However, for some reason, Hai Ling was somewhat uneasy tonight, feeling very uncomfortable, as if something was wrong. Her brows were deeply furrowed, and her face was covered with a thin layer of frost. Ye Lingfeng held her hand, sensed her unease, and couldn't help but ask her with concern.
"Ling'er, what's wrong?"
"I always felt that something was wrong, and I was very uneasy."
Upon hearing Hai Ling's words, Ye Lingfeng stopped and stood on the corridor, seriously thinking about what was wrong. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly said, "That's right, I also feel something is wrong. The incense in the Empress Dowager's palace doesn't seem to smell like this. Where have I smelled this before?"
After he finished speaking, Hai Ling's expression changed drastically. She had sensed something was wrong earlier. It turned out that when she was sitting next to the Empress Dowager, she noticed that the Empress Dowager's scent was different from usual. The fragrance in the palace tonight was slightly stronger than usual, not the light fragrance that her mother preferred. It was the same kind of perfume that Xi Xiu used to like. Thinking of this, Hai Ling's expression changed drastically.
Will her kitten be alright? No wonder the kitten cried earlier; it was because the person holding him wasn't his royal grandmother, and he sensed it immediately.
Hai Ling turned and ran away. Ye Lingfeng hadn't figured it out yet, so he followed closely behind. The maids behind them didn't know what had happened. Shi Mei, Shi Lan, and the others all changed their expressions and quickly followed.
As Ye Lingfeng followed Hai Ling, he asked, "What's wrong, Ling'er?"
Ling'er's face looked terrible, as pale as paper. What could have happened?
Upon hearing this question, without waiting for Hai Ling's reply, he recalled the issue of incense he had mentioned earlier. The scent was still the same as the spices Xi Xiu usually used. Ye Lingfeng's expression changed, and he suddenly sped up, quickly flashing past and leaving behind the words, "Shi Mei and Shi Lan, protect the Empress."
He flew away alone like a shooting star, disappearing in the blink of an eye, heading straight for the bedchamber of Lanqing Palace.
At the main gate of Lanqing Palace, the eunuchs and palace maids were surprised that the Emperor had returned. Just as they were about to kneel and pay their respects, the Emperor's figure had already disappeared. Everyone stared wide-eyed, wondering what was going on and what had happened. Several people whispered among themselves. Just then, Hailing led her people over and rushed over, ignoring the eunuchs and palace maids at the gate. The eunuchs and palace maids behind her began to discuss among themselves, their faces filled with surprise and doubt.
"What happened?"
"The Emperor and Empress look very unwell."
"Could something have happened to the Empress Dowager?"
For a time, all sorts of things were said, but everyone remained cautiously guarding the entrance to Lanqing Palace, not daring to move an inch.
Ye Lingfeng quickly slipped into the bedchamber of Lanqing Palace. Inside, Granny Qingzhu and several palace maids had all fainted. There was no sign of the Empress Dowager or Xiao Mao'er; the palace was completely empty.
At this moment, Hailing also led people in and rushed in. When she saw the situation in front of her, her vision went black and she fell to the ground. Her two maids, Shimei and Shilan, quickly helped their mistress up and called out to her repeatedly.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."
Ye Lingfeng's expression changed drastically, his eyes turning cold and fierce. He clenched his fists so tightly that his fingertips turned white and the veins bulged. He was filled with unspeakable rage. He hadn't expected that with so many people patrolling the palace, that crazy woman Xi Xiu would still manage to sneak in and take away his son, Xiao Mao'er. The thought of Xiao Mao'er now in Xi Xiu's hands sent chills down Ye Lingfeng's spine, and panic welled up from the bottom of his heart.
However, upon hearing Shi Mei and Shi Lan's calls and seeing Ling'er's pale face and closed eyes, she couldn't help but feel heartbroken. She stepped forward, picked up Hai Ling, and placed her on the couch to the side. Then she ordered Shi Mei, "Quickly, check on Her Highness."
Unexpectedly, her son disappeared, and Ling'er fainted. All of this was because of that woman, west Xiu.
If he catches her again this time, he will absolutely not let her off, west Xiu.
