章節 28: Fall of Prime Minister Yao Part 1

"Why did you save me?" Da Ying stared him down. There was no reason for him to save her. Qin Xie De rolled his eyes at her. She had a tendency of not answering his questions. "I would have saved anyone in that situation. You just happened to be the one in the carriage," he spoke truthfully. Da Ying moved the needle from his neck. "I'll let you go, but in the future, do not save me. I do not like owing others," Da Ying warned him. She got up from the ground and exited the cave. The bright sunlight hit her face; Da Ying had to cover her face with her hand and jumped down to the ground. She couldn't believe she was alive to see another sunny day. Xie De followed behind.

Qin Xie De silently followed Da Ying around the forest. After about 30 minutes, they were still walking around. He didn't know what she was doing or thinking. Did she know what she was doing? Or how to escape? Xie De was questioning her survival skills at this point. "Eh? Do you know where you are going?" he rushed forward, walking next to her. "There's water nearby, I just have to find the source," Da Ying seriously answered him. Xie De decided to trust her, once again silently following her.

A few more minutes passed and Xie De suddenly fell on one knee, holding onto his right arm. Da Ying turned around when she heard him groan in pain. "Xie De, are you okay?" Da Ying took fast steps his way, bending down to check on him. "What's wrong? Did your wound open up again?" Da Ying reacted quickly and reached for his bandaged arm. Xie De blocked her attempt with his arm, "It's okay. I just suddenly felt faint for a moment,"

"Can you walk?"

"Mm," he assured her, slowly getting up. Da Ying looped her arms around his and placed her hand around his waist. Xie De looked down at her surprised. Da Ying happened to have looked up at him at the same time. Seeing the stupid look on his face, Da Ying rolled her eyes. "Don't think that I want to help you. If you die, just imagine how many people will blame me for your death," Xie De only nodded sure.

Just when they thought they were never going to find an exit, Da Ying noticed the vegetation on the right. They were far greener and bigger than the rest. With a quick assumption, she walked towards that way. "If we never leave the mountains, this isn't so bad either," Xie De joked. Da Ying grit her teeth. Was it really a good time to be joking? Who would want to breathe the same air as him? Da Ying ignored his comment and kept following the right path.

Soon, both of them could hear smooth water current. They turned towards each other and smiled in delight. "We're near," Da Ying sped up, Xie De was forced to match her speed. They stepped out of the forest and came upon a long and wide stream. There were people…there people! "Your highness, gongzhu," one of the guards on the journey with them yelled out. The surviving guards of the bandit attack rushed over to where Da Ying and Xie De were.

Da Ying and Xie De were brought to where the carriages were placed. The empress, consorts and gongzhu's were all waiting outside the carriage, impatiently waiting. Wen Wan ran over to Xie De. "Xie De'gege," Consort Yao and Empress Mei Wu's face turned dark when they realized, Da Ying was also alive. The empress gave Consort Yao a meaningful look as if she was telling her to finish the job.

"Ying'er, I'm so glad you are okay," Consort Yao forced herself to say as she went over and held firmly to Da Ying's hand. "It is all because of Consort Yao's blessings that I am fine and alive,"

On the two day journey back, Consort Yao didn't get a chance to make a move on Da Ying. She lost her only chance.

Da Ying returned to her courtyard with the help of Bai Zhi and Ban Shiang. "Xiaojie, are you okay?" they both asked. "I'll be fine, I just need a few days of rest," Da Ying was fine since she only used a little bit of her inner energy. It was not the same case for Xie De. In his estate, the imperial doctor had been summoned immediately after Xie De spat out blood and fainted on the spot.

The empress and Wen Wan were waiting outside his room, waiting for the imperial doctor. When he came out, he sighed. "How is he?" the empress asked.

"I've already used needle acupunctures on the Duke of Lan but... It's strange, When I tested his blood, there were traces of drugs left over. That must have been the cause of his internal bleeding. Make sure to feed him the medicine I've prescribed, after a few days of rest, he will be fine," The empress gripped tightly onto the handkerchief she was holding when she heard the doctors diagnosis of Xie De. "Tao Mei, summon Consort Yao to my courtyard immediately," The empress left in a fury.

