Chapter 433 Collapse
The reason Li Qiushui experienced another seven-year itch was that the young emperor of Western Xia had grown up and become too powerful, but Li Qiushui controlled all the powerful officials in the court, so conflicts between the two were inevitable.
Moreover, Li Liangzuo did not want to continue spending every day with Li Qiushui. He wanted to accomplish great things, and to achieve this goal, he had to firmly grasp the imperial power in his own hands. But first, he had to take the imperial power from Li Qiushui's hands.
At the same time, Li Qiushui was showing signs of aging and fading beauty. She was sixty-three years old, and no matter how good her beauty preservation techniques were, she couldn't compare to a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl.
Li Liangzuo had secretly taken several concubines long ago, and two of them were already pregnant.
It should be understood that emperors were entitled to have many women. No matter how loving a couple was, it was hard to resist the temptation to try something new. It wasn't so much about falling in love with someone else, but simply about enjoying themselves.
Historically, Li Liangzuo was a lecherous man, and it is true that he became a father at the age of fourteen. Such a person could not possibly remain faithful to one woman.
Coincidentally, Li Qiushui also felt itchy.
"Your Majesty, autumn is deepening outside the palace. How about you take me to enjoy the scenery?" Li Qiushui said gently.
“My dear consort is absolutely right. It would be a shame not to see such a beautiful sight. I’ve been wanting to go hunting myself. I’ll have someone make preparations, and if the weather is fine in three days, we’ll set off.” Li Liangzuo put his arm around Li Qiushui’s waist.
"Thank you, Your Majesty..." Li Qiushui smiled slightly and leaned against Li Liangzuo's chest like a little bird seeking shelter.
Three days later, the weather was exceptionally fine, and Li Liangzuo and Li Qiushui went hunting at the royal hunting grounds as agreed.
Li Liangzuo had a great time and, under the protection of several guards, chased a sika deer into the depths of the forest.
"I must kill that deer with my own hands today, and none of you are allowed to help me!" Li Liangzuo drew his bow and shot an arrow, but missed again.
"Your Majesty, it's not safe ahead. Let's give up," Li Qiushui advised.
"Sigh~ With the Empress by my side, who in this world can harm me?" Li Liangzuo said dismissively, continuing his pursuit.
"Does Your Majesty trust me that much?" Li Qiushui asked with a smile.
"Of course, let's go!" Li Liangzuo's lips curled up slightly as he chased after the forest again, faster and faster.
The closer the distance, the easier it is to hit the target. In fact, Li Liangzuo's archery skills were not that bad. It's just that mounted archery is really difficult and it's hard to master the timing.
Finally, Li Liangzuo shot an arrow that hit the sika deer. "Hahaha... Success!"
"Your Majesty is celebrating too soon, isn't he? You think you can kill me with these good-for-nothings?" Li Qiushui said coldly.
Li Liangzuo was slightly taken aback, then sneered, "So what if you know now? These few guards certainly can't kill you, but what if we add a thousand archers? Surround her!"
Whoosh!
All around, ambushes sprang up, each armed with a bow and crossbow. A hail of arrows rained down, enough to kill even a god on the spot.
"Hmph! Capture the leader first! No matter how many people there are, it's useless! No one can save you!" Li Qiushui was very confident in her martial arts skills. Although there were a thousand archers around her, they were actually quite far away.
To avoid premature exposure, the ambush troops could not get too close, and the thousand archers could not attack at the same time. The forest was convenient for ambushes, but it also easily obscured the line of sight.
"Stop her!" Li Liangzuo shouted as he ran. The guards immediately drew their swords to block Li Qiushui, but they were no match for her.
Ahhh...
"I told you, these trash can't stop me!" Li Qiushui casually slapped those imperial guards away.
Li Liangzuo turned around and was so frightened he almost jumped out of his skin. "My beloved concubine, let me explain!"
"Hehe, then kneel down and beg me." As Li Qiushui spoke, she grabbed Li Liangzuo. As long as she captured Li Liangzuo, this farce would be over.
However, a small, thin figure suddenly flew down from the tree.
Li Qiushui's hair stood on end, and she decisively abandoned Li Liangzuo's attack, channeling all ten levels of internal energy into her palms!
Bang!
Li Qiushui felt her blood surging, and she staggered back several steps before regaining her footing. "It's you!"
