at Liu Hui Ying with a smile as he crossed his hands behind his back and said, ¡± Why else? Zhen just wants to know more about you queen.¡± ¡®More like you want to see how strong I am beforeing up with a perfect n to get rid of me,¡¯ Liu Hui Ying inwardly scoffed before she raised a finger and said, ¡± Did you ever try to know me before we got married your esteemed majesty?¡± ¡± No,¡± replied Zhai Tianyu as he clenched his eyes as his pupils contracted, he did try to find out more about Liu Hui Ying but that was only for investigation purposes and it was his men who did the investigation and he has never really paid any attention to Liu Hui Ying before. ¡± That¡¯s right, you didn¡¯t give any damn about me, so it¡¯s better for you to keep it like that,¡± said Liu Hui Ying with her arms crossed as she looked at him with a slight tilt of her head. ¡°Let¡¯s get along as we did before, you do your thing and I will do my thing, all right? That way we will live a happy and long life because I don¡¯t know about you ...but if I was to look at your face, my lifeline sure is going to get short.¡± ¡± How long are you going to talk to me like that?¡± Zhai Tianyu could not help but ask with an annoyed voice, originally he wanted to be nice and gentle to Liu Hui Ying but thetter was simply not showing any respect to him at all. ¡± Zhen is your husband and Emperor, a wife should be respectful and obedient to her husband, how dare yin defy her yang?¡± ¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 37 37 Stay in the pyjamas of husband Liu Hui Ying blinked at the outburst of the Emperor, the servants were already on the ground and she could feel the shivering Qui Ai tug on her skirt but Liu Hui Ying simply snatched her skirt out of her grasp and scoffed, ¡± How dare Yin to defy Yang? I am going to defy you at every turn what are you going to do? Cut my head and hang it on the city wall? Do it! Maybe granting someone poisonous wine and forcing them to a blind corner is something that you can forget with ease and sleep peacefully at night but to me, it was the most horrifying thing to happen because of you... you have no idea what I have to lose! I am going to defy you, not only today but every day in the future what are you going to do huh? HUH?¡± Silence descended upon everyone as they all looked at the Emperor with bated breath, this was the first time that a woman dared to say such words to his majesty, was she not afraid that she will lose the favour of the Emperor and be discarded? What was she doing by going against him? Even Zhai Tianyu felt that Liu Hui Ying might have gone crazy afterst night¡¯s ordeal, she not only retorted to him, she even said that she was going to defy him at every turn possible, by saying those words where was she putting his face? How dare she! ¡± Zhen is your husband!¡± Zhai Tianyu roared as anger surged to his head, to hell with being kind and nice to this woman. She was simply his bane, a disaster born to ruin his perfect facade, with just a few words she made his heart stifled with anger. Why did he know that Liu Hui Ying had such a talent for angering someone? ¡± How dare you say that? Are you not afraid that you will be an abandoned woman, how can you even say such a thing to your husband, the lord of your life¨C¡± ¡± Then divorce me, divorce me now!¡± Liu Hui Ying interrupted Zhai Tianyu with a loud scream, lord of her life? Was this man high or something? He wasn¡¯t even the dirt beneath her shoe, who told him that he was the lord of her life? ¡± I don¡¯t care, I might as well live a peaceful life as an abandoned woman and then be married to you, lord of my life! No one is the lord of my life, I am the one who owns my life, I will decide whether I stay alive or die, who are you to make that decision for me? You didn¡¯t give me birth and neither did you not raise me, what have you done to be my lord?¡± ¡± Zhen is your husband! Zhen married you!¡± ¡± Hah! Just because you married me?¡± sneered Liu Hui Ying as she flicked her hair strands that were falling on her forehead and pushed them back. ¡± If you think that I am going to give you leverage just because of that, then you are wrong as hell! I am not going to give it to you, your esteemed majesty. If you are a husband then stay in the pyjamas of being a husband, and don¡¯t try to be my god, if you want to be my God then you might as well try to bring me hundred of mountains of gold and a few countries to rule before calling yourself, my lord!¡± After that, she flicked her hair and then turned her back on Zhai Tianyu who has been retorted to the point where he became speechless. Seeing that Liu Hui Ying was actually leaving, he raised his hand and chased after her, ¡± You... Don¡¯t you dare to turn your back on Zhen!¡± ..... He stretched his hand to get hold of Liu Hui Ying, whose eyes widened and she snatched her hand away and raised it high in the air, seeing that Liu Hui Ying has snatched her hand away, Zhai Tianyu went to hold her other hand but Liu Hui Ying snatched that hand away as well and raised it overhead, now both her hands were raised in the air as if she was standing in punishment. ¡± What are you doing?¡± asked Zhai Tianyu as he looked at Liu Hui Ying with a frown. ¡± Is this how an Empress of the country should behave?¡± Liu Hui Ying did not reply to him at once, instead, she bunny-hopped three steps back and then heaved a deep breath before dropping her hand and looking at him with an annoyed expression. ¡°That¡¯s supposed to be my line! Did I not ask you to stay away from me like three feet away? Why are you even getting close to me and trying to hold my hand, I don¡¯t want you to hold my hand.¡± Zhai Tianyu felt like he was going to have ulcers by the time he finishes talking to Liu Hui Ying, he closed his eyes and then pointed at her with a trembling finger while his temple throbbed dangerously. ¡± I am asking you to stop! So stop who are you to turn your back on me?¡± He was so furious that instead of addressing himself as ¡®Zhen¡¯, he ended up using ¡®I¡¯. ¡± Why? Am I your dog?¡± Liu Hui Ying shot back as she tipped her chin and raised her pupils slightly with an exaggerated raise of her brows. ¡± If you ask me to stop I will stop, if you tell me to roll on the ground, I will roll?¡± ¡± I am just trying to have a conversation with you, my queen...¡± Zhai Tianyu gritted out as he looked at Liu Hui Ying with a forced smile on his face. Why was it that no one ever told him that Liu Hui Ying¡¯s tongue was covered with barbed wires? He said one thing and she will retaliate with a thousand more words, what kind of teaching did Second old master Liu has given to his daughter? Not only she had no respect for her husband, but her tongue was sharper than his sword Chapter 38 38 Assassination attempt He took a calming breath before asking in a softer voice than before, ¡± Zhen just wanted to know a little about you, my queen...there is no need for you to throw a tantrum at Zhen like this.¡± ¡± Tantrum?¡± Liu Hui Ying scoffed with a mocking look in her eyes, he has some guts! Does he think that she was some child who was throwing a tantrum because she didn¡¯t get her favourite toy? This was why she hated most men, they were self-centred, selfish and just thought about themselves, if they had another cell in their body that told them how to be considerate of women then maybe her sister wouldn¡¯t have died like that. She cracked her neck, if she was being honest, she wanted to crack someone¡¯s eggs but because she was no fan of carrying her chopped butt after her death, she tried to keep very good control of her temper as well as powers, thest time she lost control, she raised at least a hundred corpses from the graveyard and it was a huge mess, she could still remember the number ofints that were filed into the police department when so many corpses were dug out of their graves and ended up falling on the streets and parks after she retracted her spiritual energy, she couldn¡¯t have something like that repeat itself. ¡± Look,¡± she said after she was done giving herself a short prep-up talk. ¡± When I said that it¡¯s toote for you to know anything about me, I meant it.. alright? This is not me throwing tantrum or trying to gain your attention, okay?¡± She looked into the eyes of the Emperor hoping he would see just how serious she was being. ¡± I just want to stay alive doing my own thing, I am not asking for much right?¡± The Emperor didn¡¯t say anything for a while before he nodded his head and raised his hand to ce it on her shoulder but how could Liu Hui Ying allow him to do that, she dodged almost at once and Zhai Tianyu dropped his hand to his side. ¡± I understand... I understand everything that you are saying, my queen.¡± ¡± Well thank goodness,¡± Liu Hui Ying was overjoyed that she was able to get her facts straight with the thick-skulled Emperor, now that he said that he understood what she meant then does it not mean that she will be able to live a peaceful life¨C ¡± I understand that you are angry that I didn¡¯te to see you on our wedding night,¡± she did not even get a chance to stay happy for more than three seconds when the Emperor opened his mouth and dumped a bucket of cold water on top of her head. ¡± What ...What did you say?¡± Liu Hui Ying was sure that she might have misheard him, she stared at the man in front of him in disbelief as she asked the one question that came to her head as soon as she heard the Emperor speak. Zhai Tianyu smiled at her as if he to say ¡®you naughty woman¡¯ and said with a shy expression on his face as he whispered such that it was only her who would hear what he was saying, ¡± If I knew you will be this upset just because I didn¡¯te to see youst night, then I would have made an exception, I just thought that you went through so many things and might be tired that is why I decided to change my n but if that has upset you, my queen... I will make sure that I satisfy you tonight as much as you want.¡± ..... Silence, utter silence descended upon the two of them and their procession as Liu Hui Ying stared at the Emperor in front of her, what in the world? ¡± Ha..haha, you are sure a funny guy,¡± Liu Hui Yingughed as she took another two steps back. ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking my queen, this is my sincere feelings for you,¡± said Zhai Tianyu as he smiled at Liu Hui Ying, however even though he was smiling his eyes were cold as ice. He needed to know what the queen was nning, everyone knew that the Liu family had nothing but contempt for him and his grandmother. With their strength the Liu family has always been suppressing them, for someone from the Liu family to help his grandmother alleviate her symptoms and even take the cursed bloodwood away without any reasons or benefits, that was impossible. He needs to go to the Prosperity hall and see what the Queen was nning only then will he get rid of the boulder that was pressing on his shoulder but for now¨C he has to make sure that if possible the Queen never returns to her hall intact. ¡± Are you an idiot¡ª¡± Liu Hui Ying was so disgusted by the corny line that the Emperor shot at her that she ended up speaking what was on her mind but unfortunately for her no one heard her. Why unfortunately? Because the second she opened her mouth the crowd erupted in screams and shouts of anxiousness as they pointed at something in the sky. Stunned, Liu Hui Ying turned her head to look at where the crowd was looking and was surprised to find that an arrow was heading towards her. No, it would be better to say that she was not surprised, now she understood why the Emperor was trying to stall for time, he was waiting for this. She turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who has already retreated and was holding concubine Ji in his arms, her lips curled in a sneer as she muttered, ¡± Li Gang.¡± At once Li Gang who was flying in the air shot at her like a bullet and embedded his soul with hers, possessing her body for only long enough to catch the arrow that was heading towards them. And once he was done, he carefully stepped out of Liu Hui Ying and touched his groin. ¡± Damn it, even after so long I can¡¯t get used to it ...the feeling of losing my happiness is really too much.¡± Chapter 39 39 Really wanted her dead, One shot kill! Liu Hui Ying gasped as the chill that was covering her body vanished into thin air before she turned her head and looked at the arrow that she was holding in her hand. Not only was the thing sharp enough to drill into her skull its tip was even poisoned! This man really wanted to kill her but he could still look at her and say those flowery words, no wonder the original owner of the body died without knowing anything, this man¡¯s heart was like a needle in the ocean. His ruthlessness was so deeply hidden that his victims wouldn¡¯t even get a chance to ask for water before dying. ¡± The Yin energy is really thick this time,¡± said Li Gang as he came to stand next to her and peered down at the arrow that she was holding. ¡± It was a one-shot kill, if I hadn¡¯t helped then you would have died the second it pierced into your skin, how are you going to reward me huh? You better get me that ck pepper chicken that you promised, now that you are the queen you cannot make excuses like you don¡¯t have enough funds.¡± ¡± I am d that you are this worried about me,¡± Liu Hui Ying smiling looked at Li Gang causing thetter to shiver as he flew back and hid behind Grandma Lan Fen as he sulkily said, ¡± Why is she getting angry at me huh? What did I do? If she is angry then she should take it out on the Emperor after all it¡¯s clear as the day that he is the one behind it.¡± ¡± Do you think we can¡¯t tell?¡± said Jia Li as she rolled her eyes at him, ¡± We can see it with our own eyes as well, and if you look carefully Hui Ying is trying her best not to snap.¡± She pointed at the nerves that were throbbing at the back of Liu Hui Ying¡¯s hand that was clutching the arrow and added, ¡± I have to say that I was expecting her to snap and do something unexpected, she is holding it in much better than I thought she will.¡± ¡± She is not holding it in,¡± said Grandma Lan Fen with a heavy sigh. ¡± The Emperor and the assassin both have to pay for what they have done.¡± ¡°Jia Li,¡± no sooner did Grandma Lan Fen speak, they heard Liu Hui Ying speak as she slowly turned her head and looked at the three of them with a devious smile ying on her lips. ¡± Go and get hold of that assassin to make sure you teach him a good lesson.¡± Jia Li rolled her eyes, and huffed heavily before she rose in the air she said, ¡± Anything is fine as long as I don¡¯t kill him right?¡± ¡± That¡¯s right,¡± conceded Liu Hui Ying as she nodded her head and then turned to look at the crowd that was finally recovering its wits. In the entire crowd, only Nanny Gong and Qui Ai tried to throw themselves in front of Liu Hui Ying but because they were at quite a distance because of the Emperor being close to their mistress they couldn¡¯t reach her. ..... For an instance, they thought that they were going to lose Liu Hui Ying and now that they were looking at her holding the arrow that was aimed at her, both of them almost passed out with fright. ¡± Your majesty, why are you holding onto that thing, throw it away!¡± Nanny Gong grasped her skirt that was hindering her movements and rushed towards Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Your Majesty! Your majesty,¡± Qui Ai on the other hand was so shocked that tears were pouring down her cheeks, if she was a bit faster and didn¡¯t slide down because of her skirt then she would have gotten to her mistress faster and then she would have taken that arrow with a smile on her face. Goodness, how can she be so ipetent in the face of danger? What if her mistress got hurt because of her ipetence, even her head wouldn¡¯t have been enough to pay for that sin. ¡± Are you okay your majesty?¡± Nanny Gong carefully assessed Liu Hui Ying from top to bottom and only when she saw that thetter was totally fine did she heave a breath of relief. ¡± I was so scared, your majesty...if something happened to you then I would have no choice left but to smash my head and die with you here and now.¡± ¡± Forgive me, your majesty,¡± sobbed Qui Ai as she twisted her hands left and right as she looked down at the ground. ¡± I am so useless, I couldn¡¯t even save you when you were in danger .. if only I was a bit faster then I would have been able to save you but I am just so... wahhhh, I should die... I deserve to die for not being able to save you.¡± Liu Hui Ying heard the two women fussing over her and the anger in her heart rose another degree as she stared at the emperor in front of her. That¡¯s right, if she died right now then nanny Gong and Qui Ai would have to die as well since they failed to protect her and even if they didn¡¯t die, they would have lived a life worse than death. Let¡¯s say that he has a reason to kill her, so does he have a reason to kill these two women as well? What excuse did he have to shed the blood of these innocent women? ¡± Don¡¯t cry, little Ai,¡± she pressed her hand on top of Qui Ai¡¯s head and ruffled her hair with a smile before turning her head and looking at the procession of the Emperor as she continued, ¡± An Emperor, a general and headmander along with a total of ten guards couldn¡¯t do anything, why do you me yourself, it¡¯s not like your martial arts failed in the face of danger, no matter what you do not need to be ashamed of yourself.¡± ¡ª- can I get some powerstone and gifts? Chapter 40 40 Don¡¯t me me Zhai Tianyu could of course hear the sarcasm in Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words, for a moment his entire body stiffened as he raised his head to look at her. The woman was still the same as she was yesterday, the same small frame with the inherited arrogance of the Liu family. ¡®You have to love me, that¡¯s your only choice if you want to survive.¡¯ And the same woman who stood in front of him as she threatened him with tears in her eyes. So, what changed? ¡± My queen, I apologise, I was just so startled by the sudden¨C¡± he wanted to go through the excuse that he came up with before promising that he will investigate this matter but before he could do that, he heard a loud snap and paused. His gaze fell on the arrow that Liu Hui Ying was holding and his pupils quivered when he saw that she actually snapped the arrow in half. He might have asked his men to use the cheapest quality arrow there was for assassinating the queen since he didn¡¯t want to make any mistakes. If the Liu family found out that he was the one who wanted to kill the empress, then they will surely create a huge fuss and he would inadvertently allow their grasp on the court to get even tighter. But the arrow was still sturdier than a twig that could be snapped with just a mere woman, seeing that Liu Hui Ying actually used her hands to break the arrow in half without so much as letting out a yelp, he couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly terrified. This woman, was not as simple as everyone told him ..what was the reason for the Liu family to send a woman like her to his pce. Ji Yu too nced at the Empress and her delicate brows scrunched up slightly, she married Zhai Tianyu because he wished to have a woman by his side who will divert the attention of the Liu family from him to her. Of course, she understood the dangers and was prepared to deal with them, one of the dangers was Liu Hui Ying, she thought that the Empress was nothing but a fool whom she could easily clean up for the Emperor but now, she could not help but feel a bit terrified by her. The Empress was not a small kitten whom they could squash under their feet, her quick agility and strength were enough for her to make a strong opponent. She was a fierce tigress who will tear them limb by limb before throwing their corpse away. Attacking her without a n was nothing but foolishness on their part. ¡± If there is nothing else that you have to say to me then I will take my leave,¡± said Liu Hui Ying, she knew that she might have raised their guards against her but she wasn¡¯t afraid. It was true that she wanted to make it out of this situation alive, she wouldn¡¯t just let herself be the damsel in distress. She has felt the pain of being stabbed with something and she was no fan of that feeling, she might as well save the pain even if it means raising suspicions against her. ..... After all, it wasn¡¯t as if the Emperor had any goodwill towards her. But more importantly, if she stayed here, she might really take the arrow and stick it up the man¡¯s ass. He was really ...a huge jerk! She shot him a look of pure mockery before she turned around and walked away with her procession, leaving Zhai Tianyu stunned. Of course, he was sharp enough to catch the mocking glint in the eyes of the Empress and he even caught her lips moving as she turned around¨C ¡® What a coward.¡¯ The Empress did not know that he has long learned the art of reading lips when he was young, which was why she wasn¡¯t on guard against him and spoke what was on her mind. However, Zhai Tianyu for the first time in his life wished that he didn¡¯t understand what she was saying. A coward him? He has never done something cowardly in his life and if not for her family that was pressurising him, would he have to make use of such tactics? As a member of the Liu family, she should know that it was her fault and that his killing her was only fair and justifiable, after all just how many lives the ministers of the Liu family have taken away. That was what he believed so why was his heart sinking with guilt like this? And did the Queen know something, or else why would she look at him like that? If she was doubting him, then just how much did she know? Zhai Tianyu nced at the Queen who was walking away and narrowed his eyes, he has to clean this matter up as quickly as possible. He turned around and then walked past Zhai Heng before whispering something in his ears, his voice was so low that only the ones who have practised martial arts could hear what he said, only then did his procession make a move. Jia Li on the other hand caught up with the assassin, since Liu Hui Ying was sharing her spiritual energy with her, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to knock the clueless assassin down and carefully noted his appearance in her mind. ¡± Hmm, a scar running down the eye, check... stature of six feet two inches, check ....¡± She continued until she checked the man from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes, once she was done, she stood up from the ground and wiped the nonexistent dust on her hands. Peering down at the assassin, Jia Li said calmly, ¡± Look mate, I really don¡¯t have anything against you but since you have angered Hui Ying, then be thankful that I am the one who will be taking care of you if that crazy.... I mean the kind woman was to take hold of you then you will cry tears of regret until you flood an entire river. So....¡± She cracked her knuckles and smirked. ¡± Do not me me for this.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 41 41 Get lost Dedicating todays chapter to Nok_Pullum. ¡± Take it off, take it off!¡± Liu Hui Ying groaned as she shouted in pain, she wanted to silently go along with this torture but the second she sat down on the stool in front of the mirror, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and shouted at her maids to move their hands as fast as they could. ¡± Just wait for a second, your majesty,¡± Nanny Gong coaxingly said as she untied the straps of the crown that Liu Hui Ying was wearing and then with the help of Qui Ai set it aside, only then did Liu Hui Ying heaved a sigh of relief as she rubbed her nape and let out a low painful moan. ¡± Damn, I really thought that I was going to die, then and there... if only...¡± she paused before turning to look at the line of maids that were standing beside her with nanny Gong and Qui Ai in lead, their eyes brimming with tears. Oh god, she didn¡¯t have the power or energy to deal with them at the moment, she heaved a breath and then turned her head to look at Qui Ai and Nanny Gong before saying with a smile, ¡± I want to be left alone for a while, if you all don¡¯t mind it can you please ....¡± She tilted her head to the entrance door hoping that Nanny Gong and Qui Ai will get her message. They did get what she was trying to tell them but unfortunately for her, they got it on the price of Qui Ai bursting into tears as she cried and sobbed, ¡± Your majesty, how scared you must have been... wahhhh¡± ¡± There, there leave the empress to take a break, there is no need for you to cry so inappropriately, have you forgotten where you are standing,¡± Nanny Gong half coaxed and half chided Qui Ai as she took her out of the room. In their eyes, Liu Hui Ying was now a broken-hearted woman who has to suffer through an assassin attempt yet her husband went to save his childhood sweetheart instead of her. Of course, she would suffer from shock and heartache. It was true that Liu Hui Ying was indeed suffering but it was neither heartache nor shock, the only thing she was suffering from at the moment was anger! Once the maids left her room, she pped her palm on the armrest of the chair in which she was sitting and snarled, ¡± Aish that Emperor, he is bent on killing me,¡± she pulled one of her legs up and ced it on the chair as she leaned on her hand that was resting on its elbow on the other armrest, the leg on the floor continued to shake as she bit on her thumb. ¡± Two attempts were made on my life in just a day, if this goes on then it wouldn¡¯t be long before that man severe my head from my neck.¡± ..... She shook her head as she pushed herself off the chair and started pacing around the room, ¡± No, I cannot allow that to happen... we have to look for a way out of this ce, if we were dragged into this ce then surely we can go back to our world as well, there is no way we can stay here for long... we need to find the link that caused us to be entangled into this mess.¡± ¡± But we would not be able to find it so soon,¡± said Li Gang with a frown. ¡± You have already seen the entire pce is bigger than an entire city, who knows where the portal or whatever that dragged us here is, it might take months for us to get close to it...why don¡¯t you try to get along with the Emperor till then?¡± ¡± Shii!¡± Liu Hui Ying scrunched up her nose in disgust as she let out an annoyed hiss and looked at Li Gang with a furious expression. ¡± Why don¡¯t you ask me to dress up as a psychiatrist, put on my sses and start taking sessions with the Emperor and tell him, how he should not kill anyone without any rhyme or reason?¡± ¡± You can try maybe it will work?¡± Li Gang said with a yful glint in his eyes and Liu Hui Ying picked up the teacup from the stand to throw it at him. ¡± Why don¡¯t I send you to the grim reaper before you can make up for all the wrongs you have done, I bet he will have a great time boiling you in hot oil.¡± Li Gang shivered as he turned around and looked at Grandma Lan Fen who sighed in tiredness. ¡± And how long will you be following me?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked as she looked at the ghost woman who has followed her out of the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s pce, she thought that she would leave if she continued to ignore her but the ghost woman was more stubborn than she expected her, even after being ignored like she never existed, she continued to follow her from start to end without even so much as showing any sign of deterrence. The ghost woman winced before she looked at Liu Hui Ying with a slightly hesitant expression and said, ¡°I need your help, you are the only one who can help me.¡± ¡± Of course, you need my help,¡± sneered Liu Hui Ying with a scoff as she turned her gaze away from the ghost woman and sat back down on her chair and leaned her cheek against her clenched knuckles and said, ¡± Every ghost roaming on the surface of the earth needs my help but do you think I will help them just because they ask me to do so?¡± Titling her head back she smiled at the ghost woman, Liu Hui Ying delivered onest blow, ¡± And maybe you have forgotten your mother humiliated me just now in her own territory, you want me to help you despite knowing that you are her daughter? What do you take me for a god? Angel?¡± She turned her face away and waved her hand. ¡± Get lost, I do not wish to help you, do what you have been doing till now, either move on or keep haunting your mother.¡± Chapter 42 42 Help me please ¡± I want to move on as well but I cannot,¡± said the ghost woman, she lowered her head and bit her lower lip. Who didn¡¯t want to move on to the cycle of reincarnation after dying? She has been trying to move on for ages but she couldn¡¯t, the thing that has been holding her back wasn¡¯t resolved and even if she wanted to let go and move on, her heart was unwilling and without letting go of her regrets the guards of the underworld weren¡¯t willing to let her move on, now she was stuck in this ce. If not for sticking to her mother all these years, her soul would have been disintegrated by the grim reaper, however, her mother was no longer young, she was getting on age and if she continues to suck her Yang energy then her mother would die very soon. The ghost woman was slowly getting anxious with each passing day, she was as anxious as ants on a hot pan, she hoped that she will be found by a powerful master and he or she will help her in moving on to another world but even after so many years she could not find any powerful master until today. It was just her luck that her mother offended the one master who could help her, the ghost woman also knew that there was no chance for Liu Hui Ying to help her, if she wanted to help her she would have done so at the heavenly blessing pavilion but she didn¡¯t, clearly, she had no ns to help her reincarnate. But other than following Liu Hui Ying, she had no other choice...she has waited for six years for a powerful master who can handle her Yin energy to appear, only she knew how shocked she was when she saw Liu Hui Ying grab hold of her like she was some naughty child clutching onto a toy and wrenching her hands away from her mother¡¯s shoulders, even she wasn¡¯t able to let go of her mother all these years but Liu Hui Ying did it in a matter of seconds, this much was enough to let her know just how strong this niece inw of her was. And if she was to let go of this opportunity then she might never be able to reincarnate. Who knows maybe if this continues after a few years, she and her mother would haunt the Heavenly blessing pavilion together. The ghost woman shook her head, she couldn¡¯t let her mother suffer because of her, she has to make Liu Hui Ying agree to help her or else she would never be able to forgive herself. ¡°Please..¡± said the ghost woman as she beseeched to Liu Hui Ying, she didn¡¯t care about anything at the moment, if Liu Hui Ying was to ask for her to get on her knees, she will do that without so much as questioning her. She just wanted to move on from this world, it was too cruel and cold for her soul ...now all she wanted was to move on to her new life as soon as she can. ¡± I beg of you if you want I will be your ve just help me this once to move on to the underworld.¡± ¡± You say like it¡¯s an easy job, do you think I am chummy friends with the guards of the underworld?¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she threw her arm back and twisted her head slightly to look at the ghost woman before continuing with an annoyed expression. ¡± You cannot move on until you resolve what¡¯s holding you back...¡± she pointed to Li Gang and Grandma Lan Fen. ¡°You see them right? These two have been hovering over this ne for like twenty or so years but cannot move on because they haven¡¯t given up on the ties that are holding them back, even after working for me for more than eight years, they are still here, what makes you think that you can cut the line? I am a very fair woman, no cutting of lines allowed.¡± ¡°Pfft,¡± hearing her call herself a fair woman, Li Gang burst intoughing causing both the ghost woman and Liu Hui Ying to turn around and look at him. The ghost woman was not terrifying enough for Li Gang to be scared but Liu Hui Ying on the other hand ...that woman made shivers do the conga on his spine. He immediately lowered his head and apologised, ¡± I am sorry, it was a momentarilypse of my will to stay alive as a ghost, please ignore my stupidity.¡± ..... Liu Hui Ying scolded Li Gang silently before she turned around and looked at the ghost woman before coldly hitching a brow up. ¡± I can¡¯t help you, you can leave now all right?¡± The ghost woman didn¡¯t want to leave, she really wanted to move on from this world. She stared at Liu Hui Ying who was heartless enough to turn her head around even when she was begging her, in the end, the ghost woman had no choice but to walk in front of Liu Hui Ying and go on her knees as she loudly kowtowed. ¡± I was born as a prideful princess, other than my father and my mother, I have never lowered my head in front of anyone. I, princess Zhai Chenguang, the daughter of the Grand Dowager Empress, the wife of General Zhang Dingbang humbly beg you to help me, please .¡± Zhai Chenguang thought that this would make Liu Hui Ying¡¯s heart move but when she raised her head and looked at the woman sitting in front of her, she was surprised to see that Liu Hui Ying was totally unmoved. She looked at her with a nk expression, her head resting against her clenched fist, while she looked down at her with boredom. ¡± Are you done?¡± ¡± I ... why don¡¯t you want to help me?¡± Zhai Chenguang asked, she lowered her head and begged but she still didn¡¯t want to help her. Why? ¡ª¨C Chapter 43 43 Vamp of the show Liu Hui Ying smiled at Zhai Chenguang¡¯s oblivious expression and kicked her legs before she lowered her upper body such that her face was at eye level with the kneeling woman, though she was smiling, her eyes were colder than ice causing Zhai Chenguang to shiver. ¡± You want to know a secret?¡± ¡± Secret?¡± mused Zhai Chenguang as she stared at Liu Hui Ying nkly, what kind of secret was more important than her moving on? But she still nodded her head causing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s lips to hitch up higher. ¡± This woman is dead,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she sat up straight and crossed one of her legs such that she was resting it on the knee of the other one. ¡± She died yesterday after drinking a ss of poisoned wine that was sent to her.¡± She threw her arm around the back of her chair and raised a brow. ¡± And do you want to know who delivered that poisoned wine to her?¡± She dragged the question until Zhai Chenguang¡¯s anxiety was palpable before answering her question, ¡± It was your nephew, if not for him and his unjustified killing of this woman, I would be living a happy life in my world but because of him, I was dragged here without any rhyme or reason, you tell me why should I help someone from his family when he ruined my life ?¡± There was nothing Zhai Chenguang could say, she stood up from the floor and then headed out of the room, her head drooping with sadness as she vanished from the Prosperity courtyard. Only after she left the pavilion did Li Gang turn to Liu Hui Ying and disapprovingly said, ¡± That was really rude, you made her cry ... I saw her crying when she left... anyway you could have helped her. How could you be so heartless in the face of someone begging you with everything that they have got, we are already here why are you holding grudges, it¡¯s not like by not helping that woman you will go back to our world?¡± Grandma Lan Fen also nodded along with Li Gang as she looked at Liu Hui Ying with a slightly upset expression and chimed in, ¡± He is right, you could have helped her a little...that girl looks so young but she died at such a beautiful age, she already has enough to cry for, why did you have to be so rude to her like that. You could have been a bit understanding towards her.¡± ¡± If I am understanding towards her, then who will be understanding towards me?¡± questioned back Liu Hui Ying with an annoyed expression. ¡± And anyway if I helped her just like that then it would have been no use to me.¡± ¡± What do you mean by that?¡± Li Gang asked with a frown feeling quite unjustified by the treatment of his kind by Liu Hui Ying. ..... ¡°It¡¯s simple, if I agreed to help her, then what would have happened?¡± Grandma Lan Fen scrunched up her face before she answered Liu Hui Ying¡¯s question, ¡± She would have thanked you, you would have umted a lot of goodwill if you helped her.¡± ¡± Exactly!¡± She pped her hand on her thigh and pointed at Grandma Lan Fen. ¡± I would have gotten just her goodwill, do I need that? I am already helping you three collect some good karma meaning I am set to go to heaven, what¡¯s good is that woman¡¯s goodwill to me? If I am staying here then I need money, shiny, glittering, bling bling gold.¡± She leaned back on her chair with a calcting glint in her eyes as she broke it all in front of Grandma Lan Fen and Li Gang. ¡± I might be the Empress but everyone can see that I am more and less of an abandoned woman for whom the Emperor doesn¡¯t have the slightest bit of goodwill. That means I am just a pawn that could be discarded at any point, can¡¯t you see? In just a day, I was attacked twice, TWICE!¡± Liu Hui Ying raised her fingers to show them the digits as she emphasised on the sword that was hanging on her neck, ¡± What I need to do is to make sure that we find the link that brought us here and get away from this ce as soon as we can, in case we cannot find the link then what do you think will happen to me, who has no money, no husband to take care of me, with no power?¡± Neither Li Gang nor Grandma Lan Fen said anything. ¡± I will die that¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen to me,¡± seeing that neither of them was answering, Liu Hui Ying answered her own question. ¡± I need to get hold of my dowry that the old hag is keeping in her tight grasp and make some additional money, in case we really ...¡± she gulped loudly and shivered at the thought of the worst possible oue. ¡± Get stuck in this era for a very long time...¡± Liu Hui Ying shook her head with a ¡®brr¡¯ before she continued and said, ¡± That is why I need a backup, that woman is my n B, she is desperate that¡¯s something we all know but she doesn¡¯t know that we are just as desperate, I need to just push her a little more and then she will bring me half of the treasures in the Grand Dowager Empress pce along with my dowry.¡± She smirked as she licked the back of her teeth. ¡± That will teach that old hag a good lesson as for the arrogant jerk, I will get my hands on him soon.¡± She made a violent move with her hands as if she was catching something in the air before squashing it just as ruthlessly. ¡± And when I do get a good hold on him, I will make him kneel in front of me just like his aunt!¡± Li Gang: ¡°....¡± Grandma Lan Fen: ¡°.....¡± We didn¡¯t know that you were such a boss viin! What are you the vamp of the show? Chapter 44 44 Tears of Grand Dowager Empress ¡± Who are you going to crush?¡± Jia Li asked when she saw Liu Hui Ying furiously smashing something imaginary with her hands, she just went to take care of the assassin what happened in just a few minutes, why was her boss acting up again? ¡± Who else, it¡¯s the Emperor,¡± replied Li Gang as he turned his head and looked at Jia Li, seeing that she was all right, he snapped his fingers at her and said, ¡± You go girl, I thought you will be caught in a mess but somehow you returned safe and sound.¡± In the modern world every time Jia Li shared Liu Hui Ying¡¯s spiritual energy to enhance her powers and skills as a poltergeist, she would end up being caught in a mess or another. She was just that clumsy, there was one time she almost stumbled into a grim reaper, if not for Liu Hui Ying, she would have been dragged to the underworld back then. Jia Li rolled her eyes before she picked up a pillow from Liu Hui Ying¡¯s bed and threw it at Li Gang but it didn¡¯t hurt thetter at all instead it went through Li Gang¡¯s smoky profile with a wheezing sound and knocked the vase sitting on the small round table down. ¡± You are one to talk, do you think that you are any better?¡± snapped Jia Li as she folded her arms and haughtily raised her chin at Li Gang. ¡± Every time, Hui Ying sends you to investigate a case, you will end up chasing the female ghosts on the streets, shooting corny lines at them. At least I dy my work because of my clumsy footing, you on the other hand run around the city like a h*rny dog.¡± ¡± H*rny dog? You are calling me a dog in heat? How dare you!¡± Li Gang rolled his sleeves as he waved his fists at Jia Li. ¡± If you want to have a go against me, then just say it... I will show you what I can do!¡± Jia Li raised her hands in the air as well as she started moving back and forward like she was apetitor in a mixed martial arts tournament. ¡± Fine then, do you think I am scared? I am ready youe at me!¡± ¡± Arghhh!¡± ..... ¡± Wahhh!!¡± Grandma Lan Fen ignored the two childish things and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying before rising in the air and flying close to Liu Hui Ying such that she was standing beside her. ¡± Are you sure that this will be fine? I mean I am afraid that if others were to find out about your powers then¨C¡± ¡± I know,¡± Liu Hui Ying hasn¡¯t forgotten what happened to her sister, she of course knew the dangers that were involved in disying her skills but currently she had no other choice. ¡± But if I don¡¯t do this then I will only be putting myself in a much more vulnerable position at least this way I will throw in a favour on the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s head... given that she still dresses in such pale clothes and eats a vegetarian diet, she is still pinning on the death of her daughter ... if I was to send her daughter to the cycle of reincarnation, that old hag has to ept me, even begrudgingly¨C¡± She was still speaking when something came flying past Grandma Lan Fen and hit her squarely on the chest. ¡± Oh, my,¡± Grandma Lan Fen gasped while Jia Li and Li Gang who were scratching and pulling each other¡¯s hair paused before turning to look at Liu Hui Ying who pulled the pillow off her face and snarled, ¡± You two foolish jerks!¡± .... ¡± What do you say little Mimi, my daughter was the brightest and gentlest woman, she must have gone to heaven right?¡± asked Grand Dowager Empress as she took the portrait of her daughter from Little Mimi¡¯s hands and caressed it carefully, making sure that she wouldn¡¯t crease the paper before taking a velvety soft dry cloth from the girl¡¯s hands and started wiping the portrait that was lying on herp. ¡°I bet she might have already reincarnated into a loving family, she was such a sweet child there is no way the King of Yama wouldn¡¯t have taken pity on her.¡± No sooner did Zhai Chenguang walk through the wooden walls, she heard her mother say those words. Her gaze dipped down at the portrait that her mother was cleaning and she bit her lips hard but because she was already dead not a drop of blood oozed out of her lower lip. Reincarnated? She wasn¡¯t even being allowed to walk past the gates of the underworld, how was she supposed to reincarnate? She was still here waiting for some sort of miracle to happen while sucking the Yang energy of her mother. Grand Dowager Empress didn¡¯t know that the soul of her daughter was standing just a few feet away from her, she was still engrossed in her daily habit of wiping her daughter¡¯s portrait. She carefully skimmed her fingers at the frozen memory of Zhai Chenguang as she rubbed those familiar eyes that were so much like hers. ¡± She was such a beauty, if she was alive right now...then maybe I would have seen my beautiful grandchildren ying in my courtyard before closing my eyes once and forever.¡± Tears welled up in Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s eyes as she hungrily looked at her daughter¡¯s portrait, caressing it again and again but she was afraid of ruining the carefully drawn portrait that was why she didn¡¯t even dare to touch the paper, her hand always stayed an inch above its surface. If she was to ruin this portrait then from where will she get another one? The person smiling at her from the Ivory paper was no longer there. She couldn¡¯t even ask her painter to make another portrait of her daughter nor will she be able to see this beautiful smile ever again if she was to ruin it. Grand Dowager Empress sniffed as she wiped the tears that were flooding down her cheeks not allowing them to fall on the portrait afraid that they will stter the ink all over the paper. ¡± How good it would have been if I was the one who died that day instead of Chenguang? At least that way I didn¡¯t have to see my daughter¡¯s cold and unmoving body lying in the casket.¡± ¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 45 45 Schr Wei. ¡± Your majesty!¡± ¡± Mother!¡± Both Little Mimi and Zhai Chenguang shouted at the same time but only Little Mimi¡¯s voice reached Grand Dowager Empress. ¡°Don¡¯t say something so hurtful, your majesty,¡± Little Mimi hurriedly poured a cup of hot water and handed it to the Grand Dowager Empress. ¡± If his highness was to hear it, he will definitely be upset ... after all who does not know, you are the one he adores the most.¡± ¡± You are right, if Tianyu was to listen to me speak like this, he would definitely be upset but ...¡± Grand Dowager Empress wiped her tears and then stared at the portrait that was lying on herp as she shook her head and smiled sadly, ¡± I really have no will to continue living, I lost my son ... and my daughter consecutively, one after another. It¡¯s really hard for me to get past these days... little Mimi, it¡¯s so lonely without them.¡± Little Mimi understood the feelings of her master, she knew how painful it was for Grand Dowager Empress to lose her son and then her daughter as well, however, she was sent here to make sure that the grand dowager Empress stayed happy and contented, if the Emperor finds out that she could not perform her duty properly, he will definitely punish her. ¡± Your majesty, please drop such heavy thoughts...after all, you still have to see the fall of the Liu family with your own eyes, only then will you be able to face thete Emperor in the underworld, if you were to leave without punishing his murderer then how will you face thete emperor? Would he not me you for not taking revenge for his death?¡± Little Mimi used the one tactic that has always worked on the Grand Dowager Empress. Sure enough, no sooner she said those words, the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s expression changed and she recovered her vitality at once. ¡± You are right, I have to wait till the day when I see the end of the Liu family with my own family.¡± She ced the portrait of Zhai Chenguang on the tea table in front of her and clenched her fists on herp hard enough to dig her fingernails in her palm as a vicious expression surged past her gentle temperament. ¡± Since they dared to scheme against my son and daughter, they will have to pay for what they have done until I see every single person of the Liu family die I will not let this life of mine end!¡± ¡°I have to see their blood cover the grave of my son only then will I close my eyes!¡± ..... This was the vow she took when she buried her son six feet underneath the ground, there was no way she was going to let anyone from the Liu family go, no matter what! Not unless they bring the soul of her son from his grave and have him tell her otherwise! Zhai Chenguang saw her mother¡¯s hatred towards the Liu family and trepidation overwhelmed her, her mother hated the Liu family so much, so how was she going to convince her mother to ask Liu Hui Ying for her help? No, firstly she has to make sure that Liu Hui Ying agrees to help her only then she can make a move. But how? Liu Hui Ying hated her mother and nephew just as much as the two of them despised her, how was she going to make Liu Hui Ying agree to her request? Just as Zhai Chenguang was thinking about what she was supposed to do, the eunuch serving her mother came rushing inside the hall of the Heavenly blessing courtyard and then came to a stop in front of Grand Dowager Empress and bowed his head with his hands carefully tucked in front. ¡± Schr Wei is requesting to see you, your majesty, shall I let him in?¡± ¡°Schr Wei ?¡± Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s parroted what the eunuch has said before she sat up straight and smiled widely. ¡± Of course, invite him in...why did you even have to ask for such a thing? Haven¡¯t I told you to let my son-inw inside as soon as hees to see me, why do you have to worry me like this every time, Eunuch Qi?¡± ¡± Forgive me, your majesty.¡± Eunuch Qi sunk into another deep bow as he apologised. ¡°It¡¯s just that the Emperor has asked me to make sure that no one disrupts your peace, that is why I have to make sure that you want to see the person before letting them in.¡± ¡± Oh that grandson of mine,¡± Grand Dowager Empress shook her head with a silly yet doting smile. ¡± He is always so overprotective of me, but you don¡¯t have to worry about schr Wei, that man has been mourning for my daughter for so many years, he could have married someone else but he hasn¡¯t even brought up the topic, how can such a man harm me? Just let him in the next time.¡± ¡± Yes, your majesty.¡± Eunuch Qi bowed his head and then walked out of the hall, it did not take long for him to send schr Wei inside the hall. Grand Dowager Empress raised her head when she heard the door of her hall slide open and smiled at the handsome and tall man who was walking towards her with an elegant gait. The man wasn¡¯t just handsome, he was a gentleman through and through, with a smile that could cause many women to fall for him but the one woman who made this man fall for her was none other than her daughter. Just the very thought of how her daughter won over this man was enough to make Grand Dowager Empress feel proud. ¡± You are here,¡± Grand Dowager Empress started to rise from her seat but she was stopped by Schr Wei who reached her in a few quick strides and ced his hands on the shoulders of Grand Dowager Empress and pushed her back on the seat. ¡± You don¡¯t have to be so formal with me, mother-inw, didn¡¯t you say that I am just like your son? How can a son have his mother stand up and greet him like this?¡± ¡ª- Dedicating todays chapter to everyone who supported my work with powerstones, golden tickets and gifts. Chapter 46 46 A childish promise ¡± Husband,¡± Zhai Chenguang¡¯s eyes teared up with pearly see-through tears as she stared at the man with whom she promised to spend the rest of her life but could not fulfil it. She died leaving him all alone in this world and he was now leaving a lonely life waiting for his time toe such that he will be able toe and see her. She walked towards Wei Junfen but stopped when she noticed that he was rubbing his arms because of the chill that was emanating from her. Even though she very much wanted to embrace the man in her arms, Zhai Chenguang knew that she couldn¡¯t do it, after all, if she was to touch him, she will snatch a considerable amount of Yang energy from her husband causing him to go all weak and tired. Zhai Chenguang knew that her husband worked really hard as a schr and even though he could have climbed up ranks riding on her coattails, he was very much satisfied with the position of the fifth rank official that he earned with his own strength, this was one of the reasons why she admired him. He was different from all the men she has met and didn¡¯t rely on her like it was a normal thing to do. She loved him with all her heart and he loved her too, if not then he would not be living alone in that big house without even epting a legal concubine. ¡± Junfen sits down,¡± Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s old face crinkled as she smiled at the middle-aged man who came to see her. She patted the chair that was next to her with a smile as she asked in a soft and jolly voice, ¡± When did you return from the city of Doughdou? Was the trip to that city all right? Were you able to finish your lectures in peace?¡± ¡± Of course,¡± answered Wu Junfen with a soft smile as he took a seat on the chair next to the grand dowager empress and turned his head slightly such that he was looking at her, every bit of his action was refined and gentle. ¡± I was able to arrive at the city without any trouble and after I spent time with the children there my uneasy heart calmed down and I was able to change my depressive outlook as well.¡± He paused and then added swiftly with a smile, ¡± What I meant to say was that you shoulde with me on an outing as well Mother Empress, I promise you will feel much better than being cooped in this courtyard of yours.¡± His words caused Grand Dowager Empress to feel slightly guilty when her daughter newly married Schr Wei, she childishly took a promise from him that he would never marry any other woman if she was to die, it was something that Zhai Chenguang spoke in the heat of their newly married life but who would have thought that her words woulde true? Now Schr Wei was living a lonely life without a wife or child fulfilling the promise that he made to her daughter. ¡± Of course, I will talk with Tianyu, you know how overprotective he can be,¡± Grand Dowager Empress wished she could tell Schr Wei to marry again and have a child but she knew that he will get angry, so she didn¡¯t bring up the topic, instead she let him change the topic as he wanted and said, ¡± What good things did you bring for me from this trip of yours? I bet you came bearing gifts for me, right?¡± ¡± Of course, how can Ie empty-handed to see you, your majesty?¡± Schr Wei smiled as he conceded before turning to his aide and motioning him to bring the things that he has brought for Grand Dowager Empress. His servant boy bowed his head and retreated towards the entrance of the hall before he slid open the door and called all the maids who were standing outside with the gifts that Schr Wei has brought with him. ..... A bunch of young maids strolled inside the room carrying bronze tes that were covered with velvety red cloth and ced the gifts on the tea table one by one until the entire table and its surrounding chairs were filled with the gifts that Wei Junfen has brought for the Grand Dowager Empress. Grand Dowager Empress looked down at the gifts that were ced in front of her and were speechless, she looked at the number of bronze trays that were ced in front of her as she asked in shock, ¡± Junfen, how many times have I told that I do not need you to buy so many gifts for me? Why do you not listen to what I say?¡± Wei Junfen smiled as he motioned his servant boy to lift the cloth of each bronze te and then spoke in a slightly gentle voice, ¡°I asked you toe with me to the city but you could note with me your majesty, that is why I brought the entire city for you to look at.¡± He pointed at the bright red apples that were lined on the trays to the candied Hawthorns that were aligned just next to the apples and then pointed at the silk bolts that were sitting at the centre of the table. ¡± Doughdou is a small city and does not have many ces to visit but their street fruit and apples are really famous, even this silk bolt is of much better quality than other provinces.¡± ¡± Junfen you...you are going to spoil me,¡± Grand Dowager Empress said with an emotional voice as she looked at all the gifts that were piled in front of her and clutched her chest. ¡± You are one of the sweetest men I have seen in my life.¡± Wei Junfen shook his head and simply said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, your majesty ...now that Chenguang is not here, I will have to make sure that you do not feel lonely. If not for me being so busy, I woulde to look for you every day until you get bored of me.¡± Grand Dowager Empress waved her hand and said, ¡± Of course not, I will never be bored of yourpany, you cane to look for me at any time.¡± She paused and pped her hands softly as she asked in a slightly eximing voice, ¡± Oh before I forget, did you have dinner?¡± ¡± No, your majesty.¡± ¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 47 47 It¡¯s the wedding night Grand Dowager Empress at once asked her maid to bring the dinner from the Royal kitchen and since the meal belonged to the Grand Dowager Empress, the kitchen worked swiftly and within minutes Little Mimi returned with the dishes that were prepared for the Grand Dowager Empress courtyard and had it ced over the dining table. ¡± I apologise if the dishes aren¡¯t to your tastes,¡± said Grand Dowager Empress slightly embarrassed when she saw that not a single dish had any meat in it. She was used to eating a vegetarian meal and she has been living a simple life ever since her daughter died, it has been years and she was used to it but the same could be said for Schr Wei. ¡°It¡¯s all right, your majesty,¡± Schr Wei simply picked up his chopsticks calmly and smiled at the Grand Dowager Empress as he took a bite of the stir-fried beans. ¡± I am not very fond of meat dishes myself as well, eating simple and clean is a must sometimes.¡± ¡± That¡¯s exactly what I say to everyone else,¡± said Grand Dowager Empress with a soft chuckle as she picked up her own chopsticks and used them to scoop some rice drizzled with vegetable soup. ... ¡± What¡¯s the matter with you? What happened?¡± Unlike the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s courtyard which was filled with nothing but peace and serenity, the Emperor¡¯s pce was filled with tension. Zhai Tianyu looked at the guard who was responsible for assassinating the Queen and was surprised at the condition of the man, the guard said that he made a mistake and tumbled down from a tree while he was trying to escape but why did it look like he was beaten up by someone and that too quite brutally. ¡± Are you sure that you fell and were not caught by someone?¡± asked Yu Lingyun as he looked at his clumsy soldier, it would be too embarrassing for him if a man under hismand caught himself in such trouble that he tumbled off a branch and then rolled around the ground before smashing his face into a boulder. ¡± Maybe you can¡¯t remember it but someone might have hit you, you can not receive so many injuries just from rolling down on the ground.¡± The soldier shook his head, Jia Li has done her work excellently and the soldier even after being beaten up didn¡¯t dare to say anything unpleasant. To him, he was speaking the truth, what he did not know was that after he fainted, he was caught by Jia Li who possessed his body and used the sturdy hands of the man to hit himself. Since she was simply a soul possessing the body Jia Li did not feel any pain and let the man beat himself up until his entire face turned ck and blue. ..... Now that the man sat kneeling in front of Yu Lingyun, Zhai Tianyu and Zhai Heng with his face swollen like a pig, it was clear that neither of them wanted to believe his words but this was one of their most loyal guards and knew that he will never betray him for someone from the Liu family, not after losing his wife and son in the hands of the master of the Liu family. ¡± All right you can leave,¡± Zhai Tianyu was sure that something was really wrong but he couldn¡¯t grasp hold of it after all there was no way the soldier would not have caught hold of anyone chasing him and as far as he knew he made sure that the Queen¡¯s hidden guards that were sent to her by the Liu family were taken care off, so howe this guard was beaten like this? Zhai Heng watched the man slip out of the study room before he turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and asked, ¡± Are you sure that no one chased after him? What if one of the queen¡¯s hidden guards was left behind? Did you really make sure that no one would be able to protect the Queen?¡± ¡± I did make sure of everything,¡± Zhai Tianyu murmured as he sped his hands behind his back and swept a gaze at his broad study room. ¡± But experience has told me that no matter how well I prepare, the Queen has her own way to get out of every trap that I haveid for her.¡± His eyes flickered slightly as he carefully thought over the happenings of the afternoon. It was clear that the Queen knew something and she knew it better than anyone else... at least she was very much aware of the fact that he wanted to kill her. If the queen knows about his n then does it mean that the Liu family knows about it too as well? No, that would be impossible. If the head of the Liu family knew about his n or if he caught so much as a wind about his true personality then he would have surely made a move by now but left prime minister Liu hasn¡¯t made any move till now. So, how did the Queen find out that it was he who was nning everything from behind the scenes? As far as he knew he never made any mistake in front of her. So howe she caught hold of his intentions? ¡± The Queen is smart,¡± summarised Zhai Heng as if he was reading his mind. ¡± Either she has someone who is guiding her or she has always been a wise woman who pretended to be a fool.¡± The reason the Liu family sent Liu Hui Ying to the pce as the candidate for Empress was simple, they wanted someone whom they can easily control even when she sits on the throne of the Empress, a woman without a brain just like a puppet in their hands. And Zhai Tianyu epted her as his empress because she fit his taste as well, he could have easily taken her down but now ... ¡± I will go and see what the Queen is hiding,¡± said Zhai Tianyu after a long pause as he ced a halt on his pacing, his eyes glittered with murderous intent. ¡± I will see how long she will be able to y this game...after all tonight is our wedding night.¡± Chapter 48 48 Thing that I asked ¡± Achoo!¡± Liu Hui Ying sneezed feeling a shiver crawl up her spine as she looked around the bathroom before sniffing loudly. ¡± I bet that jerk is talking shit behind my back, not only did he try to kill me at every possible turn, he is even badmouthing me ..most probably he must be scheming how to kill me!¡± Nanny Gong sighed as she picked up the scented oil from the table that was sitting next to the wooden bathtub and then pulled Liu Hui Ying back by her shoulders, for the first time in her life, her reality was worse than her nightmares. Her soft-spokendy who would not even dare to raise her voice at anyone was now boldly cursing the Emperor. Seeing her like this even nanny Gong wanted to curse the Emperor, why did he have to give herdy that poisoned wine? Now her entire personality was flipped over, if not for the royal physician telling her that herdy was perfectly healthy she too would have burst out cursing. No, wait! What was she thinking? She was actually thinking about cursing the Emperor? Was her head all right? Nanny Gong stared at her reflection in the water before she walked towards the bathtub and ced her hands on the edge of the wooden tub, she might have really lost her head, how can she even think of doing something like that? She needed to clear her mind up! With that thought in her head, she dipped her head down in the hot water startling Liu Hui Ying who turned her head and stared at Nanny Gong with wide eyes. ¡± Wh..why are you doing this? Are you okay old... Nanny Gong?¡± Nanny Gong pulled her head out of the hot water, her extraordinarily pale cheeks were flushed now that the white powder with which she painted her face was washed off because of her actions. ¡± I am all right, your majesty,¡± said Nanny Gong as she took the wiping cloth from Qui Ai and wiped her face with it. ¡± Now that I have cleared my head I will be a lot better which is why I will ask you not to continue cursing the Emperor, what happened today was indeed an unfortunate ident but I can assure you that the Emperor would never do something as outrageous as killing his own queen.¡± Liu Hui Ying wanted to let Nanny Gong know that men were outrageous, to begin with, but then she thought about how nanny Gong has stayed in the pce all her life and didn¡¯t have much experience with men, so she pursed her lips and swallowed her words back. ¡± You are ignoring that he tried to kill mest night, nanny.¡± ..... ¡± That was a misunderstanding, your majesty,¡± replied Nanny Gong at once as she poured a generous amount of scented oil into her hands and started washing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s hair. ¡± It was because of that cunning witch like Concubine that the Emperor made a mistake like that, I can assure you that he did not have any intention of harming you, if not for that sly Concubine, the Emperor would have doted on you just like he dotes on concubine Ji, maybe even more.¡± Liu Hui Ying almost gagged at Nanny Gong¡¯s words, yeah right ... it was simply a foolish excuse to fool one¡¯s heart. That Emperor was fully prepared to hold this woman¡¯s funeral and he might have seeded if not for her upying this woman¡¯s body. Now that he failed in doing so his methods were getting more brutal..today he sent an assassin after her, who knows what he will send tomorrow? Poisoned food maybe? Or maybe he will ask his darling sweetheart to make a move against her? ¡± Nanny, you know if you continue speaking about the Emperor then I will not be able to eat my dinner, do you want me to sleep on a hungry stomach?¡± Liu Hui Ying was in no mood to hear about the Emperor, he might be a nice man but it did not concern her, she was just a guest in this ce and she needed to make sure that she goes back to her proper life instead of being involved in this drama. Once...just once, the second she gets hold of this woman¡¯s soul, she will stuff her up and go back to her world, her promotion was still waiting for her! Nanny Gong knew that Liu Hui Ying was angry with the Emperor so she didn¡¯t say anything anymore, instead, she and Qui Ai cleaned Liu Hui Ying up nicely before the two of them helped her wear her night clothes. Liu Hui Ying looked at the pale pink blouse and fluffy light blue skirt before turning to look at Nanny Gong as she asked, ¡± You want me to sleep in this?¡± Nanny Gong who was using an incense burner to dry Liu Hui Ying¡¯s hair paused and then looked down at the mostfortable piece of clothing she could find and replied with her head lowered, ¡± This is one of your mostfortable sleepwear, your majesty ... if you want I can show you the others but they are not as good as this one.¡± As Nanny Gong turned to ask Qui Ai to bring the rest of the clothes, she was stopped by Liu Hui Ying. ¡± No it¡¯s okay, I will wear this,¡± she said with an annoyed and sullen expression, no matter how many dresses this woman owned, they could never evene close to herfy pyjamas .. sigh, her life in the future seemed to be rather dark and bleak. She tugged at the frilly skirt and then heaved a depressed sigh before she turned to look at nanny Gong and said, ¡± I hope you will serve me good food at the least. Has the kitchen prepared everything ording to what I said?¡± Nanny Gong heard Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words and then paused in her actions of putting the incense burner down and said with an awkward expression, ¡± They have prepared everything ording to your will, your majesty but are you sure that you will be all right with eating what you have asked for?¡± ¡± Of course,¡± said Liu Hui Ying with an eye-roll. ¡± Why else will I waste my energy to tell you what I want?¡± ¡ª¡ª- Chapter 49 49 So much food ¡± I see,¡± nanny Gong was still in a bit of shock even though it has been hours since Liu Hui Ying told her what she wanted for dinner but even now Nanny Gong felt like she was sleepwalking. However, as a maid and the servant of the Queen, she was taught to keep her nose in her business and never poke it into Liu Hui Ying¡¯s matters since the Queen has said that she will be fine then surely she will be fine? ¡± I will as the maids to bring your dinner,¡± Nanny Gong bowed in front of Liu Hui Ying before leaving the room. Liu Hui Ying peered at Nanny Gong¡¯s back and then stood up from the stool before she headed straight to her hall where a small dining table along with a pillow was prepared for her. Liu Hui Ying stared at the dirty pillow that was lying on the floor and then raised her leg to trodden the pillow cushion under her feet, immediately a cloud of dust billowed out of the pillow cushion and she scoffed with an annoyed expression, ¡± I bet there is no queen as pitiful as this woman, her family doesn¡¯t seem to care about her, her husband hates her and wants her dead and her life is worse than a vagabond roaming on the streets, no wonder she chose tomit suicide, if I was her I would have killed myself as well.¡± ¡± The only difference is that you would have killed the Emperor along with you,¡± objected Li Gang at once, he knew Liu Hui Ying too well, she wasn¡¯t the type of woman who would just simplymit suicide, she was the type of the woman who would drag at least two people with her before she went inside the casket. ¡± Isn¡¯t that natural?¡± Liu Hui Ying was not at all offended as she patted the pillow cushion with her feet and then sat down at the dining table. She turned her head and shot a look at Li Gang, ¡± Isn¡¯t it only fair that the one who is responsible for all the ¡®worse things¡¯ happening in my life toe down to hell with me? You know I am a sweetheart if someone is nice to me, I will be nice to them but if they are an a-hole to me then I will do everything in my power to make them rue the day when they woke up and decided to go against me.¡± Li Gang rolled his eyes but when Liu Hui Ying turned her head to catch him in the act, he immediately raised his head and looked around the ceiling as he muttered, ¡± There are too many cracks in the ceiling that Emperor sure is an a-hole.¡± Jia Li scoffed at his antics while Grandma Lan Fen simply shook her head and sat down on the floor next to Liu Hui Ying before she said, ¡± What are you both doing? Come on sit down, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Only then did Li Gang and Jia Li sit down on the floor. No sooner did they sit down, the maids responsible for bringing the dinner opened the sliding door and then one by one they entered bearing trays that were filled with bowls and tes that were filled with food to the brim. ..... Li Gang rubbed his hands as he took a whiff of the food and sighed in content, ¡°I can smell my ck chicken! Haha! At leasting here brought me some sort of advantage!¡± ¡± How boorish,¡± Jia Li muttered in distaste as she sat down politely and waited for the dishes to be served. ¡± What do you know,¡± Li Gang retorted at once as he looked at her. ¡± Showing your excitement for your meal means that you are respecting the chef who cooked it for you... if you went through an empty stomach for more than a week then you would know how it feels to be me.¡± Jia Li opened her mouth but she was silenced by Liu Hui Ying who shot her a look. Seeing that the fight was diverted, Grandma Lan Fen drew in a breath of relief before she calmly said, ¡± No fight kids, we don¡¯t want you making things difficult now, all right?¡± Li Gang and Jia Li did not say anything instead they turned their faces away from each other with a harumph. Maybe it was because she was paying attention to the two of them Liu Hui Ying had no idea when the maids finished setting up the four tables worth of food, she only snapped out of her daze when she heard nanny Gong speak, ¡± Your majesty, the meal has been set up, you can eat now...¡± As for how Liu Hui Ying was going to eat the food that was worth four tables and more Nanny Gong had no idea. ¡± Oh yes,¡± Liu Hui Ying picked up her chopsticks but then she paused and then smiled at Nanny Gong in embarrassment. ¡± Nanny, why don¡¯t you go out in another room, I am afraid that you will find me displeasing to the eye if you see me eat.¡± Nanny Gong wanted to say that she would never find Liu Hui Ying displeasing but then again she understood that herdy wanted her to go out with Qui Ai, so she bowed her head and brought Qui Ai who was done with tasting the food to another room. Liu Hui Ying kept smiling until the two went out before she turned to Jia Li and asked, ¡± Are they gone?¡± ¡± Wait I will see,¡± Jia Li once worked in the forensic department and it was said that no matter what clue or even the smallest injury could not escape the scrutiny of her eyes. Her powers only exceeded even more when she died and became a ghost, now she could not only see things miles away like an eagle, she could even see through walls and paper. So, she didn¡¯t even have to get up from her ce as she turned her head and looked past the paper door and raised a thumb. ¡± They are gone!¡± Chapter 50 50 A dog ¡± Now lets this party get started,¡± said Li Gang as he rubbed his hands and looked at the food that was ced in front of him, he turned his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying with shining eyes like a dog that was waiting for its master to throw a juicy bone to him. He wasn¡¯t the only one even Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen looked excited as they both stared at the meal that was steaming hot on the table. Seeing them like this, Liu Hui Ying was stunned speechless. ¡± Why are you acting like this? You all are behaving like I haven¡¯t given you any food or anything for years... did I not cook for you when we were in our world? What is with this attitude of yours?¡± ¡± Yeah, you have cooked for us but the thing that you have cooked for us can hardlypare to this,¡± said Li Gang with a roll of his eyes. ¡± You used to cook us ramen with some fried bacon or either toast with omelette and the most decent meal that you served us was on New Years¡¯ when you cooked a bunch of fried food.¡± ¡± I am notining but he is right about that, Hui Ying,¡± said Jia Li as she looked at the irritable Liu Hui Ying and quickly amended her words, ¡± I mean to say that your cooking is very delicious as well but you have never really cooked for us this extravagantly.¡± ¡± Of course, I haven¡¯t,¡± said Liu Hui Ying sounding annoyed as she ced her hands on the table. ¡± I have to run around all over the city, where do you think I will get the chance to cook a sumptuous meal for you three and why are you evenining about the food? Strictly speaking, you three are dead ... in a perfect sense why do you need food?¡± ¡± So that we can save ourselves for your selfishness,¡± muttered Li Gang causing Liu Hui Ying to narrow her eyes as she said, ¡± Have I ever told you? I really do not like you in the least.¡± ¡± Aww, I love you too!¡± ¡± I think we should start with our dinner,¡± said Grandma Lan Fen desperately, sensing that another quarrel was going to start soon enough. ¡± We all are tired and we need some rest, so why not finish eating the meal and be done with it before going to bed?¡± ..... ¡± Fine,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she turned her gaze away from Li Gang sounding a bit severe. ¡± I will let you off just because I am tired, if not I would have punished you nicely by starving you of spiritual energy !¡± ¡± I solemnly apologise!¡± Liu Hui Ying scoffed before she turned her attention to the meal that was sitting in front of her and closed her eyes and when she opened them, the mysterious cks were reced withplete whites. If someone was to see her like this, they would have been scared stiff, fortunately, no one was there to witness the sight as Liu Hui Ying¡¯s body turned extraordinarily pale and the temperature of the entire room fell to freezing degrees. She blew out a breath causing mist to raise in front of her lips before she leaned down and muttered a spell under her breath. Then she inhaled deeply and then blew a glittering mist over the dishes and bowls that were sitting on the table, once the glittering mist settled over the bowls of food, she closed her eyes and those pearly whites returned to their natural state. ¡± Eat your meal,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she picked up the chopsticks as she snapped her fingers. ¡± Make sure to eat as much as you can because if I see even a single grain of leftover rice in the bowl, then I will surely make sure to have you three write the importance of grains. If you don¡¯t want to be punished like a bratty kid then you better finish the meal properly.¡± ¡± You don¡¯t have to worry about it ..¡± said Li Gang as he picked up the bowls and chopsticks that were offered to him and took a big bite of the spiritually enriched rice. ¡± I am not even going to leave a single grain of rice behind forget about leftovers.¡± ¡± That is right,¡± Jia Li took a bite of themb chops and then sighed in contentment. ¡± These are so good to be left behind as leftovers.¡± Though Grandma Lan Fen didn¡¯t say anything, her speed of eating told that she was just as impressed by the meal. Liu Hui Ying saw the three ghosts who were eating like they have never eaten anything good and were slightly sullen. What was so good about this meal? Was her cooking that bad? They were simply exaggerating. But as she took a bite of the carefully tenderised chicken, she had to admit that the cooking of the chef of this pce was indeed rather good. ¡± I hope that the chef is old,¡± She suddenly said causing everyone to look up at him in surprise. ¡± Why?¡± asked Li Gang in between the big bites that he was taking. ¡± So that if he dies then I will be able to take him with me,¡± replied Liu Hui Ying with an ¡® isn¡¯t that simple¡¯ expression causing Li Gang and the others to choke in surprise. There was silence as she finished speaking before the three ghosts looked at each and then buried their faces in their bowls, there was nothing they could say about this, at most they could feel sympathetic towards the chef while hoping that he was as young as possible or else he will be the ve of a tyrant and crazy woman like her! With the silence taking over, the meal finished without any problems. Liu Hui Ying stared at the clean bowls and was a bit speechless, she did tell them to finish the food without leaving any leftovers but she never asked them to lick them all clean until nothing was left! If anyone was to see these cleaned bowls, they would think that she was a dog! ¡ª¨C Chapter 51 51 Oh my lord ¡± Are you sure that you want to do this?¡± asked Zhai Heng as he walked his brother to the Queen¡¯s courtyard. ¡± I mean what if the queen does something unexpected to you? Wouldn¡¯t you be letting Ah Yu down?¡± ¡± I am not going to do anything with the Queen, elder brother,¡± replied Zhai Tianyu sharply as he looked at Zhai Heng. ¡± And please forbid from saying anything like that, you will make others misunderstand and both you and I know, I do not even take the Queen as a woman, why will I do anything unexpected with her?¡± He paused and then he sinctly added, ¡°As for Ah Yu, you know it very well that I only brought her to the pce because I would rather have someone trustworthy by my side, the two of us are not like that where I will be letting her down if I were to fall for any woman and she knows it too. But if you are worried then I can assure you that nothing will happen for I know that the woman inside is my enemy.¡± Zhai Heng looked at his brother while fighting the urge to tell Zhai Tianyu that he was underestimating Ji Yu¡¯s feelings for him but he has promised Ji Yu that he will not let Zhai Tianyu on the secret that she has shared with him. ¡± I see, but still be wary of the Empress, from what I have seen we cannot underestimate her anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Yu Lingyun nodded fervently by Zhai Heng¡¯s side. ¡± The Queen is really, really strong as well.. so strong that if you are not paying attention then she will overwhelm you, make sure that you are on your toes no matter what or you are going to suffer.¡± Zhai Tianyu was amused by Yu Lingyun¡¯s words and said, ¡± Dear general, aren¡¯t you underestimating Zhen too much? Do you think a small and petite woman take me down?¡± No matter how strong Liu Hui Ying was, she could never be as strong as him. He has trained himself in martial arts while hiding his talents from his mother and the head of the Liu family, with his talent there was no way that he will be taken advantage of by the queen. ¡± I am just warning you, your majesty,¡± said Yu Lingyun as he desperately tried to make Zhai Tianyu understand,st night he was a fool and underestimated the Queen and was rewarded with a shoulder throw, even now his back was hurting a little. ¡± Just be a bit careful when you are with the Queen, it¡¯s not wrong to be on alert when you are in an enemy base.¡± Though Zhai Tianyu thought that Yu Lingyun was thinking too much, he still nodded and said, ¡± Very well, Zhen will remember what you have said, General.¡± ..... As he spoke he walked inside the courtyard of the Queen leaving Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun inside. Yu Lingyun watched Zhai Tianyu go and then asked suddenly, ¡± He didn¡¯t believe a thing that I said right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Zhai Heng as he stared at his brother¡¯s vanishing back. ¡± He is so going to suffer,¡± muttered Yu Lingyun as he rubbed the back of his waist. ¡± I just hope that the Queen will go easy on him when throwing his majesty over her shoulder.¡± Zhai Heng: ¡°....¡± ??? Was Yu Lingyun speaking the truth? Zhai Tianyu didn¡¯t have any idea that his friend was already mourning for him, instead, he walked past the cobblestone path that led to the inside of the Queen¡¯s courtyard and frowned when he suddenly felt a chill rise up his spine. What was this? If he wasn¡¯t wrong, the weather was still hot and he was sure that the Queen¡¯s courtyard that he arranged for though a bit dpidated was located in one of the best ces in the pce. There was no way this courtyard that was situated at the centre of the pce would be this close in the middle of summer right? ¡± Why am I feeling more and more cold with each step?¡± Zhai Tianyu paused in the middle of the path as he rubbed his arms and the small hair on the back of his neck started to rise. He looked around the well was covered and so was the pond, there was nothing else that would cause this sudden decline in the temperature either, so why was the entire courtyard as chilly as if someone has built it inside an ice cer? Zhai Tianyu was surprised at the chill that was coating his shoulders, for a second he wanted to turn around and leave but when he thought about his n, he had no other choice but to grit his teeth and enter the courtyard. And no sooner he took a step inside the silent courtyard than he felt that he might as well have jumped inside water filled with ice. It was that cold, so cold that even his heart shivered¨C he looked around the dark corridor and then swallowed the nervousness that was rising in his body and took a brave step but the closer he got to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s room, the more his heart turned cold. Maybe it was the darkness or maybe it was the chill but his heart suddenly started thumping more and more harshly. Or maybe it was both of them because never before has he felt this terrified, it was as if something was going to pop up suddenly and chop his neck in half¨C No sooner did he think of it, than he heard something scrape on the wooden board and he turned around at once, clutching his heart that was thumping a bit too loud. However, as soon as he turned around he saw nothing other than the moonlight that was spilling inside the dark corridor through the sieve-like window pane and heaved a sigh of relief. There was nothing, Zhai Tianyu shook his head before he scolded Yu Lingyun, it was because of that man he was this scared. He was the one who said all that nonsense and scared him like this... be on your toes! Damn that man! After he was done scolding, he turned around and raised his head, hand still clutching his chest when his gaze met with that of a pearly white woman, dressed as up as a weird animal. If that was all, maybe Zhai Tianyu would not have done what he did but then he noticed that the woman standing in front of him was transparent and his eyes rolled as he screamed¨C ¡± OH MY DEAR LORD!¡± ¡ª If you are liking this book leave a review andments please ! Chapter 52 52 It¡¯s a mess Liu Hui Ying was going to lie down in her bed and sleep but then she heard someone cry wretchedly like they were being held at a gunpoint and asked to wash a week¡¯s dirtyundry, she sat up straight in her bed and looked around as she turned to Li Gang and asked, ¡± Where is Jia Li?¡± Even without having any idea what happened outside she already had a hunch about what might have taken ce in the silent corridors. ¡± I don¡¯t know,¡± Li Gang replied sounding a bit rmed as he looked back at her. ¡± I am not her personal assistant, she said she was going on a walk and that she wille back after she was done finding a nice spot to sleep and take a rest.¡± As ghosts they could not just close their eyes and start floating where ever they wished, for the sake of cultivating their spiritual Yin energy they needed to find a spot to which they would feel connected and that was why Li Gang was the first one to call dibs on the ancient scroll that was hanging in Liu Hui Ying¡¯s room as for Grandma Lan Fen, she chose the calm and peaceful pond outside, ording to her, she was a nature lover when she was alive and would cultivate properly in the nature as well. The only one who was left without a spot was Jia Li and even after roaming around the entire room and the outside garden, she could not find a decent spot, so she told Liu Hui Ying that she was going on a hunt. That was what she said but after hearing that wretched scream, Liu Hui Ying was a bit sceptical about Jia Li. ¡± Should I go and look at what is going on?¡± Liu Hui Ying was feeling rather tired, she has been dragged around the entire pce and her legs were almost on the verge of giving away. All she wanted was to lie down on her bed and sleep ignoring the cry for help, she has, after all, sensed that it belonged to a man and there was no need for her to disturb her rest for a man right? ¡± I guess?¡± Li Gang replied while arching his back. ¡± Jia Li is your ghost servant if she was to make a mess, you as her boss should go and take a look at it.¡± Liu Hui Ying shot him a deadpan look and said, ¡± What are you talking about? If we go by that then you as her senior will have to go and take a look first, I as your boss wouldest...that¡¯s how the corporate world works, all right?¡± ¡± I ....¡± Li Gang didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything when Jia Li came rushing through the wall next to him, she looked a bit excited and scared as she jogged to the spot and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s a mess, it¡¯s a mess! I think I made a mistake!¡± Li Gang exchanged a look with Liu Hui Ying before he raised his hands and calmly said, ¡°It¡¯s all right, you are always making a mess, there is no need for you to be so excited...Woah what are you doing?¡± He added when he saw that Jia Li caught hold of his wrist and started dragging him along with her. ¡± Where are you taking me? Hey! At least tell me, woman!¡± ..... Hearing theirmotion Grandma Lan Fen also floated inside the room and asked Liu Hui Ying, ¡± What¡¯s going on? Why is Jia Li looking so scared like that?¡± ¡± Who knows?¡± Liu Hui Ying rolled her shoulders as she cracked her neck. ¡± Maybe she ended up dropping something precious, you know how clumsy she can be, right?¡± With that, she was prepared to lie back on the bed and sleep but then she heard Li Gang rushing together with Jia Li and this time he too was jogging on the spot as he yelled, ¡± This is a mess! A big mess! You have toe and see it, boss!¡± Liu Hui Ying frowned but seeing that Li Gang was calling her boss, she decided to push herself off the bed, Li Gang hardly ever called her boss and that too when the situation was indeed serious. So, she put on her shoes and then followed the two ghosts who rushed out of the room. When Liu Hui Ying stepped outside of the room, she wasn¡¯t surprised that the maid responsible for guarding her including Nanny Gong and Qui Ai was fast asleep, in the presence of three ghosts, normal people like them could never withstand the chill and depressing energies. They were bound to fall asleep. She tip-toed around the row of maids and then chased after Li Gang and Jia Li who weaved through confusing corridors with apt uracy and then rushed towards the corridor that led to the entrance of the courtyard, watching the two of them rush towards the entrance she was a bit confused. What was it? Did Jia Li knock a guard or something? But then her gaze fell on the golden silk robe that glittered under the moonlight and her heart jumped to her throat. There was no way her luck was this bad right? There was no way, this would be happening to her, right? But as she got more and more closer to the tall figure that was lying in the corridor, Liu Hui Ying had to take out her handkerchief to cover her nose as she took a nce at the face of the man who has fainted on the floor and almost swooned. Fortunately, today the poltergeist powers were being shared by Grandma Lan Fen and she caught her just in time. Liu Hui Ying closed her eyes as she shook her head, ¡± Maybe if I don¡¯t look at him, then he will go away.¡± She really very much wanted to avoid her reality! ¡°Let¡¯s count to ten,¡± she cheered herself up. ¡°Let¡¯s count to ten and then open our eyes, I am sure this jerk will be gone by the time we are done....Let us go..one ...two ...¡± she counted to ten before opening her eyes. However, when she opened them, the Emperor was still lying on the wooden floor. ¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 53 53 Saw her secret. ¡± Jia Li!¡± Liu Hui Ying turned her head to re at Jia Li anxiously, of all people she could run into she ran into the Emperor? Why not take advantage of the ghost hour and just run around the pce screaming that she was a ghost exorcist? ¡± I am sorry!¡± sobbed Jia Li, she too knew that she might have made things difficult for Liu Hui Ying but she really did not expect the Emperor toe to this courtyard, did he not send an assassin at Liu Hui Ying in the morning? Can he really stomach sleeping with the same woman he hated so much but looks like the man had a lot more sturdy heart than she expected him to...the only downside was that he seemed to be terrified of ghosts. ¡± I did not mean it, he just came rushing inside as bold as brass, what was I supposed to do? And it¡¯s the starting of ghost hours!¡± The hours after midnight was when the Yin energy started to get stronger and at three in the morning, it would reach its peak. Ghosts who roamed on the surface of the earth would sometimes be visible during these hours and ghost servants who shared spiritual energy with their master would be even more visiblepared to other ghosts. It was just that the yang energy of many humans was not up to the mark and they could not catch hold of sight of ghosts like them, but the Emperor was a different case. He was the Emperor of this country and he was born with a special and magnificent Yang energy which could not bepared to othermon people, thus when he came inside Liu Hui Ying¡¯s courtyard andid his eyes on Jia Li who shared a spiritual connection with Liu Hui Ying, he was able to see her. Last night they didn¡¯t have the chance to suck the spiritual energy from Liu Hui Ying given that they did not get a chance to eat but today was not the same case, they ate well and now they were stronger than other ghosts who didn¡¯t have the luck of sharing spiritual energy with a ghost hunter. ¡± Jia Li is right, what is he doing here? Shouldn¡¯t he be in his own pce?¡± Li Gang asked while picking at the stubble on his chin. He crouched down and tilted his face such that he was looking at the Emperor¡¯s cold face as he pursed his lips and said, ¡± Damn his Yang energy is indeed really abundant, I have never seen such a powerful and majestic aura, no wonder he is the Emperor. He was born with the fortune of being a ruler, it¡¯s clear from the lines on his be that he is destined to rule at least sevennds, this is what I call being born with a diamond spoon in his mouth that¡¯s coated with gold and tinum.¡± He leaned forward as he sniffed and mused, ¡± He has so much life force, it would not matter if I suck a few days right?¡± Li Gang was oblivious to it but the fingers inside the sleeves were tightly clenched, Zhai Tianyu woke up just a few seconds ago before Liu Hui Ying came looking for him. He wanted to get up and leave but then he heard four voices, one that of a man... who was talking with Liu Hui Ying. He wanted to catch Liu Hui Ying having an affair such that he will be able to take care of her once and for all but then as soon as they got near him, he felt the temperature of his body drop to the point where he was shivering. Zhai Tianyu has seen many things and he was wise enough to sense that if he was to open his eyes at this moment, he will definitely find himself in trouble, he needed to find out what was happening before he could think of a best possible solution to his predicament but then he heard things that he was sure that no one might have heard before. ..... Ghost hours? Yang energy? What were they talking about? But the more he listened the more he understood, the things that were talking with Liu Hui Ying were not humans but instead, they were ghosts! No sooner he came to this conclusion, Zhai Tianyu scared himself but he was even more terrified when he heard the ghostly man say that he was going to suck a few days off his life. No matter how long his life was, would he not rue them if they were sucked off like that? Zhai Tianyu was going to open his eyes but then he heard Liu Hui Ying¡¯s voice. ¡± Stop,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she pulled Li Gang back, she peered down at Zhai Tianyu and turned her attention to Li Gang before adding, ¡± Never forget that you are here because you swore never to harm any human, if you dare to use the dark mystic arts to raise your cultivation, then I will end you with my own hands, don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Only then did Zhai Tianyu unclench his hands but then he heard an elderly woman ask in worry, ¡± But what are we going to do with him? We can not leave him here and you cannot take him to your room either, you are severely allergic to men... if you bring him then...¡± Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t say anything and that made Zhai Tianyu almost girt his teeth anxiously, was this woman going to do some voodoo magic on him? To make him forget or maybe she will just vanish him altogether? After all, he did see her secret. Now what? He waited anxiously for Liu Hui Ying to decide his fate and then he heard her say, ¡± Just throw him to the back of the courtyard, even if it¡¯s a bit chilly, its not that cold... so, he will not die. Just leave him there and once it¡¯s the morning we will just tell everyone that he was too drunk and lost his way.¡± Zhai Tianyu: ¡°.....¡± He was too soft-hearted for a second he thought that she was going to be kind to him! ¡ª¨C if you like the chapters then leave a gift or ament please QAQ Chapter 54 54 Fox demons ¡± Are you sure?¡± asked Jia Li fretfully as she looked at the unconscious man who was lying on the floor. She was feeling a tad bit guilty given this happened because of her, if she was a bit careful then something like this would not have happened and the Emperor would have been kicked out of the courtyard in a much more human way. ¡± The backyard of this ce is full of mosquitoes, if we leave him there for an entire night who knows what will happen to his handsome face.... No, I mean to say it will slightly disturbing if he was to get harmed in your ce.¡± Li Gang whipped him faster than a whirling top spinning on the floor, he turned to look at Jia Li and narrowed his eyes dangerously as he said, ¡± No, you are just upset that his handsome face will be damaged, I will be a booger in his nose if you cared half about the consequences of what will happen to Hui Ying if he was to get harmed in her pce.¡± ¡± I am just trying to be considerate ¨C¡± ¡± You wouldn¡¯t have to be considerate if you were careful enough not to be caught!¡± ¡± Who thought that this man would pop out of nowhere and that too at night!¡± Jia Li immediately shouted in an attempt to prove her innocence. ¡± You all should be thankful to me, he was sneaking inside Hui Ying¡¯s courtyard who knows maybe he had some sort of ill intentions towards Hui Ying, if not for me he would have gotten closer to Hui Ying and then what..what would you have done if Hui Ying¡¯s allergies red up? It¡¯s because of me that she ispletely fine! So be thankful to me!¡± The entire corridor turned silent even Zhai Tianyu who was lying on the floor was speechless by the things that he heard, was he being treated like some sort of lecherous bastard? Strictly and firmly speaking, Liu Hui Ying was his wife, right? So, what was wrong with him trying to get inside her courtyard and more importantly he did not have any ns of doing anything to Liu Hui Ying! Li Gang too was stunned by what Jia Li said, he stared at her before he almost rolled his eyes and said to her, ¡± You are just trying to make it sound nice! If you care so much about Hui Ying then you have to throw this man out of the courtyard with your own two hands! In case he stays close to Hui Ying then her allergies are going to be red up anyway!¡± ¡± That...¡± ¡± What can¡¯t bear to? His handsome face is making you waver?¡± cooed Li Gang as he looked at Jia Li who raised her hand to hit him but was stopped by Liu Hui Ying who sighed and held one of her hands up. ¡°Enough of you two messing around, just drop him off to the back yard... Li Gang is right, I cannot sleep properly with him sleeping in the same space as me.¡± ..... She didn¡¯t have any trust in men, no matter how good everyone told her that they were. Her foolish sister once believed that she knew men better and she paid for it heavily, she too has opened her doors for a man in the night andmitted the biggest mistake of trusting him and as a reward for her stupidity, she left broken and bleeding on the floor. Li Gang shot Jia Li a victorious look before he turned to look at Zhai Tianyu prepared to have the man thrown out of the courtyard but the second he turned his legs trembled slightly when he saw that the man who was lying on the floor with his eyes closed was now looking at him with a nk expression. ¡± I hope you are doing fine?¡± Zhai Tianyu said as he raised his hand and waved at Li Gang who sputtered in shock and surprise before turning to look at Liu Hui Ying. She was already looking at Zhai Tianyu with her brows scrunched up, clearly, she was really displeased upon seeing that he has woken up. ¡± What now?¡± Grandma Lan Fen asked in worry as she stared at the sight in front of her. ¡± What else, we will have to make sure that he doesn¡¯t say a word about this to anyone else,¡± stated Liu Hui Ying as she took a step back and then dropped the hand clutching the handkerchief that was covering her mouth and smiled at the Emperor. ¡± I hope that you know what you can say and cannot say your majesty... because as far as I know, you will not like being haunted by ghosts at night, right?¡± Zhai Tianyu pushed himself off the floor and then wiped his robes as he nodded and said, ¡± Of course, I wouldn¡¯t but I believe that you will not like being troubled by a ghost exorcising priest as well?¡± Liu Hui Ying¡¯s lips twitched as she looked at the man in front of her, he was threatening her, wasn¡¯t he? ¡± You can try sending them here but,¡± she ced a hand on her chest and said with a subtle hint of arrogance, ¡± But they will never be as good as me, if I want then I can exorcise any ghost I want.¡± ¡± That might be true but it seems that my Queen does not know that the crime of doing ck magic is being executed by your extremities and head tied to horses,¡± Zhai Tianyu smiled at her with just as much arrogance. ¡± If you do not want me to write down the imperial decree of your execution, then I suppose...¡± he turned around and nced at the three ghosts who were standing behind Liu Hui Ying. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to have a decent conversation, it would be too much of a shame if you die without getting a chance to defend yourself, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Liu Hui Ying stared at him, all traces of smile wiped from her lips as she threw her hands in the air and let out an annoyed scream, ¡± Aish! This is why I hate men! Sneaky little fox demons!¡± ¡ª¡ª Chapter 55 55 Who are you then? Zhai Tianyu was crowned as an Emperor when he was a young boy, ever since then he has been served in a lot of ways by a lot of people but he was sure that he has never been served in his entire life like he was being served in Liu Hui Ying¡¯s courtyard. He watched as the woman in the weird dress apparently it was called pyjamas and the bird was called penguin pour him hot tea before bringing it to him while hovering an inch above the floor as she ced the cup in front of him and said, ¡± Please go easy on her and of course, I am not saying this for her sake it¡¯s for yours, she is crazy when she is angry.¡± ¡± Is it hot enough?¡± asked the elderly Grandma Lan Fen as she lit up the brazier and sighed apologetically, ¡± Forgive us, Hui Ying¡¯s constitution is a perfect match to our Yin energies and that is why she has never felt cold, we never thought that the other people were having a hard time because of our presence.¡± ¡± Oh no it¡¯s all right,¡± Zhai Tianyu was half expecting the ghosts to try and attack him but apparently they were more or less just like him and the other living ones, except they were a bit pale and transparent. ¡°It¡¯s more than enough.¡± He then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was sitting on the other end of the room with her head almost leaning out of the window as she stared at him with squinted eyes, the ghostly man called Li Gang had the same expression as his master and did not seem to any more weing than Liu Hui Ying. ¡± So you really are allergic to man?¡± ¡± Of course do you think I would have walked around three kilometres back and forth if I wasn¡¯t?¡± Liu Hui Ying replied waspishly as she looked at her two ghost servants serving that heartless jerk and almost severed their contracts. ¡± If I wasn¡¯t allergic do you think I would have suffered like that? Or did you think that I was trying to attract your attention or something of the sort, if you did then just so you know I am kicking you out?¡± Zhai Tianyu paused and then embarrassingly touched his nose, he did think that but that wasn¡¯t his fault after all the Liu Hui Ying he knew wasn¡¯t allergic to men or anything. ¡°It¡¯s just that when I met you before, you were not allergic to men..so howe all of a sudden...¡± He noticed that as soon as he spoke, the three ghosts exchanged a nce with Liu Hui Ying whonguidly stretched on the long chair next to the window sill and said casually while looking at her nails, ¡± That¡¯s because that woman is dead.¡± ¡± Wha...What?¡± Zhai Tianyu choked on his tea as he raised his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying in shock and surprise. ..... Liu Hui Ying spared him a nce and then said with a brow hitched up, ¡± What? Did you really think that a woman who drank poisoned wine would be fine? She drank the wine you sent her most probably she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to survive it. So, she chose the most painless death.¡± Zhai Tianyu stayed silent for a few minutes before he opened his mouth after a hard swallow and asked, ¡± Then what about you? Are you a ghost as well? Did you possess this body after finding out that the owner has died?¡± ¡± Wha...Hahahaha!¡± Liu Hui Ying burst outughing after she finished listening to Zhai Tianyu¡¯s words, she pped her thigh and wiped the tears that were spilling out of her crinkling eyes before she suddenly paused and stared at him straight in the eyes. ¡± Do you really think that I would do something as stupid as possessing this body? I am just an unfortunate soul that was dragged here by you and that woman.¡± She leaned back on her chair and then threw her arm on the window sill before she scoffed. ¡± Being Empress might be a real treat for someone like you and your sweetheart but I can¡¯t care less about this position. I am not even from this world, you see? I want to go back... and I will be going back as soon as I find the soul of this woman and then I am stuffing her back in this body and after that, I will be off to where I belong.¡± The more she thought about the injustice she has suffered, the more angry Liu Hui Ying got as she smacked her hand on the seat of her long bench-like couch and turned her head to look at Zhai Tianyu, ¡°It¡¯s your fault, who asked you to give that woman a poisoned wine? No matter what she was innocent. Do you even have any idea what is the cost of killing an innocent person?¡± She pointed to Li Gang who was standing next to her and said, ¡± He mistakenly killed someone and ever since then he is being hunted by the grim reaper if I wasn¡¯t kind enough and took him in, his soul would have been disintegrated by now... that is the price of killing an innocent.¡± ¡± It was extremely important for me to kill her,¡± replied Zhai Tianyu as he looked at Liu Hui Ying with an upturned gaze and said, ¡± If you think that I am cruel then you have no idea how ruthless and evil Liu family is, they have killed hundreds ofmoners and the districts under them are nothing but a centre of corruptions and greeds, honest officials being executed and the crooked being rewarded, its amon practice under their rule... having an Empress from the same family as them would be simr to handing them a tag that they can kill anyone, anywhere at any time.¡± ¡± Then you don¡¯t have to worry since she is already dead and I will be leaving soon as well,¡± said Liu Hui Ying with a wave of her hand, she sensed that he was hesitant so she decided to throw in a bait that will secure her survival. ¡± It will be wise of you not to touch me because if you touch me then you will be cutting off the road to the reincarnation of yourte aunt.¡± ¡ª dedicating todays chapter KalisteKitten, thank you for your amazing gift! Chapter 56 56 Life in my hands ¡± What did you say?¡± Zhai Tianyu raised his head, his eyes glinting sharply as he looked at her with a stern face. From just his expression it was enough to see that he was going to force-feed poison to Liu Hui Ying if she so much as dared to say nonsense to him. ¡°I said that if you want your aunt to be on her way to reincarnation then you better stay away from me and be as respectful as you can or else I will leave her to walk on the surface of the earth without so much as moving a finger,¡± Liu Hui Ying leaned forward on her elbow that was resting on her knees when Zhai Tianyu got on his feet and aimed the sword at her neck. Jia Li and the others immediately flew next to Liu Hui Ying prepared to make a move when Liu Hui Ying lowered her head and looked at the sword that was aiming for her neck, for a second she did not speak before she scoffed and said, ¡± Impertinent, aren¡¯t you? Still can¡¯t see who is the one in charge here?¡± ¡± I have your life in my hands, my queen, literally,¡± he replied as he edged the sharp end of the sword towards Liu Hui Ying. ¡± I can kill you if I want given that you dared to curse someone from the imperial family.¡± ¡± Kill me he says,¡± Liu Hui Ying rolled her eyes as she turned to Li Gang and raised her brows as she said, ¡± What are you waiting for? Christmas?¡± ¡± I was waiting for your order, who knows? If something happens,ter on, you might dump the me on my head,¡± Li Gang rubbed his hands and then ced them t on the de of the sword before smiling at Zhai Tianyu. ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal mate, but you dared to aim your sword at my master, I will have to protect her right?¡± And before Zhai Tianyu could understand what was happening, his world tilted and then rolled to the left. With a loud thump, Zhai Tianyu fell on his back as he gasped for breath, his sword lying a few feet away from him while he was looking at Liu Hui Ying upside down. That audacious woman smiled at him causing his cheeks to redden as he scrambled to his feet and turned to look at her with a heavily offended look on his face. ¡± Do you know what you have done? How dare you attack the Emperor? I can have your hands chopped you know!¡± ¡± Go ahead then,¡± said Liu Hui Ying with a tone as if she was coaxing a small child as she looked at the man in front of her. ¡± What are you going to write in the imperial decree? That I ordered a ghost to attack you? And logically speaking I did not even so much as touch you since I cannot get closer to men. So, if you can... you can try to chop the arms of my ghost servant.¡± ..... With that, she leaned back on her couch and then waved her hand casually at Li Gang. ¡°Go on offer your hands to the esteemed majesty, I bet that he will like to spend the night trying to chop your hands.¡± Li Gang did as she ask him, he held his hands in front of Zhai Tianyu and smiled at him. ¡± Here you go, your majesty ... if you can .. . My hands are excited to be chopped into pieces, it has been years since Ist felt any pain.¡± Zhai Tianyu was furious at the jeers and teasing that were being aimed at him. He narrowed his eyes at Liu Hui Ying, he would have very much wrung the neck of the woman who was so disrespectful to him but he knew that if he was to so much as try to get close to her then her ghost servants would attack him first. Maybe he would be possessed and made to do things that he did not want to, so under the pressure and after careful consideration, he decided to take swallow his anger temporarily. That¡¯s right temporarily. He was definitely going to make Liu Hui Ying pay sooner orter for the disrespect she has shown to him. ¡± I will let this slide,¡± he said as he slid back to his seat and then ced his hands on top of his knees as he continued, ¡± But I would like to have you know that you cannot make any rude and ufortable remarks regarding myte imperial aunt. She passed away in peace and you making suchments will definitely upset my grandmother.¡± ¡± There is a chance that your grandmother will be upset but she will be more upset to find out that your aunt is still hanging around her,¡± Liu Hui Ying¡¯s smile widened when the Emperor¡¯s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ¡± Why do you think that I was able to treat your grandmother esteemed majesty? It is because she is being haunted by your aunt¡¯s soul. If you do not believe me then you can have an imperial physician check up on her... you will be surprised to find that even though your grandmother looks perfectly well, she is getting weaker and weaker by the day....most probably she only has a few months left.¡± This time Zhai Tianyu could no longer sit still, he jumped to his feet and stared at Liu Hui Ying fiercely. To him, his grandmother was like the only beacon of light in this grim world, he could not lose her. He stared at Liu Hui Ying long and hard before he turned around, intending to leave but then he paused and then looked over his shoulder as he said, ¡± If I find out that what you have said is nothing but a bunch of foolish words then I will have your neck severed from your body.¡± ¡± Bring me some gold the next time youe looking for me then,¡± said Liu Hui Ying not at all worried by the threat Zhai Tianyu has given her. ¡± If you are so generous with your threats make sure that you reward me handsomely in case it turns out to be the truth.¡± ¡ª¡ª- Chapter 57 57 Pig blood. Zhai Tianyu did not say anything about bringing gold and silver to her, instead, he took a pouch from his sleeves and threw it at Liu Hui Ying who caught it looking excited. ¡± What is this? Are you already paying me? I knew you were a smart man.¡± But then her praise stopped as she tugged the pouch open and then looked down at the red and coppery-smelling liquid that was inside the pouch, stunned she looked up at Zhai Tianyu and asked, ¡± What is the meaning of this? Do you want me to spill your blood is that what are you asking me to do?¡± ¡± You will be having your virginity test tomorrow,¡± replied Zhai Tianyu as he pointed at the white sheets that Qui Ai and Nanny Gong has spread over her bed. ¡± Strictly speaking today was supposed to be our wedding night and with meing here you will be tested. In case the sheets do not have drops of blood then you will be counted as impure.¡± ¡± And what about that?¡± Liu Hui Ying did not think that it was too big of a thing for her to fail the purity test. ¡± You will be sold to the brothel if you fail the test, my queen,¡± replied Zhai Tianyu with a smile and he was overjoyed when he saw Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes widen as she stared at him in shock and surprise. ¡± In case you do not want that to happen make sure that you sprinkle some blood drops on the sheets, it will be too much of a shame if you sold off into a brothel.¡± ¡± What the fck!¡± Liu Hui Ying shouted in anger as she pointed her finger at Zhai Tianyu and said, ¡± What about you? What kind of test do you have to pass to sleep with me?¡± Zhai Tianyu was heading out when he paused and then tilted his head back as he asked, ¡± Excuse me?¡± ¡± You have been excused,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she waved her hand and repeated her question. ¡± Answer me, what about you? As my husband should you not be doing a test as well?¡± ¡± You seem to be confused, my Queen,¡± stated Zhai Tianyu as he crossed his arms behind his back and smiled at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± I am a man and the Emperor, do I need to pass a test? As the Emperor it¡¯s my duty to give birth to as many kids as possible, so how is it possible for me to have¡ª¡± ..... ¡± Stop!¡± Liu Hui Ying raised her hand interrupting him looking sickened as she ced a hand on her chest and gagged. ¡± This world ..this horrible world, I have to get out of here as soon as I can.¡± She paused and then turned to look at the Emperor who seemed to be amused by her actions before asking, ¡± Whose blood is this? Don¡¯t tell me you have brought me the blood of a human or something.¡± Zhai Tianyu saw that she was very casual with him, he was a bit ufortable with her calling him ¡®you¡¯ but he still shrugged it off and said, ¡°It¡¯s the blood of a pig.¡± ¡± A what?¡± ¡± A pig.¡± There was silence in the room and then, ¡± You freaking jerk!¡± ..... Yu Lingyun tilted his head as he looked at Zhai Tianyu, he came looking for the Emperor because he wanted to discuss something with him but then he caught sight of the purplish bruise that was sticking out on Zhai Tianyu¡¯s face and he asked, ¡± Did I not tell you to be careful with the Queen?¡± ¡± This wasn¡¯t done by the Queen,¡± Zhai Tianyu helplessly replied as he embarrassingly touched the wound on his face and hissed. Last night, the Queen did attack him after he told her that he has brought the blood of a pig for dropping it on the sheets but he wasn¡¯t a man who would let anyone attack him that easily. He had dodged the attack of the queen but then his foot was caught up against the foot of the maid who was sleeping next to the door of the queen¡¯s room. His sudden move caught the maid by surprise and she woke up in a daze, maybe it was him dropping on the floor in front of the maid or maybe it was the Queen¡¯s scream but the maid ended up punching him in the face. Zhai Tianyu never expected a small maid to have such a heavy hand but unfortunately for him, the Queen¡¯s maid¡¯s hands seemed to be made out of pure iron, with just one hit she caused his eye to turn purple. The entire incident was so humiliating that he did not dare to tell anyone. ¡± You don¡¯t have to lie,¡± Yu Lingyun sympathetically patted him on the shoulder and said with a heavy sigh, ¡± The queen is really strong and her temper is really fierce as well. I can already imagine her getting angry at you.¡± Zhai Tianyu pped Yu Lingyun¡¯s hand off his shoulder and said, ¡± Why are you here? Didn¡¯t I send you to keep an eye on the head of the Liu family?¡± ¡± I was keeping an eye on him but that man is really sharp, he did not go anywhere unexpected he stayed in the pce for the entire morning and then went to the Dowager¡¯s Empress pce, most probably they are nning on how to deal with you and the grand dowager empress, after all, you even though they think that they have you under their control, they wouldn¡¯t take the matter of you trying to kill their family¡¯s empress that lightly but this is not why I am here,¡± Yu Lingyun looked around the room and then conspiratorially whispered, ¡± I heard that Third rank Official Liu will be submitting a memorandum against your actions in the court. Unexpectedly, he has gotten a few ministers to sign on the memorandum under the pretext that you are torturing his daughter.¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s face changed, he did not want to attract attention to the matter but because of concubine Shen being caught... his n went downhill. ¡± Try to suppress it,¡± he said while tapping the back of his brush on the table. ¡± Ask third-rank official Liu to take his request back no matter what his condition might be.¡± Chapter 58 58 Being spied on. Fortunately, for them, third official Liu was a businessman at heart and he loved money more than anything, as long as he was given a few benefits, he would definitely agree to take back theint. This was one of the reasons why the Liu family chose Liu Hui Ying as a candidate for the Empress position. Just like her father, she was a naive fool and did not think about things properly, which made it easier for the Liu family to control her. ¡± I will see what I can do,¡± said Yu Lingyun as he took a seat on the chair that was sitting in front of Zhai Tianyu¡¯s table and then ced his hands on the surface of the table as he said, ¡± I have been keeping an eye on the Liu family for a few days, from what I have seen, the second brother of right prime minister Liu is moving a lot these days. Apparently, he is meeting with the Shen family¡¯s head, what do you think they are nning by meeting the Shen family and that too sote at night?¡± Zhai Tianyu paused for a while and ced his brush on the table as he raised his head and looked at Yu Lingyun and exined, ¡± What else? The Shen family¡¯s daughter tried to scheme against their family daughter. Even if the Queen might be a receable chess piece, it¡¯s only for the Liu family and no one else. Only the right prime minister can drag Liu Hui Ying down from the throne on which she is sitting in, if not him then the matter lies in the hand of the Empress Dowager.¡± He picked up the brush and then started drawing something on the nk piece of paper. ¡± For the Shen family¡¯s daughter to make a move against the Empress of their family, surely the Liu¡¯s won¡¯t be happy... most probably they are trying to get hold of something in return aspensation.¡± ¡± And this is the type of body that I like to sleep with,¡± said Zhai Tianyu suddenly as he turned the ck page to Yu Lingyun that had a body of a voluptuous woman drawn on it just as the sliding door was pushed open and the eunuch in charge of his day time care walked in. ¡°I am a bit disappointed that the Queen wasn¡¯t up to the mark but there is no need to worry I will tell her my likes for the uing selection of the Concubines, surely the Queen will look for a ...¡± he waved his hands and made a vulgar gesture in the air before continuing with a smile. ¡± A decent woman who would be to my liking a little more.¡± Yu Lingyun caught on and he hurriedly picked up the brush that was sitting next to Zhai Tianyu and then made the two balls even rounder on the stick figure and said, ¡± That¡¯s not even good enough to grab... you need more meat only then would you like the feel of squeezing the doorway to heaven, do you understand your majesty?¡± The eunuch responsible for cleaning the study hall of the emperor widened his eyes as he looked at the paper that had a stick figure with two balls drawn on it and then shook his head, why was it that Empress Dowager asked him to pay attention to her son? Except for frolicking with that Concubine Ji and the rest of the Concubines what else did the Emperor even do? Was there even a need to worry about him? While the two of them were talking about the figures and women, the eunuch cleaned the room and then walked out of the study silently. Zhai Tianyu carefully listened to the footsteps of the eunuch and only heaved a sigh of relief when he knew that the eunuch was gone far. ..... ¡°How long do we have to go on like this?¡± Yu Lingyun asked as he crumpled the paper with the figure of a woman in front of him and then red at the surface of the table. ¡± I am the General of the imperial army, with a good and handsome-looking build but no one in the Empire wants to marry me why? Because I am rumoured to be a perverted fool who sleeps with women every next hour! Heavens know that I have never even so much as touched a woman!¡± ¡± Were you not getting chummy with one of the maids of the Queen?¡± asked Zhai Tianyu as he ignored the question that Yu Lingyun has asked him, he too had no answer as to how long it was going to take. As far as he knew, as long as he did not get his hands on a piece of decent evidence that would lock the Liu family up in the prison, this game of cat and mouse will never stop. Yu Lingyun rolled his eyes as he fake smiled at Zhai Tianyu. ¡± Haha, like you don¡¯t know... the maid was all nice to me a few days ago but who knows what the Queen told her, she suddenly seem to have grown horns. Every time I get near her, she will hit me with those horns of hers. I tried to tell her that she was mistaking my intentions and even tried to get close to her but talking to that woman is like talking to a wall, she isn¡¯t listening to half of the things that I am telling her.¡± That was something that Zhai Tianyu could understand, he shot Yu Lingyun a sympathetic look and the man in question only rolled his eyes as he looked around and questioned, ¡± By the way, where is that shadow of yours? Your elder brother... I haven¡¯t seen him, don¡¯t tell me that he has rebelled against the group of us single bachelors and is going around meeting his lover? Oww¨Cwhat the hell?¡± Yu Lingyun was suddenly smacked on the back of his head, he turned to scold the person who hit him but then he caught sight of Zhai Heng¡¯s cold gaze and swallowed his words back as he forced a smile and said, ¡± You are here, Brother Heng ?¡± Chapter 59 59 A home run Zhai Heng ignored Yu Lingyun¡¯s attempts to ttering him, instead, he turned to look at his younger brother and then said in an important voice, ¡± I have sent an imperial physician to the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s pce, he will be returning any time soon.¡± Zhai Heng paused and then asked, ¡± Why did you send the imperial physician to grandmother¡¯s pce, is something the matter? Are you still suspecting that the Queen has done something wrong to grandmother?¡± ¡± Something along the lines,¡± Zhai Tianyu was indeed suspecting the Queen but he wasn¡¯t suspicious of her harming his grandmother, he was suspicious of the words that she has told himst night, which was why he sent the imperial physician to the Heavenly blessing courtyard. He was sure that what the queen has told him was nothing but bullshit but when he was reminded of the three ghosts, he could not help but worry about whether or not the Queen was telling him the truth? If he was to ignore her words and instead harmed his aunt and grandmother at the same time, he will never be able to forgive himself. To make sure that everything was fine or not fine, Zhai Tianyu asked his brother to bring the imperial physician to their grandmother¡¯s courtyard secretly. Given that both he and Zhai Heng were pretending to be vulgar and pedantic perverts. ¡± Did you tell the imperial physician what he should take care of ?¡± asked Zhai Tianyu, thest thing he wanted on his te was the Liu family or his mother finding out that he was sending an imperial physician to treat his grandmother secretly when the Liu family very much wanted to see his grandmother dead. Zhai Heng nodded and said, ¡± You do not need to worry about it, I have made sure that the imperial physician would not be caught by anyone.¡± The life they all were currently living was full of dangers, even the smallest mistake could cause him and his brother their lives, in case they made a mistake. ¡± Your Majesty, the imperial physician is asking for a meeting, shall I allow him?¡± The guard outside the study shouted from the other side of the room and Zhai Tianyu nodded his head in reply. Seeing his nod, Zhai Heng turned to look at the door and replied, ¡± Let the imperial physician inside!¡± ..... The guards slid the door open for the imperial physician and allowed him to enter. The imperial physician was in the middle of his thirties, his hair was still ck and he looked rather active as he kneeled in front of Zhai Tianyu and greeted him politely, ¡°It¡¯s my esteem fortune that you called for me, your majesty!¡± ¡± You may rise,¡± Zhai Tianyu waved his hand and the imperial physician rose from the floor picking up his wooden box in which he carried all of his medical equipment. ¡± How is the Grand Dowager Empress doing? As far as I know, thest time you checked up on her, you said that she was doing all right.¡± This was why he was suspicious of what Liu Hui Ying told him, his grandmother waspletely fine a month ago, howe she would get so sick that she would be left with only a few months? That was what Zhai Tianyu thought but then he noticed that the imperial physician seemed to be hesitating. His heart lurched as he exchanged a nce with his brother before asking, ¡± Zhen is asking something, why are you not paying attention to what Zhen has said? Answer Zhen, how is her majesty the grand Dowager Empress?¡± The imperial physician dropped to his knees and immediately kowtowed as he rubbed his forehead on the hard floor and replied, ¡± Answering his majesty, the grand dowager empress seemed to have caught a chill. I don¡¯t know when and how it happened but now the grand dowager Empress¡¯s condition is really poor, I am afraid if she does not recover soon, then she won¡¯t be able to survive this winter.¡± A very peculiar scene happened in the afternoon at the Empress¡¯s pce, the Emperor who only spent a few hours away from her came looking for the Queen in a hurry. The maids all looked at the Emperor who was opening one room after another of the Queen¡¯s courtyard looking for the Empress, he was in such a hurry that hepletely forgot to ask a maid whether or not the Queen was in the courtyard or not. It was only when the Emperor was done looking at thest room that he turned to look at the maids, who were eyeing him curiously from the floor and asked, ¡± Where is the Queen?¡± ¡± H..Her majesty is at the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce,¡± replied one of the maids and Zhai Tianyu¡¯s expression turned grim. .... ¡± I heard that the Emperor spent the night at your pce yesterday?¡± asked an elderly woman who was pouring tea in the cup instead of asking her maid to do it for her. Liu Hui Ying looked at the woman who was sitting in front dressed in pale white colour clothes with wooden jewellery adorning her hair, as she calmly raised her head to look at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Thete Emperor, he died years ago right?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked her ghosts, who immediately nodded their heads as Li Gang responded, ¡± I found out from the ghosts who roam around the pce, the Late Emperor passed away when the Emperor was only sixteen.¡± It means that it has been more than ten years, so why was this woman still dressed up as a newly widowed woman? ¡± Hmm? Hui Ying, did you not hear my question?¡± Though Empress Dowager seemed to be smiling, Liu Hui Ying noticed the cold glint in her eyes. She shivered as she nodded her head and shyly responded, ¡± En.¡± Only then did the Empress Dowager smile at her genuinely. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that the Emperor has bestowed his grace on you... I just hope that you will live up to this grace.¡± As she spoke the gaze of Empress Dowager dropped to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s t belly. Fck! Do you think your son is some sort of ace striker? That he will score a home run in one ball? What exactly do you think can happen in just a night? Chapter 60 60 Agree or not Liu Hui Ying was simply lost for words, it was one thing for them to marry off a seventeen-year-old to a man but it was apletely different thing for them to expect her to get pregnant with her petite body. Where was she supposed to carry a baby? She looked down at her tiny waist which was so small that it could not even fit her daily meals before she cleared her throat and shyly replied to the Empress Dowager, ¡± I will try to make you proud, your majesty.¡± Earlier Qui Ai has told her that Empress Dowager was a woman who hated anyone crossing her, and that was why she decided to keep her mouth tightly shut. As much as Liu Hui Ying hated the old woman who was pressuring her into attracting the Emperor¡¯s attention and getting pregnant as soon as possible, she was smart enough to sense that Empress Dowager was a rather paranoid and stiff woman. Her gaze dipped to the right hand of the Empress Dowager including the heavy Yin energy that was floating in her room and knew that the woman was not someone whom she could offend. The number of murders this woman hasmitted directly and indirectly was no joke! ¡± As long as you know what you are doing,¡± said the Empress Dowager as she took Liu Hui Ying¡¯s hand in hers and patted her carefully on the back. ¡± You might be thinking that I ...your cousin aunt is pressuring you a bit too much but you will,ter on, realise that I am only doing this for your own good. Hui Ying, you have no idea but that girl from the Ji family has wrapped his majesty around her tiny finger. Something that you and I know better than anyone after all his majesty epted her as his concubine just a day before marrying you, anyone can see where he is putting our family.¡± Liu Hui Ying winced when she felt the grip of the Empress Dowager tighten on her hand, however, she took one nce at the furious look on the face of the elderly woman and she hurriedly lowered her head. It was better for her to say nothing at the moment, who knows when she might end up putting her foot on andmine. ¡± His majesty has been blinded by that girl from the Ji family and he only listens to her now, the Ji family in turn have started to raise their heads and look us in our eyes, something that never happened in the past twenty years!¡± The voice of Empress dowager got even more ferocious as she spoke and so did her grip on Liu Hui Ying¡¯s, now Liu Hui Ying was biting her lips hard as the woman¡¯s long nail dug into her skin. ¡± Now the future of the Liu family depends on your shoulders, Hui Ying ..if that girl from the Ji family got pregnant before you then surely we will be losing our foothill in the court...what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± asked the Empress Dowager when she saw Liu Hui Ying bending over the table while lightly patting the surface of the top with her other hand as if surrendering. ¡± Your majesty, your nails...your nails!¡± The servant girl standing behind Empress Dowager tipped her chin at the nails that were digging into Liu Hui Ying¡¯s skin. ..... Seeing that she has lost control Empress Dowager immediately let go of Liu Hui Ying¡¯s hand, who in turn slumped on the table and breathed in relief, right now she thought that she was going to lose ayer of skin. ¡± Ahem, Forgive me,¡± said the Empress Dowager when she saw Liu Hui Ying sit up straight in her chair. ¡± I got a bit overexcited while speaking, but do forgive me for hurting you.¡± ¡± There is no need for you to apologise to me, your majesty,¡± even though Liu Hui Ying was smiling on the surface she was cursing the old woman for being a bit too much. Did she think that she was made of steel, what was she thinking while digging those sharp nails into her skin? ¡± You are a good child, that is why I worry about you...with that naive attitude of yours how will you fight against that Ji girl, she with her schemes will eat you alive in just a few days!¡± The Empress Dowager covered her cheek as she looked at Liu Hui Ying as if she was looking at an easily bullied rabbit and sighed. ¡± I am sure that you know that the Ji girl has been getting cosy with the Grand Empress Dowager, surely that woman is teaching her new skills to woo the Emperor, after all, why else will she bring her grand-niece to the pce? Isn¡¯t it because she wanted to have that woman enthral the Emperor?¡± Liu Hui Ying watched as the Empress Dowager leaned forward and spoke to her in a sharp note, ¡± I know that you are having a hard time, that is why I will ask you to keep an eye open and you might as welle see me every second day that way I will be able to help you out when the situation arises.¡± Liu Hui Ying was sure that the Empress Dowager did not care about her in the least, the reason this woman was in fact trying to get her on her side was all because Ji Yu was on the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s side. ...maybe it was because of the loss of control or maybe the Dowager Empress wanted her to stay next to her to bnce the power that has gotten out of her control. The Dowager Empress was worried that Liu Hui Ying will side with the Grand Dowager Empress, which was why she was being straightforward and tried her best to talk badly about the Grand Dowager Empress and Ji Yu in front of Liu Hui Ying because she wanted Liu Hui Ying to agree with her. If Liu Hui Ying was indeed the soft-hearted woman who killed herself, she wouldn¡¯t have seen through the tricks of the Dowager Empress but she wasn¡¯t the same woman, she could see the tricks the elderly woman was pulling. But the question was ..whether she should agree or not? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 61 61 What do you want me to do? Getting closer to the Dowager Empress was not at all wrong, after all that Concubine Ji had the grand Dowager Empress as well as the Emperor on her side...as for her, she was all alone. Honestly, she did not care about the politics of this pce nor did she care about the Dowager Empress or the Emperor. But she has to care about the original owner right? Once she leaves this ce what will happen to the poor owner of this body? Without any support she will be like a loaf of meat waiting to be chopped on the board of a butcher, maybe she should agree with this coboration? ¡± Your majesty, I¨C¡± she hardly opened her mouth to reply when the eunuch standing outside the door shouted, ¡± The son of the heavens and earth, his majesty, has arrived!¡± Dowager Empress frowned as she heard the announcement of the eunuch, as far as she knew that son of her did not have any time for her these days. He has been tied up so tightly by that witch from the Ji family that he hardly came looking for her, so why did he suddenlye looking for her today? At first, she was confused but then she turned her head and looked at Liu Hui Ying who was sitting on the chair opposite to her and an understanding glint passed in her eyes. Looks like the training that her brother has given to her niece was perfect, she really knows how to please a man, look at her son now... he only spent a night in her courtyard and yet he was already looking for her again. ¡± It seems that I was worried for nothing,¡± said the Dowager Empress with a pleased smile as she looked at Liu Hui Ying even more favourably than before. ¡± You have done rather well, Hui Ying.¡± Liu Hui Ying: ¡°...¡± ¡± Haha, thank you, your majesty,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied dryly, she really wished she could overturn the entire table but she decided to hold her hands close to her. So, her worth was being counted by whether she can or cannot please that jerk huh? What a tragic world! Zhai Tianyu walked inside the hall of his mother¡¯s pce and found the person he was looking for all along sitting opposite his mother. He didn¡¯t know why but he was a bit upset seeing Liu Hui Ying in the presence of his mother,st night when she and him had a decent talk, he thought that the two of them have ovee some differences but now that he was seeing her sitting and talking with his mother, he couldn¡¯t help but clench his fingers. It was him who was a fool, he thought that the Queen was different but in the end no matter who she was, the blood of the Liu family still flowed inside her. ..... He turned to look at his mother and greeted her with a smile before he strode towards the tea table and then stood next to Liu Hui Ying, he heard her take a deep breath and then turn silentpletely. Was her allergy this bad that she couldn¡¯t even smell his scent? ¡± Is there something the matter, your majesty?¡± asked the Dowager Empress as she smiled at her son politely. She was looking at Liu Hui Ying who has shyly (not) lowered her head in front of Zhai Tianyu and the fact that her son was looking at Liu Hui Ying with that doting (not) gaze was enough to make her rx. See, she was right! What true love, what childhood sweethearts? She knew it as long as she was to bring in a more beautiful and worthy woman, her son was going to forget that Ji Yu, see, didn¡¯t her n work? ¡°It¡¯s nothing, mother Empress,¡± replied Zhai Tianyu as he broke his gaze away from Liu Hui Ying and looked at his mother with a smile. ¡± I went to look for the Queen earlier this afternoon, but she wasn¡¯t there... the maids told me that she was here, so I came looking for her... if you don¡¯t mind mother Empress can I take her? I have something to say that I.. heh...¡± he broke away embarrassingly as he rubbed his nape and shyly smiled at his mother. ¡± That I could not sayst night to her.¡± ¡± Of course, you can! You can talk to her as long and deeply as you want, your majesty,¡± to Dowager Empress this was like some miraculous news. She smiled at Liu Hui Ying, the more she looked at her, the more pleasing she found her to the eyes now. She was sure that as long as Liu Hui Ying keep up with this, she will be able to get pregnant with the heir to the throne! ¡± Thank you, mother empress,¡± Zhai Tianyu bowed his head slightly to thank Dowager Empress before he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and said, ¡± My queen, pleasee with me... Zhen has something to say to you.¡± Liu Hui Ying already knew why he came looking for her in a hurry, so she took her sweet time before getting up from the chair and even bid the Dowager Empress goodbye for a very long time only then did she sit on her pnquin and said to the Emperor, ¡± Heh, huh?¡± ¡± Don¡¯t you dare to tease the emperor,¡± warned Zhai Tianyu as he got into his own pnquin and then motioned his procession to walk to the Queen¡¯s pce. Liu Hui Ying watched the man¡¯s arrogance and then curled her lips in a slightly annoyed manner as she scoffed. ¡± I am going to make this man rue that tone he just used with me.¡± .... ¡± I sent the imperial physician to the Grand dowager Empress¡¯s pce,¡± no sooner did Liu Hui Ying take off her crown, did Zhai Tianyu walk inside her room following her hot on her heels. Just as she expected. Liu Hui Ying had Qui Ai loosen the corset of her dress before she turned to look at the Emperor and arched a brow. ¡± So? What do you want me to do?¡± ¡ª Can you check out my new work, Hot Bloodsuckers¡¯ Obsession? Please I beg you! Chapter 62 62 No ¡± What can you do?¡± For a moment Zhai Tianyu was sure that he has misheard Liu Hui Ying, after all, she was the one who told him that his grandmother¡¯s life was in danger and now she was acting as if she had nothing to do with this matter. He looked at the woman who was humming a tune under her breath while Qui Ai, her maid washed her feet. From the looks of it, she did look like she wasn¡¯t in a hurry at all! Zhai Tianyu swallowed his anger before he turned to look at the wall beside him and red at it long and hard, only then did he huff a breath and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and said to Qui Ai, ¡± Leave I want to talk with the Queen.¡± Qui Ai paused in her actions of wiping Liu Hui Ying¡¯s feet, she looked at the Emperor but did not move instead she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying, who nodded at her only then did Qui Ai get up from the floor and then walked out of the room shutting the door before leaving. ¡± You have a rather loyal maid, she dared to ignore the order of the Emperor,¡± Zhai Tianyumented sullenly, he could not believe that a maid has actually turned a deaf ear to his orders. ¡± You say as if your subjects wouldn¡¯t do the same if I was to order them around,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she picked up the towel that was left behind by Qui Ai and finished wiping her feet. ¡± Anyway, what do you have to say to me? Why were you looking for me?