So as long as Fenyan was favored, she didn't care whether it was the real Lüyan or the fake Lüyan. That's why the real Lüyan was able to escape to the capital, and no one cared if the fake Lüyan was taken away by Baili Jian under a pretext. But who knew that Baili Jian would do something so audacious? Even Consort Sun felt a chill when she heard about it. And these past few times, Emperor Mingxian hadn't allowed Consort Sun to participate at all. Was he starting to dislike her? This woman survived in the palace because of the Emperor's favor. If that was the case, what would Consort Sun do next?
If Baili Jian is truly punished, Consort Sun will have no hope left. She is not young anymore, and new people are constantly entering the palace. She is no longer as young as she used to be. With both of her biological children suffering from miscarriages, she will probably find it difficult to give birth to a third child. At that time, wouldn't she be devoured by humans in this dangerous place?!
Therefore, she had to stop the Emperor from making a decision before he did, and she absolutely could not let the Emperor punish Baili Jian, otherwise she would be completely finished!
Two hours and a quarter of an hour later, Fu Shun, the emperor's personal eunuch, finally came out. Consort Sun immediately raised her most beautiful smile and said kindly, "Eunuch Fu Shun, has the emperor finished his work? Does he have time to see me?" Fu Shun was someone the emperor trusted greatly. Sometimes his words were more effective than a hundred words from others. Even someone like the empress would not go against Fu Shun and would give him some courtesy. Moreover, in Consort Sun's urgent moment, her smile was even more sweet and impeccable.
Fu Shun nodded, his face expressionless, which made Consort Sun's heart sink slightly. It seemed that she couldn't tell the Emperor's mood from Fu Shun's face either, so she had to be even more careful! Fu Shun said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has just finished his official business. Hearing that Your Highness was still outside the Imperial Study, he sent me to invite you."
"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Fushun," Consort Sun said with a smile.
Fu Shun extended his hand in a gesture of invitation, saying, "Your Majesty, please."
As he spoke, he led Consort Sun into the Imperial Study. Consort Sun was Emperor Mingxian's most favored concubine, so this was certainly not her first time entering the Imperial Study. The Imperial Study was decorated mainly in the colors of the Ming Dynasty, and the curtains around it were surrounded by soaring dragons, all of which showed its grandeur, luxury and majesty. In the past, Consort Sun had only felt extremely honored every time she entered this place, but this time she felt a chill in her heart and had a feeling of unease.
"Your Majesty, I greet you. Long live the Emperor!" Consort Sun bowed her head and greeted the Emperor as soon as she reached the Imperial Desk.
Emperor Mingxian did not answer directly, but after a while said, "Get up."
Consort Sun quickly stood up, but placed her hands on her stomach and lowered her head, not daring to speak. Emperor Mingxian looked at the obedient Consort Sun and smiled faintly: "Why do you have so much free time today and come to the Imperial Study?"
Consort Sun looked up at Emperor Mingxian, seeing his calm expression and faint smile, she couldn't sense any anger from him. This was because Emperor Mingxian had received the secret message unique to the Great Zhou emperors; aside from the person in charge, probably no one else knew. Consort Sun was unaware of the results of Emperor Mingxian's investigation. In her mind, as long as the results weren't yet in, there was still time. If she could secure a promise for Baili Jian, even if the emperor wanted to renege, his word was his bond, and he wouldn't easily break his promise. This was the best way she could think of to save Baili Jian.
Thinking of this, Consort Sun's eyes suddenly became misty with tears. She was naturally very charming, and her bewitching phoenix eyes had always captivated Emperor Mingxian. Now, with tears in her eyes, they appeared even more misty and alluring. It wouldn't be easy for Emperor Mingxian to get through this. Consort Sun said, “Your Majesty, Jian’er is innocent! Don’t I know Jian’er well? He has always been the most filial and considerate, gentle and kind to others. He never plays any tricks or schemes. If anyone says that Jian’er would plot against me, I simply cannot believe it. If someone were to deliberately frame Jian’er, given his nature, he would probably help that person. Your Majesty, as a mother, I may be exaggerating a bit, but these are all my heartfelt words. Over the years, Jian’er has been by Your Majesty’s side, and I’m sure Your Majesty has felt the deep affection he has for you. Jian’er is also Your Majesty’s own son, and now he has been wronged. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for him.” As she spoke, Consort Sun took out her handkerchief and gently sobbed as she wiped away her tears, but her voice remained unaffected. She would occasionally glance at Emperor Mingxian with teary, alluring eyes.
