Третий брак

Глава 34

The white-clad man fighting Yue Fei was none other than Ji Wuhuan, the leader of the Beacon Fire Holy Sect. He frowned as he looked at the dazed Qin Zhen, and then looked at the ruins.

Qin Zhen looked at Ji Wuhuan in disbelief, his heart trembling. His fifth senior brother killed Zhao Gou? How could this be? How could it be possible!

"Zhao Gou, Zhao Gou!" she cried as she ran into the ruins, struggling to move the wooden beams and dry sod. "Zhao Gou, come out!"

Having stopped fighting, Yue Fei and Ji Wuhuan helped Qin Zhen search. Two more figures arrived at the ferry; they were Qiu Shui and her brother. They were incredulous to see their leader, dressed in white, searching through the ruins.

Maple Leaf blinked her wide eyes and decided to say what needed to be said first: "Qin Zhen, I went to the inn to look for them, and the innkeeper said they left early this morning... Hey? Yue Fei, so you've already met up? You made me search all over for you! Where are the other two people?"

No one answered her. Shuihen tugged at Fengye's sleeve, gesturing for her to look at Qin Zhen and Ji Wuhuan. Qin Zhen actually shed tears, while Ji Wuhuan's face was frighteningly pale!

"What...what's going on..." Maple Leaf was stunned by everyone's appearance and stood aside for a moment, at a loss.

Qin Zhen suddenly exclaimed in surprise. Yue Fei heard this and rushed over. Together with her, they moved a log, and Zhao Yong, whose face was covered in blood, appeared in everyone's sight.

Yue Fei quickly helped Zhao Yong up, and then was surprised to find that Zhao Gou was lying there under Zhao Yong's protection!

"Zhao Gou, wake up! What's wrong with you!" Qin Zhen panicked when he saw Zhao Gou's eyes were tightly closed, so he shook him haphazardly.

Ji Wuhuan stepped forward, pressed Qin Zhen's hand, and took Zhao Gou from her. Yue Fei was about to stop her when Qin Zhen quickly said, "Fifth Senior Brother's medical skills are superb, let him handle it."

Maple Leaf and Watermark quickly came over to help Ji Wuhuan carry Zhao Gou and Zhao Yong out, and then busied themselves for a while according to Ji Wuhuan's instructions. Qin Zhen and Yue Fei watched silently from the side. After Ji Wuhuan fed Zhao Gou and Zhao Yong some medicinal powder, his fingertips danced as he pressed on several points on their bodies. With a soft "yelp," Zhao Gou woke up.

Upon opening his eyes, he was met with Ji Wuhuan's cold yet alluring face. He roared and threw a punch, but Qin Zhen caught his fist. Zhao Gou turned his head and saw Qin Zhen, and his expression relaxed.

Ji Wuhuan continued working on Zhao Yong without saying a word. After a while, Zhao Yong groaned a few times, but still did not wake up.

Zhao Gou glared fiercely at Ji Wuhuan, so Qin Zhen had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "He is my fifth senior brother. Is there some misunderstanding between you? Why are you fighting like this?"

Qin Zhen's words naturally puzzled Zhao Gou, who couldn't help but ask, "Your fifth senior brother?"

Seeing Qin Zhen nod, Zhao Gou muttered to himself, "It's actually a man..."

Qin Zhen quickly covered Zhao Gou's mouth and carefully observed Ji Wuhuan's expression. Then, she whispered in Zhao Gou's ear, "My senior brother hates it most when people say he looks like a woman. You absolutely mustn't say that, or you'll lose your life!"

I see!

Zhao Gou finally understood why Ji Wuhuan had suddenly attacked Zhao Yong—it was because Zhao Yong had called him "Miss"! Qin Zhen swallowed hard after hearing Zhao Gou's explanation. Zhao Yong had actually called his fifth senior brother "Miss"!

She vividly remembered when they were children, her third senior brother, Su Mufei, secretly praised Ji Wuhuan for being more beautiful than a woman, and Ji Wuhuan poisoned him, making him spend half a month soaking in a medicinal vat. And now, her fifth senior brother was willing to treat Zhao Yong without saying a word—it was truly miraculous!