¡± Zhai Tianyu was sure that he was going to lose his temper, he could not understand why every time he tried to have a decent conversation with his Queen, thetter would push him so much that his patience which he was rather of, would run dry. He closed his eyes, and chanted a few Buddhist scriptures to calm his head and then only then did he open his eyes, he curled his lips in a small smile and then looked at Liu Hui Ying with a polite expression on his face. ¡± My dear queen,st night you told me that you will help my aunt to go on the road of reincarnation have you forgotten about it?¡± ¡± I am not the one who forgot about what I said to you, it¡¯s you..your esteemed majesty,¡± Liu Hui Ying threw the cloth with which she wiped her feet and then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu with an expressionless face. ¡°It¡¯s you who forgot the end of the deal.¡± ¡± I forgot?¡± What did he forget as far as he knew, he didn¡¯t seem to be forgetting something. Seeing the bewildered and confused look on the Emperor¡¯s face, Liu Hui Ying knew that he has forgotten what she has told himst night, annoyed she flung the cloth that she used to wipe her feet at Zhai Tianyu¡¯s face and cheered up momentarily when she saw it hitting the jerk in the face. ¡± The rewards, didn¡¯t I say that in case I am proven right then you will have to reward me? Where is it? Where is my mountain of gold, silver and shiny rubies?¡± ..... Zhai Tianyu realised that even though the queen was different than before, she was still third officer Liu¡¯s daughter. Her father was just as greedy for money as she was, he pulled the wet cloth that was sticking on his face and threw it on the floor before taking out his handkerchief and wiping his face, only then did he look at Liu Hui Ying with an annoyed and slightly enraged expression. ¡± I will reward you if that is what you want but can you help my grandmother and aunt?¡± ¡± You forgot the magic word,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she tipped her chin at the fruit basket that was sitting in front of her and motioned Grandma Lan Fen to cut an apple into pieces for her to eat. Zhai Tianyu poked the inside of his cheek with the tip of his tongue, his finger clenching and unclenching as she looked at Liu Hui Ying who was lying on the bed as if she was the Emperor and he was her ve. ¡± My Queen, do not take things too far,¡± he said with his teeth grinding against each other loudly. ¡± What do you mean by do not take things too far?¡± Liu Hui Ying questioned as she looked at him with a slightly upturned gaze. ¡± Have you forgotten because of whose fault I am stuck here? I will take things too far, bite my ass if you can!¡± ¡± Y..you what kind ofnguage is that?¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s cheeks flushed red as he covered his face with the long and wide sleeves of his robe, slightly embarrassed and a great deal angry at the Queen¡¯s choice of words. ¡°It¡¯s mynguage, I am going to use it however I want ..what is it to you?¡± Liu Hui Ying picked up a piece of apple and then took a bite of it. ¡± If you do not like listening to me talk then you can leave.¡± With that, she even made a ¡®you can leave now¡¯ gesture at Zhai Tianyu causing thetter¡¯s face to turn even redder with anger. A part of Zhai Tianyu indeed wanted to leave but then he thought about his grandmother and his aunt who couldn¡¯t get peace despite roaming on the face of thisnd for six years and then he suppressed his anger. ¡± Would you please help my grandmother and myte aunt, my queen?¡± asked Zhai Tianyu, this time a lot more politely. He even shelved his arrogance and pride as the Emperor before requesting the Queen to help him, surely this time she will agree to his request right? After all, he has asked her so politely. He studied Liu Hui Ying with a smile and studied him back with a piece of apple in her mouth and two minutester after she was done chewing and swallowing the piece of apple, she opened her mouth and spat one word. ¡± No.¡± ¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 63 63 Get lost ¡± Of course, you would..¡± Zhai Tianyu paused as he looked at Liu Hui Ying before blinking his eyes as he said, ¡± Did you just refuse me or is it my ears that are ying tricks on me?¡± ¡± You didn¡¯t hear her wrong, she told you a big, fat ¡®no¡¯,¡± said Li Gang who was floating in the air with his back lying on nothing but as if he was lying on an invisible bed. ¡± Grand of you to assume that she will agree to your request.¡± Zhai Tianyu was speechless, a part of him was shocked and then the other part of him waspletely lost. He couldn¡¯t help but think that he was taken advantage of after all she was the one who asked him to say the magic word but when he did she refuse to agree to his request, what kind of injustice was this? ¡± But I just said please to you, what else do you want?¡± He said with a bewildered and shocked look on his face, fine she was allergic to man, maybe she was not the same woman he married but that does not change the fact that she was his wife, he married her and he was the Emperor of this entire Empire, his ¡®please¡¯ was a lot more expensive than any other gifts! ¡± Aww are you going to cry?¡± cooed Liu Hui Ying as she looked at the Emperor and then rolled her eyes at him. ¡± Do you think that your please is some sort of magic spell? That you will say it and I will start working ording to your tune?¡± Looking at his affronted look, she was sure that he was thinking in the same direction as well. ¡°Ohe on,¡± she said with an annoyed look on her face. ¡± Please is something that not only you but everyone else who wants their work to be done should say, you are the one who is requesting my help so, of course, you have to say please, it¡¯s up to me whether I agree to the request or not.¡± Zhai Tianyu: ¡°....¡± He wanted to refute but there was nothing for him to say, in the end, he simply drew in a breath and asked, ¡± Can you at least tell me why are you not helping me?¡± ..... ¡± That¡¯s simple,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she kicked her legs on the bed and sat up straight rolling her shoulders ufortably, seeing this the ghost named Jia Li flew up to her side and then started massaging her shoulders, only then did Liu Hui Ying continue speaking, ¡± The reason is that you haven¡¯t paid me yet, I don¡¯t do business on credits you see? I want the shiny money in my pocket before I help anyone but because you are the Emperor I let you know in advance that your grandmother is sick... and allowed you to bring moneyter on.¡± ¡± You did not bring money with you, that means you still owe me ... until or unless you clear up this little debt that you owe me, I will not help you any further.¡± Zhai Tianyu stared at his Queen, it was as if she has snatched his ability to speak, no matter how many times he tried to open his mouth and say something, he could not do it. This woman? Did she only open her mouth for asking for money and eating? In just a few minutes she might have as well asked for money more than ten times. She was truly the daughter of third officer Liu! ¡± Have you forgotten my queen, you told me the truth about my grandmother¡¯s condition for you feared that I will kill you.¡± Zhai Tianyu kindly reminded her but Liu Hui Ying who has been working in the modern world, where the race of earning money was rather hard immediately deflected his attack and shot back, ¡± I did but then you did not believe me, my goodwill vanished because of your constant suspicion and now you have to pay my fees, your majesty.¡± Zhai Tianyu: ¡°....¡± Can he even win against this thick skin woman? ¡± No, you can¡¯t,¡± said Liu Hui Yin as if she was reading his mind. ¡± Don¡¯t even try winning over me, if you do then you will only end up embarrassing yourself.¡± Zhai Tianyu looked rather ufortable at her sudden words, he tugged on the cor of his robes and carefully eyed Liu Hui Ying before he asked in a hesitant voice, ¡± H..How do you know what I was thinking? Can you even read minds?¡± ¡± Why are you nning something against me? That you need to hide?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked in return and Zhai Tianyu rxed a little, turns out that he was the one who was thinking too much. ¡± Ahem, fine if that¡¯s what you want then I will bring you the rewards that you want, gold..silver anything,¡± said Zhai Tianyu for the sake of his grandmother he would be willing to make a small loss at least he will be able to save his grandmother and send his aunt off to the underworld. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she stood up from the bed and then raised her head to look at Zhai Tianyu with an impatient look on her face. When Zhai Tianyu saw the impatient look on her face he was a bit confused and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡± What?¡± ¡± What do you mean by what? You are done, right? So get lost now, I have to eat my lunch and you are ruining my appetite by breathing in front of me.¡± Liu Hui Ying snapped at Zhai Tianyu not caring about the offended expression on his face as he pointed his finger and trembled in anger. ¡± I am your Emperor, how dare you ask me to get lost?¡± ¡± Like this,¡± Liu Hui Ying turned to face him as she pointed to her mouth and slowly very slowly repeated, ¡± GET LOST.¡± This time Zhai Tianyu was very mad, so mad that he turned around and left the courtyard of the Queen without closing the door. Chapter 64 64 Why did you reward her? ¡± Prepare some rewards and bring them to the Queen¡¯s pce,¡± Zhai Tianyu turned to look at the eunuch who has been serving him since he turned sixteen, though the man has always pretended and acted as if he was loyal to him, Zhai Tianyu knew that behind the scenes this eunuch master was someone else. And that someone was none other than his mother, he knew that he has to send gifts and rewards to Liu Hui Ying but he was trying to dy it as much as he could, at least that way he would be able to send out the message that he wasn¡¯t close to the Queen or the Liu family. That way the Ji family will have a chance to suppress the Liu family behind his back but now that he needed Liu Hui Ying¡¯s help, he could only do as she asked. If rewards were what she wanted then he will reward her just as she wished at least then he would get her to work for him. ¡± And make sure that you prepare them ordingly,¡± added Zhai Tianyu, in fact, he already knew that since Eunuch Li was serving his mother, he will definitely prepare the rewards generously in fact lot more than he did when Ji Yu entered the harem. But he still needed to act ording to his role, so he smiled at Eunuch Li with a shy expression like a fool and said, ¡± The Queen has made Zhen very happy.¡± ¡± As you wish your majesty,¡± Eunuch Li bowed his head with his hands sped in front, his eyes excitedly flickering with emotions, this time as long as he was to do a good job then the dowager Empress would reward him generously! Maybe he will get a pouch full of gold taels. ¡± I will prepare the gifts and rewards for the Empress properly and with utmost respect and care!¡± Eunuch Li shouted loudly causing Ji Yu who just arrived in front of the study of the Emperor pause, the smile on her face dropped as she blinked her eyes. She was holding a basket with a bowl of chicken and duck blood soup when she heard the words of Eunuch Li, and her grip on the handle of the basket tightened. The Emperor was already rewarding the Empress didn¡¯t he say that he will use Liu Hui Ying as an example to beat the Liu family down a few pegs? Then why was he rewarding the Queen? Though Ji Yu had a lot of questions, she knew that Zhai Tianyu had his own ns, he wouldn¡¯t do anything that would mess with their n of taking control of the Liu family, so even though she was feeling a bit upset, she still hitched her lips into a smile and then turned to the guard and nodded her head. Only then did the guard open his mouth and announced her arrival. ¡± Royal Concubine Ji Yu is entering!¡± Zhai Tianyu raised his head from the document that he was reading and then smiled at Ji Yu who was standing on the threshold of his study, seeing the Emperor smile, Ji Yu¡¯s heart fluttered and then she turned to her maid Xiaolin. ¡± You wait here,¡± she told her with a calm and gentle smile. ¡± Do not make any trouble for anyone I wille back in a jiffy.¡± ..... ¡± I will wait for you as long as you want, missy,¡± replied Xiaolin as she bowed her head with a serene smile. ¡± You can take your time,¡± she lowered her voice and added swiftly, ¡± I know that you have missed the Emperor.¡± ¡± Shush, you...what are you saying,¡± Ji Yu chided her maid who poked her tongue out of her mouth and then went to stand on one side, seeing that Xiaolin was standing on a side and wouldn¡¯t be caught up in any trouble with anyone, Ji Yu turned around and headed inside the study with a smile on her face. ¡°Ji Yu greets you, your majesty.¡± She bowed a little in courtesy but Zhai Tianyu immediately helped her up as he rose from his seat and then sped Ji Yu by her arm. ¡± How many times I have told you? You do not need to bow in front of me, after all, you and I go way back.¡± He led her to the tea table where he helped her sit down on a chair and took a seat himself. A young eunuch who was standing in the corner of the study stepped forward to prepare the tea for Zhai Tianyu and Ji Yu but he was stopped by Zhai Tianyu who raised his hand and said, ¡± Everyone leave, Zhen wants to spend some time alone with his royal Concubine.¡± The young eunuchsplied after all everyone knew that Zhai Tianyu and Concubine Ji were childhood sweethearts, whenever the two of them were together something was bound to happen. So, the young eunuchs left the study one by one as Zhai Tianyu picked up the teapot and ced it on the delicate brazier that was prepared for him and then tilted his head slightly to look at Ji Yu as he asked, ¡± As always, jasmine tea right?¡± ¡± Of course your majesty,¡± Ji Yu ced the basket that she has brought with her onto the table and then opened the lid before taking out the steaming bowl of soup. ¡± This one prepared this soup for you, your majesty. This one was worried that it will get cold and that is why this one came in a hurry, this concubine hopes that she didn¡¯t disturb you.¡± ¡± Not at all,¡± Zhai Tianyu took her hands in his and patted her on the back as he said, ¡± How could you have disturbed me? And be at ease. There is no need for you to address formalities when you are alone with me.¡± He picked up the teapot once he smelled that the tea was ready and then let go of Ji Yu¡¯s hand and poured two cups of tea as he said, ¡± You seem like you want to ask me something, don¡¯t be polite with me say what you have in mind.¡± ¡± Then your majesty... I wanted to know why did you reward the Queen ?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 65 65 Think before doing anything. Dedicating todays chapter to KalisteKitten! Thank you so much for such an amazing gift! Ji Yu heard his words, and though she was hesitant in her heart she still ced her hands on herp and asked softly, ¡± Then your majesty, I wanted to know why did you reward the Queen?¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s actions of pouring the tea into the tea cup paused as he turned to look at Ji Yu who hurriedly corrected herself, ¡± I mean, I am not ming or questioning you, your majesty but you said that you were going to use the queen to knock the Liu family a peg down or two but if you reward her after making it look like you have spent the night with her then the Liu family will be even more arrogant.¡± ¡± I know,¡± Zhai Tianyu sighed lightly, too did not want to gift Liu Hui Ying anything but she has made it clear that she wasn¡¯t going to help his aunt move on to the afterlife without any reward, which was why he was forced to hand her the rewards. ¡± But you don¡¯t need to worry, the n hasn¡¯t changed. It¡¯s still the same, Liu Hui Ying... she will have to be disposed of as the Queen sooner orter.¡± He wasn¡¯t lying and from what he could see the Queen didn¡¯t care about the throne either, in fact from all the raving he has heard, he was quite certain that she cared a lot more about the thing called ¡®Four motion¡¯ ( he is saying promotion). Since, neither of them wanted her to sit on the throne of the Queen, disposing of Liu Hui Ying will be a lot easier, he just have toe up with a n that will make her agree. Ji Yu did not know what was going on in Zhai Tianyu¡¯s head, she heard that he was still nning to dispose of the Queen and her heart that has been taut rxed a little. She knew that her feelings were stupid and so was the desire of Zhai Tianyu loving her but at the very least she did not want Zhai Tianyu to fall in love with someone else and more importantly not Liu Hui Ying! ¡± Then these rewards¨C¡± ¡± They are nothing, there was something that the Queen helped me with and that is why I rewarded her, nothing more,¡± Zhai Tianyu replied before Ji Yu could finish her question, in his head Ji Yu was worried about the n they have been moving on till now. The n was obviously for the betterment of the country, there was nothing wrong with Ji Yu¡¯s worry upon seeing him deviate from the n. Ji Yu frowned upon hearing Zhai Tianyu say those words, even more, the Queen helped Tianyu? With what and since when did someone from the Liu family start helping them? ..... At this point, she was reminded of the words her mother has told her before she entered the harem. She told her to be aware of Liu Hui Ying¡¯s every move asking her to be on her guard no matter how naive and foolish Liu Hui Ying looked, now that she was looking at Zhai Tianyu who was talking about Liu Hui Ying as if she was a good friend of him, Ji Yu was worried that Zhai Tianyu was getting fooled by Liu Hui Ying. After all, he knew better than anyone else how tricky and scheming the members of the Liu family can be, if not then her brother would still be alive! He was the one who was fooled by someone he shouldn¡¯t have, he trusted someone from the Liu family and lost his life in return. Ji Yu couldn¡¯t let Zhai Tianyu walk on the same path as her brother! ¡± Your majesty,¡± she thought over the words that she wanted to say to Zhai Tianyu carefully before she raised her head and looked Zhai Tianyu straight in the eyes and said, ¡± I don¡¯t know what the Queen has told you but I hope that you are doing everything after careful consideration. Make sure that you have carefully considered everything for we all know how ruthless the people of the Liu family can be... you haven¡¯t forgotten Brother Chen right?¡± At the mention of Ji Chen, Zhai Tianyu¡¯s face turned grim. Back when they were young, Ji Chen fell for a daughter from the Liu family who promised him that she will marry him but everyone knew the rivalry between the Ji and the Liu family. So, when Ji Chen told them that he fell for someone from the Liu family, they all tried to make him see sense but thetter didn¡¯t hear a thing and simply went ahead on the path he chose. In the end, their rtionship wasn¡¯t epted by their families, this was something everyone expected but what they did not expect was that Ji Chen was so enthralled by that woman that he was willing to elope with her but on the day when they were supposed to elope instead of finding the woman from the Liu family on the spot where Ji Chen was supposed to meet her, he met a bunch of assassins who killed him on the spot. As for who sent the assassins everyone knew who it was. That was how Ji Yu lost her brother and the enmity between the two families became even more intense. Now it hase to the point where one family wasn¡¯t willing to stand another. ¡± I remember everything, Yu¡¯er,¡± Zhai Tianyu rubbed his temple and couldn¡¯t help but think over again, what if this was indeed some sort of trap? After all, he has never seen his aunt or spoken to her, unlike the ghosts that always stayed with Liu Hui Ying. What if Liu Hui Ying was indeed making a fool of him? Then what was he supposed to do? ¡± Your majesty are you okay?¡± seeing that Zhai Tianyu has stopped speaking Ji Yu called him softly snapping thetter out of his daze as he smiled at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Concubine Ji.¡± But inwardly he has already decided to go and look for Liu Hui Ying. ¡ª support the book with powerstones,ments or gifts! Chapter 66 66 What does she have ? Ji Yu stayed with the Emperor for a few more minutes before she left his study, when she was with Zhai Tianyu, her lips were curled into a smile but the second she stepped out of the study, that smile fell ever so swiftly. Xiaolin who noticed that her mistress looked rather upset hurriedly chased after her as the two of them left the courtyard together. ¡± What¡¯s the matter, missy?¡± asked Xiaolin as she looked at her mistress who was frowning, her face was taut and she was even biting her lips. This only happened when her missy was rather upset! ¡± Did his majesty say something to you?¡± ¡± No,¡± Ji Yu shook her head as she replied to Xiaolin. ¡± His majesty was ever so kind to me, he even prepared tea and cakes for me.¡± If the emperor did not say anything to her missy then why was she looking so upset for no reason at all? Something must have happened or else her miss would never show such an expression. After all, she was not like those concubines who would throw tantrums at the smallest thing. ¡± Then what happened, miss?¡± asked Xiaolin urging Ji Yu to tell her what was going on in her mind. ¡± You were so happy just this morning when you were stewing the soup for his majesty and now that you have seen him, you look upset like this, please tell me what happened miss or else I will not be able to sleep at night.¡± ¡± You are always so pushy,¡± Ji Yu remarked as she turned her head to look at Xiaolin, she gave her a light re but Xiaolin did not take her seriously. She knew that her mistress was too kind to punish her, the two of them have been together since they were young and her miss has always treated her more like a sister than a maid. That was why she was able to speak so freely in front of Ji Yu. ¡± If I won¡¯t push you then you will never tell me anything,¡± said Xiaolin as she took the wicker basket from Ji Yu and smiled at her miss. Ji Yu was two inches taller than her which was why Xiaolin have to raise her head to look at Ji Yu, with her chubby face and cheerful expression, Xiaolin indeed looked rather cute and Ji Yu who has always wanted a sibling after losing her brother has gotten closer and closer to Xiaolin who was with her in her hardest times. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious,¡± said Ji Yu with a soft voice as she walked towards the entrance of the Emperor¡¯s pce, along with Xiaolin, she brought two other maids that were gifted to her by the Grand Dowager Empress when she entered the harem butpared to Xiaolin, she did not trust the two maids. This was why she always kept them at bay, even now when she came to meet the Emperor, she asked the two maids to stay at the entrance. ..... Which was a good thing or else she wouldn¡¯t have been able to talk freely with Xiaolin. ¡°You are ever kind, that is why you are being bullied by the concubines in the pce,¡± huffed Xiaolin angrily. ¡± You can always use the affection of the Emperor to teach those concubines a lesson but you have been keeping everything to yourself. If you were as scheming as they are then you would have already kicked half of the harem out, after all, who here does not know that the Emperor cares for you more than he does for the entire harem.¡± Ji Yu sighed as she poked Xiaolin on the forehead and said, ¡± How many times I have told you? We are no longer at Ji mansion where you can speak as you want, be careful. Even if you are my maid, I am just a concubine as well. My status is not any higher than the other concubines, if they hear you bad mouth them, then how will I save you?¡± ¡± I am always careful miss, aren¡¯t I saying this only because we are in the Emperor¡¯s pce?¡± Xiaolin poked her tongue out as she lightly spoke to her miss but then as the two got closer to the entrance, her expression turned serious as she looked at her miss and asked with all the seriousness that she could muster. ¡± Miss, you need to tell me what is the matter... I mean you never tell anyone anything and then keep it to yourself until you have stewed over the matter for days, why not tell me? I might be of some help to you.¡± Ji Yu was still hesitant but then she thought about the changes in Zhai Tianyu and she paused in her stride before turning to face Xiaolin. ¡± Lin Lin, tell me what do you think about the Emperor gifting the Queen a round of gifts? Earlier he promised me and everyone else that he wouldn¡¯t give the Queen any gifts even after ...¡± she lowered her voice as she said, ¡± Even after faking his wedding night with her but now he has given her a bunch of gifts, you were there too. You heard him right? He was telling everyone that he wasn¡¯t going to let the Liu family raise their heads in front of him anymore by making use of Liu Hui Ying but now he went back on his words.¡± Xiaolin knew that her miss has been pinning after the Emperor for all these years, though she has never confessed her feelings everyone could see that she had the Emperor in her heart. How can she not be ufortable seeing another woman get closer to the Emperor? ¡± Miss, you are thinking too much,¡± Xiaolin tried to ease the worry lines on her mistress¡¯s face. ¡± We all know that the Emperor hates the Liu family more than anyone and after all when you lost elder master, you were not the only one who lost a brother, his majesty did too. I don¡¯t think that after seeing just how poisonous the women of the Liu family are, the Emperor will try to get close to the Queen.¡± She paused and added, ¡± And whenpared to you, what does the Queen even have?¡± ¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 67 67 Surrounded by idiots. ¡± One¡± ¡± Two.¡± ... ... ... ... ¡± Ten¡± ... ¡± Twenty.¡± Liu Hui Ying grounded out as she pushed her body to finish the twentieth push up but then her hands started to tremble and she fell on the floor with a loud thud. ..... ¡± Your majesty, what are you trying to do?¡± Qui Ai was fanning Liu Hui Ying who was covered in sweat, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at her missy¡¯s weird antics. ¡± Why are you doing something so painful when you can¡¯t? Isn¡¯t it okay to sit down and drink a cool summer drink?¡± As she said this Nanny Gong who was pouring ice into a cup of juice immediately jumped off the porch in the backyard and then rushed to Liu Hui Ying as she ced the chilled juice in front of Liu Hui Ying and said, ¡± That is right, your majesty... the chef has made this sour and sweet sugar plum juice for you, why not drink this and relieve the heat?¡± ¡± Oh keep it away from me,¡± Liu Hui Ying pushed the cup of juice away from her face when she saw that Nanny Gong was trying to ce it against her cheek and said, ¡± I am covered with sweat, if I drink something this cold just after working out then I will catch a cold.¡± ¡± But your majesty, why do you have to do something so strenuous?¡±Nanny Gong cried as she scrambled to her feet when she saw that Liu Hui Ying has gotten to her feet as well. ¡± I mean why punish yourself like this? You have been doing so great, did the Emperor say something to upset you? Is this why you are trying to hurt yourself like this?¡± Liu Hui Ying was preparing herself to start rabbit hopping but then she heard Nanny Gong¡¯s words and almost fell face-first on the floor. ¡± Your majesty!¡± ¡± Your majesty!¡± Both Qui Ai and Nanny Gong screamed as they reached to help Liu Hui Ying who was almost on the verge of falling and then helped her stand up straight. Liu Hui Ying whose heart was still thumping wildly blinked her eyes and then took a deep breath as she turned to stare at Nanny Gong. ¡± Nanny, are you sure that you are here to take care of me or are you here to get me a heart attack? How can you say something so disgusting? I punish myself for that jerk? Who is for me to hurt myself?¡± ¡± Of course, not your majesty,¡± Nanny Gong¡¯s eyes widened as she dropped to her knees and knocked her head to the ground. ¡± This one lives and dies for you, your majesty... how can I ... even think of hurting you? I would rather have the heavens strike and kill me before I so much as hurt a strand of your hair!¡± ¡± Goodness, I was just ...I was just joking, stop hitting your head, all right¡± Liu Hui Ying stopped Nanny Gong from hitting her head any further as she looked at the elderly woman and said in a heavy voice, ¡± Nanny Gong, if you want to stay by my side then you better learn how to take a joke, I can¡¯t have you smashing your head every time I say something weird. Got it?¡± ¡± I will do as you say, your majesty,¡± replied Nanny Gong as she wiped her tears and sniffed. Liu Hui Ying was sure that even though Nanny Gong said this, she would do the same thing again in the future as well, she sighed in both annoyance and tiredness before she turned to look at Qui Ai and asked her to bring her a jar of ointment. ¡± Nanny Gong,¡± Liu Hui Ying took the old woman to the porch and then helped her to sit down before she took the ointment from Qui Ai and then opened the lid of the porcin jar. ¡± I am not punishing myself, this is called exercising, I am trying to make my body strong.¡± ¡°But why?¡± Nanny Gong was if possible even more scandalous, she could not understand why her miss wanted to get stronger. After all, she was the Queen and there were enough guards and people to protect her, was there any need for her to work so hard and make herself strong? ¡± Don¡¯t you have guards to protect you, your majesty?¡± ¡± I had guards even thest time when I was attacked, what happened?¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she finished applying the ointment on Nanny Gong¡¯s forehead. She stood up from the porch and then rolled her shoulders as she added, ¡± Those guards are useless,st time if I wasn¡¯t quick enough then I would have already died.¡± ¡± Your majesty!¡± Nanny Gong interrupted her as she rushed over to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s side and said, ¡± You cannot say such unfortunate words!¡± ¡± I am not saying unfortunate words, I am speaking the truth, Nanny,¡± Liu Hui Ying patted Nanny Gong on the shoulder. ¡± I know what I am doing since we cannot rely on anyone. Then we must rely on ourselves, you understand Nanny Gong? We are not going to rely on men with ulterior motives, we are going to rely on ourselves!¡± And her ghosts. As the thought of her ghosts popped into her head, she turned around she looked at her ghosts who were eyeing the pond with fascination, apparently, they have seen such big koi fish for the first time in their lives and they have been taken by those koi fish ever since the morning when Grandma Lan Fen told them about it. Li Gang sensed her gaze and cheerfully raised his head as he said, ¡± Hui Ying, can we eat them?¡± Liu Hui Ying: ¡°....¡± These fools someone woulde and kill me and these guys wouldn¡¯t even know that their master has been killed! ¡± What are you thinking about, your majesty?¡± seeing that Liu Hui Ying has stopped speaking, Qui Ai asked her, looking in the direction where Liu Hui Ying was looking. ¡± Is there something in the pond?¡± ¡± Nothing,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she crossed her arms behind her back and then squatted on the floor as she sighed heavily. ¡± I just realised that I am surrounded by idiots in one way or another.¡± Chapter 68 68 Lets go on a walk ¡± I am bored,¡± Liu Hui Ying slumped down on the floor as she took the cloth from Nanny Gong and started to wipe her sweat. There was nothing interesting in this world and maybe because she did not have the authority unlike she did in her world, Liu Hui Ying wasn¡¯t getting any important cases to deal with and the one she was dealing with ...she wasn¡¯t getting paid for it! That jerk, he said that he will go and send her the rewards that he promised but it has been so long and she was yet to get her money. She was indeed right, depending on men was simply foolish maybe she should go and look for some other cases! Just how difficult was it to send a few gold taels huh? Qui Ai who was fanning Liu Hui Ying heard her words and then carefully said, ¡± Your majesty, why don¡¯t you go outside then? The pce is blooming with flowers at the moment, you will certainly enjoy the sight of them.¡± Liu Hui Ying wasn¡¯t interested in flowers but when she heard Qui Ai, she knew that thetter was right. Ever since she came here, she has been staying inside this courtyard, on the first night she was busy trying to save her life, and then in the morning, she was dragged to the old hag¡¯s ce. And in the night when she was nning to take a look at the pce and find the ghost of this woman, she was interrupted by that Emperor causing the ghost hour to slip by and now in the morning, she was taken away to her so-called aunt¡¯s pce. Strictly speaking, she has been running around the entire pce like a spinning top but she didn¡¯t even get the chance to take a good look around the pce. ¡± Very well then,¡± Liu Hui Ying used her core to sit up straight and then turned to look at Qui Ai as she said, ¡± Go and get my clothes, I will go out and take a walk.¡± Even if she couldn¡¯t see the ghost of this woman roaming around, she will at least find some sort of clue right? ..... ¡± I will take your clothes out, right now, your majesty!¡± Qui Ai was a lot more excited now that she saw her missy agreeing with her. Clearly, her missy was the one who was the ruler of the harem yet it was that Concubine Ji who was the childhood sweetheart of the Emperor who acted as if she was the one who was ruling the harem. And her maid! She was simply too obnoxious, that Xiaolin would deliberatelye to the kitchen at the same time as her and then she would stay beside her and keep on egging Qui Ai. She would tell her how her missy would sooner orter be kicked out and that they shouldn¡¯t get familiar with the pce too much. What was even more annoying, was that Xiaolin would every time tell her that Concubine Ji was much more beautiful than her majesty, the Queen. Like hell she was! Clearly, her missy was the most beautiful woman in the harem! Today, Qui Ai was determined to have her missy make her presence known! What did the women in the pce think? That they can do anything they want just because her missy was targeted and punished unjustly? ¡± I will make you look the prettiest, your majesty, don¡¯t you worry!¡± Qui Ai swore as she rushed inside in a hurry. ¡°You don¡¯t have to work so hard,¡± Liu Hui Ying was rmed when she saw that Qui Ai was acting so hyped up, she was afraid that the little girl would force her to wear that crown again but fortunately for her, her bad premonition did not be her reality. Qui Ai indeed worked hard but she only worked hard on her make-up and hairstyle. From using the powder to make her look fairer to using the red tint that made her lips look as red as rose petals. The maid worked hard for an hour and a half, and by the time she finished helping Liu Hui Ying in getting ready, Liu Hui Ying was done with her mid-noon nap. ¡± Your majesty, I am done,¡± Qui Ai woke Liu Hui Ying up, she was not at all offended by Liu Hui Ying who fell asleep instead she was more than understanding of Liu Hui Ying¡¯s actions. The emperor came to see her missyst night and then he came to see her in the morning as well, clearly, the Emperor must have tried her missy out. Fortunately for Qui Ai, Liu Hui Ying could not read her thoughts or she would have gotten several smacks on her back. ¡± Oh you are done,¡± Liu Hui Ying stretched her arms and yawned as she took a look at her reflection in the mirror, however, once she took a look at her reflection, Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes went wide as she turned to look at Qui Ai and asked surprised, ¡± Is this me?¡± ¡± Of course, your majesty,¡± replied Qui Ai happily as she ced the tiny brush on the table and smiled at her mistress. ¡± Didn¡¯t I do a good job in making you pretty?¡± A good job? She did a fantastic job! Liu Hui Ying has never been one to get ready or do anything like dressing herself up or something of the sort, that was why she never understood the power of makeup but now that she was looking in the mirror with her face painted ever so delicately, she could not help but nod. ¡± No wonder women are obsessed with this makeup thing, itpletely makes someone look out of this world.¡± ¡± Shall we go now?¡± asked Li Gang who was getting tired of waiting, he was looking at the Koi fish in the pond but then he heard that Liu Hui Ying was going to go out and explore the pce, that was why he was willing to go with her but it has been an hour and yet... she was still getting ready! ¡ª¨C Chapter 69 69 Used to it ¡± What are you getting annoyed for,¡± said Liu Hui Ying with an eye roll. ¡± When we were in the modern world, didn¡¯t you like women who wore the same delicate makeup as this one? Why is it that now I am wearing it, you are getting impatient??¡± ¡± I only like the result not the process!¡± countered Li Gang as he pointed to the sun and impatiently said, ¡°When you started getting ready it was twelve in the noon and now it¡¯s one past fifteen minutes! I have been waiting for you for an hour and fifteen minutes and that too just because I want to go on a walk!¡± As a ghost, it was dangerous for them to go anywhere alone without the permission of their celestial master. In case they meet with the grim reaper then they will have to go through all the processes of verification and whatnot including giving him proof that they belonged to a celestial master and had a decent job. And this happened in their world, if they were to be caught by a grim reaper from this world who knows what might happen to them, that was why neither of them wanted to go around looking at the pce without Liu Hui Ying. Not unless it was extremely dangerous, or else they would have to bring the grim reaper to Liu Hui Ying and have him meet her like a naughty kid being caught by the neighbourhood¡¯s strict old man and then brought back to their parents forints. Li Gang was sure that he couldn¡¯t live the same humiliation all over again! The day he was caught by the grim reaper because he ran away from home after fighting with Liu Hui Ying was one of the days he wished he could forget. Honestly, the way the grim reaper wasining about him to Liu Hui Ying...it was like attending the parents¡¯ teacher meeting all over again. Liu Hui Ying studied him for a while before she nodded and said, ¡± Now I understand why you are not getting a girlfriend.¡± ¡± What does this have to do with me not being able to get a girlfriend?¡± He demanded in anger while Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen shook their heads and one by one said, ¡± You are indeed a bit too much, Ah Gang.¡± ..... ¡± With that temper of yours, you deserve to stay single.¡± ¡± You...all shut up!¡± ... Li Gang was in a very bad mood even when he got out of the courtyard but then he caught sight of the maids walking into the pce and his eyes lit up. ¡± Well, Well, well would you look at this? It seems like the maids here are all little beauties.¡± ¡± Of course they are,¡± said Jia Li knowledgeably. ¡°I have seen in the pce drama that a king is allowed to have uncountable numbers of bed maids. Apart from having a queen and four royal concubines and several lower-rank concubines. Surely, the officials must have chosen these maids and sent them to the pce in hope that they will be able to get close to the Emperor.¡± She looked at the well-dressed maids and their palm-shaped faces that were dreadfully decorated with makeup and added, ¡± A few days ago after that concubine Shen was killed, there is an empty slot in the lower ranks of concubines, surely they are all trying to gain the attention of the Emperor.¡± ¡± Wow,¡± said Li Gang suddenly sounding sour as he rolled his eyes and spat in the air. ¡± This is what I call having your ten fingers in a pot of butter and your head in the vat, that man was born with such a stroke of amazing luck. These women are all looking forward to catching his attention and when I used to show attention to women, they all would turn around and run away like I was a monster! What an unfair world!¡± Jia Li simply rolled her eyes at him, she wanted to let him know that it wasn¡¯t the world that was unfair. It was his luck, not only was he born poor, even his facial features were so scary that any woman would run away after taking a look at his face. But seeing that he was getting annoyed and was mumbling curses under his breath, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Liu Hui Ying, on the other hand, was looking at the maids who immediately lowered their heads when they saw her walk by, she could see that some of them were trembling as to why, but she did not stop to ask. After all, she was pretty sure that the woman was not a cruel woman and she has never been to the pce before getting married, so most probably this had to do with the surname ¡®Liu¡¯ who lived in the pce. ¡°They really,¡± Nanny Gong too caught the maid trembling as if her mistress was walking towards them with a sword and looked at them in a disapproving manner but before she could scold the maids, Liu Hui Ying stopped her. ¡± There is no need, even if you scold them, it¡¯s not like they will learn anything.¡± Fear was something that no human was able to rein on unless they wanted to, clearly, these maids did not have enough guts to face their fears. Even if Nanny Gong was to scold these maids, they will simply apologise and then go back to hating and fearing her again. Nanny Gong pursed her lips but she obeyed her mistress¡¯s orders, as the three of them walked past the maids they heard several maids heaving breaths of relief. Immediately, Nanny Gong and Qui Ai¡¯s faces turned ck, their miss clearly has not done anything to anyone. Yet they were treating her like she was a monster! ¡± Your majesty...¡± Nanny Gong was worried that her fragile missy will be hurt, she wanted to say some good words to her missy but she was stopped by Liu Hui Ying when thetter smiled at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± She was used to such reactions when she was young, she did not know that people feared ghosts or the dead. She would often tell them what she saw and it was after a very long time did she realise that her ssmates and friends started to fear her. Back then she was alone and she had to face all sorts of bullying,pared to that...this wasn¡¯t even worth mentioning. Chapter 70 70 Face off Liu Hui Ying did not want to get into trouble but that did not mean that trouble won¡¯te looking for her. The pce did have a garden that was only exclusive to the women of the harem but the garden was exclusive to every woman in the harem! When Liu Hui Ying arrived at the garden that was covered with flowers, she had to admit that the garden was indeed beautiful. With flowers like roses and peonies fluttering in the soft breeze of the summer, it was a wonderful ce to rx. Even Jia Li and the others liked it a lot, they swooped down on the floor and then started to look around the garden asking Liu Hui Ying to spread her spiritual energy around such that they will be able to smell the flowers as well. Though Liu Hui Ying was petty when it came to spending money, she treated her ghosts rather nicely which was why the three even after having so manyints about Liu Hui Ying stayed with her for so many years. When Liu Hui Ying heard her ghost¡¯s requests she was willing to spread her spiritual energy all over the garden when she heard some noisesing from the entrance of the garden, slightly surprised she turned to look in the direction from where the noises wereing from and blinked her eyes when she saw that it was none other than Ji Yu! The childhood sweetheart of the Emperor! When Liu Hui Ying noticed Ji Yu, thetter too noticed Liu Hui Ying who was standing in the middle of the garden. This garden might have been exclusive to every other woman but other than her no one liked toe here even when she was young she woulde here with Zhai Tianyu alone. As for the other Concubines, they would spend their time in the garden that was closest to the Emperor¡¯s pce. But what they did not know was that the Emperor would sneak to this ce to have a walk with her than stay in the garden that was closest to the Emperor¡¯s courtyard. For all these years this ce has been a secret meeting spot for her and Zhai Tianyu, now that Ji Yu was seeing Liu Hui Ying in the garden that was supposed to belong to just her and Zhai Tianyu, Ji Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel ufortable. She knew that as the emperor it was Zhai Tianyu¡¯s responsibility to take on as many concubines as possible but her heart did not want to ept the fact, if anything it was twisting rather painfully upon seeing Liu Hui Ying. ..... Years after years she worked hard hoping that one day she would be able to surpass Liu Hui Ying and when she did, thetter showed her skills in another field making her look like some idiot. What did she say back then? Yes, anyone could y Guqin and dance elegantly. In just a few words Liu Hui Ying had degraded her to nothing but a girl among millions of others. Ji Yu clenched her fists, she hated Liu Hui Ying and she hated everyone in the Liu family. It was because of them that her brother was now resting in a grave six feet under the ground. And yet everyone in the Liu family was living in peace as if what happened to her brother had nothing to do with them. Her eyes flickered and then she hooked her lips in a smile as she walked towards Liu Hui Ying but before she reached closer to Liu Hui Ying, she turned around and looked at the maids called Ga Ya and Ga Yu. ¡± You two go and get me something to drink, I am thirsty.¡± ¡± Yes, your highness.¡± ¡± Yes, your highness.¡± The two maids bowed their heads as they turned around to walk out of the garden only when the two of them left did Ji Yu return her attention to Liu Hui Ying. These days she could feel that the Dowager Empress was monitoring her, she didn¡¯t know whether the two maids that were sent to her pce were bribed or not that was why she was keeping the two of them at arm¡¯s length. In the pce the lesser people you trust the better. ¡± Your majesty,¡± Ji Yu bowed to Liu Hui Ying with an impable bow before greeting her with an undertone. ¡± It seems that you have recovered rather nicely, I was getting worried that you were still sick because of what happened.¡± Liu Hui Ying never saw any drama and she had no interest in the pce¡¯s catfight either but Jia Li who has been keeping a keen eye on everytest pce drama immediately gasped and said to Liu Hui Ying, ¡± She is trying to remind you of your status!¡± When Liu Hui Ying turned to look at Jia Li in confusion thetter rolled her eyes and shot her a look that said ¡® are you an idiot?¡¯ Before she exined in a hurried manner, ¡± You don¡¯t understand what she is telling you right? She is basically telling you that you have no ce in the heart of the emperor! That you shouldn¡¯t be proud and that you are not really free of the charges that were hurled at you!¡± ¡± She said so many things in just a few sentences?¡± Liu Hui Ying was amused and bewildered by what Jia Li told her. She was sure that the concubine Ji only said a total of three to four sentences to her, howe it turned into such vicious sentences? ¡± What do you know?¡± Jia Li flipped her hair behind her shoulder and then knowledgeably looked at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± This is how the concubines and the Empress of this time used to show disdain for each other, they were considered the embodiment of grace and elegance do you think they would fight like a shrew on the streets? Of course, they would use words filled with elegance to hit each other.¡± ¡± Then what am I supposed to say to her?¡± asked Liu Hui Ying, would she be counted as a shrew just because she spoke her mind? What a hard world man. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 71 71 Only I am the viin? ¡± Just tell her that you are d that she worried for you,¡± said Jia Li after careful consideration. ¡± But make it look like you have understood the meaning of her words and nce at her in disdain like you cannot even bother yourself with the likes of her.¡± ¡± Will that be okay?¡± Grandma Lan Fen was ever the peace-loving elder, she did not want to see any catfight happening in front of her for absolutely no reason. ¡± Why not,¡± said Li Gang with a casual shrug. ¡± She was the one who hurled the bat at us first, shouldn¡¯t we retaliate? I mean if we let her go that easily, she will think that we are a bunch of pussies and I do not want to be in a gang with a bunch of scaredy cats.¡± Liu Hui Ying has always been the type of person who wouldn¡¯t bother someone in case they don¡¯t bother her but clearly the same could not be said for Concubine Ji who came waving her horns and trying to hit her. So, she smiled just like Jia Li asked her to with a hint of disdain and said, ¡± I am thankful that you were worried about me concubine Ji.¡± Ji Yu caught the disdain in Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes and her anger soared past her head even more. Why? With what right was this woman looking at her like this? She was the one who belonged to a highly corrupt and cruel family, with what confidence was she looking at her like this? ¡± Of course, I have to worry about you, your majesty,¡± seeing that her words didn¡¯t seem to incite the reaction that she intended to, Ji Yu tried again, if she was to sessfully get the Empress to hit her then Zhai Tianyu will be able to use it against the Liu family. ¡± As the royal concubine, it¡¯s my responsibility to make sure that you remain in good health.¡± ¡± What does she mean by this now?¡± questioned Liu Hui Ying as she flicked her nce at Jia Li. ¡± She is asserting dominance,¡± replied Jia Li with a wise look on her face. ¡± She is the Emperor¡¯s childhood sweetheart and the two of them have been together with each other for so long meaning that she knows more about the Emperor than you do... and she seems to be treating you as a guest. If I am not wrong then I am sure that she is using her words to undermine you by insinuating that you will be kicked out sooner orter.¡± ..... She then paused and added, ¡± I saw her stiffening when she saw you in the garden from what I can summarise from her attitude and the overly offensive behaviour... I think that this garden holds a special ce in her heart.¡± Liu Hui Ying did not have any interest in the throne or the crown that she had at the moment. Maybe to women like this one right here, this might be a grand thing but to her, her freedom was what mattered the most. ¡± I see, if you are here to tell me to leave then you should say it outright,¡± Liu Hui Ying did not want to y along with Ji Yu, anyway she was going to leave this ce sooner orter, she did not have even the slightest bit of attachment to anything here. So, Ji Yu¡¯s actions were nothing but child y to her as she nced at Ji Yu dismissively and added, ¡± I don¡¯t like people who go round and round in circles.¡± Her words were nothing less than a verbal p on Ji Yu¡¯s face, thetter¡¯s entire body stiffened but Liu Hui Ying wasn¡¯t Zhai Tianyu, she wouldn¡¯t care about Ji Yu just because thetter looked hurt or as if she was on the verge of crying. She nced at the paleplexion of Ji Yu and then walked past her, her head held high but she didn¡¯t even take ten steps away from Ji Yu when thetter turned her head and sharply said, ¡± Your majesty, sure knows how to speak ..have you forgotten how your family killed my brother?¡± Liu Hui Ying frowned in annoyance, she wasn¡¯t Liu Hui Ying of this world and she did not have any connections with the Liu family either but she was still troubled like this, she turned her feet slightly such that she was looking at Ji Yu and asked in a firm voice, ¡± Did I give the order to kill your brother? Or did I drive the sword through his heart?¡± Ji Yu¡¯s face turned pale but when she didn¡¯t reply Liu Hui Ying smiled and said, ¡± From your expression, I can see that I didn¡¯t ... then why are you questioning me with that ming expression of yours? If you have the courage why don¡¯t you go and question the one who was behind the order? Or is it that you do not have the courage to do so?¡± ¡± It was your family who did it!¡± Ji Yu did not want to hear Liu Hui Ying speak like that she did not want this woman to shirk off the me that she was supposed to carry. After all, the woman who got her brother killed was none other than this woman¡¯s sister! ¡± Hmm, do you mean to say that your family¡¯s hands are clean?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked with an amused smile as she looked at the woman in front of her, when Ji Yu did not say anything, she crossed her hands behind her back and smilingly added, ¡± It would be better for you not to forget how many lives your family have taken from the Liu family if I was to speak the truth...just the way you lost your brother, I lost my sister... do I need to say anything more?¡± ¡± Wha..what?¡± Ji Yu asked in confusion when she caught sight of Qui Ai and Nanny Gong¡¯s red eyes while Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes glimmered cruelly as she smiled at her. ¡± Oh my, it seems that your family only knows how to make mine a viin, concubine Ji. The day when your brother was supposed to meet with my sister, she was assaulted and then killed off, my father didn¡¯t even let me see my sister¡¯s body. Be d that my family was kind enough to let you have ast look at your brother¡¯s body.¡± ¡ª Can I get some support inments, powerstones and gifts? Chapter 72 72 Ask your father. ¡± What are you talking about?¡± Ji Yu thought that Liu Hui Ying was actually trying to muddle the entire thing up bying up with a weird story. She had heard from her mother that the woman with whom her brother was supposed to elope married off to another town and she was living a very happy life. There was no reason for her mother to lie to her right? ¡± Why don¡¯t you ask your father what I am talking about or maybe even the head of your family?¡± Liu Hui Ying heard Qui Ai and Nanny Gong¡¯sints, she also heard them when they were trash-talking about the Ji family, calling Ji Yu a hypocrite. It was true that the Liu family did not want their daughter to elope with the son of the Ji family, they were the ones who were behind sending the assassins after Ji Yu¡¯s brother as well but the Ji family wasn¡¯t filled with soft persimmons either. They too got wind of the fact that their son was eloping with someone from the Liu family, on the surface, it looked like the Liu family was the only one who was corrupt and cruel while the Ji family was filled with people with morals. But if the Ji family was such an honest family then it wouldn¡¯t have survived for so long against the Liu family. So, when they found out that their son was eloping with this body¡¯s big sister, they sent a bunch of assassins after that woman as well. Unlike the Liu family who only gave the orders to kill, the Ji family took it a bit far and gave the sister of this body a fairly disrespectful death. In this way, it could be said that neither of the families was innocent, it was just that the Liu family was used to being pushed into the front of the battle and they were also hesitant to reveal the fact that a daughter of their family was killed like this. That was why they never brought the matter up in the court for they didn¡¯t want to lose face, this was one of the reasons why the Ji family ordered the group of assassins to kill the sister of this woman like that for they knew that they would be able to make use of this opportunity to turn the entire Liu family into viins while escaping worried free. Seeing that Ji Yu¡¯s face was rather pale, Liu Hui Ying smiled mockingly and then added swiftly, ¡± If I may add, you should ask your father whether he finds it easy to sleep at night after dishonouring a young maiden like this and spreading such disgusting lies about a woman who died under his hands.¡± She paused and then ced her forefinger on her chin before contemptuously sneering. ¡± I believe that he might find it easy after all if he had the slightest bit of humanity left within him then he wouldn¡¯t have done something so ah, shameless and viinous.¡± Liu Hui Ying smiled at Ji Yu before blinking both her eyes in a teasing manner and turning around to leave. ¡± Don¡¯t make your family sound so pitiful, concubine Ji ... I find it rather disgusting.¡± She turned her head and looked over at Ji Yu whose face was pale and haughtily stared down at him. ¡± You might like the idea of making me sound like a viin but at least my family isn¡¯t a bunch of hypocrites.¡± ..... After that, she turned her head to face the front and then walked out of the garden leaving a stunned Ji Yu behind. ¡± Miss!¡± Xiaolin shouted for Ji Yu staggered to her feet and then almost dropped to her knees as she stared at Liu Hui Ying¡¯s vanishing back. She turned to Xiaolin and clung to her arms as she said, ¡± There is no way right, Xiaolin? There is no way for my family to do something like this right? She must be lying. She must be!¡± For years she has hated Liu Hui Ying and the Liu family but now she was being told that her hatred was without a base? How can she ept it? Xiaolin too was confused by the Queen¡¯s words, she too believed that it was a lie but the Queen was too confident for that, in the end, she thought about it and carefully answered, ¡± Missy why don¡¯t you write a letter to the master and ask him whether it is true or not? Maybe the Queen was just telling a bunch of lies to make you feel guilty.¡± ¡± Yes... I will do that, I will go and ask my father what exactly happened back then,¡± Ji Yu agreed with Xiaolin¡¯s suggestion and then let her maid help her up, she was a bit too overwhelmed, and her mind was running with a bunch of thoughts. She has to think over things carefully but with her head buzzing like this ... she rubbed her head and turned to look at Xiaolin. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the special squad training centre, my head seems to be stuffy... I will make use of the time and practise some swordsmanship.¡± Ji Yu was unlike the other girls who didn¡¯t learn the martial arts skills from hunting to using swords she knew everything and that was why she was confident that she was the one who deserved to stay next to Zhai Tianyu but now ¡ª She watched the entrance of the garden, she of course could no longer see the Queen but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but bite her lips. What if what Liu Hui Ying said was the truth? ¡± That Concubine Ji, she is really!¡± Qui Ai did not finish her sentence but anyone could see that she was rather furious. ¡°It¡¯s clearly their fault as well but they only me my missy for what happened back then, what¡¯s wrong with them? Do they have no heart!¡± ¡± If they had a heart, they would not have done something so inhuman to thete miss,¡± Nanny Gong interrupted Qui Ai¡¯s diatribe with a solemn look on her face, she nced at Liu Hui Ying who was walking in front of her and silently worried inside her head ¡ª the missy was once again reminded of that incident, was she okay? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 73 73 Killing Concubine Ji and cing the me on the Queen! Liu Hui Ying was more than okay in fact she was feeling quite refreshed now that she has smacked that annoying woman in the face. Thest time she was in the old hag¡¯s courtyard that Concubine Ji had annoyed her together with the old hag and that jerk, now that she was able to verbally smack her in the face, how can Liu Hui Ying be not happy? ¡± Nanny Gong, would you look for¨C¡± she wanted to take a break that was why she was going to ask nanny Gong to bring her to a ce where she could take a break but then suddenly the temperature around her dropped and Liu Hui Ying felt the presence of someone. Hurriedly, she whirled around to look in the direction from where the heavy yin energy wasing when she caught sight of something silvery. The being had no form it was more or less like a small orb of glowing right but Liu Hui Ying could see that the shiny glob of light was a soul as for whose ¡ª She narrowed her eyes and then bundled up her skirt in her hands, this ce might be filled with a number of souls but even if it means catching each soul and taking a look at their faces, she was willing to do so after all one of these souls belonged to that woman, and only by bringing the original soul back to this body will she be able to go back to her world! ¡± Nanny Gong, I have something to do, so you two can go back first,¡± after she finished speaking, Liu Hui Ying shot towards the shiny ball of light with all her strength it was as if the sooner she caught it the sooner she will be able to return to her world. ! Seeing Liu Hui Ying run like her life depended on it how can Nanny Gong turn around and go back to the courtyard? She was worried that her missy will be caught up in trouble if she was to so much as take her eyes off her, that was why she immediately rushed after Liu Hui Ying. Qui Ai too ran after her mistress, worried that her missy will fall and break her neck but the two of them were unlike Liu Hui Ying who was willing to bundle up her skirt in her hands and run after the ball of a shiny orb. They were too shy to do something like that and which was why the two were soon left behind by Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Your majesty! Please...huff...please wait!¡± Nanny Gong was old and her old bones couldn¡¯t take her more than half a metre away, soon she started panting as she shouted after Liu Hui Ying. But Liu Hui Ying was running after her ticket to return to her world, how can she even take a break and stop to listen to what Nanny Gong was saying? ..... Nanny Gong realised that Liu Hui Ying was not going to stop, so she could only hand the baton to Qui Ai as she panted and said, ¡± You... I will leave her majesty in your hands!¡± As she spoke Nanny Gong went to lie down in the middle of the path. This missy of hers, she was going to make her lose her life someday! Qui Ai immediately rose to the responsibility that was handed to her, she left nanny Gong behind and rushed after Liu Hui Ying, swearing that she wouldn¡¯t let Nanny Gong¡¯s sacrifice go in vain but then she too lost sight of Liu Hui Ying! She blinked her eyes and stared at the deep forest where she arrived because of chasing her missy and pursed her lips as she shouted, ¡± Your majesty, where are you?¡± At this moment Liu Hui Ying too was standing in the forest, her eyes sweeping over the ce as Li Gang and the others tried to look for the shining orb of light as well. ¡± I can¡¯t see it, in fact, I can¡¯t even sense it! This hasn¡¯t happened before,¡± Jia Li was stunned, she couldn¡¯t believe that she lost the shiny orb that could bring her back to her beloved chill and flex subscription! ¡± This is impossible! How is this even possible!¡± Li Gang who was itching closer to go back to his beloved subus was also stunned, what was this? How in the world did this happen? They have never seen any soul that could hide its presence so easily! ¡± It must be a special grade,¡± said Grandam Lan Fen with a worried expression. ¡± Only a spirit that has been roaming this ne for a long time can reach up to such a high stage of cultivation, this woman died just a few days ago there is no way that she would have reached that stage in such a small period of time. Hui Ying, you didn¡¯t sense the difference between the cultivation level of the spirit as well?¡± Liu Hui Ying did sense the difference when she was chasing the shiny orb of light but while she was chasing the orb, she felt a sense of familiarity as if she knew the soul, which was why even though she knew that the shiny orb wasn¡¯t the soul of this woman, she was willing to chase after it. ¡± I ...¡± She began but then she heard the rustling of the leaves and she paused, cing a finger on her lips she asked her ghosts to remain silent. She thought that it was the soul that escaped her grasp behind the bushes but when she carefully walked towards the direction where the sound wasing from she was disappointed to see that it wasn¡¯t a soul but two young maids. Liu Hui Ying sighed, it seems like she will have to wait for the shiny orb to show itself again. Just as she was going to tell her ghosts to leave she heard the maid say in a low voice, ¡± Are you sure that we can do this? I mean killing Concubine Ji and pinning the me on the Queen?¡± ¡ª Can you guys please support me with powerstones, gifts andments or reviews? If you like my writing then you can check my new books Hot Bloodsuckers¡¯ obsession in case you are in reverse harem and if you like action and horror please check overlord: The demon duke¡¯s daughter fell for me. Chapter 89 89 Only God can help ¡± What do you mean by that?¡± When the Empress dowager heard Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡± What are you trying to say? That little minx from the Ji family will never be able to recover?¡± ¡± That¡¯s right your majesty, after what happened to sister... I learned a little about physiology and poisons because I too hate the Ji family just as much as you do, and I can assure you that concubine Ji isn¡¯t blessed to have a child, if you don¡¯t believe me then you can ask the imperial physician.¡± Earlier when she was facing Ji Yu, Liu Hui Ying has taken a good look at the facial features of Ji Yu. Even though Ji Yu was indeed very pretty, her eyes were slightly sunken and her cheeks were hollowed instead of full, to others she was pretty and cute but in terms of the mystic arts, she was born with a physique of a sinner. Most probably she harmed a child in herst life and which was why she was destined to have no children in this life. The Empress dowager and Liu Dong Ming exchanged a look with each other before Liu Dong Ming motioned the eunuch serving under him and asked him to bring the imperial physician. Now that the Empress Dowager was calm she asked her mammy to serve some tea to Liu Hui Ying, earlier she was too agitated when she found out that they have lost such a great opportunity but now that she has lost some of her steam, she was calmer than before. By the time Mammy Shi finished preparing the tea, the eunuch serving under Liu Dong Ming returned with the imperial physician. ¡± I greet, her majesty the Empress dowager, I greet, the royal left prime minister, and I greet, her highness, the Empress,¡± the imperial physician was dressed in a pale white robe with navy blue pants. He bowed his head in front of Liu Hui Ying and the others one by one before he cupped his hands and knelt in front of the Empress Dowager. ¡± Your majesty, this humble official is here to serve you.¡± ¡± There is no need for such a big greeting, you can be at ease,¡± Empress Dowager waved her hand before she blinked her eyes slightly and Mammy Shi went to stand outside the room together with the eunuch serving Liu Dong Ming. ..... Only then did the Empress dowager turn to look at the imperial physician and asked imperiously, ¡± What is the condition of Concubine Ji¡¯s womb, can it recover in due time?¡± The imperial physician has been working in the pce for years and of course, he understood that the reason the Empress Dowager was asking this wasn¡¯t that she wanted to know about the condition of concubine Ji but instead it was because she wanted to know whether or not Ji Yu will be able to recover or not. ¡± Answering her majesty, the womb of concubine Ji was harmed severely by the poison that was fed to her on daily basis,¡± replied the imperial physician with his head lowered and his hands cupped. ¡± The poison seemed to have been given to her from morning till night, so even though it was administrative in a rtively short amount, I am afraid it¡¯s toote for concubine Ji to recover.¡± ¡± I see,¡± the empress dowager nodded as she waved her hand and excused the imperial physician who lowered his head, thanked her for her grace and walked out of the room. No sooner did he walk out of the room, he was handed a pouch of something heavy by mammy Shi who nodded at him and said, ¡± You know what you need to do Physician Zhu, do not dare to betray her majesty.¡± ¡± I wouldn¡¯t even dare to,¡± replied the imperial physician as he lowered his head and then turned around to leave. The hush money was kept securely in his pocket. .... ¡± Hahaha! This is what I call karma!¡± The Empress dowager smacked her hand on the table in front of her seat and guffawed loudly, she looked rather thrilled and amused by the confirmation. ¡± This will teach a lesson to those arrogant dogs of the Ji family, humph, they had quite fun when our family¡¯s daughter was harmed by them. .. now it¡¯s our time.¡± She turned to look at Liu Dong Ming who was now silently slurping his tea looking leisurely as she said, ¡± You know what to do, don¡¯t you Brother Dong Ming?¡± ¡± Don¡¯t worry, your majesty,¡± Liu Dong Ming replied in a soft voice, his expression calm and serene as he picked up the snow cake from his te and took a bite of it. ¡± Tomorrow morning at this time, the Ji family will rue the day when they killed our niece.¡± And as she looked at the man who was sitting calmly without the oppressive air from before, Liu Hui Ying came to the conclusion, she has to stay away from this man at all costs. .... ¡± What do you mean you cannot do anything?¡± Grand Dowager Empress shrieked in agony and frustration as she looked at the best imperial physician of the pce. ¡± You haven¡¯t even tried yet how can you say that there is nothing that you can do huh? Do something before raising your hands in surrender!¡± The imperial physician bowed his head and knocked it heavily on the floor. He knew that if he offended anyone present in this room, he will have to hand his head on a silver tter, so he was very careful in choosing his words. ¡°It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t tried, your majesty ...there is nothing to try left in Concubine Ji¡¯s womb. It has been poisoned beyond the point of saving... I am afraid that at this point only some godly miracle can save her.¡± Zhai Tianyu who has heard these same words over and over again, snatched the sword from Yu Lingyun¡¯s side and then aimed it at the neck of the imperial physician and said, ¡°Then why don¡¯t I send you the god? You can ask for godly assistance from him them if you are this incapable.¡± ¡ª Last update of this month can I get some gifts and powerstones Orz. Chapter 98 98 Looking down at her Liu Hui Ying cursed her luck, she didn¡¯t even get a chance to step out of the pce and she was already caught! But somehow she managed to keep her calm as she faced the guards and answered their question, ¡± I... I am a eunuch working in the pce of the Queen, she was missing some candied hawthorns from the shop in the market which is why she asked me to buy some for her.¡± As she spoke she took out the pce badge, that was looked like a shiny golden tablet with inscriptions written on it, Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t have to worry about anything given that Qui Ai has taken care of everything from sneaking the clothes of a eunuch out of theundry room, she even prepared an identity tablet for Liu Hui Ying. ¡± This is my identity tablet,¡± Liu Hui Ying showed the golden tablet to the guards who took a look at the name that was written on the golden te. ¡± Junior eunuch Li,¡± the guard on the left read the identity tablet and then frowned as he looked to his colleague who shrugged and said, ¡± Don¡¯t look at me, do you know how many eunuchs are there in the pce? He must be newly hired by the pce after the arrival of the Queen since he is still a eunuch in training.¡± ¡± But still,¡± said the guard on left with his brows furrowed as he looked at Liu Hui Ying and brought his hand to his chin as he pondered over something. ¡± He is the eunuch of the Queen¡¯s courtyard, should he be allowed to leave thiste in the night?¡± Everyone has heard about the Queen who just married over to the pce, it hasn¡¯t been more than three days and yet the fame of the Queen has risen so much that even the guards with the lowest rank have heard all about her. ¡°Didn¡¯t the queen kill a maid and feasted on her heart?¡± The guard on the right said suddenly with a shiver as he looked at his colleague. ¡± Xiao Li, I think we should let the little eunuch go, if the Queen finds out that we stopped him, then what will you do if she came looking for our hearts as well?¡± Xiao Li also stiffened and then swallowed hard as he said in false bravado, ¡± What are you saying? The maid was a sinner and that is why she has to hand over her heart to the Queen, I haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± ¡± Do you think the queen will think the same?¡± asked the other guard and Xiao Li stiffened even more as he turned to look at the little eunuch with a terrified look on his face. ..... Liu Hui Ying listened to the conversation between the two guards and was simply speechless. She has been here for less than two days and now she was already being rumoured as a heart-eating monster. Well they weren¡¯t wrong, she indeed went for the heart of the maid but she did not feast on it! ¡± But can we allow the eunuch of the Queen to leave the pce at such an odd hour?¡± Xiao Li asked, he was worried that he will be punished by the head guard. ¡± I mean everyone knows that the Queen is not favoured, no offence to your mistress,¡± he added quickly as he spoke to Liu Hui Ying. ¡± None taken,¡± replied Liu Hui Ying with a wide smile that nearly closed her eyes. Haha, even these guards knew that she wasn¡¯t favoured? What an interesting life she was living. That damned Emperor he really didn¡¯t want her to survive did he? Even these small fries were looking down on her! One of these days she will get hold of his tree and ... ¡± Why? Why can¡¯t my sister¡¯s eunuch leave the pce as he pleases? Now even you puny guards are looking down on my sister?¡± A masculine voice came from behind and the guards turned to look at the man who was walking towards them with a fan in his hands. His swagger was cocky and he looked rather arrogant with that tilt of his head. ¡± Prince Kang, that wasn¡¯t what we meant,¡± the two guards bowed in front of and Liu Hui Ying followed suit as she bowed in front of the man. ¡± We were just worried that we will be med after all the royal kitchen can prepare anything that the Queen wants to eat, allowing the eunuch to leave at this hour...it will be suspicious.¡± The man prince Kang raised one of his brows and smiled at the two guards as he asked, ¡± So are you saying that the Liu family is acting suspiciously?¡± ¡± No, absolutely not¨C that¡¯s not what we meant...¡± the two guards started speaking but Prince Kang wasn¡¯t willing to listen as he scoffed at the two of them. ¡± Then what did you mean?¡± he asked them imperiously. ¡± If you are questioning the eunuch of the queen then you are questioning the Queen and if you are questioning the queen, aren¡¯t you questioning the Liu family?¡± He leaned down and then snapped his fan close as he sneered at the two guards who were shivering. ¡± Should I tell my uncle that you are questioning the Queen and the Liu family? He will be very willing to see you two. ¡± ¡°No, No...we did not mean that,¡± the two guards shivered as they hurriedly gave their permission to the eunuch who belonged to the Queen¡¯s courtyard and then even sent him off respectfully. Liu Hui Ying saw how the two of them were acting and was speechless. Seriously, the power struggle has been embedded in the very vein of this country. Earlier these two men were acting so obnoxiously but no sooner the prime minister was called out they sent her off so respectfully? What unfair treatment! She was really upset but she didn¡¯t even have the chance to be upset as she looked at the man who was walking next to her with a smile on his face. Now, what should she do with him? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 106 106 Unclear emotions If Zhai Tianyu wanted he could have punished the maid but then he decided against it, he didn¡¯t want to be the tyrant that Liu Hui Ying has used him to be by killing an innocent life just because she was trying to protect her mistress. He drew in a breath and then closed his eyes before he opened them again when he was done clearing his head and calmed the blood of a ruler coursing in his veins that was asking him to send the head of this maid flying for lying to him. ¡± Get up and clean the bed,¡± he ordered, he could see that Liu Hui Ying¡¯s skin was breaking into red marks and from all the whines she was making, those red marks must be hurting her. When she told him that he was allergic to men, he never once thought that her condition was this bad but he couldn¡¯t do anything other than bring her with him, if he was to leave her in the hands of someone else then her condition might have be even worse. Qui Ai was stunned when she heard the emperor asking her to clean the bed but when she snuck a nce at the person, the Emperor was holding in his arms, she stiffened as if she has been struck by lightning¨C the Queen.....the Queen was caught by the Emperor! ¡± Your majesty, this .. the queen was just missing her mother and that¡¯s why¨C¡± ¡± You don¡¯t have to lie for her unless my dead mother-inw¡¯s soul is hovering in the brothel, which is highly unlikely given that she was a woman of great pride and elegance, I don¡¯t see why the queen was at that ce,¡± Zhai Tianyu wasn¡¯t willing to punish the queen by killing her but that didn¡¯t change the fact that she broke the rules of the imperial pce, no concubine including the Empress was allowed to go out of the pce without written permission from him. Qui Ai¡¯s face turned pale as she looked at the Emperor in shock, the queen was found in the brothel. No this wasn¡¯t going to be good all right. ¡± Tell her that she is not allowed to leave her courtyard for the time being,¡± this was the most lenient punishment that he can think of at the moment, if he was to ignore her then his brother and Yu Lingyun would think that he was being too nice to the Queen by not punishing her. A punishment was necessary. Qui Ai too thought that this punishment was still better than being taught a lesson by the Emperor, so she bowed her head and thanked Zhai Tianyu. ¡± This one thanks the emperor for his grace.¡± ..... After thanking the emperor she got to her feet and then started cleaning the bed before taking a step back and then allowing the Emperor to let Liu Hui Ying down on the bed. Zhai Tianyuy Liu Hui Ying on the bed and ignored the subtle pang in his heart that rang in his body as soon as he helped Liu Hui Ying to the bed. His gaze fell on the red marks that were spread all over her skin and then turned to Qui Ai before asking, ¡± Do you know how to treat these red marks?¡± If she didn¡¯t then he will have to call an imperial physician but at the same time, he was hesitant to call an imperial physician after all even the imperial physician in the pce were all men, if he was to call them wouldn¡¯t Liu Hui Ying¡¯s allergy re up even more? ¡± Her majesty always has such a reaction when she is in contact with a man,¡± answered Qui Ai just as Liu Hui Ying moaned in pain, seeing her in pain Qui Ai¡¯s eyes reddened and then she blinked her eyes to will the tears away. ¡± I don¡¯t know why her body reacts like this when she is close to men but this is what happened when she is touched by a man.¡± ¡± Is there no way for her to recover?¡± Zhai Tianyu frowned as he asked the little maid, for Liu Hui Ying to react like this every time she was touched by a man, wasn¡¯t it something really severe, if this goes on then how will they get along¨Cwait, Zhai Tianyu pped his cheek as soon as the thought came to his head startling Qui Ai who raised her head and then dropped at once before cautiously asking, ¡± Your majesty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Zhai Tianyu said as he turned his head away from Liu Hui Ying¡¯s extremely red face and then turned around to leave her bedroom, his cheeks getting heated up as he hurriedly said, ¡± Take care of the Queen, Zhen ...Zhen wille and see her if Zhen gets the time.¡± With that, he strode out of the room in a flurry. Qui Ai watched him leave and then tilted her head in confusion, she couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in the head of the Emperor. Why did he suddenly p himself and then leave like something was chasing him? Wasn¡¯t it the Emperor who said that a ruler never runs? She blinked her eyes before she turned to look at the Queen and anxiously eximed, ¡± Oh your majesty, what did you get yourself into?¡± As she spoke, she hurried to the bathhouse where she picked up a water vat filled with warm water and then rushed outside to clean her mistress, she knew that the allergy will not go down for a few hours but the least she could do was to hurry the process right? ... Qui Ai was worried about Liu Hui Ying and Zhai Tianyu was also worried about her but his worry waspletely different from Qui Ai¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t believe that even for a second he thought of Liu Hui Ying as his wife, how can he do something like this? She was his enemy. The daughter of the most corrupt official of his court and yet ... he was having such thoughts about her? Was he sick in his head? ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 107 107 Wenyi...the name that cannot be called. Zhai Tianyu paced in his study, he didn¡¯t understand what was happening to him but he knew one thing and that was ¡ª The Queen was affecting his decisions and before she starts taking even more control over his decisions, he has to take care of her. The two of them had done the talks and he was very much aware of the fact that she did not want to be the Queen, if so, he can dethrone her without her hating him¨C ¡± Damn it!¡± He banged his fist on the wall feeling annoyance bubbling in his chest, there it was again. Why will he care about the Queen hating him or not? He has never given a second thought to any other woman hating him other than Ji Yu, he has never put any woman in his mind, so what made the Queen any different? A part of him wanted to strangle the queen such that she will stop making his heart unstable like this, but then again he would be doing exactly what she used him of acting like a tyrant. He was not a violent person, no he wasn¡¯t...if he was then he would have killed the Liu family long ago. He was the type of man who wanted the best for everyone in his empire if not for the Liu family crossing the line, he would have never done something like scheming against them. Yet something about Liu Hui Ying brought the monster in him out and he wasn¡¯t even kidding. He exhaled a sharp breath and dropped his arms to the side, instead of punching the wall for no reason, he scrubbed his hands down his face and closed his eyes. ¡± You seem to be upset,¡± the voice of his brother snapped him out of his daze as he looked up and found his brother standing at the threshold of his study, he didn¡¯t see Yu Lingyun which was a good thing given that man never knew when to shut up and worse of all, he saw through him better than his brother did, maybe it was because the two of them were at the same age and he was well closer to him than he was with his brother. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I was just thinking about something,¡± Zhai Tianyu replied as he stiffly smiled at his brother, if he was to make a mistake here then his brother will find out about the continuous struggle that he was going through, he didn¡¯t want that to happen. ¡± And I lost control of myself for a moment.¡± ¡± Is this about the Queen?¡± asked Zhai Heng reading the expression of his brother better than anyone else. ¡± No,¡± Zhai Tianyu replied but he said it too quickly and his brother only got even more suspicious of him as he narrowed his gaze a fraction of an inch and then he was looking at him with a questionable expression. ¡± You aren¡¯t being shaken up by the Queen, are you, your majesty?¡± He asked, his tone usatory as he looked at him. ¡± If you are then you will be putting a lot of things on the line, our hard work for years and the promise that you made to Yu¡¯er ... you promised her that you will make her your empress and that she will be your only wife. You do remember it right?¡± ..... Zhai Tianyu stiffened but he nodded. ¡± I know I remember everything that I have said to Yu¡¯er.¡± ¡± Then you should keep remembering it and most importantly you should never forget what kind of danger the Queen is, you might want to keep her alive at the moment but the second she turns a danger then I hope that your promise of beheading her will still count, your majesty.¡± He was wrong, his brother saw through him as much as Yu Lingyun did. Zhai Tianyu closed his eyes and then sighed, ¡± You don¡¯t have to worry about it, brother... I know what I am doing. As soon as the Queen bes a threat to us then I will be the one taking her down.¡± ..... ¡± Gosh my head,¡± Liu Hui Ying nursed her head as she closed her eyes and then sighed in pure agony. Her body was hurting and she wasn¡¯t even surprised ording to Qui Ai, she was brought back by the Emperor given that a man touched her, Liu Hui Ying was sure that her allergy must have red up even if she had no recollection of it and with nausea that was rising in her throat due to being hungover and her allergy, Liu Hui Ying felt like she was dying. ¡± Your majesty, you are lucky that you were found out by the Emperor when his mood was good,¡± said Qui Ai as she brought the hangover soup from the kitchen and then ced it in front of Liu Hui Ying. ¡± If not then it would have been terrible, you were so drunk that you couldn¡¯t even tell me apart,¡± Qui Ai paused and then said, ¡± You seem to be calling for someone called Wenyi, who is Wenyi...your majesty?¡± Liu Hui Ying stiffened before she smiled and took the hangover soup from Qui Ai and said, ¡± No one, I must be thinking about someone I met in the brothel.¡± She could never tell Qui Ai, who was Wenyi ... if she was to tell Qui Ai about Wenyi then she was sure that her sister will definitely get crazy mad. She was surprised that her sister was in control despite her uttering that name ¡ª ¡± That¡¯s because she already caused a blood bath,¡± answered Li Gang as he stepped out of the scroll that was hanging on the wall next to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s bed and then arched his bed, when he noticed that Liu Hui Ying was looking at him in confusion, he rolled his eyes and further exined, ¡± You came smelling like death... I think that your sister lost control while you were drunk and then got tired enough not to care about that name.¡± He paused and then shuddered. ¡± If she was awake then I shudder to think what she would have done upon hearing that name.¡± ¡ª If you like this story please support it with power stones, gifts and golden tickets , it will motivate me to work hard. Chapter 113 113 asking for help Just as Liu Hui Ying was wondering whether she should go and ask her ghosts to steal from the imperial pce¡¯s treasury, she heard the sound of someone walking in as the temperature of the room dropped. Surprised, she turned her head to look at Zhai Chenguang and immediately beamed in excitement, forget it. Now it didn¡¯t matter whether or not will she be able to make money here, with this ghost returning she too will be able to return to her world. ¡± So, where is she?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked as she turned to look at Zhai Chenguang and hitched one of her brows up, surely she found out where the ghost of this woman was, this was why she came to look for her right? However, her hopes once again were set aze as Zhai Chenguang kneeled in front of her and said, ¡± Forgive me, I couldn¡¯t find her even after looking for so long, it¡¯s as if she has deliberately hidden herself away or maybe she might have just moved on to the next¨C¡± She didn¡¯t even finish when Liu Hui Ying banged her fist on the table and then snarled, ¡± So are you by any chance trying to say that I am stuck here forever? I hope you are not saying that because then I will get really mad.¡± Zhai Chenguang immediately turned silent as she carefully thought over what she was going to say, at first she wanted to tell Liu Hui Ying to stop looking for the ghost of this woman whom she was searching for but seeing how desperately she wanted to escape from this world, Zhai Chenguang pursed her lips and changed the topic, ¡± I know that I can not find the soul of this woman since she does not want to be found out, which is why I am asking you to help me in exchange of something else.¡± ¡± You have something that you can also exchange?¡± Liu Hui Ying looked at Zhai Chenguang as far as she knew a ghost should not have anything that they could hand out to anyone else after all a person who died would have his or her property shared between their loved ones, for Zhai Chenguang to still have something that she can exchange was really a surprise for her. ¡± I do,¡± Zhai Chenguang nodded as she carefully thought over what she wanted to say and then closed her eyes and continued speaking, ¡± Before I died, my mother, she gifted me a mine ...its a gold mine, something that should never fall in the hands of the Liu family which was why I was hesitating to hand over to you or not. But now that I think about it, you wouldn¡¯t hand that mine to the Liu family either which is why I am willing to have you take over it with the papers and everything attached to it as long as you help me out.¡± She opened her webbed eyes and then looked at Liu Hui Ying before continuing, ¡± The gold mine is not something useless either, as long as you are willing, you will be able to make good use of it as well.¡± Liu Hui Ying didn¡¯t say anything instead she carefully pondered over what Zhai Chenguang was saying, seeing her think so carefully like that, Zhai Chenguang thought that she was still hesitating, so she hurriedly said, ¡± Don¡¯t look down on the value of gold as long as you know how to make use of it you will be able to get a lot of money and more importantly the mountain where the mine is located is also full of lush herbs and a bunch of things that can be useful for alchemy if you want then you can use them as well.¡± ..... Only then Liu Hui Ying raised her head and looked at Zhai Chenguang before straightening her spine and saying, ¡± And you are going to hand that to me as long as I help you without any attachments?¡± At her question, Zhai Chenguang smiled mockingly as she answered, ¡± Of course, I have been in this world for so long even if I am angry that I have to part with the gift that my mother handed over to me, I have long reached the understanding where I know that it is of no importance to me even if I cling onto it, it wouldn¡¯t be like I will be able to use it. It is useless to me, so clinging onto it would be pointless.¡± Liu Hui Ying noticed the sincerity in Zhai Chenguang¡¯s voice and knew that she was speaking the truth, she closed her eyes and then sighed heavily. ¡± Very well, if this is what you want then I will help you but...¡± Just as Zhai Chenguang was going to smile in delight, she heard Liu Hui Ying¡¯s but and then immediately paused as she looked at Liu Hui Ying with a wary and confused expression. ¡± But?¡± She handed everything that she could to Liu Hui Ying but thetter was still refusing why? ¡± Don¡¯t mistake it for my refusal,¡± seeing the helpless expression on the face of Zhai Chenguang, Liu Hui Ying raised her hand and added in a hurry. ¡± I am not refusing nor am I saying that I will not help you but the thing is that you need to understand that even if I want to help you, I am bounded by thew of the celestial masters. If I want to disrupt the course of your existence then I will need a channel and that channel can only be a human, you understand that right?¡± From the bewildered look on Zhai Chenguang¡¯s expression, it was clear that she did not understand what she was saying so for the sake of her convenience, Liu Hui Ying immediately made it simple for her. ¡°It¡¯s like this if a ghost is to be exorcised then it will have to make disruption in the world of the humans only then a celestial master will harm it, simrly if a ghost wants the help of a human celestial master then it will have to ask it through the medium of a human that is to say someone has toe and ask for help instead of you .¡± Chapter 114 114 Revenge on the grand empress dowager. ¡± I ... I don¡¯t think I understand what you are saying,¡± Zhai Chenguang tried to understand what Liu Hui Ying told her but even after pondering for so long she didn¡¯t seem to understand what Liu Hui Ying was telling her, she was dead already how will someone find out that her soul was at unrest? Except for Liu Hui Ying, no one could see her, then who wille asking for help in ce of her? She looked at Liu Hui Ying who was looking back at her and then licked her lips, she didn¡¯t feel the wetness like she used to when she was alive.. sensing theck of feeling Zhai Chenguang paused and then retracted her tongue back in her mouth before awkwardly saying, ¡± I am already dead if you don¡¯t help me when I request you then who will?¡± ¡± I am not saying that I will not help you,¡± Liu Hui Ying patiently replied, it was surprising for both Jia Li and Li Gang to see Liu Hui Ying acting so calmly towards a ghost who came to bother her asking for help. Usually, she would treat them like a bully who was asking for lunch money, why was she suddenly treating Zhai Chenguang so nicely all of a sudden? Li Gang turned to look at Jia Li and then said to her, ¡± Is she treating her this well because that woman handed her a mine of gold?¡± ¡± I don¡¯t know,¡± Jia Li whispered back while she kept her gaze on Liu Hui Ying and Zhai Chenguang. ¡± I have seen her treating many clients who offered her million like trash, why she is treating this woman so well, I have no idea at all.¡± When they were in their world, Liu Hui Ying has never acted so sweetly to any of her clients not unless they gave her a lot of money or when ¡ª ¡± She is nning something,¡± said Jia Li finallying to a realisation. ¡± She is definitely nning something,¡± Li Gang conceded agreeing with Jia Li, the two of them knew Liu Hui Ying too well, thus they understood what was going on in her head at once after careful consideration. ¡°Poor child,¡±mented Grandma Lan Fen as she floated past the opposite and came to stand between Li Gang and Jia Li. ¡± She has no idea what ising for her.¡± ..... Zhai Chenguang really did not have any idea what was going on in the head of Liu Hui Ying, she blinked her webbed eyes at Liu Hui Ying and waited for her to speak. Liu Hui Ying noticed that Zhai Chenguang was waiting for her exnation and she hurriedly suppressed the smug smile that was itching toe up on her face. ¡°It¡¯s really simple, the world of living and dead has always been divided into two parts. The one who lives on this surface cannot interfere with the ones who live in the underworld and those who are in the underworld cannot interfere with the ones who live in the world of the living, that¡¯s how the world works right?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked with a smile and Zhai Chenguang who was finally understanding what she was saying nodded. ¡± But..¡± Liu Hui Ying drawled as she raised her hand and then pointed at Zhai Chenguang and continued, ¡± Existence like you are exceptions, you neither belong to the underworld nor the world of the living and for every exception, there are exceptions like me, whom we all call celestial masters but we are still living and dead aren¡¯t we? As someone dead you do not have the right to make a living do anything for you and as a living, without offering anything in return I cannot make you do something, so if you want me to help you then you will have to get a living to request me that they want me to help you, only then can I help you out, do you understand that?¡± ¡± Then ... Then I have to get someone to help me from this world? But how? I can¡¯t even talk to anyone!¡± Zhai Chenguang asked, if she could do something like talking to the living then she would have done that already! ¡± That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know how to do it,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied as she exined to Zhai Chenguang how she could talk to a living, the more she exined the more Zhai Chenguang¡¯s eyes widened, she listened to everything that Liu Hui Ying and said, ¡± That will terrify them!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all part of the process,¡± Liu Hui Ying shrugged casually. ¡± If you do not wish to do this then you don¡¯t have to, you can look for someone else.¡± Zhai Chenguang bit her lips, she has been waiting for someone to help her for so long, now where will she go and look for someone else? ¡± Then, will it be fine if I go and look for my husband?¡± ¡± Can you?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked in return and Zhai Chenguang turned silent because she was more attached to her mother and the ce where she grew up, so when she died her soul ended up drifting to the imperial pce and she ended up getting tied to this ce, she could of course go and haunt her husband but the thing was that her husband was a schr who hardly stayed in the same ce for long, she didn¡¯t even know when he will return to the Empire and even if he was to return will she have enough time to wait for him? With all the lectures he took and gave, it would be impossible for her to keep waiting for him. ¡± Then will it be fine if I go and haunt Tianyu?¡±pared to her mother, Zhai Tianyu was young, he will be able to withstand the shock right? ¡± If you ask him then you might as well wait on the waiting list,¡± Liu Hui Ying rolled her eyes while smiling at Zhai Chenguang. ¡± You already know that I hate men, if you bring that man here then you might as well note here.¡± And if Zhai Chenguang was to go and call that jerk then how will she take her revenge? ¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 118 118 who do you think did this? ¡± What is the meaning of this?¡± Zhai Tianyu asked as he looked at the mirror that was painted red, he could, of course, read the words written on it but the meaning was simply unclear to him and more importantly, the red, dripping words looked rather scary, was it a prank or something else? ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why someone would do something like this?¡± Ji Yumented from the side while she was helping Xiao Mimi cover the grand dowager Empress, she was dressed in a night robe with a pale violet flower embroidered at the border of the robe looking gentle as ever but there was a frown ying on her face as her eyebrows were furrowed while she looked at the mirror with a distressed look on her face. ¡± This could have killed aunt, she might be a woman of strong calibre and she has been getting better these days but it does not change the fact that she is an elderly woman for someone to do something so scary in the middle of the night, I am not surprised by the fact that aunt fainted like this.¡± Zhai Heng was frowning as well, he too didn¡¯t understand why someone would sneak into the courtyard of the queen only to leave this cryptic message behind instead of properly assassinating the grand dowager Empress, truly he was relieved that his grandmother was safe and sound but at the same time he could not understand why would someone do anything like this? Like they snuck so deep into the security of the grand dowager Empress¡¯s pce only to leave this message? For what and why? They all heard the sound of the door opening behind them as someone slid it to the side and entered, the three of them turned to look at Yu Lingyun who was walking inside the sleeping chambers of the grand dowager Empress with a solemn frown on his forehead before he saluted Zhai Tianyu with a deep ny-degree bow. ¡± You may rise, ¡± Zhai Tianyu has always found this ufortable, if not for his mother¡¯s insistence that he became the king then he would have been standing in the position of his brother and looking up at him but because of the Dowager Empress¡¯s constant insistence, he was made the king and ever since then he was watching his brother and his best friend bow down to him like this. ¡± Did you find anything?¡± Zhai Tianyu further asked when he saw that Yu Lingyun has straightened up. ¡± I didn¡¯t,¡± Yu Lingyun replied with a frown as he continued to look around the room, only after looking around the entire room did he turn his attention to look at Zhai Tianyu and shook his head. ¡± I have assigned the best shadow guards for the grand dowager Empress, it¡¯s impossible for someone to sneak in without them finding out, ording to them¨C they have been guarding the grand dowager empress with all their hearts, they have not seen anyone entering the room nor have they seen anyone leave, if they heard the smallest sound they would have been alerted but they only heard the sound of the grand dowager Empress¡¯s scream and nothing else.¡± The shadow Guards that were assigned to the grand dowager empress and Ji Yu were no novices, they have been to war and back and they knew what and how they needed to do... they were fully aware of their responsibilities and if anyone was to say that they didn¡¯t then the shadow guards were such thick skulled soldiers that they would hand over their heads at once. Zhai Tianyu knew that the shadow guards were not the ones who made the mistake of not paying proper attention either the one who snuck inside the pce was too good of an assassin or they were not human at all¨C instantly he felt something click in his head and his hold on the mirror tightened, he knew that the queen was not a bad person but she was not a good person either. ..... She was the type of woman who will retaliate at the smallest grievance as she was petty and unforgiving, what if she did something and caused his grandmother to faint like this? There was only one way to find out about this. He turned to look at Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun before he raised the mirror in his hand and then told them, ¡± I will go and see what I can do, I am sure that I will be able to get a small piece of evidence through this...you two look here and I will go and see somewhere else.¡± The way he spoke was confident and from the taut expression on his face, one could see that he already had a very good idea about who was the one behind this, Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun nodded after exchanging a look with each other. ¡± Very well, we will wait for you in the study room after we are done investigating, will that be okay?¡± Zhai Heng asked and received a nod from his brother who was heading towards the door of the sleeping chambers with the polished te mirror in his hands. Ji Yu watched her husband leave and then frowned as she turned her head to look at Zhai Heng and asked, ¡± Where is his majesty going? Surely, he is not going to look for the culprit himself right?¡± By now both Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun seemed to have understood why and where Zhai Tianyu was going, after all in this imperial pce only one woman was capable of assaulting the grand dowager empress by sending an invisible assassin and that was the Queen. Surely, Zhai Tianyu was rushing off to see her and ask what she was trying to do by scaring the grand dowager empress. ¡± You don¡¯t need to worry, Concubine Ji,¡± replied Zhai Heng with a polite smile on his face, as the two of them have been together ever since they were children, Zhai Heng has always treated Ji Yu quite nicely. ¡± I am sure his majesty has something in his mind or else he wouldn¡¯t have rushed out in a hurry.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 122 122 it¡¯s not me Liu Hui Ying looked at the man with a nk look on her face but then she burst outughing, when she was scheming against the grand dowager empress not once did she think about this man, the only reason she nned this entire thing was that the grand dowager empress made trouble for her earlier on, not once did she think of Zhai Tianyu and more importantly, she did this because this was the only way to help Zhai Chenguang. The deceased could never ask a human to help them because if they do that then it will certainly disrupt the flow of the world every time the deceased needed help from the celestial master they will either have to disrupt the flow of the world themselves or haunt their loved ones until they asked for help in their stead until then the celestial masters could not do anything for them. Even if they wanted to, even when they could see what was going on they have to turn a blind eye to everything because that was how the world was Liu Hui Ying has seen what happened when a celestial master tried to interfere in a matter that wasn¡¯t brought to them by a human and the consequences of going against the heavens were something she would rather not take again. ¡± You are overestimating your worth in my life,¡± Liu Hui Ying sighed as she walked towards the other side of the room and sat down on the bed after kicking off her night robe to the side and then crossing her legs, her actions caused her calves that shone like jade to show and Zhai Tianyu who has never seen a woman¡¯s body before immediately turned his head to the side upon seeing the skin that was revealed in front of him. Liu Hui Ying who was used to wearing two-piece bikinis when she was in the modern world did not understand the actions of the man in front of her, instead, she continued speaking, ¡± I did not do this because I wanted to take revenge on your grandmother¨C¡± when Zhai Tianyu heard her he turned to look at her in disbelief despite his desire to not look at Liu Hui Ying exposed calves. ¡°Are you speaking this with your consciousness clean, my queen?¡± He asked as he looked at Liu Hui Ying with a stunned look on his face, as far as he knew he was very much aware of how petty Liu Hui Ying could be, this woman wouldn¡¯t let go of the smallest grievance for her to leave the matter alone of her getting humiliated back then was something that was simply impossible. Under Zhai Tianyu¡¯s questioning gaze, Liu Hui Ying did feel a little guilty but then that small guilt was washed away when she remembered how this man killed this woman whose body she was upying, she cleared her throat and then raised her hand as she pointed at Zhai Tianyu and said, ¡± Look, I have no qualms with you as long as you stay away from me I don¡¯t care what you do, even if I do have one with you, I am not cowardly enough to attack someone else in your stead.¡± ¡± Then how do you exin this?¡± He asked as he lifted the mirror he was holding onto such that Liu Hui Ying could see the gruesome words that were written on it with a red blood-like thing. ¡± If you did not send one of your ghosts to scare my grandmother, who else can do something like this? I mean do you see any sense in scaring someone like this and then leaving without assassinating them?¡± Liu Hui Ying looked at the words, earlier she only nced at them so she did not see what was written on them but now that she was seeing it much more carefully, she could see that Zhai Chenguang have gone straight for the hit by smashing the hammer straight on the head of the nail. ..... Her lips curled but she didn¡¯t tell what was written on the bronze te to Zhai Chenguang instead she raised her brow and said, ¡± So you do admit that if I wanted to kill you, then I could have done that cleanly right?¡± Zhai Tianyu paused as he looked at her with a helpless expression on his face before he closed his eyes and said, ¡± Are you trying to show off your powers to me? Is there a need to say such things I can see that you are indeed strong enough to take my family down if you want to...¡± he paused and then added swiftly, ¡± I have no intention of killing you at the moment¨C¡± ¡± It will be better if you don¡¯t even think about it or else I will make your entire family suffer,¡± before Zhai Tianyu could finish speaking Liu Hui Ying interrupted him causing him to suffer in silence, this woman! She really did not let anyone have the top hand over her in any situation, does she? ¡± Yes, like you said I fully understand that there is nothing that I can do against you, so would you mind stop giving my family trouble like this?¡± He deadpanned while pointing at the mirror that had the red words written on it. Zhai Tianyu did not know what to do with Liu Hui Ying, she wasn¡¯t someone whom he could deal with easily which was why he was willing to turn a blind eye to her actions, anyway the woman said that she will leave this ce sooner orter there was no need for him to make any move against her. Though he felt slightly upset about her leaving but then he thought about how she was in between his goal and the decline of the Liu family, and he was willing to suppress that feeling in his heart. ¡± That¡¯s where you are wrong, I am not the one who is giving your family any trouble,¡± Liu Hui Ying leaned back on her bed as she looked at Zhai Tianyu with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s your aunt who is giving the trouble to your mother.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 128 128 she refused to tell me ¡± So what did she say?¡± Zhai Heng asked as soon as Zhai Tianyu walked inside the study room of his pce, his expression looked rather sombre but he also looked a bit flustered as he strode towards his study table. His pace was hurried and there was a hint of red at the back of his neck but because Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun were looking at his back, they did not notice the redness on the back of Zhai Tianyu¡¯s neck. Zhai Tianyu was indeed really flustered, he has never been teased by a woman before but today Liu Hui Ying treated him like a little boy and asked him to stay put, a part of him wanted to retort but then he was stopped by his aunt and the three ghosts who told him silently that it was better for him to silently ept what she was telling him to do. Even though Zhai Tianyu did not want to listen to her, he had to agree with her suggestion that she has given. Once he agreed, Liu Hui Ying simply asked him to leave her alone and he was more or less pushed out of her sleeping room by the three ghosts who told him that it waste in the night and that he should be sleeping in his chambers. Though the words they told him sounded nice even an idiot could see that they were kicking him out! He, the husband and the Emperor of this entire country was kicked out by his wife whom he legally married and brought to his pce! He couldn¡¯t even tell someone about this, if he was to tell them, he will surely be a joke! And more importantly, what was even worse was that she called him a good boy...what was he? A small kid who needed her coaxing him? How dare she treat him so lightly! Zhai Tianyu was furious, no he was enraged! ¡± Tianyu, calm down,¡± Zhai Chenguang who finally found someone with whom she could talk with has followed after her nephew, she wished she could talk with Liu Hui Ying who was looking for the culprit behind her murder but then she looked at Liu Hui Ying who was like one of the scariest and difficult people to talk with and decided to chase after her nephew,pared to Liu Hui Ying, her nephew was less scary. Zhai Tianyu at first paused, he was still not used to seeing his dead aunt in front of his eyes like this, so when he heard her speak, he was a bit startled but then he closed his eyes and then nodded at his aunt who was standing in front of him. ¡± I am calm, I am very ...¡± he banged his hand on the table when he remembered how Liu Hui Ying called him a little boy and then repeated what he was saying earlier, ¡± I am really very calm.¡± Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun frowned as they looked at Zhai Tianyu who was turning red like a tomato with anger and then walked over to his side before they walked over to the study table where Zhai Tianyu was sitting and took a seat in front of him. ..... Yu Lingyun who did not know that Zhai Chenguang was standing next to him sat down on the chair on the left and ignored the chill that was rising in his heart as he looked at the tantrum-throwing Zhai Tianyu and asked, ¡± So what did the queen say to you this time?¡± ¡± How do you know that the queen said something to me? Were you spying on me?¡± Zhai Tianyu asked with a sharp glint as he looked at Yu Lingyun, thinking whether he should just rip the tongue of this friend out of his mouth because he couldn¡¯t allow him to spread the word that he was called a ¡®good boy¡¯ by his wife in the pce. Though Yu Lingyun did not know why Zhai Tianyu was acting in such a manner, he was rather smart and his luck has always been on his side most of the time which was why he was able to sense the iing danger that was heading his way. He blinked his eyes and nervously swallowed before he looked at Zhai Tianyu and answered, ¡± Because you only get this angry when the queen says something rude to you, your majesty.¡± He studied Zhai Tianyu who was studying him right back like a hawk eyeing its prey, Yu Lingyun was worried that if he said something wrong just now then it will be his head and Zhai Tianyu¡¯s sword. But then Zhai Tianyu looked away from him and he heaved a sigh of relief, looks like he managed to escape the cmity this time. ¡± She did not say much to me,¡± Zhai Tianyu absolutely refused to let anyone know that he was called a good boy, which was he deliberately ignored the part and told Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun everything that the Queen has told him, at first Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun were surprised, a part of them did not want to believe what Liu Hui Ying had told them but then they remembered her powers and immediately all their objections were silenced. Zhai Heng¡¯s expression was rather sombre, he looked at his younger brother and then asked with a stern voice, ¡± This ...does the Queen also knows who was the one behind the assassin? If so shouldn¡¯t you have asked her who it was?¡± He was furious upon finding out that his aunt with whom he has yed when he was a child was killed by someone, if it was left to him he would have gone to look for the person who was behind this on his own. ¡± The Queen told me that she does have a lead of who was behind,¡± replied Zhai Tianyu snapping out of his anger when he heard his brother asking him the question. His eyes glinted with a sharp gleam as he clenched his fingers on the dagger that was sitting inches away from his hand. ¡± But she refused to tell me anything.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 135 135 please leave ¡± You are mistaking my intentions, your majesty,¡± Zhai Heng indeed came to ask about the lead but he did not have the intention of stealing anything from the queen at all. ¡± I am just thinking about how the woman of the harem will take a look at the case. Isn¡¯t it nice to have someone to help you instead?¡± Liu Hui Ying smiled until her eyes crinkled as she cooed, ¡± Aww you are so cute.¡± Then the lips that were curled in a smile dropped and she looked at him with annoyance. ¡± Do you think, I who have been thinking of a way to stay away from men will take help from one?¡± ¡± Your majesty, I understand that you don¡¯t have any good feelings for men but you have to understand that with you being the queen, there is no way you can step outside of the Harem,¡± Zhai Heng reminded her, it was not his intention to look down at Liu Hui Ying but he was speaking the truth. Liu Hui Ying with the title of Queen will never be able to take a step out of the Harem, for her to investigate the case would be impossible. Liu Hui Ying stared at Zhai Heng for a good two minutes before she burst outughing, her tinklingugh made Zhai Heng¡¯s heart jump. Jump? Zhai Heng¡¯s eyes widened as he raised his hand and then ced his hand on the spot where his heart was thumping and then looked at the woman in front of him. Surely, his heart was only beating because he has never seen any womanugh like that right? That¡¯s right he must have been startled by her loudugh and nothing more. ¡± You don¡¯t need to worry about that,¡± Liu Hui Ying smiled at the man in front of her and Zhai Heng whose heart was already beating loud enough to startle him started to thump even harder than it was before, why? He thought in his head as he looked at Liu Hui Ying who was smiling at him. This smile ... wasn¡¯t as pretty as Ji Yu¡¯s so why was he feeling like all the blood in his body was rushing to his cheeks? Liu Hui Ying who did not understand emotions like love and crush did not understand anything when she saw Zhai Heng¡¯s cheeks turning red or when his eye pupils trembled when she smiled at him, she continued speaking as she was before, ¡± There will be someoneing to call me soon enough.¡± And behind her Jia Li who was looking at the happenings in front of her snickered as she looked at Li Gang and curled her lips. ¡± I can see that things are going to be really interesting in the future.¡± ..... ¡± Just look at that,¡± Li Gang bitterly spoke while looking at Zhai Heng and Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Those who are in no need of love or anything, they are getting it in a bulk offer and here I am waiting for a ghost woman to fall for me and yet none have fallen for me. This is the ssic example of even God being biased!¡± ¡± Don¡¯t be like that my dear,¡± Grandma Lan Fen patted Li Gang on the shoulders and then tried to ease his gloomy expression. ¡± You will get someone as well, after all even if she is getting a lot of options. It¡¯s not like she is going to appreciate them, right? Don¡¯t worry you will get the best out of best soon enough.¡± Li Gang nodded but he was still staring angrily at Liu Hui Ying, feeling like he was going to die of anger once again. .... He was not the only one who was feeling like that Grand Dowager Empress who has woken up an hour ago and was in no better condition. Last night was her worst night, someone sneaked into her courtyard and then they even scared her until she fainted like a coward, she was certain that once the Dowager Empress finds about it she will surely make fun of her! ¡± Did Tianyu find out who was the one who snuck inside our courtyard?¡± She asked Ji Yu who was massaging her legs while sitting on the side of the bed. When Ji Yu heard the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s question, her hands that were massaging her grand aunt¡¯s legs paused and then she shook her head as she replied, ¡± Whoever was behind it was really careful, not even the shadow guards caught them. This concubine does not think that his majesty will catch someone so soon.¡± Grand Dowager Empress was even more upset when she heard this, she was angry enough to hit someone but then she saw that her niece was sitting at the end of her bed and somehow managed to calm her heart but she still snarled angrily, ¡± We swear that once we get our hands on the one who was behind this then we will definitely make them suffer, how dare they attack us!¡± ¡± Please be calm, grandmother,¡± Zhai Tianyu who have just arrived heard his grandmother¡¯s words and was not surprised when he saw that his aunt hid behind him. Even though his grandmother could not see his aunt, her words were vicious enough to startle anyone. With the bronze te in his hands, he walked over to his grandmother¡¯s bed and then bowed his body in greeting before speaking to her, ¡± You do not need to be worried, I have a clue in hand as to who is behind this.¡± Grand Dowager Empress immediately straightened up in her bed and then looked at her grandson with shining eyes and asked in a hurried voice,¡± Who? Who is the one behind this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Zhai Tianyu began speaking but then his gaze fell on Ji Yu and he paused, he carefully thought about what will happen if he was to let Ji Yu on this small secret and then decided that it was better to send her out of the room. This way he will be able to keep Ji Yu safe in case something was to happen in the future after all the Queen¡¯s powers were something that defied the heavens. ¡± Yu¡¯er would you please the room?¡± ¡ª If you all help me reach the top three ranking of the win-win then I will release two extra chapters in the next month! Remember the offer is for this week only! Chapter 136 136 a joke? Ji Yu who was massaging Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s legs paused as she looked up at Zhai Tianyu, her eyes widening in shock. Never before even when he was nning something, Zhai Tianyu has never sent her away, so why was he sending her away now? She was stunned by his request but seeing that he meant what he said, Ji Yu, bit her lip and then rose from her seat. Since he has asked her to leave then she will leave after all as a good wife, this was her duty...she needed to listen to what her husband tells her to do. ¡± Why are you sending her away?¡± Even though Ji Yu was willing to understand Zhai Tianyu, Grand dowager Empress who have heard that these days Zhai Tianyu was getting closer to the Empress from the Liu family was not willing to understand. Why was it that he was asking her grandniece to leave? She was the one who has been with him ever since he was a child. If he could not trust her then who else can he trust? ¡± She is my grandniece first before she is your wife, if I want her to stay then she can stay, who are you to send her away?¡± Grand Dowager Empress asked with a sullen voice, she did not like the idea of her grand-niece being treated as such. This was how that little minx of the Liu family was supposed to be treated, while her grand-niece was supposed to be treated like the Emperor¡¯s beloved. Zhai Tianyu also knew that his request was a bit harsh but this was rted to the secret of someone else. This was not his secret to be given away, if it was then he would have definitely not hidden it from Ji Yu and would have told her everything but this secret belonged to Liu Hui Ying. The reason he can divulge it to his grandmother was that he already asked Liu Hui Ying about it and she was fine with it but the same cannot be said for Ji Yu. The two of them had some friction earlier and even if Liu Hui Ying saved Ji Yu, it would be impossible for them to let go of the hatred that they had for each other. ¡± I know if you want her to stay then she can of course stay behind but then I will not be able to say what I want to say, grandmother,¡± Zhai Tianyu was stubborn as well when he saw that his grandmother was not willing to listen to him, he went ahead and stated his stance as well. Seeing that he was adamant Grand Dowager Empress was on the verge of exploding but then she was interrupted by Ji Yu who was feeling a bit embarrassed as well. If the Emperor did not want her to stay then there was no need for her to stay either right? ..... ¡°It¡¯s all right, grand aunt,¡± Ji Yu stated firmly as she bowed her back and then asked her grand aunt to calm down. ¡± If his majesty wants this concubine to leave then this concubine will leave, please do not get upset for me.¡± As she finished speaking, she turned to leave and not once did she look at Zhai Tianyu. Ji Yu knew that she should not act wilful like this now that she was Zhai Tianyu¡¯s concubine but her heart which was feeling uneasy was too angry to even listen to what her mind was telling her. Once she left the room, Grand Dowager Empress picked up the jade pillow on her bed and threw it at Zhai Tianyu who caught it carefully in his hands and then snapped at him with eyes red up in anger, ¡± Look at what you did, you angered Yu¡¯er! What are you going to do now? Don¡¯t tell me that you are falling for that woman. I am telling you that I will not ept her no matter what!¡± Zhai Tianyu was speechless when he heard his grandmother scold him. He just asked Ji Yu to leave the room, it was not as if he asked her to leave the pce! Why were they acting like he said something wrong? And he did this for his grandmother and no one else! ¡± You are misunderstanding my intentions, grandmother,¡± Zhai Tianyu felt wronged but he still maintained his dignity as the Emperor and then ced the jade pillow back on the bed of the grand dowager Empress as he walked closer to the bed and then straightened up while looking at his angry grandmother. ¡± I did not send Yu¡¯er out of the room because I want to hide anything from her, I did that because I am worried that she will get scared after hearing what I am going to tell you and nothing more.¡± When the grand dowager empress heard what Zhai Tianyu said her expression turned solemn as she said, ¡± Is there something serious happening behind the scenes? Was this done by the Liu family? I know that mother of yours is waiting to see me die.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to do with the Liu family,¡± Zhai Tianyu said as he ced the bronze mirror on the edge of the bed of the grand dowager empress¡¯s and then went to look for another mirror, and he found it in the small cab. It was smaller than the mirror on the bed but he knew that it was big enough for the job that he wanted it for and then returned to his original spot. He stood in front of the bronze mirror that was on the edge of the bed before turning to look at his grandmother who was looking at him in confusion. ¡± Please take a look at what is written on the mirror, grandmother. You will understand what is happening.¡± Grand Dowager Empress was bewildered by the actions of her grandson but she still turned to the mirror that Zhai Tianyu was holding and read everything one by one, as she finished reading what was written on the mirror, she immediately sat up straight and shouted, ¡± What kind of joke is this, Tianyu!¡± ¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 137 137 If that is what she wants ¡± This is not a joke, grandmother.¡± Zhai Tianyu knew that his grandmother was feeling confused but he needed his grandmother to believe what he was going to tell her. Liu Hui Ying has only given him one chance to make his grandmother believe the existence of his aunt if not then she will continue it the way she nned. That was to scare his grandmother until she agreed that there was something haunting her. Zhai Tianyu knew that his grandmother was a woman whose heart was sturdier than most men but that does not mean that he can let Liu Hui Ying scare his grandmother every night. There was a chance that it might backfire. Even though Liu Hui Ying assured him that nothing will happen to his grandmother, he knew that the woman was scary enough when she was angry and with his grandmother on her list, that woman surely will make his grandmother suffer a good deal. ¡± I am telling you the truth,¡± Zhai Tianyu looked at his grandmother solemnly as he stared at her while silently trying tomunicate to her that he waspletely serious. ¡± Aunt is here with us, when she was going to see uncle-inw, she was killed by someone and she has been roaming on the surface of this world because of her grudge.¡± When he finished speaking the small hairpin that was sitting on the cab dropped from the top of the bedside cab startling the grand dowager empress so much that she turned to look at the bedside cab and then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who nodded and confirmed her suspicions. ¡± That was aunt.¡± ¡± Tianyu, how ...what is going on?¡± Grand Dowager Empress was shocked by what Zhai Tianyu was saying to her but what he told her was just the tip of the iceberg. As Zhai Tianyu started speaking and told her everything including Liu Hui Ying¡¯s powers, Grand Dowager Empress was so shocked that she forgot to close her mouth. For a long time, she didn¡¯t know what to say as she looked at her grandson and finally asked in a low voice, ¡± Are you sure that what you are saying is the truth, what if the Liu family is using her to hoodwink you?¡± ¡± I thought the same too but then...¡± he paused as he turned to look at his aunt who nodded when she saw her nephew giving her the sign that she has been waiting for her and then went ahead to the side of the room where she started picking up the things and then threw them in the air before she started using the skills that she has learned in this world when she was alive. These skills were something that Grand Dowager Empress has seen many times, so when she saw the way the things were being juggled, she immediately recognised the technique and her eyes turned red as she looked at the corner where the things that were hovering in the air dropped one by one. ..... ¡± Chenguang¡¯er...??¡± There was no response but Grand Dowager Empress did feel some sort of cold wind blow past her and she choked on her sobs. Her old eyes glistened as she closed her eyes and then covered her face as her shoulders started to tremble. No mother would be this useless as she was, she lost her children one after another and yet she did not give justice to anyone of them. How can she even show her face in front of her husband? He will definitely me her for being foolish and trusting people whom she should have never trusted. ¡± Mother,¡± Zhai Chenguang¡¯s eyes also turned teary but she did not get closer to her mother. She has already scared her mother enoughst night and the elderly woman was yet to recover her strength if she was to touch her then she will only harm her mother even more. She could only watch her mother helplessly cry as she turned to look at her nephew who was at loss as well but when she turned to look at him, he still nodded and then walked closer to the Grand Dowager Empress and hugged her such that she was crying against him. No one knew how long Grand Dowager Empress cried but when she pulled back, her eyes were determined as she looked at Zhai Tianyu and said, ¡± Did you say that the girl from the Liu family can give justice to Chenguang?¡± ¡± That¡¯s exactly what she said,¡± Zhai Tianyu knew that the queen wouldn¡¯t have acted so confidently in front of him if she was not sure that she will be able to catch the culprit behind the killing of his aunt. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Grand Dowager Empress did not care about her face at the moment, the only thing that she cared about was finding out who was the one who killed her daughter. She wanted to see who it was, who dared to hurt her daughter and was able to get away from the punishment for so long. Her daughter whom she has treated like the most vulnerable flower and raised her even more carefully than she took care of her most fine and delicate porcin doll was killed so ruthlessly by someone, how can she not be furious? She was really furious! And there was no way she was going to let go of the matter so easily now that she knew her daughter was killed! ¡± Are you sure grandmother?¡± Zhai Tianyu asked his grandmother, he did not want his grandmother to plea for help in front of the Queen but thetter was quite clear when she said that she will only be epting the request of the grand dowager empress and no one else. ¡± I am willing,¡± Grand Dowager Empress too did not like the idea of pleading with anyone especially someone from the Liu family but after what she heard from her grandson, she knew that only Liu Hui Ying can help her daughter. If so then there was no point in waiting. ¡± For my daughter, I will willingly lower my head in front of that woman if that is what she wants.¡± Chapter 138 138 Two big shots The imperial pce was once again stirred up when they saw that the Grand Dowager Empress actually left her courtyard, everyone knew that the Grand Dowager Empress was someone who stayed in her courtyard in peace and quiet and hardly ever came out. Unless very important or to go against the Dowager Empress, the grand dowager empress will never step out of her pce, for her to make a presence something severe must have happened! ¡± What is going on? Did the dowager empress make any move?¡± a maid who was carrying a water bucket looked at the procession of the grand dowager empress that was heading somewhere and then asked the maid who was standing next to her. ¡± And even the Emperor is with her! What happened?¡± ¡± Why are you being so nosy?¡± The maid who was being asked these questions looked at the woman who was next to her and then pursed her lips before lowering her head and adding swiftly, ¡± We are just maids who are we talk about what is going on in the imperial pce. And if you were to carefully look at the direction of the procession, you will see that they are heading towards the Empress¡¯s pce, do you want to talk about this matter?¡± Everyone still remembered what the Empress had done to the maids who tried to harm her, the fact that she killed two maids in front of the Emperor and even got a confession out of one was enough to let everyone know what kind of woman she was¨C a woman who feared no one and nothing. The maid who was asking questions immediately turned silent, she did not want to get involved with the Empress, and even now she was having nightmares after listening to the ount of what happened with the two maids. The procession of the Grand Dowager Empress arrived at the pce of the Empress, when the guards of the Empress saw the two great figures of the imperial pce arrive at the same time at the Empress¡¯s pce they were stunned. One of the guards looked at the sun to make sure that it was the sun that was shining in the sky and not the moon, why was it that the Grand dowager Empress and the Emperoring to visit the Empress? Was the world still moving as it was supposed to? The guards were stunned and the people in the procession were just as stunned, they still could not believe that they were asked toe to the Empress¡¯s pce. Even now when they were standing in front of the pce of the Empress, they were still not back to their senses. ¡± What are you waiting for?¡± The grand dowager empress asked when she saw that the guards were staring at her in surprise, she was a bit embarrassed that she has made her distaste for the Empress so known to everyone that even the guards knew that she did not like the Empress. ¡± Are you waiting for us to get down and open the door by ourselves?¡± ..... Back then she had thought that she did not need to worry about the Empress at all but now that she needed the queen¡¯s help, her past actions wereing on her like raining ps. The guards looked like this was like a reminder of what she has done and now that she needed the help of the queen, she could not help but think about what was going to happen to her. The guards snapped out of their daze and immediately opened the door of the pce allowing the procession of the Grand Dowager Empress to enter the pce of the Empress. ¡± What is going on?¡± Nanny Gong was already having enough worries on her te, with his granddaughter who was getting sicker day by day and with the personality of her missy changing from a sweet young girl to a messy troublemaker was bad enough to make her hair strands turn grey and now Lord Zhai came looking for her. That was bad enough and now there was noiseing from the entrance of the pce. She turned to look at Qui Ai and for the hundredth time asked, ¡± Why did you let him inside? You know how the Queen is, she will definitely offend him and thest thing we want is the eldest brother of the Emperor getting offended at us as well!¡± Qui Ai was wronged, she wanted to say that there was no way that she would be able to stop Lord Zhai who was the elder brother of the Emperor. If her majesty has allowed him to enter then what could she have done? But she still pursed her lips and let Nanny Gong scold her after all she was her junior and there was nothing she could do. Qui Ai could not do anything but Li Gang who has be bored with Zhai Heng and Liu Hui Ying¡¯s conversation flew out of the main hall, when he saw Qui Ai being scolded, he looked at Nanny Gong and immediately snapped at her, ¡± What do you mean by this? What could have little Ai done when such a big shot like Zhai Heng came knocking on the door?¡± He hovered next to nanny Gong who could not even see him much less hear him and continued chattering while Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen also peeked out of the wall when they heard Li Gang scolding someone, they thought that another ghost came looking for them but now that they were looking at Li Gang who was getting angry at nanny Gong for the sake of Qui Ai and shook their heads before Jia Li scoffed, ¡± Love has gotten to his head.¡± ¡± He has always been a little foolish when ites to love anyway,¡±mented Grandma Lan Fen as the two of them snuck back into the room. No sooner did they snuck back in the room, The grand dowager empress and the Emperor appeared at the end of the corridor when the two of them appeared, Nanny Gong was the first to see the two of them and immediately felt her knees go weak. Lord Zhai still haven¡¯t left, so who called these two big shots here? Chapter 139 139 Suffer ¡ª¡ª¡ª Nanny Gong looked at the closed door of the main hall before she sank to her knees and then immediately greeted the Emperor and the Grand Dowager Empress. ¡± Your majesty the Grand Dowager Empress and your majesty the Emperor, this humble one greets you two!¡± As soon as she sunk to her knees, Qui Ai who has been looking at her also turned around and followed Nanny Gong¡¯s greeting but she too was feeling confused when she saw the Grand Dowager Empress. The emperor would visit the Empress¡¯s pce once in a while and it was a normal urrence for them, his presence was not that shocking but the grand Dowager Empress arriving here out of nowhere and for no reason scared them so much that they started shivering. ¡± You may rise,¡± the grand dowager empress was the one who came here to ask for help, she could not show her pride in front of the close servants of the Queen. Right now, she could not even think of going against that woman, given her personality, she was already going to find trouble with her because she bullied her on the first day of her wedding, if she was to find out that she tried to show off her arrogance in front of these servants then she will only be digging her grave even deeper. Nanny Gong and Qui Ai rose to their feet but they still kept their heads lowered as good servants they knew that they have to keep their heads lower in front of the imperial family members, even though the queen treated them like family and asked them to raise their heads in front of her but the same could not be said for the Emperor and Grand Dowager Empress. If they were to make a mistake in front of these two then they would really be in big trouble. ¡± Is the queen inside?¡± The grand dowager empress asked, she was in a hurry to talk to Liu Hui Ying, so the second Nanny Gong and Qui Ai rose to their feet, she immediately asked about Liu Hui Ying. ..... Her anxiousness to talk to the queen was so palpable in her voice that even Nanny Gong and Qui Ai heard it, the two were confused by the anxiety of the grand dowager empress but then they nodded and Nanny Gong replied respectfully, ¡± The Queen is inside but Lord Zhai is talking with her at the moment. He said that he needed to talk to the Queen about something and asked us to leave the room.¡± Nanny Gong was worried that the grand dowager empress would think that something was going on between the Empress and Lord Zhai so she carefully exined everything, after all, even though Lord Zhai was the eldest brother of the Emperor, there was a chance that Grand Dowager Empress would make a fuss. That was what Nanny Gong thought but instead of making a fuss or snarky remarks, the Grand Dowager Empress smiled in an understanding manner and said, ¡± Is that so? Then there is nothing to worry about after all the brother-inw and sister-inw should get along with each other a little.¡± Her words met with a shocked look on Qui Ai and nanny Gong¡¯s faces after all they knew just how badly their missy was being treated in the imperial pce for the Empress to suddenly treat her this well what was she thinking? The Grand dowager empress was a bit embarrassed, she will agree that she has not treated the Empress that well but she has not been cruel to her either and if not for the Liu blood flowing through her veins she would not have said a word about her, after all, they were the ones who were behind her son¡¯s death, she too did not likeing here to this pce. But of all people who could have helped her daughter to attain reincarnation turned out to be this Liu Hui Ying! She cleared her throat and then looked at nanny Gong before saying, ¡± Announce our arrival.¡± She knew that it was going to be difficult for her to deal with the Empress but there was no other choice left for her, she has to get along with Liu Hui Ying or else her daughter will have to roam the face of this world like an evil spirit. Nanny Gong was stunned but she still nodded and then opened the door of the main hall in a hurry before announcing in a loud voice, ¡± The grand dowager empress and the Emperor are entering!