"I haven't read as much as you, but I still know that to know evil and restrain it is to do good. To know evil and still do it is the greatest evil!"
"Your mind is twisted; how are you any different from a robber who kills and steals, taking pleasure in the process?"
"Are you saying I've treated Xixi badly?"
"I'm saying you have no humanity, you're not worthy of being human!"
"..."
Yan Qing remained silent for a moment before retorting, "For the past eighteen years, I have treated her with utmost care. She can travel whenever she wants, and I have no objection to her taking a concubine. She is fortunate to have a mother like me."
Yu Zhi's face flushed red, whether from anger or anxiety, it was hard to tell: "That's not what she wants at all."
"So what does she really want?"
"A complete family, a real family."
"I treat her like my own daughter..."
"Pah! Aren't you ashamed to say that?"
Yan Qing raised an eyebrow in surprise and laughed, "Alright, you actually figured it out. You seem timid, but you're quite daring."
What did you see? And what are you thinking?
The two of them were speaking in cryptic language that no one else could understand.
Ji Ying's face was grim, her hands on the throne were tense, and her stunningly beautiful face was now clouded with gloom.
Yan Xiu's murderous intent surged, and she coldly cursed, "Utterly shameless."
"Say whatever you want, the victor is king and the loser is a bandit, I have no regrets. Sister, I want to say a few words to His Majesty."
She called out "Sister," which made Yan Xiu feel nauseous for no reason.
What do you want to say to me?
Yan Qing stepped forward: "If I hadn't looked down on you when you were down on your luck back then, would you have loved me?"
"Won't."
"I always wonder, I was the one who met you first, so why did it turn out that my older sister won your heart in the end?"
"You love her, you love her with all your heart and soul, why am I not the one who has this blessing?"
"My parents have always given me the best since I was little, and my older sister has always doted on me and loved me, but why can't they continue to love me?"
“They truly love you,” Ji Ying said. “You’re just too greedy.”
"Who isn't greedy?" she scoffed. "Is it wrong to want the best? Ah Si, am I wrong?"
You are wrong.
"Then tell me, where did I go wrong?"
Ji Ying looked at her coldly: "Your mistake is that you don't know how lucky you are."
"Although Wei Hanqing is a coward, he truly loves you. Gu Chenzi has done evil all his life, but he can't let go of you."
“Ah Xiu sees you as family, yet you choose not to be her elder sister. Xi Xi sees you as her mother, yet you refuse to be her mother.”
"You have everything, yet you are not satisfied with everything; you destroyed your own happiness."
"Did I bring this on myself?"
"You brought this on yourself."
Gu Chenzi, whose internal energy had been destroyed, crawled to Yan Qing's side, took her hand, and Yan Qing smiled at him with unusual eyes lowered: "The best time of my life was before I got married."
She closed her eyes: "Life is boring, you may all come with me."
The Empress's trusted confidante rushed back, covered in sweat, and Asagao Sode nodded.
Yu Zhi stared intently at Madam Wei's sleeve, as if some terrifying beast was about to be unleashed from within.
Fireworks shot into the sky.
"I have ordered Gu Chenzi to plant explosives in various underground locations and launch signal flares. We will go to the Yellow Springs together. We were born at different times, but we wish to be buried together."
Yan Qing closed her eyes, waiting to be blown up.
His words caused an uproar!
Feng Liudao, Bai Xingyi, and the others suddenly released their internal energy to sense each other.
A breath passed.
Two breaths passed.
Wei Pingxi was fast asleep in Yu Zhi's arms.
The mountains and fields were quiet, and no explosions were heard.
The maid in palace attire led the members of the Xuan Yin Sect forward and knelt on one knee before the Emperor and Empress: "Greetings, Your Majesty and Your Majesty! We have fulfilled our mission; the hidden danger has been eliminated!"
Chapter 73 The Dust Settles
This time, Yu Zhi made a great contribution.
If she hadn't been alerted and reminded the Empress, the Empress wouldn't have sent anyone to conduct a secret investigation.
This investigation uncovered members of the Xuan Yin Sect who were hiding underground, thus preventing a potential disaster.
Yan Qing truly embodied the phrase "unrepentant to the death." Her plan to "die together" was aborted, and she looked at Yu Zhi—the concubine her "daughter" had brought back from outside—with venom.
