“Miss, they’re here…” Just as they had exchanged a few words, Chuntao’s voice rang out again.
Wanqing turned around and saw a fair-skinned man with an ingratiating expression, dressed in the distinctive attire of a palace eunuch, standing before her. Noticing her rise to greet him among a group of young men, his smile widened.
“Second Miss Mu is truly a stunning beauty, no wonder the Empress arranged an early betrothal for Young Master Sun…”
As Wanqing lifted her gaze, her exquisite features and noble yet unspoken authority were impossible to ignore. Eunuch Sun, perceptive as he was, immediately sharpened his voice and beamed at her like a flower.
“Eunuch Sun, there’s no need for formalities. May I ask the purpose of your visit to our Marquis’s residence?” Wanqing frowned slightly at his shrill, almost piercing voice but maintained her courtesy, extending a polite gesture in return.
“Heh, Prince Ning and Young Master Song are both here, how fortunate! I, I…” The eunuch, noticing Prince Ning and the others turning their attention toward him, fawned nervously. When it came to stating his purpose, he hesitated, clearly uneasy about their presence.
“Prince Ning, Young Master Song, Senior Brother, please excuse me for a moment. Wait here while I attend to this matter. Just Chunhong will accompany me—no need for the rest of you to follow.”
Understanding that Eunuch Sun had something to say, Wanqing nodded and apologized to the men. Once they agreed, she gestured toward a pavilion nearby and rose to her feet. Seeing Honglian and Chunhong step forward to assist her, she calmly declined, allowing only Chunhong to support her as she walked toward a shaded area with a table and stools, slightly removed from the group.
With Chunhong’s help, Wanqing sat down slowly, pressing a hand to her chest. She smiled faintly as Eunuch Sun approached, his face wreathed in smiles.
“You two…” But before she could finish, she noticed the strange look in the eunuch’s eyes as he glanced at the two attendants beside him. Suddenly, the two young eunuchs lunged forward, daggers in hand, thrusting viciously toward her and Chunhong.
“You dare? Do you really think you can take me on?”
Wanqing had already sensed something amiss in Eunuch Sun’s demeanor. Now, seeing their attack, she scoffed coldly. Suppressing the pain, she flicked her wrist, sending silver needles flying toward one assailant while kicking the dagger out of the other’s grip.
In an instant, one man fell dead, a needle embedded in his forehead. The other, disarmed, had his arm twisted with a sickening crack before being forced to his knees. Wanqing’s foot hooked the fallen dagger, pressing it against his throat as she subdued him.
“I—Second Miss Mu, spare me! These men ambushed me outside the palace, knowing I serve the Empress! They forced me to bring them here—I never expected them to…”
Eunuch Sun, horrified by the turn of events, barely had time to react before Wanqing kicked him to the ground. As she held the dagger to the captive’s neck, her icy gaze fixed on him, he kowtowed frantically, pleading for mercy.
“Is that so?” Wanqing’s voice was frosty.
“Y-yes! How could I deceive you? It’s this wretch—watch out! He has a hidden weapon!”
Eunuch Sun had not anticipated their swift defeat. Remembering the Empress’s orders, he stammered out an excuse. But when he saw the murderous glint in the captive’s eyes, he cried out in alarm.
“Poison? Who sent you?”
Wanqing reacted instantly, stomping on the man’s hand and scattering the powder he held. Without hesitation, she pressed her foot against his chest, increasing the pressure as she glared down at him.
Thanks to Honglian’s training, she had honed her skills—except for qinggong, which still eluded her.
“I…” The man, pinned beneath her foot, gritted his teeth in defiance.
Wanqing, furious at the unprovoked attack, smirked. “If you won’t talk, I’ll carve you up piece by piece. Let’s see how tough you really are.”
Her sweet, innocent smile contrasted sharply with the cold glint in her eyes as she lowered the dagger toward his chest.
“Ah—!”
The man screamed as blood gushed from the wound. Wanqing, a former poison master in her past life, knew exactly how to inflict unbearable pain without killing him. Finally, he cracked, his face pale with terror. “I’ll talk! I’ll—”
But before he could finish, Eunuch Sun scrambled up and drove a dagger into his heart.
“You… you…” The man’s eyes widened in shock before he collapsed, lifeless.
“I—I…” Eunuch Sun staggered back, pulling the bloody dagger free before dropping it with a clatter. His face was ghostly pale as he met Wanqing’s furious gaze, trembling uncontrollably.
“Why did you kill him? Answer me!” Wanqing seized his collar, her voice icy.
“I—I… Second Miss Mu, I saw them attacking you! I only wanted to protect you! I—I killed someone! I killed someone!”
Eunuch Sun, drenched in cold sweat, babbled excuses. In truth, these men had been sent by the Empress to test Wanqing. When one nearly revealed the truth, he had silenced him.
Now, faced with Wanqing’s ruthless efficiency, genuine fear gripped him. He clutched his head, wailing as if traumatized by his first kill.
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