¡± ... Zhai Heng was still thinking about what the queen said when he heard about the arrival of his grandmother and younger brother, stunned he turned to look at the two of them who were walking inside the main hall and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was smiling at him with an ¡®I told you¡¯ so the expression on her face. ¡± This one greets your majesty,¡± Liu Hui Ying who finally saw her money baging towards her rose from her seat and then bowed her head in front of the grand dowager empress and the Emperor, she deliberately acted in such a manner to make the Grand dowager empress and sure enough her actions were enough to make the grand dowager Empress look a bit awkward as she looked at Liu Hui Ying who was bowing in front of her. ¡® This woman when she had to lower her head in front of me she was acting so lofty and now that she doesn¡¯t have to lower her head in front of me, she is bowing so respectfully,¡¯ Grand Dowager Empress was a bit flustered but she still nodded and said, ¡± You may rise.¡± Liu Hui Ying straightened up and then shed a smile at Grand Dowager Empress as she nced at the Emperor who was standing behind his grandmother and asked in an innocent voice, ¡± So what brought you here, grand dowager empress?¡± She batted her eyshes as she sweetly called Grand Dowager Empress by her title distancing the two of them. Grand Dowager Empress: ¡°.....¡± I should have asked her to call me grandmother. Now I will have to suffer. Chapter 140 140 How can they allow it? Grand Dowager Empress was feeling awkward, she has not even opened her mouth yet Liu Hui Ying was already facing her head on her like this, how was she supposed to bring the matter of her daughter in front of Liu Hui Ying? But for the sake of her daughter, she has to bite her tongue and lower herself in front of Liu Hui Ying. With that Grand Dowager Empress breathed heavily and then she smiled at Liu Hui Ying sweetly. ¡± My dear granddaughter-inw, We hope that you are doing well?¡± ¡± I am doing really well for someone who was poisoned and did not get any medical treatment,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied with a nod and Grand Dowager Empress was once again speechless, she has to admit that this woman was truly petty. Just look at her it has been so long yet this woman was still taunting them because of that incident! Even Zhai Tianyu was speechless, he knew that Liu Hui Ying was not going to make this easy for them but he did not expect her to act so difficult, she has already taken the money yet she was acting like this. Was she not afraid that she will be called a fraud? As he thought about this, he red at Liu Hui Ying asking her to not go too far but the thing was that the woman in front of him was Liu Hui Ying, not only was she scared of him, she even raised her brow and shot him a sneering smile making Zhai Tianyu stiffen. This woman! Was she saying that she was going to find trouble with his grandmother? Grand Dowager Empress too understood that she has hit a wall which was why she did not get angry, instead, she took a seat as Nanny Gong and Qui Ai were done cleaning the seats next to Liu Hui Ying, she sat down and then turned to look at Qui Ai and Nanny Gong before saying, ¡± You two can leave us, there is something that we want to talk to the queen about something.¡± Nanny Gong and Qui Ai frowned inwardly, the Grand Dowager Empress also wanted to talk to the Queen about what was going on. Howe the Queen became so popr out of nowhere? The two were confused but they still walked out of the room and the second they stepped out of the hall, both of them turned to look at each other, confusion mirroring their eyes. If they were not wrong then the Queen was the least favoured despite being the ruler of the Harem, why was it that she was suddenly sought out by both the Emperor and the grand dowager empress? ..... Once the two of them left the room, Grand Dowager Empress turned to look at Liu Hui Ying, she did not know how to start and where to start speaking. The wrongs that they have done to Liu Hui Ying were not small and if the girl wanted to sit down and settle them all, then maybe she will have to ask her grandson to bring her case in front of Liu Hui Ying after her death. But at the same time, Grand Dowager Empress felt rather wronged, who would have thought that there will be a time that a member of her family will need the help of someone from the Liu family, clearly they were the ones who killed her son and caused her to almost lose everything and yet she was the one who had to lower her head in front of the younger generation of the Liu family. ¡± Queen, I know that you are upset about what happened on the night of your wedding but I promise that I will ask my grandson to repay you for it by working as hard as he can,¡± for the sake of her daughter¡¯s peace, Grand Dowager Empress did not feel upset about pushing her grandson in front of the fire. After all, Zhai Tianyu was Liu Hui Ying¡¯s husband, a husband¡¯s duty was to make his wife happy, right? Zhai Tianyu who was suddenly sold out by his grandmother felt shocked to the core, he stayed where he was and looked at his grandmother with his mouth hanging open as he looked at her in surprise. Work hard as he can? It was one thing that Liu Hui Ying hated men and would not want them to work hard at all but in case she asked him to work hard then what? What would have happened to him? Grand Dowager Empress did not look at her grandson who was looking at her with a questioning look on his face and made a point to just stare at Liu Hui Ying as she said, ¡± I know that we had our fair share of differences but you can have my grandson make it up to you¨C¡± ¡± That is not what I want, your majesty,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied as she ced her cheek on the back of her knuckles as she sighed heavily. ¡± As you can see I am having a lot of trouble, this ce is really not fit for anyone to live in, one it¡¯s at the corner of the pce and there is no good scenery in here either. I can¡¯t even walk around the backyard and since the garden is exclusive to Concubine Ji, I cannot go there as well. What¡¯s more, I am currently dirt poor with no money in my hands with my dowry still being checked.¡± She turned to look at Grand Dowager Empress who was looking ufortable and smirked, ¡± I think if someone was to ask for my help they have to show their gratitude, right?¡± Grand Dowager Empress was feeling a bit torn at the moment, and though she wanted to ask for Liu Hui Ying¡¯s help, her initial desire to keep Liu Hui Ying as downtrodden as possible haven¡¯t left either. She did not like the idea of giving Liu Hui Ying a new pce and money to improve her lifestyle, if she was to do that then others would think that she was supporting Liu Hui Ying as well! How can allow that to happen? ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 141 141 Someone else ¡± But hasn¡¯t aunt already paid for you to look for the murderer?¡± Zhai Cheng too thought that Liu Hui Ying was asking for a lot of things if they were to hand so many things to her then everyone will think that they were supporting the Liu Family, if so then it will bring unnecessary trouble to them in the future. When Grand Dowager Empress heard that her daughter has paid for the case, she became emboldened and turned to look at Liu Hui Ying before she raised her brow and asked, ¡± Is this true?¡± Liu Hui Ying smiled she did not look at all ufortable under the scrutiny of the three people in fact she was rather calm. She straightened her posture and then sighed before cing her arms in front of her on the table and then intertwining her fingers together as she looked at them with a smile, ¡± Your majesty the grand dowager empress, do you have a piece of very expensive silk?¡± Grand Dowager Empress frowned before she nodded and replied. ¡± I do have a piece of expensive silk along with many other dresses but what does that have to do with this?¡± ¡± I will exin it in due time, first answer me,¡± Liu Hui Ying kept smiling as she stared the woman in front of her in the eye and continued, ¡± You keep your precious silk in safe containers right? Making sure that they do not get infected or dirtied by anything? That they don¡¯t catch a worm, right?¡± ¡± That is right,¡± even though Grand Dowager Empress did not understand what Liu Hui Ying was trying to exin by this example but she still nodded in response. ¡± Silk is really hard to take care of which is why I have even hired a few workers to take care of it.¡± ¡± That¡¯s right, silk is delicate, it cannot be dirtied or else it will be destroyed if not taken proper care of, you must be keeping it in a very wonderful and secured wooden box right?¡± Liu Hui Ying smiled and reached out to point at Zhai Chenguang who was standing behind Zhai Tianyu and said, ¡± A soul is just as delicate as a piece of silk fabric, its locked in the container of what you call a body and when the body is gone, it is taken away by caretakers who will take care of it but by any chance that does not happen then do you know what will happen? The soul will start getting destroyed slowly with the dirt of this world, such that it will no longer be epted by the caretakers.¡± Grand Dowager Empress raised her head as she looked at Liu Hui Ying in shock who continued to smile as if she was not telling Grand Dowager Empress that her daughter¡¯s soul will not be epted by the people of the underworld. ¡± In case the soul is damaged either it will have to wait until it is disintegrated or it will have to wait for people like me who will help them return to their original form, to say in simpler words- exorcising a soul, if you want me to exorcise her soul then you will have to pay me another sum of money do you understand? Because what your daughter has paid me for is to look for the murderer and nothing more, is that clear now?¡± ..... It could not be any clearer than this! Grand Dowager Empress despite being unwilling could see that Liu Hui Ying had thought of everything. When Liu¡¯s family pushed her grandson to marry their family¡¯s girl, Grand Dowager Empress had already sworn that she will make things difficult for this woman till the very end but now it looks like Liu Hui Ying was the one who was going to make things difficult for her! From her dowry to another ce to stay, Liu Hui Ying has won everything back from her! ¡± Very well,¡± but before Grand Dowager Empress could think of a way to get herself out of this mess she heard Zhai Tianyu speak and what was more, he actually agreed to the requests that Liu Hui Ying made, what the hell? She immediately whirled around to look at Zhai Tianyu and spoke in a reproachful voice,¡± Tianyu what are you thinking ?¡± ¡± I am thinking straight grandmother,¡± Zhai Tianyu was not wrong either, these days the Liu Family was making a lot of fuss regarding Liu Hui Ying¡¯s living conditions in fact they have already summited quite a lot of memorandum. He was even thinking of giving Liu Hui Ying another ce to stay and this was the reason why he did not say anything when Liu Hui Ying asked for another courtyard. He had to give her a new ce to stay anyway, did it really matter if she was to get that ce a bit earlier than before? Grand Dowager Empress was rather upset but she still pursed her lips and left her grandson to deal with this case. Anyway since he said that he was thinking straight then he might have thought of something before agreeing to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s request. She was already old there was no need for her to fuss anymore, she inhaled sharply and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying before asking, ¡± Now can we move past this? Are you willing to ept?¡± ¡± Sure,¡± now that she has stolen everything she could from this old hag, Liu Hui Ying did not have any more trouble either, she snapped her fingers and then a scroll that had all the conditions written on it came flying before unravelling itself in front of the Grand Dowager Empress, to others it flew but only Zhai Tianyu could see that it was Jia Li who brought the scroll in front of his grandmother. She too seemed to be excited to get the money when Jia Li caught his gaze, she lifted her hand and said, ¡± Liu Hui Ying has promised me that if we buy enough money she will allow me to peep at the gigglos in the red light district, even though they are not as good looking as you, I will take what I can.¡± Zhai Tianyu: ¡°.....¡± Chapter 142 142 Warning ¡°However, your majesty, how will you look into the case?¡± Zhai Heng asked after his grandmother signed the scroll after reading what was written on it, it was one thing that the queen had the powers to take care of the matter but her gender was another thing, she was a woman and no woman who was married to the Emperor was allowed to get out of the harem. ¡± You are the queen, for you to step out of the harem. It will cause a lot of fiasco for everyone, I am sure.¡± The women of the harem were not allowed to leave the pce and if the Queen who was the ruler of the Harem, if she was to leave the harem then the people will surely talk, especially the Liu family and if they were to tell the powers of the Queen to others then the Liu family might use the powers of the Queen against the imperial family. ¡± You do not need to worry about that,¡± Liu Hui Ying picked up the scroll that was on the table and calmly replied, ¡± I have already taken the job, haven¡¯t I? I will certainly do it with a finesse that you need not worry about anything. I will get on the work tomorrow morning, so when you hear that someone is looking for you no matter what the name, other than that you don¡¯t need to think about anything else.¡± After she finished speaking she looked at the three people in front of her while politely smiling at them as she added in a sweet voice, ¡± Now we are clear, aren¡¯t we? I think that you all have very scarce time to spare me, given that neither of you had the time to call a...ah doctor for me after finding out that I was poisoned.¡± Grand Dowager Empress understood that Liu Hui Ying was kicking them out and was slightly upset but seeing how she was the only one who could help her daughter¡¯s soul, she did not speak much but she did softly remark, ¡± You do not seem to be a forgetful woman, dear queen.¡± ¡± Of course, I am not,¡± Liu Hui Ying stood up from her seat when she saw that the Grand Dowager Empress stood up from her seat and smiled at her but her smile did not reach her eyes. ¡± I am not someone who would forgive and forget, if someone wrongs me then they will have to suffer a hundred times fold, you are fortunate your majesty, that you are my family or else I would have refused you outright. It¡¯s just that you are my close family which is why I epted this case. Maybe to you poisoning someone to death is a small matter but you don¡¯t need to think when you are not the one who suffered the pain of dying.¡± Grand Dowager Empress: ¡°....¡± What about the money that you snatched from me? But there was nothing that the Grand Dowager Empress could say at the moment, the money was already gone and ording to what was written on the scroll, she did not have to worry about Liu Hui Ying going back on her words, she has given her a copy that said that if the case was not solved she was free to take the money back. ¡± Very well, then we will be waiting for the results then,¡± Grand Dowager Empress did not want to spend another second in the presence of this woman who did not have the slightest bit of patience, a woman was supposed to be generous and kind. With a heart that was magnanimous and yet here, they were, dealing with a woman whose heart was as small as the tip of a needle. ..... That incident of poisoning her has happened so many days ago but yet the woman was still harping on the matter not letting it go, her niece Ji Yu was so much better than her, she was the one who was asked to leave the room and yet she did it without saying a word of objection. Unlike this woman who wantspensation for the smallest thing. ¡± I will be sure to deliver the results then,¡± Liu Hui Ying did not miss the contempt in the eyes of the Grand Dowager Empress. She however did not care about the Grand dowager empress¡¯s hate or feelings towards her after all she was not someone who lived to please someone. Grand Dowager Empress gave Liu Hui Ying a nod before she turned to walk out of the room, once she left the room, Zhai Heng too bowed in front of Liu Hui Ying and walked out of the room taking his leave and then the only one who was left behind was the Emperor who did not seem to have any intention of leaving. ¡± Do you mind?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked as she tipped her chin at the door as she looked at the man who was standing in front of her, she did not like staying in the same space as this man who was the cause of her current predicament, if he has been kinder than she wouldn¡¯t be dealing with such an annoying old hag. Just look at the way the woman was looking at her, she was the one who came asking for help but yet she dared to disdain her. Zhai Tianyu nced at the door before turning his head back to Liu Hui Ying as he blinked his eyes and then looked at her with a slightly calm expression on his face, he pretended as if he did not listen to what Liu Hui Ying just said, instead he looked at her and spoke in response, ¡°I was going to leave but then I thought of something and then stopped.¡± ¡± And what might that be?¡± asked Liu Hui Ying as she looked at him with a frown. ¡± A warning,¡± he solemnly answered her. ¡± Do not trust anyone in the pce and let them know what you can do but in case they find out then you will be in a lot of trouble my queen, so make sure that you control your strengths.¡± Only then did he turn around and leave. ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 143 143 Trust ¡± The Emperor and the grand dowager empress went to the queen¡¯s pce, your highness,¡± Ji Yu heard Xiaolin tell her as she walked inside the room with a tray of meals in her hands, even though the scent of the meal that Xiaolin brought her was enough to make even the stomach of a dead rumble, Ji Yu did not feel like eating at all. When she agreed to be the royal concubine, Zhai Tianyu promised her that she will be the only one in his harem as for other women, he will not even look in their way and yet here he was going to the queen¡¯s pce every now and then, what was going on? Why was Zhai Tianyu suddenly interested in the queen out of nowhere? As she thought about it, the brush in her hand that was being used to draw on white paper paused. The brush has been dipped in ck ink, with the tip of the brush hanging an inch over the paper, the drop at the end quivered and then finally fell on the nk white paper destroying it with a stain of ck ink. Xiaolin who was putting the dishes on the dining table saw that her mistress was sitting like a stone statue and then couldn¡¯t help but look at her with pity. She rose from the floor and then walked to where her mistress was and then caught her hand in hers. Feeling a subtle warmth spreading through her limbs, Ji Yu snapped out of her daze and looked at Xiaolin who was smiling at her with a sympathetic glint in her eyes. ¡± Xiaolin?¡± ¡± Your highness, I know that you are scared but you need to understand that his majesty and you have been together for a very long time, he will never let you down, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Xiaolin consoled her miss, she knew that when the Emperor was not married to anyone even then her missy worried that he will fall for someone. In Ji Yu¡¯s head as long as she was working hard she will be able to reach Zhai Tianyu¡¯s heart after all one never falls in love at first sight with anyone. If they did then it was simply a fatal attraction and nothing more for one to fall in love they will have to know about someone and see if they arepatible for them because attraction will fade what will stay was the true feelings that they have nurtured after careful understanding. That was what Ji Yu thought but now that Zhai Tianyu was getting close to the queen, she could not help but feel worried. She was thankful to the Queen for saving her and helping her find out that she was poisoned but the feeling of her gratitude was not so much in her heart that she would want to see the man she loved for the queen. ¡± Did the Emperor stay back in the pce for a long time?¡± Ji Yu asked feeling a bit troubled when she thought about how the queen was slowly attracting the Emperor. ..... ¡± No, your majesty, his majesty left just as soon as the others did,¡± Xiaolin knew that her mistress was worried that the Emperor was falling for the queen was she was willing to console her mistress who was like a sister to her. ¡± You do not need to worry about anything your highness.¡± ¡± I hope that you are right, Xiaolin,¡± Ji Yu muttered as she looked at the window that was showing the setting sun. .... ¡± Your majesty, what is going on?¡± Qui Ai unlike Xiaolin was feeling rather happy, today not only the Emperor but even the grand dowager Empress came to see her mistress, she was feeling rather happy about this sudden visit. At first, she thought that they were in mistake but then the grand dowager empress and the Emperor left the courtyard and nothing happened to them meaning that they came here not to punish them but for something else. Now that she was sure that they were no longer in danger, she could not help but ask the queen about the reasons why the three prominent members of the imperial family came to see Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Nothing too much,¡± Liu Hui Ying let Qui Aib her hair since she was feeling toozy as she thought about what the Emperor has told her, though she did not see the reason as to why Qui Ai and Nanny Gong will betray her she knew that they were the servants of the Liu family, ultimately there was a chance that they will support the Liu family would they not? And she did not like the idea of bing someone else puppet. Qui Ai did not think much when she heard Liu Hui Ying answer like this and continued tob Liu Hui Ying¡¯s hair. Once she was done, she ced theb on the cab that was in front of Liu Hui Ying and then turned to look at her mistress before saying, ¡± If you do not wish to tell me then I will not say anything, your majesty but I will let you know that I am always by your side. No matter what you do.¡± Liu Hui Ying felt a bit bad when she heard Qui Ai say this, she wanted to let her know what she discussed with the Grand dowager Empress and the Emperor but then again, it was better to keep this to herself for she was yet to solve the case. In case something went wrong at least she will be able to keep Qui Ai and Nanny Gong safe given that the person who was behind Zhai Chenguang¡¯s murder was able to hide themselves for so long, there was a possibility that she will not be safe while investigating this case in the iing days. ¡± I know, you don¡¯t have to tell me,¡± Liu Hui Ying rose from her seat and then ced her hand on Qui Ai¡¯s. ¡± You just have to wait for the right time, then you will know it soon as well.¡± Chapter 144 144 Starting investigation Before dawn broke, Liu Hui Ying woke up early because she needed something she had to do today. She flung her feet off the bed and then walked over to the cab where Qui Ai and Nanny Gong ced the white powder and rogue thing that they used to ready her usually, she raised her hand and then picked up the thing that the people here called foundation and ced the tip of her finger inside the white powdery substance in the small wooden box but after she rubbed it between the pads of her fingers, Liu Hui Ying clicked her tongue. ¡± This won¡¯t do,¡± she ced the wooden box back on the cab and then clicked her tongue. ¡± This is too thin and white if I use it then there is a chance that I will look like a clown and more importantly, this is not waterproof. The task of investigating requires a lot of running around, there is no way this will work if I was to use it.¡± Then she picked up the rogue that was sitting next to the foundation and then picked it up as well, she took a good look at the rogue and then shook her head. ¡± And this can¡¯t be used as well, I need something to contour my features, this will not do the job.¡± She turned to grandma Lan Fen and then asked, ¡± Can you still do your usual things while being here? Don¡¯t tell me that your spaces are not going to work here ?¡± ¡± I can try,¡± Grandma Lan Fen was one of the police officers who had to live undercover for a very long time and in very different cases as different people. Thus, she was used to doing a lot of makeovers for the sake of looking like how the person involved in the case that was handed to her looked, which was why when she died she got the power to use her hands as a great makeover artist. Like Jia Li who inherited her forensic tools and Li Gang inherited his great strength, after their family members burned those things before burning their corpses, the thing that she got was¨C Grandma Lan Fen closed her eyes and then stretched her hand out, as she stretched her hands, the entire space of the room turned into a small makeover room, as the small and ancient cab turned into that a high-quality dressing table with a number of masks, brushes, wigs and makeup objects like foundation and eyeshadow boxes. ¡± Looks like we still have our powers with us,¡± Jia Li excitedly pped her hands, she was worried that she would not be able to summon her forensicb with her but now that she knew that she could summon that space as well, she was really happy. ¡± I can¡¯t wait to examine the corpses anymore.¡± ..... ¡± You will get a chance soon,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied as she walked over to the stool that was sitting in front of the dressing table with a number of tools on it, the heels of her feet thumping over the marble floor that has reced the wooden floor. She pulled the stool behind by dragging it by hooking her feet around the legs of the stool and then sat down as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. In the bronze te, her reflection was not that good and now that she was looking at her features that seemed to have softened by a hundred points, Liu Hui Ying clicked her tongue andmented, ¡± Make sure to make me look fierce, I don¡¯t want to look like a sweet eye candy.¡± This girl looked like a sweet girl who wouldn¡¯t harm a fly no wonder everyone thought that she was easy to be bullied. ¡± Aiye, Aiye mam,¡± Grandma Lan Fen saluted upon receiving themands and then raised her hand to pick up the brushes that were ced on the cab and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying before she ced her hand at the bottom of Liu Hui Ying¡¯s chin and tipped her face up. ¡± Now please close your eyes, I am going to start now.¡± Liu Hui Ying did as Grandma Lan Fen said and closed her eyes before she allowed Grandma Lan Fen to do her makeover, she knew that the woman was good with her hands which was why she was not at all worried that she will make her look like a clown and as Grandma Lan Fen asked her to open her eyes after fifteen minutes she knew that trusting Grandma Lan Fen was the right thing to do. .... When Qui Ai woke up, the first thing she did was stretch her body and then walk over to the small kitchen where she boiled water for Liu Hui Ying to wash her face. She hummed a soft tune as she poured the water that has been boiled nicely into a small bronze bowl and then mixed some cold water when she saw that the water has gotten a bit warmer than it was needed. After she was done, she picked up the bronze bowl and ced it on the tray and then walked out of the small kitchen, as usual, she walked back to the courtyard like usual and pushed the door of Liu Hui Ying¡¯s room as usual but what was unusual was that there was no sleeping Liu Hui Ying in the bedroom. At first, Qui Ai thought that her mistress was inside the bathroom taking a bath but when she did not hear the usual ¡®Bam Bam,¡¯ song from inside that her missy sang every time she took a bath, Qui Ai peeked inside the bathhouse but the second she peeked inside the bathhouse, she saw that there was no one inside. This time Qui Ai was a bit worried which led her to look all over the courtyard and when she did not see Liu Hui Ying in the courtyard she felt her heart thump just as she was thinking about what she needed to do, she saw a small paper scroll on the cab of the dressing table and picked it up, her eyes grazed over it and then she shouted, ¡± NANNY GONG!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 145 145 A gentleman Liu Hui Ying on the other hand did not care about the fiasco that was going on in her courtyard instead she walked over to the pce where Zhai Tianyu worked, she has never gone to that pce before but she has seen it while she was on a walkst time. This was why she did not have to think twice before setting on her journey and nor did she ask the directions to his workce. It took her at least fifteen minutes before she arrived at the ce where Zhai Tianyu worked and as soon as she arrived at the foot of the pce, she looked at the building and clicked her tongue in annoyance, ¡± Look at that, my entire ce is not as big as that number of steps that are in front of this pce.¡± ¡± You are right,¡± Jia Li agreed with her as she ced her hand over her eyes and then peered over the pce that was so big that at least ten pces the size of the one where they were staying. ¡± When I saw it thest time, it did not look this big but now that I am here, I feel that this is just as big as those skyscrapers.¡± ¡± And that too without an elevator,¡± Li Gangmented from the side as he looked at Liu Hui Ying who was standing in front of him. ¡± Your legs are going to give away halfway through, I just counted this ce has at least fifty more stairs than the Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s pce.¡± Liu Hui Ying looked at the pce and then pursed her lips before she licked the front of her teeth and said, ¡± There is no other choice, with my current get-up, I don¡¯t think that I will be able toe here to the pnquin, now can I?¡± Even though she said that she still hated the fact that she has to climb so many stairs again but there was no way around this time around as well. So, with no other choice in front of her, Liu Hui Ying sighed and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, there is no point in standing here and looking at this ce.¡± With that she walked over to the foot of the stairs but as soon as she got closer to the ce, the guards standing on both sides dressed in vibrant red uniforms with their hair tied in long ponytails moved and stopped her by raising the swords that they were holding in their hands. ¡± Who are you? Why are you here?¡± One of the guards asked her as he looked at her with a frown, he looked at Liu Hui Ying. As far as he knew, he has never seen this person, and even though this person looked rather good-looking and well-versed, he could not allow him to enter the pce without identifying this person¡¯s identity. ¡± Ah, Sir! I am a subject whom his majesty has hired just yesterday,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied in a different voice that no one has heard, as she showed him the letter that Zhai Tianyu has handed her, allowing her toe inside his pce. ¡± Can you let me go? There is something that this one wants to discuss with his majesty. As you can see, his majesty has asked me toe and see him today which was why I am, if I gette then I will be punished.¡± ..... The guard took the letter and took a quick look at the content that was written on the letter and when he was done reading, he looked at the seal that belonged to the Emperor and nodded before putting down his sword as he stepped back. ¡± I see, you can go inside.¡± He returned the letter and Liu Hui Ying took it by curling her fingers around the scroll while covering the tips with the fabric of her sleeves and then bowed to the guards as she walked passed the two guards and started to climb the stairs. As Li Gang predicted it did not take her a long time before she started to heave like a walrus as she walked up the stairs. ¡± I am going to kill him someday,¡± Liu Hui Ying gritted her teeth as she climbed the stairs. ¡± Why are they bothering with making new ways to torture someone? Why don¡¯t they ask them to climb these stairs ten to seventy times, they will die out of tiredness.¡± Liu Hui Ying continued to climb the stairs even when she wasining because there was no other choice for her. And by the time she arrived at the top of the stairs, she flopped on the top causing the guards who stood next to the door of the Emperor¡¯s study. When they saw someone flop in front of them, they were stunned and as their eyes widened they looked down at the person in front of them. After a short while, the guard on the right asked, ¡± Are you okay?¡± ¡± I... I am okay,¡± Liu Hui Ying panted as she raised her hand while still on the floor as showed it to the guards. ¡± I am here to see the Emperor as per the appointment he has given me.¡± The guard crouched down and then took a look at the letter before turning to look at his colleague on the left and saying, ¡± Go and tell the Emperor that there is someone who came to see him.¡± After saying this, he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was on the floor and asked, ¡± Are you sure that you are all right? Do you need me to bring you some water?¡± ¡± No, I am okay.¡± Liu Hui Ying responded, she could not even pick herself up from the floor but she still pushed herself off the floor and smiled at the guard. ¡± I am doing fine, thank you for asking.¡± The guard nodded after confirming that Liu Hui Ying was fine while the guard on his side walked inside the study after receiving permission from the Emperor. ..... Zhai Tianyu was studying a book that made him look like he was learning some sort of perverted knowledge when the guard of his study entered his room, he raised his head and asked gently, ¡± What is the matter?¡± ¡± A gentleman is here to see you, your majesty,¡± replied the guard. ...If you like my writing can you check out hot bloodsuckers¡¯ obsession. Chapter 146 146 Who are you? You imprudent brat ¡°A gentleman?¡±Zhai Tianyu ced the eighteen-plus book on the table in front of him and then turned his head to the side such that he will be able to look at the guard, his eyes clouded with confusion as he looked at the guard who was standing in front of the door of his study. ¡± That is right, he even has a letter of acknowledgement along with your seal imprint, your majesty ¨Cthe letter reads that you have asked the gentleman toe and look for you this morning. Should I allow him to enter your study if you are willing to see him, your majesty?¡± Zhai Tianyu was confused as far as he knew that the only person he was supposed to meet today was the queen but the guard told him that the person outside was a man. Did he really ask a gentleman toe and see him? But if so how was it possible for him not to remember? There was no way possible for him to forget an appointment but ¡ª he was only human, there was a chance that he might have made a mistake, he thought. He was so busy with a number of things these days that maybe something skipped his mind. ¡± Let him in,¡± Zhai Tianyu did not have any reason to deny the man who was standing outside his permission to enter his study, after all the man did have a letter that imed that he had the permission of the Emperor to enter the pce today. Turning him away did not seem right to Zhai Tianyu but at the same time he could not help but wonder who this man was, was he someone whom Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun have sent to him? ¡± I will do as you have ordered your majesty,¡± the guard lowered his head as he bowed his body in a ny-degree bow and walked right out of the study in that posture. Not once did he show his back to the Emperor, not even when he closed the door of the study. ¡± You can go in now,¡± the guard told the man who was now standing on his feet, after finding his breath that has been lost while climbing the stairs to the study of the Emperor. ¡± Make sure that you do not show your unsightly side in front of the Emperor or else you will be punished.¡± The guard did not know that the person in front of him was the Queen which was why he was warning Liu Hui Ying with goodwill in his heart. The young man who was standing in front of him looked rather spirited, it would be too much of a shame if he was to be punished by the Emperor for showing something that he should never show in front of the ruler of the country. ..... ¡°I understand,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied but in her head, she was already snickering, if the emperor dared to make things difficult for her then he can rest assured that he won¡¯t be getting any sleep for the next week¨C and she was not talking about bedroom activities, oh no...she was talking about how she was going to drive him crazy by sending ghosts after ghosts to his room. ¡± Then go,¡± the guard nodded before stepping to the side. Liu Hui Ying nodded back to him before she walked to the door of the study and pushed it open, once she opened the door, she walked inside the study after closing the door of the study and headed straight to the study table where Zhai Tianyu was sitting. When Liu Hui Ying entered the room, Zhai Tianyu who was reading his p*rn book also raised his head and looked at the man who was striding inside his study like he owned it and felt his brows furrow a bit. He did not seem to know this man, but the way the man was walking straight inside the study without even greeting him, was he someone he used to know? Zhai Tianyu tried to recall but the second the man turned to look at him, his frown turned even more severe than before because he knew that there was no way he would have forgotten this man if he had seen him before, the man¡¯s face was too charismatic for him to turn a blind eye to him and even forgot him. But the man in front of him simply raised his brow in an obnoxious manner like that of a queen, as soon as this thought came into his head, Zhai Tianyu shook his head. What was he thinking? Why was he thinking of the queen all of a sudden? What was going on with him? How can this young man be the queen? Was he somehow rted to her then? Their actions were too simr after all! Just as he was thinking about what rtionship this man could have with the Queen, the young man has already dragged the chair in front of his study table making a squeaking sound as the legs of the chair rubbed against the floor. This action of the man made Zhai Tianyu frown as he watched the man¡¯s imprudent action, he watched as the man sat down in front of him with a slight sigh and then crossed his left leg over the right one and then turned to look at him. Did this man have some sort of death wish how can this man even think of sitting in front of him without even greeting him? He was not a tyrant man but he wasn¡¯t lenient either, for someone to show such tant disrespect he will definitely have him punished but before he called the guards and order them to drag this man out of the study, he still needed to know what this man was thinking, after all, he needed to know how this man had the guts to act so imprudently in front of him. ¡± Who do you think you are for you to not greet your emperor?¡± He asked his voice cool and stoic. ¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 147 147 A big catch When Liu Hui Ying heard what Zhai Tianyu said, a part of her was amused while another part was greatly in awe. She should maybe try to share more of her spiritual energy with Grandma Lan Fen, she did just a good job that even this man who was supposed to be her husband and the Emperor couldn¡¯t recognise her. A part of her wanted to tease him a little but then she stopped and carefully thought about what Jia Li had told her about all the historical dramas that she has watched on the television. Hmm, from what Jia Li told her, it was not right of her to tease this man anymore, maybe if she did then she will be punished in a manner that she didn¡¯t even imagine. This was why she cleared her throat and then answered in a deadpan voice, ¡± Your wife.¡± It only then did theprehension dawned on Zhai Tianyu and his eyes widened in shock as he looked at the man ...no woman in front of him. He was sure that he has never seen anything like this before, there have been urrences where a woman tried to dress up as a man but she was easily caught in the way she walked, dressed and talked but Liu Hui Ying. She did a phenomenal job in disguising herself as a man, she looked like she was a young man who has just celebrated his eighteenth birthday, her skin bright and supple yet had a hint of tan. One could even see her prominent Adam¡¯s apple along with the tight nerves on the back of her hand, she looked nothing like she did when he went to her courtyard there was no hint of sweetness nor was there any hint of innocence. Looking at her like this was like looking at a man who knew the way of the world better than he did, when Zhai Tianyu looked at Liu Hui Ying and took a good look at her face, half of his head was telling him that second this woman was going to turn into a macho man and challenge him for his throne. She looked even more like a man than Yu Lingyun! ¡± Liu Hui Ying?¡± He asked in a low squeaky voice, his mouth dropped open in shock as he looked at the woman in front of him. How was this possible for any woman? ¡± That¡¯s me,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied as she looked at Zhai Tianyu who was looking at her like he was going into a quick deliberation over where the world was going and said, ¡± There is no need for you to look at me like that, I am still hundred and ten percent a woman.¡± ..... ¡± How did you this?¡± He asked feeling rather curious when he confirmed that it was really Liu Hui Ying, no other woman will have the guts or the desire to talk to him with that much arrogance, only this woman who has never thought much of him would treat him like this. No wonder he felt that familiar feeling when he saw her walking inside the study dressed up as a man, nearly causing his heart to go boom boom. ¡°It¡¯s just make up,¡± she carelessly waved her hand and did not talk much about how she achieved this look, she needed to still keep some ace cards to herself lest she was to get in trouble. ¡± Anyway, I am here as promised. Now if you can give me another room, I will be able to get started.¡± After speaking she turned to look at Zhai Chenguang and said, ¡± Your body how long has it been since it has been buried? Is it any condition for us to examine? It will be better if we can take a look at your body instead of your soul. It might be an echo of how you died, there will be a chance of miscalction if we don¡¯t take a proper look at your wounds.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in a rather good condition,¡± replied Zhang Chenguang as she turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who was looking rather sickened at the thought of seeing his aunt¡¯s body after six months or so. ¡± The physicians made an ointment to make sure that my body doesn¡¯t deteriorate that easily which is why my body is still in a stable position, there might have been some damage but it has been so many months since I died.¡± ¡± Are you saying that you need me to have the body of my aunt dug out?¡± Zhai Tianyu asked Liu Hui Ying who nodded solemnly and said, ¡± Or else? Do you think that it will be all right if you don¡¯t? Your esteemed majesty, the first thing we need to find out is the kind of weapon that was used which will bring us closer to the culprit who has killed your aunt, given that there are a hell lot of suspects, I would like to see the body, only then can I narrow the list of suspects down to a small list and we also need to look for the weapon that was used.¡± Her words seemed to make sense which was why Zhai Tianyu nodded and pushed his body off the chair as he said, ¡± Very well, you cane with me then.¡± As he walked towards the door of his study, Liu Hui Ying followed him. She did not know where the grave of Zhai Chenguang was which was exactly why she was willing to follow this man, the two of them stepped out of the study room and the guards who were standing next to the door bowed their heads when they saw that the Emperor wasing. Liu Hui Ying noticed the actions of the guards and couldn¡¯t help but look at the man with a sly glint in her eyes. Maybe she should have asked for more money from this man, a man who was ruling over such a big empire definitely had more money hidden in his pockets than just a few gold taels. As if sensing her looking at him, Zhai Tianyu turned his head to the side and looked at her with confusion brimming in his eyes before asking, ¡± Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡± You are a rather big catch aren¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 148 148 Not right ¡± I am quite a catch, did you not know that?¡± Zhai Tianyu asked as he turned his head to the side to look at Liu Hui Ying, he did not know why she was suddenly calling him a great catch but he decided to agree with her because he was indeed a wonderful catch no matter what Liu Hui Ying said about him. Liu Hui Ying hummed after taking a nce at the man next to her, she has never been rather fond of men, especially with her sister raging inside her even now she could feel her sister carefully narrowing her eyes as she looked at Zhai Tianyu, maybe it was because of his Emperor aura but her sister did not seem to have any idea about what to do with this man who was neither harmless nor harmful to them. Currently, she was seriously judging him with annoyance brimming in her entire existence. The two of them did not talk much but as the two approached the top of the stairs, Liu Hui Ying¡¯s feet ended up being caught by the long pants that she was wearing and her body tumbled forward, seeing the number of stairs in front of her Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes widened and she was prepared to use one of her talisman or ghost as her cushion when she felt someone catch her arm as they pulled her back. ¡± Be careful,¡± said Zhai Tianyu who was the one who caught Liu Hui Ying, he carefully dragged her back to the top of the stairs where he was standing and then added swiftly, ¡± The stairs have been uneven for quite some time, if you are not careful then you will end up falling on the bottom of the stairs without getting a chance to save yourself.¡± Liu Hui Ying too looked down at the small space that was empty because of the stone being chipped off it and she couldn¡¯t help but snort as she snatched her hand away from Zhai Tianyu and said angrily, ¡± If you know that there is something wrong with the stairs then you should have repaired them already what are you waiting for? Someone to fall down the stairs and then only will you repair these stairs your esteemed majesty?¡± The guards who were standing on either side of the study felt their mouths drop as they looked at the man who was scolding the Emperor like he had every right to do it and then shook their heads, the young man looked smart but looked like he was not going to be able to live past a single day in this imperial pce. But to their shock, the Emperor did not get angry at the young man instead he very softly and calmly said, ¡± I understand, I will ask someone to repair these stairs, it will be troublesome if someone was to fall.¡± Guard no 1: ¡°....¡± ..... Guard no 2: ¡°....¡± This was their Emperor, right? The one who was like a tyrant idiot who did not let anyone say anything dissatisfactory in front of him? He was actually letting this young man who did not even know what he was saying get away after acting so imprudently? Was this truly their emperor? ¡± That will be better,¡± Liu Hui Ying scoffed before she turned her head to look at the stairs and swallowed heavily, now she has to climb down these stairs again. While she was looking at the stairs, the Emperor was looking at the stairs as well, he knew that Liu Hui Ying was dreading walking down the stairs again, so he pondered over it for a minute and too before he turned to look at the guards who were behind him and said, ¡± Ask the pnquin bearers to bring another pnquin for this gentleman here as well.¡± He was only being nice to her because he needed her help and nothing more! Liu Hui Ying too did not think much about it, she nodded to herself as she sighed in relief. At least now she did not have to worry about going down these hellish stairs, with her heart at ease she threw the worries in her head away, on the other hand, Li Gang who was eyeing the Emperor narrowed his eyes. ¡± This man does not look right to me,¡± Li Gang told Jia Li as he red at the Emperor who was standing a bit further away from Liu Hui Ying. ¡± What do you mean?¡± Jia Li questioned as she turned her head and looked at Li Gang who was ring meanly at Zhai Tianyu. ¡± Isn¡¯t he just sucking up to Hui Ying because she is going to help him?¡± ¡± Bah!¡± Li Gang scoffed through his nose. ¡± The next-door neighbour who lived in the apartmentplex used to look at the young miss on the third floor as well, he used to say that he was only looking out for her because she helped him once when he needed it very much and you know what happened six monthster?¡± ¡± He got her pregnant,¡± Grandma Lan Fen¡¯s gossipy spirit was roused when she heard what Li Gang said and then she pped her hands as she continued to gush in a rapid-fire motion. ¡± It was such a huge shock for even that man¡¯s granny who haunted the toilet of the first floor, she said that she too did not have any idea how her grandson did something so sly.¡± ¡± Exactly,¡± Li Gang squinted his eyes even more in Zhai Tianyu¡¯s direction and sneered, ¡± That man used to look at the young missy like that as well, acting all prim and proper but when he got the chance he turned a wild beast causing the rice to be cooked and the bun to bake.¡± Jia Li did not understand what he was saying but she still nodded and said, ¡± So what, even if he is looking at Liu Hui Ying like that why does it matter?¡± ¡± Why does it matter?¡± Li Gang looked at Jia Li like he did not expect her to say something stupid and hissed sharply, ¡± If Liu Hui Ying gets involved with him then we won¡¯t be able to go back home, is that what you want?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 149 149 Zhai Chenguang¡¯s tomb ¡± You are thinking too much,¡± in the end Jia Li could not help but say as she blinked her eyes and looked at the man who was insistent on ming Zhai Tianyu even though he had done nothing to hurt Li Gang, not like Zhai Tianyu could have done anything to him anyway. ¡± I am not thinking too much,¡± Li Gang rolled his eyes, he has seen too many men like Zhai Tianyu. They knew that the woman in front of them was out of their reach but men like these couldn¡¯t help but be attracted to her because even if he was to ignore it Liu Hui Ying was a very charming woman, one whom no man can ignore. If not then so many men who were refused by Liu Hui Ying would not havee together to harm her from time to time, with her wit and beauty, she was aplete package in herself. Even if Zhai Tianyu knew that Liu Hui Ying was someone who will not ept him, it does not mean that he will be able to rein on his feelings for a long time and sooner orter this man will surely start to pursue Liu Hui Ying strongly. ¡± You can take it as I am speaking nonsense but that does not mean that I am going to ignore this,¡± Li Gang was sure that he has caught the tail of the Emperor who acted like he was above all, he was sure that the man had some sort of feelings for Liu Hui Ying because that was the only way to exin the soft re in his eyes. Soon the pnquin bearers came bearing two separate pnquins and sat them down in front of the Emperor who was helped in the pnquin by the bearers while Liu Hui Ying ignored the outstretched hands of the man and sat down on the pnquin by herself, thest thing she wanted was a man to touch her. Her actions of jumping straight into the pnquin startled the bearers as they carefully peeped at the Emperor who did not seem too surprised and waved his hand as he said, ¡± Go to the tomb of our aunt, Zhen wants to pay respect to aunt together with his friend, Sir Tang here.¡± He did not know how to introduce Liu Hui Ying, so he could only introduce her as one of his friends, after all, if he was to say that she was someone special then his mother woulde knocking on his door and the left prime minister Liu wille to gouge the real identity of Liu Hui Ying. Not that he wouldn¡¯t now but at least he will be able to handle this situation. The pnquin bearers did as Zhai Tianyu ordered after all there was nothing new with the Emperor trying to pay respect to his aunt, he has been doing this ever since his aunt died. With the pnquin bearer heading towards the tomb of Zhai Chenguang, the news of the Emperor heading towards the tomb also spread all over the imperial pce and as soon as Dowager Empress heard about it from her nanny, the cup in her hand was smashed on to the ground. ..... ¡± Your majesty, please don¡¯t harm your health,¡± the mammy rubbing Dowager Empress¡¯s shoulders cried when she saw that the Dowager Empress has thrown the teacup in her hand on the floor, she knew that the Dowager Empress hated the Ji family and the grand dowager empress which was why it was normal for her to get angry at the news but she still didn¡¯t think that it was good of Dowager Empress to get upset like this. ¡± Hah, who cares whether we live or die? His majesty is our son but he does not visit us instead he visits that old hag and that dead bitch far more than he does us, thest time he came to see us was when it was the new year and ever since then he hasn¡¯te to our courtyard if we were to ignore the time when he came to call Hui Ying¡± Dowager Empress was furious when she thought about how her son didn¡¯t pay any attention to her. ¡± His majesty has been hoodwinked by that bitch from the Ji family, your majesty,¡± the mammy hurried to pick up the shards of the tea cup such that no one will get hurt as she cajoled Dowager empress. ¡± If not for Grand Dowager Empress making a move so many years ago, his majesty would have seen the true face of the Ji family long ago.¡± ¡± A bitch is a bitch no matter what,¡± Dowager Empress agreed as her eyes shed ruthlessly. ¡± That Ji Yu is no different from that bitch who made our life hell, we hope that Hui Ying will be able to win the heart of his majesty or else she won¡¯t even know what will happen to her life. Maybe she will lose her child and husband as we did in the past.¡± .... While the Dowager Empress was raging in her courtyard, Liu Hui Ying arrived at the tomb together with the Emperor, the two of them came down the pnquin and then Zhai Tianyu sent the pnquin bearers away from the tomb. ¡± Stay there and keep your distance for the time being and onlye here when we call for you.¡± The pnquin bearers all lowered their heads as they epted their orders and then turned to walk away from the tomb while Liu Hui Ying walked inside the small tomb that was built at a certain distance away from the imperial family on the ground where the members of imperial wereid to rest. Zhai Chenguang¡¯s tomb was simple with a coffin sitting in the middle, there was a portrait of Zhai Chenguang hanging on top of the tablet with a bunch of incense burning in front of the tablet, as soon as they arrived at the tomb, the caretaker of the ce came running as he burst inside the small tomb and then kneeled behind the two of them while shouting loudly, ¡°This lowly one, greets his majesty!¡± .... As promised you all will get extra chapters from tomorrow. Chapter 150 150 Lift up the lid ¡± There is no need for you to bow so low, Mister Wu,¡± Zhai Tianyu crouched down as he helped the man who was crouching on the floor and then helped him to stand up straight. ¡± You have been taking great care of this ce, it¡¯s all thanks to you that this ce is so clean despite the absence of our presence for months.¡± ¡± This is what I am supposed to do your majesty, taking care of the rest of those who have departed on their other world journey,¡± Mister Wu politely replied before turning to look at Liu Hui Ying who was standing to the side of the grave examining the entire tomb with a great curiosity seeing her like this, Mister Wu couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at Zhai Tianyu who was helping him. ¡± Your majesty, this is...?¡± Zhai Tianyu didn¡¯t know what to say to Mister Wu, this man was loyal to him but at the same time, he did not want to disclose the identity of the Queen. Even if someone was loyal to him, it did not mean that there will be no such thing as a change of heart which was why he turned to the man and repeated what he has told others, ¡± This young man is my friend, we used to y together when we were kids.¡± ¡± Oh is that so!¡± Mister Wu¡¯s face lost all the suspicions from before as he turned to nce at Liu Hui Ying and then bowed respectfully, ¡± Good day to you my lord.¡± Liu Hui Ying was studying the tomb when she heard the old man greet her, she nodded in response to his greeting before she said, ¡± Good day to you too sir.¡± She might have no good feelings for men but that does not mean she will be rude to an elderly like Mister Wu as well. ¡± You are here to pray with his majesty as well, sir?¡± Mister Wu asked Liu Hui Ying, he has watched Zhai Tianyu grow up in front of him which was why he was like an old grandpa whenever he saw Zhai Tianyu bringing his friends here, Mister Wu knew that under the pressure of the Wu family, Zhai Tianyu has never been able to befriend a lot of people which was why he always felt happy when he saw Zhai Tianyu with people whom he could trust. ¡± Yes, you can say that,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied before she swept her gaze at the tomb, she did not feel any Yin energy from this tomb but she did feel as if someone hase in here and their energy was visibly different than the old man who took care of this ce. ¡± I see then I will leave the two of you alone,¡± the old man bowed his head before turning on his heels and then walking out of the tomb leaving Liu Hui Ying and Zhai Tianyu alone in the tomb, once the man was gone, Zhai Tianyu turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was surveying the coffin now that she was done looking around the entire ce. ..... ¡± When are you going to start looking at the body of our aunt?¡± He asked when he saw Liu Hui Ying standing in front of the grave with her arms folded. Did she have some superhuman powers that she was able to look through the coffin as well? ¡± When you lift the lid of the coffin,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied calmly as she turned to look at the man who looked at her in shock and surprise. ¡± You want us to lift the lid of the coffin?¡± Zhai Tianyu asked, his voice full of exasperation as he looked at the woman in front of him, was she seriously asking the Emperor to lift the lid of a coffin? ¡± What? You want me to lift it? What kind of man will you be if you were to ask a woman to do something while standing on the side?¡± Liu Hui Ying said in a mocking voice as she pointed to the grave and said, ¡± You are the man, you do it.¡± Zhai Tianyu stared at the woman in front of him before he twisted his neck to the side and then grounded his teeth, ¡± She can touch a dead body but she does not want to lift the lid of the coffin, what a fussy woman.¡± ¡± Did you say something?¡± ¡± Nothing, my queen.¡± ¡± I thought so.¡± Liu Hui Ying narrowed her eyes as she turned to look at the coffin and tipped her chin at it and said, ¡± Go on, open it.¡± Knowing that there was no way he would be able to get away with this, Zhai Tianyu pursed his lips and rolled his sleeves up as he walked over to the coffin and then started lifting the lid from the coffin, the coffin was made of pure marble something that Zhai Tianyu had paid a rather huge sum for but now that he was picking up the heavy marble lid, he realised that he was a bit too stupid for doing that. ¡± What? Don¡¯t tell me that you cannot even pick up a marble lid.¡± Liu Hui Ying taunted from behind causing Zhai Tianyu to grit his teeth in anger, this woman ...can¡¯t she stay silent for a few minutes? Was it necessary for her to taunt him like this now and then? With a little use of his spiritual energy, he was able to lift the lid and ce it on the side before turning to look at Liu Hui Ying and smirking at her smugly, seeing his smug smile Liu Hui Ying scoffed before she walked over to the coffin and took a look at the body that was lying inside it, for a second she was surprised to see that the body of Zhai Chenguang was in such a wonderful condition when she heard that Zhai Chenguang has been dead for a very long time she expected her body to have deteriorated badly but now that she was looking at the intact corpse with hardly any damage she could not help but say, ¡± You have got some wonderful skincare here.¡± Chapter 151 151 Novice ¡°It¡¯s just a concoction that slows down the process of damaging a body and nothing else,¡± Zhai Tianyu did not understand what Liu Hui Ying meant by ¡®skin care¡¯ but he did understand that she was in awe upon seeing that his aunt skin was not damaged. ¡± Yeah I know but this is really amazing,¡± Liu Hui Ying nodded as she turned to look at Jia Li who nodded in return and then rolled up her sleeves. ¡± All right let¡¯s get down to business shall we?¡± She turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who was looking queasy at the mention of her tearing and examining the body and somewhat sympathetically said, ¡± You can go out if you feel sick.¡± ¡± No, it¡¯s all right if I was to go out then there will be trouble,¡± Zhai Tianyu shook his head, if he was to go out then Mister Wu will certainly ask why he left Liu Hui Ying alone in the tomb and queue in will the questions that he will find ufortable. ¡± As you wish but if you throw up then I am kicking you out of the tomb got it?¡± As she spoke she took out a white handkerchief and ced it on the spot where Zhai Chenguang was stabbed and then turned to look at Jia Li before saying, ¡± You can take it away from here.¡± ¡± Aye Aye, boss!¡± Jia Li made another set of signs before she summoned the set of forensic instruments that she used in the modern world. She took a pair of sses out of her box before she ced it on the bridge of her nose and then rummaged with her fingers before taking out a scalpel and a pair of handles, that was more like hooked metal straws. ¡°I will be starting now,¡± she announced to everyone before she raised her hands up and then took a look at Zhai Tianyu. ¡± We are not joking when we said that we kick you out if you throw up make sure that you don¡¯t even think of throwing up, I hate it when people do that, it makes me think that you are looking down on my profession, got it?¡± ¡± I understand,¡± Zhai Tianyu sensed that neither Jia Li nor Liu Hui Ying was joking which was why he nodded and agreed with what they were saying at once, seeing that Zhai Tianyu has buckled up, Jia Li brought her hands down and then made a tear on the handkerchief causing the threads that were holding the skin to open up as well. Liu Hui Ying stepped forward and took a look at the tear, her eyes skimming over the tear that Jia Li made and watched as Jia Li studied the wound, her eyes noticing every single detail as she turned her hand to the side and asked, ¡± Hand me the paper and brush.¡± ¡± Here you go,¡± Li Gang handed the paper and brush with ink stone that Liu Hui Ying has asked him to bring with him. ..... Once Liu Hui Ying grasped the paper and brush in her hands she turned to look at the wounds again before she ced the tomb over the surface of the coffin that was t and started drawing. Seeing Liu Hui Ying work together with Jia Li, Zhai Tianyu turned to look at Grandma Lan Fen and asked in a calm voice, ¡± What is she doing?¡± Compared to Li Gang, he found Grandma Lan Fen a little more sociable which was why he was willing to talk to her more importantly at the moment Li Gang was ring at him for some reason he did not know about at all. ¡± Oh, she? She is drawing the weapon that was used to kill your aunt, when one is looking for the culprit it is important for us to look for every possible clue that is possible,¡± Grandma Lan Fen replied in a good-natured manner. ¡± I see,¡± Zhai Tianyu nodded before turning to look at Liu Hui Ying who was still working on the paper. Zhai Tianyu did not know how long it took but by the time Liu Hui Ying was done, the door of the tomb was pushed open and he watched his brother together with Yu Lingyun walk in, his eyebrow jumped as he looked at the two men and asked, ¡± Why are you two here?¡± ¡± We found out that you came to the tomb with someone, so we came looking for you,¡± Zhai Heng answered as he looked over at Liu Hui Ying who was finishing up thest touches of her painting and asked, ¡± Is that the queen¡¯s man?¡± ¡± She is the queen,¡± replied Zhai Tianyu and no sooner did he say that Yu Lingyun turned to look at Liu Hui Ying with shock in his eyes as he squeaked, ¡± This is the queen?¡± ¡± Yes, you have something to say about that?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked as she raised a brow and looked at the two men who came uninvited. And then motioned for them toe closer, though Yu Lingyun and Zhai Heng were shocked when they saw Liu Hui Ying dressed as a man given the things that she could do, this much was still believable. So, they soon got over their shock and then walked over to where Liu Hui Ying was asking toe over. ¡± Look here,¡± she took the scalpel from Jia Li and then started showing the wound that was still the same even after being sewn together. ¡± If we ignore the wound caused by the wooden nk that was shoved inside after the murderer was done killing your aunt, you can see that there are many miniatures wounds, that are hidden under the skin...it¡¯s impossible to see without using the scalpel and hook but now I am sure that you can see them, you can right?¡± When Liu Hui Ying asked this question, the men in question nodded. Seeing that they have understood, she went on with what she wanted to say and then added swiftly, ¡± These wounds are not made in an even pattern instead they are like someone used a pestle to grind something, there are too many stab marks that makes it impossible for you to see it clearly. But if you see it carefully, you will be able to see that there is this alteration which shows that the person behind this is a novice... the person who killed your aunt was not an assassin instead this was done by someone who has never killed before .... In short, your aunt was killed by someone whom she trusted very much.¡± Chapter 152 152 Theory ¡± You ..are you trying to say that the person who killed our aunt was ...¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s eyes widened, it wasn¡¯t that he hasn¡¯t thought about it, he has but the thing was that he was willing to believe that something like this was impossible after all, his aunt¡¯s inws and close friends were really good to her but now he realised that those people were no different than the people in the imperial pce while smiling at their faces they all were waiting for the right time to kill his aunt. ¡± But that is impossible,¡± Zhai Cheng was the first one to refuse the notion as he looked at Liu Hui Ying, he wasn¡¯t willing to ept that the person who killed his aunt was someone whom he trusted, how could someone throw dirt in his eyes and kill his aunt right under his nose? It was impossible! ¡± I know that this is the most difficult thing for you to ept but it will be better for you to believe it as soon as possible,¡± Liu Hui Ying stayed firm as she looked at the men in front of her before she showed them the scars that week hidden under the deep gash that was left behind by the gash left by the wooden nk. ¡± If you carefully look at the stab, you will see that it is being covered by multiple stab marks, and these stab marks are made in a rather unprofessional way like the person who made these stabs did not have a stable hand while holding the sword.¡± She then walked over to the drawing of the weapon that was used in the killing of Zhai Chenguang and then solemnly continued, ¡± The stab marks are thinner than the usual swords and the fact that the person who stabbed your aunt did not have a stable hand only proves that the person who is behind this killing is a person who has never picked up a sword in their entire life, which was why they gave the order of a light sword to be made.¡± ¡± But..¡± she paused as she once again walked back to Zhai Chenguang¡¯s body and then looked at the stab wound again, her eyes flickering at the small bumps and uneven stab marks that were thin at the end but wider at the middle before continuing, ¡± But it seemed that the person who was behind this was someone in a hurry, they did give out the order for this sword to be made but then they seemed to have found out about the trip that your aunt was taking which was why they have taken this sword half made.¡± She took off the sses that magnified her vision and handed them over to Zhai Tianyu, seeing that he was hesitating she frowned. ¡± What is it?¡± ¡± That... it¡¯s my aunt, how can I ...¡± he felt a bit awkward peering at the stab wound since it was right over his aunt¡¯s heart. No matter what his aunt was still a woman how can he even look at her chest this closely? ¡± What nonsense !¡± Liu Hui Ying thrust the sses that she had in his hands and then scoffed. ¡± You need to understand that when a person dies they are no longer a man or woman, they are just a body since there is no life in left in them which is why. And it is better for you to see the piece of evidence that I am finding with me, lest you or anyone say that I am wronging someone else by saving someone.¡± As she spoke, she turned to look at Zhai Heng who flushed red in shame and then lowered his head as he stared at the body that was in the coffin in front of him and then heaved a breath before he turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and nodded. ¡± You should take a look since the queen is asking¨C¡± ..... ¡°I am not asking, I am just saying this because I do not want to be troubled,¡± Liu Hui Ying interrupted before Zhai Heng could finish speaking, she narrowed her eyes and then slightly gave him a side eye before she continued speaking, ¡± I know that you three still do not trust me yet that is the only reason I am willing to share this investigation with you three, usually I do not allow the members of the dead to see the procedure of the investigation.¡± She then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and said, ¡± Go on and take a look, we don¡¯t want you to suspect meter on in case you don¡¯t think things are not adding up.¡± Zhai Tianyu hesitated for a while before he sighed and then ced the weird-looking sses on the bridge of his nose. As soon as he ced the sses on his eyes, he realised that the things in front of him seemed to have suddenly be erged as he turned his gaze at the wound that Liu Hui Ying has carefully spread open, he could indeed see the uneven stab marks that were not visible without the sses that he was wearing. ¡± As you can see the marks are uneven, some of the marks are thinner at the edge but if you look carefully you will see that the wound are thicker in the middle,¡± Liu Hui Ying told him and Zhai Tianyu did look at the centre of the wound and he was surprised to find that the wound was indeed a bit thicker whenpared to the edge, after looking he gave the sses to Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun one by one such that they can see it too. While the three men were looking at the wounds, Liu Hui Ying continued with the theory that she hase up with. ¡± From what I think is that the person behind did not have the information of your aunt¡¯s trip but found out about it suddenly which was why they took the sword that was unfinished to kill your aunt but the sword being heavier than they could hold ended up causing the stab marks to be uneven like this, they must have thought that it might give them away which is why they stabbed your aunt with something bigger to hide their wed murder.¡± Chapter 153 153 Who is in charge? ¡± This...¡± Zhai Heng was done looking at the stab wound and now his heart was in chaos, he has thought that the person who was behind the murder of his aunt was from the Liu family but now that he was looking at the stab wound he realised that he was thinking in the wrong direction. The Liu family might be the most ruthless family of all the families in the imperial city but they never dirtied their hands, they believed that they were too noble for doing something like this which was why they always hired an assassin to kill anyone who came on their target list. So, if this was not done by the Liu family then who was the one who did this? Zhai Heng bit his lips as he thought about everything that might have gone down but even after thinking it over and over again, he could note up with a decent conclusion while looking at Zhai Tianyu who was narrowing his eyes peculiarly he knew that his younger brother did not know anything better than him. ¡°If someone knew about everything about your aunt, then I am afraid that they were either with her all day long or someone whom she trusted a bit too much to hide her actions from,¡± Liu Hui Ying summed up her theory as she pushed the drawing that she has made while looking at the wound. On the paper was a sword drawn with careful precision, one look at it and Zhai Tianyu thought that it was made by some sort of a skilled artisan, he looked at the drawing of the sword and then asked, ¡± Do you want me to look for who was the one who made this sword?¡± ¡± No,¡± Liu Hui Ying shook her head with a solemn look in her eyes. ¡± The reason I drew that was to tell you that this was the weapon we are going to look for and on the basis of the sword, we can narrow down the list of suspects.¡± As she finished speaking, she turned to look at Zhai Chenguang who was staring at the drawing of the sword and asked, ¡± How many people you had next to you when you were alive, Miss Zhai.¡± ¡± I ... there was a lot of maids with whom I use to live with but I did not tell them everything that was going on in my life... there was, of course, my mammy and personal maid but,¡± Zhai Chenguang remembered the time she spent with her mammy and personal maid before she bit her lips and clenched her fingers tightly, she has never thought that she would be betrayed like this but she still could not believe that those two women would betray her and the reason was ¨C. ¡± But they were selected by mother, they would not betray me.¡± The mammy and the personal maid both of them were selected by the Grand Dowager Empress, even though Zhai Chenguang and her husband schr Wei married after falling in love, the old Grand Dowager Empress was still worried that her daughter will be bullied which was why she sent her own people in the Wei house, the mammy and personal maid being one of them. ¡°In such a situation it¡¯s better to bring them under the suspect list,¡± Liu Hui Ying said not caring about how upset Zhai Chenguang will be after finding out that she might have been betrayed by someone whom she has trusted but there was nothing that she could do either. She was here to work, not go all go go and ga ga with Zhai Chenguang, if she was to sympathise with her then how was she supposed to work? ..... She then turned to look at Zhai Chenguang and asked, ¡± Anyone else?¡± ¡± No one else¨C¡± Zhai Chenguang began but Liu Hui Ying shook her head as she crossed her arms in front of her and then exined the question that she has asked a bit more clearly. ¡± What I wanted to ask was the people you were close to, that includes your husband and everyone else rted to him or you.¡± Zhai Chenguang got immediately worked up when she heard Liu Hui Ying suspect her husband, she hysterically shook her head and then said, ¡± There is no way that my husband would be involved, he was on a lecture and the city where he was, is at a distance of two days away from the imperial city there is no way that he will be involved in the killing.¡± ¡± She is right,¡± Zhai Tianyu too chimed in and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying, he knew that she was just doing her work but he has to admit that his uncle-inw was not someone who would kill his aunt given that he has always cared about his aunt, when his aunt died, his uncle inw stayed next to her grave for a very long time, he woulde to see her every night and did not leave till the morning. ¡± Schr Wei is not someone who would do something like this,¡± he confirmed and Liu Hui Ying snorted. ¡± Who is the one overlooking the case and investigating?¡± Liu Hui Ying questioned as she looked at the man in front of her. ¡°It is you, my queen,¡± Zhai Tianyu replied feeling a bit awkward as Liu Hui Ying smiled at him and then sweetly said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I am the one who is in charge of this investigation, so would you please leave it to me? If you think you can do it better than you are free to do so...¡± she paused as her face twisted maliciously. ¡± If you think you can.¡± Zhai Tianyu took a step back as he looked at the expression on the face of Liu Hui Ying, when Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun looked at him with a pathetic expressions on their faces, he narrowed his eyes and then hissed under his breath, ¡°If you two think that you can deal with this matter much better than me why don¡¯t you try?¡± Zhai Heng: ¡°.....¡± Yu Lingyun: ¡°.....¡± Both of them took a look at Liu Hui Ying¡¯s expression and then took a step back simultaneously. They could not deal with this woman. Chapter 154 154 Where is the evidence hidden? ¡± Now, that we are done crossing the obstruction that was ever so minutely raised..why don¡¯t you tell me who you were closed with?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked again, her voice was still sweet as she turned her head slightly to the front such that she was looking at Zhai Chenguang again, when she turned her head to look at Zhai Chenguang, thetter was still hesitating, seeing that Zhai Chenguang was still not speaking Liu Hui Ying rubbed her forehead and then decided to go back to her usual state. ¡± Come on, do you want me to use my hands and make you spit everything out?¡± Liu Hui Ying¡¯s expression changed as she threatened Zhai Chenguang. ¡± If you waste my time then I will have you known I will raise my price as well, do you want me to suck your precious nephew¡¯s blood now? If you want then you can go ahead and waste my time. Anyway, your nephew will be the one who will have to pay for it.¡± ¡± My husband and his disciple,¡± Zhai Chenguang replied, she knew that Liu Hui Ying will really do what she was saying and she did not want to trouble her nephew anymore than she has already done which was why she lowered her head and told what Liu Hui Ying was asking her. ¡± My husband was the one who was closest to me and his disciple Ren Shu Chen was the one who stayed with me when my husband left for work, the two of them were the only ones with whom I spent my time.¡± ¡°That Ren Shu Chen, are they a woman?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked Zhai Chenguang who shook her head and replied, ¡± He is a man, he was adopted by my husband when his friend died and ever since then the two of them have been living like a schr master and disciple.¡± ¡± A man huh?¡± Liu Hui Ying pondered carefully as she tapped her chin and then looked at the coffin that still had a lingering Yang energy, one could see that the person who came to see Zhai Chenguang was a man as well but together with him was a woman because there was a hint of Yin energy. If the disciple of Schr Wei was a man then this woman can be his lover, since Schr Wei had an alibi. ording to what Zhai Chenguang said, she was heading to see her husband in the next city and from what she has heard the man was in the next city that was at a distance of two days away from the imperial city. Meaning that schr Wei more or less had an alibi that could prove that he was not at the imperial city. ¡± This disciple, did he leave the city with your husband?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked to which Zhai Chenguang nodded in surprise. ¡± Disciple Ren did go with my husband. But because he broke his ankle, he departed a dayter but he still left before I decided to go to my husband, there is no way that he would have known that I was leaving.¡± ¡± Hmm.¡± Liu Hui Ying pursed her lips before she turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and said, ¡± Where did the ident take ce again?¡± ..... .... The cliff where Zhai Chenguang¡¯s ident took ce was at a distance of three hours from the imperial city, it was a deste cliff with nothing but sandy dunes and a narrow path that led to the other city, because this time period did not have anything that was called dynamite which was the cliff was carved in a way that a narrow path was made out of it which was why the carriage driver was driving the carriage really carefully by the time Liu Hui Ying and the others arrived at the top of the cliff, the sun was on the way to set down. ¡± This is where it happened,¡± as Zhai Tianyu stepped out of the carriage and then waited for Liu Hui Ying to step out before he pointed to the path that has caved in after thendslide that took Zhai Chenguang took ce. The entire path was still half covered in dried mud and stones, and only the part that was dug up to rescue Zhai Chenguang was clear other than that the entire ce was full of dirt and debris. Liu Hui Ying peered at the caved-in path before she turned to look at the t surface of the cliff, her eyes surveying the entire space before she took out the beads of blood that she has taken from Grand Dowager Empress from her hand where she has been wearing it for a long time to refine it in a good weapon to be used. She did not think that it wille in handy so soon thought but it was a good thing that she has been refining it for a long time, and now she will finally be able to use it. ¡± But why are we here?¡± Zhai Tianyu asked, he did not see why Liu Hui Ying asked them toe back here when he has been telling her that there was nothing on this cliff. ¡± My soldiers have already searched this entire ce and yet they have found nothing, I don¡¯t think that we will find anything here.¡± ¡± That is where you are wrong,¡± Liu Hui Ying told him as she smiled at the cliff that has been left alone for a very long time. ¡°It¡¯s true that your soldiers did not find anything but ...¡± she paused causing Zhai Tianyu to stiffen. ¡± That is when they were looking around, that is to say on the day when you all found out that Zhai Chenguang is dead but after that did either of youe to look at this ce?¡± She turned her head over her shoulders and then looked at the Zhai Tianyu. After realising what Liu Hui Ying said, Zhai Tinayu¡¯s mind started to function at a rapid speed as he shook his head in response. ¡± You mean to say¨C¡± ¡± The perfect ce to hide a piece of evidence is where no one will look ever again.¡± Chapter 155 155 the weapon ¡± The perfect way to hide evidence of a murder is either to destroy it but if it cannot be destroyed then it is to hide it somewhere no one can find,¡± Liu Hui Ying undid the string that was curled around her wrist and then continued speaking, ¡± For example lets say that a wife who wants to hide her savings from her alcoholic husband, she won¡¯t hide it somewhere her husband will look for it, instead she will hide it in a ce where her husband will not even think about looking for it, that is to say in his own belonging.¡± She then threw the string of beads that were on her hand in the air and then watched it fall from the air to the floor. ¡± The killer still seems to be visiting the grave of your aunt which means that they are still feeling a bit smug about the kill that they have made without being caught which is why I think that instead of destroying the weapon, they must have hidden it somewhere you can look for it but haven¡¯t which is why it is like a rewarding and thrilling experience for them.¡± Liu Hui Ying turned her head and looked at Zhai Tianyu whoseplexion has gone rather bad and smiled, ¡± To fool the Emperor I think they are feeling quite good about this.¡± ¡± Those bastards!¡± Yu Lingyun¡¯s face flushed in anger as he realised what Liu Hui Ying was trying to exin, the ones in charge of investigating the happening were his soldiers, to think that the culprits behind the killing of Zhai Chenguang could fool him like this. They actually hid the evidence here right where he has spent hours looking for something that would exin what might have happened with Zhai Chenguang, now that he has found out what actually happened, he could not help but get furious. If Yu Lingyun was furious then Zhai Tianyu¡¯s anger simply knew no limits at all, he could not believe that someone has made a fool out of him but as he looked at the string of beads that have fallen on the ground, what he could not understand was why would someone think of something so sinister and even spent so many efforts to fool him? ¡± Maybe they have a grudge against you or the imperial family,¡± Liu Hui Ying answered as she raised her hand and then took out a knife that Zhai Tianyu hasn¡¯t seen her carry before she walked over to where the strings were ced and then dragged the sharp end of the knife on the back of her palm, a long gash appeared on her palm yet Liu Hui Ying did not even flinch as she picked the knife that has cut her skin in half and then ced it over the string of beads letting the drop of blood fall on it. Her actions were so swift and ruthless that even Zhai Tianyu did not know what to say, it was only when she turned to look at him and then further continued to speak in a low voice did he snap out of his daze. ¡± That person must have had a deep grudge against the imperial family which is why their specifically targeted your aunt and even left the evidence intact such that they will be able toe back again and again and see what kind of amazing feat they have done years ago.¡± ¡°That is..¡± Zhai Tianyu did not get the chance to finish speaking as the string of beads started to smoke and then the entire space was surrounded in ck fumes like night have already fallen. ..... ¡± What the... what is going on?¡± Yu Lingyun shouted as he looked left and right but before he could even look for a way out, he saw a multitude of shadows on horses looking around for something, he saw the ck figures and then his eyes widened as he turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who solemnly said, ¡± This is an echo of what happened that day.¡± ¡± Ding Dong, you are right.¡± Liu Hui Ying said in a sing-song voice as she turned to look at the sight that was happening in front of her. ¡± This is simply a mirage repetition of what happened that day and how you all were looking for evidence because I have a feeling that the murderer might havee to hide his weapon here after everything turned silent, we are going to see where exactly he might have hidden it on this big cliff.¡± And in front of them, as the shadows on horses vanished, a figure after a few minutes limped out, their long hair flying behind them wildly from the shadow of the figure one could see that it was a man but no sooner did the man rushed at the cliff, another figure, one that was smaller and petite rushed towards him and in the hands of the shadow was a sword like a lengthy rod. Zhai Tianyu and the others watched as the two shadows talked with each other before they started digging the space a bit further away from them, as they crouched down to bury the sword the mirage vanished and then Zhai Tianyu turned to look at Yu Lingyun to tell him that he needed to dig the sword out but he did not even need to do that because Yu Lingyun who have taken great personal offence over being fooled by someone was already on his way to dig the sword out. Even Zhai Heng who was upset at the thought of being fooled by aplete novice walked over to the spot where he watched the two people bury the sword, it was funny. He was the headmander and yet he was fooled by someone who did not even know how to kill someone! The two of them did not have any digging tools with them unlike the shadows who were carrying a digging tool with them but they still somehow managed to dig the spot. How? With the use of their spiritual Qi, Yu Lingyun did not even need a digging tool instead he simply used his sword to destroy a part of the cliff with ease causing a cloth-covered old sword with blood spots on the cloth as well its de to surface. Chapter 156 156 What now ? ¡°It really is here,¡± Yu Lingyun gasped as he looked at the sword that was buried in the ground, he did not think that something like this could have happened but now that he was looking at the sword that was in front of him, he realised that he was indeed fooled by someone. ¡± That damned killer!¡± Upon realising that they were fooled by a novice killer, Yu Lingyun wished to jump down the cliff and end his life. He was the prideful general of the imperial army, the general who have won multiple wars but was actually fooled by someone who did not even know how to kill someone. Zhai Tianyu¡¯s face was even more sombre, he looked at the bloodied sword and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was standing on the side with a calm expression on her face. ¡± What should we do now?¡± ¡± Cover it with a cloth and bring it with you,¡± Liu Hui Ying told him, she had no idea how she was going to get the fingerprints of all three people who were involved in the case but it was still better for her to search for those whose fingerprints could be found, that way she would be able to deal with this matter as quickly as possible. If the fingerprints turned out to be one of the maids or the nanny then she did not have to chase after the disciple and the husband of Zhai Chenguang. But in any case with the help of the fingerprints, she would be able to get hold of the situation rather well by narrowing the suspects¡¯ list in either way. ¡°Cover it with cloth and bring it with you,¡± Zhai Tianyu turned to Yu Lingyun and ordered, he did not dare to go against Liu Hui Ying now that he knew that she was this skilled in solving a case that has been under the wraps for so long, with her help they were able to find the clues so quickly, there was no need for her them to ignore her anymore. ¡± I understand, your majesty.¡± Yu Lingyun bowed his head as he epted Zhai Tianyu¡¯s order and then bent double in front of the sword before taking out a handkerchief from his pocket. The handkerchief that men used was ratherrge and thus, itpletely covered the sword with ease, he did not even leave the handle alone. Only after covering the swordpletely, did he pick it up from the ground and then stood up from the ground. Now that the weapon that was used to kill Zhai Chenguang was in their hands, Liu Hui Ying was certain that she would be able to catch hold of the culprit who was behind this murder very soon! ..... ... The four of them returned to the pce very quickly, Zhai Tianyu who wanted to get even closer to the culprit asked the carriage driver to drive the carriage at the fastest speed possible. No sooner did they arrive at the imperial pce, Zhai Tianyu asked everyone to follow him to his study, seeing that the emperor was not in a good mood no one in the imperial pce dared to even let out the smallest sound. The maids who were walking knelt at once as for the guards, they lowered their heads not even daring to breathe loudly, among these people there was a person who did not know what was going on and that person was none other than concubine Ji. Ji Yu heard from her maid Xiaolin that the emperor have left the imperial pce, at first she thought it was the Empress but then Xiaolin eased her worries by telling her that it was a man. However, Ji Yu still felt a bit worried when she remembered how the Emperor hasn¡¯te to see her even when she left the room of the grand dowager Empress in anger. This has never happened before, Zhai Tianyu always cared about her the most and he has alwayse to her whenever she got angry with him, but yesterday he didn¡¯te and this change made her heart unsettled, throughout the entire night she rolled left and right but she did not felt at ease. During this time she was reminded of what Grand Dowager Empress told her, that for the sake of making sure that the Emperor do not forget her and for that she needed to make sure that she visits him every now and then. If this was before, she would not have worried about this..after all, she was sure that Zhai Tianyu will not care about any other woman. That man was so focused on his n of getting his revenge that he has never cared about any woman but the thing was that ever since Liu Hui Ying came into their life, Ji Yu was feeling sort of weird feelings in her heart like she was going to lose something important. This was why she couldn¡¯t calm her heart down, she thought that today she will go and have breakfast with Zhai Tianyu but before she could leave her courtyard she found out that the emperor left the pce. ¡± Your highness, his majesty is now back!¡± Xiaolin knew that her missy was in a bad mood because of not being able to have breakfast with the Emperor, which was why she was keeping an eye on the imperial pce of the Emperor. When she saw the carriage of the Emperor stopping in front of the gates of the Majestic pce that belonged to the Emperor, she rushed back at once. ¡± He is back?¡± Ji Yu was trying to read one of her books but no matter how much she tried to focus on it, she could not even think of a way to read a single word, after all, her head waspletely lost in what happened yesterday. Her head was in a daze to the point where she could not even think of anything other than Zhai Tianyu and his sudden loss of affection towards her. So, when she heard that he was back, Ji Yu immediately jumped off her seat with a glittering smile on her face. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 157 157 Romanticising his concubine ¡± Help me get ready and ask the kitchen to heat the soup that I have brewed ever since the morning,¡± Ji Yu hurriedly ordered as she walked over to the mirror on her cab, her shows that were tied loosely on her feet nked on the floor. She walked towards the cab and then crouched down to drag the stool back, but she was stopped by Xiaolin who caught hold of the stool and then pulled it back. ¡°Please leave such things to me, your highness,¡± Xiaolin told her as she pulled the stool back and then helped her missy sit down on the stool she bent down and then pick up the small red blush that was sitting on the table, with the help of a delicate and small cloth sponge she applied the red blush on the cheeks of Ji Yu causing her already red cheeks to flush even more. After applying the blush, Xiaolin put the small wooden container back on the table and then picked up the red rogue that was applied on the lips of a woman. She picked up the delicate brush that was used to apply the red rogue and then applied it on the lips of Ji Yu, like this, she continued to prepare Ji Yu for her meeting with the Emperor. It did not take long for Ji Yu to get ready and the soup that she has asked Xiaolin to heat up was also ready by the time she walked out of the courtyard, with her face red with excitement, Ji Yu walked over to the imperial pce of the Emperor. .. Liu Hui Ying has just stepped out of the carriage when she noticed a woman walking towards their direction. Seeing Ji Yu walk over to their carriage, she stepped away from the Emperor who was in front of her, she did not want to get involved in whatever was going to happen now. When Zhai Tianyu saw that Liu Hui Ying has stepped away from him, a frown appeared on his face. Why was this woman stepping away from him? His question was answered almost at once as Ji Yu walked closer to him and greeted him sweetly, ¡± This Concubine greets you, your majesty.¡± He did not know why but when he saw Ji Yu appear in front of him while Liu Hui Ying was standing beside him, he suddenly felt like he has been caught in some sort of affair. No...no it should be the other way around right? He should be feeling guilty towards Ji Yu right? Why was he feeling guilty towards Liu Hui Ying? And for what? He turned to look at Liu Hui Ying, who was looking somewhere else while humming, it was as if she was giving him the privacy to talk with Ji Yu. This woman, does she not feel jealous of him, even the slightest bit? ..... ¡± Your majesty?¡± Ji Yu called again and this time Zhai Tianyu turned to look at the woman who was standing beside him. He was slightly annoyed by Ji Yu¡¯s disruption but he thought of it as nothing but simple annoyance because of the dy in solving the case of his aunt. ¡± Is there something that I can help you with, concubine Ji?¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s voice was soft and he did not seem to be annoyed at her at all but for some reason, Ji Yu felt that there was something off about Zhai Tianyu, however, she ignored it as nothing but tiredness after working so hard and smiled, ¡± I have brought something for you, your majesty. I heard that you haven¡¯t had your breaks yet, why don¡¯t you give the opportunity of having breakfast to this concubine?¡± Ji Yu¡¯s request was nothing big and Zhai Tianyu knew that as well but for some reason he was annoyed by the request that she has put forth but there was no reason for him to refuse what she has asked him, right? Then why doesn¡¯t he want to agree to her request? ¡± Your majesty?¡± Ji Yu looked at Zhai Tianyu with her smile dropping off her face as she looked at the man who was not replying to her. In the past he agreed with whatever she wanted at once, so why was it that he was no longer replying to her the way he used to, but why? ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± seeing that Ji Yu was no longer smiling and seemed to be on the verge of crying, Zhai Tianyu felt his heart droop with guilt. This woman came to the imperial pce because of him but now he was acting like this towards her, he turned to look at Zhai Heng, Yu Lingyun and Liu Hui Ying especially Liu Hui Ying who was watching him with curiosity. ¡± I will return to the meeting in a minute, please wait for me a little,¡± Zhai Tianyu told them but he was actually speaking to Liu Hui Ying, if Liu Hui Ying was a woman who knew about the feelings of a man, she would have understood that the man in front of her was actually pleading to her but it was an unfortunate situation for Zhai Tianyu because Liu Hui Ying did not have any idea about the feeling of a man. She nodded without a care in the world and said, ¡± We will wait for you, your majesty.¡± But in her head, she was already thinking of moving on to the next step, since the Emperor wanted to waste his time romancing his concubine then why should she waste her time over him? Zhai Tianyu too understood that Liu Hui Ying did not understand what he was trying to tell her, he sighed and then turned to look at the two men who were standing next to her and then said, ¡± I will be back, do not move on to the next point of the investigation without Zhen.¡± ¡± We understand,¡± both Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun agreed with what Zhai Tianyu said but as they thought about how forceful Liu Hui Ying could be they were no longer as confident as they were before. Chapter 158 158 Fingerprints ¡°Let¡¯s get on with this,¡± Liu Hui Ying asked Yu Lingyun to ce the sword that he has brought with him on the study table, now she was going to make an imprint of the fingerprints that were left on the des and the handle of the sword since this world did not have the fine dusting powder and the fine dusting brushes that were used by the experts. Unlike her who had both regr and maic powder to detect the fingerprints sticking on the surface of the sword. Seeing that she was starting with the investigation, Yu Lingyun turned to look at Zhai Heng and tugged on his sleeve as he said, ¡± Do something, she is starting her work. His majesty asked us to not start until he returns, he will be really unhappy if he was toe and find that we are already on the third step.¡± ¡± If you were so worried, then why did you hand the sword to her?¡± Zhai Heng hissed at the man who was acting up behind him and then red at him with his eyes. ¡± You were scared of her, so you gave her the sword and now you are asking me to do something? You coward.¡± ¡°I ...I am the general of the imperial army, how dare you call me a coward?¡± Yu Lingyun retorted with an upset expression on his face. ¡± If that is the case then you tell her that she needs to stop,¡± Zhai Heng pulled Yu Lingyun to the front but the man started to pull his arm away from Zhai Heng¡¯s hold and then lowered his voice as he said, ¡± Fine, I am not scared of the enemy armies but this woman scares the living daylight out of me, all right? You happy now?¡± Zhai Heng was no longer as happy as he was supposed to be because now that Yu Lingyun has pulled back, it was his responsibility to take the matter of telling Liu Hui Ying to stop his hands. But there was no other choice, so even though Zhai Heng did not want to say anything to Liu Hui Ying, he had no choice but to take a deep breath and say, ¡± Your majesty, the Emperor told us to wait¨C¡± However, the rest of his words were interrupted when Liu Hui Ying raised her head and then looked at him with those eyes that were flickering with solemn seriousness. ¡± And?¡± She asked with one of her brows hiked up. ¡± Should we not wait for his majesty?¡± Zhai Heng was feeling scared as well, especially when he knew that this woman had three ghosts as servants and they always stayed next to her. He was worried that if he was to push her too much he might end up lying on the table to be studied as a corpse as well but as the vicemander of the special force he could not pull his feet back. ..... ¡± What is the Emperor doing?¡± She asked as she stretched her hand out for Jia Li to ce the special maic dusting powder on her hand. ¡± He is having breakfast with concubine Ji,¡± replied Zhai Heng in a slightly confused voice. The Queen knew where the Emperor was right? So why was she asking such a question? ¡± That¡¯s right, he is having breakfast with his beloved but I am still hungry. I haven¡¯t eaten anything and yet I am working hard here,¡± she sprinkled the powder on the sword before taking the fine dusting brushes from Jia Li and then raised her gaze ever so slightly such that she was looking at the two of them. ¡± Why should I wait for that man who is busy romancing his concubine? And that too on an empty stomach?¡± ¡± Oh so you are jealous, your majesty¡ª¡± Yu Lingyun hardly said those words when something zoomed past him, giving him a scare. He did not even sense something being hurled at him, it was only when it flew past his cheek and hit the wall behind him. When he felt something zoom past him, Yu Lingyun turned to look at the wall behind him and then squeaked when he saw that the brush that was sitting on the study table was now sticking to the wall behind him. ¡°Ark,¡± Yu Lingyun shuffled closer to Zhai Heng such that he was hidingpletely behind him and then looked at the Queen while peeking out of Zhai Heng¡¯s back. ¡± Your Maj..majesty?¡± ¡± If you want to die then you can just say it,¡± Liu Hui Yingmented while she was waiting for the adhesive activity of the powder to start working. She waited for a few minutes before she picked up the brush and then started cleaning up the powder that was sticking to the sword. As soon as she cleaned up the adhesive powder that was sticking to the handle of the sword and the de, once the maic powder was cleaned the fingerprints that were sticking to it started showing as well. ¡°At least not many people touched this sword,¡± she sighed in relief as she looked at the sword that was sitting in front of her, she then turned to Jia Li and said, ¡°Take the imprints of these fingerprints.¡± ¡°Right away,¡± Jia Li to the special ck powder that she has invented and then carefully sprinkled it on the maic dust powder, as soon as she poured the special ck powder, it melted and morphed into the shape of the fingerprints after that she just needed to press the paper that was sitting ideally on the side on the fingerprints. ¡°It is done.¡± Jia Li stated as she pulled the paper and on the white paper were three different fingerprints on the sword. ¡± Here you go.¡± Liu Hui Ying took the paper from Jia Li and then smiled with a sly note in her voice. ¡± So let¡¯s go and get to the bottom of this matter, shall we?¡± Now that she had the fingerprints on her hand, she was sure that she was another step closer to the killer. ¡ª Please support the work with power stones, golden tickets andments. If I get a total of four luxury cars, I will release another two chapters as extra. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 159 159 No longer his enemy? Zhai Tianyu felt a pinprick of dread as if he had lost something important, he turned to look at the window that was open on his left and then looked at Ji Yu who was pouring a generous amount of soup into his bowl. Maybe she noticed his gaze because she raised her head and smiled at him with a delicate curl of her lips. ¡± Is something the matter, your majesty?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Zhai Tianyu was in a hurry to finish eating, he knew that Liu Hui Ying was not a patient woman. If he was to dy then she was going to charge in the case on her own, he was worried that the woman would end up getting in trouble which was why he was in a hurry waiting for Ji Yu to finish with the breakfast but she was taking her own sweet time. ¡± Your majesty, are you upset with me?¡± Seeing that Zhai Tianyu was not even looking at her and kept looking out of the window, Ji Yu bit her lips as she tilted her head to the side and then looked at the man who was no longer as attentive towards her as he used to be, what changed? ¡± Of course not,¡± Zhai Tianyu snapped out of his daze as he turned his head to look at Ji Yu who was looking at him with a concerned expression on her face. He knew that his actions were hurting Ji Yu, after all, the two of them have been good friends ever since they were young but now that because of the circumstances, he could not pay as much attention as he used to pay her before. ¡± Then why are you in a hurry?¡± Ji Yu asked, it was not that she couldn¡¯t see that Zhai Tianyu was in a hurry but she was trying to not be impertinent which was why she did not question him but now that she was seeing that the man wasn¡¯t even paying attention to her, Ji Yu could not help but ask the question that was bubbling inside her. ¡± Is it because of the Queen?¡± Zhai Tianyu frowned, he was indeed in a hurry to see the queen but it was not in the manner Ji Yu was thinking and since when did Ji Yu be insecure of the Queen? It wasn¡¯t that he has shown any kind of affection to the Queen nor had he spent any alone time with the Queen, even now Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun were with him. He forgot that when Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun came, he was annoyed by their presence. ¡± You are thinking too much Concubine Ji,¡± Zhai Tianyu calmly responded as he picked up the bowl that Ji Yu has ced in front of him and took a sip. ¡± The Queen and I have nothing to do with each other and even if I am meeting with her,¡± he paused as he carefully thought about what he was going to say and after clearing it up in his head, he added, ¡± It will be because of something important, to me the Queen is like an acquaintance and nothing more.¡± ¡± Acquaintance?¡± Ji Yu mused her lips curling in a mocking smile as she looked at Zhai Tianyu, she was willing to trust him but he wasn¡¯t being honest with her even now. The Queen has been meeting Zhai Tianyu for just a few months and yet she already became his ¡®acquaintance¡¯ from the enemy, what about the next month? She will be his lover? Then his bedmate and then the mother of his child in the next? ..... On what basis? ¡± I thought that she was your enemy,¡± Ji Yu remarked while looking at Zhai Tianyu with a sharp glint in her eyes. ¡± Howe you have forgotten that she is the daughter of your enemies, your majesty?¡± Zhai Tianyu was no fool, he knew that Ji Yu was mocking him. He ced the bowl in his hands on the table in front of him and then said, ¡± Concubine Ji, you are crossing the line.¡± His voice went slightly cold as he looked at Ji Yu with a warning glint in his eyes. Liu Hui Ying was helping him in finding the culprit who has killed his aunt, if she wanted that woman could have kept this matter to herself and left his aunt to rot in this world if she considered him as her enemy but she did not do that, instead, she told him and now she was even helping him to find the culprit who was behind the killing of his aunt. He was a man who respected those who helped him and now that Liu Hui Ying was standing by his side, he will not find trouble with her unless she touches his bottom line. And as a man who was grateful to Liu Hui Ying, he will not allow anyone to say anything offensive towards Liu Hui Ying. But Ji Yu who was already feeling insecure because of his closeness with the queen took it the wrong way when she thought that the Emperor was protecting Liu Hui Ying. ¡± So this is how it is,¡± she muttered in a soft voice. ¡± The Queen seemed to have taken a spot in your heart.¡± ¡± Concubine Ji!¡± Zhai Tianyu smacked his palm on the table in front of him, his anger getting the better of him. ¡± You are forgetting that even if you are my Concubine, there are some things that you cannot ask Zhen!¡± ¡± Is that so? I thought that we were partners, thank you for showing me my ce!¡± Concubine Ji shouted back, her eyes turning red as she looked at the man who was looking like a stranger to her. ¡± That will be enough,¡± Zhai Tianyu pushed himself off the chair and then closed his eyes as he tried to calm himself down but even then he couldn¡¯t feel but angered at Ji Yu¡¯s question. He did not understand why he was feeling angry but subconsciously he knew that the reason he was this upset was that Ji Yu¡¯s question seemed to have prickled him in the heart, not wanting to see her heartbroken expression, he turned around and walked out of the room. Chapter 160 160 a man Xiaolin was standing outside the private room where her mistress and the Emperor were having their lunch when she suddenly heard the sound of arguing. At first, she thought that someone outside was arguing but when the sound of a bowl breaking came from inside and the Emperor stepped out of the private room with an angry expression on his face, seeing that the Emperor was angry, Xiaolin did not dare to raise her head, instead, she lowered her head and stared at her feet. And she continued staring at her feet until the Emperor walked away, only when the Emperor was far from the private room did Xiaolin raise her head and walked inside the private room where her mistress was on her knees, her eyes twinkling with tears as she stared at the door from where the Emperor left just now. ¡± Missy?¡± Xiaolin saw that her mistress mood was not good which was why she approached Ji Yu tentatively and then crouched down as she tried to help her mistress up from the floor. But as she reached for Ji Yu¡¯s hand, she saw that his mistress was clenching her fingers so hard that she was digging her fingernails into her palm until she caused her palm to bleed. ¡± Your highness, you ... you are bleeding!¡± Xiaolin screamed in panic as she hurriedly tried to get her mistress up from the ground but the second she tried to help her mistress up from the floor, thetter snatched her hand from Xiaolin and said, ¡± Let me bleed! Let me bleed to death! What is the point of my life when the man I have adored for so long, no longer holds any affection for me!¡± Ji Yu was the daughter of the Ji family and in the Ji family, it has always been her brother and cousin who been treated affectionately by her parents, Zhai Tianyu was the first man who adored her for her skills and wits but now... that man was no longer looking at her with as much admiration as he used to, if she lost his affection as well, then what was the point of staying in the pce and waiting for that man to love her again. It was better for her to die! ¡± Your highness please snap out of your daze!¡± When her thoughts took an even more gloomy outlook, she was snapped out of her daze by Xiaolin who spoke to her by her shoulders looking at her with worry in her eyes. ¡± Please snap out of your depressing thoughts! There is no need for you to hurt yourself, as long as you are alive and know what you are doing, you will have a chance toe back!¡± Xiaolin did not understand what happened between the Emperor and Concubine Ji but she knew that something severe must have happened or else her missy wouldn¡¯t have said such a thing to her. But she knew that she couldn¡¯t let her missy think of a such thing like this, if she continue like this then her mistress will lose her true self in the schemes of the imperial pce and be what she shouldn¡¯t. As her sister, she has to make sure that her mistress wouldn¡¯t be able to lose her path. ..... ¡± Xiaolin...¡±Ji Yu softly spoke and allowed her maid to help her up from the ground and then sat down on the chair where she was sitting and then watched as Xiaolin fussed over. ¡°Your highness, now you are a concubine, you shouldn¡¯t lose your temper like that and even if you lose your temper then you should never hurt yourself, see what you did to yourself!¡± Xiaolin scolded Ji Yu sternly as she walked to the small cab of the private room and started searching for the ointment that was kept all over the pce lest any member of the imperial family gets hurt. Once she found the ointment, she picked it up from inside the cab drawer and then walked back to where Ji Yu was and then crouched down on the floor as she opened the screw of the ointment bottle and then started rubbing the ointment on the injuries of Ji Yu. ¡± What are you going to do if I leave your highness?¡± Xiaolin shook her head as she sighed and then blew air over the scratches where she applied the ointment. ¡± Without me, you will get injured every second day.¡± ¡± What are you saying? Where will you go? Don¡¯t forget that you always have to be by my side.¡± Ji Yu¡¯s heart calmed down after listening to Xiaolin¡¯s scolding, her maid was right. As long as she was alive, she will be able to regain the affection she has lost and it wasn¡¯t as if she was any less than the Queen, now was she? ... ¡± Achoo!¡± Liu Hui Ying sniffed while looking down at the man who was having a poetrypetition with his friends and was smiling happily, next to him was a maid who was standing quietly on the side. While staring at the man, she clicked her tongue as she turned to look at the two men who were sitting next to her. ¡± Are you sure that he is the disciple of Schr Wei?¡± ¡± He is indeed the disciple of Schr Wei,¡± replied Yu Lingyun as he pointed to the young and dashing man who was sitting next to his friends while chatting about poetry and something else. ¡± I thought that this man would turn out to be something else,¡± Liu Hui Ying muttered, she was expecting the man who was under the wing of Schr Wei to be a woman but now that she was seeing the abundance of Yang energy in his body, Liu Hui Ying couldn¡¯t deny the fact that this man was a hundred and ten per cent male. If he was a man then who was the woman involved in the killing? She tapped her fingers on the table and then lifted her gaze such that she was looking at the woman behind him. ¡± And what about that woman?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 161 161 got the fingerprints ¡± That woman worked as the aunt¡¯s personal maid but when Aunt died that woman was epted by the Wei family.¡± Zhai Cheng stated calmly as he too turned his head to nce at the maid who was standing behind the man who was drinking with a stance that was neither overbearing nor servile. Liu Hui Ying leaned back on her chair and then tilted her head to the side, she carefully studied the woman who was standing next to the disciple of the Schr Wei and then turned to look at Grandma Lan Fen who was standing next to her and said, ¡± Go and get me the fingerprints of that man and woman, make sure that you do not make a mistake.¡± ¡± I will definitely make you proud, boss!¡± Grandma Lan Fen saluted Liu Hui Ying before she floated in the air and then went to get the fingerprints of the two people who were involved in the matter of the murder of Zhai Chenguang. Once Grandma Lan Fen left the temperature of the private room of the tea house where Liu Hui Ying was sitting with the others. Yu Lingyun whose teeth were chattering with the low temperature that was surrounding him. He was sure that if he continued to sit here, his butt was going to freeze and then it might as well stick to the chair. ¡± We did not wait for his majesty, surely he will be upset,¡± Yu Lingyun told Liu Hui Ying who was watching Grandma Lan Fen, the elderly woman¡¯s ghost was waiting for a chance to get the fingerprints of the two people. When she heard Yu Lingyun say those words, she turned to look at him and scoffed, ¡± You do understand that we are not going to have fun, don¡¯t you? How can we wait for someone while we are looking for the culprit who killed Aunt Zhai? Today we were able to get our hands on this man, if we were even an hourte then this man would have left the tea house. And it¡¯s not like we did not wait for the Emperor, it¡¯s him who waste and made us wait for so long.¡± ¡® But you only waited for his majesty for less than five minutes!¡¯ Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun thought in their heads. ¡± It seems like my queen is rather upset with me causing a dy,¡± A familiar voice came from behind and both Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun stiffened as they looked at Zhai Tianyu who was now walking inside their private room. He nced at Liu Hui Ying who nced back at him without so much as turning her gaze away from him and more importantly she even parted her lips with a haughty look on her face and then said, ¡± What ?¡± Her tone was indeed rather bossy, no wonder those three ghosts were so scared of her. She was like the boss of the underworld, look at that haughty expression on her face, it was as if she was the Emperor and he was her eunuch. ..... ¡± Nothing,¡± He knew that there was no point in entangling himself in a squabble with the Queen and instead he turned to look at Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun before mouthing. ¡± Coward traitors.¡± Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun pursed their lips angrily, look ...look at that! This man, he could not say anything against the Queen, so he was taking it out on them. Zhai Tianyu did not even look at the two men instead he took a seat next to Liu Hui Ying who was watching a man who was sitting on the table at the bottom floor with rapt attention, even though the Emperor recognised the man as the disciple of the Schr Wei, he still found Liu Hui Ying looking at the man for so long, quite annoying. ¡± My Queen,¡± wanting to get the attention of Liu Hui Ting, he called her from the side. ¡± Hmm?¡± Liu Hui Ying who was watching disciple Ren turned her attention to Zhai Tianyu who was looking at her. ¡± What¡¯s wrong, your esteemed majesty?¡± ¡°Did you find something?¡± He asked, he himself did not know why he stopped Liu Hui Ying from looking at the man. It wasn¡¯t as if her looking at the man would make him wear a green hat. ¡± I am trying,¡± Liu Hui Ying did think that there was something wrong with Zhai Tianyu but there was nothing she could do to make him spit out when he did not want, so she simply pointed to the young man who was sitting on therge table and said. ¡± I have asked Grandma Lan Fen to bring me the fingerprints of that man and his maid, who once worked as the personal maid of your aunt. She will be bringing those fingerprints to me at any moment now.¡± No sooner did these words leave Liu Hui Ying¡¯s lips, Grandma Lan Fen who was standing behind Disciple Ren walked inside the body of the man and then took possession of man¡¯s body. Disciple Ren who was writing another poem immediately paused when Grandma Lan Fen possessed his body. ¡± What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing that disciple Ren has turned stiff, the other young men on the table were stunned but then their shock turned to surprise when they all turned to look at disciple Ren who was now painting his fingers with the ck ink that was dripping at the edge of the brush. ¡± Disciple Ren??¡± One of the young men gawked at disciple Ren who ced his tainted fingers on the paper and then caused the paper to be stained with the imprint of his fingers. Once Grandma Lan Fen was done getting the fingerprints of the man, she moved to the maid who too did the same thing and then had her press her ckened fingers on the paper. The second the maid was done pressing her thumb impression on the paper, Grandma Lan Fen had her throw the paper in the trash can and then left the maid¡¯s body. As for the aftermath of her actions, she left the two people to deal with it. Chapter 162 162 Tricky case ¡°What are you doing?¡± One of the schrs asked as he looked at the two who pressed their fingers on the paper and then threw the paper away. Was this some kind of new ritual? Disciple Ren shivered lightly, just now he was sure that something took over his body and he was not joking at all when he said that because something just happened to him right now, for a few minutes he felt everything go nk and now that he could hear what his friends were saying, Disciple Ren was rather confused and scared. However, even if he was confused there was nothing that he could do or ask, if he was to tell them that the reason he did that was all because something came over him, he was sure that his friends would start treating him differently after all being possessed or having something weird happening to someone was not treated lightly by the people of this time. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, my brush seemed to have lost some of its smoothness which was why I tried to see what was wrong with it,¡± Disciple Ren chuckled as he awkwardly looked at his friends who were looking at him in confusion but he needed to say something to save his reputation, so he could only go along with this half baked excuse. ¡± Isn¡¯t that right, Xiao Li?¡± He asked his maid who nodded and replied, ¡± The brush has lost a bit of its touch, which is why I had to check the brush when I saw master checking the tip on his own.¡± The schrs did not seem convinced but seeing that both disciple Ren and his maid were saying the same thing, they could only drop the matter and go back to theirpetition. While Master Ren was working on the next poem, Xiao Li walked to the spot where the paper should have fallen but when she arrived at the other end of the room, she was stunned to see that there was no paper. ¡± What the...¡±Xiao Li looked left and right, her gaze dancing all over the ce as she looked at the tea house¡¯s main room. Where did the paper with her and Master Ren¡¯s fingerprints go? Who will take that paper and why? ... ¡°I have brought the paper with their fingerprints,¡± Grandma Lan Fen came floating towards Liu Hui Ying and then ced the paper that she brought with her in front of Liu Hui Ying who picked it up and then praised Grandma Lan Fen for her work, ¡± You have worked hard, Grandma Lan.¡± ..... ¡± Oh this was nothing,¡± Grandma Lan Fen waved her thanks aside but one could see that she was rather pleased after listening to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s praise. Liu Hui Ying rolled her eyes when she saw Grandma Lan Fen blush because of the praise she gave her and then took the paper with the fingerprints from the sword that she has brought with her out of the pocket and then looked at the fingerprints carefully trying to find out whose fingerprints matched with the one she has gotten just now. However as she studied the fingerprints, her brows started to scrunch up more and more. ¡®What is this?¡¯ She frowned while looking at the fingerprints, she turned to look at the maid who was still searching for the paper and then she nced back at the paper in front of her. This was going to be hard, she thought in her head before tucking the paper carefully back in her pocket and then asking, ¡± What about Schr Wei? When will he return?¡± Zhai Tianyu who was waiting for Liu Hui Ying to tell him that the killer was Master Ren but instead he heard her ask about Schr Wei. His heart fell slightly as he looked at her with an anxious expression on his face and said, ¡± Is this rted to Schr Wei? There is no way he would have harmed my aunt.¡± ¡± I am not saying that he is the one who is behind this killing,¡± Liu Hui Ying very calmly stated. Her eyes flickered slightly as she licked the inside of her teeth and said, ¡± There is something about the situation that is a bit messed up and I need to clear up the situation only then can I say that something further but for that, I need to know where I will find schr Wei.¡± Zhai Tianyu exchanged a look with Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun who looked back at him with simr torn expressions. Fortunately, their aunt could not leave the pce and did not follow them because if she has heard Liu Hui Ying ask about Schr Wei, she would have gone crazy. ¡± He will be back in a few days.¡± Zhai Tianyu answered in a thick voice, his expression heavy as he clenched his fists that were sitting on his thighs. Schr Wei? Schr Wei ...how can that man do something so cruel to his aunt? ¡± Don¡¯t jump to any sort of conclusion,¡± when he was thinking about how he was going to kill that man, a warm voice stopped him. He raised his head and the ice in his eyes melted as he looked at Liu Hui Ying who was looking at him with a calm expression on her face. ¡± Until and unless I tell you that the person is a killer hundred and ten per cent, you stay silent and keep your hands away from your swords.¡± ¡± But you just said¨C¡± ¡± I never said that those two are innocent either, there is a key missing and I need to get that key before I can announce anything.¡± Liu Hui Ying raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms in front. ¡± I don¡¯t want an innocent to be killed which is why I have to take a look at this mysterious Schr Wei before I can announce the identity of the murderer and the reason why they did that.¡± Because if what she was thinking was right then Zhai Chenguang will definitely go crazy. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 163 163 Pervert ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± she raised her body from the chair and then looked at Zhai Tianyu who was looking at her with a twisted expression on his face. ¡± I think that this much is today, like you said that Schr Wei will be back in the capital after a few days, right? We can wait till then.¡± ¡°If everything goes all right then Schr Wei should be back in two days,¡± Yu Lingyun who knew where Schr Wei was because of his exchange with the soldiers who went with Schr Wei to protect him. ¡± Then I think there is no need for you to worry,¡± Liu Hui Ying remarked as she arched her back and then walked out of the tearoom. ¡± I will see you three when Schr Wei returns, see you.¡± As she spoke she pushed the door of the tearoom and then walked out after closing the door behind her, as soon as she stepped out, her calm expression turned serious as she turned her head and looked at Master Ren with a disgusted look on her face. ¡± That man is a schr, what a tragedy.¡± After that, she walked away from the tearoom while Jia Li and the others followed after her. ¡± What should we take this as?¡± Zhai Heng who heard what Liu Hui Ying said after stepping out of the tearoom asked his brother. ¡± From the looks of it, Master Ren is definitely involved in the matter but if he is involved in this matter then why is the Queen asking about Schr Wei, did she not say that a man and woman were involved?¡± ¡°Maybe she wants to talk with schr Wei about Master Ren?¡± Yu Lingyun suggested with a nk look on his face. ¡± After all Master Ren is his disciple, she might want to show his true face in front of Schr Wei.¡± ¡°No, the Queen seemed to know something but she is not willing to tell us,¡± Zhai Tianyu too kicked his legs such that he was standing straight on the floor, his expression stormy as he looked down at the table where the teacups were sitting. ¡± For the next two days, I suggest we should be prepared for the worst.¡± ... ¡± I never expected that something this disgusting will happen,¡± Jia Li gagged for the third time but because she was a ghost she couldn¡¯t throw up anything that was in her stomach. ..... Li Gang too looked a bit disturbed. ¡± When Hui Ying said that those people were sick in the head, I thought that they were sick like that but never like this.¡± ¡± Poor Chenguang,¡± Grandma Lan Fen sighed with a sad note in her voice, she was rather fond of Zhai Chenguang given that the girl would bring her all sorts of gossip but now that she was closer to finding out what happened to her, she shook her head. ¡± Hui Ying makes sure that you don¡¯t push that poor girl too much, she might not be able to take it.¡± Liu Hui Ying had her eyes closed as she took a small power nap with her head left on the carriage¡¯s wall, she was expecting to sleep a little but the chatter of her ghosts stopped her from doing so. She heaved a sigh and with her eyes still closed asked, ¡± What do you want me to do? Tell her a sweet lie and then wrap it up? You know that is something that we cannot do, as detectives and a training celestial master, if we hide it from her then we might as well quit working as one because this will be negligence of our duty.¡± ¡± But she won¡¯t be able to withstand the pain¨C¡± ¡± Her life was a lie and so was her death,¡± Liu Hui Ying opened her eyes. ¡± I found it weird when she said that she did not see who killed her but I am sure she knows who killed her but the shock was too much at the time of her death that she decided to leave that memory behind. She was weak then and refused to ept it causing her to stay in this world for so long, if she doesn¡¯t ept it again, then she might as well stay where she is now.¡± When Jia Li and the others heard this, they all turned silent. Even if they wanted to save Zhai Chenguang, hiding the truth from her was not the way. ... Soon the carriage in which Liu Hui Ying was travelling arrived at the imperial pce and just like how she did in the morning, she snuck inside her courtyard. It was a good thing that when she arrived in the courtyard no one was there and she was able to sneak inside her bedroom through the window, however as she sneaked inside the room and walked over to the bathroom where she wanted to take a bath, the door of the bathroom was pulled open and Qui Ai who was looking haggard appeared in front of her. When the door to the bathroom opened, for two seconds neither Qui Ai nor Liu Hui Ying said anything. Instead, they simply stared at each other and then ¡ª ¡± AHHH, A PERVERT SNEAKED INSIDE HER MAJESTY¨CGASP¡± Qui Ai who was screaming immediately turned silent when Liu Hui Ying covered her mouth and then stopped her from shouting anymore. But she was still a step toote because Nanny Gong who was waiting for Liu Hui Ying to return heard Qui Ai¡¯s scream and immediately picked up the broom on the side of the room where she was standing and then ran inside the room where Qui Ai was. As soon as she barged inside the room, she saw a man covering Qui Ai¡¯s mouth and stopping her from shouting and she immediately raised the broom in her hand and let out a fierce roar, ¡± You bastard how dare you to attack someone in the honourable bedroom of the Queen? Shameless brat! This olddy will teach you a lesson today!¡± ¡ª- If you like the story leave a gift, power stones orment! I adore you all thanks for supporting me so much! Chapter 164 164 Its me Nanny Gong did not wait for the man to say anything as soon as she rushed forward and got closer to the man, she started hitting him with the broom that was in her hands, the broom wasn¡¯t light either and each time the broom fell on the back of the man, it caused a loud sound to echo in the room. Bang, Bang, Bang. The sound echoed harshly and fast, each hit seems to be personal and Liu Hui Ying who was, on the other hand, being punished bit her lips as she let go of Qui Ai who was scratching her hands and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s me you idiots!¡± Her voice carried the pain she was feeling at the moment as she cursed the two women in her head, seriously they were hitting her with a broom? And that too so hard. When her voice echoed in the room both Qui Ai and Nanny Gong paused and then looked left and right before they looked at each other. They seemed to have a very good idea of where the voice came but after what they have done, they were hoping that they were wrong as they turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was standing in front of them. ¡± Where did the voice of her majestye from?¡± Nanny Gong asked to Qui Ai who pointed to her left where the man was standing next to her and squeaked. ¡± I think from here.¡± As soon as she said this Liu Hui Ying turned to look at Nanny Gong with a nk expression and said, ¡± You really know how to hit someone nanny, I am sure with your strength you might have broken my back.¡± Nanny Gong¡¯s legs turned into jelly as she dropped to her knees and knocked her head on the floor. ¡± I havemitted a grave crime, your majesty. Please kill me!¡± Following her Qui Ai too went to kneel next to her and knocked her head on the floor and then shouted loudly, ¡± I havemitted a grave sin, please kill this servant, your majesty. I did not know that it was your majestic hands that I was biting please let this servant ask for forgiveness!¡± Liu Hui Ying rolled her eyes as she looked at the two and then walked over to her bed where she sat down and then said, ¡± What do you mean by this? I thought that you were my loyal servants and yet you couldn¡¯t see that it was me, how is this going to work? If this goes on maybe one day you two will beat me to death.¡± ¡± We don¡¯t dare your majesty!¡± The two women on the floor cried together and they knocked their heads on the floor once again, they truly did not have any idea that the man who snuck inside the room was her majesty but if they did then they would have never done something like this! ..... Nanny Gong was the one who was feeling the most regretful, she wanted to scold Liu Hui Ying for sneaking outside the house but instead, she was the one who had to ask for forgiveness, if she hadn¡¯t hit Liu Hui Ying with her broom, she would have been able to scold her for sneaking out but now ¨Csob, sob, she wouldn¡¯t be able to scold her fiercely. Liu Hui Ying knew that Nanny Gong wanted to scold her which was why she was acting stern with the two of them because she knew that if she was to forgive them easily, she will have to listen to the lectures of nanny Gong, something that she was not rather fond of. ¡± You may rise but let me tell you that I am severely disappointed in you two,¡± Liu Hui Ying made sure to use her acting skills to the best of her ability, if she wanted to avoid getting scolded then she would have to make sure that Nanny Gong would not be able to scold her at all because of the guilt she was feeling at the moment, and she wasn¡¯t lying when she said her back was almost broken. Nanny Gong.... She looked like a frail old woman but she had too much strength. ¡± Your majesty,¡± Qui Ai raised her head with a sobbing expression on her face, she pouted her lips and spoke in a whiny voice, ¡± But you look so much like a man that I couldn¡¯t even see a hint of your true face, how can I see that it was you...if you told me that you were going out like this then nothing like this would have happened.¡± Liu Hui Ying¡¯s expression twisted as she looked at Nanny Gong whose body stiffened when she heard Qui Ai¡¯s words. She raised her head and from her expression, Liu Hui Ying could see that Nanny Gong was going to scold her or at least she was preparing to throw a diatribe at her which was why Liu Hui Ying immediately red at Qui Ai fiercely. For the sake of avoiding getting scolded, she raised her chin arrogantly and then snapped at Qui Ai before Nanny Gong could snap at her. ¡± What are you talking about? I am the Queen, right? I can go anywhere, anytime...dressed as I want! Even if I was to step outside with my clothes torn up and dancing like a duck, no one should question me. How can you even question your queen? Huh?¡± Qui Ai lowered her head while Nanny Gong who was preparing to say a few words to Liu Hui Ying immediately pursed her lips and then decided to stay silent. Even though she wanted to say something to Liu Hui Ying but seeing that Liu Hui Ying was in a bad mood, she thought that it was better for her to stay silent at the moment. But...she narrowed her eyes at Liu Hui Ying who was trying her best to avoid her gaze. This matter was not over! She was definitely going to scold her missy sooner orter! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 165 165 An Emperor who became bent over a night ¡± You cannot dance like a duck with torn clothes, your majesty.¡± Qui Ai said with a sad expression on her face, she was not in the wrong but she was still scolded by her missy. Seeing that Qui Ai was getting upset because of getting scolded Liu Hui Ying decided that it was time for her to change the topic. She drew in a breath and then asked with a suggestive smile, ¡± I look really handsome don¡¯t I ?¡± Qui Ai still looked rather upset but when she heard Liu Hui Ying ask this question she raised her head with a shy and angry expression on her face and said, ¡± You look just as handsome as the Emperor, your majesty.¡± ¡± I do, don¡¯t I ?¡± Liu Hui Ying smirked as she pushed her bangs to the side and winked at Qui Ai whose entire face turned red as she snorted andined, ¡± You are such a flirt, your majesty.¡± ¡± And a rather naughty brat as well,¡± Nanny Gong who was waiting for her chance chimed in as she looked at Liu Hui Ying who was teasing Qui Ai. ¡± You snuck from the courtyard and went to who knows where your majesty...if his majesty finds out then you will be in a lot of trouble.¡± ¡± I was with his majesty, if he scolds me then I will simply tell him off for wasting my time as well,¡± Liu Hui Ying did not think much given that she has never been interested in a rtionship between a man and woman but Nanny Gong who has seen a lot of things in her life was stunned, she looked at the clothes that Liu Hui Ying was wearing and then remembered about how there were rumours of the Emperor being interested in the same gender but because he was the ruler of the country he had to hide his skeletons in the wardrobe. Does this mean, his majesty was calling her majesty dressed up like this because he wanted to do that with her? ¡± Goodness,¡± Nanny Gong covered her mouth as she moaned and shook her head, her actions caused both Liu Hui Ying and Qui Ai to frown as they looked at Nanny Gong who was acting like she seemed to have caught hold of some sort of secret. The two of them looked at each other but they both saw the helplessness and confusion in their eyes so they once again turned to look at the Nanny Gong who was now looking at Liu Hui Ying with a pair of shiny eyes. ¡± Your majesty, I knew you would be able to win the favour of his majesty.¡± ..... ¡± What¨C¡± Liu Hui Ying was feeling confused with what Nanny Gong said but before she could say much less ask something from Nanny Gong, thetter jumped on her feet and then sped hold of her hands and eximed in pure delight, ¡± Who cares that you are getting the admiration of the Emperor because of dressing like a man, as long as you can get an heir of the throne in your belly, I am sure no one will say a thing.¡± Liu Hui Ying did not understand what Nanny Gang was saying but when she said those things Liu Hui Ying understood what she was trying to say and when she realised the implications and her face twisted in shock and disgust, was Nanny Gong for real? What does she need to do to get Nanny Gong to stop mentioning the bedroom matters in front of her, there was no way she was going to let that man get her pregnant! ¡± That¡¯s not¨C¡± Liu Hui Ying began but when she saw Nanny Gong¡¯s eyes that were shining with little stars, she did not have the courage to say the truth and the truth was something she did not want to say what she did this morning after all if she was to tell Nanny Gong that she was performing autopsy this morning, the old woman might die of fright. So she decided that instead of going through all the fuss and screams, she decided to go along with Nanny Gong and it wasn¡¯t like her reputation was going to be ruined. It was the Emperor, so why should she pick up unnecessary trouble? ¡± That¡¯s right,¡± she agreed with Nanny Gong as she nodded with her face twisted into an awkward expression. ¡°It¡¯s just as you said.¡± Nanny Gong¡¯s eyes filled with even more stars and she straightened up with her hands excitedly pping as she said, ¡± You have worked really hard your majesty... I will go to the kitchen to prepare something nutritious for you! Who knows maybe you might already be carrying the child of his majesty!