Scarlet rapidly spread inward from the rims of her eyes. Pan Jingwan stared at the blade before her, her pupils trembling, and snarled, "Empress! Order him to stand down at once!"
Kan Nianzhen gave the little one's sticking-up tuft of hair one last stroke, then slowly rose to her feet. "Why should I?"
"If Prince Xin succeeds this time, aren't you worried about what will happen to Jiang Tinghuai?!"
"If you kneel and beg me now, I can still put in a few good words for you before Prince Xin. Otherwise-"
The long blade edged forward another fraction, abruptly cutting off her shrill, arrogant voice.
"Otherwise?"
Kan Nianzhen's icy voice rang out at that very moment. "Pan Jingwan, did you know Chengcheng left the palace this time to search for His Majesty in Beiming?"
Pan Jingwan's expression froze. After a flash of shock, every trace of color drained from her face.
Her violently trembling eyes turned toward that tiny figure. She did not even have the attention to spare for the face the little girl made at her.
That's it!
Now I know why I felt that sudden dread!!
Since this little devil has appeared here safe and sound, then... then Emperor Mingze most likely also-
"Have you figured it out?"
Kan Nianzhen had been watching Pan Jingwan's expression intently. Only when terror finally crept into her eyes did Kan Nianzhen curl her lips in satisfaction. "Take a guess. How do you think Prince Xin, the man your Pan Family staked everything on, is doing now?"
Pan Jingwan: "..."
Pan Jingwan: "!!!"
Inside Chongyun Hall.
The entire hall fell silent for a long moment after those figures flashed past, until Jiang Silin broke the silence. "...What was that just now?!"
The ministers who could hear the little one's thoughts: