Outside, the Scythe Squad had already joined forces with the Crossbow Squad and Spear Squad hiding outside. They formed a siege and caught the Fourth Prince's people like turtles in a jar.
Just then, a thunderous battle cry rang out from beyond the palace.
The moment Su Qiao heard it, she knew that her uncle Gu Jincheng's "main force" had broken in.
Only then did she finally relax.
"Don't worry. I wasn't completely unprepared either. When my Imperial Guards noticed something was wrong, they had already surrounded several palaces nearby. I just hadn't had time to give the order before you arrived."
"So His Majesty was prepared all along. I knew Your Majesty was amazing."
Most emperors had powerful dead soldiers, hidden guards, and Blood Droplets or something like that. Even Xi Hanzhou had the Scythe Reaper Squad, so it was impossible for him not to have anything similar.
The Emperor laughed. "You little clever one, how did you know I was pretending?"
Su Qiao pointed at his lips. "Your Majesty, if you're going to pretend, at least make it look a little more convincing. Someone who has been poisoned with a deadly toxin would have bluish-purple lips. How could they be as rosy and glossy as yours?"
If nothing else, he could have coughed up some blood, turned pale, or made his lips unnaturally and dazzlingly red. Those would at least make it clear that he had been poisoned and was feeling unwell, right?
But aside from seeming somewhat weak, he had no other symptoms at all.
So Su Qiao guessed that either he had not been poisoned at all, or he had already taken the antidote.
The Emperor nodded.
He had indeed forgotten about that.
He tossed the Small White Jade Bottle in his hand. "Hanzhou said that