Valle del Hombre Salvaje de Qingshan

Capítulo 100

"Master, if I take this medicine, will I truly ascend to heaven in broad daylight?" The emperor carefully took the pill, noticing his mother's furrowed brows and her intense gaze fixed on the medicine in his hand, as if it were some deadly poison. He couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

"When one can ascend to immortality in broad daylight depends mainly on fate and one's constitution. This batch of pills I have is a guide. After consuming them, one's constitution will gradually change. When the time is right, one can ascend to immortality," Master Shao said solemnly.

“That makes sense,” the emperor nodded in agreement, taking a red pill from the box with one hand. Just as he was about to swallow it, the pill suddenly seemed to grow wings and flew out, landing squarely in Master Shao’s slightly open mouth.

"Ah!" The Master Shao was watching the emperor's movements intently when something suddenly entered his mouth, accompanied by a fiery gust of wind that almost knocked out two of his front teeth. As he hurriedly retreated, he accidentally swallowed the pill.

"I have to vomit it out," was Shao Zhenren's first thought. Without hesitation, he inserted two fingers into his throat to induce vomiting.

"After taking this medicine, won't you be able to ascend to heaven in broad daylight?" Empress Dowager Jiang said from the side. "Since you can ascend to heaven in broad daylight, Master Shao has rendered meritorious service by offering the medicine. The Emperor and I will reward you first. But why are you vomiting?"

Master Shao was speechless for a moment, but he dared not stop urging himself to vomit.

"Why are you so afraid, Master Shao? What are you afraid of?" Empress Dowager Jiang did not leave her seat, but kept her eyes fixed on Master Shao. "Do you dare to refuse the Emperor's reward?"

"Mother, what's wrong?" The Emperor seemed to have just recovered from the sudden situation. He subconsciously looked at his fingers, then turned to look at his mother before saying, "You suspect that there is something wrong with this elixir?"

Volume 3, Chapter 35: Red Pill (Part 2)

"Whether there are any problems or not, Master Shao will know after he takes it." Empress Dowager Jiang smiled and beckoned to the Emperor, "Come, Your Majesty, let's sit here for a while. If there are no problems, you can take it later."

The emperor's questioning gaze fell on Master Shao and the young Taoist boy carrying water, only to see that Master Shao had stopped what he was doing and stood up lightly.

"Are you alright?" the emperor asked, his gaze lingering on the red pill in the box. "I was overwhelmed by this sudden reward. This medicine is only meant for Your Majesty, a man of such high status. I fear I cannot bear such a heavy burden and have been impolite," Master Shao said sincerely, wiping away the beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead.

"You startled me, Mother. You are too cautious. I have already consumed several batches of this medicine; it is undoubtedly a divine elixir." The Emperor nodded, his expression relaxing. His fingers reached for the medicine box again, just touching the pills, when suddenly Master Shao's face turned ashen. He collapsed to the ground with a thud, blood flowing from his seven orifices. One hand struggled to rise, seemingly pointing somewhere, but ultimately his body convulsed, and after a moment, he lay still. Meanwhile, the young Taoist boy who had been bowing his head and holding a bowl of water suddenly attacked, smashing the bowl at the Emperor's head while simultaneously reaching for a short dagger at his waist, thrusting it straight into the Emperor's chest.

Empress Dowager Jiang swayed, rushed forward, pulled the emperor aside, and with a flick of her long sleeve, snatched the dagger from the young Taoist boy. Then she shouted, "Assassin! Protect the Emperor!"

"Who would have thought that the Empress Dowager, high and mighty in the deep palace, would possess such skill?" The cries for the assassin didn't summon the usual large contingent of guards. Instead, scattered applause rang out from the other side of the inner palace. A figure emerged from the shadows—it was Tian Xin. "Traitor! I saw through your schemes long ago! How dare you hide in the palace at night, spying on the Emperor?" Empress Dowager Jiang slammed her hand on the young Taoist boy's forehead. Watching his small body slump to the ground, she turned around, glaring angrily.

"Plotting something? Haha... Then tell me, what can the Empress Dowager do to me now?" Tian Xin laughed loudly, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. After a long while, she said, "Everything is finally coming to an end. These days have been really tough, but it doesn't matter. Tomorrow morning, the people of the capital will know that the Emperor, having devoted himself to cultivating immortality, has shed his mortal body and ascended to heaven in broad daylight. His only son will be made crown prince and inherit the throne. As for me, I will become a regent, assisting the young emperor. At that time, this beautiful country and the beauties of the harem will all be mine. What do you plan to do to me, Empress Dowager? Oh! I forgot to make arrangements for the Empress Dowager. When the young emperor ascends the throne, his birth mother should be honored as Empress Dowager. As for you, you're not needed. Why don't you tell the world that after the Emperor became an immortal, because he couldn't bear to see his mother suffer the torment of reincarnation after her death, he also gave the Empress Dowager an elixir, so the two of them can ascend to heaven together? How about that?"