¡± As she excitedly spoke, she did not even listen to what Liu Hui Ying was saying and then rushed outside the room leaving Liu Hui Ying to cover her face with a tired look on her face. ¡± This has to be the worse thing happening to me,¡± in the modern world she would have at least said whatever she wanted and cursed how she liked but now she was hiding the fact that she was looking into a case. With a sigh, she dropped her hands that were covering her face but when she dropped her hands, she was surprised to see that Qui Ai was looking at her with a frown as she asked, ¡± Is ...Is his majesty really like that ?¡± ¡± Of course do you think I would lie to you?¡± Liu Hui Ying said with an innocent look on her face. ¡± Look at that,¡± Li Gang pointed at Liu Hui Ying with his entire palm and said, ¡± She is lying to pure little Ai with such a serious face, like can she go any faker than that?¡± Jia Li turned to look at Li Gang, she was studying the drawing that Liu Hui Ying had made but when she heard the man say those words, she abandoned her task and said, ¡± If you feel so sorry for her why don¡¯t you go and tell her?¡± ¡± You should be happy that she is only lying to your little Ai,¡± Grandma Lan Fen opened one of her eyes while meditating and said, ¡± Think of the poor emperor, despite being perfectly straight he has been reduced to a bent one. I suppose sooner orter that poor child have to give a proof of being straight and potency.¡± Chapter 166 166 Raid ¡± Achoo!¡± Zhai Tianyu who was far away in his imperial pce sneezed as he looked at the n that the special army hase up with to raid Liu Hui Ying¡¯s father¡¯s treasury. ¡± Do we need to do this now?¡± He asked Zhai Heng who was sitting in front of him when he saw that his brother was looking at him with a confused look on his face. ¡± And you don¡¯t have to look at me like that, I am simply asking this because I am worried that the Queen will stop the investigation.¡± ¡± I know that this is not the time to do this but the special army needs funds to function and you know that we won¡¯t be able to get any funds from the imperial pce, the finance ministry ispletely in control of the left prime minister and the Dowager Empress.¡± Zhai Heng reported the situation as it was to Zhai Tianyu who pursed his lips in silence. ¡± You do understand that if we were to bring the petition of funding the special troops what we will get right?¡± ¡± I understand.¡± Zhai Tianyu closed his eyes, he did not want to raid the house of the Queen¡¯s father tonight given that he still needed her help but given that the special troops needed funds he could not ignore it. His eyes glinted sharply as he looked at the astronomical amount that was in front of him, he would be lying if he did not find it humiliating. He was the Emperor, there should be nothing that he could not buy but the truth was that he was still a mere puppet in the hands of the Liu family. They did not even let him have enough money to squander, he did have a budget but that budget was nowhere enough for him to use on his special troops. It would not be wrong for him to say thatpared to him who was the Emperor, Liu Hui Ying who was the Queen was a lot richer given the dowry that she brought with her was bigger than his monthly budget. ¡± We will raid Minister Liu¡¯s house tonight, you can make preparations ording to it, Vicemander.¡± .... ¡± I feel a chill crawling up my spine,¡± Liu Hui Ying who was holding her chopsticks suddenly spoke causing Jia Li and the others to pause as they all turned to look at her in confusion and said, ¡± Since when did you start to have chills ?¡± Li Gang asked as he took his seat and then picked up the chopsticks that were kept in front of him. He rolled his eyes and added, ¡± You are the only one who can bring chills to others¨C¡± ..... A loud bang echoed in the room as Li Gang was sent toppling to the ground when a talisman was thrown at the back of his head. He groaned in pain but neither Jia Li nor Granny Lan Fen had any sympathy for him, in fact, Jia Li even rubbed salt on his injuries by calling him an idiot. ¡± I just feel like I am going to make a loss today,¡± Liu Hui Ying picked up the pickled pig feet and then brought it to her mouth before taking a bite as she pursed her lips and slowly chewed it. ¡± I don¡¯t understand how I am going to take a loss today. As far as I know, it should be the opposite of making a loss right?¡± She thought over what she had done today and no matter how she thought over it, she couldn¡¯t think of anything that will make her face a loss. But her instincts were telling her that something was wrong, was it not? But if something was going to go wrong what was it? ¡± Your majesty,¡± a voice came from the other side of the sliding door and Liu Hui Ying raised her head to look at the delicate door that was closed at the moment and asked, ¡± What is it?¡± ¡± Your majesty, Concubine Ji is here to see you,¡± the maid who was standing outside answered and Liu Hui Ying pped her hands and pointed at the sliding door and eximed, ¡± I knew that my gut feeling can never make a wrong guess.¡± ¡± Your majesty?¡± Because her voice was not soft at all, the maid who was standing behind the door heard her and was startled causing Liu Hui Ying to soften her voice as she said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, send her in.¡± ¡± As you say, your majesty.¡± The maid walked away and Liu Hui Ying waited until the maid was gone before she turned to look at Li Gang who was now rubbing his head and said, ¡± You see? My instincts are not wrong at all.¡± ¡± I still think thatpared to that delicate woman, you are much scarier ¨CWoah!¡± He was once again interrupted when he was turned upside down with his legs dangling over his head, thankfully he was no longer alive or all the blood in his body would have rushed to his head. ¡± What are you doing?¡± He asked Liu Hui Ying who shrugged her shoulders and said, ¡± What do you think I am doing ?¡± Li Gang wanted to demand that she get him down from the ceiling but as he opened his mouth he realised that he could not speak anymore, his mouth that was opened, and closed immediately and he could only make ¡®Mhmm¡¯ sounds as he motioned wildly with his hands. Again no one sympathised with him and Jia Li shook her head as she spat one word that was directed solely at Li Gang and that was, ¡± Moron.¡± And Li Gang started to il even wildly as he looked at Jia Li and fervently as if trying to tell her that she was a moron. ... The door of the room was slid open by the maid and then Ji Yu who was standing outside with her maid walked inside Liu Hui Ying¡¯s room and bowed appropriately before speaking in a soft voice, ¡± This Concubine greets her majesty.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 167 167 a hypocrite ¡± You may rise,¡± when Liu Hui Ying saw that Ji Yu was actually willing to lower her head in front of her she was half-convinced that she was nning something because there was no way a chicken woulde looking for the weasel for no reason at all. Li Gang: It¡¯s good that you know that you are a cruel weasel and that girl is a delicate chicken¨C Liu Hui Ying who could hear his thoughts waved her hand and caused Li Gang to spin like a top as he looked at her in shock and surprise while his head lolled from one side to another. Only then did Liu Hui Ying turn to look at Ji Yu who was now sitting in front of her and then asked in a soft voice, ¡± Is there something that concubine Ji wants from me?¡± Ji Yu stared at the table instead of looking at Liu Hui Ying, she pursed her lips and then hesitated for a while before raising her head and looking at Liu Hui Ying with a soft look in her eyes as she said, ¡± I am here to see her majesty because there is something that I need you to ask you.¡± ¡± I see? And what is it that you need to ask me ?¡± Liu Hui Ying did not see any need for Ji Yu to be here and much less ask something from her but she still went along with the woman and asked what she wanted to say, after all, she did not think that Ji Yu would say anything too shocking. Big mistake on her part. Because the next second she heard Ji Yu say, ¡± Your majesty, are you trying to steal his majesty from me because of what happened to your sister?¡± Liu Hui Ying has taken just a sip of her soup when she heard Ji Yu¡¯s question, she immediately choked upon hearing this and then looked at Ji Yu with an incredible look on her face. She has expected a lot of things but she did not expect Ji Yu to be this straightforward, she wiped her mouth with the tablecloth that was sitting on the side and then looked at Ji Yu with a slightly different expression on her face as she asked, ¡± So you received a concrete answer of what happened back then right?¡± Ji Yu did not reply to this question but her silence was enough, she did not believe a word that Liu Hui Ying told her back then which was why she immediately wrote a letter to her family when she returned to the courtyard. She was expecting to receive a letter that would bash Liu Hui Ying and her overly smart imagination but what she received was a confirmation. ..... Her father knew that now that Liu Hui Ying and her were in the same pce, some secrets cannot be hidden from her which was why he confessed in his letter that what Liu Hui Ying was telling her was the truth. It was just as Liu Hui Ying told her, her brother was not the only one who was killed back then, they too have killed Liu Hui Ying¡¯s sister and after having her defiled because they wanted the Liu family to keep it under wraps such that they will still continue to have the trust of the Emperor while pitting the Liu family as cruel and vile. ¡± Ah, this is funny,¡± Liu Hui Yingmented when she saw that Ji Yu was not saying anything and then chuckled softly. ¡± So when are you going to tell the emperor about the truth?¡± Hearing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words, Ji Yu snapped her head up and looked at Liu Hui Ying who was looking at her with an amused expression on her face. ¡± What do you mean?¡± ¡± I mean what you think I mean,¡± Liu Hui Ying was not someone who would be gentle with someone just because they believed that they were supposed to be pampered. Ji Yu was a delicatedy and she indeed had her wits at moments but she was too much of a damsel in distress waiting for her Prince Charming to save her. It was honestly quite pathetic to watch, a girl who could have been a wonderful woman lose herself because of so-called love. ¡± You said that I am taking his majesty away from you, which is what you should have of course deduced on your own,¡± Liu Hui Ying said as she picked up the slice of chilled cucumber and ced it in her mouth and chewed it properly. ¡± I couldn¡¯t care less about his majesty but if this is what you think, you can always defeat me by telling him the truth, can you not sweetheart?¡± How can she tell Zhai Tianyu the truth? If she was to tell him that her family was just as scheming as the Liu family, Zhai Tianyu will lose all his trust in her and what will be left of her? Ji Yu thought in her head as she bit her lip and then clenched her fingers, there was nothing that she could say at the moment. ¡± Oh, it looks like you cannot tell anything to his majesty,¡± Liu Hui Ying continued to speak as she looked at the woman who had her head lowered and thenughed lightly as she said, ¡± Do you know how you look right now?¡± Ji Yu raised her head and looked at Liu Hui Ying whose eyes were colder than ice. ¡± You look like a hypocrite, you are quick to judge me because you think that you are losing something important, strictly speaking, you and I both are the wives of the Emperor, I have as much right on him as you do but you don¡¯t want to lose your sole position. Your family has wronged mine for so long and have created a chaste appearance in front of the Emperor, the same could be said for you, you could have said the same thing to the Emperor, asked him to pay more attention to you but instead you came to me because you don¡¯t want the Emperor to know how jealous and vain you are, right?¡± Chapter 171 171 Who are you and what are you hiding No sooner did the man turn to look at Liu Yuyang, thetter narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man. He did not know why but for some reason, he thought that he has seen this man before, but where? ¡± You two do not seem like bandits,¡± Liu Yuyang took his sword out from its sheathe and then raised it such that he was aiming the tip at the neck of the man who was standing in front of him. ¡± The things that you stole all belong to my sister and I cannot allow you two to take them, hand it all over or I will have your head and deliver it to my sister.¡± Zhai Tianyu ground his teeth, of all the warehouses from which he could have stolen money, he just have to steal from the warehouse that had things that belonged to Liu Hui Ying. But then again who would have thought that Minister Liu will keep such a big amount for his daughter, just how much that man adored his daughter? If he was wrong then Liu Hui Ying had at least twenty thousand or even more gold taels in her dowry and the silver taels were simply uncountable. If not his grandmother wouldn¡¯t have kept the money in her hands, the Money that the Queen owned was too much to be given to her. But what happened had already happened, there was no way he would be able to change it. After much pondering, he realised that there was only one option left in front of him and that was ¡ª He took his own sword out of its sheath and then aimed it at Liu Yuyang who was already aiming his sword at him, when Liu Yuyang noticed his actions, his eyes narrowed as he sneered, ¡± I see, you have a lot of guts to steal from the Liu family.¡± As soon as he spoke, he pounced at Zhai Tianyu with agile footing he reached Zhai Tianyu within seconds and even though Liu Yuyang looked calm and fragile, his swordsmanship was not a joke. Not only did he attack with apt precision but all his attacks were ruthless and cruel, if Zhai Tianyu was not his opponent, the other person would have died by now. Zhai Tianyu dodged the sword that was aimed at his throat by blocking Liu Yuyang¡¯s sword with his own. Zhai Heng made a move but Zhai Tianyu shook his head, he might be working as a thief tonight but he was not a bandit who will kill his victim by making use of the fact that his opponent was alone. ¡± As expected,¡± Liu Yuyang caught the small movements of the two men and his eyes narrowed even further as he started to put more pressure on the sword that he was holding. ¡± You two are not bandits are you?¡± Then he raised his hand and then added swiftly. ¡°Let¡¯s see who is behind this mask.¡± ..... However, as soon as he raised his hand to take the mask off of the man who was standing in front of him, the man twisted his body such that he turned to the left and then dodged his hand sending his sword back. Liu Yuyang understood that something fishy was going on, if the man was a simple bandit he would not have shown such a huge reaction just because his face was being disclosed to someone. His eyes flickered with a strange glint as he rushed at the man again and started attacking him with renewed enthusiasm but the more he tried to see who was the one who was behind the mask, the more the man tried to hide his face. ¡°What are you hiding?¡± Liu Yuyang asked as he swept his sword at the mask of the man who leaned his body back and dodged the attack that was aimed at his face. Seeing him dodge Liu Yuyang took advantage of the fact that the man could not defend himself and stretched his hand to take the mask off but as soon as he stretched his hand to take the mask of the man off, the one who was behind him threw a small bomb at him. When Liu Yuyang heard the slight hiss of the bomb that came rolling under his legs, he immediately took a step back and flew over to the roof of the abandoned hut that was on his left. The two bandits took advantage of the fact that Liu Yuyang was away from them and then ran away using their exceptional Qing Qong just as the small bomb exploded sending the dust and pebbles flying all over the surrounding. Liu Yuyang covered his face with his sleeves and then waited for the smoke of the bomb to vanish before he jumped off the roof and then walked over to the corner where the dagger that he has sent at the man sticking. The dagger¡¯s tip had a small piece of cloth that was cut off from the sleeves of the man who was hiding his face. He took hold of the cloth and rubbed it with his thumb and fingers before he narrowed his eyes and looked at the cloth whose fabric was much finer than the one a bandit could even use. ¡± A rich man huh?¡± he mused as he tilted his head to the side. ¡± Why would a rich man steal from Hui Ying¡¯s treasury?¡± .... Liu Hui Ying who was sneaking out of the courtyard suddenly felt her eyes twitch as she looked behind her, she did not know why but suddenly she felt as if she has made a big loss. ¡± What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jia Li asked her when she saw that Liu Hui Ying was not jumping from the roof of her courtyard. ¡± Why are you looking behind?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Liu Hui Ying turned to look in the front and then hopped off the roof of the wall that was covering her courtyard and then said, ¡± I just felt something important was taken away from me.¡± ¡°Stop talking about that...¡±Li Gang muttered while pointing to the horizon as he said, ¡± Look at that, that pearly orb is back.¡± Chapter 172 172 Do you think I am scared of her? Liu Hui Ying turned her head to look at the orb of blue mes, at first she thought that Li Gang was making fun of her given how he was always so unserious about everything but as she turned to look in the direction where Li Gang was pointing at she was surprised to see that there was indeed an orb floating over the branch of a tree away from them. The second her gaze fell on the orb, she jumped down the wall and then said to her three ghosts, ¡± What are you all waiting for? Go and catch it for me!¡± She wanted to see whose soul was this, only a soul that has cultivated for at least a few years could be this powerful to morph its shape and hide its figure like this. ¡± Yes!¡± The three ghosts chimed together as they rushed after the orb of mes that was hovering over the branch but as soon as they went over the orb, the orb of mes flickered and started flying in the opposite direction to where it was hovering a moment ago. ¡± What the...¡± Li Gang who was chasing after the orb muttered as his eyes widened when he saw the orb flying away from them. ¡± Don¡¯t tell me that the thing is ying with us? Why is it that it was staying still when we were not chasing it but the second we started chasing after it, it started to fly away from us.¡± ¡°Or maybe it wants us to chase it,¡± Jia Li tried to break the situation as properly as it could in a sensible manner. ¡± Like Hui Ying said that those souls that do not have anyone who could help them, they do something like this. They attract the attention of celestial masters and then have them exorcised but that is not our worry at the moment, the one thing that we need to worry about is, to make sure that we see to whom this soul belongs to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Grandma Lan Fen nodded as she increased her pace of chasing the orb of mes. Liu Hui Ying on the other hand chased after the three who were flying in the air with her feet, even though she was no longer as agile as she was when she was in her own world where she lived beforeing here, she was still able to keep up with the pace of the three ghosts. The orb of mes teased them by turning here and there, it turned left and then right causing the three ghosts who were chasing after it to bump into things, one time Li Gang bumped into the tree that was right in front of me and then Jia Li who was chasing after it ended up rolling past the leaves of the thick fauna that was surrounding the imperial pce. Even Grandma Lan Fen who was flying slower than Jia Li and Li Gang ended up tumbling the second when the blue orb turned its left again and then flew past the veils of ivy. But the one who suffered the most was Liu Hui Ying, the three ghosts could easily go past the things they tumbled past but Liu Hui Ying was not a ghost, she ended up stumbling into things left and right, and by the time she emerged out of herst fall, her hair was filled with leaves and her cheeks were covered with scars. ..... ¡°Arggg! That is enough!¡± She shrieked as she took out a talisman from her pocket. ¡± Forget it, I will just catch you and exorcise you here and now!¡± No sooner did she say this, the orb of blue mes flickered and then vanished in the darkness of the night. Liu Hui Ying who saw the blue orb vanish all of sudden felt like all her sufferings came forth, she looked at the spot where the orb was and then looked left and right, when she did not see the orb, the anger she was suppressing in her heart burst forth as she let out a scream. ... Zhai Tianyu who returned to the pce turned his head to the cliff where he often had drinks with his ministers and frowned as he asked, ¡± Did you hear that? I heard someone screaming .¡± ¡± Most probably a wild bird or animal,¡± Zhai Heng did not think much as he sat down on therge boulder that sat on the side of the path that was carved in the middle of the barrennd that was cleared off after taking down a part of the forest to build the imperial pce. He nursed his calves and then sighed, ¡± The ce is built at the centre of the forest, there is no way that there will be nothing that will not cry at night.¡± ¡± That¡¯s true but...¡±Zhai Tianyu as he turned to look in the direction from where the scream came and frowned. ¡± I think that the voice belonged to the queen.¡± Zhai Heng shot Zhai Tianyu a look of exasperation as he rolled his eyes and then threw his head back with a sigh. ¡± You are thinking too much, your majesty. Why will the queen be at the cliff? You are simply feeling guilty because of what happened in the Liu family and nothing more.¡± He then paused and then added with a subtle look in his eyes. ¡± Don¡¯t go around messing anymore, Tianyu. I am telling this as your big brother ...thest thing that you want is to confess that you stole from her family, the Queen is a miser, and she will have you vomit every single tael that we have taken. And if that happens then what will happen to our soldiers? Do you want to have them all killed?¡± ¡°I am not going to do anything,¡± Zhai Tianyu told Zhai Heng as he pursed his lips and then turned to look away from the direction from where he heard the voice of the Queen. ¡°And why will I confess to the Queen? Do you think I am scared of the Queen?¡± ¡°Hah,¡± Zhai Heng scoffed as he pushed himself off the stone on which he was sitting and then turned to leave. ¡± What? Are you trying to say that I am the one who is scared of the Queen? Are you mistaking me for Lingyun? Hey! Big brother!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 178 178 Where is your apology Liu Fei Fei in short was Liu Hui Ying¡¯s elder cousin even though she was at the same age as Liu Hui Ying because her father was Prime Minister Liu who was Liu Hui Ying¡¯s father¡¯s older brother, Liu Fei Fei was used to bullying Liu Hui Ying with the help of her position being superior. And even Liu Hui Ying who was scared of her eldest uncle would let Liu Fei Fei bully her behind everyone¡¯s back, after all, she was not close to her father after the loss of her mother. Every time Liu Hui Ying saw Liu Fei Fei, she would lower her head and let her do what she wanted and even after getting bullied to the point where her hair was scattered and ripped off her scalp even then she would not say anything to her father who would ask her with whom she fought with, in fact, it was better to say that she would snap at her father for being too nosy. This was what Liu Fei Fei was used to but now all of a sudden she was seeing Liu Hui Ying look at her like she was not even worthy of her time. Her eyes were brimming with confidence and she did not look scared of her at all, in fact from the challenging glint in her eyes one could see that she was hoping Liu Fei Fei toe at her such that she would be able to teach her a good lesson. Seeing these changes in Liu Hui Ying made Liu Fei Fei rather speechless and stunned, on the other hand, Qui Ai who was looking at the happenings in front of her was rather proud. She knew that her missy was no longer the same scaredy cat who would get bullied by just anyone who wanted to bully her, seeing her missy look Liu Fei Fei in the eyes made Qui Ai puff her chest out as she shot a proactive look at the maid who was with Liu Fei Fei. The maid who was with Liu Fei Fei was called Gu Xiao Xiao, just like her mistress, she was really arrogant and would often bully Qui Ai. Because Liu Hui Ying never fought back, Qui Ai would have to suffer under Gi Xiao Xiao as well, because she had no support to back her up. Because of this, she was beaten up by Gu Xiao Xiao many times but this time she was sure that she would be able to take this woman who has bullied her for more than ten years. Gu Xiao Xiao saw the smirk that was ying on Qui Ai¡¯s lips and was really furious, she wished her missy would teach the Empress a good lesson such that she would be able to take Qui Ai down as well, does this woman think that she was in a better position just because she was the maid of the Empress? Who here did not know that the only reason Liu Hui Ying became the Empress was that she was the only legitimate daughter of the Liu family, if not then her missy would have be the Empress instead of Liu Hui Ying, but never mind that now. Once her missy was done dealing with Liu Hui Ying, she will be crying and they will step out of the room as the victors. With that thought in mind, Gu Xiao Xiao raised her head and looked at Qui Ai with a face full of arrogance causing thetter to narrow her eyes and re back at Gu Xiao Xiao who red right back, sending sparks to fly all over the room. ..... These two were not the only ones who had sparks flying between them, because Liu Hui Ying and Liu Fei Fei were ring at each other in the same manner. They stared at each other before Liu Fei Fei smirked and she walked over to the small cushion that was sitting in front of the table where Liu Hui Ying was sitting, what she did not know was that Li Gang was sitting on the spot where she sat down. Li Gang who was suddenly straddled by a woman was stumped, he immediately scrambled to the side but he was still a step toote because Liu Fei Fei sat on hisp causing her to shiver. Liu Fei Fei shivered as she looked back but did not see anything, she couldn¡¯t understand why she was feeling cold all of a sudden but she could still sense that something was wrong which was why she rubbed her arms and then tried to calm herself down before she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was eyeing her with amusement. ¡± What are you looking at me like that for?¡± Liu Fei Fei was rather upset when she saw Liu Hui Ying who was looking at her like she was enjoying a show. Seeing that she was acting like this, Liu Fei Fei was not happy ¨Cshe was the one who was supposed to enjoy making fun of Liu Hui Ying and not the other way around. Liu Hui Ying shrugged as she looked at Liu Fei Fei and answered with a soft smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I am surprised that you are acting like this in front of the Queen, are you that confident that I would not call my maids and have you punished because you acted like this in front of me? Where are your greetings, Concubine Liu ?¡± Even though the two of them were cousins, it did not change the fact that she was the Empress and Liu Fei Fei was nothing but a concubine for her to sit down without greeting the Empress and even enter the room of the Empress without even announcing her name was nothing short of being a punishable crime. If Liu Hui Ying wanted she could always have Liu Fei Fei dragged away and her punished but she did not say anything instead she exerted her aura on Liu Fei Fei who shivered in return and said in a soft yet no-nonsense voice, ¡± Where is your apology? Concubine Liu?¡± ¡ª¡ª Chapter 180 180 What are you doing Liu Hui Ying looked at the woman who was acting all proud and fussy in front of her, a part of her did not care because the woman who was sitting in front of her was a young woman of only sixteen there was no need for her to get angry with her but the Emperor...he was another case. She had a very good idea as to why the Emperor epted this Liu Fei Fei in his pce and even pretended to dote on her. Just like every other scheme of his, he most probably wanted to use this woman against her as well or maybe the woman whose body she was residing and from what she could see, this woman was most probably used to bullying the previous Liu Hui Ying, there was this glint in her eyes. That confident glint, one that she was used to seeing from every other bully who liked to bully her when she was in the school all because she was an orphan, without someone to back her up. And Liu Hui Ying hated people like her, the most. ¡± I don¡¯t know about courtyards and jewels but I do know that the Emperor likes toe and see me every now and then,¡± Liu Hui Ying said in a calm voice as she looked at Liu Fei Fei with a smile ying on her lips since the Emperor wanted to use this woman, she was going to use him against her. ¡± Do I need to care about petty things like the courtyard and jewels when I have the ruler of the country in my hands?¡± Liu Hui Ying snapped straight at one nerve that caused the most harm to Liu Fei Fei. It was true that the Emperor gifted her all those jewels and courtyards but he has never once visited her, she has heard from her maid that the Emperor would go to see Liu Hui Ying every now and then but he would nevere to her. For so many weeks she has waited and waited for him toe and see her but he hasn¡¯t done that, not for once and she could not understand why he was doing something like this to her. If he adored her then why doesn¡¯t hee and see her and if he did not adore her then why did he gift all those things to her? It was confusing and simply beyond her understanding, she wanted to understand what was going on in the head of the Emperor but Liu Fei Fei knew that she was not smart enough to do that, if she was then she wouldn¡¯t be stuck in this ce as just a concubine. ¡± You speak a bit too confidently, Hui Ying,¡± Liu Fei Fei replied even though her heart was in pain she was still smiling on the surface because this was not the first time she has been disregarded by someone, her father did the same thing every time she went home or ever since she went to his home. ¡± You seem to have forgotten that the Emperor has a childhood sweetheart, you will never get closer to that woman¡¯s ce in the heart of the Emperor.¡± ¡± Do I have to?¡± In response to Liu Fei Fei¡¯s words, Liu Hui Ying looked at her with a confident smile and took the tea from the hands of Qui Ai and said in a soft and mocking voice, ¡± I just need to surpass her spot in the heart of the Emperor, and you know what, I am very good at snatching.¡± She lowered her voice dramatically with a sinister devil-like smile on her face, her eyes shining with malice as she added, ¡± I can even snatch someone¡¯s life if that is what I want, you know that right?¡± ..... Liu Fei Fei stiffened when she heard Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words, she seemed to have forgotten that Liu Hui Ying was a woman who was willing to kill the maid who tried to scheme against her but now that she was reminded of that incident she threw in the back of her head, fear seemed to be crawling back up her spine as she got up from the cushion on which she was sitting and then hurriedly said, ¡± There is something that I need to do.¡± ¡® And after that she did not even look behind before she turned around and left the room, Liu Hui Ying watched her leave and scoffed derisively before taking another sip of her tea. She was someone who has seen the worst in people, was there any need for her to even fight with someone like Liu Fei Fei who did not even know that someone who was standing by her side was worse than she can ever imagine? ¡± That woman...she is dying, isn¡¯t she?¡± Grandma Lan Fen did find Liu Fei Fei a bit disrespectful but the idea of someone as young as her dying did not seem like a nice thing to her. ¡± Why are you feeling sorry for her?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked Grandma Lan Fen using her powers such that Qui Ai would not hear anything. ¡± I just feel that it is too soon for a young woman like her to die,¡± Grandma Lan Fen answered, she would have liked Liu Hui Ying to help Liu Fei Fei but she knew that Liu Hui Ying could not save Liu Fei Fei given that it was toote. That woman was beyond the point of saving and even if they tried to pull her away from the doors of death, they will only enrage those who have already written the fate of that woman. Liu Hui Ying nkly looked at the door that was closed and ced the teacup in her hand on the table as she hummed. ¡± You are right, that is indeed a pity but you need to understand that there is nothing that we can do about it, after all just how many people die every day? We can¡¯t save everyone just because it is a pity.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 183 183 Truth can not be hidden for long Zhai Tianyu stiffened when he heard Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words, he did not know how to respond to this but he did not need to respond to Liu Hui Ying at all because thetter turned around and walked over to the carriage and climbed up the carriage with the help of the driver. On the other hand, Zhai Tianyu stayed where he was, he licked his lips and then carefully thought about what Liu Hui Ying told him. If he was being honest, he never really knew what love was after all, he has watched his mother betray his father and he has also seen a bunch of Concubines taking advantage of his father¡¯s adoration to their advantage to cause havoc in the harem. The number of times he was targeted by those concubines, he seemed to have lost count of it which was exactly why he swore that he will only dote on just one woman and no one else and that too under the limitations of staying sane and not losing his head over a woman. Ji Yu was indeed his childhood sweetheart but he couldn¡¯t say that he loved her, he cared for but that was because she was the only woman who cared about him but other than that, there were no other feelings involved. But the feelings that he had for the Queen were considerable different than he had for Ji Yu but he did not know how to name these feelings and he was feeling overwhelmed because of these feelings more and more. ¡® Was it admiration?¡¯ He thought to himself, there was no way he was going to fall in love with a woman knowing how dangerous it could be and there were a bunch of things that he needed to do, including his revenge on the Liu family for killing his father, he could not lose his sight on the goal by getting involved with the queen. As the emperor, he could not lose control of his feelings. And he knew the consequences of his actions as well, which was why he threw the feelings that were making his head and heart unstable. This was nothing but admiration and nothing else, he was admiring the Queen who was strong enough to walk side by side with him. Right? ..... The sound of a teacup shattering on the floor echoed in the room and Xiao Mimi who was startled by the noise, immediately knelt on the floor as she apologised to the Grand Dowager Empress, ¡± Please forgive me, your majesty.¡± She cried with her head kneeling on the floor. ¡± This one did not know how something so ominous happened with this one¡¯s hands, please do forgive this small servant.¡± ..... The Grand Dowager Empress who was ying Go on the small jade board looked up and calmly said, ¡± There is no need for you to apologise, We are sure that this is not because of you but someone else...someone whose presence is not weed here.¡± ¡± Your majesty¡ª¡± no sooner did the Grand Dowager speak, than the guard standing outside the door announced, ¡± Her Majesty, the Dowager Empress announces her presence!¡± No sooner did the guard announce her presence, than the Dowager Empress walked inside the room. Her face had an elegant smile and her pace was graceful as she walked over towards where Grand Dowager Empress was sitting, when she reached a respectful distance the Dowager Empress paused in her stride and then lowered her head as she respectfully greeted the Grand Dowager Empress, ¡± I greet you, your majesty. Why did you ask me toe and see you? Is there something that this one has done wrong?¡± ¡°There are too many wrongs for me to count if that was the reason I called you then we will spend the rest of our lives sitting in this room,¡± Grand Dowager Empress calmly responded as she picked up a Go piece and then ced it on the jade board before she continued speaking, ¡± I called you here because I was getting bored, sit down and y a round with me. The winner has to ry their ns to each other, sounds interesting right?¡± Dowager Empress¡¯s lips twitched when she heard the Grand Dowager Empress calling her a source of entertainment. But she still sat down on the stool in front of the Grand Dowager Empress and then picked up a go piece herself as she skimmed over the jade board and then ced it down before speaking, ¡± Being called out of my courtyard to entertain you, your majesty. I can¡¯t help but be exhrated at the very thought.¡± Her sarcasm matched that of Grand Dowager Empress who chuckled and then started to counterattack the move that Dowager Empress made as she spoke, ¡± I have to say that you are still the same, even after killing my son, you can smile like that. I have to say not many women can be this ruthless, killing their husbands and ruining their lives yet being able to smile.¡± Dowager Empress did not look offended, on the other hand, sheughed out loud. Her gaze did not move from the Go board, she nodded and hummed before speaking, ¡± And you are just as same as thete Emperor, always acting like the good guy but hiding your true face behind that kind mask you always wear,¡± she breathed in heavily as she looked up at the Grand Dowager Empress and the smile on her lips fell from her lips. ¡± It has been so long and you are still carrying on with the act of not knowing the truth, I would love to see how long will you be able to hide the truth, your majesty. Because truth can never be hidden for long.¡± .... ¡± Your majesty,¡± Schr Wei entered the small pavilion that the Emperor booked whenever he came to see him. He bowed as soon as he walked inside the pavilion and greeted the Emperor who smiled at him pleasantly before he waved his hand aside and said, ¡± There is no need for you to worry with the formalities, uncle-inw. Come on sit down.¡± Despite his airy voice, his hands were clenched in hisp. Chapter 186 186 Prove that you are a man ¡± What nonsense are you talking about?¡± As soon as Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words fell, the entire tea room got drowned in a wave of silence, no one said a word, even Yu Lingyun who never shut up felt like he has lost the ability to talk, he turned to look at Schr Wei along with Zhai Tianyu and Zhai Heng who too turned their gazes slowly towards Schr Wei who has jumped up from his seat, no one spoke anything until Schr Wei who was in a daze snapped out and jumped up from his seat. He was like a cat whose tail has been stepped on because he red at Liu Hui Ying with eyes that no longer held their usual grace, instead of those gentle glimmers that shone in his eyes, they were flickering with a wild energy that made him look almost maniacal. ¡± What kind of joke is this?¡± He shouted with an enraged voice while his eyes drilled into Liu Hui Ying¡¯s. ¡± Do you think this is fun? Questioning the masculinity of a man? A schr with pride?¡± Liu Hui Ying did not say anything while the man was shouting at her, instead, she calmly looked at him and waited until he was finished shouting. She looked at the man who was no longer aplete man in the terms of this world and her eyes for he had hurt a woman who waspletely innocent, she leaned back in her chair and then said in a soft voice, ¡± Your yang energy is all over the ce, your skin is cold and I do not feel the masculine energy running in your veins as it does in other men, instead your yang energy has depleted in an uncanny manner, which shows either that you are impotent or you have lost the proof of your masculinity.¡± ¡± But if you were impotent then your Yang energy would not be scattered all over your body, it would have been stored in a ce because of no release or it might have beenpletely missing,¡± she tilted her head to the side causing Master Wei to stiffen as he realised that she was not making a joke out of him but was actually using his physiognomy to back up her facts. ¡± But instead it¡¯s scattered all over your body that shows that you lost your masculine strength because of a sudden ident, your eyes are sunk even though you are using powder to hide them but I can see them all very clearly, yourplexioncks the healthy glow of a man who has been married meaning that you have never once engaged in sexual activities but ...¡± She trailed off and tapped her fingers on the armrest. ¡± If you were married how is it possible for you to not have any sexual intercourse?¡± Her questions came rapidly and with facts that would back her up, as soon as someone was to take a look at Schr Wei properly, they will be able to see that what she was speaking was the truth. Unlike Zhai Tianyu, Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun, Schr Wei looked weaker and someone who could be easily beaten up but there was something else, his body looked almost too sickly. ¡± What...What nonsense!¡± Schr Wei¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Liu Hui Ying but even though he looked highly affronted, he was not able to retort Liu Hui Ying causing the others to take a long look at his physique, when Zhai Tianyu saw what Liu Hui Ying said was indeed true. Even though Schr Wei has taken great care of his face, one could see that he was looking a bit weaker than them. At first, they thought that it was because he was a schr and did not have much strength but now that he was looking at Schr Wei even more carefully he realised that the man looked far weaker than the other schrs as if he was sick with some serious disease, almost at once Zhai Tianyu¡¯s face sank as he realised that he has been fooled by a eunuch. ¡± If you think that I am speaking nonsense then why don¡¯t we do this, we can call a eunuch and have him check you up,¡± Liu Hui Ying curled a side of her lips with a mocking look in her eyes. ¡± If you don¡¯t like it then we can always have someone among these three to check up on you, after all, you were a man once as well, no... that¡¯s wrong.¡± She paused as she leaned her cheek on the knuckles of her hand and then looked at Schr Wei. ¡± ording to you, you are still a man. There is no need for you to shy away and show your masculinity to them right?¡± ..... ¡± No...how ....this is senseless...aplete sphemy!¡± Schr Wei acted as if he has been wronged but he did not say a word that will show that he was agreeing with Liu Hui Ying at all. Instead, he became even paler than he was before like he was scared of getting his secret known to others. ¡± I will do it,¡± Yu Lingyun stood up from his seat as he looked at Schr Wei with his jaw set and his lips pressed in a thin line. He has never thought that they will be fooled like this, if what Liu Hui Ying said was the actual truth then he can say that the entire imperial family has been yed by this man and everyone else who was with him. Schr Wei¡¯s eyes turned as wide as saucers as Yu Lingyun stepped closer to him, he looked at the man in front of him and then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu before he said in a stuttering voice, ¡± Your majesty, you can not have them disrespect me like this... I am a man, I am your official. If I am disrespected what will others think of me? Don¡¯t let them do this to me.¡± But Zhai Tianyu was no longer in a sane mood, he looked at Schr Wei and coldly said, ¡± If you prove them wrong then I will have his head chopped off and the general¡¯s hands chopped away as well but for now, prove your identity as a man, Uncle.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 187 187 Running away ¡± No, you cannot do this, your majesty!¡± Schr Wei looked like Zhai Tianyu has actually announced his execution date instead of asking him to prove his identity as a man. But Zhai Tianyu did not listen to his plea at all, why will he? If it was proven that Schr Wei was not a whole man then it meant that he fooled not only his aunt but also him because no man who has lost his manhood was allowed to be an official other than a eunuch in the pce or the house of a minister, what was more a man was only turned to a eunuch under two conditions. One that he gives it up by himself once he sells himself or when he was caught in a crime and was punished with the punishment of not having a child or a family in the future. If either of these was right, then it meant that Schr Wei has broken the most importantw of the imperial family. ¡± I have assured you that there will be punishment if they are making a mistake and not one thing less,¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s hand curled on hisp. ¡± But if they are speaking the truth, then be prepared to be punished as the sinner of the imperial family .¡± Bing a sinner of the imperial family meant that they will never be allowed to die in one swift kill, those who were called the sinner of the imperial family were killed slowly over the days. Either they were tied on the streets where they were killed by the public who were ordered to throw stones at them, or they were hanged on the wall half alive where they were slowly eaten by crows and vultures. If they were proven to harm the imperial family members then they were made a public spittoon after tearing their limbs off and thrown into a stone bowl that was ced in the busiest street of town or city where they were left to die while being used by the people of the city as they wanted to use their bodies. When Schr Wei heard this, all the blood drained from his face before he looked at the people who were sitting in the tearoom with a helpless expression on his face but then something moved in his eyes and then he cursed out loud, ¡± Damn you all to death!¡± As he screamed he threw something at Liu Hui Ying who was surprised by his action, even Zhai Tianyu and Zhai Heng were stunned. The two of them stretched their hands to stop the thing from reaching the Queen but as soon as the thing was touched by Zhai Heng¡¯s hand, it exploded at once causing the entire room to be filled with smoke. ¡± What...¡± Zhai Tianyu who saw what was happening was stunned at first before he shouted at Yu Lingyun and the other guards. ¡± Catch him, don¡¯t let him run away!¡± ..... But the smoke was so thick that no one was able to see anything, even Yu Lingyun who was used to fighting in dust and debris could not see anything. He even tried to make a wild catch but he could not do it because the smoke seemed to be filled with chilli powder, his eyes were filled with tears and he could not do anything with his vision blinded like that, only the ghosts were unaffected. Jia Li saw that Schr Wei was running and thus she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was covering her eyes and asked, ¡± Should I chase after him?¡± ¡± What else? Are you waiting for me to hand you an invitation card or something of the sort?¡± Liu Hui Ying was rather annoyed when she heard Jia Li¡¯s question, she could not even see and yet her ghosts were making fun of her at this moment. ¡± I was just asking since you told us to not make a move without asking for permission,¡± Jia Li poked fun at Liu Hui Ying who raised her head and snarled, ¡± I am temporarily blind not permanently, just wait until I start seeing properly. I will make you cry just you wait!¡± Seeing that Liu Hui Ying was getting angry, Jia Li and the others immediately flew out of the room worried that they will be punished heavily which was why they did not dare to make fun of Liu Hui Ying anymore. .... Once the smoke disappeared, Liu Hui Ying used the water that was in the jug in front of her to wash her eyes. She was worried that she will really go blind if she did not wash her eyes and as soon as her vision cleared up, she was surprised to see that even Zhai Tianyu and Zhai Heng were crouching with their eyes covered. It was really shocking that these men who were used to practising martial arts were defeated by such a small trick. ¡± Here you go,¡± she pushed the jug in front of Zhai Tianyu who was covering his eyes. ¡± Wash your eyes with water or else they will burn even more.¡± As soon as she spoke Zhai Tianyu raised his hand and then picked up the jug that Liu Hui Ying was holding in front of him and started washing his eyes he blinked them rapidly and then pushed the jug to his brother who started washing his eyes before pushing the jug to Yu Lingyun who was cursing. Yu Lingyun washed his eyes while he cursed under his breath, ¡± I am going to kill that man, no eunuch! How dare he make use of such a trick and even make fun of us. For so many years he has made a fool out of us, I am going to pull his extremities out and then kill him!¡± ¡± You have to wait for that,¡± Liu Hui Ying turned to nce at Zhai Chenguang whose face was covered with shock and disbelief, she stared at the door from where her husband ran away as her Yin energy fluctuated and Liu Hui Ying was sure that she was remembering the forgottenst moments of her life. Please leave golden tickets, powerstones and gifts! Thank you to all who are supporting this book, a lovely hug to each one of you who sent a gift to me! Chapter 190 190 Satisfaction is a must ¡± You need to stop if you want to burn in the eighteen levels of hell,¡± Lin Hui Ying could understand the anger that Zhai Chenguang was going through, she was never betrayed by anyone but she felt the same anger when she found out that someone killed her sister. Back then she too wanted to kill everyone and watch the world burn while she did that which was why she understood Zhai Chenguang¡¯s anger better than anyone. But as a celestial master, she understood the consequences of giving in to that anger as well. Zhai Chenguang could not kill Schr Wei because she did not have the right to do so, as a ghost who was lingering at the surface of the earth because of her regrets, she could not hurt or kill anyone, she wasn¡¯t even allowed to bring her own case to a celestial master, so how can she even think of hurting someone? Zhai Chenguang was, however, no longer in any condition to listen to what Liu Hui Ying was saying, she was angered to the point where nothing but the scent of blood was overwhelming her. She wanted nothing more than death, pain and blood for her anger to be released but before she could do anything like she nned to do, she was stopped by Liu Hui Ying who used the beads of strings that were tied around her wrist to tie Zhai Chenguang¡¯s soul. Liu Hui Ying has been refining the beads ever since she took them from the Grand dowager Empress. She has wrecked her sleep by exchanging it with the nightmares that have been repeating in her head every night when she closed her eyes but she has worked hard to make sure that her nightmares were worth it, she has refined these beads until they could be used in the manner they were supposed to be¨C that was the soul restrainer. It was a lot of hard work on her part where she has to relive the day when she lost her sister but she has done it. Did a better job than she has expected and now she could use the beads as they were supposed to be used, with her eyes gleaming slightly she looked at Zhai Chenguang¡¯s soul that was trying to get past her restraints. ¡± Don¡¯t fight you will not be able to get past these restrictions,¡± she told Zhai Chenguang who was trying her very best to get away from her and the long beads that were wrapped around the soul that was crouching on the floor. ¡± You don¡¯t need to do anything, I am your bridge to this world. If there is something that you want me to do then you need to tell me because I can kill those who have hurt you without any retaliation from the heavens, I have the power to do that, you know that right?¡± Zhai Chenguang raised her head before her gaze flickered to the fiery red eyes of Liu Hui Ying while she was restraining her with beads that glowed bright blue. She looked at Liu Hui Ying as she heaved heavily and then gritted her jaw before she said, ¡± I want him to suffer, I want him to neither die nor stay alive, can you do that?¡± ¡± Just that much?¡± Liu Hui Ying smirked with a grin ying on her face. ¡± I am telling you that I am your guardian in this world, since I took your case then I promise that I will give you guaranteed satisfaction.¡± .... ..... Schr Wei ran out of the shop where he was stopped by the guards but with the help of the smoke bomb that he has made with chilly powder, he was able to run away from the shop without being caught by the guards who were trying to stop him. As soon as he ran out of the shop after pushing a bunch of customers who were in his way, he rushed straight towards the carriage in which he came to the sea shop. The carriage driver saw his master running towards him and was stunned when he saw the messed up condition of Schr Wei, he has never seen Schr Wei look like this, his master has always been calm and controlled, his expression gentle and he has never even walked in a hurried pace much less run like this in panic. Seeing him run like this the carriage driver was stunned, he looked at his master and hurried down from his seat before he asked in a panicked manner, ¡± My lord, what happened?¡± He peered inside the tea house, he was worried that something really bad happened to either his majesty or his friends. ¡± Did something happen to the Emperor?¡± The carriage driver was being polite but the second Schr Wei heard the name of the Emperor, his eyes popped out of his second and he reacted violently. He caught hold of the driver by his cor and then pushed him aside as he shouted, ¡± Shut up!¡± His scream garnered a lot of attention from the people who were around the tea shop and on the street, they all paused to see what was going on. Schr Wei has always been insecure about his weakness and now that the weakness was out in the open, he got even more insecure. It was as if everyone knew that he was not a whole man and that they were looking at him with a contemptuous looks in their eyes. ¡± What are you looking at?¡± He shouted as he red at the people who were looking his way and then hurried over to the carriage where everyone was standing and then pushed the people who were surrounding his carriage violently. He was acting like such a crazed man that no one stopped him instead they let him leave like he was a mad dog who has been left unattended by his master. Schr Wei rushed to the carriage and then climbed up the seat before he raised the whip and started hitting the horse that was tied in front of the carriage in a rush as if he was trying to leave the marks of the whip on the skin of the horse. ¡ª¡ª- Chapter 192 192 Kill you slowly Schr Wei felt as if his body was being torn into half, but the pain was too much for him to even realise what was happening around him. ck spots danced in front of him as he looked at the ceiling of his room. Why was he lying on the floor? Why was he looking at the ceiling? The pain in his leg was too much for him to bear. For a while he did not understand what was going on, it wasn¡¯t until the screams of Ren Wei and Xiao Mi echoed in his ears, did he snap of his daze as he looked at Ren Wei who was looking at him with an expression that was full of panic. ¡± Master! Master! Can you hear me?¡± He called him loudly and Wei De who was lying on the floor had to blink several times before he regained his senses but as soon as he regained his senses unfortunately for him the second he regained his consciousness, he ended up regaining his sense of pain as well. Pain, burning and churning shot through his calf, he went to clutch his leg but as soon as his fingers reached his left leg he realised that he could not touch his leg at all. Instead of his leg, he touched the air causing him to push himself off the floor. Even though he felt like he was dying, Wei De still pushed himself off the floor after summoning his courage and what he saw made him pass out again, he looked down at the space where his sturdy leg once was and screamed out loud. Blood was spurting out from the point where his leg has been chopped off staining the entire floor, as he looked at the floor that was full of blood and nothing else. His leg that was torn off was now lying at a short distance from him, the nerves within it were still pulsating even though it was now separated from him. ¡± What...What are you doing?¡± Wei De shouted at Liu Hui Ying who was standing in front of him. He wished he could go against this man who was trying to kill him but he was a schr, who has never indulged himself in martial arts, how was it possible for him to fight a man who knew skills that were beyond his understanding? ¡± What do you think I am doing?¡± Liu Hui Ying said with a gentle smile as she looked down at Wei De who was lying on the floor. ¡± I told you didn¡¯t I? Your wife sends you regards, I never said that her regards were warm regards? They were regards one would hand out at funerals.¡± Wei De stiffened as he looked at Liu Hui Ying who was approaching him like a devil, he swallowed hard and then looked around his room. After he killed Zhai Chenguang, it wasn¡¯t as if he did not feel that something was wrong ¡ª every time he went to the imperial pce, he did feel like someone was watching him but he has always pushed those thoughts away, in fact even now he felt that the room was slightly colder than it usually was even though there was a brazier burning at the centre of the room. His instincts were on spot, unlike Zhai Tianyu and the others who were still rushing towards this ce, Zhai Chenguang arrived here with Liu Hui Ying, who used her powers to arrive as fast as possible. ..... Right now, she was watching Wei De suffer as she did when she died at his hands. ¡± What are you trying to do?¡± Ren Wei stood next to his master, he wanted to tackle Liu Hui Ying down but his gaze fell on the long scythe that she was holding in her hands and looked at the de that was dripping with blood and shivering. He would not be able to fight this person, even if he wanted to there was no way possible for him. Which was why he stayed where he was, just now he saw how quickly this person used that de to chop Wei De¡¯s leg. It could be said that this man knew and have seen the worst because even when he tore Wei De¡¯s leg, there wasn¡¯t even the slightest frown on her forehead, which was why he did not dare to go head-on with the man with a chain scythe in his hands. A man who was not at all bothered while killing someone without even the slightest change of expression was someone who can do anything. Going against this man was like trying to invite death to his door even earlier than it was scheduled. ¡± We can talk this out,¡± Ren Wei knew that he would not be able to get away from this situation not when the person who was in charge of killing them was already standing in front of him like a grim reaper. At this moment he could only do one thing and that was to make this person drop the idea of killing them. ¡± We have money as well, we can give you as much money as you want. ..just let us leave, I promise that I will give you as much money as you will need in your life. You wouldn¡¯t have to work for your entire life, just l..let us go, please.¡± ¡± Do you really think that it is going to work?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked with a raise of the brow. Her smile did not falter as she looked at the man who was trying to haggle with her, it was true that she loved money but that did not mean that she loved it so much that she will do something wrong like allowing murderers like them to roam free on the streets. ¡± And if you really wanted to talk to me about giving you a chance then you should have made sure that no one would sneak up on me to smash a vase on my head.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 194 194 The truth Liu Hui Ying looked at Ren Wei whose head was lowered she saw that he was not saying anything and raised her feet to press on his chest. ¡± I am telling you, I am not a patient woman. If you think that you can act dead and get out of this ordeal then you might as well tell me what colour coffin you want, that is if you can get one.¡± Ren Wei stiffened, he wanted to dy this matter as much as he could but seeing that he could not, he breathed in a sharp breath and then opened his mouth before he started talking, ¡°If we tell you the reason why we killed Zhai Chenguang, then will kill us at once?¡± He raised his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying, he did not dare to say anything without getting the guarantee that he and his master will be able to die without any pain and as swiftly as possible. Liu Hui Ying raised her head and turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who nodded in response, seeing that the man has given his word. She turned to look at Ren Wei who was lying on the floor and promised, ¡± As long as you tell me the truth, I promise that I will not kill you.¡± Seeing that Liu Hui Ying agreed, Ren Wei opened his mouth and started speaking, ¡°It¡¯s because of thete emperor.¡± His words caused Zhai Tianyu to stiffen, he was prepared for anything but not his father¡¯s name to be mentioned, he looked at Ren Wei who was hatefully gritting his teeth as he looked at him. ¡± The previous Emperor wanted to use his power to take on the neighbouring country but the truth was that even though he was really powerful in the end he was not as strong as the leader of the army of the neighbouring country, thete Emperor knew this as well but his greed of bing the most powerful Emperor of his age was too big for him to ignore the strength of the neighbouring country,¡± Ren Wei gritted his teeth as he clenched his fingers before he raised his eyes and red at Zhai Tianyu with hatred. When Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun saw that he was ring at Zhai Tianyu they moved in front of Zhai Tianyu protectively but thetter stopped them from standing in front of him. Instead, he met the hateful re of Ren Wei head-on and waited for him to continue speaking, as he looked at Ren Wei and Wei De, he wanted to see what kind of hatred these two had for his father that they killed his aunt. ¡± Our father was the then strategist of this country, he fought many battles alongside the Emperor and won many battles of thete Emperor, when thete Emperor put forth his desire of winning over the neighbouring country, our father told him that it was impossible given our military strength but your father!¡± Ren Wei suddenly became too emotional as he looked at Zhai Tianyu with eyes that were burning with passion and hatred. ¡± Your father told him that he was being too cowardly and pushed our father to be the strategist of the military again telling him that if he failed then he will be killed along with our family.¡± ¡± Our family, you mean to say¨C¡± Zhai Tianyu suddenly realised the one thing that he has never taken care of, he turned to look at Wei De who smirked at him through the pain. ¡± He is my younger brother, your majesty...when our father saw that thete Emperor was not willing to listen to him, he knew that our family will be in danger sooner orter.¡± ¡± He could not hide me because I was already studying in the academy but my Wei¡¯er was still young, our father faked his death and sent him to one of his friends to be raised, that way he was making sure that our family lineage will be able to continue even if something was to happen to him.¡± ..... ¡± That¡¯s right,¡± Ren Wei bit his bottom lips as he looked into Zhai Tianyu¡¯s eyes. He bit his lip until he tasted blood but even then he couldn¡¯t ease the hatred that was burning in his heart. ¡± Your father knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to win but he still pushed forth with his crazy ideas. And when he lost he pushed every single bit of responsibility on our father!¡± ¡± You hear that! He was the one who did not listen to anything that our father had to say to him but when he failed he went and med everything on our father, saying that he did not do enough, that he did not think enough! That if he tried then the lives of those who died could have been saved like hell, they could have been saved!¡± Ren Wei shouted as he lost all control of his feelings. ¡± Your father was the one who was in the wrong but in the end, because he did not want toe out as someone who was not good enough he went ahead and pushed the bucket of the me on our father.¡± ¡± You have no idea how painful was it for us to see our father being dragged on the streets like a criminal where he was thrown eggs and rotten tomatoes, with his face smeared with ink and being treated as if he was the enemy of the country!¡± Ren Wei¡¯s eyes turned red as he thought about the day when his father was dered as the sinner of the country and was dragged through the streets where he was covered with trash and dirty water in the kitchen and outhouse. It has been years ever since that happened but even now he could not forget that day, it was still in front of his eyes as if it just happened a few days ago. From a young boy he became an adult man but the sight...that horrifying sight, it was still in front of his eyes and every time he closed his eyes, he will relive that day. ¡ª¨C Chapter 199 - 199 Not him! 199 Not him! Hugs to KalisteKitten and everyone else who are supporting this work! Liu Hui Ying did not think much about his gaze, she simply thought that he was acting reserved because of what she said after all Zhai Tianyu has showed her this side of him a lot of times before which was why she calmly nodded and then turned around to walk towards the carriage, she did not take Zhai Tianyu or his actions to heart at all. In her mind, Zhai Tianyu already had someone he wanted to be, surely he wouldn¡¯t think of her in any other way. If only she knew how to read the thoughts of a man, or much less had a little experience with men, she would have understood that Zhai Tianyu¡¯s gaze was not that of a man who was looking at simply an acquaintance. Li Gang who was very familiar with such gazes wanted to warn Liu Hui Ying but he was stopped by Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen. Seeing that the two of them were stopping him, Li Gang was really angry he looked at the two of them and red at them simultaneously while the two clutched his arms. ¡± What are you stopping me for? Can¡¯t you see that the man has some schemes over our boss? What will you do if he was to make a move?¡± Li Gang no matter how much he teased and taunted Liu Hui Ying cared for her a lot, to him she was like a younger sister whom he has seen grow up in front of him, which was why he cared about Liu Hui Ying a lot. He has seen her struggles and has seen how she was treated by the men of the world where she had no one to turn to, her distrust towards men were not just because of what happened to her sister and the resentful soul that was trapped in her body but also because of all the experiences that she has gone through, which could be said that they were not light at all. ¡± You are simply jumping the gun too much and too early,¡± like Li Gang, Jia Li cared about Liu Hui Ying as well after all she and Liu Hui Ying were like a sister even if the two of them squabbled a lot, she cared about Liu Hui Ying just as much as Li Gang did, but she also knew that what was important and what wasn¡¯t, more importantly, she was able to keep a good reign of her temper which was why she could see the importance of this development. ¡± I know that you are upset with the Emperor but you have to see that Liu Hui Ying is at least tolerant towards him, what if he somehow manages to treat Liu Hui Ying¡¯s wounds? Even though Liu Hui Ying is happy and she acts like she is fine, don¡¯t you think that she is lonely too?¡± ¡± Doesn¡¯t she has us? Why will she be lonely?¡± Li Gang was not at all convinced ..... ¡± We are going to move on sooner orter,¡± Jia Li reminded him causing Li Gang to pause in his struggle as he looked at Jia Li who was solemnly looking at him. ¡± Even though we have been with Hui Ying for so many years, even though we are like a family, you will have to understand that you and I and Grandma Lan Fen will move on from this world once we are done letting go of our regrets when that happens what will happen to Liu Hui Ying? She will be all alone. Do you want her to be alone?¡± ¡± What¡¯s more she only has us as her friends, even if I do admire her but I think that her staying in the world of the dead and befriending the dead is a bit too much,¡± Grandma Lan Fen chimed from the side when she saw that Li Gang has stopped struggling. ¡± You might think that this is wrong but think about it, apart from the dead have you ever seen Liu Hui Ying get close to another person before? A living one?¡± Li Gang pursed his lips as he thought over it but then he rolled his shoulders and took the arms of Jia Li and grandma Lan Fen off his arms as he red at the two of them and said, ¡± I will ept anyone for Hui Ying but not that treacherous Emperor, not only does he has someone in his heart¡­there is also the fact that the man thinks nothing of Liu Hui Ying in front of his ambitions, in case Liu Hui Yinges in his way of acquiring what he wants, I am sure that he will harm her which is why I do not believe him at all, you can say what you want but this man¡­he won¡¯t do!¡± After speaking he flew after Liu Hui Ying like a bodyguard he red at Zhai Tianyu who was simply standing on the side and did not even do anything, seeing Li Gang ring at him, Zhai Tianyu touched his nose guiltily. It wasn¡¯t as if he has forgotten the warning that Li Gang gave him before and knew that his line of thoughts did not sit well with either Li Gang or himself, which was why he was willing to reflect on himself. When Liu Hui Ying noticed that Zhai Tianyu was not moving, she turned her head and looked at the man who was still standing like a statue at the spot she has left him and then frowned as she asked, ¡± What is wrong with you? Why are you standing there like a mute, your majesty?¡± This was the first time Zhai Tianyu heard anyone curse him, he shook his head and then walked over to Liu Hui Ying before he loudly said, ¡± You do know that you can get punished for that my queen?¡± ¡± Try if you can do that, your majesty.¡± Liu Hui Ying teased Zhai Tianyu as she winked at him and then turned around to walk ahead of him. ¡± But you will be the one who will suffer the most.¡± Chapter 200 - 200 Lets get drunk 200 Lets get drunk Zhai Tianyu did not say anything while they were riding the carriage, he brought Liu Hui Ying back to the imperial pce with a calm expression on his face but as the two of them sat in the small enclosure of the carriage he felt some sort of giddiness up in his heart but on the outside, he kept his expressionpletely calm because he knew that every time he tried to say something to the queen, thetter would look at him with a frown and then say something that would cause them to be in a fight. ¡± You are being abnormally silent,¡± Liu Hui Ying told him as they descended from the carriage. She was the first one toe down the stairs of the carriage which was why she was looking over her shoulders at Zhai Tianyu who wasing down the carriage after her. ¡± Your majesty, is there something that you want to ask me?¡± There were multiple things that he wanted to ask Liu Hui Ying but he decided to keep his thoughts to himself first. There was no need for him to ask Liu Hui Ying why his heart was beating so hard just because he looked at her face, what was more she was the same woman whom he had tried to kill, even though she was not the same woman, it was still rude of him to say something like ¡® My heart beats crazily for you,¡¯ after everything that they have gone through. And more importantly, he needed to understand his feelings first because he had a lot of responsibilities and there was also Ji Yu. He could not wrong her and what if he was feeling towards Liu Hui Ying was simple admiration that was getting to the point of infatuation? He couldn¡¯t say that he was someone who would fall for a woman but at the same time, he was not someone who could never fall for any woman, which was why he needed to make sure of everything. Only then he can make a move lest he ends up hurting two women at the same time. More importantly, he raised his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying whose face was illuminated by the glittering moonlight. She was from the Liu family, he has to see whether or not she was worth messing up his ns, the ones he has been set on makinge true for years. There was also what his aunt has told him before she passed on ¡ª¡ª¡¯ there was more to a person than you can see,¡¯ he understood that she was warning him against Ji Yu and at the same time against the Ji family because he has always been trustful of them because of his grandmother and Ji Yu who were his only supporters when his mother hated his very existence. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he replied to her trying to calm his heartbeat that was going at a pace a bit too fast. ¡± I just have a lot to think and nothing more.¡± Liu Hui Ying did not say anything, she wasn¡¯t caring about the men around her from the beginning especially the man whom she knew who only came into her life for a short while. She turned around and headed towards the small cliff where Zhai Tianyu entertained his officials, the pavilion that was gloomy and dark thest time when she came on the cliff while chasing the orb was now lit up withmps that were zing quite hard because of the winds that were blowing at the top of the cliff. ..... ¡°It¡¯s a fascinating ce,¡± shemented as she looked around the pavilion and walked inside the wooden tform with no windows and only a long table with small, clean stools and cushions on top of them. Two maids were waiting to serve them which was why Liu Hui Ying lowered her voice as she spoke such that her voice would sound like that of a man. ¡± Your majesty,¡± she quickly added when she saw that the maids were turning to look at her with confusion in their eyes. ¡± Leave us alone,¡± Zhai Tianyu saw that the maids were looking at Liu Hui Ying questioningly, he did not want to spend his time with her while she has to care about her formalities with him which was why he sent the maids away. The maids looked at each other, they were surprised that the emperor was sending them away without letting them serve him and the official with whom he came but they still nodded and bowed their heads before taking their leave. They were properly taught by the head maid of this pce that they needed to listen to every order andmand of the Emperor no matter what kind of order he gave them, which was why they didn¡¯t even dare to think about the reason why they were being sent away. Once Liu Hui Ying saw that the two maids were gone, she heaved a sigh of relief and then rxed on her small stool which was only a few inches above the ground making her feel like she was sitting on a flying cushion. Her body went pliant against the table as she whined in an annoyed voice, ¡± The rules here are so strict, you can¡¯t even breathe without muttering ¡®your majesty¡¯ every next second.¡± She turned to look at Zhai Tianyu while her head was lying on the floor and then she asked in a questioning tone, ¡± Why are you even called your majesty and not by your name? Are you that proud of being born with a silver spoon in your mouth, your esteemed majesty?¡± ¡± More than being proud, its a matter of regtion and order,¡± Zhai Tianyu calmly responded, when Liu Hui Ying showed him a confused look, he sighed and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s say that if we were two friends would you have listened to me if I told you that you were in the wrong and you need to be punished?¡± ¡± Of course not,¡± Liu Hui Ying chuckled. ¡± I would have never done that I would have fought with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Zhai Tianyu picked up the jar of wine in front of him and poured a generous amount of wine into his own cup before pushing the jar in front of Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Take the authority of the emperor away from him and no one will listen to anything that I say, thews will be in a mess but as long as I remind them that I am above them and that I can punish them for their crimes they will be scared of me. It¡¯s not me being proud of my birth but a reminder of the authority that my title holds.¡± He paused and then smiled in mockery. ¡± Take my authority away and I will be nothing.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 201 - 201 You are drunk 201 You are drunk ¡± You don¡¯t seem to be proud of being born as the emperor,¡± Liu Hui Yingmented as she noticed the derision that Zhai Tianyu had for his title as the Emperor of this imperial city. ¡± I am not,¡± Zhai Tianyu honestly told her with a calm expression on his face as if he was not saying something outrageous, for the Emperor to say that he was not proud of his title was a crime but he was fortunate that he said something like this in front of Liu Hui Ying who did not care about anything that he said nor did she has any intentions of using his words against him. This was the only reason why Zhai Tianyu could say something like this in front of her after all if he had told this to Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun then they would have definitely asked him to watch his words and even Ji Yu would have tried to have him change his mind, telling him that he should be proud of the fact that he was born with the powers of changing the fate of this country. He waited for Liu Hui Ying to say something simr to them because from what he has seen she seemed to be in love with the idea of making money, most probably she would love the idea of being at the top of the power. ¡± Hmm, I would have hated to be the Emperor as well,¡± Liu Hui Ying to his surprise said somethingpletely different than what she has expected her to which was why he looked at her in surprise. She might have noticed his surprise because she turned to look at him with a questioning expression as she said, ¡± What?¡± ¡± I thought you would love to be the Emperor because you like money,¡± he told her and no sooner did he say that Liu Hui Ying who had her head lying on the tableughed out loud. She pushed herself off the table and sheughed at his words before taking a breath as she stretched her hand and picked up the jar that was in front of her. ¡± I do love the idea of making money but more than making money I adore my freedom. I do not like the idea of being bound to a chair that has more respect than I do.¡± She took a sip of her wine and trembled in delight and surprise as the wine¡¯s fruity and savoury taste exploded in her mouth. ¡± You might think that I would ept anything that is thrown at me just because I was handed the money but more than money, I care about my life and the freedom that I enjoy. I won¡¯t take any case that will put my life in danger and nor will I give up my freedom for the sake of money. I like the life that I lived, why do you think that I want to go back to my world? I am tired of the ties and bounds of this world.¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s fingers gripped the cup that he was holding in them a bit more tightly than he would have usually when he heard her say that she still wanted to go back to her world. ¡± I see,¡± he nodded before he looked at Liu Hui Ying, he wanted to tell her that he could give her all the freedom that she wanted and she wouldn¡¯t have to leave but there was no point in doing so because he knew that he could not give her the freedom that she wanted in fact even he did not have the freedom to do anything that he wanted from waking up to sleeping in his bed he has to take proper care of everything that he did in his entire day because everyone in the pce was watchful of what he did or what he was doing. ..... The two of them stopped speaking Liu Hui Ying continued to drink the wine like she was drinking water while Zhai Tianyu took proper care of how much alcohol was going down his throat. He wanted to tell Liu Hui Ying to take a look at her own intake as well but when he turned to look at her, he realised that she already had a flush of red on her cheeks and her eyes were slightly dazed. Zhai Tianyu looked at her with a slightly helpless expression on his face as he said, ¡± If you keep drinking like this I am worried that you will pass out my Queen .¡± ¡± You don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Liu Hui Ying slurred with a smile on her face. ¡± I am a very heavy drinker something as small as this wouldn¡¯t be able to get me drunk.¡± ¡± You are slurring my queen,¡± he told her patiently as he set the cup in front of him as he looked at the woman who was slowly on the verge of passing out. If he knew that she was this bad when it came to alcohol, he would not have asked her to drink with him, it was all because she was too wild that he thought that she would be fine with alcohol and that she will know how much alcohol she could take inside her body. But he expected way too much from this woman who did not have any sense of danger. ¡± My queen, I think you are too drunk.¡± He tried to take the jar away from Liu Hui Ying but thetter hugged it and then red at him as she twisted on her side, ¡± Why? You bad man do you think I cannot drink because I am a woman?¡± Zhai Tianyu was feeling helpless, he has never seen a woman who drank wine like water and that too when she could not hold it, he looked at Liu Hui who was hugging the wine jar and then said in slight exasperation, ¡± I am telling you to stop is because I know that you are too drunk and not because you are a woman, you are slurring and you can¡¯t even sit straight.¡± ¡± I am not drunk!¡± ¡± You are drunk my queen!¡± ¡± I am not.¡± ¡± You are.¡± ¡± I am not drunk!¡± ¡± MY QUEEN.¡± Chapter 202 - 202 Rise of the dead 202 Rise of the dead Zhai Tianyu looked at Liu Hui Ying who was hugging the jar of wine, he wanted to snatch it from her but he knew that if he was to do that then Lin Hui Ying will surely get angry with him. But if he was to let her get drunk then who knows what will happen? ¡± My queen,¡± he did not want to startle Liu Hui Ying, he caught hold of her arm gingerly making sure that he would not touch her skin. He did not know how to deal with Liu Hui Ying¡¯s allergy, a part of him was still shocked at the fact that Liu Hui Ying was allergic to men but the other part was really curious because it wanted to understand why she was allergic to men. But he was not close enough to trespass the boundary which was why he has never asked her this question. ¡± You have drunk a lot, you should let go¡ª¡ª¡± Zhai Tianyu opened his mouth to ask Liu Hui Ying to leave the jug of wine but before he could finish speaking, he felt Liu Hui Ying move as soon as she moved, he tried to let go of her but before he could let go of her, he felt her hands reach for his throat. ¡± My Queen¡ª¡ª¡± He yelled but his words copsed under the rustling winds as Li Hui Ying choked the air out of his lungs. ¡± You¡­ are you happy now that you have killed me, huh?¡± Her voice was no longer slurry but coarse and cruel like it has been blowing over blocks of ice carrying the coldness of those blocks with it. Zhai Tianyu tried to pry her hands off his throat but he realised that Liu Hui Ying¡¯s body was cold, terrible cold like she wasn¡¯t even alive. ¡± You think that I will let you go just because I am dead?¡± Her words were already shocking enough for him to lose the trail of his thoughts but when he heard her say that she was dead, he was sure that he misheard but he did not get another chance to say anything or ask anything because the grip on his throat tightened even more. His eyes were almost going to roll back in their sockets as he tried to take Liu Hui Ying¡¯s ws that have an iron grip on his throat and then swallowed hard as he looked her in the eyes, in his panic he did not notice but her eyes seemed to have gone darker and that darkness was spreading all over the whites slowly. His pupils quivered as he looked at Liu Hui Ying and choked out, ¡± Who are you?¡± ..... ¡± Hehe, after killing me you think that you can pretend that you do not know anything?¡± Liu Hui Ying snickered coldly as she pressed her fingers even more into the skin of his throat, her nails were not long but they were long enough for her to draw blood as she pressed her nails in his throat causing Zhai Tianyu¡¯s lungs to almost copse as his air supply was cut off. ¡± You are a murderer! You killed an innocent woman!¡± As she spoke the smile vanished from her lips and her eyes turned red while big drops of tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes, dropping straight on his lips such that he would taste the salted liquid. a heartbroken expression etched on Liu Hui Ying¡¯s face as she looked down at him and she murmured, ¡± I had so many dreams I wanted to bring my sister to the city, I wanted her to live a wonderful life. I had dreams, I had feelings ¡­I wanted to get married, find someone who loved me ¡­and live my life to the fullest¡­but you¡­ you ruined it for me¡ª¡ª-¡± Her heartbroken expression morphed into something malevolent as she went for the kill but because she was lost in her thoughts for a few minutes, her grip on his throat was loosened. Zhai Tianyu took advantage of that opportunity and overturned the situation by pushing Liu Hui Ying off him as he pressed on the artery in Liu Hui Ying¡¯s neck causing her to go slump against the floor. ¡± I thought I was going to die,¡± Zhai Tianyu coughed out loud as he rubbed his throat, just now he would be lying if he said that he wasn¡¯t scared. Liu Hui Ying¡¯s grip was so tight that he was sure that if he wasn¡¯t fortunate the others would have found his corpse in the morning, for two seconds he literally saw the light of heaven! He coughed as he tried to get up from the floor but because of the scare that he just received Zhai Tianyu was feeling rather weak, his entire body was yet to get used to the feeling of being able to breathe with ease as he shook his head and tried to take as much air in his lungs as possible. Just now what happened? He wanted to ask someone about this but when he looked around he did not see anyone even the three ghosts who followed Liu Hui Ying were gone. ¡± They have to leave when I wanted to ask them something,¡± Zhai Tianyu muttered angrily, he did not know where the ghosts went but most probably they went to the fourth concubine¡¯s pce, he has heard that the fourth concubine was very much attracted by the new dramas that were ying on the streets these days and would always call the drama troupe from the streets to y for her. He also heard that there was a rumour of ghost sightings going around in the fourth concubine¡¯s pce. And being the one who knew where these ghosts wereing from, Zhai Tianyu knew that it was most probably the ghosts of Liu Hui Ying. ¡± Uh¡­¡± Liu Hui Ying moaned from the side and Zhai Tianyu was so scared that he scampered to his feet and went for the sword that was lying next to his cushion, he was worried that he will be put in a chokehold as he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying whose eyes has gonepletely ck at this point, she was having trouble opening them as she looked at him with a panicked look on her face and muttered, ¡± Please ¡­I want to live.¡± ¡ª¡ª Chapter 203 - 203 Let her sleep in the cold 203 Let her sleep in the cold Happy Republic Day to everyone in India! Zhai Tianyu sensed that she was looking at the sword that he was holding in his hands, he looked at her panicked expression and then hesitated for a while, he did not want to let go of the sword. After all, what will he do if she was to jump up and attack him again? However, Liu Hui Ying did not move from the floor, she simply stared at the sword. What Zhai Tianyu did not know was that Liu Hui Ying has been long unconscious, and the soul that was looking at him was of Liu Yue, the eldest sister of Liu Hui Ying who has been killed by a man. She has been trapped inside Liu Hui Ying¡¯s body because every time she saw a man in her surroundings she would go crazy and then try to kill them. For years she has been looking for the man who killed her such that she would be able to descend to the heavens after making him suffer, this was the reason why Liu Hui Ying became a detective because she wanted to find the man who killed her sister but the incident happened so many years ago and no one knew what and how it happened, even Liu Yue could not remember the face of that man. Because of this finding the man who killed her was even more difficult than it was supposed to be, and Liu Yue whose resentment has reached its peak almost went crazy when she saw that there was a man close to her. Seeing that Zhai Tianyu was still holding the sword, Liu Yue was worried that he will attack her. If he attacked her then what will happen to her little Hui Ying? Will she have to leave her Hui Ying behind? If she left her Hui Ying then this man will kill her sister as well! ¡± D..Don¡¯t hurt my Hui Ying,¡± she croaked out as she tried to drag her body in front of Zhai Tianyu even if her body was not moving she was still conscious. ¡± Don¡¯t hurt my sister.¡± Zhai Tianyu heard Liu Yue¡¯s words and paused, he turned to look at the woman who was struggling on the floor and then in a spilt second made his decision before he dropped the sword on his side. He did not know why he was surrendering like this, the fact that this woman has tried to kill him was enough for him to use this matter and kill everyone in the Liu family. It could be counted as treason and the Liu family will be definitely dragged down with Liu Hui Ying, he would be able to uproot them without doing anything but the thought of Liu Hui Ying being executed ¡­.it did not sit right with him. ..... But this was what he wanted right? To kill the Liu family? To end the corruption that they have spread all over the ce right? Then what was he doing? Why wasn¡¯t he calling the guards to imprison Liu Hui Ying? It was simple he could do it with ease so why wasn¡¯t he doing it? ¡± Don¡¯t hurt my Xiao Ying!¡± Liu Yue shrieked as she picked up the jar that was on the floor and threw it at Zhai Tianyu who timely dodged it and moved to the side. He looked at the jar that has been broken and then looked at the woman who was ring at him with hatred, ¡°Murderer of innocent you will pay for your sin, if you kill my sister today, I will avenge her¡­ I wille after you no matter what even if it means rotting in the eighteenth level of hell.¡± Murderer of innocent? Zhai Tianyu swallowed hard at those words, he could bet on his conscience that he hasn¡¯t killed anyone who was innocent other than just one woman but murder was murder ¡­and even if he was to wipe that memory clean from the head of everyone¡¯s head, there was no way he would be able to wipe his sin away. He did not say anything instead he ced his hands in the air and then solemnly said, ¡± I do not mean any harm, please rest in ease.¡± He did not understand what this woman meant by ¡® Xiao Ying¡¯ but given that her eyes has turned ck and her entire body was covered with a chill that seemed to be emanating through her skin, he knew that this woman was not Liu Hui Ying even though the body belonged to Liu Hui Ying. Maybe his words worked because the resentment in the eyes of the woman disappeared or maybe it was the fact that the ghost hour thatsted between the early morning around three and four has passed because the next second the woman¡¯s eyes closed and then she slumped on the floor. This time she looked like she was indeed passed out but Zhai Tianyu did not dare to get closer to her instead he waited for a while and only when he was sure that she was not moving did he let out a sigh of relief and then slumped on his seat. Just now he thought he was going to die and on top of that, there was also a feeling of guilt that he did not think was possible for him to feel. Zhai Tianyu turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and then raised his hand to rub his throat, his fingers swiped up the blood that was trickling down his throat and then pulled his hand away from his throat before he looked down at the red drops that were sticking to the palm of his hands, he pursed his lips silently and then red at Liu Hui Ying who was on the floor. He was a fool to think that he had any feelings for this woman¡­there was no way he was going to have any romantic feelings for a woman like this who knows if she was to lose control she might even kill him when he was sleeping! With that he harrumphed preparing to leave, this woman almost killed him it was all right for him to leave her here and sleep in the cold! Chapter 204 - 204 Hot piece of news 204 Hot piece of news Zhai Tianyu wanted to leave Liu Hui Ying behind, one part of him ¡ª- the part that was closest to his throat that was still throbbing wanted to turn his back on her and then walk away but he was a gentleman and he did not like the thought of leaving his wife behind and even if Liu Hui Ying was not his wife, he wouldn¡¯t have left her behind because she was a woman. He sighed and then crouched down before he stretched out his hands and then carefully picked up Liu Hui Ying from the ground, even though he brought her in his arms, he made sure that he did not touch her skin and was very careful while making sure that there was no skin to skin contact. ¡± I must have done some major sins in my past life that I am suffering under your hands like this,¡± Zhai Tianyu muttered as he looked at Liu Hui Ying who was now lying in his arms with a peaceful look on her face. He snorted seeing how she was sleeping calmly after she has almost killed him, it was her luck that he was a good man and he did not want to find trouble with her by killing her for touching him. If there was another emperor instead of him to whom Liu Hui Ying did something like this, he would have already thrown her into prison and would have killed her as quickly as possible such that he would fulfil the goals that he wanted to seed in but here he was bringing this wild woman back to her courtyard after her finding trouble with him. With a subtle nce, he looked at Liu Hui Ying¡¯s peaceful face and then said with a huff, ¡± You better treat me right my queen, I am giving up on the very thing that I married you for¡ª¡ª that is to bring your family down in one swift move.¡± Zhai Tianyu then walked out of the small pavilion where he was drinking wine with Liu Hui Ying and then walked towards the path that led to the courtyard of the queen. While he was walking he paid attention to his surroundings, he wanted to make sure that no one would see him carrying Liu Hui Ying not because Liu Hui Ying was the one in his arms, he did but because he was worried that someone would see him carry a man in his arms. But no matter how careful Zhai Tianyu was, he could not escape the prying eyes of the pce. The maids who were returning from theundry room caught a glimpse of Zhai Tianyu carrying a man in his arms. When the maids saw that the emperor was carrying a man in his arms, their eyes widened and then gasped. One of them even dropped the wooden bucket that she was carrying in her hands on the floor. ¡± Did ¡­did I see it correctly?¡± One of the maids asked her friend as she stared at the path on which Zhai Tianyu was walking just a moment ago. She could not believe her eyes, she has been working in the pce for years and had never seen the Emperor carrying any concubine or even concubine Ji Yu who was his childhood sweetheart. ..... But now all of a sudden he was carrying a man in his heavenly-blessed arms? Was this really happening? The maid who was asked also had her hand on her mouth as she looked in the front, even though Zhai Tianyu was already gone. The sight of him carrying a man in his arms was still fresh in the eyes of the maid who was looking at the road where the Emperor was walking just a minute ago. ¡± I ¡­I saw his majesty carry a man in his arms as he left for somewhere, did you see the same thing?¡± The maid asked as she looked at the one who was behind her and then saw how her friend solemnly nodded. The two of them looked at each other and then smacked their mouths before their eyes widened in surprise and a gossipy glint started to flicker in their eyes. Though gossiping about the members of the imperial family was a crime but they were not gossiping this time, were they? They just wanted to discuss what happened right? ¡­. Zhai Tianyu did not know that he has left a piece of hot news behind him while he was bringing Liu Hui Ying back to her courtyard. Qui Ai was no longer as surprised as she used to get when she saw the Emperor for the first time, she calmly cleaned the bed of the Queen and then allowed him toy Liu Hui Ying down. While she was doing this, she acted all fussy towards Liu Hui Ying and did not even nce at Zhai Tianyu. Seeing that he has been pushed to the side, Zhai Tianyu was simply speechless. First, it was the queen and now her maid was walking on the same path as her¡­he the Emperor of this imperial pce was standing right next to her and she was acting as if she could not see him, what a mess! Qui Ai who was covering Liu Hui Ying with a quilt turned around and looked at Zhai Tianyu who was standing behind her, when she saw him standing behind him, she tilted her head and then asked with a naive voice, ¡± Your majesty, is there something that you want?¡± And if there is nothing then can you please get out? Though she did not say what was going on in her head, Zhai Tianyu understood her meaning. He looked at Qui Ai with an exasperated look on his face, he looked at the maid who was throwing him out and couldn¡¯t help but pursed his lips in annoyance. This maid ¡­she was truly following her master! She was kicking the Emperor of this pce out of the room that belonged to his queen! What kind of King was he? ¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 205 - ADD ADD 205 misunderstandings piling up But since she was kicking him out Zhai Tianyu did not want to stay any further, he walked out of the room and then rubbed his throat which was still aching a little because of the grip that Liu Hui Ying had on his throat just a few minutes ago. ¡± I hope that I will not regret this,¡± he muttered as he rubbed his throat with his fingers as he looked at the wooden wall in front of him hard. It was as if he would be able to see the future in the wall in front of him if he red hard at the wall and he did try to re at the wall with a pointed re but then he sighed and then rubbed his face with the back of his palms. He was going to regret this, he knew it in his heart but even now he did not want to call the guards because he did not want to kill an innocent woman again. ¡­ ¡± What did you say?¡± Ji Yu dropped the paintbrush that she was holding in her hand and then turned to look at her maid, her eyes blinked rapidly as she looked at Xiaolin. She shook her head as she ced her hands on her ears and then rubbed them hard before she turned to look at Xiaolin and asked, ¡± What did you say, Xiaolin? Can you repeat that for me, please?¡± Xiaolin hesitated, she did not want to tell something like this to her mistress but they did not dare to hide it from mistress after all, even if she was to keep the truth from concubine Ji, she will find it from others. This was the reason why he heaved a breath and then replied with a soft voice, ¡± The maids of the kitchen were talking about how they saw the Emperor carrying a man in his arms, this news is all over the pce ever since the morning and the maids are having quite a thrilling time while discussing the matter.¡± She paused and then licked her lips before she continued speaking, ¡± I have punished them by sending the head eunuch to the kitchen but I don¡¯t think that this matter will rest that easily. Missy, did you know about this ¡­.this fantasy of his majesty.¡± ¡± Xiaolin! Watch what you say!¡± Ji Yu snapped at Xiaolin asking her to not say anything nonsensical, when Xiaolin heard Ji Yu¡¯s admonishing voice, she lowered her head and did not say anything to her missy anymore but at the same time, she thought about how she has heard the gossip from the maids and could not help but sigh for her missy. If the Emperor was interested in men then there will be a lot of trouble in the future. Ji Yu was thinking along the same line as well, even though she scolded Xiaolin she was lost in her thoughts, she did not want the Emperor to be interested in other women but that did not mean that she wanted him to get interested in another man! As she thought about the gossip that she has just heard from Xiaolin, she immediately turned to pick up the teacup from the table that was sitting beside her and then drowned the cold tea in her mouth in one single sip. She then clutched the cup in her hands with both her hands as she pursed her lips and then looked at Xiaolin who was kneeling on the floor silently. ..... She waited for a while before hesitatingly asking, ¡± A..Are you sure that the man in the rumours is the Emperor.¡± She did not want the Emperor to be interested in a man, with the women of the harem, she could still fight, she still had a chance but if the Emperor was to fall for a man then how was she supposed to fight against a man? Ji Yu was hoping that Xiaolin will tell her that she was just joking or that the rumours that were flying around the imperial pce were nothing but rumours without any base but then she heard Xiaolin say, ¡± I speak the truth, your highness, the gossip is that two maids saw the Emperor carrying a man in his arms.¡± ¡® carrying in his arms? Tianyu hasn¡¯t even carried her in his arms! Even when she twisted her ankle, he left her alone and then waited for the eunuch of the pce toe and pick her up!¡¯ Ji Yu never thought that she will feel upset over a man and that too in a way where she will be jealous of him! She bit her lips and smacked her hands on the table as she hurled the teacup in the air and smashed it into bits. Xiaolin flinched in surprise but before she could say anything, she heard a sound of a dog crying. She looked left and right in wonder, thinking about where the sound of a puppy crying wasing from but then she noticed that the sound of puppy woe wasing from the front. Surprised she turned to look at her front and was stunned when she saw that her missy was ugly crying with her face scrunched up and snot with tears trickling down her cheeks and nostrils. ¡± Your highness please do not cry like this!¡± You will scare someone if you continue to cry in this ugly way. Xiaolin however was smart enough and did not to say the following words but she still couldn¡¯t help but pick up a handkerchief from the table as she wiped Ji Yu¡¯s face with the white handkerchief. ¡± You don¡¯t need to act like this just because his majesty had always been with you hasn¡¯t he? Surely he must adore you, your highness.¡± ¡± If he adores me then why does he not look for me in the night? I thought he was speaking the truth when he said that he did not want to have kids but now I am incapable of having one but he still does note looking for me at the night, don¡¯t you think that there is something wrong with him?¡± Ji Yu cried even more loudly when she thought about how she was being ignored by the Emperor because of a man. Chapter 206 - 206 Get on your knees 206 Get on your knees ¡± Wh...Who was that man?!¡± This was the only roar that could be heard in the imperial pce in the morning every concubine who lived in the pce could be seen biting their handkerchief as they ordered their maids to find the identity of the man. As for the man, she was currently lying on her bed with her hand mping and rubbing her forehead as her head throbbed and ached because of the consequences of her actionsst night. Liu Hui Ying had no idea that she has caused the entire bunch of concubines to get restless for the entire week, right now she was cursing the weak body that she was in at the moment. ¡± Ah, this darn woman,¡± she groaned as she rubbed her temples with an annoyed look on her face. ¡± She can¡¯t even take a few sips of alcohol when I was the great detective Hui Ying, I could drink a least three bottles of wine before passing out!¡± When she was working as a detective she had to train her body like that of a man which was why she was used to drinking every now and then, there was also her sister who was trapped in her body. If she was to pass out then her sister would regain consciousness and take over her body ¡ª¡ª Wait! Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes snapped wide open as she sat up straight but because her head was hurting so much, she plopped down on the bed again because she could not sit still without her vision whirling around in front of her eyes like a top. However, even though she felt sick, Liu Hui Ying bullied her brain to remember what happenedst night, she wanted to know whether her sister took control of her body or not. But no matter how much she tried to remember nothing came to her mind, it was as if the memories ofst night has long been cleaned. This only annoyed Liu Hui Ying further, she angrily punched the bed under her with her fists as she snapped, ¡± This woman is simply useless, she can¡¯t even remember what happenedst night, it¡¯s fine if you cannot handle alcohol the least your body can do is to remember things!¡± ¡°The yst night was really amazing,¡± Jia Li who has finally found a way to entertain herself was really happy,st night she went to see the y that was being performed in the second concubine¡¯s courtyard. It was a simple drama of a young miss being thrown out of her house but then regaining her title and position by framing and scheming against her family, it was a simple plot but at least the actors knew what they were doing and she really enjoyed it. Who would have thought that she would be able to find a substitute for the chilly flix subscription that she has lost? ¡± I know right, the climax of the scene where she killed her half-sister who schemed against her was really interesting, I am more excited to see how the y will go on after that twist,¡± Grandma Lan Fen was an old woman who did not have much to do either when she was dragged to the y she did not want to go after all she liked the peace of the back courtyard a bit too much but in the end, she was a woman as well, soon she was attracted by the plot and she did not feel much resistance and thoroughly enjoyed herself. ..... ¡± Especially the male lead, he was very handsome as well right?¡± Jia LI gushed excitedly as she cupped her cheeks. ¡± Hmph, you are easily satisfied,¡± Li Gang knew that the man was handsome but he did not want to admit it. After all, he was not willing to agree that someone other than him was more handsome, call him a narcissist if you wanted but with his ck hair that was carefully cleaned in a buzz cut and his tall and muscr build he was better than any featherless chicken that had his hair tied in a ponytail with no muscles at all. ¡°You just know how to talk nonsense!¡± Jia Li red at Li Gang, that male lead was her new ¡®specimen¡¯ to be researched on, how dare this man say that the man was no good, there was no way she was going to listen to anyone talk badly about her research specimen at all! ¡°If you are jealous then just say it, why do you have to be like this?¡± ¡± What do you know¡ª¡ª¡± Li Gang was prepared to scold Jia Li but before he could say anything, he was stopped by a re that was directed at him, he turned around and looked at Liu Hui Ying who was ring at him and the other two before swallowing his words back. Uh oh, they seemed to have forgotten about this devil¡¯s heir. ¡± So,¡± Liu Hui Ying slowly pushed herself off the bed and then red at the three of them with her cold eyes. ¡± I was left alone in the pavilion while you three were enjoying a y? It seems that you all have forgotten who your master is, how dare you run around recklessly like that? Do you even have me in your eyes?¡± Liu Hui Ying could not be med for getting angry, her head was throbbing and she could not remember what happenedst night, she was banking on these three ghosts to tell her what happened but instead of waiting by her side, they all turned around and went to see their y! What kind of servants were these? They actually left their master to watch y? She was going to go mad with the three of them finding trouble with her! As she thought about how she has left these three ghosts to cover her back and trusted them only to be stabbed in the back by them, Liu Hui Ying could not help but grit her teeth in anger. Leave her back to these fools? It would be better to let her enemy stab her to death! ¡ª- Chapter 207 - 207 summoned by the dowager empress 207 summoned by the dowager empress ¡± We did not mean to do something like that as well but you were having such a good time, we thought it was not right of us to disturb you.¡± Li Gang who was now kneeling on the floor said aggrievedly to Liu Hui Ying, he did not want to go to the y but he was taken away by Jia Li who kept praising the man who was ying the male lead, saying that the man was too handsome and whatnot. ¡± I did not mean anything, I am old and muddleheaded..there are times when I cannot make proper decisions please try to understand,¡± Grandma Lan Fen who was an elderly woman and was thus allowed to stand without kneeling on the ground. She looked at Liu Hui Ying who was ring at her with a terrible expression on her face and lowered her head, she wanted to say something more but knew that there was no way she was going to be forgiven which was why she did not say a word and simply pursed her lips. ¡°¡­I did not think that you will be caught in trouble either¡­you were having your own fun which was why I thought that it was all right for us to have fun as well, please don¡¯t get angry at us like this,¡± Jia Li knew that she was in trouble she looked at Liu Hui Ying who was brimming with anger and then joined her hands in prayer as she squirmed nervously and added, ¡± It was just a single night, we worked so hard shouldn¡¯t it be all right for us to have some fun as well, why are you ring at me like that?¡± Liu Hui Ying did not understand how these three ghosts could be so cheeky was it because she was treating them too well, was this the reason why she was getting ignored by them like this? ¡± You three, you are too much! I left my back for you to cover and you went to enjoy a y! If this goes on what will happen if one day I get attacked and have to fight for my life? You three will be gushing over a y¡¯s climax and then I have to go and look for a ce to haunt! You three are supposed to be by my side no matter what happens and until I say that you are free to leave you cannot leave!¡± ¡± I did not want to leave, I was telling them that if we leave the hell raiser will surely skin us¡ª¡ª-¡± Dong. A loud echo reverberated in the room as Li Gang who was speaking felt his head twist back with a spiritual force and then felt his head fly away from his body. When he saw that he was punished by Liu Hui Ying for calling her a hell-raiser, he immediately flew into a rage while his body picked itself up from the ground and then walked over to where his head was, he continued to rap in a rapid-fire manner, ¡± Why are you getting angry at me for? These two were the ones who wanted to go to that concubine¡¯s pce and watch the y I was just ying along with them, why is it that you are getting angry at me and not them? Don¡¯t you think that you are being too biased by doing something like this?¡± As soon as he spoke Jia Li wished she could throw the man out of the room, it was such a small matter what was wrong with him if he was to take the matter on his head tonight? ..... ¡± You don¡¯t need to worry about it, I will definitely deal with the two of them,¡± Liu Hui Ying has not forgotten that these two have caused just as much trouble as Li Gang which was why she was not going to let this matter off as easily. But before she could think of a way to deal with Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen, Nanny Gong who was working in the small kitchen came bustling inside the room, she was still covered in sweat after working in the small kitchen but despite being covered with sweat already she had to turn around and run to the courtyard. Liu Hui Ying who saw Nanny Gong run inside her room was stunned she wanted to ask what was going on but before she could say anything Nanny Gong immediately announced, ¡± The Dowager Empress has called for you, your majesty! You need to head to the pce now!¡± After that Liu Hui Ying did not even have the time to open her mouth because she was pulled off her bed and then she was pushed into the bath that was like a small swimming pool in an enclosed space. Nanny Gong did not hear a thing that she has to say and insisted on bathing her like a child by the time Liu Hui Ying was pulled out of the bath and was dressed up, she was pouting and huffing like an angry bull who was the verge of losing control. ¡°You need to smile a little more your majesty, you look like you are going to meet someone who went back on his words and reneged their debts,¡± Nanny Gong tried to pull Liu Hui Ying¡¯s lips up but she could not even touch those frowning lips before Liu Hui Ying opened her mouth and fiercely bit down on Nanny Gong¡¯s fingers causing thetter to yelp a loud, ¡± Aiya, what are you doing? Your majesty!¡± Nanny Gong was really wronged it was not like she was the one who wanted to do this, the dowager empress sent the word that she wanted to see Liu Hui Ying, what else was she supposed to do other than follow her order? She aggrievedly blew on her finger and then looked at Liu Hui Ying who was looking like she was on the verge of losing her temper. Now she just hoped that her majesty would stay calm while seeing the dowager empress as for her acting like ady? She might as well forget it. Chapter 208 - 208 Choked 208 Choked Liu Hui Ying did not want to go to the Dowager Empress, she was unwilling but no matter how unwilling she was, there was no way she would be able to ignore the order of the Dowager Empress which was why even though she did not want to agree, she had to sit down on the pnquin and allow the people who were forcing her to the Dowager Empress pce take her there. ¡± I greet her majesty!¡± Liu Hui Ying even though hated the fact that she has toe and see this schemingdy, she bowed politely and looked at her with a respectful expression. If not for her perfect acting skills she would not have been able to work as an undercover detective for such a long time, her expressions were even more wonderful than the real Liu Hui Ying causing Dowager Empress to look at her with a smile. ¡± You child, there is no need for you to look at me like that and, there is no need for you to act all polite with me,¡± Dowager Empress immediately said as she asked her Mammy to help Liu Hui Ying up, she looked at Liu Hui Ying like she was looking at her favourite niece causing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s smile to widen even more. ¡® No need to act so polite? Why don¡¯t you look at that overly satisfied face of yours first? Clearly, you love seeing people bow to you!¡¯ Liu Hui Ying thought in her head as she let the mammy help her up, she walked over to the chair that was opposite Dowager Empress and sat down with a polite expression on her face while she ruthlessly curse the Dowager Empress in her head. ¡± Did you want to see me for something your majesty?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked as she looked at the woman who was sitting in front of her, she was sure that this woman did not call her to the pce to enjoy the sight of the fluttering apricot leaves. The two of them were currently sitting in the garden that no longer had the charm it did when it was spring, the green leaves were slowly turning a subtle shade of brown, and some were even fluttering down with the wind that was rustling past them. Liu Hui Ying surveyed the surroundings carefully and her eyes flickered when she noticed a chill that has nothing to do with the weather that was changing. ¡® A soul¡¯ she muttered in her mind as she looked around the garden her eyes flickered left and right but she could not find the soul that was hiding and before she could focus on the yin energy she felt that the soul has vanished without a trace. This ¡­just how many souls were trapped in this ce? ¡± I called you because there is something that I want to ask to you,¡± Dowager Empress suddenly spoke causing as she looked at Liu Hui Ying causing thetter to snap out of her daze as she looked at the woman who was speaking to her. ..... Liu Hui Ying was prepared to be questioned about a number of things like why she was no longer in the courtyard and why she was leaving and where she was going after all there was a chance that the maids who were looking after her and were working in her courtyard were spies of Dowager Empress she has never been a fool to think that the Dowager Empress and Grand Dowager Empress would leave her alone. The two of them thought they were opponents, the two women were cut from the same clothes¡ª¡ª they were distrustful of others and were simply unreasonable there was no way she would not know that they would nt spies in her courtyard. But as she was waiting for Dowager Empress to ask what she was thinking she noticed that the woman¡¯s face has turned weird as she looked at her and then said in a soft voice, ¡± Hui Ying, when you told me that his majesty went to see you at the night where you two consummated your wedding, you were speaking the truth right?¡± Liu Hui Ying clenched her fingers, what was this? Was the woman suspecting her? She was a bit confused but she still lowered her head and shyly responded, ¡± of course it is true, how can I dare to lie to you, your majesty?¡± Though she replied like that, she was carefully thinking about the night that took ce, what happened¡­did she miss something but howe she missed something? She has never made a mistake before! Just as she was thinking about whether to use her talisman on the Dowager Empress knowing that she will have to do something or else because of the sin of lying to the dowager empress she will get the punishment of beheading. But before she could even take the talisman out,she heard the Dowager Empress heave a sigh of relief, stunned she looked at the woman whose face was obviously very clear and she did not look like she was going to go on a verge of attacking or punishing anyone, seeing this Liu Hui Ying was surprised but before she could say anything she heard Dowager Empress say, ¡± I knew that there was no way what they were saying was the truth!¡± ¡± Your majesty?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked in confusion, what was she talking about? Seeing that Liu Hui Ying was looking at her with confusion Dowager Empress thought that she has not taken the rumours to her mind and felt even more proud of her niece. Clearly, her niece knew what her son was capable of and was not even willing to believe what the others were talking about, it was only those women who did not know what was good for them and had never felt the happiness of what it meant to fly up to the heaven which was why they have they were believing such rumours. ¡°It¡¯s nothing the others are saying that his majesty is interested in men.¡± No sooner did the Grand Dowager Empress say this than Liu Hui Ying who has drank a sip of the tea served by the nanny choked. Chapter 209 - 209 Drowned to death 209 Drowned to death ¡ª ¡± Cough, cough,¡± Liu Hui Ying was so shocked by this revtion that she did not know what to say, the Emperor was interested in men. Since when did this happen and how? Liu Hui Ying was stunned as she looked at the woman who was looking at her in surprise and hurriedly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief that Qui Ai has offered her and then said with a smile, ¡± I...I was just shocked upon hearing that people would believe on anything now.¡± But as she spoke she was really troubled by the fact that she might have caused trouble for Zhai Tianyu, what if he was really interested in men and she created a mess for his sexual orientation to be turned around? Butpared to Zhai Tianyu¡¯s sexual satisfaction she cared about her life which was why she immediately pushed the guilt that she was feeling in her heart to the side, she shouldn¡¯t think too much after all she was the one whose life was on the line as for Zhai Tianyu wasn¡¯t he already having fun with the man or whoever he was with? ¡± Right!¡± When Dowager Empress heard Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words she smacked the table with a harsh bang of her hand. ¡± I was telling mammy An the same thing, there is no way my son will be interested in men, even if I haven¡¯t raised him. I know him better than others, there is no way he will go around frolicking with eunuch and whatnots, it¡¯s just some people who don¡¯t know what is right and what is wrong for them.¡± As she spoke she started to get more and more angry but then she did not say anything and simply cursed those who were saying a bunch of things about her son who was the Emperor of this pce. ¡± Yes, yes ¡­you are absolutely right your majesty,¡± what else could Liu Hui Ying say? She nodded her head and then smiled at the Dowager Empress as if she was agreeing with every single word that the older woman was saying but in her heart, she was rolling around in pain and guilt. Did she force a bend man to be straight? But howe that man wasn¡¯t straight, did he not have a white moonlight? As she thought about Ji Yu, Liu Hui Ying remembered the features of Ji Yu that despite being delicate had a masculine charm to them and suddenly understood something very important. Of course! This was not about beauty it was about the essence! Now that she understood what was going on Liu Hui Ying thought that she might have understood something! Though before she could say anything she heard a maid¡¯s hurried footsteps and then she watched as the maid who was standing outsidee running as she came to stand behind the mammy. Mammy An did not move instead she stood where she was before she looked at the person, Mammy An did not move at once but she waited until she was done before she turned around and then walked over to where the maid was, she looked at the maid who leaned in closer and then said a bunch of things to her, at first Mammy An did not understand what was going on but then her eyes widened as she rushed to Dowager Empress and said in a panicked voice, ¡± Liu Fei Fei is dead.¡± ..... ¡­. Liu Fei Fei was one of the most important chess pieces that the Dowager Empress and the left prime minister has chosen, she was supposed to be the backdrop of Liu Hui Ying making sure that if there were no benefits brought by Liu Hui Ying then they could turn to Liu Fei Fei, what was more with Liu Fei Fei in the harem they would be able to keep a rein on Liu Hui Ying after all they wanted to make sure that she knew that if they could make her the Empress then they can even make Liu Fei Fei the empress as well. But now one of the legitimate daughters of the Liu family was killed and the others who were stuffed in the imperial pce were only worthy to be the imperial concubine. When Dowager Empress heard that Liu Fei Fei was dead, she felt like she has been smacked in the face. Someone actually dared to make a move against the daughter of the Liu family and that too right under her nose? How dare they! ¡± My Fei Fei!¡± When both Liu Hui Ying and the Dowager Empress arrived at the courtyard where Liu Fei Fei lived they could see the nanny who has taken care of Liu Fei Fei ever since she was a child crying over the corpse that was lying on the floor. Liu Hui Ying looked at the corpse that was on the floor, it seemed to have been taken out of the pond, as her entire body was swollen and Liu Fei Fei who seemed like a delicate beauty was now looking like she was some sort monster. ¡± She was drowned by someone,¡± earlier Jia Li and the others were really bored when they were with Liu Hui Ying they wanted to leave but after the lesson that Liu Hui Ying has taught them, they no longer dared to do that which was why they stayed where they were, luckily they did or they would have missed this case! Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes shed as she looked around the room and indeed she noticed the heavy yin energy that was full of vengeance and anger, Liu Fei Fei was here and she was currently really angry. Most probably she was trying to look for the person who killed her and wanted to take her revenge, she looked at the corner of the room where the walls seemed to have gotten slightly wetter and narrowed her eyes while no one was looking at her, she turned her Yin and Yang eyes on and sure enough, she saw Liu Fei Fei sitting inside the small space with her eyes drilled on her corpse with a vicious look on her face. Chapter 210 - 210 How much? 210 How much? Liu Hui Ying wasn¡¯t surprised when she saw that Liu Fei Fei did not move on and stayed in this world, after all, when she met with this little cousin of hers, she saw that the woman was petty and vengeful. What was more important, this woman was very arrogant, her arrogance surpassed even that of the jerk. As soon as she thought about a certain jerk, the man who was currently sitting in his study and was looking at the documents in front of him without knowing that a troublesome murder has taken ce right under his nose, sneezed loudly. She was going to look away from the soul that was hiding in the small closet that was in the room when suddenly the soul that was sitting inside the closet turned around and looked at her when Liu Fei Fei saw Liu Hui Ying, she eyes widened and then she stood up from the spot where she was gloomily sitting in the corner. Seeing her stand up Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes quivered, and she silently screamed in her head. ¡® No, No! Don¡¯te over!¡¯ She just got some free time after solving the case that was rted to the aunt of the Emperor¡¯s aunt. She did not want to get involved in another case so soon! But even if she wanted to stay away from the trouble it did not mean that she will be able to avoid it. Just as she turned her gaze away, Liu Fei Fei came to stand in front of her ¡ª¡ª she looked at her with a smile that was ying on her face and opened her mouth, ¡± I was thinking what to do, but now that you are here, I think that I don¡¯t need to find trouble myself.¡± ¡® Ignore her, ignore her,¡¯ Liu Hui Ying told herself, she stared in front and looked at the Nanny who was crying while nanny An tried to console her but from the looks of it, it seemed that the grief that Liu Fei Fei¡¯s nanny was suffering from did not seem to be a minor one. She kept on crying while hugging Liu Fei Fei whose body was on the floor, she shook her head as she tried to shake off the people who were trying to snatch Liu Fei Fei¡¯s body from her. ¡± Don¡¯t take my missy, she is so scared of the cold. What are you doing? I have to cover her up and make her feel the warmth.¡± When Liu Fei Fei heard her nanny howl like that her eyes turned red as she blinked away the ghostly tears that were brimming in her eyes but she did not cry. She knew that there was no point in crying over this matter, she was already dead and even if she wanted to coax her nanny she could not do it which was why she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying with a determined look on her face and said, ¡± You don¡¯t have to look ahead like this, I can see the extreme yin energy wafting off from your body. And there is also that baleful aura that resembles the guardians of the underworld. You are clearly a celestial master, instead of ignoring me like this, you should listen to me!¡± Celestial masters were different from those who only existed to exorcise the soul existing in this world no matter if they were good or bad. Those people were called ghost busters or more like ghost exorcisers but celestial masters were different as long as a soul brings up the case in front of them, they will have to help them. ..... Now that Liu Fei Fei was a ghost she obviously knew of all these things. Liu Hui Ying heard Liu Fei Fei¡¯s domineering voice and her lips twitched, she could see that the uing days will be really difficult for her with this overbearing girl. Even though Liu Fei Fei was screaming in her ears, she still continued to act as if she could not see anything¡ª¡ª after all, she really did not want to get involved with this woman. Seeing that Liu Hui Ying was still ignoring her, Liu Fei Fei¡¯s lips curled as she looked at the woman with a dark smile and added, ¡± I can see that you have three ghosts behind you, why don¡¯t you stop with that pretence of yours? If you don¡¯t agree then I will haunt you even when you are old and withered maybe we might even share the same tomb together.¡± Since she was not going to get what she wanted she was definitely going to go all out. So what if she was shameless? As long as she could find out the culprit who was behind her death, she will be able to move on and if she did not then she will roam in this world without solving her vengeance. ¡± Fck, Hui Ying! I think you met your match in terms of shamelessness!¡± Li Gang eximed as he peered past Liu Hui Ying¡¯s shoulders at Liu Fei Fei who was daring enough to threaten Liu Hui Ying causing Liu Hui Ying to erupt as she violently smacked her hand on the right and pped Li Gang with all her might. Her actions were so ruthless that Li Gang was smashed directly into the wall behind him, seeing him like this Jia Li clicked her tongue in distaste while Grandma Lan Fen only sighed, what should she do about this foolish boy? How can he let the cat out of the bag so soon? ¡± Aha!¡± Liu Fei Fei smugly looked at Liu Hui Ying who has sent Li Gang flying and then sneered with a cold look in her eyes as she pointed at Liu Hui Ying in triumph. ¡± Now what do you have to say for yourself? You have been caught on the spot. Why don¡¯t you look at my eyes now, dear sister?¡± Liu Hui Ying understood that she would not be able to get away from this situation, so she helplessly sighed and asked, ¡± How much?¡± ¡ª- Chapter 211 - 211 The Queen killed Liu Fei Fei! 211 The Queen killed Liu Fei Fei! ¡± How much what?¡± Liu Fei Fei did not understand what Liu Hui Ying was trying to say but the next second she saw the woman¡¯s eyes suddenly be fierce as she calmly said, ¡± What else? I am asking about what and how you are going to pay me for my work?¡± Though she was not willing to take this order there was no other choice left for her either, if she really got stuck in this ce then she definitely did not want to share the same grave as Liu Fei Fei, who knows maybe if she and Liu Fei Fei to spend an eternity in their graves together then she might truly lose control and return from the gates of the underworld to fight with this woman who snatched her grave. ¡°What are you saying? You are a celestial master, shouldn¡¯t you be helping me? I am a pitiful spirit and you are a big master, how can you bully me like this? Is this how the heavens work?¡± Liu Fei Fei asked indignantly she could not understand why she would have to hand money to Liu Hui Ying, even though she wanted her help she was not going to help her in getting rich by using her wealth. ¡± So what if I am a celestial master? Don¡¯t you think that I don¡¯t need to eat food and that I don¡¯t need to do anything like buyfort? You came to see me when you were alive and you can see that I don¡¯t have manyforts but you clearly had so many things, why don¡¯t you share with me, dear sister?¡± Li Gang was terribly wrong there was no way anyone would be able to snatch her title of the most shameless woman. She wasn¡¯t someone who would give up her title without defending it! When they saw that Liu Hui Ying was indeed trying to suck Liu Fei Fei dry when she was dead already, their lips twitched. This was also right even if Liu Fei Fei acted up, there was no way she would be able to defeat Liu Hui Ying who was full of the ck stuff in her belly. Seeing that Liu Hui Ying was actually trying to smuggle money out of her pockets, Liu Fei Fei felt like she was going to be mad with anger! But then she held it in and gritted her teeth before snapping, ¡± Fine, I will let you take my jewellery¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± Are you mad ?¡± Liu Hui Ying turned to look at her with an ¡® are you serious look¡¯ on her face. ¡± I am telling you that I have no need for your pieces of jewellery, you need to give me money, I want hot, rolling money do you get it? What will I do with jewels?¡± She was speaking the truth after the lesson she has learned she knew that there was no way anyone would be able to sell the jewellery that was owned by the imperial family and what was more no one would buy jewellery that belonged to a dead person, even in the modern world no one would dare to buy a thing that was left behind by a dead person much less in this era. ..... Liu Fei Fei was speechless, she looked at Liu Hui Ying. She didn¡¯t think that this woman would be this shameless! But before she could say anything a maid came running inside the room, she was carrying a paper in her hands as she hurriedly stuffed it in the hand of the nanny who was crying. The nanny took one look at the paper before her head shot up and she looked at Liu Hui Ying before she shot up and roared, ¡°It¡¯s you! It is you who killed my missy!¡± As she spoke she pounced at Liu Hui Ying whose eyes narrowed as she raised her hand and smacked the woman so hard that she fell on the floor. The nanny was old and did not know anything about what was happening, she only knew one thing and that was she was pped by Liu Hui Ying whom she has attacked. A side of her was shocked but Liu Hui Ying did not give her a chance to think and calmly said, ¡± Have you snapped out of your daze?¡± Liu Hui Ying looked down at the woman who attacked her, she did not know what was written on the paper but she was already very clear about one thing, that paper had her name on it. ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± The nanny pointed at Liu Hui Ying and shouted again as she looked at Dowager Empress. ¡± She is the one who killed my missy, your majesty. Please give my missy an answer!¡± As she spoke she opened the paper that was in her hand and showed the name that was written on it, one could see that the name that was written on the clean paper was none other than Liu Hui Ying¡¯s! Seeing this Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked at Liu Fei Fei who shrugged and said, ¡± I am not the one who wrote that, the handwriting does look like its mine but it¡¯s not me who wrote that, someone copied my writing and then wrote your name.¡± When Liu Hui Ying heard that her eyes flickered, even more, looks like she was the one who was being targeted this time but why? She hasn¡¯t made a move at anyone yet. Even Dowager Empress¡¯s eyes started to flicker, she looked at the name that was written on the paper and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was standing behind her, she, however, did not say anything, instead, she waited for Liu Hui Ying to say something. Liu Hui Ying noticed that the woman was looking at her and then said calmly, ¡± Why will I kill her your majesty? And even if I did ¡­I am sure that I am smart enough to not leave a piece of evidence behind after all I am the legitimate daughter of the Liu family. I don¡¯t need to dirty my hands by using my own people.¡± She carefully looked at Liu Hui Ying who was looking at this situation shrewdly and her eyes glimmered with pride. This niece of hers was not as soft as she thought¡ª¡ª Chapter 212 - 212 Scheme 212 Scheme ¡± You must be jealous of my missy!¡± The nanny whose grief was beyond control red at Liu Hui Ying. She forgot in her sadness that she was just a servant who did not have any power in front of Liu Hui Ying or anyone else standing in the room but she was the one who raised Liu Fei Fei ever since she was a young girl, she was a widow who lost her husband when she was very young which was why she did not have any children and this was why she poured all of her love on Liu Fei Fei. Now that the girl whom she treated as her daughter was dead how can she not be upset? How can she not cry? This girl might be a nobody for those who lived in the Liu family and the Emperor but for her, she was her entire world. Without Liu Fei Fei, how was she supposed to stay alive? ¡± Nanny Cheng, watch who you are talking to!¡± nanny An who was coaxing Nanny Cheng till now immediately changed her countenance when she saw that thetter was shouting at the Empress, she understood that Nanny Cheng was suffering the most upon seeing the death of Liu Fei Fei but that did not give her the right to scream at Liu Hui Ying who was the Empress. Can she not see that the Dowager Empress¡¯s facial expressions were changing? She was courting death by shouting at the Empress right in front of Liu Hui Ying after all she was still the legitimate daughter of the Liu family while Liu Fei Fei was nothing but an adopted daughter, how dare she raise her voice in front of the Dowager Empress and that too at the Empress? Nanny Cheng too realised that she seemed to have overstepped her boundary but she still defiantly looked at the Empress like she was hoping that the woman will die here and now in front of her. Seeing Nanny Cheng act like this Liu Hui Ying sighed while Liu Fei Fei on her side let out an arrogant scoff, it was as if she was certain that Liu Hui Ying will now have to help her without asking for money. But Liu Hui Ying would never help anyone without anything in return which was why she calmly looked at the Dowager Empress who was staring at the corpse with aplexion that was slowly turning purple. ¡± Your majesty, do you think that I will kill Concubine Liu?¡± Instead of panicking she calmly ced her thoughts into words and then began speaking, she knew that at this moment she did not have the time to scold the nanny who was yelling at her, if she did that then she would simply waste her time which was why she did not get angry instead she blinked her dewy eyes and then looked at the Dowager Empress without even the slighted frown. ¡± I will admit that she and I did not get along with each other since she always bullied me,¡± her words caused both Nanny Cheng and Liu Fei Fei who were standing beside her in her ghostly form stiffen as she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was looking at her with a hidden smirk. ¡® Ruthless, this woman was simply ruthless she was actually going to ruin the reputation of even a dead woman!¡¯ Liu Fei Fei scolded Liu Hui Ying who was standing beside her. ..... ¡± But that does not mean that I will kill Concubine Liu, after all, there is no need for me to get jealous over her. His majesty dotes on me and I am also the legitimate daughter of the Liu family¡­and even if I did not have such things, I am sitting on the throne of the Empress do I need to do something foolish like this?¡± Liu Hui Ying exined everything that she was thinking in her head before she turned to look at Nanny Cheng who was looking at her with confusion as if she was finally thinking straight. ¡± As for the note if we think carefully, as nanny Cheng said she just went to look for something to drink for Liu Fei Fei and she hardly left her alone for less than fifteen minutes, if that is the case then Nanny Cheng did you leave a paper, brush and grounded ink with Concubine Liu?¡± Liu Hui Ying hurriedly started to state all the evidence that she could use to make herself get out of this situation. ¡± Or was there any ink that has been groundedst night?¡± ¡± No there was no ink left, my missy wrote a letter to her father earlier this week and she did not write anything else,¡± Nanny Cheng replied now that she has calmed down, she could think straight. Liu Hui Ying was the Empress there was no need for her to do something like this, if she wanted she could have always asked the Liu family to take care of Liu Fei Fei instead ofing to the courtyard and pushing Liu Fei Fei herself and even if there was a feud between the two sisters, her missy knew that she was an abandoned chess piece, if she dying in the hands of Liu Hui Ying then she would have died silently. When Liu Hui Ying heard that Liu Fei Fei did not write anything for a week, she heaved a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that Liu Fei Fei was an idiot and was not a nerd like Ji Yu who busied herself all day long while doing calligraphy and drawing, if Liu Fei Fei was second Ji Yu then she would have had a really hard time to exin this situation. ¡± Then was Concubine Liu capable of grinding the ink stone in just a mere twenty or twenty-five minutes?¡± She further asked nanny Cheng who looked confused but shook her head as she replied, ¡± No, Missy has been raised with all sorts offorts and servants, she did not even know how to grind an ink stone.