The Secret Chamber
She didn't know if the four gates of the palace were blocked by the rebels. Sending them out now would be tantamount to walking into a trap. But changing clothes and hiding was still an option.
When the rebel army actually storms in and chaos erupts in the palace, Zhao Ruxi might be able to escape with Xiao Lingyan.
Even if there was only a sliver of hope, Noble Consort Cen would fight for it for her son.
She had just tested Zhao Ruxi to find out her feelings for Xiao Lingyan. Now that she knew Zhao Ruxi's love for her son was unwavering, she could entrust her son to Zhao Ruxi.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruxi was finally moved.
Initially, she didn't have a good impression of Noble Consort Cen because Noble Consort Cen had told Xiao Lingyan that she should be used as bait in Nanyang. But now, seeing Noble Consort Cen like this, her heart softened. Noble Consort Cen could have easily changed into a palace maid's clothes and hidden herself. But she was willing to stay here simply to provide cover for Xiao Lingyan and herself.
She thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."
Then he added, "Your Majesty, rest assured. As long as I am here, His Highness is here; if anything were to happen to His Highness, I would not live on alone." When would be a better time to demonstrate loyalty than now?
Sure enough, Noble Consort Cen's eyes welled up with tears upon hearing these words.
She stepped forward and hugged Zhao Ruxi tightly, saying, "As long as you protect Little Five's life, I will not treat you badly."
Time was of the essence. Before Zhao Ruxi could even react to the embrace, she released her, beckoned her personal maid in, and instructed her to take off her clothes so that Zhao Ruxi could change into them. She then quickly applied makeup to Zhao Ruxi's face.
She went out herself and had someone change Xiao Lingyan's clothes.
When Zhao Ruxi arrived at Xiao Lingyan's side, Xiao Lingyan had already changed into eunuch's clothes and put on makeup, making him look quite convincing.
Xiao Lingyan was over 1.8 meters tall and, being a martial artist, had a very muscular physique. Zhao Ruxi, having taken Great Strength Pill, could easily carry or hug him.
But to outsiders, although Zhao Ruxi was tall, she was still a weak woman and could not possibly move Xiao Lingyan.
Therefore, Zhao Ruxi was unaware of Noble Consort Cen's plans and simply awaited her instructions.
Consort Noble Consort Cen fumbled behind a painting for a while, and then with a few clicks, a hidden door appeared in Xiao Lingyan's bedroom.
At this moment, only Noble Consort Cen and the head eunuch and maid beside her, who had just changed clothes with Xiao Lingyan and Zhao Ruxi, were in the room.
The two stepped forward and, with Zhao Ruxi's help, carried Xiao Lingyan into the secret room.
This is a basement, not very large, about twenty or thirty square meters. There are four irregularly shaped ventilation holes, about the size of ping-pong balls, in the four corners of the ceiling, but the room is still dark and damp.
"There's food and water in the room; you can stay down there for at least a month. If I don't come to open the door for you in ten days, you'd better find a way to take Little Five out of the palace and escape for your lives." Noble Consort Cen said, and then told Zhao Ruxi where the switch for the secret room door was.
Seeing that Noble Consort Cen was about to leave, Zhao Ruxi quickly stopped her, saying, "Your Highness, please stay here too."
Noble Consort Cen waved her hand. "I can't fool them while I'm out here. It's alright, I've lived a full life. As long as you don't abandon Little Five, you've done right by me. Of course, if you can't escape with Little Five at a crucial moment and you run away alone, I won't blame you. He's like this..."
She looked at Xiao Lingyan, who had fallen into a deep sleep after taking the medicine, and sighed deeply.
Zhao Ruxi was moved that Noble Consort Cen, beyond her maternal love, still cared about her life and said such things. She was deeply touched.
She quickly raised her hand and swore once more, "I swear, as long as Your Highness is here, I will never abandon you and run away; if anything happens to Your Highness, I will not live on alone. Otherwise, may I be struck by lightning."
She wasn't trying to fool Noble Consort Cen; she was speaking the truth.
Having lived two lives, she had experienced everything. Although the two lives combined were not long, they were more exciting than most people's ordinary but long lives. Just as Noble Consort Cen said, she had lived a full life.
Xiao Lingyan came into this world to save her, so what does it matter if she leaves with him? She was willing to threaten the system with her death back then, so she's truly not afraid of death.
Upon hearing Zhao Ruxi's vow, Noble Consort Cen patted her with satisfaction and then went outside.
As the door slowly closed, the room fell into darkness, with only a faint light emanating from the few small holes.
The door was probably made of brick and was very soundproof. Staying in this basement, you couldn't hear anything outside.
Hearing that Xiao Lingyan, who was lying on the bed, was breathing steadily, Zhao Ruxi ignored him. Once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she began to grope around the room.
Although she was very confident in the information Xiao Ge and the system had gathered, believing that the rebel army that Xiao Lingheng had instigated would not amount to anything and that they would not be able to break into the palace, since Noble Consort Cen had prepared for the worst, she could not do nothing.
In case anything happens, having a way out means she can carry Xiao Lingyan and escape.
Since taking the Agility Pill, not only has her hearing improved, but her eyesight has also become much better than before. The "Sharp Observation" skill is now maxed out.
She had scanned the room before the door was closed, observing the furnishings and surroundings. She had an excellent memory, and everything she saw was memorized.
The floor inside the house was paved with very smooth blue bricks, and the walls were also built with blue bricks. However, perhaps due to the passage of time, the blue bricks were quite mottled, revealing the marks of time.
One wall of the room had a row of shelves, on which were placed porcelain jars. When Zhao Ruxi opened them, she found fried rice, fried noodles, and pickled vegetables, as well as several jars of water and some commonly used medicines.
She leaned closer and smelled the food. It was quite fresh, with no musty smell at all, suggesting that someone frequently came to replace it.
She put the lid on the jar and then began to feel around, brick by brick.
She wanted to see if there was a hidden door in the room that led elsewhere.
"Stop, stop looking." Suddenly a hoarse voice rang out behind Zhao Ruxi.
Hearing that familiar voice, Zhao Ruxi was not surprised but delighted.
She ran back to Xiao Lingyan's side, looked at him, and said, "You can talk now?"
"I'll speak the day after I wake up. But given the current situation, I think it's better if I don't speak, so I haven't said anything," Xiao Lingyan said.
"The imperial physicians couldn't detect the pulse?" Zhao Ruxi asked.
"It's almost impossible."
Zhao Ruxi felt relieved.
Worried that he might not understand the situation, she explained what was happening outside and asked, "What do we do now?"
"Just stay here, it'll be fine. Xiao Lingheng is desperate, the Emperor is just waiting for him to walk into the trap so he can wipe out his remaining followers in one fell swoop."