Le Jianghu de Feng Qingcheng et Mo Xibei

Chapitre 106

"Could it really be that our fate has run its course?" Leng Xiang also began to have doubts.

Xingyue paused for a moment, then recalled the thunderous roar that had echoed through the Prince of Ying's mansion three years ago. It sounded very similar to the one she was hearing now, only this one was much more intense and rapid, seemingly carrying a devastating force. Xingyue took Yangtian's arm and whispered in his ear:

"Husband, do you think it might be Xiao Jie who has come back to save us?"

Leng Yangtian was suddenly startled, and asked in alarm, "Why do you say that?"

"Because I know Xiaojie has the ability to create such a sensation," Xingyue said mysteriously to Yangtian. A glimmer of hope shone in her eyes. She had a feeling that Xiaojie would always appear when people needed her most.

"There's hope!" Yang Tian replied calmly.

In Yang Tian's heart, Xiao Jie was indeed his younger sister. However, after learning that she was the Dark Lord of Jinghe's generation, her position in his heart had risen to a sacred status. Especially after the series of advanced and excellent reforms she had implemented for the Dark Division in recent years, he felt an urge to worship her. He thought, since she was the embodiment of his heart, she should be able to suddenly appear! Yang Tian indulged in unrealistic fantasies. It's always when people are about to die that they realize they still have many things left undone.

Jinghe, the former crown prince, and the Shui family, who were in the imperial study, also heard the series of earth-shaking roars.

"What's going on?" the Crown Prince, now clad in dragon robes, coldly questioned.

"Your Highness, I will send someone to investigate immediately," the old Minister of War replied tremblingly.

"Lord Shui, are all preparations complete for tomorrow's ceremony?" The voice remained cold and stern.

"Your Majesty, everything is ready. But what are Your Majesty's plans regarding those people in Xinhe Palace?" the two old men of the Shui family, the Minister of Revenue, replied obsequiously.

"We don't need to kill them all, but we can't leave them all out either. Just make an example of them," the person on the throne sneered.

"Does His Majesty mean to kill only Prime Minister Leng?" Lin Yin'er asked with dissatisfaction as she walked in from the entrance of the Imperial Study.

The person on the throne glanced coldly at the person who entered and asked in a gloomy tone, "What? Who else does my beloved concubine want to kill?"

"Hasn't Your Majesty heard of raising a tiger to cause trouble? Of course, we must nip it in the bud! And just now, his family members have already broken into the palace, using our imperial son as a hostage. Are you really going to let them go back?" Lin Yin'er replied sweetly.

The man on the throne suddenly turned his sharp gaze to the two old men of the Shui family. He asked in a cold voice, "Oh? Is that so?"

"Your Majesty, it was Consort Yin who ordered that the prince's safety be guaranteed. Therefore, when the guards saw the Leng family members carrying His Highness, they naturally dared not stop them," the second son of the Shui family replied timidly.

"What if they use Yi'er as leverage to leave the city and deliver the message? Will you let them go out anyway?" The question was shrouded in gloom.

"When did it become a woman's place to interfere in the affairs of my Jinghe court?"

Although the words were directed at the two old men of the Shui family, Lin Yin'er couldn't help but shudder. She said sullenly, "..."

"Senior Brother..."

Before she could finish speaking, her words were cut off by the cold imperial authority.

"Woman! Go back to your harem. You are not to set foot in the Imperial Study without a summons!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave!" Lin Yin'er's eyes immediately reddened, and tears of grievance flowed involuntarily. She choked back tears as she bowed and withdrew. Once outside the Imperial Study, Lin Yin'er's aggrieved expression was immediately replaced by a sinister look. She did not heed the Crown Prince's instructions to recall the Yin Palace. Instead, she turned and headed towards Qingfeng Residence.

Qingfeng Residence was heavily guarded. Even though the palace had changed hands, no one dared to trespass, despite the presence of numerous poisons inside. Even when the Crown Prince entered the palace, Eunuch Fu had retreated here with his confidants and important palace possessions. This was arranged by Xuanyuan before his departure. Xuanyuan had given Eunuch Fu a poisonous incense; any living creature within ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) of Qingfeng Residence would be harmed by its toxic fumes.

This wasn't Lin Yin'er's first time trespassing on Qingfeng Residence. She hated Xuanyuan Yunlu; she loved him so much, yet he couldn't love her back. She hated that the Crown Prince had used her as a pawn, a tool. But in her eyes, all the blame lay with Xuanyuan Yunlu. Therefore, she wanted to destroy everything he had. She knew he wasn't dead, knew he didn't care about the throne. But it didn't matter; she knew what he cared about. In this palace, the person he cared about most was Eunuch Fu, who was always by his side. Yes, she wanted to cause trouble for Eunuch Fu, to make him wish he were dead.

