Outside the palace of the King, a large crowd had gathered. Several important figures hadn't come out initially because they knew Luo Zhiheng was no match for Princess Aman, so they had sent someone to inform her. But Princess Aman, true to her barbarian origins, displayed her utterly unreasonable nature.
As she rode her warhorse with an arrogant and domineering air, she shouted disdainfully, "Are you all scared? Is Luo Zhiheng also a coward? How could she be so spineless! She dared to agree but didn't dare to fight, not even showing her face. She really doesn't take my Western Barbarian Kingdom seriously. Is this the etiquette of the Mu Dynasty? It's laughable."
"I have already spoken to Your Highness, and it is truly inconvenient for the young princess to participate in the battle. The young princess was seriously injured yesterday, a fact known to all. Your Highness has no reason not to know this, so why do you insist on provoking her? Once the young princess recovers, she will surely fulfill her battle agreement with you." To everyone's surprise, it was Madam Song who came out to speak to Princess Aman.
Princess Aman was indeed wary of Madam Song, but considering that the competition was over and she would be getting married soon, there was no need to continue to be wary and tolerant of this old woman. Therefore, her attitude became even more arrogant: "Hmph! You say she's seriously injured? Who can prove it? Yesterday she was knocked down by Zhuge Hualuan, but could just a few blows really cause serious injury? I don't believe it! What does your Silver Moon Kingdom mean by openly interfering in this matter? Are you trying to protect Luo Zhiheng? Could it be that Luo Zhiheng is afraid of me, so she deliberately acted so pitiful yesterday to use as an excuse to avoid me today?"
Madam Song said with a gloomy face, "Princess Aman, please watch your words. A person as upright as the Little Princess Consort has no need to run away or back down just to face a princess from the Western Barbarian Kingdom. Not everyone has the courage and boldness to accept a challenge like Luo Zhiheng. Now she is seriously injured, and she may even lose her left arm. She is still unconscious. How can she possibly fight you? Aren't you being aggressive and forcing her to do something she can't do?"
Upon hearing this, those who were already worried about Luo Zhiheng gasped in shock. Everyone still had Luo Zhiheng's stunning dance and graceful figure in their minds. If she were to lose her arm like this, what would become of her? Would such a talented and beautiful woman really be left disabled for the rest of her life? For a moment, people simply couldn't accept this fact.
People were in an uproar. Some were genuinely heartbroken and shed tears; their sympathy and sorrow for Luo Zhiheng were real. Others accused Princess Aman of being unreasonable and heartless, and some even began to drive her away, demanding that such a cold-blooded person be expelled from the Southern Dynasty.
"Hmph! So you resort to such underhanded methods now that you know you can't beat me? Do you think I'd believe that? What a coincidence! Today, when she fought me, Luo Zhiheng's arm was crippled? What about these people in front of us? Weren't they shills that Luo Zhiheng hired beforehand?" Princess Aman said angrily, her face grim.
"Believe it or not, I've delivered my message. You'd better leave as soon as possible, otherwise, I'll take it upon myself to intervene in this matter, citing your provocation of the Silver Moon Kingdom," Madam Song said coldly.
Luo Zhiheng's fate is now unknown, and Mu Yunhe has such a background. The people in the palace are already overwhelmed, and now they have to deal with this Princess Aman. They've had enough and wish they could just chop this arrogant princess to pieces.
Just as Madam Song was about to turn and go inside, Princess Aman immediately shouted, "Your words are not enough. Let me see Luo Zhiheng. If she is really crippled and unconscious as you say, then I will leave immediately and will not bother you."
“You are not qualified to enter the King’s Palace.” Madam Song’s patience ran out. She stepped inside and waved for someone to close the door.
Princess Aman's face changed outside the door. She roared and raged, saying all sorts of nasty things, belittling Luo Zhiheng to nothing.
However, before the door could be fully closed, it was opened again. This time, Luo Ningshuang, pale-faced and with bloodshot eyes, slowly walked in, supported by her wet nurse. She looked frail and clearly in very poor health. 171.