When Consort Yao entered the empress's room, she felt the icy chill…something was definitely wrong. "Her highness, you summoned me?" Consort Yao smiled at her.

"Explain yourself. How did Xie De get drugged too?" Empress Mei Wu skipped the greetings and directly interrogated her. Consort Yao quickly went on her knees. "Forgive me; I don't know how it happened? It must have been Da Ying who drugged him,"

"I don't care who did it, I only know that you just didn't fail, but harmed Xie De along. If anything is to happen to Xie De, I won't forgive you,"

Two days had passed and Da Ying recovered quite well. Xie De on the other hand was still unconscious. Da Ying felt that today was a good day to sneak out to the city. Even if she snuck out, no one would notice or care. Da Ying changed into a dark blue male outfit, with her hair in a high bun knotted with a crescent hair band. Bai Zhi and Ban Shiang also dressed in male outfits. With their martial arts skills, it took little to no effort to pass the guards.

Da Ying did not go to the city to kill time but there was an interesting show that was going to play soon. All three of them entered a high end restaurant, requesting to sit on the top floor in the open. They were on the terrace, enjoying a small meal and wine.

Out on the streets, there were more people than usual. Many of them were talking among themselves, even the people in the restaurant talked. The talks started out as whispers and continued to get louder and louder as the people became more and more enraged. One of the men sitting a few tables away from Da Ying suddenly slammed his fist on the table, knocking the wine glass. "Who knew Prime Minister Yao was such a sly snake. How can he steal from the people? If Sheriff Wu Tan doesn't give us justice, I will personally kill that traitor myself," the man said enraged. "Right, we can't let that inhumane dog live." People started to throw hate and curse words towards Minister Yao. News had already gotten out about the money Minister Yao had extorted from the people. In a mere few days, he had made enemy with the whole city of Chen'an.

Even after hearing the people threaten and cures Prime Minister Yao, Da Ying didn't say anything or change her unemotional expression. She continued to look out into the street. The restaurant she was in had the best view of the road, the best view for what was to come.

It didn't take long for what Da Ying was waiting for. A dozen imperial guards from walked into the street, clearing the road. The people lined up with basked full of rotting fruits and vegetables. Sheriff Wu Tan first appeared after the streets were cleared. He stood tall, with his black official uniform on. Both hands holding onto a scroll, "Prime Minister Yao has deceived the people and the emperor. Extorting and cheating the country of their wealth, he is to be humiliated by the people first, then imprisoned until further notice," Wu Tan read out loud. The crowd felt their heart race with anger, the moment the wooden cart, barred on all corners came out with Prime Minister Yao chained, the people yelled and cursed at him. They threw rotting fruits and vegetables at him. In a few days, Prime Minister Yao was to be tried and killed on the spot.

Prime Minister Yao was kept in the imperial prison. He had been there for no more than 8 hours and yet had already gotten himself a first visitor. To be exact, everyone was prohibited from seeing him. Earlier, Consort Yao had tried to enter multiple times but was refused. If a royal consort couldn't even enter, how did this person hidden under a brown cloak enter? "Who are you?" he couldn't make out the face that was covered. In the next second, the figure put down the head of the cloak and stared him dead in the eyes. "Da Ying gongzhu?" he asked. It had been five years since he last saw her but she had features just like the late queen, there was no way he would mistake her. Da Ying gave him an eerie smile. "It's been a long time Prime Minister Yao. I hope you are enjoying your stay?"

"You…" he couldn't figure out who dared to go against him. Seeing Da Ying appear in front of him, he knew she had to have played a part in it. He rushed forward and tried to reach for her neck from within the space of the door bars. Da Ying only took a step back and smiled at him. "Prime Minister Yao shouldn't be so quick to kill me. Don't you want to know why I am here?"

"I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do,"

"Since you don't want to hear me out, I'll just have to bring your three generation of bloodline with you to hell," Da Ying shrugged her shoulders and made a turn towards the exit. "Stop it right there. What do you mean by that?" Embezzling money was a capital crime but he would be the only one to die for it, how did it become three generations of his Yao family. "What are you talking about?" Da Ying gave a cunning smile before turning back to face him. "I came here to bargain with you. Would you like to hear your two options?"