The candelabra was tilted by three millimeters, there were two extra creases on the bedsheets, and the golden-threaded nanmu comb on the dressing table was askew by half an inch...
The room was extremely quiet, and the atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
Emperor Zhaohuan stood with his hands behind his back beside a candelabra almost as tall as he was. His narrow phoenix eyes squinted slightly as he scanned every corner of the room inch by inch.
The window was still open a crack of about four fingers for ventilation, and he had just opened the door himself. This meant that the person who had sneaked in must still be in the room.
The fingers behind his back tightened little by little. Suddenly, Emperor Zhaohuan lifted his leg and walked towards the bed where Yun Xi was hiding.
Although she couldn't see, the room was so quiet that one could almost hear a pin drop. Yun Xi could clearly hear Emperor Zhaohuan's footsteps approaching step by step.
Ling Yan, who had been observing Emperor Zhaohuan from behind the bookcase, also saw this.
For a moment, both their hearts seemed to be leaping out of their throats.
Just as Ling Yan was about to make a noise to draw Emperor Zhaohuan's attention to herself, Emperor Zhaohuan stopped in front of the bed.
He slowly reached out his hand and smoothed out the two creases on the bed.
But if he bent down any further, Yun Xi would surely be exposed.
Holding her breath, Ling Yan tightened her grip on the long sword in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she "thumped" into the back wall of the bookcase.
Sure enough, Emperor Zhaohuan "swished" to his feet and turned his head towards Ling Yan's direction, shouting sharply:
"Who!?"
Before his voice faded, Ling Yan had already jumped out of the window with her back to him.
Yun Xi's palms were sweating. She didn't know if Ling Yan could escape. All she could see was Emperor Zhaohuan's bright yellow boots inlaid with jade taking a few steps forward and then disappearing from her sight.
Her heart was pounding wildly. Yun Xi didn't dare to move. She silently counted in her heart. Just as she thought it was about time to come out, that bright yellow figure suddenly turned back!
Standing outside the bed, Emperor Zhaohuan let out a cold snort and suddenly bent down to look under the bed.
Yun Xi stopped breathing. Before she could react, she felt a sudden emptiness beneath her body, and her whole body began to fall abruptly.
She was so startled that she almost cried out.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Just as Yun Xi fell and the floor closed behind her, Emperor Zhaohuan was just sticking his head over.
However, under the bed, there was nothing left.
Meanwhile, Ling Yan, who had jumped out of the window, found that no one was following her. Her face turned pale. Thinking something was wrong, she turned around and was about to go back.
But as soon as she turned around, Hun Yuan suddenly sprang out from the side. He grabbed Ling Yan's arm and silently dragged her towards a hidden place.
Yun Xi was still inside the palace. How could Ling Yan be willing to leave?
Without thinking, she shook off his hand. At the same time, she crouched down and struck out with her other hand towards Hun Yuan's chest with a fierce palm wind.
Hun Yuan was extremely anxious. While fighting with Ling Yan, he whispered:
"Go! Since His Majesty has noticed something amiss but there has been no movement for so long, it means that Junior Sister is safe for the time being."
"If you go back now, won't you just expose yourself!"
Just as he finished speaking, Emperor Zhaohuan opened the palace door with a "bang" and strode out with a dark face. While walking out angrily, he bellowed with all his might:
"Come! Come quickly!"
There was no sign of Yun Xi behind him.
Ling Yan and Hun Yuan, who had been entangled, stopped in unison. They reached out and grabbed Lian Yi's arm on each side, then flew over the wall.
The people arranged by Yi Zhen outside were waiting. Hearing Emperor Zhaohuan's angry voice from inside, they thought Yun Xi and the others had been caught. Thinking it was their chance to make a merit, they rushed towards the Jianjia Palace at full speed.
They ignored the figures of Ling Yan, Hun Yuan, and Lian Yi on the secluded wall.
Emperor Zhaohuan looked at the eunuchs and guards running towards him. A murderous look flashed in his eyes, and he said coldly:
"Close the palace gates! Surround the Jianjia Palace!"
"What have you been doing!? I was just passing by, and I saw the gate of the Jianjia Palace opened, and there was a figure flashing inside. All sorts of unknown people can move freely in my palace. What guarantee is there for my safety!? I think you don't want your heads anymore!"
"Search immediately! If you can't find anyone, you will be held accountable!"
"Yes!"
Frightened by this obvious murderous rage, everyone trembled and answered in unison. Without daring to delay for a moment, they scattered to act.
Although Emperor Zhaohuan's voice was not extremely loud, it was not soft either.
Ling Yan and the others, who hadn't gone far, heard it clearly.
The eunuch who had just talked to Yi Zhen immediately went back to report the latest situation to her.
Outside, there was chaos.
At this moment, after a brief moment of weightlessness, Yun Xi fell into darkness.
A sharp pain shot through her body. Yun Xi could feel that there was a hard ground beneath her. Judging from the short time it took for her to fall, this place shouldn't be very high.
Not rushing to get up, Yun Xi endured the pain and, in the position she had fallen, slowly reached out her hands to feel the situation around her.
Just as she was carefully exploring, suddenly a hoarse and old woman's voice sounded behind her:
"You're very smart."
Yun Xi suddenly withdrew her hands and looked warily in the direction of the voice.
It was too dark underground. Yun Xi tried to open her eyes wide, but she still couldn't see anything.
"Who are you?"
Since she couldn't see, Yun Xi simply asked directly:
"Did you open the mechanism to help me?"
The old woman's voice didn't answer her. Instead, she said to herself:
"In a strange and dark place, you, a delicate young lady, aren't flustered at all. You even know not to move around rashly and to first test whether your situation is safe. No wonder you're the one favored by the King of Yu'an. You are truly intelligent."
Yun Xi stared at the darkness in shock. In an instant, thousands of thoughts flashed through her mind.
This person's voice was so vicissitudinous. She must be very old.
In the palace, as long as the palace servants reached the age of twenty-six and didn't make any mistakes or be bullied by the concubines, they should have left the palace.
But not only did she not leave the palace, but from her words, she seemed to be very familiar with Yun Xi. She also knew the hidden secret under the bed in the Jianjia Palace. More importantly, Emperor Zhaohuan didn't follow her down!
This meant that Emperor Zhaohuan himself didn't even know that there was such a mechanism under the bed in the Jianjia Palace!
But this mysterious woman knew it very well.
Among the older women who hadn't left the palace, besides the maids, there were also the concubines in each palace.
Since she was so familiar with the Jianjia Palace, there was only one possibility - Concubine Qing!
Yun Xi's eyes gradually adapted to the darkness, and she could faintly distinguish a figure in front of her to the right.
Lying prone was really indecent, and it seemed that the other person could see her. Yun Xi propped herself up and slowly stood up. Bowing slightly, she said:
"Yun Xi, the second legitimate daughter of the Yun family, pays respects to Concubine Qing."
The woman "chi" laughed out loud and said hoarsely:
"Concubine Qing? I'm not."
"I don't have that kind of fate, and I don't want it either."
Saying so, she blew twice, and suddenly it became bright in front of Yun Xi.
The light from the fire starter wasn't very bright, but because it came suddenly, Yun Xi still couldn't help but close her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again, the first thing Yun Xi saw was a face with a hideous scar covering half of it.
Under the flickering flames, the pitted scars on the face appeared and disappeared. Just one look would make anyone scream in fright.