Reborn to be a Stepmother

081: Xiao Guifei Is Missing

At this time, neat sharp arrows slid through the sky and shot straight towards the center of the platforms.

The cold glint on the arrows brought an endless chill as it headed to the Emperor who looked angry but also helpless.

Everyone was busy evading and for a while, only a few secret guards flashed out beside the Emperor. If they want to protect the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the others, they cannot do so.

“Protect the Emperor.” Commander Xu cut off a person’s arm and wanted to step over him, but there was still someone in front of him.

This scene happened so quickly that the guards didn’t have time to help. They expected to see those cold arrows go through the Emperor, the one who grasped the Empire and control the life and death of all the people in it.

“Swish swish swish…” A sword moved like a blooming flower, so dense it’s like a fan, then came the sound of ding ding dong dong.

The sound of swords colliding resounded. Jiu Wangye descended from the sky and smashed the feather arrows that were shot. A cold light burst out from his hand as he swept his iron sword, his sword qi rippling downwards.

A circle of waves visible to the naked eye spread rapidly to the distance.

Many people were hurt by the sword qi and wailed all over the place for a while. But some people also leaped into the air and flew away.

This confusion left everyone at a loss.

“Kill all, leave no one.” This move of Jiu Wangye, who was dressed in blank clothes and had inky black hair waving in the air, disrupted the encirclement. After the guards surrounded the highest platform, he landed in front of Xiao Ting and the others, then indifferently said that to the others.

The Imperial Guards immediately took the order and started with those exposed.

But Xiao Ting was a little silly at the moment.

What’s going on?

This is the Emperor’s birthday. This is the Palace, the noblest and safest place in the Empire. How can so many bad guys suddenly run out?

Everyone retreated to a safe place. After half a quarter of an hour, the noisy, chaotic, bloody, and mournful gradually calmed down as the guards controlled the scene.

The platforms have three floors above and three below outside, which are surrounded by water.

Jiu Wangye and Commander Xu said a few words, then sent Xiao Ting and the others to the platforms.

Although Xiao Ting was curious, she also knew that the sword had no eyes. With her jack of all trades skills, going out would be delivering food to them.

So she took the two cuties and Zhao Hua into the crowd with peace of mind.

But other people didn’t have that blessing.

“Guifei fell into the water…”

With that exclamation, everyone’s hearts raised again. Xiao Ting then remembered that her aunt was still in the middle of the lake, so she handed the two little things to Zhao Hua and the others to take care of, then pulled away from the guards and went out.

Sure enough, the people had already gotten off the stage and hid.

Although this incident attracted the attention of many people, the Emperor was the most important so more guards still surrounded the platforms. After a quarter of an hour, the peace was restored here.

At this time, the Emperor made an order to look for Xiao Guifei. A quarter of an hour, two-quarters of an hour, half an hour passed. From when the moon began its descent to the west, the entire Palace began to panic.

The Imperial Guards lined up like ghosts in every corner of the Palace, but they didn’t find even a corner of Xiao Guifei‘s clothes.

Outside YaoChi Palace, a group of palace maids and guards all knelt outside while trembling, enduring the wind all night. The Emperor sat before them, not leaving even until the early morning. As time went by, his face became more and more ugly.

The Empress Dowager is already old and has returned to her Ci’An Palace. Only the Empress and Concubine Shu are qualified to stay here.

The Empress’ brows were full of hidden worries. She advised the Emperor from time to time, but no one knew whether her worries were true or not.

“Emperor, please rest first. There are courtiers waiting here. Whenever there’s news about the Guifei, the courtiers will report to you immediately, okay?”

This was the Empress nth request like this, but the Emperor couldn’t sleep. His beloved can’t be found which had him in a bad mood and because of Tao Zhi’s matter, he felt uneasy. Now, taking advantage of his birthday, he finally has a bit of joy.

Unexpectedly, this happened.

“You, I think you want her to disappear forever!” The Emperor was in the harem, how can he not know their entanglement?

“Emperor, you have wronged your consort, this consort…” The Empress was about to say something when the Emperor snorted and glared at her, making her shut up.

On the other side, Concubine Shu was teasing a baby in her arms, her whole body exuding the light of maternal love. Even with the Empress like this, she still sat there with low eyebrows, as if they had nothing to do with her.

Neither persuading nor blending in.

This was Concubine Shu, ranked under Guifei, the first of the four concubines, and the woman in the Palace who could sit on equal footing with the Empress but was extremely low-key. Still, no one dared to provoke her.

This woman didn’t care whether she’s spoiled or had fallen out of favor.

Being in the Palace for more than ten years, she didn’t approach anyone, including the Emperor.

If Xiao Guifei was the Emperor’s favorite in this Palace, then Concubine Shu was the one that tickled the Emperor the most.

“Concubine Shu, how about persuading him!” The Empress held her breath and finally looked at Concubine Shu.

At that point, the bowing Concubine raised her head, her eyes congealed into someone who ignored mortal matters, not dyed by the secular world.

Placid and quiet. This was slightly different from Jiu Wangye.

Hong Shao and the others had been staying in YaoChi Palace. This time, the incident happened suddenly and so many assassins appeared all at once. The Emperor has ordered a thorough investigation of everyone, including whether there were any people they brought with them when they entered the Palace.

