The next update will be on the 20th or 21st. I am truly sorry because I am about to embark on my journey home, and the journey will take three days and two nights. Our great motherland is truly too big … vast. Sometimes, it is truly a kind of torture.
…
…
With a ding, the knife in the eunuch's hand brushed past the Third Prince's small body and stabbed ruthlessly into the stone floor below the Chen corridor. It actually sent up a few pieces of stone. It was clear how powerful the force was.
The Third Prince twisted his body and screamed wildly. His feet kicked blindly and just happened to dodge the knife. The dagger in his trembling hand waved wildly a few times.
With two slashing sounds, the lower robes of the two eunuchs were cut open, revealing two holes. The eunuchs' faces were cold. It seemed that they had not thought that a noble prince would carry a dagger at all times and that this dagger would be so sharp.
The dagger he pulled out of his boot for the first time did not seem to be as effective as it should have been. Although the dagger was sharp, it was held in the hands of a 12 year old boy.
In this moment of life and death, Li Chengping learned the murderous courage Fan Xian had when he was 12, but he did not learn his teacher's ability to kill. Although the murderous eunuchs did not have any martial arts skills, their bodies were strong. How could he resist?
One eunuch stepped firmly on Li Chengping to the ground. The other stepped on Li Chengping's elbow, making it impossible for him to move. Looking at the holes in his clothes, he shook his head. With one hand around Li Chengping's neck and the other holding the knife, he stabbed down again.
…
…
Li Chengping's breathing became more and more difficult. He watched as the knife stabbed down. He knew he was going to die. He couldn't help but feel endless regret. He thought to himself that the knife he had just swung out hadn't even grazed the other person's side. In his despair, he couldn't help but give up. He closed his eyes and cried.
He waited for a long time.
Li Chengping could even feel the pain of a sharp object stabbing into his chest. The metal hand on his neck was cutting off his breathing. However, he found that he was still alive. The two feet on his body and hands did not seem to be stepping down with any more force.
He opened his eyes in horror and saw a scene that terrified him. He saw that the two eunuchs above him were just like him. Their eyes were wide open in horror, and two streams of black blood flowed from the corners of their eyes!
Li Chengping knew that his chance of survival had come again. Yelling wildly, he pulled his right hand out from under the eunuch's foot and ruthlessly stabbed the knife into the calf that was stepping on his chest.
The dagger pierced his flesh and blood blossomed.
…
…
Li Chengping struggled to his feet. He watched as the two eunuchs, who had been so fierce earlier, fell down like two pieces of wood. He couldn't help but feel a wave of fear. His legs were trembling, and he didn't dare to go forward to see what was going on. Why did the two Imperial Supervisory Officers collapse with black blood flowing from the corners of their eyes?
He lowered his head and looked at the knife in his chest. Only then did he feel the endless pain, and he cried out in pain.
Fortunately, by the time the eunuch stabbed down, he had already breathed his last and could not continue to exert force. The tip of the knife had only sunk a third into his flesh. Only then did Li Chengping manage to save his life.
Li Chengping dragged his limp legs and walked to the side of the two eunuchs who had already died. Other than fear, there was also endless doubt in his heart. He wondered if the heavens were helping him and casting a curse on these two eunuchs.
It wasn't a curse. The Third Prince, who had woken up, finally understood. He stared in a daze at the two holes in the clothes of the two eunuchs. He then lowered his head to glance at the black dagger in his hand.
The dagger in his hand was too sharp. Although he had only randomly swung it a few times earlier, it had not only cut through the eunuchs' clothes, but it had also grazed the skin under their clothes. However, because the dagger was too sharp, or perhaps the teacher had smeared some medicine on the dagger, the two eunuchs did not feel anything.
The dagger was imbued with the Overwatch Council's most powerful poison. Once the blade broke through the skin, the medicine entered the blood. It only took a moment for the two eunuchs to be poisoned to death. They didn't even have the time to kill.
What a powerful poison!
Li Chengping, who had narrowly escaped death, trembled all over. He held the dagger tightly in his hand and looked at the two eunuchs at his feet whose faces were gradually turning black. Finally, he could no longer stand and fell to the ground. He knew that if it wasn't for the fact that there was such a powerful poison on the dagger, if it wasn't for the fact that the two eunuchs had not thought of this, then no matter how he struggled, he would not have been able to escape death.
