His small body fell into her arms, and the moment he was hugged by her, the dagger silently stabbed towards her heart.
The dagger was sharp enough to cut through gold and jade, and it was aimed at the defenseless Fuyao.
The dagger was a peerless treasure dipped in poison. Even the slightest scratch would be enough to end one's life.
To make matters worse, there was a fork in the front of the dagger. With a push of a finger, a rain of ox-hair needles would fall. There was a spring in the middle of the dagger, and upon contact, a blue triangular thorn would fly out. There was also a chain between the dagger and the handle, allowing the length of the dagger to be controlled at any time. The handle of the dagger was hollow, so any external impact would cause it to explode and harm the human body.
In other words, this was an assassination tool that combined daggers, concealed weapons, explosives, and poison into one. It was specially used to deal with powerful opponents. It could not be caught, thrown, or blocked, and it was even more impossible not to catch, throw, or block. No matter what kind of countermeasure it was, it was hard to avoid a slight injury, and that slight injury was a life.
In that instant, Fuyao used four different techniques. She pointed, poked, pinched, and pressed. However, she helplessly realized that no matter which technique she used, unless she had another hand, she would not be able to deal with the dagger while Tang Yiguang was still close to her.
The child was too close to her.
The dagger was too close to her.
Fuyao sighed, and in the time it took for a spark to fly off a flint, she pressed her finger down.
She could not care less about the consequences.
Suddenly, a hand reached over and pinched the dagger lightly.
It was a simple pinch.
But the hand's movements were as superb as ascending to the heavens.
In that instant, the hand's five fingers were highly utilized. The thumb pointed, the middle finger pressed, the index finger flicked, the ring finger poked, and the little finger could even hook. Even the knuckles of each finger were staggered. In the blink of an eye, there was only one finger movement, but there were more than ten variations. The thumb pointed to close the fork at the front, the middle finger pressed down to push the spring away, and the knuckle flicked to lock the key to the spring. The index finger flicked the triangular thorn back, the ring finger poked in between the dagger and the handle, and the little finger hooked the chain around the handle, blocking the fuse so that Tang Yiguang could no longer trigger the explosives.
The precision of the hand was so exquisite that it dazzled one's eyes.
A pair of deft hands that were unparalleled in the world.
There was only one person in the world who had such hands and gestures.
He had been immersed in medicine all his life and was known as the Medical Saint. He had made the most exquisite human skin masks in the world, and he had refined a precious pill that gathered the essence of tens of thousands of treasures in the world. He had mastered the most exquisite fire control, and he had performed the most difficult and precise surgery.
All of this required a pair of delicate and dexterous hands that surpassed everyone else.
Zong Yue.
It was very sudden, but it was as if he should have been there all along. A white shadow flashed and appeared. Using his hand that could save countless lives and also overturn countless lives, he took away the most dangerous dagger in the world. Then, he casually threw it into the pond outside the palace.
Tang Yiguang was already curled up at Meng Fuyao's feet. Since Zong Yue had already helped her resolve the danger of the dagger, Tang Yiguang would naturally be able to resolve it in a matter of minutes.
Meng Fuyao did not care about Tang Yiguang. She only raised her head to look at the man in front of her, whose clothes were as white as snow and whose lips were as red as cherry blossoms. His skin was as translucent as ever, and he was as elegant as the deep snow of the mountains. In the dark of the night, he was like a handful of snow that had never been touched by the world. Meng Fuyao looked at him as if she did not know him. After a long while, she smiled sweetly and said, "You're finally willing to take off that damned mask."
Zong Yue looked at her indifferently. He had taken off the dark charm mask. Not only did his hair, eyes, and lips return to their original color, even his temper seemed to have returned to normal. The moment he opened his mouth, he was still as venomous as ever. "Actually, whether I take it off or not, it's still better than wearing that woman's mask."
Meng Fuyao stared at his eyes and asked curiously, "Other things aside, how did your eyes change color? I can't figure it out. "
"I can't figure it out either. When did you find out?" Zong Yue asked instead of answering her question.
Meng Fuyao smiled wretchedly. She did not want to tell him that she had actually found out a long time ago. She had found out when she was helping him apply the medicine in the palace.
At that time, he must have been wearing a layer of protective leather on his body. That was why the rocket did not cause too much damage to him. His injuries appeared to be moderate burns, not severe. He had sent her away before she applied the medicine in order to remove that layer of protection. That night, when she applied the medicine, she realized that the color of his skin was different from when she had watched him undress. Later on, she recalled that she had watched An Mei undress in the secret chamber that night. Under the illumination of the candlelight, his skin had sunk into the shadows.
