The Foolish Agent

Chapter 108

"We're mother and daughter, how could we not look alike?" Leng Jie gave Qing'er a look that said, "You're such an idiot." Then she reached out and shook Madam Leng's arm, asking in a coquettish tone:

"Mother! You don't recognize your daughter anymore, do you?"

Madam Leng shook her head repeatedly, then nodded hurriedly. But she couldn't utter a single word. Finally, in desperation, she could only tightly embrace Leng Jie. Tears of emotion streamed down her face, soaking Leng Jie's leather coat. Yang Tian also rushed forward, lifting his mother and younger sister into his arms. The three of them held each other tightly, silently embracing. Although Madam Leng and Yang Tian hadn't uttered a single word, Leng Jie, the person involved, felt their overwhelming emotions. Duanmu Xingyue, who knew the reason, felt it. Qing'er, who understood a little, felt it. Even the disciples of Longmen and the people of Qingfeng Residence, completely unaware of the situation, felt it.

"Mother! Where are my father and Xuanyuan?" After a moment, Leng Jie broke the silence and suddenly asked.

Leng Jie's words immediately reminded Madam Leng and Prime Minister Leng Yangtian that they were in danger. The two simultaneously released their grip, anxiously saying:

"Quickly, let's get to the ancestral temple!" He then glared hatefully at Qing'er and the other Longmen brothers who had escorted them back. He sternly rebuked them:

"It was all those guys who inexplicably acupunctured us. If anything happens to my master, I will definitely not let you off the hook!"

Madam Leng's words sent a chill down Qing'er's spine as she and the others involuntarily shrank back.

"Mother, don't blame them. I made sure Xuanyuan sent you out first, no matter what," Xiaojie explained, holding Madam Leng's hand. "Besides, he promised me he would guarantee Father's safety. So please don't worry." Before Madam Leng could react, she turned to Qing'er and said:

"Qing'er, how many of us are at the ancestral temple?"

After cautiously glancing at Madam Leng, Qing'er replied timidly, "There's only Eunuch Fu outside. The Emperor ordered him to use poison incense to incapacitate the archers outside first. The Emperor said that he alone is enough inside."

"Look! He can barely protect himself, how can he guarantee your father's safety?" Before Qing'er could finish speaking, Madam Leng complained anxiously.

Hearing that only Xuanyuan was inside, Leng Jie felt a chill run down her spine. She knew perfectly well that his inner strength hadn't fully recovered, and entering the city through the icy water last night must have further depleted his power. If the others attacked en masse, he would have to protect Prime Minister Leng… Leng Jie dared not think any further. She cried out even more anxiously than Madam Leng:

"Mother, I can't use my internal energy right now. Quickly use your lightness skill to take me there." With that, she climbed onto Madam Leng's back. At the same time, she turned to the astonished crowd and instructed them:

"You all come with me. Those with light-footed skills, use them; those without, run. In short, gather all our people from the palace to the ancestral temple. Also, Steward, immediately send a signal to General Jiang Feifan outside the imperial city. Tell him to immediately lead his men into the imperial city to reinforce us. As for the outside, have the people surround the entire imperial city. Oh, and tell the people that the Emperor has already returned with the army."

Before Leng Jie could finish speaking, Madam Leng had already carried her up from the ground. Stepping onto the celestial ladder, they flew towards the ancestral temple as if riding auspicious clouds. Behind them followed Leng Yangtian and his wife, Duanmu Xingyue, along with Qing'er and numerous disciples of the Dragon Gate. Of everyone present, apart from Leng Jie who couldn't use lightness skills and the medicine slaves of Qingfeng Residence who didn't know them, everyone else was a master of lightness skills. Especially the disciples of the Dragon Gate; they were trained by the master thief Zi Ying, so their lightness skills were naturally second nature.

Even though Qing'er and Leng Yangtian are slightly less skilled, one has Duanmu Xingyue guiding her, and the other has the deputy hall master of the Dragon Gate guiding her. They won't fall behind.

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As Leng Jie and her group flew into the ancestral temple grounds, they were met with a pungent stench of blood. Next, they saw guards lying scattered on the ground, bows in hand. They had barely landed at the temple gate when the Crown Prince's henchmen, who had been pursuing them, rushed in. The disciples of the Dragon Gate were already engaged in combat with them.