His entire body trembled as he sat beside the two bodies. His face was deathly white. He didn't know what he should do next. This was the first time he had been killed. Even though he was a powerful prince who matured early, he was still shocked to the point that his state of mind was thrown into chaos.
After sitting for an indeterminable amount of time, the 12-year-old Li Chengping finally came to his senses and climbed up with some difficulty. Looking at the two bodies beside him, a complicated emotion that a child should not have appeared in his eyes. This emotion was fear, helplessness, sadness, and a glimmer of excitement. It gradually turned into calmness and anger.
Calm anger.
Who wanted to kill him? Li Chengping didn't know, but he knew that it had to do with his brothers. He suddenly let out a cry. Then, he tightened his grip on the dagger by his hand and stabbed it down forcefully.
One stab, two stab, three stab. He numbly and mechanically stabbed the dagger into the body of the eunuch beside him. Countless amounts of fresh blood sprayed out. In the end, the fresh blood splashed into black blood.
He hated these people, so he wanted them to die completely. Of course, he would be very careful not to let the blood poison touch his body.
After a while, he stopped crying out of fear. Holding onto the pillar in the corridor, he stood up. Looking at the quiet and empty long path in the Chen corridor, his lips trembled slightly. Then, he called out in a loud voice.
At the end of the Chen corridor was the Cold Palace. There were always serving girls in the Cold Palace.
— — —
"Mother, I don't want you to live in the Cold Palace."
The early autumn weather was not cold. In a side room at the back of Hanguang Palace, the Third Prince was tightly wrapped in a large blanket. Looking at Yi Guipin, who was looking at him with tears in her eyes, he lowered his voice and said in a firm and cold tone, "I don't want to die. You can't die either."
Yi Guipin's eyes were red. She held him tightly.
Earlier, the Cold Palace had come to report. Only now did everyone know that the Third Prince had sneaked out of Hanguang Palace and had encountered assassins deep in the Palace. In her anger, the empress dowager ordered the inner palace to strengthen its defenses. Not only did she capture the assassins, she also angrily reprimanded the eunuchs and serving girls in Hanguang Palace. Even Yi Guipin was not spared.
Earlier, the empress dowager had stayed by the unconscious Third Prince's bedside for a while before leaving.
After the empress dowager left, Li Chengping woke up and spoke to his mother in a trembling voice. It was clear that he had pretended to be unconscious in front of the empress dowager. This Third Prince only had a secret fear of the empress dowager and didn't want to face his grandmother.
"Don't worry …" Yi Guipin held her son. Her shock had not yet faded. She said in a trembling voice, "In Hanguang Palace, with the empress dowager watching, they won't dare to act rashly again."
Li Chengping's expression darkened. He knew his mother was only comforting him, but he didn't say anything. Yi Guipin lowered her head to look at her son. She wanted to speak but stopped. In the end, she couldn't resist asking in a quiet voice, "Those two eunuchs … how did they die? Whose people did they belong to? "
"I don't know." Li Chengping didn't explain the matter of the dagger. At the same time he had called for help, he had already hidden the dagger in the trees beside the Chen corridor. There was a glimmer of terror in his eyes. Looking at his mother, he said, "Suddenly dying … I don't know who wanted to kill me."
Yi Guipin fell silent and glanced around. She found that there were too many people and too many eunuchs and serving girls waiting outside the side room. It was indeed not convenient to say too much, so she hesitantly closed her mouth.
Ever since they learned of the Emperor's assassination, she and the Third Prince had been under house arrest in Hanguang Palace. They didn't know what had happened outside. They only knew that Fan Xian had been made a criminal and that the Fan and Liu families were both under the control of the internal court. The empress dowager's gaze toward her grew colder and colder.
Looking at this palace, Yi Guipin felt a bone-chilling coldness. She thought to herself, This Hanguang Palace doesn't seem to be very safe.
A middle-aged woman walked in from outside the room. It was the Great Prince's birth mother, Ning the Talented. Yi Guipin quickly stood and bowed. The two mothers met each other's eyes and sighed endlessly.