Ye Lingfeng was filled with malice when he suddenly thought of something else. If Xi Xiu had infiltrated the palace to offend the Empress Dowager, then what about the Empress Dowager? Thinking of this, his face turned even uglier, and he immediately shouted towards the outside of the hall, "Shizhu!"
Shi Zhu slipped in, and Ye Lingfeng ordered him to wake up Granny Qingzhu and the others immediately.
Shi Zhu was very skilled in poisons, so she quickly used acupuncture on Granny Qingzhu and the others, waking them up.
When Granny Qingzhu looked up, she saw that the Emperor's face was grim and the Empress had fainted in the palace. Not knowing what had happened, they all knelt on the ground.
Ye Lingfeng originally wanted to severely punish these people, but at the moment he still needed to find his mother, so he immediately ordered: "Qingzhu, immediately take people to search Lanqing Palace, leave no corner unsearched, and find the Empress Dowager."
If nothing unexpected happens, Mother should have been injured by Xi Xiu and is hiding somewhere in the palace. Mother, you must live! Please don't let anything happen to you. Now that Little Cat is gone, if something happens to you, how can Ling'er and I bear it?
Granny Qingzhu and the others were completely bewildered, not knowing what had gone wrong. The Empress Dowager and the young prince were in their palace, preparing to sleep, but how come they, the servants, had fallen asleep? However, they dared not ask anything and obeyed the order to lead people to search the entire Lanqing Palace.
They searched every inch of the Lanqing Palace, inside and out. Granny Qingzhu and the others were very familiar with the place, so they searched everywhere.
Inside the palace, Hai Ling had already woken up, and as soon as she opened her eyes, she began to cry.
"My little kitten, my little kitten, how will that perverted woman Xixiu treat my little kitten?"
Upon hearing Hai Ling's words, Ye Lingfeng reached out and took her hand, his deep, magnetic voice ringing out.
"Ling'er, don't worry, Xiao Mao'er will be fine for now. It's because that woman Xi Xiu is mentally unstable. Her son committed suicide, and she blames everything on us. Now she's captured Xiao Mao'er so that we can see her suffer. She won't harm Xiao Mao'er until she sees us."
After Ye Lingfeng spoke, Hai Ling finally came to her senses. Although she was still heartbroken and wished she could catch Xi Xiu and tear her to pieces, she would never let her go if she caught her this time. If this woman was not eliminated, she would be a time bomb that could blow them to pieces at any moment.
"This time, I won't let her get away with it."
That's right. She caught the kittens not to kill them, but to torture them. So the most likely thing she would do is make them watch the kittens being killed.
So for now, the kitten is fine, and west Xiu will definitely send a message to the palace.
All they could do now was wait. Hailing calmed down and realized something else: if the Empress Dowager was an imposter, then where was the real Empress Dowager?
"Night, and what about Mother?"
Hai Ling asked in a low voice, her heart aching. Upon hearing her words, Ye Lingfeng's dark eyes flashed with a cold and sharp light, and his aura of ferocity emanated from him. He shook his head.
Footsteps rang out quickly outside the palace gates. Granny Qingzhu rushed in, panting, tears still in her eyes, and called out anxiously.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened! The Empress Dowager, she…?"
"What's wrong with her?"
Ye Lingfeng strode over and roared. Qingzhu was startled and quickly replied, "The Empress Dowager has been stabbed and is now unconscious."
"lead the way."
Ye Lingfeng ordered Qingzhu to lead the way, and Hailing also got off the ground and followed behind Ye Lingfeng. They walked out and soon headed towards a warehouse in Lanqing Palace. This warehouse was used to store unused and discarded items in Lanqing Palace. Usually, few people came here. Now that it was the New Year, who would have thought that Xixiu had stabbed the Empress Dowager and thrown her into this warehouse to wait for her death?
Amidst a pile of discarded objects, the Empress Dowager leaned against the side, her face as pale as paper, devoid of any color, her eyes tightly closed, and even her lips devoid of any color. She looked exactly like a dead person. Upon seeing his mother's expression, Ye Lingfeng felt extremely heartbroken, let out a low howl like a wolf, and pounced over.
"Mother," she shouted to a maid beside her, "Summon the imperial physician, summon the imperial physician immediately."