Chapter 977: 456 Queen’s Fury (First update) Chapter 977: 456 Queen’s Fury (First update) “`
To make the plan succeed, she had distracted Long Yi, and she had to put out the massive fire herself. She also sustained injuries, and afterwards, she carried the unconscious Xiao Hen out of the Guozijian.

She thought everything would end there, but to her surprise, news spread from the Guozijian the next day that Xiao Hen had died in the fire.

Yet Xiao Hen was clearly lying right in front of her…

She distinctly remembered extinguishing the fire–so who had set it again afterward?

She couldn’t help but recall the moment Xiao Hen, affected by the Paralysis Medicine, lay on the ground, watching as the fire spread inward from the window. When she revealed his identity, he had already been in despair, yet in that instant, his eyes were filled with struggle and pleading.

As if he was begging her to spare him.

It was only much later that she realized he might not have been pleading for his own life, but for the life of the innocent young man.

He knew there was a young man hidden inside the Guozijian.

Clearly, someone had visited after she left.

She couldn’t remember Xiao Hen having a friend about her age, so she couldn’t figure out the identity of the young man for the moment.

The Prince of Ning had only gone once. The first batch of kerosene and candles was prepared by the Prince of Ning, but the fire that ended up killing the young man was the doing of those people.

Those people must not have trusted the Prince of Ning, so they visited personally, mistaking the young man who lingered in the Guozijian for Xiao Hen and burned him alive inside.

The movements of those people were highly secretive, and they knew to avoid Long Yi.

Looking at Xiao Hen on the bedchamber, she suddenly had an idea.

“Young… Young Master?”

Suddenly, a shocked cry from a little maid came from outside the door.

Turing her head towards the door, Yujin saw Xiao Liulang entering the courtyard and standing less than ten steps away from the windowsill.

Yujin looked at Xiao Liulang in surprise, then at Princess Xinyang, who was lying unconscious on the table from drunkenness, unsure of what to say at the moment.

She didn’t know if Princess Xinyang had let Xiao Liulang hear her words earlier, and just as she was about to inquire with Xiao Liulang, a little eunuch suddenly arrived outside the door, hurriedly saying, “This is terrible, something terrible has happened!”

Long Yi had caused a disaster.

He had slapped the Crown Princess’s unborn child away with a single palm. Empress Xiao, in the Kunning Palace, received two earth-shattering pieces of news in a row. The first was that the Crown Princess was pregnant, which delighted Empress Xiao beyond expectation.

Although the Crown Princess had an unclear relationship with the Prince of Ning, Empress Xiao had carefully checked Wo Linlang’s whereabouts–the child was the Crown Prince’s.

The Crown Prince was twenty-three at last, and he was finally going to be a father! She was finally going to be a grandmother!

But before she could revel in her joy, the devastating news of the Crown Princess’s miscarriage arrived.

Empress Xiao nearly collapsed on the spot!

And it was Long Yi’s doing.

Truth be told, Gu Jiao hadn’t anticipated this action of Long Yi’s. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t entirely Long Yi’s fault. The Crown Princess kept emphasizing that her belly was a stay of execution, so Long Yi really thought there was a medallion inside.

Long Yi had merely broken a medallion.

Nor did Long Yi understand why everyone wanted to capture him.

Long Yi took out a small golden medallion from his bosom and handed it to the Crown Princess.

As if to say.

Here, this is for compensation.

The Crown Princess was so angered she nearly fainted on the spot!

Gu Jiao couldn’t avoid implying that Long Yi had been acting under her orders.

Even the Crown Princess was convinced of it.

She would never believe that Gu Jiao didn’t hold a grudge against her, especially since every time Long Yi treated her rudely, Gu Jiao was there. This couldn’t help but make her suspect that it had been Gu Jiao directing Long Yi all along.

She sounded righteous in public, but secretly she let Long Yi do the dirty work for her. How cunning and malicious!

When Empress Xiao hurried to the Imperial Garden, the Imperial Physician also arrived.

The Imperial Physician took the Crown Princess’s pulse, his expression grave.

Empress Xiao asked anxiously, “Imperial Physician, how is it?”

The Imperial Physician bowed his hands in resignation, and said regretfully, “To respond to the Empress, the child is gone.”

“Impossible! Imperial Physician Luo! Didn’t you just say my pulse was very good? That this pregnancy was very stable!” Otherwise, where would she have the courage to get out of bed and look for Empress Xiao?

The Imperial Physician thought to himself, but that’s not enough to resist courting disaster, right? Why did you have to come out? Even if you were carrying Nezha, it would be gone after a hit from a secret guard!

But of course, Imperial Physician Luo didn’t dare to voice that thought.

Empress Xiao, overwhelmed by anger, looked at Wo Linlang coldly: “You can’t even protect a child!”

This wasn’t a situation like the weak-bodied Princess of Ning, who clearly had a very good pregnancy! The loss of this child was suffocatingly disappointing for her!

Empress Xiao had the mind to kill Wo Linlang!

