The cold light was retracted.
But the sword was still pointing at Luo Qingzhou's throat, and the cold air pierced his skin!
Luo Qingzhou stabilized the surging internal energy and blood in his body.
He raised his sleeve and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was thinking about whether to go back underground again when Yuewu's voice suddenly came from outside: "Your Highness, the leader of the Royal Guards, Yuan Zhong, came over and said that there was an assassin in the palace and he didn't know if he had escaped here. For your safety, he hopes that Your Highness can allow him to bring people in to search. Also, he hopes that Your Highness can temporarily put away the underground formation. Their people are already underground and they also want to search here underground."
Nangong Huoyue's eyes were always fixed on the masked figure in front of her. Hearing this, she said calmly, "Let him go."
"yes!"
Yuewu immediately turned around and went out.
Not long after, she came back and replied, "They have retreated far away and are guarding outside. They said they are doing this to protect your highness' safety."
Nangong Huoyue did not say anything else, her eyes still fixed on the figure kneeling on one knee in front of her, with her head lowered and motionless. Then she reached out and pulled the red belt from the screen beside her, and slowly tied it around her slender waist.
After doing all this, she looked at the figure again, then turned around, walked to the table next to her with her bare pair of snow-white and slender feet, stepped on the carpet, and sat down.
Then he picked up the wine jug, poured a glass of wine, and tasted it slowly.
The room was silent.
Luo Qingzhou knelt on one knee on the ground, with the tip of the sword against his throat. No expression could be seen on his masked face. No one knew what he was thinking in his heart, and he also said nothing.
a long time.
Nangong Huoyue put down the wine glass, looked at him again, and said in a calm tone: "Have you seen my body?"
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and remained silent.
The tip of the sword that was against his throat suddenly pierced into his skin with force.
A drop of blood flowed out from the tip of the sword.
Luo Qingzhou still didn't speak.
Nangong Huoyue picked up the wine pot, poured another glass of wine, and said, "Tell me why you are here."
Luo Qingzhou was silent for a moment, then said, "I was just wandering around underground and accidentally broke in here. I didn't mean to offend you, and I don't have any intention."
Nangong Huoyue looked at him and said, "But people outside say that you are an assassin."
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and said, "I would never dare to assassinate... you."
Nangong Huoyue said: "Oh? Do you know me?"
Luo Qingzhou said respectfully: "As a Great Yan person, who doesn't know me, the Great Yan Goddess?"
Nangong Huoyue stared at the mask on his face for a while and ordered: "Take off the mask on your face."
Before Luo Qingzhou could do anything himself, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and took off the black tiger mask on his face.
After being beaten by the old eunuch, his disguise skills had lost their effectiveness.
Now he has returned to his original body shape and appearance like Chu Feiyang.
He still kept his head down, looking straight ahead, his face full of respect.
Nangong Huoyue ordered majestically: "Raise your head and look at me."
Luo Qingzhou slowly raised his head and looked at her.
The two looked at each other.
Nangong Huoyue's face was dignified and cold, and she said calmly: "Chu Feiyang, you entered the palace late at night. If it wasn't to assassinate someone, then what was the reason?"
Luo Qingzhou was silent for a moment, then said, "It has nothing to do with Your Highness."
“Swish!”
The tip of the sword at his neck touched his throat again.
Nangong Huoyue raised her eyebrows and said, "Oh? Is it really nothing to do with me? I thought you came to see me specifically. After all, you defended me in the palace that day and said such passionate words."
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and remained silent.
Nangong Huoyue ordered again in a cold voice: "Lift your head and look at me. You are not allowed to lower your head before I tell you to."
Luo Qingzhou had no choice but to raise his head again and look at her.
Nangong Huoyue's eyes were majestic and indifferent. She stared at him for a moment before picking up the wine glass and drinking it all.
A trickle of wine flowed down the corner of her red lips, then slid down her snow-white and slender neck, landing on her fair and perfect collarbone, and continued down...
Luo Qingzhou lowered his eyes.
Nangong Huoyue put down the wine glass, looked at him and said, "Let me ask you one more question. When you came out from underground just now, did you see my body?"
Luo Qingzhou was silent for a moment, then lowered his eyes and said, "There was fog by the pool. I did see His Highness get up from the bath, but I couldn't see clearly."
Nangong Huoyue said calmly: "That means I saw it."
Luo Qingzhou didn't say anything more.
Nangong Huoyue said calmly: "Tell me, how are you going to explain to me?"
Luo Qingzhou looked at her and said, "What does Your Highness want to explain?"