Emperor Mingxian simply looked at Consort Sun quietly: "Oh, are you so sure that Jian'er definitely didn't do this?"
Consort Sun hesitated for a moment: "This..." After thinking for a moment, she said, "Your Majesty, I don't know about this matter, but I believe in Jian'er. Even if he really did something wrong, he must have been instigated by others. Jian'er was definitely kept in the dark."
Emperor Mingxian chuckled and said, "If he is so easily deceived as my son, then he deserves to be killed!"
Consort Sun was startled. She saw that although Emperor Mingxian was smiling, his eyes were sharp and stern. Under his gaze, Consort Sun suddenly felt very small and was so afraid that she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
"Smack!"
Emperor Mingxian suddenly pulled the secret letter from the table and threw it at Consort Sun's feet: "Take a look, this is the gentle, naive, and easily deceived good son you described. Good, good, truly my good son!"
Consort Sun was so frightened that she immediately took out her book and looked at it. The more she looked, the paler her face became. Finally, she collapsed to the ground and cried out, "Your Majesty...this..." She didn't even know how to explain or plead for mercy. With such conclusive evidence, wasn't Baili Jian doomed?
Emperor Mingxian waved his arm dismissively and said impatiently, "Take Consort Sun away!"
Fu Shun immediately responded and quickly summoned someone to help Consort Sun out. However, Consort Sun had a pale face the whole way and was somewhat absent-minded. After being sent to Mingxiang Palace, Consort Sun sat there blankly for a while. Suddenly, Consort Sun stood up and said, "Go, summon the secret guards!"
Consort Sun's personal maid, Qi, immediately went out. Shortly after, ten men dressed in black, with ordinary faces but exuding a murderous aura, entered. Consort Sun immediately said, "I want you to break into the prison and rescue the Prince. You should know that this is a matter of utmost importance, and a matter of life and death. You are not allowed to reveal the true mastermind. Go as the Fifth Prince's trained assassins, and do not mention anything about me. Of course, you must also rescue the Prince and get him to a safe place first. I will definitely come looking for you then!"
"Yes, Master!"
Consort Sun watched these people leave with a somber face, but her heart was pounding even harder. Why did she feel so uneasy? She knew these people were all skilled and should be able to save Jian'er without any problem.
On the other side, Baili Jian was lying in his cell when a group of prison guards suddenly approached. Baili Jian's face flushed, and he quickly said, "Have you investigated thoroughly? I am innocent."
The leading prison guard sneered, "Innocent? Now I'm taking you, this prisoner, to the imperial prison. Tell me, are you guilty or innocent?" He then proceeded to grab Baili Jian and drag him out without any restraint. His movements were extremely rough; who would have dared to treat a high-ranking prince like this before? Would they be courting death?
However, Baili Jian wasn't concerned with these things now. He froze upon hearing the prison officer's words: "What! The Heavenly Prison!" Baili Jian's face turned ashen. He understood that the matter had likely been investigated thoroughly. He had indeed hidden a considerable amount of things at his villa in Qizhou. He had initially hoped that these people hadn't found anything, but they had unexpectedly discovered it. He had investigated very discreetly; how could they have found out?! But with that evidence, he was now suspected of treason. Was he finished?!
No, he was unwilling to accept it. That position was rightfully his; had he really failed like this?
He was unwilling to accept it!
"Ping-pong! Bang!"
Suddenly, a chaotic noise erupted outside, and a few moments later, several men in black burst into the cell. Without a word, they drew their swords and began killing indiscriminately, even some prisoners were not spared. The cell where Baili Jian had been imprisoning was for ordinary prisoners, whose martial arts skills were generally mediocre. They were no match for these men in black, and in a few swift movements, a path was cleared. One of the men in black, with a fierce rage, slashed open the cell chains and cried out urgently, "Master, something terrible has happened! We must leave here with you!"
