"Dragon Queen, did you know from the beginning that Xiaojin is the biological son of and Dugu Wu?"
Even with urgency pressing, Feng Bailing wasn’t planning to let Dragon Queen off the hook today.
Without another word, she grabbed hold of Dragon Queen’s tail. Feng Bailing hadn’t forgotten; the last ti Dragon Queen bargained with her, it had said that if Feng Bailing kept their agreent and saved the Crown Prince, it would reveal the whereabouts of her son.
Thus, it was clear that Dragon Queen knew about Dugu Xiaojin’s identity all along, and her granting him special powers ant it had known the truth from the start.
This despicable Dragon Queen, fully aware yet always concealing everything, the more Feng Bailing thought about it, the angrier she beca.
"Don’t get angry; it’s not good for the baby in your belly."
The Dragon Queen shook its head and tail but dared not move too abruptly, fearing it might hurt Feng Bailing.
"Hold on, where are the chains that bound you?"
Only then did Feng Bailing notice sothing different about Dragon Queen. On closer inspection, the golden chains that had bound it were gone.
Last ti, at the Crown Prince Mansion, Dragon Queen was critically injured for the sake of Feng Bailing and Dugu Wu, nearly annihilated. It was only with the help of the Buddhist Alms Bowl that it managed to retain its soul.
But at that ti, it was already gravely injured, thus it had to recuperate in the Buddhist Alms Bowl. It had only been a few months, yet the chains on Dragon Queen were gone, and its injuries were completely healed.
Feng Bailing was utterly baffled.
"There’s no ti left; you better think of a way to stop Dugu Wu."
Dragon Queen scratched its head with its dragon claw, finding it challenging to explain the complexity of it all to Feng Bailing, regarding Dugu Xiaojin’s origins.
As the guardian of Dugu Wu, it was hard for it to trust Feng Bailing at that ti,
"Today you have to explain everything to clearly, no matter what."
Feng Bailing was stern. She knew that if Dragon Queen could enter her dream today and forcefully wake her, sothing significant must have happened outside, likely involving Dugu Wu. If she missed today, Dragon Queen might avoid her again.
She had many questions that needed clear answers.
"Alas, I assure you, I will find an opportunity to clear up all misunderstandings. If you don’t wake up, Emperor Yongye will end up being killed by Dugu Wu. There are things that only you can handle..."
Dragon Queen said helplessly.
"What? Dugu Wu is going to kill Emperor Yongye, how is that possible?"
Feng Bailing was shocked.
"More talk is useless, hurry to the Imperial Palace and find that painting..."
As Dragon Queen spoke, its tail swept, and Feng Bailing felt a blur before her eyes; the next mont, she sat up from the bed.
Feng Bailing was covered in cold sweat; she touched her forehead, and it was also sweaty.
Looking outside at the sky, she was startled and quickly got out of bed.
Feng Bailing knew that the bowl of bird’s nest porridge she had last night was highly problematic, causing her deep slumber. Had it not been for Dragon Queen waking her up from her dream, she would have overslept indeed.
Feng Bailing called out for Chun Liu a few tis to no response.
Hurrying to find Chun Liu, Feng Bailing then discovered that both Chun Liu and Nanny Su were still in a deep sleep, apparently drugged as well.
Feng Bailing went again to find brothers Feng Zao and Feng Wan, but neither of them was at Prince Shun’s Mansion.
Besides Chun Liu and others, Princess Mingxia, Dongfang Chun, and Princess Consort Shun, were also deeply asleep, unable to awaken.
Every related person in the household almost fell victim to the poisoning. Feng Bailing did not raise any alarm but secretly found out that brothers Feng Zao and Feng Wan had left the mansion early in the morning.
It turned out that when Lu Yin returned early in the morning, he found everyone in a deep sleep. Realizing sothing was wrong, it was fortunate that brothers Feng Zao and Feng Wan, who had gone out last night, did not eat after returning and thus remained unhard.
Seeing the urgency of the situation, Lu Yin examined the few people and confird they were only drugged with a sleep-inducing substance which wouldn’t cause severe harm. Noticing it was almost 11 a.m., Lu Yin could not afford to wake up Feng Bailing and others, so he hurriedly left with the brothers.
Feng Bailing initially thought of imdiately rushing to the execution ground, but then she suddenly had a thought - the Dragon Queen had advised her in a dream to go to the Imperial Palace instead of the execution ground. Logically, shouldn’t she stop Dugu Wu first at the execution ground?
After briefly pondering, Feng Bailing decided to follow the Dragon Queen’s advice and headed towards the Imperial Palace.
Although the Dragon Queen might have deceived her before, she would never harm Dugu Wu.
As she headed to the Imperial Palace, Feng Bailing thought of the people at the mansion, and after considering, decided to move them all into the dical Cabin.
These people being drugged, could not regain consciousness soon. With Dugu Wu’s matter still pending, and soone having drugged the food in the mansion, Feng Bailing worried that the entire Prince Shun’s Mansion might be under surveillance. Under these circumstances, any slight event could lead to the mansion’s people being held hostage, threatening Dugu Wu.
Currently, Feng Bailing could not attend to placing them properly, the only solution was to find a safe place for the people of Prince Shun’s Mansion, and after much thought, only the dical Cabin seed the safest.
As long as she could move them out of the dical Cabin before they woke up, it would be done without alerting anyone or causing any disturbance.
Feng Bailing used her seventh sense to move Princess Consort Shun and others into the dical Cabin.
After placing Feng Xiaoli, Dugu Xiaojin, Chun Liu, and Nanny Su into the dical Cabin, Feng Bailing then changed into a servant’s clothing and stealthily left Prince Shun’s Mansion.
With a quarter of an hour remaining before 11 a.m., the Imperial Palace was also deathly still.
That night, Emperor Yongye sat dry-eyed in the Imperial Study. He did not visit Imperial Consort Dugu’s chamber, nor did he allow anyone into the Imperial Study.
During this ti, the Empress Dowager repeatedly attempted to see Emperor Yongye, but he refused every ti.
Before 11 a.m., unable to restrain herself, the Empress Dowager along with Noble Consort Guo arrived outside the Imperial Study.
"Li Qing, I need to see the Emperor," said the Empress Dowager, her face showing fatigue, evident from a sleepless night. Even the pregnant Noble Consort Guo ignored others’ attempts to stop her, insisting on coming to the Imperial Study to see Emperor Yongye.
"Empress Dowager, Noble Consort Guo, please don’t make it difficult for this old servant," said Li Qing, his face full of embarrassnt.
The decision to execute Dugu Wu sent shockwaves through the entire Imperial Palace.
So rejoiced while others despaired, and Li Qing, as Emperor Yongye’s personal attendant, felt endlessly lancholic.
Despite the years of mutual support and rivalry between the Emperor and Dugu Wu, Li Qing knew that aside from the bonds of sovereign and subject, the Emperor always held a sense of kinship towards Dugu Wu.
Dugu Wu’s capability was unquestionable, but he remained a constant thorn in Emperor Yongye’s side, that thorn having fatally pricked the Crown Prince.
Li Qing stopped them outside, and the Empress Dowager grew increasingly anxious.
"Emperor, you can’t execute Ah Wu, I beg you," the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but burst into tears.
When the Empress Dowager spoke again, the door of the Imperial Study opened, and Emperor Yongye walked out. In just one night, he appeared much aged, even spots of gray hair had appeared on his temples.
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