LNTSWJLY Chapter 57

The autumn air grew colder.

The night wind rustled softly, while the red curtains and gauzy bed drapes billowed and fluttered, casting the figures within into a hazy, dreamlike blur.

Ying Qingzhu watched Yu Zhi’s back as he lit the lamps and burned incense.

His Adam’s apple bobbed.

He forcibly moved his gaze away from that slender and elegant figure.

They had agreed that abstinence was supposed to be good for one’s health. How could he possibly go back on his own words now?

Thinking about this man’s health and remembering the prescription from earlier, all the impulses and fantasies in Ying Qingzhu’s mind were completely driven away. His thoughts quickly settled down.

By the time Yu Zhi turned around, Ying Qingzhu had already returned to his previous composure.

Ying Qingzhu was about to take off his clothes and go to sleep as well when his gaze unconsciously lingered for a moment on the faint fragrance drifting from within the bed curtains.

Suddenly, he said, “Yu Zhi, do you think it’s possible that this fragrance is only a smokescreen?”

Yu Zhi looked up at him.

“Is that all you wanted to say?”

Ying Qingzhu met his gaze. Remembering what he had just been thinking, he felt slightly guilty and said, “What else would it be?”

Yu Zhi withdrew his gaze with a half-smile, half-not, pretending that he had noticed nothing.

But did this man really not know that his face turned red whenever he felt guilty or embarrassed?

“Perhaps. But are you planning to warn the Emperor?”

Ying Qingzhu thought for a moment, lowered his eyes, and shook his head.

“Even if I told him, what would it change? Even if he believed me and exposed the conspiracy, he would probably only become wary of me and suspicious of me.”

Ying Qingzhu had complicated feelings toward this Imperial Father of his.

They had not had much contact with each other, nor did they have much deep affection between them.

People liked to say that someone would love the people their beloved cared about, simply because they cared about that beloved person. But that was nothing more than a lie.

Without spending a long time together, how could two people possibly develop deep feelings?

At most, he might have a somewhat different impression of the other person.

Beyond that, there was nothing more.

When Ying Qingzhu had been young and immature, he had even hated the Emperor.

But as he gradually grew older, he came to understand more about the ways of the world and the reasons behind things.

To him, the Emperor of today was merely both the witness to his mother’s final wish and an obstacle standing in his way.

In this world, the only person he could place in his heart, in a place no one else could reach, was Yu Zhi.

Yu Zhi smiled and reached out, intending to ruffle his hair. However, Ying Qingzhu was standing while Yu Zhi was sitting, so the movement was somewhat awkward.

After thinking for a moment, Yu Zhi pulled him down to sit beside him on the bed.

“Perhaps you don’t need to think about all this. Everything has its own course.”

In the original storyline, the Emperor’s eventual fate was not particularly good either. In fact, it was rather undignified.

He had fallen victim to one of the schemes used in the struggle for favor within the imperial harem. The original story did not explain the details very clearly, but it did mention that one of the imperial consorts was secretly executed.

The Emperor fell into a coma and became bedridden. Meanwhile, the Seventh Prince had Rong Yunchang keep the Third Prince occupied while he took control of the imperial palace himself. He then had Rong Yunchang captured and used her to threaten the Third Prince.

That was how the Third Prince lost.

Yu Zhi did not know much about what happened afterward, but he knew that the Seventh Prince was not the final winner either.

It was reasonable to guess that Ying Qingzhu had eventually become the one waiting to reap the benefits.

By that calculation, helping Ying Qingzhu succeed seemed only natural.

His thoughts shifted, and he smiled as he helped Ying Qingzhu out of his clothes. After the two of them got into bed, they soon fell asleep.

In a half-dreaming, half-awake state, Yu Zhi heard Ying Qingzhu mumble softly,

“Yu Zhi, you have to be well…”

Yu Zhi, who had not yet fallen asleep, paused.

He opened his eyes and looked at Ying Qingzhu beside him. He knew that Ying Qingzhu was still worried about his health and could not put his mind at ease.

Yu Zhi had originally wanted to tell him the truth.

But now, that thought was gone.

It was better not to tell him about something so heartbreaking and yet so helpless for the time being. There was no point in giving him another source of worry.

He stretched out his long arm and gently rested it around Ying Qingzhu’s waist.

Then he fell into a deep sleep.

