Peerless Heiress - Chapter 116
"Qingyan, Qingyan, Qingyan, Qingyan..." Yuwen Ke called out softly in succession, his voice murmuring as if he had finally figured something out and let go of all his worries. His eyes and brows were relaxed as he smiled, and it was the first time I had ever seen him so cheerful.
"Hey, you're weird, you know that?" I couldn't hold back any longer, so I stopped and said very seriously.
"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow, smiled with pursed lips, but remained noncommittal about my words.
I tilted my head to look at him, and something was off, really off. "What wonderful news have you had?" I blurted out. The joyful aura in his eyes and brows—didn't it seem like he had just had a wonderful occasion?
“Yes, it’s great news. Just now, I made a decision, and I’ve found someone who can help me. I won’t let go of them.” Yuwen Ke looked into my eyes and said meaningfully.
I was speechless.
What does this mean? It can't possibly have anything to do with me, can it?
Before I could ask any more questions, he grabbed me and started walking quickly, taking bigger and bigger strides until he was dragging me along as we ran.
I was furious and angry. Seriously, I was running for my life, practically collapsing from exhaustion. I did manage a short rest while waiting for Ruying, but I was in such a bad mood that I couldn't really rest. Now that everything's finally over, I'm exhausted and hungry, and this jerk wants to drag me along like this?! Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?! Let go, let go, ahhhhhh!!!
Yuwen Ke laughed heartily, then suddenly stopped, grabbed me, and spun me around.
The sky was soaring, the valley was soaring, and Yuwen Ke's beautiful smile bloomed brightly before my eyes, his laughter seemed to soar into the clouds.
Chapter 257: Palace Coup
Daiwei Palace.
On the throne, the Emperor and Empress, their faces pale, watched as their close attendant, Mo Yu, approached step by step, weapon in hand. This was Mo Yu, the eldest son of Grand Tutor Mo, who had long held the position of commander of the palace guards and enjoyed the Emperor's deep trust. Many matters in the palace were never kept from him, yet unexpectedly, he would suddenly turn against them when the country was beset by internal and external troubles, in turmoil, and fraught with hidden dangers.
Yes, it is beset by internal and external troubles, and the situation is turbulent.
Since Cheng Jue escorted Yun'er to Tianxing for a marriage alliance, the once peaceful and prosperous Dawei has suddenly experienced a series of changes in its situation. First, small-scale rebellions broke out one after another, and bandits wreaked havoc everywhere. Then, a large army suddenly gathered from abroad and launched a series of attacks on cities and territories. Dawei was caught off guard and lost several cities in just a few days.
In an instant, the whole country was in chaos. The generals who could be sent out at the morning court a few days ago had all gone to the border. Even Cheng Jue, who was far away in Tianxing, had been urgently summoned to the border. Yesterday, news came back that General Cheng had rushed back to the country. Only the emperor could breathe a sigh of relief. Unexpectedly, today, a palace coup occurred.
Rebellions by palace guards have always been the most difficult to prevent, so emperors throughout history have always appointed those they deeply trust as commanders of the imperial guards. The same applies to the emperor himself.
The sounds of fighting outside the palace gradually subsided. Several loyal ministers had already been killed, and only one of the emperor's guards remained. Mo Yu, carrying a blood-dripping sword, walked straight to the steps of the throne before coldly stopping.
"Mo Yu, you and Yun'er grew up together. I have always regarded you as my own son. Why did you do this?" The Emperor's voice was hoarse with helplessness. When he spoke out of deep shock, it turned into sorrow.
Thousands of miles away, Yun'er's wedding had just ended, but her father and mother were about to die in a palace coup, at the hands of her childhood sweetheart.
The Mo family, father and son, had always been the most trusted and valued ministers of Emperor Wei. Why would they betray him? Seeing that everything was about to be settled, Emperor Wei was filled with shock and anger.
Mo Yu coldly raised the Three-Eyed Green Sword in her hand, pointing it at the emperor sitting high on the throne, "Treat me like your own child? Your Majesty, how benevolent you are! I have served you for so many years, and you know that I love Yun'er. If you really treat me like your own child, why did you send Yun'er all the way to Tianxing?"
The emperor was stunned.
Mo Yu sneered, "In the end, in your eyes, no matter what I, Mo Yu, am, I am nothing more than a lowly subject. How can I compare to a prince and crown prince of a country? If that's the case, I will become a crown prince and show you. However, you may not be able to see it then, because I must kill you first so that this country can be completely thrown into chaos and my father can truly secure his throne."