Baili Jian nodded immediately: "Let's go!"
These men in black were indeed skilled in martial arts, but three of them still died and two were injured. Even so, they still managed to break out with Baili Jian. The group mounted the horses hidden outside and quickly galloped towards the city gate. When they encountered city officials who tried to stop them, they swung their swords, leaving blood everywhere and causing chaos on the city streets and in front of the city gate. For a while, no one chased after them, which gave them a chance to escape.
In a dense forest on the outskirts of the city.
"It's safer here now, Master, please rest for a bit." The man in black handed over a water bottle, but Baili Jian frowned and didn't drink from it.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Suddenly, arrows began to fly through the air. Everyone was shocked, and Baili Jian roared angrily, "Who dares to attack me? You're courting death!"
"Pfft pfft pfft!" However, no one paid any attention to Baili Jian. Arrows kept flying from the sky. Although the secret guards sent by Consort Sun were highly skilled in martial arts, they could not withstand the constant barrage of arrows. Everyone has their limits, and Baili Jian's men were clearly at a disadvantage.
"Ah!" At that moment, an arrow was shot toward Baili Jian. Startled, Baili Jian suddenly reached out and pulled the guard who was blocking the arrow for him to stand on top of him. The next moment, the guard was covered in arrows like a hedgehog.
"Master..." The guard coughed up blood, his eyes wide open, dying with his eyes still open.
Baili Jian ignored him completely, placing the body of the secret guard directly in front of him and urgently demanding, "Who is it? Which coward dared to assassinate me, yet dared to harm me but lacked the courage to face me? Which despicable villain, come out at once! Who are you!"
Suddenly, a furious shout rang out: "The one who's going to take your life!"
Upon hearing this voice, Baili Jian's face suddenly turned pale, his body stiffened, and without fear, he stared wide-eyed at it!
"Whoosh!"
"ah!"
Baili Jian suddenly cried out in pain...!
☆、199、The Death of Baili Jian!
Suddenly, an arrow pierced through the air. Baili Jian had been staring wide-eyed at the person, but the next moment, an arrow pierced his eye. The pain was unimaginable to others, as if his eye had been sliced off. He clearly heard a 'plop' sound, followed by a tremendous force crushing him. Baili Jian felt his face twitching uncontrollably, and he couldn't even pay attention to the tears flowing from his eyes because of the pain.
"Ah!" Baili Jian's hand suddenly loosened, and the guard he had used as a shield collapsed to the ground with a 'thud'. Baili Jian reached up and touched his eye, where an arrow, barely half a finger's width deep, was still embedded. A slight pain shot through him, followed by an intense ache that spread through him. Baili Jian was in unbearable pain, and his undamaged eye rolled back in his head. His heart was aching terribly.
Meanwhile, from all directions, a number of people emerged from the dense forest where Baili Jian was. They were all dressed in black, their faces cold and expressionless. The one in the lead looked at Baili Jian with a slight sneer. He then turned to look behind him and saw a person who had arrived late. This person wore a long robe with cloud-patterned flowing snow-white silk, covered by a transparent gauze garment. His hair was held in place only by a jade hairpin. He had a fair complexion, snow-white skin, and eyes that shone like stars, bright yet radiating a sharp light. His features were exquisite and beautiful. This person was none other than Ouyang Yue. And the cold-faced man in the lead was incomparably handsome. This person was none other than Baili Jian.
The two slowly approached Baili Jian. By this time, all of Baili Jian's guards had been riddled with holes and were dead beyond any doubt. Surrounded by everyone, Baili Jian, who was squatting on the ground, constantly covering his eyes and howling, was all the more conspicuous.
Baili Jian roared in anger and pain; all he could do now was scream. Gradually, the intense pain subsided slightly, allowing Baili Jian to perceive the sounds outside. He felt a sense of surprise; he had indeed heard that sound before he was injured. Baili Jian was still rubbing his left eye, but he raised his head, his right eye painfully open. He saw a pair of beautiful women slowly walking towards him. To others, they seemed like a perfect match, but to Baili Jian, they appeared as hateful as demons.