………………

In recent days, the struggle between the Third Prince and the Seventh Prince had entered its most intense stage. The Seventh Prince was set to marry after the New Year. He already had a considerable reputation among scholars and literati, and now he also had a powerful family through marriage whose members controlled the city’s defense forces in the capital. His influence could no longer be underestimated.

Not only that, he had even begun appearing at various poetry gatherings and banquets to build up his reputation.

In just one month, the Seventh Prince’s reputation for being both virtuous and talented, as well as respectful toward and eager to recruit capable scholars, had spread throughout the capital.

At the same time, the Seventh Prince was secretly sending people to spread rumors that the Third Prince was ruthless and cruel, lacking benevolence in his heart and arrogant in his conduct.

The tactic of putting one person down while praising another was old-fashioned, but it worked very well.

The Third Prince sneered. “I really did underestimate him.”

It was because he had been softhearted that he had allowed this younger brother to reach where he was today. After reflecting on this, the Third Prince thought about it again and again and decided that he had to find an opportunity to completely destroy this younger brother with one fatal strike.

Seeing how concerned Rong Yunchang was about him, the Third Prince smiled reassuringly and reached out to touch her abdomen.

“Don’t worry. Just stay in the residence and give birth to our child safely. Leave everything else to me.”

Rong Yunchang looked at him and smiled as she nestled into his arms.

“Your Highness, I believe in you…”

In her previous life, without her, His Highness would definitely have succeeded. She believed things would be the same this time…

No.

That mysterious person!

They still had not found that mysterious person!

Rong Yunchang had spent a long time thinking about it recently. In the end, she went through every possible candidate she knew of and eliminated them one by one. Ultimately, she felt that Prince Ying was still the most likely possibility.

Perhaps Prince Ying had not actually died back then.

Perhaps he had faked his death and escaped, then later led a large army into the capital.

“Your Highness, you must be careful of Prince Ying,” she reminded him.

The Third Prince frowned. “You mean he is planning to rebel?”

Rong Yunchang nodded. “It would be better for Your Highness to make preparations against him first.”

The Third Prince thought for a moment.

“I understand. I’ll have people keep an eye on the movements in the capital and Liyang.”

Rong Yunchang felt that she should be able to put her mind at ease now.

Yet she was still worried.

Why?

Could it be… that person was not Prince Ying?

Yu Zhi still had no idea that someone had already helped him make preparations against Prince Ying. At that moment, he was listening to the information that had been gathered from investigations within the imperial palace.

As Ying Qingzhu had suspected before, the so-called fragrance that had supposedly won the Zhaoyi the Emperor’s favor was merely a smokescreen she had deliberately put forward. In reality, the Zhaoyi was relying on her cooking skills.

She was an excellent cook, and every day she prepared food that left the Emperor unable to stop eating. He almost wished he could have all three meals a day in the Zhaoyi’s palace.

Yu Zhi began to have a suspicion. This so-called excellent cooking probably involved adding something that should not have been added, something that gradually made people addicted to it and unable to stop.

As soon as this thought occurred to him, Yu Zhi told Ying Qingzhu.

Ying Qingzhu frowned and asked, “Wushisan?”

Yu Zhi shook his head.

“It’s similar to Wushisan. Both can make people addicted.” He then said two words.

Ying Qingzhu frowned. He had never heard of it.

Yu Zhi then took a book from the bookshelf. It contained a description of the opium poppy.

Ying Qingzhu watched in silence, a complicated look showing through the anger in his eyes.

Although he had been thinking about not exposing the matter or telling the Emperor, he still found it difficult to sort out his feelings when he watched the Emperor being manipulated with something like this right before his eyes.

“You want to save him?” Yu Zhi pointed it out directly.

Ying Qingzhu looked up at him.

“What do you think? What should I do?”

Yu Zhi held his hand, as though giving him strength.

“Whatever you decide to do, it won’t be wrong.”

Ying Qingzhu’s heart truly settled because of Yu Zhi’s gesture.

They had only known each other for half a year, yet he could no longer remember what kind of life he had lived before Yu Zhi came into it.

Scheming… scheming… and more scheming?

The circumstances and misfortunes of several of the princes were, to one degree or another, connected to him.