At that time, she had not thought it through very clearly. However, that night, she had that dream of Sir Yuan Bao playing with his mask in front of her. The flickering light and shadow had dazzled her. It was only when she had woken up that she had realized it.
She had never believed that with Zong Yue's strength, he would have been easily abducted by Xuanyuan Cheng. Furthermore, although An Mei and Zong Yue had completely different temperaments and appearances, there were many similarities between them. For example, she had always been testing his mysophobia, the feeling of the mask being removed with a flick of her fingertips, and her proficiency in using medicine. For example, that night when she had pretended to hang herself, she had rushed out in a daze and ruined his plans. The only reason he had been shot was purely to save her. Otherwise, he would have met up with Xuanyuan Min that night and left safely.
Therefore, the one who had truly been implicated was Zong Yue.
Since Meng Fuyao had thought it through, given her personality, how could she abandon Zong Yue? She would help him no matter what, regardless of whether he wanted her to or not. She would only do what she thought was right.
Zong Yue had to stay in the palace to discuss with Xuanyuan Min how to deal with Xuanyuan Cheng, so she had to be the empress.
Zong Yue and Xuanyuan Min were using and guarding against each other, so she had to help warn Xuanyuan Min.
The relationship chart and name list that Xuanyuan Min had produced were all Zong Yue's. Naturally, she knew that Zong Yue had been hiding his power for many years, and when he launched an all-out counterattack, Zong Yue had already made ample preparations in both the imperial court and the palace.
If she had guessed correctly, the fake Zong Yue who had been abducted by Xuanyuan Cheng was also a trump card that could not be avoided.
Actually, her goal was not exactly the same as Zong Yue's … She laughed softly. She was used to snatching the throne and power, while Zong Yue's first goal was to kill Xuanyuan Cheng.
She did not know what Zong Yue's original plan was, but it definitely did not include using King Han and Shangyuan to pressure Xuanyuan Cheng. That could very well bring disaster to Xuanyuan Cheng. As a citizen of Xuanyuan Kingdom, Zong Yue could do anything to seize power from within, but colluding with external enemies was out of the question.
So … let her do it.
As for the future, there was no longer any need for her to interfere in the most crucial fight against the boss. That was the life and death feud between Crown Prince Wen Yi and the Prince Regent. This feud would be left to Zong Yue, who had painstakingly endured for many years, to avenge himself.
"What happens next is your own business." She took out the information map that Xuanyuan Yun had secretly given her when she entered the palace a few days ago. "Actually, I think you should have something similar in your hands, but I just like to be nosy. Whether you use it or not, that's your business."
Zong Yue took it and held it in his palm. "Actually, I never thought of becoming the Emperor."
"I thought so too, but … I just like to be nosy." She replied.
Zong Yue laughed silently and looked at her lowering her eyelashes without saying a word.
Both of them chose not to say what was in the deepest part of their hearts.
After a while, Meng Fuyao lowered her head and frowned at the sobbing ball at her feet. "I haven't cried yet, so why are you crying?"
"Boohoo … Brother Ah Liu is going to die …" Tang Yiguang hugged Fuyao's leg and wailed. "I can't save him …"
Meng Fuyao held her forehead. She was obviously the victim, so why did it seem like she owed the assassin Tang Yiguang?
Tang Yiguang was still crying, wiping her snot and tears on the corner of her clothes. "Boohoo, why don't you die … If you don't die, Brother Ah Liu will die …"
"…"
The corner of Meng Fuyao's mouth twitched. She picked her up and stared at her crying face for a long time before sighing helplessly.
Was she really going to kill her? Was she really that retarded, traumatized child with the IQ of a four-year-old?
She looked at Zong Yue hesitantly, hoping to get some constructive advice from him. Zong Yue cupped his hands and looked up at the sky. "I'm only telling you that her lack of intelligence is real."
Of course it was real. Meng Fuyao rolled her eyes. Was it really possible to hide from both her and Zong Yue? Was it really possible to catch her off guard and get close to her at the last moment? If it wasn't real, why would she carry out the mission without hesitation at such a critical moment?
It was precisely because of her lack of intelligence that the Prince Regent had chosen her.