The Crown Prince had also come to visit and comforted his brother. He also promised that he would find out who the true killer was. These words were said with great sincerity, but Yi Guipin didn't hear them. It wasn't until night gradually fell, the people gradually left, and the room gradually became quiet that Yi Guipin looked at her son hidden under the blankets and faintly said, "If it wasn't the Crown Prince, who could it be?"
The Third Prince had been stabbed to death. For the various powers in Jingdou, who would benefit the most? Yi Guipin involuntarily thought of a person's name but didn't dare say it.
Li Chengping looked at his mother's thoughtful expression and felt a chill in his heart. He knew who his mother was suspecting. Resolutely, he shook his head and said, "It wasn't my teacher."
Yi Guipin was suspecting Fan Xian because there was a large group of civil officials standing firmly by Fan Xian's side. They were using the so-called posthumous edict and the name of righteousness to attack the Crown Prince. If the Third Prince had truly died in the Royal Palace, the Crown Prince would not be able to clear his name no matter what. In terms of public opinion, he would be at a disadvantage. Furthermore …
If Fan Xian truly had the confidence to defeat the Crown Prince, then what was the point of keeping the Third Prince alive? Yi Guipin looked at her son and faintly said, "Although he is your teacher, he is, after all, not your real cousin."
"He is my real brother," the Third Prince bit his lip and said.
Yi Guipin sighed. "In this royal family, where is there such a thing as brotherhood, teacher, and disciple? Earlier, you didn't tell the empress dowager and Crown Prince that those two eunuchs used a keepsake to trick you into going to the Chen corridor. If they weren't your teacher's people, how could they have a keepsake? "
The keepsake was actually very simple. It was just a page from one of the Third Prince's favorite books in the Peng manor by West Lake in Jiangnan.
Li Chengping lowered his head. "I won't suspect teacher. Furthermore, I believe in his abilities. If he really wanted to kill me and throw the Palace into further chaos, he wouldn't use the keepsake. These are all places where it's easy to reveal flaws. As for Master … he would never reveal so many flaws. "
Yi Guipin forced a smile and didn't say anything more. Looking at her emotions and the current dangerous situation, she was willing to believe her son's judgment of Fan Xian. Other than Fan Xian, she and her son had no one else to rely on.
"Yes, but I don't know when Sir Fan junior will be able to rescue us," Yi Guipin thought to herself. Yi Guipin thought that if Fan Xian truly forced the Crown Prince into a situation where he could not retreat, the Crown Prince could only risk the condemnation of the world and use bloody methods to subdue the hearts of the officials. At that time, she and her son would probably not be able to survive.
… …
In the front of Hanguang Palace, everyone was silent. The entire Palace was enveloped in an oppressive and tense atmosphere. The Crown Prince and empress sat on either side of the empress dowager and gently massaged the old woman's back. This mother and son's situation was much more relaxed than Yi Guipin's. They also knew that nothing could happen to this old woman under their fists.
"Aunt." The empress glanced at the empress dowager and timidly said, "The Third Prince's life is very fortunate …" She glanced again. "To be able to survive like this, it looks like Fan Xian, that traitor, has taught him many things."
The Crown Prince furrowed his brows and saw the skin on his grandmother's temple tighten slightly. He knew that his mother's words had stupidly angered the empress dowager. He huffed coldly and said, "As long as my brother is alive, let's not talk about anything else for now."
The empress dowager forcefully breathed a few times and suppressed the anger in her heart. She warmly patted the back of the Crown Prince's hand, thinking that of all the descendants of the royal family, probably only the Crown Prince truly understood what she was thinking. Thinking of this, the empress dowager increasingly felt that her choice was not wrong. Qing Kingdom indeed needed a filial child like the Crown Prince to manage.
"You can all leave." The empress dowager coughed. Her mind was particularly tired. She waved her hand. All of the serving eunuchs, serving girls, and old nannies accepted their orders and left. Even the somewhat dissatisfied empress was chased out of the Palace. Only she and the Crown Prince were left in the Palace.
The empress dowager turned around and looked at the Crown Prince with listless eyes. Holding the Crown Prince's hand, she faintly said, "I don't want you brothers to kill each other. That is why I am supporting this body and watching all of this. I am very pleased that you understand this."
The Crown Prince did not reply. He only sighed. Perhaps he was thinking of his brother, Fan Xian.