Because his actions had been subtle and had never taken anyone’s life, no one had suspected him. As for the Third Prince and the Seventh Prince, he had not yet made a move against them because their birth mother was the Noble Consort, and because he still needed time.

But now, he could no longer imagine how he had managed to get through those dull, tedious years.

Cold and heartless.

Empty and lonely.

With Yu Zhi, it was as though the emotions and softness in his heart that had been discarded for more than ten years had all returned.

Gentle and peaceful, with warmth filling his heart.

Ying Qingzhu planned to find an opportunity to expose the Zhaoyi’s methods. However, he never could have imagined that plans could not keep up with changes.

Two days before New Year’s Eve, the Emperor announced in court that government affairs would be suspended for the holiday. On New Year’s Eve that night, the imperial palace would hold the annual palace banquet, after which a half-month holiday would begin.

The Emperor was very happy because everything had been going smoothly for him lately.

His two sons were fighting in secret, while the court officials had begun choosing sides again and carefully weighing the two princes. No one was pressuring him to establish an Empress or Crown Prince anymore.

The Emperor had not appointed another Empress all these years partly because he still remembered his late Empress.

If the former Empress were still alive, perhaps the two of them would already have grown tired of each other. But she had died, and she had died because of him.

She had died so decisively, so tragically beautiful, and in a way that made her impossible to forget.

Because of that, she had left the deepest impression in the Emperor’s heart. Their feelings had been frozen at their most intense moment, never given the chance to change or deteriorate.

For all these years, the Emperor had neither cared for nor paid much attention to Ying Qingzhu. Part of the reason was that he had been busy. After all, he was the Emperor. Another reason was that he could not quite face this child, who had witnessed his birth mother kill herself right in front of his birth father.

Although the Emperor had just stepped outside at the time and had not seen anything himself, whenever he looked at Ying Qingzhu, he still felt as though he had returned to that day.

The day he did not want to forget, yet desperately wanted to forget.

That day, he went to the Buddhist hall to offer incense to the late Empress. On his way back, he happened to pass the palace of his newly favored Zhaoyi, so he could not resist going inside to see what his beloved consort was doing.

Because he had gone to offer incense, he had not brought anyone with him. For some reason, there was no one guarding the Zhaoyi’s palace either.

He quietly slipped inside. As he went farther in, he gradually heard two people talking.

One of the voices was very familiar. It belonged to his newly favored Zhaoyi.

The other voice, however, was completely unfamiliar.

“How much do you have left?”

“Not much. Enough for a month.”

“Master said not to spoil His Majesty too much. Otherwise, this stuff might start to show signs of what it really is.”

“I know. Does Master have any other instructions?”

“Master wants to know His Majesty’s habits and preferences. The more detailed, the better.”

“Understood.”

“Remember, don’t put in too much poppy. He’ll be able to taste it. Add it little by little and take your time. Master said there’s no need to rush. You can wait until his legitimate eldest son is born before dealing His Majesty a heavier blow. Remember, make sure to frame…”

The two of them discussed their secrets and sent away everyone around them, never realizing that the Emperor had happened to arrive by chance and overheard everything.

When the Emperor first heard those words, he was completely stunned. Then, as he pieced together what had happened, his heart filled with fury!

His first thought was to have this audacious wretch seized and tortured until she confessed! He wanted to know exactly who had dared to commit such a crime against him!

Was it the Third Prince or the Seventh Prince?

Burning with rage, he immediately strode into the hall and walked up to the Zhaoyi, who was staring at him in confusion and terror.

He raised his hand and slapped her across the face.

“Bitch!”

The Zhaoyi was slapped so hard that she fell to the floor, trembling all over. The table was knocked over along with her, sending cups and teapots crashing onto the floor and shattering everywhere!

The other palace maid who had been speaking was also drenched in sweat. In a panic, she fell to her knees.

“Your Majesty…”

“Your Majesty, spare my life!”

How could the Emperor possibly spare their lives?

“I’ll have you cut into a thousand pieces and confiscate your entire family’s property, and wipe out your entire clan! I want to see just how many lives you have!”

He turned around to leave, but suddenly stepped on the small porcelain bottle that the palace maid had dropped from her hand in her fear. Inside was poppy powder.

The Emperor slipped.

By sheer bad luck, his head struck the broken pieces of porcelain on the floor. Blood immediately burst from his eyes, head, and face as the sharp fragments cut into him!