"Your Majesty, why have you come again! The poisonous gas over there is too strong. Please go back!" a guard stepped forward and advised.

Lin Yin'er glanced at the guard and walked past him. She took a few steps inside and stopped. She called out towards Qingfeng Residence:

"Eunuch Fu, Second Senior Brother's body has been brought back. Won't you come out to see him? He died such a terrible death! His head was even cut off by the Xiping people with a large curved knife. Second Senior Brother always considered you his closest person. Even in death, you won't come out to see him?"

"Hmph, I don't believe you won't come out after all this," Lin Yin'er thought to herself with a cold laugh.

Sure enough, no sooner had she finished speaking than the portly figure of Eunuch Fu appeared at the entrance of Qingfeng Residence. His face was deathly pale, and he stumbled and fell, stopping just three zhang away from Lin Yin'er. He bent over, panting heavily, and anxiously asked:

"Where is the Emperor? Where is the Emperor?"

"As long as Eunuch Fu follows me, he will naturally be able to see Second Senior Brother's head," Lin Yin'er sneered.

"How could you be so cold and heartless? Do you know that the Emperor was heartbroken for three whole years when he thought you had been murdered? And yet you treated him like this!" Eunuch Fu said angrily, looking at Lin Yin'er's cold smile.

"Hmph! He deserves to be heartbroken! If he weren't so incompetent, if he hadn't run away, I wouldn't be in this state. And I wouldn't be... In short, it's all his fault," Lin Yin'er retorted bitterly. A glint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes, and she said coldly, "For Master's sake, I'll let you go and keep him company! I'm sure he'll be very lonely down there!"

"I never imagined you hated the Emperor so much! This old servant truly feels sorry for the Emperor!" Eunuch Fu suddenly straightened up and sneered.

Lin Yin'er, basking in the satisfaction of having successfully lured Eunuch Fu out, caught a glimpse of the eerie smile on his face, and her heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, she felt dizzy. She stared wide-eyed in horror at Eunuch Fu, her mouth agape, but before she could utter a word, she collapsed. The row of guards behind her followed suit.

"Hmph! You're still too green to try and outsmart us!" Eunuch Fu clapped his hands, speaking disdainfully to the fallen Lin Yin'er. Immediately afterward, several men flew out from behind him, carrying the fallen guards and Lin Yin'er into Qingfeng Residence in the blink of an eye. Less than two minutes later, another group of people dressed in the uniforms of the previous guards flew out of Qingfeng Residence, filling the gap.

Only then did Eunuch Fu turn around and hurriedly return to Qingfeng Residence. He came running in, his fat jiggling, and asked a tall figure in the courtyard:

"Your Majesty, have you gotten the answer?"

"She's not awake yet, how can you ask?" The tall figure turned around and replied calmly. The assassin was none other than Xuan Yuan Yunlu, who had arrived at Qingfeng Residence before Lin Yin'er. Three years ago, Xuan Yuan had someone fork the secret passage, creating a branch that led directly to Qingfeng Medicine House. All for this very moment.

"This old servant has a way to wake her up," Eunuch Fu replied confidently. He waddled over to a water vat used for irrigation, picked up a bucket of icy water, and splashed it onto Lin Yin'er, who was lying on the ground.

"Ah!" Lin Yin'er immediately snapped back to reality. As she jumped up, shivering from the icy water, her angry gaze fixed on the tall figure blocking her view. One glance, and her eyes froze. She was completely frozen, as if she'd been turned into an icicle. Stunned, she couldn't move.

"You know that the Leng family brought Yi'er into the palace, right?" A cold, emotionless voice slowly came from Xuan Yuan's mouth. If he had always cherished his brotherly affection for her before, after what she said to Eunuch Fu just now, he suddenly regarded her as a complete stranger.

Stimulated by Xuanyuan's words, Lin Yin'er finally felt the biting cold. Huddled together, shivering uncontrollably, she gritted her teeth, uttering a single, broken word: "Cold!"

"The Emperor is asking you a question! Where are Prime Minister Leng's family members?" Eunuch Fu stepped forward carrying a bucket of ice water and asked in a shrill voice. His tone was clear: if she didn't answer, he would make her take another ice water bath.

Lin Yin'er completely ignored Eunuch Fu's arrival. She trembled, hugging her arms, and looked at Xuan Yuan with pitiful eyes. Her teeth chattered as she cried out:

"Second, Second Master, Senior Brother! Yin'er, it's cold!"

