Qin Ruoyan!
Dongfang Heng's gaze sharpened, and the doubts in his heart instantly became clear. He looked up in the direction from which the voice came: "Are these unconscious people the work of Princess Qin?" Qin Ruoyan was from the Southern Frontier and was proficient in mysterious and unpredictable poisons and Gu techniques. It made sense that the people of the whole city were unconscious and the doctors could not diagnose the poison.
“That’s right. Last night at midnight, I ordered my guards to poison all the wells in the capital. This morning, when they were washing, eating, and drinking water, they ingested the poison and naturally fell into a coma.”
Qin Ruoyan's arrogant voice was filled with pride and smugness, which enraged the Qingyan officials. Poisoning the wells and harming the people of the city, she was truly ruthless. Was the Southern Frontier preparing to attack Qingyan? In the spirit of capturing the king first, they let Qin Ruoyan take the lead in disrupting the capital of Qingyan.
"Princess Qin is young and loves to play and joke. It's fine to make a small joke with acquaintances, but to joke about the lives of the people of Qingyan is going too far."
Dongfang Heng's tone was low and his gaze sharp, as if an elder were reprimanding an ignorant junior. Qin Ruoyan was immediately enraged: "Dongfang Heng, stop pretending. My ruthlessness is all thanks to you."
"I don't know where I offended Princess Qin, that she would resort to such cruel methods to vent her anger on the people of Qingyan." Dongfang Heng's eyes were bright, and his brows were filled with righteous indignation.
"You've already forgotten the bad things you did? Or is it that the mighty Azure Flame War God dares to do it but not admit it?" Qin Ruoyan sneered, her words full of sarcasm, and gritted her teeth as she said, "Do you dare to say that you didn't harm Qin Junhao?"
"That's his own fault." Qin Junhao tried to harm Shen Lixue, but Dongfang Heng merely deflected the poisoned black arrow with his palm, making him suffer the consequences, without actually killing him.
When the arrow pierced his chest, Dongfang Heng saw it clearly. It didn't hit any vital organs, and Qin Junhao would only suffer for a few days at most, but he wouldn't die. Yet he actually called Qin Ruoyan to Qingyan to avenge him. Was he being petty, or was there another reason?
"No matter how rude Qin Junhao is, he is still the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang. It is not for outsiders to teach him a lesson. Prince An, as a member of the Qingyan clan, secretly harmed Qin Junhao, which is clearly a provocation against the prestige of our Southern Xinjiang. These poisoned Qingyan people are a small lesson that I, on behalf of Southern Xinjiang, am giving to Prince An..."
Qin Ruoyan's indignant and impassioned speech caused the ministers' faces to darken. The personal grudges between Qin Junhao and Dongfang Heng could be resolved privately. No matter how fierce or intense the struggle was, as long as no one was killed, they would not interfere.
Qin Ruoyan is quite something. Her own brother couldn't defeat the War God of Qingyan, so she came out to harm the people of Qingyan to vent her anger. She's truly narrow-minded and unreasonable.
"The common people are poisoned, the officials are terrified, and Qingyan Capital is about to fall into chaos because of the princess's cruel methods. This matter started because of me. If it reaches the emperor's ears, I will be punished. The crown prince has offended a great enemy. Shouldn't the princess calm down and save these innocent people?"
Although the words were meant to be humble, when spoken by Dongfang Heng, they carried not a trace of subservience, but rather the unique authority and domineering presence of someone long accustomed to high positions, sending chills down the spines of those who heard them.
Qin Ruoyan's arrogant voice paused for a moment, then she said shrilly, "No, no, just punishing you is far from enough."
"Then what do you want?" Dongfang Heng asked expressionlessly, his deep voice as cold as ice.
"It's very simple. Hand over your life and let me do as I please, and I will release these Qingyan people. If you are stubborn and refuse to submit, I will turn the capital into a living hell."
