Chapter 1443: What a Coincidence

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

She then took the candlestick from the table and tossed it onto the curtain-strewn floor.

Soon, a large fire began to blaze, causing her face to turn exceptionally red. As the fire grew larger, the other items in the room also caught fire. She turned around and walked out slowly.

When Ling Ye finally killed Xue Yingyue and returned to the main courtyard to leave through the hidden passage, she realized that her master had returned.

She was momentarily stunned before rushing forward.

“Prince Zhan Yun, Princess Consort, why have you returned at this time?”

It was not her fault for neglecting basic courtesy. She was simply too surprised. She had not expected her master and mistress to return at this time.

Turning around to glance at the blazing backyard, she licked her lips involuntarily.

She had assumed that since her master would not be back for some time, no one would suspect her even if she killed Xue Yingyue tonight. If anything, gossip would spread that Xue Yingyue’s death was caused by reckless people who started the fire in her courtyard.

However, it seemed a little difficult to explain things now that Qian Jiyun had returned with An Jiuyue.

“What’s going on in the backyard?” Qian Jiyun asked Ling Ye with a stern expression.

“Uhm…” Ling Ye was stunned. “Someone from the palace came today and said they hoped that Madam would never recover after her old illness relapsed. So… I took the initiative to end her.”

An Jiuyue raised her eyebrows. What a coincidence! Xue Yingyue died the moment they arrived.

“It’s my fault. Please punish me, Master.”

Ling Ye knew she had done something bad out of good intentions and knelt down in front of her master.

“Get up.”

Qian Jiyun had no intention of blaming her and allowed her to get up.

Even if he returned, he would not let Xue Yingyue live for another moment. Letting her die like this was letting her off too easy, but it saved him a lot of trouble.

“You’ve completed your task. Leave through the hidden passage.”

“Yes, Master.” Ling Ye obeyed and stood up to leave.

After they left, An Jiuyue looked up and smiled at him.

“What a coincidence.”

“Let me take you to rest.”

Qian Jiyun did not want to talk about Xue Yingyue, so he brought An Jiuyue back to the backyard.

Although many servants had rushed to put out the fire, the servants from Qiongzhi Courtyard were still around. When they saw their master and mistress return, they cooked and waited on them.

The next day, before the morning court assembly began, the old Emperor heard about the fire in the Prince Zhan Yun Residence.

“What did you say? Burned to death?”

Looking at the chief of the shadow guards, the old Emperor felt like his head was about to explode.

He thought Xue Yingyue deserved to die, but not like this. She was Qian Jiyun’s nominal mother. It was obvious that she had been killed.

If this matter were to be traced back to him, wouldn’t it give Qian Jiyun a legitimate reason to rebel?

“What have you done? I said to prevent her from recovering after her relapse. What’s going on now? How could she die so quickly after a relapse?”

The chief of the shadow guards knelt down immediately when he heard the old Emperor’s question.

He knew something was wrong when he heard the news. However, there was no other choice. It was impossible to salvage the situation.

“It’s my fault. Please punish me, Your Majesty.”

The old Emperor gritted his teeth.