He coughed awkwardly when glared at.
He was just curious, wasn't he?
"You Tianque Kingdom is also strange. With so many young and strong men available, you send an old man like you. It seems your Tianque Kingdom is truly out of people."
A vein throbbed on Cheng Yichen's forehead.
Did he look that old?
It was just that his hair was a bit white. He'd dye it black as soon as he got back.
After descending the mountain, many disciples from the Free and Unfettered Manor loaded the goods onto the carts. The rest of the disciples returned, leaving only two to accompany them for the transport.
Wen Yu swaggered into the largest carriage.
Cheng Yichen, who was about to board: "..." Fine, he'd take a carriage in the back.
He was the one paying, yet the other party acted like a pampered lord.
If he didn't urgently need the Cloud Dew Flower, would he be this wronged?
The journey was swift. The horses of Tianque Kingdom were all renowned for their speed, moving as lightly as swallows even while carrying such heavy cargo.
Yet, Cheng Yichen had a bad premonition.
He had a feeling something was about to happen.
The caravan carrying the goods entered the imperial city. Even though they had deliberately chosen to enter at night, it was impossible to avoid attracting attention.
Too many incidents had occurred in the imperial city recently, making the common folk jumpy. The rumbling of cartwheels outside inevitably drew curious glances.
This news quickly reached the palace.
In the Ministry of Justice prison, Xia Yunting untied Rong Zhi and a person beside him brought over a bowl of soup.
"Trying to poison me?" Rong Zhi raised an eyebrow at the bowl of medicine.
"It's medicine for your throat. I've tried it; it's not poisonous."
Xia Yunting handed the medicine over. Rong Zhi leaned in to smell it, took a small sip, and then smiled as she accepted it.
"Thank you."
Xia Yunting's expression softened slightly, but the next moment, Rong Zhi suddenly threw the bowl of medicine, sending the scalding liquid towards Xia Yunting's face.
He dodged sideways, and the medicine spilled onto the ground, foaming white.
"Don't think you can fool me! Who do you think I, Rong Zhi, am? You think such a petty trick can deceive me? Daydreaming!" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
She wasn't just afraid that she would ally with the people from the Free and Unfettered Manor, so they used this poison to control her, were they?
Even if it was colorless and odorless, what of it? Rong Zhi had been practicing medicine for so many years; if she couldn't even detect such a small ploy, she'd lived in vain.
As she was about to leave, Rong Zhi suddenly turned back and grabbed Xia Yunting, cupping his face and glaring at him. "Are you genuinely foolish, or are you pretending? Did you hit your head when you were locked up in prison last time? Can't even distinguish between a bowl of medicine? Or are you doing this on purpose?"
Xia Yunting looked bewildered. This medicine was indeed sent by the Imperial Academy of Medicine, and it was in his name. There shouldn't be any problem.
Could someone in the Imperial Academy of Medicine have tampered with it?
Xia Yunting brought Rong Zhi to the inn.
The medicinal herbs had already been put to use upon arrival in the imperial city. The scent of Cloud Dew Flower permeated the entire palace. At this moment, the inn was hosting several distinguished guests from the Free and Unfettered Manor.
"Pah! This tea is too disgusting. Is your Tianque Kingdom so poor that you can't even offer a decent brand of tea?"
Wen Yu flicked his hand, smashing the teacup on the ground.
The innkeeper's mouth twitched. This was already the best tea they had. When had Tianque Kingdom ever been insulted like this?
"Where are my two young assistants?"
The innkeeper said, "They're helping with unloading the goods."
Wen Yu's expression changed. Damn it, he'd almost forgotten.
He leaped off his chair and sprinted towards the door, leaving the innkeeper utterly confused.
Rong Zhi, watching from a side room, saw an unfamiliar face and felt puzzled.
Who was this?
Had the Free and Unfettered Manor changed hands?
She asked Xia Yunting, "Who is this?"
Xia Yunting replied, "A guest elder of the Free and Unfettered Manor, Wen Yu."
A guest elder? She had never heard of such a person in the Free and Unfettered Manor.
However, thirteen years had passed; it was normal for there to be new faces in the Free and Unfettered Manor.
"You don't recognize him?" Xia Yunting sounded surprised.
"No, I don't. But since he's given me face by sending the Cloud Dew Flower, it means the original Manor Lord is still alive, just not present."
Rong Zhi felt a little disappointed. She had thought Liu Yunxi would have rushed over immediately upon seeing the note.
Now, it seemed he probably thought he was being tricked.
After all, in his eyes, she was already dead.
"Since you don't recognize him, let's go back for now. In a couple of days, the Emperor will host a banquet in the palace to express his gratitude, and you'll naturally get acquainted then."
Bringing Rong Zhi here was merely to see if there were any unexpected gains. The current situation was within expectations.
Rong Zhi sighed and left with Xia Yunting.
As they passed the entrance, Rong Zhi noticed a carriage parked there, with half the goods still on it. A young man in the attire of a Free and Unfettered Manor disciple was sweating profusely as he unloaded items.
Another person, also a disciple of the Free and Unfettered Manor, was sitting leisurely nearby with his legs crossed, holding a wine flask and drinking contentedly.
Wen Yu, who had been talking to the innkeeper earlier, was fanning himself and acting obsequiously.