Qin Ruoyan spoke arrogantly, her arrogance revealing her domineering nature. She treated the people of Qingyan like dirt, completely disregarding the Qingyan Kingdom. The officials at the gate were immediately enraged: "Qin Ruoyan, this is the capital of Qingyan, not your Southern Frontier Kingdom. You have no right to act so presumptuously on Qingyan's territory."
Dongfang Heng is the God of War of Qingyan, whose surname is Dongfang. In front of the people of Nanjiang, Xiliang, and Subei, he represents the entire Qingyan royal family. Qin Ruoyan's threat to take his life shows that she does not take the Qingyan royal family seriously and is trying to provoke the Qingyan Kingdom. How could the ministers not be angry and furious?
"I'm being presumptuous?" Qin Ruoyan gave a self-deprecating laugh, her sharp rebuke piercing through the clouds and resounding through the sky: "Dongfang Heng killed my Southern Border Crown Prince, and I made him pay with his life. Is that considered presumptuous? Or is it that in the eyes of you old fogies, my Crown Prince's life is not as precious as Dongfang Heng's?"
The single stone stirred up a thousand waves. The ministers, who had been filled with righteous indignation and eloquent speeches, were instantly silenced, and their shocked gazes all turned to Dongfang Heng: The Prince of An killed Qin Junhao? Is it true?
Dongfang Heng's dark eyes suddenly narrowed. Qin Junhao was dead? Something was wrong.
"Princess Qin, several days ago on Qingshui Lake, Crown Prince Qin shot a small black arrow to harm Li Xue. I deflected the arrow with a palm strike, and it hit Crown Prince Qin in the chest. He was quick and avoided a vital spot; at most, he was seriously injured, but he will definitely not die..."
"Dongfang Heng, do you think I didn't see my brother the Crown Prince's corpse? You almost shattered his heart. A black arrow pierced his chest? Who are you trying to fool?" Qin Ruoyan roared sharply, ruthlessly interrupting Dongfang Heng.
"I did not kill Qin Junhao with a knife. The death of the Crown Prince of Qin must have been caused by someone deliberately stirring up trouble. Princess Qin, do not be foolish enough to fall into the trap of villains."
Qin Junhao and Dongfang Zhan cooperated, and Qin Junhao died tragically after being injured. It's easy to guess who was behind the scheme. Dongfang Zhan really went to any lengths to defeat him, even killing his most powerful ally and framing him. How could he come up with such a vicious and ruthless plan?
Qin Ruoyan sneered disdainfully, her voice dripping with sarcasm: "Dongfang Heng, stop trying to argue. I already know right from wrong perfectly well. You, the mighty God of War of Azure Flame, are trying to shirk responsibility by making up such a ridiculous lie. Do you think I'm a fool to be played with like this?"
As the God of War of Qingyan, Dongfang Heng was a god-like figure in the eyes of the people of Qingyan. He must have cared a lot about his reputation. Of course, he would not admit to brutally stabbing Qin Junhao to death with a bunch of knives in front of so many officials.
"Listen up, Qingyan people! As long as Dongfang Heng pays with his life, I guarantee that I will not harm a single hair on the heads of the Qingyan people. If he resists arrest, hmph, all of you will go to the underworld to be buried with my Crown Prince brother."
The implication is that the lives of the people of Qingyan are in Dongfang Heng's hands. If Dongfang Heng dies, the people live; if Dongfang Heng lives, the people will become his scapegoats.
The ministers exchanged glances, their complex expressions varying, before quickly looking away. Their eyes, whether intentionally or unintentionally, streaked towards Dongfang Heng, the unspoken meaning of which was self-evident.
Shen Lixue sneered. The Southern Border Guards were elusive and unpredictable. The Imperial Palace and the Holy King's Mansion were heavily guarded, so they couldn't sneak in. However, the guards at the residences of the Minister and the Vice Minister were not very well guarded. If the Southern Border Guards wanted to poison someone, they wouldn't be able to stop them at all.