Certainly, if it had been any time before, Empress Xiao wouldn’t have been so heartless. But now, with the affair between Wo Linlang and the Prince of Ning out in the open, Empress Xiao wished she could have her executed!

“`
Wo Linlang was right, this child really was her lifeline, and for the sake of the child, Empress Xiao would protect her from the Emperor.

But look at what Wo Linlang had done!

Of course, Wo Linlang could not take the blame herself, she would be hated to death by Empress Xiao.

She pointed at Gu Jiao and said, “Mother! It was her! She’s the one who ordered this dark guard to harm the child in my womb!”

Xiao Jingkong stomped his foot, “You’re talking nonsense! Jiaojiao didn’t do it!”

The commotion alerted Renshou Palace, and Eunuch Qin arrived with the palace maids.

Gu Jiao had Jade take little Jingkong away first, then she turned to the Crown Princess and said, “Do you have the courage to repeat what you just said to me in front of the Empress?”

The Crown Princess choked on her words.

Gu Jiao said, “You dare not say it? Then fine, I’ll say it for you.

‘Doctor Gu, I have advised you before not to be my enemy. You always target me, but isn’t it still me who has won? You say I am in an ambiguous relationship with Prince Ning, but how clean can you, Gu Jiao, be? This time the incident is apparently caused by the hostage from the Chen state, but I know you were involved too! You are already married, yet you still have an affair with the hostage from the Chen state, are you much nobler than me?’
‘Stop plotting against me with all your might and main! The child in my womb is a lifeline. With it, even if I killed you, no one would hold me accountable!’
What now? Do you still think you are innocent?”

The Crown Princess’s complexion turned pale instantly.

Seeing the change in the Crown Princess’s face, Empress Xiao knew that Gu Jiao’s words were entirely true. She had not expected the Crown Princess to be so brazen; hearing what she had said, it seemed the disputes between Gu Jiao and her were not happening for the first or second time. And yet, she still dared to flaunt her power in front of Gu Jiao – did she think the life of the child in her womb was too long?

Indeed, the one who caused her miscarriage was the chief culprit, but she who gave the opportunity was not innocent either!

Empress Xiao said to Gu Jiao, “Doctor Gu, you may leave, but this guard stays.”

For the sake of the Empress Dowager and His Majesty, she would tentatively believe the boy’s word and trust that Gu Jiao was not behind it but this guard who took it upon himself to kill the Crown Princess’s child would not be let off.

“Empress…” Eunuch Qin tried to plead.

He did not actually recognize Long Yi, but since Gu Jiao spoke up for Long Yi, that meant he was one of their own.

Empress Xiao said coldly, “Eunuch Qin, even if this matter were brought before the Empress Dowager, I would still demand his life!”

Eunuch Qin naturally understood that Empress Xiao’s demand was not excessive. As the Empress had said, even if this matter were taken to Renshou Palace, Empress Xiao would still be in the right.

Gu Jiao would not abandon Long Yi. She felt that, with her and Long Yi’s abilities, choosing to flee as the best strategy out of the thirty-six stratagems wouldn’t be a problem.

Who knew that Empress Xiao would directly order a thousand Imperial guards from the Imperial City to be summoned.

That truly was—
Gu Jiao: Uh… is it really necessary to be this hardcore?

“Doctor Gu, if you want to leave, I’ll let you go, but if you prefer to accompany him to his death, I won’t stop you,” Empress Xiao finished speaking to Gu Jiao then her gaze fell upon Long Yi’s mask, “This man’s life, I have decided!”

Empress Xiao was truly furious.

Of course, Long Yi could escape, but what after that? The Crown Princess knew that he was Princess Xinyang’s dark guard, and Empress Xiao could simply direct the Imperial Guard to besiege Long Yi on Vermilion Bird Avenue.

Would Empress Xiao give face to Princess Xinyang?

Gu Jiao guessed perhaps not.

Princess Xinyang’s relations with Marquis Xuanping were cold, and not much warmer with Empress Xiao.

This time, it seemed no one could quell Empress Xiao’s rage.

Was she really expected to let Long Yi flee the Capital City, to never appear again?

Gu Jiao subconsciously moved closer to Long Yi and looked towards Empress Xiao, “Empress…”

As she began to speak, a familiar figure approached from a distance.

It was Xiao Liulang!

He was limping with the new cane she had made for him, his steps somewhat urgent.

When the man who had been missing for so long suddenly appeared before everyone’s eyes, besides Gu Jiao, Long Yi, and Eunuch Qin who were privy to the information, everyone else showed an incredulous expression.

Empress Xiao looked at the youth who bore a resemblance to her nephew, furrowed her brow, and said nothing.

She didn’t even intend to deal with him.

“Kill him.”

She was referring to Long Yi.

Having issued the order, she turned and left.

But Xiao Liulang quickened his pace and came up behind her.

He was stopped by Eunuch Su.

He watched Empress Xiao’s cold and distant silhouette moving away, opened his mouth, and finally said, “Auntie…”

Empress Xiao’s whole body trembled!