Swallowing back the words that were about to escape, it was utterly stifling.

"To the Yun Family."

Mo Yuanhao’s eyes darkened as his gaze shifted away from her, instructing through the window.

As his words fell, a figure dressed in black flipped down from a height, landing steadily on the carriage shaft, picking up the reins to leave.

The sudden change left the Yun Family coachman on the ground dumbfounded, eyes wide open in confusion.

"Hold on!!!"

At this moment, a loud and powerful voice filled with iron-blooded vigor echoed, and several figures quickly descended, blocking the road ahead of the carriage.

The leading man wore a black crown and a dark outfit, with a fierce and threatening war eagle embroidered on his chest with gold thread.

He wore gilded boots and had a saber at his waist.

Chi Yun, holding the reins, paused slightly, then quickly turned his head toward the carriage and said, "Reporting to the Prince, the Iron Eagle Guard has arrived."

The Iron Eagle Guard, being the Imperial Guard, only takes orders from the current Holy Emperor.

Inside the carriage, Yun Wanyao let out a slight sigh of relief, her tense nerves relaxing.

The Emperor’s men had arrived; it seemed that she most likely wouldn’t be forcibly sent back to the Yun Family by Mo Yuanhao. Well, not bad, the Emperor was still quite reliable.

While secretly pleased, she suddenly sensed a brooding gaze on her, and instinctively turned her head to see the man beside her frowning at her, his eyes ominously dark, quite unsettling.

Yun Wanyao: "..."

Had she celebrated too early?

"Ha, you’ve charmed the elder brother into sending people to protect you all day long. Yun Wanyao, you really have some skills."

He sneered coldly, sarcastically and sardonically, with jealousy bubbling up inside him, about to burst.

Besides the bitterness, there was boundless anger burning.

His fists tightened in his sleeves, nearly breaking ten knuckles, as he narrowed his eyes, suppressing fiercely.

All-day protection?

How could that be?

Yun Wanyao was very skeptical.

If she were truly protected around the clock, why then, after being threatened by him for half the day and being about to be forcibly sent back, was the Iron Eagle Guard only now arriving?

Why hadn’t they appeared sooner?

She pursed her lips, just about to speak when a cold voice echoed from outside the carriage.

"The Emperor has issued an edict, and requests the Prince to disembark and receive it."

"Yun Wanyao, remember my words, find a way to refuse the elder brother, or else, don’t blame me for being impolite to you."

He sternly warned, his voice darker than before; clearly, the appearance of the Iron Eagle Guard had worsened his mood.

Yun Wanyao turned her head aside in silence, not wanting to respond to this issue at all.

"Take care of yourself!"

He gave her a deep look, rose to leave the carriage, and as the curtain fell again, Yun Wanyao breathed a sigh of relief.

At least she didn’t have to face him for now; as for the rest, that could wait for another time.

Outside the carriage, Mo Yuanhao raised his chin, his eyes indifferent as he looked at several Iron Eagle Guards, his expression seemingly emotionless, yet inexplicably giving off a sinister feeling.

Locking eyes for a moment, Commander Situ Yin of the Iron Eagle Guard stepped forward, taking out a scroll from his sleeve, bowing his head, and presenting it with utmost respect.

"Subordinate Iron Eagle Guard Commander Situ Yin, salutes the Prince and requests the Prince to receive the edict..."

This was a secret decree, not to be read aloud, only to be reviewed by Mo Yuanhao after he had accepted it.

Mo Yuanhao lowered his gaze, coldly observing the pale gold scroll before him, then reached out to accept it after a moment.

He grasped the decree, turned to look at Chi Yun still on the carriage shaft, and said coldly, "Chi Yun, have our people withdraw."

Today, his every move was within the elder brother’s grasp.

And this Iron Eagle Guard was the elder brother’s warning to him.

As long as the Iron Eagle Guard was present, he would not be able to force Yun Wanyao to do anything, let alone forcibly send her back to the Yun Family, blocking their meeting.

If he refused to back down now, even the elder brother might not show mercy.

In this way, it would truly lead to fratricidal conflict and enmity with the elder brother, which was not what he wanted.

Mo Yuanhao was extremely unwilling, but for now, he had no other choice but to retreat unless he decided to openly disobey the decree.

"Yes, Prince."

Chi Yun took the order.

Soon, Mo Yuanhao left with his men.

"Miss Yun, subordinate Iron Eagle Guard Commander Situ Yin, at the command of the Emperor, comes to escort you into the palace..."

Situ Yin stepped forward, cupping his hands in salute towards the carriage.

This escort was a clever move, and Yun Wanyao’s eyes shifted as she suddenly began to believe they had been following her in secret all day.

She lifted the carriage window curtain, poking her head out to see the man saluting before her.

The man wore a dark outfit, fierce and imposing, with a bloodthirsty war eagle on his chest, adding an extra hint of menace, making him look very difficult to deal with.

Yun Wanyao nodded politely and said very courteously, "Thank you, Commander Sir."

"Miss Yun, you’re too kind."

The man responded with indifference yet maintained respect.

While exchanging pleasantries, Yun Family guards came limping from the corner of the street, pitifully begging Yun Wanyao for forgiveness.

They were all scratched up, but fortunately not seriously, just superficial wounds.

Seeing their bruised and pitiful appearances, Yun Wanyao didn’t have the heart to blame them and waved off their dereliction.

The people they faced before were from King Qi, and a well-prepared King Qi at that; how could she blame them for not protecting well?

Even her father might not be able to stop King Qi.

With the Iron Eagle Guard escorting, she soon entered the palace unimpeded, heading straight to the Imperial Study.

Inside the Imperial Study, smoke curled gracefully, the air permeated with the elegant scent of sandalwood.

Upon receiving the news that Yun Wanyao had entered the palace and was about to arrive at the Imperial Study, Mo Yuanlin’s sullen face from the entire day finally brightened.

His tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and an inadvertent smile graced his lips.

Seeing this, Eunuch Feng finally relaxed his tense nerves, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, exhaling heavily in relief.

Oh heavens, the Emperor’s mood had finally improved, which was no easy feat.

Ever since stepping down from the court yesterday, the Emperor had been visibly irritable and restless, waiting anxiously for something unknown.

The longer the wait, the stiffer his face became, exuding an increasingly ominous and dangerous aura.

Everyone in the palace felt it, all on edge, ducking and tensed up, not daring to make a sound.

Eunuch Feng thought the Emperor must have encountered some troubling issue in court to be in such a bad mood, but unexpectedly, it was because of Miss Yun.

Very well, Miss Yun, able to influence the Emperor’s emotions like that, truly extraordinary; he noted this carefully.

Eunuch Feng silently elevated Yun Wanyao’s status in his mind to the highest level.

This person was so favored by the Emperor and with such a good background, surely the position of the Empress in the harem was hers for the taking.

"She should be arriving soon. Eunuch Feng, accompany me to meet her..."