"Ancestor, I didn't mean to. This innkeeper was too enthusiastic. As soon as I got off the carriage, they pulled me inside. I really didn't forget you on purpose."
The moment Rong Zhi saw the disciple drinking, her eyes widened abruptly.
Simultaneously, that person's gaze fell upon her.
Their eyes met, and a storm brewed within them, yet neither showed it.
The disciple waved at Wen Yu and stood up. "Alright, alright, stop fanning."
"Where are you going?"
"To the latrine."
The journey back to the palace from the inn passed through a long corridor. Xia Yunting walked closely behind, as if afraid Rong Zhi would disappear.
"Xia Yunting, do you have to watch me like a prisoner?"
"You are skilled in martial arts and could easily escape from me."
"You're only watching me; be careful of someone behind you."
Xia Yunting's gaze sharpened, and he abruptly turned around. Suddenly, he saw a figure leap into the air. Before he could even make out who it was, he felt a sharp pain in his back and passed out.
The figure landed beside Rong Zhi, and ignoring the fallen man, embraced her tightly.
"Let me see properly! You're still alive?"
It was the young man who had been drinking earlier.
Rong Zhi marveled at his appearance; he hadn't changed at all after so many years.
"Were you imprisoned?"
"It's a long story. Tianque Kingdom probably wants to use my identity to start a war and gather forces from the martial world. Go back and tell those friends of yours that no matter what happens, they should not pay attention, nor should they believe that I am Rong Zhi."
"Understood."
As long-time friends, Liu Yunxi immediately understood Rong Zhi's meaning.
"This is not a place to talk. I'll go back to the inn first to relay the message."
A hint of reluctance flashed in Liu Yunxi's eyes. After thirteen years of not seeing each other, they had to part after just a few words.
But he also knew that Rong Zhi was in a very dangerous situation, or she wouldn't have been so direct about sending a message.
When he saw the note, he almost thought he was dreaming.
The handwriting he hadn't seen for thirteen years, the familiar tone, had actually appeared before him.
At first, he thought Tianque Kingdom was deliberately tricking him. Fortunately, he had been cautious and pretended to be a disciple to take a look; otherwise, he would have missed her.
Liu Yunxi left, disappearing in a few steps as if he had never been there.
Rong Zhi helped up the person on the ground and unblocked his acupoints.
Xia Yunting slowly woke up, immediately looking around and cautiously asking Rong Zhi, "Who was here just now?"
"Nothing, you just fainted."
His suspicion deepened, but he said nothing, silently escorting Rong Zhi back to the prison. The moment he turned, he ordered someone to investigate outside.
He wanted to see if any suspicious individuals had appeared on that corridor.
One had to admit, Xia Yunting was still so cautious. However, no matter how much they searched, they found nothing.
After all, Liu Yunxi had left no trace.
Three days later, the Emperor issued an order for a grand banquet, and Rong Zhi was finally released from prison.
It seemed the poison had been completely neutralized.
Originally, the Cloud Dew Flower was meant to protect her meridians and detoxify her. Rong Zhi had deliberately disrupted the sequence, making them suffer more pain. This was also a message to the Free and Unfettered Manor.
Now, it seemed the plan was proceeding smoothly.
The palace banquet was held in secret, with only the Emperor and the Crown Prince attending. Not even any of the concubines from the inner palace were present. Fortunately, Cheng Yichen, Xia Yunting, and some ministers from the Imperial Academy of Medicine were there, so it wasn't entirely desolate.
The banquet was lavish. When Rong Zhi arrived, she found that everyone else had already taken their seats; she was the last to arrive.
As soon as she entered, all eyes turned to her.
Liu Yunxi's gaze was fervent, as if he wanted to bore holes into her with his eyes. Wen Yu was filled with more curiosity.
Who was this person that could make the Manor Lord personally come over?
Cheng Yichen unconsciously took a step back. For some reason, he had a feeling that a storm of blood and wind was about to follow.
Xiao Jianli, hiding in the shadows, looked at Liu Yunxi with surprise. He hadn't changed at all after all these years.
Xia Yunting's gaze fell on Liu Yunxi, a hint of suspicion appearing in his eyes.
In a daze, the figure that had flashed by that day seemed somewhat similar to him.
With everyone lost in their own thoughts, Rong Zhi took her seat.
Although she was one of the main figures at this banquet, the fact that she had been released from prison made the occasion seem rather meager.
Once everyone was assembled, Jin Jinghong did not raise his cup to begin the feast. Instead, he looked at the guards standing guard.
"Retire."
The guards exchanged glances.
On such an important occasion, with influential figures from the martial world present, the Emperor was actually dismissing them. If an assassination occurred later, wouldn't it throw the world into chaos?
But the Emperor's command was the Emperor's command. They had no right to question it, so they all withdrew.
Suddenly, the hall became much quieter.
The Emperor looked at Rong Zhi. "I know you did all of this. I do not blame you."
Rong Zhi narrowed her eyes, not detecting a hint of anger on his face.
Emperors were often deep in thought, and Rong Zhi would not be deceived by his superficial emotions.
"What is Your Majesty talking about? I don't understand."
"This is my sincerity. I know the poison is from your family. I don't mind. Doesn't this show my sincerity in cooperating with you?"
Across from her, Liu Yunxi looked at Rong Zhi in surprise. The poison was her doing?
She had poisoned the entire royal family... she had done brilliantly!