Carrying Leng Jie on her back, Madam Leng flew directly into the ancestral temple's shrine before landing. But what a shocking scene greeted them! The shrine floor was covered in blood, and the blood and corpses left them nowhere to stand.

Upon entering the ancestral hall, Leng Jie's sharp gaze swept over the entire scene. Without a doubt, the person they were looking for was at the center of the fighting crowd. She whispered in Madam Leng's ear:

"Mother went directly to Father's side."

Madam Leng nodded, stepping on a corpse. Using the momentum, she lifted herself up and flew up again. She skimmed over the heads of the guards and landed beside her husband, Leng.

The Leng Xiang and Eunuch Fu, who needed protection, were both stunned by the sudden appearance of the person beside them. Especially when they saw Leng Jie, who had jumped off Madam Leng's back in time, their mouths were agape, wide enough to fit a large duck egg. Leng Jie quickly gestured for him to be quiet. She didn't want to distract Xuan Yuan.

The Dragon Gate members had just parted ways with Madam Leng, so they naturally recognized her. However, they were still momentarily stunned when they saw her carrying someone on her back. But the situation didn't allow them to think too much. Seeing that the newcomer was one of their own, they immediately threw themselves back into the intense battle.

Meanwhile, Xuanyuan, who was focused on fighting with his back to them, was completely unaware that new people had joined the battle. After putting Leng Jie down, Madam Leng exchanged a smile with Prime Minister Leng before drawing her sword and joining the fray.

After landing, Leng Jie didn't rush into the battle. Instead, she first observed and analyzed the current situation. She glanced at the four or five hundred guards waiting to attack. Xuan Yuan and his group only had ten men capable of fighting, and seven of them were already injured in various ways. Looking at Xuan Yuan's swordplay, it was clear he had exhausted his inner strength. Even if everyone outside entered now, they probably wouldn't be able to hold out until Jiang Feifan arrived with the Imperial Guards. Moreover, the Crown Prince's men were also on their way.

Leng Jie's sharp gaze suddenly fell on the person in the dragon robe hiding in the corner. Needless to say, the person who looked nine-tenths like the portrait of the late emperor she had seen before was none other than the former crown prince, the one she called "Crazy Ghost."

Then, Leng Jie couldn't help but glance at Xuan Yuan's retreating figure. She knew that making him kill the former crown prince with his own hands would be a cruel thing for him. Therefore, she would do it for him!

"The former crown prince, is it!" Leng Jie sneered inwardly. "You've been playing hide-and-seek with me for three years. You've finally shown yourself today! Let's see if my marksmanship is better, or your skill at digging holes and burrowing underground is stronger, you house mouse!" A ruthless glint flashed in Leng Jie's sharp eyes, followed by a barely perceptible, terrifying grin on her lips.

The Crown Prince and his courtiers, who were watching from the sidelines, naturally saw Lady Leng carrying someone into the battle. The Crown Prince, in particular, was very curious whether the person Lady Leng was carrying to her death was the foolish Empress. Therefore, his probing gaze met Leng Ji's ruthless gaze. "What a sharp look this woman has!" he thought, involuntarily pushing himself closer to the wall.

But he was involuntarily drawn to that gaze. When he couldn't help but look up again through the throng towards Leng Jie, he was greeted only by a small, dark hole. Just as he was trying to see what it was, something bright suddenly flew out of the hole. Then, with a loud "bang!", he realized that the bright thing seemed to have entered his body. Then, his vision blurred, and he collapsed onto the Empress Dowager Shui beside him.

The sound of the sharp crack startled not only the Crown Prince, who had been shot between the eyebrows, but everyone except for the Prime Minister Leng and Eunuch Fu, who had been watching Leng Jie's movements.

Of course, the most shocked was Xuan Yuan Yunli, who was already on the verge of collapse. Hearing the gunshot, he whirled around. He immediately saw his beloved Xiao Jie, leisurely blowing on the still-smoking muzzle of the gun with her small lips. She's here! His heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, remembering her safety, his face darkened sharply.

