"However..."
Yi Zhen's eyes flitted around as she sized up Yun Xi from head to toe. She was like a seemingly harmless but actually evil flower on the roadside.
"Just thinking about how you'll have your intestines pierced and die a miserable death! Hehe... This princess feels extremely gratified."
"You..."
Rage was evident on Yun Xi's face. She looked as if she wanted to devour Yi Zhen's flesh and drink her blood.
Suddenly, she took off her earring and threw it forcefully in front of the two of them.
With a soft, crisp sound, the earring on the ground suddenly emitted white smoke, which spread like a cloud in all directions.
Zongzheng Fengyi's face changed. He covered his nose and mouth and stepped back. Then, remembering that Yi Zhen was still there, he quickly reminded her:
"It's a sleeping gas. Hold your breath quickly."
Although Yi Zhen didn't know exactly what Yun Xi had thrown, she knew it couldn't be something good. The moment Zongzheng Fengyi stepped back, she reacted. She covered her nose and mouth and dodged to the side.
The earring wasn't very big, and the amount of smoke it produced wasn't much. Moreover, the quick - witted servants behind them immediately came up and fanned the smoke away with their clothes and sleeves. In a short while, the white smoke had completely dispersed.
A glint of coldness flashed across his amber eyes. Zongzheng Fengyi let out a cold snort and said:
"I underestimated you. I thought you, a weak little woman, couldn't cause much trouble, so I searched you carelessly. Oh - I didn't expect you to be so scheming. You actually hid the sleeping gas in the earring to deceive everyone!"
Since the Drunken Gu Ring had already been taken away by Ling Yan, Yun Xi raised her eyebrows provocatively and said with a smile:
"It seems that the Seventh Prince didn't learn his lesson last time. He's fallen into the same trap again."
Zongzheng Fengyi wasn't angry. His all - seeing gaze casually landed on Yun Xi as he said confidently:
"I bet it was you who took out the two guards just now. Staging such a show yourself, were you trying to make me think your hiding place had been exposed so that I'd move you to another place, making it easier for you to escape on the way?"
Yun Xi's face turned pale. A flash of regret passed through her eyes.
It was as if all her little schemes had been seen through by Zongzheng Fengyi. She stubbornly pursed her lips and said nothing.
Zongzheng Fengyi naturally didn't miss any expression on Yun Xi's face.
Seeing this, he thought he had guessed Yun Xi's thoughts correctly, and a hint of pride welled up in his heart.
What he didn't know was that Yun Xi was almost laughing out loud in her heart.
This was exactly the effect she wanted.
Only by leading the other side to suspect her could she dispel their other doubts and hide the fact that Ling Yan had been there to the greatest extent.
Seeing that Yun Xi didn't say anything, Zongzheng Fengyi wanted to show off a bit more, but Yi Zhen beside him impatiently interrupted:
"Did you bring me here today just for me to listen to you chatting with her?"
"You promised to let me get my revenge. I'm here, and now you tell me I can't touch her?"
Zongzheng Fengyi's expression immediately turned cold. He glanced at Yi Zhen and said:
"Why does the Fourth Princess say such things?"
"I brought you here to tell you that we've captured Yun Xi. At that time, this prince will surely help you get your revenge. But I didn't say it would be now."
Yi Zhen's willow - like eyebrows suddenly frowned tightly. She suddenly turned to look at Zongzheng Fengyi and said unhappily:
"Then why did you bring me here now?"
"Of course, it's to let the princess get a little bit of satisfaction first."
As Zongzheng Fengyi said this, he raised his hand and clapped twice.
Four middle - aged men with big bellies, looking vulgar, dirty, and smelly, immediately walked up from behind. They bowed and grinned lecherously, and their lewd eyes kept wandering over Yun Xi.
Zongzheng Fengyi continued:
"Although we can't touch her now, it's okay to let the most vulgar men strip her clothes off one by one and grope her all over to humiliate her."
"If the princess enjoys watching, just ask for that ring I've taken a fancy to from the emperor and give it to me."