At this point, there was nothing he didn't understand. He roared angrily, "Baili Chen, it was you who gave the order! It was you! How dare you!"
Baili Chen helped Ouyang Yue approach, but they were still ten steps apart from Baili Jian. At this distance, and given that both Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue were capable of self-defense, it would be difficult for Baili Jian to harm them. Baili Jian sneered, "That's right, I was the one who ordered the attack on you. So what? Did you think you would have gotten away with it if I hadn't done it?"
Baili Jian trembled with rage. Although he was now one-eyed, his right eye, when glaring fiercely, was still terrifying. Baili Jian never imagined that his desperate attempt to escape would end up in the hands of Baili Chen and Xuan Yuan Yue. He was truly unwilling to accept this. He, Baili Jian, had schemed for so many years; Qizhou was far more than just a base for him. He believed that as long as he lived, he would have a chance to rise again. Therefore, when he thought his conviction was almost certain, escape was the best course of action. But now, with his eye injured, he had fallen into the hands of Baili Chen and his wife. Baili Jian knew he was likely doomed!
But he was unwilling to accept it! All his efforts over the years had gone to waste, and he was unwilling to accept it!
Ouyang Yue looked coldly at Baili Jian. In her opinion, no punishment was too much for him. This Baili Jian had actually done something so heinous that he disregarded the lives of more than ten thousand people for his own selfish interests. Whatever punishment he received was well-deserved.
Although the prison cell wasn't a heavily guarded place like the Imperial Prison, it wasn't so easy to escape. If it were the usual Baili Jian, he probably would have noticed something was wrong with the cell and thought of other ways to escape. However, as a prisoner who might face punishment and conviction from Emperor Mingxian, he was already desperate and indiscriminate. Escaping with all his might was the most important thing. In fact, everything he did was seen by Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue. It could even be said that Baili Jian's escape and his arrival here were all planned by Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue.
Given Baili Jian's personality, he wouldn't sit idly by and wait to die. As soon as he heard the news, he would take the safest way to hide. At the same time, with Consort Sun's eagerness to protect her son, she would also try to rescue him. Once the two sides met, it was inevitable that Baili Jian would be rescued and escape from the prison. They had expected this, but they followed him secretly and laid an ambush in advance.
If Consort Sun wanted to rescue Baili Jian, she had to send out elite troops, but not too many, so as not to alert the enemy. This would be more effective in capturing Baili Jian in one fell swoop. As long as the number of troops was small, they could kill them all, and the news would not get out. By the time Consort Sun and the others found out that they wanted to rescue Baili Jian, it would be too late!
Emperor Mingxian was, after all, Baili Jian's father. In Ouyang Yue's opinion, it would be very difficult to get Emperor Mingxian to execute Baili Jian fairly. So she didn't care to punish this bastard Baili Jian herself for her brother's sake!
Seeing Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue's furious outburst, Baili Jian gritted his teeth and said, "Baili Chen, how dare you do such a thing? Aren't you afraid that Father will hold you accountable afterward? Hmph, no matter how serious the crime, only Father has the right to judge it. You treat me like this in private, how can you possibly respect Father? If you're smart, hurry up and release me, and maybe I'll let it go and pretend this never happened. Otherwise! Hmph, you should know that if Father holds you accountable, you won't get away with it!"
Baili Chen smiled faintly at Baili Jian, then suddenly asked, "Fifth Brother, who do you think is responsible for your current predicament?"
Baili Jian stared coldly at Baili Chen: "Because of you! But don't expect to get away with this either. Even if it costs me my last life, I will fight you to the death!"
"Fight to the death? Heh, may I ask, Fifth Brother, what right do you have to fight me to the death? Your frail body? Heh, I'm afraid you can't even threaten one of my fingers now." Baili Jian said coldly, his anger reaching a frenzy.
