"Your Majesty flatters me. Your true prowess lies in your ability to silently control the Emperor, severely injure the Crown Prince, and command the Imperial Guards. You wield absolute power, throwing the entire capital of Xiliang into chaos!" Shen Lixue smiled slightly, her gaze laced with veiled sarcasm as she scrutinized Consort Shu.
Despite possessing unfathomable martial arts skills and an ambition to control the world, she concealed her brilliance and spent more than a decade in the harem, engaging in open and covert struggles with those weak concubines. Her endurance was truly extraordinary; it is unlikely that anyone else could be as profound and reserved as she was.
Consort Shu's gaze fell on Shen Lixue. Her Xiangfei purple Xiang skirt outlined her exquisite figure, and her jet-black hair was tied into a simple bun. A pair of delicate purple jade hairpins were inserted diagonally into her bun, making her look gentle and elegant. Leaf-shaped purple jade earrings swayed gently, complementing the purple jade hairpins perfectly. Her bright and beautiful face was stunning and unforgettable.
She is indeed a rare beauty. No wonder she won the favor of the God of War, Qingyan, and is also the beloved of the Crown Prince of Xiliang. Lu Jiangfeng's martial arts should be above his own. In a one-on-one fight, he is no match for Lu Jiangfeng. Capturing Shen Lixue can restrain the highly skilled Lu Jiangfeng, reverse the current defeat, and also make Dongfang Heng and Ye Qianlong surrender. It is truly killing three birds with one stone.
He had sent many guards to search for her, but to no avail. Now that she had delivered herself to his doorstep, how could he let her go?
Consort Shu's eyes turned cold. With a light tap of her feet, her slender body leaped over Lu Jiangfeng in an instant, shooting towards Shen Lixue with lightning speed: "Shen Lixue, this palace is now my domain. Now that you're here, don't leave!" Her charming voice was sharp and stern, carrying a hint of smugness that sent chills down the spines of those who heard it.
As the fierce wind swept in, Shen Lixue smiled slightly, unhurriedly, and with a flick of her wrist, the cyan whip drew a beautiful arc in the air and struck fiercely at Consort Shu.
The whip cracked, the moves were fierce, and Consort Shu smiled mockingly. With such little skill, she dared to fight her. She was overestimating herself. She stretched out her slender arm, grabbed the end of the whip tightly, and suddenly pulled hard to drag Shen Lixue over.
Suddenly, a glimpse of a light blue robe flashed past her eye. Lu Jiangfeng's sharp palm strike came at her. The speed and profound internal strength were terrifying. If she didn't loosen her whip, even if she dragged Shen Lixue over, she would be seriously injured by Lu Jiangfeng. At that time, she would become a fish on a chopping board, at his mercy!
"Deal with Lu Jiangfeng first, then capture Shen Lixue!" Consort Shu gritted her teeth, released her whip, and lashed out at Lu Jiangfeng with her long sleeves, which carried a fragrance and murderous intent.
Lu Jiangfeng flicked open her sleeve, a faint smile playing on his lips. His white jade fingers moved lightly, unleashing the Spring Breeze Technique, like the warm sun in winter, slowly dispelling the chill in the courtyard. Between the opening and closing of his fingers, nothing could be seen, yet sharp gusts of wind swept out from his wide sleeves.
Every move he made was as elegant as playing chess, graceful and unrestrained yet exuding a masculine strength and domineering presence. With effortless ease, he attacked Consort Shu from all directions with the most precise techniques and the fastest moves...
Shen Lixue stared at Lu Jiangfeng in astonishment. She was so close to him that she couldn't even see how he made his move. All she saw was his snow-blue sleeves fluttering and rolling in front of her, like a magnificent blue lotus blooming proudly, with sharp gusts of wind shooting out from the petals, mercilessly attacking the enemy...
