"A fake?" The Empress's voice suddenly pitched up by eight degrees, sharp and grating like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
I could even feel her gaze fixed on me like a knife, as if she wished to poke a few holes through my body.
Inside, I was secretly thrilled, but outwardly I remained as breezy and light as clouds, even wearing a perfectly appropriate look of concern. "Indeed. This concubine knows a little about medicine. Lord Li's pulse is steady and strong, and his breathing is even. Does this look like someone suffering from agonizing abdominal pain? It looks more like... he did it on purpose."
I deliberately paused, catching a glimpse of the fine beads of sweat oozing from Lord Li's forehead out of the corner of my eye. I let out a cold laugh inwardly and continued, "Perhaps Lord Li simply wanted... to attract Her Majesty's attention?"
As soon as those words left my lips, the atmosphere in the entire hall instantly froze.
The air was thick with awkwardness, so palpable that a pin dropping to the floor would have been heard clearly.
Lord Li's face alternated between green and pale, putting on as dazzling a display as a painter's palette.
He opened his mouth to defend himself, but having no idea where to begin, he could only squeeze out a dry, pathetic sentence: "This subject... has been wronged!"
My inner monologue: With acting like that, even the Oscars owe you an Academy Award!
The Empress's expression looked even worse, resembling someone who had just swallowed a fly.
She glared fiercely at Lord Li, then shifted her gaze back to me, her tone grinding with teeth-gnashing hatred: "Consort Su, do you have proof?"
"This concubine wouldn't dare speak recklessly." I offered a slight bow, my tone neither servile nor overbearing. "I merely understand a little medical science and wouldn't dare deceive Your Majesty."
At that exact moment, a warm, large hand gently covered mine. I looked up and saw Lu Zhao.
His gaze was profound and resolute, as if silently telling me: *Don't be afraid, I am here.*
In that moment, my heart settled down inexplicably.
This farce ultimately concluded with the exposure of Lord Li's "fake illness."
The Empress stormed off in a rage, while I slowly walked out of the banquet hall in the company of Lu Zhao.
Upon returning to my bedchamber, my emotions remained unsettled for a long time.
Lu Zhao's action just now had given me a sense of unprecedented security.
This feeling was like a stray beam of winter sunlight warming the chambers of my heart.
"Thank you," I said softly, a trace of imperceptible tremor lingering in my voice.
Lu Zhao merely offered a faint smile, though his gaze carried an exceptional gentleness: "As long as you are alright."
Over the next few days, the interactions between Lu Zhao and me increased noticeably.
We discussed poetry and prose together, tasted tea and admired flowers together, and analyzed the political situation at court together.
I discovered that Lu Zhao was not as cold and aloof as he appeared on the surface; he was actually a person of great talent and deep thought.
And Lu Zhao grew increasingly appreciative of me as well.
He saw the wisdom and courage hidden beneath my delicate exterior, and he saw my innermost yearning for freedom.
The affection between us quietly took root and grew warmer, much like spring rain nurturing all things in total silence.
Yet, wonderful times are always fleeting.
The Empress had not given up on framing me; instead, she doubled down even harder.
"Your Majesty, Consort Su's behavior at the banquet was nothing short of a direct provocation against you!" the Empress's confidante said with a vicious look.
The Empress gritted her teeth. "How could this palace ever let her remain so arrogant! This time, I will make her utterly disgraced and ruined for all eternity, never able to rise again!"
I had no idea what the Empress was plotting in secret, but I faintly sensed that an even greater storm was approaching.
Shen Li rushed into my room in a panic, her face completely drained of color: "Your Majesty, this is terrible! This servant heard that the Empress... the Empress she..."
"What about her?" My heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition surged to the surface.
Shen Li took a deep breath and said in a hurried tone: "The Empress... she seems to be plotting a new scheme to... to frame Your Majesty!"
My heart sank heavily. It had come, just as expected!
"Do you know what the scheme is?" I forced myself to remain calm and asked.
Shen Li shook her head. "This servant only knows the general direction; the specific details remain unclear."
I immediately went to find Lu Zhao and told him about this development.