Who … was Brother Ah Liu? It couldn't be Zong Yue, could it? Could it be that a fake Zong Yue had harmed Xuanyuan Yun and Tang Yiguang? Meng Fuyao looked at Zong Yue suspiciously. "Why are you looking at me? How could I be related to this little idiot? "
Meng Fuyao suddenly laughed. "Since it has nothing to do with you, I won't stand on ceremony."
She slapped the top of Tang Yiguang's head.
"Wait!"
Meng Fuyao's palm stopped above Tang Yiguang's head, neither letting go nor letting go. "It's really you."
In the darkness, the fair-skinned, brightly dressed Emperor slowly emerged.
He looked at Meng Fuyao with a strange expression, then at Tang Yiguang, who was still wailing. His eyes were filled with nostalgia, disappointment, sorrow, and helplessness. They were filled with emotions that he had long been accustomed to keeping silent or concealing.
After a while, he squatted down and hugged the child. He stroked her head and said softly, "Ah Liu gege's horse is the biggest one in Sunset Pasture. How can you ride it?"
Tang Yiguang was startled and stopped crying. She raised her tear-stained face and sobbed, "Father killed the little white horse. He wouldn't let me ride it."
"En." Xuanyuan Min took out his fragrant handkerchief and carefully wiped her tears and sweat on her face. He said softly: "In the future, if you want to ride a horse, Ah Liu gege will ride with you. You won't fall again."
"Are you Brother Ah Liu?" Tang Yiguang stopped crying and looked at him seriously. Her nose was red as she whimpered, "Brother Ah Liu isn't as tall as you. He's not as colorful as you …"
Meng Fuyao burst out laughing, then rubbed her nose and turned away.
Why did she suddenly feel a little sad?
The youngest son of the Royal Prince of a remote town was chosen to enter the capital to be a puppet emperor. The daughter of the general guarding the border town, on the day he left, desperately chased after him. Her little white horse was killed, and she rode on the fierce horse left by her Brother Ah Liu.
Then she fell. From then on, her world was no longer moving forward. Everything was shallow and shallow, like frost on the window paper. All that was left was her Brother Ah Liu.
Twelve years.
He sang the song "Drunken Imperial Concubine" in the silent palace. She held on to that little boy for eternity.
A pair of miserable childhood playmates, a lonely portrayal of the bitterness of the royal family.
Tang Yiguang looked at the colorful Xuanyuan Min and suddenly wiped his face with a hand full of tears. Xuanyuan Min didn't move. His eyes were full of tears, and he let the child wipe away his makeup with his hand full of desserts.
Rouge, rouge, lip gloss, pearl powder, crimson eyeliner, pink lips, long eyebrows, and agar skin … The flashy and gorgeous disguise was wiped away one by one by the girl's tear-stained hands, revealing the pale, handsome face of a young man.
Tang Yiguang threw herself at him.
Into the arms of her Brother Ah Liu from twelve years ago.
He left on a spring day filled with fragrant grass. A carriage took away her Brother Ah Liu. Her story was forever stopped at the last moment of the chase. Her last glance fell from the horse that was taller than two people. Her eyes reflected the spring grass that covered the sky and the ground in the vast and desolate border city that was thousands of miles wide.
From then on, she only remembered their Sunset Stud Farm, their little white flower and big black tiger. She remembered the play between the little girl and the little boy. She watched the sunset on his shoulder and slept on his shoulder when she was tired. When the stars and moon rose at night, he carried her back, the corner of his robe brushing past the dandelion lotus flowers and the faint fragrance of night dew.
Many years later, she became his imperial concubine. She sat in the golden palace and ate desserts, thinking about her Brother Ah Liu. The regent said that if she became an imperial concubine, she would return her Brother Ah Liu. If she killed the Empress, she could be with her Brother Ah Liu.
The Empress was good, but nothing was more important than her Brother Ah Liu.
Tang Yiguang rubbed herself on Xuanyuan Min's shoulder and cried her heart out. Xuanyuan Min hugged her and glanced at Meng Fuyao.
She grinned at him and said, "The murderer shall die."
Xuanyuan Min was still looking at her. After a while, he said, "Aren't you worried about me?"
He slowly stood up with Tang Yiguang in his arms. "If you can win, I won't fight anymore. I'll take her away and let her be an idle Prince."
Meng Fuyao laughed. "Are you willing to do that?"
