Unlike before, the deathly pallor on her face was heavier, as if she were someone on the brink of death.
Yet, her movements were exceedingly agile, her skills on par with the Imperial Guards.
As everyone remained astonished, the Empress abruptly stood, her voice sharp and accusatory, "You harmed Zhu'er!"
The pill she'd given last night was problematic!
Yu Guiren glanced at Ye Tingzhu, already lifeless on the ground, but ignored the Empress. Instead, her gaze fell upon the Empress Dowager and Noble Consort Li. She spoke coldly to the Imperial Guards.
"Tie these few up, kill the rest."
Her words carried no warmth, even more chilling than the Empress's earlier actions.
And among those she deemed "the rest" was the Empress herself.
"What are you doing! Insolent! Look carefully at who your master is, she is Yue..."
"Chè—"
Before she could finish, a long saber was drawn, and a splash of crimson instantly bloomed within the hall.
"Ah!!"
Panicked screams erupted one after another, while the Imperial Guards moved like numb and cold machines, mechanically executing their orders.
The Empress finally realized something was amiss. Dodging the incoming blades, she spat out in hatred,
"These are not Imperial Guards at all, they are Yue spies!"
Cold blades continued to fall, the hall plunged into utter chaos, the air thick with the smell of blood.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager forcefully broke free from her restraints and lunged forward.
"Stop!"
"How can our royal consorts be trampled upon at will by outsiders!"
She positioned herself in front of the consorts. The Imperial Guards halted, as if seeking Yu Guiren's instruction.
As a tense standoff ensued, the Empress seized the moment, forcefully throwing poison she had hidden, then dragging Ye Tingzhu's corpse and making a desperate dash for the hall's exit.
The others, momentarily hindered, couldn't catch up. Just as she was about to step out of the hall, her throat was abruptly seized by Yu Guiren.
"Damn it!"
She had forgotten, this monster was utterly immune to poison!
Gasping for breath from the intense suffocation, the Empress clutched Yu Guiren's sleeve with both hands, struggling to speak.
"Let me and Zhu'er leave. Whatever you want, I can give it to you."
"You want revenge? I will help you return to Yue and eliminate that person. And this empire... this empire is also yours!"
Her panicked promises offered no leverage.
Yu Guiren cast her a cold glance and was about to tighten her grip when several figures rapidly approached from outside.
Ye Tingyun was brought in, his hands and feet bound, along with the imperial decree hidden within the Buddha shrine.
The Empress's expression shifted upon seeing this, but the force on her throat receded a moment sooner.
Yu Guiren abandoned her and stepped forward to examine the contents of the decree.
"Indeed, this decree is authentic."
The Empress, thrown to the ground, heard this and her gaze fixed intently on the imperial yellow, her eyes narrowing instantly.
"What do you mean?!"
The Emperor had left only one decree, and it was currently in her possession. Where did this second decree come from?
A storm of disbelief churned within her. Yu Guiren, treating her as if she were invisible, surveyed the hall for a moment before her gaze paused.
"Three are still missing."
Besides Jiang Rumò, Feng Yínwǎn, and Feng Jìngyuán, as well as Sòng Qīng'ān, were not present.
The instant this thought formed, the hall doors behind them were suddenly shut, and smoke billowed up, immediately obscuring everyone's vision.