Everything happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that no one had time to react.
"Xiao'er!" The Prince of Yunnan, quick-witted and agile, caught Nangong Xiao the moment he landed, swiftly pressing several acupoints on his body, and shouted urgently towards the door, "Someone, quickly summon the imperial physician!"
"Whoosh!" The answer to the King of Yunnan was not from his servants, but from the sound of rushing wind. Four tall figures burst into the living room. They were dressed in ordinary guard uniforms, were not masked, and held long swords. They surrounded the King of Yunnan.
Shen Lixue's gaze darkened, and she gently clenched her slender hands. The four men had only surrounded the King of Yunnan; they hadn't killed him, so she didn't need to take action for the time being.
Looking at Dongfang Heng again, he was also sitting calmly, his sharp eyes fixed on the King of Yunnan and his guards.
Seeing that neither Shen Lixue nor Dongfang Heng made a move, Dongfang Yu'er was too lazy to pay attention to them either. She gently stroked her long whip and watched the show. When her gaze fell on Nangong Xiao, whose face was black and who was unconscious, a few worries welled up in her heart. This guy had been poisoned, but his acupoints had been pressed to prevent the poison from spreading. He should be able to hold on until the matter was over and the doctor arrived.
"What are you doing? Trying to rebel?" The King of Yunnan, supporting Nangong Xiao, looked at his four trusted men, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly, a dangerous glint in them.
They were the ones he had painstakingly trained, yet they had never killed an enemy, but the swords in their hands were pointed at him, their master.
The leader of the men in black pointed his sword at the King of Yunnan and said coldly, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but we are the Emperor's guards and we obey the Emperor's orders in everything we do!"
The King of Yunnan was instantly shocked, staring incredulously at the men in black: "The Emperor ordered you to kill me?"
"Yes!" The cold, heartless words came from the confidant, shattering the last glimmer of hope in the heart of the King of Yunnan. Heh, the Emperor knew that he loved drinking Biluochun tea the most, and would bestow a lot upon him every year. The cup of tea that poisoned Nangong Xiao was the newly bestowed Biluochun.
"Why?" the King of Yunnan gritted his teeth. "I have never done anything to wrong Qingyan."
"The King of Yunnan's achievements overshadow the Emperor's; he is a major threat to His Majesty!" the guard said, emphasizing each word.
The King of Yunnan was taken aback, then roared, "It was those officials who shamelessly came to my villa to visit me. I did not form any cliques or factions!" He had already ordered that they not be received, so why couldn't the Emperor observe for another day?
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened. The King of Yunnan had made great contributions in conquering a quarter of Qingyan's territory. When he returned to the capital, officials from all walks of life came to visit him in an endless stream. This was a sign of respect, not a sign of surrender. Yet, this had touched the emperor's sore spot.
The guard said coldly, "Yunnan's troops are strong and well-equipped, no less so than Qingyan's guards in the capital. You came to the capital and secretly brought 20,000 elite guards with you. How can the Emperor not be wary of you!"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. Bringing 20,000 elite troops into the capital was indeed an absurd number. No wonder the Emperor was suspicious. However, this was Qingyan Capital. Even if the Prince of Yunnan rebelled, he couldn't escape. The Prince of Yunnan was a smart man and wouldn't do something so foolish.
"Kill him!" The four guards' eyes turned cold, and they quickly thrust their long swords at the King of Yunnan.
The King of Yunnan raised the corners of his mouth, a hint of mockery flashing in his sharp eyes. He placed Nangong Xiao on a chair, and with a flick of his wrist, a long sword swept out, the chilling aura causing the surrounding temperature to drop several degrees.
"Whoosh!" Several streaks of cold light flashed through the air at incredible speed.
The King of Yunnan's gaze was icy as he flicked his wrist and sheathed his longsword. The four guards stood motionless for a moment, then after three seconds, their bodies swayed and they slowly fell to the ground, their eyes wide open and lifeless. A long, deep gash was cut into their necks, but there was no blood. It was truly a case of killing without drawing blood.
The King of Yunnan coldly swept his gaze over the four corpses on the ground. He thought, "Trying to kill him? He's overestimating himself!"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. The King of Yunnan's martial arts skills were truly unfathomable, probably on par with Dongfang Heng.
I glanced at Dongfang Heng. He was holding a teacup, lightly touching the tea leaves with the lid, the steam rising and obscuring the expression in his eyes. I wondered what he was thinking.
Dongfang Yu'er's eyes widened in surprise. It was too fast, too fast, unbelievable! She hadn't even seen how he made his move, and he was already dead!
"Your Highness, A-Wu, A-Si, and A-Liu have betrayed us!" A man rushed in, limping as if he were seriously injured. He held a long sword in his hand, and his body and the sword were almost covered in blood.
Upon seeing the corpse on the ground, he was first taken aback, then breathed a sigh of relief: "This humble servant is late in reporting the news, please punish me, Your Highness!"