Everyone's eyes lit up when they saw 'Luo Zhiheng', and they cheered, greeting her with concern and anxiety. They didn't notice any difference between the Luo Zhiheng before them and the Luo Zhiheng before them. They simply didn't know Luo Zhiheng well. They couldn't see her clearly from a distance in the competition arena. Hearing someone call out Luo Zhiheng's name and hearing her wet nurse's presence, they assumed it was Luo Zhiheng.
Princess Aman's eyes flashed with deep mockery and contempt when she saw her, and she said arrogantly, "Oh! Aren't you still alive? You're not unconscious or have any broken arms or legs? How come someone just said you were seriously injured and unconscious, and that your arm was crippled?"
Luo Ningshuang felt a surge of anger stuck in her throat. Seeing Princess Aman in full armor with a sword at her waist, she wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave, but she couldn't. Mu Yunhe wouldn't let her go, and neither would her wet nurse.
"Didn't you want to fight our young lady? Then let's begin, enough with the nonsense." The nanny said coldly, then released Luo Ningshuang's hand.
Madam Song was also a little confused when she saw this. Was Luo Zhiheng alright? She quickly sent someone back to report to Prince Shi and the others.
"That's exactly what I was thinking! Luo Zhiheng, you were lucky to win against me yesterday, but today I'll show you what a true power is!" Princess Aman challenged confidently.
Li Xian'er, who was standing in the crowd, was originally very excited, but when she saw Luo Ningshuang, she felt something was wrong. This Luo Zhiheng looked so awkward.
Luo Ningshuang stood there stiffly, holding a knife, feeling like she'd been forced into a corner. She wanted to back down, wanted to roar, but Princess Aman opposite her wouldn't give her the chance. She drew her knife, dismounted, and charged forward. Luo Ningshuang's pupils constricted, her face changed drastically, and she instinctively raised her knife to defend herself.
With a clang, the sound of steel blades clashing rang out. Princess Aman sneered and with incredibly fast movements, kicked out from below, striking Luo Ningshuang hard in the stomach. Luo Ningshuang was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground. Her back slammed against the stone steps, and she screamed in agony, feeling as if her spine was about to break.
"Hmph! Easily defeated!" Princess Aman, her battle intent still burning, sneered arrogantly upon seeing this and immediately charged forward again. In her eyes, Luo Zhiheng wouldn't be so weak; Luo Zhiheng must be plotting something. She wouldn't fall for it. (The last sentence appears to be a fragment and doesn't translate directly.)
He rushed forward and kicked Luo Ningshuang in the chest.
Luo Ningshuang was horrified. She knew she couldn't withstand the force of that kick. She opened her mouth to shout that she wasn't Luo Zhiheng, but it was too late.
With a muffled thud, Princess Aman's kick landed heavily on Luo Ningshuang's chest. Unable to withstand the force of the impact, Luo Ningshuang coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed there, completely powerless to fight back, desperately trying to breathe as if clinging to life.
First update! There will be an extra update and a regular update today. I'll keep working hard, my darlings! Please shower me with recommendation votes to give me motivation and passion! Haha, please vote, leave comments, and please give me monthly tickets!
228 Nobody pays attention to the imposter! Two imperial edicts!
Updated: 2013-08-03 16:38:10 Word Count: 3338
When the King and the others came out, the battle was already over. Calling it a battle was an understatement; it was more like a one-woman show by Princess Aman, with Luo Ningshuang just getting beaten up.
The king and the others were completely stunned. They didn't know what was going on. When they saw Luo Ning Shuang who had already fainted, they really thought it was Luo Zhi Heng. For a moment, they felt dizzy and glared angrily at Princess A Man.
"You're asking for death!" General Murong roared, turning to look for his sword. Finding it unavailable, he yelled, "Where's my sword? Give it to me! I'm going to chop this beast to pieces!"
"You'd better watch your words, old lady. I'm in a good mood today and won't hold it against you, but you need to understand that you deceived me first. Luo Zhiheng is perfectly fine, yet you lied to avoid your duel with me. What do you mean by unconscious, what do you mean by severely injured and crippled? Could you be any more shameless? It's utterly laughable! We're just having a normal duel now, why are you so hostile? In a duel, swords have no eyes. If she's really injured, it's only because she's not skilled enough and has brought shame to your Mu Dynasty," Princess Aman said sarcastically without backing down. 173.
