Starting in Exile: Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Lucky Little Wife

Chapter 28 A Moment of Emergency: Stopping the Empress from Drinking Poisoned Porridge

Xiao Jingchuan frowned. "If the Imperial Concubine is really as you say, then we must act as soon as possible. But we cannot let anyone discover our plan, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."

“I understand.” Gu Liuli nodded. “We need a meticulous plan that will prevent anyone from suspecting us, while also ensuring that we can protect the Empress.”

The two began to discuss countermeasures, from how to distract the imperial concubine to finding a suitable opportunity to sneak into the palace. The more they talked, the more excited they became, and all sorts of possibilities flashed through their minds.

Once the footsteps faded into the distance, the two breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Jingchuan frowned and said, "It seems we need to be even more careful. This struggle has already begun, and we can't delay any longer!"

“That’s right!” Gu Liuli nodded firmly.

"I know a little-known path that leads quickly to the location of the Cold Palace. Come with me," Xiao Jingchuan said in a low voice. He nimbly moved through the narrow, dimly lit path, with Gu Liuli following closely behind.

Just as the two were about to successfully step out of the hidden passage, a low and hurried conversation suddenly came from ahead.

Just then, Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli exchanged glances, realizing the seriousness of the situation. They quickly retreated into the shadows of the passage, holding their breath and listening intently to the conversation ahead.

"Master, what should we do now? How come Xiao Jingchuan's martial arts haven't been crippled? He was clearly already poisoned by that incurable poison!" One of the slightly younger voices was filled with doubt and shock.

Immediately afterward, another, deeper and more somber middle-aged male voice rang out: "This is utterly despicable! We must not allow this child to continue living!"

“But sir, if he finds out that the poison he was given was from us…” The man who had spoken earlier seemed to want to say something more, but before he could finish, he was glared at by the middle-aged man’s sharp eyes, which frightened him into silence.

The middle-aged man continued viciously, "Hmph, I haven't forgotten that Gu Hang was also ruthlessly exiled to the frontier by Xiao Han. Now is the perfect time for him to lend a helping hand! Once the poison we gave Xiao Han takes effect, Xiao Jingchuan will naturally have no need to leave any survivors!"

"Sir, we devised a plan to have the Emperor exile the Crown Prince and kill Xiao Jingchuan on charges of deceiving the Emperor, but the Emperor didn't agree. Does he still have any illusions about him?" the young man asked cautiously, clearly filled with doubt about the plan.

"Don't worry, whether he kills me or not is irrelevant now." The middle-aged man smiled contemptuously. "I've already arranged everything. Just wait a little longer, and the poison will start to take effect. Wouldn't it be better if he knew then that his son's body was gone?"

In the dimly lit exit, Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli overheard a shocking secret.

It seems they also intend to take action against the Emperor, and they even openly asked the Emperor to kill their own son in the court, which is truly unbelievable!

Just then, hurried footsteps came from the end of the passage. The two men tensed up and immediately turned to leave through another fork in the road, only to be blocked by a dark figure.

The two people on the other side also separated and left at the same time.

"Bold assassin! How dare you break into the palace at night!" Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli looked at each other in disbelief. They hadn't expected to encounter someone close to the emperor here.

As the other party drew closer, he knew he had to react.

When they turned around, they realized it was His Highness the Crown Prince!

Tianqing sheathed his sword and called out in the lowest of voices, "Your Highness!"

Xiao Jingchuan pulled Gu Liuli behind him, and at the same time, Xiao Han, who was in the Imperial Study, received the news.

Tianqing didn't make things difficult for them, but pretended not to see it.

Gu Liuli and Xiao Jingchuan arrived at the Cold Palace. Xiao Jingchuan hesitated to go in, and looking at the leftover food in the Cold Palace, he felt a lot of hatred in his heart!

"Your Highness, now is not the time to dwell on these things. We need to find the bowl of porridge that the Imperial Concubine poisoned as soon as possible. According to our previous plan, it will be dawn soon!" Gu Liuli comforted him as she listened to the system's urging.

So the two began to take action, and just when they were at a loss, a faint voice came from the cold palace's bedroom: "Ahem, is that Ling'er? Come in!"

To ensure the success of her operation, Gu Liuli knocked out a palace maid on the road, dressed her in palace maid's clothes, and put on a veil, giving her a slightly mysterious air.

Upon hearing Tian Qing's report, Xiao Han in the Imperial Study simply said, "I didn't hear anything today! You didn't see anything either! Just go and clean up their mess." After saying that, he continued reviewing the memorials.

When no one was around, Eunuch Fu brought Ruoxi over: "Your Majesty, this is Ruoxi. This is Ruoxi's first time in the Imperial Study. Her face is covered in sweat, after all, this is the Emperor!"

"Tell me everything you know, and rest assured, I will not punish you for shooting you!" Xiao Han sat there, exuding the aura of an emperor, which was quite intimidating!

Ruoxi glanced at Eunuch Fu, who nodded.

Ruoxi recounted what she had heard and seen.

Xiao Han frowned, his gaze sharp, as if deep in thought. His fingers tapped lightly on the table, producing a low sound. Ruoxi felt uneasy, wondering if her words had touched a nerve with the Emperor.

"Chuan'er came back to save the Empress," Xiao Han muttered to himself, his voice low and firm. "This matter can't be delayed any longer."

Ruoxi was startled by these words. Although she was in the inner palace, she had heard about things happening outside.

"Ruoxi, I heard from Eunuch Fu that Consort Shen wants you to work as a maid in Xianfu Palace. Consort Shen is gentle and virtuous, so you can take her with you if you like!" Xiao Han suddenly turned to her, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Eunuch Fu and Ruoxi understood the Emperor's meaning. He was clearly saying that Xianfu Palace was the best place for her now, and that Consort Shen could protect her. If she wanted to live, she should stay there peacefully.

"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant will serve you well!"

Xiao Han was worried about the Empress, so he asked Eunuch Fu to guard the entrance of the Imperial Study while he quickly entered another place through a secret passage. Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli saw two maids beside the Empress carrying food into the room.

There were a few white steamed buns, some green vegetables, and two bowls of porridge on the table.

Gu Liuli's keen eyes spotted one of the maids, the very same one who had exchanged a glance with Qiangwei, who was beside the Imperial Concubine, just moments before. She was secretly alarmed; it seemed this maid had already betrayed the Empress and joined another's ranks.

Xiao Jingchuan, standing to the side, was even more enraged. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force, and his sharp eyes shot straight at the maid in purple, as if he wanted to devour her alive.