Shen Lixue blinked and looked down at Consort Shu: "Consort Shu, arrows have no eyes. When they shoot at us, they will also kill you. Do you want to perish together with us?"
Consort Shu raised her head slightly in the afternoon, her sharp gaze sweeping over Ye Qianlong. Lu Jiangfeng said, "The noble Crown Prince of Xiliang, the prodigy of the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion, and the Princess Consort of Qingyan Anjun—each of them is an extraordinary person of noble status. It's worth it for me, Mu Zixin, to drag all three of you down with me!"
"But it seems Duke Mu can't bear to see you die!" Shen Lixue lowered her voice, deliberately provoking Consort Shu. Duke Mu agreed to personally escort them out of the palace in order to save Consort Shu. Heh, what a deep bond between brother and sister. She could gauge Consort Shu's importance in Duke Mu's heart and weigh the most favorable terms for them.
"Brother, don't worry about me, quickly shoot them dead!" Consort Shu roared angrily. Her enemies were taunting and showing off in front of her. She couldn't stand it anymore, she couldn't stand it for even a moment longer.
Shen Lixue hid most of her body behind Consort Shu, with Ye Qianlong and Lu Jiangfeng flanking her completely, preventing the arrows from hitting her at all.
This indirectly shows that she is the center of the trio. Lu Jiangfeng and Ye Qianlong both fawn over her. As long as they can persuade her, the other two will surrender without resistance.
Duke Mu coldly looked at Shen Lixue: "Consort Shu may not care about her own safety, but Heaven cherishes life, and I am not one to kill the innocent indiscriminately. I will give you one last chance: will you perish together with her, or will you let her leave the palace?"
Shen Lixue raised the corners of her mouth slightly, forming a mocking smile: "Duke Mu, don't think I don't know the situation in the capital. You have the military seal and control of the Imperial Guard. You have been able to harm those noble families who oppose you. The border soldiers are too far away to help, so you have been able to create chaos in the capital."
"The Imperial City Guard is loyal to the Ye family. If your Mu family becomes emperor, the Imperial City Guard will rebel. The Western Liang princes and the Zhenguo Marquis guarding the border will have a legitimate reason to lead troops to punish you. At that time, you will be traitors and rebels, and everyone will have the right to kill you. Can your Mu State Duke's Mansion withstand hundreds of thousands of border troops on its own?"
Duke Mu's face was terribly gloomy. Consort Shu's letter was written in a hurry. He rushed back and did not expect that something would happen when he returned to the capital. Therefore, he did not bring any troops or give them any instructions. Duke Mu's mansion did not have many guards. Even if the imperial guards did not rebel, they only had tens of thousands of men. If hundreds of thousands of troops from the border attacked, they would have no chance of winning.
Glancing at the changed face of Duke Mu, Shen Lixue continued, "The Sixth Prince is the Emperor's biological son and also the grandson of your Duke Mu's family. Whether you support him to the throne, use the Emperor to command the princes, or rule from behind the curtain, it is all perfectly legitimate. The princes of Xiliang and the soldiers on the border have no reason to attack him. You can secretly control the government."
"Consort Shu is the sixth prince's biological mother. If she dies at this time, and in this way, given the sixth prince's filial piety, he will certainly not cooperate with you anymore. At that time, your purpose will be exposed, and you can forget about controlling the Western Liang kingdom."
Consort Shu must not die now, at least not in this way, taking them down with her!
A girl of fifteen or sixteen years old analyzed the situation in Xiliang, their goals, and their methods thoroughly. Duke Mu listened with a silent shock, but his face remained cold and indifferent as never before.
“You are clever, but the palace is our domain, and the Imperial Guards are all my men. As long as we block the news and suppress the matter of Consort Shu’s death, once Liu’er ascends the throne, we can find any excuse to hold a grand funeral for Consort Shu. Liu’er will not suspect anything, and the Western Liang kingdom will be in our hands.” As the dignified Duke of Mu, he must maintain the initiative and cannot be led by the nose by a junior.