The empress dowager's gaze immediately became cold. It was as if she had seen through the Crown Prince's heart. "As an Emperor, you must be decisive and lenient when necessary. As for Fan Xian, he is an evil thief who plotted to assassinate your father. His surname is Fan, not Li. What is the point of thinking so much?"
The Crown Prince lowered his head in acceptance. "I understand. Some people cannot be let go."
"It is a pity that we still did not catch him." The empress dowager slowly closed her eyes. "Where are Shu Wu and the other officials being held?"
"In the Ministry of Justice's prison." The Crown Prince laughed bitterly. "It is not good to place them in the Overwatch Council's Celestial Prison. However … for some reason, these officials have been deceived by Fan Xian. They are so muddle-headed that they refuse to submit."
The empress dowager laughed coldly. "Deceived? They are just a bunch of pedantic people. Only your father would allow them to be so presumptuous. Perhaps they have already seen the posthumous edict in Fan Xian's hand, which is why they dare to be so stubborn. "
The Crown Prince's expression changed slightly. He immediately calmed down and said, "There is no posthumous edict."
"Correct." The empress dowager looked at him with approval. "So, how do you think we should deal with these officials who speak nonsense and threaten the royal family?"
The Crown Prince's expression changed again. He knew the empress dowager wanted him to make up his mind. After a long time, he said in a low voice, "We will kill them if we need to."
"Very good." The empress dowager's expression gradually became cold. "If you want to be steady, then don't be afraid of killing."
"However, the subordinates of the Overwatch Council do not obey the Emperor's orders at all. It is a bit troublesome," the Crown Prince said after thinking for a while. "Many officials in Jingdou were assassinated today. The people are panicking, and the court is in chaos. Fan Xian is hiding in the dark and managing everything. I can't think of a good way to deal with him."
"Fan Xian is using blood and heads to intimidate the court officials with the intention of throwing Jingdou into chaos." The empress dowager looked at her grandson and quietly said, "What do you want to say? Just say it."
The Crown Prince was silent for a moment. He then raised his head and said in a firm tone, "I would like to ask the empress dowager to move the army into the capital to suppress it!"
…
…
Hanguang Palace once again quieted down. After a long time, the empress dowager slowly said, "Today, in Taiji Palace, Yan Hangshu already had this suggestion. How was it rejected in the end?"
The Crown Prince laughed bitterly and shook his head. "No one thought that after all the scholars of the Hall of Governmental Affairs were imprisoned, someone else would jump out today."
The person who jumped out in court today did not have a high position, but his identity was special. He was the Imperial Censor of the Left of the Imperial Censorate, He Zongwei.
He Zongwei had always been on the Eastern Palace's side. Later, he had helped the Eldest Princess chase Prime Minister Lin Ruofu out of Jingdou. Furthermore, he had always had an unexplainable grudge with the Fan manor. The Crown Prince had always thought that this person would be a pillar of his court in the future. He had not expected that when he was about to move the army into the capital and issue an edict, this person would jump out to oppose it.
He Zongwei's opposition was extreme. He took off his official robes and took off his black veil. Leading a dozen Imperial Censors, he knelt in front of Taiji Palace. In a rage, the Crown Prince hit him 12 times and chased him out of the Palace. But, this once famous scholar in Jingdou knelt in front of the Palace walls covered in blood and did not yield a single step.
"Imperial Censor He's opposition is very reasonable," the empress dowager said tiredly. The empress dowager lowered her eyelids slightly and tiredly said, "Actually, I have never had the Qin family enter the capital because I was worried about this problem. The court's ancestors strictly forbade the military from entering the capital to interfere in politics. Once this precedent is set, I'm afraid there will be endless trouble in the future."
The Crown Prince was silent. He understood the empress dowager's worries. The empress dowager still hoped that he could peacefully take over. Once the military was involved, the Qin and Ye families would grow. He did not have supreme authority in the military like his father. What would the future Qing Kingdom become?
"The Qin family has been loyal for generations. There is no need to worry," the empress dowager said coldly. She had a deep relationship with the Qin family, so there was no need to worry about this problem. "But what about the Ye family? Ye Zhong is your second brother's father-in-law. "
The empress dowager looked at the silent Crown Prince and took a deep breath. She then sinisterly said, "However, Fan Xian … this shady person's actions are too crazy. If there is no army to suppress him, Jingdou will never be able to stabilize. Even if you kill a dozen officials in prison, what good will it do? If the situation drags on for a few more days, once the morale of the other five elite armies of the Qing Kingdom becomes unstable, the situation will be worrisome. "
The Crown Prince bowed silently and said, "Therefore, I need the army to enter the capital. Compared to future troubles, the present Fan Xian is a dagger placed in front of us."