“Ah—!”

“Call the imperial physicians… Hurry and call the imperial physicians for me!”

The Emperor’s eyes were in terrible pain. He covered them with his hands, but blood seeped through his fingers…

He shouted in panic, his entire heart consumed by fear and confusion.

He was afraid… afraid that he would go blind.

There could not be a one-eyed Emperor on the throne!

He would be forced to abdicate and become a powerless retired Emperor, living every day by watching his son’s expression, just as he had once lived by watching the expressions of his court officials.

Yet seeing him like this, the Zhaoyi somehow found the courage from somewhere. Instead of calling for the imperial physicians, she picked up a flower vase, gritted her teeth, and brought it crashing down onto the Emperor’s head.

“You…”

The Emperor collapsed among the broken porcelain, but he was still struggling.

The Zhaoyi was both shocked and terrified, yet she continued smashing the vase down again and again until the Emperor stopped moving.

Her eyes filled with panic and her whole body trembling, she threw the vase aside.

“I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die… You forced me into this!”

After experiencing wealth and luxury, how could she possibly be willing to lose it all and be tortured to death by the Emperor?

In her panic, she could only attack him.

She grabbed the terrified palace maid tightly and lowered her voice.

“I have a way to help Master obtain the throne sooner. As long as Master guarantees me a life of peace and prosperity for the rest of my life!”

The palace maid violently turned her head to look at her.

When the Third Prince received the news, he was just about to go to the Noble Consort’s palace to pay his respects. Recently, because of the Seventh Prince’s various reckless moves and the child Rong Yunchang was carrying, his relationship with the Noble Consort had grown much closer. Naturally, he had to spend time maintaining that relationship.

As soon as he received the news, he exclaimed in shock and anger, “Take me there at once!”

When he saw the Emperor lying on the bed with his face covered in blood, his heart tightened. He turned to look at the Zhaoyi.

“What are you planning to do?!”

“This concubine is willing to tell the Seventh Prince about this and persuade him to conceal the matter and hold His Majesty hostage. Then, Your Highness can eliminate the Seventh Prince in the name of rescuing His Majesty and ascend the throne openly and legitimately.”

The Third Prince’s heart skipped a beat. At first, it sounded like something out of a wild fantasy, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it was not entirely impossible.

If it succeeded, he could ascend the throne openly and legitimately, with a perfectly clean reputation. If it failed…

As long as he took advantage of the chaos to kill the Seventh Prince, the outcome would be the same.

He looked at the Zhaoyi kneeling before him.

After a long while, he finally nodded.

Soon, the Seventh Prince received word that one of his own people had injured the Emperor and that the Emperor had remained unconscious ever since.

The Seventh Prince: “!!!”

He hurried into the palace and discovered that the situation was indeed as reported. He was so nervous that his heart nearly jumped out of his chest!

“What exactly happened?!”

“It was Third Prince. He accused me of having an affair with you, Seventh Prince. His Majesty was furious and wanted to punish both of us. I was afraid that this would ruin Your Highness’s great undertaking, so I…”

“Your Highness, I am nothing more than an orphaned woman. If I die, then so be it. But you are a true dragon. How could a true dragon possibly remain trapped in a shallow stream?”

When he heard the first part, the Seventh Prince’s face had nearly turned green. He wished he could have this woman who had acted on her own without permission cut into a thousand pieces.

But when he heard the rest, he felt that what she said made sense.

Things had already come to this. What use was there in pursuing who was at fault? All he could do was find a way to deal with the situation.

Left with no other choice, the Seventh Prince could only threaten Ping’an, the chief eunuch most trusted and relied upon by the Emperor, and order him to announce to the outside world that His Majesty had suffered a recurrence of his head ailment and needed to rest in seclusion.

He decided to drag things out until the New Year’s Eve palace banquet. By then, the families of all the court officials would be in the palace, and he did not believe they would refuse to submit.

Thinking of this, he immediately sent someone to notify his future father-in-law, telling him to secretly move troops into the capital and send them into the palace.

Meanwhile, when the Third Prince received news of the Seventh Prince’s series of moves, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

He had not expected things to go so smoothly. The Seventh Prince was cooperating so well.

“Are our people ready?”

“Ready to move at any time!”

“What about the imperial harem and the princes and princesses?”

