The snake around her arm tightened, and Hongyue gently patted her sleeve and felt a soft tongue flicking out against her skin in response.

What a timing, Hongyue thought as she gently clicked her tongue. Why was the emperor here? Her mind began to spin as she formed possible theories.

She received an edict that forced her to go to the palace. Nonetheless, that was only in name since she was led into an empty road to be killed. While in the carriage, Hongyue had noted the ground was substantially covered in patches of grass. Since the palace had men returning and traveling back and fro on the trail, there meant there was to be little to no grass due to the heavy stomping of horses and foot travel.

But...the emperor was someone busy, so why would he be here? Could it be someone informed him of something? Or did he know something already?

However, what would he had to be informed about in order to be so stirred up like this?

Too messy.

She needed more information.

Ah~

The royal family really can't be trusted, can they?

There were only two things she could deduct from this situation. One, this indicated that it was a trap arranged for her, and everything else had been a cover-up for the trap or two, she was overthinking it.

But, she thought as she looked down, overthinking would be better than underestimating.

Hongyue extended her fingers and flipped over the blade in her hands ever so slightly, purposely letting it fall to the ground before she reached down and picked it up.

However, if it was the first option....whoever it was, they were sitting prettily playing puppets. It was someone who wanted the emperor to find her as a threat he couldn't control, and that same someone who seemed to know that the eldest miss wasn't all she appeared. So this was merely a case of a borrowed hand.

Jiayi?

Seeing that he was more careful of her, it wasn't likely, but it was not impossible he could have acted out of character. The third prince seemed to hold different ambitions in which he seemed to want to borrow her strength so he wouldn't dare rid of her yet. Hongyue was willing to bet this much.

Then...

A slight gleam came into her eyes, and Hongyue covered up a smirk that was starting to appear. With a quick change to her blood-thirsty eyes and expression, she acted to have a great interest in the dagger in her hands.

She'll have to play their little game... only in the opposite direction.

"Hongyue?" The emperor's voice was filled with uncertainty, and his eyes were fixed intensely on her before taking in the scene. Why did she have a dagger? Who were these people? How did they die? His eyes suddenly flickered back up at her. Did she kill them? However, didn't his reports say she showed no sign of magic?

The emperor frowned deeply before he turned to the ruined carriage. He had heard his third son mention it was a good time to bring the eldest miss to the palace, and he had agreed. After all, receiving numerous ominous reports that General Wei hoarded a spirit of the dead, the emperor felt uneasy and wanted to pull Hongyue to his side just in case there was something not right with the general. He had wanted to see the eldest miss several times, but due to the general's refusal, he was never able to. Now that there was an opportunity for him, the emperor was delighted and rushed over as soon as the sun rose into the sky. However, arriving at the outer doors, he was met with confused guards who claimed the eldest miss had already departed with the edict in the carriage sent.

Hearing this news, the emperor felt extremely alarmed. He hadn't written any proclamation due to the fact he wanted to secure the eldest miss with his own hands. Quickly spreading out his men, he ordered that the eldest miss must be found. Even so, the emperor was restless. Who? Who sent an edict without his permission. Hearing reports of combat on an abandoned trail just near the main route to the palace, the emperor decided to go examine the area. Who knew that the first thing he would be met with was Hongyue standing in a mess of corpses.

"You, what are you holding?" His eyes focused on the weird knife she held in her hands. Hongyue looked back at the dagger and beamed.

"I don't know! It looks pretty!" Hongyue answered, her voice childish. Gesturing around the scenery, Hongyue looked confused as she spoke.

"I was told that I was to follow the orders of an edict, so I rode in a carriage. Then this happened. Why do you ask?" Her voice held the innocence of a foolish child as she waved her hands about, and it seemed to have calmed the emperor's worrying heart.

"What does 'this happened' mean? Did you not see what happened?" An aide near the emperor questioned.

Hongyue pouted, her eyes filled with confusion, "This miss was asleep. How could I know what happened?"

Asleep?!! Who could sleep through something like this? The whole half of the carriage was ripped apart, could anyone sleep soundly like that?!!

Flipping over the dagger, Hongyue smiled and held it close, "When I woke up, I remember there was someone who saved me. Look, he must have left this for me."

With the sudden change in topic, the emperor also took a look at the dagger. His eyebrows contorted in confusion, and he handed it aside to an aide. His eyes quickly settled on the eldest miss, who stood oblivious to the severity of the issue.

If it were someone else who told him this, he wouldn't have believed them. However, the eldest miss was stupid, and from the rumors, she really wasn't capable rather... she was a complete idiot. Remembering back to the reports, it was said that the ghost of the first madam who protected Hongyue. Could it be that the eldest miss was protected? By just one person?!

Stretching out his hands, he made out his mind, "Come; I'll take you back to the palace. We'll talk more there; it's not safe here."

Hongyue frowned at his hands and tilted her head, "Who are you?"

The emperor looked surprised at her question, and an aide quickly snapped at her, "Foolish girl, he's the Emperor.

Hongyue looked lost, and the emperor quickly ushered his aides to help the eldest miss back to the palace. The emperor took a final look at the ground where the piles of bodies laid.

Just who did this?

The level of this individual must be brought back into his kingdom!

in_awe

This might seem like an easy way for Hongyue to get out but it's actually not. Hongyue is doing this for a reason.