The reason why the civil and military officials were not poisoned was because Qin Ruoyan deliberately arranged for them to witness the common people being poisoned, falling into a coma, and suffering a fate worse than death, in order to intimidate the Qingyan officials. The officials who came to the Holy King's Mansion seemed to be of a pretty good rank. If there were any cowards among them who were afraid of death, they would definitely put pressure on Dongfang Heng in order to save their own lives.
After three years of training at the border, Dongfang Heng was a veteran of countless battles. Whether in one-on-one combat or commanding soldiers in battle, Qin Ruoyan was no match for him. Therefore, she adopted a roundabout tactic.
First, write a note directing the civil and military officials to the Holy King's Mansion. Then, state that either Dongfang Heng or the people of Qingyan must die. If Dongfang Heng abandons the people of Qingyan to save his own life under the watchful eyes of the civil and military officials, the ministers will have ample reason to criticize and impeach him, and the living will also curse him. This Qingyan War God will become infamous.
Qin Ruoyan, being a princess of the Southern Frontier, knew that members of the royal family valued their reputation highly. She believed that if the pressure from the officials became too great, Dongfang Heng would be unable to withstand it and would voluntarily drop his weapon, leaving her to her mercy. Her plan was quite clever.
Qin Junhao was wounded by the small black arrow, but it wasn't fatal. However, he not only died, but he died so tragically. It was someone else who framed Dongfang Heng. Qin Ruoyan was prejudiced and insisted that Qin Junhao was killed by Dongfang Heng. Any further explanation from them would only make things worse and make Qin Ruoyan think they were guilty.
"Princess Qin, many things have an illusion and a truth. When you look at people and things, you can't just use your eyes. You also need to learn to look with your heart and carefully understand them in order to see the truth of things. Don't be blinded by other people's words and act recklessly. If you make a big mistake, it will be too late to regret it."
"Shen Lixue, what do you mean?" Qin Ruoyan's charming voice was very displeased.
"Doesn't Princess Qin understand the literal meaning?" Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow, looking in the direction from which the voice came. A cold glint flashed in her clear eyes. It was extremely foolish to believe someone else's one-sided story without conducting a thorough investigation before wanting to kill Dongfang Heng for revenge.
Qin Ruoyan scoffed dismissively, "You're Dongfang Heng's wife, of course you're helping him shirk responsibility. This princess isn't blind, I can tell right from wrong, I don't need you to teach me."
She was easily manipulated and stubborn, convinced that Dongfang Heng had killed Qin Junhao. No amount of persuasion from others could change her mind, and Shen Lixue was too lazy to waste any more words on her.
"Everything in the world has its counterpart; where there is poison, there is an antidote. With so many people in the capital poisoned, the Emperor must know about it and is probably ordering the imperial physicians to develop an antidote. Soon, the people will be safe and sound, and Princess Qin's wishful thinking is likely to fall through."
The poison in the Southern Frontier is very potent, but it is not entirely incurable for the imperial physicians of Qingyan.
Qin Ruoyan was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Shen Lixue, you underestimate the poison skills of our Southern Frontier. The poison that this princess painstakingly developed is not so easy to cure. Besides, what this princess ordered people to put down into the well was not just simple poison!"
She drew out the last syllable of her last sentence, her sweet and charming words carrying an inexplicable eeriness.
Shen Lixue narrowed her eyes slightly, looking up at the unconscious passersby. They weren't simply poisoned; could it be…?
A young man lying in the crowd suddenly opened his eyes, his clear pupils reflecting two cold glints. He abruptly sat up, and amidst the shocked and bewildered gazes of the crowd, his ten fingers clenched like sharp hooks. He roared madly and viciously pounced on the Qingyan officials.
"Help!" The officials, who were used to a life of luxury in the capital, had never seen anything so horrifying. After a moment of stunned silence, they screamed and scattered in all directions. One official in the middle was too slow and was grabbed by the collar by the young man, whose hard fist came down hard on his head.