"You can't hide fire with paper, and even the most meticulous plans will have a flaw. Are you sure every Imperial Guard here will obey you? Can you really completely suppress such a major event as Consort Shu's death?" Shen Lixue raised the corners of her mouth slightly, looking at Duke Mu with a half-smile.
Duke Mu's sharp gaze swept over each Imperial Guard who was drawing their bows. He had just returned from the border and had not had much contact with the Imperial Guards. He had little authority among them. Their loyalty to him was only in action, because of the military tally. He had no idea what they were thinking, and he was even less sure if they would betray him...
Seeing Duke Mu deep in thought, Consort Shu's anger surged. Couldn't he tell that Shen Lixue was trying to scare him? Couldn't he tell that she was deliberately trying to sow discord between him and the Imperial Guards? The dignified Duke Mu, decisive and ruthless on the battlefield, how could he become so cowardly and timid upon returning to the capital? Utterly foolish: "Duke Mu, don't listen to her, fire the arrows quickly..."
"Shut up!" Shen Lixue slapped Consort Shu hard across her fair face, turning her head to the side. A bright red five-fingered mountain instantly appeared on her delicate skin, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. The words she was about to say were also forced back into her stomach...
"Shen Lixue!" Consort Shu covered her swollen cheek with her hand, glaring fiercely at Shen Lixue. Her eyes flashed with a fierce light, as if she wanted to torture her to death. How dare she slap herself, you wretch.
The solemn-faced Imperial Guards couldn't help but twitch at the corners of their mouths. They had all witnessed Consort Shu's ruthlessness and cruelty, and they would avoid her whenever they saw her. No one dared to provoke her. They never expected that Shen Lixue would dare to slap them without any mercy. She was truly formidable.
The chaos in the capital has lasted for several hours. Although they have sealed the city gates, the truth will eventually come out. The garrison closest to the capital will surely lead their troops to find out what happened. Duke Mu must get Xiao Liu on the throne as soon as possible to stabilize the situation and prevent any unforeseen complications.
The sky was overcast and the sun was out. Duke Mu knew it was getting late and he couldn't afford to waste any more time with Shen Lixue. He had to act quickly: "Shen Lixue, you have two choices now: either release Consort Shu from the palace or die with her. Choose quickly!"
Are these two paths the only viable options?
Shen Lixue blinked, looked at Duke Mu, and smiled slightly, like a hundred flowers blooming. In her bright smile, she parted her cherry lips and said, word by word, "I choose to perish together with him!"
Several hours after the incident in the capital, the guards outside had not yet arrived. The entire capital was filled with the Duke of Mu's men. If they left the palace, they would be unable to leave the city and would be hunted down. It was like jumping from one trap into another. Why would they go out and walk into a trap?
"Fine, if you want to die, I'll grant your wish, archer!" Duke Mu's voice was cold, his furious roar like thunder. He was stubborn and wouldn't listen to reason, so he could no longer hesitate.
"Yes!" The Imperial Guards poured all their inner strength into their bows, drawing them taut, aiming their arrows at Shen Lixue, Ye Qianlong, and Lu Jiangfeng in the center, waiting for Duke Mu's order to fire and kill the three.
Facing the barrage of black feathered arrows, Shen Lixue showed no fear, meeting the Duke of Mu's furious gaze: "Since I'm going to die anyway, I have nothing to worry about. Consort Shu has schemed against me many times before. I'll kill her half to death first to avenge my past grievances, and leave the other half of my life for you to shoot..."
With a light touch, the dagger in Su Bai's small hand sliced across Consort Shu's neck. Her delicate skin was cut open, and crimson blood flowed down her neck. She made the cut very lightly and slowly. Those with keen hearing could even hear the sizzling sound of the thin blade cutting through the skin and tearing through tender flesh. Even the most composed Imperial Guards trembled and felt their scalps tingle upon hearing it.
Ye Qianlong's clear gaze remained fixed on the Imperial Guards' every move, seemingly oblivious to Shen Lixue's cruelty.
