Chapter 43: Hidden Adversaries Stir, Peril Silently Approaches

The four words in the anonymous letter—"Beware of Noble Consort Xiao"—remained like a thorn buried deep in my heart.

Noble Consort Xiao?

Hasn't she always regarded me as a thorn in her side and a nail in her eye?

Was this warning merely a bluff, or was there another hidden story behind it?

I clutched the slip of paper and let out a cold laugh. When soldiers come, block them; when water comes, earth covers it. Old Xiao, who's afraid of whom!

Yet, I never imagined that these scoundrels would play dirty and actually target He Yunsheng.

The imperial sacrificial preparations under his charge had suffered a flaw, and the sacrificial offerings had been swapped for inferior goods.

The Emperor flew into a rage, and He Yunsheng was ordered to be grounded. My lovely, puppy-like younger brother now wilted completely, looking just like a frost-bitten eggplant.

My heart ached. After all, this was my future cash cow—no, my good partner!

I rushed over to comfort him, but he pushed my hand away, lowering his head as he said, "Elder sister, it is all my fault. I have brought trouble upon you." Seeing his self-reproach made me even angrier. "What kind of foolish talk is that! There is definitely something fishy going on here, and your elder sister will clear your name right now!"

I began investigating in secret, and this inquiry indeed revealed something amiss.

Those minor officials I had previously toppled were certainly greedy by nature, but they lacked the guts to orchestrate anything of this magnitude.

Their confessions were also evasive, clearly pointing to someone pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

Who could it be?

I racked my brains, and suddenly a thought flashed through my mind. The person previously in charge of procuring the sacrificial items seemed to be the head eunuch from Noble Consort Xiao's palace!

Well, well, well, Old Xiao, it really was you!

I let out a cold laugh, preparing to storm into her palace to have it out with her, only to discover that the situation was far more complicated than I had imagined.

The guards responsible for escorting the sacrificial goods had "accidentally" died halfway, and the clue was abruptly cut off!

The more I investigated, the more alarmed I became. The hidden forces lurking behind the scenes resembled a massive spiderweb, shrouding the entire imperial palace.

I felt like an unlucky flying insect that had stumbled into a web, liable to be swallowed up at any moment.

No, I must remain calm!

I admonished myself not to lose my footing.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to start by investigating the people closest to Noble Consort Xiao.

One evening, I sneaked into Noble Consort Xiao's bedchamber, hoping to find some trace of evidence.

As I carefully rummaged through the room, a faint sound suddenly echoed from behind me...

I whipped my head around, only to catch a glimpse of a dark figure flashing past...

I whipped my head around, only to catch a glimpse of a dark figure flashing past.

Oh ho, playing hide-and-seek, are we?

Back in the day, I was the undisputed champion of hide-and-seek!

Gathering my skirts, I tiptoed in pursuit.

The dark figure possessed agile movements, leaping across the palace rooftops like a nimble civet cat.

Unfortunately for him, he had run into me—Lu Wan'er!

Years ago, in order to evade punishment from Nanny Li, I had explored every single nook and cranny of the imperial palace.

Amidst the chase, I realized that the martial arts style of this dark figure was eerily familiar, resembling greatly...

The techniques of the Imperial Guard?

A chill ran through my heart. Could the mastermind behind all this actually be connected to the Imperial Guard?

The mere thought of it was terrifying!

Just as I was pondering this, my foot caught on a loose roof tile. With a sharp "crack," I lost my balance entirely and was about to tumble straight off the roof!

Before there was even time to blink, a strong pair of arms caught me.

I looked up, and it was He Yunsheng!

"Elder sister, are you alright?" He looked at me with eyes full of worry.

"I'm fine, totally fine! Just a minor incident!" I patted my chest and smoothly extricated myself from his grip.

"What brings you here?" I asked.

"I was worried about you," he lowered his gaze and whispered softly.

Alas, this little puppy really was a handful to worry about.

"Don't worry about me, I am Lu Wan'er after all!" I smiled with utter confidence. "It is you who should be careful lately. I always have a feeling someone is plotting against you."

He nodded, a fleeting flash of complex emotion crossing his eyes.

Right at that moment, a commotion erupted in the distance. Someone shouted, "Assassins! There are assassins!"

My heart tightened. Oh no, this must be a diversionary tactic to lure the tiger away from the mountain!

I instantly realized that the true target wasn't me, but He Yunsheng!

Turning my head, I saw that sure enough, a group of figures dressed in black had swarmed in from all directions, surrounding He Yunsheng tightly.

I drew the dagger concealed within my boot and charged forward. "Nobody touches my cash cow... I mean, my good partner!"

The men in black clearly hadn't expected my sudden appearance and froze for a fraction of a second.

Taking advantage of their hesitation, I kicked the lead assassin in the chest, grabbed He Yunsheng by the hand, and bolted.

"Elder sister, watch out!" He Yunsheng guarded me while dodging the attacks of the assassins.

"Rest assured, your elder sister is practically an undying cockroach!" I declared, nimbly evading the incoming strikes while effortlessly snatching a flowerpot from the roadside to hurl at them.

Just as we were about to break through the encirclement, an assassin suddenly launched a sneak attack from behind, thrusting a sword straight at He Yunsheng!

"Yunsheng!" I cried out, and without a second thought, I threw myself in front of him...