"Heh, didn't expect that, did you? You thought you could get away with messing with me? Today is your death day!"
When Wu Xingyun was still a child a few years ago, Li Qiushui sent people to search for her, and the purpose was self-evident.
More importantly, with Wu Yazi missing for so long, Li Qiushui's suspicion is growing stronger. After all, there aren't many people in the world who can surpass Wu Yazi in martial arts. Li Qiushui might not be able to defeat Wu Yazi in a head-on fight, but she would have had the opportunity to launch a sneak attack. Even if Wu Yazi's disappearance has nothing to do with Li Qiushui, there's nothing wrong with killing her.
"Hmph! Li Qiushui, the Palace Master of Lingjiu Palace has already told me about your identity and past. You might as well surrender. Perhaps I will spare your life out of consideration for our past as husband and wife, but cripple your martial arts and let you live out your days in the cold palace!"
Li Liangzuo felt guilty and extremely distressed whenever he thought about how the woman he had slept with for several years was older than his grandmother.
"Hehe, Your Majesty, you are truly naive and ignorant. How could you conspire with a monster who never grows up to murder your own wife? Aren't you just asking a tiger for its skin?" Li Qiushui sneered.
Li Liangzuo's face was grim. "Hmph! My decision is none of your business! Attack! Kill this wicked woman!"
However, one by one, the guards and soldiers nearby collapsed to the ground, including Wu Xingyun and Li Liangzuo themselves.
"How naive you are! Did Your Majesty think I would be unprepared?" Li Qiushui smiled slightly.
“Sad Breeze… Yipintang is indeed all your people!” Li Liangzuo said through gritted teeth.
"After I finish her off, you'll be next." Li Qiushui said, striking Wu Xingyun's crown with her palm. "Die!"
"You die!" Wu Xingyun suddenly unleashed a powerful Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand strike.
Li Qiushui was shocked and quickly dodged. How could Wu Xingyun not be poisoned! There was a traitor in Yipintang!
puff!
"Ah!" Li Qiushui let out a shrill scream, her face covered in blood. She hadn't managed to dodge completely and was now disfigured!
However, Li Qiushui was a seasoned veteran, and she quickly stepped aside, ordering, "Immediately detoxify everyone!"
"No one can save you!" Wu Xingyun pressed his advantage. His previous attack had only ruined Li Qiushui's stunning beauty; the injury wasn't very serious.
"Is that so? I, as the Empress Consort of Western Xia, order you to surround and kill this vixen! She killed His Majesty! My son is the only one who can inherit the throne! The concubines His Majesty secretly took in are not pregnant at all!" Li Qiushui sneered.
When everyone turned around, they saw that Li Liangzuo had died sometime during the night!
"Fire arrows! Protect the Empress!" the Western Xia general immediately ordered.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Wu Xingyun cursed under his breath and flew away. With a few quick movements, he broke through the encirclement. If he continued fighting, he would not only fail to kill Li Qiushui, but he might also get himself killed.
Unexpectedly, Li Liangzuo died at this crucial moment, all efforts were in vain, and he failed to avenge himself and Wuyazi. It's such a pity, there will probably be no more such opportunities in the future!
At this moment, after going through countless hardships, Su Xinghe finally arrived at the place where Wuyazi was cultivating in asceticism.
"Traitor! Prepare to die!"
Chapter 434 Two Heroes
"Traitor! Prepare to die!"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Su Xinghe turned around with a look of surprise, only to see a ragged beggar rushing towards him from afar, swinging his hand to strike him.
Thump!
Su Xinghe closed his eyes and knelt on the ground, "Disciple has arrived late to rescue you, please forgive me, Master!"
Wu Yazi's iron palm stopped in front of Su Xinghe's eyes. "Why are you here?"
Su Xinghe's tears streamed down his face instantly. "Disciple has been searching for Master for years. Master, your leg?"
Wu Yazi supported himself with one hand and withdrew the other, but his body dragged on the ground. "Ding Chunqiu practiced a poisonous skill that just happened to counter my Beiming Divine Skill. I was careless and was knocked off the cliff by it."
Because the poison from my internal energy was difficult to remove, I forced it all to my legs and severed the meridians in them. I stayed in this valley to diligently practice the Legless Divine Skill, waiting for the day I would achieve mastery before seeking revenge on that traitor Ding Chunqiu. I never expected you to find this place.