Looking at Consort Shu, her beautiful eyes were cold and her moves were graceful and feminine. Whether she was fighting by flicking her sleeves or directly striking with her palms, she was very gentle and beautiful. Her clothes fluttered lightly, and her jade pendants jingled, like a beautiful butterfly dancing among flowers. But her hidden killing moves could be fatal in an instant, so no one dared to underestimate her.
A duel between masters may not involve intense weapon clashes or brutal bloodshed, but it is exceptionally dangerous and difficult. If one is distracted even slightly and their weakness is exploited, they will be defeated in one move and face certain death.
Lu Jiangfeng and Mu Zixin are both incredibly skilled and unparalleled!
"Cough cough cough!" A gust of cold wind blew by, and Ye Qianlong clutched his chest and coughed violently. His lips were dry and his face was pale and bloodless.
Shen Lixue gently placed her fair hand on his wrist, her pupils suddenly shrinking: "Qianlong, how did you get so badly injured?" His pulse was erratic, his blood and qi were surging wildly in his body, extremely unstable, and his internal organs were severely injured. If he had been struck by another palm, he would have surely died. The person who attacked him was determined to kill him; they were truly ruthless.
"It was Consort Shu who seriously injured me!" Ye Qianlong covered his mouth with his hand, coughing heavily. His body was still limp and he couldn't muster any strength. He leaned close to Shen Lixue and saw her slightly furrowed brows. He lowered his head and his eyes were dull and lifeless: "Lixue, am I really useless?"
Shen Lixue shook her head and smiled helplessly: "No, you were just tricked."
Ye Qianlong is skilled in martial arts, but he is too naive and lacks the ability to guard against others, making him vulnerable to falling into traps. In the treacherous harem, where intrigue and scheming abound, he occupies the coveted position of Crown Prince, and his superior martial arts skills alone are far from sufficient.
Strategy isn't something you can learn in a day or two. Ye Qianlong is as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, and he hasn't experienced the pain of life and death. Shen Lixue didn't know how to teach him, so she sighed inwardly and looked up at the battle:
The fight between Lu Jiangfeng and Consort Shu had reached a fever pitch. Their moves were becoming increasingly fierce, and their internal energy was becoming more and more profound. However, the two were one forceful and the other gentle, which perfectly countered each other. Their martial arts skills and internal energy were also quite similar, so it was impossible to determine a winner in a short time.
"Thump, thump, thump!" A series of orderly footsteps approached from afar, indicating that the Imperial Guards were patrolling the palace.
Consort Shu's gaze darkened, and her exclamation, imbued with internal energy, resounded throughout the courtyard: "Guards! There's an assassin! Catch the assassin!"
The palace is Consort Shu's domain; if the Imperial Guards are alerted, they will not have a good outcome.
Shen Lixue's gaze turned cold, and her slender figure instantly appeared in front of Consort Shu. The silver needle in her hand, gleaming with cold light, was plunged into Consort Shu's major acupoint.
A sharp pain shot through her wrist as the silver needle remained stuck in front of Consort Shu's clothes, unable to penetrate any further. She looked up and met Consort Shu's icy gaze. Consort Shu's jade-like hand gripped Shen Lixue's wrist tightly, with a force that seemed to crush it: "With your meager skills, you dare to try to ambush me? You overestimate yourself!" Her cold voice was filled with unspeakable mockery and disdain.
Shen Lixue raised the corners of her mouth slightly and smiled strangely: "Your Highness, the silver needles in my right hand are not for pricking your acupoints!" Her left hand, which was hanging in front of her, suddenly swung out, and two silver needles that were gleaming instantly pierced into the body of the Consort Shu. The speed was as fast as lightning, so fast that no one had time to react.
Consort Shu felt as if an ant had bitten her chest. After a moment of sharp pain, the internal energy in her dantian vanished without a trace. Her body felt boneless, and she collapsed softly to the ground, unable to muster any strength. She glared hatefully at Shen Lixue, gritting her teeth: "You actually dared to ambush me! How despicable and shameless!"
