C79

Ji Yunkai froze. Looking at the sword inside the pillar, she was at a loss of what to do.

Just now, if Xiao Jiu'an's hand was an inch off or if he was just crooked by half-an-inch, her head would have been split into two.

Ji Yunkai touched the bloody cut on her face, and the feel of the viscous blood caused her to calm down. Ji Yunkai took a deep breath, suppressed the fear in her heart, turned around, and calmly looked at Xiao Jiu'an. "Your Highness, why?"

"Because you deserve to die!" Xiao Jiu'an looked at Ji Yunkai, his eyes filled with ice-cold killing intent.

The Ji and Yun Families, such a bold Ji Family, such a bold Yun Family, they actually dared to touch his Yanbei Army. They are simply courting death.

"What did I do?" She did not attempt to leave with Feng Qi again, but advised Feng Qi and Fei Xiao Chai to leave first. Why did Xiao Jiu'an want her life?

Xiao Jiu'an did not answer Ji Yunkai's question. Instead, he asked with a darkened face, "How many valuable gifts does the Yun Family give you every year?"

"What the Yun Family sent me? You're talking about the things that the Yun Family gave to the future empress, right? There should be several hundred thousand taels worth of silver every year. I don't know the specifics, but those items would never fall into my hands." Ji Yunkai faintly sensed that something was amiss, so she cautiously replied, and secretly left herself a way out.

Actually, there was no need for that. She was already clean and really did not see any of the gifts from the Yun Family. In the end, she used Madam Ji's weakness, Ji Xin, and was only able to get twenty thousand taels of silver from Madam Ji's hands.

"The Yun Family sends several hundred thousand taels of silver to the Ji Family every year, and even prepared a million taels worth of dowry for you. Where did the silver go?" The Yun Family was rich. So rich that it was to the point that it made one's hair stand on end. Therefore, when people saw the Yun Family give Ji Yunkai such valuable gifts and the shiploads of silver and gifts that were given to the Ji Family every year, no one suspected it, including him.

However, what they did not know was that the things that the Yun Family had given them were not used by Ji Yunkai, nor the Ji Family, but were all given to people in Prince Yanbei's army.

Of course, the Yun Family did not help him raise the army, but used a large amount of money to bribe Prince Yanbei's generals.

There was no man who did not love money, especially warriors who spent their lives in the tough military camps and who could meet death at any time. In the face of so much money, many of the Yanbei Army generals were corrupted by the Yun family and they successfully turned them into traitors.

He had said before, how could that uncle of his have the ability to bribe so many people? How could he have the ability to instigate a rebellion? It turned out, the Yun family financially supported the whole endeavor.

Ji Yunkai was not stupid. If she still could not guess what had happened from what Xiao Jiu'an had said, then she would be so stupid that there was no saving her.

"Your Highness, I don't understand what you're talking about. I have never come into contact with anyone from the Yun Family. I only lead my own life in the Ji Family. If Your Highness doesn't believe me, you can investigate." Thus, no matter what the Yun Family and Ji Family did, she really did not know. She only hoped that they would not implicate her.

"Investigate? What do you want This King to investigate?" Xiao Jiu'an stood up, bringing along a huge pressure as he approached Ji Yunkai step by step.

Ji Yunkai's face turned white. She wanted to run away, but she knew that she could not do so at this time. If she did, it would signify her guilt.

"My Prince, I really don't know anything." Enduring the enormous pressure, Ji Yunkai forcefully stood in front of Xiao Jiu'an and did not retreat.

"You don't know, so you are innocent? Don't you think it's too late to put aside your relationship with them at this time?" Xiao Jiu'an was taller than Ji Yunkai by a head. As he looked down at her from above, it was as if he were looking at an ant.

The man emitted a bloodthirsty aura that made one's blood turn ice-cold, and, for a split-second, Ji Yunkai nearly knelt down. "I'm just speaking the truth. I lived my own life in the Ji Family and the Yun Family—"

"Ah...!"

Xiao Jiu'an grabbed Ji Yunkai's neck and lifted her up.

"Le—let go! Let go!" Ji Yunkai was unable to breathe, and her face instantly flushed red. She tried to hit and kick Xiao Jiu'an, but to no avail. Xiao Jiu'an did not even put her attempts in his eyes.

"Let go? In your name, the Yun Family sent, every year, several hundred thousand taels of silver to the capital to bribe This King's troops. This has caused heavy losses to This King's Yanbei Army. How do you expect This King to let go?" Xiao Jiu'an's eyes were cold and there was no emotion in his pale eyes. He was currently like a demon, like a God of Death.

"I don't know, I.…" Ji Yunkai shook her head with all her might, wanting to explain, but the air was becoming thinner and thinner, and her consciousness was becoming cloudy. How could she still say anything?

"Ji Yunkai, 'I don't know' is not a good reason. This King's Yanbei Army suffered heavy casualties due to the Ji and Yun families. This King will properly settle this debt with the Ji Family and Yun families."

After saying that, Xiao Jiu'an casually flung out his hand and threw Ji Yunkai away. Ji Yunkai instinctively held her head, but did not even have the strength to withstand the shock.

*Bang!* Ji Yunkai crashed into the wall and fell to the ground. She laid on the ground weakly, unable to move.

'I'm so unlucky!'

It was not easy for her to make a turnaround with her life and she had been scammed by the Ji and Yun Families.

Madam Ji and Ji Lan may have come to ask about the news or make her take the blame.

A tear rolled down from the corner of Ji Yunkai's eyes. With a heart full of unwillingness and resentment, Ji Yunkai closed her eyes and fainted.

In the teahouse in the westside of the city, Xiao Shiqing, whose entire body was wrapped tightly, was sitting on a big chair in the study with her back to her subordinates.

"My Lord, the Marquis of Guangping committed suicide and pushed everything onto the Emperor before he died. The Prince doesn't suspect anything." The black-clothed man said in a deep voice as he knelt on one knee.

"Mn, protect the Young Master and the family of the Marquis of Guangping. I do not wish for anything to happen to them again or get caught by Xiao Jiu'an." The black-clothed owner of the teahouse, Xiao Shiqing, was playing with a jade pendant as she slowly spoke. Her voice was as low as ever, making it impossible to tell if she was a man or a woman.

"Yes, Sir." The man in black answered, his voice full of energy.

There was no subordinate who did not like a master who cared for his subordinates and was willing to protect his family, even if the man in black didn't have any family.

"Do you know where Master Feng Qi is?" When Xiao Shiqing spoke of Feng Qi, the hand that was holding onto the jade pendant suddenly stopped, and her voice also changed.

"Leave." Without Feng Qi's whereabouts, Xiao Shiqing could not even muster up any energy.

The man in black retreated quickly, not daring to stay for even half-a-second.

Xiao Shiqing continued to hold onto the jade in her hand, suddenly stood up, and flicked the jade in her hand: "Feng Qi, when will you remember me?"

The jade pendant fell into the box on the desk with a *pa*. It was reflected the sunlight and the word "Feng" could be clearly seen on it.

That's right, this was the Phoenix Pendant that Ji Yunkai had lost.