"So what if I'm not willing?" Xuanyuan Min habitually winked. "You're dragging the East and the West. You're clearly trying to mess with Xuanyuan Cheng, but you're actually trying to scare the tiger. Ah Yue already has a plan to kill Xuanyuan Cheng. There's no need to waste so much effort. You're deliberately trying to get rid of both of us at once."
"I have no choice." Meng Fuyao grinned. "Your Majesty, you've made me very wary. You're too tolerant, too good at pretending, and too shrewd. I think you're a scourge. Any scourge can't be left alive."
Xuanyuan Min snorted and said, "Of the two of you, one firmly infiltrates the court officials, and the other directly contacts the foreign territories. I am a lonely emperor trapped in the palace, from the beginning to the end, I am only a messenger and a cover. Even the people around me are Xuanyuan Yue's people. What can I do?"
Meng Fuyao remained silent. She thought to herself, 'You're currently being controlled by the two of us. But if Zongyue doesn't let you take the throne in the end, you might just become another Xuanyuan Cheng after enduring for so many years.'
'At least you know how to adapt to circumstances.'
Xuanyuan Min hugged Doraemon, who refused to let go of his neck, and slowly shook her. "It's nothing … Ultimately, all I want is freedom …"
He squinted his eyes and said in a leisurely tone, "The grasslands of the Setting Sun Stud Farm will be even more beautiful next spring, right? The iron thread grass, cherry red, dandelion, purple alfalfa … Red, yellow, purple, and green flowers will bloom everywhere. The sky is so far, so far that you can't even see the end of it. Shout at the top of your voice, and the three mountains will follow you … Hehe … That's great. I've had enough of the four palace walls, enough of singing in low voices, enough … enough … "
The thousand-mile stud farm, the vast grasslands, and the fragrance of flowers that had been immersed in his memories for many years. The child of the grasslands 12 years ago would eventually cross the dark palace walls with a smile and walk step by step towards the hometown of his dreams.
He brushed past Meng Fuyao with a dreamy expression. When he passed by her, he suddenly tilted his head and said in an extremely low voice, "King Meng Han, you're so generous in helping Ah Yue seize the throne. Is it really because you're afraid that I'll harm him after I take power?"
Meng Fuyao was startled, but Xuanyuan Min had already laughed and walked away.
Meng Fuyao fell silent.
There were some things that she thought were hidden in the deepest parts of her heart that only she could understand. Who knew that even an outsider like Xuanyuan Min would know, let alone the clear-minded Zong Yue?
She suddenly felt awkward and did not want to stay in front of Zong Yue any longer. She hurriedly said, "I'm going out to get some fresh air."
Zong Yue did not move. He watched as she disappeared beyond the palace walls as if she was escaping. After a while, a desolate smile appeared on his face.
That smile was like the moonlight that had just risen, but the stars had not yet brightened, so it was lonely and high in the sky.
… Fuyao.
You're using such a complicated method … to reject me.
I want to be a wandering doctor who lives like the clouds and wild cranes. Once I'm done with my worries, I can stay by your side forever. But you'd rather push me onto the luxurious throne and use the responsibility of the country to restrict my freedom to chase after you.
Actually, you don't have to go through so much trouble.
I've had enough of my dual identities and the complicated days of wandering between the dark and the light. In front of you, I just want to be the simplest person.
The simplest way to love you.
Even if you give me the simplest way to reject you.
= = =
In order to ensure the safety of the sharp-tongued man once and for all, the king of the Meng Family helped him cut off the wings of the Prince Regent and forced Xuanyuan Min away to pave the way for the throne. Zong Yue let her do whatever she wanted. After all, he only wanted to do one thing, and that was to kill Xuanyuan Cheng.
Although Xuanyuan Cheng's wings were cut off, his power in Kunjing was not completely gone. He had been in power for many years and was good at handling political affairs. He also knew the importance of military power. Under such a terrible situation, the 30,000 soldiers in Kunjing were still under his control. The 3,000 Iron Guards in his residence were also true elites.
If the pressure of the army outside the border was only a bluff to affect the military power, a fierce battle inside Kunjing was truly unavoidable.
Zong Yue's method was to gradually close the borders.
Xuanyuan Cheng controlled and suppressed all the underground forces in the country. Zong Yue used the identity of the Medical Sage to establish underground forces in the other countries. He did not refuse any medical requests from the royal family of the Five States Continent. He did not ask for medical fees and only used it in exchange for all the convenience he needed.
