Xuanyuan City sensed the unusualness of the west wind and exclaimed sharply, "Speak up quickly! What are you being so roundabout for?"
The west wind trembled all over, mustered up courage, and blushed while reporting, "Master, your subordinate has discovered that Princess Yu is a top-grade assassin secretly cultivated by the Western Kingdom's court. The purpose of her coming to Jingguo is... it's to assassinate you."
As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere in the study instantly solidified.
The expression on Xuanyuan City's face became extremely complicated, with shock, disbelief, understanding, and a kind of painful betrayal.
He slowly sat down, his hands clenched into fists, the knuckles whitening from the pressure.
"Continue."
His voice was soft, yet it revealed an indomitable power.
The West Wind looked carefully at his master, took a deep breath, and continued, "Princess Yu not only possesses unparalleled beauty and martial arts skills but is also proficient in music, calligraphy, painting, and singing and dancing. The Western Kingdom's court spent considerable wealth and time cultivating her, even training her specifically on how to deal with men. She was sent to Jingguo precisely to carry out the mission of assassinating the master."
As he said that, the West Wind paused for a moment and secretly observed his master's reaction.
Xuanyuan City's face was constantly changing, with deep eyes full of pain and struggle.
This news was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for him.
He waved his large hand, causing all the ink, brush, paper, and inkstones on the desk to be swept off the ground, angrily saying, "You're talking nonsense! Yaoer risked her own safety while pregnant and stood in front of me to block an arrow. How could she possibly be a killer trained by the Western Kingdom's court?"
He started giving her reasons and trying to defend her.
She loves herself so much that she would risk her own life and even the child in her womb to save herself. How could she possibly be a top-grade assassin trained by the Western Kingdom's court?
The West Wind trembled with fear and knelt on the ground with a "thump."
Shaking, he said, "Please, master, do not be angry. It's not that the subordinate deliberately wronged Princess Yu. The results of the investigation are indeed as such."
Upon finishing, he quickly offered the investigation results in both hands.
Xuanyuan City grabbed it with one hand, not sure if it was anger or fear, his hand was shaking so much that it was almost unbalanced.
It took him a lot of effort and courage to flip through the letter in his hand.
He quickly scanned the contents within.
Looking at the evidence in front of him, his face grew even darker, as if a thick layer of darkness enveloped him.
Great pain and disappointment flooded his heart, he was heartbroken, his throat sweet, a mouthful of blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth.
"It turns out to be true…"
Xuanyuan City's eyes turned red, his expression was like crying, smiling, and madness, and his voice was very low and hoarse.
Seeing his master in such a state, the West Wind turned pale with fright, beads of cold sweat streaming down his face.
"Master, although Princess Yu is a killer from the Western Kingdom, it seems she does not want to kill you. Before coming to Jingguo, she took poison. Moreover, because she has refused to carry out the assassination mission and has fought desperately to protect you, she has betrayed the Western Kingdom's court and been ordered to be killed on sight by Burto, the leader of the Western Kingdom."
West Wind feared his master might suffer an attack from anger, so he hurriedly supplemented, "Master, please don't overexert yourself. I'm just adding."
Xuanyuan City listened to this and his heart was filled with mixed emotions, extremely complex.
He couldn't help but recall the scene when the doctor checked for Yaoer.
The palace physician was highly skilled, with a dozen physicians surrounding her for diagnosis, even the Chief Physician Zhao Ji was among them.
But none of them found any signs of poisoning.
"West Wind, are you certain that she has taken poison?"
His voice was deep and hoarse, his eyes fixed on West Wind, asking in doubt.
"Yes, master. According to reliable information, Princess Yu secretly took the Western Region's secret remedy 'Soul Returns to Dust' before leaving the Western Region. She must take the antidote annually, otherwise, she will die in three years after the poison takes effect."
West Wind reported the facts as he observed, and his words also showed a hint of unwillingness.
Xuanyuan City tightly clenched his fists, the nails digging deeply into his palm, yet he was oblivious to the pain.
