Shangguan Jin glanced at Shen Lingyun, a smile on his face, but in his heart he was scheming. Yao Shan, that old bastard, deserves to die, and you old bastard can't live alone either. Since you've been fighting for so long, I'll send you both to meet the King of Hell. That way, Qi Yue's empire will truly fall into my hands. When I ascend the throne tomorrow, I can sit on Qi Yue's empire!
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, just as Shen Qianmo was idly sitting on a tree branch, almost falling asleep, Yao Shan brought Yao Ruoqin to Shangguan Jin's residence.
When Yao Shan saw Shen Lingyun, a hint of displeasure flashed across his face, but considering the situation, he still forced a smile and said ingratiatingly, "Prime Minister Shen is here too."
Shen Lingyun glanced at Yao Shan, completely disregarding him, and coldly replied, "Does this old man need the General's permission to come to my son-in-law's residence?!"
"Isn't Prime Minister Shen's attitude a bit too arrogant?" Yao Ruoqin said sarcastically after hearing Shen Lingyun's words.
Yao Shan quickly tugged at Yao Ruoqin's sleeve. This daughter of his was so spoiled and arrogant. She didn't even realize the current situation. Their wealth and status were all decided by Shangguan Jin, and Shen Lingyun had such a close relationship with Shangguan Jin. How could they offend Shen Lingyun at this time?
"Sister Ruoqin is still as arrogant as ever." Shangguan Jin glanced coldly at Yao Ruoqin. Since childhood, Yao Ruoqin had relied on being the Empress's niece and being in love with Shangguan Che, and she didn't take him seriously at all. She had made sarcastic remarks many times, and he hated Yao Ruoqin to the core.
Yao Shan sensed the displeasure in Shangguan Jin's words and quickly smiled apologetically, saying, "Ruoqin is ignorant, Your Highness the Eighth Prince, please don't hold it against her."
"Hmph! Could it be that you still harbor resentment because of Third Brother's death?" Shangguan Jin ignored Yao Shan's attempt to smooth things over and simply glanced coldly at Yao Ruoqin.
Yao Ruoqin looked at Shangguan Jin with great dissatisfaction. What was so great about Shangguan Jin? If she hadn't persuaded her father to help him with all his might, he might not have been able to sit on the throne. How could he not know how to repay kindness?!
Yao Shan noticed Shangguan Jin's dissatisfaction with Yao Ruoqin and frowned slightly. He had always doted on Yao Ruoqin since childhood. Everyone said he doted on his daughter, but his kindness towards Yao Ruoqin was only because she and Shangguan Che were childhood sweethearts and she might become the empress in the future.
"Ruoqin, why aren't you apologizing to His Highness the Eighth Prince?!" Yao Shan glared at Yao Ruoqin, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.
Yao Ruoqin had been spoiled since childhood, and moreover, she had always looked down on Shangguan Jin. Yao Shan had never yelled at her, so she said aggrievedly, "Father, where did I go wrong! He wronged me! How could I hold any resentment because of Shangguan Che's death?"
"Why are you so disobedient!" Yao Shan became even angrier when he saw Yao Ruoqin actually contradicting him. He yelled at Yao Ruoqin and angrily pushed her.
"Ah!" Yao Ruoqin's face turned pale immediately after being pushed by Yao Shan. She bit her lip, as if she was enduring some kind of severe pain.
Seeing Yao Ruoqin's reaction, Yao Shan realized that he had been too angry and had pushed Yao Ruoqin's injured arm. He was also saddened that Yao Ruoqin had reacted this way.
"By the way, I've always wanted to ask, how did Ruoqin hurt her hand?!" Shangguan Jin glanced at Yao Ruoqin, his eyes filled with curiosity but without a trace of concern.
Yao Ruoqin was in so much pain that she couldn't speak, so she had no mind to answer Shangguan Jin's question. When Shangguan Jin saw that Yao Ruoqin didn't answer, he felt annoyed again.
"Hmph! General, it seems you don't take me seriously at all?!" Shangguan Jin stopped talking to Yao Ruoqin and turned his gaze to Yao Shan.
Yao Shan was startled by Shangguan Jin's gaze. A murderous intent flashed in Shangguan Jin's eyes. It seemed that he was really angry because of Yao Ruoqin. If he didn't teach Yao Ruoqin a lesson, he was afraid that he would not be able to appease Shangguan Jin. Thinking of this, Yao Shan suddenly stood up and slapped Yao Ruoqin hard.
Yao Ruoqin was already in so much pain that she could barely stand. When Yao Shan slapped her like that, she fell to the ground and bumped her injured hand. She was in so much pain that she could barely speak. She frowned and looked at Yao Shan with disbelief in her eyes.
How could her father, who had always doted on her since she was a child, treat her like this?
"What are you looking at?! If I don't teach you a lesson, you won't know the rules! His Highness the Eighth Prince is the future emperor, how dare you offend him?" Yao Shan looked at Yao Ruoqin coldly, his eyes no longer showing the affection he usually had for her.
Seeing this, Shen Qianmo couldn't help but sneer. This was the so-called father-daughter affection. She had always thought that Yao Shan truly loved Yao Ruoqin, but she never expected that in the face of power and her own life, so-called affection was nothing but an illusion.
"Father..." Yao Ruoqin called out weakly. That "Father" was filled with so much bitterness and disbelief. Yao Ruoqin looked at Yao Shan with a hint of resentment in her eyes.