Looking closely at the man's face, Shen Lixue's cold gaze suddenly sharpened. Wasn't he the one who had spoken with Dongfang Yi in the hidden corner that day? He was a subordinate of the King of Yunnan.
Seeing the man covered in blood, the King of Yunnan narrowed his eyes: "Apei, what happened to your injuries?" Apei, like the four men from before, was one of his trusted confidants. Having experienced the betrayal earlier, he dared not easily trust others again and kept a certain distance from this Apei.
"Your Highness, it was the Imperial Guard." The man knelt before the King of Yunnan, his eyes red-rimmed, his teeth clenched in hatred: "They killed a hundred men under my command. I risked my life to run back and report to Your Highness that the Emperor intends to annihilate our elite Yunnan army and also kill you to prevent you from rebelling!"
"I have never harbored any thoughts of rebellion, so why do those on the throne suspect me?" The King of Yunnan clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles bulging and turning slightly white, with the veins on the back of his hand standing out.
Apei whispered bitterly, "Your Highness, it's the Emperor who's suspicious. He sees people coming and going in the villa every day and suspects you. He's sent people to investigate you in secret. Those 20,000 elites have already been discovered by the Emperor, and he's sending people to kill them!"
"It's all your fault!" The King of Yunnan kicked Apei hard, knocking him to the ground, gritting his teeth: "If you hadn't given me such a terrible idea, how could I have brought 20,000 elite troops and aroused the Emperor's suspicion?"
Shen Lixue narrowed her eyes slightly. Was it Apei's idea to bring troops to the capital?
Apei said righteously and sternly, "Your Highness, if the Emperor truly trusted you, why would he send people to secretly investigate you, and how would he discover those 20,000 elite troops? The Emperor has always suspected you and harbored rebellious intentions. Even without those 20,000 elite troops, he would have found a reason to assassinate you!"
The King of Yunnan was furious and about to retort when Apei was startled and suddenly lunged at him, crying out, "Your Highness, be careful!"
"Whoosh!" A sharp arrow flew in from outside the window and pierced straight into the back of Apei, who was standing in front of the King of Yunnan. Blood instantly stained his clothes.
The King of Yunnan's gaze turned cold. He flicked his finger, and the teacup on the table flew toward the window, crashing heavily onto the person outside. After a scream, there was silence.
He knew in his heart that the man outside the window had no chance of survival after he made his move. Without turning his head, the King of Yunnan looked straight at the seriously injured Apeifu and called out urgently, "Apei, Apei!"
Apei opened her eyes, her gaze haggard, yet filled with worry. She said weakly, "Your subordinate is useless. I cannot protect Your Highness or the Crown Prince!"
"Apei, don't speak yet, conserve your energy!" The King of Yunnan placed his hand on Apei's back, channeling his internal energy into him.
Apei shook her head, a bitter smile playing on her lips: "Your Highness... don't waste your inner strength... I'm about to die... all four city gates—east, west, south, and north—are sealed off, no one is allowed to enter or leave. The men we brought are being slaughtered by the Emperor's Imperial Guard. You'd better make a decision quickly, or they will all lose their lives, and you and the Crown Prince will not escape death either!"
"Hahaha!" The King of Yunnan looked at the severely injured Apei, the poisoned and unconscious Nangong Xiao, and then thought of the four trusted confidants who had ruthlessly killed him. He stood up, looked up at the sky, and laughed loudly, his voice filled with a desolate sorrow:
"I, Nangong Jun, have spent half my life on the battlefield, guarding Yunnan, devoting myself wholeheartedly to the country and its people. I have never harbored any thoughts of rebellion. Yet that peaceful and secure Ninth Prince dares to make wild guesses, suspecting me of treason, and even trying to exterminate me. Fine, since he wants me to rebel, then I will show him what rebellion is all about!"
"Send a signal to gather troops and attack the capital!" The King of Yunnan spoke slowly and deliberately, his gaze terrifyingly gloomy. His son and his loyal subordinates had both lost half their lives to save him. What else did he have to worry about? Even if he had to die, he would never let the enemy get away with it.
"Your Highness, wait!" Shen Lixue stood up, her eyes filled with a cold, moonlit light, and slowly walked towards the King of Yunnan and Apei.
She had been keeping a close eye on the sword in Apei's hand. Apei didn't kill him, but instead used another method to scheme against the King of Yunnan. Heh, what a brilliant plan. No matter who devised this scheme, she wouldn't let their tricks succeed.
She had been keeping a close eye on the sword in Apei's hand. Apei hadn't actually killed him, but had instead used another method to scheme against the King of Yunnan. Heh, what a brilliant plan! Whoever devised this scheme, she wouldn't let their tricks succeed.
Chapter 145: Exposing the Mastermind
"Are you Princess Qingyan?" Shen Lixue was wearing a scarlet Xiang dress with gold floral patterns, which was the princess's everyday attire. Apei recognized her identity at a glance.