Nangong Huoyue stared into his eyes and said coldly: "Gouge out your eyes or cut off your tongue. You choose one."
Luo Qingzhou frowned slightly and slowly tightened the jade rat in his hand.
Just as he was preparing to gather strength and drill into the ground, Nangong Huoyue suddenly said coldly: "You can't run away. What if no one catches you underground? Only here with me can you survive. Only I can ensure that you get out safely."
Luo Qingzhou looked at her and said, "Your Highness, I don't want to hurt myself. If Your Highness needs help with anything else, I will definitely agree."
Nangong Huoyue seemed to think for a moment and asked, "Anything else?"
After a pause, she looked at him again and said, "I haven't thought of anything yet. After you have looked at my body, what do you think can make me stop pursuing the matter? With my status, is there anything I can do that I can need your help with?"
When Luo Qingzhou was wondering how to answer, she said calmly, "Chu Feiyang, considering that you defended me in the palace, I can give you another choice without hurting yourself. However, I haven't thought of anything yet, but you need to promise me now that no matter what I ask you to do in the future, you can't refuse."
"Of course, I will never let you hurt innocent people, let alone do anything unforgivable."
Luo Qingzhou thought carefully for a moment, then bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. I am willing to serve you."
Nangong Huoyue's eyes sparkled, and she said, "Words are not enough, so make a written statement!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yuewu had already brought the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone, spread out the rice paper on the table, and ground the ink herself.
Nangong Huoyue picked up a pen and wrote a paragraph on the rice paper, saying, "Come here, copy it, sign your name, press your handprint, and drip your blood."
Luo Qingzhou paused, got up from the ground, walked to the table, stared at the words carefully several times, then took the pen, copied them again in another handwriting, and signed his name.
Then, he made a handprint, smeared some blood on his neck, and pressed it.
Nangong Huoyue picked up the rice paper, looked at it carefully for a while, then put it back on the table, looked at him and said, "In this case, I will spare you today. However, Chu Feiyang, if you spread what happened tonight, you should know what the consequences will be."
Luo Qingzhou immediately bowed his head and said, "Your Highness, rest assured. I will never tell anyone about what happened today. If anyone does, God will punish you... and you will die a miserable death!"
Nangong Huoyue raised an eyebrow and said, "Why don't you dare say there will be thunder and lightning?"
Luo Qingzhou glanced at her and said again: "If this gets out, God will strike with thunder!"
Nangong Huoyue added: "One more sentence, no more descendants."
Luo Qingzhou's mouth twitched, and he could only say: "If this gets out, God will strike with lightning, and my descendants will be exterminated!"
Nangong Huoyue nodded with satisfaction. Just as she was about to speak, a voice suddenly came from outside: "Your Highness, the queen mother is here, and Eunuch Li Zhong is following behind."
After these words came out, Nangong Huoyue's eyes focused, and after a moment of hesitation, he looked at the young man in front of him and said: "Li Zhong is a master, it's too late for you to go out now. As for the underground, you can't go there."
After saying that, she turned her head to look at the bathtub, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Hide in the water. Remember, don't make any sound or move at all."
Luo Qingzhou did not dare to hesitate. He immediately entered the bathtub, sank to the bottom of the water, held his breath, performed the breath-holding technique, and stayed close to the bottom of the water, motionless.
Nangong Huoyue looked at the petals on the water surface that were gradually returning to calm, put away the things on the table, and then said calmly: "Tell mother that I am bathing and let her come in alone."
"yes."
Yueying and Yuewu both retreated.
Soon, a hurried sound of footsteps came from outside. As soon as he entered the room, he said in panic, "Huoyue, are you okay? An assassin appeared in the palace just now. The assassin suddenly appeared in your brother's bedroom. If it weren't for Eunuch Li who happened to come out of seclusion and found out, I'm afraid your brother... Alas, I don't know how the assassin sneaked in there. He was only separated from your brother by a wall. Until now, your mother is still frightened."
The Queen Mother was wearing a purple dress and hadn't even had time to put on her headdress. It was obvious that she got up in a hurry, with a look of regret on her face.
Nangong Huoyue was still sitting at the table, looking at her calmly and said, "Don't worry, mother. There are so many experts in the palace, and they will definitely catch the assassin."
The Queen Mother walked up to her, held her hand and said, "Huoyue, you don't know, that assassin is very scary. There are so many guards outside, and there are many formations underground, but he sneaked in quietly. Now the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards have been dispatched, but they can't find him, and they don't know where he is hiding. The Queen Mother is worried about you, afraid that the assassin will come here."
