"Prince Zhan, you led your men to storm the palace, plotted against the Imperial Guards, and when your attempt to force the emperor to abdicate failed, you tried to assassinate him and usurp the throne. Do you know your crime?"
"Dongfang Heng, don't be so smug. My men are hidden in every corner of the palace. As long as I give the order, they will pour out from all directions and wipe you out completely." With that, Dongfang Zhan waved his hand, and a red signal flew out from the wide-open window, blooming with a dazzling red light in mid-air.
Those people were his secret weapons, his last trump card, which he would not easily use unless absolutely necessary. However, Dongfang Heng's men had already surrounded the entire palace, and he was like a turtle in a jar, caught red-handed, losing the ability to resist or escape. He had no choice but to use those hidden forces.
Dongfang Heng glanced at him, neither speaking nor moving, a graceful curve appearing at the corner of his lips, mysterious and unpredictable.
One point, two points, five points, ten points! In the corner of the Imperial Study, there was an hourglass. The white sand flowed in sync with time, neither fast nor slow. No one spoke. The atmosphere in the Imperial Study was so quiet that it was almost suffocating.
Suddenly, a faint sound of fighting came from outside the door. Gradually, the sounds of weapons clashing became more and more intense, and the fighters were getting closer and closer to the Imperial Study.
All eyes were focused on the entrance to the courtyard, eager to know who was fighting.
A gray-blue robe flashed by, and a young eunuch entered the courtyard. Unlike usual, he was now holding a long sword in his hand, which was holding a whisk. The blade, gleaming with a cold light, was stained with blood, which slowly dripped down the sharp edge and onto the ground, drop by drop.
Dongfang Zhan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, eased slightly, and a smile appeared in his sharp eyes: "Prince An, this is my man. It seems that all the guards you arranged to guard outside will not escape death."
Besides Dongfang Heng, Nangong Xiao, Qin Junxi, and a few guards, everyone in the Imperial Study was Dongfang Zhan's man. As long as the guards outside died, the palace would belong to Dongfang Zhan. He ordered the guards to stop Nangong Xiao and Dongfang Heng, and after he forced the emperor to abdicate, he would punish them.
“Prince Zhan, the fact that your men were the first to rush into the courtyard doesn’t mean they will win.” As soon as Dongfang Heng finished speaking, the eunuch holding the sword swayed and fell softly to the ground, a bloody hole in his back from which blood gushed out.
It turns out that the little eunuch didn't enter the courtyard voluntarily, but was stabbed and beaten into it.
How could this happen? Were his men defeated?
As Dongfang Zhan was filled with worry, the sounds of fighting rang in his ears. Dongfang Heng's guards and Dongfang Zhan's men fought their way into the courtyard. The guards were clad in armor, their moves were sharp and fierce, and they were incredibly powerful. In contrast, the palace eunuchs and guards, despite their high martial arts skills, could not withstand the combined attacks of the guards. After dozens of moves, they were all killed. Blood flowed slowly forward along the grooves, and the thick smell of blood permeated the air.
His men were all killed? How is that possible?
Dongfang Zhan stared at the corpses of guards, eunuchs, and palace maids filling the courtyard, speechless with shock. All the pawns he had carefully arranged and the connections he had painstakingly built over a long period of time had been easily eliminated by Dongfang Heng.
Dongfang Heng was busy dealing with his own internal affairs in the Imperial Study, but his subordinates were not idle. Instead, they were secretly eliminating his forces, which was so clever that it was impossible to guard against them.
"Dongfang Zhan, your henchmen have been eliminated. Stop making futile struggles and surrender now."
A general's cold, sharp voice rang in his ears. Dongfang Zhan raised his lips in a cold smile. He had killed Qin Junhao and indirectly caused the death of Qin Ruoyan first, and then he had forced the emperor to abdicate and murder his father to seize the throne. Each of these crimes was enough to warrant his death sentence. If he really surrendered, there would be no way for him to live.
"Dongfang Heng, I will never admit defeat, even if it means my death!" Dongfang Zhan roared, then suddenly looked up at the guards in the courtyard: "Kill them all, leave no one alive."
The guards were Dongfang Zhan's men and only obeyed his orders. At his command, the guards, regardless of whether there were mountains of knives or seas of fire ahead, drew their longswords and charged forward without hesitation.
In an instant, Dongfang Zhan and Dongfang Heng's guards clashed, the sounds of weapons clashing filled the air, and the scene was chaotic with a large crowd.
Nangong Xiao and several guards surrounded the emperor, protecting him completely. Dongfang Zhan was unable to take the emperor hostage. Looking at the chaotic scene, his guards were extremely skilled in martial arts, killing or wounding the armored soldiers.
However, Dongfang Heng brought a large number of soldiers, too many to count. As soon as one armored soldier was wounded, another immediately took his place, leaving no opening for his guards. In some cases, several armored soldiers surrounded his guards and attacked him from four different directions. He was no match for them and was eventually killed or maimed by the armored soldiers.
Dongfang Zhan's guards were dwindling, while Dongfang Heng's armored army stretched as far as the eye could see. If the fighting continued, his men would be wiped out, and he would be imprisoned and tortured to death—this was not the outcome he desired.
As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. He is destined to be emperor; how can he die here?
Dongfang Zhan's gaze sharpened, and just as he was about to leave, a slender figure came into view. It was Li Youlan, suffering from withdrawal symptoms. She was lying on the ground, her body trembling violently. Tears, snot, and blood splattered on her face made her look incredibly disheveled. The withdrawal symptoms were tormenting her, and she was rolling around in agony, her cries hoarse and unpleasant.
