The Wansiang Hall, with flickering candlelight, casting a pale and terrified expression on Wu Lingyan's face.
She has been sitting here since the black man was captured and even thrown into the imperial prison.
Thinking that she had done nothing wrong, it was just a moment of greed that led her to use the Muscle-Relaxing Pill and learn the Palm Dance, all in an effort to please the prince.
Perhaps the prince knows the truth and will not be too angry. Maybe he will even come to the Wansiang Hall to see her.
With this thought, she smiled again, feeling much more at ease.
Looking up at the hourglass, she saw that it was past the midnight mark. She yawned, raising her hand, and felt a wave of drowsiness come over her.
Just as she was about to get up to rest.
Suddenly, "clang," the heavy wooden door was forcefully opened, breaking the silence inside the room.
Wu Lingyan jumped in surprise, stood up, and her gaze went to the doorway.
She saw Dongfeng and Nanfeng, along with several palace guards, suddenly burst into the room.
Facing Dongfeng's cold eyes, Wu Lingyan's face turned very ugly. She clenched her hands tightly at her sides and forced herself to remain calm as she spoke, "I don't know why you two have come here so late, but is there any order from the prince?"
Dongfeng laughed coldly, his smile devoid of any warmth, "Of course it's to send Miss Wu to a good place."
His words were like a heavy hammer, striking deep into Wu Lingyan's heart.
Wu Lingyan's face turned pale instantly, and her body shook violently. She almost couldn't stand, but she held on to the table with all her might, preventing herself from falling over.
"What kind of good place?" she asked in a trembling voice.
Dongfeng laughed coldly, his smile filled with derision and coldness: "Naturally, the military camp. Once there, Miss Wu will no doubt be very popular and can fully display your charm."
Military camp? Is the prince going to send her to be a military prostitute?
Wu Lingyan was struck by lightning, and her face instantly lost its color. Her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground.
The military camp was full of rough men who hadn't touched a woman in years. All women who became military prostitutes had a very tragic fate.
Her expression was filled with fear as she suddenly fell to her knees in front of Dongfeng, grabbed his sleeve, and struggled, asking, "What wrong have I done to deserve such a fate?"
"What mistake is there?" Dongfeng coldly snorted, "Miss Wu should be very clear about it. Why ask knowingly?"
"What's the point of talking to her so much?"
Nanfeng, impatient, waved at the guards standing by. "Take her away."
"No... no... I want to see the prince, I want to see the prince..."
Wu Lingyan screamed in terror and tried to rush out the door, seemingly to see Xuan Yancheng.
But before she could rush out of the Wanshang Hall, the guards blocked her path.
"Let me go, let me go! The prince wouldn't do this to me..."
Wu Lingyan's emotions flared up, and she struggled violently, trying to break free from the restraints, but was tightly held by the two guards.
"I don't want to go to the military camp and become a military prostitute. Prince, I'm wrong, please forgive me..."
She screamed and cried again, her voice, in the still night, was especially eerie.
The servants in the neighboring courtyard, who had not yet served the night, were so frightened that they woke up from their dreams in the middle of the night.
Following that, they all sent their maids to find out what was going on.
Dongfeng and Nanfeng were not surprised by such a scene, as it was within their expectations.
However, such crying and screaming was not good at all, especially late at night, which could easily scare people.
"What's all the shouting for?"
Nanfeng frowned and stepped forward, striking Wu Lingyan with a hand chop to knock her unconscious. Then the guards quickly dragged her away.
The Wansiang Hall once again fell into silence, with only the flickering candlelight and the lingering sorrow and desolation in the air.
This scene was witnessed by the maids who had come to inquire from various courtyards, and they quickly returned to report to their masters.
Some people felt sympathy for Wu Lingyan's fate, while others secretly thought that she must have done something to anger the prince, otherwise the prince would not treat her so harshly.
In the dead of night, these whispers flowed like an undercurrent, adding to the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of the palace.
As dawn broke, a beam of tender light filtered through the carved lattices of the window, gently spreading over Yu Yao's silk quilt.
She slowly opened her eyes, rolling back the covers and stretching her lazy muscles, like a cat.
Xiangling heard the sound, knowing that her mistress had already woken up.
She pushed open the door and entered, holding a bronze basin and a warm towel, attending to Yu Yao's rising and dressing with practiced hands.
"Second Lady, your complexion today is particularly good. You must have some good news."
Xiangling was brushing her long black hair with a comb, smiling coquettishly.
Yu Yao smiled slightly, "You have the sweetest words of all."
Thinking of the assassin who broke into the palace last night, she wondered how things would turn out in the end.
"By the way, do you know how the prince handled the assassin who broke into the palace last night?"