"It seems that Sister Ruoqin is quite dissatisfied?!" Shangguan Jin originally planned to kill Yao Shan and Yao Ruoqin, but he didn't mind seeing Yao Shan and Yao Ruoqin kill each other. He would just treat it as a show.
"Ruoqin, why aren't you apologizing?!" Yao Shan saw Shangguan Jin's anger, lifted Yao Ruoqin up, completely disregarding her pain, and said fiercely.
While enduring excruciating pain, Yao Ruoqin also had to face Yao Shan's sudden change, leaving her with unspeakable bitterness.
Yao Ruoqin glared hatefully at Shangguan Jin. It was all his fault for stirring up trouble. If it weren't for him, why would her father treat her like this?! Was her father that afraid of him?
"Enough!" Shangguan Jin had lost his patience. Let this all end quickly. A bloodthirsty killing intent curled at the corner of his mouth as he looked at Yao Ruoqin and Yao Shan.
Yao Shan's keen senses, honed through years of martial arts training, allowed him to keenly perceive the murderous intent in Shangguan Jin's eyes.
Under Shangguan Che's command, the guards surrounded Yao Shan and Yao Ruoqin.
Yao Shan glanced at the guards around him and understood Shangguan Jin's intention. He smiled and said, "What does Your Highness the Eighth Prince mean by this?!"
"That's what you see! Do it!" Shangguan Jin said coldly, his voice like a death knell from purgatory.
"Wait!" Yao Shan roared at the guards around him, then looked up at Shangguan Jin. "Isn't Your Highness the Eighth Prince being a bit too hasty? Do you think that killing me will give you military power?! Let me tell you frankly, if you kill me, Deputy General Zhang will rebel!"
"Is that so?!" Shangguan Jin's lips curled into a smile. He looked at Yao Shan with pity, shrugged indifferently, and said, "Vice General Zhang, is that it? After you die, you might as well go to the underworld to find him! Now your military power has completely fallen into Song Xian's hands, which is to say, into my hands!"
Upon hearing Shangguan Jin's words, Yao Shan's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, and he roared at Shangguan Jin, "I never expected the Eighth Prince to be so ruthless!"
"You flatter me!" Shangguan Jin replied coldly, glancing at the guards, and said, "What are you waiting for?! Why aren't you making your move?!"
Upon hearing Shangguan Jin's order, the guards immediately rushed towards Yao Shan. Yao Shan, being a great general, was not one to be trifled with and naturally would not surrender obediently. However, there were too many guards, and Yao Shan could not avoid them in time. Just as the sword was about to pierce him, he turned around and pushed Yao Ruoqin, who was standing trembling beside the stone table, towards the blade.
Yao Ruoqin was suddenly pushed by her father and crashed into the tip of the sword. As she watched the sword pierce her body, she felt a piercing pain slowly creeping up her body, and then she gradually lost consciousness. Her body slowly slid down. She wanted to turn around and look at her heartless father one last time, but she had no strength left.
She collapsed, powerless, her clothes stained with blood. Her eyes were still open, filled with resentment and bitterness.
"Shen Lingyun, are you just going to watch like this? We've been in the same court for so long! Don't you think that if Shangguan Jin can treat me like this, what kind of end can you expect?!" Yao Shan saw Yao Ruoqin's figure slowly falling, and a trace of guilt flashed in his eyes. However, the incoming swords and blades gave him no time to think. He was busy dealing with them while shouting at Shen Lingyun, who was watching the show.
Now that Shangguan Jin has made up his mind to kill him, nothing he says will make a difference. The only way is to persuade Shen Lingyun. Perhaps with the abilities of that old fox Shen Lingyun, he still has a sliver of hope.
"The bond of serving in the same court?!" Shen Lingyun said sarcastically, his eyes filled with arrogance and disdain. "When the Grand General allowed your daughter to wantonly insult my Prime Minister's residence, did he ever consider the bond of serving in the same court?!"
Upon hearing Shen Lingyun's words, Yao Shan was both furious and shocked. He roared, "When have I ever condoned Ruoqin's insults against the Prime Minister's residence?! It was clearly you who condoned your daughter's insults against Ruoqin, and even insulted our General's residence!"
Shen Qianmo sat leisurely on the tree, listening to Yao Shan and Shen Lingyun's conversation, a playful smile appearing on her face. It seems too late to think about this when they are about to die. Even if they know now that she was the one who orchestrated everything, what can they do?
"Even putting that incident aside, didn't you say that once Shangguan Che becomes emperor, you can disregard me, the prime minister?!" Upon hearing Yao Shan's words, a hint of suspicion flashed in Shen Lingyun's eyes. Yao Shan was known for his fiery temper, and judging from his angry expression, he certainly didn't seem to be lying. So what exactly happened?
"What a joke! How could I say such a thing for no reason? Even if I did say it, how could Ruoqin spread it around? Shen Lingyun, who told you such a lie?!" Yao Shan was already struggling to cope with the guards' attacks, and he had suffered minor injuries to his hands and back. He knew that it was not good to be distracted and talk during a fight, but now, if he didn't clear up this misunderstanding, he would be in grave danger.
Upon hearing Yao Shan's words, Shen Lingyun's eyes, filled with scheming and ruthlessness, slowly narrowed. It was Shen Qianmo's words that ultimately led him to decide to help Shangguan Jin. At the time, he thought Shen Qianmo was innocent and did not consider the rationality of the matter at all. But now that he knew Shen Qianmo's scheming and wisdom, he had to re-examine the matter.
But wasn't Shen Qianmo wholeheartedly trying to help Shangguan Che? Why would she deliberately ask me to help Shangguan Jin? There must be something fishy about this.