Xuanyuan's heart trembled. Her appearance reminded him of his childhood, of the times when he was tormented by the concubines, and how she had taken off her own clothes to warm him. He couldn't bear to see her like this now. But now he had no choice but to treat her this way. He had to get the whereabouts of the Leng family from her. The palace was so vast; he didn't have time to search now. He had to rescue them. Otherwise, there would definitely be more trouble in the hall tomorrow. Xuanyuan turned his back to her with a cold, unyielding expression. He asked again in a low voice, "Tell me where the Leng family is? I'll have hot water prepared for you."

"Haha, haha, what can you do even if I tell you? The palace is full of the Crown Prince's men. Do you think you can turn the tide? You're a useless man! No, you're not even a man! Haha, it's really funny that the dignified Emperor Jinghe is a eunuch who can't touch women! Hahaha..." Lin Yin'er suddenly burst into maniacal laughter.

Her words didn't anger the Emperor, but they did enrage Eunuch Fu. There's a saying, "The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuchs are." That was absolutely true. Eunuch Fu mercilessly splashed cold water on the crazed woman. Startled by the cold water, a cunning glint flashed in Lin Yin'er's eyes. She shook off the icy water and said in a trembling voice:

"They are all under house arrest in Xinhe Palace. At dawn tomorrow, all those who do not cooperate will be killed. Now, Your Majesty, may we have the servants prepare hot water for me?"

"I'm leaving Eunuch Fu here to you." Xuanyuan didn't look back at Lin Yin'er even once. After leaving those words for Eunuch Fu, he leaped away.

When Xuanyuan appeared in Xinhe Hall dressed as a guard, the ministers who had been resigned to their fate were utterly astonished, their jaws dropping to the floor. Then came an indescribable surge of joy, as if they had just narrowly escaped death! After a moment of stunned silence, the ministers spontaneously knelt down to pay their respects!

"Your Majesty..." Xuanyuan quickly pointed to the Crown Prince's guards outside the door, his eyes warning them to remain silent. The ministers, receiving this signal, immediately changed their tune:

"Heaven above! Protect my Jinghe and let him safely pass through this calamity!"

"May you bless me with peace and tranquility..."

Just as the ministers were shouting, Xuanyuan Ruins leaped to the side of the Leng family. He was momentarily stunned when he saw Madam Leng beside the Leng family! Zi Ying was right, Xiao Jie and Madam Leng looked remarkably alike. Madam Leng, meeting her son-in-law for the first time, glanced sideways at Xuanyuan. She snorted coldly and turned her head away. Xuanyuan was startled again by Madam Leng's obvious displeasure, and he quickly greeted her as a junior:

"Your son-in-law greets father-in-law and mother-in-law! I've caused you both distress; it was my poor planning!"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!" Leng Lian hurriedly reached out and grabbed Xuanyuan's arms, saying in a panic.

Everyone was already used to Lady Leng's extraordinary behavior. However, the Emperor's sudden actions once again left the court officials speechless. Although the Emperor had reinstated Prime Minister Leng's official position and even bestowed upon him a marquisate, everyone knew that the Emperor had already sent the Empress back to her family home. To put it simply, the Emperor's treatment of Prime Minister Leng was clearly an attempt to make up for his ruthlessness towards the Empress. But what was the Emperor's current attitude towards Prime Minister Leng?

"Your Majesty, why are you back? Has the army returned as well?" Yang Tian asked, voicing the question everyone was eager to know.

Xuanyuan turned his gaze to Leng Yangtian, who bore a resemblance to Leng Xiang, and smiled slightly at him:

"This must be the eldest brother! The army has just entered Jianzhou territory."

"Is that Xiaojie back?" Xingyue asked eagerly.

Xuanyuan looked at the expectant young woman with a probing gaze. Was she another Silver Fox, renowned throughout the martial world? She didn't look like her at all! She lacked Xiao Jie's heroic spirit. However, her spiritual energy was certainly sufficient. Xuanyuan smiled gently at her and asked in a questioning tone:

"You are Duanmu Xingyue?"

"She is my wife," Yang Tian immediately pulled Xingyue behind him and answered warily. Even a fool could see he was worried his wife had been seduced by the emperor.

Xuanyuan replied, somewhat amused and exasperated, "I know! Xiaojie asked me to pass on a message to you."

"You saw Xiaojie? What message did she bring?" Yang Tian asked excitedly. He wasn't the only one excited; the entire Leng family looked at Xuan Yuan with excitement. Even Madam Leng, who had turned her head away, suddenly turned back and gazed at him expectantly.

Xuanyuan nodded and replied:

"Yes, I just parted ways with her this morning. She's in Yunxi now. She said you all have to do as I say."