"Shameless traitor, do you intend to assassinate the emperor?" Empress Dowager Jiang stepped back slightly, placing herself in front of the silent emperor. "Do you think I could have acted without preparation, having already detected your actions?"

"Really? So the Empress Dowager was prepared too. That's really interesting. What did you prepare?" Tian Xin chuckled, showing that she cared about everything.

"You will soon find out what I have prepared." With that, Empress Dowager Jiang took out a small flute-like object from her bosom, blew it with all her might, and the sound carried far. Tian Xin did not stop her or make a sound. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, light footsteps came from outside the hall. However, there were not many people; the footsteps belonged to only one person.

"Senior brother? Why are you alone?" As the newcomer approached, Empress Dowager Jiang's voice suddenly rose, and a hint of surprise appeared on her face.

"Junior sister..." Mo Xibei heard her master's voice, as gentle as ever, yet it seemed different from before. "I'm sorry."

"We trusted you so much, what have you done?" Empress Dowager Jiang shook her head, finding everything before her utterly unbelievable.

"Let me explain, otherwise I'm afraid you'll talk until dawn and waste His Majesty's time to ascend to immortality." Tian Xin stepped forward. "Your Majesty, to put it simply, your trusted senior brother has been one of ours for many years. Speaking of karma, it was you who sowed the seeds. It's said that you two were originally a couple, but you coveted wealth and honor and actually ran away from your arranged marriage. Your senior brother swore to avenge the theft of his wife, and he happened to meet my father. The two hit it off and swore a blood oath, which is why he's here today. By the way, because he's one of ours, we can always find Mo Xibei no matter where she hides. A few days ago, she was killed by our people. How about that? Because you sowed the seeds, today your children have to bear the consequences. Isn't that interesting?"

"Tianxin, I really underestimated you. Why are you so determined to kill us, mother and son? What deep-seated hatred do you have for us?" Empress Dowager Jiang sighed dejectedly, her body seemingly unable to bear everything before her. She could only sit down casually on a small chair beside her.

"To be honest, I don't have any real deep-seated hatred for the Empress Dowager and her two sons. My real enemy is the Emperor. Whoever becomes the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is my enemy." Tian Xin finished speaking through gritted teeth, then laughed again. "Of course, I still hate you all, especially you!" He pointed at the Emperor, "You're just the son of the Prince of Xing, not a direct descendant at all. What right do you have to inherit the throne?"

"The emperor isn't a direct descendant, so are you?" Empress Dowager Jiang sneered.

"Of course," Tian Xin agreed quickly, as if this answer had been buried in her heart for too long, so long that she could no longer swallow this secret and was eager to let everyone know. "You're a direct descendant? Haha…" This time it was Empress Dowager Jiang who laughed, "Is your name on the family genealogy?"

“My name is naturally not on the imperial register, because I am more qualified than anyone else to inherit the throne. Do you remember Emperor Jianwen?” Tian Xin could no longer hide the resentment in her voice. “Emperor Jianwen did not die back then. I am his direct descendant. Emperor Taizu originally passed the throne to him, but it was forcibly seized by the traitor Zhu Di. But it doesn’t matter. What we have been waiting for for generations is this opportunity for revenge.”

"So what if you kill us?" the emperor suddenly said. "Even if you kill me, only my son can ascend the throne. You still won't be the emperor."

"That's right, you're dead, and Murong Lianyun's son is going to ascend the throne. But do you know that Murong Lianyun's son isn't yours at all? He's my son, mine!" Tian Xin laughed wildly. "My son, his ascension to the throne is my ascension to the throne. In the future, I will be the retired emperor. The way you fought for the title of emperor for Prince Xing, he will fight for it for me in the future, hahaha... If Zhu Di is watching from heaven, seeing you unfilial descendants who lost your country in such a muddle, I wonder if he will be so angry that he will bang his head against the wall." Yeah!

Volume 3, Chapter 36: Karmic Debt

"Haha..." The emperor suddenly burst into laughter, and after laughing, he said, "That bitch Murong Lianyun, I saw long ago that she was no virtuous lady. When she was pregnant, she was outside the palace. Do you think I would accept any woman who said she was pregnant with my child? Don't be silly. I accepted her because I wanted to see what tricks you were playing. I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, I had the baby Murong Lianyun gave birth to secretly disposed of long ago. The child I have now is my own flesh and blood."