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 213 - 213 She committed suicide. 213 Shemitted suicide. ¡± Isn¡¯t that so? If she cannot even grind an ink stone and there was no spare ink left then howe she was able to write my name before jumping down the pond? And even if she was nning to jump ahead and even wrote a letter then I can only say that the servants here were not doing their jobs up to the mark because howe it is possible that no one here knew that she was going to jump in the pond?¡± Liu Hui Ying pointed out as she looked at Nanny Cheng who was kneeling on the floor. She was slightly nervous because this ce was where no one cared about the life of a human and she knew that if she did not carefully tread on thin ice then there was a possibility that the Emperor might barge in and dere her as a criminal after all she was someone who was being targeted by him because of the Liu family, she did not think that the man would let her leave just because she helped him a little bit. Men were all selfish. Liu Hui Ying had learned this lesson the hard way, being touched, groped and bullied by a bunch of them. Which was why she was not going to be trusting of that man even if they solved a simple case together. She smiled and then looked at Dowager Empress with a calm voice and continued speaking, ¡± Maybe¡­.¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± Dowager Empress asked as she looked at Liu Hui Ying who was looking at the corpse and was hesitating to say something, seeing her hesitate, Dowager Empress immediately said, ¡± What do you want to say? Just say it without any worries.¡± Liu Hui Ying was just waiting for this, she licked her lips and nervously continued speaking, ¡± Your majesty, Liu Fei Fei was killed and I was med, Don¡¯t you think that someone is trying to target both of us at the same time? Maybe they want to kill Liu Fei Fei and dethrone me, if that happens then wouldn¡¯t the Liu family suffer? I will be removed from the post of the Empress and Liu Fei Fei is dead as well which means that the influence of the Liu family on the harem will be significantly reduced.¡± When Liu Hui Ying said this Dowager Empress who was thinking about the incident immediately understood what was going on and she gritted her teeth. ¡± The Ji family!¡± In the imperial city no one other than the Ji family no one wanted to see the Liu family fall. They had a lot of enemies but only the Ji family could be this bold, since they dared to do something like this they must have thought that she would punish Liu Hui Ying or maybe they were giving an opportunity to the Emperor to dethrone Liu Hui Ying as well when she thought about this Dowager Empress¡¯s eyes shed and then she turned to look at the maids who were standing in the room with a nervous expression on their faces. ..... They were young and naive but this did not matter to the Dowager Empress, for the sake of keeping her family¡¯s power stable and punishing those who have wronged her family and her. Her eyes flickered as she looked at her nanny An who was sturdy and nodded, once she did that Nanny An whistled in a low voice. As soon as she did that three shadows appeared out of thin air, the maids realised what was going on and wanted to scream but were stopped by Dowager Empress who narrowed her eyes and said, ¡± If you listen to me then your family will still be able to get out of this situation alive but if you don¡¯t then you will be buried with your families.¡± At once those maids who wanted to scream turned silent and were taken away by the shadow guards when Liu Hui Ying saw this her smile faltered as she looked at the expression of the maids who had their heads lowered, she wanted to stop Dowager Empress but she knew her limits. Even if she did not agree with the killing of the innocents, she knew that the Dowager Empress was too distrustful, if she said anything to save those women then she will be attracting more attention to her. Once the maids were taken away, Dowager Empress then turned to look at the woman who was kneeling on the floor. ¡°You...Your majesty, I have served the Liu family for so many years¡­¡ª¡ª¡± Nanny Cheng started pleading but was stopped by Dowager Empress who interrupted her with a scheming look on her face. ¡± You are right.¡± She motioned to Nanny An who tugged the paper out of Nanny Cheng¡¯s grip and threw it in the stove that was still burning next to the corpse. Immediately the paper started burning with a flicker of sparks, one could see that Nanny Cheng wanted to save the burning paper but did not when she saw that the Dowager Empress was standing in front of her with a nk look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that poor Fei Fei could not withstand the pressure of staying in the imperial pce, I am saddened by her suicide but you know Nanny Cheng, such deaths cannot be avoided, so I hope that you will be able to forget this incident and move forward,¡± Dowager Empress calmly told Nanny Cheng as if she has not just killed someone with just a few words. ¡± But because you have been working so hard for the Liu family, I will give you a reward. From now on you will start working for the Empress, take care of her just as you took care of Fei Fei, do not let me down, do you understand?¡± Anyone could see that Dowager Empress was threatening Nanny Cheng, and from the defiant look in the eyes of Nanny Cheng, it could be seen that she wanted to fight back since she was not reconciled but before she could say anything Dowager Empress repeated with a cold voice, ¡± Do you understand?¡± Chapter 229 - 229 Killed after getting tortured: Cannot remember anything! 229 Killed after getting tortured: Cannot remember anything! Can you guys please check my new story Hot Bloodsuckers¡¯ Obsession? Its apetitive book in need of your support. Liu Fei Fei was stunned when she was scolded by Liu Hui Ying, she wanted to say something to her but then she stopped herself and turned to look at her body that was lying in the coffin. She really couldn¡¯t remember getting kidnapped, all she knew was that her face was pushed into the water and then she lost her life apart from that she did not know anything else. When Nanny Cheng said that she saw her body in the pond, she thought that she has been killed by someone who pushed her body into the pond from behind after killing her but now that her body was covered in bruises and rope marks, the truth she knew about her death seemed to be contradicting itself. ¡± How is this possible?¡± Liu Fei Fei murmured as she tried to remember what happened to her but all she remembered was her head getting shoved inside the water and nothing else. She did remember that she has been pushed under the surface of the water and that she could not fight her captor but other than that she did not remember anything else and that made her feel really at loss, what was she supposed to do? Now, who was she going to pin the me for her death? Liu Hui Ying was not at all surprised by Liu Fei Fei¡¯s actions, she already had a very good idea that the woman might have not remembered what happened to her before she died. Liu Fei Fei was not the first of her clients who did not have any memories of what happened to them before they were killed off, most of them were brutally tortured but since they wished to forget the trauma that happened to them while they were alive, their soul naturally forgot the major part of the murder. However, in midst of being killed they would also feel a heavy grudge towards the person who killed them which was why even though they forgot everything that happened to them, they would still go around looking for the person who killed them if not then how was it possible for anyone to exin as to why her sister who was a celestial master herself forgot the face of her killer and just turned hostile to every man that was in the vicinity closer to her. ¡± You were most likely killed very slowly,¡± Liu Hui Ying told Liu Fei Fei as she pointed to Liu Fei Fei¡¯s feet which looked more swollen than the other part of her body, without the proper pieces of equipment it was impossible to tell when was the right time of Liu Fei Fei¡¯s death and what was more there was also the fact that the Dowager Empress turned the entire case into that of a suicide which was why Liu Fei Fei did not even receive the basic autopsy from the people in the judicial department. With her hand pointing to Liu Fei Fei¡¯s feet, Liu Hui Ying then pointed to her hands and then her upper body. ¡± As you can see, if you were to look carefully¡­you will realise that the swelling of your body slowly disappears as take a look at your upper body, don¡¯t you think that this is weird? If you drownedpletely then the swelling on your body should have been even but it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like as if your feet were left in water for far too long followed by your torso and then finally your upper half of the body that was left,¡± Liu Hui Ying pursed her lips as she picked up a tracing pencil that had a blunt edge instead of a sharp one and then skimmed the tip over the marks that were left on Liu Fei Fei¡¯s wrist as she continued speaking, ¡± You were not pushed to the pond and died on the spot, you were most likely kidnapped in the night and then you were tied up and ced in a vessel that slowly got filled with water.¡± ..... ¡± That is why your feet are more swollen than your face,¡± Liu Hui Ying exined everything to Jia Li who was listening to her every word and then turned to look at Liu Fei Fei. ¡± You stayed in the water vessel for an entire night before you lost consciousness and once you lost your consciousness, your killer took you out brought you over to the edge of the pool and then pushed your head under the water before pushing you inside the pool to make it look like as if you were pushed inside.¡± Liu Fei Fei¡¯s head started to buzz if she was being honest, she did feel a bit stiff at the back of her neck as if she has been hurt severely but she took it as her getting killed now that she was listening to Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words, she could not help but try to move her neck, as soon as she tried to move it in a circle she felt her neck make a weird creaking sound before it dangled lopsidedly on the side. Her neck ¡­ was truly broken, and how else would it get broken? By being pushed into the water again and again with a force that was too much for her body to bear! Her entire existence froze. Why did she not remember something so important? How can she even forget something so important? Liu Fei Fei felt that she was really stupid before she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and asked, ¡± Then what about Nanny Cheng? She said that I was sleeping in my room in the morning before she woke me up and then left to get breakfast.¡± ¡± You did not notice it did you?¡± Liu Hui Ying was very calm as she turned to look at Liu Fei Fei who was slowly turning agitated. ¡± Nanny Cheng¡¯s eyesight has been getting worse in the past few years, she can see but her vision is not clear, most probably the person who killed you took your spot and then mimicked your voice and actions to fool Nanny Cheng. With her deteriorating vision it is not a surprise that she failed to notice that you were missing.¡± Chapter 232 - 232 A broken hearted husband 232 A broken hearted husband ¡± Your majesty?¡± ¡± Your majesty?¡± ¡± Tianyu what are you doing!¡± A voice hissed in Zhai Tianyu¡¯s ears causing thetter to open his eyes in shock and surprise as he turned to look at Yu Lingyun who was standing beside him for some reason. When Zhai Tianyu saw that Yu Lingyun was standing in front of him, he was very surprised and could not help but ask, ¡± What are you doing here?¡± He was sitting on his throne and without his permission, no one even the general of the imperial army did not have the right toe forward, but for some reason, Yu Lingyun was standing right in front of him, this caused Zhai Tianyu to be stunned, as far as he knew Yu Lingyun was not someone who would carelessly throw the rules and moral conduct of the imperial courtroom. ¡°It is great that you still remember that you are sitting in the imperial throne room,¡± Yu Lingyun continued whispering as if he was worried that he would be heard by someone. ¡± You were sitting in a daze like an idiot, I thought you were pitch drunk! You are supposed to be holding the court, your majesty, what are you doing? Staring off at the horizon? Are you trying to summon the Gods or what ?¡± Only then did Zhai Tianyu remember that the two sections of the imperial court have called for a meeting and he was supposed to be paying attention to what they were saying but ever sincest night, Zhai Tianyu could no longer pay attention to anything that was happening around him, it would be better to say that half of his mind was still lost in that hour of night where the Queen refused him and left him behind. He has been sincere and caring when he told Liu Hui Ying that he wanted to protect her but thetter has thrown his sincerity away in just a few words, he wanted to look for the Queen and ask her what she meant by that she will never be his wife butter on he realised that he truly did not have the right to do so, again and again, he has tried to kill her even though it was when he did not know that there was another soul inside that of his wife¡¯s body but it did not change anything. Nor did it change the fact that he almost killed Liu Hui Ying in the second attempt, it could be said that she was very lucky and had the skills to stop the attack on time or else¡ª¡ª- ¡± Your majesty, what are you doing?¡± Yu Lingyun saw that Zhai Tianyu was once again lost in his thoughts and wished he could grab Zhai Tianyu by the scuff of his robe and shake him awake, was this the ce for him to be sleeping? This was the throne room! The imperial court, if they were caught cking then the two sides of the Ji and the Liu family might as well go to war physically in this very courtroom! ..... It wasn¡¯t as if they have not already but still! What kind of behaviour was this? ¡± Forgive Zhen,¡± Zhai Tianyu snapped out of his daze for the second time and then turned to look at the front of the imperial court where the ministers from the Liu and the Ji family were all looking at him, the Liu family were a mix of both the military and the schrly ministers while the Ji family only relied on their schrly attributes to stay in the court. Usually, they would be dressed in vibrant red with white clothing but today only the Ji family were dressed in their vibrant red uniform while the ones from the Liu family were all dressed in white and at the moment were ring at the Ji family with burning hatred in their eyes. Seeing this Zhai Tianyu¡¯s eyes flickered slightly and he was reminded of what his aunt has said to him before she passed on, he turned his attention to the Ji family and noticed quite a few gloating expressions, they were hidden very well but maybe they thought that him being the puppet Emperor, would not be able to see through them. Zhai Tianyu¡¯s fingers clenched as he took in a breath sharply, he always thought that it was only the Liu family who looked down on him but now that he was seeing the court with unbiased eyes he could see that the people who looked down on him in the Ji family were just as much as the Liu family. ¡® The Ji family will always be by your side.¡¯ This was what his grandmother told him back then and as a child, he believed everything that she said to him. Though his insides felt like they have been scooped out, and his entire body was sweating like all the air from his guts have been knocked out, he still morphed his expression to that of an idiotic smile and said, ¡± Zhen drank too muchst night, which is why Zhen was in a daze for a little while. I hope that no one will mind my little mess up, it would be too awkward for me.¡± As he spoke, he looked at the Ji family ministers and Liu family ministers who were looking at him with their heads raised, he noticed that among the ones who did not look down at him with a contemptuous gaze in their eyes was Liu Dong Ming. That man has been known for his sharp and ruthless tactics and with his tactics, he should have been looking down at him the most, since he was acting like a fool but the man¡¯s gaze was very calm as he met his gaze and then parted his lips as he replied, ¡± We ministers don¡¯t dare to question the authority of his majesty. It¡¯s understandable that after losing one of your concubines you were slightly heartbrokenst night, it¡¯s nothing to apologise about.¡± In just a few words Liu Dong Ming changed the entire situation of the court, Zhai Tianyu who was supposed to be called out for hisck of attention suddenly became a heartbroken man who lost his wife. ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 233 - 233 The Queen was behind it ? 233 The Queen was behind it ? Zhai Tianyu has seen Liu Dong Ming¡¯s skills and he has to admit that the man was really smart, in just a few words not only did he save his reputation, but he also made use of this opportunity to uplift the position of Liu Fei Fei in the eyes of others. For a man to not even let go of something so small, it would be terrifying to realise just how scarily fast his mind worked. ¡± Ah, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right,¡± Zhai Tianyu did not know why Liu Dong Ming did not make use of his smallpse in attention to do something other than use it for Liu Fei Fei who was already dead, as far as he knew Liu Dong Ming did not care about Liu Fei Fei at all, he has never even spent some time with Liu Fei Fei after she was sent to his family. Did he do it because he wanted to help him? Or was this an act of a little bit of kindness for Liu Fei Fei who lost her life? Zhai Tianyu looked at Liu Dong Ming and realised that he could not understand the man at all, it would be wrong of him to say that Liu Dong Ming was a good man because he wasn¡¯t, he has done a bunch of things that should have been enough for him to lose his life but at the same time whenever Zhai Tianyu marked him as an evil man, Liu Dong Ming will turn around and do something nice and confused him. He was neither ck nor was he white. Liu Dong Ming was grey¡­.pletely neutral. ¡± I was too upset after losing my concubine and lost my head for a moment, I apologise,¡± Zhai Tianyu did not want to embarrass Liu Fei Fei after she died as well, even though he has never epted her as his wife, he was willing to give her the respect of one. ¡± Where were we?¡± As he asked he turned to look at Yu Lingyun with an innocent expression pretending like he was a harmless kitten. If Liu Hui Ying saw him at the moment, she would have called him shameless. ¡± We were discussing the incident that happened yesterday, your majesty,¡± the right prime minister Ji Yang spoke as he took a step forward in front of the ministers and looked at Zhai Tianyu with a polite expression on his face. ¡± I was just discussing that the incident did not look like a suicide, as far as I know ¡ª¡ª Consort Liu has been treated really well by you, for her to suddenlymit suicide, doesn¡¯t it strike as something really unbelievable?¡± ..... It was clear that Ji Yang was trying to target the Liu family by questioning the authenticity of the news that has been sent out to everyone. ¡± The only thing that strikes me as unbelievable, Prime minister Ji is¡ª¡ª that you are paying too much attention to my daughter,¡± Liu Dong Ming was not one to be messed with either, he calmly and stoically raised his head and looked at Ji Yang without the slightest flicker or change in his expression as he spoke, ¡± I know that with your long and hooked nose, you want to poke it in other people¡¯s businesses but I can assure you that you do not want to poke your nose into mine. I have lost my only family member and I do not appreciate your meddling especially when my daughter is yet to be buried.¡± ording to the customs, those who died were buried after three days during this period of time the family of the deceased would keep vigil from the very next day once the funeral rituals were performed and they were usually performed in the day instead of the night given that it was believed that the light of the day would guide the dead to the path of the underworld instead of being lost in the world. Thus, Liu Fei Fei who died in the evening was only cleaned and her body was kept in the coffin as for the funeral rituals none of them were held at the night. Ji Yang¡¯s face twisted when he heard Liu Dong Ming talking back to him, what was more, he was actually attacking him outright. A part of him was eager to p Liu Dong Ming in the face while the other half was still terrified of this man¡¯s means. Last night, more than twenty bloodied corpses of maids were found in the bedchambers of the women of the Ji family, no one knew how and who snuck inside the house but Ji Yang knew that the one who was behind this incident was none other than Liu Dong Ming, he was angry and enraged at the fact that the Ji family tried to target the Liu family again and thus sent a warning. But even though he was scared of Liu Dong Ming, Ji Yang understood the fact that even if he was to stop now Liu Dong Ming won¡¯t, Liu Fei Fei was his daughter and the reason why Liu Dong Ming kept her by his side was simple he still had use for that woman, but because of his interference Liu Dong Ming¡¯s ns were disrupted and with his understanding of Liu Dong Ming, Ji Yang knew that he was a man who would never suffer a loss without proper retaliation. Most probably the man will attack him again in the future and this time worse than before which was why he did not want to give Liu Dong Ming a chance to retaliate against him, he has to make sure that the man would be too busy to care about the Ji family while being engrossed in his own family matters! ¡± I am not trying to pull anything by asking such questions, prime minister Liu,¡± stated Ji Yang with a smile as he looked at Liu Dong Ming with a smile on his lips. ¡± I was just trying to say that the reason you are actually stopping me from investigating the death of consort Liu¡­. Is it because you are worried that her majesty, the Queen will be targeted?¡± Chapter 235 - 235 Let us investigate the case and dethrone the Empress 235 Let us investigate the case and dethrone the Empress ¡± What did you say?¡± Ji Yang thought that Liu Dong Ming has lost his mind, who in their right mind would even say that they have killed someone? They will definitely try to keep the matter as hushed up as possible but he was asking whether the Queen said that she killed Liu Fei Fei. Was he looking down on him or was he looking down on his niece? Liu Dong Ming knew that Ji Yang was underestimating him and was even looking at him with contempt what this man forgot that he was someone who has always been a step ahead of him which was why he calmly looked at Ji Yang and said in a soft voice yet powerful voice, ¡± I said that whether or not the Empress agreed to kill my daughter? Because as you know already if the Liu family was behind a matter they will never hypocritically hide their presence and pretended to be innocent. If the rumours say that the Queen is behind it, surely she would have said something about it?¡± His words werepletely nonsensical but to Ji Yang, they were like a p on his face, he was not a fool, he could see that Liu Dong Ming was actually condemning him and his family and was calling them hypocrites. His eyes flickered as he red at Liu Dong Ming hatefully but he still did not say anything and just kept smiling but his hands were already clenched in fists on his sides as he looked at Liu Dong Ming. The matter that happened three years ago was still fresh in the minds of Liu and the Ji family, it was just that the Ji family were proud of what happened back then while the Liu were full of anger and vengeance. Seeing that there was no point in talking with Liu Dong Ming, Ji Yang turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who was watching the facade that was happening in front of him like he was nothing but an idiot, seeing him act like this Ji Yang was a bit upset. Clearly, he was giving Zhai Tianyu a good chance to take the Empress down but this man for some reason was not taking the bait that he was handed to him, slightly angry with Zhai Tianyu, Ji Yang once again opened his mouth and said, ¡± Your majesty what is your take on this? Don¡¯t you think that we should get consort Liu¡¯s death investigated ?¡± It was all right, he already knew that Zhai Tianyu was not as smart as his father. There was no need for him to worry, this man was a puppet in the hands of his ministers anyway, as long as he hands him the bait, the man will take it. Zhai Tianyu too knew that his grand-uncle was handing him bait and was waiting for him to take it, but this time he did not want to take it. He knew that this was the perfect time to take the Empress down but ¡ª¡ª if he was to take her down then what will happen to the two of them? He remembered the indifference and arrogance of the Queen fromst night and suddenly felt a bit choked up, she was like this when he hasn¡¯t even made a move against her for a very long time. If he was to remove her from the throne then the Queen might never even look him in the face for the rest of her life. She might not care about the throne but that did not mean that she was going to forgive him and let him do what he wanted either. She will be nonchnt and careless about his matters along with his sincerity. ..... Was he prepared to face a Queen like this? Zhai Tianyu questioned himself for the first time and realised that he was indeed not prepared to see a queen like that, in fact, he still felt a bit choked up remembering the calm and stoic look on the face of the queen fromst night. He swallowed and then nodded before saying, ¡± You are right, we should indeed let someone investigate the death of consort Liu.¡± As soon as he said this the Ji family were more than happy but the Liu family member¡¯s faces all turned into a grimace as they looked at the Emperor, even Liu Dong Ming clenched his fingers but at the same time his lips curled in a mocking sneer. In the end, Blood does not lie. ¡± Then why don¡¯t you allow me to investigate the death of consort Liu, your majesty?¡± Ji Mo who was Ji Yu¡¯s elder brother stepped forward and looked at Zhai Tianyu. He was the head of the investigation department and shared his powers with Liu Hui Ying¡¯s third uncle, though young, he was skilled and was just as wise as his father. ¡± I will make sure that the truthes to light.¡± As he spoke he heavily looked at Liu Dong Ming who was still looking at the people of the Ji family with a nk expression with no sign of agitation at all. It was as if what the Ji family members were saying had no connection to him, he was still as detached as ever, and seeing him like this Ji Mo was very much angered. Pretend! Keep on pretending, we all know that you are more than affected by this! Ji Mo thought savagely in his head while he looked at the nk face of Liu Dong Ming, does this man thinks that he will be able to make aeback now? Not even in the million years would they be able to tackle this case, after all his father has taken quite a lot of measures to make sure that this time the Queen was dragged down from her throne. As long as the case falls in his hands he will surely make sure that the Queen and her family lose everything! How dare they try to kill his brother! Ji Mo was certain that he was going to make the Ji family suffer but then he heard the Emperor say, ¡± Actually, I have already asked someone to investigate this case.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª please check my new work ¡ª¡ª Hot Bloodsuckers¡¯ Obsession. Orz. Chapter 236 - 236 Investigate the Emperor 236 Investigate the Emperor ¡± What do you mean by this, your majesty?¡± Ji Yang was truly surprised when he heard Zhai Tianyu say that he has already looked for someone to investigate the case of Liu Fei Fei¡¯s death as far as he knew the investigation of such cases fell under the hands of Ji Mo and the rest of the crime investigation department. ¡± This the responsibility of the investigation department then why¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± Because I realised that even the worthy and capable investigation department can make a mistake, everyone knows what happened with my aunt and even though I want to leave the matter in the hands of the investigation department I do not wish to do so,¡± Zhai Tianyu knew that this was going to bring him a lot of trouble, he was supposed to be the puppet king. If he started to act now then the two families will truly try to get their hands on him, they might even start investigating him, which might not be beneficial for him but¡ª¡ª If he does not stand up now then there was a chance that he will lose something more important, Liu Hui Ying¡¯s involvement in the case cannot be denied. If the Ji family as targeting the Queen then there was a chance that they will try to get Liu Hui Ying implicated in this matter. When Zhai Tianyu refused the crime investigation department to investigate Liu Fei Fei¡¯s death Ji Yang was stunned, he could not believe his ears. It was as if the pet dog that he has been raising for so many years finally decided to turn around and bite him when he raised a stick to hit him. What happened to the Emperor, didn¡¯t his sister say that she has taken care of Zhai Tianyu for a very long time and that he wouldn¡¯t dare to go against her and the Ji family? Not now not ever? Why was it that Zhai Tianyu was now refusing him? Ji Yang was not happy with the rejection, it was true that the Liu Family was the one that controlled the Zhai Tianyu on the surface but the truth was that the Ji family too had a hand in controlling the puppet emperor. The Liu family did it tantly on the surface by forcing Zhai Tianyu into a corner while the Ji family did it behind the scenes, where Zhai Tianyu wouldn¡¯t even realise that he was being controlled by them, who would have thought that the Emperor who has always listened to everything that the Ji family had to say would now refuse them? But Ji Yang could not refute Zhai Tianyu either, what the man said was right. The investigation of Zhai Chenguang¡¯s death was under Ji Mo¡¯s father and he made the major mistake of ignoring the clues that were right in front of him, this was a matter of great grievance and embarrassment for the Ji family. In fact, because of this matter, even the Grand Dowager Empress was upset with their family, even though Grand Dowager Empress cared about the Ji family but Zhai Chenguang was still her biological daughter, how can she be not upset when she found out that her daughter was married to a eunuch and that it was her own family who wronged her daughter by not investigating the case properly. Ji Yang has been trying to reach out to his sister these past few days wanting her to make sure that the Emperor would agree to his request but because of the case of Zhai Chenguang, he was not able to see the Grand Dowager Empress at all because she was refusing to see him, Ji Yang was not happy with what was happening and he wished that he has persisted and met the Grand Dowager Empress even when she refused to do so. ..... ¡± Your majesty, I do understand that you have some qualms when ites to handing the investigation to the crime investigation department but you need to understand that one mistake does not count as the failure of the entire department, I assure you that the investigation department will not make a mistake again,¡± as he spoke he turned to look at Ji Mo who was standing beside him. Ji Mo too was stunned upon receiving the refusal from the Emperor, he never thought that Zhai Tianyu would refuse their Ji family but when he saw his father asking him to say something, he snapped out of his daze and then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and said, ¡± Your majesty, why don¡¯t you leave it in our hands? I understand that there might be a bit of hesitation with what happened but I assure you that our investigation department will do a good job this time and won¡¯t give you an opportunity to be disappointed with us.¡± ¡± I wish I could hand this case to you, Official Ji but the truth is that I have already handed this case to my friend who investigated the case of my aunt, I am afraid that he has already found quite a lot of clues by now, if I change the person in charge now, then there might be a chance that the clues and shreds of evidence might get affected and then we will go nowhere,¡± he calmly replied to Ji Mo whose entire body stiffened while Ji Yang despite the smile on his face had a very ashenplexion while looking at Zhai Tianyu. One could see that neither of them was happy with Zhai Tianyu¡¯s decision and what was even more they seemed to be rather upset about Zhai Tianyu using his own head instead of listening to them silently. In the end, Ji Yang who did not want to let go of this chance where he could drag the entire Liu family down and step on their head tried once again, ¡± Your majesty are you sure that you want to leave this matter in the hands of a man who has lived in another country for all his life? Are you sure you can trust a foreigner than your own countrymen?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 240 - 240 Zhai Heng wants confront Liu Hui Ying 240 Zhai Heng wants confront Liu Hui Ying ¡± Let them be,¡± Liu Hui Ying did want to send the two back but she knew that they will not listen to her which was why she decided that she will not say a thing to them, in case she asked them to leave there was a chance that the two might actually follow her silently and that will only get them into more trouble it was fine as long as they were with her, she wouldn¡¯t have to be worried about them getting involved in trouble where she would not be able to save them. ¡± At least tell them to be silent, they are talking so loudly¡­if someone was to hear them then they will know that you are the one who is dressed as a man,¡± Jia Li too did not want to send the two women back but they were chattering so much that she could not help but remind Liu Hui Ying, she didn¡¯t like the idea of being captured and executed at all which was why she chose to warn Liu Hui Ying. ¡± You are right about that¡ª¡ª¡± but before Liu Hui Ying could warn Qui Ai and Nanny Gong to keep quiet, she noticed that the two of them have gone silent on their own and were now looking at the front with scared looks on their faces. Seeing them act like this Liu hui Ying frowned before she turned to look at the person who came to stand in front of them as soon as they reached the courtyard that belonged to Liu Fei Fei and her frown deepened only further when she saw that the man was none other than Zhai Heng. ¡± What are you doing here?¡± Did this man has something to do with Liu Fei Fei? If not then why else was he visiting her courtyard after her death? If only Liu Fei Fei has followed her instead of going to look for Zhai Tianyu, she would have asked her. ¡± I am here to help you in investigating, your majesty,¡± Zhai Heng replied stiffly as he looked at the woman who was standing in front of him, he did not say anything to Liu Hui Ying but one could see that he was slightly hostile towards her, in fact, the way he was clenching and unclenching his fingers made Liu Hui Ying think that he was actually thinking about whether or not to squeeze the life out of her. Seeing this Liu Hui Ying narrowed her eyes and then took decent steps away from the man as she stated firmly, ¡± Don¡¯t even think about attacking me, I will get you to scream for your mommy before even your tips of fingers touch me, you understand?¡± As she spoke, she turned to walk inside the courtyard wondering why the Emperor sent this man after her, was he trying to make her ufortable because she refuted himst night or something? Zhai Heng who was threatened before he could even ask Liu Hui Ying the questions that he wanted to, was stunned. He did not even say anything and that woman was already threatening him! Just what did his brother see in this woman for him to go against the Ji family? ..... There were a bunch of things that Zhai Heng wanted to say and he was expecting Liu Hui Ying to even question him but contrary to his expectations the woman did not even nce in his direction much less about him about his intentions foring here, throughout the entire time while they were walking inside the courtyard, she kept on ignoring him like she could not be bothered by him at all! Liu Hui Ying has always been very clear about her actions towards others, the only reason she was less than willing to deal with Zhai Tianyu was that she could see that the man did not have anything against her at the moment, at least he was not as hostile as Zhai Heng who looked at her like she owned him something. But towards people especially men like Zhai Heng who was doubtful and suspicious towards her actions, she would not bother her breath on them. She has been there once and there was a time when she literally screamed the truth out while brawling her eyes out that she was not the one who was behind the murder of her sister but no one believed her. In fact, they have called her tears fake saying that she was just acting, pretending to be naive and innocent when she was in reality a woman who was dangerous. So dangerous was exactly what she became after letting go of her tears and the softness of the woman she had in her heart ¡­it was surprising to see how many people called her out even then saying that she was finally willing to show her true self. Not even knowing that it was because of them she was like this. Liu Hui Ying understood the fact that for others, the truth was only the one that they believed in and nothing more, no matter how much you cry and shout as long as the others were not willing to believe it, you will always be a liar. She could sense that Zhai Heng did not care about her nor did he trust her, so why will she bother herself by listening to him or much less even paying attention to him? ¡± You two stay here,¡± she turned to look at Qui Ai and Nanny Gong when she reached the crime scene, she did not want the two of them to receive another shock when they see her working with ghosts and she could also sense that they were a bit nervous in the presence of Zhai Heng, not wanting to cause them any more difort, she asked them to stay behind. She was greedy and cruel, yes but to people who cared for her, she was naturally very nice to them. Nanny Gong wanted to say that she was going to follow Liu Hui Ying inside when she heard Zhai Heng say, ¡°Fewer people should go inside, where the murder spot is, lest the clues get messed up.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 242 - 242 A clue 242 A clue Zhai Heng was surprised when he saw something so magical happening in front of him, he wanted to say that it was simply impossible for them to find any clues after so long but then all his words were swallowed up by him as he looked at Liu Hui Ying who was carefully looking at the foot marks on the floor with a very serious look on her face. ¡± What are you doing?¡± Earlier he came to question Liu Hui Ying the same question, he wanted to ask her what exactly was she doing to her brother but he could no longer ask the same question as domineeringly as he wanted to instead now he was looking at her like some little subordinate who could not understand what was going and could only look for his superiors. Liu Hui Ying raised her head and turned to look at Zhai Heng before she pointed to herself and asked, ¡± Are you talking to me?¡± ¡± Can you see someone else here, your majesty?¡± Zhai Heng asked while a nerve throbbed in his forehead, this woman ¡­.she was really too much clearly, the two of them were the only ¡®living¡¯ ones in this room, who else was he supposed to ask if not her? ¡± Oh, I thought with how much you hate me, you were asking my ghosts,¡± Liu Hui Ying casually replied as if she was talking about her assistants without the word ¡®ghosts¡¯ added in front of the very term¡­.:) Zhai Heng was speechless as he looked at the woman, though he has never made a secret of his dislike towards her but he has always been upfront about his feelings towards a lot of people but never has he seen someone so¡­. petty as her. Will she get constipated without dragging him down and answering his questions politely without the unusual sarcastic remarks? ¡± I was not asking the ghosts, your majesty,¡± even though he did not get the reply that he wanted, Zhai Heng still maintained basic cordiality on the surface as he repeated his question. ¡± I was asking you, what are you doing by sprinkling this powdery substance on the floor and using it to make the foot marks from the past few days appear? Are you going to look for the culprit with the help of these?¡± He was curious as to how it was possible for Yin Zhu to look for the culprit with the help of the foot marks on the floor. ¡± Hmm, I am,¡± she responded without even looking in his direction as she ced her knuckles under her chin as she looked at the footmarks and continued speaking, ¡± The person who killed Liu Fei Fei was someone who stayed inside the room throughout the entire night before they killed Liu Fei Fei, which means they only went out the room just one time and that was to take Liu Fei Fei¡¯s half unconscious body out and then push her into theke, which meant that they never needed to walk back inside the room.¡± ..... Zhai Heng has already heard about the in and outs of the matter, but he still could not believe that someone would kill a woman who was weak and vulnerable like this, no matter how arrogant and despicable Liu Fei Fei was, she was a human and no one deserved to be killed as such and that too in a manner that was so depressing and cruel. ¡± How can you be certain that the culprit never walked inside the room again, your majesty?¡± Zhai Heng questioned, he wanted to know how Liu Hui Ying came to that conclusion. If the person who killed Liu Fei Fei was a maid who worked in this very courtyard then it would only make sense for her toe inside and act like she was startled by the incident. ¡± Because, ording to the testimony, the first person who saw Liu Fei Fei¡¯s body was none other than nanny Cheng but Nanny Cheng is old and she does not seem to be strong enough to drag a body out and then shove Liu Fei Fei¡¯s head inside the pond, even if she did it Liu Fei Fei would have been able to fight against her,¡± Liu Hui Ying carefully broke the entire incident in front of Zhai Heng while she continued to look at the foot marks on the floor. She walked over to the trail of foot marks that only went out and did not return again inside the room and continued to speak, ¡± What¡¯s more, you are not aware of the psychological mind y that goes inside the head of those who are willing to kill anyone for the sake of some benefits, revenge or any other motive behind their actions.¡± ¡± Do I even need to understand those criminals?¡± Zhai Heng looked at Liu Hui Ying with a mocking sneer, why will he even try to understand such filthy people who only knew how to ruin others¡¯ life? ¡± You need to,¡± Liu Hui Ying, on the other hand, replied as she turned to look at him, the sky was slowly turning dark and the moon that was hiding under the glow of the setting sun was now shining up in the sky causing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s figure to be illuminated by the silvery moonlight. ¡± If you don¡¯t even understand how the mind of a killer works, then how are you going to draw conclusions regarding a case? When investigating something you need to think about the case in the same manner as the killer.¡± She paused and then walked over to where the pond which was neither too big nor too small was and then crouched down as she followed the trail that was left behind by the killer and swiped her fingers on the wet grass before she said, ¡± Killers are naively arrogant, they only kill after going through their ns again and again before finally choosing to act on it. Their arrogancees from the pride that their n is wonderful, which is why ¡­.¡± She pulled out an old hairpin that has been snapped into half, its red and old paint chipped and broken. Before she turned to look at Zhai Heng and added, ¡± They often miss the important things.¡±¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 247 - 247 Going to see his majesty 247 Going to see his majesty Li Gang was stunned by theck of loyalty that these two women were showing towards the Emperor, clearly, he was the one who did not like the Emperor yet he was still loyal to him! At least he cared about that poor guy who was abandoned by these two who were actually acting like his support system! No wonder all his mates said that all women were heartless! They clearly had no sense of loyalty at all! Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen did not care about Li Gang who was going through a crisis and chased after Liu Hui Ying, there was a much more exciting thing to watch. Who asked the Emperor to be a beat slow? He was good but when it came to showing off his gentle side he was too much of a slow poke unlike him Zhai Heng was a bit more forting and watching him woo Liu Hui Ying while getting torn into two halves was much more fun to watch! They were going to root for the one who was willing to exert more influence over Liu Hui Ying as her main spouse! Li Gang who heard the two women¡¯s discussion was speechless. So they were going down the cheatingne now? The Emperor was still the main and legal spouse here! What was wrong with these two women? What kind of drama were they watching in the modern world? This was simply too spicy for a simple man like him! ¡® Emperor you better show some assertion or your head will be dyed green!¡¯ Li Gang could only send his thoughts to Zhai Tianyu through telepathy hoping that the man would appreciate him supporting the bro code. Zhai Tianyu was listening to Yu Lingyun¡¯s chatter who returned after throwing a tantrum and was now ying cards with him when he suddenly shivered as he turned to look behind him and when he saw Liu Fei Fei looking at him with an obsessed look on her face there was absolutely nothing that he could say to her, what was she doing and what exactly was she thinking while standing behind him? Did she not know that she looked really scary like this? ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Seeing that Zhai Tianyu was not paying attention to him Yu Lingyun could not help but ask as he raised his head and looked at Zhai Tianyu who was looking over his shoulders more than his cards. ¡± Are you thinking of a way to cheat?¡± ..... ¡± Am I the type of man who will cheat in the games of cards?¡± Zhai Tianyu who was being haunted by a ghost woman yet getting disdained by his friend was speechless as he looked at Yu Lingyun who was using him of cheating and felt like he has been stabbed in the heart. Why did he not have a good friend who cared for him? His brother was angry with him because he was supporting the queen and his friend was now using him of cheating in the game of cards. ¡­. Zhai Heng did not know that in the eyes of the three ghosts he has be a sort of amusement. Even if he did find out about it he would have simply paid no attention to it because even if he was to feel something for Liu Hui Ying, he will never do anything to hurt his brother. Of course, that was how Zhai Heng would have thought but Jia Li, this gossip mongrel was different. But that was only because he still hasn¡¯t understood his feelings at the moment, Jia Li who was an expert when it came to drama, was indeed looking at Zhai Heng as if he was an innocent man who was yet to have the taste of his first love with a lot of potentials in his hands. ¡± Brother Heng, what are you doing here?¡± Zhai Heng was still walking in behind Liu Hui Ying like a subordinate but when he heard Ji Yu¡¯s voice, he strode forward and hid Liu Hui Ying behind his tall physique as he looked at Ji Yu who was holding a lunch box and was dressed in a mauve dress with a delicate makeup on her face, one look at her face and anyone could see who she was going to meet. ¡± Consort Ji, are you going to see his majesty?¡± Zhai Heng furtively shot a look at Liu Hui Ying who was standing behind him and when he saw that she was lookingpletely uninterested in the discussion as well as Ji Yu, he heaved a sigh of relief. Sigh of relief? Why has he heaved a sigh of relief? Was it because he was worried that Liu Hui Ying will not pay attention to the investigation of the case and would not do a good job? Was this the reason why he was reacting like this? That must be the case! ¡± Yes, I am going to see his majesty,¡± Ji Yu received a letter from her father this afternoon, in the letter he told her that Zhai Tianyu refused to hand over the case of Liu Fei Fei¡¯s death to their family and even protected the queen, even though the opportunity was just right for them to drag Liu Hui Ying down, Zhai Tianyu was actually protecting her! In his letter, her father asked her what she was doing and howe she was watching Liu Hui Ying snatch her husband away from her so easily. Only then did Ji Yu snap out of her daze, she was angry with Zhai Tianyu and did not go to see him for days thinking that he wille to see her soon as he did in the past but a day turned into days and yet Zhai had Tianyu never came to see her. The letter that her father sent to her was like an rm that rang in her head and she decided that she could no longer rely on the past which was why she packed up the dishes and decided that she was going to see Zhai Tianyu tonight, it was just that she never expected to see Zhai Heng and that too with a stranger. Chapter 249 - 249 A shadow of those who schemed? 249 A shadow of those who schemed? Ji Yu wanted to question Zhai Heng but thetter simply coughed somewhat embarrassingly and then said, ¡± He just returned from another country which is why he does not know about the customs and the rules of our country, even his majesty has to give way to him sometimes.¡± Zhai Heng was not wrong regarding this matter after all Zhai Tianyu indeed have to give way to Liu Hui Ying when thetter was in an unforgiving attitude, even when he was being pushed into a corner like a dead dog, Zhai Tianyu lowered his head and allowed Liu Hui Ying to do what she wanted to do ¡­so who was he to tell Liu Hui Ying to drop her gaze? And even if the woman was not dressed as the Queen, she was still the Queen and the ruler of the harem, it did not make sense for her to lower her head in front of an imperial concubine. ¡± Is that so,¡± Ji Yu did not take Liu Hui Ying ring at her as a small matter but when she saw that Zhai Heng was protecting Liu Hui Ying, she decided to drop the matter. In Zhai Heng and Zhai Tianyu¡¯s view she was kind and generous and drilling Zhai Heng over just a small matter like a foreigner not bowing his head in front of her would not be good which was why she did not say anything further but she still looked at Liu Hui Ying in the eyes and said, ¡± Are you sure that this young master is up to the job? I mean, sure he investigated aunt¡¯s case but he is still young. Compared to my brother who has a lot of experience¡­don¡¯t you think that he is slightlycking?¡± Zhai Heng did not know what to say regarding this question as he looked at Ji Yu who was trying to make things difficult for Liu Hui Ying. He of course understood that Ji Yu was feeling upset over the fact that her brother¡¯s job was snatched by a man who looked wet behind his ears but just because Liu Hui Ying was young it did not change the fact that she was more experienced and skilled than Ji Yu¡¯s brother! ¡± Consort Ji¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± You can see my skills very clearly in thest investigation, it was I who was able to find the truth behind the death of thete princess Chenguang¡­of course if I can properly investigate a case that was months old then I think I can surely investigate a matter that is only a few hours old?¡± Liu Hui Ying raised her eyebrows, it was as if she was daring Ji Yu to bring another issue up such that she will be able to show her contempt regarding the Ji family once again. That brat who was working in the crime investigation department couldn¡¯t even solve something as small as the case of Zhai Chenguang and yet he was daring enough to imagine that he will be able to investigate this case. Was he a fool? Or was he thinking of pushing the me on her head? ..... Remembering how she found a letter in the hands of Liu Fei Fei, Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes narrowed in an unfriendly manner at Ji Yu who was trying to go against her at the moment, she thought that this girl was a good woman at least she was better than the others who did not scheme against her like the other concubine but now she could not help but think that the only reason Ji Yu was this clean was that she did not need to do anything like that. Ji Yu pursed her lips when she heard Liu Hui Ying¡¯s reply, she did not expect that the man would retort against her but surprisingly he did and that too in such a disrespectful manner! She breathed a sigh that was full of annoyance and then said in a slightly bitter voice, ¡± One must know when to be grounded, getting arrogant because of something so small as solving a case that was left untouched for years is not something to be proud of.¡± ¡± You are right,¡± Liu Hui Ying usually did not care about someone like Ji Yu but seeing that she was trying to bite a chunk out of her Liu Hui Ying raised a brow and then smiled at her with a light-hearted expression. ¡± But getting the trust of the Emperor is something to be proud of, don¡¯t you think so?¡± You want to fight me? Then I will fight you till death! Ji Yu¡¯s breathing stagnated as she red at Liu Hui Ying hard and then turned to look at Zhai Heng who was having a headache thinking about the oue of this scuffle. Really, he just came here to solve a case and nothing else, howe he suddenly got caught in a catfight out of nowhere? ¡± Brother Heng,¡± seeing that she could no longer fight against the young man who was so unruly and ill manner, Ji Yu turned to look at Zhai Heng as she tilted her chin at Xiaolin who strode forward and then offered a lunch box to Zhai Heng as well. ¡± I prepared a bit too much for dinner, if brother Heng does not mind then you can take this for your dinner tonight.¡± She nced at Liu Hui Ying who was standing behind Zhai Heng and then haughtily stated, ¡± I will go and see his majesty or else the meal that I prepared will go cold.¡± This man was proud of snatching the case from her brother right? Then she will make it so that he won¡¯t be able to investigate this case any further! With that thought in her head, she red at Liu Hui Ying hard and then strode past Liu Hui Ying and Zhai Heng who was left stumped with a lunch box in his hands as he watched Ji Yu leave. What was this? Why did he see the shadow of those scheming concubines in Ji Yu just now? Chapter 250 - 250 Enemies to lovers? 250 Enemies to lovers? ¡± You guys sure are lucky,¡± Once Ji Yu left Liu Hui Ying walked over to where Zhai Heng was standing and looked at the big lunch box that he was holding in his hands. She has never thought over this much in her past life but now that she was looking at the lunch box in the hands of a handsome man from a girl, she has to admit that she was a bit jealous, if she got free lunchboxes like these when she was in the modern world, just how much money she would have saved! What a tragedy, she was being treated so coldly by women like this all because she was a woman herself! Where was her thank you gift damn it? Did she not save Ji Yu as well? Were men everything in the eyes of such young girls? How can they be like this? ¡°Handsome guys like you are really in demand aren¡¯t they?¡± Shemented further as she sniffed the air and enviously looked at the lunch box, back then she was working as a detective, she only got to eat the meat of Sika deer when she solved a case of a multimillionaire. He had his own personal captivity where he used to raise deer, back then the venison that she ate was one of the most smooth and mouthwatering venison she ever ate in her life. And back then she ate the venison served by the multimillionaire it¡¯s scent was something that she drilled in her head which was why she could immediately recognize the scent of the braised venison from the lunch box. Zhai Heng, who was praised for no reason was speechless as he looked at Liu Hui Ying who was staring at the lunch box that he was holding in his hands and said, ¡± If you don¡¯t mind then we can share this lunch box?¡± He did not like the hungry and envious gaze with which Liu Hui Ying was looking at the lunch box, it was not something so grand that the Empress of their imperial city would be envious. ¡± You said it yourself! There are no takebacks!¡± Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes lit up as she looked at Zhai Heng who agreed to share the lunch box with her. When she was dragged into this world she thought that there was nothing good here but at least she can now eat expensive venison for free! At least something abouting to this ce came out to be good! She raised her hand to pat Zhai Heng on the shoulders but then she paused in her movements and then said, ¡± Come on stretch your hands like this,¡± Zhai Heng looked at her and then he looked at the lunch box that he was holding in his hands before he returned his gaze to Liu Hui Ying who cleared her throat and then took the lunch box from him before smiling and eagerly asking him to do as she asked him to, ¡± Come on stretch your hands as I did.¡± ..... Not understanding what she was trying to do Zhai Heng did as she asked, he stretched his hands in front of him and then crossed them before bending them back and then patting himself on the shoulders as per the instructions that were handed to him by Liu Hui Ying. ¡± There you go, I cannot praise you but you can surely praise yourself,¡± Liu Hui Ying nodded as she turned to look around their surroundings and then pointed at the small pavilion that was standing next to ake with red pirs and a golden roof that was lit up under the moonlight. ¡± There let¡¯s go there and eat dinner, I was in a hurry to solve this case and I did not eat anything.¡± ¡® Your majesty beforeing here you ate at least three tables full of food, at least think before lying through your teeth !¡¯ Nanny Gong who heard Liu Hui Ying lie without even batting an eye was speechless, she knew it very well that her mistress might even withstand the cold shoulder of the Emperor but she will never withstand going hungry! Even Qui Ai was stunned by Liu Hui Ying but because her missy was the cutest in the world when she was acting like this, she chose to ignore everything else. Zhai Heng, however, was the one who was stunned to his core¡­he has seen many women getting charmed by jewels, clothes and courtyards but this was his first time seeing a woman who was getting charmed by a lunch box. He watched Liu Hui Ying skip (She didn¡¯t) all over to the pavilion that was in front of theke and could not stop his heart from beating a bit too fast. Was he going to eat a meal with her majesty? Strictly speaking, he should not be doing something like this, she was his brother¡¯s wife and he shouldn¡¯t stay alone with her¡ª¡ª ¡± What are you dozing off there for?¡± A charming voice like that of a snake charmer called to him and Zhai Heng raised his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying who was looking at him, even though she was dressed as a man, maybe it was because he knew that it was her but even that manly appearance of her could not hide her charm causing Zhai Heng to feel stifled as his breathing started to stagnate and he looked away from Liu Hui Ying¡¯s. Why was this happening to him? There was no way he was interested in the wife of his own brother right? There was no way. ¡± Zhai Heng, if you don¡¯te then I will eat this lunch box on my own!¡± He heard the woman call him again and this time, his feet that were stuck in the ground started to move. A part of him knew that he should not be walking over to where Liu Hui Ying was, that he should make sure that the two of them would not be alone together but at this moment, he did not care about anything else but the fact that his name sounded really sweet when called by her. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 251 - 251 Another murder 251 Another murder ¡°It¡¯s happening, it¡¯s happening,¡± Jia Li who was hiding behind a thick tree and peeping on Liu Hui Ying and Zhai Heng who were being served by Nanny Gong and Qui Ai excitedly whispered to Li Gang and Grandma Lan Fen. ¡± I thought that this guy was just like an idiot straight guy like the Emperor who does not even understand his own feelings but look at him go, he is much smarter than the Emperor! I am shocked by this development! Is this going to be the so-called enemies-to-lovers troupe?¡± She was so excited that stars seemed to be shining brightly in her eyes as she looked at the two people who were sitting in the pavilion. ¡± And I am shocked by yourck of loyalty,¡± Li Gang stated while staring at Jia Li who was watching the scene in front of her with extreme excitement. ¡± You do understand that what you are doing is called cheating? You saw the poor man naked and now you are stabbing that man in the back, I did not know that you were such a scum.¡± ¡± First of all, I did not see anything worth seeing, of course, if I saw that man¡¯s saber light than I would have felt guilty a little bit but since nothing happened between us and I only saw a little bit of skin, then I don¡¯t feel guilty at all!¡± ¡± You do know that you sound like those hateful yboys?¡± ¡± Ohh, look at that the young man is blushing!¡± While Li Gang and Jia Li were busy squabbling Zhai Heng who was sitting in the pavilion turned red all of a sudden causing Jia Li¡¯s face to sullen as she kicked Li Gang in the shin as she red at him and said, ¡± Look at that you made me miss such an important development in their rtionship. You idiot!¡± ¡± I am an idiot?¡± Li Gang was speechless when he heard Jia Li call him an idiot, this has to be a joke right? There was no way he was the one who was acting like an idiot here! Jia Li did not respond to him instead she focused all her attention on Zhai Heng and Liu Hui Ying who was sitting in the pavilion, she has to see why the man was blushing, was Liu Hui Ying finally willing to understand the feelings of the other gender? Was her baby sister kind of boss finally growing up? If so then she was going to dump the Emperor in a heartbeat and start supporting Zhai Heng. Though he was a bit rough, women liked buff men more! ..... If only Jia Li knew that Zhai Heng was blushing because he caught a glimpse of Liu Hui Ying¡¯s arm when he was just sitting alone in the pavilion with Liu Hui Ying on a dark night, she would have been disappointed greatly. ¡± This is really good, why is it that the chief has never cooked something like this before?¡± Liu Hui Ying who did not know that her life has suddenly be love drama in the eyes of her ghosts was eating the juicy yet not-so-greasy venison that was served in front of her. Even though she was not a fan of Ji Yu, she has to admit that the cooking skills of that woman were really good. ¡°The Ji family owns a hunting ground which is why they can hunt a deer or two every now and then,¡± Zhai Heng cleared his throat and replied, he tried his very best not to look at Liu Hui Ying¡¯s jade-like arms that were on disy. Why did the queen have to roll her sleeves up like this? He questioned as he looked away, his face burning with embarrassment. But even though he looked away, his eyes would once in a while stray right back and he would catch glimpse of the fair porcin skin and his face would start burning even more.¡± They send the game to Ji Yu once in a while,¡± he finished speaking after a lot of difficulties. ¡± Does the Liu family not own a hunting ground?¡± Liu Hui Ying muttered as she looked at the juicy venison and clicked her tongue, maybe that uncle of this woman thought that hunting was a boorish sport and did not make a hunting ground. What a waste of money! They should have owned a hunting ground with all the money they earned from their corrupt activities! ¡± That¡ª¡ª¡± Zhai Heng began speaking but he was interrupted by a shrill scream that came from the south causing him to jump up in alert as he took his sword out of the sheathe and then said to Liu Hui Ying. ¡± You stay here your majesty, do not chase after me!¡± After speaking he rushed in the direction from where the scream came just now. But there was no way Liu Hui Ying would not chase after Zhai Heng, she finished taking thest bite of the venison that was in front of her and then rushed right after him. Tonight they were out on an investigation and someone screaming like this was nothing but a sign of ill intentions! Liu Hui Ying rushed after Zhai Heng and so did the three ghosts, Nanny Gong and Qui Ai wanted to chase after her as well but Liu Hui Ying stopped them and asked the two women to stay behind and protect her venison. Even though she was going to investigate something there was no way she was going to leave the precious venison behind alone! Nanny Gong who was asked to stay back, on the other hand, did not know that Liu Hui Ying was asking her to stay behind because she wanted her to guard the venison, instead, her heart was brimming with maternal love thinking that Liu Hui Ying was worried about her and Qui Ai! Maybe she should stop being hard on her missy. Oh, what was a lovely misunderstanding! Liu Hui Ying who chased after Zhai Heng did not know that she left such an impact on Nanny Gong, she just continued to run after Zhai Heng and only stopped when thetter stoppeding to a halt in front of a delicate yet very expensive-looking courtyard where another woman whose clothes were dripping wet was lying next to the smallke that was at the right half of the courtyard. Her eyes were wide with horror and even though she was not breathing, she was telling her story quite clearly to everyone in the vicinity. Chapter 253 - 253 A decoy to hide the real culprit 253 A decoy to hide the real culprit ¡± So was this woman close to Liu Fei Fei?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked while she was examining consort Su¡¯s body. The way the woman died was too simr to that of Liu Fei Fei, though she was not tortured for an entire night, she was indeed killed by being pushed into the pond from the back of her neck and what was even more interesting was that the culprit did not kill her at once. They yed with her for a very long time, even though they covered consort Su¡¯s neck with a cloth to stop their fingerprints from being imprinted on her skin, Liu Hui Ying could see faint impressions of fingers on the skin at the back of consort Su¡¯s neck. It was quite clear that the murderer did not kill consort Su in one swift kill, instead, the murderer pushed her in and out several times before she died on her own. ¡± She could be more or less considered to be the only friend of Consort Liu,¡± replied Zhai Heng who was watching Liu Hui Ying examine the body with strange tools that he has never seen before in his life. ¡± But this is something that you should know right your majesty? After all consort Liu and her¡­they created a lot of trouble for you when you were appointed as the Empress.¡± Liu Hui Ying¡¯s actions paused when she heard Zhai Heng¡¯s answer, uh oh ¡­looks like she made a mistake. Because she was used to speaking her mind in front of Zhai Tianyu, shepletely forgot that it was only the Emperor who knew that she was not the real Liu Hui Ying and the rest still took her as the real Liu Hui Ying! ¡± That¡­¡± she opened her mouth to say something but before she could reply Jia Li who was looking for the evidence nted by the culprit came rushing out, in her hand was a small piece of paper which she was waving left and right in her hand. ¡± Liu Hui Ying! I got it! This is the evidence that was nted by the culprit!¡± ¡± You got one too?¡± Li Gang who was holding a book blinked his eyes and then looked at Jia Li who was waving the paper in her hand. ¡± I got one too, did the culprit nt two pieces of evidence knowing that thest time one piece of evidence did not work?¡± ¡± Not one but four,¡± Grandma Lan Fen was carrying a wet cloth that seemed to be embroidered with golden threads on the red cloth, the letter ¡®Liu¡¯ was embroidered really vibrantly. Liu Hui Ying who saw the number of pieces that were nted against her gritted her teeth in anger. Sure enough, the culprit knew that thest time his n did not work which was why he decided to hide more evidence this time, if not for her who was looking in this case then she would have died without even knowing why! ..... She took the piece of cloth from grandma Lan Fen and read the name that was written on it and sure enough the words Liu Hui Ying red right back at her, it was unfortunate for the culprit that he could only look for golden threads and not fluorescent threads with neon lights or else he might have attached them to the cloth as well. ¡± That damned murderer!¡± Liu Hui Ying gritted her teeth as her shadow morphed into that of a devil, even though no one saw it happen but everyone including Zhai Heng could see that her entire existence was on fire with devil horns on top of her head as she looked down at the piece of cloth that was in her hands. ¡± I am going to skin him alive!¡± Her roar echoed in the courtyard causing many ghosts who were lurking outside to duck their heads and go back to their original haunting space, at first they all were attracted by the yin energy that was covering the courtyard of consort Su but then they saw Liu Hui Ying who was standing in the middle of the courtyard looking like a devil, they all turned on their heels and rushed out of the courtyard. It was better for them to stay where they were after all this woman was not one to be dealt with! ¡± I will go and look in the backyard if there is something that we need to investigate,¡± Zhai Heng did not have much experience with women but he instinctively knew that he did not want to y with this Liu Hui Ying at all which was why he turned on his heels and left just like the ghost leaving Liu Hui Ying to burn with rage as she tore the piece of cloth that was in her hands into two halves. Liu Hui Ying, who was left behind threw the cloth on the ground and then stomped on it a few times before she turned to look at Grandma Lan Fen who was the one who found this piece of fabric and asked, ¡± Where did you find it?¡± ¡± Over there,¡± Grandma Lan Fen pointed at the small gap between two big boulders that were sitting at the edge of the small man-made pond. Liu Hui Ying walked over to where grandma Lan Fen picked up the piece of fabric. Suddenly as she crouched down, she realised that the temperature around the pond has plummeted ..Liu Hui Ying immediately reacted trying to summon her weapon but she was a step toote because the second she raised her hands to summon her weapon the thing inside the pond jumped and wrapped its hands around her neck pulling her in the pond with her. Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes widened as Jia Li and the others screamed they rushed to fight against the thing but before they could ¡ª¡ª the being opened its mouth and started sucking their yang energy causing their strengths to weaken. Before they could even fight against it, they were summoned back by Liu Hui Ying who knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to stand a chance against this thing, with her hands ready to draw her weapon she was prepared to kill the thing but then ¡ª¡ª- Something hit her strongly at the back of her head as if the thing that was in the pond was only a decoy to distract her. Blood immediately pooled out from the back of her head as her eyes drifted close while being dragged by the thing that was pulling her inside the pond. ¡ª¡ª- leave a ps, golden ticket or gift, please. Chapter 254 - 254 Please your majesty 254 Please your majesty A crash resounded in the pavilion where the Emperor stayed causing the calm of the night to be broken. ¡± Oh dear,¡± Ji Yu who was holding the teacup in her hand muttered apologetically as she looked at Zhai Tianyu who was sitting opposite her. ¡± Please do forgive me, your majesty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Zhai Tianyu waved his hand as he asked the eunuch to call a maid and clean the shards of the broken teacup. ¡± This is not something that you need to apologize for.¡± Even though he said that a frown was etched on his face, in his heart something like the slipping of the teacup and it getting broken into multiple pieces was something really small but for some reason, he felt the sound of the teacup breaking deep into his heart as a bad premonition rose in his heart. ¡® is everything going well with her majesty?¡¯ He questioned in his mind as he turned his head and looked out of the window that was overlooking the courtyards of the harem. Should he go and check on her? Ji Yu watched the maid clean the shards of the broken teacup, she even gently smiled at the maid before thanking her for her hard work causing the little maid who was responsible for cleaning the shards to feel gratified as she left the room, for the little maid someone like Ji Yu thanking her was something really grand and it caused the little maid to feel really respectful towards Ji Yu who was both gentle and kind irrespective of her position. What the little maid did not know was that Ji Yu deliberately thanked her, back when she stayed in the Ji mansion she would do something simr to this as well and Zhai Tianyu would find her more and more intriguing and kind, this was the reason why she chose to thank the maid. As for whether or not she was respectful of maids like the one who cleaned the shards of the teacup, only Ji Yu knew it well in her heart. As the maid left the room, Ji Yu turned to look at Zhai Tianyu all set to see the same adoration and respect in his eyes as he used to when they were young but as soon as she turned to look at Zhai Tianyu, she was surprised to see that the man was not even looking at her! Even though he was sitting right in front of her, he was clearly lost in his own thoughts and was not even paying attention to her. When she saw that Zhai Tianyu was looking at the harem even though she was sitting in front of him and they clearly finished eating a very cordial and friendly dinner, Ji Yu understood that he was thinking about Liu Hui Ying. She did not have to think twice about why Zhai Tianyu was not paying attention to her and was instead paying attention to something else, after all, in the current time his majesty was getting more and more involved with the Empress! ..... Ji Yu bit her bottom lip as she looked at Zhai Tianyu and then somehow managed to curl her lips into a smile even though her fingers were clenched in herp as she looked at the man who was slowly getting further and further away from her. She could not understand why and when Zhai Tianyu started to drift away from her but what she did know was that she could not allow Zhai Tianyu to get any further away from her because this man was the only person who she had in her life, if she lost him too then she will have nowhere to go. Her father did not care about her and he only saw potential in her as she was close to Zhai Tianyu and her mother was not a good person either. After herte brother only Zhai Tianyu has given her peace, he was her anchor, the one person that was holding her down or else she would have killed herself long ago after losing her brother who cared for her when she was young. ¡± Your majesty, you seem to be distracted,¡± she suddenly spoke causing Zhai Tianyu to turn and look at her in confusion. He seemed a bit lost in a daze and that only caused Ji Yu to clench her fingers even more tightly in herp as her nails started to dig into the flesh of her palms but she kept her smile intact and adoring as she said, ¡± What¡¯s wrong? Am I boring you?¡± ¡± Oh no,¡± Zhai Tianyu snapped out of his thoughts and then shook his head as he turned all his attention to Ji Yu who was sitting in front of him. ¡± I was just thinking about something ¡­earlier in the afternoon, the court and everything that happened¡­nothing else, my apologies.¡± Ji Yu knew that he was lying to her, even Zhai Tianyu did not know that he had a tell when he was lying and no one else other than her knew about it, she has been so in love with him for so many years that she, of course, knew everything about him. Just like how she knew that every time Zhai Tianyu lied he would rub the back of his hands with his thumb, it was a small gesture but she who always paid attention to everything that he did, of course, caught this small action of his as well. But for the time being, she was willing to be lied to because she knew that if she was to ask for the truth then she might receive an answer that she will not like or even be willing to hear, which was why she did not question him even though her heart was churning. All her life she wished for just one thing and that was ¡ª¡ª that no one will take Zhai Tianyu away from her and yet ¡­ ¡± Should we go to the garden as we used to your majesty?¡± She asked while looking at Zhai Tianyu who was sitting in front of her with a smile. ¡± It has been so long and the two of us haven¡¯t gone for a walk.¡± ¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 255 - 255 fighting a lost battle 255 fighting a lost battle Zhai Tianyu heard her request and hesitated, even though he knew in his heart that Liu Hui Ying was more than capable to take care of herself, he was still worried. The feeling of foreboding was getting more and more prominent in his heart causing his chest to feel stifled and anxiety to rise in his heart as he turned to look at the window again, he was thinking of going and seeing Liu Hui Ying now that he was done having dinner with Ji Yu. Ji Yu also noticed that Zhai Tianyu was hesitating which was why she stretched her hand and ced it on top of his causing Zhai Tianyu to turn and look at her in surprise and a little bit of confusion. ¡± Your majesty,¡± she said trying to invoke as much feeling as she could from Zhai Tianyu towards her as she looked into his eyes. ¡± This concubine misses you, it has been so many days and you haven¡¯t evene to my courtyard to see me¡­if you don¡¯t mind, can you give me just this bit of time of yours. I promise that I will not disturb you for the rest of your night, just a few hours¡­a simple walk, please I beg you.¡± Her words caused Zhai Tianyu to feel slightly guilty as he remembered the promise that he has made to her. Clearly, he promised her that he will take care of her and will do everything that she loved and liked..and here he was even hesitating to go on a walk with her? What has happened to him? Why in the world was he doing such things and that too for the Queen? Since when did the queen start affecting his decisions? And why? ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Zhai Tianyu was not ready to face the answer to his questions which was why he raised his body off the chair he was sitting in and agreed to Ji Yu¡¯s request. Liu Hui Ying must be safe and maybe he was the one who was thinking too much, she had three ghosts to protect her and her powers were not something that any human could match either, there was no way she will get hurt! Going on a walk with Ji Yu should not hurt that much. Ji Yu¡¯s smile turned a degree genuine as she stood from her chair and went to stand next to Zhai Tianyu, at least now she knew that Zhai Tianyu had her in his heart as well. As long as he was willing to let her in, she was sure that she will surely regain the position that she has lost in his heart! The two of them stepped out of the pavilion and then walked towards the small garden where they used to take walks together when they were not married and because Ji Yu was very much excited, she walked a bit hurriedly wanting to reach the garden as soon as possible and then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who was walking a step behind her with a leisurely pace and calm expression on his face. ¡± Your majesty, please walk a bit faster. I heard that tonight is thest night when we can witness the cherry blossoms that you exported from abroad, if we miss it who knows whether or not we might be able to witness it again!¡± Zhai Tianyu was very fond of things that were pretty and rare which was why when he noticed the cherry blossoms that were brought to hisnd by a foreigner, he purchased them without even thinking about them at all. And even Ji Yu fell in love with it, the cherry blossom to her was like a small trip to the past since only the two of them have stood under the tree and watched the cherry blossoms bloom in their full glory and even though she has done the same thing many times before Ji Yu still felt excited whenever she thought about it. ..... ¡± An Emperor is supposed to be full of dignity and calm, consort,¡± Zhai Tianyu replied with a small smile on his lips when he saw Ji Yu act like a child. ¡®She is still the same as ever,¡¯ he thought in his head before he continued speaking, ¡± An Emperor¡¯s pace should be as steady as thend only then will he be able to rule over his Empire, the rules clearly state that I cannot run.¡± Zhai Tianyu was not lying when he said this, ever since he was a young child, he has heard his grandmother and teacher saying that he should never go against the rules and one of these rules was to never run while he was dressed as the Emperor. Since he grew up under the teaching of his grandmother, of course, he was now used to following her every order and teaching that she has given him. Ji Yu heard his response and rolled her eyes as she turned around and then sped her hands behind her back as she said, ¡± You are always so calm and controlled your majesty. I wonder when was thest time you lost your calm?¡± She then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu over her shoulder while the moon shone brightly over the two of them causing a silvery glow to illuminate their bodies. ¡± And whether or not I will be able to see you in a hurry or not?¡± Zhai Tianyu shook his head and then said, ¡± You think too much consort, I will never lose my calm for anyone since I know the consequences ¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± Your majesty!¡± A eunuch who came running behind the two of them interrupted Zhai Tianyu causing thetter to frown as he asked sternly, ¡± What are you doing? Why are you screaming like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her majesty! She fell into a pond and her condition is not stable, you should go and see her before she ¡ª¡ª¡± before the eunuch could finish his sentence, he and Ji Yu witnessed a very miraculous scene. Zhai Tianyu who did not even lose his calm when he heard his father was dead since the man was not kind enough to be cared about, run like he was being chased by something. Ji Yu who was standing behind looked at Zhai Tianyu who was running like all hell was going to let loose and was stunned. ¡± Your majesty didn¡¯t you say, no one can ever make you lose your calm? Then what happened now?¡± As she stared at Zhai Tianyu¡¯s vanishing back, she realised that she was no longer fighting a fight. She has already lost the battle before it even began. Chapter 256 - 256 Not your fault 256 Not your fault ¡± Your majesty!¡± Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun were already standing in front of the courtyard of the Empress, now that something like this has taken ce even if they did not want to make it a big deal, they will have to do so. In just one night, another concubine from the Liu family and the Empress both were attacked. While one died, thetter was left gravely wounded, Liu Hui Ying, even though she was an Empress who was not doted to and treated like one, no one could change the fact that she was the Empress of this imperial city and the ruler of the Harem. Now that she was attacked by someone in the middle of the night, the Liu family who was staying silent up till now will definitely make a move. Yu Lingyun who found out about the attack immediately rushed with his guards to secure both the courtyard, he was just discussing with Zhai Heng what they were going to do when a figure came rushing towards their direction. At first, he did not realize who it was but then he saw the familiar golden robe and understood that it was none other than Zhai Tianyu. He actually came to see the Empress when he was with Ji Yu! ¡± Your majesty, what are you doing here¡­we can deal with this¡ª¡ª¡± if Zhai Tianyu was to leave Ji Yu behind for Liu Hui Ying then the Ji family¡­they will make a mess as well! They already had enough trouble on the te that Liu Hui Ying was attacked, the Dowager Empress was already inside as well and even the right prime minister was alerted, they were already heading down the cliff and Ji Yu was their only support system at the moment, after all, if Zhai Tianyu was to leave Ji Yu alone and treat her as less of a priority than the Empress¡­they wouldn¡¯t get any support from the Ji family tomorrow in court while they were going against the Liu family! ¡± Your majesty, I think that you should go back and finish your task in hand,¡± Yu Lingyun stopped Zhai Tianyu who was surging towards the courtyard of the Empress like a tidal wave. He tried to remind him of the importance of the situation and why Zhai Tianyu should keep his calm at the moment. Of course, he knew that given Zhai Tianyu¡¯s feelings that were changing when it came to the Empress he wasn¡¯t going to listen to anything that he has to say but at least he has to try. ..... ¡± Your majesty¡ª¡ª¡± when Yu Lingyun saw that Zhai Tianyu was not willing to listen to him and looked like he was going to barge inside the courtyard, he stepped in between Zhai Tianyu¡¯s path boldly and said in a whisper, ¡± The Dowager Empress if here as well, you better keep a reign on yourself, your majesty.¡± Zhai Tianyu who was striding towards his goal paused but it wasn¡¯t because of what Yu Lingyun said but it was because of what he did, with his eyes shining with anxiety and anger, Zhai Tianyu turn to look at Yu Lingyun and said, ¡± General Yu, have you forgotten that one should never intercept the path of the Emperor?¡± Yu Lingyun helplessly looked at Zhai Tianyu whose entire body was as taut as a string of a bow. Of course, he knew that he could not intercept the path of the Emperor but Zhai Tianyu was not only the Emperor, but he was also his friend and he knew it better than anyone that letting Zhai Tianyu meet the Dowager Empress in such a condition will only bring more harm than good. This was why even though he could feel his knees weaken under the spiritual Qi that Zhai Tianyu was released, he still stayed his ground and reminded Zhai Tianyu again, ¡± The Dowager Empress is inside, why don¡¯t you go and finish what you were doing your majesty, this way you wouldn¡¯t have to go through something that you don¡¯t want to.¡± Zhai Tianyu stared at Yu Lingyun before he parted his lips and coldly spat one word out and that was, ¡± Move.¡± ¡± Your majesty¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± I said move!¡± After speaking he did not stop for Yu Lingyun to say anything instead he pushed Yu Lingyun away and then walked right inside the courtyard leaving Yu Lingyun to cover his face with the back of his hand. Even though Zhai Tianyu and the Dowager Empress were yet to see each other, Yu Lingyun could already hear the sarcastic words being thrown around all over the ce. Frustrated he turned to look at Zhai Heng who did not say a word when he was going against Zhai Heng and said with some slight annoyance, ¡± Why did you not stop Zhai Tianyu? You know that even though he wouldn¡¯t listen to me. He will at least listen to you right?¡± But Zhai Heng who was standing behind him did not say anything instead he stayed as he was, with his hands clenched on his side and the word ¡®dread and gloom¡¯ written on his face. His expression was twisted and his eyes were not in focus when Yu Lingyun saw him like this, half of his annoyance went down and he sighed while rubbing his forehead as he looked at the man who was still standing there ming himself. ¡± It was not your fault,¡± Yu Lingyun told Zhai Heng what he has been telling him ever since he rushed to this ce. ¡± You did what you could there is no need for you to me yourself, how would you have known that someone will attack the Empress even when she was dressed like a man ?¡± ¡± Or maybe they did not even know that she was the Queen disguised as a man, most probably they went for the person who was investigating and attacked her by mistake. How can you me yourself for that?¡± Yu Lingyun tried his best to snap Zhai Heng out of his daze because he couldn¡¯t allow two of his friends to go crazy because of the same woman! Chapter 257 - 257 The blood in your veins. 257 The blood in your veins. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Zhai Heng did not say anything instead he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In fact, he too thought that there was no way Liu Hui Ying will be attacked either as well, in his eyes, she was a woman who was capable enough to rip the heart of a woman, there was no way she will get hurt. He foolishly thought that she will be fine which was why he left her alone and in the end forgot that she was a woman too ¡­no matter how strong he should have been by her side! This was not only his responsibility as a man but also as the head of the special army! How could he have done something so foolish as leaving Liu Hui Ying alone? ¡°It¡¯s my fault, no matter how you make it sound,¡± Zhai Heng opened his eyes and then looked at the floor under his feet, even now he could hear the ssh of water that rang behind him when he turned his back on Liu Hui Ying and they left to look somewhere else and the sight of her blood dyeing the water red, it was such a horrible sight that he did not even want to be remembered about it. ¡± I should have stayed with her but I was a fool and thought that she will be fine, it was myck of attention that caused the Queen to be attacked like this, if I was paying more attention then maybe nothing like this would have happened.¡± ¡± I am sure Tianyu thinks the same as well.¡± ¡­.. ¡± What do you mean you cannot wake her up!¡± Zhai Tianyu heard the scream of the dowager Empress as soon as he came to a stop in front of the room where the Empress lived and paused in his stride when he heard thetter screaming at the top of her voice. Honestly, he was indeed in no mood to deal with his mother at the moment but his worry for Liu Hui Ying exceeded his hesitation to see his mother and thus he nodded his head at the guard who announced his arrival. ¡± His majesty, the Emperor of the Imperial city is entering!¡± The guard shout brought a sudden halt to the screeches of the Dowager Empress who was standing inside, and Zhai Tianyu closed his eyes as the maids behind him went to open the door for his entrance. ..... ¡®Stay calm,¡¯ he told himself, he knew that now that he and his mother was going to be in the same room, his mother was going to use her barbed words as soon as he will take a step inside the room. ¡± Oh look at that,¡± sure enough, as soon as the door was pushed to the side, he heard the sarcastic voice of his mother who was standing inside the room with a curl of her lips that looked more mocking than anything. ¡± Who got time out of his busy schedule toe and see the Empress.¡± He watched his mother tilt her head to the side as she looked at him and asked, ¡± What happened? I heard that you were with that precious imperial concubine of yours and could not take time off, you finally got time to put your pants on your majesty?¡± The imperial physician who was kneeling on the floor shivered as he furtively looked at the Dowager Empress. Was this okay? Was it okay for him to listen to something like this? Was he going to get killed because of this? He did not want to die just because he heard the Dowager Empress scold her son! Zhai Tianyu closed his eyes, he was used to his mother using such words for him anyway. For some reason even though his mother fought to get him to sit on the throne and even refused to let his big brother take the throne instead of him, she has never liked him. But at least he could say that his mother treated him like a son, his big brother¡­. He was treated like a downright dead dog by his mother. ¡± Imperial mother,¡± he greeted the Dowager Empress as per the etiquettes and did not even feel the slightest bit of hurt when he heard his mother scoff in response, instead he turned to look at the imperial physician and asked, ¡± How is the queen?¡± His voice was calmer than the water in the pond that was left untouched, he knew that if he was to show any emotions on his face, his mother might take advantage of it which was why he did not show any emotions on the surface even though he was dying out of anxiety. Can¡¯t wake her up? He did hear his mother say that the imperial physician could not wake the Empress up¡­. Was she simply exaggerating or was it the truth? ¡°Look at you, your majesty,¡± The Dowager Empress smirked as she drawled and then walked forward after snapping the hand fan in her hand with a flick of her wrist. ¡± Looks like you finally learned to care about your official wife, or else I thought that the blood flowing in your veins will show whose son you are, after all your father was the same, doting on his concubine while the official wife was dying. Looks like my blood helped you to gain some moment of rity?¡± ¡± Mother, is this the time for you to say such words?¡± Zhai Tianyu wanted to ignore his mother as he looked at the woman who gave birth to him but did not once fulfil her responsibilities as his mother when he heard her talk badly about his father. That man might have been not the greatest ruler but he was a great father at least he knew when to step up and take care of him and Zhai Heng when his mother did not. ¡± Her majesty is already in such a condition¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± And whose fault is that!¡± The dowager Empress picked up the vase that was sitting next to her on the cab and hurled the entire content that was inside it on her son. ¡± Only the concubines and the Empress of the Liu family did not have a personal guard and were left as vulnerable as amb in the den of lions, what did you expect to happen to them? Or you are so deeply infleunced by your concubine that you don¡¯t even know that you need to take care of others as well?¡± Chapter 258 - 258 Like you owe her a life 258 Like you owe her a life ¡± In just a few days three of the Liu family¡¯s daughters were attacked and what were you doing your majesty? You were having dinner with that girl from the Ji family, if only you had woken up on time and appointed some guards to keep the daughters of my family safe then this would not have happened!¡± The Dowager Empress was a calcting woman, she did not feel much when Liu Fei Fei died after all that girl was shoved into their family by the Ji family indirectly and she was more of a stain than an adopted daughter which was why she was not moved when that girl died but the same could not be said for Liu Hui Ying and the concubine Su who were cousins with the Liu family. Even if she was to ignore that Su girl, there was no way she could ignore Liu Hui Ying! She has seen her niece grow up in front of her in fact, it would be right to say that Liu Hui Ying called ¡®aunt¡¯ first before she called her father, the Dowager Empress had her own ns but those ns did not include Liu Hui Ying dying. What was more Liu Hui Ying was the only legitimate daughter of the Liu Family, if she dies then the Ji family will ¡ª¡ª- She has been keeping a grudge against Zhai Tianyu ever since he almost killed Liu Hui Ying on their wedding night, if not then she wouldn¡¯t have turned a blind eye to that Ji girl getting poisoned. Since her niece was almost killed then Jia girl deserved to die a slow painful death as well! But now her niece was attacked again and this time she couldn¡¯t do anything even if she had half the control of the harem, the remaining control was in the hands of that old woman! She sent some of her hidden guards to Liu hui Ying¡¯s pce to keep guard but just an hour ago she received a message that said that all the hidden guards were killed. Even if she was a fool, she could see it quite clearly that the person who was behind it was none other than the Grand Dowager Empress and her brother but even if she was to tell her son about this, he will not listen to a thing to what she has to say. Just like his darned father! When she thought about herte husband, a sour taste filled her mouth as she furtively covered her belly, even though her hands were shaking at the memory of the past and the sharp glint of the de, her lips curled in a cold smile as she taunted, ¡± But then again I believe that with that disgusting blood flowing in your veins, this is not surprising at all.¡± Zhai Tianyu went to say something but he did not get a chance since his mother turned to look at the imperial physician who was kneeling on the floor and ordered, ¡± I want to see her up on her feet as soon as possible, I don¡¯t care what you do but if she dies then you will apany her alive in her tomb! You understand that?¡± She shrieked thest of her words and without giving a chance to the imperial physician she turned on her heel and walked past Zhai Tianyu. ..... Her eyes filled got with disgust as she walked out of the courtyard and her gaze fell on Zhai Heng who was standing at the side with the Yu Lingyun, she looked at Zhai Heng and then clenched her fingers like she was longing to curl it around Zhai Heng¡¯s throat but then she restrained herself and turned around to leave. That same face! That brat could have gone after anyone but he just has to look like that person! ¡± She is still the same isn¡¯t she?¡± Yu Lingyun scratched his chin as he looked at the Dowager Empress who was walking away with a cold expression on her face. ¡± I never understood why she looks at you like you owe her a life or something of the sort.¡± ¡± My mother hates my father the most,¡± replied Zhai Heng as he touched the scar on his face, he hasn¡¯t forgotten that his mother hated him so much that she would rather watch him get killed than return to the imperial city. ¡± Grandmother said that I look like father the most and every time she looks at me, she has recalled the sin shemitted when she was killing my father, which is why she does not like watching my face since I make her feel guilty.¡± ¡± Guilty?¡± Yu Lingyun looked at Zhai Heng, he wanted to tell him that the Dowager Empress looked at him like he was her old enemy and did not have even the flicker of the slightest bit of guilt but he pursed his lips and did not say anything because Zhai Heng was right, he did resemble thete Emperor a bit too much and everyone knows that the Dowager Empress hates thete Emperor the most given that he once almost dethroned her for his concubine. He sighed and then rubbed his forehead as he looked over his shoulder before muttering, ¡°I just hope that his majesty will be able to stay calm after all this, the words that her majesty said were not something that one would be able to withstand.¡± ¡­. ¡± What did her majesty mean by that the empress will not be able to wake up?¡± When Zhai Tianyu asked this question his voice was fairly calm and he looked like he was simply asking about the weather when the imperial physician heard Zhai Tianyu¡¯s voice, he recovered from his daze and went crawling towards Zhai Tianyu. That¡¯s right! The Emperor did not like the Empress as long as he pleaded with the Emperor who wanted his childhood sweetheart to be his queen, he will definitely listen to him, right? There was no way he will want the Queen to wake up right? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 259 - 259 I will bury you with her 259 I will bury you with her The imperial physician was someone who was nted by the Ji family and he was very loyal to the Grand Dowager Empress, that old woman not only had more than one thing against him but she also tightly controlled the entire lifeline of his family. Beforeing here she has already told him that he should not bother himself with Liu Hui Ying too much, as long as she was dying he should leave her alone after all the Emperor did not have any good feelings towards the Empress either and would not me him. ¡± Your majesty, please please help me,¡± the imperial physician knelt in front of Zhai Tianyu and begged while tears were streaming down his cheeks, he was afraid that the Grand Dowager Empress would not be able to save him against the Dowager Empress, after all, she was the owner of the harem along with the Grand Dowager Empress and the Liu Family was far more powerful than the Ji family, if they were to make a move against him then he wouldn¡¯t even know how he died! Which was why he could not let the emperor stand on the side opposite to him! ¡± I have tried everything that I can but her majesty was hit in the back of her head, the most vulnerable spot of a human body is the back of the head, even if I save her she will not be able to live her life like a normal human, that is if she somehow manages to wake up,¡± the imperial physician went on screaming and pleading he did not even look at Zhai Tianyu¡¯s face that was getting colder by the minute as he listened to what the imperial physician was saying. ¡± Her majesty is in aa, I don¡¯t know when she will wake up or whether she will ever wake up or not which is why I cannot guarantee that she will get back on her feet.¡± ¡°I have seen many instances where people got hit in the back of their heads and they all turned to into fools¡­I think that leaving the Empress to die is the kindest act that one will do for her at this moment.¡± ¡± Leave her to die?¡± Zhai Tianyu mused as he looked at the imperial physician who still did not sense the danger that was standing in front of him and nodded. ¡± That¡¯s right your majesty! I believe that letting the Queen die is the kindest act at this moment, even if she wakes up she will be a fool, who will take care of her¡ª¡ª¡± The imperial physician was still speaking when he heard the sharp sting of the de running inside its sheathe as a silver and cruel de came to rest against his neck, stunned he looked at Zhai Tianyu who was looking at him with eyes that were colder than ice. ¡± Your majesty?¡± Even though the imperial physician was slightly slow he understood that if he was to mention the word ¡®dead¡¯ again, he will definitely lose his head which was why he did not say anything and simply lowered his head and kowtowed on the floor. ¡± Please forgive me, your majesty, I deserve to die! I should not have said such words, I was just anxious that her majesty will suffer since no one would care for her¡ª¡ª¡± The de pressed against his neck even harder as he heard the voice of the devil incarnate from the top of his head, ¡± I will take care of her, even if she bes aplete fool who does not understand the way of the world, I will stand by her side ¡­you just need to make sure that she wakes up ¡­if you don¡¯t.¡± The de pressed even harder causing a sharp incision to be made in the side of the neck of the imperial physician and blood to drip down on the floor. ¡± My mother will only bury you alive in the tomb of the Empress, but I will make your entire family be buried together with her.¡± ¡± Your majesty!¡± The imperial physician looked up at the man, he could not understand what was going on, this man was a fool. He knew that he was the man of the Grand Dowager Empress and he was doing everything that was ording to the will of the Grand Dowager Empress then why ¡­shouldn¡¯t he listen to what her majesty says with closed eyes? After all, he was nothing but a fool! ..... But when he raised his head and looked into the eyes of the Emperor, that man who has been like a smiling fool all his life was now looking at him with a gaze so threatening and powerful that the imperial physician felt liquid dripping down his legs. This ¡­this was not the Emperor he was ready to face! Why was this man acting like this? Was it because of the Empress? But soon his mind started to race and he came to a conclusion. The Emperor was not a fool who has beenpletely brainwashed by the grand Dowager Empress, from start to finish it was them who were acting like fools! In fact the Emperor was someone who has been on his guard from the day he climbed up on his throne. And they all thought that he was a foolish puppet in the hands of the two families! ¡± You should know what you can and you cannot say outside, imperial physician Shao,¡± said Zhai Tianyu as he understood that the imperial physician must have seen through everything now that he has showed one of his cards but he was not scared of this imperial physician because he knew how to grab hold of this man. ¡± I heard that your son is really capable and soon he will be giving exams to be epted into the team of the imperial family physicians, I worry that if his father turns out to be too much of a gossiper, he might be the one to pay by getting his tongue ripped out, what do you have to say about this imperial physician Shao?¡± What else can imperial Physician Shao say as he lowered his head and then epted the order, ¡± I will try everything to bring her majesty back to life, your majesty.¡± Chapter 260 - 260 Treated like a hooligan 260 Treated like a hooligan Zhai Tianyu looked at the imperial physician and then took the sword away from the neck of the old man, as soon as the cold de of the sword was taken off his neck, the old imperial physician heaved a sigh of relief. The old man was no fool, he dared to not care about the queen because he knew that the Emperor did not care about her but now from the looks of it¡­how was it possible for the Emperor to not care about the queen! One could see that the Emperor cared so much about the Queen that he was even willing to show one of his sock puppets in front of him! Clearly, the Empress was in the heart of his majesty, if he did not worry about his son losing his tongue, he would have definitely told this to her majesty, the grand dowager Empress! The imperial physician felt dreadful when he thought that he will have to hide this fact from the grand dowager Empress but he was a wise man who has seen all kinds of storms if not then he would not have survived till now while working in the imperial pce. He knew that the unknown was more fearsome than the known, he of course knew the way the grand dowager Empress dealt with everyone who went against her but he did not how and what kind of person his majesty was when he wanted to go against someone. ¡± I will do my best to wake her majesty,¡± imperial physician Shao knocked his head on the floor and then waited for Zhai Tianyu to pass his judgement. He did not wish to die but if his majesty wanted to kill him then what can a man of his calibre do? Zhai Tianyu nced at the old man who was kowtowing in front of him, truth be told he did not trust this man but Imperial physician Shao was indeed the best among all the imperial physicians if not then his grandmother wouldn¡¯t have trusted him with her life. As the thought of his grandmother came into his head, Zhai Tianyu felt his heart twinge with pain, he has trusted that woman so much that he now felt that if everything that he knew turned around to be a lie, he might just kill himself because the heartbreak will be too much for him to handle. ¡± Then I will hold on to your promise, imperial physician Shao,¡± remarked Zhai Tianyu as he turned his head slightly to the left and nced at Liu Hui Ying who was lying on the bed, a bandage was tied around her head and her lips were slowly turning blue. His fingers instinctively curled around the handle of his sword but he still resisted the urge to go and kill everyone who was behind this incident, he wanted not to care about anything but as the Emperor, he could not do something so selfish. For the sake of his people, he will have to hold on to the remaining rationality even though he wished he could set the world on fire and watch it burn. Zhai Tianyu closed his eyes and even though his heart was telling him to bring Liu Hui Ying into his embrace, he did not want to be selfish like this. After all, Liu Hui Ying was allergic to men if he was to touch her when she was already in such a dreadful condition who knows what might happen to her? It was better for him to purse his lips and keep his distance from Liu Hui Ying, just because he was worried he could not do anything that will harm Liu Hui Ying. As he thought about Liu Hui Ying¡¯s allergy he turned to look at the imperial physician and asked, ¡± You are a man right?¡± ..... Imperial physician Shao was stunned when he heard this question but since he was taught by his father to answer everything that his master asked him, he nodded and replied honestly, ¡± Biologically yes.¡± How can he be not a man? He made his wife pregnant in one go and even gave birth to a son in his first attempt. It could be said that he was the man out of all men! Zhai Tianyu¡¯s picturesque eyes turned gloomy when he heard Imperial physician Shao¡¯s response and said, ¡± Make sure that you do not touch her majesty with your hands. I don¡¯t want her to catch anything, she should not.¡± Imperial physician Shao: ¡°...¡± ???? Your majesty can we not do this, please? My heart cannot take it. Zhai Tianyu however did not care whether imperial physician Shao¡¯s poor heart could take it or not, he simply turned his gaze and looked at the old man and continued speaking, ¡°If I find out that your skin touched her majesty, I will cut off your hands all right ?¡± ¡± Y¡­yes your majesty,¡± was this truly the same Zhai Tianyu? Howe he was so jealous and possessive? He was a man in his sixties and Liu Hui Ying was old enough to be his granddaughter, how can he even think of doing anything to her? But in front of his master, he did not dare to voice a word ofint and simply kept his head lowered. But in his head, he was screaming loudly, ¡°What is this? ¡± Zhai Tianyu did not care about imperial physician Shao, he gave him a few more reminders and by the time he left the room where Liu Hui Ying was lying, Imperial Physician Shao was tied up with clothes so tightly that only his eyes ears and fingers were visible, even his mouth was covered by a piece of cloth. Imperial Physician Shao looked down at his half-mummified body and muttered angrily, ¡± Crazy! He has gone crazy, no wonder my wife said that we should keep a tight reign on him now that he is courting a girl. If I do not keep a good eye on that brat, he might be crazy like his majesty as well!¡± He was old enough to be Liu Hui Ying¡¯s grandpa! But he was covered up as a young girl who has not seen anything in this world! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 261 - 261 either she wakes up or I die 261 either she wakes up or I die Zhai Tianyu walked out of the courtyard, his face was still sombre and as he turned his head to look at Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun who were standing next to the door of the courtyard after walking out, the two felt a shiver dance down their spines simultaneously. Zhai Tianyu was a man who did not get angry but when he did, he will be worse than a monster who was out for blood, seeing him nce at them with those eyes that were filled with several whirlpools, Yu Lingyun was too scared to even utter a peep. Even Zhai Heng did not dare to say anything, he knew that Zhai Tianyu was angry. Just now he heard his mother scream at Zhai Tianyu for not appointing a guard for the daughters of the Liu family, what the Dowager Empress did not know was that Zhai Tianyu has indeed given the order to appoint personal guards to the daughters of the Liu family, it was just that the order was intercepted by someone from the Ji family and could not be followed. Zhai Tianyu was not in favour of the Liu family but it did not mean he would kill without holding back. ¡± Come with me,¡± he told the two of them and even though Yu Lingyun wanted to speak up for Zhai Heng, he knew that now was not the time which was why even though he thought that Zhai Tianyu was getting angry for no reason, he followed Zhai Tianyu calmly and even turned to pat Zhai Heng on his shoulder as he said confidently, ¡± Don¡¯t worry, your brother will protect you.¡± Zhai Heng simply looked at Yu Lingyun and did not say anything, he did not trust a word this man said because he knew that Yu Lingyun was even more of a coward when he was in front of an angry Zhai Tianyu than he was, which was why he was not at all bothered by Yu Lingyun¡¯s determined words for he knew that the man would be the first to run awayter on. Sure enough, as soon as the two of them reached Zhai Tianyu¡¯s study hall and thetter turned around to face them Yu Lingyun very smoothly hit behind Zhai Heng, seeing him act like this Zhai Heng was thoroughly speechless, he looked at the man who was acting like a coward and then said, ¡± Did you not say that you will be protecting me?¡± ¡± I am acting as your biggest backing!¡± Yu Lingyun eximed shamelessly as if he did not hide behind Zhai Heng like a child who was worried that he will be bullied. Zhai Heng: ¡°¡­..¡± What wonderful backing. ¡± What happened?¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s voice was very low as he turned to look at Zhai Heng who was standing in front of him. He knew that he should not me his brother but he could not control his anger after seeing the deathly whiteplexion andboured breathing of Liu Hui Ying. ..... His brother was with Liu Hui Ying, he knew his brother too well and he understood him enough to know that after he rushed out of the study, he must have gone to look for the Queen. So, what he could not understand was how was it possible for Liu Hui Ying to get hurt when Zhai Heng was with her. ¡± Why is it that the queen got hurt when she was with you, elder brother?¡± Zhai Tianyu did not want to question Zhai Heng but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from doubting his big brother. He was with Liu Hui Ying yet he somehow still got her to be injured, was it because he did not care about Liu Hui Ying or was it because he wanted to take Liu Hui Ying down when the opportunity presented it in front of himself? Zhai Heng knew that his brother was suspecting him but he did not say anything after all his actions were indeed doubtful which was why he sighed and then looked at Zhai Tianyu before he patiently started to exin everything that happened in the courtyard that belonged to the consort Su. ¡± I did not think that something will attack her when my back was turned, in fact, I took a good look around the vicinity and did not see anything or anyone, I am still surprised that she was attacked,¡± Zhai Heng exined everything thoroughly, he was not lying when he said that he checked the vicinity. His martial arts were as good as Zhai Tianyu and he was not someone who would make such a rookie mistake which was why he was surprised when he saw Liu Hui Ying drowning with a huge wound on the back of her head. Zhai Tianyu¡¯s expression changed when he heard his big brother¡¯s reply, he clenched his finger and looked at Zhai Heng before he said, ¡± Are you saying that something inhuman was hiding in that courtyard?¡± ¡± I can¡¯t be sure but you know it¡¯s impossible for me not to detect anything and even if I did not detect it, it was not possible for Liu Hui Ying and her ghosts servants to not sense anything, if they were harmed to this degree I think whoever it was behind this incident, he or she may or may not be human.¡± His words caused the entire study to fall into a cold silence, Zhai Tianyu cracked his knuckles as he clenched his fists while Yu Lingyun started to shiver. ¡± Not human?¡± Yu Lingyun turned around and looked at the walls of the room as if he was expecting something inhuman to pop out. ¡± We used to fight humans and now we have to fight non-humans too? You mean to say someone from our enemy side contracted a non-human?¡± He asked Zhai Heng and Zhai Tianyu, neither of them spoke but their expressions turned bitter. As Yu Lingyun thought about what will happen in the future, his eyes widened as he turned to look at Zhai Heng and Zhai Tianyu before he shrieked, ¡± If her majesty does not wake up, then we all will be dead? No, we have to wake her up!¡± He pulled the skin off his face and then rushed out screaming, ¡± I will make sure that either she wakes up or I die!¡± Facing ghosts? He will rather chuck himself off a cliff! Chapter 262 - 262 Go and die ! 262 Go and die ! Liu Hui Ying woke up to extreme suffocation, she did not know what was happening all she knew was something hard and smooth was pressing against her nose and mouth making it impossible for her to breathe. She tried to struggle against the thing that was making it impossible for her to breathe but no matter how much she tried to move, she couldn¡¯t lift even a single finger¡­she was afraid that she was going to lose her breath and die when suddenly the soft and hard thing was taken away from her mouth and nose and she could start breathing again! Once the thing was gone, the fog that was covering her brain also cleared up and she could finally hear the voice of a hysterical woman, ¡± Why? Why are you stopping me? If she dies then she will be out of our way¡­ if she is gone then you will marry me, right?¡± Marry? Marry who? Liu Hui Ying wanted to blink her eyes but realised that she could not even move her eyelids, frustrated she tried to turn her head but it was as if she was covered in metal armour she could not even turn her head to the left even if she wanted to, a frown etched on her metal covered forehead as she somehow turned her pupils to look at the woman who was dressed in a magenta coloured dress. When Liu Hui Ying saw the woman, her heart was filled with shock and then she was thrilled in surprised because she was actually back in her own world! Her job! Her house! Her promotion! Hallelujah! She came back to take back everything! But before Liu Hui Ying could rejoice, she heard the woman say, ¡± She is already being investigated because of her past crimes and she is on the verge of losing her job, you still want to support her? She is a murderer! Did you not hear what my dad said?¡± Wait a minute.. who was this? Liu Hui Ying focused all her attention on the woman who was speaking like she knew her backstory and narrowed her gaze when she realised that the woman was none other than that old man Tao¡¯s daughter! This bitch! What nonsense was she talking about? She has cleared up all her exams with flying colours, unlike her father who sucked up to others to get the position he wanted! Who was she looking down on? If she had the guts she should untie her and she will show her who was the boss! ..... ¡°I don¡¯t care if she is a murderer or not,¡± while Liu Hui Ying was cursing the woman, she heard the voice of another man whose face she could not see, all she knew was that he was standing protectively in front of her while dressed in a white medical coat, from the side she could see that his dark eyes were ring at the woman who was staggering on her feet looking seemingly drunk. She red at the man right back and shouted, ¡± Why do you have to care for her? She is...She is such a disgusting woman. If she was not a criminal why would she jump down the cliff and try to end her life? Isn¡¯t it because she has a guilty conscience?¡± The man did not say anything instead he bent down and picked up the white pillow that dropped on the floor when he pushed the woman and said coldly, ¡± I would like you to leave, if you don¡¯t then I will have to call the police since you tried to attack a patient in the hospital.¡± The woman looked at the man who was staring at her with hatred and me blended together and blinked her eyes as she said, ¡± Are you for real? My father will be appointed as the head of the detective department soon, do you really want to support this woman?¡± Who¡­who is going to be the head of the department? That bald Tao? How dare he! Did he push her off from behind or something? She was sure that something was off about her falling down the cliff! That Bald Tao! Let her at him! ¡± I don¡¯t know whether or not your father will be the head of the department but what I know is that if he continues to dig pits for others, he will fall into one soon,¡± the man ced the pillow on the side and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who despite having her eyes wide open could not look at him since her body was no longer under her control. And because she could not see the man, she missed the love and adoration he held for her in those dark eyes of his. ¡± You¡­ you are going to regret this!¡± The woman shouted but the man did not take notice of her screams instead he pressed the bell that was resting on the table that was beside the hospital bed and then turned to look at the door as two nurses barged inside. ¡± Doctor Bo?¡± One of the maids looked at the woman who was ring at Doctor Bo and then turned to nce at the young man who tipped his chin at the woman who was drunk and then said, ¡± Miss Tao is drunk and she does not know what is good for her, have detective Tao take her away and tell him that if she continues to treat Miss Liu like she did today then I will be forgetting the promise that I have done to him.¡± The nurses nodded and walked over to where Miss Tao was but as soon as they grabbed her arms the woman jolted awake and shouted, ¡± You cannot do this to me! I am telling you, you cannot do this! I ¡­ I love you, Bo Silin!¡± Miss Tao confessed her love for Bo Silin then and there but the man did not even look at her for his eyes were locked on Liu Hui Ying who was lying on the bed. Seeing this Miss Tao was so agitated that she screamed at the top of her lungs, ¡± LIU HUI YING! You jinx! You killed your sister, why don¡¯t you die too? Do you have no shame!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 263 - 263 The Queen woke up 263 The Queen woke up Bo Silin who has been calm throughout the entire ordeal turned to look at Tao Rin, when thetter saw that he was willing to look at her finally, her eyes shone brightly but instead of seeing the adoration that was kept safe for just Liu Hui Ying, she saw nothing but unblemished hatred and disgust in those dark pools. ¡± What are you being gentle with her for? Is she the daughter of the hospital¡¯s director or what? Drag her away like you are supposed to!¡± Bo Silin ordered the two maids, if Tao Rin was not a woman he would have pped her before dragging her away on his own. The maids were worried that Bo Silin will be affected by Tao Rin and that his mental health might suffer when he had surgery scheduled in the next hour, they immediately dragged Tao Rin away. Even though Tao Rin was being dragged by two nurses she continued to make a lot of noise, it took a lot of time for the two nurses to drag Tao Rin away. Once she was dragged out of the ward, Bo Silin turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and carefully caressed her head which was covered with bandages and said, ¡± Wake up soon, Hui Ying¡­ I am waiting for you, right here.¡± Who¡­? Liu Hui Ying wanted to ask but before she could even strain her pupils to shift and look at the man, she felt her consciousness tug again as darkness fell over her once again. ¡± Your majesty, please wake up.¡± ¡± Your majesty.¡± ¡± Your majesty!¡± ..... Qui Ai and nanny Gong continued to stay by Liu Hui Ying¡¯s side day and night as they shed tears of worry, they were afraid that if they were to leave her all alone, she might be affected by the air and the sunlight. They did not even dare to leave her alone even at night and if not for the Emperoring to keep the Queenpany they would have stuck to Liu Hui Ying in the night as well. ¡± It has been three days since the queen passed out, nanny Gong¡­will she wake up?¡± Qui Ai whose eyes have turned red after crying day and night turned to look at the old woman who was looking at Liu Hui Ying while wiping her with damn clothes. When Nanny Gong heard Qui Ai¡¯s words, she paused in her action of wiping Liu Hui Ying¡¯s face with the clean cloth and then turned around in a jiffy before smacking Qui Ai with the cloth on the butt as she fiercely scolded, ¡± What do you mean by whether or not the queen will wake up? Of course, she will wake up. Don¡¯t talk nonsense with me now, if you say a thing wrong then I will ¡­¡± Nanny Gong made a lot of violent movements before she harrumphed and turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was still looking pale and sickly. Looking at such a delicate-looking Liu Hui Ying who used to jump around all the time, Nanny Gong couldn¡¯t help but start sobbing again as she wiped her tears and said, ¡± My missy is such a gooddy, she is soft-spoken, lovely and her heart is made up of gold but yet some evil person attacked her like this! I hope that bastard gets loose motions and spends all his days in the restroom!¡± ¡± My gentle and nice missy, boohoo¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± THAT DAMN OLD MAN TAO!¡± Nanny Gong was still singing praises about how Liu Hui Ying was the most gentle woman of all time when suddenly thetter stood up from the bed and screamed a bunch of curses that rang in the courtyard. At first, no one spoke, Nanny Gong and Qui Ai were too shocked to react but then they saw Liu Hui Ying sitting up straight and immediately rushed to hug her. Nanny Gong who was getting worried because of Liu Hui Ying¡¯sck of response these days was the most joyous as she hugged Liu Hui Ying and cried, ¡± Your majesty, I am d that you are up! I promise that I will not be hard on you, so please do not scare me like this your majesty!¡± Liu Hui Ying blinked her eyes, she closed them and opened them again and again, when she saw the old-fashioned room with antiques that can only be found in the museum¡­ she finally realised that she was back in the imperial pce. Ahhhh! The heavens were going against her! Liu Hui Ying who wanted to rush up and beat the old man Tao was furious, she was so furious that she rolled her eyes many times before her eyespletely rolled in the back of her head and she fainted again. Nanny Gong did not expect that Liu Hui Ying will faint again, she looked at the really red Liu Hui Ying who might have fainted because of suffocation ( she wasn¡¯t, she was just too angry to keep her emotions stable) and immediately shouted, ¡± Someone go and call the imperial physician!¡± ¡­ The news of Liu Hui Ying waking up spread all over the imperial pce and Zhai Tianyu who was listening to theints of the ministers immediately sat up straight on his throne when he heard Yu Lingyun report that Liu Hui Ying woke up. Seeing him abruptly sit up the ministers all turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and blinked their eyes in surprise as for Zhai Tianyu, thetter smiled at his ministers and said awkwardly, ¡± There is something that Zhen very much needs to see¡­you know that book from the famous artist Xiao Luo? He has sent one of his books to me and I want to go and see it.¡± Xiao Luo was famous for drawing adult books, when the ministers heard that Zhai Tianyu actually wanted to finish the meeting because he wanted to read that adult book but in the end, they couldn¡¯t say anything after all, who did not know that the Emperor was a huge pervert! Zhai Tianyu: ¡°¡­.¡± The road of love is not easy, today I am a pervert and tomorrow I will be a heartbreak, yo. Chapter 264 - 264 A slap 264 A p ¡± Did she really woke up?¡± Yu Lingyun who was the first to rush to the courtyard that belonged to Liu Hui Ying asked her maids who were standing on the side of the bed, he turned to look at the two of them and pointed to the unconscious Liu Hui Ying and said, ¡± She doesn¡¯t look like someone who is going to wake up.¡± Nanny Gong wanted to say something scathing in response but she held herself back even though what Yu Lingyun said did not sound pretty, what he said was not wrong either, Liu Hui Ying was still looking pale and her body was just as cold as it was earlier, if not for the fact that Qui Ai was with her and watched Liu Hui Ying wake up, she would have thought that she was hallucinating because of her old age. ¡± Her majesty really did wake up,¡± Nanny Gong answered Yu Lingyun who was looking at her with a suspicious look in his eyes. ¡± She woke up and screamed ¡®Damn old man Tao¡¯ before she fainted again, I think she was a bit too excited and the blood ended up rushing in her head which caused her to faint.¡± At least that was what Imperial physician Shao told her earlier. ¡± Old man Tao?¡± Zhai Tianyu has been waiting for Liu Hui Ying to wake up silently on the side, when he heard Nanny Gong say that she woke up only to scream a single name and that too of a man, his eyebrows couldn¡¯t help but rise as he looked at Nanny Gong and asked, ¡± Who is this damn old man Tao?¡± ¡± This one has no idea, your majesty,¡± replied Nanny Gong as she lowered her head and apologized to Zhai Tianyu, she did not have any responsibility for this question, in fact when it came to her majesty these days, she truly did not have any responsibility regarding anything! What kind of name was ¡®damn¡¯ anyway? Zhai Tianyu too did not understand the word ¡®damn¡¯ but he did understand that Liu Hui Ying fainted because of someone surnamed Tao and there was indeed a Tao family in the imperial city. He turned to look at Zhai Heng and asked in a soft voice, ¡± If I am not wrong then there is an official Tao working in the imperial court, right?¡± Yu Lingyun was staring at Liu Hui Ying who was sleeping on the bed with his hands on his hips when he heard Zhai Tianyu¡¯s question, stunned he turned to look at Zhai Tianyu with a very slow turn of his neck. His turn of the neck was so slow that it made a creaking sound as he widened his eyes and looked at Zhai Tianyu with a questioning expression and asked, ¡± What are you going to do to official Tao hmm, your majesty?¡± Zhai Tianyu pursed his lips and replied with a frown, ¡± Her majesty called his name, so don¡¯t you think that I should¡ª¡ª¡± ..... ¡± No, I don¡¯t,¡± Yu Lingyun interrupted him as he looked at the man with a stunned look on his face. He did not think that his friend was this deep in love with the Queen, he was actually going on a human hunt just because his woman called the name of a man in her dream. With his hand still on his hips, he raised one hand and pointed at Zhai Tianyu and stated, ¡± You are not going on a killing spree just because the queen called the name of minister Tao, what are you going to justify his death with? That he offended the queen in her dreams and thus he deserves to die.¡± Zhai Tianyu paused and pondered for a while before he slowly asked, ¡± I ca¡­cannot do that?¡± ¡± Of course, you can¡¯t!¡± Yu Lingyun looked at his friend with a confused and disbelieving look on his face. No wonder people said that women were dangerous creatures, look at this only a few months and his intelligence was going in minus. He turned to look at Zhai Heng and said, ¡± Say something to him!¡± He pointed to Zhai Tianyu while demanding Zhai Heng take the reign of his younger brother. But he was doomed to be disappointed because the elder one turned to look at him and asked in the same hesitating voice, ¡± We really can¡¯t?¡± Yu Lingyun was speechless, was this really, all right? He was supposed to be the one who was all brawn and had no brains right? Howe he was the intelligent one in this group all of a sudden? But before he could say something snappish to the two idiots in front of him, he heard soft moaning behind him and then he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was slowly waking up, his eyes lit up when he saw that Liu Hui Ying was awake and he immediately rushed to her side as he said, ¡°Your majesty, I am so d that you are up!¡± He originally did not have any good feelings towards the queen but now that the supernatural was after his life, he could only rely on this woman as long as she was up and about, he doesn¡¯t have to fear those spooky things which were why he needed to whitewash himself in front of the queen such that she will protect him when needed! However, as soon as he rushed towards the queen¡¯s bed, he paused and then turned to look at Nanny Gong before he asked, ¡± Do I look saddened? Aggrieved?¡± Nanny Gong looked at his face which was shining like he was looking at a te of gold waiting to snatch it and shook her head. ¡± You look rather ¡­excited, my lord.¡± Yu Lingyun blinked his eyes that were shining at the sight of his golden backer and then cleared his throat before he pulled a very sad expression and then lowered his head to look at Liu Hui Ying as he said, ¡± Your majesty! I was so worried about you!¡± But before he could finish speaking he felt a stinging pain in his cheek as he stumbled on the ground while clutching the side of his face. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 265 - 265 Down the wrong path 265 Down the wrong path Liu Hui Ying was already in a foul mood after finding out that the old man Tao whom she thought she has beaten was now spreading rumours about her in the department causing her promotion to be stopped and what was more his daughter actually tried to kill her! This mother! She was hoping to hop off the hospital bed and karate chop that girl but instead, she woke up in this pce. Again! But as if that wasn¡¯t enough, as soon as she woke up she saw a very ugly face looking down at her as if he was mourning for her death already and to top it all, it belonged to a man! A man! How can she be not upset? She was so upset that she immediately flung her hand on instinct and ended up pping the man who was hovering over her face. ¡± Darn, why are you crying like I am dead!¡± Liu Hui Ying sat up straight, if she was truly dead without suffering any unbearable pain and even returned to his body, then she would have been more than d, she would have even thrown death candy to everyone but instead, she was up and about in this ce! What was the point of crying like this? She should be the one who should be crying damn it! Her promotion and that old man Tao¡¯s pudgy old face that was begging to be hit, she lost everything! She red at Yu Lingyun who was sitting on the floor and asked, ¡± What were you doing¡ª- ah, damn it!¡± She cursed again when her hand started to turn red and her skin started to itch like she has been washed with water that was full of itching powder. Liu Hui Ying felt that she wanted to cry but had no tears to shed, she was attacked and sent to her real world where she was almost suffocated again and then she was sent back to this world where her allergies started to act up again, she was just a young woman in her early thirties! Can¡¯t she catch a break? Like what was she? A punching bag for the Gods, that they were beating her left and right without pausing even for a little bit. They better hope she goes to hell because if there was a heaven and she was given a ticket to that ce. She was going to make it a highway to hell! Just you wait! Her name will be written in golden inscriptions in heaven and even the lord of all Gods will shiver at her name! ¡± You should apply that ointment that I gave you, your majesty,¡± seeing that Liu Hui Ying¡¯s allergy was ring up, Zhai Heng kindly advised her but as soon as he said this advice two pairs of eyes turned to look at him. ..... Zhai Tianyu who felt that there was something wrong with his brother frowned and looked at thetter, why was it that he felt that there was something wrong with his brother¡¯s attitude? Though he trusted his brother so much that he did not think that there was anything wrong with him helping out his sister-inw a little bit. But Yu Lingyun who knew just how much Zhai Heng cared for the pearl ointment that he received from the outer province immediately smelled something fishy. He was a general and he often received many scars and injuries on his face and hands, there was a time when he was practising and ended up getting a scar on the back of his tricep which was why he asked Zhai Heng to give him the pearl ointment. And then this man told him that, ¡®It is for the woman who will win my heart.¡¯ The woman who will his heart! Everyone knew that the pearl ointment was so expensive that it could even buy half a mountain since it was concocted by the divine doctor and Zhai Heng saving it to hand it to his beloved was only right. Yu Lingyun did not find it weird either but now all of a sudden that pearl ointment fell into the hands of the Queen? No, no maybe he was thinking too much. Yu Lingyun thought in his head. Maybe it was another ointment. But then he turned to look at the Queen who rummaged around in her clothes that she was wearingst night and pulled out an extremely familiar wooden box. Yu Lingyun: ¡°¡­..¡± Fck! His brother was going down the wrong path! This ¡­This was not right! What was he going to tell his dear uncle in case these two brothers started fighting for the same woman? Yu Lingyun was someone who could not sit still even though he knew that he should not be discussing anything, he could not watch his brother fall down the wrong path which was why he hurriedly sped Zhai Heng¡¯s wrist and said, ¡± Youe with me, I need to pee !¡± ¡± Why do I need toe with you?¡± Zhai Heng was bewildered when he was pulled by Yu Lingyun, he did not understand why there was any need for him to follow Yu Lingyun to the restroom but thetter did not give him a chance to respond as he tugged him and said, ¡± Because I am scared!¡± Scared by you brother! Zhai Heng knew that Yu Lingyun had been acting weird ever since he found out that there were supernatural beings walking around in the imperial pce thus, he calmly followed him. Once the two of them were gone Nanny Gong and Qui Ai too left the room leaving Zhai Tianyu and Liu Hui Ying alone. Zhai Tianyu has been itching to see Liu Hui Ying wake up, he has been missing her liveliness and now that she was up and about, the ice that was covering his eyes melted away as he took a stool and then sat down next to Liu Hui Ying as he asked, ¡± How are you feeling my queen?¡± His voice was full of love and concern but Liu Hui Ying, this straight woman who was allergic to men only cared about her promotion and old man Tao, thus she did not feel any love from Zhai Tianyu and replied sourly, ¡± Like sh*t.¡± Zhai Tianyu: ¡°....¡± Chapter 266 - 266 Sarcastic words 266 Sarcastic words Zhai Tinayu was speechless though he was not hoping for a really heart-touching union where Liu Hui Ying was going to tell him that she has missed him and was very happy to be back, he at least thought that the Queen would be a tad bit nice to him, howe she woke up as if she has eaten gun powder? Liu Hui Ying was indeed filled with nothing but gunpowder at the moment, she was furious upon learning that the old man Tao was spreading rumours about her in the modern world and was coveting her promotion, what was more that bitch of a daughter of his actually tried to murder her! How can she be not furious? She was so mad that it was a good thing that she was not running around rampant! However, Liu Hui Ying was not a fool, she could understand that there was no point in getting angry at the moment. She did not have a way to return back to her own world and could only think of what happened when she was smacked at the back of her head, even if she was losing her consciousness, she did feel a string of yin energy getting inside her body, strictly speaking, the piece of Yin energy should have belonged to the original owner of the body she was upying. But instead of taking over this body that belonged to her, her predecessor actually refused to do so! Liu Hui Ying used her spiritual energy to take a look at her body that was lying in aa for more than three days and realised that because of theck of a soul, this body was on the verge of copse and if only this shell was not empty then she could have stayed in her own world! ¡® Why does that woman not want toe back?¡¯ Liu Hui Ying was going mad thinking about the answer to this question clearly this body belonged to that woman but she was actually refusing to take possession of this body. Why? And if she continues to do so then wouldn¡¯t it mean that Liu Hui Ying will be dragged into this body again and again even if she repeats the action from the night when she was attacked and put herself in danger? Liu Hui Ying could almost imagine herself falling unconscious in the middle of the streets if this woman suddenly got fussy and left her body because she did not want to continue living anymore. ¡® Damn!¡¯ She cursed as she raised her hands and furiously rubbed her face, she has to look for that woman but now that she knew that the woman did not want toe back to her body, she understood why she was not able to look for the soul of this body¡¯s predecessor. It turns out that the woman was actually hiding from her all along, now she was kind of curious to know whether the woman was killed by this man who was seated on her side or did she deliberately used the trick to end her life. But if that was the case then why did the womanmit suicide and why in the world was she dragged into this world? ..... Liu Hui Ying had a bunch of questions but it was just her luck that no one was there to answer her. Never mind for now she was going to keep her head in the game and solve this case that was in her hands before starting to look for this woman¡¯s soul again. She has to find a way to keep the soul of this woman trapped in this shell of a body lest she escapes again! But before that, she needed to teach a good lesson to that wicked thing that smacked her so hard that she saw her grandmother waving at her from the other side of the river! And she was going to start with this idiot first! She turned to look at the Emperor who was sitting on the side and asked, ¡± Do you know that one of your ministers contracted an evil being?