"That damned Ding Chunqiu! I suspected he was up to something from the start, and it turns out he was right!" Su Xinghe clenched his fists so tightly they cracked.
"How is the Free and Unfettered Sect now? Where is that traitorous disciple?" Wu Yazi performed a difficult move, sitting cross-legged.
Su Xinghe looked dejected. "Master, the Xiaoyao Sect is now only a name. Our eldest grandmaster has established the Lingjiu Palace on the original site of the Xiaoyao Sect. Ding Chunqiu has hidden in the Xingxiu Sea and established the Xingxiu Sect."
Wu Yazi sighed, "Where is your Uncle Qiushui?"
“She…” Su Xinghe hesitated before speaking.
“Tell me, so many years have passed, and I’ve come to terms with it. I wasn’t good enough to her back then. Did she also go to Xingxiu Sea with Ding Chunqiu?” Wu Yazi said with a bitter smile.
Su Xinghe lowered his head, "Master, Martial Aunt Qiushui separated from Ding Chunqiu a long time ago..."
"At least she still has some conscience," Wu Yazi said with relief.
"Then she married the Emperor of Western Xia, gave birth to the Crown Prince, founded the Western Xia First-Class Hall, and has already taken control of the Western Xia Kingdom," Su Xinghe continued.
Wu Yazi, "..."
In the Western Xia Dynasty, the emperor passed away, and the entire nation mourned.
However, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and the only one qualified to succeed to the throne was Li Qiushui's son, seven-year-old Li Bingchang.
Thus, Li Bingchang, who inherited his father's excellent genes, successfully ascended the throne and even took in several imperial concubines.
Of course, he is still young and there are some things he can't do. These imperial concubines are also products of political marriages, so it's best to leave them be.
Because the emperor was too young, Li Qiushui temporarily ruled in his place. The Western Xia general who ambushed Li Qiushui that day was given an important position and promoted. The Western Xia Kingdom entered the era of Li Qiushui.
Of course, there was no such person as Li Qiushui in history. Li Bingchang's mother was Empress Dowager Liang. However, Li Liangzuo also died suddenly when Li Bingchang was seven years old. As for whether he really died of illness or faked it, does it matter?
All the concubines and their families that Li Liangzuo secretly took in became his burial victims. Li Qiushui was quite considerate of him.
The matter of Western Xia came to an end, but another exciting drama was about to unfold.
At Shaolin Temple, Abbot Lingmen's condition worsened again, and he planned to choose one of Xuanci and Xuancheng as the new abbot.
The Shaolin monks were roughly equal in their support for the two. Those who supported Xuanci said that Xuanci was compassionate and helpful, while those who supported Xuancheng said that Xuancheng was a peerless martial artist and the number one master in Shaolin and even the world.
However, there is one thing: Xuan Ci and Xuan Cheng haven't sparred for more than ten years. The last time they competed, the result was a draw, but everyone could see that Xuan Ci intentionally let Xuan Cheng win to save face.
However, the difference between the two is not that great. More than ten years have passed, and Xuan Cheng's martial arts have improved rapidly. His strength should not be weaker than Xuan Ci's. We will only know who is better after they fight.
So, incited by their supporters, Xuan Ci and Xuan Cheng went to the arena to have a real fight.
Although the abbot of Lingmen did not say that the outcome of this competition would determine the abbot's position, he did not object to the competition either. After all, Shaolin Temple is not only a Buddhist sect, but also a martial arts sect. The abbot often has to deal with external enemies, so it would be unacceptable for him to be weak in martial arts.
Xuan Ci had secretly observed Xuan Cheng's training and believed that Xuan Cheng's skill in the Vajra Palm was similar to his. However, Xuan Ci was much older than Xuan Cheng and his internal energy was more powerful.
Therefore, Xuan Ci felt that he still had a slight advantage in this competition, and it was precisely for this reason that Xuan Ci had no choice but to participate in this match; he had no reason to back down.
Outside the arena, the place was packed with people. Almost everyone from Shaolin Temple had come to watch the fight, including Xiao Yuanshan, Murong Bo, and Chengcheng. Xiang Yu and Li Canghai were also there, but Xiaoyaozi was not present.