But just then, without warning, her gun was suddenly pointed at him. Before he could react, "Bang!" another shot rang out. The bullet whizzed past his ear, followed by a scream behind him and the sound of a weapon grazing his shoulder and hitting the ground. Then came the sighs of relief from Prime Minister Leng and Eunuch Fu.

"Xuanyuan, was your reaction just now because you had confidence in my marksmanship, or in me as a person? Were you so sure I wouldn't shoot you? You didn't even flinch." Xiaojie asked in a sweet and pleasant voice, with a teasing tone.

Even in this life-or-death situation, only his Xiao Jie could still have so much fun. Xuan Yuan Yunli could only shake his head helplessly. He smiled gently at her and said, "If Xiao Jie wanted to kill me, I definitely wouldn't dodge."

Leng Jie rolled her eyes at him and said slowly, "Sweet talker! It's clearly you who's slow to react, yet you say such cheesy things!"

Leng Xiang and the others watched the two flirt so brazenly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Meanwhile, the enemies stood there dumbfounded, mouths agape, completely bewildered.

The situation on the field changed so quickly that the two gunshots stunned all the enemies. They stood there dumbfounded, unable to recover for a long time. It wasn't until they heard Leng Jie and Xuan Yuan's lighthearted and humorous conversation that Empress Dowager Shui, who had been supporting the Crown Prince in a daze, finally screamed:

"Ah! Blood! Your Highness! Your Highness, what's wrong with you?..."

Leng Jie turned around and glared impatiently at the screaming Empress Dowager Shui, her eyes clearly showing displeasure at being interrupted. "What an imposing gaze!" Empress Dowager Shui was involuntarily silenced by that glare, and Leng Jie pursed her lips in satisfaction, shifting her gaze away from Empress Dowager Shui.

When her gaze swept over the ministers, it suddenly turned incredibly sharp. The ministers couldn't help but shudder. Then, she swept her sinister gaze over the guards who were still standing there, swords raised, pointing at them. The guards were terrified by her look and involuntarily shuddered. Then came the clanging sound of weapons falling to the ground.

Leng Jie shifted her gaze back to the group of ministers who were already trembling, and slowly spoke, uttering each word with righteous indignation in a deep and cold tone:

"You traitors and rebels! How dare you openly rebel in the ancestral hall of the Xuanyuan clan, in front of the memorial tablets of so many former emperors! You even want to harm the thirteenth true emperor of the Xuanyuan clan! You are utterly despicable!"

The last sentence pierced the hearts of the ministers like a sharp knife. Now that the Crown Prince was dead, they were all traitors. Knowing their lives were in danger, they decided to stick their necks out. The Minister of War, Old Man Shui, suddenly stood up, head held high, and said, his voice trembling with fear:

"How could my great Jinghe Dynasty, a celestial empire, possibly allow a monster who is neither male nor female to be emperor? Even if the crown prince is dead, I beg Your Majesty to abdicate so that Jinghe's century-old foundation can be passed on to a successor! Let the third son of the late emperor inherit the throne."

After speaking, the old man knelt down. Immediately afterward, all the ministers knelt down, and in unison, pleaded, forcing them to speak:

"We humbly request Your Majesty to abdicate!"

A genderless monster? Leng Jie, bewildered by the old man's words, looked at Xuan Yuan with a questioning gaze: "Did I miss something exciting?"

A blush involuntarily crossed Xuanyuan's pale face. Her gentle phoenix eyes flickered for a moment before she steadied herself and replied, "No, you didn't miss anything!"

"Impossible? You're lying to me!" Xiaojie's eyes widened, clearly disbelieving.

The two, engrossed in exchanging glances, were completely oblivious to what Old Man Shui said next. At the same time, Xiao Jie missed the warning Leng Xiang had given her. It wasn't until an even more menacing shout pulled them back to reality.

"Your Majesty, please abdicate!"

"Abdicate voluntarily? Have you all lost your minds?" Leng Jie sneered coldly. Seeing the ministers hesitate for a moment, she continued disdainfully:

"Hmph! The former crown prince is dead. What gives you traitors the right to challenge the emperor here?"