Nangong Huoyue still looked at her coldly and said, "My mother, are you here to accompany me because you care about me, or are you suspecting that the assassin is hiding here, so you brought Eunuch Li here to search?"
As soon as these words came out, the Queen Mother's expression froze for a moment, and then she quickly said: "Huoyue, what are you talking about? Why would the Queen Mother doubt you? The Queen Mother is just worried about you, so I came to check. The assassin is very scary. If he sneaks in accidentally and your guards don't find him, it will be dangerous. That's why the Queen Mother brought Eunuch Li to check and help you search. Huoyue, you can't hurt the Queen Mother's heart."
Nangong Huoyue lowered her head slightly, stroking the wine glass in her hand, her face was calm, but her tone was full of self-mockery and sadness: "Mother, you can doubt me about anything, but... he is my brother, my biological brother from the same father and mother. Even if I, Nangong Huoyue, am cold-blooded and ruthless, I will never do anything to hurt him. In your eyes, do I no longer have any humanity?"
The Queen Mother held her hand tightly, looked at her lovingly and said, "Huoyue, I really don't doubt you, but... that assassin is very dangerous, and I am just worried about you. Be obedient and let them search your palace and underground, so that I can feel at ease, okay?"
Then he hurriedly said, "Huoyue, don't worry. Apart from Eunuch Li, the people who were searched were all female guards, and they would never dare to touch anything of yours. As for your boudoir, no one would dare to enter it."
Nangong Huoyue was silent for a while, then said, "Since the Queen Mother has spoken, let them search."
Then he gave the order to the outside: "Yueying, temporarily put away the underground formation."
"Yes, Your Highness."
There was a response from outside.
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother immediately ordered outside: "Go."
There were no footsteps outside, but several strange auras left quickly.
The Queen Mother looked towards the bathroom.
Nangong Huoyue picked up the wine jug, poured a glass of wine, and tasted it slowly with a calm expression.
"Huoyue, did you just take a bath? What flower petals did you use? They smell so good."
The Queen Mother stood up, walked towards the bathtub and looked inside while speaking.
Nangong Huoyue sat at the table and said calmly, "My mother sent it last time."
The Queen Mother stood by the bathing pool and stared into it for a while before she raised her head and glanced at other places in the room. Then she returned to the table and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, there are still some fresh ones. If you like them, Your Majesty, I will have someone send them to you tomorrow."
Nangong Huoyue drank the wine and said calmly, "I don't like it."
The Queen Mother paused, then smiled and said, "By the way, Huoyue, I have already told your uncles about your selection of a consort, and they all have no objection. We have discussed it carefully and decided to propose marriage on the first day of the new year. Your uncles will go in person, and your sisters will go together. You just need to wait in the palace and don't have to worry about anything. As for the consort you choose..."
"Mother."
Nangong Huoyue suddenly interrupted her and said, "It's getting late, you should go back and rest. I'm tired too."
The Queen Mother was about to speak when Zhang Sun Wan'er's voice suddenly came from outside: "Queen Mother, the Princess has searched the place, both underground and on the ground, but they didn't find the assassin."
Hearing this, the Queen Mother stroked her chest and said with a smile: "Huoyue, fortunately, the assassin did not sneak in here, so the Queen Mother is relieved. Since you are tired, then you should rest early. There are guards outside, so you don't have to worry too much. Then the Queen Mother will go back first."
Nangong Huoyue lowered his head slightly, looked at the wine in the glass, and did not speak.
The Queen Mother looked at her again, then left, dragging her long skirt.
At this time, the voice of an old eunuch suddenly came from outside the door: "Empress Dowager, I haven't seen Your Highness for a long time. When the late emperor asked me to teach Your Highness to practice martial arts, those days were the happiest days for me... Please allow me to stay here for a while, so that I can talk to Your Highness."
The Queen Mother paused and said, "You are considered Huoyue's master, so it is only right that you meet her."
After saying this, she left surrounded by palace maids and guards.
The old eunuch bowed his head and stood outside the door. He waited until the Queen Mother left before he said, "Your Highness, I greet you."
Nangong Huoyue sat at the table, a wave of emotion appeared in her eyes, and she said calmly: "Eunuch Li, do you want to come in and talk?"
The old eunuch lowered his head outside the door and said, "I dare not. I stayed here just to chat with Your Highness. Although it may be a bit long-winded, I don't want to see Your Highness go further and further away and disappoint the late emperor."
Nangong Huoyue remained silent and did not speak again.