“The Seventh Prince has made no arrangements for them.”

The Third Prince cursed under his breath.

“This idiot!”

He immediately ordered, “Go! Have people guard those places. Not even a mosquito is allowed to fly out!”

“Yes!”

The Third Prince was once again deeply suspicious.

“He even needs me to help him with his palace coup. How could an idiot like this possibly compete with me?”

Yu Zhi had also received the news.

He could hardly believe that things had developed to this point. Shouldn’t there have been someone protecting the Emperor at all times? How could a consort have managed to get to him so easily?

In fact, it was because the Emperor felt somewhat guilty and ashamed toward the late Empress. At the same time, those memories represented a humiliating past that he did not want to face.

Whenever someone saw the late Empress’s memorial tablet, he felt as though they had seen that disgraceful past of his as well. Because of this, he had always forbidden anyone from accompanying him.

Nothing had gone wrong during the previous ten-odd years.

Who would have thought that something would happen today?

“We can’t wait any longer. Have your people stand ready at all times. Then write a letter and send it to Yuzhou. One day should be enough.”

Ying Qingzhu had originally made plans with Yu Zhi to go to the Lantern Festival together, so he had been staying at the Prince Ying’s Residence these past few days. Now that the imperial harem had been sealed off, he could not return there either.

“Alright. I’ll make the arrangements right away.”

After thinking for a moment, he said, “Stay at the residence tomorrow. Don’t enter the palace.”

He knew very well that entering the palace meant walking straight into a trap. He did not want Yu Zhi to put himself in danger.

“No.”

Yu Zhi refused without hesitation.

“Why?” Ying Qingzhu frowned in displeasure.

Yu Zhi looked at him.

“Tomorrow, entering the palace will be extremely dangerous. I have a safer and simpler way to get you inside, and I can guarantee that once you enter the palace, you’ll be able to get close to His Majesty.”

Ying Qingzhu was puzzled.

On New Year’s Eve, a carriage headed toward the palace gates. In the end, just like the carriages belonging to the other nobles, it was stopped by the guards at the gate.

The inspection today was especially thorough. Everyone inside each carriage had to get out and enter the palace on foot.

Although the others were somewhat puzzled, they did not think much of it. They simply assumed that because it was the New Year’s Eve palace banquet, extra caution was only proper.

Two extraordinarily handsome people stepped down from the carriage, their beauty seeming almost beyond that of ordinary mortals.

Many people had already seen Yu Zhi’s face, so he was not unfamiliar to them. As for the unfamiliar woman beside him, she must be the Prince Ying’s Heir’s Wife, who was often said to be ill?

Taking a closer look, she truly possessed the fleeting beauty of a startled swan and the kind of beauty that could make fish sink and wild geese fall. No wonder the Prince Ying’s Heir was so deeply captivated by her.

Even those watching felt their hearts stir with desire.

Unfortunately, with everyone watching in broad daylight, no one was willing to step forward and strike up a conversation. Otherwise, would that not be making their intentions obvious to everyone?

At this point, none of them yet knew what was waiting for them that night.

Yu Zhi looked around and successfully spotted the Third Prince’s carriage. He lowered his voice and said, “Looks like they just arrived too and haven’t gone far. Let’s hurry and get to His Majesty before they do. Are your people all ready?”

Ying Qingzhu nodded. As long as he gave the order, dealing with the troops inside the palace would be no problem.

“But you…”

He was still worried about Yu Zhi and wanted him to stay by his side.

Yu Zhi smiled and reassured him. “Don’t worry. Trust me. Nothing will happen.”

Trust him.

Ying Qingzhu looked at him seriously. Seeing the calm certainty in Yu Zhi’s eyes, as though he already had everything under control, he felt slightly reassured.

That was true. His own people were also waiting outside the hall. No matter what happened, they would still be able to protect Yu Zhi.

The two of them followed everyone into the palace.

The guests had originally intended to go to Zichen Hall, where the palace banquets were usually held. However, the palace maid instead led them to Hall of Longevity.

The officials were puzzled and were just about to ask why when they saw the palace maid run away, trembling from head to toe.

The more perceptive officials immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Something had happened!

“Quick! Call the Imperial Guards! Enter the palace and rescue His Majesty!”

Someone in the crowd shouted.