¡± Zhai Tianyu could see that Liu Hui Ying was angry at the moment, so he cleared his throat and then said, ¡°¡­ We came to this conclusion after thinking about what happened to you in consort Su¡¯s courtyard, so yes I do have an idea that someone in the imperial court has gotten close to an evil being.¡± ¡± And did you find them?¡± She asked even further causing Zhai Tianyu to turn silent as he lowered his head and did not reply, it was not that he did not try to look for that minister who was involved with the evil being but he couldn¡¯t find anything. These past few days he has been eyeing his ministers so much and so carefully that everyone in the court thought that he was now interested in old men and wanted to try them which was why the ministers were now covering themselves from head to toe if not for the fact that they could not wear veils, they would have covered their faces with it as well. But even after getting his name dragged into the mud, he did not get any piece of evidence to find out who was the one involved with the evil being. Seeing that he was not replying Liu Hui Ying understood that he did not find anything and her face turned even more sullen and she could not help but say, ¡± Are you sure, you are the Emperor? Like someone contracted an evil being right under your nose and you couldn¡¯t even trace them? Like wow. You are truly something your majesty.¡± Zhai Tianyu, of course, understood her sarcasm but he did not get angry at her, in the end, he drew in a calming breath and then replied with a serene expression, ¡± I am sorry but when I was being enthroned I did not think that I need to learn the skills of how to be a ghost tamer, I will go and appoint a master as soon as possible.¡± ¡± Are you being sarcastic with me, your majesty?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked with narrowed eyes. And Zhai Tianyu immediately lowered his head as he smiled at Liu Hui Ying and said, ¡± I am not my queen, just stating the facts.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 267 - 267 Just as selfish 267 Just as selfish Liu Hui Ying red at the man before she turned to look away from him with a scoff. ¡± You have a fairly sharp tongue when you deal with me, your majesty. I wonder¡­¡± she turned to look at the man with a quick rundown gaze as she smiled and added, ¡± What happens when you are with your ministers? Where does this sharp tongue of yours go? On a holiday? Or does it starts yingng lock?¡± Zhai Tianyu looked at the woman who was sprouting nonsense in front of the King and was temporarily speechless, was the Queen really not worried that he will punish her? How can she act so recklessly? He raised his hand and then nursed his forehead, even though he was slightly annoyed by the Queen, he was thankful that she was up and about. ¡± I am only outspoken in front of people who I trust,¡± he answered with a calm expression on his face, he raised his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying who looked a bit awkward at his sudden confession and smiled. ¡± You are one of the very few people whom I trust my queen which is why I can speak my mind without worrying about anyone using my words against me.¡± Liu Hui Ying did not know what to do with these sudden heartfelt words, she turned her head to the side and pretended as if she hadn¡¯t heard him and then continued on speaking, ¡± This is not a small matter either, the spirit that attacked me is not just a poor old unfortunate soul that was left behind and turned malevolent slowly, its a corpse puppet.¡± ¡± A corpse what?¡± Zhai Tianyu has heard of wooden puppets, doll puppets and many other puppets but he has never heard of corpse puppets he looked at the woman who was sitting on the bed with a confused look in his eyes and felt as if he was mishearing things. Liu Hui Ying looked at him like she was looking at an idiot and then said in an annoyed voice, ¡°It¡¯s a corpse puppet, like training a corpse with a part of its soul intact in the shell that it has left behind while keeping the other half of the soul within your hands, as long as the master of the corpse puppet holds the part of the soul, the corpse puppet made by him will have no other choice but to follow his orders.¡± A frown etched on her delicate forehead and Liu Hui Ying felt her head throb as she started to nurse her forehead but then she felt the white bandage hinder her movements and she immediately stopped nursing her forehead before she turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and said, ¡± This is not a good sign, if there is a corpse puppet then it means that there is a dark warlock in the city as well one who is skilled with necromancy.¡± ¡± If we leave him alone who knows how much more damage he might bring to your imperial city,¡± she sighed heavily and then looked into Zhai Tianyu¡¯s eyes before shaking her head. ¡± One of your ministers is truly either aplete idiot or he ispletely inhuman toe into contact with someone like this because only those who have forsaken the path of righteousness and want to walk on the path set by the demonic sects will be able to learn such a skill.¡± Zhai Tianyu looked at Liu Hui Ying who was sighing and fell into deep thought, someone from the ministers of the court couldn¡¯t do anything so stupid, they were too smart to know the consequences of their actions so it can only mean one thing. They knew that they were in the wrong, they just did not care about anyone including the life and death of innocent citizens. ..... ¡± Is there a way to stop them?¡± Zhai Tianyu asked as he looked at Liu Hui Ying who was still rubbing her forehead because of the pain that was throbbing in the back of her head. ¡± Can you take care of them? I don¡¯t want the innocent citizens of my city to be killed for no reason at all.¡± Liu Hui Ying paused in her actions of rubbing her forehead and raising her head as she looked at the man in front of her with a sneering smile, ¡± Who wants to watch the people they care about die when there is no other choice is it?¡± ¡± Are you saying that you cannot stop them?¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± I thought that you will be able to save them, did you not say that you are a celestial master, can you not stop this from happening?¡± ¡± I am not your saviour, your majesty,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied as she turned to look at the man who was asking for the moon in return for handing her candy. She raised her head and then tipped her chin at the window that overlooked the backyard of her courtyard and continued, ¡°It¡¯s impossible, the warlock out there or whoever it is¡­ I don¡¯t think that I will be able to take them down.¡± She was not here to save the world, all she needed was to solve this case, find the soul of this woman and get out of there before she gets caught up in another trouble! Zhai Tianyu looked at Liu Hui Ying who was sitting on the side with a calm look on her face, he knew from the calmness on her face that she could take the culprit behind this down but she just did not want to, his heartbeat slowed down a bit as he looked at Liu Hui Ying and asked, ¡± Are you sure that you cannot take them down?¡± ¡± Of course,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied as she frowned and looked at him with an annoyed look on her face. ¡± Why do you keep asking me this?¡± ¡± That¡¯s because you know how to take him down, it is such that you cannot care less to take them down, isn¡¯t that the truth?¡± Zhai Tianyu remarked feeling angry and upset, the joy of meeting Liu Hui Ying turned into ashes as he realised that she was still as selfish as she was before, it was just him who thought that she has changed a bit, that she has opened her heart to him a little. But the truth was that she was still waiting to go back and because her heart was locked just like it was before she did not consider the crisis of his imperial city as her own. The more he thought about it the more he got upset, he no longer cared whether he was upset about her desiring to go back or was he upset because she was still as selfish as ever. Not wanting to say anything upset he flicked his sleeves and turned around to leave, seeing him go Liu Hui Ying frowned and screamed, ¡± Why are you getting upset for huh? Did you not want to see me go? Or are you upset that I want to leave without solving the problem for you?¡± Zhai Tianyu paused before turning to look at her as he calmly said, ¡± Neither, I just¡­¡± he paused before he turned around and left leaving Liu Hui Ying alone as she frowned. ¡± What ¡­what do you mean by just ¡­.? Hey! Hey! Reply to me! ¡° Chapter 268 - 268 To late to apologize? 268 Tote to apologize? ¡± What!¡± Liu Hui Ying screamed after Zhai Tianyu who has run away from her room, she was not being hard on him but she just could not withstand the fact that he has looked at her like she was a disappointment. His gaze was one she was very familiar with and thus, she could not control the anger she felt in her chest that was burning at the moment. ¡± Why are you looking at me like I am doing something wrong? Who are you to judge me, just because you are the Emperor, you think you can look at me like that huh?¡± She shouted at the door that was left behind by Zhai Tiayu, when Nanny Gong and Qui Ai heard Liu Hui Ying scream, the two of them rushed inside the room and looked at Liu Hui Ying who seemed to be very agitated. ¡°Your majesty, please calm down!¡± Seeing that Liu Hui Ying¡¯s emotions were not stable Nanny Gong hurried to make her lie down on the bed as she pushed Liu Hui Ying who was still shouting at the Emperor who has long left the courtyard. ¡± Looking at me like I am dirt on the ground? So what if I am selfish? Is there anyone who cares about me in this ce? I just want to go back, what is wrong with that?¡± Liu Hui Ying on the other hand did not calm down instead she continued to shout as she was pushed onto the bed. Was there anything wrong with her being selfish? Was there anything wrong with her not wanting to get involved in this mess? This was not her mess! This was not even her world, if not for that freak of an ident she would not have been dragged into this world, then what would have that man done? Wouldn¡¯t he have to face those people who were hiding in the dark on his own anyway? But now that she was here, he wanted her to clean up his mess for him. For what? She had her own life, her own problems to take care of! Liu Hui Ying breathed hard as she clenched her fist and banged it on the side of her bed as she yelled at the top of her lungs, ¡± I just want to go back! What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± She missed her world, she missed all the things that she could do there, yes people judged her but at least she could fight back. But now, even when she knew that she was being framed she could not do anything except lie in this bed and wait for another opportunity where she would be able to go back to her own world! ..... At least that man had his hands and legs moving! He could do anything he wanted even without herck of support but what about her? Her body was lying in the hospital and she could not even fight back while that old man Tao schemed against her. ¡± Cheating legally on his official wife is not enough? Poisoning his wife without facing any legal charges is not enough. Pushing another woman in the face of his wife and humiliating her is not enough? That man is a disappointment in himself and yet he looks at me like I am not good enough ?¡± She muttered furiously as she kicked the bedsheet that Nanny Gong was trying to cover her with on the floor and sat up straight. She pointed at the door with her finger and then ordered, ¡± Go and pass out my orders that no dogs or the Emperor is allowed to enter my courtyard! GO!¡± Nanny Gong looked at the agitated Liu Hui Ying and then turned to look at Qui Ai who was looking just as helpless but since they knew that they could not go against the Queen when she was like this, they could only lower their heads and act as if they were going to follow Liu Hui Ying¡¯s order. Dogs and Emperor not allowed? This entire pce belonged to the Emperor how can they bar him from not entering? ¡­. Zhai Tianyu was just as angry as Liu Hui Ying, he burst out of the courtyard that belonged to Liu Hui Ying and rushed back to his own pavilion, he did not even want to talk with anyone but as soon as he pushed the door off his study aside and took a step, he heard Yu Lingyun speak. ¡± What are you doing? She is a married woman! I am not saying that you are not allowed to fall in love with a woman but can you at least choose someone who is not covered with red gs?¡± His voice was pleading and Zhai Tianyu who did not expect to hear such gossip upon entering his study was stumped as he stayed at the threshold of his study, not knowing whether to go inside or not. This was really huge! His brother was actually in love with a married woman? He did not expect his brother to have such a heavy taste, in this time and space men rushed to get a reserved and untouched woman but his brother was actually in love with a married woman. Really love knew no bounds! But given that this was something that was rted to his big brother, he did not know whether or not he should go and talk to him or just leave Yu Lingyun at it because what Yu Lingyun was saying was the right thing as well. If his brother was to fall for a married woman then their love story was doomed to fail. Zhai Tianyu was just pondering over the fact whether he should retrace his steps, half of his anger long forgotten when he was spotted by Yu Lingyun whose legs trembled and he stuttered, ¡± Y¡­Your majesty? You¡­you are here?¡± They were done for! Zhai Tianyu heard that his brother was after his official wife! Now, what was he going to do? Was it toote for him to kneel and apologize? ¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 269 - 269 Isn’t it Normal? 269 Isn¡¯t it Normal? Zhai Tianyu knew that he could no longer turn around and leave, so he awkwardly smiled at his brother who was standing right beside Yu Lingyun, who stood in the centre of the room with his study table behind them and a pile of scrolls lying on their right. He smiled to ease the awkwardness but he did not know that his smile only made Yu Lingyun even more flustered, he looked at Zhai Tianyu who was smiling at him and thought that thetter has heard what he was saying to Zhai Heng. He was an idiot! He should have gone to talk somewhere else but then someone else would have heard him! Other than the study of the Emperor where even the Dowager Empress would have to ask for permission before entering where else should he have gone? ¡± Your¡­your majesty, please don¡¯t get angry..all right, I know this is a matter of pride but you shouldn¡¯t get angry, I mean it. You should give him another chance, I promise that he will surely change his ways,¡± before Zhai Tianyu could say anything Yu Lingyun started to apologize as he raised his hand and then pushed it right behind Zhai Heng making him bow. ¡± Leave this bear child to me, I will teach him how to walk on the right path real soon!¡± Yu Lingyun apologised again and again while he forced Zhai Heng to apologize along with him. At first, Zhai Tianyu was bemused by his actions but then he could not help but ask, ¡± Why are you guys apologizing like this? It¡¯s all right if elder brother fell for a married woman, as long as he knows that it is wrong there is no need for him to apologize like this, all right?¡± Zhai Tianyu trusted his brother and believed in him more than anyone, he thought that there was no way Zhai Heng would fall for his wife which was why he did not even think that Zhai Heng might have done anything that would let him down. Yu Lingyun however did not think like that, in his mind, they were already caught by Zhai Tianyu but thetter was so great that he was not getting angry at them and was even willing to forgive them. He raised his head and looked at his friend who treated his buddies better than he did his woman and immediately smiled, ¡± You are great your majesty, your heart is grander than the sea I have seen in this imperial city !¡± ¡± Okay ?¡± Zhai Tianyu did not understand half of the things that Yu Lingyun was saying but he somehow managed to say one word while looking at the two of them like he could not understand whatedy act the two of them were pulling at this moment. Zhai Heng rolled his eyes as he pushed Yu Lingyun¡¯s hands off his head and then stated firmly, ¡± He seemed to have been mistaken, it was an emergency and I did what I was supposed to do ¡­there were no extra feelings attached to my actions other than helping someone who was in need but this man here seemed to have misunderstood my actions and thought that I fell in love with a married woman. Do not fall for his foolish talks, your majesty.¡± ..... As he spoke, Zhai Heng red at Yu Lingyun. Even if he did not have the intention like this as Yu Lingyun was speaking this man might as well make him think of doing something like this! Yu Lingyun touched his nose, he too realised that he might have said too much which was why he lowered his head a bit embarrassed as he turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who was standing in front of him and smiled at him, ¡± I apologize to your majesty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Zhai Tianyu waved his hand and then walked over to the chair where he sat and then took a seat before heaving a heavy sigh. Seeing him sighing like this Yu Lingyun and Zhai Heng exchanged a nce with each other and then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu again before Yu Lingyun asked, ¡± What¡¯s wrong with your majesty? Did something upset you?¡± ¡± Other than the Queen what can upset me?¡± Zhai Tianyu scoffed as he raised his hand, curled his fingers into a fist and then banged it on the hard surface of the table. ¡± I told her that our imperial city was under the threat of someone evil, and do you know what she said to me? She told me to leave her alone. Saying that she could not solve this case for me.¡± ¡± Like hell, she can¡¯t!¡± The anger that was slowly simmering down started to simmer back up again, as he curled his lips to a side and then scoffed. ¡± She is the same woman who can summon an army of dead at her will and stab someone to death with ease. She can do anything that she wants but she just doesn¡¯t want to help me keep our countrymen safe and she is supposed to be the Empress, the mother of this imperial city, the protector of all!¡± His brows twisted in an ugly frown as he heaved a heavy breath as he snorted. ¡°I am not your saviour, your majesty!¡± He mimicked Liu Hui Ying as he mocked her and then sniffed haughtily. ¡± She could be anything she want to but she chose to be a passive onlooker who only wants to watch and do nothing! As my wife, it¡¯s her duty to protect the city when I can¡¯t¡­ if I can¡¯t even trust her with this then who should I trust?¡± Zhai Tianyu was so agitated that he did not even sense that he was slowly getting used to having Liu Hui Ying as his wife even talking about how he was going to trust her. Seeing him agitated like this Zhai Heng did not know what to say but Yu Lingyun who was standing on the side scratched the back of his head and said, ¡± Isn¡¯t it normal for her to help us?¡± Chapter 270 - 270 You are pretty as always 270 You are pretty as always ¡± What?¡± Zhai Tianyu¡¯s head snapped up as he looked at his general, this man was supposed to be loyal to him? Wasn¡¯t he? Then why was he speaking up for Liu Hui Ying instead of him? What was up with this man? Don¡¯t tell him that Yu Lingyun ended up getting infatuated with Liu Hui Ying, he has been like this ever since he was a kid every time he saw a person who was stronger than him, he would start following them day and night, wanting to learn this technique and that. Even though Yu Lingyun couldn¡¯t learn what Liu Hui Ying knew but that wouldn¡¯t change him from tailing after Liu Hui Ying, when he thought about it like this Zhai Tianyu could not help but narrow his eyes a little as he looked at Yu Lingyun sharply. Zhai Heng too turned to look at Yu Lingyun with doubtful eyes, this was the same man who was telling him that falling for the Queen was not good wasn¡¯t he, then howe he suddenly started to speak up for Liu Hui Ying? Yu Lingyun too understood that he was being eyed by two devils and immediately fell speechless. Though he will admit that the Queen was really strong and her strength made him admire her a little but she was not his type! She was so petite and he was so tall, if the two of them stood together then surely, he will be made fun of! There was no way he was going to fall for a petite woman all right? ¡± I mean to say that it is quite obvious that she would not want to help us,¡± though Yu Lingyun wanted to roll his eyes, he somehow managed to keep a straight face as he looked at his two friends who were eyeing him like he was theirpetitor. ¡® Wake up! You two are the ones who are going against each other not me, stop looking at me like that!¡¯ Was what Yu Lingyun wanted to shout literally but for the sake of their years of friendship and all the ups and downs they have gone through, he kept his lips tightly shut and swallowed the words that were right at the brim of his tongue. Instead, he rolled his tongue around and chewed the inside of his mouth before breathing out and saying, ¡± The Queen was almost killed by us twice.¡± He raised his hands and showed Zhai Tianyu two fingers that made the victory sign. ¡°It¡¯s one thing that she was not killed but you know, and I know that the Queen knows that we were the ones behind her assassination attempts.¡± He paused and then rolled his eyes. ¡± I am telling you that it is already good enough that the queen is only refusing to help us. I was actually getting afraid that she will send something haunting to chase after me¡ª¡ª Uwaa!¡± ..... Yu Lingyun let out a scream as he took a few steps forward and rubbed his behind. Just now he was sure that something cold touched his bottom, he rubbed his hands on his two cheeks and then shivered as he turned to look over his shoulders and asked Zhai Tianyu, ¡± Wh¡­did the Queen really send something after you?¡± Zhai Tianyu helplessly looked at consort Liu¡¯s ghost who was standing in the spot looking slightly affronted, she has been a pain in his ass for a while and because of this, he asked her to count the number of figures that were drawn on the ceiling, hoping to keep her as busy as possible such that she would not stick to him. He promised that if she finished counting the figures he will sit down and listen to everything that she has to say, it was not like he was not listening to her already. He was listening to her so much that his ears were falling off but he somehow managed to get some peace for himself. Just now consort Liu was counting the figures and bumped into Yu Lingyun causing him to jump up. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he waved his hand and looked at Yu Lingyun who was totally freaked out as he looked left and right before turning to look at the same spot where he was standing. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± A water demon?¡± ¡± An ice demon?¡± ¡± Or something else? I haven¡¯t felt so cold like this before!¡± Yu Lingyun told Zhai Tianyu who raised his head, looked at his annoying friend and then spat out. ¡°It¡¯s nothing just Consort Liu¡¯s ghost.¡± Yu Lingyun: ¡°...¡± Yu Lingyun: ¡°¡­.¡± ??? Yu Lingyun: ¡°...¡± !!!! ¡Æ(; ¡ã0¡ã) A wretched scream rang out in the courtyard before Zhai Heng who was standing in the middle of the study was pulled out by Yu Lingyun. ¡± I need to ask her whether or not she saw someone,¡± Zhai Heng told Yu Lingyun but thetter was too upset and scared of the fact there was a ghost in the study which he was not made aware of, he looked at Zhai Heng who was still trying to stay behind and said with a hint of desperation in his voice, ¡± Do you want to stay here and question or do you want toe and stay with your distort childhood friend? Make your choice! Right now!¡± Zhai Heng wanted to say that he was going to stay but Yu Lingyun who was looking at him stared at him with a stubborn expression that said if Zhai Heng dared to say that he was going to stay behind he was going to get really upset and stop talking to him. Used to Yu Lingyun¡¯s tantrum, Zhai Heng had no other choice but to follow him out of the room, leaving Zhai Tianyu alone with Consort Liu who was very much offended and turned to look at Zhai Tianyu before she coquettishly said, ¡± Do I look that scary, your majesty?¡± Not wanting to hear a ghost wailing in his ears day in and day out, Zhai Tianyu simply shook his head and said, ¡± Not at all my dear consort, you are just as pretty as you were before.¡± Chapter 271 - 271 We need to keep reminding them 271 We need to keep reminding them In the imperial pce, it was not only the Queen and the Emperor who had a bad mood, there was someone else who was in a really gloomy mood. ¡± Your highness, I know that you are upset but you should eat something at least,¡± Xiaolin did not know what happened three days ago on the night of the Empress¡¯s ident, all she knew was that her mistress came back with tears streaming down her eyes. Her skin was blotchy and red, while she cried and cried for a very long time, even now her mistress would end up bursting out in tears every once in and now. What was even more troublesome was the fact that her mistress was not eating, she was not even going out on a walk and stayed in her courtyard all day long. When she asked Ji Yu what was wrong with her, thetter would smile ruefully and start talking in a confusing manner causing her to be stumped. She was not literate and Ji Yu¡¯s poetry only caused her to get more bewildered. ¡± I am not hungry, Xiaolin,¡± Ji Yu replied as she picked up her brush and looked down at the nk paper but even after having her arm raised and brush clutched in her fingers all set to draw, she wanted to draw something such that she will be able to ease her mind and heart but no matter how much she tried to forget that night where she realised that the Emperor was slowly changing and getting inclined towards the Empress, Ji Yu could not do it. Even now she could remember the sight of the Emperor running away from her without looking back even once. ¡± You haven¡¯t been hungry for more than three days,¡± Xiaolin brought the tray with foodid on top of it and then ced it in front of Ji Yu, she looked at thetter with a concerned look in her eyes and said, ¡± I know that you are upset your highness but there is no need for you to be so upset that you will turn a blind eye to your health.¡± ¡± Imperial physician Shao said that you need to eat as much food as you can to dispel the poison in your body, if you keep acting like this, you will only damage your body even further.¡± ¡± I wonder if anyone will even care if that happens,¡± Ji Yu muttered as she kept staring at the nk piece of paper, for once even the dark thought of starving herself until her health declined came into her head, she wanted to see whether or not Zhai Tianyu woulde rushing for him just like he did was Liu Hui Ying but then she pursed her lips and ignored that thought she knew that if she did something like that then she will be pushing Zhai Heng away from her again. ..... ¡± Your highness¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± The Grand Dowager Empress is entering!¡± Before Xiaolin could say anything more, the guard who stood outside the courtyard announced the arrival of the Grand Dowager Empress causing both Xiaolin and Ji Yu to turn silent as they both scrambled to their feet and then waited to greet the Grand Dowager Empress. ¡± Long live your majesty, the grand dowager Empress!¡± Both Ji Yu and Xiaolin bowed down as they greeted the Grand Dowager Empress. The elderly woman was dressed in a soft peach-coloured dress with jewellery that could be counted as nothing but dainty and simple. She had a gentle smile on her face as she walked over to where Ji Yu was and said, ¡± You can rise.¡± Both Ji Yu and Xiaolin stood up straight as they looked at the Grand Dowager Empress who was smiling benevolently at them. ¡± Your Majesty, why did youe here? If you wanted to see me then you could have called me, I would havee to see you,¡± Ji Yu looked at Grand Dowager Empress and politely smiled at him as she turned to look at Xiaolin who immediately understood her sign and then walked over to the small tea table where she cleaned up everything and started to prepare tea for the Grand Dowager Empress. ¡°It¡¯s all right, I have been staying in my courtyard for a very long time, I think its only right for me to take a walk in the imperial pce every once and now,¡± the Grand Dowager Empress replied with a wave of her hand as she kept smiling and teasingly added, ¡± And a little birdie told me that you did not like leaving your courtyard these past few days.¡± Ji Yu¡¯s expression stiffened as she turned to look at Xiao Mi who lowered her head and did not look at her but she knew that it was not Xiao Mi¡¯s fault, it must have been Xiaolin who went ahead and spoke without thinking. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, your majesty¡­ it is like this¡­¡± Ji Yu began speaking but then she was interrupted by the Grand Dowager Empress who smiled at her and said, ¡± Do you think that you can fool me? There is no need for you to worry about something like this.¡± She then turned to look at the maids who followed her into the room and the maids who were in the room with Ji Yu. ¡± Leave us.¡± The maids including Xiaolin did not have any other choice but to lower their heads and then leave the room without raising their heads. Once they were gone, the grand dowager empress turned to look at Ji Yu and said, ¡± I have long heard what is going on between you and his majesty, that boy, he seemed to have been infatuated by the Empress. What a pity. But then again men are all like that they will fall for the new and forget their old ones, which is why¡­.¡± She turned to look at Ji Yu and smiled with a hint of slyness as she added, ¡± You need to remember them who we are since they are such forgetful creatures. Don¡¯t you think Ji Yu?¡± Chapter 272 - 272 don’t be an endless pit 272 don¡¯t be an endless pit ¡± Your majesty, that¡¯s not ¡­.¡± Ji Yu wanted to tell her aunt that there was no need for her to worry about anything and that she will deal with this matter on her own but the Grand Dowager Empress did not give her the chance to do so, she raised her hand and stopped Ji Yu from talking before she walked over to the tea table and sat down on the wooden chair after a soft flick of her sleeves. The Grand Dowager¡¯s gaze fell on the cups that were ced on the table and then she tutted lightly before turning to look at Ji Yu as she asked, ¡± Are you still drinking that tea from that old shop? I told you that you are now the imperial concubine, you should be making use of the finest clothes and everything that your hands touch, why is it that you are still buying tea from that broken old shop?¡± ¡± I was just doing some charitable work and it was too much of a waste to throw it all away,¡± Ji Yu clenched her fingers behind her back as she lowered her head, when she was young she was helped by a street vendor who had a small shop in the town. Because she felt pity for the old shopkeeper who did not make much living with the homegrown tea leaves that he sold, she would send Xiaolin to buy them for her. She only did it because she wanted to help the old shopkeeper but when she brewed the tea leaves that were grown by him, she ended up liking it and started drinking it every now and then. Xiaolin must have taken the tea leaves out to cheer her up but because the grand Dowager Empress arrived all of a sudden she ended up brewing this tea for the old woman as well, mistakenly forgetting that the Grand Dowager Empress was someone who prided herself on being the wife of thete Grand Emperor and only used the finest things. Even though the things that she now used were not as shy and gaudy as they used to be when she married the Late Grand Emperor, they were still pretty expensive for example the dress she was wearing right now was made from cloud silk, the finest silk that was sold for more than a hundred gold taels for a single clothing piece. ¡± How many times do I have to tell you this?¡± The Grand Dowager Empress released a long annoyed sigh as she looked at Ji Yu, but instead of raising her voice, she did the exact opposite. She lowered her voice and continued speaking in a disappointed voice, ¡± I have been trying to understand you, Ji Yu. I really am but you cannot expect to act like some groundless, worthless street rat and then hope that you will be able to be the Empress, if you want to be the Empress then you need to step up first and be a deserving candidate for the throne of the Empress.¡± She turned her head to the teapot and flicked it down with her hand causing the porcin teapot to break into thousands of pieces and the tea to stter all over the floor. The Grand Dowager¡¯s actions caused Ji Yu to flinch as she curled her feet on which the hot tea drops has fallen just now but she did not make a sound. This was her aunt, what she was doing was right. She was only doing this because she cared about her and wanted to see her seed and nothing else. ..... ¡± Forgive me, your majesty, I will keep this in my mindter on,¡± Ji Yu bowed her head as she asked for forgiveness, she had done something wrong and made her aunt get angry. It was only right for her to lower her stance and apologize, having done that she wanted to crouch down and pick up the shards of the cup but was stopped by her aunt who hissed sharply. ¡± What are you doing? Is this your job?¡± The Grand Dowager Empress red at Ji Yu who dropped the shard that she has picked up and awkwardly stood back up in her position as she was earlier. The Grand Dowager Empress rolled her eyes and then rubbed her forehead as she muttered, ¡± It would have been so good if Tianyu befriended your cousin instead of you, she is so much smart and knows what she needs to do.¡± Ji Yu stiffened and lowered her head, she could feel her eyes burning but she did not let the tears that were almost on the verge of seeping out fall, instead, she bit her lip and pretended to hear what the Grand Dowager Empress was telling her. Seeing that Ji Yu was not saying anything the Grand dowager Empress to realised that she might have overstepped her boundaries which was why she cleared her throat and then said in a much more softened voice, ¡± I am not saying that you are wrong Yu¡¯er but you need to understand that you cannot win the throne if you continue to act like this, you have to get smarter with time, do you understand that?¡± ¡± Your father wanted to bring your cousin to the imperial pce given your situation he did not want our Ji family to not give birth to an heir to the throne, it was I who stopped him or else you would have to fight with your cousin along with the Empress, I was worried that you will have a tough time and which is why I took this risk even though when I knew that you cannot give birth to a child.¡± ¡± I have done so much for you, Ji Yu¡­the least you can do is listen to your aunt and follow what I tell you to do lest you make all my sacrifices fall into an endless pit? You don¡¯t want to be an endless pit do you, Ji Yu?¡± Grand Dowager Empress asked with a soft and endearing voice causing Ji Yu to shake her head as she replied, ¡± I don¡¯t aunt.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 273 - 273 Too naive 273 Too naive On the other side of the pce Liu Hui Ying who did not know that she was getting schemed against felt shivers dancing up and down her spine. With a nket wrapped around her small figure and Nanny Gong supporting her from the side, Liu Hui Ying looked left and right. What was this? Why was she shivering for no reason now? Who was scheming against her now? Her head was already burst open and yet someone was nning against her, these people they seriously have no heart at all. ¡± Your majesty, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you trembling like this?¡± Qui Ai was in charge of feeding the sick Liu Hui Ying and thus she was blowing on the hot noodles before feeding Liu Hui Ying but then she noticed thetter shiver causing her to stop and turn to look at Liu Hui Ying who was trembling for no reason. ¡± I don¡¯t know, I just felt a chill climb up my spine,¡± Liu Hui Ying couldn¡¯t tell Qui Ai that she was feeling the chill because someone was nning something against her which was why she could only answer vaguely. Her senses even thoughpletely defective sometimes would work rather grandly and when they did she knew that they were working in the right direction, right now her gut was telling her that someone was scheming against her and she who knew that her faulty gut feeling was right could only hopelessly curse the person who was scheming behind her back. She had to go back to her world even if she was to drag her broken body back she will have to go back! With that thought in her head, she opened her mouth open to take a bite of the noodles that were in front of her but as soon as she opened her mouth and chomped down hard on the noddles, the chopsticks with noodles vanished causing Liu Hui Ying¡¯s teeth to grasp nothing but air. Pain shot through her mouth as she covered her lips and looked at Qui Ai in shock, what was going on with all of them? She was already hurt like this and they were doing things like this? The emperor almost got her blood pressure to reach its peak and now this maid of hers was actually doing things like this to break her teeth. Stab her why don¡¯t you? End this once and for all! ..... ¡± Qui Ai, what are you doing?¡± Liu Hui Ying gritted out while checking her teeth to make sure that she could feel them and that none of them was chipped or broken. Qui Ai was slightly embarrassed, she did not expect the Queen to open her mouth and take a bite, the second she took the food away the Queen will take a bite. With a blush coating her cheeks, Qui Ai lowered her head and apologised, ¡± Forgive me, your majesty, I was worried that you will take a bite of this and thus took it away.¡± Liu Hui Ying who was leaning against Nanny Gong to soothe her hurt soul immediately sat up straight upright as she looked at Qui Ai first before her gaze fell to the bowl and she raised her fingers to point at it and said, ¡± Is this poisoned?¡± Goodness, death traps left and right! If she does not die out of high blood pressure because of that Emperor, she will be killed by something else! ¡± Of course not, your majesty,¡± Qui Ai shook her head and then looked at Liu Hui Ying before she apologetically spoke, ¡± You are sick, which is why you need to eat something nd and light. Like porridge, these noddles are spiced up, I will bring something light for you.¡± Liu Hui Ying did not want to eat nd food, she was not sick and she was not going to let Qui Ai take her spicy chilli noodles either. ¡± I am not sick, you give me that bowl. I will eat it and sweat it all out, I will be fine!¡± ¡± No can do that, your majesty¡± Qui Ai whom Liu Hui Ying thought was a simple and naive girl who listened to everything that she said, moved the bowl faster than a baby would snatch something from their parent¡¯s te. With an unusually stern gaze, Qui Ai looked at Liu Hui Ying and said, ¡± You need to eat something light your majesty when you are sick, if you eat something like this then you will certainly get a stomachache.¡± After she was done saying this she picked up the bowl and then walked out of the room, leaving a very distorted Liu Hui Ying behind who looked at the bowl as if her lover was being ripped away from it and then rolled her eyes furiously for a few times. That¡¯s it! That does it! She could take being attacked at the back of her head, and she could take the Emperor raising her blood pressure but this was where she was going to put her foot down! No one, she repeated No one was allowed to take her food away. ¡­. Liu Hui Ying who swore in her head for the sake of spicy food and delights, crawled out of her bed and then turned her cab upside down to look for the talisman papers, she was not going to make a talisman but Nanny Gong and Qui Ai both were guarding the front door and the backyard door as well, she needed to sneak out of the courtyard under their noses which was why she has to make an invisibility talisman. ¡± You think that you can lock me up just because you are standing in front of the doors?¡± Liu Hui Ying sniffed and moaned as she picked up a small knife and then made a small cut on her thumb. ¡± You two are too naive, hehe¡­if I want to get out of this ce then no one can stop me! Tonight I am solving that case and getting the fck out of this hell hole!¡± Chapter 274 - 274 Difference between novice and expert 274 Difference between novice and expert ¡± The maid killed herself?¡± Yu Lingyun asked with a frown as he looked at Zhai Heng who solemnly nodded, they have been looking for the killer who assassinated Consort Liu and Consort Su, after much looking around they finally caught a clue and were so looking forward to dealing with this case once and for all but then the clue was killed as well! Zhai Heng had asked one of his shadow guards to keep an eye on the maids of the kitchen, in fact, he did not think that he will find any clues after so long but surprisingly his shadow guard brought him the information that one of the maids from the kitchen was actually acting suspicious, she was responsible for filling up the barrels but these days she was refusing to do so and she even stopped washing the barrels. The information was enough to point out that maid was in cahoots with the killer but they still did not attack her at once instead they waited to collect as much information as they could and it was only after they found out that the maid was carrying a talisman everywhere she went and was spooked out at the smallest thing did theye to the conclusion that she was indeed involved with the killer. Tonight they were supposed to be interrogating the maid but before they could even catch her, one of the guards told them that the maid died by jumping in the pond and killed herself. ¡± What¡¯s going on, why are they all dying in the pond one after another ?¡± Yu Lingyun could not understand why the killer was killing everyone by throwing them into the water, just like consort Su and consort Liu, they knew that the maid did notmit suicide instead she was killed by the killer. Just like Consort Su and Consort Liu, they found traces of her being killed. There were finger imprints at the back of the neck of the maid and her eyes were open, why would a maid who wanted to kill herself keep her eyes open? If she was jumping down the pond to kill herself then she would have closed her eyes. But when they found the body of the maid, her eyes were open and she was staring at the horizon with terror etched on every single line of her face. ¡± I don¡¯t understand either,¡± Zhai Heng didn¡¯t want to ask Liu Hui Ying¡¯s help, she got injured so badly when she was looking for the clues regarding this case, and he did not want her to get attacked again which was why he wanted to find all the clues by himself. But the thing was that he was not an investigator, he was a leader who was supposed to be leading the special army of the Emperor. The crime investigation department was under the Ji family, if they were to ask for their help, the Ji family will take the opportunity to frame the Empress and they did not want that which was why even though they were having a hard time flying around like a pair of headless flies they could only do what they were capable of. ¡± Maybe the guy has some water fetish,¡± a voice joined them out of nowhere and Zhai Heng along with Yu Lingyun who did not expect this to happen at all jumped up. They looked left and right but did not see anyone, Yu Lingyun who got terrified even at the mention of the word ¡®ghost¡¯ let out a whimper and turned to look at Zhai Heng. ..... ¡± My¡­My dear friend, you also heard that right? Please tell me that you heard it as well,¡± he said to Zhai Heng, he did not want to be the only one who was being haunted by a ghost. At the same time he could not help but curse Zhai Tianyu for being too much of a bully, he was the one who went ahead and fought with the queen and yet as his friend he ended up getting burned by the me that his good brother ignited. Zhai Heng on the other did not seem as scared instead he raised his hand and then unsheathed his sword before whipping it out and then pointing in the direction from where the voice came and said, ¡± Who is there? Come out now before I shred you to pieces.¡± ¡± You are really impatient aren¡¯t you? Are you the type of guy who rips than taking something off?¡± Liu Hui Ying was on the way to the courtyard of the consort Su when she saw these two men talking, which was why she stopped and listened to their conversation, it was just that she ended up getting a bit too engrossed with their conversation and theories that shepletely forgot to take the invisibility talisman off her body and spoke up. Zhai Heng was stunned when he heard the voiceing from behind, he whipped around with a twist of his feet and then aimed the tip of his sword at Liu Hui Ying¡¯s neck. ¡± Woah what are you doing?¡± Liu Hui Ying leaned back as she pushed the sword away with the tip of her fingers. ¡± I am here to help you, this is not the way you should be treating me.¡± ¡°Your..your majesty, what are you doing here? No, that¡¯s not important how did youe out without being caught?¡± He heard from Zhai Tianyu that Liu Hui Ying¡¯s father was very upset with him and sent a bunch of guards of his own family to guard his daughter upon finding out that the Emperor did not take proper care of his daughter which was why he thought that there was no way Liu Hui Ying would be able to sneak out of the pce. Turns out that he was the one who was foolish enough to believe something like this. ¡± Oh that was pretty simple,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied as she lifted the talisman in her hand and said, ¡± You see this right?¡± The two men nodded, seeing them nod Liu Hui Ying stuck and then unstuck the talisman on her body. ¡± I can get invisible with this so..what¡¯s wrong with you general Yu?¡± She noticed the burning gaze locked on her face and could not help but ask. Yu Lingyun looked at the invisibility talisman with a dreamy look in his eyes and said, ¡± Do you need a dog, your majesty?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Please check out my other works ¡ª- 1) hot bloodsuckers¡¯ obsession if you want to see harem romance. 2) Vengeance of the moon if you want a strong fl who destroys her bullies. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 275 - 275 Not a damsel in distress 275 Not a damsel in distress ¡± What nonsense are you saying?¡± Zhai Heng was really embarrassed he turned to re at Yu Lingyun who was standing next to him and wanted to smack him on the back of his head. This man did he really say something like that? However, even though Zhai Heng was embarrassed on ount of Yu Lingyun¡¯s words, he did not hit Yu Lingyun given that the man was his friend and hitting him would be too humiliating and rude on his part but he still raised his feet and then stomped on Yu Lingyun¡¯s feet to snap him out of the daze he was in! No, sooner did he stomp on the foot of thetter, Yu Lingyun snapped out of his daze he turned his head to look at Zhai Heng before he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was looking at him with part disbelief and part confusion . mes of embarrassment started to burn Yu Lingyun¡¯s face as he lowered his head and said, ¡± No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Just now he was very attracted by the invisibility talisman, if he had it with him then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being killed in the war and would be the strongest undefeated warrior. At least with this talisman, he did not have to sacrifice a bunch of soldiers to break through the enemy army line to kill their general! Liu Hui Ying too decided to ignore Yu Lingyun¡¯s abrupt explosion, she did not wish to answer the question that he has just spoken and then turned to look at Zhai Heng and said, ¡± I heard that another maid has been killed, is her corpse kept in the ice house?¡± The crime investigation department had a small morgue that was built next to the prison. The bodies of the criminals who killed themselves while they were being investigated were kept in the morgue that had beds of ice blocks inside it. ¡± Yes, she was killed just a few hours ago which was why her body is not taken away by her family.¡± The maid was not purchased by the imperial pce, she was the one who came to ask for work in the imperial pce on her own this was one of the many reasons Zhai Heng suspected her, he heard from the head maid that the woman was trying to leave her job from the past few days, but she refused because the kitchen was already having a tough time because of theck of staff. Since the maid could run away at any moment, she became one of the prime suspects in his eyes. Liu Hui Ying nodded and then carefully pondered over before she took out her scalpel and said, ¡± Can you bring me to the body of that maid? I want to examine her corpse.¡± Her eyes flickered as she calcted in her head and added, ¡± I think the case will be over tonight.¡± ..... Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun were pleasantly surprised, sure enough, this was the difference between the novices and the expert, they were having a headache thinking about what they were going to do now but Liu Hui Ying, this expert said that she was going to solve the case tonight. ¡± Sure, sure,¡± Yu Lingyun immediately agreed, he was having a headache because of this case. Consort Liu was an adopted daughter and thus the amount of drama that her death brought could still be managed by him but his soldiers were having a hard time stopping the Su family members who were protesting outside the pce. Everyday minister Su would take a jab at Zhai Tianyu before turning to the Ji family who will further argue that they were not in charge of investigating the case before emphasizing that thete Consort Su was the one who was at the fault for being involved with messy people and this will incite the wrath of the left prime minister who will further escte the matter to the point where the court will be a fighting ring, he waspletely tired acting as the referee of the wrestling matches being held in the court and his long hair was suffering so much by being pulled and tugged that he was going to go bald very soon. Liu Hui Ying did not know the sufferings of Yu Lingyun, she only thought that thetter was in a hurry to solve the case. She followed him to the morgue with Zhai Heng who walked next to him, he seemed to be struggling with something. Liu Hui Ying did not have any ill feelings towards this man, even though he was the brother of that blood-pressure-rising Emperor, he has been kind to her at least she did not see him doing anything that will raise her blood pressure and thus she turned to him and asked, ¡± What are you hesitating for just spit it out?¡± She thought that she was being kind but Zhai Heng almost choked on air when he heard her speak to him in such an impatient voice. He cleared his throat while thinking that he might have done something to annoy Liu Hui Ying and said, ¡± I am sorry.¡± ¡± What?¡± Liu Hui Ying did not hear him since he spoke so lightly and turned to look at him with a frown. ¡± What did you say?¡± ¡± I said I am sorry,¡± Zhai Heng repeated, he took a deep breath and turned to look at Liu Hui Ying with an apologetic look on his face as he continued speaking, ¡± I am sorry for what happened to you, I should have stayed next to you and saved you when it was necessary because of my carelessness you got hurt like this.¡± Liu Hui Ying stared at the man with herrge eyes blinking and then scoffed, ¡± Why are you apologizing? I am the one who did not pay attention and it was my fault. You do not need to make it sound like you made a mistake while doing your duty.¡± ¡± But it is my duty¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± No, it¡¯s not anyone else duty to protect me.¡± Liu Hui Ying interrupted Zhai Heng as she raised a brow and firmly spoke. ¡± I am responsible for myself, don¡¯t treat me like some damsel in distress who needs a man to save her. If I die then it¡¯s because I was not good enough to fight back and not because someone else did not do a good job while protecting me.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 276 - 276 Lets head to the crime investigation department 276 Lets head to the crime investigation department Zhai Heng did not say anything and stayed silent on the other hand Liu Hui Ying looked at him with a small smile and finally ended her long speech, ¡± And you do not have to me yourself for what happens to others, as long as you know in your heart that you tried your best. If you save them then it¡¯s okay but if you can¡¯t then it is okay too, feeling guilty for a few days is fine but make sure that you do not spend your life away in guilt just because you were not paying attention or were not fast enough, all right?¡± She turned around to leave after she was done speaking and Zhai Heng who was left behind waspletely silent, no one has spoken such words to him, not even his grandmother whom he respected and loved so much. Even she sometimes would ask him to work hard saying that he shouldn¡¯t let a repetition of that day happen ever again and pushing him to work harder than ever. Had she ever told him that he was not at fault for what happened that day? As Zhai Heng tried to recall he was surprised to realize that his grandmother has never said these words to him in the past, even though she has never said it outright, he knew that his grandmother med him for that incident and so did Zhai Heng. But now Liu Hui Ying was telling him that it was all right for him to not feel guilty? Can he really do that? Can he really let go of the past? He raised his head and looked at the moon that was shining brightly in the sky and for the first time in many years, he felt like the wind that was blowing past him was no longer as cold as bleak as it used to be. ¡­ The three of them arrived at the morgue that was next to the prison because the people of this era did not have any proper tools to keep the dead body intact for a long time thus the morgue waspletely empty except for three dead bodies lying on the pieces of ice blocks. Yu Lingyun who would start acting jumpy every time he saw a ghost was unusually calm in the presence of the dead bodies, in his defence as long as the dead body did not have a lingering soul attached to it and that lingering soul was nowhere near him, he was not scared of them. Zhai Heng was not even scared of ghosts, so taking a look at dead bodies was an easy feat for him as well, what was more the Queen was here and she was even examining the dead body of the maid with her hands, she did not even feel icky so how can he feel icky? ..... Liu Hui Ying at this moment was bending down slightly as she examined the back of the neck of the maid when she found Liu Fei Fei¡¯s body and saw that the woman¡¯s head was pushed in the water a lot of times before she waspletely killed, she thought that the killer had a fierce hatred towards Liu Fei Fei. But then she examined consort Su¡¯s body and was surprised to see that even consort Su¡¯s neck seemed to have been squeezed and pushed in the water several times. However, nanny Gong told her that consort Su and consort Liu were good friends that could count as them having the same enemy but now that she was examining the body of the maid, she was more one less assured that the murderer did have a personal grudge with the two women but he did not push their necks inside the water because of the grudge he was holding, it was more like he was getting rid of something. And that something was what Liu Hui Ying had missed while examining the body of the dead Liu Fei Fei. Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes narrowed as she used the magnifying ss in her hands to look at the back of the neck of the maid, it was after looking for a very long time that was she able to find what she was looking for, a victorious glint shed in her eyes as she turned to look at Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun who were standing beside her and she asked, ¡± You said that this maid just died a few hours ago, did you find any note or something next to her?¡± Given the habit of leaving a note beside the dead body of the murderer, Liu Hui Ying could not help but ask. If that man left notes beside the dead bodies of Liu Fei Fei and consort Su, surely he will leave one next to this maid as well. ¡± There was indeed one,¡± Yu Lingyun was surprised when he heard the Queen ask whether the maid had a letter with her at the time of her death or not, he did not understand how the Queen knew so certainly that there was a note left in the quarters where the maid used to leave. He rummaged in his pockets before he pulled the letter out of his back pocket and handed it to Liu Hui Ying who took it, he thought that thetter would examine it properly but instead, he saw her take the letter and take a long ¡ª¡ªwhiff of the ink. Yu Lingyun: ???? I do admit that the scent of ink is the best but was this the time to smell the scent of the ink? Liu Hui Ying took a whiff of the gentle scent of the ink and her eyes shed before she turned to look at Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the crime investigation department, there is something that I want to say to them.¡± As she spoke she strode out of the morgue leaving a very speechless Yu Lingyun and a very confused Zhai Heng behind. Chapter 277 - 277 Impossible! 277 Impossible! ¡± Why is the queen here at the crime investigating department? Don¡¯t tell me is she giving up?¡± Yu Lingyun could not understand the reason for the Queen¡¯s visit to the crime investigation department no matter how much he tried to think about it over and over again. In the end, when he realized that he could not understand the reason, he finally turned to look at Zhai Heng who was standing beside him for an answer, the Queen was bringing the two of them here, did it not mean that she was raising the white g? Zhai Heng did not understand the reason either, but he knew that Liu Hui Ying was not someone who would raise the white g without burning down her opponent¡¯s base. He turned to look at Yu Lingyun who was already staring at him and after some thought said calmly, ¡°You should wait and see what the Queen is trying to do first, I don¡¯t think she will ept defeat so easily.¡± Yu Lingyun thought about it and nodded, even he has to admit that what Zhai Heng said made sense there was no way the Queen will be the first one to raise the white g, she was the type of woman who will burn someone¡¯s white g if they were to raise one before she was done throwing her tantrum. But if she was not here to admit defeat then why was she here? Yu Lingyun was very confused but instead of staying behind and thinking about it, he decided that it was better to follow the Queen and see what she was doing there which was exactly why he and Zhai Heng followed her inside the crime investigation department. Seeing the three of theming inside Ji Mo was in charge of the crime investigation department was pleasantly surprised, he stood up from his chair and looked at Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun with a polite smile. ¡± General Yu, Vicemander Zhai, what are you doing here? If you needed the crime investigation department to do something for you then you should have called for me, why did youe here and troubled yourself?¡± As he spoke hepletely ignored Liu Hui Ying who was shoved to the side by him, if not for Zhai Heng who reached out and grabbed her by the back of her long robe that she was wearing she might have stumbled to the floor. Liu Hui Ying who was pulled by Zhai Heng with the help of her long robe red at the man who was acting all high and mighty and even ignoring her, just you wait! She roared in her head as she red at the man with narrowed pair of eyes, she was going to make this man cry in just a few minutes! ¡± We are here because brother¡­¡± Zhai Heng paused and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying, he haspletely forgotten the name that the Emperor has given the Queen alternative appearance but as he looked at the Queen, she looked a bit fresh and younger than thest time, so he turned around and said to Ji Mo, ¡± Brother Chi who was investigating the case regarding the consort Liu¡¯s death wanted toe here and nothing more. It was a sudden decision and we couldn¡¯t send someone earlier to tell you about arrival in advance.¡± Ji Mo listened to what Zhai Heng said and immediately started to feel proud, he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and arrogantly raised his brows and said, ¡± So you are finally admitting that you cannot solve this case?¡± ..... Ji Mo was the son of right prime minister Ji Yang and was thus very arrogant when the Emperor took the case of Consort Liu from his hands and handed it to aplete novice, he was very much angered. He wanted to see how this young man who did not even have any facial hair on his face would be able to solve this difficult case, he did not think that this Young master Chi would be able to find out the link that connected the case. Thus, he was besotted enough to think that Liu Hui Ying who was dressed as a man was here to hand the case back to him. See? He knew he was the only one capable of solving the case! Even if it was simply framing the Queen, he was the correct person to finish this job! ¡± I am not here to hand over the case,¡±. Ji Mo who was still flying in the seventh heaven was stunned when he heard Liu Hui Ying refuse, he turned to look at thetter and asked unkindly, ¡± If you are not here to hand over the case then what are you doing here?¡± Liu Hui Ying turned to nce at him like she was looking at an idiot and calmly said, ¡± I m here because the culprit behind the killings is here, isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± As she said that she rubbed the beads that she was wearing on her wrist, and a blue wisp floated out of the beads and then flew out of the window. ¡± Impossible!¡± Ji Mo looked at the man in front of him in surprise, it was impossible how was it possible for anyone like him to evene to this conclusion and that too this soon? He looked at Liu Hui Ying who smiled and said, ¡± I haven¡¯t even said anything why are you in such a hurry to refuse? Don¡¯t tell me that you are trying to help the culprit run away?¡± Ji Mo¡¯s eye pupils shivered as he looked at Liu Hui Ying who was acting like she was the boss and clenched his fingers, just now he was too agitated and ended up showing his real emotions on his face. He hurriedly calmed his breathing down and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying with a heavy heart and an unfriendly smile, ¡± I don¡¯t know what are you talking about¡­ this is the criminal investigation department are you saying that we are hiding a criminal?¡± Liu Hui Ying¡¯s smile turned a bit wider and she said, ¡± We will find out after the interrogation right?¡± Chapter 278 - 278 What are you going to do if I don’t move? 278 What are you going to do if I don¡¯t move? Ji Mo turned to look at Zhai Heng and said with a flickering smile, ¡± Vicemander Zhai, you do not believe the nonsense this man is saying right? There is no way that the crime investigation department will hide a criminal, you need to trust us with that¡­ I mean everyone knows what the Ji family has done for his majesty in the past few years. You cannot believe this man and forget everything that happened in the past, we have been loyal to his majesty through and through for years!¡± Since he could not dissuade Liu Hui Ying then he needed to dissuade Zhai Heng, he knew that as long as Zhai Heng agreed with him even if this man was one of his majesty¡¯s close friends, he will have to bow down and give up his intention of searching and interrogating the people in the crime investigation department. Even though Ji Mo was certain that no one will say anything but this man was an oddball, he did not know the interrogation manner of this man. Who knows what this man will do? Anything that he had no idea about, he has to be very careful with it. Zhai Heng was once again put in a spot by Ji Mo because the words he used made it sound like Zhai Heng was actually suspecting the Ji family when he has never done that, he only came here because the Queen brought him. And not once did he suspect the entire Ji family because of one person even if the culprit turned out to be someone from the Ji family, it was not like he was going to start doubting the entire family but now because of Ji Mo¡¯s words, Zhai Heng could neither go forward or backwards. ¡± Why are you troubling vicemander Zhai?¡± Just when Zhai Heng was thinking about whether he should go against Ji Mo and tell him that he should not interrupt him while he was working since he was not abiding by the rules. He heard the Queen speak up for him, surprised he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who at some point stood in front of him and was now looking Ji Mo in the eyes. ¡± I am the one in charge of investigating this case and his majesty has given me the right to do so as I please, if you have something to say then you need to tell me instead of pushing that guy in the corner,¡± Liu Hui Ying stated as she looked at Ji Mo with a soft smile that did not reach her eyes ying on her lips. ¡± It does not matter what he says, as long as I say that we are going to interrogate the people of the crime investigation department, they are going to listen to me, end of the story!¡± Ji Mo was so furious and speechless that he could not help but tremble. He has never seen a man this shameless and headstrong before in his life, not only was he refusing to listen to a thing that he has to say but he was even turning a blind eye to everything that he said! ¡± We are the rtives of his majesty, not once did we ever betray him! This crime investigation department is under the Ji family and your actions of questioning the people of the crime investigation department is simr to questioning our family¡¯s loyalty towards his majesty!¡± Ji Mo spoke everything in one breath, and because he did all but scream, a nerve throbbed in his throat as he got a bit too close to Liu Hui Ying in the face, causing Liu Hui Ying to raise her hand and push him back with the tip of her nail. ..... ¡°There is no need for you to get this serious, Lord Ji,¡± Liu Hui Ying wiped her finger on her clothes, ignoring the way her hands started to tremble when the man got a bit too close and screamed at her. His stance reminded her too much of her father who would do the same to her mother every now and then. She looked down at her fingers which were vibrating because of some slight tremors and then clenched them tightly to make it less obvious before turning to look at the man called Ji Mo again. She calmly blinked her eyes and remarked, ¡± I am not here to question anyone¡¯s loyalty at all, all I am doing is my job and you, dear lord are interrupting my work.¡± ¡± My family¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± Aiye, sheesh!¡± Liu Hui Ying snapped, her eyes finally filling with annoyance as she turned her head to the left and breathed out before turning to look at the man again in the eyes as she said rapidly, ¡± Just how many times are you going to announce your family has been loyal to the imperial family huh? So what if you were loyal to the imperial family in the past? It¡¯s not the past anymore it is present and no one knows just how much you are loyal to his majesty now, so quit yapping in front of me like some sort of street rapper repeating the same line over and over again and GET LOST!¡± As she screamed out loud her voice echoed in the entire room causing everyone to turn and look at Liu Hui Ying ¡± Street ¡­rapper?¡± Ji Mo who didn¡¯t understand the meaning of the words that Liu Hui Ying said to him was stumped. However, even if he did not understand what Liu Hui Ying said to him from the tone of her voice, he understood that she said something rude to him, which was why his face paled and he pointed to himself, ¡± Are you saying that I should get lost?¡± ¡± Yes,¡± Liu Hui Ying ced her hands on her hips and nodded with eyes wide and brows up. ¡± I told you to get lost!¡± Ji Mo stared at her while breathing hard he looked at Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun hoping the two of them would say something but when they did not, he turned to Liu Hui Ying and crossed his arms in front as he said, ¡± I am not going to move, what are you going to do about it huh?¡± ¡°This!¡± Liu Hui Ying stretched out her hand that had a handkerchief rolled around it and then clutched Ji Mo¡¯s wrist before twisting it and pushing his head and back onto the table where he sat usually before hopping and sitting on his waist. ¡± I am sitting here unless you order your people toe here and answer my questions.¡± Chapter 279 - 279 The culprit 279 The culprit Ji Mo had never in his entire life expected that one day he will be treated like this by someone. He was not only called names that he did not understand, he was even pushed onto the table and then even sat upon, Ji Mo thought that he was going to pass out from the anger that he was suppressing within himself but the thing was that no matter how much he tried to push the kid who was sitting on his off his body, he felt that he could not even shake him off! ¡± You..you what have you done to me?¡± Ji Mo thought that Liu Hui Ying had done something to him, after all, how was it possible for him? A grown man was not able to push a young kid around Liu Hui Ying¡¯s age? ¡± What do you think I have done, Lord Ji?¡± Liu Hui Ying pretended to be innocent as she tilted her head and looked at the back. ¡± I am just sitting on you, don¡¯t tell me that you cannot even push me, who is just like a little kid off your body. I am so thin.¡± There was no way Liu Hui Ying would not teach this man a lesson, not only did he push her aside, he even interrupted her work again and again. It was only right for him to suffer a little as for why he could not push her off him ¡­the reason was simple. The recovered Li Gang was sitting right next to Liu Hui Ying with his back to his, he looked down and smushed Ji Mo and yawned before raising his hand and smacking at the back of the man¡¯s head. ¡± What an idiot, why did you have to piss her off? Huh? Because of you, I who was still recovering have to be summoned and driven to work like a taxed ox. Could you not allow her to do what she wanted huh?¡± The more he spoke the more he smacked Ji Mo in the back of his head again and again. Ji Mo felt like something was hitting him in the back of his head but every time he looked back, he was surprised to see that Liu Hui Ying was facing the front. What was going on, what was this man? Ji Mo could note up with a usible exnation for what was happening to him but he could not even get the man who was sitting on him to get off either which made him both furious and helpless. ¡± Get off!¡± He told Liu Hui Ying, who only made her sitting position even morefortable on his back which was covered with clothes and said, ¡± I told you that unless you call your people for interrogation we are keeping this position.¡± ..... Ji Mo rolled his eyes to the skies many times before he finally gritted his teeth and spat, ¡± FINE! Interrogate them as much as you want just get the fck off me!¡± His back was going to crack at this rate. ¡­. The crime investigation department has always been in charge of investigating cases they have never once seen a case where they were the ones who were getting investigated but as long as one person was alive they will be able to see everything. The once mighty crime investigation department was suddenly called for interrogation and even Ji Mo who has been arrogant all his life because of his father and the position he was in, had to quench his anger and answer every question that Liu Hui Ying asked. He wished he could choke the life of the man who was acting all high and mighty in front of him but he could only hope that this little devil will be done ying around and leave as soon as possible before he could even breathe a sigh of relief as thest official of the investigation department was called to interrogation, he heard Liu Hui Ying say, ¡± Where is the official in charge of writing the cases? Is he noting should I go to his house?¡± Ji Mo felt his heart skip a beat as he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and asked, ¡± What do you mean by that?¡± Liu Hui Ying smiled and then said, ¡± I am here to interrogate everyone in the crime investigation department, which is why I need to question everyone including this man who is missing. If he does note to give his testimony then I will have no choice but to send someone to catch him, do you want me to do that?¡± A warning rm rang in Ji Mo¡¯s head, as he looked at Liu Hui Ying, he had a feeling that she was calling for Ji Meng because she knew something but just as he was thinking of sending someone to warn Ji Meng, he saw a guard bringing Ji Meng inside the crime investigation department. ¡± I did as you told me, Master Chi,¡± the guard who was standing outside the crime investigation department was asked to bring everyone who was leaving the building by Liu Hui Ying when she was entering the building. And because she was with Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun, who was his bosses, the guard did not dare to ignore her order and brought Ji Meng with him when he saw thetter leave. ¡± Ah, Thank you guard He,¡± Liu Hui Ying bowed to the guard who bowed back and turned to leave to go back to his spot where he usually stands, he conveniently ignored the re that Ji Mo sent his way as General Yu has assured him that he will be able to change his position with another guard of a different building after the investigation was done thus, he was not scared. Liu Hui Ying turned to the man who was standing in front of him with a gentle expression and tipped her chin to the chair in front of her and said, ¡± Please do sit down, there are some general questions that I need to ask you.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Please check out my other works ¡ª- 1) hot bloodsuckers¡¯ obsession if you want to see harem romance. 2) Vengeance of the moon if you want a strong fl who destroys her bullies. Chapter 280 - 280 Strip him 280 Strip him ¡± So, you are Lord Ji Meng, the one who is in charge of dealing with the aftermath of all the cases along with noting everything down right?¡± Liu Hui Ying raised her head and looked at the very gentle and schrly-looking man who was sitting in front of her. She looked at his hands that he kept folded in hisp and her eyes flickered slightly before she smiled softly and said, ¡± I really wanted to meet you the first time when you sent me the report of the investigation of princess Chenguang. Thank you very much for such a detailed report, it was really helpful in keeping track of the case that I solved.¡± Ji Meng was slightly nervous when he was called by Liu Hui Ying but when he saw that thetter was only praising him, he sighed in relief and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right, this is my job. There is no need for Sir Chi to thank me for doing my job properly.¡± Liu Hui Ying continued to smile, in fact, she smiled so wide that her eyes were almost pinched as she looked at the man and remarked, ¡± No, I insist. If you did not send me that report, I wouldn¡¯t be able to solve this case... it¡¯s all thanks to you that I am finally holding thest key to bring this case to an end.¡± Almost immediately, Ji Meng felt his heartbeat skitter as he raised his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying who was sitting in front of him. Droplets of sweat started to cover his forehead as he looked at thetter and asked with a forced smile, ¡± W¡­What do you mean, Sir Chi? I don¡¯t think I understand what you are trying to say¡­ how can I help in something so serious?¡± ¡± Of course, you can,¡± Liu Hui Ying took the letter that was found in the room of the maid where she lived and then unfurled it in front of Ji Meng, she watched his eyes that were locked on the paper with confusion brimming in them as she spoke, ¡± When I examined the body of consort Liu, I found out that the killer pushed her neck in the pond many times which stuck sort of weird to me but at the same time the reason could always be simple like the killer having a very deep grudge with the consort.¡± She leaned forward in her chair, her lips were still curled in a smile but she did not have any humour in her eyes. ¡± But the same thing happened with consort Su, of course, given that she was in cahoots with consort Liu, we can say that the killer wanted to kill her in the same manner but¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± Why will a maid, who had no existence in this pce and could be ignored by just anyone at any time be killed in the same manner? Don¡¯t you think its too weird, like what kind of grudge can a killer have with a maid who had no links with the two consorts or maybe he never had a grudge, to begin with,¡± she stretched out her hand that was covered with a handkerchief and caught Ji Meng¡¯s hands that were stained with ink? ¡± The killer might have been trying to clean something that ended up getting stuck to the necks of his victims.¡± Liu Hui Ying raised her head and smiled at Ji Meng as she said, ¡± You have made me run around a lot, mister Ji.¡± Ji Meng stood up from his seat and he looked at Liu Hui Ying, his eyes were shaking and so were his fingers but he still managed to re at thetter and shout, ¡± What nonsense are you saying? Do you ¡­do I look like a murderer to you? Even if I am a concubine son of the Ji family, I think I deserve more respect than this!¡± ..... ¡± You think you deserve respect after killing three women straight, oooh, why did I not think of that?¡± Liu Hui Ying cooed as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms in front of her as she ced her head on the back of the chair. ¡± I am sorry let¡¯s do this again shall we?¡± She cleared her throat and then opened her mouth as she said, ¡± So, respected Lord Ji, with all due respect that I can summon for you in my heart ¡­ believe me when I say I have none ¡­ would you mind telling me why did you kill those three women hmm?¡± ¡± I am done,¡± Ji Meng snapped as he took a few steps back and pointed at Liu Hui Ying and Zhai Heng along with Yu Lingyun as he repeated, ¡± I am done, I don¡¯t know what you three are doing but this is not funny ¡­how can you even doubt me? I am the concubine-born son of the Ji family, why will I need to kill someone, what¡¯s more ¡­you don¡¯t even have any evidence.¡± ¡± That¡¯s right,¡± seeing that the matter was escting Ji Mo immediately stepped in, he was worried that he will be a step toote and that this man will get their family in trouble. ¡± I mean even if you are doing this to prove yourself and degrade the Ji family¡¯s prestige, you shouldn¡¯t do something like this¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡± Strip him.¡± Ji Mo was still speaking when Liu Hui Ying suddenly spoke causing everyone including Zhai Heng and Ji Mo to be stunned they all turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who has asked them to strip Ji Meng and were shocked and speechless. ¡± What did you say, lord Chi?¡± Please let it be him who misheard her, please let it be him who misheard her, Zhai Heng prayed in his head as he looked at Liu Hui Ying silently as he asked her to repeat herself. But maybe the Gods were really angry with him these days because he heard her turn to look at him and with all the seriousness she could muster on her face and say, ¡± Strip him down.¡± Chapter 281 - 281 Confession 281 Confession ¡± What you cannot do it?¡± Seeing that neither of them moved, Liu Hui Ying arched a brow and rolled her sleeves while covering her hands with handkerchiefs. ¡± Since you don¡¯t want to do it, I will do it myself.¡± ¡± There is no need for you to do something like this, you¡­Lord Chi,¡± Zhai Heng stopped Liu Hui Ying from pouncing on Ji Meng and stripping him down. Letting the queen strip a man down? Even if her marriage with Zhai Tianyu cannot be counted as a normal one, Zhai Heng was sure that his brother will suffer from sleepless nights if he was to find out that his wife did something like this. So even though Zhai Heng felt rather wronged and ufortable he turned to look at Ji Meng who was already taking several steps back, behind him was Yu Lingyun who did not want to get involved but his brother was doing it so how could he not join hands with him? Ji Mo watched the scene in front of him, he felt like he was watching a dream, how was it possible for the vicemander and the general to do something like this? But in front of his eyes, they really stretched their hands and started tugging Ji Meng¡¯s clothes. ¡± What are you¡ª¡ª¡± it was only when the outer clothing that Ji Meng was wearing was removed did Ji Mo snapped out of his daze and rushed ahead to save Ji Meng but he was a step toote. The outer clothing that Ji Meng was wearing was removed and as soon as the outer robe was removed, a broken hairpin that was tied with the help of a red string around his neck came into view. Zhai Heng¡¯s sharp eyes immediately caught the broken hairpin and he stopped tugging at Ji Meng¡¯s clothing as he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who walked forward and then ced the other half of the broken hairpin that she found that night in front of the one that Ji Meng was wearing and asked as she raised her gaze and looked at him, ¡± Now what do you have to say, Lord Ji?¡± Ji Meng stared at the broken hairpin that Liu Hui Ying was holding in her hands and stopped moving, everyone else thought that he was giving up his struggle but who would have thought that as soon as Yu Lingyun would ease his hold on him little Ji Mo, would push thetter away and run! ¡± Catch him!¡± Zhai Heng knew how important Ji Meng was in this case and immediately ordered the people of the crime investigation department to catch Ji Meng but everyone was from the Ji family and they knew the truth behind these deaths. They all knew that Ji Meng was the scapegoat prepared by the right prime minister who was supposed to take the Queen down and now that he was found out, they could not let him be caught! Thus no one moved and caused Ji Meng to run out of the building, Zhai Heng looked at the people of the crime investigation department acting like they could not catch Ji Meng when they clearly could! ..... He looked at the officials whom he has once trusted very much and closed his eyes as he started to think about everything over again, maybe he needed to reorganize everything that he knew and think carefully about whether the loyalty of the past can still be trusted in the present. With that in his head, he chased after Ji Meng but he did not even reach the front entrance when he saw Ji Meng walking backwards with the tip of the sword being aimed at his throat. ¡± I was wondering what was going on with all the noise that you all were making, I am d that I came to see,¡± Zhai Tianyu smilingly looked at Ji Meng who was staring at his sword and then turned to look at Ji Mo and the others who dropped to their knees when they saw himing inside. ¡® Fck! The Emperor actually came! What were they going to do now?¡¯ Ji Mo¡¯s eyes went wide as he looked at his hands that were clenched on the floor while trying to think of a way to solve the crisis that was in front of him. ¡± Your majesty, you are here?¡± Ji Mo wanted to say something to Zhai Tianyu, and he knew that thetter will listen to him but before he could say anything Liu Hui Ying walked forward and kicked Ji Meng on the back of his legs such that he kneeled on the floor too. ¡± You made me run after you so much and now you dare to run again in front of me? Do you take me as dead or what?¡± She red at the man who was now on his knees while smiling at the Emperor before she said, ¡± Thank you for catching him your majesty, I was worried that I will have to chase after him again.¡± She was actually treating the Emperor like a guard! After she finished thanking Zhai Tianyu, she turned to look at Ji Meng and said, ¡± Are you going to confess why you killed consort Liu, or should I confess it for you ?¡± Ji Meng knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get away this time and lowered his head as he replied, ¡± Because she killed Xiao Bai.¡± Ji Meng was the son of a maid who once worked for the Ji family and after a very long fight, his mother and he were epted by the Ji family. But before bringing him to the Ji family, his mother worked in another family and this family was none other than the family from which Liu Fei Fei was adopted, it was during this time that he fell for another maid¡¯s daughter and even though he was epted by the Ji family andter almost betrothed to Liu Fei Fei, he did not forget the maid whom he fell in love with. He wanted to bring the maid as his concubine to his family but Liu Fei Fei found out about him being close to that maid and she killed the maid he loved by drowning her after tying that maid with stones! As he spoke of his past, he bit his lips and hatefully red at Liu Hui Ying, ¡± And so I killed her just like she killed Xiao Bai!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Please check out my other works ¡ª- 1) hot bloodsuckers¡¯ obsession if you want to see harem romance. 2) Vengeance of the moon if you want a strong fl who destroys her bullies. Chapter 282 - 282 No valid reasons 282 No valid reasons While Ji Meng was confessing, Liu Hui Ying turned to look at Liu Fei Fei who has followed the Emperor and asked, ¡± Did you really do it?¡± She did not want to skip anything that will help her understand the psychological condition of this man and the intentions behind his actions either which was she turned to look at Liu Fei Fei and asked whether or not she was really behind the killing of this man¡¯s little lover. ¡± I did that but that¡¯s not the entire truth,¡± Liu Fei Fei frowned as she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and started telling her everything that happened. ¡± She killed the one woman about whom I cared the most, isn¡¯t it only right for me to kill her? What did I do wrong?¡± Ji Meng questioned with his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at the men in front of him, seeing him like this even Yu Lingyun who fought many wars seemed to be a bit at loss, he did not know what to say to this man after finding out that he lost the woman he loved in the past in the hands of Consort Liu. In fact, even he thought that Consort Liu was too harsh on that maid for punishing her by getting her drowned in such a ruthless manner. ¡± Wow,¡± Liu Hui Ying pped her hands as she looked at the man after she was done listening to Liu Fei Fei, she smiled at the man and then leaned forward as she said, ¡± That was really a touching story, maybe be try shedding those tears as well, you only touched my knees with your gripping story. Maybe if you cry, you might touch my liver a little as well.¡± Her words caused the heartbroken atmosphere to be disrupted at once, Ji Meng turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and then red at her hard as he said hatefully, ¡± You will never understand how I feel! You don¡¯t know how I felt when I saw Xiao Bai¡¯s corpse. You have never lost anyone how will you¡ª¡ª¡± He was still speaking when Liu Hui Ying lifted her foot and smashed it on the shoulder of the man causing him to roll back as she pushed him down with her feet and sneered coldly, ¡± I don¡¯t need to tell you whether I have or I haven¡¯t lost someone, but what I do need to tell you is that just losing someone does not hand you the right to take the destiny of someone¡¯s else life in your hands, you son of a bitch.¡± ¡± And what did you say? That you did it because you wanted to avenge your little lover?¡± She hitched the corner of her lips upwards mockingly and then shook her head as she looked down at the man and said, ¡± No, you did not kill those women because you wanted to avenge that little lover of yours, you killed them because you wanted to satisfy those sick urges that you had in your head. There was countless way to avenge your lover but you chose the most sickest one of all of them? Why?¡± She questioned while looking at the man who was lying on the floor and answered it for him, ¡± Because you wanted to. You are sick in the head, Lord Ji ¡­there is no justifiable excuse for this little vengeance trip that you took other than your head beingpletely sick.¡± ..... Ji Meng looked at Liu Hui Ying as if he was enchanted, he wanted to say something in response to her ims but he could only open and close his mouth like he was enchanted by something, he could not speak anything instead he simply stared at Liu Hui Ying who had her feet resting on his shoulder. ¡± If you wanted to avenge your lover, then you could have done it in any way, even if you wanted to kill Consort Liu, you could have done it in a better way. How will you exin having her locked in a barrel for an entire night and if you can exin that, how will you exin the twisted feet of consort Su? And in case you can exin everything,¡± she paused as she turned to look at Ji Meng and started putting more force on his shoulder as she added, ¡± How will you exin what you did to the little maid?¡± ¡± She might have caught you in the act but you could have simply sent her away or given her enough money to get out of this ce. But you chose the most drastic step, that is to kill her¡­how will you exin that?¡± Liu Hui Ying¡¯s questioning caused the sympathy that might have rose in the hearts of others to shatter in an instant. That was right, even if Liu Fei Fei killed a maid, she was her master and that maid was her servant, if she wanted to kill her then she could have done that¡ª¡ªand even if Ji Meng wanted to avenge his lover¡¯s death then many ways did not involve the killing of three women. Ji Meng stared at Liu Hui Ying, he did not refute nor did he say anything else, he simply gazed into her eyes that were looking at him as if she was looking at a scum. Liu Hui Ying curled the sides of her mouth and lowered her voice as she spat, ¡± You enjoyed the thrill you got while killing those three women did you not? All these years you were shadowed by your brothers who were the sons of the official wives and you wanted to do something that would make you get noticed. This is the true reason why you killed the three of them, you could not get that anger,¡± she raised her hand and that with her forefinger poked at Ji Meng¡¯s chest. ¡± This is why you took your anger out on those three women, they were weaker than you¡­ and you had a justified excuse in that sick head of yours.¡± She trailed her finger up and poked at Ji Meng¡¯s forehead and then continued speaking, ¡± You did not want to avenge someone¡¯s death, you simply wanted to make use of it as an excuse to get the thrill, to get yourself noticed ¡­and to get yourself be that big bad man who scared the living daylights out of others when you pretended to be a littlemb in front of your brothers. Isn¡¯t this the real reason, Lord Ji?¡± ¡± Because no matter how you try to glorify yourself, killing someone who was weaker than you is not something to be proud of yourself.¡± ... Chapter 283 - 283 She was happy with just this much 283 She was happy with just this much Ji Meng felt even barer than he did when Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun were stripping him, it was as if someone had bared his deepest darkest secret to the world in front of the world with him standing naked in the middle of the street. He drew in a breath and then tried to think of a rational way to get out of this situation but he soon realised that he couldn¡¯t get out of this mess, which was he threw his head back and the innocence-filled expression on his face slipped off at an rming rate as he startedughing. He raised his hand and covered his eyes with his arm andughed out loud, he nodded and said, ¡± You are right, I did it because I loved the thrill that killing them gave me,¡± he raised his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying, his eyes shining with an unrepentant glint as he smiled sweetly and said, ¡± I originally wanted to kill that Liu Fei Fei just like she killed Xiao Bai but she was too noisy and did not shut up even when I covered her mouth, I only wanted to keep her in the barrel for a few minutes before taking her out but¡­¡± He paused and then smiled widely at Liu Hui Ying as he chuckled, ¡± But the despair she had in her eyes when I closed the lid of the barrel was too exciting for me to ignore, it was so thrilling you will never understand. That day I was scolded by my brother, he called me useless saying that I was not good for anything, and even called me names like a bastard with bad blood and whatnot¡­. But when I saw the despair in the eyes of that bitch, I felt so relieved. All my anger vanished in an instant!¡± ¡± You sick bastard! I felt sorry for you just now!¡± Yu Lingyun snapped at Ji Meng, he thought that Ji Meng was a pitiful man who was suffering because of his broken heart and now he turned around and showed off his true colours. Yu Lingyun felt like he was cheated! Even Zhai Heng felt a bit ufortable, just now even though he thought that the Liu family member whether adopted or blood-rted were all the same. They were simply bloodthirsty and cruel who would have thought that just a secondter he will be pped in his face? Only Zhai Tianyu was calm as he looked at the sight in front of him but Liu Fei Fei who was next to him suddenly turned her head and suddenly remembered the night when she was caught and trapped by Ji Meng. She remembered the smile on his lips when he closed the lid and left her to die in the barrel behind, the despair that she felt while being trapped in the barrel and while slowly getting suffocated. It was as if she was being killed by a slow-acting poison and the thing that was even more disgusting was that this man ¡ª¡ª He came to take her out of the barrel but he only came to give her enough air to revive herself before he closed the lid again and left her to die again, he continued to do this until the day he killed her. Even her death was so cruel, she did not even have enough energy to fight him but he still dragged her like a rag doll and pushed her head into the pond. In fact, she saw him take the hairpin out, he wanted to stab that hairpin in her eyes before killing her but during the fight when she was struggling against him after seeing what he was doing, the hairpin broke off and this man snapped her neck before throwing her in the pond. Liu Fei Fei who regained all her memories felt the same rage that she felt when she was dying, she red at the man wanting to kill him but before she could even make a move. Liu Hui Ying turned to look at her and shook her head telling her to stop and not make a move but how could Liu Fei Fei leave this man alone? ..... She was young and she had many dreams, she wanted to be with his majesty, she wanted to be a mother and watch her child grow up and get married. Liu Fei Fei wanted a family since she never had one because of the political schemes of the Liu and Ji family, she knew that she was a chess piece in between the two families and would have to make a choice in the future but who would have thought that she would be a discarded chess piece? All her dreams, all her desires¡­they were all dead with her and ¡ª¡ª she will never once have the family that she dreamed of, how can she calm down? ¡± Don¡¯t,¡± Just as she was going to ignore Liu Hui Ying¡¯s advice and attack the man, she heard the Emperor speak from the side. He looked at her and then for the first time stared at her with a warm gaze that was filled with sympathy and understanding as he said softly, ¡± I will avenge your death, let me dirty my hands with the blood of the ones who were behind your death. This is the least I can do for you who died in vain, consort.¡± Liu Fei Fei heard Zhai Tianyu speak to her so softly for the first time and her eyes turned red, all her life, she only wanted someone to look at her in the eyes with that gaze and tell her that everything will be okay, that they will be there for her, even though she did not get that security when she was alive. She was d that she was hearing these words from the Emperor after her death, at least ¡­even for a minute someone truly grieved for her death. She was happy with just this much. Chapter 284 - 284 Decapitated 284 Decapitated Seeing that Liu Fei Fei have calmed down, Liu Hui Ying turned her attention to Ji Meng. She really could not stand his smug face and almost pped the man, was he really this smug because he got caught and killed three women? No, he was smug because he thought that he was very smart and made everyone chase after him. He who has been nothing but an invisible person in his house ignored by all actually caused the entire imperial pce to turn upside down, the reason was just as simple. In his head what he did was not wrong ¡ª¡ª after all, Liu Fei Fei killed someone and Consort Su was in cahoots with her when they were drowning the maid called Xiao Bai, so what if he killed them? pping him was not enough, since he thought that he was justified in what he did, then why not rip thest shred of hope in his heart? ¡± Do you think that after doing this you will go to heaven?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked as she looked down at the man, who smiled and nodded. ¡± Yes, I killed someone who killed an innocent woman, no matter what¡­ even if I tortured her there is nothing wrong with it because I was right till the end.¡± ¡± Wrong,¡± she opened her hands behind her when she felt a cold breeze waft past her and then caught hold of the old letters that Jia Li has brought with her and then turned to look at the man as she brought those letters in front of her. ¡± Do you know what these are?¡± For the first time, she noticed genuine confusion cover Ji Meng¡¯s eyes and then opened the letter that she asked Jia Li to bring over with her and said, ¡± The little white moonlight of yours was nothing but a shallow woman, she stayed with you only because someone asked her to but the truth was that she was already in love with the physician who worked in Zhang family as for you ¡­ I don¡¯t know where you really fit in the equation.¡± ¡± You are lying.¡± Ji Meng¡¯s psychology has been always simple, when he was dragged to the Ji family by his mother and was pushed around by his legitimate siblings, he started to firmly believe that he was the one who was in the right while everyone else was in the wrong. Slowly, he started to incline towards the idea of getting justice by taking the evil ones down. He could not attack his brothers who were always surrounded by guards and were heavily protected which was why he turned his attention to Liu Fei Fei and Su Xuelo, he thought that the two women were the ones who killed the woman whom he loved with all his heart and they were the ones who ruined her, so it was only right for him to kill them. Once this idea morphed in his head, he started to make ns ¡ª¡ª but when he killed Liu Fei Fei and caused everyone¡¯s attention to turn in his direction, he was exhrated. ..... He was overjoyed with the fact that everyone was finally chasing after him, not his elder brother who was the head of the crime investigation department nor the younger one who became the top schr in the country but him. And with his stubborn belief that what he was doing was right, he thought that he was doing the right thing but now this man was telling him that he was not in the right? How was that even possible? Ji Meng immediately shook his head and red at the man as he said, ¡± You are lying to me!¡± He shouted at Liu Hui Ying, who only dropped the letter that she was holding in her hands to Ji Meng and said coldly, ¡± Read it before you speak.¡± Ji Meng stared at the man in front of him with a cold glint in his eyes but he still picked up the letter and started reading, the more he read ¡­the more his eyes widened and before he even finished reading the letter he turned to look at Ji Mo and opened his mouth wanting to say something¡ª¡ª But before he could say a word, Ji Mo who understood his gaze immediately looked at the man who was behind Ji Mo and nodded. The man understood Ji Mo¡¯s sign and before anyone couldprehend what was happening¡ª¡ª a wretched scream echoed in the building of the crime investigation department. Liu Hui Ying who was the closest to Ji Meng almost got shed by the sword that appeared out of nowhere and because she was not prepared she almost stumbled back and fell on her bottom but then someone caught her wrist which was covered with her sleeve and pulled her back. Liu Hui Ying¡¯s face got buried in a soft fabric with a familiar scent and she blinked her eyes not understanding what happened but then she smelled the scent of blood and understood what happened just now. She pushed Zhai Tianyu away from her and turned to look at the man who has cut Ji Meng¡¯s head off after ring at Zhai Tianyu who was standing beside him. She turned to look at the decapitated body and the blood spilling out of the neck of Ji Meng and pursed her lips, she did not expect that the Ji family will be so ruthless while abandoning a chess piece that they have used. Now that Ji Meng was dead no matter what she said nothing will change after all Ji Meng was gone and who was going to confess the rest of the truth? It was not that she could summon Ji Meng¡¯s soul right? Liu Hui Ying looked at the two figures dressed in ck and white robes dragging a soul that hardly looked human with dark fumes covering its entire existence and clenched her fists. There was no way she will ever be able to find out how Ji Meng was twisted this badly by the Ji family but even so! No one will be able to deny that the man killed Ji Meng because Ji Mo was worried that Ji Meng will say something in front of others! ¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 286 - 286 Burning with regrets 286 Burning with regrets Liu Dong Ming was a man who incited wrath and terror in the hearts of everyone he looked at, even though he only nced at Ji Xiann and felt his heart shudder. This was the man whom his uncle could not defeat even after fighting for such a long time, how can he not be terrified of him? Ji Yang was skilled but he was not as skilled as his father who once ruled the court when Grand Dowager Empress was still sitting on the throne on the other hand, Liu Dong Ming was a man who was ten steps ahead of his father. He was not only skilled in handling the court, but he also protected the Liu family all too well, till nowpared to the Ji family, the loss of the Liu family in terms of human lives was really less. What was more Liu Dong Ming was a man who was vengeful to his bones, he will avenge even the death of a dog as long as it had thest name ¡®Liu¡¯ behind his name and this was his adopted daughter¡¯s case! Even if Liu Dong Ming did not care about Liu Fei Fei that much when she was alive, he was not someone who will let the Ji family off easily either. Being stared at by Liu Dong Ming caused Ji Xiann to quake in fear, he was simply a follower of Ji Mo but looks like he was going to suffer tonight. ¡± Prime minister Liu, what are you doing here?¡± Ji Mo was really shocked, he looked at the man who arrived like a grim reaper and felt his legs tremble a little longer. This was going to be troublesome, his father was not here and he was not as eloquent as his father who could deal with this man who was skilful inying traps more than a hunter would be¡ª¡ª seeing him pop like that out of nowhere scared Ji Mo, he wanted to say something and send this man away but when Liu Dong Ming turned his head and nced at him with those gloomy eyes of his, Ji Mo could not bring himself to utter even a peep. Liu Dong Ming only nced at the man lightly and did not say anything instead he turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and spoke in a slow yet bone-chilling voice, ¡± My daughter¡¯s case that should have been handled properly and with all due care was mishandled by them like this ¡­the culprit was killed without receiving proper punishment and the one who was the mastermind also escaped without us finding out who it was, I believe that I deserve an exnation, your majesty.¡± Zhai Tianyu felt his head throb, he was having a headache ¡ª¡ª he already had a bad feeling when he saw Ji Xiann cut off Ji Meng¡¯s head and now that Liu Dong Ming was here asking for an exnation, he knew that his guts were right when they were warning him! ¡± I understand your anger, Prime minster Liu but please appease your anger¡ª¡ª¡± Zhai Tianyu began speaking but he did not even get a single sentence out before he was interrupted by Prime Minister Liu who resolutely nced at Ji Xiann and Ji Mo and said coldly, ¡± I have been appeasing my anger for quite a while, your majesty. Her majesty who is my niece was attacked by this man and my daughter was killed¡ª¡ª even consort Su was killed, who does not know that the Su family is rted to the Liu by marriage?¡± ..... ¡± In just a few weeks, our family lost two daughters in the hands of the Ji family ¡­three if the Queen was not fortunate and was able to get away with her life, is it wrong of me to ask for a punishment for this crime?¡± ¡± Prime Minister Liu, you are overstepping your boundaries,¡± Ji Mo could see that Liu Dong Ming was trying to pull the Ji family down. All these years, the Liu family has yed the role of the bad cop while the Ji family was the one who was ying the role of the good and upright family, if the rumours of them getting involved in the murder were spread around what will they do? What will the public think of them? Liu Dong Ming however did not get frightened by a man who was yet to grow his facial hair. He simply stared at Ji Mo who was ring at him, his aura was neither servile nor overbearing instead he looked like he was looking at a child who was throwing a tantrum, just the one nce was enough to make others know how little Liu Dong Ming thought of Ji Mo and the Ji family. With his hands behind his back, Liu Dong Ming blinked his eyes and stated firmly, ¡± My daughter has been murdered in a cold-blooded manner by your brother and don¡¯t say that he had nothing to do with you.¡± He added swiftly when he saw that Ji Mo was going to speak again. ¡± He was your family ever since the day he was brought back by your father¡¯s concubine, the teachings that you gave him were instilled in his mind¡­how can you say that this had nothing to do with the Ji family? If you had done a good job teaching your children then this would not have happened! My daughter was killed and I want to see some punishment, if you do not agree with me then I will have no other choice but to take this matter to the imperial court!¡± Liu Dong Ming stated his stance clearly, he was telling everyone that if he did not get what he wanted tonight then he will definitely make a fuss over this matter and drag the Ji family with him. Ji Mo was so angry that his teeth started shaking with all the grinding he was doing. This man was so hateful! All these words that he threw back at him were something that his father said to Liu Dong Ming in the past when Liu Fei Fei made trouble and entangled Liu Dong Ming in her mess. Back then, they all had a lot of fun taunting Liu Dong Ming thinking that they were really smart for sending Liu Fei Fei to his house but tonight, Ji Mo was regretful! He was burning with regrets! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 288 - 288 A crack in the wall of trust 288 A crack in the wall of trust Liu Dong Ming was indeed here to bring some damage to the Ji family, Liu Fei Fei was simply a pawn on the chessboard but Ji Xiann was different, he was Ji Mo¡¯s right-hand man and did all the dirty dealings for his cousin behind the scenes, he was even responsible for taking care of Ji Mo¡¯s mess and was one of the very loyal aides that Ji Mo had on his side. If he was to take Ji Xiann it would be simr to cutting Ji Mo¡¯s right hand and as soon as the news of Ji Xiann getting punished goes out, everyone will start thinking twice beforeing to support the Ji family. After all, Ji Mo couldn¡¯t even protect his cousin in front of Liu Dong Ming. How was he supposed to be trusted? But if he refused to drink this wine that Liu Dong Ming has offered him, Ji Mo was certain that the next time he will be handed poisonous wine instead! Liu Dong Ming after all was not a man who would let anyone off without punishing them if they do wrong to the Liu family. Ji Mo gritted his teeth and looked at Ji Xiann, though he did not want to lose this trusted aide of his, he knew that he could not provoke Liu Dong Ming in the end even if he felt like someone was cutting his body in half, he still agreed with what Liu Dong Ming said, ¡± I understand, prime minister Liu ¡ª¡ª you can take him away.¡± Compared to the loss of the reputation of the entire family, sacrificing Ji Xiann was much better. Ji Xiann did not expect that he will be sacrificed just like that after all, he has done everything that Ji Mo asked him to do all these years and yet at such a crucial moment, Ji Mo actually abandoned him? His eyes were filled with disbelief as he looked at Ji Mo who did not even raise his head to look at him. Ji Xiann wanted to say something but then he noticed Ji Mo tilt his head to the side and without moving his lips too much mouthed ¡® Mian¡¯. Ji Mian Mian was Ji Xiann¡¯s sister and she was sixteen this year but because they were rtively distant rtives of the main Ji family, his sister¡¯s marriage was in the hands of Ji Mo¡¯s mother who was the matriarch of the Ji family. Seeing Ji Mo mouth his sister¡¯s name, Ji Xiann understood that thetter was warning him not to say anything or else his sister will suffer. ¡®Son of a bitch!¡¯ Ji Xiann understood that Ji Mo was threatening him by using his family and was so furious that he wanted to roll his eyes and curse at Ji Mo while pointing straight at his nose but he knew that he had no choice left in front of him. If he breathed a word against Ji Mo, then he will die a gruesome death along with his family! ..... Ji Xiann was unhappy but no matter how unhappy he was he could not drag his family down with him, anyway, he was not the one who killed consort Liu and Consort Su, at most he will be sent to prison and asked to serve a few months of punishment at the most for interfering with an official matter. The Liu family would not be able to kill him and he knew that the Ji family will save him after all he was the best when it came to dealing with the dirty deals of Ji Mo. This was the reason why Ji Xiann did not resist when he was tied up and taken away by the guards. But even though he was handcuffed, he did not forget to re at Liu Hui Ying who brought this disaster to them. If not for her then he would not have been caught like this. Soon Ji Xiann was taken away by the guards on the other hand Ji Mo turned to look at Liu Dong Ming and said, ¡± Is this enough to ease your anger, prime minister Liu?¡± As he spoke he looked at Zhai Tianyu, Ji Mo slightly upset that he did not stand up for the Ji family just now. Zhai Tianyu was the Emperor, and as long as he said a word even if Liu Dong Ming might have fought with him, he would have listened to Zhai Tianyu. But this man, he did not say anything from the start to finish! No wonder his father had no respect for Zhai Tianyu, he was indeed too much like a puppet of the Liu family who can control him with the tip of their fingers. Liu Dong Ming calmly nced at Ji Mo and softly replied, ¡°It¡¯s far from it but I will take whatever is handed to me .¡± With that, he turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and bowed, ¡± This one thanks his majesty for overseeing the case of my daughter, This one will never forget the grace that you have shown me.¡± As he finished speaking Liu Dong Ming straightened up and then took his leave. On the other hand, Ji Mo was so furious that he was on the verge of losing a few teeth with how much he was grinding them. But he still bowed in front of Zhai Tianyu and said with a smile, ¡± I will have this mess taken care of, your majesty.¡± If not for the fact that the Ji family was under suspicion he would have surely thrown a tantrum in front of Zhai Tianyu. However, he could not do it at the moment which was why he took his leave as well. Zhai Tianyu on the other hand watched Ji Mo leave and then turned to look at Zhai Heng before saying, ¡± Make sure to investigate.¡± He needed to know just what else was the Ji family hiding from him, the scene that he witnessed in front of him was enough to tell him that there was no way that the Ji family was only hiding something small. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 291 - 291 Thank you, My Queen. 291 Thank you, My Queen. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Liu Hui Ying felt her lips twitch when she heard the two ghosts siding with the man, what did he even do for the two of them? Was he giving them his Yang energy when she was not looking, or why else were these two standing up for Zhai Tianyu? The man was sturdy and had a strong heart after all a frail heart man would not be so resolute when killing someone as he did with the original owner, she was sure that he was not depressed to the point where he wanted to kill himself so why should she go ahead and coax him? But with the two ghosts ring at her like she was a scumbag who left her husband and children behind to have fun, she could only sigh and walk back to stand next to the Emperor and said somewhat robotically, ¡± You should not be worried about something like this nor should you be aggrieved over something like this, after all, its not your fault that you trusted people who were not deserving of the trust that you have put in them.¡± As she spoke she turned to look at Jia Li and Li Gang who were shaking their heads asking her to put more emotions in her words such that it made her look like she was more or less emphatic towards the Emperor. Liu Hui Ying turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and then cleared her throat as she opened her lips to speak again, ¡± Would you like an invisible talisman? You seem like you have a lot on your mind, you can use it and vanish such that no one will disturb you. When you are upset, you should spend some time alone with yourself.¡± When Zhai Tianyu did not speak, Liu Hui Ying hesitated and then rummaged in her pockets before taking out a mooncake that Nanny Gong gave her to eat after taking her medicine and stretched out her hand with the mooncake before speaking with her gaze turned to look somewhere else, ¡± You can take this ¡­ I heard that eating sweet when you are upset helps as well.¡± Jia Li smacked her head while Li Gang stared at Liu Hui Ying and then said, ¡± This woman will die a virgin, I am telling you.¡± With such a handsome man in front of her, she was actually handing him a cake instead of hugging him. Even if she was allergic to man, Zhai Tianyu¡¯s face was enough to overlook that small matter! ..... Zhai Tianyu who was listening to Liu Hui Yingughed out loud when he heard that she was offering a mooncake to him. He turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was frowning at him and then took the mooncake from her and then said, ¡± Thank you, My queen¡­. You are truly considerate.¡± Even though Liu Hui Ying was someone who did not have any experience in coaxing others, Zhai Tianyu was happy with her attempt alone. At least she tried to coax him, this was enough. He looked at the mooncake in his hands and smiled softly. Should he consider himself a bit closer to the Queen now? He raised his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying whose expression was full of relief and then shook his head. There was no way possible for Liu Hui Ying to consider him a close friend to her. ¡­. ¡± I still can¡¯t understand ¡­how can they do something like this?¡± Yu Lingyun was still fuming, with his arms crossed behind his head and a frown on his face he turned to look at Zhai Heng and said, ¡± We have never found trouble with the Ji family, why did they have to do something like this?¡± The Ji family might not be as strong as the Liu family¡ª¡ª after all, the Liu family was veryplex andrge. From merchants to general and from General to schrs, the Liu family had their hands stretched all over the ce under the presence and guidance of Liu Dong Ming. It was rumoured that no child born in the Liu family was allowed to be useless. No matter who they were, whether legitimate or illegitimate children, they will have to stand on their feet by the age of twenty. Or else they vanished into thin air without leaving a trace behind. Zhai Heng did not reply, in fact, he did not have anyments regarding this matter. After all, he has considered the Ji family as their closest aide back then his brother told him that he was going to act as a fool in front of both the families because they couldn¡¯t trust everyone ¡ª- Zhai Heng then thought that Zhai Tianyu was thinking too much but now that he saw that the Ji family was indeed involved in a lot of messy things, he realised that his brother was not in the wrong. Yu Lingyun did not receive any response but he did not deter instead he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and asked, ¡± What about you, your majesty? How do you feel about this matter?¡± Liu Hui Ying blinked her eyes and calmly replied, ¡± I don¡¯t know what you are trying to say¡­after all, I only trust the dead. So, I have no idea how it feels to be betrayed by the living.¡± Those who were alive had many hidden thoughts but the ones who were dead were different, they were either good or evil. There was no grey area when it came to ghosts thus, she has never been betrayed before because she never trusted a human from the very beginning. Her response was so cold that Yu Lingyun felt a chill rise in his heart, she was right. Her majesty was indeed not someone who would be willing to trust a human¡ª¡ª he pursed his lips and then asked, ¡± Your majesty but howe you doubted Ji Meng? How did you find out that he was the one who killed the three women?¡± Even now he could not understand how Liu Hui Ying was able to put every piece of the puzzle in ce. Chapter 292 - 292 Very observant 292 Very observant Liu Hui Ying turned to look at Yu Lingyun with a small turn of her neck, she raised a brow and then said, ¡± General Yu, you are wise enough to sweet talk your way with my maid but you cannot understand something so easy?¡± She has not forgotten how this man tried to fool his little Ai, did he think that she was not going to clean him up? It was just that she has never gotten the time to deal with him and since they hardly met with each other it was near to impossible for her to clean this man up ¡ª¡ª now that she has gotten her chance how can she let go without giving him a tongueshing? Yu Lingyun did not expect her to reply like that, he choked on air and coughed harshly. It happened so long ago and this woman still remembers it? She was really petty! Not even letting skipping something so small! ¡± Your majesty, that was in the past¡­ I will apologize to Xiao Ai, I will apologize to her with gifts and meat, ¡± Yu Lingyun wanted to say that it was a small thing and that he only did it because they were doubtful of her and nothing else and she should stop harping on it since no one was hurt and everyone was fine. But the re that Liu Hui Ying sent his way was enough to tell him that it was not a small matter to her, if he did not apologise to Xiao Ai, she will chase him down to the underworld. He couldn¡¯t see Liu Fei Fei but when Liu Hui Ying handed the flower to the consort, he could see that this woman was like a ticket to heaven, if he was to make her upset who knows she might send him to the eighteenth level of hell? If she could send a soul to get a faster reincarnation, does it not mean that she can make it so that the soul never gets reincarnated? After witnessing such a scene in front of his eyes, there was no way Yu Lingyun was going to ever go against Liu Hui Ying, he was a general and no one knew when he might die on the battlefield, there was no reason for him to offend a big shot like Liu Hui Ying. Liu Hui Ying hardly looked pacified but she hummed and turned her head around, ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand keep apologizing to little Ai until she forgives you, if you don¡¯t do it then I will make it so that you never get a wink of sleep.¡± Now that she knew that Yu Lingyun was scared of ghosts, it was going to be really easy for her to take care of him. Yu Lingyun felt all the blood drain from his face, he wanted to tell Liu Hui Ying to be kinder to him but he could not say anything ¡ª¡ª he could only swallow his words back and re at the man who was responsible for this debt that he has to settle now. ..... Zhai Tianyu who was being red at acted as if he could not see Yu Lingyun¡¯s re, in fact, he understood better than Yu Lingyun that he was still on the red list of the Queen. She treated him more like an acquaintance but that was only because she had no other choice but to treat him well because she wanted to survive in this ce. He was not narcissistic enough to believe that Liu Hui Ying did not bring up their past feuds because she fell for his face or power, he understood her well enough to know that to her, he was like a passerby whom she doesn¡¯t have to care about. She was here for a short time and had another body in another world where she wanted to return, thus she did not care about him or anyone else for that matter. Just now she deliberately picked on Yu Lingyun because Xiao Ai will stay behind and she was worried that Yu Lingyun will bully her if she was to leave. Zhai Tianyu did not know what to say, she treated her maid much better than him! ¡± As for your question,¡± Liu Hui Ying went on not caring about what Zhai Tianyu was thinking in his head. ¡°It¡¯s because of the letter that we found in the maid¡¯s quarter.¡± Yu Lingyun frowned, he still did not understand ¡ª- was there something that he missed? In fact what he missed was indeed rather big, as Liu Hui Ying exined it turned out that they all missed one thing that they should have noticed at the very beginning and that was ¡ª¡ª the quality of the ink and the handwriting of the maid! Even though the maid was a bit literate, there was no way that she could have written such a letter without making any grammatical mistakes, Ji Meng copied the writing of the maid but he forgot to copy her habits, something that Liu Hui Ying noticed. More importantly, even if the man was good at copying he was not as good and perfect as the professional imitators, he made a mistake while writing the word ¡® I¡¯, Liu Hui Ying has been keeping an eye on the letters that she found earlier when consort Su and consort Liu died. However, the two letters were carefully written and she could not find any mistakes in them. It was only when she found the maid¡¯s suicide letter that was she able to find a mistake. Ji Meng was a schr and he could not imitate the maid¡¯s writing perfectly and made a mistake. And, she was easily able to take notice of the forceful way ¡®I¡¯ was written in the letter. She had a very good memory and she knew that she has seen the same ¡®I¡¯ written in the report that Ji Meng sent her earlier regarding princess Zhai Chenguang¡¯s death and so, she was able to solve the case. In fact, even if they did not notice the characters, they could have solved the case by keeping track of the quality of the ink. The ink that was used to write the letter by the maid was of high quality and could only be used by the members of the imperial pce or the officials. The reason she narrowed down the suspects to Ji Meng was that she smelled the same scent of ink and water lilies in the maid¡¯s letter as she did in the report. Because Liu Fei Fei and consort Su used scented pouches and incense the scent was gone from their letter but it remained in the letter left in the maid¡¯s quarter. ¡± All in all no matter how great a criminal is, he will make a mistake, by slipping up at least once¡± Liu Hui Ying finished her exnation while the three men were left dumbstruck. Chapter 304 - 304 The grand dowager empress is sick 304 The grand dowager empress is sick At this moment, Zhai Tianyu was in the courtyard of the Grand Dowager Empress. He watched the imperial physician Shao apply some medicinal paste on the forehead of his grandmother causing the scent of herbs and medicine to fill the room before sighing, he should have known that this was going to happen, even though he was not someone who would pick faults with his grandmother since thetter had done a lot for him but at this moment he wanted to ask his grandmother whether she was tired or not. But he knew he could not do it, he was supposed to be the perfect puppet Emperor, one who only listened to his officials and his grandmother, one who did not use his own head and was easily controble. This was not the time for him to make the Ji family suspicious of him especially not when he had so much to investigate including the death of his father. ¡± How is imperial grandmother, physician Shao?¡± Thus Zhai Tianyu even though he was annoyed he had to y the role of a filial grandson no matter what, he was supposed to arrive at the Liu family¡¯s funeral ceremony with the Empress but before he could leave his courtyard, he received word from the Grand Dowager Empress mammy that thetter had fallen ill. Apparently, what the mammy told him was that the Grand Dowager Empress was sick because she lost too grand nephews of hers in one night. She even further went on to mention that she felt guilty towards Ji Xiann and his father who were punished for no reason, the mammy then further told him thatst night Grand Dowager Empress got a nightmare where she was scolded by her husband for not paying good attention to the imperial pce and causing such a mess. Zhai Tianyu was no fool, even though he pretended to be one, now that he was no longer just biased towards the Ji family he could see that this was nothing less than a stupid scheme that was well thought out by his grandmother and her mammy to stop him from going to the funeral ceremony of the Liu family. The reason for this small y was simple, the Ji family has set the same ceremony for Ji Xiann as Liu Fei Fei making sure that the ceremony will sh with the Liu family. His grandmother must have wanted him to only attend the Ji family¡¯s ceremony instead of the Liu family¡¯s ceremony with Ji Yu, this way at least she will be able to save the face of the Ji family in front of others. They must have thought of this ploy after the sudden decline in the poprity of the Ji family, in the past, the Ji family was unfairly and without any reason or norm supported by him and his father. Not once the two of them ever considered the Ji family as a threat to the throne and treated them like their loyal aides, this gave the Ji family unanimous power over the other officials who did not belong to the Ji or the Liu family. But after what happened with Ji Xiann and Ji Meng, Zhai Tianyu had created a line between himself and the Ji family, he even allowed Ji Xiann to be killed by Liu Dong Ming and not once mentioned an investigation. These actions of his might have made the Ji family panic they must have thought that if this goes on then they will lose their footing in the court and what was more even the people in the court were slowly clearing themselves from the Ji family and supporting the Liu family nowadays. ..... His grandmother must have heard about the changes in the court from Ji Yang which was why she deliberately fell sick and then forced him toe here such that he will miss the timings and let Liu Hui Ying leave on her own instead of going to the ceremony with her. And once he was here, she make a fuss and send him to the Ji family¡¯s house with Ji Yu such that everyone will know that the Ji family was still being supported by the Emperor without any change. ¡± Her majesty is overstressed,¡± Even though imperial physician Shao could see that her majesty was not sick at all, he knew that he couldn¡¯t say it out loud much less tell his majesty that the Grand Dowager Empress was feigning it after all, his family was still under the ws of the grand dowager Empress. He has to do what she asked him to do! ¡± I believe that she needs a lot of rest and care, your majesty, the Emperor,¡± he ryed everything that the mammy of the Grand Dowager Empress had told him to say to Zhai Tianyu without a single mistake. ¡± I see,¡± Zhai Tianyu looked at the man in front of him who had his head lowered and seemed to be replying to him quite honestly and then clicked his tongue inwardly. He thought that the imperial physician Shao was not a good actor but after being caught by him thest time, this man seemed to have learned some new skills. He was actually lying in front of the Emperor without even batting an eye! What wonderful actors he had in his court, one was pretending to be sick and the other was helping her as a supporting actor. Awesome. If they were not in the imperial pce, he was sure that his family could have made a fortune with their skills as y-actors! He did not call out the imperial physician Shao instead he turned to look at Ji Yu who was wiping the grand Dowager Empress¡¯s forehead and pursed his lips. So was Ji Yu in this act as well or was she like him? Who knew what was going on but had no choice but to go along with her majesty¡¯s antics? Zhai Tianyu did not want to lump Ji Yu together with the Ji family since she has been nothing but kind to him all their childhood but what was he supposed to do with the what if that was circting in his head? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 305 - 305 Talented actors! 305 Talented actors! Zhai Tianyu did not say anything to Ji Yu, he did not want to face her tears by asking ugly questions at this moment. He still needed to go to the imperial graveyard and then stand by Liu Hui Ying lest everyone thought that she was not supported by him or that she was just an empress in the name. ¡± When will her majesty wake up?¡± He further asked Imperial physician Shao, he wanted to know just how long this fake sickness was going to be dragged on though inwardly Zhai Tianyu was annoyed on the surface he looked at his grandmother with an expression that was full of concern as if he couldn¡¯t even withstand the sight of his grandmother falling sick like this. Imperial physician Shao nced at the ¡®unconscious¡¯ Grand Dowager Empress and then hesitatingly answered the question, ¡± Her majesty fell unconscious because her body was stressed as long as she takes enough rest, I am sure she will wake up soon.¡± ¡± Oh,¡± Zhai Tianyu nodded as if he understood what the Imperial Physician Shao was trying to say and then after much thought, he added, ¡± I think that we should all leave her majesty to rest then, I will go and attend the Liu family¡¯s ceremony, I am sure by then her majesty will be awake and then we will go and pay our respects to Lord Ji who passed away in an unfortunate assassination.¡± With that he turned around to leave, seeing that Zhai Tianyu really had no intention of stopping the grand dowager Empress gritted her teeth, she made such a big show to stop Zhai Tianyu from going to Liu Fei Fei¡¯s funeral ceremony, she wanted Liu Hui Ying to pay respects to Liu Fei Fei alone such that she will be able to recover some of the lost face because of the incident of Ji Meng and the others if Zhai Tianyu was to leave now wouldn¡¯t her entire hard work go down the abyss? As the grand dowager Empress thought about it, she realised that she could no longer put on the unconscious act anymore, but waking up as soon as Zhai Tianyu turned to leave seemed to be a bit too coincidental. In the end, she did what she thought was the only thing she thought was right. ¡± Kang Kang!!!¡± With a loud screech, Grand Dowager Empress woke up from her bed, her eyes crazy and wild as her hand stretched to the heavens, she kept calling the name of the previous Emperor and her son as she sobbed and asked for forgiveness. ¡± Your majesty!¡± ..... ¡± Your majesty, the Grand Dowager Empress!¡± Both Ji Yu and the imperial physician Shao screamed as they tried to calm the Grand Dowager Empress down, it was as if thetter really lost her mind and was on the verge of losing her life. Seeing them act like this Zhai Tianyu felt his head throb, he truly wanted to ask his grandmother whether or not she loved his father or did she thought of him as a chess piece till the end. How can she even use the name of his father to make her act look realistic? How can she not understand the fact that the dead should be allowed to Rest In Peace? Though Zhai Tianyu had a lot ofints, he still put on a worried look and turned to rush back as he helped the Grand Dowager Empress together with Ji Yu. The more he acted, the more he thought that he was bing one of his scheming concubines, was this something an Emperor was supposed to do? ¡± Grandmother calm down,¡± he pushed Grand Dowager Empress onto the bed and then covered her with a nket with a very worried expression on his face, he turned to look at Imperial physician Shao and then chided him angrily. ¡± What are you doing? Her majesty is like this and you are standing aside watching a show? Why don¡¯t you help her? Or is it that you don¡¯t want to help her? Should I take care of you and your family since you are so useless?¡± Imperial physician Shao felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard ce, the Grand Dowager Empress was pretending and so was the Emperor and as their loyal servant he was the one who was suffering the most. In the end, he could only lower his head and apologize before taking out a calming incense and then lighting it up. Fortunately, the Grand Dowager Empress seemed to have acted enough, once the calming incense was lit up, she stopped sobbing after a few minutes and then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu with tears in her eyes and said, ¡± Ti...Tianyu, you are here?¡± ¡°I am here, your majesty,¡± he answered the grand dowager Empress before picking up a cup of tea and then helping her to take a few sips of water. Seeing that her grandson was still filial to her, the grand dowager empress heaved a sigh of relief and then put on an aggrieved look on her face. ¡± Ah, I was supposed to go to Ji Xiann¡¯s house and pay respects to him today but looks like my old body had another n.¡± She turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and then with a sigh added, ¡± Tianyu if you do not mind will you go with Ji Yu and attend the ceremony in my instead? Tell Xiann that his aunt is sorry and couldn¡¯te to pay him respects as her old body is no longer as capable as it once was.¡± Zhai Tianyu took a sip of the water from the cup that he was holding and then licked his lips, he seemed to be hesitating but when he saw his grandmother¡¯s face that was pale and sickly, his eyes turned sad and he pretended to open his mouth as if he was agreeing but then suddenly he dropped the cup in his hands and covered his mouth as he gagged like he was going to throw up. Imperial physician Shao: ¡°.....¡± wow, his majesty was pregnant. What a miracle. Chapter 308 - 308 His majesty is here 308 His majesty is here Liu Hui Ying who was at the graveyard picked her ear just now she felt like someone was talking about her. ¡®Must be the air,¡¯ she thought in her head and then turned to look at Liu Yu Yang who was standing by her side and asked softly, ¡°Don¡¯t you have somewhere to go? You don¡¯t need to stand by me like this, I am fine.¡± She really could not understand how and why this man started to follow her, all she said was that she came to the graveyard alone and Zhai Tianyu did note with her and ever since then this man has been following her. Was this matter that big? She might be a woman but can¡¯t she arrive in the graveyard on her own? Why does she need to have a patron following her? What Liu Hui Ying who lived in the modern world as an independent woman can never understand was that even though she was the Empress, her title held no respect without the Emperor. Even if she was the mother of the nation, if it was rumoured that she has been abandoned by the Emperor then she will lose every bit of value that she had in the eyes of others. Liu Hui Ying did not understand it but Liu Yuyang who was trained as the heir of the Liu family understood everything too well. He nced at one of their uncle who was looking at Liu Hui Ying with a judgemental look in his eyes and narrowed his gaze ring at the man in return until he turned around and looked somewhere else. ¡®I want to leave as well but if I leave then you will be swallowed whole by these people.¡¯ Liu Yuyang who was standing beside Liu Hui Ying remarked in his head but he did not say anything to the young girl. As he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was blinking her eyes at him, he couldn¡¯t help but remember the time when thetter was too young and naive, the first time he saw her when he was brought home by Old master Liu who was his adoptive father and Liu Hui Ying¡¯s biological father. Back then Liu Hui Ying was not as corrupted by the talks of the servants and she cared for him as well, when she was young, she would follow him like this as well and the way she looked at him was the same too. Naive and innocent without any hint of malice in her eyes as she stared up at him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, your majesty,¡± Liu Yuyang answered Liu Hui Ying as he turned his head away from the young woman who was looking at him with that innocent gaze of hers. When he was brought to the Liu family, his adoptive father introduced him to Liu Hui Ying as his future wife, he told him that he was being raised as the heir because he was going to marry Liu Hui Ying and then be her husband who will take on her name. But when Liu Hui Ying turned thirteen and started hating him and everything that he did along with their eldest uncleing with the n of marrying her to the Emperor instead of keeping her at home, that small idea of his adoptive father was scrapedpletely. ..... Back then Liu Yuyang did not think that it was a pity or a problem on his part, in fact, he was quite relieved when he found out that he would not have to look after the spoiled and bratty Liu Hui Ying all his life but now that thetter was looking at him with those eyes that shone like countless stars in the midnight sky, why was his heart aching at the thought that this woman can never be his? Maybe it was because of the funeral, as the heir of the Liu family and now the adopted brother of Liu Hui Ying, he tried to brush away those thoughts from his head. ¡°I am just feeling a bit sentimental at the thought of losing one of my sisters, if you don¡¯t mind then please allow me to stay next to you,¡± And let me silently protect you, he added in his head quietly. He will not be able to stand next to Liu Hui Ying in his entire life since that spot now belonged to Zhai Tianyu. However, it was such a pity ¡ª¡ª the owner of that spot did not care for this ce at all. Liu Hui Ying did not say anything when she heard Liu Yuyang say those words, instead, she thought it was quite good as well because she could see that many people in her so-called family wanted to talk to her but she had no desire to talk these people whose gazes looked nothing less than unfriendly. ¡± Why are we not moving on with the ceremony of paying respects?¡± She asked not liking the gazes that were turned in her direction every once and then, they lingered on her back as if they had every right to do so. Liu Yuyang turned his head and red at those women who were casting suspicious and malicious gazes at Liu Hui Ying from behind and only when they turned away did he turn to look at her and replied, ¡± The head said that we are going to wait for his majesty. You might not know this, your majesty ¡­.but the Ji family is holding the same ceremony for Ji Xiann. Now everyone wants to see whose family will his majesty attend first, which is why the entire family is waiting for him to arrive such that we will be able to move to the next part of the ceremony.¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t it obvious where he will go?¡¯ Liu Hui Ying questioned in her head as she rolled her eyes. Zhai Tianyu¡¯s sweetheart was surname ¡®Ji¡¯ surely he will go looking for her right? These people.... they were only wasting time by waiting for that jerk¡ª¡ª- ¡°His majesty is entering!