Chapter 11

Yan Donghuang was busy all day yesterday with her wedding, and then there was trouble at night, so she didn’t sleep for even an hour. Now, she is physically and mentally exhausted.

Returning to the Grand Princess’s mansion, she entered Qingluan Hall. She walked to the large, exquisite brocade couch, sat down, relaxed her body against the window, and stared blankly outside.

What happened last night felt like a dream.

She never thought that as a grand princess, she would be feared by the emperor she supported and betrayed by the man she trusted.

A faint fragrance entered her nose, and the sound of light footsteps approached slowly.

Yan Donghuang came back to her senses but did not open her eyes. A kiss as light as a cicada’s wing fell on her brow, the breath hot and cautious.

Yan Donghuang’s expression turned cold. She opened her eyes and, still lying on the couch, lifted a foot and kicked the person away.

The movement was swift and clean without any hesitation.

The man in red was kicked to the ground, groaning, then quickly knelt up, “Your Highness.”

“Your Highness is in a bad mood, and you still dare to act recklessly. You’re courting death,” a leisurely voice sounded from outside the door. A man in a green robe and military uniform walked in, mocking the man in red kneeling on the ground, “Do you think that just because the wedding is off, you can take advantage of the situation?”

The young man kneeling on the ground had a handsome face and was dressed in red, looking more like a rebellious playboy than a military officer. However, he was Feng Yaoguang, the ruthless General Yaoguang of the Qingluan Army, who loved wearing red, had a perverse temperament, and was known for his brutal methods. He was fiercely loyal to Yan Donghuang, even to the point of obsession, and his possessiveness had caused him much trouble.

“Yaoguang has never been afraid of death and enjoys pulling the tiger’s whiskers. We all know him well,” another man walked in, with a resolute face, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, giving a sense of reliability. He was General Gu Chiran of the Qingluan Army.

The man in the green robe and military uniform was General Xie Yunjian. Putting away his teasing expression, he looked at Yan Donghuang and said, “Your Highness, what happened last night?”

“The emperor wants me dead,” Yan Donghuang leaned on the couch, her expression indifferent. “Sheng Jing’an put a seven-day poison in the wedding wine, and there was already a concubine, Shen Yun, in the Duke Mansion who was two months pregnant when she danced in front of me yesterday.”

As soon as she said this, the hall fell silent.

The three men’s faces turned cold, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
Before entering the city, they already knew the general situation, as Si Ying had told them the details when he went to mobilize the troops last night. But they hoped it was a misunderstanding.

They couldn’t imagine how painful it was for her to be betrayed and plotted against by the emperor and husband she trusted the most.

To find out on her wedding night that a concubine was pregnant and to be poisoned with a seven-day poison.

It was truly a heart-wrenching betrayal.

Feng Yaoguang’s face turned vicious, “I always said Sheng Jing’an was not a good match, but Your Highness didn’t listen to me. Now what?”

“Shut up,” Xie Yunjian turned to him, “The urgent matter is to think about what to do next.”

Gu Chiran’s expression was cold, “Since the emperor can’t tolerate Your Highness, we might as well kill him and let Your Highness take the throne.”

Xie Yunjian nodded, “The Yong Dynasty’s throne is protected by Your Highness, so naturally, half of it belongs to you.”

Yan Donghuang commanded nine generals in the Qingluan Army. They were named after the seven stars of the Big Dipper, plus Rong Ying and Si Ying, for a total of nine.

Rong Ying and Si Ying always operated in the shadows, responsible for assassinations and intelligence gathering. They completed specific tasks assigned by Yan Donghuang, while the seven generals each had their own duties. The seven generals sensed something unusual when the order to mobilize the troops reached the camp last night. But the camp couldn’t be left leaderless, so Feng Yaoguang, Xie Yunjian, and Gu Chiran led the troops into the city early in the morning while the other four stayed in the camp to train the soldiers, ready to march on the imperial city at any moment upon the Grand Princess’s command.

Hearing Xie Yunjian and Gu Chiran’s words, Yan Donghuang remained silent, staring out the window, her thoughts unknown.

Feng Yaoguang looked up at her stunning face, his eyes filled with deep emotion, his hand at his side clenched slightly, “Did Sheng Jing’an succeed?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Xie Yunjian turned and kicked him, “With all the commotion last night, how could Your Highness possibly—”

“I was talking about the seven-day poison. What did you think I was asking?” Feng Yaoguang frowned, looking at him as if he were an idiot.

Xie Yunjian fell silent, then turned to Yan Donghuang, frowning, “Did Sheng Jing’an succeed?”

Yan Donghuang’s face was cold, her lips pressed together in silence.

Xie Yunjian and Feng Yaoguang’s hearts sank.

“I understand,” Feng Yaoguang stood up, his eyes filled with murderous intent, “Since there are only seven days left to live, we should use it to overthrow the imperial power and drag the culprit off the dragon throne. It would be best to let him taste the seven-day poison as well.”

Xie Yunjian and Gu Chiran said nothing, clearly agreeing with his words.

“Your Highness should become the empress,” Feng Yaoguang’s eyes locked onto her, “Seven days should be enough to find an antidote. Then, Your Highness can rule the world, and we will expand the territory for you, making you the first empress in history.”

As soon as he finished speaking, someone hurriedly came in from outside, knelt, and reported, “Your Highness, the commander of the Imperial Guards, Ying Rong, has come with an imperial decree, saying that Your Highness’s unauthorized mobilization of troops is considered rebellion, and he is ordered to arrest the Grand Princess.”

“Arrest the Grand Princess?” Feng Yaoguang’s lips curled into a chilling smile, his eyes cold and murderous, “This general will meet this so-called master and see if his reputation is deserved.”

With that, he turned to leave.

“Yaoguang,” Xie Yunjian called him unhurriedly, “You stay here and take care of Your Highness. I’ll go out and see.”

Gu Chiran said, “I’ll go too.”

Without waiting for Feng Yaoguang to object, the two walked out together.

Only Feng Yaoguang and Yan Donghuang were left in the hall. The surroundings quieted down, and the atmosphere became somewhat oppressive and subtle.

Feng Yaoguang looked at Yan Donghuang’s stunningly indifferent face and said lightly, “Your Highness’s kick just now made my chest hurt.”

Yan Donghuang said calmly, “Do you want to see what happened to Sheng Jing’an?”

She meant to say that she had already shown Feng Yaoguang mercy; if he saw Sheng Jing’an’s miserable state, he would know how kind she had been.

However, Feng Yaoguang nodded expectantly, “I do.”

Seeing that dog Sheng Jing’an’s fate might improve his mood, and he might even eat two more bowls of rice.

Yan Donghuang was speechless, “…”