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  It was midnight. The moon was fuzzy and the dogs were barking in the alleys with a mixture of crying that made it extremely horrifying.

  "Mother, mother, I seem to hear someone crying." The young toddler trembled and squeezed against the young women’s chest.

  "Hush, don’t say such things. Just quietly go to sleep otherwise a monster will come catch you."

  "Oh, I won’t say anything. Ghost, please don’t come get me." The toddler rushed and covered his head with a blanket and obediently went to sleep.

  The young woman laughed and helped him tuck him in. When she stood up to prepare to close the windows that were blown open by the wind, she suddenly saw a shadow flash by as the weeping noises got louder.

  "……" The young woman froze, then murmured to herself, "I must be too tired. It has to be an illusion."

  Closing the window, the alley once again recovered its silence with only the sounds of the midnight wind howling . Everything seemed to be normal.

  Being forced to sign off on some earth shattering reparations in which her gains did not make up for her losses as well as having to pay some interest in advance, Xia Yuqing happily left the jail room to go receive her reward.

  Feng Tingye watched her distant figure, looking pensive, then quietly called: "An Yi"

  An Yi = Hidden one

  "An Yi is here, what orders does Master have?"

  An Yi was the previous emperor’s measure to protect Feng Tingye from those who had ambitious hearts and might have wanted to do something to harm him. She was one of the twelve that was specially fostered into a secret group.

  An Men Sh Er Wei, each and every single one of their were exceptionally skilled with rare martial arts skills. Originally these people were entrenched themselves with key officials in the government observing their every single move and at the right time would inform Feng Tingye, so they wouldn’t catch him off guard. It could be said that they have contributed quite a bit for last time’s Prince Rui’s incident. Because recently Feng Tingye had encountered so many assassin attacks, one was especially assigned to guard Feng Tingye for any unexpected circumstances. However this kind of person was now going to be used for something else.

  "Catch up to that Ya Tou and see what she’s trying to do. Also make sure to protect her and the child inside her. That assassin might have a thread of bad intention, kill with no worries."

  "Yes."

  Feng Tingye looked at the spot the An Wei disappeared from, his lip turned into a smirk. Let’s see what kind of mischief this Ya Tou is up to!

  Within a dusky prison cell with not even the slightest sunshine, the damp air filled the slight chill in the room. Silent all around, one could only hear the faintest dripping of water.

  Li Yuan had already sat in this jail cell for a total of ten days. Even though she didn’t receive any torments during these ten days, but the tranquil before the storm increasingly made her heart harbour worries.

  With a creak, the securely closed door began to open. The light case among the darkness blinded her eyes.

  Who would come in at this time? It’s…… him? Li Yuan reached out her hand to block off the light hitting her directly, then an idea flashed through her mind. Even she didn’t realize her originally deathly still heart, because of conjecture, had begun throbbing once again.

  "Niang Niang, be careful. There’s a puddle there, don’t slip."

  Lu Rui’s voice could be heard from the entrance of the jail cell breaking Li Yuan’s thoughts. Suddenly turning around, she couldn’t believe what she saw as she looked at Lu Rui supporting Xia Yuqing who slowly walked in: "It’s you?"

  Seeing the obvious astonishment within Li Yuan’s eyes as well as a flash of light disappear, Xia Yuqing’s eyebrows lifted up. Yet within her heart she somewhat could guess what was happening: "Yuan Er isn’t welcoming Ben Gong or should I say…… that Yuan Er thought Ben Gong was someone else. Discovering that Ben Gong isn’t the person who you were thinking of must be really disappointing?"

  A thread of embarrassment appeared, then was quickly suppressed down as she spoke: "Niang Niang, you’re overthinking. Li Yuan just didn’t think that there would be anyone who would come here to visit me willingly. Furthermore I wouldn’t expect that to be someone Li Yuan had just tried to assassinate."

  Xia Yuqing looked at the adorable girl who had turned into a hesitating young woman, feeling it didn’t really suit. Feeling somewhat aggrieved she looked at Li Yuan and said: "Yuan Er, do you really think Ben Gong is like this?"

  Li Yuan lifted her head up to look Xia YUqing in the eye and laughed at herself: "I thought that after last time’s event, Niang Niang would understand my identity and even more understand…… Everything was just a lie."

  Xia Yuqing’s eyebrows knitted together as she looked at Li Yuan: "Ben Gong does indeed know your identity and also understands that day you only followed Ben Gong was because, during the visit of the two princes from Xia Kingdom, you wanted to assassinate the young princess of Xia Kingdom which is Ben Gong. You were waiting for an opportunity to drive a wedge between the two countries and cause chaos."

  Li Yuan trembled from head to toe then lowered her head and bit lip."Since Niang Niang already knows my intention, why did you still come before me? Aren’t you afraid that I’m stubborn and will try once again to hurt Niang Niang? Or is it because Niang Niang is here to see what miserable state I have fallen into after trying to assassinate you?"

  Seeing Li Yuan’s pained expression, Xia Yuqing felt pity in her heart: "Ben Gong had come today to tell you early on when you had tried to assassinate His Majesty, His Majesty had already researched your background clearly. The assassins that were with you are either dead or have been sent back to Xue Kingdom. Only you have been confined. His Majesty had already written a letter to your imperial father to inform him about you becoming a prisoner of Ye Kingdom."

  Li Yuan’s face paled and her body also began to shake. Her eyes looked as if she was mocking herself. So basically, everything she has done was not necessary. In their eyes, she was probably a clown for their amusement, yet she still thought of them……

  Xia Yuqing paused, not knowing whether to continue or not, until she heard Li Yuan asked for more information: "How did my royal father reply?"

  Without any happiness or expectation, it was as if she was just asking a regular question with a simple answer.

  "The Xue emperor wouldn’t acknolwedge your status. So much that he is wiping you clean off his slate through this assassination incident and told His Majesty to punish you."

  "Ahahaa……" the light within Li Yuan’s eyes completely extinguished.

  Actually, since entering this place, she had a premonition of this ending. For the past ten days in this prison cell, at first she was resentful and flustered, then she became deeply worried and restless. Now her heart was like ash. Facing this abandonment, it was contrary to expectation but within reason.

  That man had never publicly acknowledged herself. Even if she had accomplished the mission, she didn’t know if she would be able to move back. Not to mention that she had now failed her mission. A useless chess piece can only be discarded. No one was more clear about this than her. This conclusion was merciless and had also decisively cut off anything that had linked her together with that man.

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