¡± Liu Hui Ying was still cursing Zhai Tianyu in her head when she heard the guards at the door of the graveyard shout at the top of their lungs. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 309 - 309 glass beads 309 ss beads ¡± What did his majesty say to you?¡± The Grand Dowager Empress sent her mammy to remind Zhai Tianyu to leave for the respect paying ceremony, she even made sure that her mammy insisted in front of Zhai Tianyu to leave for the Ji family instead of the Liu family, she even told her mammy to tell Zhai Tianyu to stay next to Ji Yu for the next of the ceremony and pay his respects together with Ji Yu such that they all will be able to regain their foothold in the court. After all, it was Ji Yu and Zhai Tianyu¡¯s close rtionship and the subtle impression of her bing the empress in the future that brought so many alliances to them. But now that her mammy returned, she was telling her apletely different story! The Mammy who was in charge of sending his majesty to the graveyard lowered her head and shivered, at the same time her eyes glinted with terror. She knew how much the Grand Dowager Empress hated when someone did not finish their job, she was really scared that she will be taken and buried in the backyard of the grand dowager empress without being able to fight which was why she immediately got to her knees in a flurry and then banged her forehead on the floor. ¡°Please forgive me, your majesty, I did insist in front of his majesty and I told him many times that he should be going to the Ji family to apany imperial consort Ji but¡­¡± she shivered and her words got interrupted because of her sudden pause that was filled with hups, this action of hers only annoyed the grand dowager empress who was listening to her. With an annoyed sigh, she banged her fists on the armrests of the chair on which she was sitting. The Grand Dowager Empress raised her voice and asked with a stern note in her trembling voice that held anger and frustration, ¡± But what? Did I not tell you to go and tell my grandson that I was sick and that I humbly requested that he should go and pay his respects to the Ji family¡¯s son first? Then why did he go to that worthless concubine¡¯s grave?¡± The mammy who was on the floor shivered even more as she gulped and then said, ¡± I did tell his majesty that but he said that this time the Ji family was in the wrong first and ¡­and your majesty has taught him that he should never be supporting the ones who are in the wrong, which is why he will be going to the Liu family first and then honour your words and teaching since you have worked so hard to raise him.¡± ¡°That damned fool!¡± For the first time in her life the Grand Dowager Empress was feeling this frustrated, she never once thought that there wille a day when she will regret her own words and teaching that she has given to her grandson but unfortunately for her, this day actually came! She raised her hand that was resting on the chair¡¯s armrest and then rubbed her forehead as a throbbing headache ensued. ¡± No,¡± she said with a slight re directed at no one in particr. ¡°No,¡± she repeated this time her voice was stronger than before as she pursed her lips in annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s not his majesty who is the fool here, it¡¯s my nephew and his father! And everyone else in that family!¡± She brought her hand down on the armrest again causing the wood underneath her hand to creak ominously. ¡°When I was in control of that family, I did nothing wrong even my husband and son believed me more than they believed anyone else, it would have been the same for his majesty as well, he was like a little ant in the palm of my hands, waiting to be crushed and praised for his work but because of these fools, all my hard work has been lost!¡± ..... The Grand Dowager Empress spent years making the Emperor believe that the Liu family was a family of corrupt officials and they were aiming for the death of their family. She even very carefully instilled the fact that it was the Liu family who killed her son and Zhai Tianyu¡¯s father which was something she was sure of even if she did not have any evidence. Years of hard work, where she snatched a son from her mother and raised him as her own son and yet¡ª¡ª all that hard work went down the drain! She was of course the one who taught all those things to Zhai Tianyu because the Ji family was supposed to be the good one in the court but now! ¡± They are little fools who do not understand anything!¡± The Grand Dowager Empress¡¯s eyes shed with worry at the thought of being caught by Zhai Tianyu she knew that if she did not do something she will lose more than just the foothold in the court. She turned to look at Xiao Mi who was working in her room with a calm and docile look on her face and then said, ¡°Little Mi, go to the Ji family and talk with the head of the family tell him that we need to move forward with the n of taking the Empress down.¡± Her fingers clenched in a fist as the Grand Dowager Empress gritted his teeth hatefully. ¡± We can no longer let that woman live anymore, tell him that this time I want the heart of that woman instead of the man whom she loved to be thrown into the sea!¡± As she spoke she clenched the ss beads that she was holding in her hand causing one bead to break. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 319 - 319 When have you seen me leave you in a lurch 319 When have you seen me leave you in a lurch On the other side, The Dowager Empress was trembling with fury while her son was nning to devour his wife. With rage filling her every fibre of her being, she trembled while looking at the guards who were responsible for taking care of Liu Fei Fei¡¯s tomb and clenched the cup of tea in her hands as she said, ¡± Speak! How was it possible for something like this to happen when you two were guarding the tomb? Did I not say that nothing was allowed to go wrong!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Second Master Liu also could not believe that something serious like that happened in the presence of all the elders of the Liu family. And that was not even the most important thing, the thing that made him angered to the point of no return was¡ª¡ª ¡± Because of your uselessness my dear daughter who is like a flower in the middle of a solemn field with nothing but her fresh fragrance to protect her was startled, how are you going to pay for this?¡± As he spoke Second Master Liu ced his hands on his waist and red at the two guards who were responsible for taking care of the tomb. If only they took care of the tomb better then his poor daughter would not have been startled like that! How useless! ¡®Second master Liu, the daughter whom you areparing to a flower ripped someone¡¯s heart and smashed it into bits what are you talking about! If she was startled by the blue roses and the disrespect of the Liu family then they were nothing but shy little girls!¡¯ The two guards who were burly as trolls immediately cried in their heads but they did not dare to say a single word to Second Master Liu since they knew that they will be punished if they were to say a single word about the Queen. As the guards of the Liu family, they knew very well that Second Master Liu doted on his daughter the most and if not for his elder brother¡¯s interruption, he would have kept Liu Hui Ying next to him throughout his life. ¡± We don¡¯t know how it happened, your majesty, the dowager Empress!¡± One of the guards on the right pleaded for mercy as he banged his head on the floor. He knew that he was going to be killed if he did not push this responsibility off his head which was why he immediately started knocking his head on the floor and then exined, ¡± We swear that those things were not there when the people who came to clean the tomb arrived. They were not there when the guests arrived but then all of a sudden they were there as if they appeared out of thin air!¡± Liu Dong Ming who was calmly sipping his tea on the side paused but he only paused for a mere fragment of a second which no one caught and continued to sip on his tea leisurely. ¡± Are you trying to make fun of this Empress? How can something appear out of thin air? It must have been you two who did not pay attention to the situation and allowed the Ji family to take advantage of us!¡± When Dowager Empress thought about how that old hag was going to get a goodugh at her expense, Dowager Empress Liu felt bad all over her body. ..... She wished she could tear the person who did this to her niece¡¯s tomb but more than that she wished she could tear that old hag¡¯s mouth. Years after years, that woman has ruined the life of women of the Liu family and yet she acts as if she was someone holier than others. How shameless! ¡± Calm down your majesty,¡± Liu Dong Ming who was sitting on the side immediately raised his head and looked at Dowager Empress Liu who was shaking with rage. ¡°I understand your fury but there is nothing that we can do about this now, what was supposed to happen has already happened and even if we make a fuss about it now¡­nothing will change.¡± ¡°How can you say that nothing will change, brother Ming ?¡± Dowager Empress Liu turned to look at her cousin and clenched her fingers, her past humiliation coupled with the humiliation that she suffered today made her shiver with anger. ¡± That was your daughter¡¯s tomb, adopted or not¡­she was disrespected ¡­a member of the Liu family was disrespected and you are saying that I need to calm down?¡± ¡± Sister is right, brother Ming,¡± when Second Master Liu saw that they were no longer using the formal title, he heaved a sigh and then turned to look at Liu Dong Ming and said, ¡± Are you going to let them go just like that? They have made a mistakeing after the Liu family! How can you just simply let them be?¡± ¡± When have you two seen me leave my family in a lurch ?¡± Liu Dong Ming questioned as he turned to look at his siblings and finally smiled, his face that was ageing immediately became a few years younger as he smiled. ¡± I am the guardian of this family, as long as I live, no one will be able to get away after slighting us¡­I assure you¡­¡± his eyes narrowed as he rubbed his wrist which was covered with ckened finger marks and promised, ¡± I will pay the Ji family for everything that they have done to our family, don¡¯t you worry.¡± Want bonus chapters? If the golden tickets of this book reach 400 golden tickets, I made the goal achievable please do help me now and in the top ten of the win-win, then I will release ten bonus chapters in the next month. Don¡¯t forget to follow me on insta @thefairybeast, you can also add me on discord fairytail#3206 we can discuss the book contents and I will like to have a friend! Wait for me to add you to the group before defriending me lol. Chapter 331 - 331 I will come to hate you—2 331 I wille to hate you¡ªHe was indeed the puppet Emperor but who was controlling the strings, it was yet to be seen. Zhai Tianyu closed his eyes as he turned to look at Ji Yu, whose heart skipped a beat when she saw the cold gaze with which Zhai Tianyu was looking at her. ¡± You said I was unfair right? Then let me tell you something dear consort, if I agreed with those petitions then I would have to ask the investigators to go way back, and by way back I mean years.¡± He narrowed his eyes and looked at Ji Yu¡¯s small face which was slowly getting paler by the second. ¡± Do you wish me to do that? Would you like me to see and find out what your family did and what the Ji family did? Is that your wish? If so then tell me now, I will sign the petition now with my seal and start the investigation here and now!¡± Ji Yu sucked in a breath when she heard Zhai Tianyu¡¯s words, she did not know what her father did years ago but she was certain that the reason behind Ji Meng¡¯s actions of killing the two consorts and trying to frame the queen had something to do with the ns that her father made for the Liu family¡¯s downfall. ¡± That¡¯s not what I meant, I mean..to say that you just need to investigate Brother Xiann¡¯s death.¡± Ji Yu whispered losing her momentum from before as she lowered her head. Her whisper was barely audible even when she knew that she and Zhai Tianyu were the only ones who were in the garden and there was no need for her to whisper like this but she still lowered her voice. Zhai Tianyu almostughed when he heard Ji Yu¡¯s words, was she for real? Was this Ji Yu now or was she like this from the beginning but he like a fool did not see it since she was the one who was his friend and cousin and the one person who stayed beside him through everything that he had to suffer. ¡± Say those words again consort, I dare you.¡± He told her and when Ji Yu did not say anything, he chuckled and then shook his head as he took several steps back and kept nodding with his lips pursed, it was a long time before he opened his mouth again and say, ¡± You want justice but you do not want fair justice, consort. You want justice that will suit you, your family and everyone else you care about.¡± ¡± Justice in the true sense is cruel, it¡¯s ruthless and sometimes you even have to lose your loved ones when it¡¯s handed out without questioning anything, there is no ¡®unfairness¡¯ in justice that will bring you happiness, if you want fairness then you need to be prepared for the consequences, are you prepared to face those consequences?¡± He asked Ji Yu who stayed silent. ..... As the cloud thundered one more time, droplets from them started to fall down, the size of pearls as they dripped on the two people who despite being so close were so far away from each other, to the point where they felt like they were trapped in their own hell where they could not breathe. One was lost because she lost the man whom she loved and the other was lost because he lost a friend whom he believed to be his dearest person. ¡± Are you prepared, consort?¡± Zhai Tianyu asked again and this time sounding even more pressing as he questioned Ji Yu, who closed her eyes and answered with a heavy heart, ¡± No, your majesty.¡± She might not be weed by her family but they were her own, she could not even dream of a world where they did not exist. Especially her father, he might be heartless and cruel but he was the same man who once came to her courtyard bringing a doll with him as he yed horse with her. She could never see her father die in front of her, the same man who was with her when she was alone when she was younger. ¡± This is what you call unfairness, consort,¡± Zhai Tianyu did not show his disappointment on his face, instead he stared at Ji Yu like he was staring at a stranger, his voice calm and his face a mask of calmness as he looked at Ji Yu. ¡± What I did is what we call fairness, if there was justice then I assure you, you would have called me something else instead of unfair because the Queen would not be the only one who suffered losses if I was to investigate everything.¡± He paused and then added, ¡± Maybe if I was to really start looking into the past, then consort, I believe that there is a chance that there wille a day when I wouldn¡¯t be able to help myself and hate you.¡± With that, he turned on his heels and walked away his heart heavier than the time when his grandmother told him that his father was killed by his mother. Now, he could not help but question whether even the things that he was told about the death of his father were true or not. ¡­ Ji Yu watched him leave and her feet stumbled, she would have fallen to her bottom if not for the fact that Xiao Lin came running and caught her in her arms. ¡± Mistress, please get a hold of yourself,¡± even if Xiao Lin did not hear what the two of them talked about, she could see that the Emperor was truly angry at her missy this time. Want bonus chapters? If the golden tickets of this book reach 400 golden tickets, I made the goal achievable please do help me now and in the top ten of the win-win, then I will release ten bonus chapters in the next month. Don¡¯t forget to follow me on insta @thefairybeast, you can also add me on discord fairytail#3206 so we can discuss the book contents and I will like to have a friend! Please do help this book! Chapter 336 - 336 Old man with a moustache 336 Old man with a moustache That night Liu Hui Ying changed into the appearance of the young man with the identity of Lord Chi again, she knew that she was being hunted by the people of the Ji family but she was more than capable of taking care of herself which was why she was not at all worried. At the current moment, the only thing that she cared about the most was meeting with the ghost of the witch whom Jia Li met with and see what the woman has to say to her. If she could tell Jia Li something like how Jia Li did not belong to this era and time, Liu Hui Ying was certain that the ghost of the witch was not as insane as Jia Li thought that she was, most probably she might be crazy since most witches who exorcised ghosts would be driven to a point on insanity when she turned old. After all, witches no matter in the modern world or the old eras they all lived in the forest away from the crowd of people where they cultivated their yin energy and slowly climbed up the ranks, unlike the celestial masters the witches did not have any inherent powers which were why they have to start from the very basic which sometimes included learning spells and getting enchanted weapons from the celestial masters. The witches were normal humans whose yin and yang eyes were opened because of some traumatic experience, they will see something that others could not which was why they woulde up with the thought of eradicating the evil spirits but theycked the powers that were handed to the celestial masters and under the pressure of the life they chose, they would sometimes be a bit unhinged. That¡¯s right, unhinged but not crazy at least that was what her experience with witches has taught her. They were different from witches who had powers and could concoct potions and spells, they were humans with barely any spiritual powers, they were bound to be bitter with their experience with time with the meek powers that they had and in case they met with a real celestial master, they truly became bitter to the point of no return where instead of serving gods they would start cursing them. Liu Hui Ying snuck out of the window of her room with an invisibility talisman stuck to her body she looked left and right before hopping out of the window and then started walking towards the entrance of the courtyard. What she missed was that in the evening there was heavy rainfall and thus when she jumped on the ground, her footprints were imprinted on the wet mud which was caught by the guard that was arranged by Zhai Tianyu. The woman looked at the footprints that appeared out of nowhere and thought of what Zhai Tianyu has told her when he was assigned to protect the queen. His majesty has told her that she needed to ry anything that was happening even if it felt weird andpletely beyond the human experience, even though the guard has seen a lot of things she was a bit surprised when she only saw footprints appearing on the ground and not a person. But she still wrote a letter to his majesty and then whistled, her whistle was silent to human ears and could only be heard by the pigeon that she has raised thus when she whistled she did not attract the attention of anyone other than her pet pigeon who came rushing in her direction with a flutter of his wings. ¡± Take this to his majesty,¡± the guard told the pigeon who was now sitting on her proffered arm that she has stretched out such that her pigeon could perch himself on it. The guard tied the letter to the leg of the pigeon before sending him flying to the courtyard of the emperor while she herself chased after the footprints that were trailing out of the courtyard. ..... This time the guard that Zhai Tianyu sent was better than thest one, Liu Hui Ying did not notice her from the start to finish but she still heard the sound of the whistle which made her frown and turn her head to look behind. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She heard Li Gang ask as she stopped on her path to the entrance of the courtyard. ¡± What are you looking at?¡± ¡± I feel like I heard something just now,¡± she replied to him with a frown that was still etched on her forehead and that made Li Gang roll his eyes as he said, ¡± You don¡¯t say that, this ce is like a battlefield on its own. I hear a bunch of sounds as soon as night falls, it is as if the people who live here are all waiting for the night toe before they could start their own murder mystery plot.¡± Liu Hui Ying did not say anything because what Li Gang said was the right thing. The people in the imperial pce were so scheming that even she felt a bit terrified at night having witnessed an assassin almost dropping on her roof, thankfully he did note to hunt her down and was after someone else. Seeing something like this happen in front of her she could not help but agree with what her sister once said¡ª¡ª ¡®It¡¯s the human that you have to watch out for, ghosts can still be restrained but what humans with bad intentions? They were near to impossible to catch because they hid themselves too well in the darkness of the night.¡¯ Back then she did not think much about these wise words that her sister told her but now she could not help but agree, her sister was indeed right. More than the ghosts she has to now be more wary of humans who hid themselves in the darkness of the night. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 337 - 337 Old man with a moustache —-2 337 Old man with a moustache ¡ª-The journey to the graveyard which was at least an hour away from the imperial pce was a tough one. Liu Hui Ying never thought that the journey that she finished in a few minutes in the carriage will make her bite, curse and yell in the middle of the night by the time she arrived in front of the graveyard she was ready to throw hands with anyone, especially the one who came up with the rotten idea of building this graveyard so far away from the pce. ¡± Just what was he thinking ?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked for the hundredth time she kicked the mud in front of her while standing in front of the graveyard of the imperial family. Her chest heaving up and down as she breathed heavily with her hands clenched on her side as she red at the metal door that was half open and half closed at the moment with a guard who was asleep on the stool with his eyes shut. He did not even open his eyes when Liu Hui Ying screamed for Liu Hui Ying knew that he was too tired. This guard was a young one and most probably he just started his training in the army because of this he was treated as an errand boy by the rest of the seniors who were older and more experienced than him, most probably someone else had this night shift but dumped it on this poor boy who did the duty in the morning as well since she saw him in the afternoon when she arrived in the graveyard. ¡± What a nuisance,¡± she clicked her tongue as she felt sorry for the young man. He could have fought back but because of his less-than-manly stature, he was silently suffering under the tyranny of his bully seniors. This was something that she was used to backing then when she arrived at the entrance of the Department of crime investigation in her time, she was taken as an easy target as well since she was an orphan and no one was there to back her up. She relied on schrships to pass her exams and finish college which was why her poor clothes and cheap shoes made her a source of gossip and mockery behind her back. But of course, those snide remarks and everything else were cleaned by her when she broke the nose of one of her seniors who was thinking that she was too easy to bully and locked her inside the men¡¯s washroom knowing that she was allergic to men. That day Liu Hui Ying almost died because of the suffocation and rashes on her skin before getting rescued by a doctor who was passing by and heard her banging on the door. Of course, she repaid the bullying by making sure that the woman paid her back twice but that was not what she was trying to say at the point¡ª¡ª-as she looked at the young man¡¯s thin arms that were covered with bloody bandages, Liu Hui Ying for the very first time felt sorry and annoyed. Annoyed because she thought that the man could always take those annoying seniors of him down, sorry because no one deserved to be bullied. Which was why she clicked her tongue and then took out a talisman that she had in her sleeves and stuck it to the back of the man. Even though it will not save him from getting hit, it will make those seniors of him think twice before bullying this young man. ¡± That was nice¡± Jia Limented as she looked at the karma talisman which would inflict twice the pain on the culprit who will touch the man from now on. ..... ¡± Shut up,¡± Liu Hui Ying snapped not wanting to hear a thing that Jia Li has to say about the deed that she just did and turned to look at her before she asked, ¡± Where is that witch?¡± ¡± Oh she is by the grave of thete grand¡ªgrand¡ªgrand Dowager Empress, she did not tell me how she died before she started cursing that old woman who died chanting spells to make sure that the old woman in the grave would suffer in the underworld.¡± Jia Li answered as she pointed at the grave that was grander and bigger than the others as Liu Hui Ying narrowed her eyes at the extravagant tomb that was sitting at the very end. She walked towards the grave ignoring the gazes of the ghosts who raised their heads as they stopped doing whatever they were doing and turned to look at her with curiosity. This was something that she was used to which was why she did not even bat an eye as she came to a stop in front of the extravagant tomb that was made of pure white marble with gold carved it. At the pirs a woman with a beautiful face as carved as she looked at them magnanimously with a gentle smile and on the other pir she was sitting on the throne looking at themoners while they cheered for her. Liu Hui Ying looked at the face of the beautiful woman and then dropped her gaze such that she could read the name of the woman who was buried in this tomb ¡ª¡ª ¡± Ji Yu Man,¡± Liu Hui Ying raised a brow as she looked at the tomb and then turned to look at Li Gang and asked, ¡± This is gold right?¡± Li Gang flew over to the pir and with his teeth nibbled over the gold face of the beautiful woman before smacking her forehead with his forefinger as he nodded, ¡± This is solid gold, one that I have never seen before.¡± Liu Hui Ying nodded at the response that Li Gang gave her and then looked at the rest of the grand Dowager Empress¡¯s tombs and pursed her lips before muttering, ¡± Why is her tomb decorated with gold but others are bare? Is it because they belonged to the Liu family? That can¡¯t be right. They are the most corrupt after all. Then is it because she was the most beautiful one?¡± As soon as she spoke, there was a snicker behind her as someone scoffed in a jeering voice, ¡± Beautiful hah! She looked like an old man with a moustache.¡± Chapter 338 - 338 Skirt chaser 338 Skirt chaser Liu Hui Ying turned around on her feet to look at the ghost of the woman who was standing behind her. She did not have to even ask Jia Li whether this woman was the witch she met because the ghost woman was the perfect example of a witch that was found in modern times as well ¡ª¡ªshe was wearing a ck shirt and long skirt with many beads and whatnot, with a talismans ne around her neck, a crazed sort of look in her eyes and a huge broom like peacock feathers duster which the witches used to beat the people who were possessed. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Jia Li however still raised her hand and pointed at the ghost of the woman whose hair was flying all over the ce with her lips coloured ck and a seal was drawn on her forehead. ¡± You were the one who told me that I was not from this world.¡± Jia Li turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and then said, ¡± She is the one who said that, she is the ghost of that witch, Hui Ying.¡± She was so excited that her voice was turning high-pitched. If Liu Hui Ying did not know any better she would have thought that Jia Li was meeting her long-lost sister which was why she was so excited but she knew that the girl was only excited because the ghost of the witch looked interesting and she was a sucker for everything interesting and weird. If not for the fact that it would be counted as rude, Jia Li would have already started interrogating the witch and might have asked her to lie down bare such that she will be able to examine her more closely and let her check how a witch was different from a celestial master. ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± Liu Hui Ying pushed the face of the excited ghost out of her face and looked at the ghost of the witch who was examining Jia Li with a frown on her face as she poked her pinky finger out and scratched the spaces between her teeth and turned to look at Liu Hui Ying before saying, ¡± You know this crazy ghost? She asked me to lift my skirt when we first met, she wanted to see whether I have only twisted feet or my entire lower half was twisted.¡± She then turned to look at Jia Li who had the good grace to look abashed and added, ¡± If I did not know any better, I would have thought that she was a pervert.¡± As she spoke she pointed to her feet that were facing backwards. ¡± Ugh yes, she must have done that, I am sorry about that,¡± Liu Hui Ying began as she lowered her head but was interrupted by the ghost of the witch who added with a frown, ¡± There is no point in apologizing to me because what¡¯s done is done, she already lifted my skirt and peeped inside, which was why I smacked her with my peacock broom.¡± She then spat on the ground and crossed her arms as she inched her head up and haughtily said, ¡± Who are you? Her mother? Or guardian? Did she bring her here to exorcise me? I am telling you, I ain¡¯t going anywhere.¡± Liu Hui Ying whipped her head at record speed to look at Jia Li who turned her head away just as fast pretending as if she could not see Liu Hui Ying¡¯s gaze that was literally drilling into her head. ¡± And she calls me a pervert, hah!¡± Li Gang scoffed as he made a face at Jia Li who turned to re at him but lowered her head when Liu Hui Ying red at her. ..... ¡± You lifted her skirt and peeped at her legs?¡± She asked not knowing what to do with this girl, should she exorcise her and keep this ghost of the witch as her servant, thetter looks saner than this one. How dare this girl say? that the ghost of the witch looked insane after doing something like this to her? Of course, she will look insane if she was to lift the skirt of a woman! ¡± I...I was just curious whether her behind was also forward¡ª¡ª¡± Jia Li tried to excuse herself but she was ignored by Liu Hui Ying who red at her and snapped hard, ¡± Why do you care if her behind was forward or backwards? Are you going to wipe her a*s? Which was why you were so worried about her behind?¡± Jia Li did not answer as she mumbled something that Liu Hui Ying missed but thetter did not care about it instead she turned to the ghost of the witch and bowed apologetically as she understood that the thing that Jia Li did was simply unforgivable. ¡± I am really apologetic about what she has done please forgive us with your magnanimity,¡± she said as she apologised before standing up straight and pushing Jia Li¡¯s head down and snarling, ¡± You apologise too you, youdy pervert!¡± Jia Li wanted to say that she was not ady pervert but then she thought of her actions and could not defend herself in the end even though she felt like she was being wronged, she still apologised, ¡°.I am sorry, I just thought that you will be a perfect specimen for my next research.¡± The ghost of the witch frowned as she looked at Jia Li and asked, ¡± What is a specimen and what do you mean by research?¡± She was from the old era and did not understand the term specimen. Her question ignited the researcher in Jia Li as thetter opened her mouth and said, ¡± A specimen is something that we tear and open up for further study¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± Jesus, would you shut up?¡± Liu Hui Ying covered the mouth of Jia Li who was speaking nonsense and then turned to look at the ghost of the witch who was looking unamused and apologised with another awkward look on her face, ¡± I am really sorry about this.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Chapter 339 - 339 Skirt chaser —-2 339 Skirt chaser ¡ª-¡± You have it tough,¡±mented the ghost of the witch as she looked at Jia Li who was now rubbing her head while whining to Grandma Lan Fen, who was smiling and telling the young ghost that it was all right and she does not need to take Liu Hui Ying¡¯s words to heart. ¡± If she was with me, I would have exorcised her by now?¡± Jia Li who was getting her head nursed by Grandma Lan Fen sucked in a breath as she whipped her head to the ghost of the witch who was suggesting Liu Hui Ying exorcise her and said in an affronted manner, ¡°You want my master to exorcise me just because I lifted your skirt a little? I did not even see your bottom since you smacked me in the back of my head, why do you have to be so ruthless?¡± Jia Li felt really wronged, it was true that she tried to take a peep under the skirt of the witch whose feet were twisted backwards but she never saw anything! The ghost of the witch actually smacked the back of her head before she could see anything so why was it that she was talking about exorcising with Liu Hui Ying? Were her calves made of gold? ¡± No matter what you say, Hui Ying will never exorcise me¡ª¡ª¡± Jia Li arrogantly ced her hand on her chest but just as she dered this she heard Liu Hui Ying say to the ghost of the witch, ¡± You are absolutely right, there are times when I want to exorcise her as well.¡± Jia Li felt a surge of a blood clog her throat as she went to her fours while little mushrooms started to grow on her back, Grandma Lan Fen tried to cheer her up but thetter received such a heavy blow that she could not even move her head as she got surrounded by thick yin energy. Li Gang on the other hand patted his thighs while heughed louder than ever, this was one of the few times when Jia Li was getting scolded by Liu Hui Ying, there was no way he was going to not enjoy this sight in front of him! Jia Li heard hisughter which was why she raised her head and red at him as she said, ¡± Don¡¯tugh at me so much, you are beaten by Liu Hui Ying every day!¡± ¡± But at least I have never been threatened with exorcism, you are the first one to receive that,¡± Li Gang said excitedly which made Jia Li feel as if her heart was aimed by an arrow and shot again and again. He was right, she was the first one among the three to be threatened by exorcism. Jia Li slumped on the ground of the graveyard with an expression of not wanting to do anything with the world while Grandma Lan Fen smacked Li Gang on the arm and said, ¡± Don¡¯t be so harsh on her, she is younger than you.¡± ..... ¡± Why?¡± Li Gang made a face as he looked at Jia Li who was throwing a tantrum and then pointed his hand at her as he said, ¡± Why don¡¯t you say something to her when she is making fun of me? I am older than her then why doesn¡¯t she respects me?¡± ¡± Why should I respect someone like you? You are a terrible ghost! If I was alive in the same time and age as you, I would have murdered you!¡± Jia Li snapped at Li Gang who was making fun of her. ¡± Oh yeah, not before I shot you straight in the head,¡± snapped Li Gang with his hands on his waist. ¡± I would have killed you right there and then, the second I saw you, you are that annoying.¡± ¡± Like you are the one to say, you ugly freak.¡± ¡± Annoying bitch!¡± ¡± Ugly freak!¡± ¡± Annoying¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± If you two don¡¯t shut up now, I will exorcise you both here and now,¡± Liu Hui Ying turned her head, her expression that of a devil which made both Jia Li and Li Gang jump in the arms of Grandma Lan Fen. Since they knew that Liu Hui Ying respected Grandma Lan Fen the most, they were certain that they will be protected by Grandma Lan Fen. Liu Hui Ying saw through their little n and scoffed before turning to look at the ghost of the witch and said, ¡± There is something that I wanted to ask,¡± ¡± You are here because I told that girl that she does not belong to this era, right?¡± the ghost of the witch interrupted her as she rolled her eyes and then turned to walk away. ¡± If I knew there was more of you, I would have kept a tight lid on my lips, who would have thought that there were more of you? What are you guys, bubbling wild mushrooms? Popping one after the other?¡± Liu Hui Ying felt a nerve throb in her head but she still did not say anything disrespectful since she needed the help of the ghost of the witch which was why she lowered her temper and then chased after her with a salesperson smile and said, ¡± I know that you might be annoyed with me right now but there is something that I want to know and you are the only one who can help me at the moment, as you already know only the witches are the ones who can read theary movements of the stars and not the celestial masters.¡± ¡± Of course I know that is the only advantage that we had over you guys or else your kind would have killed mine ages ago.¡± the ghost of the witch said as she scoffed and then turned to walk away from Liu Hui Ying as thetter chased after thetter and said, ¡± Which is why I need your help, you are a witch and you will help a celestial master in need, right?¡± Then the ghost of the witch turned to look at Liu Hui Ying finally and then arched a brow as she said, ¡± Fresh boar meat with three bottles of sake and I will tell you a little bit, you have an hour.¡± As she walked away the ghost of the witch paused and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and added, ¡± And oh little girl make sure to hunt the boar right now before making an offering, I am your only clue at the moment, so make me happy all right ?¡± ¡ª¡ª Leave a ps or golden tickets please it will lift my rank up and I will get more reader. Chapter 340 - 340 Dear mommy 340 Dear mommy ¡± I am not even a chef so why am I even hunting a boar and even grilling these skewers? What is the point seriously?¡± Liu Hui Ying grumbled as she twisted the sticks on which she has ced the chopped pork belly that was marinated with barbecue sauce, it was a good thing that the caretaker who lived on the funeral grounds had a considerable amount of food ingredients which she was able to steal with the help of her three ghosts but still! Why was she grilling pork belly? She was the Empress of this city damn it! For the first time ever since she came here, Liu Hui Ying was truly upset as she sat in front of the makeshift stove plus grill that she has made with the pieces of equipment avable in the caretaker¡¯s house as she twisted the stick that was on the grill with pork belly speared on it. ¡°Make the next one extra juicy,¡± she heard the witch say from behind as she burped and then swallowed ¡ª-no, she practically inhaled the remaining skewers that were in front of her. ¡± I believe that you can make these more juicier and you are just cking off since you don¡¯t want to serve me.¡± The witch who was offered the grilled pork belly by Liu Hui Ying licked her lips and then said, ¡± I am a very picky person, if this is not to my satisfaction then I might not give you the answers that you want.¡± Liu Hui Ying really did not want to serve this witch, she was the kind of woman who would eat bread jam before bread instead of frying rice when she came back home tired and frustrated. Who would have thought that she would one day, grill skewers for a witch when she did not even boil water for herself? ¡°. I understand, is there anything else that you would like with this?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked as she looked at the witch who was gulping down the pork skewers even though she had so manyints regarding her cooking. The witch did not answer instead she chewed on thest bite of her meat and then licked her lips with the tip of her tongue as she hummed and said, ¡± If you don¡¯t mind, can you make me some bone broth? I miss the feeling of drinking something warm, tantalising andforting. Make sure that you chose the meatiest neck bones, I would like it if the meat simply falls off and melts in my mouth.¡± ¡®Damn this ghost, is she a witch or was she a glutton in her past life? How can she eat so much? I only asked that sarcastically and yet she actually ordered?¡¯ Liu Hui Ying cursed in her head but then she waved her hand in front of her and said, ¡± There is no pot, how am I supposed to make a bone broth when I have to stew it for three hours before it bes as chewy and soft as you want.¡± ¡°I have nowhere to go and I am certain without the answers to your questions, you have nowhere to go either, right?¡± The witch muttered as she cleaned the gap between her teeth and when she lifted her head and looked at Liu Hui Ying, she had a cheeky look in her eyes as she said, ¡± If I don¡¯t get the broth then I might not open my mouth.¡± ..... Liu Hui Ying : (¨s¡ã¡õ¡ã£©¨s¦à ©ß©¥©ß Liu Hui Ying felt like she was going to explode but she still pursed her lips and then closed her eyes and turned to look at Li Gang and said, ¡± Go and steal a pot.¡± ¡± Why are you sending me to steal? You even asked me to steal the ingredients, do I look like a professional thief to you?¡± Li Gang questioned, earlier when he was stealing the ingredients, he was almost caught by the caretaker who woke up just as he was sneaking out with the bottle and jars of sauces, if he was still awake and caught him carrying the pot what will he do? But just as he questioned Liu Hui Ying, all three women turned to look at him with the same expression and only then he was reminded of his old profession. Li Gang held a hand up and said, ¡± There is no need, don¡¯t answer that question, I get it. I will go and steal the pot.¡± Damn just what kind of days was he living as a ghost? When he was alive he was the nightmare of his enemies and now that horrifying thug, the one whose name was enough to shake his enemies to the core was stealing a pot. Hahaha. With a dreadful look on his face, Li Gang epted his humiliation and then flew towards the house of the caretaker where he floated past the wall and then walked over to the small kitchen where he picked up the pot and then started walking towards the door but then he saw the old caretaker shiver and paused. Li Gang was right, the old caretaker was up when he heard someone rummage in the cab of his kitchen at first he thought that it was the cat that roamed in the grounds of the graveyard but when he raised his head, he actually saw the bottles and jars flying around! And there was no one holding them, the old man was scared out of his wits which was why he immediately started chanting Buddhist scriptures but who would have thought that the hungry ghost will return again soon and this time he will steal his pot! The old man loved the pot since it was new but he loved his life more which was when he saw the ghost taking the pot with him, the old man decided that he was going to stay put and not do anything at all! He was not going to make a peep! But just as he thought that he will stay as silent as he could, the chill in the room caused him to shiver and the thing behind seem to have paused because he could see the shadow of the pot on the wall opposite him! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 341 - 341 Dear Mommy —-2 341 Dear Mommy ¡ª-The old man was scared senseless he wanted to scamper out of his house and find the master who sent him these fake talismans. He told him that with these talismans the ghosts on the funeral grounds will not even dare look in the direction of his house but here a ghost was in his very house and was even stealing his beloved pot! However before he could get up and run for his life, he heard the drop of the pot behind him and that got his breathing hitched as he sped the nket that he had over his body and waited for the cmity to befall him. The chill that was spread over his room now seemed to be focused right behind him and the old man could no longer control the shivers that were climbing up and down his spine. His teeth started to chatter as he closed his eyes waiting for the ghost to bang the pot on his head and then kill him with one sweep move but instead, he heard some scratching sounds at the top of his head. ¡®What? What was going on? Was the ghost sharpening the knife to kill him and then eat his insides?¡¯ The thought brought a gasp almost to the old caretaker¡¯s lips as he clenched his eyes shut. ¡± I ¡­I am not good in taste. I am so¡­so old, all my bones have gone brittle and the flesh on my bones has gotten harder and harder to chew. You should ¡­you should try some fresh meat instead of this old man¡­ I am¡­I am even sick and I have been to a lot of brothels when I was younger who knows what kind of disease I am carrying, you would not want them¡­ I am being honest back in my days I used to spend a night with three women ¡ª¡ª¡± The old care taker continued to mutter but then he heard a loud screech right above his head and winced when he heard the door shut down with a bang. ¡± The ghost left?¡± The old caretaker pushed himself up from the bed as he blinked his eyes and adjusted them to the light of the moon before turning to look at the spot from where the sound of scraping wasing and was surprised to find a message. ¡® I am taking the pot but it¡¯s borrowing pick it upter and don¡¯te out of the house, this is our party. If youe out I will grill you alive and you reek of bragging, stop lying old man! You are ying with the feelings of a virgin ghost!¡¯ ¡± Bragging? Oh, dear was that a virgin ghost? Looks like I made him upset and he was so polite even leaving a message for an old man like me.¡± The old caretaker looked at the message that was left on his wall and cupped his cheek with a troubled look on his face. He sped his hands in prayer and said, ¡± I hope you find a decent ghost woman soon, polite thief ghost. For the sake of letting this old man off.¡± ¡­ ¡± Achoo.¡± Li Gang sneezed as he ced the pot on the burning fire and then sat down sullenly on the ground. He could not understand how it was possible, he was definitely more good-looking than that old man but that guy spent a night with three women and he died a virgin at such a young age that and even now he could not get a girl? The heck kind of life was this! ..... ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jia Li looked at Li Gang who was looking sullen and could not help but ask as she looked at thetter who was on sitting on the ground with an expression that said, he was being harassed left and right. Li Gang looked at her and then swept his gaze at Jia Li and said, ¡± Unless you are going to give me a taste of heaven you better not ask.¡± ¡± Hah, what do you¡ª¡ª¡± Jia Li was halfway through her sentence before she covered her chest and kicked Li Gang. ¡± You disgusting man, you told me that I am too ugly and now you are checking me out?¡± ¡± At this point, I will even take someone from Grandma Lan Fen¡¯s age, I want to give up my status as a virgin!¡± ¡°Oh, my,¡± Grandma Lan Fen blushed as she looked at Li Gang while Jia Li looked beyond disgusted. ¡± You are beyond creep.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than being called a virgin in two hundred sixtynguages!¡± ¡± Stay quiet, you two are making my head hurt!¡± Liu Hui Ying snapped as she turned to look at Li Gang and Jia Li with a knife in her hand. ¡± Are you six years old? If you wanna fck around then get lost! I am not your mother who will solve your every fight! Li Gang, if you want a woman then stop being so desperate and Jia Li stop acting like a pervert before calling others a pervert and Grandma Lan Fen, stop with that blush you are going to make me puke.¡± The three ghosts sucked in their mouths as if they have tasted lemon and did not say anything further. The ghost of the witch turned to look at the three ghosts and then hummed, ¡± If you want to give up that virginity of yours, you cane to me. I will have my fun with a young man as well.¡± Liu Hui Ying almost gagged as she turned to look at the ghost of the witch, even though she died when she was quite young, she was almost ten to fifteen years older than Li Gang, yet she was asking thetter toe and y with her really? There was no way a ghost under her would be that desperate ¡ª¡ª- ¡± Dear Mommy! I have got your back just wipe this tag of a virgin ghost from my head!¡± Liu Hui Ying did not even get to finish her sentence when she heard Li Gang call the ghost witch mommy and hug her desperately. Liu Hui Ying: ¡°...¡± She forgot that the guy was literally that desperate. Chapter 342 - 342 The events of the past 342 The events of the past Liu Hui Ying stared at the ghost who was acting like he was going to get a taste of heaven and felt embarrassed for him. Just how desperate was this guy anyway? He was jumping on just anyone! She wished she could grab thetter by the neck and pull him back but before she could do that she saw, Jia Li who was standing behind her walk over to where Li Gang was and ¡ª- Wham! The sound of someone¡¯s head being smashed open by a stick that was as thick as a child¡¯s arm echoed in the silent graveyard when Liu Hui Ying saw Jia Li, thetter was dragging a slightly dizzy Li Gang back to his spot while muttering about how he was dirtying the eyes of others by his shameless antics. The ghost of the witch looked at the two of them with interest in her eyes as she seemed to be slightly wicked inside her heart. Liu Hui Ying looked at the ghost of the witch who was looking at Jia Li and Li Gang and said, ¡± Now are you willing to answer my questions or are you going to wait until you get your pork bone broth?¡± ¡± Well I would like to quench my thirst first and warm my parched throat a little before speaking since it will be a long story,¡± replied the ghost of the witch who picked up the newly grilled pork skewers and took a bite of the one that seemed the juiciest one out of the others. ¡± Hmm, you have grilled this one to perfection, looks like you were cking off when you were grilling before.¡± As she spoke the ghost of the witch red at Liu Hui Ying looking slightly upset since Liu Hui Ying did not do a good job while grilling the other pork skewers that she offered to her before. Liu Hui Ying turned her head away such that she could focus on the broth, it was better to pay attention to the broth and then fulfil all the wishes of this old hag lest she opens her mouth once again. She raised her hands and started prepping for broth while the ghost of the witch continued to speak from behind as she gave her one order after another. ¡± Make sure to skim off the impurities.¡± ¡± No, No ¡­lower the heat, it will burn at this rate!¡± ..... ¡± Add a little less salt, I don¡¯t like too much salt in my food.¡± ¡® I am a detective and not a chef and this is not a world of gourmet fantasy, you old hag!¡¯ Liu Hui Ying roared in her head but she still did as the woman ordered her from behind lest she came up with another order in case she was not satisfied. After a long hassle, the soup was ready and Liu Hui Ying pushed it in front of the ghost of the witch, who picked up the bowl that was in front of her and then took a sip as she sighed in contentment and said, ¡± I am so d that I met you, it has been so long since I ate anything other than sucking the yin energy in this graveyard. And honestly, it¡¯s not that great either since all of those who are buried in this ce were nothing but pure evil people.¡± Li Gang who was dragged to the side by Jia Li raised his head and looked at the ghost of the witch who was sipping on her pork bone broth and asked curiously, ¡°What do you mean by, you have never eaten something like this? Don¡¯t ghosts go to houses that are holding a funeral and eat the food that was left for wandering souls?¡± ¡± No, No, No¡­!¡± Liu Hui Ying whipped her head to turn to look at the stupid ghost who asked the ghost of the witch about her life history was he an idiot? They have already wasted so much time here! Seeing the despair-filled expression of Liu Hui Ying, Li Gang knew that he might have done something wrong which was why he looked at Liu Hui Ying sheepishly but even if he wanted to take his word back there was nothing he could do now, the arrow was long shot and already hit the target. The ghost of the witch was very pleased when she saw that Li Gang asked her a question that no one ever bothered asking her. After all, many ghosts and humans have stumbled on her, and they have asked her to help them but they did not care why she was tied to this ce. ¡± I am d that you asked,¡± the ghost of the witch said as she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who had her hands on Li Gang¡¯s throat, even though thetter knew that the man will not die since he was already dead, she still wanted to make him suffer. The ghost of the witch was tickled by their antics which was why she chuckled and started speaking, ¡°It is a long story, so you all better sit down and listen since some of your questions will be answered by me.¡± Only then did Liu Hui Ying let Li Gang go as she turned to look at the ghost of the witch who was now holding a bowl in her hands, one of her legs was pulled up and her elbow was resting on the raised knee. When the ghost of the witch saw that she has gained Liu Hui Ying¡¯s attention, she sighed and began her story, ¡± It happened years ago, I don¡¯t remember the time or the year when I was killed but I do remember that he reason I was killed,¡± she raised her hand and then pointed at the tomb of the third grand dowager empress. ¡± She is the reason why I am trapped in this ce, if not for her foolishness, I wouldn¡¯t be here and..¡± she trailed off as she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and said, ¡°Even you would not be here, if not for her.¡± Leave a golden ticket, it will help me to raise my book¡¯s ranking and I will be able to get more readers. This will give me a small benefit, please if you can leave a golden ticket to the author! I hope you will listen to my plea. Thank you. ¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 343 - 343 The events of past ——2 343 The events of past ¡ª¡ª¡± Are you saying that I am here because of a woman who died years ago?¡± Liu Hui Ying looked at the ghost of the witch who was looking at the mes that were flickering in the stove that was burning in front of Liu Hui Ying. She heard the ghost of the witch hum as she raised her head and looked at her with a rare solemn gaze. ¡± It might look nonsense to you but this is the truth, sometimes the events of the past be so messy that they keep dragging to the future even when the others try to stop them. But when humans believe they can go further than the powers of nature, disaster is bound to happen.¡± Liu Hui Ying was even more confused upon hearing what the ghost of the witch said to her, just what kind of incident can make the past and the future intertwined like this? Seeing the confusion in Liu Hui Ying¡¯s eyes the witch sighed and then said in a soft voice, ¡± It happened years ago, the grand dowager of that time gave birth to a prince, but while giving birth, she injured herself making it impossible for her to get pregnant again. This was why she kept her child close since she was afraid that someone will harm her son.¡± ¡± But the more she kept him safe the more the others wanted to harm her, and one day when the grand dowager empress fell sick, the Concubines found a way to kill the heir of the throne. They pushed the child into the pond leaving him to drown and they seeded, when the crown prince was dragged out of the pond, he was imed to be dead.¡± The ghost of the witch pursed her lips together as she took another sip of her soup and then smacked her lips as she lifted her head and looked at Liu Hui Ying who despite having a frown on her face was hanging to every word that she was saying it both amused and gratified the ghost of the witch. It has been a long time since she had someone to talk with, and even though the girl acted as if nothing bothered her, she was like a coconut. Hard on the outside but soft on the inside, she whined andined a lot but she was someone who would still help those who were in need. ¡± Of course the then grand dowager empress could not ept it, she brought the corpse of her son and summoned a ck art practitioner. She asked the ck art practitioner to bring her son back to life.¡± ¡± But that¡¯s impossible, no one can bring the dead to life,¡± Liu Hui Ying remarked as she looked at the ghost of the witch who nodded her head and said, ¡± You are right, the dead can never be revived, if it was possible then the bnce of this world would be long tilted to a side.¡± The ghost of the witch then turned to look at the tomb that was covered in gold and then continued to speak as she licked her front teeth with her ckened tongue which was most probably because of the poison that she drank before dying, ¡± The grand dowager offered a handsome amount to the ck art practitioner who was swayed by the money in front of him, of course, he did know that there was no way he can revive the dead. Which was why he summoned an evil demon and let it possess the body of the crown prince but neither of them noticed that there was another evil spirit that escaped when they were summoning a soul for the crown prince.¡± The ghost of the witch turned her head and looked at Liu Hui Ying as she spoke in a whisper, ¡± The evil spirit upied the body of the next person in the room and that was the brother of the grand dowager empress.¡± ..... Liu Hui Ying followed her gaze and looked at the tomb of the grand dowager empress who ruled this country years ago. ¡± What happened then?¡± She asked the witch who turned to look at wanting to know what kind of incident caused her tragedy. ¡± What do you think will happen? With two evil spirits in the castle, things went haywire the second they took control of the bodies. Deaths, untimely and horrid started to happen all over the castle, sometimes it will be animals who were killed but then the killing moved to the humans and one by one the concubines were killed.¡± The ghost of the witch had a severe look on her face as she remembered the days of the past. ¡± I was invited by the emperor who knew that something was wrong, he asked me to exorcise and take care of the evil spirit that was haunting the pce to which I agreed but the Dowager Empress seemed to have realised that something was wrong,¡± she tilted her head and drank the rest of the soup before putting the bowl down on the ground. ¡± When I arrived at her castle, I saw the evil spirit and thus went to exorcise it, the grand dowager was scared that the soul of her son will be sent back and he will die again because of these thoughts, she ordered her guards to capture me andter on poisoned me such that her secret will never be revealed.¡± A smile etched on her lips which were more mocking than evil as the ghost of the witch smirked and then added, ¡± The only difference was that I never wanted to exorcise the crown prince, the spirit in his body was evil but she was a child, she could not do a lot of damage. The spirit I wanted to take down was the one that was upying the body of her brother who came to see her that day at the imperial pce. That foolish woman lost her only opportunity to keep her life safe.¡± Chapter 344 Your mother Chapter 344 Your mother Liu Hui Ying narrowed her eyes after she listened to everything that the ghost of the witch said, if there was an evil spirit right beside the Grand Dowager of that time and that woman killed the only person who was capable of dealing with that spirit doesn''t that mean that she has simply left the evil spirit to roam freely and without any bounds at that? " Was there someone else who could have taken the evil spirit down?" Liu Hui Ying asked to which the ghost of the witch shook her head and then said, " I was the best which was why the Emperor of that time called me, if not then he would not have called for me. Other than me there was no one else who could have taken that spirit down." The fire flickered under the wind as the chill in the graveyard started to cover the entire space as the ghost of the witch raised her hand in the air and then twisted it such that it made aplete circle. The smoke that was rising from the fire whirled and floated towards the ghost of the witch where she has drawn an imaginary circle before it started to shimmer and mould into the same sphere that was drawn by the ghost of the witch. The ghost of the witch next raised her hands again and this time the water on the ground that was left behind by the rain earlier this morning rose into the air and mixed together with the smoke that was hovering in the shape of a circle in the air before it started to take the form of an array. Liu Hui Ying stared at the inscriptions and the array''s design before she opened her lips and said, " This is an array of protection born from thest gratitude of a person who was on the verge of death." " Thats right, this is thest gratitude array," the ghost of the witch nodded as she flicked her wrist and everything fell on the ground just as quickly as it rose in the air causing a soft noise to echo in the graveyard as the water that was flying in the air pitter-pattered on the ground. The ghost of the witch stared at the water that was on the ground and sighed with a solemn look on her face, before she parted her dark lips and said, " The grand dowager soon found out the truth about her brother when thetter killed her, I was there because I was haunting her from the day she poisoned me and my disciples, ruining our lives with her actions. It seemed that she could not ignore the blood thirst and ruthlessness of the evil spirit behind her which was why she cottoned on to the happenings that were taking ce around her." " But that foolish woman chose to confront her brother instead of running away, the result is something that you can easily decipher¡ª¡ª she was killed by her brother who framed her death as an assassination attempt by the family you belong to." " Why would he do that? Unless he has something against them," Liu Hui Ying questioned, no matter what she could not understand this thing. There were so many people to me but he chose the Liu family as a target, most probably There has to be some sort of connection that she could not point her finger at because every evil spirit had a reason toe back to thends on which he once walked or else they would have walked to other life. Only those who cannot let go of their grudges would chase after a life that was worse than death. " You are wise, there is something that no one knows about," the ghost of the witch sighed as she picked up a stone from the ground and then started drawing an ancient inscription that Liu Hui Ying has only seen in the books before. She raised her head and then said, " Put a drop of your blood in this." Liu Hui Ying frowned but she made sure that the ghost of the witch was not tricking her before she pricked her finger with the hairpin that was in her hair and then watched the blood drop on the inscription that was drawn by the ghost of the witch Her blood dropped on the inscription before it started to frizzle and sputter like water dropping in oil. Soon it was covering a part of the inscriptions while the next second, thend on the other side started to bubble and forth before dark red blood that looked as if it was ck started to ooze out of the ground on its own, causing Liu Hui Ying''s eyes to widen. her head. " This is what happened years ago when the evil spirit targeted the Liu family, he wanted to " Are you doing ck magic?" She asked and was surprised to see that the ghost of the witch shook kill everyone in their line. His reason was simple when he was alive he was a dark priest who fell in love with the priestess that hailed from the very family you now belong to ¡ª¡ª however he was betrayed when the priestess chose to seal him away instead of epting his love." " After that he swore that he will make it such that there will be no priestess without him, when he was revived into another body, he fulfilled the oath that he took ¡ª¡ª he merged the blood that flowed in his body with that of the priestess who was yet to awaken causing a bond to be formed between the two families which made them impossible to disentangle from each other." The ghost of the witch sighed, as she said, " A few years ago he tried to kill the same priestess who was yet to awaken but thetter was fortunate enough to escape." " You mean to say that he is creating chaos like this for years because he was dumped?" Liu Hui Ying asked with a frown to which the ghost of the witch smiled and said, " There are all forms of love¡ª- filled with consent, pain or twisted intentions." Chapter 345 Your mother —-2 Chapter 345 Your mother ¡ª-2 " But that does not exin why I am here," Liu Hui Ying said, she was sorry not so sorry for that man who was dumped and escaped to fulfil a stupid love story in her opinion. The thing that concerned her was, in the end, herself, she has been like that and she might stay as one till the end, no matter what others thought about her. The ghost of the witch smiled at her heartless expression and then questioned with a soft voice, " Why do you think that the man went to the future? Isn''t it because he wanted to put an end to the one who had both future and past entwined in her destiny?" Liu Hui Ying did not know what the old witch meant by this, she frowned before twisting her lips to the side and then said, "I am not catching what you are trying to say." " Maybe if you think about your mother then you will be able to understand what I am saying," the ghost of the witch smiled as she flicked her hand and the inscription on the ground vanished. " Have you never questioned about your mother being too out of the ordinary? That she was different from the rest as if she was in a ne where she did not belong but had to live because she found what she was looking for?" Liu Hui Ying did not have many memories of her mother, she only knew that the woman was gentle, much more elegant than the rest. Even though she was living in a small apartment, she carried herself with such grace that she made women of the high ss look like fools in front of her and this was something that Liu Hui Ying has always admired. She thought that her mother was just better than the rest which was why she never questioned anything but now that the ghost of the witch was saying somethingpletely different than what she had thought, Liu Hui Ying felt that she was hit in the back of her head. " That''s impossible¡ª¡ª" she went to say with a chuckle but the ghost of the witch tilted her head and smiled, " You are here, do you still think that it is impossible? Silly girl, there is no such thing as impossible in this world. Bnce that has been broken will repair itself, your mother broke the bnce by escaping dimensions and finding the man whom she loved and was killed in the hands of the demonic spirit." " In return, you were brought here to fulfil the role that she left behind, it''s just a pity that your sister was entangled in a mess that was never hers, to begin with." The mes that were moving and frizzling as the fire reflected in the eyes of Liu Hui Ying, thetter looked at the ghost of the old woman with a shocked look on her face behind her Li Gang who was lying on the floor immediately sat up straight and said, " Oh dear lord, I thought it was just a small matter but looks like we are in deep shit, Hui Ying." Oh, they were in deep shit. Liu Hui Ying thought in her head as she turned to look at the ghost of the witch and asked, " What do you mean my sister got caught in this mess? Are you saying that she was not supposed to die? Was it my turn to die?" " The demonic spirit left for your world because theary movements told us that another priestess has taken birth and the new priestess will take the Liu family to greater heights which was why it created a rift in time and space to end the priestess before she could arrive here," the ghost of the witch then lifted her head and looked at the sky above them. " Must have made a mistake while looking for the right one, or he might have not seen your powers that were yet to be awakened." " Then why note and kill me now?" Liu Hui Ying asked angrily she felt terrible thinking about how her sister was killed when the target was her, if she had known then she would have looked for that man and killed him by now. Not like she was not going to do it. The ghost of the witch clicked her tongue and then wriggled her finger in front of Liu Hui Ying as she said, " There is no way he would be able to do that, your sister used up thest of her powers to seal half of his powers unless he breaks the seal he will nevere right in front of you, at least not him but his followers¡ª¡ª" As she spoke, Liu Hui Ying felt a chill crawl up her spine¡ª¡ª there was the sound of a de whipping through the air as she ducked down just in time a figure from the shadows jumped in between her and the ghost warrior who was dressed in a rusted old armour. " Are you okay my queen?" A voice that she did not expect to hear called her from behind as Liu Hui Ying turned to look at the man who has foolishly jumped in between a ghost and her. " What are you doing here?" She could not help but ask as she looked at Zhai Tianyu who was dressed in a simple robe and had his hair tied in a ponytail as he gritted his teeth while the ghost warrior ced more and more pressure on the sword that was being blocked by Zhai Tianyu''s sword. She saw the man turn his head as he smiled and then said with a cheeky look in his eyes, " Would you believe me if I say that I was worried to death for you, my queen?" The air whipped past them as it slowly caressed them on their cheeks while the two people stared at each other in the eyes even though a ghost warrior was attacking them. The ghost warrior: "..." Yes, right here, officer. These two are the ones who stripped me of my dignity. Chapter 346 - 346 Plan B 346 n B Liu Hui Ying broke the gaze that she was sharing with the Emperor, she could not understand why and how she did not feel disgusted by the scent that was surrounding her. Maybe she was getting used to him? That was the only usible exnation after all there was no way she will ever fall in love with a man since she has been disgusted by the lot of them for a very long time and coupled with her sister¡¯s distaste towards men it was simply impossible for her to find any man likeable at all. Which was why she did not even think about it and simply turned her attention to the ghost warrior that the person has sent after her. She could feel the special dark energy that was ovepping with the yin energy of the ghost itself, she wanted to trace the dark aura that was surrounding the ghost warrior but then she realised that there were no lingering traces left behind by the man she has been looking for so many years. It was just as the witch said, thought Liu Hui Ying in her head as she looked at the ghost warrior that was pressing his sword against the king¡¯s, that man was scared to see her which was why he was keeping a distance from her since her sister has sealed half of his powers at herst moment. ¡± Step aside, your esteemed majesty,¡± Liu Hui Ying summoned her own rapier that had an array drawn with blood on it. With a golden glow, the rapier sword came into existence as it materialised right in the hands of Liu Hui Ying who took a step forward and then asked Zhai Tianyu to step behind her. ¡± I can take him down,¡± said Zhai Tianyu, he might not be able to fight ghosts and spirits but he could fight in case the ghost belonged to a warrior. He has learned sword fighting for a very long time maybe ever since he was a child which was why he was confident that he was going to win against this ghost. ¡± I know,¡± Liu Hui Ying summoned a talisman before she turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and said, ¡± but this is my fight.¡± As she spoke she threw the talisman at the ghost warrior that lunged out of the spot but still could not dodge the rapier that Liu Hui Ying was holding, coupled with the fact that she had three ghosts to aid her. The ghost warrior looked like a child who was getting bullied by the teen kids in the neighbourhood. Li Gang alone was enough to put an end to that thing as he kicked and punched at the ghost warrior who was getting pushed by Liu Hui Ying into a corner. The ghost warrior seemed to have sensed that he could not deal with the four of them together which was he turned furious and opened his mouth as he raised his head and with his rotting skin and dark teeth that seemed to be turning ck he yelled in fury. Before it started to make a hand seal that caused Liu Hui Ying narrowed her eyes as she ordered, ¡± Everyone fall back! Your majesty stay behind me!¡± ..... Zhai Tianyu was stunned when he saw that Liu Hui Ying was ordering him around but he was too overjoyed at the fact that she was worried about him to care about her audacity of ordering him. As long as he could get the care of the queen, it did not matter to him if he has to act as a damsel in distress. The witch who was watching everything happen in front of her narrowed her eyes when she saw Liu Hui Ying and Zhai Tianyu standing together, her eyes fell on the red string that seemed to be tying them together and was slightly fascinated with it. If she was not wrong, the girl seemed to have an extreme distaste for men but yet she has a soul mate? Unlike the other witches who did not have proper guidance Mao had received proper training from her master which was why she knew things that others did not and with her staying in this verynd for so many centuries, Witch Mao has learned a lot of things. And now she could see things that even Liu Hui Ying who was born with a natural talent could not see since shecked the experience. ¡® Looks like it¡¯s time for me to step out of this graveyard,¡¯ thought Witch Mao as she turned her head and looked at the tomb of the woman against whom she was holding a grudge for many centuries. ¡® I have enough of this old hag anyway.¡¯ Liu Hui Ying did not have the time to worry about Witch Mao, right now she was staring at the ghost warrior as he summoned more of his friends. She stared at the corpses of the warriors who were stepping out of thend of the graveyard and clicked her tongue in annoyance. ¡± Would you look at that,¡± Li Gang snickered as he threw the stick that he was holding in his hand up in the air and then watched it twist a few more times before morphing into a pair of guns. ¡± Someone called his friends because he got a boo-boo. Aww.¡± ¡± You should pay attention to your surroundings,¡± said Jia Li as she examined the stats of the being that have arrived and said, ¡± They are level three which means that they are not a threat to us but just in case ¡ª¡ª I think we should stick close to n B.¡± Grandma Lan Fen summoned her electric baton which she twisted and watched it morph into a whip before she winced and said, ¡± I do not like n B.¡± ¡± Oh but I love it,¡± Li Gang licked his lips as he distributed the guns in his hands and then snickered happily. ¡± This is going to be fun, oh so fun!¡± Zhai Tianyu who was listening to the three ghosts turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who has changed her rapier into her chain scythe and asked, ¡± What is n B?¡± No sooner did he say this, he heard a rapid bang bang bang as he watched the limbs of the ghosts being blown away. Liu Hui Ying herself threw the chain scythe at the ghost who was leading and watched it twirl around the neck of the thing as she ruthlessly pulled the ghost warrior in the air and with a bang brought it down such that he became a rotten meat patty before turning to look at Zhai Tianyu and replying, ¡± Absolute massacre.¡± The glint in her eyes showed that she was not at all joking. Chapter 347 - 347 Plan B 347 n B ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C It was just as she said, an absolute massacre. The three ghosts alone were like a force that Zhai Tianyu would never like to face ¡ª¡ª Li Gang¡¯s weapon seemed to morph into weird-looking ck things that shot hole after hole into the body of the ghost warriors that were moving while Grandma Lan Fen, though she was a bit restrained than Li Gang who was whopping in a jolly voice throughout the time. She was still rather dangerous as she used the long whip that she had in her hand to whip the ghost warriors and everything the tip of her whip touched them, a bolt of lightning will appear out of thin air and shoot the heads of the ghost warriors making it such that they exploded into a matter of seconds. Jia Li did not take part in the battle but he could see that she was itching to have a go as well but maybe her weapons were too big or grand for something so small that Liu Hui Ying asked her not to make a mover and wiped the entire army of the ghost warriors that were heading in their ways. Because Zhai Tianyu was so focused on watching hepletely forgot about keeping an eye on him. A ghost warrior who was fighting the battle seemed to have noticed Zhai Tianyu who was standing behind Liu Hui Ying, maybe he sensed that she was protecting him which was why he snuck behind the backs of everyone and went to attack Zhai Tianyu instead! As the ghost warrior crept behind him Zhai Tianyu did not make a move which overjoyed the ghost warrior who was sneaking behind him. ¡® This human good, this human well,¡¯ the thing thought in his head as it raised his hand and swiped the sword that he was holding at Zhai Tianyu who turned to retaliate just as Jia Li threw what looked like a ss vial at the ghost warrior. Zhai Tianyu to his horror watched the ghost disintegrate into a pile of goo as Jia Li¡¯s vial touched him causing Zhai Tianyu to turn and look at the female ghost who smiled and muttered, ¡± Oops looks like I was a bit hasty.¡± He looked at the thing that was now bubbling on the ground and understood why Liu Hui Ying did not ask Jia Li to join in the fanfare there was a chance that if she missed then she might cause some fatal damage to the ones who were helping her rather than taking the ghost warriors down, just now he was sure that the vial almost missed him. ..... ¡± If this thing had hit me, what do you think would have happened to me?¡± Zhai Tianyu asked Jia Li who was hovering at the top of his head. The female ghost tilted her head to the side and very innocently said, ¡± Nothing, you will just have very severe bad luck for the rest of the week where your chances of survival would have dropped to zero. But don¡¯t worry I made sure that you do not get hurt.¡± ¡± Thank you,¡± said Zhai Tinanyu as he very quickly took a couple of steps away from Jia Li who was flying next to him. It was better to keep his distance from this woman, who can make someone die with the help of a small vial. Looks like Yu Lingyun was right when he said that if Liu Hui Ying wanted she could take control of the imperial city with ease. He turned to look at the massacre that happened in front of him and then pursed his lips as he sighed in disbelief. The three of them actually brought down an entire army of ghost warriors. Liu Hui Ying stared at the ghost warriors who have been reduced to nothing but crumbs of yin remnants and her eyes shed as she looked at the being that was on the ground. Her eyes flickered as she turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who was nearly attacked by the ghost warrior and then by Jia Li and said as she handed out a talisman to him, ¡± Looks like you will be unlucky in the uing days, your esteemed majesty.¡± Her eyes moved to see the ck cadaveric energy that was surrounding Zhai Tianyu. Even though it was light, she could see that it was just the beginning. ¡± I think it will be better if you take this talisman with you and keep a good grasp of it for the next few days,¡± as she spoke she did not wait for Zhai Tianyu to take it from her instead she threw the talisman at him which was caught by Zhai Tianyu. ¡± Am I in danger of death my queen?¡± Zhai Tianyu knew Liu Hui Yin better than she thought he did and he knew that the queen would not show her care or much less give him a talisman for his safety if not for his being in trouble. A very serious trouble. ¡± Keep your heavenly body inside and we don¡¯t have to worry about you dying,¡± said Liu Hui Ying as she walked over to where the witch was before she opened her mouth to say something but she was interrupted by the witch as she raised her hand and said with a smile, ¡± There is no need my child, I know that you need my help which is why I am willing to move out of the safe haven and follow you.¡± ¡± That¡¯s not what I wanted to say,¡± Liu Hui Ying said to the witch, she wanted to say that she wille and see her again in a few days to find out more about this messed up situation that was happening but the witch instead agreed to leave with her? ¡± You don¡¯t have to be shy and worry not I will be of great help to you,¡± said Witch Mao as she walked towards Zhai Tianyu and looked at him up and down before narrowing her eyes in delight as she said, ¡± Oooh, you are the current emperor? What a delight. Have to say that it must be the Liu family¡¯s genes doing all the work as all the Ji ones look like baboons with rouge sshed on their face.¡± Chapter 348 - 348 What other secrets that they were hiding ? 348 What other secrets that they were hiding ? ¡± This ce looks shabby,¡± this was the firstment the witch as soon as she stepped inside the courtyard where Liu Hui Ying lived. Her head was raised slightly as she looked at the ceiling that was broken and covered with webs, with a frown that was etched on her face, the ghost of the witch turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and then said, ¡± Are you sure that you are the queen?¡± ¡± I am pretty uncertain myself,¡± Liu Hui Ying replied as she walked over to the bed where she plopped down on it and kicked off her shoes as she turned to look at her three ghosts who were busy doing their own things. And by busy doing their own things, she meant that they were trying hard to guard their territory where they usually stayed. She was not surprised by their actions, ghosts were often possessive of the things that they were possessing and now that there was another ghost who has joined their party, it was given that the three of them would be slightly rmed. Liu Hui Ying turned to look at Witch Mao and could not help but frown, she still did not understand why this ghost followed her there. She was a celestial master and she knew that no ghost will ever follow a celestial master out of its own free will they all wanted something from her even the three ghosts who have been by her side for so long wanted something in return. Grandma Lan Fen wanted to make sure that her granddaughter who lost her parents will be well-fed andfortable. Li Gang wanted to get a woman before he moved on to the next life and Jia Li wanted to enjoy the life that she could not when she was young and forced to work hard in theboratory with her parents because of her title of a young genius. Everyone wanted something in return this was thew and Liu Hui Ying also thought that this was perfect at least they will never blur the line between employer and employee that way. She has been alone for a long time because she had been often betrayed by those whom she had trusted, only those who wanted or needed something from her stayed with her till the end. She does not have a ce for traitors! And when they leave she will not feel saddened by their absence because ¡ª¡ª they will have to leave one day just like her parents and her sister. The thought alone annoyed her, so what if they left her? She was not a child who needed to be looked after! ..... ¡± So, what made you follow me?¡± She asked Witch Mao who was still looking around the small room where Liu Hui Ying slept. Upon hearing Liu Hui Ying, Witch Mao whose head was thrown back straightened as she looked at Liu Hui Ying and said with a raise of her brow, ¡± I have been staying in the graveyard for a long time which is quite boring, don¡¯t you think so? I came out with you because I think that I am quite safe with you since your sister was the one who locked half the powers of that evil spirit certainly he will keep his distance away from you for a period of time during which I will enjoy my time here.¡± ¡® So she wants protection?¡¯ Liu Hui Ying thought in her head but just as she was thinking, she felt a chill on her side and when she turned her head. She was surprised to find that Witch Mao was sleeping on her bed! Her freaking bed! ¡± What are you doing?¡± Liu Hui Ying questioned angrily as she looked at the woman who was lying on the bed next to her. She could not believe that the witch was sleeping on her bed, everyone knew how ufortable was the presence of ghosts near humans, even though she was a celestial master in the end she was a human too! This action of witch Mao caused her a great deal of difort. ¡± What do you think I am doing?¡± Witch Mao asked back as she pushed herself with the help of her elbows as she looked at Liu Hui Ying with an affronted look on her face. ¡± I am sleeping, can you not see it? Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to sleep on the ground for so many years? Why can I not sleep on a bed?¡± ¡± If you sleep here, where will I go then?¡± Liu Hui Ying asked sounding annoyed as she pointed to Witch Mao who was lying on her bed. She could not believe that there was a ghost who was daring enough to go against her. She has never been ¡ª¡ª ¡± So what, do not forget that I am the one who can help you at the moment,¡± retorted Old Witch Mao as shey back down on the back in a starfish shape. ¡± If you have problems with me sleeping on the same bed as you then you can go and ask your husband to share his bed with you. Anyway, you and he are husband and wife in name, I believe that he will be willing to give you a little space in his bed.¡± ¡± You¡­¡± Liu Hui Ying was speechless she never saw a ghost who was this shameless which was why she stared at Old Witch Mao for a very long time before she pursed her lips and then said, ¡± You better get up from the bed before I make you!¡± ¡± Do not even try to touch me, you little girl,¡± said Old Witch Mao as she raised her body off the bed and then red at Liu Hui Ying who was ring right back at her. ¡± If you dare touch me, then you can forget all about finding out the truth behind your mother¡¯s escape from this ce and how to raise your powers enough to deal with the evil spirit! I am your benefactor at the moment, you better be kind to me!¡± As she spoke, Old Witch Mao picked up the bed sheet and then covered herself with it and closed her eyes as if she was going to sleep already. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 349 - 349 What other secrets were they hiding ——-2 349 What other secrets were they hiding ¡ª¡ª-Liu Hui Ying trembled in anger as she red at the witch who has hogged her bed. She rolled her eyes many times before she threw her head back and then closed her eyes as she breathed in and out before she opened her eyes once again but as soon as she opened her eyes she heard Jia Li say, ¡± Are you going to ask the Emperor to share his bed with you?¡± ¡± Shut up!¡± On the other hand, Zhai Tianyu who returned to his own courtyard took off the clothes that he was wearing when he went after Liu Hui Ying. His head was still in the graveyard where he heard about things that he never thought could even be possible. He wanted to ask the Queen what the witch who followed them meant by that there was an evil spirit living in the Ji family but he could not bring himself to ask Liu Hui Ying anything when he saw the expression on her face. Liu Hui Ying had her own problems that she needed to think over carefully and there was no time in her hands to deal with him or answer his questions. And what kind of Emperor will he be if he has to rely on the Empress for everything? His eyes flickered as he ced themoners¡¯ clothes in thest drawer and pushed them at the very back such that no one will found them before putting on the robe of the Emperor as he turned to walk around the wooden partition and then went to his study table where he picked up the flint and then lit themp that was on the table. The golden glow of themp illuminated his face as the me flickered in his eyes, for a few seconds Zhai Tianyu simply stared at themp without doing anything. It was after a very long pause that he walked over to his chair and took a seat where he pulled a nk paper and a brush that was sitting in a small vessel in which all his brushes were kept. He raised his hand and then closed his eyes as he tried to remember the face of the woman who has been long dead in this world. Once he started remembering the face that he has forgotten, he dipped the brush in the ink pot and pulled it back. He watched the drop of ink straining to fall from the tip of the brush and once it fell down in the ink pot, he brought the brush to the paper where he started drawing the face of the woman. The face has been long forgotten by him, if anything he has once hated this face because of all the pain that she brought Ji Yu and her family but now ¡ª¡ªwho exactly was the one who was in pain? The sound of brush scratching and brushing against the paper echoed in the air for a long time before Zhai Tianyu stopped his hand and pulled the brush back off the paper. He stared at the woman who hase to life on the paper and for the very first time he realised why he hated Liu Hui Ying when he saw her for the first time. She looked just like her dead sister. ..... She stared at the face of Liu Yue, the woman who was rumoured to be the beauty of the imperial city, wanted by all men and the woman who ran away while leaving the man she loved behind to be killed. But did she run away because she was in the n devised by the Liu Family or she ran away because the man she loved was dead? And was the man even dead? Zhai Tianyu looked at the woman¡¯s face for a long time and pursed his lips not understanding anything. ¡± Just what kind of secrets are they all hiding,¡± Zhai Tianyu rubbed his forehead as he looked at the woman¡¯s portrait that he has drawn. The more he got closer to the truth, the more he realised that he has been alone from the very beginning with no one by his side. Not once had they all told him the truth. He raised his head and then turned to look at the moon that was shining brightly in the sky and then tapped the wooden surface of the table with his finger as he muttered, ¡± I hope the hunt goes well.¡± ¡­.. ¡± Your majesty, are you still not up?¡± Qiu Ai pushed the door of Liu Hui Ying¡¯s room to the side and walked inside but she was surprised when she saw that the Empress who was supposed to be sleeping on the bed was now lying on the floor with a nket. Her teeth grinding as she rolled around the floor, wiping it with her heavenly clothes. ¡°Oh, dear heavens!¡± Nanny Gong eximed and then swayed on the spot, if not for Qiu Ai she would have fallen on the floor. She was fine with the Empress doing all sorts of actions even the act of carrying her skirt while she walked was now something that she was getting used to but every time she got used to something the Queen will jump to another level and then test her patience. What kind of Empress sleeps on the floor when there is a bed sitting right behind her? ¡°Nanny Gong, please calm yourself!¡± Qiu Ai helped Nanny Gong up the floor as she pulled the old woman to stand up from the floor. ¡± This is just fine, there is no need for you to react like this, at least the Empress is not asking for a pole to be strapped in the centre of her bedroom while performing that atrocious dance called pole dance.¡± Nanny Gong breathed in and then patted her chest as she nodded and in a sort of sobbing voice said, ¡± You are right little Ai. I should focus on the good thing rather than ¡ª¡ª but why is she sleeping on the floor? YOUR MAJESTY! I AM GOING TO GET A HEART ATTACK BECAUSE OF YOU ONE DAY!¡± Chapter 356 - 356 A crippled man 356 A crippled man Ji Yu did not speak nor did she contradict what Zhai Tianyu was telling her, she had been dormant all these years staying next to Zhai Tianyu because she knew that she will be able to get him in the end. She yed the role of the kind friend and cousin because she wanted Zhai Tianyu to think that she was different from the rest but who would have thought that after so many years she would be sitting in front of him answering a question that she did not want to answer? ¡± I did not hear your response, consort,¡± said Zhai Tianyu with a raise of his brow as he looked at the woman who was sitting in front of him in silence. ¡± What do you want me to say?¡± Ji Yu raised her head and red at the man with a narrowed pair of eyes, her hands were clenched in herp as she breathed harshly while trying to keep herposure intact. ¡± I know that you think I have been lying to you, your majesty but not once did I hide anything when it came to you ¡­ I have been loyal to you just as much as Brother Heng and Brother Lingyun!¡± ¡± That is the only reason why you are sitting in front of me and not in the dungeons, consort,¡± replied Zhai Tianyu as the carriage came to a halt and then he turned his body such that he could lift the curtain that was drawn to hide them behind it. ¡± As long as you stay loyal to me, I promise you that nothing between us will change and I will always forgive you for actions that step on my bottom line unless you do something grave and go over it.¡± With that he pushed the curtain and stepped outside leaving Ji Yu behind as she bit her bottom lip, she knew that this was Zhai Tianyu¡¯s warning to her. He was telling her subtly not to go against the queen but ¡ª¡ª she looked down at the velvety red pouch that she had been carrying with her since the beginning and bit her lip even harder but if she does not do it then her majesty, the Grand Dowager Empress will definitely rece her with her cousin. And if she did as her grandaunt asked her to do, then she was certain that Zhai Tianyu will hate her even more. ¡± Why? Why is my life so difficult?¡± Ji Yu clenched the pouch in her fingers that held one of the most potent poisons that could kill anyone with one single drop. ¡± I just want to be loved, so why is it so hard? What do they want me to do? ¡± ¡­. ¡± You seriously want me to do this jumbo stunt!?¡± Liu Hui Ying looked at the cliff where the hunting grounds were located and then at the bridge that was connected to the maind. She tugged her heavy robe and tried to bnce her crown on top of her while she looked at the pnquin bearers and then at the fragile-looking bridge that seemed like it could not even hold the weight of one person at one time. ..... ¡± Everything will be fine your majesty,¡± said Nanny Gong as she looked at the moving bridge on which people were used to riding horses and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying. ¡± It is stronger than it looks¡ª¡ª-¡± The words were not even out of the mouth of Nanny Gong when a nk of the bridge broke and the foot of the pnquin bearer who was carrying the pnquin of the seventh Concubine sunk past the bridge causing the pnquin to tilt and the seventh concubine to scream in agony and fear. If not for the other pnquin bearers who worked hard to keep the pnquin stable, the seventh concubine would have fallen into the water after taking a tumble. The three women looked at the sight in front of them as the people around them helped the seventh concubine while Liu Hui Ying took a step back and then said in a determined voice, ¡± No.¡± ¡± I got in this stupid dress, wore this stupid crown and got myself roasted like I was turkey in the oven while sitting in the carriage but I am not getting in that rock a by baby bridge that looks weaker than the stamina of all the men who tried to pursue me,¡± said Liu Hui Ying while pointing at the bridge that was moving while making a lot of sounds. ¡± Do you hear that Kerr, Kurr, Kirr? That¡¯s not the sound of its nks moving, it¡¯s the cries of the poor soul of the bridge pleading with you guys to give him, his retirement fund so it can have itsst of the days in peace and then go off the underworld, after enjoying his remaining time.¡± ¡± You are overreacting, your Majesty,¡± Nanny Gong stated as she tried to make Liu Hui Ying sit in the pnquin. ¡± This bridge is one that even saw thete,te,te Emperor hunting a rare ck deer!¡± ¡± Oh ho, then it¡¯s past its retirement age, even more, the reason for me to not get onto that thing,¡± Liu Hui Ying muttered as she tried to dig her feet into the ground only to be pushed and pulled by Little Ai and Nanny Gong. ¡± It will be fine your majesty¡ª¡ª-¡± Little Ai spoke but then Liu Hui Ying paused and then turned to look at the trees behind them causing the two women to take a tumble as she looked at the ce with a frown and then without caring about the two women who were on the ground, she turned to walk towards the ce from where she felt the grudgeing from. ¡± Your majesty, where are you going?¡± Nanny Gong scrambled to her feet as she chased after Liu Hui Ying followed by Little Ai who was only a secondte. The two of them thought that Liu Hui Ying was trying to get away from climbing on the bridge when suddenly they felt the pressure around them dip and something came flying towards them. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Chapter 360 - 360 A valiant hunt —-2 360 A valiant hunt ¡ª-Though Liu Hui Ying had a lot to say, she decided to stay silent and refrained from saying anything more but at the same time, she started to miss her time. At least she could change her clothes anywhere at any time, she wanted without having to throw herself into the yellow river. She turned to look at Nanny Gong and then said, ¡± Why is it that his majesty¡¯s body can be seen by not only the concubines but just anyone without him throwing himself into the yellow river, Nanny?¡± The elderly woman turned to look at her as if she was looking at an idiot and then said in a soft yet exasperated voice, ¡± Because he is a man and the Emperor, your majesty. He has the responsibility to give the imperial family as many heirs as he can, what¡¯s more, he has the support of the heavens.¡± ¡± Uh huh, I am sure those old gods told him that he could wriggle wriggle his banana anywhere,¡± Liu Hui Ying scoffed under her breath causing Nanny Gong to tilt her head and question, ¡± Did you say something, your majesty?¡± ¡± I said that I am the time of my life here,¡± Liu Hui Ying told the woman hoping she will be able to get her sarcasm but when she saw the elderly woman looking at her with a sobbing expression as she looked at Liu Hui Ying like she was d that she was slowly maturing, Liu Hui Ying knew that her sarcasm missed the target. Liu Hui Ying rolled her eyes as she groaned, ¡± For goodness sake, give me a break.¡± ¡± His Majesty and Her Majesty, pleasee and grace these subjects and your people,¡± Liu Hui Ying heard the voice of Ji Yang who was standing at top of the stage with a gentle and amicable expression on his face, if anyone looked at his face, they will not be able to ever think that this man was hiding an evil spirit in his house. ¡± You are right about that,¡± she heard Witch Mao say as thetter walked beside her, Liu Hui Ying turned to look at the elderly ghost woman and then said, ¡± Are you not supposed to be asleep?¡± ¡± I slept for years,¡± replied the old woman with a roll of her eyes. ¡± I was getting bored which is why I came out, unlike those three who had enjoyed excitement for years, I stayed in the graveyard and simply watched the grave of that old hag.¡± ..... She paused and then turned to look at the stage where Zhai Tianyu was walking with Liu Hui Ying in tow, she rubbed her hands and said, ¡± I am excited to see this hunt as well, back in my time the emperors used to chase after hunts for an entire evening before returning with their game. Only that game was cooked on the first day and was offered to the gods.¡± The way Witch Mao was describing the scene, even Liu Hui Ying wanted to see the hunt, which was why she excitedly hopped onto the stage that was built at the centre of the hunting grounds. She watched as the priests who were called to grace the hunting ceremony handed the bow and arrow to Zhai Tianyu who was standing in the front of the stage. ¡± Now it is going to start,¡± said Witch Mao excitedly as she looked at Zhai Tianyu who took the bow and arrow. ¡± Now there will be a horse and he will jump on it gantly and¡ª¡ª¡± Her words were caught in her throat when she saw Zhai Tianyu stay where he was and instead of bringing a horse, the workers of the hunting ground brought a tied-up deer that was ced at a small distance away from Zhai Tianyu. ¡± Now you can shoot the deer, your majesty and inaugurate the ceremony,¡± Ji Yang told Zhai Tianyu who was trying hard to fight the blush that was climbing up his cheeks, just now of course he heard everything that Liu Hui Ying and Witch Mao said about the hunt and knew that they were excited about the hunt but the thing was that as the puppet emperor of the imperial city, he had never been taught archery or any other defence skills which were why he could not hunt the deer as the two of them wanted to watch. Never before he has ever felt this worse before, he looked at the deer that was harmlessly tied up behind him and then daringly peeked at Liu Hui Ying who was standing behind him. ¡® EEP.¡¯ It was a big mistake on his part. The second he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying, he saw her entire body enveloped with fire as she red at him and the deer and then at Nanny Gong who was pointedly ignoring her gaze. Looks like Nanny Gong also told some made-up stories about his valiant hunts to the queen. Feeling more than embarrassed, Zhai Tianyu drew the arrow and aimed at the deer but then he caught sight of Yu Lingyun and Zhai Heng who were shaking their heads furtively and could only loosen up the grip of his arrow and let it shoot out of the bow, only to fly for a few seconds before falling in front of the deer. He was sure that even the deer looked at the arrow and then raised his head to look at him while calling him dumbass in his head. As soon as the arrow dropped on the ground, a servant rushed forward and then picked up the arrow with a handkerchief tied around his hands and then in front of everyone he walked to the deer who was lying on the floor and then stabbed it with the arrow that was almost shot by the Emperor. The second the arrow stabbed the deer in the side and blood sprouted out, Ji Yang who was standing inside Liu Dong Ming who was looking at Zhai Tianyu as if he was looking at a fool, started pping loudly. ¡± Bravo! The Emperor has graced us with his blessings! He actually shot the arrow further than thest year.¡± Liu Hui Ying: Is this something to be proud of? Zhai Tianyu: Just kill me. Chapter 371 - 371 The Emperor’s rival 371 The Emperor¡¯s rival Zhai Tianyu felt heat rush up on his face as he covered his heavenly weapon and then turned to look at the two men who were teasing him before raising his voice, ¡± What? I am still young ¡ª¡ª do you think that I will not ¡­ just stop staring!¡± This was the first time Zhai Tianyu was feeling like this, even with Ji Yu, he never felt his body react like this, was it because he was slightly attracted to the queen or was it because he saw the woman whom he liked to show off her calves? Either way, this was not good! He was the Emperor damn it! Just what kind of Emperor gets h*rny at the sight of his wife¡¯s calves and thighs? At this point, he will be holding a record if he and Liu Hui Ying ever did the deed! Of two-second performance! ¡± Imperial mother!¡± Zhai Tianyu thought of something before he closed his eyes and then started remembering his mother who always looked at him like she wished he was born as a potato than a son. ¡± Think of imperial mother and everything will be fine!¡± As soon as Zhai Tianyu saw his mother¡¯s disgusted look sh in front of his eyes, his body calmed down and he heaved a sigh before he turned to look at the tent as he said to the guard, ¡± Make the announcement and make it loud!¡± He did not want his queen to not hear the announcement and continue with that dance¡­ The guard gave a look to Zhai Tianyu before he nodded and then cleared his voice before he screamed at the top of his lungs, ¡± His Majesty, The Emperor has arrived!¡± No sooner did the guard scream, there was another scream which sounded a lot like a chicken getting strangled as the woman inside screamed, ¡± NOOOOOOOO!¡± The three men including the two guards turned to look at the ps of the tent as Yu Lingyunmented in a light voice, ¡± You are not very weed are you, your majesty?¡± ..... ¡± Shut up!¡± Zhai Tianyu snapped with an annoyed expression on his face, he heard the loud ¡®no¡¯ that echoed just now as well, there was no need for Yu Lingyun to do amentary on the side. As soon as the announcement was done, heavy sounds started to echo inside the tent while, Zhai Tianyu waited for the people inside to finish cleaning while he waited for the women inside the tent to invite him. The p of the tent was then opened and then the third concubine who was newly appointed as the imperial concubine rushed out. Her face was bright red while her breathing wasboured, Zhai Tianyu looked at her nose which was covered with blood and frowned before asking, ¡± Are you quite all right, Concubine Xin?¡± But no matter what he said it was as if the woman was in a daze, she looked at Zhai Tianyu with her eyes ssy as she nodded and muttered, ¡± Oh yes, I am alright your majesty.¡± Though she said that Zhai Tianyu looked at the way she was staring at him in a daze and a bad premonition rose in his heart. And sure enough, he heard the concubine say, ¡± Her majesty is amazing your majesty¡­ I never thought that ¡­.¡± She stopped mid-sentence and then blushed furiously causing Zhai Tianyu to feel an rm ring in the back of his head. ¡± Concubine Xin?¡± Zhai Tianyu tried to smile at the new Concubine hoping that the woman would react to his smile somehow but thetter simply stared at him with those glossy eyes. ¡® Damn!¡¯ Zhai Tianyu cursed. ¡® Just what happened inside? Howe the concubine who was after him till now was now blushing upon thinking about the queen?¡¯ Concubine Xin was in no condition to reply to Zhai Tianyu, her eyes were still shing with the seductive moods of her majesty, even though what her majesty did should be considered as vulgar but Concubine Xin did not think as the others in fact she who was very much interest in various dance forms thought that what the queen performed was nothing less than art! ¡± Your Highness, I think we should leave,¡± the maid who was with Concubine Xin was even more speechless, they were here to get into a scuffle with the queen and gain the sympathy of the Emperor but why was it that her mistress kept praising the queen while pping her hands when the queen was dancing on that pole but now she was not even saying a word to the Emperor? Just what was up with her? No matter what, I need to get concubine Xin away from here first! The maid thought in her head as she was afraid that something might happen ¡ª¡ª and by something she meant ¡ª¡ª She raised her head and looked at the emperor who was standing in front of them and caught the jealousy that was shing in his eyes and almost cried. ¡® Why? They came here to make the Queen jealous and not the Emperor why was it that their n was backfiring like this?¡¯ The maid was crying inside but she still pushed and tugged her mistress away from the Emperor who seemed to be close to exploding. ¡± Your Highness pleasee with me,¡± said the maid as she tugged concubine Xin who was sighing as she muttered, ¡± But her majesty¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± Yes, yes, we will see her majesty very soon but not now.¡± Yu Lingyun waited for the procession of the third concubine to leave before he turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and then said in a low voice, ¡± You are not jealous of the third concubine, are you, your majesty, by any chance?¡± Zhai Tianyu turned to look at Yu Lingyun and smilingly said, ¡± My wife just performed a rather exclusive dance for the first time for my concubine who seems like she wants to ravage my official wife, from what angle do I look jealous to you?¡± Yu Lingyum: ¡°...¡±Angle? Your majesty, you look like you stepped out of a vinegar jar! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Yu Lingyun did not say anything in response instead he turned to look at Zhai Heng hoping to see someradeship but he did not find anyradeship in the eyes of his other friend, what he found was the same green envy that was in the eyes of Zhai Tianyu. Yu Lingyun: ¡°...¡± You have to be kidding me! Just what kind of heavenly fairy was her queen? She was seducing men and women left and right! Wait¡ª¡ª A sudden thought came to Yu Lingyun¡¯s head as he ced his hand over his mouth and pondered over everything that was happening around him. The queen was affecting everyone but not him¡ª¡ª did it mean? A sh shot through his head as he thought, ¡®Doesn¡¯t it mean that I am better than these two?¡¯ With that thought in his head, he turned to look at Zhai Tianyu and Zhai Heng with a smug smile causing the two men to raise a brow at him simultaneously. ¡± What are you thinking?¡± Zhai Heng asked as he looked at Yu Lingyun who was smirking at them. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± still feeling rather smug, Yu Lingyun turned his head to the side she snorted in his head, ¡® Hehe, mortals!¡¯ Neither Zhai Heng nor Zhai Tianyu knew that Yu Lingyun was looking at them at moment and they did not have the time to think about it either because Xiao Ai opened the p of the tent and then bowed in front of Zhai Tianyu and Zhai Heng while ignoring Yu Lingyun as she greeted them, ¡± Your majesty, pleasee inside.¡± Zhai Tianyu nodded as he walked past Xiao Ai while Yu Lingyun who was smiling till now turned to look at Xiao Ai with a flirty expression and said, ¡± Ah my little Ai? How are you? Missing me?¡± Xiao Ao ignored the manpletely as if he did not even exist and was not standing beside her as she turned to look at Zhai Heng and then said in a soft voice,¡± Would you like some refreshments, Commander Zhai?¡± ¡± If you are free then sure,¡± Zhai Heng replied as Xiao Ai nodded and then walked past Yu Lingyun with her head held up high. Yu Lingyun: ¡°....¡± Oh. ¡­. While Yu Lingyun was having trouble with Xiao Ai, Zhai Tianyu was having trouble with Liu Hui Ying who was sitting on the chair that was arranged for her. Even though Zhai Tianyu sent the maids and servants out of the tent such that he will be able to talk with Liu Hui Ying properly but thetter was not even looking at him making it impossible for him to say anything to her. ¡± My queen?¡± Zhai Tianyu called Liu Hui Ying who was sitting on the chair which was just a bit away from her, the woman turned to look at him with a slight nce but she did not say anything before looking away from him with a snort. Zhai Tianyu: ¡°....¡± Woman, I should be the one snorting at you, you know? ¡ª¡ª¡ª will be taking Sunday off, I hope you will all understand? Chapter 374 - 374 The queen fainted 374 The queen fainted This was crazy, this man was crazy and everyone else was crazy as well. Liu Hui Ying looked at Liu Dong Ming who had suggested that she will be staying with Zhai Tianyu and felt her mouth drop open. How can this man even say something so horrible? For her stay with this man who was standing beside her? Sure he was good-looking and everything but she was allergic to men! Locking her up with a man was simr to asking her to jump off a cliff without a precautionary measure and then asking her whether she felt safe or not! No matter how desperate the Liu family was for her to give birth to an heir this was too impulsive! Liu Hui Ying was not the only one who was stunned even the people who were around her were just as shocked especially Ji Yang who was gaping at Liu Dong Ming with his brows twitching. He raised his hands and said in a stern voice, ¡± Now look here left Prime Minister Liu, I understand that you are worried about the queen but ording to the rules, she and his majesty should be resting in separate tents this is not the imperial castle where they can stay together.¡± ¡± ording to the rules the one who should havee to this hunting grounds together with his majesty should have been the queen, right Prime minster Ji, if the rules can be bent for your family..then why can¡¯t they be bent for my niece who is in severe danger?¡± Liu Dong Ming had her hands behind his back as he held them together and looked at Ji Yang who was staring at him in shock and silence. ¡± Your daughter can ride the carriage with his majesty for no reason making a joke out of the so-called rules but my niece¡¯s safety needs to be discarded aside for the rules, why? Because your family is the one who is running the court now?¡± Ji Yang was half humiliated and half angered as he looked at the man in front of him, this was why he hated Liu Dong Ming and the Liu family everyone was so effluent when it came to degrading him and his family even the second master Liu who was the queen¡¯s father. He was supposed to be the foolish one among all but when his daughter was concerned ¡ª¡ª Sure enough, Father Liu who heard that there was a st in the tent of his daughter came running at the fastest pace as he stood in the crowd and red at Ji Yang while saying, ¡± Left prime minister is right! What is going on with the Ji family and their tant neglect of the Queen? The dowry of my daughter is still under the hands of the grand dowager empress and was yet to be releasedpletely and the fact that the warehouse that had treasures that were all saved by me for my daughter robbed off was also ignored¡ª¡ª¡± ¡± My treasures were robbed of?!!¡± Liu Hui Ying who did not hear about anything like this before turned to look at her father for the first time when she saw the elderly man smile at her with an aggrieved expression on his face. The elderly man nodded and then said in a sobbing voice, ¡°That¡¯s right, the treasures that were all stored up by me to hand to you were taken away by robbers, your majesty!¡± He then turned and pointed to Ji Mo who felt like he was being used of a grave sin and shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡± But the Lord of the crime investigation department pretended not to hear me as he told me that he will look into the matter but it has been more than a month and yet he did not bring me any results! I can ignore that but I cannot ignore that they are ignoring your safety as well!¡± Liu Hui Ying however no longer cared about anything past the fact that her treasures were stolen, she turned to look at her supposed-to-be father and asked in a quaking voice, ¡± H¡­how much was the cost of the treasures that were stolen?¡± ..... Father Liu thought that his daughter who was the cutest of all was worried about him since he was the one who made the loss and was touched as he turned to look at his adorable daughter and answered, ¡°Answering your majesty, it must have been more than ten thousand taels of gold, there were quite a lot of antics in the warehouse.¡± ¡°Ten thousand taels of gold????¡± Liu Hui Ying screeched as her hand reached out to the spot where her heart was, she quickly calcted the amount that was stolen from her and thought about what she could have done with the money. When she realised that the money was enough for her to livefortably for years the throbbing in her chest worsened and her eyes turned ¡ª¡ª- Before rolling in the sockets and soon Liu Hui Ying who was shocked by the loss of a huge sum fainted right in front of the crowd. ¡® M¡­.my money,¡¯ she thought regretfully in her head before passing out. ¡± YOUR MAJESTY!¡± ¡± MY LADY!¡± ¡± OH.DEAR. MY DAUGHTER!¡± Everyone who saw Liu Hui Ying faint was stunned while Nanny Gong and Xiao Ai tried to help Liu Hui Ying up from the ground, Liu Dong Ming who was watching the drama nodded and then turned to look at Ji Yang who was staring at Liu Hui Ying with a gaping mouth. ¡± See, my niece is so shocked that she fainted, I think that letting her stay with his majesty is the correct thing to do, lest something happens and no one was by her side then I am afraid that my niece will be traumatised.¡± Liu Dong Ming did not even bat an eye when he was bullshitting causing everyone to look at him with an expression that said ¡ª¡ª ¡® Haha you are a funny man, the queen fainted because she heard her money was gone!¡¯ Chapter 381: Xiao Lin killed someone The grand dowager Empress had long thought of a way to solve the crisis that came on their family when Ji Yu was poisoned, that girl was supposed to be the Empress of the imperial family and give birth to an heir for the throne with Zhai Tianyu but after she was poisoned that hope died along with Ji Yu''s disappointing womb. In fact, the grand dowager Empress wanted to rece Ji Yu from the very day when she found out that she was poisoned and could no longer be a mother but the thing was Zhai Tianyu''s guilt was enough to bind him to her, which was why the grand dowager Empress ignored everything else and turned a blind eye to Ji Yu''s in the ability of not being able to be a mother but now that the guilt that Zhai Tianyu held for Ji Yu was turning into affection of the Empress, it was all right for her to start renning everything from the start because she did not want to lose the taste of power that she had in her mouth right now. " You mean to say that we are going to kill Ji Yu?" Ji Mo questioned with a startled look on his face which caused Ji Yang and Old Grand Dowager Empress to turn and look at him with questioning looks in their eyes as the two of them exchanged a look with each other before the Old Grand Dowager Empress looked at her grand-nephew and then asked with a smile, " What do you feel pity for your sister?" Ji Mo rolled his eyes as he scoffed, " Yeah right." There was no way he will ever feel sorry for Ji Yu, if anything it did not matter to him whether she died today or tonight. ... Xiao Lin did not have any idea that Ji Yang and the Old Dowager Empress hade up with such a terrible n for her mistress and her. In her heart, she only knew one thing and that was to make sure that Ji Yu will remain forever happy which was why she did not even think of anything anymore nor did she question what was going on in actuality and why Ji Yang was asking her to poison Liu Hui Ying when he had more than enough shadow guards to do the same. Instead, she snuck inside the tent where the maids were boiling the water for the Empress and everyone else to take a bath since the sky was turning dark slowly, with the moon and the stars slowlying into view. With her small stature, she wasn''t detected by anyone and hid behind the small box of wood that was chopped and ced inside the box for thefort of the members of the imperial family. " I have to seed," she told herself as she sat down on the ground with her back against the box as she held the pouch that she was holding tightly in her hand. " I have to seed such that my missy will be happy till the end without the queen in her path. It''s not my or my missy''s fault, its the Empress she was the one who came in between the Emepror and my missy!" She repeated trying to wash away the guilt that was filling her heart. " Did you hear? The young master of the Liu family caught another deer, I heard that even the servants will be allowed to eat the game tonight," a maid who was talking to her friend walked inside as she discussed her ns of eating meat. " I never thought that it will such a fortunate day! When I saw the Emperor missing the target and not killing the deer, I thought that we will have to practice vegetarianism on this hunt as well but it is a good thing that the young master of the Liu family came this time." " Hush now," said the other maid whose eyes were slightly blue as she walked inside the tent and then ced more water in the bronze vessel in which water was being boiled. " If anyone hears you mocking the Emperor, I am afraid that you will be the one who might be the meal for the wild animals tonight, you know that right?" The maid with her hair tied up in two buns on the side of her head poked her tongue at the other maid as she giggled and then said, " All right, all right. I will no longer mock the Emperor. Oh no!" She was giggling one second and then in the other second, she gasped and eximed with a shocked look on her face causing the other maid whose hair was tied in pigtails to turn and look at her with a frown. " What now?" The maid with pigtails asked while a look of confusion etched on her face. " I forgot to tell the carriers to bring the carts since we need to take the water to the tents now," said the maid with buns causing her friend to roll her eyes and exim, " What are you doing here now? Ask the carriers to bring the carts now and ask the mammies toe as well! The maids of the imperial family members will being now, the first one will be the Empress and Emperor, what are you doing? If we don''t have this hot water boiled and ced on the cart, I am afraid that they will have our heads for dilly-dallying." When Xiao Lin heard that the first group of maids that will being here belonged to the Empress fraction, she immediately rushed out of the tent from the back just as the maid with buns rushed out of the front which masked her light footsteps and did not alert the maid with pigtails who was stacking more firewood under therge vessels along with the others who walked inside and started to work again. ¡­. Xiao Lin hid behind the tree that was closest to the carts that were being parked behind the tent and waited for the group of maids that were going toe and get the water for the Empress. She did not have to wait for long as she saw Nanny Gong rushing in front while leading the maids who were walking behind her. " Is the after ready?" The old woman asked the mammies who were putting therge vessels that were filled with hot water that was steaming with white fumes wafting in the air. "It is ready!" A mammy replied with a groan as she piled another vessel in the cart. " You can take it away just wait for me to ce one more vessel." "Please hurry up, her majesty had been waiting for her bath since the afternoon.," stated Nanny Gong to which the Mammy nodded and replied with a slight chuckle, " I am not even surprised, with all the things that she was carrying on her body.,. I am sure that her majesty must have sweated a lot in this weather." " Mammy Xue, do not make fun of her majesty like that," said Nanny Gong reproachfully which only made the Mammyugh even more as she started to order the maids to hurry and pour the hot water into the vessels fast. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to the maids who were silently standing behind Nanny Gong, Xiao Lin took out a poisonous flower from the pouch and headed to the maid who was standing at thest where she took onest breath to hype herself up and then rushed at the maid before covering the nose of the maid at the back. The maid who realised that something was happening immediately started to struggle frantically as she thrashed against Xiao Lin while her eyes started to turn red as blood started to pour out of the corner of her eyes. But Xiao Lin did not stop even though it was her first time killing someone this one was for her mistress and thus she did not even shake when she was holding the woman by her face and waist and pulled her along with her to the back of the forest where no one could see them. The poisonous flowers were indeed potent, the maid who continued to thrash against Xiao Lin soon turned limp while bleeding from her eyes and mouth and Xiao Lin let her go. With a thump, the body fell on the ground and only then did Xiao Lin start to tremble as she looked at her hands that were covered in blood as she scampered away from the body that was lying on the floor. " I ¡­ I killed someone." She muttered to herself as she tried to calm her trembling body but then again she did not have the time to have a mental breakdown with her hands trembling, she covered her mouth and stopped herself from hurling everything that she ate and then closed her eyes before she turned to look at the body that was lying on the floor and then started to take the clothes of the maid as she crouched down. Chapter 399: what if he becomes a eunuch ——2? " AHHHHHHHH!" A wretched scream echoed in the forest and the hunting grounds, Yu Lingyun who was sleeping in the same tent as Zhai Heng jumped on his bed and then went to take his sword out of his sheathe as he shouted, " The zombies are attacking, Ah Heng! Get ready to die!" Zhai Heng also woke up from his sleep when he heard his brother''s scream but he was much more conscious than Yu Lingyun, he picked up his pillow and threw it at Yu Lingyun before snapping, " Wake up you idiot, what are you dreaming about all day long?" Yu Lingyun snapped out of his daze when he was hit with the pillow, he looked around and was stunned when he saw that there was nothing surrounding him and sheepishly withdrew his sword before turning to look at Zhai Heng as he climbed down the bed on which he was sleeping as he said, " Its nothing when I saw his majesty talk to air when we returned it stuck in my head and ¡­after that my thoughts spiralled out of control." Even though Zhai Tianyu did not say anything Yu Lingyun knew that he was talking with a ghost, thought Zhai Tianyu was fine while talking with ghosts, Yu Lingyun was still just as terrified of them as he was before and if possible he was even more terrified after seeing the strength of the queen who could summon an army of dead if she was to lose control. Thus, one thought led to another and before he knew it, his entire dream was full of zombies and more zombies who were eating humans and their human brains, the scream that echoed in the clearing just now only served as the final straw making his dream be something even more scary. " Who screamed by the way?" Yu Lingyun asked, the scream and the voice sounded quite simr to that of the Emperor but when he thought about how he watched the Emperor go inside his tent, Yu Lingyun was sure that there was no way the Emperor was screaming in the forest. That guy could not wait to pounce on the queen, surely he will not act gentlemanly in the face of such an opportunity? But then another thought came to his head and he turned to look at Zhai Heng and asked with a worried voice, his face paler than a ghost, " Brother Heng, don''t tell me that his majesty went to make advances on the queen and she got annoyed before taking a knife and¡­chopped off the heavenly weapon¡­what will happen to the heir now? Will he die in his majesty''s heavenly balls before even getting a chance to live?" " What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhai Heng snapped he almost got jealous, almost but then the image that Yu Lingyun filled his mind terrified him so much that he slipped off the bed and he said with half convincing voice, " The scream came from the forest and not from the tent next to ours." " Are you sure?" Yu Lingyun asked with an innocent yet concerned voice. " I mean if we go in time there is still time to reconnect and make the heavenly weapone back to life, once it shrivels up¡­there is no saving it. Our Emperor will be a eunuch." Zhai Heng stared at Yu Lingyun who stared back at him before the two dashed out of the tent in a hurry as they rushed to the tent where Zhai Tianyu was staying with the Queen. Yu Lingyun caught hold of the guard who was sleeping and shook him awake while pping him on the face as he said, " You bastard you are sleeping like a baby here and the babies of his majesty are in danger, what kind of guard are you?" The guard did not even know what was going on, all he knew was that he was shaken awake and then his face was beaten like a drum. " Wh...What?" The guard asked in a daze while Zhai Heng rolled his eyes and then opened the p of the tent just a small bit while peeking inside the tent all ready to see Zhai Tianyu on the ground with blood and sausage on the floor but instead, all he saw was Liu Hui Ying sleeping peacefully on the bed. As soon as his gaze fell on the sleeping face of Liu Hui Ying which was smoother than jade and devoid of her usual frown, he was shocked and stunned at the same time, his heartbeat escted a bit and he could not help butment, " Even without dressing up at the middle of the night she looks like the shining moon." Yu Lingyun was pping the guard but when he heard this remarking from his friend''s mouth, he threw the guard who fainted again and pulled Zhai Heng back by his cor and then turned his face with great difficulty to look at him as he asked, " Is this the time? That woman might be covered with blood and holding a knife while smiling sinisterly and you are standing here watching your brother suffer the loss of his little brother with a smile while saying ¡ª¡ª oh, you look beautiful your majesty?" Seeing that Zhai Heng was still looking longingly at the tent Yu Lingyun rolled his eyes muttering how he had to act as the straight man in such a situation while readying himself to drag Zhai Tianyu out all the while saving him from the clutches of her majesty. Zhai Heng still wanted to take another look at Liu Hui Ying but when he saw that Yu Lingyun was walking inside the tent, he pulled him back and then said while clearing his throat, " His majesty is not there, her majesty is sleeping alone." Yu Lingyun tilted his head back and then looked at Zhai Heng before shaking his head as he said, " My dear one of these days you will start a war, say the important thing first! What is with this she looks more beautiful than the moon¡ª¡ª I swear I gagged." As he was speaking, Zhai Heng turned Yu Lingyu''s face towards Xiao Ai who was sleeping next to the queen''s tent and watched the man''s face go ck as he remarked, " She looks like a moon fairy." Zhai Heng: "¡­" Yu Lingyun: "¡­.." Chapter 415: Field cress grass ——2 While Liu Hui Ying had already prepared herself for the incident which was going to take at night, the Ji family still naively believed that they were the smarter ones of all. " From tonight you will have nothing to worry about," The Grand Dowager Empress patted Ji Yu on the back of her hand as she looked at the cage which was being shaken by the tiger which was locked inside of it while going crazy. This was a n which she and Ji Yang came up with after a very long time, they did not believe that Liu Hui Ying will get lucky each time. What happened with Xiao Lin was deemed as nothing but sheer luck by Ji Yang and the grand Dowager Empress, they believed that Xiao Lin was the one who messed up at the crucial moment and then caused their ns to be exposed by her. It never urred to them that there might be a chance that Liu Hui Ying cottoned on the fact that they were trying to poison her. In fact, they simply thought of that incident as a blind cat catching the mouse. But this time they were certain that they will seed, even though Liu Hui Ying was lucky enough to escape back then, there was no way she will be able to escape from the clutches of a fierce tiger. What was more they used field cress which was exceptionally rare to find and on top of that, the field cress grass did not have a strong scent or any other attribute which can be detected by someone who was not an expert, only the imperial physicians and the medicinal practitioners were the ones who knew how to find the field cress grass which was simr to the wild grass which grew on the side of the road. Though it looked simr the field cress grass had small, very small fibre-like thorns which cannot be seen with the naked eye. The medical practitioner who searched for herbs used special sses to find these herbs and because they were really hard to find, these herbs were sold for a very high price in the market by the medical practitioners, the grand dowager Empress had to fork out a fair share of silver taels from her private stash for the sake of buying this herb. And that too in a huge bulk that it will drive the tiger crazy to the point that it will be impossible to control it. Ji Yu turned her head to the tiger which was pacing inside the cage and her eyes shed with a mocking glint. She knew that when her father supported this hunt, he already made up his mind to attack Liu Hui Ying as many times as he could to make sure that she will die but ¡ª¡ª The memories fromst night where Liu Dong Ming showed her just how different he was from the rest were enough to tell her that there was no way Liu Hui Ying will die. In fact, her eyes flickered left and right as she remembered the day when Liu Hui Ying caught the maid who was going to poison her and then turned to look at the tent with aplicated look in her eyes, back then she thought that Liu Hui Ying was just lucky enough to dodge the sword which was aimed at her but after meeting with Liu Dong Ming, she had a feeling that Liu Hui Ying was not as simple either. That woman was given poisoned wine and her maid even saw her drink it which was why she created a very loud ruckus¡ª¡ª but somehow Liu Hui Ying managed to survive what was more she did not even need an imperial physician to detoxify her, this was enough to let her know that Liu Hui Ying was not a woman that can easily be taken down. Now that her eyes were no longer covered with the blindfold of foolishness, she could see that Liu Hui Ying and her were worlds apart, that woman was the sky and she was the ground beneath everyone''s feet. It was no surprise that Zhai Tianyu choose Liu Hui Ying instead of her. " Is that so, aunt? Then I will be waiting for tonight," with her eyes filled with obedience, Ji Yu smiled at the grand dowager Empress who was telling her how she will make sure that the throne of the empress will fall into her hands. ¡­. Zhai Tianyu received the word that Ji Yang''s side hunted a tiger as well, as the Emperor it was necessary for him to hand out praise to Ji Yang''s fraction which was why he returned with his pitiful rabbits which he caught after ying hide and seek for a very long time. " Your majesty," Ji Yang smiled at Zhai Tianyu with his hands in front of his abdomen as he bowed and then said, " I have hunted this tiger in your name, I hope you will ept the goodwill of this small minister." " Of course, Prime Minister Ji, of course," Zhai Tianyu chuckled as he looked at the tiger which was ramming his head against the metal bars which made up the wall of the cage and frowned upon seeing the wild look in the eyes of the tiger which was pacing inside the cage. " What''s wrong with that tiger, did you catch a mad one to honour me, prime minister Ji? Is ¡­Is there something that you want to say to me?" Ji Yang was stunned upon hearing the words which were spoken by the Emperor, he looked at the tiger''s eyes which were itching for blood and cursed the soldiers for doing a poor job, they should have turned the head of the tiger to the side, that way Zhai Tianyu would not have seen the bloody look in the eyes of the tiger. Were they trying to get him killed? Did they not know that the mood of the Emperor was like changing weather? If Zhai Tianyu was to get angry with him, he will end up losing at least an inch of his skin. These fools! Chapter 416: Tiger or the queen? Zhai Tianyu was not one of those Emperors who would punish their ministers on the basis of his mood, in fact under his foolish cover, he was really calm and astute regarding many things but when he thought about how Ji Yang was the one who asked Xiao Lin to poison Liu Hui Ying and even killed the maid who belonged to his childhood friend, he could not leave this opportunity which was presented to him by Ji Yang, he immediately put on a long face and then rebuked his right prime minister, " Prime Minister Ji, no matter how upset you are with me you cannot catch a mad tiger and then present it in front of me saying that you have caught it to honour my name! If the Liu family was to find out, they will make a joke out of this King!" With that, he nced at the tiger which was ramming his head on the metal bar with an unsightly expression and then turned around to leave, from his expression it looked like he was not at all happy with this ''thoughtful'' present that Ji Yang brought for him. When Ji Yang heard the words of Zhai Tianyu, his expression turned gloomy. He turned to look at the soldiers who were in charge of carrying the tiger, his gaze was very simr to that of a vicious serpent who was hiding in the dark and hidden corner waiting to take a swipe at his enemy. The soldiers who were red at by him lowered their heads and shivered, they did not know what to say to Prime Minister Ji, though they knew that the tiger''s eyes which were wild and mad could not be shown to the Emperor, the tiger did not know that the person in front of him was the king of thisnd! Under the effect of field cress, it was good enough that this tiger did not make a move and ripped the cage apart, and prime minister Ji was still hoping that this wild tiger willy down docilely such that they will be able to tie a bow around his neck and drape a red silk cover over his body? His majesty did not know what was the matter with the tiger but the prime minister did know what was wrong with the tiger, so why was he acting unreasonably like this? The soldiers were angry while feeling wronged but they did not say anything and instead dragged the cage away such that prime minister Ji can coax the Emperor. " Your majesty, it''s not that this minister was trying to make a jab at you, I am your father-inw as well as the nephew of the grand dowager Empress, in a way we are rted to one another, how can I say something as rude as calling you mad or crazy, we, the Ji family know that his majesty is kind and benevolent, calling you mad is something that we can never do!" Ji Yang was a man whose smile was gentle like a rain on hot summer, and when he coaxed someone he would lower his voice such that it sounded like it had been dripped with honey, unlike Liu Dong Ming who was a straight man with a cold voice and gloomy face, Ji Yang was naturally more popr in the imperial court. But his abilities werecking which caused him to always be suppressed by Liu Dong Ming. Zhai Tianyu raised a brow, though he did not want to let the matter go, he still nodded his head and then said as if he understood what Ji Yang had said, " I understand, Prime Minister Ji but from the next time make sure to take a look at the eyes of the tiger before hunting it. It will be too bad in case the ministers in the imperial court start spreading the rumour that you called me a crazy emperor, right ?" When Ji Yang heard the words of Zhai Tianyu he almost coughed out blood. The next time? Was hunting a tiger that easy? Ji Yang wanted to scold Zhai Tianyu but he remembered that this man was no longer the small boy who could easily be suppressed by him. In the past, Zhai Tianyu was alone and he was able to fool him but with Lou Dong Ming watching him from behind, Ji Yang was not confident that he will be able to tackle Zhai Tianyu with his current position and power. " I understand, your majesty, the next time when I go on hunting, I will bring a tiger whose eyes are as beautiful as yours," with that he bowed allowing Zhai Tianyu to walk past him as he nodded and then moved to the side. Once Zhai Tianyu left, Ji Yang who was bowing straightened up and spat on the ground. " This boy, he is getting more and more annoying over time, he dares to say just about anything now!" In fact, when Zhai Tianyu''s father passed away, he wanted to usurp the throne but Dowager Empress interfered in the matter which was carefully nned by him. If not for that woman who stretched out her leg so far that she ced her son on the throne of the Emperor, the one who would be ruling the imperial city would have been the Ji family! Ji Yang red at Zhai Tianyu who was walking away for a few minutes before he turned on his heels and then walked away as well, he needed to prepare for tonight''s show as well, there was no time to waste! As he left, Zhai Tianyu who was a few steps ahead of him turned his head as he put a stop to his pace, his gaze fell on Ji Yang''s back before falling onto the cage which was now standing a bit further away from him, his eyes flickered softly as he turned to look at Zhai Heng who was silently following him till now and said, " What do you think if prime minister Ji was to use that tiger against her majesty who will win? The tiger or the Queen?" --------------------- Chapter 421: Tying the bow to her coffin. Liu Hui Ying was indeed thinking about killing the tiger. It was not that she wanted the money for living a leisurely life given that there was no such as leisure in this ce where life-threatening dangers continued to pop in front of her every time she turned her back. But she needed this private stash of money because she was running out of talismans and incense herbs which she used when she was meditating, it helped her in keeping her sister''s spirit in restraints. This was an expense that cannot be written down or else she would be arrested for spreading feudal superstitions, which was why what she needed very much at this moment was nothing more than private savings. Liu Hui Ying''s eyes glinted sharply as she ignored Xiao Ai and Nanny Gong''s screams which were echoing in her ears from behind. If only they closed their mouths and stopped shrieking so shrilly! " Your majesty! Pleasee with us, this is not a child''s y!" Nanny Gong screamed at Liu Hui Ying, earlier when they heard the screaming they all ran out of the tent to see what was happening and when Nanny Gong saw that the tiger which was locked in the cage had escaped she nearly fainted out of anxiety but before she could faint, she saw Liu Hui Ying heading towards the tiger! That was right! The queen walked towards the tiger instead of running away like the other concubines. Nanny Gong who was going to faint immediately straightened up when she saw this ''exciting'' scene in the eyes of others. She wanted to drag Liu Hui Ying back to where she was standing this way she could protect her missy! But even though Nanny Gong who was terrified went ahead and tried to drag Liu Hui Ying with her, thetter refused to budge from the spot where she was standing which made Nanny Gong both furious and anxious. "That''s right your majesty, that thing is a tiger and not a human! It will not be so easy for you to take it down!" Even Xiao Ai who had full confidence in her missy could not help but yell in panic. That was a wild tiger and a crazy one at that, there was no way that the queen will be able to take it down. " How much can the tiger pelts be sold for ?" Instead of listening to Nanny Gong and Xiao Ai who were trying to drag her, Liu Hui Ying asked while looking at the tiger who was looking back at her as if he was studying his prey. " Wh¡­what?" Nanny Gong was stunned when she heard the question which was asked by Liu Hui Ying who turned her head sideways with her hands on her hips and repeated while pointing at the tiger, " That thing for how much it can be sold for?" Nanny Gong turned to look at the tiger along with Xiao Ai, their expression full of terror as they stared at the pacing tiger before turning their gaze back to Liu Hui Ying. " Yo..your majesty, are ¡­are you going to put your life in danger for one hundred taels?" Nanny Gong could not help but stutter in disbelief, this was the queen! The queen of this imperial city! She could have thousand of gold taels in her hands to spend as she wished instead she was putting her life in danger for the sake of a mere hundred silver taels! This was all because of that damned Ji family! As she thought about she could not help but re at Ji Yang who was escorting the other concubines for the sake of getting involved in trouble lest these women get hurt. '' Did she find out something?'' Ji Yang could not help but think when he saw that Nanny Gong was ring at him. '' Never mind even if the Queen finds out there is no way she will be able to make it out of this situation alive, right?'' Though Ji Yang was rather confident of this n but ¡­his gaze fell on the Dowager Empress who was calmly watching the show and then turned his gaze on Liu Hui Ying who was staring at the tiger who was brandishing his ws on tents and tables violently, rather calmly. Seeing the two women acting so calm, Ji Yang could not help but be slightly flustered. It''s all right, there was no way the queen and the Dowager Empress will be able to get out of the grasp of this wild tiger! Ji Yang calmed down after he repeatedly told him that everything was still under control. He nced at Liu Hui Ying who stood straight without the slightest bit of fear on her face and pursed his lips. But just in case¡­? He turned to look at his shadow guard who nodded his head and then slipped into the shadows, as soon as he moved the female shadow guard who was hiding in the dark corners also moved. Qui Rui was stationed to protect Liu Hui Ying, of course, she will not let anyone harm the person whom she was protecting. The only reason she did not make a move just now was because Liu Hui Ying looked like she had everything under her control but that did not mean that she will stay quiet if someone else was to make the first move! With her feet moving as quickly as possible, she followed after the shadow guard which was heading towards Liu Hui Ying. She waited until he was a bit close to Liu Hui Ying but still far from the queen to cause any actual damage and then whipped out her sword as she used the tip of her feet and jumped over into the sky beforeing to a cleannding in the front of the shadow guard. The second her feetnded on the ground which was covered with grass Qui Rui whipped out her sword and aimed it at the neck of the shadow guard from the Ji family and said in a grave voice, " You shall not take another step closer to the queen!" Chapter 422: Queen of beasts The shadow guard did not expect that the queen would have her own guard as well, didn''t everyone say that the queen was not favoured? That the Emperor would not care about her so why was a shadow guard protecting the queen? Though the man felt it was a bit confusing he still pursed his lips and took a look around the surroundings carefully, he was here because he needed to carry out an order which was given to him by his master who cared about this shadow guard who was trying to stop him. His eyes flickered slightly after he was done calcting the distance between him and the Queen before he took a sachet out of his pockets and then sneered before speaking coldly, " Who wants to take a step forward?" As he spoke he swiftly threw the sachet towards the queen followed by a dagger just a secondter, Qui Hui turned her head to look at the sachet and wanted to catch it but before she could catch it the sachet was torn in half by the dagger which was flying just behind it. As soon as the dagger tore the sachet, a green powder dropped on the floor and Qui Hui who was an assassin herself knew very well what was that green powder, she turned her head to look at the shadow guard who was running away before taking out a dagger from the inside of her clothes and threw it at the back of the man who was a beat slow to edge away from the dagger which was heading his way. Qui Hui coldly watched as the dagger got stuck into the back of the shadow guard''s head and he fell on the ground with a sneer ying on her lips, she hurriedly turned to look at the Queen prepared to fight to the death with the tiger but instead, she saw a startling scene, the tiger which was fiercely growling and roaring just a few seconds ago was now docilely lying in front of the queen as if it wasn''t the same tiger which was growling while staring at Liu Hui Ying with a gaze that said that she was his prey and he was the predator. Howe he suddenly started to act like a cat?! Everyone on the hunting grounds was more or less shocked by the scene in front of them but Liu Hui Ying who was the cause of this shocking scene was disgruntled as she looked at the beast which was showing her, his belly. Earlier, she wanted to kill this beast and sell his body parts to the market but then Witch Mao came and told her that the Beast cannot be sold because he was offered to the king! How useless! Liu Hui Ying coldly looked at the tiger before turning to look at Zhai Tianyu who smiled at her awkwardly, it was quite clear that Zhai Tianyu was very much aware of just annoyed she was because of him. A good thing too, his entire family and he was a source of constant annoyance to her! She curled her lips up disdainfully when she saw the ttering look on Zhai Tianyu''s face and then looked down at the tiger which was rolling on the ground with a cold look in her eyes, in all honesty, she wanted to kill this thing but¡ª¡ª " Awe, look at this he is so cute! Just like a little cat!" Jia Li swooped down and started to coddle the tiger, running her hands on his belly while the tiger purred happily. Animals were different from humans, they could see the spirits which walked on the surface of thisnd and at this very moment he could see the soul of Elder sister Liu who was ring down at him threatening him to take a step close and see what she would do to him. If the tiger could speak it would have definitely screamed '' I don''t dare!'' Three times but since he could not speak, he could only lower his head and act like a little wife who was bullied by his spouse. " Can we keep him? Please, please, please!" Jia Li was like a child who found his favourite toy as she hugged the tiger who also looked at Liu Hui Ying with puppy eyes while purring softly, it was clearly trying to sell his cuteness! Liu Hui Ying was going to say no but before she could say no, the tiger growled again and this time two furry babies came running before lying next to their father in the same manner, with their tummy up and waiting to be rubbed. Oh, so the entire family was in this game. Liu Hui Ying was speechless upon seeing the three tigers ying coquetry in front of her to sell themselves while Jia Li squealed as she muttered ''Please, please, please!'' '' How annoying,'' Liu Hui Ying did not give birth to a child but she was getting a hand on experience thanks to Jia Li. In the end, even if she wanted to refuse she could not because Nanny Gong who was behind her shrieked loudly, " This is the real aura of the queen! Even death has to bow before her!" Even Xiao Ai joined in the fun as she pped her hands and said, " The queen reigned in a wild tiger! She is not only the queen of the people but also the beasts!" Just like that, she, Liu Hui Ying became a queen who defeated death and then became the first queen to do something so ''miraculous.'' Liu Hui Ying: "¡­.." I am no fool but the people out here are crazy. " All hail your majesty!" " All hail, her majesty!" Screams and praises started to echo in the hunting grounds and Liu Hui Ying ended up bing the mother of the three tigers including the mother of the people. Liu Hui Ying was so embarrassed that she wished she could sneak into the ground six feet deep but the ground was not splitting itself in half! How annoying! ------------------- Chapter 426: First victim Concubine Qin got lost in the forest, the information itself was earth shattering and to make things worse, no one knew in which direction she left earlier. Though Zhai Tianyu was very much doubtful that concubine Qin was lost, he could not turn a blind eye to the happenings in front of him, when he heard official Qin say that his daughter did not return even after three hours passed by. Immediately two search teams were appointed under Yu Lingyun and Zhai Heng and about fifty soldiers were given to each of them. "Make sure to search every corner of the forest! Do not return unless you find concubine Qin!" Zhai Tianyu ordered as he exchanged a look with Zhai Heng and Yu Lingyun who nodded silently. They knew how important finding concubine Qin was, if that woman was not found alive, there was a chance that official Qin would make things difficult for them. Even though she was annoying, she was an important figure to bnce the power in the imperial court because of the backing that she had, lest something happened to her¡ª¡ª the Qin family will not sit still and it will give the Ji family another chance to make trouble. Thest time someone from the Liu fraction died, Zhai Tianyu had topensate them with a round of new posts and titles, which was fine in his eyes given that the Liu Dong Ming was in total control of the Liu family and would never let them go over the limit but in case the Ji family was to make trouble ¡ª¡ª then he was certain that they will not rest at ease unless they got hold of the red sun army. Something that his grandmother had been trying to take over for a very long time. The red sun army was the Emperor''s army and was only used at the time of war, the small armyprised of soldiers who were elites and they only listened to the orders of the person who was the owner of the red sun seal. Currently, the seal was in his hands, while the one who was in charge of that fraction was Zhai Heng because he could not afford to hand the army to anyone other than the person he trusted blindly, Zhai Tianyu had not allowed either of the family to get close to the Red sun army. But in case, something as big as concubine Qin''s death was to take ce ¡ª¡ª then the Ji family will surely have enough reasons to push someone of their own fraction into the position of assistantmander of the Red Sun army. Something that he very much wanted to avoid. '' Please don''t be dead! It doesn''t matter whether you are missing a limb or two but do not be dead!'' Zhai Tianyu prayed in his head as he sent the two search team off while the Eldest Master Qin followed them as well. Contrary to Official Qin who was worried about the losses that he had to suffer because of his daughter''s disappearance, Qin Mu Yan was genuinely concerned about his little sister. They were born from the same womb and she was his biological sister, there was no way he will not worry about her. As Liu Hui Ying watched the search team leave, she turned to look at the three ghosts including witch Mao and Xiao Lin. " Go and take a look around the forest, see what is going on," she did not care whether concubine Qin was dead or alive, the thing that she was worried about was, that she will be the one who will be targeted because of these sudden turn of events. She did not wish to be blindsided which was why it was better to know what was going on instead of staying totally unaware. " Does this means that you are epting me?" Xiao Lin asked with a twinkle in her eyes which caused Liu Hui Ying to narrow her eyes as she remarked with a sneer, " Don''t push it." Xiao Lin of course did not dare to push her luck since she was very much aware of how ruthless Liu Hui Ying can be when she wanted to which was why she followed the rest without saying anything and then separated from them while chasing after the yin energy which was scattered in the forest. Even though the search teams were looking for concubine Qin, no one on the hunting grounds expected them to find anything. It was the middle of the night, and concubine Qin had been missing for almost three hours, it was near to impossible for her to stay alive. Though everyone had the same thought in their heads, no one dared to say anything, even Zhai Tianyu who hoped that concubine Qin would return safe and sound did not have much hope in his heart and as the time ticked by, the remnants of the hope which he had also slowly started to get dimmer by the second. ¡­. On the other hand, the two search teams were busy looking for concubine Qin but it was as if that woman had vanished into thin air, there were no traces of her presence left behind. Even the flower valley where she said that she was going to take a walk did not have a shred of evidence that concubine Qin came to the flower valley. Yu Lingyun looked at the vast valley and frowned when he found nothing, with his sharp senses he was able to detect the scent of blood which was fluttering in the valley but the scent was very weak like it was a day old which meant that the scent did not belong to Concubine Qin''s blood. And as for everything else, nothing was out of ce. " If she did note here then where did she go?" Yu Lingyun muttered as he looked at the valley and then turned to look at Qin Mu Yan who was standing behind him with a livid expression on his face. And Yu Lingyun did not me him, they have been looking for three hours in the forest and they even went as far as to go deeper inside the heart of the forest but they did not find anything. With these three hours added to the ones since Concubine Qin went missing, it added up to a total of six hours. The more time passed by, the more the chances of concubine Qin being found alive would lower. ...