Lu Jiangfeng raised an eyebrow, his unfocused eyes staring straight ahead as he listened to the actions of Duke Mu and the Imperial Guards. Was Shen Lixue cruel? He didn't think so.
The Imperial Guards surrounded them. Consort Shu imprisoned her husband of over ten years and heartbroken the simple-minded Ye Qianlong, showing her ruthlessness and desire to exterminate them. If they fell into the hands of Consort Shu and Duke Mu, they would certainly deal with them in ways several times or even dozens of times more cruel than this.
"Shen Lixue, you will die a horrible death!" A burning pain shot through her neck, and Consort Shu could clearly feel her warm blood flowing down her neck, dripping onto her clothes.
She had lived a life of nobility, spending half her life as a concubine. When had she ever been forced into such a wretched state? Shen Lixue's actions had successfully enraged her. Her body was weak, and she could not use her superior martial arts skills. She could only grit her teeth and roar angrily to vent her anger.
Shen Lixue looked at Consort Shu's angry and distorted face, raised an eyebrow: "At this rate, Consort Shu should die before me. Even if I die a horrible death, you won't see it!"
Shen Lixue was not a cruel person. Duke Mu gave her two paths. Leaving the palace seemed like a way out, but it was a dead end. There were tens of thousands of imperial guards who filled almost every street and alley. If they left the palace, they would be discovered. No matter how powerful the three of them were, their strength was limited. How could they withstand the relentless attacks of tens of thousands of people? Leaving the palace meant certain death.
She was gambling, gambling that Duke Mu still needed Consort Shu and wouldn't let her die. Her fate was tied to theirs; if she didn't die, they wouldn't die.
Duke Mu stared at the bloodstained dagger on Consort Shu's neck with a terrifyingly gloomy look. He hated being coerced, but he had to admit that Shen Lixue was absolutely right. Xiao Liu was still young and needed his mother's support. If Consort Shu died and he disobeyed, Duke Mu's mansion would be finished.
Shen Lixue is extremely intelligent and can easily see through people's hearts. Such a capable person is his opponent and his threat. If he lets her go, it would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains...
While he hesitated, a guard rushed over, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and said respectfully, "Reporting to the Duke, we have found the Prince of Yan in the city. He is surrounded by dozens of skilled warriors. Even with our best efforts, we are no match for him..."
Prince Yan! Duke Mu's gaze sharpened. He was the most esteemed prince of Xiliang, possessing immense influence. At this critical moment of life and death, he was determined to capture him and not let him escape.
Raising his eyes to look at Shen Lixue, Duke Mu roared angrily, "State your conditions."
Shen Lixue's audacious blackmail was something he would never let off easily. The initiative was currently in Shen Lixue's hands, and he still needed to capture the Prince of Yan. Time was of the essence and there was no room for delay. He could compromise appropriately, but once he had control of the capital and the situation was stable, he would settle accounts with Shen Lixue properly.
The piercing roar shook her eardrums. Shen Lixue wasn't angry; instead, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The news from the Prince of Yan had come at just the right time. The Duke of Mu's fury proved he had compromised. She spoke calmly, unhurriedly stating her conditions: "Have all the Imperial Guards, palace maids, and eunuchs retreat to a distance of one hundred meters. No one is allowed to disturb them. If I discover anyone within one hundred meters..."
Shen Lixue's gaze darkened, and with a flick of her slender fingers, a beam of silver light shot out, pinning a small black snake firmly to the wall: "This is its fate!"
The silver needle struck the snake's vital spot, killing it instantly.
Duke Mu looked at Consort Shu, whose neck was covered in blood, then at the sky, and said with a fixed gaze, "Fine, I give you my answer: there will be no outsiders within a hundred meters of the Imperial Study!" It was getting late, and he could not delay any longer.
Consort Shu glared hatefully at Duke Mu, and roared hysterically, "Foolish! Can't you see she's stalling for time? How could you agree to her conditions?"
"I know what I'm doing, so stop shouting!" Having been called foolish by his own sister in front of the Imperial Guards, Duke Mu lost face. He frowned deeply and said coldly, "You rest for a few days. Leave the palace matters to me!"