It's a disgrace that Mu Zixin, who has fought in the harem for over a decade, was outmaneuvered by a mere maid.
Shen Lixue looked at Consort Shu and smiled coldly: "All's fair in war, hasn't Your Highness heard that? Even if I were despicable and shameless, I couldn't compare to you, scheming against the person you've shared a bed with for over a decade..."
"You..." Consort Shu glared at Shen Lixue, her anger soaring. Her scheming against the emperor and Shen Lixue's sneak attack on her were two completely different things, how could they be compared?
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" A large number of imperial guards in armor rushed into the courtyard, surrounding it completely. Lu Jiangfeng turned around gently and stood beside Shen Lixue.
Ye Qianlong staggered over to Shen Lixue's side, shielding her in the middle. His clear eyes looked at the Imperial Guards with icy gaze: "You dare to point arrows at me? Do you want to rebel?"
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, we are under orders from the military command!" A member of the Imperial Guard who appeared to be the leader said in a low voice, with the arrow tip pointed at Ye Qianlong's chest.
Shen Lixue glanced at Ye Qianlong: "Qianlong, the military tally is in the hands of Duke Mu, and they obey Duke Mu's orders!"
"I know!" Ye Qianlong lowered his eyelids and said in a low voice. He just wanted to test whether he, as the crown prince, still had any deterrent power. As it turned out, in their eyes, he was no longer the crown prince of Xiliang, but an ordinary person who could be killed at any time.
Shen Lixue lifted the fallen Consort Shu, pressed a sharp dagger against her neck, and swept her cold gaze across the Imperial Guards filling the courtyard, saying in a chilling voice, "If you dare take another step closer, I will kill her!"
The Imperial Guards had their bows fully drawn, arrows pointed at the chests of the men, ready to fire, but they dared not release their arrows because Consort Shu was being held hostage by Shen Lixue.
A middle-aged man strode in, stepping past the Imperial Guards. Clad in imposing armor, his fierce eyes glared at him, exuding authority without anger. His sharp gaze swept over Ye Qianlong, Lu Jiangfeng, and the kidnapped Consort Shu, finally settling on Shen Lixue. Given the Imperial Guards' tight security, their ability to infiltrate the palace so silently was quite clever.
"Release Zixin, and I might spare your lives!"
Shen Lixue scoffed disdainfully: "Do you think we're three-year-olds? If we let her go, the Imperial Guards in the courtyard will shoot us into pincushions. We'll have no chance of survival!"
The man narrowed his sharp eyes slightly: "I guarantee with my integrity that you can leave the palace safely!"
Shen Lixue examined the man's armor closely. It wasn't the uniform of an Imperial Guard leader, but rather the armor unique to border generals. The middle-aged man's identity was obvious: "The Duke of Mu, who plotted a rebellion, has even abandoned the emperor he worships every day. Does he still have any dignity?"
Duke Mu's face instantly turned as black as ink. He was a man of his word in the army, and it was the emperor who had wronged his Duke Mu's mansion, which was why he plotted a rebellion. If the emperor had been wise enough to thoroughly investigate the case of the military pay and clear his name, why would he have risked his life to rebel?
He wanted to slap the woman who was talking nonsense without knowing the truth, but since Consort Shu was being held hostage by her, and the matter was of great importance, he couldn't act rashly. He had to calm her down first and then find a way to kill her later: "How about I personally escort you out of the palace?"
Shen Lixue raised the corners of her mouth and looked at Duke Mu with an eyebrow: "I don't trust the people of your Duke Mu's mansion!"
A haughty voice rang out from above, and Consort Shu gritted her teeth: "Brother, why waste so much breath on them? Shoot them dead with arrows!"
From childhood to adulthood, Consort Shu had always been arrogant and intimidating others. Today, however, she was caught off guard and tricked by Shen Lixue. She was humiliated and held hostage by Shen Lixue, losing all face. She hated Shen Lixue to the core and wished for her to die as soon as possible.