Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 99 Bao'er storms the palace! That face... is exactly like His Majesty's!

The murderous intent in the side hall seemed like nothing more than a trivial interlude during the banquet.

The sounds were quickly drowned out by the melodious music and the renewed laughter and chatter.

Ye Huang returned to her seat calmly, her expression as usual, even more relaxed and composed than before.

She would occasionally sip her drink, and sometimes exchange a few words in hushed tones with an elderly princess sitting next to her.

The smile on his lips was faint and composed, as if the near-fatal attack had never happened.

Only the woman in the opposite seat, Liu Cai Ren, was deathly pale, her fingers almost twisting her handkerchief into pieces.

And her slightly trembling shoulders, which she couldn't control, silently told what had just happened.

Liu Chengming lowered his eyes, his white jade wine cup spinning very slowly, and no one could see the expression in his eyes.

Since Ye Huang returned, Nangong Ye's gaze had been seemingly casually fixed on her.

Profound, inquisitive, and carrying a complex emotion that even he himself had not fully grasped.

Her sharp wit when dealing with Sun Jingting, her unfathomable depth after returning unscathed and calm after the "accident"... all of these are far removed from the person he remembers.

But that face...

He picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The cool liquor slid down my throat, but it couldn't suppress the restless unease and... faint burning sensation in my heart.

Just then.

A small commotion arose at the entrance of the corridor leading to the women's rest area on the side of the main hall.

First came several palace servants' hushed, panicked attempts to dissuade him: "Young master, you can't go in..."

"Miss Jinshu, stop her quickly..."

Then came a child's clear, slightly anxious voice: "I want my mother! Where is my mother?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of many people during the brief moments of quiet.

Ye Huang's hand holding the cup paused almost imperceptibly.

Nangong Ye looked up.

At the entrance of the corridor, Jinshu was frantically trying to grab a child wearing a small sapphire blue brocade robe.

The child was about three or four years old, fair-skinned and adorable, with two little buns on her head.

She was struggling to break free from Jinshu's grasp, peeking her little head into the main hall.

Her big, dark eyes, like black grapes soaking in water, were filled with curiosity and a little unease.

"Baby!"

Jinshu was so anxious that sweat beaded on her forehead, but she didn't dare to raise her voice, so she could only coax her in a low voice.

"Sweetie, Mommy's busy. Let's go back first. Auntie will get you some candy, okay?"

"don't want!"

The child called Bao'er pouted, her eyes slightly red.

"Baby wants to find Mommy! It's so noisy here, Baby's scared..."

As he spoke, taking advantage of Jinshu's distraction, he kicked his leg.

He actually broke free from her grasp and, like a nimble little rabbit, darted into the main hall!

"Bao'er!" Jinshu exclaimed in surprise, and without thinking, she hurriedly chased after him.

This caused quite a stir.

What was initially noticed by only a few tables nearby has now drawn the attention of half the hall.

The sudden appearance of a beautifully crafted little child, clearly not a member of the royal family, at a solemn banquet in the Taiji Hall was enough to attract attention.

Bao'er seemed startled by the sudden focus of attention and stopped in her tracks.

Standing on the thick carpet at the edge of the main hall, she clenched her small fists somewhat helplessly.

But he soon spotted the person he was looking for, and his eyes lit up.

She immediately forgot her fear, opened her little hands, and stumbled and ran towards Ye Huang's seat.

"Mother!"

The childish voice called out, echoing through the suddenly quiet hall.

Everyone's gaze, instinctively following the direction the child was running, fell upon the woman in red.

Just moments ago, Madam Yehuang had been sharp-tongued and imposing, but now her icy expression had vanished, replaced by a look of utter helplessness and tender affection.

She stood up, took two quick steps, bent down, and steadily caught the small dumpling that was rushing towards her.

"Baby, what are you doing here?" she asked softly, raising her hand to tidy up the child's messy little pigtails.

"Baby's awake, can't find her mother..."