"A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs, a tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs. Baili Chen, you won't be arrogant for long. Moreover, as long as I return to the capital, there is still room for maneuver. At that time, it will be the time for me to trample you under my feet. Baili Chen, you will never be as good as me!" Baili Jian said with great hatred.
From childhood to adulthood, Baili Jian was outstanding in every aspect, including talent, knowledge, and experience. He was always proud, but Emperor Mingxian favored Baili Chen. As for Baili Chen, he was sickly from birth, destined to die young. However, his father doted on him, always thinking of Baili Chen first when it came to good food and fun things. He even became more lenient with Baili Chen's increasingly unruly nature, which made the other princes resentful and jealous of Baili Chen. Baili Jian, who considered himself to be the best in everything, was naturally one of them.
From childhood, Baili Jian had always secretly fought with Baili Chen. However, unexpectedly, this did not make Emperor Mingxian dislike Baili Chen. On the contrary, he favored him even more. This made the relationship between Baili Jian and Baili Chen more and more antagonistic. He had been plotting his own great cause and thought that one day he would ascend the throne and let Emperor Mingxian see who was the most capable person to ascend the throne. Just when he was about to succeed, he failed at the last minute!
Baili Chen sneered: "Fifth Imperial Brother, do you think you can still go back to the capital!"
"You! You want to kill me? How dare you! Aren't you afraid of Father's repercussions? Can you bear the consequences?" Baili Jian's face stiffened, but he shouted in a low voice. At this moment, he didn't even care about the stinging in his eyes. His right eye, which had become a single eye, was fixed on Baili Chen.
Baili Chen said indifferently, "Fifth Brother is so smart, he must have already figured it out. What else do I need to say? Since I've let you see me today, do you think a smart person like you would let you go back alive?"
Baili Jian was shocked and exclaimed, "Seventh Brother, how could you do such a thing? We are brothers! Who are you letting down? Although Father doesn't pay much attention to the struggles between princes, we all know he least wants his brothers to fight each other. Father once said that he only managed to seize the throne because of internal strife, but he knows the feeling of being alone and lonely. He doesn't want us brothers to repeat his mistakes. Father taught us to love each other. If you do something like this, Father will be furious!" "Tell me, Seventh Brother, isn't this a losing proposition?" Seeing Baili Chen remain silent, Baili Jian continued to persuade him, "Seventh Brother, listen to your Fifth Brother's advice. Send him back to the capital. Not only will he be grateful to you, but he'll also speak well of you to Father. Even if he lives or dies, it will be up to Father, and you won't have to take any risks. Besides, you should know that doing so might earn you even more favor from Father. Seventh Brother, which do you think is better? You're a smart man; you should know how to choose."
Looking at Baili Jian's hopeful face, Baili Chen laughed, then burst into laughter, making Baili Jian's face turn from white to green with confusion: "Hmph! I'm just stating the facts. All of this is for your own good. If you don't appreciate it, fine, but why laugh at me like this? Baili Chen, don't think you can act recklessly just because Father Emperor likes you. You will die a much more miserable death than I did!"
Baili Chen looked at Baili Jian with pity, as if Baili Jian were the most pitiful person in the world, making Baili Jian's face even uglier. Baili Chen then said, "Fifth Brother, are you stupid or am I? Do you think I don't know? With your opportunistic nature, if I really escorted you back to the capital, would you really speak well of me? Haha, what a joke! Not only would you not, you would even push all the blame onto me, saying it was all my conspiracy to kidnap you and then frame you, making your standing in Father's eyes plummet even further. Then, with all the blame added up, I, who slapped Father in the face right under his nose, and you, who also deceived him, would both have acted similarly. Who would care who was right and who was wrong then? Maybe Father would be even more disgusted with me and punish you leniently, right?"
Baili Jian's expression changed, but Baili Chen looked at Baili Jian with great sympathy: "But the most ridiculous thing is not that you are so clever as to think that I will believe you, but that you are so clever as to try to figure out Father's thoughts, because no matter what you figure out, it is all wrong, it is all the one thing that Father wants you to know, you have been deceived all along!"
Baili Jian's face darkened: "What do you mean? What do you mean we've all been deceived!"