As soon as his voice fell, a group of soldiers wearing the armor of the capital’s city-defense forces appeared outside the hall.

They pushed open the doors.

The man leading them called out loudly,

“His Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to leave Hall of Longevity!”

Everyone knew this was a false imperial decree. The Emperor had most likely already been taken under control, and no one knew what had happened inside the palace. Everything had still been fine just two days ago, so how had the Emperor suddenly gotten into trouble?

Some of the court officials immediately wanted to step forward to defend their sovereign and serve the country. However, there were not only officials here but also countless members of their families. These people were thrown into a panic, and some even began shouting in alarm. The scene became extremely chaotic for a while.

At this moment, the Third Prince felt that the time had finally come.

He should step forward and shout for everyone to rescue His Majesty, then fight his way out and join up with his own men. Together, they would fight their way into his Imperial Father’s sleeping quarters, capture the Seventh Prince, who had harmed and imprisoned the Emperor, and throw him into prison. Then, once the court officials who had witnessed his loyalty saw the miserable state his Imperial Father was in, it would be a foregone conclusion that he would be made Crown Prince.

That was what he thought.

That was how things should have gone.

He was just about to shout when, in the next instant, his neck suddenly turned cold.

A flash of silver fell against his throat.

“Don’t move!”

A cold, chilling voice came from behind him.

It was both familiar and unfamiliar.

It was familiar because of the person speaking, yet unfamiliar because he had never heard that person speak in such a cold and severe voice before.

Someone who witnessed the scene was so shocked that he shouted, “The Prince Ying’s Heir entered the palace carrying a weapon and is holding the Third Prince hostage… Is he trying to rebel?!”

Everyone in the hall stared at the scene before them.

The Third Prince, who had always carried himself with dignity and noble authority, was now standing with a sword pressed against his neck!

And the owner of that sword was actually—

The Heir of Prince Ying?!

Yes.

Following the gleaming edge of that green-steel sword, everyone could clearly see that the person holding it was none other than Yu Zhi, who is the notorious playboy and wastrel of the past, and later the foolish lovesick man!

Yu Zhi was dressed in cloud-patterned brocade. Only the wide sleeves of his robe had been large enough to conceal a sword. Now that the three-foot-long green-steel sword had been drawn, an intimidating sharpness radiated from his entire body.

He was still smiling, but it was no longer his usual carefree, romantic smile.

Instead, he was like the blazing sun itself; brilliant, scorching, and impossible to ignore.

“Everyone has misunderstood. I am not the one committing rebellion or treason. I am merely purging the Emperor’s court of treacherous subjects and suppressing the rebels on behalf of the imperial family.”

“I have come under the orders of the legitimate eldest son born to the late Empress to capture the Third Prince and Seventh Prince, who intended to force their way into the palace and commit treason.”

Everyone was stunned.

What the hell?

When had the late Empress ever given birth to a son? Had they all lost their memories, or had they suddenly gone deaf?

Everyone looked at one another, but in each other’s eyes, they saw the exact same confusion they felt themselves.

They were completely baffled, but the Third Prince was not.

At this moment, countless pieces of information converged in his mind.

The late Empress…

The legitimate eldest son…

Chang’er’s unease…

The person she always talked about, the one hiding in the shadows…

It seemed that as long as he could figure out just one thing, just one thing and he would be able to understand everything!

Yu Zhi turned his head toward Ying Qingzhu and spoke in a tone that was both reassuring and urging him to hurry.

“Go. I’m here.”

Now that his existence had been revealed to everyone, Ying Qingzhu did not care.

Instead, he glanced at the sword in Yu Zhi’s hand, then looked at Yu Zhi himself. From this, he could tell that Yu Zhi’s martial skills were probably quite good and that he was confident in handling himself.

His heart relaxed a little, but he still could not completely let go of his worry.

He said quietly, “Wait for me!”

Yu Zhi smiled.

“Come back soon.”

Ying Qingzhu quickly stepped out.

At the same time, he drew a green-steel sword identical to Yu Zhi’s. Working together with a squad of men dressed in black from both inside and outside, he easily wiped out all the forces surrounding Hall of Longevity, then charged straight toward the Emperor’s bedchamber.

“Ahhhhhh—!”

Someone screamed in terror.

If Yu Zhi’s sudden attack had left everyone shocked, then Ying Qingzhu’s attack left the more than one hundred officials, nobles, and their family members present completely stunned and dumbfounded.