He furrowed his brows slightly and said, "However, what about He Zongwei? After all, he is the Imperial Censor of the Left. He has a group of Imperial Censors under him who are famous for not being afraid of death. They are playing a death remonstrance outside the Palace walls … "
The Crown Prince's worry was not without reason. Killing officials was not rare in history, but killing an Imperial Censor was a great taboo. Even with the Qing Emperor's supreme authority, the Qing Emperor had only struck the Imperial Censors a few times to show his sincerity when they collectively attacked his illegitimate son, Fan Xian.
"There will always be people who need to be evil." The empress dowager stared into the Crown Prince's eyes and lovingly said, "Let me order these people to be dealt with."
The empress dowager paused and then said, "After the army enters the capital, you can hand over your brother's position as commander."
The Crown Prince bowed sincerely, moved speechlessly.
…
In Guangxin Palace not far from Hanguang Palace, the Eldest Princess, who had made this plan from the beginning and then began to coldly watch the countless characters act on the stage, finally sank into worry for the first time. The things that had happened today made her feel that something was strange.
"Why have we still not caught Fan Xian?" She looked at Eunuch Hou beside her and asked coldly, "It's not that the internal court doesn't have aces. It's not that the Jingdou government hasn't put in effort. How long do I need to wait before I can see his head?"
She said these words in front of her daughter. Lin Wan 'er listened with a slight smile at the side. It seemed that she was not worried at all about her husband's safety. A few days had already passed. Since the Palace had no way of catching him, then he would never be caught.
After chasing Eunuch Hou out of the Palace, the Eldest Princess's expression immediately changed. It was calm. It was impossible to tell that she had been so angry earlier.
She knew that Fan Xian would not be so easy to catch. Since this young man was able to return alive from Dong Mountain, it proved his ability.
This was a situation that involved the entire world. The focus of the Eldest Princess's thoughts had always been on Dong Mountain and not Jingdou. From the beginning, she had not thought that Fan Xian would be able to return to Jingdou alive. This point had already shaken her mind to its core.
If Fan Xian lived, then Yan Xiaoyi would die. Li Yunrui lowered her eyelids slightly. The coldness in her eyes was slightly restrained. She thought about Fan Xian's present cultivation. Just what realm had he reached? He dared to so arrogantly and wantonly use assassination methods in Jingdou to challenge the authority of the Royal Palace.
She suddenly furrowed her brows and looked at the cold and cheerless Guangxin Palace. "This Palace gives off the smell of death. I want to go out."
Lin Wan 'er looked calmly at her mother and said, "You're afraid."
"What do I have to be afraid of? Afraid that Fan Xian will break into the Palace tonight?" The Eldest Princess gently patted her daughter's slightly thin cheek and said, "I understand Fan Xian too well. He will always be an assassin and a mouse who plays in the dark. He never has the courage to face his enemies head on … because he is more afraid of death than anyone else."
The Eldest Princess tilted her head slightly and looked at her daughter. "I've been thinking about a question. If I used your life to threaten him, what would he do?"
"I am very curious about the answer to this question." The Eldest Princess smiled happily. "That is why I am waiting for Fan Xian to kill his way in front of me."
…
Fan Xian still thought he had seen the empress dowager's thoughts clearly. The grandmother of the Li family hoped for a peaceful handover and did not want the wild and uncontrollable power of the army to turn the entire Qing Kingdom into a mess. Thus, he had methodically carried out his arrangements.
It was clear that he had underestimated his dark killing god image and how valiant he was in the hearts of the nobles in the Royal Palace. He had not thought that his assassination in Jingdou had finally provoked the empress dowager and the Crown Prince to a certain degree, forcing them to prepare to move the army into the capital to suppress it.
The next day, the Jingdou Garrison in the Yuantai Camp would enter the capital to suppress it. If Fan Xian had not been able to control the Royal Palace before then, what awaited him was certain to be a wretched ending.