She had asked Gu Chenzi to kill this person twice, but both attempts failed. Now that her plan has been thwarted, Yu Zhi can be considered her nemesis.
She stole her 'daughter's' heart and destroyed her last bit of hard work. Yan Qing laughed maniacally, gritting her teeth: "What a concubine, what a plaything!"
She was as arrogant as she wanted; apart from Gu Chenzi, no one cared about her anymore.
Surrounded by people, Yu Zhi heard their praises, which made her blush and feel ashamed.
She just...
Having witnessed Madam Wei's wicked intentions, I casually mentioned it, but I was actually thinking, "Better safe than sorry." I never imagined that Yan Qingzhen would go so far as to be beyond redemption.
With the threat eliminated, Gu Chenzi was acupunctured by Yang Ruo and sent into the empty beast cage.
As for Yan Qing, she was, after all, the wife of a marquis, the second daughter of the Grand Tutor, and the younger sister of the Empress. The only person in the world who could decide her fate was the Emperor.
All her efforts were in vain, and Miss Yan was heartbroken.
Seeing her utterly dejected expression, Ji Ying pondered and said, "Let her be with the Old Ancestor of Suspended Yin..."
"Report—"
"Your Majesty, General Mu has gathered 30,000 troops and is heading towards the Liuyun Hunting Grounds. I fear their intentions are not good!"
"Report—"
"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Yiyang has rebelled!"
It seems like one problem after another is brewing.
People kept arriving with the news, and everyone was filled with anxiety.
Ji Ying remained calm and composed, asking, "How many men did the Marquis of Yiyang bring?"
"Five thousand!"
Ji Ying, a marquis of a nation, who amassed troops and maintained his power, could still laugh even with rebels right before his eyes.
"well!"
He exclaimed "Good!" twice, his imperial domineering aura unmistakable: "Gentlemen, are you willing to fight against me?"
Yang Ruo clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This servant swears to protect the wise ruler to the death!"
"I am willing to fight for Your Majesty!"
Soldiers have the integrity and perseverance of soldiers. Their shouts resound through the heavens, and even the courage and spirit of those in the martial arts world are moved by such a scene.
Feng Liudao and the Holy Maiden of the Northern Region locked eyes. Bai Xingyi gritted his teeth and said, "What's wrong with protecting you, the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty?"
She stood beside Yang Ruo.
As always, Feng Liudao was taciturn and followed without saying a word.
The twelve elders, each with eight bags, caught their breath and silently walked into the group, leaning on their bamboo canes.
The current emperor is a good one; anyone with a sense of justice would not want to see the empire change hands.
People in the martial arts world have their choices, and court officials have theirs.
Most of the ministers accompanying the emperor on this spring hunt belonged to the Empress Dowager's faction. As soon as Ji Ying finished speaking, those who had sided with the Empress Dowager's faction naturally refused.
Before they could respond, the sound of galloping hooves filled the air, and the earth shook.
Banners fluttered in the wind as Ji Qingyao, clad in armor, rode up to the front.
To her right was Mu Yunsheng, a general who was utterly loyal to the Empress Dowager.
Ignoring the beautiful princess sitting proudly on horseback, Ji Ying said gently, "Mu Qing, what have I done to wrong you?"
Mu Yunsheng, a man in his thirties with a long beard, round and bright eyes, and the menacing aura of a soldier, said: "Your Majesty has done nothing to wrong me. It's just that I am the subject of the Third Prince and the Empress Dowager."
He was not Ji Ying's subject!
Without bowing her head or submitting to him, Ji Ying remained calm and composed: "Very well, I understand."
He casually shifted his gaze to Ji Qingyao, whose back was ramrod straight: "You bastard, why don't you dismount and submit to execution?"
Bastard.
The emperor was refined and elegant; even in extreme anger, he would smile.
This time, however, he appeared cold and referred to his beloved daughter as a "bastard," leading everyone to believe he had gone mad with anger.
Throughout history, there have been countless instances of rebellions within the imperial family. Sons rebelled against their fathers, brothers against their elder brothers, uncles against their nephews and nieces. For the sake of that dragon throne that one person could sit on, kinship was destroyed and blood relatives killed each other.
Others didn't understand the true meaning of that word "bastard child," but Ji Qingyao did.
She smiled and said, "The world belongs to the Empress Dowager. We are merely acting on her orders. Enough with the nonsense, the change of dynasty begins today!"