It’s clear that someone brought the people in black inside the Palace. Otherwise, with the strictness of the Imperial Palace, how could there be so many assassins?

Therefore, everyone who entered the Palace last night was still inside at this moment.

Now that the four gates were closed, no one could come and go at will.

Xiao Ting asked them to stay here, but when she rushed to the main hall, she happened to have a face-to-face meeting with Jiu Wangye and the others.

Xiao Ting immediately ran over with a smile and asked, “Wangye, has Guifei been found?”

Jiu Wangye didn’t speak, but frowned invisibly and waved her to go back first.

Rejected, Xiao Ting silently stopped and unexpectedly discovered that YuChi XinHan, who had disappeared for a few days, looked worn out and seemed like he hadn’t slept for a few days.

He looked depressed and a little uneasy.

YuChi XinHan also saw Xiao Ting. He didn’t smile at her or tease her as before. Instead, he glanced at her with a complicated expression and walked out to follow Jiu Wangye.

Xu Zhi kept his eyes straight from beginning to end as if he hadn’t seen Xiao Ting.

In the main hall, Concubine Shu hadn’t spoken yet, when Jiu Wangye stepped in, “Brother Emperor, I found her.”

“Who?”

Xiao Ting was also at a loss as she hid behind the door.

Did they find Aunt Guifei? It didn’t seem like it. However, how could wangye find her so simply?

“Xiao Guifei was at LingWu Gate and was about to leave the Palace, but was recognized by the guards. Now she’s waiting outside YaoChi Palace to be summoned by the Emperor.” Commander Xu took a step forward and explained these things quickly.

The Emperor was anxious and didn’t realize the meaning of their words. He anxiously scolded: “Then go and invite Guifei in.”

“This…” Commander Xu glanced at Jiu Wangye.

“What? Tell me, what’s wrong?” The Emperor was angry. He worried all night and finally got news of his beloved, but this kid was still procrastinating here. Did he not want to live anymore?

Xu Zhi still looked like he couldn’t help it and just knelt there, saying nothing.

In the end, Jiu Wangye took over, “Brother Emperor, please go and see it for yourself!”

At this moment, the Emperor only wanted to see Xiao Guifei, so he didn’t think carefully about what he said. He kicked Commander Xu aside and hurriedly went outside.

The Empress’ gaze swept across Jiu Wangye and YuChi XinHan’s bodies. They’re acting very vague. She wanted to see what Xiao Guifei had done.

Concubine Xu was still indifferent, coaxing the child in her arms.

Jiu Wangye stood with his hands behind him and said: “If the Empress and Concubine Shu had nothing else, please go back first!”

Before the Empress’ butt could hit the cushion, she heard this. She couldn’t sit nor stand. In the end, under Jiu Wangye‘s gaze, she had to leave.

Although this Jiu Wangye has no power, he is trusted by the Emperor and was the only wangye who hadn’t gone to a fief.

Xiao Ting was hiding outside the main hall. Seeing the Emperor leave in a hurry, she also followed.

When he went outside YaoChi Palace, he was a little dumbfounded.

Only to see Xiao Guifei in a set of maid clothes and wearing the hairstyle of a palace maid, lying quietly on a soft cloth, her eyes half-closed, as if about to fall asleep.

Shocked at seeing this scene, the Emperor took a few steps back, “What happened to beloved consort?”

Commander Xu, who followed, hurriedly supported him from behind, and said: “Emperor, please take care of your dragon body.”

“Guifei, what’s wrong with her?” The Emperor shook off Commander Xu’s hand, walked to the Guifei, and squatted down, his voice very depressed.

“Who killed her?” He asked with a trembling voice as he cupped Xiao Guifei’s battered cheek with his hand.

Xiao Ting was dumbfounded when she heard this, moved forward, and said, “Is my aunt dead?”

“She was fine last night, where did she go?” Xiao Ting also squatted on the other side, feeling sour in her heart.

“Who the hell did it? Check it out for me, I want to avenge my beloved consort.”

“Yes, tell this consort who did this to my aunt. This consort will flay his skin, remove the bones and drink blood.” Xiao Ting bulged her cheeks with a look of anger. She was too angry.

Xu Zhi looked at the two people in front of him, feeling a little at a loss. How could one be more brutal than the other?

Even the Emperor was a little surprised when he heard what Xiao Ting said.

“Emperor, please rejoice, Xiao Guifei, she…”

“She’s Imperial Guifei, the only Imperial Consort with my seal.” The Emperor was furious.

Commander Xu went silent, then replied: “It’s this one’s lack of knowledge, asking the Emperor to forgive this one. All this one wanted to say is that Imperial Guifei is not dead.”

“Ah?”

“What?”

This dumbfounded the Emperor and Xiao Ting at the same time.

The two of them were already thinking about catching the villain and taking revenge, but they didn’t expect that they were wrong.

At the two’s wide-open eyes, Commander Xu started to sweat.

There are some things he couldn’t joke about. There’s also Jiu Wangye to back up his explanation. So he could only bite the bullet and reply, “The concubine just passed out and she’s okay.”

“Then you damn thing, why didn’t you say that earlier?” The Emperor was so angry that he fumed.

Xiao Ting’s eyes widened too, and after taking a closer look at her Aunt Guifei, she stood up and said, “Commander Xu, will you die if you say a few more words? You made this miss feel sad.”