This time, Yun Xi's face really turned pale.
She knew that Zongzheng Fengyi didn't dare to hurt her, so she dared to come up with a plan to use herself as bait to catch them.
But she had forgotten.
It was easy not to hurt her, but there were also many ways to humiliate her at the same time.
Just like now.
Yi Zhen was already beaming with joy. The interested and blatantly malicious look in her eyes made Yun Xi can't help but get goosebumps.
The desire to torture and humiliate Yun Xi made Yi Zhen not think much about why Zongzheng Fengyi insisted on that ring. She just said cheerfully:
"It's just a ring. I didn't know you liked it so much."
"Fine. After I've enjoyed watching this bitch being humiliated, I'll ask Father Emperor for it and give it to you when I get back."
As she spoke, Zongzheng Fengyi had already motioned for the changed guards to open the door and waved for the four men to go in.
No wonder Zongzheng Fengyi had brought Yi Zhen here to mock her.
It seemed that he had mistaken one of Emperor Zhaohuan's rings for the Drunken Gu Ring. After all, Concubine Qing had passed away, and the child knew nothing about it. It was reasonable for the Drunken Gu Ring to be in the hands of Emperor Zhaohuan, Concubine Qing's lover.
Yun Xi couldn't directly deny that the ring wasn't the Drunken Gu Ring. She quickly took off the bracelet that Yi Yuan had specially made for her when they were engaged.
As she held the bracelet, she pressed two seemingly decorative green jade stones on it with her other hand. With a soft "click" sound, a sharp knife immediately popped out of the bracelet.
The blade was extremely sharp. A light touch on the skin would leave a cut.
Without hesitation, Yun Xi put the knife against her neck.
"If you dare to let them enter this door, I'll kill myself right in front of you!"
Zongzheng Fengyi's face immediately changed. He quickly shouted:
"Stop!"
He never expected that the seemingly luxurious bracelet on Yun Xi's wrist actually had such a hidden secret.
Zongzheng Fengyi was so angry that he wanted to slap himself for thinking that just confiscating Yun Xi's hairpins would be enough.
But Yi Zhen wasn't happy.
This wasn't allowed, and that wasn't allowed. She had condescended to follow Zongzheng Fengyi blindfolded for a while for this "surprise," but she hadn't seen any fun. How could she be willing?
She slanted a disdainful look at Zongzheng Fengyi and sneered coldly:
"I really didn't expect the Seventh Prince to be such a cowardly fool. He can be easily threatened by a little woman. Without the decisiveness that a ruler of a country should have, how can he govern the country in the future!?"
"Let her die if she wants to. Anyway, if you don't let me torture her well today, don't even think about getting that ring! Humph... But I don't think she has the guts!"
"How dare you say I don't have the guts!?"
Yun Xi moved the knife on her neck a little closer. The blood that had been oozing out slowly just now suddenly turned into a small stream and flowed down.
"Now, my Yun family is almost destroyed. A Yuan is about to be beheaded in public. Even my two maids, whom I regarded as sisters, have been brutally killed by you. Do you think I still want to live!?"
The words "Do I still want to live" were almost roared out. Yun Xi's eyes were red - rimmed, and her expression was crazy.
She looked quite scary.
Zongzheng Fengyi's face was as cold as ice.
Yun Xi was important, and the Drunken Gu Ring was also extremely important. To get the Mind - Reading Gu, he couldn't do without either of them.
He couldn't make a choice. He had to have both.
Yun Xi saw Zongzheng Fengyi's hesitation.
She also understood very well why Zongzheng Fengyi had to get that ring through Yi Zhen.
It was simply because they were at a critical moment now, and he couldn't expose their plan at the last moment. Moreover, although the Shen family was cooperating with them, they were also suspicious of each other. If others knew how powerful the Mind - Reading Gu on her was, there would surely be changes.
Getting Yi Zhen to help was the best way.
Coincidentally, she had a way to make Yi Zhen obediently get that "Drunken Gu Ring" for Zongzheng Fengyi!