Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 284 The aftermath
After saying that, he gripped Song Yi's hand tightly. Song Yi lifted her skirt, and the two of them ran frantically towards the palace gate, braving the heavy rain and ignoring the mud on the ground.

There were still a few snakes inside the hall. The courtyard was completely clean. The two ran out in one breath. Before Song Yi could even bend down to catch her breath, Jiang Lanye suddenly caught a glimpse of a eunuch lurking on the wall.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Lanye rushed over. The eunuch was so frightened that he fell off the wall, covered in mud and water. He tried to get up in a very disheveled state, but Jiang Lanye stepped heavily on his chest.

Jiang Lanye stomped on the eunuch's chest, the sole of his shoe grinding against the eunuch's soaked clothes, pinning the man firmly to the muddy water.

Rain dripped down his jawline, mingling with the snake blood that had just been stained with his skin.

"Who ordered it?" His voice was very soft, but it made the eunuch tremble like a leaf.

He should have run away long ago! If it weren't for Consort Zhuang insisting that he stay here to make sure Song Yi was really in trouble before leaving, he would have run away long ago!
The eunuch opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound, feeling as if his sternum was about to be crushed.

Seeing this, Jiang Lanye increased the pressure with his feet.

The eunuch could only watch in horror as Jiang Lanye slowly bent down.

Song Yi walked over step by step. The rain was so heavy that she couldn't even see the eunuch's face clearly. She only knew that Jiang Lanye was interrogating him.

Jiang Lanye pulled her foot back, reached out and grabbed the eunuch's collar tightly, lifted him off the ground, and precisely choked the eunuch's throat, pinning him against the palace wall.

“I’m asking,” he suddenly laughed, his knuckles tightening inch by inch, “who ordered you to do this?”

The eunuch remained silent, only staring at Jiang Lanye in terror.

He lost his patience. "If you don't talk, I'll throw you in to feed the snakes right now, how about that?"

Upon seeing this, the eunuch was immediately terrified: "No, this servant will not speak."

Jiang Lanye loosened his grip slightly.

"This servant was merely doing his job for money. These venomous snakes were given to me by a palace maid, along with a packet of powder. She said that as long as I sprinkled the powder, the snakes would follow the scent and wouldn't harm me. That's why I did it."

Which palace maid?

Jiang Lanye impatiently interrupted him.

The eunuch swallowed hard. "This servant doesn't know who she is; she's concealing her face."

That's it again.

Song Yi listened from the side, her brows furrowing slightly. She looked at Jiang Lanye and whispered, "The eunuch's words were half true and half false. Perhaps he knew who was behind it, but even if he died, it doesn't mean he was right. However, it's impossible for poisonous snakes to appear in the palace for no reason. They could only have been brought in from outside the palace. But these things are not only dangerous, but it's also unlikely that they could be brought in unnoticed. Perhaps there was an outside accomplice."

Jiang Lanye's eyes flickered slightly, and he released the eunuch: "Come with me."

".yes."

He has already been captured by His Majesty, and there is no way he can escape.

Jiang Lanye looked at Song Yi, who was soaked to the bone, his thin lips pressed tightly together. He held Song Yi in his arms, his killing intent surging within him.

Back near Qingliang Palace, they could see Eunuch Cao and Xichun looking around from afar, holding umbrellas.

When the two saw Jiang Lanye and Song Yi return, they quickly ran over.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, you're finally back! The guards searched for you twice already; I was so worried!"

Xichun quickly held the umbrella over Song Yi's head and saw that Song Yi was soaked to the bone, with water still dripping from her skirt. She looked extremely disheveled, and her face was pale.

Jiang Lanye said in a deep voice, "Lock this eunuch in the imperial prison first." "Yes."

Immediately afterwards, the two were escorted into the palace by palace servants.

As soon as they entered, Jiang Lanye immediately closed the door and, before Song Yi could react, quickly untied the belt around her waist: "Quickly take off your clothes, they're soaked."

Song Yi immediately said, "Don't worry about me, you should take your clothes off too."

The rain had washed away most of the bloodstains on Jiang Lanye's face and hands, which showed just how heavy the rain had been.

Song Yi changed into dry clothes, and Jiang Lanye dried her hair again:
"The palace maid is boiling water. Go take a bath first. The imperial kitchen will send over ginger soup. Are you cold now?"

It was actually very cold, but Song Yi didn't want Jiang Lanye to worry so much, so she shook her head and looked at the back of his hand with some heartache.

Her fingertips carefully traced the cuts on the back of his hand caused by splinters.

Although the rain washed away the bloodstains, the wounds still looked bloody and mangled.

Recalling how he had smashed the window open with his fist, Song Yi felt a slight pang of pain in her heart. She kept her eyes downcast, staring at his wound: "Where is the imperial physician? Didn't you send one?"

"I'll be there in a moment. I mainly want to take your pulse, because I'm worried that you might have miscarried again."

After saying that, Song Yi looked up at him.

Even though he was still in a sorry state, he was still exceptionally handsome. After such a big incident, his first thought was still for himself.

Jiang Lanye didn't say anything, just quietly looked at Song Yi's wet eyes.

Today can be described as a narrow escape from death. There is an unspoken understanding between the two that they do not want to speak anymore and just want to look at each other quietly.

Suddenly, as if he could no longer bear it, Jiang Lanye grabbed Song Yi's head and kissed her fiercely.

Before Song Yi could react, Jiang Lanye sealed her lips with his.

The kiss was filled with the trembling of someone who had survived a catastrophe, mixed with the saltiness of rain and the smell of blood, domineering and passionate.

Jiang Lanye's fingers dug deep into her half-dry hair, while his other hand gripped her waist tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

Song Yi was breathless from his kiss, her fingertips unconsciously clutching his clothes, but she didn't resist or push him away. She just endured it as much as possible, because she was also eager to confirm his presence.

Only when Jiang Lanye pinned her against the palace gate did he slightly loosen his hold on her, pressing his forehead against hers as he breathed heavily.

"Do you know," his voice was terribly hoarse, "that when I saw that snake lunge at you, I almost went mad."

Song Yi choked up immediately: "Do you know, the moment you climbed out of the window, when a poisonous snake lunged at you, I almost went crazy. How could you... keep protecting me behind you the whole time? You didn't have a sword, and there were several poisonous snakes. Were you out of your mind?"

"What do you want me to do? You are the one I love, and you are carrying our child. No matter what, even if I die, I will never let you be harmed."

Song Yi was speechless for a moment. Just as she tiptoed to move closer, the voice of a palace maid rang out from outside:

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the hot water is ready."

Song Yi was startled and was about to pull her head back when Jiang Lanye grabbed her waist, forcing her to continue standing on tiptoe: "Give me a kiss and I'll go."

(End of this chapter)