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"But Second Sister. When Right Chancellor handed it to me, it was just a blank piece of paper..." Zhi Tao kept emphasizing.
Xia Yuhan guessed that Jiang Tingyu must have had a reason to pass the note. She continued to ask, "Was there anyone else who saw him give you the note?"
Zhi Tao tried to recall, scratching her head: "No one saw it. But I did bump into someone who suddenly appeared."
"Got it. Let's go back." Xia Yuhan suddenly tightened her grip on the note. She knew that the note with words had been switched.
Meanwhile, inside Yangxin Palace, Jiang Tingyu and the Emperor were discussing Xia Yuhan.
"I really am becoming easier to bully. How is it that even my most favored minister is siding with Xia Yuhan now? I really don't understand what she has that makes my princes and ministers so enchanted."
"Your Majesty, Jiang Tingyu doesn't dare to plead for Second Lady of the Xia Residence. Jiang Tingyu is just stating facts. Moreover, this Second Lady of the Xia Residence indeed has some skills. At that time, Jiang Tingyu and his group were surrounded by nearly three hundred well-trained assassins. It was precisely because of Xia Manor's Second Sister and her temporary formation that they achieved an unexpected victory."
"Jiang Tingyu, you keep saying you don't dare to plead for Xia Yuhan. Yet here you are openly praising her. Are you not trying to plead for her? Based on my years of understanding you, you've never praised anyone in front of me before. But anyway, I don't need to ruin important matters over an inconsequential Xia Yuhan."
Jiang Tingyu lowered his eyes, hiding the surprise in them: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid this is not a good time for unification. Right now, regarding the Imperial Jade Seal, Jiang Tingyu has not found any clues..."
The Emperor angrily slammed down the memorial presented by his ministers: "Does the absence of this Imperial Jade Seal mean I cannot pacify things?"
"Your Majesty, it's not just about the Imperial Jade Seal. Although the entire Azure Dragon Kingdom is stable now, due to years of warfare, the people are suffering and displaced. If we declare war on the other two nations at this moment, the consequences would be unimaginable. Although our Azure Dragon Kingdom is a great eastern nation, our internal weaknesses due to prolonged conflict are deep-rooted. If both nations join forces against us, it will be difficult to predict the outcome. In my opinion, during this period, it is most important to govern without action and allow the people to recuperate."
After hearing this, the Emperor sighed repeatedly: "Alright, alright. You go find the Imperial Jade Seal. Once we have it, I will have an eighty percent chance of unifying things. As for Xia Yuhan, I won't hold it against you this time. But next time, you must not interfere with her matters. If you fall for Xia Yuhan, I will be the first to kill her."
"Yes. Jiang Tingyu understands. After returning, I will do my utmost to find the whereabouts of the Imperial Jade Seal. As for matters concerning women, in all these years, has Jiang Tingyu ever liked a woman? What I do has my own intentions."
The Emperor's powerful aura suddenly pressed down: "Have I been too indulgent with you? How dare you speak to me like this?"
Jiang Tingyu remained unmoved. As the Emperor approached him step by step, he stood firm: "Your Majesty, that's how I've always been. If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave for now."
The Emperor looked at Jiang Tingyu with mixed feelings: "You may go. Make sure to secure the jade seal."
"Yes. I take my leave."
...
On the way, she felt a heaviness in her chest as if something was about to happen. Distracted, Xia Yuhan exerted great effort to leave the palace.
As she stepped out of the palace and onto a relatively deserted path, Xia Yuhan first noticed that her maid had been knocked unconscious. Just as she was preparing to fight back, she suddenly felt dizzy from behind and lost consciousness.
Before losing her senses, Xia Yuhan deliberately left behind an inconspicuous black object that looked like wood.
This object was actually a miniature Mechanism. She dropped it mainly to allow someone to find them quickly.
However, her actions were ultimately noticed by the men in black, who confiscated Xia Yuhan's Mechanism, cutting off all her escape routes.
When Xia Yuhan woke up again, she was doused with cold water.
Groggily opening her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar environment. Her maid, Zhi Tao, was nowhere to be seen.
The room was empty and desolate. From the structure of the building, it seemed to be an old temple that had been abandoned for many years.
Cold wind continuously poured in through the gaps in the roof and windows, making Xia Yuhan shiver all over.
She curled up tightly and looked up at the man in black who had splashed her with cold water. The moment their eyes met, Xia Yuhan froze completely.
This person's gaze looked familiar; he was the one she had seen in Tongji Hall. Why had he brought her here? What was the reason?