Instantly, the pharaohs of the Mu Dynasty all turned extremely ugly.
"Are you provoking the Mu Dynasty by being so clingy? Can you represent your Western Barbarian Kingdom to declare war on the Mu Dynasty?" Old Master Tong asked in a gloomy tone, his voice carrying immense weight.
Princess Aman acted impulsively, ready to retort, but those around her weren't fools. If she dared to respond to Elder Tong, she would have angered him. After all, she was just a princess; no matter how important she was, she couldn't represent the entire country.
After being whispered a few words in the ear of someone nearby, Princess Aman kicked that person indignantly. Then, with a look of utter contempt, she said to the pharaohs, "Just because you're of high status and seniority, you think you can suppress me? Humph! What are you all! So what if I can't represent the Western Barbarian Kingdom? I'm in the right today, and no one can do anything to me. Don't try to intimidate me by relying on your age; you're not qualified."
The soldiers of the Mu Dynasty were immediately enraged that she dared to speak to the pharaohs of the Mu Dynasty like that. General Murong led the way, drawing his sword and surrounding Princess Aman.
"How dare you!" General Murong shouted coldly.
"Don't pretend to be so high and mighty in front of me. None of you are my elders, so it's none of your business if I act recklessly! Today I've truly witnessed the quality of your Mu Dynasty—a bunch of cowards! As for Luo Zhiheng, hmph! What a load of rubbish about being the best in the world! She was beaten to a pulp by this princess!" Princess Aman said arrogantly. 16607509
"I've fulfilled my duel with Luo Zhiheng today. I don't have time to play with you guys anymore. Let's go!" Princess Aman didn't take anyone seriously at all. After shouting, she turned around and wanted to leave.
"Wait! You've injured a member of the royal family of my Mu Dynasty, and you think you can just leave like this? Do you really think our Mu Dynasty is afraid of your Western Barbarian Kingdom?" Elder Tong shouted.
"We're having a fair fight. What? You only allow Luo Zhiheng to injure people, but not others can injure her? Aren't you people from the Mu Dynasty being far too domineering?" Princess Aman sneered.
"Enough with the nonsense..." General Murong wished he could kill this arrogant bastard, but the wet nurse behind him suddenly whispered a few words in his ear. General Murong's expression changed rapidly. He glanced at Luo Ning Shuang and then fell silent. After a while, he suddenly said, "My stomach suddenly hurts a lot. I need to go to the outhouse."
General Murong made a swift escape without even offering a word of explanation to anyone. The wet nurse was dumbfounded; she had told him she wanted him to tell others, but he had run off first. The wet nurse cursed the cunning old man under her breath and could only whisper the news to Old Master Tong.
Upon hearing this, Old Master Tong's eyes lit up, a reaction that left the wet nurse utterly dumbfounded. The esteemed scholar, Old Master Tong, actually stroked his beard and turned around, saying righteously, "This old fellow is so hasty even when he goes to the outhouse; he must have forgotten to bring toilet paper. I'll bring it to him."
The wet nurse sighed, thinking, "He's definitely a cunning old fox from the same den; even his excuse for leaving is so...unusual!"
After the two pharaohs left in succession, the chess master was not stupid and immediately knew that there was something fishy going on. Those two people who loved and valued Luo Zhiheng so much did not care about Luo Ningshuang who was still unconscious outside. Naturally, he would not be stupid enough to rush up to her. He immediately turned around and said in a steady voice, "You don't need to look. I happen to have an unwanted chess manual here that I can use as toilet paper."
People were dumbfounded, watching in bewilderment as the elderly couple, who had been at each other's throats, suddenly walked away, as if they had suddenly abandoned Luo Zhiheng.
The King wasn't a fool. He glanced at the wet nurse and saw a faint smile on her lips, showing no concern whatsoever for her mistress's fainting. He knew something was wrong. He swept his gaze over the smug Princess Aman and said, "Don't cause any more trouble in front of my palace, or don't blame me for being impolite."