Li Fan is seriously injured and will die soon. Prime Minister Li has lost his mind and won't live much longer either. Li Youlan is their family and has helped him a lot. He might need her help in the future. It's not unreasonable for him to save her life...
"Bang!" The two guards who were fighting landed heavily on the ground, landing squarely on Li Youlan. One kicked her in the chest and the other stepped on her leg. Their sharp and shrill screams pierced through the clouds and echoed through the sky.
The sounds of fighting in the Imperial Study were so loud and intense that they drowned out Li Youlan's screams. However, Dongfang Zhan clearly saw that after the guards left, a large section of Li Youlan's chest was caved in, her sternum was broken, her internal organs were crushed, and blood flowed all over the ground...
A strong smell of blood filled the air. Dongfang Zhan closed his eyes in anguish. Who could have imagined that the once noble and dignified eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion, with unparalleled poison skills, would die so tragically and so pathetically, trampled to death by two lowly guards? The Li family was finished. He had to live well and avenge them.
His tightly closed eyelids snapped open, a cold glint flashing in Dongfang Zhan's eyes. With a light tap of his feet, his slender figure leaped out of the imperial study and flew swiftly into the distance.
"Nangong Xiao, I'm leaving this to you. I'm going to chase after Dongfang Zhan." Dongfang Heng waved aside the guards blocking his way, coldly uttered these words, and leaped out of the imperial study, soaring into the air to catch up with Dongfang Zhan.
Dongfang Zhan murdered the Crown Prince and Princess of Southern Xinjiang and staged a coup, which is unforgivable. However, he is, after all, the Emperor's own son. Even tigers don't eat their cubs. After he is captured, the Emperor will punish him severely and imprison him, but he will not kill him.
He was like a centipede, dead but not stiff. As long as there was a sliver of opportunity, he could seize it and turn the tables. What Dongfang Heng wanted was for him to fall into the deepest hell, with no chance of ever rising again. So, he came out to chase after Dongfang Zhan, and once he caught him... he would kill him without mercy!
The palace was filled with fighting guards, but Dongfang Zhan, having lost all hope, paid them no heed and quickly passed them, leaving the palace.
Outside the palace walls, all was quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to the blood-soaked imperial palace.
Dongfang Zhan looked at the familiar grass and trees, a bitter smile appearing on his lips. He had lost power, and Dongfang Heng would not let him off easily. He would soon come after him, kill him, and search the entire city for his whereabouts.
He wanted to make a comeback and could no longer hide in the capital. He had to go elsewhere to develop his career again. However, Dongfang Heng knew that he was plotting a rebellion and must have laid ambushes all over the capital. The current calm was just a trap to lure him in. If he wanted to leave the city safely and go far away, he would need to meet certain conditions.
A cold glint flashed in his deep eyes as he changed direction in mid-air and flew towards a certain location.
Having been resting peacefully at Fengsong Courtyard for a long time, Shen Lixue was unaware of the great changes that had taken place in the palace. She sat on a recliner, basking in the warm sunlight, and looked at Dongfang Xun as he slowly walked into Fengsong Courtyard, greeting him with a smile: "Big Brother."
After Dongfang Heng left the capital, Dongfang Xun moved to a small courtyard next to Fengsong Courtyard. He would usually sit in his own courtyard when he had nothing to do, and would only come to see Shen Lixue when he needed something. Judging from the smile that flickered in his gentle eyes, it must be something good.
As expected, Dongfang Xun brought good news: "Lixue, Zimo just reported that my second brother has returned to the capital. He went to the palace to report to the Emperor and will be back at the mansion soon!"
"Really?" Shen Lixue's eyes widened in shock, a surge of joy welling up in her heart, which was then replaced by doubt: "Didn't Heng only leave for a month? How come he's back so soon?" It takes half a month to go from Qingyan Capital to the border and half a month to return. Dongfang Heng only stayed at the border for a few days before moving his troops back to the capital?
"I don't know the specifics either. When my second brother arrives, you can ask him any questions you may have." Dongfang Xun was a man of rich thoughts, with an expression as carefree as a hermit. He had no interest in fame or fortune. As the heir of the Holy King, he was highly skilled in martial arts and exceptionally talented, but he didn't particularly like matters of the court.
After Dongfang Heng left the capital, he also inquired about the battle situation between Qingyan and Nanjiang, but Dongfang Heng did not send a single battle report. The emperor and the ministers in the court did not know the specific situation, and he knew even less.
"Did Heng encounter some difficulties? Why did he return to the capital so quickly?" Shen Lixue's doubts turned into worries. It wasn't that she didn't trust Dongfang Heng, but Qin Ruoyan and Qin Junhao died so tragically in Qingyan. In order to avenge him, Nanjiang even used Gu on the battlefield, which shows how much they hated Qingyan.
Once Dongfang Heng, the nominal culprit, arrives, the Southern Frontier will undoubtedly spare no effort to kill him in order to avenge the Crown Prince and Princess. Dongfang Heng does not understand Gu, let alone know how to cure it. If the people of the Southern Frontier use Gu against him, he will most likely be helpless.
The situation at the border was extremely dire. Dongfang Heng's decision to move his troops back to the capital after arriving at the border only made her think more about the possibility of defeat.
"Don't worry, Second Brother is the God of War of Azure Flame. There's nothing he can't handle on the battlefield." Dongfang Xun comforted him with a smile. Dongfang Heng was a brilliant strategist. If the two armies were to fight, few could defeat him. Even if there were mysterious and unpredictable Gu in the Southern Frontier, defeating Dongfang Heng would not be an easy task.