He had the most rigorous intelligence network, the most exquisite and powerful weapons, and a small but excellent combat team. All of them were adopted when they were young. They were trained in the harshest weather in the ice and snow of the Qiongcang Northern Plains. They were soaked in drugs until they had copper skin and iron bones. At the same time, they were also the largest assassination organization under the top assassin, An Mei. They used assassinations across the seven countries to train their killing experience.
Just like how he saved people in the day and killed people at night, those assassins also hid among the most ordinary people. Perhaps it was a young woman selling flowers, or an old man carrying wonton. Each flower in the flower basket was a life, and a sword covered in blood was hidden in the carrying pole of the wonton seller.
Enduring for a long time, killing in one strike.
Over the past two years, Zong Yue had slowly infiltrated his most elite subordinates into Xuanyuan City through various methods. Just last year, during Xuanyuan Cheng's birthday celebration, he had secretly brought 18 of his subordinates into Xuanyuan City as part of the royal family's guests from the various kingdoms.
He had deliberately let the young princess see him. The moment Xuanyuan Cheng captured "Zong Yue", his final plan was immediately activated.
His first target: the Holy Palace.
While Meng Fuyao was using the harem to stir up the internal strife in Xuanyuan, Zong Yue's sword was already pointing in another direction. The first thing he did was to cut off Xuanyuan Cheng's true claws and wings — the secret organization that specialized in monitoring court officials, arresting, investigating, and privately suppressing disobedient officials.
Meng Fuyao rushed to Kunjing to perform in the Huguo Temple. During the half a month that the Prince Regent's residence was looking for him, Zong Yue had already used the face of the Holy Palace's Sacred Envoy to sneak into the Holy Palace's base in the southern suburbs of Kunjing. What followed next was nothing more than dealing with assassinations and using cruelty to suppress cruelty.
Only by destroying the Holy Palace and removing the high-pressure threat from the officials could he make contact with the old officials and generals who still had feelings for their former master.
When the Holy Palace was in trouble, Xuanyuan Cheng's first reaction was to suspect Xuanyuan Min, which was why he had been so eager to select the Empress. Unfortunately, he was unlucky to have met Meng Fuyao, who specialized in power grabbing.
Meng Fuyao was an unexpected change in Zong Yue's plan. His original plan was to use the suspicious case of Crown Prince Wen Yi to impeach the Prince Regent and his subordinates. According to the Xuanyuan Kingdom's rules, those who were impeached by six officials of the third rank and above for treason would be temporarily suspended from their posts to reflect on their mistakes, even if they were not punished, while the Supreme Court and Imperial Censorate would investigate thoroughly. Of course, Zong Yue did not expect Xuanyuan Cheng to obediently abdicate his power. However, as long as he made a slight concession amidst the angry cries of the people in the kingdom, Zong Yue could immediately cut off his connections with his subordinates, kick open his door, and behead his people. Moreover, even if he brazenly changed the law, he would not even think about it for a day. At the very least, those important officials would have to symbolically think about it before giving in. When that happened, they would be at his mercy. The Prince Regent's residence was impregnable, but the Grand Secretary's residence might not be so.
Both had the ability to overturn the clouds and rain, and both had thousands of plans. But now, different routes led to the same destination. There was no need to care about which strategy was better. All they could do was wait for the knife to come out.
On the 29th of the twelfth month of the twelfth year of Xuanyuan Zhaoning, the Prince Regent urgently issued an order to mobilize the capital army to suppress the defecting Prince of Xiping. He also mobilized the Imperial Guards of the capital to purge the opposing camp.
He was also an ambitious and ruthless person. When he realized that the enemy was in the dark while he was in the light, retreating would force him into a dead end. Thus, he simply staked everything on one throw and took drastic measures.
At a time when politics could not be conciliatory, it could only be met with iron and blood.
The Imperial Guards of the capital galloped like wolves and tigers, stirring up smoke and dust on the long street. They were unbridled and unbridled, pressing towards Kunjing City with a murderous aura. Every family closed their doors and packed up their stalls. Through the cracks of the doors, they could see the brightly armored soldiers rushing into the officials' residences with swords and sabers in their hands.
However, as soon as the feet in military boots stepped into the doorsill, they immediately shook and a soldier was knocked out with blood all over his body.
The soldier's speed was even faster than his charge. It was as if he had been hit in the chest by some ferocious force. Blood spurted out of his mouth as he was sent flying. At the same time, he knocked over his companions behind him. Following which, small black arrows shot out in all directions in front of him. Each arrow carried an unimaginable amount of force, and every arrow that flew out would definitely pierce through three people.