Hearing this, Lu Zhao's expression turned grave as well.
"It seems the Empress is truly bent on driving you to your death," Lu Zhao said in a deep voice. "We must find out her plot as quickly as possible and prepare our countermeasures."
Over the next few days, Lu Zhao and I were practically inseparable, analyzing the Empress's motives and her potential schemes together.
Our mutual understanding grew stronger by the day, as if our minds were linked.
Just as we prepared to deploy our next steps, an accident occurred.
Late at night, a group of figures dressed in black suddenly broke into my room, every single one of them holding sharp blades and radiating a murderous aura.
"Protect Your Majesty!" Xiao Jingming's voice rang out from outside the door, followed immediately by the sounds of intense combat.
Lu Zhao stepped in front of me with a fierce gaze, resembling a lion protecting its cub. "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
He drew his sword and plunged into a life-or-death battle with the men in black.
Swords flashed and blades crossed, sending my heart straight to my throat.
"Lu Zhao, be careful!" I cried out in alarm, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest.
Although Lu Zhao's martial arts skills were exceptional, he was outnumbered and gradually began to struggle.
Taking advantage of a momentary lapse in his defense, one of the assassins lunged with his sword straight toward Lu Zhao's back...
"No!" I screamed, rushing forward recklessly... "Lu Zhao!"
In that moment, time seemed to stand still.
My mind went entirely blank, and my body acted faster than my consciousness, hurling itself directly in front of Lu Zhao.
*Splat—* The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh was terrifyingly clear.
I felt a searing pain in my back, as though I had been torn apart.
"Su Mingyue!" Lu Zhao let out a roar that made my eardrums ring.
He caught me in his arms, frantically checking my injuries while his eyes filled with anxiety and heartache.
Xiao Jingming and the others reacted quickly as well, surrounding the remaining assassins in a tight circle.
Realizing the situation had turned against them, the assassins scattered and fled in all directions, vanishing into thin air within the blink of an eye.
Leaning against Lu Zhao's embrace, I felt the strength draining away from my body bit by bit.
Fresh blood stained my garments and coated his hands.
A heavy, sickening stench of blood filled the air.
"I... I'm fine..." I said weakly, wanting to comfort him, only to find my voice hopelessly faint and powerless.
Lu Zhao's face was as pale as a sheet of paper. Holding me tightly, his voice trembled: "Don't speak, I'm taking you back!"
Back in the bedchamber, the imperial physician hurried over to treat my wounds.
The pain made cold sweat pour down my skin, but I clenched my teeth and forced myself to stay silent.
Following emergency treatment, I was finally out of danger.
Lu Zhao stayed by my bedside the entire time, refusing to leave for even a moment.
His eyes were filled with worry and self-reproach.
"Who are these men in black?" I asked weakly.
Lu Zhao shook his head. "We don't know yet, but I've already sent people to investigate."
I knew very well that this attack was no accident; it must have been orchestrated by that old witch of an Empress.
Hmph, thinking you can deal with me using such cheap tricks?
You are severely underestimating me, Su Mingyue!
"Be careful, the greater crisis is still ahead," I muttered to myself, sensing that something remained deeply wrong.
Though those assassins fought with ruthless efficiency, their movements somehow lacked... a certain indescribable quality.
Lu Zhao tightened his grip on my hand with a resolute gaze: "Don't worry, I will protect you."
Looking at him, my heart filled with gratitude.
I knew the road ahead was destined to be rugged.
Yet, as long as he stood by my side, I had nothing to fear.
Wait... those assassins... during their movements, did they seem to have some kind of special habit?
And what about that mysterious warning letter...
"Ah!" I sat up abruptly, cold sweat soaking my forehead.
"What is it?" Startled by my sudden movement, Lu Zhao asked in a rush.
Ignoring him, a flurry of fragmented images flashed rapidly through my mind.
Those scenes, like broken strings of pearls, were chaotic and disorganized, yet they vaguely pointed toward a certain direction.
"Don't speak yet, let me think..." I clutched my head, desperately forcing myself to remember...