"The Crown Prince is dead, but the late Emperor still has the Third Prince! Naturally, the Third Prince should succeed to the throne." Old Man Shui glanced at Xuan Yuan Yunli with disdain. His gaze was full of contempt. This made Leng Jie extremely unhappy! She glared at Old Man Shui, and with a flick of her finger, a silver needle as thin as a hair suddenly and silently flew into Old Man Shui's crotch.

"Ah!" Immediately afterward, Old Man Shui let out a sudden wail. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, he bent over, and clutched his manhood with both hands. His whole body trembled violently as if in spasms.

"Brother, what's wrong?" Empress Dowager Shui dropped the prince's corpse and rushed over to ask.

Hearing the Shui brothers' howls, Leng Jie frowned slightly and said in a cold voice with extreme impatience:

"What are you yelling about! He won't die, it's just another eunuch! What's the big deal?" With that, her cold, sharp gaze suddenly shifted to the ministers who were staring at the old man with astonished, bewildered expressions, and she said pointedly:

"Didn't you have the audacity to disrespect the Emperor? You even dared to commit the crime of treason, such as confiscating your property and exterminating your clan. How come you can't even withstand this small punishment? You are all so disappointing!"

"Hmph! Who are you? What right do you, a woman, have to speak for the Emperor? This humble official must heed the Emperor's words!" An old man with the appearance of a loyal minister boldly stepped forward. He questioned Xiao Jie sharply. Before Leng Jie could answer, he addressed Xuan Yuanyi sternly:

"Your Majesty, I have never harbored any disloyalty towards Jinghe, a fact that Heaven and Earth bear witness to, as do the past emperors who have ruled here. I acknowledge that Your Majesty has indeed governed Jinghe very well these past few years. However, the Jinghe royal family cannot be without an heir! This is a matter of paramount importance concerning the continuation of the Jinghe empire! Does Your Majesty truly intend to see the Jinghe empire without a successor? I humbly beg Your Majesty to give an explanation to the spirits of the past emperors and to the people of Jinghe!"

Although Leng Jie didn't understand the meaning of his words, she could see sincerity in his expression and speech. Therefore, she didn't retaliate against him. Instead, she turned her questioning gaze to Xuan Yuan. What had she missed? What did it mean for the royal family to have no heir? Wasn't the child in her belly a royal heir?

However, she seemed to have forgotten that, apart from herself, no one else knew that the child in her womb belonged to the Jinghe royal family. This was also the reason why Xuanyuan didn't want her to face it.

Xuanyuan gave her a reassuring look, then calmly returned her gaze to the minister who had stood up. He asked indifferently:

"What kind of answer does Lord Su want from me? Is it to abdicate in favor of the Third Prince as Lord Shui wishes?"

"If Your Majesty does not abdicate, then please provide evidence that you do not have the hidden illness the Crown Prince claims," Lord Su said, changing his tone.

The Crown Prince's hidden ailment? What else could Xuanyuan's hidden ailment be besides not being able to touch women! No wonder they're these androgynous monsters, constantly talking about the royal family having no heir. Leng Jie finally understood something. Involuntarily, Leng Jie cast a half-smile at Xuanyuan. Xuanyuan felt a chill run down his spine under Leng Jie's cunning gaze! He quickly averted his eyes and coldly questioned Lord Su:

"Then what evidence does Lord Su have to prove that I have a hidden illness?"

"This, this..." The Crown Prince was dead, and there was no way to verify the story. Lord Su was speechless.

Leng Jie secretly gave Xuanyuan a thumbs-up and cast an admiring glance at him. If he were to actually try to prove this private matter to these ministers, where would his dignity as the ruler of the country be? Therefore, he absolutely could not let them succeed now.

While Xuanyuan and Lord Su were locked in a standoff, Madam Leng quietly approached Shangjie from behind and gently tugged at her hand. She then whispered in Shangjie's ear, "Shangjie! Your father asked me to ask you if you've fallen in love with him. If you have no feelings for him, then come home with us after this is over. Your identity will forever remain a secret known only to our family. I won't ask him for my daughter back."