Those who rushed the fastest also died the fastest. In an instant, there were dozens of corpses in front of the houses of the officials.
Then, as everyone stopped in horror, the door opened and a strong man in black walked out. His face was usually ordinary, but his aura was as sharp as a knife. Each of them held a strange-looking crossbow in their hands. Under the winter sun, the crossbow flashed with a cold iron-colored light.
If there were people who knew what it was, they would probably exclaim at this moment — this was the "Falling Pearl Crossbow" developed by the most famous military craftsman in Xuanji City. It could shoot 18 arrows in a row and kill people like falling pearls.
This crossbow was expensive and hard to find. Even Xuanji City, who had it, was still unable to equip it in large numbers in the royal army.
But in the hands of these people, each of them held one in a casual manner. With a pull of their fingers, a large number of people fell like rice paddies.
This crossbow, which was specially used for long-range killing, was used to kill enemies in urban warfare. It was simply perverted.
In the end, the capital city guards were strung up like grasshoppers and died.
No one was willing to use their own flesh and blood to fight against the demon-like weapons of war. After more than a hundred of their comrades were killed in an instant, the Imperial Guards of the capital screamed and fled in unison. At the same time, there were cries of alarm and pain everywhere. The Imperial Guards of the capital scattered out from the mansions of the various officials scattered like black ants. They rushed to the streets in a panic. No matter how their officers shouted, they could not stop the chaos. Behind them, there were old officials with white beards. They panted and caught up to them. They used their crutches to poke their butts. "Inhumane! Tut! "
The clear sky was splashed with blood, and the chaos was like a tide. The men in black held their crossbows and looked coldly. Then they raised their heads and heard a whistle coming from above.
With just this sound, the men holding crossbows turned over, crossed the high walls of the mansions, and went straight to the Prince Regent's Mansion!
The front of the Prince Regent's Mansion was still guarded with iron walls, but the front door was stained with blood, minced meat, and charred gunpowder marks. Some corpses that hadn't been dragged away were thrown everywhere. Just now, the Prince of Xiping led his royal army and the ten thousand soldiers under his command to fight all the way to the front of the Prince Regent's Mansion after a heavy siege. That was the closest he could get to Xuanyuan Cheng in his life.
Just thirty feet away, when the Prince of Xiping was happily commanding his subordinates to carry out the "final attack", the iron-black outer wall of the Prince Regent's Mansion suddenly flipped, revealing a huge black cannon. There were three cannon bodies on one wall!
The Prince of Xiping, who was only prepared for urban warfare, had never thought that Xuanyuan Cheng would build his mansion into a city. Once the cannon fired, it was all gone.
On the tallest building in the Prince Regent's Mansion, which was also the tallest building in Kunjing, the Lintian Tower, which was surrounded by windows on all sides, suddenly opened all the windows. Countless crossbows were set up, and they shot 360 degrees continuously. The royal army of the Prince of Xiping died in large numbers under the arrows.
Above the fourth floor, the crossbows were all fired. Below the fourth floor, the thunder bombs exploded, leaving dark arcs in the night sky. When they landed, the ground was covered with bright red blood.
At the top of the tall building, the gentle and elegant Prince Regent, wearing a royal robe and crown, looked down with his hands on the window and sneered.
Kunjing was bleeding, and now it really entered a period of peace.
At the moment when Xuanyuan Cheng forced the defecting Prince of Xiping to retreat, Zong Yue also appeared in front of the Prince Regent's Mansion.
He still wore snow-white clothes, and his lips were cherry red. He calmly rode a white horse and floated over like a pearl in the clouds.
He stopped his horse in front of the mansion, raised his head, and met Xuanyuan Cheng's gaze.
Separated by more than ten years, this pair of life and death enemies, who were separated by generations, had spent more than ten years attacking and defending each other. Every day, they carried out a silent battle of life and death. But it was not until today that they finally faced each other face to face.
Xuanyuan Cheng narrowed his eyes, like arrows dipped in poison.
However, Zong Yue only raised his head slightly and looked at him without any expression. He didn't look like he was looking at an enemy that he had spent more than ten years scheming against. Instead, he looked like he was looking at the flowers in his garden. During the day, he cherished them very much, but at night, his boots were stained with blood, but he often stepped on the delicate flowers without pity.