"The esteemed Second Lady of the Xia Residence. I never expected you to have moments of fright. How amusing," a chilling male voice echoed in her ears. Coupled with just having been splashed with cold water, she trembled as she replied, "What merit do I have? I'm just a concubine's Second Sister."
"Oh, really? I don't think you are just an illegitimate child, Second Sister."
Because Xia Yuhan's hands and feet were tightly bound, even trying to get up from the ground was exceptionally difficult for her: "That's just what you think. Who I, Xia Yuhan, am and what my status is, many people know. You are just pretending to be ignorant."
"Haha... Is that so? You act as if you are the Queen, receiving the admiration of thousands and making millions remember you. Don't forget, if you die here today, no one will know. What I am doing is merely to see how you struggle in your last moments before death."
"Though I, Xia Yuhan, am a weak woman, I possess the spirit that a man should have. Rest assured, I will not struggle in my dying moments for you to enjoy the show. Whether you want to kill or torture me is entirely up to you."
The man's sinister laughter echoed again: "Haha... Indeed. You, Xia Yuhan, have plenty of bargaining chips to negotiate with me. There’s no need to worry that I will kill you."
With that, a flash of light appeared in the man's hand. The ropes binding Xia Yuhan's hands and legs were untied. When she regained her freedom, Xia Yuhan did not rush to stand up but pretended to be nonchalant, casually rubbing her arms that had been hurt by the ropes: "It's a pity. Even if you kill me, you won't learn a single thing from me."
"Oh? What about your mother? Are you willing to give up everything you've worked hard for? After finally establishing yourself in Xia Manor, would you really choose to die?"
Leaning against a pillar, Xia Yuhan slowly got up from the ground. She needed to move; if she didn't, she would suffer from the cold water due to this body's weakness.
"Life and death are fated; wealth and nobility are transient. If I, Xia Yuhan, cannot even save my own life, then if my mother unfortunately dies at your hands, I can only accept it. After all, death is inevitable. You won't get a single piece of information from me."
"Hmph. How true. I warned you before; our next meeting will be your end."
Xia Yuhan clenched her embroidered fist hidden in her sleeve tightly. How could she forget the scene from their last meeting at Tongji Hall? To be honest, she really did not want to die—she did not want to die like this.
Knowing that the murderer was right in front of her yet feeling powerless to bring justice upon him was maddening. Knowing that the truth was within reach yet unable to clarify it was infuriating.
She hated it—she truly hated it.
Looking back, her eyes were bloodshot: "What does it matter if I live? What does it matter if I fear death? What is meant to come will eventually come."
The sword in the black-clad man's hand was slowly raised and placed against Xia Yuhan's neck: "To be honest, I originally intended to kill you. But you have piqued my curiosity too much. Where is that mysterious glowing box? And what were those things you threw away when you rescued Jiang Tingyu during your retreat? Be honest with me, and I may spare your life for now."
Xia Yuhan unexpectedly reached out and gently moved the long sword resting on her neck, examining it closely. This long sword was easily distinguishable from others because its tip had a notch. It was this very notch that had injured Cang Yile.
"It's hard to believe that you've been hiding around us all along, and you managed to seriously injure Prince Yile twice," she said.
Xia Yuhan's words infuriated the man in black. The damaged long sword seemed to sense its owner's displeasure, trembling violently: "Hmph. In my eyes, he is already a dead man. A man who deserves to die. Anyone who stands in my way will die. If it weren't for you, he wouldn't have lived this long."
Xia Yuhan scoffed, "Don't tell me you're the prince abandoned by the emperor among the common people. To seize the throne, you killed the emperor's two current princes one by one, and now you want to use me, Xia Yuhan, as cannon fodder for your plan."
The man in black's eyes were filled with a dark aura: "A woman's imagination is truly rich. If you want to live, think carefully. Hand over your box, or else you'll die."
As he spoke, the long sword had already pressed against Xia Yuhan's delicate skin, even drawing blood.
When her blood touched the long sword of the man in black, it was immediately absorbed. Xia Yuhan naturally couldn't see this horrifying phenomenon; she only felt a sharp pain in her neck, a pain that was indescribable.
Xia Yuhan didn't want to remain in this stalemate any longer, but she also didn't want to hand over the Treasure Chest. However, it seemed that for the sake of her life, she had no choice but to compromise.
After deep contemplation, Xia Yuhan finally sighed: "If you want to know where the box is, I can tell you its whereabouts. But as a condition for this exchange, you must also answer a question I want to know."
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