Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress
Chapter 837 - 839 Escape from the Wolf’s Den (1)

Chapter 837: Chapter 839 Escape from the Wolf’s Den (1)

Dark clouds swallowed the bright moon above, and the pitch-black night was eerily silent. Along a desolate path leading to the suburbs of the capital city, a horse carriage rumbled along. From the trees beside the road, the occasional cawing of a crow pierced the silence, adding to the fearsome atmosphere of the night. Fei’er felt a creeping terror and couldn’t help but tightly clutch her father’s sleeve, her little face taut with anxiety. Mu Zhongqing appeared composed on the surface, even patting his daughter’s hand to reassure her, "Don’t worry, we’ll be home soon." But inside, he was full of regret. If he had known the suburbs were so foreboding at night, he and his daughter would have been better off staying over at a cloth shop or a restaurant, or at least finding an inn to avoid the fright they were now experiencing—how unsettling!

As the father and daughter were gripped by fear, a muffled thud was heard from outside, followed by a splash as the horse carriage suddenly came to a halt.

Mu Zhongqing exclaimed in alarm, "Zhang Bo, what’s happening?"

Outside, there was dead silence.

They knew without asking that something had gone wrong!

Both father and daughter exchanged looks of terror. Fei’er quickly pulled her gold hairpin from her hair and held it in her hand, while Mu Zhongqing drew the small knife he carried for self-defense.

After a moment, the carriage curtain lifted on its own, and in the night, several shadowy figures in black stood there, their faces concealed. Zhang Bo was nowhere to be found.

Chills ran down the spines of the father and daughter inside the carriage. Mu Zhongqing instinctively stood up, shielding his daughter behind him, but alas, how could he, a mere scholar, stand against eight well-trained assassins? A few of the assailants didn’t even bother to engage him physically, instead using a hidden weapon that made him silently collapse on the carriage floor, deeply unconscious...

...*...*...

During this time, Empress Mo’s days within the palace were difficult. She had been placed under house arrest within the Jade Palace, her trusted attendants all executed, replaced by Jin Guifei’s people.

Jin Guifei and she had been openly and secretly battling for over twenty years, becoming archenemies sworn to mutual destruction. Now in Jin Guifei’s power, would she waste this opportunity to strike at her enemy? While Jin Guifei dared not harm Empress Mo outright, her insidious and psychologically torturous methods were employed to their fullest extent.

Although The Emperor had ordered Empress Mo under house arrest, her title had not changed, nor had her allowances been reduced. Thus, according to Great Jin customs, the Empress should receive eighteen dishes, four soups, and six types of dim sum after meals, as well as eight varieties of fruits and dried fruits. But now, citing economization of palace expenses, Jin Guifei had cut her meals down to four dishes, one soup, and one type of each dim sum, fruit, and dried fruit—food which was either sour, undercooked, or burnt beyond edibility. The dim sum and fruit were not much better, leaving hardly anything to eat in the meals.

Furthermore, Jin Guifei’s chief eunuch stationed at Jade Palace, Sun Maotai, reported to Empress Mo daily in detail about The Emperor’s efforts to capture Zhao Yang, the difficulties faced by King Qin in Lingbei, and The Emperor’s dissatisfaction with Duke Li Guo’s Mansion.

Today, he minced into her presence, speaking in a shrill, affected voice about The Prince’s assassination attempt. However, he omitted the fact that The Prince was now handicapped, only mentioning that The Prince had narrowly escaped death, and after relentless investigation by Ying Tianfu, the primary suspects had been determined to be from Duke Li Guo’s Mansion. The Emperor had ordered house arrest for Duke Li Guo’s Mansion today, and they would soon be judged and sentenced to be exterminated to the ninth clan...

Since her confinement began, Empress Mo had lost much weight, her originally proud and cold countenance becoming even more severe and profound. Daily, she meticulously cared for her plants and devoutly recited Buddhist scriptures, responding to the disdain and insults from Jin Guifei’s palace maids and eunuchs with neither sorrow nor anger nor hatred nor complaint, as composed as someone devoid of emotion. However, the burn blisters that appeared continuously on her lips proved that her inner turmoil was not as calm as her outer appearance suggested; at least, when she heard that Duke Li Guo’s Mansion was listed as the prime suspect in The Prince’s assassination, her face turned deathly pale, and though she quickly regained her composure, it was clear that the news had caused turmoil within her heart. She could no longer remain calm!