Baili Chen narrowed his eyes, seemingly lost in some memory. Ouyang Yue, however, sensed the darkness and gloom emanating from him. A cold, sarcastic smile played on his lips, tinged with hatred. His expression was extremely complex, but she saw hurt in his eyes. Baili Chen said, his eyes narrowed, “Actually, you are all foolish, or rather, you and your elder brother, the Crown Prince, are all self-righteous and think you are very clever. But in reality, you have all been deceived by Father. What kind of person do you think Father is? Someone who likes brotherly love and respect? Would he have slaughtered his brothers for the throne back then? Is it just for self-preservation? Can that be explained? Over the years, he has never interfered in the struggles between the princes. He says it's because he doesn't want his involvement to cause a rift between the brothers. But because he doesn't intervene, things have spiraled out of control, and the struggles between the princes have intensified.”
Baili Jian remained silent, while Baili Chen continued, "And do you think Father Emperor loves me very much? Does he really love me very much?"
A thought suddenly struck Baili Jian, but he couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by this?"
"What do you mean! Fifth Brother already understands, doesn't he?" Baili Chen sneered. "Do you think Father Emperor truly loved me? Would he have simply dumped me with Master Minghui when I was still so young and naive? What kind of place is that? A monk's quarters, very austere. If he could, he could have sent a trusted confidant to find a courtyard in a beautiful place for me to recuperate, and then let Minghui visit me occasionally. Heh, you only know one side of the story. Do you know what kind of life I lived at Wuhua Temple? Although I am a prince and receive some courtesy, I still have my own work to do, such as carrying water and chopping wood. Although they won't make me do temple work, I have my own way of life." "The people of Wuhua Temple will never interfere with anything that needs to be done. Washing clothes, cooking, making beds, fetching water for the vegetables, emptying your own chamber pot—have you ever done any of these things, Fifth Prince?" Baili Jian was suddenly speechless. Baili Chen slowly said, "You can't judge a book by its cover. You think Father is good to me, but is he really? If he were, he wouldn't act that way. Fifth Prince, have you thought about Fifth Princess? Father's affection for her has never been less than mine, but what has he gotten in return? Fifth Prince, you should know in your heart that Fifth Princess is no longer alive. If he truly loved her, how could there be such a huge difference? Couldn't he even send a couple more guards to protect her?"
"Fifth brother, the more you push someone to the forefront, the more dangerous it becomes. You all use me as a target, constantly attacking me. I am nothing more than a pawn to him, or rather, just a game, a game of watching us kill each other. That's the process he wants. No matter who dies, he won't even flinch, because he's watching the show. That's what he wants to see."
Baili Jian's voice was somewhat shrill: "Stop talking!" But he kept shaking his head. Baili Jian was ambitious; he had also thought about killing Emperor Mingxian and seizing the throne. However, this was different from hearing Emperor Mingxian's cruelty with his own ears. His own father was actually thinking about his princes killing each other every moment, dying one by one in front of him. Was he a psychopath, or did he have some other plan? But hearing it with his own ears only made him feel cold. It wasn't that Baili Chen was a pawn; they were all pawns. Emperor Mingxian watched quietly from behind, then fueled the flames, making them fight even more fiercely.
He couldn't help but think of the past. Baili Chen had no birth mother and grew up in a monastery. Even if he had a face that was outrageously handsome, what did that have to do with the throne? Yet, this son whom Emperor Mingxian had hardly ever spent any time with was doted on by the emperor when he returned to the palace. In fact, Baili Jian and Baili Mao, who were not favored, had spent more time with Emperor Mingxian than Baili Chen. So why did their father dote on Baili Chen so much? It was really strange when he thought about it now.
However, Emperor Mingxian doted on Baili Chen immensely, tolerating even his many misdeeds and constantly cleaning up after him. This fueled the jealousy of the other princes, leading them to repeatedly cause him trouble. At that time, the rivalry between the Crown Prince and Baili Jian wasn't particularly intense. It was only with Baili Chen's appearance and Emperor Mingxian's extreme affection for him that both princes felt threatened, and their struggle gradually became open. It seems Emperor Mingxian saw everything, even adding fuel to the fire, intensifying their conflict. Why? Did he find pleasure in watching his sons die one by one before his eyes? Was he mentally twisted?