After the King left, someone carried Luo Ningshuang into the palace. Everyone ignored Princess Aman and the others, and the gates were tightly closed. For a moment, it seemed that only Princess Aman was a fool.
"Hmph! A bunch of cowards!" Princess Aman snorted coldly and left with her entourage. She had no idea what heavy price she would pay for her arrogance and rudeness today!
A wave of panic and sorrow swept through the crowd. Regardless of what Luo Zhiheng had done before, she was indeed injured, yet she still came out to fight despite her injuries. This was a significant shock to them. They no longer felt that Luo Zhiheng had lied; instead, they admired her sense of responsibility and became even more enthusiastic about her.
The group hurried to the backyard. Along the way, they learned that the person outside the door was not Luo Zhiheng but Luo Ningshuang, which put their minds at ease. However, they were also both amused and exasperated, thinking that Mu Yunhe's decision and actions seemed rather childish. But they felt that as long as Luo Zhiheng was alright, that was all that mattered.
"How is it?" Old Master Tong asked Xiao Xizi as soon as he arrived.
Xiao Xizi perked up and quickly said respectfully, "I don't know yet. Madam Huoyun hasn't come out, but judging from your tone, Master, you seem quite calm."
"Well, it seems the condition has stabilized, but why hasn't your doctor come out to tell us yet?" Old Master Tong nodded, but then frowned and asked Prince Shi.
The King naturally didn't know what Mu Yunhe was up to, but he couldn't easily go in or summon Lady Huoyun at this moment. After all, Mu Yunhe's status was different now, and he couldn't disrespect Mu Yunhe.
Just then, Lady Huoyun came out. Seeing the tense faces of everyone, she smiled and said, "It's not a big deal anymore. Although the injuries were severe, they are under control. As long as you rest and recuperate for a month, you'll be fine."
"What about her hand? What if..." General Murong still wanted to spar with Luo Zhiheng. If her hand was crippled, they might not have the chance to compete.
"Don't worry, your hand is fine and can be completely restored to its original state," Madam Huoyun said with a smile.
The tension that had been building for a day and a half finally eased instantly.
General Murong said to General Murong, "Send a message to the palace immediately to tell Qianxue and Yu'er, otherwise they will continue to worry."
Murong Qianxue didn't want to go to the palace, but the Empress and the Emperor were at loggerheads, and General Murong was worried about causing trouble at this crucial moment, so he forcibly ordered Murong Qianxue to go to the palace to accompany the Empress. With his sister-in-law there, the Emperor had to consider his reputation and dared not argue with the Empress.
The thought of the Emperor made General Murong frown. Yesterday, the Empress meant that the Emperor was so eager to bring Luo Zhiheng into the palace?! What was the Emperor planning? Luo Zhiheng was seriously injured and unable to get up, yet the Emperor wanted to bring her to the palace to recuperate and heal.
The emperor's behavior was inexplicably unsettling, and the empress, after offering only a few words of advice, was met with a furious rebuke. He even disregarded her protests and ordered a eunuch to deliver the imperial decree. After somehow managing to stop the emperor's clearly irrational actions, the empress immediately informed them that Murong Qianxue had entered the palace. The pharaohs anxiously awaited news of Luo Zhiheng, and everything seemed to have fallen into a strange stalemate.
Before they could even rejoice at Luo Zhiheng's escape from danger, another commotion erupted outside. This time, the Empress could no longer stop it; the Emperor's decree had arrived.
But few of the people here were subjects of the Southern Dynasty, so there was no reason to make them kneel and listen to the imperial decree. The eunuch's meaning was also clear: Luo Zhiheng should enter the palace immediately. The emperor wanted the imperial physicians to treat Luo Zhiheng in the palace. The imperial decree was earnest and urgent, and it was not to be refused.
The pharaohs fell silent. What was the Southern Dynasty emperor up to? Had he taken a liking to Luo Zhiheng? Or did he have some other motive? Could it be that he was after Mu Yunhe's identity? Or was he trying to support the Zhuge family?