Upon hearing this, everyone except the Leng family collapsed in shock. Although they hadn't fully understood the conversation between the Emperor and Leng Yangtian, they had clearly heard the Emperor's last sentence. Everyone unanimously wondered who dared to have the Emperor relay such a message? Wasn't it obvious that the person who had the Emperor relay the message carried more weight than the Emperor himself?

Knowing that Xiao Jie hadn't come to risk her life, the Leng family all breathed a sigh of relief. However, Madam Leng, still longing for her daughter, muttered curses under her breath:

"Hmph, what a heartless brat. He knows his parents are in danger and doesn't even come to their rescue. All he does is spread such useless rumors!"

"Mother-in-law, please don't blame Xiaojie. It was I who didn't let her come along," Xuanyuan explained calmly. He couldn't allow anyone to blame his Xiaojie, not even her godmother.

How could Madam Leng really blame Xiao Jie? However, seeing how much the Emperor protected Xiao Jie, her resentment towards him unconsciously lessened a little.

Seeing that Madam Leng remained silent, Xuanyuan continued in a low voice:

"My lords," he said, "I have already sent men to rescue your families and take them to safety. There is only a little over an hour left before tomorrow's morning court. At that time, whatever the former Crown Prince asks of you, just do as he commands. I will ensure that you are reunited with your families safely before noon tomorrow." He then turned to the Leng family and said:

“Father-in-law, you must leave first, because he already considers you an enemy. Knowing his personality, he might not even wait until tomorrow's ceremony; he'll send someone to cause you trouble first.” As he spoke, he took out a medicine bottle and handed it to Prime Minister Leng.

"The pills inside have the effect of 'feigning death.' Each of you takes one, and after fifteen minutes, you will experience the effects of poisoning and die. At that time, all you gentlemen need to do is make it look like the whole family has committed suicide by poisoning, and then we'll lure the guards in to carry you out. I've already arranged for my own people to be waiting not far away outside. As soon as you call out, they will come and take you out."

Leng Xiang took the medicine bottle, handed it to Yang Tian, and then suddenly knelt down and said:

"I appreciate Your Majesty's good intentions. However, I absolutely cannot abandon Your Majesty and my colleagues to live on my own at such a time."

Madam Leng pulled Leng Xiang up from the ground and glared at Xuanyuan, saying:

"I never intended to leave this palace alive. If we're going to die, we'll all die together."

“That’s right! How could we possibly try to survive alone at a time like this?” Yang Tian and his wife echoed.

Xuanyuan smiled bitterly again: "Have you misunderstood me? I said that none of the ministers who stayed behind will be in any danger."

"Anyway, we won't leave first," Madam Leng replied with great confidence.

"Xiao Jie said you have to follow my orders!" With no other choice, Xuan Yuan had to bring out Xiao Jie.

“It’s no use if Xiao Jie comes by herself, let alone if she brings a message,” Madam Leng said firmly.

Xuanyuan glanced at the other three, seeing the same resolute expressions on their faces. He couldn't help but think helplessly, "It seems Xiaojie only has me to unconditionally obey you." Xuanyuan's face darkened, and he asked sternly:

"What if I order you to take these poisons?"

"Hmph! I'll just use my sword to finish this off!" Madam Leng swiftly placed a sword against her neck.

Xuanyuan was speechless. He now understood why Xiaojie liked the Leng family so much. Because she was clearly one of them!

"Your Majesty, please tell us your plans for tomorrow! What exactly are you planning?" The Prime Minister drew the sword from his wife's hand, trying to smooth things over.

"I have already sent troops to capture the outer city, but there are about ten thousand of his cronies inside the palace. Therefore, we cannot launch a direct attack. Currently, half of the ministers are on his side, but I think some ministers may have sided with him because they were threatened or believed in rumors. Therefore, I have decided to wait until his grand ceremony tomorrow and then directly expose his conspiracy. I will also reveal to him that he colluded with the Xiping Kingdom to attack my Jinghe Kingdom six years ago. Let's see how he will stand then?"

"Was the war six years ago related to the Crown Prince?" Xuanyuan's words dealt another blow to the unsuspecting ministers. They had only assumed that the Crown Prince, having escaped the fire years ago, had returned to seize the throne after hearing of the Emperor's misfortune. Little did they know, he was the one who started the war six years ago!

“But although we all know what happened, we don’t have any evidence!” Leng Xiang reminded him worriedly.

"I have obtained evidence of his collusion with Xiping six years ago. I have also learned from the Crown Prince of Xiping that he was involved in the plot by which the Xiping envoy went to Jinghe two months ago to steal my military defense map. I have obtained their secret correspondence from the Crown Prince of Xiping. He has no room for excuses," Xuanyuan said bitterly.