He closed his eyes, and the image of Yaoer's clear, watery eyes and her decisive figure standing in front of him, courageously blocking the arrow, flashed through his mind.
"Why did she do that?"
Xuanyuan City murmured to himself, his voice filled with confusion and compassion.
"Perhaps, the word 'love' is inherently difficult to describe."
West Wind sighed lightly. Although he didn't understand love, he could still sense the struggle and pain in his master's heart.
Xuanyuan City looked up at West Wind, still puzzled in his heart, "Then why can't the poison she took be detected?"
West Wind's face was blank, and he couldn't answer this question either.
Neither of them spoke, and the room fell into silence.
Xuanyuan City thought for a moment.
"I will ask the truth personally."
With those words, he left the study and went in the direction of the back courtyard.
The night was as black as ink, and the moonlight scattered thinly over the garden of the back courtyard of the kingdom, adding an extra touch of coldness.
Xuanyuan City walked on the path lined with small pebbles, his steps steady, but his heart was tumultuous.
Xuanyuan City's mind kept repeating the report West Wind had just made.
"Yaoer, who are you? Why are you so contradictory, both a killer and deeply affectionate?"
"And also, are the words you said to me true or false? Maybe you have been acting for me from the beginning?"
Xuanyuan City furrowed his brow and muttered, his voice filled with a thick sense of confusion.
Stepping into Mingxi Pavilion, the faint fragrance of herbs and flowers blended together, bringing a sense of tranquility to the heart.
Xuanyuan City walked softly towards the room. The maids and servants outside saw him and hurriedly bowed and stepped back, not daring to say more.
He pushed open the door and saw Yaoer lying quietly on the bed, her face pale, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, obviously in great pain.
At the bedside, the doctor was carefully changing the drug cloth for her.
Seeing Xuanyuan City enter, the doctor hurriedly bowed and stepped away.
"Have you woken up?"
Xuanyuan City's voice sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
He slowly walked to the bedside and looked at the woman on the bed with complex eyes.
Yaoer saw Xuanyuan City and tried to sit up, but due to the severity of her injuries, she couldn't move and could only speak in a weak voice, "Your Highness, you're here."
Xuanyuan City reached out and gently pressed his hand on her shoulder, indicating that she need not strain herself.
"Why? Why did you do this? Betray the Western Kingdom and block an arrow for me? Do you know what that means?"
His voice was filled with a thick sense of confusion.
Yaoer was shocked to see him, and her mind was still figuring out how to confess, but it didn't need to anymore.
She suddenly laughed, and the laughter contained both relief and bitterness.
"I knew it from the beginning. I have known it all along. My mission was impossible to complete because... my heart has already belonged to you, rather than the Western Region."
Her words were soft, but very sincere.
Xuanyuan City's eyes were complicated. "Did you take poison, or why couldn't the physician detect it?"
Yaoer stared at him dumbfounded. She explained, "Although the Western Kingdom's court's poison is very rare, it's not incurable. I have already secretly eliminated the poison in my body."
Xuanyuan City stared deeply into her eyes, his pupils swirling with confusion and entanglement, "I don't know if I should believe you. You give me a very conflicting feeling, I can't see clearly, nor can I understand you."
Yaoer smiled tragically, "I can't prove it. Whether to believe or not, it's all up to you."
The room fell into silence, and even the sound of a falling needle could be heard.
After a long while, Xuanyuan City slowly said, "No matter what the truth is, you have saved my life, and I will not forget it. But if there is even a word of lies, I will not spare you."
Yaoer said miserably, "I betrayed the Western Kingdom's court. I have no way back. I also blocked an arrow for the prince and got injured. Except for falling in love with the prince and being heartless by myself, what else could be my purpose?"
Xuanyuan City looked at her pitifully and his heart ached. He wanted to embrace her and comfort her gently, but he held back the impulse.
His eyes were complicated, and he dared not look at her eyes. He was afraid that his heart would soften.
He stood up, his back to her, "Take care and recover in the courtyard."
With those words, he turned and walked away.
Yaoer watched him leave, staring blankly, as if she had drained all her energy.
