"Snake!"
Donghua shouted and was about to rush to save the person, but the snake seemed to move faster than humans. At this moment, Dongfang Yi was completely unable to move.
Just at this critical moment, just when Dongfang Yi thought she was doomed, a person rushed in front of her and instantly blocked the poisonous snake's attack for her.
The snake bit hard on her neck.
That person was Xiao Qian!
All this happened so fast that almost no one could clearly see what had happened. Even Dongfang Yi felt a buzzing in her head. Then she saw Xiao Qian tilt her head back and fall in front of her.
When Donghua saw her fall, he lost control for a moment and rushed over. With a sword, he stabbed the snake that was still biting Xiao Qian's neck. The snake's body was cut in half, and blood splashed all over the ground.
"Call the imperial physician!" Dongfang Yi roared. She knelt down and hugged Xiao Qian's head.
The bitten area was turning blue and purple, but the toxin was spreading extremely fast. Soon, her lips lost their color. She tried hard to speak, and Dongfang Yi put her ear to her mouth.
"Your Majesty the Queen is really the kindest mistress the maid has ever seen... It's worth it for the maid to die for Your Majesty..."
After saying that, she seemed to lose all her strength and slumped to the ground.
Dongfang Yi knew that even if the imperial physician came now, there was no way to save her. At that moment, she felt as if her heart and lungs were about to explode. This girl in front of her was only sixteen years old, but she had rushed forward without hesitation to block the poisonous snake for her.
But she was only sixteen! In modern times, she would just be a high - school student with a long life ahead of her...
Thinking of this, her eyes were filled with bloodshot. She looked up at Concubine Chu not far in front of her and roared harshly, "Arrest her!"
Ordinary palace servants had never seen her in such a fierce state. But since this was the Queen's palace, few people dared to ignore the Queen's order.
Concubine Chu had never expected such a thing to happen. She didn't know how the snake had appeared in her sleeve and flew straight at her.
But she couldn't just watch herself being arrested, so she resisted and said, "This snake is not mine. I have no idea what's going on. You have no right to arrest me!"
Hearing her shouting, the veins on Dongfang Yi's forehead bulged. Then she immediately stood up, rushed in front of her, and slapped her with all her strength. The force made her palm ache.
Not to mention Concubine Chu who had been slapped. She was stunned for a moment and didn't know what to say. She only felt a sharp pain on her face, as if her skin was about to split.
Dongfang Yi was in so much grief now that she had no energy to think about the cause and effect of this incident. All she knew now was that the snake had been brought in by Concubine Chu and it was this snake that had killed Xiao Qian. As for whether there was someone else behind it, she simply didn't have the strength to think about it.
"How dare you hit me!" Concubine Chu finally came to her senses and glared at her and scolded.
Dongfang Yi almost without hesitation slapped her again with her backhand. Then she ordered the palace servants beside her, "Gag her mouth!"
Outside the palace, Yaoji had witnessed all this. She never expected that she still couldn't kill the Queen like this. There was actually a maid in this world who was willing to block harm for her mistress.
But she also knew that it was not safe to stay here. In a little while, Emperor Dongsheng would probably come. She had to leave this place immediately. So she put the flute in her hand under the wall and quickly left this place of trouble.
When Helian Qi arrived, the Queen's palace was in a complete mess. Dongfang Yi was holding Xiao Qian on the ground, her eyes filled with despair.
Opposite them was Concubine Chu, who was kneeling on the ground under arrest. Her mouth was stuffed with a cloth strip, so she couldn't make a single sound.
When he saw the woman in a daze, his heart skipped a beat. He immediately rushed in front of her.
When Dongfang Yi saw him, her eyes turned red. As if she had suffered a great grievance, she murmured, "Xiao Qian is dead. She died to save me!"
After Helian Qi heard the news that something had happened in the Queen's palace, he immediately rushed over. After seeing the severed poisonous snake and Dongfang Yi who was safe and sound, the stone in his heart finally fell.
Then he turned around and faced the gagged woman. His eyes squinted dangerously, and he said, "Let her open her mouth!"
As soon as the cloth strip in Concubine Chu's mouth was taken out, she began to defend herself hoarsely, "It's really not me, Your Majesty. I don't know anything about the poisonous snake, let alone why it got on me!"
There was nothing wrong with what she said. She really didn't know anything. On the way here, she had been thinking about how to teach Dongfang Yi a lesson after seeing her, but she never expected such a thing to happen.
Helian Qi frowned even tighter. Soon, Ru Yi ran in, holding a green jade flute in her hand, and said that she had found this thing in front of the Queen's palace.
It was obvious that this was the musical instrument that had controlled the Western Region glazed rattlesnake just now. So he held it up and asked the woman in front of him, "Have you seen this?!"
Concubine Chu just shook her head repeatedly after seeing it. She really had never seen this thing before.
Helian Qi couldn't help but feel a tightness in his heart. They had already guessed that this snake was raised by Yaoji and that Lady Lian was also killed by Yaoji. But now the snake had appeared on Concubine Chu. How could this be explained?
If all this was done by Yaoji, then her trick of "the cicada sloughs its shell" was really flawless. But what if there was something else strange about it?
After thinking about it, he looked back at Dongfang Yi, who was obviously very frightened. He gritted his teeth and ordered, "Send Concubine Chu to the Cold Palace! I will deal with the rest of the matter separately!"
As soon as he said this, everyone around was shocked. Even Concubine Chu slumped to the ground suddenly. She stared blankly at the man in front of her, as if she couldn't believe it. Then several palace servants came out and dragged her back.
"Your Majesty, I'm innocent!" she was still shouting.
Helian Qi looked at the jade flute in front of him, his brows tightly knitted. Now, sending Concubine Chu to the Cold Palace was the only temporary and fool - proof strategy.
After all, there were so many people here today, and everyone had seen the snake fly out of Concubine Chu's sleeve. How could she excuse herself?
Then he walked over and helped Dongfang Yi up. He also ordered someone to arrange Xiao Qian's body properly. Only then did this farce come to a temporary end.