She asked in a low voice.
Xiangling combed the hairpin into a hairstyle, put on a jade hairpin to fix it, shook her head slightly, "I don't know, but I only know that the assassin was imprisoned in the dungeon."
As if remembering something, she said again, "Oh, by the way, my lady, last night Wu Servant from Wansiang Hall was taken away by guards from the prince's side. I don't know what she did wrong. This morning, the entire palace was talking about it."
Yu Yao heard this and her eyes flickered with a hint of surprise, but quickly returned to calm.
"Oh? Have you heard what the reason was?"
Xiangling shook her head and picked out a pair of matching earrings from the jewelry box to put on her mistress. Her expression was perplexed: "I don't know either, I only heard that she was taken away in the middle of the night, without any clue about where she went."
Yu Yao did not speak, but her mind was thinking.
The sudden appearance of an assassin in the palace last night and Xuan Yancheng's treatment of Wu Lingyan perhaps have some connection.
This matter has nothing to do with her, and she doesn't care about what happens to Wu Lingyan.
She looked into the mirror and found that Xiangling had styled her hair into a complicated but elegant flowing cloud hairpin, with a few white jade hairpins, which made her skin as smooth as jade and her eyes as clear as autumn water.
Yu Yao smiled slightly at the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.
She changed into a light and elegant green silk dress, the hem of which gently swayed with her steps, like the gentle breeze of spring.
At breakfast time, the dining hall of Mingxī's courtyard was filled with various delicacies, steaming hot and fragrant.
Such as peach blossom cake, lily cake, glutinous rice balls, and steaming hot porridge such as bird's nest soup, lotus seed soup, as well as several fresh dishes with fresh colors, flavors and scents. They were all enticing and mouth-watering.
In fact, the allowance for a concubine is not this abundant, but because she is favored, and out of all the women in the palace, it is only her that Xuan Yuancheng is willing to sleep with.
The servants in the large kitchen naturally brought over the good things to please her and curry favor.
"Xiangling, let the large kitchen know about my share, and let them send it as usual without extra. Don't send it over."
Yu Yao sat at the table, took a sip of the bird's nest soup, and whispered her instructions to Xiangling.
The portion brought over is almost the same as that of a secondary concubine, yet she is just a secondary concubine, yet she is enjoying the treatment that a secondary concubine should have.
Although Xuan Yuancheng wouldn't care about such small matters, it would still be bad if it reached his ears.
Moreover, she can't eat that much, and most of it has been given away to those around her.
"Yes, my lady."
Xiangling was somewhat unwilling, but didn't say anything.
Just as Yu Yao had finished her breakfast and was preparing to take a walk in the courtyard, she saw Li Fu hurrying to the Mingxi Courtyard.
"What's the matter, Your Imperial Highness?"
She walked over with a smile.
"Secondary Concubine, the prince is waiting for you at the gate of the palace. Get ready and go over there."
Li Fu, the imperial official, walked over with a smile, his voice was extremely respectful, and he was holding a set of clothes, "Secondary Concubine, the prince asks you to change into this set of clothes."
Yu Yao's eyes fell on the set of clothes in Li Fu's hand. She looked at it carefully and saw that its material was excellent, and the embroidery was exquisite, obviously chosen with great care.
However, it was a set of tight-fitting armor.
She seemed to understand something.
Xuan Yuancheng specifically sent Li Fu to bring this set of clothes over, probably to take her somewhere.
Thinking that she would be going out, she instantly brightened up, her entire face glowing with joy. "Uncle Li, please wait. I'll change and be right over."
Xiangling stepped forward and took the clothes from Li Fu's hands.
She also followed Yu Yao into the room.
Yu Yao emerged wearing the tight-fitting armor, which made her look resolute and vigorous. The tight waist and sleeve openings accentuated her perfect figure.
The original owner used to be a killer, and she used to dress like this.
Xiangling on the side continuously exclaimed, complimenting her that after putting on this set of clothes, she felt completely different.
But why does she always feel a chill running down her spine, as if her neck is about to be dislocated?
She shook her head and thought that she must be going crazy.
AUXIANCHENG had been waiting for a long time at the gate of the palace.
He stood by the carriage, dressed in a black armor, with a sword at his waist, his demeanor full of vigor. When Yu Yao walked out, a trace of admiration flashed in his eyes.
"You look quite distinctive in this set of clothes."
Xuan Yuancheng smiled and pulled her hand, "A beautiful person looks good in anything."
Yu Yao smiled slightly and thought in her heart: "If you knew that I used to dress like this often, would you still be able to laugh?"
But she said: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your compliment. I also think it's very attractive."