They did not understand.

Why had the Heir of Prince Ying’s Wife, who had seemed perfectly normal just moments ago, suddenly become so terrifying? She was practically a rakshasa woman, a ruthless executioner!

Wait!

Was he really a woman?!

Watching Ying Qingzhu’s long skirt billow as he cleanly and efficiently dealt with the men whom he and the Seventh Prince had stationed outside Hall of Longevity, the Third Prince’s eyes suddenly widened.

At last, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place in his mind.

The Fourth Princess!

The fury and urgency in his heart nearly burst through his chest. He did not even care that a sword was still pressed against his neck. He swiftly pulled away and engaged Yu Zhi, then drew the dagger hidden inside his clothes and attacked him!

“The late Empress and the Fourth Princess deceived the Emperor and defied the sovereign! They passed off a son as a daughter and corrupted the imperial harem! By law, their entire clan should be executed!”

The expressions of the court officials watching the scene changed.

Some were trembling all over from fear.

Others were trembling with anger.

And some were trembling with excitement!

They were not fools. The Third Prince’s words had awakened them to the truth, and in an instant, they understood everything.

Some even wanted to echo the Third Prince’s accusation, hoping to leave a good impression on him.

However, before they could strike first, someone beat them to it with a single sentence that made them swallow back the words that had almost left their mouths.

“You said their entire clan should be executed. Does that mean the imperial family would have to be executed together with them?”

Yu Zhi was quite pleased that the Third Prince had not foolishly tried to run away.

Of course, the Third Prince was destined to get nowhere even if he did.

Yu Zhi leisurely admired the Third Prince’s overwhelming fury while effortlessly holding him off. He even found time to answer with that one sentence that had nearly made the Third Prince spit blood.

There was nothing more to say.

The most important thing for the Third Prince now was to get out of Hall of Longevity.

His men were not limited to the small force stationed outside Hall of Longevity. Even if those men were killed, he still had other opportunities.

But if he remained trapped here, then everything he had planned would go to waste!

The oriole behind the mantis…

Sure enough, there really was an oriole waiting behind!

Why had he not listened to Chang’er earlier?!

Today’s matter was too serious. He was afraid that Rong Yunchang would get into trouble if she came to the palace, so he had arranged for her to stay home instead.

He desperately wanted to defeat Yu Zhi.

He desperately wanted to escape Hall of Longevity.

He desperately wanted to go to the Emperor’s bedchamber and ‘rescue His Majesty’!

Yet not a single one of these things could he accomplish!

He could not beat Yu Zhi!

The thought became increasingly clear in his mind as he found it harder and harder to deal with Yu Zhi.

He was running out of strength.

But Yu Zhi was still handling him with the same effortless ease. He was not even using his full strength. It was almost as if he were playing house with a child.

Yu Zhi clearly had the ability to take him down, yet he was here playing cat and mouse with him?

The Third Prince’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, and he was so furious he almost spat blood!

Was defeating him not enough for this man?

Did he have to humiliate him like this as well?!

The moment this thought arose, some of the Third Prince’s strength returned. Driven beyond his limits, his movements became another two degrees faster.

Yet even then, he still could not do anything to Yu Zhi.

Yu Zhi’s green-steel sword suddenly turned in his hand, and with effortless ease, he casually traced a flower with the blade. It looked simple enough, but if the Third Prince had not dodged quickly, there would now have been a blood-red flower blooming on his hand.

Yu Zhi knew that the male protagonist was extremely tenacious and unwilling to give up easily. However, if he continued to push himself like this, Yu Zhi feared that both his mind and body would suffer serious damage.

Thinking that Ying Qingzhu should have reached his destination by now, Yu Zhi stopped delaying and decisively knocked the Third Prince’s weapon out of his hand.

The people hiding nearby and watching the fight saw the Heir of Prince, Ying who had completely overturned their understanding of him, suddenly flash behind the Third Prince like a ghost.

The three-foot green-steel sword once again pressed against the Third Prince’s neck, drawing a thin line of blood.

But unlike before, the Third Prince was no longer neat and composed. He was drenched in sweat, smeared with blood and dirt, and looked utterly disheveled!

Then they heard that man’s clear, pleasant voice as he said lightly,

“You lost.”

====================