Although Qin Zhen felt that Ji Wuhuan's actions were commendable, Zhao Gou still could not forgive Ji Wuhuan. How could he kill people indiscriminately without any explanation? What was the difference between this and indiscriminately killing innocent people?

Seemingly seeing through Zhao Gou's thoughts, Qin Zhen said helplessly, "That's just his temper... My master has tried to reason with him so many times..."

Volume Two: Soaring Eagle 069 A Helping Hand in Crisis

The warm sunshine of late spring spills across the vast northern plains, painting the land with a warm hue. However, the majestic Liao capital remains devoid of this warmth, silent and oppressively so, making it hard to breathe.

As time passed, Emperor Yelü Yanxi's poisoning worsened. No one could guarantee that Qin Zhen would find an antidote in time, nor could anyone guarantee that the antidote would save Yelü Yanxi's life.

Therefore, in order to guard against unforeseen circumstances, the palace army had already begun to be secretly mobilized... The military tally of the palace army was handed over by the Liao emperor to Prince Wei, Yelü Chun, and the long-dormant sword finally had a chance to be used once again.

At the top of Yelü Yanxi's palace, Yelü Huan's ashen and somewhat lonely figure was hidden in the shadow of the massive eaves, silently observing everything that was happening in the palace. Beneath these eaves lay his dying brother; in this palace rife with hidden arrows, his father was under pressure to mobilize troops for defense; and outside these palace walls, the people of the Liao Dynasty were suffering the torment of war and rebellion!

Yelü Huan frowned deeply. He once again keenly sensed the perilous state of the dynasty, and couldn't help but think that perhaps his years of avoidance had truly been a mistake...

A concubine in magnificent palace attire gradually approached Yelü Yanxi's bedchamber, but was stopped at the door by a servant: "Your Highness, the Emperor has just taken his medicine and fallen asleep. Please come back later."

This concubine was none other than Consort Xiao Yuan, the mother of Prince Qin, Yelü Ding. She was also the younger sister of Privy Councilor Xiao Fengxian. Their family was highly favored by the Liao Emperor and wielded extraordinary power.

"How dare you! Do I need your permission to serve the Emperor?"

The attendant was startled by the Consort Yuan's rebuke, but remembering Prince Jin's instructions before leaving that no one should disturb the Emperor's rest, the attendant had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "His Highness Prince Jin ordered that no one should disturb the Emperor's rest, Your Majesty..."

Before he could finish speaking, Consort Yuan slapped the servant hard across the face, shouting, "You blind dog of a servant! How dare you use Prince Jin to suppress me? Don't you even know the difference between elders and juniors? Get out of my way!"

The guards, trembling with fear, were reprimanded by Consort Yuan and had no choice but to step aside to let her pass, watching her enter the Emperor's bedchamber.

Consort Yuan walked quietly to the bedside and timidly looked at the bed. At this moment, Yelü Yanxi's face was dark, and his eyelids were swollen. He looked extremely frightening, so it was no wonder that Consort Yuan was afraid.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty..."

She called out softly twice, then wrapped her sleeves around Yelü Yanxi and nudged him, finally waking him up from his nap after taking his medicine.

Yelü Yanxi struggled to open his eyes, peeking through a crack at Consort Yuan. Consort Yuan knelt down, weeping, and cried out, "Your Majesty, please think of a solution! Prince Jin and Prince Wei are plotting to force the emperor to abdicate! They've already mobilized a large number of troops outside! What are we going to do?"

“No…don’t…talk nonsense…” he replied with difficulty.

Consort Yuan continued, "Your Majesty, it's true. Last night I overheard Consort Wen and her brother, Yelü Yudu, the Southern Army Commander. They want to enthrone Ao Luwo and are preparing to kill Your Majesty and the other princes!"

Yelü Yanxi closed his eyes as if he had no strength left to think, but Consort Yuan persisted, saying, "Your Majesty is seriously ill now. Just in case, why don't you let me keep the Imperial Seal for Your Majesty? If they can't get it, they certainly won't dare to harm Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing Consort Yuan's words, Yelü Yanxi smiled inwardly. Did this woman really think he was terminally ill and had lost his mind? The Imperial Seal of the State, this is what you really wanted! He wearily waved his hand, signaling Consort Yuan to leave.