"Traitorous wretch..." The Emperor's hands trembled with rage. "Traitorous wretch... How dare you make up such an excuse? It's clear that you and your son harbor wolfish ambitions..."
“You’re right.” Mo Yu suddenly interrupted him, sneering, “Maybe they’re all just excuses. The most important thing is that I can become the Crown Prince, and my father can ascend the throne. As for Wei Yun, once I destroy Tianxing, she will naturally be mine. Hehehe, let me tell you the truth: the bandits that have been roaming the country these past few days are the work of my father and me, and the foreign army is also our ally. We’ve already dug a trap and are waiting. Once Cheng Jue reaches the border, he won’t be able to come back alive. With Cheng Jue dead, you, the Emperor, will be nothing but a commander without troops. Hehehehe, judging by the time, Cheng Jue’s head is probably already in my father’s hands by now, right? Hahaha…”
Chapter 258: Uneasy
The emperor, his face ashen, slumped on his throne, tears welling in his eyes as he murmured, "General Cheng, it's all my fault..."
Mo Yu's smug laughter echoed throughout the hall. "Your Majesty, considering how well you've treated me over the years, I'll act swiftly and ensure you and the Empress die without pain. Rest assured, ha..."
A muffled thud interrupted Mo Yu's carefree laughter as a package was thrown at his feet. Drips of bright red blood seeped through the package's light-colored outer layer, quickly spreading and forming a small puddle on the ground.
Mo Yu immediately understood that this was a head, and that it had just been cut off recently.
A crisp slap rang out, followed by a lazy voice, "Excellent, excellent! It must have been quite an undertaking for you and your son to devise such a complex plan. Tsk tsk tsk, you must be exhausted!"
The hall fell into a deathly silence.
After a long silence, Mo Yu's hand holding the Qingfeng sword trembled slightly, his face turned deathly pale, his lips moved, and his expression was one of utter disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost. "Cheng Jue?! No, impossible!!"
Suddenly, the emperor's limp body regained strength. He stood up from his throne with a whoosh, and his trembling voice echoed softly in the hall, "General Cheng, is that you? You're not dead?"
The sound of shuffling footsteps rang out, and a person dressed in silver armor and wearing a matching helmet emerged from behind a pillar. His eyes were indifferent as water, and he lazily flicked his riding whip with one hand, pointing to the package on the ground. He grinned and said, "Your Majesty, I'm back. I brought you a gift. I didn't want to kill him and wanted Your Majesty to deal with him yourself, but he committed suicide, so I had no choice but to bring his head back."
Mo Yu suddenly shuddered. He squatted down and, with trembling hands, began to unpack the package. After a while, he finally managed to unpack it, and a familiar head with wide-open eyes rolled out.
"Ah!—" Mo Yu's whole body went limp, and his longsword clattered to the ground. On the ground lay his father, who was already lifeless, his gray pupils indifferently fixed on his face.
It's all over.
"Good, good, good!" Wei Huang exclaimed repeatedly, overjoyed. "It's good that this traitor is dead."
A sudden commotion erupted outside the palace, and countless soldiers surrounded the entire structure. Footsteps echoed as several men rushed inside. Upon seeing the blood and corpses scattered on the floor, they turned pale with fear and knelt down with a thud. "Your Majesty!" they cried. "We were late in coming to Your Majesty's aid, causing Your Majesty and Empress great distress. We are deeply sorry and beg Your Majesty to punish us severely!"
"Your Majesty, please punish me severely!!"
"You may rise. The most important thing is to quickly eliminate the remaining rebels. We can discuss the punishment later."
"yes!"
Everyone busied themselves with their own tasks. The Emperor and Empress had already been helped up by the palace servants. The Empress was too frightened and was helped back to the inner palace to recuperate. The Emperor beckoned, "Cheng Jue, come here."
"Your Majesty, I have something to report. The situation at the border is no longer a concern. The enemy has retreated, and General Matthew is on his way back and will arrive in the capital soon. They will report back to Your Majesty with details. I have urgent business to attend to and must return to Tianxing immediately. How about leaving the matters here to Lord Guo and the others?" Cheng Jue walked over and hurriedly said, picking up his helmet before the Emperor could say anything more.
When Wei Huang heard that the border crisis had been resolved, he was overjoyed. Before he could ask any questions, Cheng Jue cut him off. Seeing the unprecedented anxiety and unease in his expression, Cheng Jue was taken aback and nodded, "In that case, you may go first."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave!" Cheng Jue turned around before even completing the proper bow, his steps hurried. After only a few steps, he started running without regard for his image.
Wei Huang stared at Cheng Jue's retreating figure, his mouth agape in astonishment.