Baili Jian couldn't help but laugh silently. He suddenly felt ridiculous. He had fought so hard, only to be manipulated by others. He felt pathetic, ending up like this. That thought had been lurking in his mind for a long time. Even if Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue were plotting against him, if Emperor Mingxian truly wanted to stop them, how could he have been rescued from prison? How could Baili Chen and his group have outmaneuvered him so perfectly? What role had his father played this time? He had always thought himself incredibly clever, but now, why did he feel so laughable?
"Hahaha! Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" Baili Jian suddenly burst into laughter, his voice tinged with desolation: "Baili Chen, good seventh brother, good! We used to be enemies, but I want to thank you for not letting me become a fool, for letting me be clear-headed at the last moment. Hahaha, we were all just pawns in someone else's game, but I am his son, his own son! Hahaha! His own son, how ridiculous, his own son, his own son!"
"Pfft!" Baili Jian laughed and shouted, suddenly grabbing the arrow that was still stuck in his eye and he dared not remove it. He pressed it against his face, and with a cracking sound, the arrow pierced through Baili Jian's brain, leaving a trail of blood. Baili Jian still had a smile on his face, but his expression was one of extreme grief, hatred, and resentment.
Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue looked at Baili Jian. Originally, they had not intended to let Baili Jian go. He was going to die today, but in the end, he committed suicide, so it could be said that he died a worthy death.
Ouyang Yue couldn't help but tighten her grip on Baili Chen's hand. Baili Chen's clenched fist loosened slightly, and he returned the grip with Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue spoke softly in a voice that was barely audible to both of them: "No matter what, I will not let him hurt you. No one will do. Otherwise, he will be my enemy, and the enemy I swear to kill."
Baili Chen laughed, his dark eyes like the finest black jade, possessing a strange and captivating luster, so profound they seemed to draw one in. He gently brushed a stray hair behind Ouyang Yue's ear: "My wife, I know my feelings for you are the same. Even if I could be indifferent to everything before, I won't be now. I absolutely will not allow the fate of Baili Jian and Baili Le to be borne by you. Even if I'm a pawn, I will be a pawn with thought. My wife must have heard the saying, 'One wrong move can lead to total defeat.' A small pawn can change the course of events, causing the player to lose completely!"
Ouyang Yue's eyes were cold and gloomy. Baili Chen had said the same thing before, but not in such detail. She had long lost any expectations of Emperor Mingxian and was filled with hatred instead. She probably felt the same way about Baili Chen.
In the imperial study, Emperor Mingxian was reviewing memorials. After finishing one, he put down his pen, and Fushun immediately handed him a cup of steaming hot tea. Emperor Mingxian took it directly, gently lifted the lid, took a small sip, and suddenly laughed: "Why does this tea have a sweet taste?"
Fu Shun smiled and said, "When His Majesty is in a good mood, everything naturally seems sweet."
Emperor Mingxian took another sip, put down his teacup, and asked, "Has the Fifth Prince been rescued?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, it must have been Consort Sun's secret guards who rescued them," Fu Shun replied from the side. However, the fact that Baili Jian had framed loyal officials and caused thousands of casualties in the Great Zhou army was discussed as casually as if it were a chat. Emperor Mingxian knew about it, but he didn't even frown.
"Just as I suspected!" Emperor Mingxian uttered only a faint murmur, then fell silent. Consort Sun had been in the palace for so many years, studying Emperor Mingxian closely, and naturally understood him. However, Emperor Mingxian, too, had come to understand Consort Sun extremely well. To ensure Baili Chen's safety, Consort Sun would employ secret guards. These secret guards were trained by the five great aristocratic families, and many families with considerable resources also trained their own. Calling them secret guards or hidden guards was simply a matter of personal preference. However, these secret guards were not inexhaustible; training them was extremely difficult, and each one used was one less available. Consort Sun's entourage consisted mainly of these experienced secret guards, and this time, she would likely suffer heavy losses.