Bao'er hugged her neck tightly, buried her face in the crook of her shoulder, and said in a muffled voice, with a hint of grievance.

"Aunt Jinshu said Mother is eating something delicious, and Bao'er wants some too..."

The words of a child are innocent and pure.

However, inside the hall, no one paid any attention to what the child was saying.

All eyes were fixed on Bao'er's raised face, as if nailed to the ground!

The child ran so fast and was caught by Ye Huang that many people didn't see it clearly.

At this moment, Bao'er nestled in her mother's arms, her face turned towards the main hall, the clear outline of her eyebrows, nose, and lips...

hiss--

Someone gasped first.

Immediately afterwards, gasps of breath rose and fell.

Countless gazes lingered on the child's face for a moment, then, as if drawn by invisible threads, they all turned sharply and suddenly toward the throne!

Look at Nangong Ye!

picture!

so similar!

The arch of those eyebrows, the straight bridge of that nose, the slightly stubborn lip line when pursed… especially the shape of those eyes, the subtle upturn at the corners—

They're practically identical miniature versions!

If Ye Huang's appearance is vastly different from that of the late Empress Shen in terms of temperament, it's hard to believe.

So this child... is a perfect replica of Nangong Ye when he was young!

This requires absolutely no guessing or proof!

The mark of blood ties is clearly and forcefully written on this little face, as obvious as day!

With a soft "crack," a tiny crack appeared in the wine glass in Liu Chengming's hand, and wine seeped out, wetting his fingertips.

He stared intently at Bao'er, his usual gentle smile vanished, replaced by a gloomy and cold expression after the shock.

Liu Cairen was struck dumb, and she quickly covered her mouth to stop the scream that almost escaped her lips.

She looked at Bao'er, then at Nangong Ye, then at Ye Huang, and her vision blurred, as if all the blood in her body had frozen instantly.

Xiao Jue clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white, his gaze falling on Ye Huang and the child in her arms with a complex mix of emotions, his worry evident in his expression.

Shen Anbang's beard trembled slightly, and his old eyes instantly filled with tears of excitement. He suppressed his emotions and managed not to lose his composure as he stood up.

For the first time, the playful smile on Prince Jing's face vanished completely. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the child.

He glanced at the throne again, a swift calculation and chilling glint flashing deep in his eyes.

The entire hall, filled with civil and military officials, women and noblewomen, was utterly speechless with astonishment.

Dead silence.

A suffocating silence enveloped the entire Taiji Hall.

The music had long since stopped.

The dancer stood there, bewildered and helpless.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Only in the center of the hall, the mother and child embraced, and on the throne, the emperor slowly and stiffly rose to his feet.

Nangong Ye stood up.

The movements were slow, yet carried a heavy weight, like the imminent collapse of a mountain.

His eyes were fixed intently on the child in Ye Huang's arms.

All doubts, all speculations, all self-deception were shattered at this moment by that little face.

Blood was surging in my ears.

His heart pounded wildly in his chest, bringing with it sharp pains and... a raging torrent that almost overwhelmed him.

Yes……

His child...

His and Qingci's child...

He didn't die... He survived... and grew into this beautiful and lovely young man...

All the despair, regret, and self-torture of those two years of blank time now transformed into a surging torrent, assaulting his crumbling rationality.

His gaze struggled to leave the child's face and land on Ye Huang's calm and expressionless face.

She was looking at him too.

Their eyes met.

There was no panic, no pleading, no hatred... not even any particular emotion.

There was only a bottomless calm.

It was as if this earth-shattering scene before her eyes was something she had anticipated all along.

Nangong Ye's Adam's apple bobbed violently.

He opened his mouth and tried several times before finally making a sound.

The voice was terribly dry and hoarse, with an undisguised tremor, and it was eerily clear in the silent hall:

"This...this child..."

He paused, took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, before finally asking the question that had been weighing on his heart for three years and was now finally breaking through the ground:

"What's your name?"