Consort Yuan stood by the bedside, gritting her teeth, looking at the dying Yelü Yanxi. The current situation immediately came to mind. If Qin Zhen managed to bring back someone to heal the Emperor, half the credit would go to Ao Luwo, who was already popular and closer to the position of Crown Prince! Wouldn't that mean her son, Yelü Ding, would have no chance of winning?

no!

Having made up her mind, she abruptly pulled the quilt over her shoulder and pressed her hands tightly against Yelü Yanxi's face. She kept thinking, if the Emperor were to die like this, and the cause of death were attributed to the pills he had taken, then Ao Luwo would no longer be qualified to compete with her son for the throne! Thus, she thought frantically, increasing the force of her grip until the already weakened Yelü Yanxi was completely immobilized!

A low whimper came from under the covers. Yelü Yanxi never expected that the woman he had always doted on would be so cruel. This time, he was afraid he would die with his eyes open in disbelief!

Just as he was about to suffocate, he suddenly felt the pressure disappear, and then the blanket was pulled back, revealing a face he could never forget. He murmured to himself: "Has my dying wish been fulfilled? I've finally seen my second brother again..."

Consort Yuan was suddenly thrown to the ground by Yelü Huan, who appeared out of nowhere. She cried out in panic, "There's an assassin! Help! There's an assassin!"

Hearing the commotion, guards and patrolling palace troops swarmed to the scene, surrounding Yelü Huan and the imperial bed, but dared not approach because the emperor was under Yelü Huan's control.

Yelü Chun, who had rushed over, pushed through the crowd and entered the palace, shouting, "You audacious madman, release the Emperor at once!"

Upon hearing the voices of his loved ones again, Yelü Huan suddenly smiled. He turned around with that smile, looking at his father whom he hadn't seen for many years, and also at the Yuanfei who was shocked and in despair.

"It's...it's Huan'er!"

Yelü Chun was happy for a moment, but then asked with a worried expression, "Huan'er, what are you doing? Do you really want to kill the Emperor?"

Yelü Huan sighed and said, "If I wanted to take his life, why would I have waited until today? It was this woman—" He pointed to the Yuan Consort who had fallen to the ground, "She dared to plot against my brother. If I hadn't arrived in time, who knows what would have happened to her by now."

Everyone in the room looked at Consort Yuan in surprise, and Yelü Chun was especially wary. He trusted Yelü Huan, not for any other reason than that he was Yelü Huan!

After seeing Yelü Huan's face clearly, Consort Yuan was filled with despair, so despair that she no longer needed to offer any explanation. She never expected that her most trusted General Chenglie would return and catch her red-handed!

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 070 Desiring to Entrust the Nation

The tense atmosphere in the royal palace was suddenly broken by a weak voice, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

"Second brother...is it really you?"

Yelü Yanxi sat up in disbelief, forcing himself to lean forward and reach out to touch Yelü Huan's clothes. Yelü Huan turned around, a flicker of emotion in his eyes. After calming down slightly, he finally reached out and grasped Yelü Yanxi's trembling hand.

"Yes, I'm back."

"That's wonderful, that's wonderful..." Yelü Yanxi was so excited that he gasped for breath.

Yelü Huan helped Yelü Yanxi up and said, "Brother, please rest for a while. We can talk in detail after I've dealt with the current matter."

Yelü Yanxi looked up and saw the palace full of guards and the pale-faced Consort Yuan. Only then did he remember that he had just been on the verge of death. He roared at the guards around him, "What are you all standing there for? Drag that poisonous woman away and behead her!"

Recalling the scene just now, the Liao emperor was so enraged that he coughed violently and even vomited a mouthful of black blood! Seeing that his condition was not good, Yelü Huan quickly circulated his qi to help him suppress the toxins in his body.

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health!" Yelü Chun, who had been observing the situation from the side, walked to the bedside and comforted her. Just then, he heard Consort Yuan's loud shout. It was the guards who had been ordered to drag her away.