They knew nothing at the moment, and anything was possible, so naturally they couldn't let Luo Zhiheng enter the palace. General Murong generously declined the emperor's offer, saying that Luo Zhiheng was still unconscious and not suitable for movement. Once Luo Zhiheng was able to get out of bed, they would allow her to enter the palace to thank the emperor.
But the eunuch didn't leave. Instead, he smiled knowingly and said, "His Majesty is considerate of the young princess's health. He said that if you all refuse, then I will read out the second imperial edict. This one is for Prince Mu Yunhe. His Majesty has decreed that the young prince be summoned to the palace to see the Imperial Concubine. The Imperial Concubine truly misses the young prince. You all can't refuse this, can you?"
This imperial edict stirred up a storm in the hearts of the pharaohs. Was the emperor really after Mu Yunhe? It seemed they had no reason to refuse to let Mu Yunhe see his sister, did they?
Second update! There's an extra chapter today, my darlings! Please leave lots of comments, they're my motivation! Please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets! Love you all, muah!
229. Unite and keep him here! (Bonus chapter for 30,000 votes)
Updated: 2013-08-03 17:36:26 Word Count: 3353
"I will not go!" Before the pharaohs could refuse, Mu Yunhe's cold voice came from inside the room.
Those outside the room were startled. Nothing was better than Mu Yunhe refusing on his own. The pharaohs stood in front of the door like aged but powerful statues, majestic and domineering.
The eunuch's face turned extremely ugly, but the Emperor had repeatedly instructed that Mu Yunhe must not be displeased under any circumstances, nor could they be forced. Helpless, the eunuch could only give a bitter smile and immediately went back to report.
After the eunuch left, Mu Yunhe summoned the wet nurse inside. When the wet nurse came out again, she said to the group, "The young prince said he wants to return to the Mu Dynasty immediately. If you pharaohs want to go with him, then prepare to go immediately. Otherwise, we will leave first."
Upon hearing this, the pharaohs naturally left with Mu Yunhe, all preparing to return to pack their belongings. However, the World King spoke coldly, "What are you doing, Your Excellency? Why are you in such a hurry to go back? I haven't fulfilled my promise to Luo Zhiheng yet, and you're just taking her away like this? Aren't you afraid she'll be heartbroken when she wakes up?"
"What do you mean?" The pharaohs stopped in their tracks, and Tong Lao asked, puzzled.
The King smiled gently but profoundly, slowly speaking of things that shocked the Pharaohs: "Why do you think Luo Zhiheng agreed to participate in the World's Number One Talent Competition? Why do you think she's fighting so hard, risking her life to win the championship? Do you think she's doing it for herself, or to bring honor to the Mu Dynasty?"
The pharaohs were speechless at the king's question, and they were all stunned when the king said coldly but admiringly, "If you think she is doing this for herself, then you underestimate Luo Zhiheng's magnanimity. If you think she is doing this for the Mu Dynasty, then you overestimate the Mu Dynasty. In Luo Zhiheng's heart, Prince Mu is probably the key, the most important person."
"You mean... Luo Zhiheng participated in the World Tournament for the sake of the young prince?!" Old Master Tong's pupils constricted, his face filled with extraordinary shock and disbelief.
The match was as spectacular and thrilling as it was. The final, devastating defeat was suffocating, yet they had initially assumed it was all Luo Zhiheng trying to gain an advantage for herself. If things hadn't turned out that way, if Luo Zhiheng was truly working for Mu Yunhe, then their perception of her would have been completely transformed. And the meaning of the match would have been entirely different.
Everyone looked at the King, their gazes filled with speculation and anticipation. The King, living up to everyone's expectations, slowly nodded. In that instant, a heavy shadow seemed to fall over the hearts of the group, a mix of sourness, sadness, and overwhelming emotion and shock that rushed through them before they could even process it.
"It's a deal between me and Luo Zhiheng. She will strive to win the competition and receive the prize. In return, I will find a way to cure Mu Yunhe. My promise to Luo Zhiheng is to cure all the poison in Mu Yunhe's body." The king's calm voice revealed a shocking secret.