He had also not thought that when the Qin family's army entered the capital, it would be forcefully delayed by a night by He Zongwei, the servant of the three surnames he had always looked down on and deeply loathed, with a hot-blooded and valiant attitude.
In this sense, He Zongwei had done him a great favor.
The empress dowager and the Crown Prince's determination was clearly a day late.
…
It was a deep and quiet night. The night fell into a deep sleep. It was time for the Imperial Army's shift. The Imperial Army controlled the front half of the Palace in the Royal Palace as well as a number of important streets outside the Royal Palace. Presently, the situation was tense. The Imperial Army on shift were temporarily stationed in the private houses on these streets, not daring to return to the camp to wait for orders.
A group of about 200 Imperial Army soldiers, fully armored, walked with unusual calmness to the main Palace doors. They exchanged defensive procedures and orders with the Imperial Army on shift.
Due to the current situation, the Commander of the Imperial Army, the Great Prince, had not returned to his manor for three days. He stood on the palace walls and looked coldly at the exchange below. After a slight pause, he slowly walked down.
Dressed in armor, he stood in the Palace doors like a god, about to block all attacks from outside the Royal Palace.
He looked coldly at this group of 200 Imperial Army soldiers. A moment later, he silently nodded his head. The trusted officer at his side swallowed and nervously went forward to go through all the procedures. He then waved his hand to allow the group of clearly unfamiliar Imperial Army soldiers to walk into the Royal Palace.
The Great Prince stood in the Palace doors and allowed the Imperial Army soldiers who had come to take over to split into two lines and walk past him.
This group of Imperial Army soldiers who had come to take over left silently and with strict military discipline.
When the last group of Imperial Army soldiers were about to walk through the Palace doors, the Great Prince suddenly sighed.
The person at the back of the Imperial Army group nodded gently at him.
…
…
"Commander, what do we do next?" The officer was the Great Prince's trusted aide and a general who had climbed up from the Western Expedition Army. Logically speaking, it was not his place to personally handle such a small matter as the exchange of guards. However, he knew that he had to handle this exchange of guards himself.
Seeing the Imperial Army soldiers gradually disappear on the thick palace walls, the officer swallowed and forcefully suppressed the fear in his heart. He asked for instructions in a trembling voice.
The Great Prince slowly tightened his grip on the sword at his waist. Facing the night wind, the lines of his face appeared particularly hard. "Have everyone wake up. An emergency military meeting."
The moment he said this, a thick killing intent appeared around him. Although the Great Prince was not a martial expert, he had fought on the battlefield all year round. Countless souls had died under his sword. Since he had made up his mind tonight, the first thing he had to do was take care of the restless factor within the Imperial Army.
The officer knew that the commander was going to kill tonight. The trusted aides of Yan Xiaoyi's faction in the Imperial Army were probably going to be completely slaughtered. However, he was no longer afraid. Boundless excitement rose from the bottom of his heart. He immediately began to pass on the orders.
…
…
The front wall of the Imperial Palace was extremely wide, and four horses could run side by side on it. It was completely made of green bricks, and naturally exuded an austere aura.
A row of Imperial Guards was arranged in formation, looking at the square below the Imperial City. They were on guard, seemingly ready to receive an attack from outside the Imperial Palace at any time.
However, one of the Imperial Guards looked into the palace with a profound gaze.
Fan Xian gently tidied up the imperial soldier's clothing and looked at the familiar Palace. It was pitch-black inside. He didn't know where his family was or where his enemies were. He knew that if he led 200 people into the Palace, he would face the internal guards and internal court eunuch aces. No one knew what the chances of success were for such a risk.
It was because he could not determine whether the First Prince would be able to completely control the Imperial Guards when the sounds of killing rang out. He could not rely on the strength of the Imperial Army.
"Never do what the enemy wants you to do. The reason is very simple, because the enemy wants you to do that."
Fan Xian said to Jing Ge, the deputy commander of the Black Knights beside him.
"That's what a man called Napoleon said. The doors to the Royal Palace have already opened, but the doors to the rear palace are still closed. They didn't think we would dare to use so few people to attack the Royal Palace. "
He still did not know the Eldest Princess' evaluation of him. If this had been the Commissioner Fan of the past, the immortal poet, he would indeed not have chosen such a direct and brave attack.
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