"Your Majesty, the matter of Consort Yuan requires further discussion. Let's proceed after Your Majesty's health has recovered!" Yelü Chun, uneasy, disregarded the potential anger of Yelü Yanxi and advised against it. Consort Yuan was the mother of a prince, and with the Xiao family's support, how could she be killed so easily? If this act were carried out, who knew what kind of impact it would have on the already turbulent court!

Yelü Yanxi was only acting out of anger. Now, after Yelü Chun's advice, he understood the reason. He closed his eyes wearily and said, "Fourth Imperial Uncle, I hereby grant you the power of regent. Until I recover, you shall make all the decisions."

Yelü Chun was uneasy. The power of regent was not a child's play. Those who did not know the situation might make wild guesses and cause trouble. So he suggested, "Your Majesty, Prince Jin has handled matters properly and has been praised by many officials. He should be in charge of the country here. I dare not make a decision on my own. I beg Your Majesty to rescind your order!"

Yelü Yanxi was too exhausted to think any further. He really didn't want to care about anything right now, so he nodded and summoned the palace eunuchs, saying, "Issue an imperial decree that during my recuperation, Prince Ao Luwo of Jin will oversee the country, and the Fourth Imperial Uncle will be promoted to King of Qin and Jin to assist Prince Ao Luwo in governing the country. All officials must not disobey."

After struggling to finish explaining all this, he said to everyone, "You may all leave now. I have something to say to my second brother privately..."

Yelü Chun led the guards and the somewhat deranged Consort Yuan out, leaving only the Yelü brothers in the large bedchamber.

"Second brother, it's so good that you can forgive me... I deeply regret what happened back then..."

Yelü Huan helped Yelü Yanxi lie down and said calmly, "Let's not talk about what happened back then. I was also wrong. Your Majesty, please rest and recuperate now. Once you're better, we brothers will fight side by side again and reclaim our Liao territory!"

"Good!" Yelü Yanxi was deeply moved, recalling the glorious years of the past, and looking at his brother whom he had lost and found again, tears welled up in his eyes. Although he looked forward to the future, the constant pain in his internal organs reminded him that he was nearing the end of his life.

Yelü Yanxi took the pillow from under his head, lifted the layers of cotton quilts on the bed, took a jade pendant from his neck, and pressed it into the hidden compartment under the bed like a key. A square-sized space appeared before his eyes.

"Look, everything in here is for you..."

Yelü Huan inexplicably took out the items from the hidden compartment. As soon as he touched them, he was shocked. It turned out that the hidden compartment contained the Imperial Seal of the Liao Dynasty and the Emperor's Edict of Succession!

"Brother, my ambitions lie elsewhere; I do not want these things."

Yelü Huan refused clearly, but Yelü Yanxi did not force him, only saying, "I can only feel at ease entrusting these things to you. You can entrust them to whomever you wish in the future. The Liao Dynasty has fallen into ruin under my rule, and I have failed the people of the world. Entrusting the world to you is the last thing I can do for the people of Liao... and it is also the last vestige of my conscience..."

"Your Majesty, it's not too late to turn back. Your subject will assist you in rebuilding..." Yelü Huan's words were cut short when Yelü Yanxi collapsed onto the bed, unconscious. The emotional turmoil he had experienced in that short time had greatly agitated the toxins within his body. Coupled with the fact that the toxins had been suppressed for a long time and were accumulating, it was clear that he was about to lose control!

At the outer city gate of the palace, a group of young men and women were riding at full speed. The heavily armored guards at the gate saw them and quickly stopped them, and a large number of guards surrounded them.

Qin Zhen frowned at the sudden influx of heavy troops, guessing that the Liao Emperor's situation was already dire, and that the defenses wouldn't be so strict. She took out the token Yelü Chun had given her earlier from her waist and said to the guards, "Make way quickly, we have urgent business at the palace."

Upon seeing Yelü Chun's token, the guards quickly let Qin Zhen pass, allowing him to proceed smoothly into the inner palace.

Only Ji Wuhuan and Yue Fei entered the palace with Qin Zhen. Zhao Gou took the seriously injured Zhao Yong and Qiu Shui and her brother back to the post station first. It is believed that Liu Qi was very anxious during the days he was away.