"He is the Emperor's own flesh and blood. The Emperor said it so casually. Aren't you afraid that I will kill him in a moment and cut off the lineage?" Tian Xin was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and then laughed. "However, since the Emperor said so, I can't have been busy for so many years and let a child who is not even sure if he is my son inherit the throne. Fortunately, I have a backup plan. When the time comes, the one who ascends the throne can only be my son."

"Is that so?" The emperor snorted and suddenly clapped his hands. Soon, a hidden door behind the screen opened, and the sound of several people's footsteps came. Mo Xibei could not see what was happening below from upstairs, but he could tell that one of the people's steps were unsteady and weak, but the sound of his landing was heavy. He should be a person who had no internal strength foundation and was somewhat inconvenient to move.

"I wonder if this is another plan of yours?" The emperor's voice came after a while, and Tian Xin, who was standing to the side, suddenly tightened her breathing.

"Please, my lord, stop now. If he's willing to commit suicide, perhaps I can spare your life for the sake of your former master." Seeing that no one spoke for a long time, the emperor grew impatient.

"I am but a woman, or as Miss would say, a pawn on a chessboard that cannot turn back. Your Majesty overestimates me. If you must kill me, then kill me quickly." A woman's voice was slightly hoarse, but she sounded very calm.

"Red and Green!" Mo Xibei exclaimed in surprise. His body trembled almost uncontrollably, and the sound reached the ears of the people downstairs. But it was no less than a thunderclap. Empress Dowager Jiang spoke first, "Who else is here? Why hide and wait? Why don't you all come down together?"

Mo Xibei gestured for Chu Junfeng not to move. She whispered in his ear, "If things get bad, help me save Honglu," before standing up, brushing a few specks of dust off her clothes, and walking down the stairs. The first floor was brightly lit. Upon seeing Mo Xibei, Tian Xin almost jumped up in surprise, staring at her shadow for a long time before suddenly saying, "I knew Mu Feinan wasn't trustworthy; he really didn't kill you." Then, she stared at Mo Xibei's silent master and said, "Nan Haoming, you lied to us too?"

"Northwest!" The red and green lights seemed to indicate something. Upon seeing Mo Northwest, she instinctively moved. However, being held hostage, this movement resulted in a cut on her neck.

"Don't move!" Mo Xibei ignored Tian Xin and looked at Hong Lü. He hadn't seen her for a while, and Hong Lü's face had become much thinner. However, because of her pregnancy, her waist and belly were protruding, and she actually looked fatter. Mo Xibei recognized the person who had taken her hostage. It was the middle-aged man who had been ordered by Empress Dowager Jiang to take her to Plum Blossom Manor several times. It was difficult to find such a person. He had seen him countless times, but his face was still blurry. He would forget his appearance as soon as he turned away.

“I never thought I’d see you again in this lifetime,” Honglu said, ignoring the pain in her neck, tears streaming down her face. “Northwest, I can still see you. I can die in peace now. After I die, remember to take me home. Remember, take me home.”

"Don't talk nonsense, who said you'd die." Mo Xibei felt a pang of sadness, but smiled as he walked over step by step and gently comforted her, "You're pregnant, what's with all this talk about dying? You're a grown woman, don't you know how to keep quiet? You'll be fine, I promise."

"Your Highness, please stop." Just as Mo Xibei was about to touch Honglu's outstretched hand, the person holding Honglu hostage suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness, please stop if you don't want this lady to get hurt again."

Mo Xibei smiled bitterly, stopped, and gently spread her hands. She recognized or even knew everyone in front of her, but at this moment, she didn't know how to stand or whose back to turn in order to avoid dying inexplicably.

"Sister, it was really not easy to get you out here. Fortunately, everything is about to end. Your brother promised you before that we would share the empire. From now on, you should stay in the palace and stop going out to take risks." The emperor looked at Mo Xibei with a warm smile and even stretched out his hand, gesturing for Mo Xibei to come over.

"Now that everyone's here, it's best to deal with them all at once, so I don't have to hunt you down one by one later." Tian Xin glanced around the back warm pavilion, sneered repeatedly, grabbed a teacup from the ground, and smashed it hard, making a crisp sound.

Many Imperial Guards and Embroidered Uniform Guards surged in like a tide, their swords drawn, the gleaming blades instantly illuminating every corner of the room, and the back warm pavilion was completely surrounded.

"Take them all down, dead or alive." Tian Xin stood in the crowd and pointed at the people opposite her.