¡­.. Leave a power stone,ment or review! It will bring a smile to my face! If you like the story please leave a golden ticket or a gift, it will motivate me for constant updates! Chapter 427: First victim——2??? =================== Yu Lingyun wanted to say something to Qin Mu Yan to soothe his stretched nerves but just as he opened his mouth to say something, he was interrupted by the scream of one of his soldiers. " General Yu! General Yu! It''s terrible! Something¡­something happened!" The soldier who came rushing in front of Yu Lingyun panted heavily as he stopped, his face was flushed and his entire uniform was covered in sweat which showed just how much hurry the man was in when he came to look for Yu Lingyun. " What is the matter with you? Why are you running like the world ising to an end?" Yu Lingyun asked with a frown as he looked at the soldier who seemed so terrified that he lost his bearing. The soldier did not answer at once, instead, he inhaled and exhaled before he lifted his head and then said in a hurried voice, " The bridge ¡­. The bridge has copsed!" " What?" Yu Lingyun was both surprised and frightened by this sudden information, he no longer cared about investigating the flower valley and then rushed to the bridge which hovered over the chasm where a river with a violent current flowed intensely. ¡­ Behind him Qin Mu Yan also followed, he wished to investigate the flower valley but before anything else, he had to take care of his responsibility of protecting the Emperor first. As the two of them arrived at the bridge, they were surprised to find the wooden bridge dangling on the other side of thend where it moved left and right with the force of the wind. Yu Lingyun''s face could not help but turn solemn when he saw the bridge being connected with just one side and then turned to look at the soldier and asked, " Did the bridge break when you arrived here or was it already broken?" The soldier was carrying a ming torch in his hand which cast an ominous golden glow on his face causing half of his face to be covered with shadows as the soldier replied in a trembling voice, " It was already broken, general. We were thinking to cross to the other side and search for concubine Qin since we could not find her in the forest but then as soon as we arrived we found that the bridge has been snapped." Yu Lingyun''s expression turned even grimmer as he took the ming torch from the soldier and then walked over to the poles where the bridge was connected by two strong ropes. Though the bridge looked rather old and weary, its ropes were made from the fibre of the west. It was rumoured to be the strongest fibre ever sold and the family which was skilled in making it, took ten years to sell a thousand metres long rope and sold it for more than ten taels of gold. There was no way that rope could just snap in half without any rhyme or reason! He walked closer to the poles and then brought the ming torch closer to the poles and just as he expected, the edge of the ropes which were used to tie two knots on each one of the poles was indeed snapped but they did not snap because of the pressure of the wind. Instead, they snapped because someone deliberately used something sharp to cut them! Yu Lingyun''s facial expression could not help but twist as he realised what was going on and then turned to look at Qin Mu Yan who was silently looking at the two knots which had sharp edges which were too clean for a rope which was supposed to break on its own. " Did someone snap them after taking my sister away?" He questioned as he looked at the bridge which was dangling on the other side. Yu Lingyun on the other hand shook his head and then said, " No, if they took your sister to the other side then they would have cut the ropes from the other side, not this one." He paused and then admitted, " I am afraid that the culprit is hiding in the forest ¡­and more like running away, this looks like the person behind this incident does not want anyone to run away." Qin Mu Yan clenched his fists when he heard Yu Lingyun''s reply, in fact, he also knew that it was impossible for him to find his sister alive after such a long time had already passed by but he was willing to hold on to the smallest flicker of hope but now that he was staring at the bridge which was snapped in half, his hope vanished into nothing. " Which bastard has a death wish?" He sneered while grinding his teeth as he continued to stare at the snapped bridge. Yu Lingyun did not say anything and simply suggested going back and telling their findings to Zhai Tianyu. Qin Mu Yan was not willing to go back but standing at the edge of the chasm was not going to help him either which was why he agreed and followed Yu Lingyun back to the hunting ground. " Do not worry, as the culprit is still hiding in the forest, he will definitely be¡ª¡ª-" A scream tore through the sky again, the scream was mournful and wretched which caused Qin Mu Yan''s eyes to widen as he rushed towards the direction from where the scream came from. Yu Lingyun chased after him making sure to not let the distance be any bigger than a few meters. " Help me!" The scream of the woman echoed once again in the clearing as Qiu Mu Yan''s eyes turned wide as saucers as he screamed in anguish, " MOTHER!" The officials were allowed to bring their family with them which was why Qiu Mu Yan''s mother tagged along with them under the pretext that she wished to see his sister who had been living in the imperial pce ever since she got married. Did his mother sneak out of the hunting ground to look for his sister? Knowing how much his mother cared for her daughter, Qin Mu Yan thought that it was highly possible which was why he increased his pace and burst past the bush instead of following the rocky path. But even so, he was a step toote because his mother was nowying dead on the ground with her head chopped off cleanly, her eyes wide in terror as she stared at the sky. Chapter 428: An old legend " Mother!" Qin Mu Yan screamed as he rushed to the decapitated body which was lying on the ground with blood staining the grass. His scream was full of agony and pain¡ª¡ª and as Yu Lingyun chased after him after hearing his scream, thetter''s felt the ground slip from underneath his feet as soon as his gaze fell on the decapitated body of the old Madam Qin. What was going on? First, it was Concubine Qin who vanished into thin air and now it was the old madam who was killed by someone? Yu Lingyun looked around the surrounding before he turned to look at his soldiers and then said in a gruff voice, " What are you waiting for? Look for the murderer! He must be hiding somewhere close!" Old Madam Qin''s scream came only a few seconds ago which meant that the murderer was standing in front of her till now, there was no way whoever was behind this murder would be able to escape! That was what Yu Lingyun thought but as his soldiers dived into the depth of the forest while leaving him with the crying and grieving Qin Mu Yan, none of them was able to find anything! The soldiers were carrying ming torches in their hands as they looked in the dark forest but forget about catching the culprit who killed Old Madam Qin, they could not even find a single drop of blood! Even the weapon which was used to kill Old Madam Qin could not be found! " What...What is this?" One of the soldiers could not help but ask as he looked around the entire forest which was clean and devoid of any blood. " The grass around Old Madam Qin is covered with blood but why is it that there is not another drop of blood discarded anywhere close to the killing sight?" His doubts were exactly what everyone else wanted to ask, the ground near the body of Old Madam Qin was coloured red but other than that spot the entire ce was squeaky clean! How was that even possible? Even if the murderer was someone skilled? He should have dropped at least a single drop of blood while running. And that too when he was in such a hurry! "Did he use martial arts?" Another soldier asked as he looked at his colleagues who shook their heads before the soldier with a scar on his nose stated in a clear voice, " I asked those who are skilled in martial arts to look at the branches of the trees but they are clean as well, not a single drop was dropped on the tree or its leaves." " Wah¡­ it''s... it''s very simr to that old legend!" While the soldiers were discussing the murder and how it took ce, one of the youngest soldiers could not help but speak up as he looked around the forest. His words attracted the attention of the other soldiers as well as Yu Lingyun who came to look for the soldiers to find out what was holding them back. " What legend?" An elderly soldier asked from the sidelines, though he did not believe that this was a job of a legend or a ghost, he was willing to listen, after all, many times there was a hand of a human behind such legends, which helped them greatly when it came tomitting the dirty deeds in the silence of the night. " You don''t know? I thought everyone heard about it!" The young soldier who just cried about the legend stared at the elderly ones with wide eyes and when he saw that they were shaking their heads, he immediately opened his mouth and then started to tell them about an old legend which was rather popr among themoners. " It is a forty-five-year-old legend, back when the Late Emperor was still alive¡ª¡ª"As the young soldier spoke he lowered his voice and then brought the ming torch near his face as he continued speaking, " It is said that there was once a schr who was studying under an old minister since he did not have the money to partake in any academy. The old minister took the schr under him because he was good-looking and smart under the conditions that he will marry his daughter as his official wife and will never marry someone else, something that the schr agreed to." " But the old schr ended up falling for a courtesan who was much more prettier than the old wife whom he married and took into his house, the old wife whom the schr married could not withstand the blow and fell sick slowly withering away with the passing of time ¡ª¡ª but the schr who was infatuated with the courtesan could not wait!" " He wanted his wife to pass away as soon as possible so that he will be able to marry that courtesan, which was why he brought her to this hunting ground during one of the hunting seasons and then killed her by ripping her limbs and then chopping those limbs into pieces before scattering it all over the ce! To this day no one has ever found the intact corpse of that old wife, it is rumoured that she still lurks in the forest and kills anyone who falls into her hands!" After the young soldier was done speaking, he turned to look at the soldiers who were looking at him with expressions which were abination of being speechless and terrified. It was the middle of the night! Almost three in the morning and this guy was telling such a scary story to them! Was his brain flooded with water or what? As the soldiers were thinking about this, they heard the sound of a twig snapping from behind and immediately turned pale, slowly, very slowly they turned to look at the thing behind them and when they saw a terrifying face which was looming over them under the glow of the ming torch, all of them rushed towards the person who was standing next to them and then hugged that person tightly. " AHHH!" " ITS A GHOST!" " MOTHER, I AM SCARED!" ----------------- Chapter 429: An old legend ——2 " What are you screaming for?" Yu Lingyun''s expression turned sullen when he saw that the soldiers were screaming as if their lives were on the line. " Now you are so scared that you cannot even recognise your general ?" Yu Lingyun was speechless when he heard his soldiers discussing the old legend like a bunch of gossipy wives, what were they doing? Talking about something so stupid? What fifty years old legend? Wasn''t it just a story to keep the people entertained? When the soldiers heard the voice of Yu Lingyun they were really embarrassed, they all came here to look for a piece of evidence but instead, they ended up talking about somethingpletely unimportant! " Forgive us general, we ended up losing sight of the goal," the elderly soldier who spoke earlier lowered his head and apologised with a sheepish smile. He was so old but he was still being dragged around by the foolish talk of the youngsters. "It''s good that you know!" Yu Lingyun red at the soldiers who were talking nonsense just now and then continued to scold them with a reprimanding voice, " Do you even know what kind of situation is this? The wife of an important official has been killed, we need to look for something that will lead us to her murderer instead of gossiping around like that! It will only bring embarrassment to us!" Yu Lingyun was already having a headache, the disappearance of concubine Qin was already bad enough but now Old Madam Qin was killed as well, if this goes on, he was afraid that Zhai Tianyu would even have to take off his pants topensate for the Qin family! And at such a crucial moment, these soldiers were discussing that old legend! Such foolishness! " Come with me! We will look around again!" Yu Lingyun ordered the soldiers who were standing next to him. This time he was going to lead them, himself! He will see with his own eyes whether he will not be able to find anything or not! Though Yu Lingyun thought that he will be able to find something, he was bound to be disappointed because there was nothing in the forest that would lead him to the culprit, it was as if the body of Old Madam Qin just appeared out of thin air and dropped at that spot but that was impossible! The scent of blood was fresh and one could see that the body was chopped just a few seconds ago because the blood did not start to clot. So there was no way the body was just taken from somewhere and then dumped here! Even if the culprit could fake the voice of Old Madam Qin, he might not be able to fake the freshness of the blood! " Damn!" Yu Lingyun cursed as he looked at the surrounding, he wanted to find something before going back and bringing the body of Old Madam Qin with him but it looks like he was bound to fail! ... After searching for so long when Yu Lingyun did not find anything, he could only return with Qin Mu Yan and the body of Old Madam Qin on a makeshift stretcher which was covered with the robe that Qin Mu Yan was wearing earlier. As soon as their group appeared in the hunting grounds, they made a loud uproar to the point where Zhai Tianyu who was talking with Zhai Heng who found nothing in the forest and was discussing what to do next came rushing as well, in front of them was the chubby official Qin who came running forgoing his identity and reputation as an official as he came to a stop in front of the stretcher. " I...Is this my daughter?" He asked as he looked at Yu Lingyun and Qin Mu Yan. His voice was trembling and his forehead was covered with sweat, one could see that he was very much worried about the body which was under the robe! When neither Qin Mu Yan nor Yu Lingyun spoke, Official Qin suddenly felt agitated as he said, " What are you staying silent for Mu Yan?! I am asking you whether the person lying under the robe is your sister or not! Answer me!" " I.. it is not sister," Qin Mu Yan answered causing Official Qin to heave a sigh of relief but before he could even take a breath, he heard Qin Mu Yan say, " Its mother." Official Qin''s face immediately turned pale as he rushed to the stretcher and then pushed the robe off the face of his wife, when he saw that it was indeed his wife, a low painful moan escaped his lips as he knelt on the ground and started to sob. " NO! I refuse to believe this! Ye Xin had been with me for so long, she cannot leave me behind like this! Who can do this to her? She was so kind and helpful to the poor! How can they even think of killing her like this and that too so brutally at that!" His cries were full of agony and pain as everyone who was standing on the hunting ground started to feel sorry for him even Zhai Tianyu felt a bit helpless. Only Liu Hui Ying who was standing at the end of the hunting ground looked at the corpse of Old Madam Lin and frowned. "What''s wrong ?" Seeing that she was frowning Li Gang couldn''t help but ask. " The corpse smell of hell''s fire which means that the woman who died was nowhere kind." Liu Hui Ying exined as she took a whiff of the air which smelled of death and destruction. " Her soul was so ugly that the grim reapers had to take matters into their own hands, yet her husband says that she was kind¡­I just find it a bit amusing and annoying." " Well there is nothing to be surprised about, no matter how annoying or ruthless a person was when he or she died, everyone says that they were good people," Jia Li spoke wisely as she looked at the scene in front of her. "That''s true," Liu Hui Ying agreed before turning to her three ghosts and the two helpers. " Did you find something ?" Chapter 430: She is still here " We did not see anything," Li Gang replied as he took the lead,pared to Yu Lingyun and the rest who were on foot they had more advantage since they could fly in the sky which was why it did not take long for them to finish searching the entire forest and even though they found many spirits which were carrying a heavy grudge, neither of them belonged to Concubine Qin. Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen also shook their heads as Jia Li took the initiative to say, " I tried to look deeper in the forest since I was worried that the woman might have thrown a tantrum and rushed into the deeper side of the forest she did look like a troublemaker but I did not find anyone there, it''s filled with grudging spirits but same as Li Gang, I did not see concubine Qin." " Neither did we." Xiao Lin also shook her head while witch Mao cracked her neck from side to side as she parted her lips and then said, " That woman is still alive, before that woman was killed ¡ª¡ª I did not sense a burst of yin energy which means that the concubine Qin or whatever that woman''s name is, she is alive, at least for the time being." Liu Hui Ying also thought the same but she could not understand where exactly concubine Qin was ¡ª¡ª ording to the guards, she never came back to the hunting grounds, if she did note back to the hunting grounds then where did she go? Because for a woman as big as her, it was impossible for her to vanish into thin air unless she jumped off the cliff bit concubine Qin did not seem like a woman who would kill herself and even if she died, given how selfish and petty she was, concubine Qin would have not moved on to the underworld without haunting the person who killed her. So she was definitely alive but captured, or else she would have not stayed away from the hunting ground for long which means¡ª¡ª " She is in the hunting ground," Liu Hui Ying finally spoke after she was done thinking through everything. Her eyes sharply flickered as she looked at the many tents which were sitting in the middle of the hunting grounds with a calcting look on her face, though there were only fifty to sixty tents, they were rather big and spread out ¡ª¡ª it would take a long time for her to investigate so many tents which were built on the hunting ground. " And just how did youe to that conclusion?" A voice asked from behind. Liu Hui Ying, who was lost in her thoughts, thought that it was one of her ghosts which was why she answered in an unhurried voice, " The guards say that they did not see concubine Qine back after an hour or so but during that one hour, the shifts between the guards changed, did it not? If I am not wrong, the shift changed and the guards took their posts after ten minutes or so¡ª¡ª my conclusion is that concubine Qin did leave but came back ten minutester because for some reason but before anyone could see her, someone intercepted her in between and pulled her inside the hunting grounds while the shifts were being changed." The guards who were guarding the entire hunting grounds since the night went to the tent which was set up for the soldiers when there were ten minutes left before the clock struck nine and when the shifts were being taken over by the other group of soldiers who were responsible for the nightly watch, it should have taken at least ten or so minutes for them toe out and then spread all over the hunting grounds¡ª¡ª which meant that concubine Qin should have returned during this small frame of time because only then her disappearance would make sense. "That''s a rather wise conclusion, your majesty." The voice spoke up again and this time Liu Hui Ying realised that this voice was one that she heard but it did not match with her ghosts! Startled she turned around and looked at Ji Yu who was standing behind her with a polite expression on her face while Xiao Lin whose happiness metre was fluctuating was hovering around Ji Yu with a madly in love expression on her face. " Your Highness! You are looking more beautiful than ever! Ahhh! The colour pink suits you so well! Boohoo it''s so bad that I can never dress you in this colour ever again!" Xiao Lin cried but she shut up when Liu Hui Ying red at her like a demon from the sidelines, clearly angry at her for not telling her that Ji Yu was here to see her. Once Xiao Lin stopped crying, Liu Hui Ying turned to look at Ji Yu who was smiling at her and asked with a subtle voice, " What are you doing here, your Highness?" " You do not need to be so careful with me, your majesty," Ji Yu replied as she turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who was trying to calm a hysterical-looking Official Qin. "¡­ I have given up on his majesty, because of certain reasons." She then paused and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was looking at her with suspicions in her eyes and smiled, " You do not have to believe me for the time being. But if I am not wrong, then I am certain that you are currently thinking of how to investigate the inside of the tents right?" " What about it?" Liu Hui Ying asked with a narrowed pair of eyes as Ji Yu''s smile widened and then she replied, " Nothing, I just wanted you to know that in three hours, a pair of maids will go and change the coals which are burning in the brazier inside each tent." After she was done speaking, she turned on her heels and then left while Xiao Lin on the other hand squealed, " My missy is so cool!" ------------------ Chapter 431: She is still here ——2 On the other hand, Ji Yu who was done giving advice to Liu Hui Ying returned to Liu Dong Ming''s side as she nodded at him before turning her gaze away, it was her signal to let him know that she had done what he asked her to do. Liu Dong Ming nced at Ji Yu before turning to look at Liu Hui Ying who was thinking about something, his eyes considerably softened as he looked at Liu Hui Ying and sighed, how he wished he could take her away to the modern world and let her stay there but ¡ª¡ª he clenched his fingers as he remembered his eldest daughter and turned his gaze at Ji Yang, for the sake of vengeance, he was going to make sure that the entire Ji family pays of the debts which they owed him and his daughters. While his gaze was locked at Ji Yang, he noticed another figure which was moving towards Liu Hui Ying and his eyes flickered slightly before a mocking smile etched on his face. Truly idiotic, and does not even know that he was being used like an idiot. Liu Hui Ying had to admit that Xiao Lin was right for once but she only thought it for a few minutes before she turned to look in front. From what Ji Yu said, there might be an opening for her to investigate the tents which were set up on the hunting grounds and with the ghosts next to her, she did not even have to push it too much and will be able to see what was being hidden in the tents. However just as she came to a conclusion, she realised that someone was heading her way which made her raise her head and look at the person who was walking in her direction. When she saw that it was none other than concubine Qin''s brother, Qin Mu Yan, she curled the side of her lips in a disdainful smile ¡ª¡ªwhat was this, was he going to me her now? What Liu Hui Ying thought was indeed correct Qin Mu Yan was indeed ming her which was why in his towering rage he did not care about who was standing in front of him nor did he care whom he was trying to question. All he knew was that his sister disappeared and no one knew where she went! As he arrived in front of Liu Hui Ying, Qin Mu Yan begrudgingly got to his feet and then looked at Liu Hui Ying while he was still kneeling on the ground and asked, " Your majesty, I beg of you. If you are hiding my sister please let her go." Enjoy stories on m_v lemp-yr Qin Mu Yan knew that his sister went to find trouble with Liu Hui Ying earlier in the afternoon which was why he thought that she deliberately made his sister disappear to make their family realise what their position was and where they were standing. His words caused the entire hunting ground to erupt while Zhai Tianyu wished he could lift his robes and kick Qin Mu Yan in the back of his head ¡ª¡ªwhat was that idiot doing? He was ming the queen? Why, doesn''t he just me him !? That way he will not be digging a grave for him! In case Liu Hui Ying went mad, he will be the one who will be scolded to death for appointing such foolish officers! But he could not lose his temper nor could he kick Qin Mu Yan in the back of his head which was why he could only walk towards where Qin Mu Yan and Liu Hui Ying were and try to break their argument. But as he approached Liu Hui Ying and Qin Mu Yan, he heard Liu Hui Ying sneer and that was when a chill crawl up his spine. " Official Qin you are being really funny," Liu Hui Ying scoffed when she heard the words of Qin Mu Yan, not only did she take great offence but she also did not bother to hide the contempt she felt for Qin Mu Yan. " Everyone knows that I was in the hunting ground from the beginning till the end, let''s not talk about concubine Qin''s disappearance, from what happened to your mother, it''s quite clear that someone with really deep grudge is after your family. Why is it that you suddenly thought of using me?" " Your majesty, I am not trying to use you¡­" Qin Mu Yan began but Liu Hui Ying did not give him a chance to speak, she arched a brow and then said in a sneering cold voice, " You are not using me? Which of your words was not using?! From what you said, I think you are telling everyone that I am a petty woman who cannot even look over a small argument and would make anyone who went against me vanish. From the moment you spoke up, you were using me, what are you going to say next? That I rushed ahead and then chopped your mother up in the forest with a sword? I did not even see your mother before this just what kind of grudges would I have with her, how can you even think of saying such things to me!" Qin Mu Yan wanted to say something but before he could Liu Dong Ming who was silently standing on the side stepped forward and then said, " Your majesty if I may," his voice was soft but because his aura was stronger than many he was able to catch the attention of almost everyone in the hunting grounds. " I think that junior official Qin may or may not have been swept up in his emotions because there is no way he would be insulting the queen of this country by implying that she is a woman who not only had a concubine vanish just because of a small argument but also harmed the mother of the certain concubine just because she was upset?" With his dark gaze falling on Qin Mu Yan, he added, " Because if he did then he will be considered not only a traitor but he would also be executed right now and here ." Chapter 432: Entering the space Qin Mu Yan could no longer say anything as he finished listening to what Liu Dong Ming said to him. He stayed on his knees in front of Liu Hui Ying while looking at Liu Dong Ming who was speaking to him. He wished to go against Liu Dong Ming and retort scathingly but after struggling for a long time he realised that what Liu Dong Ming said to him was indeed correct, while he was worrying about his sister, he ended up forgetting the fact that this woman despite not being epted by the ministers of the imperial court as their queen, she was still wearing the crown of the Queen of the imperial city. And him using her regarding the disappearance of his sister without any piece of evidence was indeed asking for trouble and that too, a one which might cost him, his life! "This minister apologises," though Qin Mu Yan was not willing to lower his head, he could only take a step back. But that does not mean that he was willing to lower his head! Even if he had to flip the entire forest upside down, he will find his sister no matter where she was, he did not believe that he will not be able to find her! With his head lowered in front of Liu Hui Ying, he apologised even though his head was lowered and he was not looking at Liu Hui Ying, thetter could feel that he was rather reluctant to give up. But she did not bother herself with him for two reasons, she did not have the time and secondly, she could not bother herself with Qin Mu Yan, thetter was simply beyond reasoning. She knew that no matter what she said to him, he will not listen to her unless he sees his sister with his own eyes. And that was highly impossible unless she goes around searching for her, only then will she be able to prove herself clean and in case she was a step toote, then she might never be able to save concubine Qin. " I hope you will remember this, junior official Qin," Liu Hui Ying haughtily spoke to Qin Mu Yan as she turned to walk back to the tent, she did not even look at him as she walked away. Behind her, the three ghosts followed while Zhai Tianyu looked at Qin Mu Yan with a helpless look on his face, he knew that he was only worried about his sister but what he did was indeed overstepping the boundaries, if Liu Dong Ming wished he could have pursued this matter until Qin Mu Yan and his entire family were standing on the execution ground. " Junior official Qin stays in your tent tonight and then think of what you have done," Zhai Tianyu told Qin Mu Yan who was kneeling on the ground. " Stay inside your tent and make sure that you calm yourself down, I do not wish to hear such reckless words again, do you understand?" Qin Mu Yan pursed his lips thinly but he still lowered his head and then said in a grim voice, " I understand your majesty." After Zhai Tianyu was done speaking, he walked away. Once the Emperor left Qin Mu Yan stood up from the ground and looked at Liu Dong Ming who was smiling at him without any reservation, it was as if he wasn''t the one who just said those words that went against him just now. " Prime Minister Liu, I hope that you will not hold this against me," he said to Liu Dong Ming who did not look like he was the least bit offended. " Of course, I will not hold it against you, junior minister Qin ¡ª¡ª something like this is something that anyone who had lost their loved ones would understand but I will hope that the next time when you say such things you will think twice and not think of something like this again." Liu Dong Ming was generous with his words and did not say a word of me it was as if he was not at all bothered by what Qin Mu Yan said just now. Qin Mu Yan''s eyes flickered but he still lowered his gaze and nodded, " I understand, prime minister Liu." Liu Dong Ming did not say anything and simply turned on his heels and then left. Behind him, Qin Mu Yan stared at him for a few minutes but then he too turned on his heels and then walked towards his tent, he needed to think of a way to solve this matter lest his sister died in an unjust manner. ¡­. On the other hand, Liu Hui Ying returned to her tent where she asked Li Gang and Jia Li to bring the two maids who were responsible for changing the coal in the brazier which was something they did not have to work too hard for, as soon as they floated out of the tent, they noticed two maidsing to change the coal in the brazier of the Emperor tent. " Oh they are already here," Li Gang muttered as he swooped down and looked at the elderly maid who was holding a big bucket which was filled with coal while the maid next to her was holding another bucket which was filled with coal as well. Jia Li looked at the maid and then exchanged a look with Li Gang before the two of them took a step closer to the maid and then with a swoosh went inside the two women who were standing in front of them. At once the two women stiffened and their eyes turned white like pearls which did not seem to have any life in them. " It feels weird," muttered Li Gang as he looked down at the heavy mounds which were sticking out of his chest, he raised his hand which was free and carefully squeezed the heavy weight on his chest and grimaced, " I feel so heavy¡­ and my back feels awful." " Wee to the life of being a woman," Jia Li sighed as she pped the Li Gang''s hand which was squeezing the chest of the maid. " And don''t take advantage of the situation, I know what you are trying to do all right?" Li Gang rolled his eyes but he still dropped his hand and then walked inside the tent which was standing in front of him, once he was inside he looked at Liu Hui Ying who was waiting for the two of them and asked, " What do you think? How do I look?" " You are not my type but by all means knock her out," Liu Hui Ying remarked as he looked at the two maids who were being possessed by the two ghosts. The two of them followed Liu Hui Ying''s order and knocked the two maids out before stuffing them in the corner. Once they were done, Liu Hui Ying looked at the maids and then turned to look at Grandma Lan Fen with her arms crossed in front of her and said, " Take a good look at them and then make sure to create a mask which is simr to their faces." " I understand," Grandma Lan Fen nodded as she looked at the two maids who were made to sit in the corner of the tent by Li Gang and Jia Li before she summoned her space. It just so happened that the second she summoned her space, Zhai Tianyu who was outside the tent pushed the p open and then stepped inside causing Grandma Lan Fen to be startled as she unconsciously brought him inside her space. " Whoa¡­" Zhai Tianyu was awed in surprised when he suddenly arrived in a ce which was pure white with multiple mirrors and a bunch of things that he had never seen before, and what shocked him the most was that on the left side of him, there was a ss cab that had multiple humans heads inside. His eyes widened as he took in the white room which was cooler than the hunting grounds and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was looking at him with so much surprise as if she did not know him before. " You¡­what are you doing here?" She asked in shock as she looked at the man in front of her, surely he did note chasing after her? "That''s what I would like to know," Zhai Tianyu replied as he looked at the things which he had never seen before and then turned his gaze to look at Grandma Lan Fen who looked much clearer than she did to him usually while Li Gang and Jia Li looked a bit dimmer and fainter as they stood next to Liu Hui Ying who was standing right in front of a dressing table with a mirror which was so clean that he could see his face without any trouble at all. Just what was this ce?! -------- I am at a funeral please do understand. Chapter 433: Where to? "You have to be kidding me," Liu Hui Ying was speechless beyond belief, how can she even make such a mistake? She turned to look at Grandma Lan Fen who raised her hands in the air and then said, " This is not my fault, I did not do anything ¡­he was the one who came inside the tent when I summoned the space." Liu Hui Ying turned to look at the man with a re in her eyes and when Zhai Tianyu saw her ring, he raised his hands as well, " I did nothing wrong ¡ª¡ª this tent belongs to me¡ª-ack." While he was speaking, he suddenly felt someone chop him in the back of his neck, a bit surprised he turned to look at the person who was behind him. " You¡­." And when he saw that the one who smacked him in the back of his neck was none other than Li Gang, he was stunned to the point where his eyes ended up rolling in their sockets on their own. Howe a ghost was able to touch him? Much less hit him? Zhai Tianyu did not get a chance to ask the questions which were churning in his head because a secondter he fell on the ground and then turned unconscious. " Why did you do that?" Seeing Li Gang hit Zhai Tianyu like that, Jia Li could not help but ask, of course, he was in the wrong for entering the wrong ce at the wrong time but there was no need for Li Gang to act so ruthlessly, right? " We don''t have the time to bother with him," Li Gang retorted without the slightest bit of hesitation as he turned to walk towards Liu Hui Ying while smacking the dust on his hands as he tilted his head and then asked, " I did a good job, did I not?" Liu Hui Ying did not say anything to him instead she turned to look at Grandma Lan Fen and then said, " Hurry, if he wakes up then we would have to exin a bunch of things to him and I am not in the mood to do so," as she spoke she looked at Zhai Tianyu who was lying on the floor and then turned her gaze away in a jiffy. Don''t me her for being ruthless and selfish but the more she stayed in this world, the more she realised that she needed to keep a few cards to herself or else, she might lose her life without knowing where she went wrong. Therefore, she hurried Grandma Lan Fen to create two masks which looked a lot simr to the faces of the two maids who were now lying unconscious in the tent. Grandma Lan Fen also did not waste another minute as she went straight to work and then created two masks which looked quite simr to the faces of those two maids. She raised the long machine which was white and quite simr to that of a printer in the human world but instead of printing papers, when Grandma Lan Fen instilled her yin energy and when she lifted the lid of that machine, two human-like masks were lying on the glowing ss pane which was lit up with a white light which was lit up underneath the ss pane. " They are done," Grandma Lan Fen announced as she turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who nodded and then went towards the machine where she picked up the human masks which were sitting and then carefully ran her fingers on the human skin mask which she was holding in her hands. " These might be useful, you have done a great job," Liu Hui Ying was not at all shy with the praise as she turned to look at Grandma Lan Fen who beamed happily upon receiving the praise which was hard toe by, especially from someone like Liu Hui Ying. Though Grandma Lan Fen did not stay happy for so long as Liu Hui Ying raised a brow and said in a slightly disdainful voice, " What are you waiting for now? New year? Summon your space back before that idiot wakes up and starts asking questions that we cannot answer." " I will summon it back right away!" Grandma Lan Fen sighed sure enough Liu Hui Ying''s praise went just as fast as it came. She summoned her space back and the tent which was morphed into a white room soon turned back to its original condition and just as it turned back to its original condition, and no sooner did the tent turned back to its original condition, Liu Hui Ying turned to look at Li Gang before opening her mouth as she said, " Go and have him lie on the bed, make it look like he fell asleep." Though she knew that she might not be able to muddle her way through the things but as long as she insisted that he fell on the ground after slipping and was just dreaming of the entire thing, Liu Hui Ying was certain that she will be able to escape the responsibility of answering those questions. " Got it," Li Gang shot a triumphant look at Jia Li who narrowed her eyes and then looked away, while Li Gang went over to where Zhai Tianyu was lying and then, he crouched down and then entered Zhai Tianyu''s body and soon he was standing tall wearing Zhai Tianyu''s skin. Literally. With his shoulders rolling back he looked at Liu Hui Ying and then said with a smile, " This feels much better, don''t you think so?" He then turned around as if he was showing off his new dress to Liu Hui Ying who rolled her eyes and then said, "On the bed. Now!" " I know, I know¡­why are you so strict?" Li Gang''s shoulders drooped as he trudged towards the bed where he lied down and then reappeared after leaving Zhai Tianyu''s body behind. Though he followed Liu Hui Ying''s orders, he looked a bit reluctant as he walked towards Liu Hui Ying who was standing straight at the centre of the tent with two masks in her hands. " Why did you ask for two masks though?" Jia Li could not help but ask as she dropped her gaze to the two masks which were dangling in Liu Hui Ying''s hands. Liu Hui Ying did not answer instead she turned to look at Jia Li and then said, " Do you think I will be willing to carry those buckets? Someone naturally has to do it for me." As she spoke, she threw one of the masks at the ghosts. " Go and get Xiao Ai, I am sure that she is rather free at the moment." If possible Liu Hui Ying would have instead chosen to use an invisibility talisman but under the extreme shortage of money, she did not have much yellow paper left with her! To think that she, the top detective in her country would one day have to rely on something like this! When did she have to rely on human masks other than when she was being undercover? Li Gang raised his head suddenly looking a bit perked up but then Jia Li red at him and snapped, "What are you smiling for? I am the one who is going to possess that girl, you stay back." And before Li Gang could say anything, Jia Li floated out of the tent and very soon returned with a very dazed-looking Xiao Ai who was walking towards Liu Hui Ying as if she was sleepwalking. "Let''s go if you are ready," said Liu Hui Ying as she pulled the mask which she was holding in her hand over her head. As the mask skipped Liu Hui Ying''s face, her entire appearance changed as she turned into a middle-aged olddy whose back was slouching slightly. Jia Li on the other hand was looking at her appearance which was of a young woman and looked up at Liu Hui Ying with a deadpanned expression and then said, " You..deliberately did this right? You gave me the mask of the young woman such that I will be the one who will carry those heavy buckets right?" " If you know then why are you even asking?" Liu Hui Ying raised a brow and even though she was looking old and weary, her aura wasn''t at all diminished if anything she made even the elderly woman look like a general who won a war. Jia Li rolled her eyes and then went to pick up the two buckets while Liu Hui Ying, being the boss only made an effort to pick up the tongs which were dangling on the side of the bucket. Seeing this Jia Li shot a white look at Liu Hui Ying before she huffed and asked in a tired voice, " Where to?" Liu Hui Ying turned to walk out of the tent, as she stepped out of the tent, her gaze narrowed on a man whose expression was rather ugly and said, "Let''s go and see him first." Chapter 434: Not happening ! Liu Hui Ying was headed towards the tent which belonged to Ji Yang, given that he and his family really had something in for her, she knew that he was the prime suspect after all, if it was proven that she was the one who was the cause of Concubine Qin''s disappearance, he will be the one who will get the most number of benefits. " Who are you?" Ji Yang was talking about something with his aide when he saw two women approaching his tent. He turned to look at the young and old pair who bowed their heads when he turned to face them and then heard the elderly woman speak, " We are here to change the coal in your brazier, my esteemed lord," if Ji Yang had heard Liu Hui Ying talk to Zhai Tianyu privately he would have sensed something amiss but since he did not hear Liu Hui Ying talk with Zhai Tianyu instead of feeling suspicious when he heard the words ''esteemed lord,'' he was more than proud as he nodded his head and waved his hand. " You can go inside," he said after he was done waving his hands giving Liu Hui Ying and Jia Li permission to enter his tent. Seeing that they have received permission, Liu Hui Ying bowed in front of Ji Yang and the next one was Jia Li, despite being from the modern world, they were thoroughly able to impersonate the manners of this world due to their profession. The two of them thanked Ji Yang before they turned to face the p of the tent, the first to enter was Liu Hui Ying since she knew that every tent on the ground had a small charm ced on it. She had heard about the old legend about the woman who was killed unjustly in this hunting grounds and knew that though no one believed that legend they still stuck a charm which was blessed by the master of the astronomy department to keep evil at bay. This was the reason why Liu Hui Ying had to follow her ghosts given that they could not walk past these charms that had a bit of Yang energy instilled inside of them. Liu Hui Ying first cancelled the effect of the charm and then only did she take a step inside the tent behind her, Jia Li who was possessing the body of Xiao Ai also walked in, as soon as they walked inside the first thing Jia Li was to knock Xiao Ai out and then started to look inside the various cabs and trunks which was made out of wood. While Liu Hui Ying looked at the tent which wasvishly decorated and clicked her tongue, sure enough, though they were treating her like a poor daughter-inw, they were indeed not treating themselves badly. A part of her wanted to steal the golden orb that was resting on the cab next to therge fur carpet which was lying in the centre of the tent but she knew that it will not be easy to sell it but¡ª¡ª She was someone who did not fear anything but since she was wearing the mask of an old woman she did not wish to cause her trouble. Liu Hui Ying changed the coal honestly while Jia Li finished investigating the entire ce and then said, " There is nothing ¡­ not even a trace of concubine Qin can be found." A bemused glint shed in Liu Hui Ying''s eyes but she did not say anything and simply straightened up and walked out of the tent after Jia Li possessed Xiao Ai''s body again, the next stop was The grand dowager Empress''s tent and quite surprisingly she did not find anything there either and Ji Mo''s tent was the same. Exasperation shed in Liu Hui Ying''s eyes as she finished looking at all the tents before she headed to Ji Yu''s tent where she noticed thetter lying on the bed while her new maid spoke to her in a hushed whisper as she continued to say this and that, most of the things which she spoke was about how she should try to bring Liu Hui Ying down from the throne. " Enough," when Ji Yu saw Liu Hui Ying enter the room together with Jia Li, she raised her hand and then stopped Hong Mei. " Can''t you see that we are not alone what nonsense are you trying to pull by saying such words in front of others? Do you wish to see us getting executed?" Hong Mei was not happy with the reprimand that she just received but she did not dare to go against Ji Yu instead she turned to re at Liu Hui Ying and scolded her harshly., " You old woman, do you have no tact? How can you not see that we are having a discussion here? You dare to act as you wish!" " This maid is only following the order which was given to me. I asked before entering the tent, if there was something that you wished not to be heard by this old woman, then you should have either stopped this old woman from entering or restricted yourself from speaking what you want ¡­what is the point of getting angry at this old woman?" Ji Yu caught the anger which shed in the eyes of the old woman, and those eyes reminded her of Liu Hui Ying for some reason. Because she knew this old maid and knew that she had been treated like this for a very long time and the old woman had never dared to go against anyone but for some reason, she was standing up for herself. A sh of surprise and recognition passed in Ji Yu''s eyes but she did not show it on her face and instead turned to look at Hong Mei who seemed like she wanted to retort to the old maid. " Enough! The old woman is right, I was the one who gave her permission to enter while you despite hearing my order continued to chatter in my ear, who is in the wrong, who is in the right? Experience amazing tales on m vl-em|p-yr Do I still need to tell you?" Ji Yu scolded Hong Mei, though the notion which was in her head was really absurd, she could not help but think of it as authentic after all, Liu Dong Ming too had some special skill which cannot be seen in anyone else. What if Liu Hui Ying also had some skills which she learned from her uncle? Though she only had a guess in her heart, she did not wish to offend Liu Hui Ying if she was that powerful not only because she was scared of her powers but also because she wished to know whether or not she could help her. Ji Yu was not going to back out of the promise that she made with Liu Dong Ming but she did not even know who this priest was and where she was going to look for him. Even though she could not see Xiao Lin, she wished Liu Hui Ying will help her listen to Xiao Lin''s voice, that way she will be able to calm her queasy heart, what was more she had a reason to doubt that the woman in front of her was Liu Hui Ying. She told Liu Hui Ying the time when the braziers in the tents are changed, and tonight this old woman was acting up differently when she had not in years. While Ji Yu was thinking about this Liu Hui Ying had no idea that Ji Yu who was this sharp caught her despite her impersonating someone else, once she was done investigating Ji Yu''s tent, she went to another Ji family member''s tent and then another but each tent was just as empty as others though she did find a few things which might prove beneficial to her, the rest was useless. After the tents of the Ji family it was the turn of the concubines'' tents and then following them were the guards and soldiers, she even went to the Qin family tents, she even went inside the tent which was used for cooking but she found nothing instead ¡ª¡ª " Old woman! Hey old woman! Did you pass my letter to Nanny Gong?" The old man who was in charge of making drinks spoke to her causing Liu Hui Ying to raise a brow as she replied, " I did." She did not know whether this man was an admirer or lover of Nanny Gong but she was quick enough to sense that it was none other than an admirer because the way his face lit up was like that of a man who was freshly in love, and she also knew that old virgin Nanny of hers as well, she clearly had no interest in anyone. " Then¡­then what did she say?" The old man asked, his face flushed red. " Nothing, she stomped on your letter just like your Heart." Want to confess but still use someone else''s hands? No way she was going to allow a man like him to get close to Nanny Gong. Chapter 435: Ghost of hunting ground The old man who was trying to find out what was the reaction of Nanny Gong after she read his letter was speechless when he heard the words of Liu Hui Ying, he wanted to say something but thetter did not give him a chance and then turned to leave. Liu Hui Ying did not have the time to worry about the old man, she needed to find out what was going on with the Qin family, howe Concubine Qin was not on the hunting grounds, was her prediction really wrong? But how was that possible? She was sure that the concubine Qin was trapped inside the hunting grounds, if she was not being able to find her then it only meant that she was not being able to search thoroughly. " There has to be something," she muttered in a soft voice as she looked at the tent of the Qin family before she turned to look around and then her gaze dropped to her own tent. Did someone smuggle concubine Qin to the emperor''s tent and then hid her there? After all the safest ce was also the most perfect ce to hide a crime. Liu Hui Ying did not know just how much her deduction was correct but it was better to be safe than sorry which was why she returned to her tent and changed out of her clothes which she was wearing as the olddy before turning to look at the two maids and then snapped her fingers to suck the yin Energy which was instilled in the body of the two maids by the ghosts to knock them out. Once the Yin energy was sucked by her, the two maids who were lying on the ground woke up after stirring for a while. The first one to wake up was the old granny who was lying on thep of the young woman, she blinked her old eyes which were slightly hazy and then turned to look around at first she did not have any idea what was going on but when her gaze fell on the red robe which was embroidered with Phoenix, her eyes could not help but snap open on their own, she looked at the hem of the robe and then turned her head slowly before her gaze fell on the Empress who was smiling down at her! Oh my god! What happened? The old granny pulled herself off thep of the young woman as she looked at Liu Hui Ying who was staring at her with a polite expression on her face. " You¡­your majesty ¡­you what are¡­what happened?" The old granny asked as she covered her forehead and then tried to remember what happened earlier but no matter how much she tried, she could not remember anything which scared the living daylights out of her. " You came to change the coal in my brazier after going around and changing the coals in everyone else''s brazier but then ended up falling on the ground, most probably The two of you did not eat your lunch properly and pushed yourself too much which is why you ended up getting knocked out like that," Liu Hui Ying did not even blink as she spouted off the nonsense without the slightest bit of guilty conscience on her face. When the old granny heard that she fainted and that too in front of Liu Hui Ying, who was the queen of the imperial city. She was so shocked that she wanted to cry, howe¡­howe she fainted like this? Now what will happen to her old life? She was still fine since she lived her entire life but what about her grand daughter? She was still young and did not even have a match yet! " Your majesty, please forgive me¡­ I havemitted a great sin! Please forgive me with that magnanimous heart of yours and let my granddaughter go, I am willing to suffer in her stead if that is what it takes for your anger to be quenched but please let my granddaughter leave, she is still young," the old granny knocked her forehead on the ground as she pleaded with Liu Hui Ying, she tried her best to count all the good things about her granddaughter as she told Liu Hui Ying how good her granddaughter was and that she deserved to live her life to the fullest. " All right, all right," since Liu Hui Ying was only lying to make this old woman believe her nonsense she did not wish to make things especially difficult for her which was why she waved her hand and then very generously and magnanimously said, " You do not need to worry so much, I might be the queen but I am also a human and I do understand that you are also human which is why it is normal for you to make mistakes, there is no need for you to worry about something so small, just go to the dining hall and eat something to recover your energy." Liu Hui Ying''s words were full of kindness and in the eyes of the old granny, she was like some great woman who was covered in a golden aura which showed how kind and magnanimous she was, just like a Goddess! " You really have no shame do you?" Li Gang said to Liu Hui Ying who was speaking nonsense without even blinking her eyes, she was the one who knocked the old granny out for her own purpose and now she was acting as if she was only looking out for the old granny. On " Or else do you wish me to tell her the truth where she was possessed by a ghost and was knocked out cold? Given her age the second she finds out that she was possessed, she will kick the bucket," Liu Hui Ying ruthlessly retorted which made Li Gang roll his eyes as he turned to look at Jia Li and Grandma Lan Fen who simply shook their heads, asking him not to speak too much. The old granny who did not have any idea that she was yed by the queen was really grateful towards Liu Hui Ying, she even swore that she will fight with anyone who tries to badmouth the queen before taking her leave with her granddaughter who was still blinking her eyes and trying to get rid of the daze which she was feeling. Once the two women were gone, Liu Hui Ying immediately turned on her heels and then started pushing the lid of the various trunks which were sitting inside the tent which were tightly closed but no matter how many trunks she opened, she could not find anything! There was not even a single piece of evidence left behind which would tell her that the concubine Qin was locked up by her kidnapper. Did she really make a mistake? Liu Hui Ying did not want to believe that she was the one who made a mistake since she was skilled enough to count the feather of a flying bird with her sharp eyes that never missed anything! So howe, she was wrong this time?! " No, there has to be something that we missed¡­something that we saw but did not pay attention to," as she spoke she started to pace around the tent ignoring the clutter which she had spread all over the tent. One of her hands was resting under her chin while the other was crossed in front as she paced inside the tent, trying to remember everything that she saw in the tents she went inside just now, as the sights of the various tents shed in her eyes, suddenly a scream tore in the silent clearing, interrupting her as well as waking Zhai Tianyu up who was unconscious till now. " What in the ¡­" Zhai Tianyu opened his mouth toin but then the memories from earlier shed in front of his eyes which made him turn and look at Liu Hui Ying who was standing awkwardly on the side as she opened her mouth and then said in a hurry, " I think we are needed outside, someone just screamed their lungs out! I think there is another attack! " After she spoke, she turned on her heels and then ran out of the tent, seeing her leave, Zhai Tianyu knew that she was trying to avoid him, though he did not say anything for now, he swore that he was going to find out what was the matter with that white space but for now he was going to see what happened outside! Thus he pushed himself off the bed and then ran out of the tent just after Liu Hui Ying who was now standing in front of the concubine who was lying on the ground while pointing at the dark corner of the forest while trembling like a leaf as she screamed, " I saw her! I saw the ghost that haunts the hunting ground! She was right there! I swear" Chapter 436: There really is a ghost? The concubine who saw the ghost of the hunting ground was beyond listening to any kind of reasoning, she was shivering, trembling and getting sick all over again and again, it was like an endless cycle, even if Liu Hui Ying wanted to ask her anything, she could only wait for her to stop shivering like a little rabbit. It took the concubine at least ten minutes before she finally calmed down and Liu Hui Ying opened her mouth to ask what she saw at once, " Umm Concubine ¡­" She did not know the name of the concubine which was why she had turned and looked at Nanny Gong who immediately answered her query, "It''s concubine Han," The voice of Nanny Gong was barely above a whisper which was only heard by Liu Hui Ying who turned to look at the woman who was crying and once again opened her mouth to say, " Concubine Han, what did you see¡ª¡ª" " WAHHHH!" No sooner did Liu Hui Ying ask that question than the woman started to cry again as if she was going to die if she was to answer that question. The cries of the concubine were so heart-wrenching that the ones who were surrounding Concubine Han red at Liu Hui Ying as if ming her for not having enough tact. Liu Hui Ying of course sensed that she was being disdained and was speechless, what was this? She was only asking the question which was obviously the most important question at this moment! Why were they ring at her as if she was in the wrong? She naturally did not do anything wrong, damn it! " Please don''t mind the queen, Concubine Han," at that moment a gentle voice which was filled with slight annoyance spoke as Zhai Tianyu came to stand next to Liu Hui Ying and spoke to Concubine Han. " The queen can be a bit heartless when ites to solving her own troubles without caring about others." As he spoke scathingly to Liu Hui Ying, thetter knew that he was still upset with what happened earlier. Liu Hui Ying wished she could re at the man for speaking a bit too much but before she could even turn her head and look at the man, concubine Han who was crouching on the ground turned around and threw herself in the arms of Zhai Tianyu. " Your majesty boohoo, I am really scared!" She cried while holding Zhai Tianyu by his waist causing thetter to be speechless, he only said those things because he wanted to scold Liu Hui Ying who used her wits to treat him like a fool but he did not expect that this concubine of his would throw herself in his arms. He raised his head and this time it was Liu Hui Ying''s turn to re at him. " Concubine Han, please act properly," Zhai Tianyu cleared his throat as he turned to look at the maid and nanny of concubine Han as he asked them to take their mistress away. " We are in public, you cannot pounce on me like that¡ª¡ª-" " Is he trying to say that she can pounce on him when they are alone?" Li Gang gasped and even though the rest could not hear him, Zhai Tianyu could hear what he was saying which made Zhai Tianyu re at him but Li Gang was not at all bothered by his re instead he turned and looked at Liu Hui Ying and added, " Hui Ying this son of a gun most probably lied to you, he doesn''t look like a virgin who has no experienced whatsoever. Look at how he is flirting with that Concubine, does he look unskilled to you?" His words caused Liu Hui Ying to narrow her eyes while Zhai Tianyu stared speechlessly at the ghost who was trying to drive a wedge between him and Liu Hui Ying, who was this? What was he doing? Don''t tell him that he was interested in Liu Hui Ying which was why he was trying to pull the rug from under his feet. Zhai Tianyu did not know what son of a gun meant but he knew that it was nothing good, which was why he cleared his throat and then pushed concubine Han to the side where her nanny was and then none too gently asked in a soft voice, " What is the matter, my dear Concubine what did you see? You can tell me I promise to hear what you have to say." The concubine who was lying in the arms of her nanny was a bit annoyed that she was pushed away so easily but she still did not forget to act a bit scared. Now that she was with someone, she no longer felt scared and her trembling also subsided a bit as she opened her lips and then answered in a polite voice, "It is like this¡­I was sleeping but then I felt that something was looking at me. I did not know what was going on, your majesty ¡­ I mean other than you and my maids no one is allowed to enter my tent. I thought that I was thinking too much which was why I continued sleeping." As she spoke she looked at Zhai Tianyu bashfully who speechlessly looked at her before turning to look at Liu Hui Ying who raised a brow at him causing him to lower his head a bit. Concubine Han did not have any idea that she had created strifes in the love life of Zhai Tianyu instead she was still speaking passionately, "But then the icky feeling did not go away which was why I opened my eyes and then turned to look at the entrance of the p and I saw that someone was standing outside without moving!" "This scared me but I still thought that I should go and warn that person who was standing outside the tent, but as soon as I moved the thing inside also started to move as it turned around and walked away, it annoyed me, I thought that someone was pranking me but then I heard it" with her eyes popping concubine Han''s voice hushed up a bit as she added, " The Song of eternal peace, the one that the woman sang before dying." ====================0-0 Chapter 437: There really is a ghost ——-2 The old legend of the woman who died on the hunting ground spoke of a song which the woman sang before she died, it was a song which spoke of valleys andnds but instead of sounding cheerful, it was gloomy. It was a song which cursed the Emperor and the man who let her down causing her to not be able to see those beautiful things that she wished to see, she cursed the man because he betrayed her as for why she cursed the Emperor, everyone thought that she did it because the Emperor admired the man who abandoned her. " What nonsense!" Old Master Qin could not help but snap after he was done listening to the foolish talk of concubine Han. " There is no such things as ghost and spirits, more importantly, my daughter is missing! How can we talk about such a thing?" As he spoke, he red at Zhai Tianyu with some dissatisfaction on his face but did not dare to say anything more as he turned on his heels and then walked away, though he left without saying anything. Everyone else could hear his mutterings which proved just how upset he was with the dy in the search for his daughter. Even Qin Mu Yan did not seem happy with concubine Han''s ruckus, he thought that something happened to Concubine Qin, his sister which was why Concubine Han screamed but who would have thought that she screamed because she ended up imagining things when she was asleep. He was not the only one who thought that Concubine Han was dreaming instead everyone in the crowd thought the same, the woman was sleeping in her tent when she saw the shadow, what can she see when she was asleep? Most probably she saw a branch or something and scared herself which led her to imagine that there was indeed someone. Concubine Han was someone who schemed in the imperial court every day trying to suppress the concubines who were lower in rank whenpared to her, so how can she not see what was going on in the heads of those who were looking at her, her expression changed and she immediately opened her mouth and then insisted, " I... I am speaking the truth! There was indeed a woman! She was singing the song and walking away in white robes which were covered with blood and her face was full of scars!" But no one believed a word that came out of her mouth instead they still persistently believed that she was only dreaming when she saw the ghost. Even Zhai Tianyu could not help but kindly say, " Tonight was full of twists and turns, Concubine Han, I am afraid that you saw something that was not there¡ª¡ª" " KYAAAAAA!" Someone else screamed causing everyone to look in the direction of the person, seeing that it was a maid, Ji Yang who was impatiently listening to the bullshit of concubine Han finally found a leeway to release his pent-up frustration as he red at the woman and snapped, " What are you screaming for? Can you not see that your masters are standing right here?" But the maid did not seem to be in her senses instead of going down on her knees and apologising, she lifted her hand and then pointed at the dark forest while facing the east and then trembling and said, " Loo¡­look, there is really someone! It''s a¡­ it''s a woman!" Everyone turned to look in the direction in which the woman was pointing and sure enough they saw, a woman d in pure white with rotten blood spots on the fabric, her long hair was flying in the air while her face was covered in scars as she smiled at the crowd. " I..Impossible," Ji Yang muttered as he took a step back and looked at the woman''s ghost who was smiling at them, he wildly looked at his aunt who red at him subtly asking him to lose hisposure only then did Ji Yang recover his wits as he turned to look at the woman who was standing in front of them and then ¡ª¡ª- " Oh the blue skies, tainted clouds raining blood. Beauty that covered the vastnds, never to be washed off, Stains that will stay even after death, Oh you cruel man, ruining the vast beauty which lies under the pretty blue skies." The woman started to sing, her voice was beautiful and pleasant sounding but with her scarred face and blood-covered clothes, she was a terrifying sight. Liu Hui Ying on the other hand narrowed her eyes as she asked, " Is that a ghost?" " Nope," Li Gang answered as he looked at the woman who was singing. " She is a human, cannot sense even the smallest bit of yin energy, whoever is ying ghost is very much alive." Of course, Liu Hui Ying also knew that already, she had seen the ghost who was singing and did not sense any death aura from her which meant that the person who was standing in front of them was a human who was pretending to be a ghost trying to y with the minds of those who were standing in the hunting ground. A confused glint shed in her eyes but since she knew that the person was not a ghost but a human, Liu Hui Ying was not at all bothered. Instead of taking a step away from the ghost, she rushed towards it! Her actions caused Second Master Liu''s eyes to widen who was standing next to Liu Dong Ming, seeing that his daughter was rushing towards the ghost, hepletely forgot about his fear and then rushed towards Liu Hui Ying as he screamed, "Your majesty, stay away from that thing! Let this official examine it! I will do it! I take down ghosts for lunch!" Even though he was screaming that his legs were feebly trembling. Behind him, Liu Dong Ming scratched his fingers as he turned to look at the ghost while The Dowager Empress snickered and added, " There is no need to be jealous if you are willing to confess¡­ I can back you up, cousin." " Please, with all due respect your majesty, shut up." Chapter 438: Give me justice Liu Hui Ying''s actions caught everyone by surprise and when they saw Second Master Liu rush after her, they were even more stunned. Young Master, Liu Yuyang also chased after her given that she was his adopted sister and the one who was running behind her was his adoptive father, no one doubted why he was running after Liu Hui Ying. But Zhai Tianyu was well aware of what was going on in the head of Liu Yu Yang which was why he immediately picked up his robe and chased after Liu Hui Ying as well, which startled everyone. He was, after all, the Emperor of the imperial city, how can he chase after a woman like that? His actions dissatisfied The grand dowager Empress but she did not dare to say anything, she knew that her grandson was unhappy with her interference between him and Ji Yu which was why she could not speak anything for the time being to him. Instead, she turned to look at Ji Yang who swallowed under her gaze and then rushed after Zhai Tianyu as he shouted, " Your majesty, you cannot run like that! You are the Emperor of this imperial city, please keep your footing stable and not rushed!" '' And let that love rival of mine win ?'' Zhai Tianyu snorted in his head as he silently questioned no one in particr. He knew that Liu Yu Yang was now really interested in Liu Hui Ying and given that Liu Yu Yang was much closer to her with the gifts and money that he could give her every time he went to see her, Zhai Tianyu could not take him lightly which was why he pretended as if he did not hear what Ji Yang had said and continued to hurry behind Liu Hui Ying. He was after all an idiot in the eyes of the people of the imperial court so what if he made the mistake of chasing after a woman with whom he was hooked? With his feet which were chasing after Liu Hui Ying, the small group arrived really closer to the woman who was singing but then the woman turned on her heels and started to run away from them, Zhai Tianyu wanted to chase after that woman but then he felt someone squelch under his foot and he stumbled on the ground, stunned he looked down and was stunned to see that in front of him was hand which seemed to be torn from a woman''s body lying! " General Yu!" Seeing that something like this had happened, he immediately turned around and called Yu Lingyun who appeared in a jiffy next to him and yelped when he saw that there was a human hand lying in front of Zhai Tianyu. " What in the world¡ª¡ª" Yu Lingyun opened his mouth to speak but then his words were cut off by Ji Yang who screamed out of nowhere, they all turned to look at the old man who was now lying on the ground and in front of him was arge pale thing, it was only when they walked forward and then looked at the pale thing properly did they realise that the thing was actually a human leg! And from the curves of that leg, it seemed like it belonged to a woman. A bad premonition rose in the heart of Zhai Tianyu and Yu Lingyun as they turned to look at each other and then chased after Liu Hui Ying who was still following that old ghost which was running ahead of them. If there was a hand and limb surely there was a torso and head! With that thought in their heads, they ran after Liu Hui Ying who was chasing after the human ghost with her limbs which were shorter than the person who was running ahead of her, seeing that the ghost was going to get away from her, she turned to look at her ghosts who nodded at her and then started to fly ahead of Liu Hui Ying who could not catch up to the old ghost who was running like its life depended on it which it really did. While the three ghosts ran after the ghost, Liu Hui Ying turned to look at the fat ball of human flesh which was running after her with his face turning red and could not help but feel a bit warm in the heart. She could sense that this father of hers was scared of seeing the ghost this close but because she was chasing after it, he came running without even thinking anything through. " You did not have to chase it go back¡­father," she told Second official Liu who shook his head and stubbornly refused while he huffed and puffed, " I cannot leave my daughter alone with that thing, da¡­father will take care of it for you, stay behind me." As he spoke, he elerated his pace and then chased after that thing but he only by passed Liu Hui Ying for a few minutes before he vanished in thin air, it surprised both Liu Yu Yang and Liu Hui Ying but then they heard the scream of Second Official Liu and rushed to see what happened. He was lying in a pit which was dug ahead of time but the thing which caused Second Official Liu to lift his bottom to face the sky was not his fall in fact it was the torso of the woman and next to it was the head which was lying on the ground. Liu Yu Yang''s expression changed as he jumped inside the pit and then walked towards the head of the woman, before taking out his sheathed sword and then turned the head of the woman a secondter the face of concubine Qin came to view just as Zhai Tianyu and Yu Lingyun along with Zhai Heng and Prime minister Ji arrived at the pit which was dug in the middle of the forest. ¡­. "Oh, my daughter! Oh, my poor daughter! Who dared to do this to you!" Official Qin screamed and cried as he hugged the head of his daughter, his eyes were red and swollen from crying and he looked like he had aged by ten years, his face was all blotchy as he looked at his daughter''s decapitated body while looking at his wife''s corpse, in just a single night he had lost his wife and daughter which made him aggrieved and wronged, he wanted to say something take his anger out on someone but he had no idea upon whom he was supposed to do this, was he supposed to get angry at the queen but she was the one who found his daughter''s body along with the Emperor who found the arm of his daughter first. Behind him, Qin Mu Yan''s eyes were red as he looked at his sister''s and mother''s corpses both of them died in the same manner which caused him great pain. He was here in the hunting grounds but because he was foolish enough to keep an eye on the queen who was in her tent all night long, he provided enough opportunity to the murderer who was keeping his sister tied up somewhere. That man killed his sister right under his nose and he could not do anything! If he had stayed up keeping guard on the rest of the people in the hunting ground then maybe his sister might have made it out of this situation alive. But no matter how many regrets he had now, Qin Mu Yan could no longer do anything about them, except shed tears. Liu Hui Ying looked at the figure which was lying on the ground with a sombre look on her face, this Concubine Qin had nothing to do with her but this case was taken into hands by her. Now that this woman was dead and her body was long cold, it was as if someone had pped her on the face which made her ashamed and humiliated as she realised that her skills were not as good as she thought they were, she was too confident and it gave enough leeway to the culprit behind this case! Even Zhai Tianyu was looking at the body of his concubine with a helpless look on his face, he did not love these women but that did not mean that he wanted to see them die one after another, first, it was Liu Fei Fei and then another concubine surnamed Su died and now Concubine Qin was dead. Zhai Tianyu was having a headache, was he born with the luck of living a life like that of a widower? Why were all his wives getting killed one by one? " Your majesty! You have to give me justice! I have to find out who was the one who killed my daughter!" Official Qin cried as he looked at Zhai Tianyu, he was yet to ce concubine Qin''s head on the stretcher which dyed his clothes red with the blood which was seeping out of concubine Qin''s decapitated head. Chapter 439: Who was the ghost Zhai Tianyu, of course, would not dare to treat this matter lightly, the Qin family was not a small family and had years of history behind them, the ancestors of the Qin family lineage had done great contributions to the imperial family, even if he was the Emperor, he could not ignore the death of two members of the Qin family which was why he nodded his head and the solemnly spoke, " Do not fear official Qin this matter will be treated with utmost care and we will definitely find out the culprit behind this double murder." Only then did Official Qin drop his head and heaved a sigh of relief, but he still looked at Concubine Qin''s body with heartache in his eyes, he continued to caress the face of his daughter while Qin Mu Yan patted him on the back while trying to control his sobs as well. The crowd did not wish to trespass on such an intimate movement, which was why the people slowly walked away the only person who stayed behind was Liu Hui Ying who looked at the body which was being cradled by Official Qin and then turned to look at Witch Mao before she said to her, " Take a closer look at the body and tell me if there is a mark of suffocation. If not scrape somebody liquid for me in the vessel which you always carry." Though she did not understand the mechanism which was used to kill these two women. Liu Hui Ying was a bit confused as to why concubine Qin never screamed for help when she was getting killed, it was either because she could not scream or she was in no condition to scream. It was just her bad luck that Jia Li went to chase after the person who was pretending to be a ghost and she did not have the chance to ask her to run a test on concubine Qin''s body in fact ¡ª¡ª even if she was to bring the body examination up, official Qin might not believe it which might make the entire situation even more troublesome. Witch Mao did not seem quite fond of the n, she did not wish to extract body liquid from a dead body but then she heard Liu Hui Ying say, " I will bring you the hot selling dumplings." Only then did Witch Mao salute Liu Hui Ying and then said, " Aye, Aye captain!" Liu Hui Ying looked at the gluttonous ghost and was speechless, sure enough, she attracted all sorts of ghosts. One was a pervert, the other was a drama queen and the third one was a worry wart who did not know what to do about anything unless she was guided properly. Without paying attention to Witch Mao, Liu Hui Ying returned to her tent. This time no one doubted her since she was with everyone else from start to finish, what was more no one saw any moments from Liu Hui Ying''s tent from start to finish, thus doubting her was no longer an option. As for Zhai Tianyu, because he needed to search for the culprit who was behind the murder of the Qin family''s women, he had no time to go and sleep with Liu Hui Ying, he was obviously looking forward to spending time with her and get closer to her but then again this was much more important which was why he could only put his romantic intentions in the back of his head while trying his best to look for a clue with Yu Lingyun and the rest. Liu Hui Ying did not bother Zhai Tianyu and went back to her tent but she did not go to sleep instead she waited for the three ghosts toe back, on the other hand, Nanny Gong and Xiao Ai who were waiting beside her, exchanged a look with each other. Seeing that Liu Hui Ying was not sleeping Nanny Gong thought that she was scared and very patiently and calmly said, " Your majesty there is no need to be scared as such even if there is something evil wandering in the forest with the talismans which are hung up in the tents, it will not be able to enter, why don''t you go to sleep?" When Liu Hui Ying heard Nanny Gong mention the talismans, her lips could not help but twitch, was she talking about those scrappy-looking talismans? They did not even do anything unless the ghost which wanted to enter the tent was on the path of redemption, those talismans were basically useless in the face of evil spirits. If there was an evil spirit in the forest then this ce would need her small back''s backing to stay intact. " I am not scared¡­I just think that its too dangerous to sleep when something like that is wandering in the forest," Liu Hui Ying knew that the murderer was not a ghost but a human which meant that if she was to go to sleep then she will be the one who will be troubled which was why it was better for her to stay awake. She did not know who that person was but something told her that this matter was not as easy as it looked. Making use of an old legend was like reliving it all over again, this either happened when there was someone from the family of the deceased trying to bring justice to the one who wrongfully died or when there was someone who wanted to mask something deep and sinister behind the mask of legend. The thing was attacking the Qin family members, then did it not mean that the person who will be attacked next would be either Official Qin or Qin Mu Yan? Liu Hui Ying''s eyes flickered as she looked at the father and son duo which was still sitting next to the two corpses and then continued to stare at them for a long time while surveying their surrounding there was nothing next to them but for how long? Because of the fear that someone might attack Qin''s father and son pair, Liu Hui Ying did not dare to sleep but somewhere around when the dawn was approaching, her eyes could not help but turn heavy. Before she knew it she was sleeping soundly but then she was woken up by a scream, " Hui Ying! Wake up!" Her eyes snapped open and what she saw was the sharp tip of a knife which was tainted with blood. Chapter 440: Small grave Liu Hui Ying''s eyes widened as she rolled to the side and looked at the figure which was dressed in white, as soon as she dodged the person in white who was holding therge axe in their hands could not stop themselves in time and then ended up shing the bed on which Liu Hui Ying was sleeping. Seeing that the culprit had shown themselves, Liu Hui Ying did not wait for them to gain momentum instead she used her feet as quickly as she could and then swept her leg to knock the person on the ground with her move but the culprit knew what she was aiming at which was the culprit left the axe which he used to attack Madam Qin and concubine Qin behind and turned to run out of the tent. Behind her Nanny Gong and Xiao Ai who were asleep were knocked senseless as they looked at the figure which was dashing out of the tent, what was happening? That ghost was attacking the Qin family, right? Howe it came to attack the queen? " Help!" Xiao Ai was the first one to snap out of her daze as she shouted for help. " Catch that murderer!" Liu Hui Ying shouted right after Xiao Ai seeing that the person was going to get away from her grasp she ordered her three ghosts to take possession of the murderer but for some reason, the three were not able to take hold of the murderer''s body which caused Liu Hui Ying to grit her teeth as she screamed again," Help someone! I am getting attacked!" Her voice was not small as many guards who were guarding her tent heard her voice and rushed to see what was happening when they saw a white figure rushing out of the tent which belonged to the Emperor while the two guards who were supposed to be keeping an eye on the surrounding making sure that no one would be able to enter the tent of her majesty were on the ground snoring as if they have fainted. " Someone call his majesty! The queen was attacked!" " Catch that person!" " Go! Go! What are you scared of ?" Immediately the entire hunting ground was once again filled with screams and shouts as some guards chased after the figure who was running away in the forest while some turned to call Zhai Tianyu who was outside with Yu Lingyun and Zhai Heng. As the guards chased after the figure, Liu Hui Ying stepped out of the tent and looked at the figure which was running away behind her Nanny Gong and Xiao Ai was clutching her arms, they were worried that the thing wille back again or maybe their mistress would chase after that thing again. Liu Hui Ying was in no mood to chase after the person who was already far from her grasp and narrowed her eyes as she carefully started thinking about everything from the start because why in the world had that thing attacked her, it did not make sense at all. ¡­. " I told you not to join in the fanfare, your majesty, look at this! Look what happened"! Nanny Gong was still trembling as she scolded Liu Hui Ying for being too impulsive, in her eyes, the thing attacked Liu Hui Ying because she was the first one to chase after it. Nanny Gong looked at Liu Hui Ying who had her head lowered and then sighed, she didn''t want to scold Liu Hui Ying but she needed to tell her mistress that she could not just do whatever she wanted which was why Nanny Gong narrowed her eyes and then said sternly, " Your majesty, I understand that you are braver than the rest but please do refrain from making such rash decisions, you never know what might happen¡ª¡ª" Enjoy reading at m v-le-mp-yr " My Queen!" Zhai Tianyu rushed inside interrupting Nanny Gong''s lecture causing both Nanny Gong and Xiao Ai to step out of the tent while Liu Hui Ying heaved a sigh of relief, she was thankful for Zhai Tianyu''s arrival since she was worried that if not for his abrupt arrival, Nanny Gong would have continued to scold her. " Your esteemed majesty," Liu Hui Ying greeted Zhai Tianyu who was sweating with a bow of her head. Zhai Tianyu however was in no mood to listen to her greeting, he looked at the bed which was shed by the culprit and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was sitting on the couch and then asked, "Are you all right?" " I am all right, that murderer cannot kill me even if he takes seven rebirths," Liu Hui Ying remarked which caused Zhai Tianyu''s eyes to widen a little, seeing this Liu Hui Ying arched a brow as she asked, " Don''t tell me that you thought that the culprit was really a ghost?" " Of course not!" Zhai Tianyu had indeed thought that the culprit was a ghost after all, he now knew that there were indeed ghosts walking on the surface of this world but now that he noticed Liu Hui Ying looking at him with an expression which questioned his wisdom, he immediately changed his words and then said, " I was just surprised that you were able to figure out so soon." Liu Hui Ying rolled her eyes and then turned to look at the three ghosts ignoring Zhai Tianyu and asked, " Did you find something?" " Nothing, that person is carrying a talisman which makes it impossible for us to approach them but¡­" Li Gang frowned as he added, " I don''t know whether or not this is of any use but that person stopped by the small grave which you found before the autumn hunt started. I saw that person dropping what looked like blood on the mound of the grave ¡­Hui Ying, tell me why would someone drop the blood of a human on a rabbit''s grave?" Liu Hui Ying''s eyes shed as she curled her lips, " There is a possibility that the grave never belonged to that rabbit." Chapter 441: She is fine Liu Hui Ying did not say anything anymore, she had long sensed that something was wrong with the small grave which she saw when she arrived at the hunting grounds. Back then when she was attacked by someone when she was standing next to the small grave, she thought that she was being attacked because she was the queen and nothing more but now that she knew that the murderer who killed Madam Qin and concubine Qin stopped by the small grave, she had a feeling that the person did not want her approaching and finding out about the secret of the grave which was why when that person saw that she was digging that small grave, he attacked her. It must be because he was worried that she will see something that she should not be looking at. "Let''s go to the small grave then," Zhai Tianyu did not know what kind of secret that small grave was hiding but now that he knew that this small grave was the one link that connected the double murder case, he suggested to go and dig that grave up at once but was stopped by Liu Hui Ying. " Don''t be foolish, that murderer is still lurking in the forest, he or she must be waiting while lurking around the small grave, in case we go there and get attacked by those who are hiding in the dark, what do you think we will be able to do then? Would it not be toote?" Liu Hui Ying questioned which caused Zhai Tianyu to scrunch his brows up as he said, " If we don''t go and dig the grave then what else do you wish us to do?" When Liu Hui Ying heard his question, she shot him a white look which was full of disdain, a part of her wanted to ask how in the world he became the king of thisnd but she refrained herself as she turned to look at the front and her gaze fell on the picture which was resting on the wall of the tent as she opened her mouth and then said in an unhurried voice, " You should call everyone to form a group in the middle of the hunting grounds, say that tonight is not a safe night and the men and women need to sleep in the hunting grounds together. Since Concubine Qin vanished from this very hunting ground I am sure that she was caught and trapped by someone who was from our group which is why as long as everyone is in the public eye no one will be able to make a move as for us, we can sneak out of the hunting grounds under the pretext of taking a break or something along the lines." Liu Hui Ying knew that the one who killed Concubine Qin was most definitely one of those who came to the hunting ground with them, it was simply impossible for her not to realise something so simple but the point which remained untouched was who was the one who was making use of the old legend and was bent on reviving it and why? This was something that she wanted to find out which was why the small grave which was hidden under the groove needed to be dug out no matter what! Zhai Tianyu sensed that what Liu Hui Ying said indeed made sense which was why he agreed and then said, " I will do as you asked me to." He then turned on his heels and then headed out of the tent where he raised his hand and asked the guards to summon everyone from their tents. After the incident which just taken ce almost everyone was already up and when they heard that Zhai Tianyu was calling them, one by one everyone who was lying in the tents, came out and started to form arge group in front of Zhai Tianyu who was standing on a small raised tform which was made out of a wooden stool. When Ji Yang and the rest saw that Zhai Tianyu was going to say something to them they all started to bustle with activity as they opened their mouths one after another and then started to speak, " Your majesty, what is the matter? Is the queen all right? Did something happen to her? If so should we call the imperial physician to take a look at her?" Though Ji Yang acted as if he was worried on the surface inwardly he hoped that Liu Hui Ying''s head was also chopped off like Madam Qin and Concubine Qin, that woman was such a hassle and obstacle in his path to getting the throne! If she dies then he will have enough reason to push Ji Yu to the pedestal before changing Ji Yu with another daughter of the Ji family, one who could give birth to a child for Zhai Tianyu. Zhai Tianyu knew that Ji Yang was only asking this question by showing concern because he wished to know whether the queen was all right or not, his eyes narrowed sharply but then he restrained the anger that he was feeling in his heart and then opened his mouth as he said to Ji Yang, " The queen is all right, right prime minister Ji. I thank you for your concern, there is no need for you to call an imperial physician since the queen only received some scars and was able to manage to get away from the murderer right on time." His words brought immense grief to surge in the heart of Ji Yang who wanted to hear the happy news of Liu Hui Ying''s passing but he did not show anything on his face as he nodded with a polite look on his face and then sighed with a soft voice as he said with a smile, " I am d that her majesty is all right, I was worried that she will be harmed under such circumstances but now that I know that she is all right, I can thank the heavens for protecting our queen." "That''s right, without our queen what are we? As long as the queen is all right, I believe that nothing else matters more than that, your majesty." Ji Mo stated along with his father even though he too wished that the queen would die a sorry death and they will be able to establish their own prestige by cing a daughter of the Ji family on the throne. Zhai Tianyu did not say anything when he heard the words of the father and son duo, instead, he raised his head and then said with a sharp and loud, " I am d that I have such loyal ministers along my side! Though the queen is all right, she is a bit terrified of what happened tonight, such an incident is indeed due to theck of care of our soldiers but given the circumstances, I do not wish to me anyone." " I can see that whoever is behind these killings is a ruthless person who is both sharp and smart, they were able to knock the guards out before attacking the queen which is why I want to ask each one of you toe and gather in the centre of the hunting grounds, tonight we all are going to sleep together, that way whoever is behind these killings will have a hard time attacking us! I and the rest of the young men will keep an eye on the surroundings while the elderly ones will protect the women and those who are weak by staying in the centre of the hunting grounds!" Find your next read at m v lem|p-yr When the crowd heard Zhai Tianyu''s suggestion they all were stunned and at once started to object especially the women and the Concubines as they all opened their mouths and started speaking against the order which was given to them by Zhai Tianyu. " Your majesty! How can you say something like this? We are the women of your harem! How can we sleep in the open and that too in front of other men? If that is the case then you might as well kill us by handing us white cloth!" " That is right your majesty, we are women who care about chastity and wish to protect our virtue with our life. We cannot just sleep in the open and let other men watch us, you are asking us to kill ourselves by asking us to sleep in the open like this!" " Your majesty! I will rather die than show myself in the open like this! My family had taught me that as a woman, I can only apany my husband and no one else! I do not wish to question the loyalty and character of these ministers but this is thew which was passed down to us from the start! Men and women are supposed to sleep separately and no man other than our husband shall have the right to gaze upon our sleeping faces and bodies, how can you ask us to sleep in the open and that too in front of everyone where they shall gaze at us as they wish?" " If you have so manyints, then you are free to sleep in the tents which are given to you but in case you get attacked then no one shoulde and ask for an investigation!" Chapter 442: The fault with beds Liu Hui Ying''s powerful voice echoed in the entire clearing causing everyone to shut up as they turned to look at the woman who stepped out of the tent and then looked at them all with a ring look in her eyes. " You have seen it already, the person who tried to kill me knocked the guards out and was almost about to kill me. If you think I am lying then you are more than free to go and check up on the bed which is still sitting in the corner of the tent after getting snapped into half by the axe of that person who killed Madam Qin and Concubine Qin!" She then looked at the women who wereining and then said with a curl of her lips, " You think that anyone wishes to see you sleep? His esteemed majesty is only asking you to sleep in the open because he wants to make sure that no one will be attacked when they are sleeping. I am the Queen yet I was attacked by that murderer what makes you think that you will not be attacked? I was skilled enough to dodge but can you?" That ''Can you'' which Liu Hui Ying spoke was said with absolute dominance which hammered right against the hearts of many people who were standing in the middle of the forest. Seeing that no one was speaking, Liu Hui Ying arched a brow and then continued speaking, " The reason we are asking you to sleep outside is that if you are attacked then others will be able to help you but in case you are sleeping in the tent and somethinges attacking you then who will save you?" Liu Hui Ying tilted her head and looked at the concubines who were looking at her with anger and hatred and very calmly said, " If you wish to sleep in the tent then I will not stop you but in case you are attacked, I hope that your family will not me his majesty and the imperial family for not taking care of you ¡­ because we are taking precautions and it is you who is not willing to listen." When the others heard Liu Hui Ying say that they will not be able toin to Zhai Tianyu if they were attacked they all turned to look at Zhai Tianyu in confusion and agitation. How can this be done? They were the imperial concubines, they were the responsibility of the Emperor even if they do what they wish to do, it was the responsibility of Zhai Tianyu who was the Emperor to make sure that nothing happened to them. In their eyes they were women and they were allowed to be unreasonable but as a man, Zhai Tianyu was supposed to protect them no matter what! Seeing the questions andints in the eyes of the concubines, Zhai Tianyu cleared his throat and then said in an unhurried voice, " What her majesty is saying is indeed correct, in case something like this happens with you all then I hope you will be willing to take on the responsibility." No matter whether they were women or men, this was not the time for them to act unreasonably! When the concubines heard the words of the emperor they were upset but they did not dare to say anything anymore just as someone thought of rebuking Liu Hui Ying, they heard Ji Yu agree with Zhai Tianyu with a shy voice, " If that is what his majesty wants then I think that there is nothing wrong with listening to what he says." She then turned to look at the rest of the concubines and then added with a charming voice, " His Majesty is only doing this because he worries about us sisters, there is no need to be upset with something like this ¡­and it is not like his majesty will not create a barricade between the men and the women space to separate the two sides? Right, your majesty ?" She turned her gaze and looked at Zhai Tianyu who nodded his head, he was a bit awkward when he agreed with Ji Yu since he was worried about leaving her with the rest of the concubines after all, he did know that Ji Yu fell in love with a woman than a man. But then he wiped that worry clean since he knew that there was no way Ji Yu would do anything as unimpressive as jumping on his concubines. When the concubines saw that even Ji Yu agreed, they looked at each other and frowned unhappily, now what were they supposed to do? Since the imperial concubine and the empress, both agreed they will look unreasonable if they were to not agree with what the king said! In the end, everything happened just as Liu Hui Ying wanted, in the middle of the night a separation barricade was constructed in the middle of the hunting grounds on the left side were the men while on the right side were the women. And no one was allowed to leave the hunting grounds except the queen and the king along with the rest of the members of the imperial family even prime minister Ji and prime minister Liu were not allowed to leave which caused a lot of strife between the two men as Ji Yang pointed to the bed which was in the innermost corner of the hunting grounds and dered, " I will be sleeping here, prime minister Liu¡­please take a look at another bed!" The innermost bed was the safest one since if there was someone who was indeed massacring the people on the hunting grounds then he or she would have to walk past the lines and lines of beds toe close to him which was why Ji Yang wanted the innermost bed but it was just his bad luck that Liu Dong Ming wanted the same bed as well. Liu Dong Ming looked at Ji Yang and then very calmly opened his mouth as he said, " Left prime minister Ji, I am afraid that there is a saying that says¡ª¡ª firste first served, I came here first which means that I am going to sleep here." " But I saw this bed first!" " I ced my pillow first!" Continue the saga at m v l e mpyr " What do you mean by cing your pillow first? You cheated! You threw the pillow in the air causing it to fall on the bed! I was the one who arrived in front of this bed first!" Ji Yang snapped as he loudly dered in front of the crowd that he was the winner while Liu Dong Ming was a cheater. Liu Dong Ming took a step back when he saw that Ji Yang was so agitated that his spit was flying around when he quarrelled with him, only then did he open his mouth and then spoke in an unhurried voice, " The correct word which you are looking for is a smart move," he arched a brow and looked at the man who was so angry that his expression was turning purple and then continued speaking as he said, " I mean don''t you think that you could have used your internal energy to throw the pillow instead of running like amoner? I am wiser than you because I kept a firm head in the face of trouble, you can''t call me cheater because I performed better than you." Unlike Ji Yang who was agitatedly breathing in and out like a bull, Liu Dong Ming was calm which made the onlookers look at the two of them with varied gazes. Ji Yang''s fraction was full of pity as they all looked at the poor man who was being harassed by Liu Dong Ming and the fractions which supported Liu Dong Ming were all filled with glee as they snickered at Ji Yang''s stupidity. Behind them the entire group of men continued to stand and no one dared to sleep since these two were the ones who were the top dogs in the imperial courts after the Emperor and his subordinates. In the end, when their quarrel reached to another height, it was the second official Liu who opened his mouth and then said, " Why don''t you two sleep in the same beds? Forgive me for being blunt but all the beds are already chosen and the one which belonged to his majesty has been chosen from the biggest bed in the hunting grounds which means there is one less bed ¡­if you two like this bed so much then share it¡ª¡ª-" " Shut up!" The two men roared at Second Official Liu who promptly shut his mouth as he looked at the crowd before shrugging his shoulders as if trying to say ¡ª¡ª well, I tried but since they are not willing to listen you all can continue to stay awake all night! The crowd: "..." On the other side, a simr scene was going on between Dowager Empress and Grand Dowager Empress. Chapter 443: Where were they going? " My, mother-inw, are you saying that you wish for me to let go of the bed which I chose? Are you not seeing the small maid that is sitting on the bed?" Dowager Empress asked the Grand Dowager Empress as she pointed to the maid who was shaking her head while trying to get rid of the daze which she was feeling at the moment while looking at the ground. Unlike Liu Dong Ming, the dowager Empress was a step ahead, she picked and threw her maid on the bed causing thetter to be both surprised and terrified as she trembled while sitting on the bed. But unlike the pillow which was thrown to the ground, the maid could not be picked up by the grand dowager Empress who was looking at her daughter-inw with an unhappy expression. " I say, Qing He¡­what is the matter with you? Why can you not give me this bed? Not only am I your mother inw but I am also old, sleeping in the inside will make me feel at ease," the grand dowager Empress huffed as she looked at her daughter inw who continued to smile pleasantly as if she was not being held on the other end of the line where she was being condemned. " I am taking care of you, your majesty," without even blinking her eyes, Dowager Empress smiled at the grand dowager Empress and said in a polite voice, " You like to stay on the higher grounds which is why I left a bed on the outermost side of the circle such that you will not feel suffocated at all, the inner circle of the crowd is hot and stuffy, do not sleep here, mother inw¡­I am afraid that your majestic self will be suffocated to death." " She will indeed be suffocated to death but by her words instead of the stuffiness," joked Li Gang as he looked at the two women who were fighting for a bed, he then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying and said, " They are honestly crazy don''t you think so? I mean fighting for a bed¡­" " They kill millions for a stupid crown that is made of gold and pearls only to vanish from the surface of the earth in a few years and for the Democratic parties to take over, you want to talk about crazy with them?" Liu Hui Ying turned her head and questioned Li Gang whose smile turned an inch higher when he heard Liu Hui Ying''s words. " Now that you have said this¡ª¡ª I think you make sense," he nodded along with Liu Hui Ying as he agreed with her words. Liu Hui Ying sighed and then turned to look away from the cat fight which was taking ce in front of her and then muttered under her breath, " I need to leave but if they don''t sleep then what¡­" Her eyes narrowed as she turned to look at Xiao Lin and Witch Mao, since she used Jia Li and Li Gang to possess the two maids, she could not use them again because if they were to possess human bodies twice in a single night that old grim reaper wille looking for her and reprimand her again. That old man was easy to invite over but hard to send away especially when he was in one of those moods where he wanted to teach her. "Go and make them sleep," she pointed to the two old women who were fighting in the middle of the night. Xiao Lin and Witch Mao looked at the two old women and then turned to look at Liu Hui Ying, they wanted to refuse but that was until Liu Hui Ying narrowed her eyes and then said, " Believe me when I say that I can exorcise you right now, you either be useful to me or you go to the underworld which way you want to go now? Think again." Witch Mao and Xiao Lin: "¡­.." Was there any other way left in front of them? They wanted to ask Liu Hui Ying the question which was running through their heads but then they sighed and then turned around to fly over to where the two old women were, one by one they possessed each and then in a nk, tired voice said simultaneously, " Oh we are too tired, I guess we will sleep." Before taking the two women to their respective beds and returning to Liu Hui Ying''s side, though the entire process was shocking the eyes of others they were relieved to see the big shots going to sleep unless they did not sleep they would have to wait for the entire night for them to go to bed. And given how terrible the friction between the two women was, everyone knew that neither Dowager Empress would have backed down nor would have the Grand Dowager Empress. As for why they went to sleep no one was keen on getting to the bottom of this matter. Only Ji Yu looked at Liu Hui Ying who was watching the two women going to sleep with a huff before turning around to walk away and when asked where she was going, " I am going to the restroom what? Are you going toe with me?" She snapped at the guard who immediately turned red and shook his head before taking a step back. Though Ji Yu was speechless with the manner Liu Hui Ying dealt with the matter given that she was a bit shameless about it, she had to admit that being shameless was indeed the correct way to deal with some situations, just like right now with Liu Hui Ying saying such words the guards did not even think of making things difficult for her and agreeably stepped aside but ¡­where was the queen going? Ji Yu was curious but then she saw Zhai Tianyu following Liu Hui Ying under the excuse of making a round and knew that the two of them might have devised a n which was why she turned around without a worry, but as she turned, she suddenly felt her ears feel itchy. What she did not know was that Xiao Lin was on the ground wishing to apany her a bit but was dragged away by Jia Li and Li Gang who ignored her screams. Chapter 444: Thunder and lighting Ji Yu looked at the two who were leaving before turning around to go to her bed ignoring Xiao Lin who was being dragged by Jia Li and Li Gang. " I just want to take a closer look at mydy and nothing else!" Xiao Lin cred as she realised that the distance between her and Ji Yu was getting more and more far, all she wanted was to get closer to her missy and then take a good look which will tell her that she was eating and sleeping just fine. Xiao Lin saw how Ji Yu acted shy with Zhai Tianyu and was worried that her missy was once again getting fooled by her father and grandaunt who were using her to get the throne of the Empress. " You saw her just a few hours ago when we went to change the coal in her brazier, I don''t think that she would have changed in just a few hours," said Li Gang as he looked at Xiao Lin who was being dragged on the ground by Jia Li. " But still¡­ all I want to get close to mydy, you don''t know I could not even eat without her when I was alive and now that I have to stay away from her all the time, I will its like a separate punishment handed to me, let me go please, I will go and take a quick look and then I will reallye to you guys," Xiao Lin pleaded with Jia Li who scoffed and then heartlessly said, " No matter how much you cry, there is nothing that I can do for you¡­don''t forget that you do not have a contract with Liu Hui Ying, without a contract you will never be able to get away from her for more than thirteen metres, so even if I let go of you¡­you will not be able to leave her side, even we can only go as far as she allows us." Xiao Lin did not believe a thing that Jia Li said which was why thetter rolled her eyes and then let go of her as she said, " Go¡­ you will know soon why we dragged you with us." With that Jia Li let go of Xiao Lin and walked towards Liu Hui Ying who was heading towards the small grave that she found on the first day of the hunting grounds. '' Are you sure this is okay?" Li Gang asked as he looked at Jia Li and then at Xiao Lin who was looking at Jia Li as if thetter had awarded her liberation. Jia Li shrugged her shoulders as she said in a casual voice, " I am not the one who asked her to leave, she was the one who wanted to go which is why I can only fulfil her wish, if I do not then I will be a rotten senior who just does her own thing and do not listen to her juniors something that I do not wish to happen." Li Gang looked at Jia Li who was heartlessly ignoring Xiao Lin and then turned to look at the young ghost who was still smiling happily as if she had gotten freedom which she craved very much. Xiao Lin saw that Jia Li really let go of her and was really happy, she turned to leave as she ran towards the hunting grounds with a smile on her face but just as she crossed the thirteen metres distance between her and Liu Hui Ying who was on the other side of the hunting ground, suddenly the sky turned gloomy and clouds filled the entire space ¡ª¡ª The thunder which could not be seen earlier immediately filled the space as Xiao Lin who did not have any idea what was happening continued to run toward Ji Yu but as the mark which was not supposed to be crossed by her passed, the clouds shuddered loudly before thunder shed in the sky and Xiao Lin felt something burning and hot hit her as she screamed in pain before lying down on the ground. " Tsk tsk, you should have listened to the words of that woman, should you have not?" Witch Mao who knew when to stop looked at Xiao Lin who was lying on the floor and then said in a huffing voice which was filled with mockery. Xiao Lin, who was charred by the thunder from top to bottom looked at the old ghost who was standing behind her and then said, "You knew that this was going to happen ?" " Of course I did," Witch Mao pointed at the twelve-metre distance where she was standing and then said, " I knew that I will be punished by the heavens if I was to leave her side since she was the one who took me under my wing and then became my guardian, the same is for you...Even though she and you are not bound by contract, she is still taking care of you isn''t she?" Xiao Lin had nothing to say she just wished to cry¡­why did she just have to act so foolish, it hurts ¡ª¡ªGAHHHH! She did not even get a chance to finish her thoughts as another lighting bolt struck her and caused her to feel like she was dying all over again. " I will suggesting inside the twelve metres mark, in case you do not wish tobust," suggested Witch Mao kindly as she looked at Xiao Lin who was lying on the ground but did not make a move to help her. Xiao Lin red at her before she raised her hands and then crawled towards Wutch Mao who was standing on the side and only then did the thunder which was aimed at her way stopped. " That¡­That¡­." Xiao Lin panted as she stayed on the ground she wanted to say that it was hurting her a lot but Witch Mao did not take pity on her as she ruthlessly said, " Sure enough, foolish actions deserve foolish results." Chapter 445: I know who killed her ——1 " You are back?" Jia Li nced at Xiao Lin who was looking like a withered rose and could not help but ask in a curious voice as she looked at her charred hair and the clothes which Xiao Lin was wearing. " Was the shock enough to wake you up? Or do you need another one?" Xiao Lin looked at Jia Li with a sullen look on her face and then asked with an aggrieved voice, " If you knew then why did you not tell me this earlier? It hurts so bad, I thought that I was dying all over again." " Is that so? I forgot that it hurts that bad," was all Jia Li said as she spoke about the pain which Xiao Lin went through which caused Xiao Lin''s mouth to drop in surprise as she looked at Jia Li with disbelief written on her face as she raised her hand and then pointed at thetter before saying, " You¡­you deliberately¡­" Jia Li smiled and then patted Xiao Lin on the back as she said with a jolly voice, " I once ran away from Liu Hui Ying as well when she stopped me from going to see the movie of my favourite actor. I received a shock as well, it was really humiliating to the max, I tell you." " So you¡­." Xiao Lin was quaking with anger as she realised that the reason Jia Li let go of her was not that she was being caring like a senior towards her but instead, she did it because she wanted someone to fall in the same pit as her! Shameless! " Wee to the group!" Jia Li hugged Xiao Lin by her shoulders but before thetter could say anything they were interrupted by Li Gang who red at them and then said, " A little help here? I am the only one who is digging this grave!" He pointed to the pit in which he was standing while ring at the two women with sharp daggers in his eyes. " I am digging as well," Zhai Tianyu interrupted as he looked at the ghost man who turned to look at him with a sullen look on his face as he said, "Your majesty, the kind of digging you are doing¡­ will take years for to dig to the bottom of this grave! You better not touch anything!" Li Gang furiously snapped at Zhai Tianyu as he looked at the shiny robe which Zhai Tianyu was wearing. For the sake of not dirtying the robe thetter was not even digging properly making Li Gang do all the digging, how can they dig his grave before morning like that? " I cannot dirty this honourable robe," seeing that thetter was looking at the robe which he was wearing Zhai Tianyu tried to exin it but that only made Li Gang annoyed as thetter snarled and said, " Which is why I am saying not to dig! Get out! You are wasting my time, even Hui Ying will not be as girly as you." As he spoke he turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who sighed and then said, " Fine, I will do it." Even she was in a hurry since they needed to go back to the hunting grounds lest someone doubts what they were doing. Liu Hui Ying stretched out her hands as she held them in front of Zhai Tianyu and said, " Your esteemed majesty, I think that you are feeling a bit queasy because of this odd job of digging a grave, why don''t you step aside?" That way she will be able to do a better job. " How can I let you do that, your majesty?" Zhai Tianyu felt awkward when he heard his wife say that she will dig the grave. Though he was indeed feeling a bit queasy thinking that there was another body buried under this grave which was marked for a dead rabbit. In fact, he felt a bit squeamish when he saw the rotting corpse of the rabbit but Liu Hui Ying who was standing behind him easily ced the rabbit to the side making him question his manliness all over again. " You stay behind, my queen¡­ I will do it," as he spoke Zhai Tianyu took off his robe which was embroidered with dragon and handed it to Liu Hui Ying before requesting in a polite voice, " Please keep it untainted, this robe is a representation of my image." Though Liu Hui Ying thought that it was too much of a bother but when she saw that it mattered a bit too much for Zhai Tianyu she agreed silently before taking the robe from his hands. Only then did Zhai Tinayu roll his sleeves and started to dig the ground with renewed energy. This time Li Gang and Zhai Tianyu did a much better job as they soon dug more than eight feet before Li Gang''s hoe which he was holding in his hands with the help of Liu Hui Ying''s spiritual energy smashed against something hard and turned to look at Liu Hui Ying who was standing on top of the pit which they have dug and said, " There is a coffin under here." " Wipe the dirt off the coffin," said Liu Hui Ying as she looked at the surface which was tter than the ones which were surrounding it. Zhai Tianyu was not used to doing something like this but he still crouched down after Li Gang and wiped the dust off the coffin however just as they cleaned the surface of the coffin, they were stopped by Liu Hui Ying. " Leave it ¡­." Her voice was solemn as she looked at the coffin which was covered with talismans, these talismans were different from the ones which Liu Hui Ying used, instead they were white in colour with red inscriptions written on them, Zhai Tianyu did not understand what was written on them but then he heard Liu Hui Ying say, " This is the coffin of a woman who was killed by a man ¡­.forcefully." Though she did not say anything more Zhai Tianyu understood what she was saying and unconsciously took a step away from the coffin when he realised what the poor woman went through when she was alive. " Leave her alone," Liu Hui Ying''s voice was sympathetic as she whipped out a talisman which morphed into the white flower she handed to Liu Fei Fei and Zhai Tianyu''s aunt before throwing it on the coffin. " Leave her at peace since she could not when she was alive ¡­. As for who is behind the killings, I have an idea." Chapter 446: Beating gong Liu Hui Ying already had an idea when she saw that man acting up so much but she did not pay much attention to him, but now that she had seen this grave, she was more or less aware of why that person was trying to kill her along with the members of the Qin family. " You know who the murderer is my queen?" Zhai Tianyu asked as he climbed out of the pit which was filled by him and Li Gang. He stood up straight as he pushed himself up from the pit where he was and then brushed his clothes which were specked with dust before looking at Liu Hui Ying. " Who is it?" " I think we all want to know that right?"Liu Hui Ying turned to look at Zhai Tianyu, her gaze calmly nced at him before turning to look at the grave which was once again refilled and bowed in respect. " I apologise for disturbing you after so long, fair madam." Zhai Tianyu also wore his robe and then sped his hands in front of him as he bowed as well with his crown dangling on his head but as he bowed, a small pearl from his crown fell on the ground and then rolled towards the grave but he ignored it instead he opened his mouth and then he too apologised, " I too am ashamed for my actions, I hope you rest in peace, madam." The winds rustled past them as a subtle warm current passed by them, Liu Hui Ying looked at the grave which was filled with a heavy grudge and slowly turn silent. The heavy yin energy disappeared leaving nothing but a serene aura, her eyes flickered as she straightened up and then turned to look at Zhai Tianyu, her expression was pensive as she looked at the crown on Zhai Tianyu''s head as she said, " Your majesty, I hope that you will stand on the side of justice even if the edge of the sword tips against you." Zhai Tinayu straightened up his spine as he turned to look at Lin Hui Ying and then smiled with a pleasant expression on his face, " My Queen, believe me when I say, that even if I have to give up my life for my people I will." He turned to look at the grave in front of them and then said, " She was one of my people when alive and she is one of my people even when she is dead which is why I will do everything in my power to hand out the justice which she deserves even if she is no longer here." " Even when it might overthrow your entire life?" Liu Hui Ying persisted in asking which confused Zhai Tianyu as he turned to look at his wife with a furrow on his forehead and asked, " What do you know my queen?" Liu Hui Ying met his gaze with hers but then she sighed and looked away, " Enough, for me to know that you will not leave unscathed after this incident your majesty." With that, she turned around and raised her feet as if she was going to leave but suddenly she paused and turned to look at Zhai Tianyu who was looking at her with confusion in his eyes. She blinked her eyes causing theshes which were fanning over her eyes to kiss her cheeks before she walked towards Zhai Tianyu and then did something unexpected. " My Queen?" Zhai Tianyu questioned with his eyes turning wide when he felt Liu Hui Ying raise her hand and then grab the back of his head as she pulled him close causing his face to be buried in the crook of her shoulder. " No matter what happenster on, keep your head up." Zhai Tianyu''s eyes could not help but widen a little, he did not understand why she was saying something like this but this was the first time that Liu Hui Ying was taking the initiative to hug him which was why he did not say anything, after all even though it seemed like they were touching, her hand was holding the band of his crown while his face was brushing against her clothes and he could sense that she was not breathing which showed that she was afraid that his scent might re up his condition. After she was done coaxing Zhai Tianyu, Liu Hui Ying took a step back and then walked away as she said, " Call the rest of the people we are going to put an end to this matter tonight." ¡­.. Liu Hui Ying returned to the hunting grounds where she changed her appearance to that of a man, once her appearance changed into that of Lord Chen, Zhai Tianyu arranged for the gong to be beaten by the soldiers which alerted the people who were sleeping peacefully without making a sound. " Ugh?" Lord Ji raised his head and turned his head to look at the sky which was slowly turning light and then turned his gaze to look at Liu Dong Ming who was sleeping on the bed which was situated at the inside of the group and shivered in both anger and cold. Last night even when he used all of his skills, he could not beat Liu Dong Ming. It both embarrassed and annoyed him but he could not say anything to the man ¡ª¡ª- since he won ''fairly'' in the eyes of others. '' Fair my foot that man is such a scheming bastard, his belly is simply full of ck ideas which are rotten to the core!'' Ji Yang scoffed in his head as he red at his arch-enemy but just as he was ring at Liu Dong Ming, thetter opened his eyes and nced at him causing Ji Yang to be so panicked that he almost fell from the bed and onto the ground. " Ooh that scared me," Ji Yang ced a hand on his chest and breathed in and out just as he was going to calm down. The man behind him suddenly opened his mouth and then said, " Have you fallen in love with me, Prime Minister Ji?" " Damn, who is in love with you?" Ji Yang was so startled upon hearing this question that he turned around and red at Liu Dong Ming who raised his brow and asked back, " If that is the case then why are you watching me sleep ?" ------------------ ------------------ The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!