It feels so good to have parents who care about you! Leng Jie's nose tingled, and her eyes welled up with tears. She nestled into Madam Leng's arms, snuggling against her affectionately. She whispered in Madam Leng's ear, "It feels so good to have parents who care about me!"

"Mother! I love you and Father the most. Then there's the child in my belly. As for him, I don't know if I love him or not. But I do know one thing: I can't tolerate anyone other than me hurting him."

"The baby?" Madam Leng couldn't help but reach out and touch Xiao Jie's belly, exclaiming in surprise.

Chapter 136

Suddenly, the sound of a large troop of footsteps echoed outside the ancestral hall. The sudden noise not only drowned out Lady Leng's exclamation but also caused the expressions of the ministers and the Crown Prince's guards to change drastically. In the blink of an eye, the entire ancestral hall, inside and out, was filled with fully armed imperial guards. The ministers trembled involuntarily, while the Crown Prince's guards were disarmed against their will.

Xuanyuan was momentarily stunned when he saw the Imperial Guards suddenly rushing in. However, he immediately looked at Leng Jie with understanding.

He didn't let Jiang Feifan rush in, because that would have turned into a large-scale infighting, something he didn't want to see. However, he also didn't want anyone outside the Dragon Gate to know about the secret passage. That would undoubtedly be a threat to the Imperial Palace. So he only brought a small number of Dragon Gate disciples into the palace. He thought that with evidence of the Crown Prince's crimes and his own appearance as the true emperor, the officials would naturally no longer acknowledge the Crown Prince's ascension. But he had overlooked one thing. The Crown Prince would actually use his private affairs as a weapon against him. Most infuriatingly, the officials actually believed him. Fortunately, Xiao Jie arrived in time; otherwise, he dared not imagine what the situation would have become. Xuan Yuan couldn't help but turn back and look deeply at Xiao Jie, asking with his eyes:

"You're the one who let them into the palace!"

Leng Jie shrugged at him, nodded, and blinked to indicate she had guessed correctly. She knew Xuan Yuan's concerns; a secret passage shouldn't be known to so many people. But the situation was urgent, and she had no other choice. In the end, they would fill in the secret passage afterward and dig another one in a different place.

Jiang Feifan, dressed in military uniform, led Leng Yangtian and the others who had come with Leng Jie, along with the disciples of the Dragon Gate, into the room. He knelt before Xuanyuan and said:

"Long live the Emperor! We are late in coming to your rescue, please forgive us!"

"Rise, my beloved subjects! You have come at just the right time!" Xuanyuan raised his hand slightly to the kneeling minister and said with approval.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Jiang Feifan and his entourage rose to express their gratitude. Leng Yangtian and his wife, along with Qing'er, immediately ran to Leng Jie's side and asked anxiously:

"Miss Xiaojie, are you alright? You didn't say why you couldn't use your internal energy earlier!"

"How could anything happen to me?" Leng Jie smiled brightly at them. "We'll talk about that later."

Indeed, now is not the time to discuss such matters. Qing'er and the others automatically shut up and retreated behind Leng Jie. Madam Leng, however, didn't care about any of that. After failing to find the desired result on Leng Jie's stomach, she moved her fingers to Leng Jie's wrist pulse. A moment later, a joyful smile unconsciously bloomed on her beautiful face.

"Do you gentlemen still wish to continue this farce?" Xuanyuan asked the group of court officials with a stern expression.

"Your Majesty, spare our lives!" The opportunistic courtiers began to beg for mercy.

The Shui family members knew they were doomed this time, and they glared hatefully at Jiang Feifan, regretting not eliminating him completely earlier. Only Lord Su seemed unwilling to give up, saying:

"This old minister will die without regret as long as he hears Your Majesty's oath that you have no hidden illness!"

"I can attest that His Majesty does indeed have a hidden ailment!"

"I can also attest to this."

Before Lord Su could finish speaking, two women's voices suddenly came from the gate. Then, the two women, who were originally at odds, entered hand in hand. Lin Yin'er, carrying her son in one arm and holding Shui Rong'er's hand in the other, walked proudly towards Xuan Yuan.

Why are they here? Xuanyuan frowned slightly, his gaze unconsciously sweeping towards Eunuch Fu and Jiang Feifan. Hadn't he handed them over to them?