Separated by more than ten years of blood hatred, separated by the black smoke mixed with the smell of gunpowder, separated by the iron walls of the tall building, they looked at each other for a moment and then moved away.
Xuanyuan Cheng raised his arm. He wanted to use the rich weapons in his Lintian Tower to kill these overconfident ants.
Zong Yue just flicked his fingers lightly.
He launched his attack.
His attack actually started from inside the mansion!
"Boom!"
A loud explosion opened the final battle of life and death between Xuanyuan Cheng and Xuanyuan Yue. It opened the bloody ending of Crown Prince Wen Yi's entire family being massacred many years ago.
Those who blow people up will also blow themselves up!
After the loud explosion, black smoke exploded from below Lintian Tower. Lintian Tower shook slightly, and then the shaking became more and more intense. The black smoke rose higher and higher, gradually enveloping half of the building. Within the black smoke, there were bright red dancing flames that continuously devoured the sturdy building. What was worse was that because most of the weapons hidden in the building were gunpowder, this shocking explosion was equivalent to a talisman that hastened one's death. As the fire burned, there were continuous sounds of explosions. Those exploding guns, rockets, and grenades shot out in all directions, increasing the destruction while also taking away lives. Guards continuously fell from the building, screaming miserably, falling into the fire and being burned alive.
Three thousand armored soldiers rushed from all over the mansion to put out the fire, only to find that there were explosions under their feet. The ground was flipped open, the houses were blown up, and the trees were blown down. People were constantly being engulfed and killed by the red and black flames that suddenly burst out from under their feet. From the front of the mansion to Lintian Tower, there were corpses and broken limbs everywhere.
The guards scattered in shock and gradually found that the explosions extended in a straight line. From beginning to end, they only exploded on the road to Lintian Tower. There was only one intention — to cut off the rescue. They looked at each other and stopped in their tracks. They didn't understand how these explosions could explode so fiercely in the impregnable defense of the mansion.
Zong Yue raised his hand, and the arrows of the black-clothed men behind him changed to rockets, adding fuel to the fire!
The screams became more and more intense. On the tall building, Xuanyuan Cheng could no longer maintain his calm. He suddenly turned around and tried to go down the stairs. Even from a distance, the shock and confusion on his face could still be seen. Zong Yue looked at him from afar, still unmoved. However, a faint and mocking smile appeared on his face — it was because of his perseverance.
Xuanyuan Cheng's mansion had always been known as the Iron Mansion. Not only was it difficult for outsiders to enter, but the defense was even more impenetrable. He had moved away the residences around the mansion, leaving only layers of courtyard walls and countless guards. He had even personally designed a small hammer to sound the alarm when there was a tremor underground. This was to prevent people from digging tunnels to infiltrate the mansion. His defense was already very tight.
However, Xuanyuan Cheng had still made a fatal mistake. In order to better control the palace, Xuanyuan Cheng had tightly connected his mansion with the palace. This was equivalent to opening another door for his own defense wall. The mansion was hard to infiltrate, but there were too many opportunities to tamper with the palace, especially when the other party was scheming and didn't care about the cost.
Ten years ago, the guard who had betrayed Zong Yue, caused his loyal servant to be skinned, and caused him to hide in a deep well was "accidentally" bitten to death by a snake. His family fell, and his child was adopted by an old widow. When he grew up, he entered the palace to become a eunuch in order to make a living.
With this background, the palace personnel department, which was especially strict at the time, allowed him to enter the palace without any suspicion. Later, because of his loyalty and cleverness, he was chosen to serve the emperor.
When this child was adopted by the old widow, he "met" a thief who was skilled at digging tunnels and stealing. He learned how to dig tunnels from him. After he finished his apprenticeship, he repeatedly tried to use this method to support his family, but every time he failed, he would be beaten black and blue. He had also tried doing small business, doing hard labor, and other methods to support himself and his mother. However, for some reason, his luck was extremely bad. Every time he did business, he suffered losses, and when he did hard labor, people would often pick on him. In the end, he had no choice but to become a eunuch.
After he became the emperor's personal spy, there were still people who specially investigated his life. Only when it was confirmed that this person was an ordinary child with no luck was he allowed to stay by Xuanyuan Min's side.
This child was Xiao An.
This child's life of being controlled was one of Zong Yue's ten year grand plan to deal with Xuanyuan Cheng.
Xiao An worked hard for his "adoptive mother" his entire life, and his "adoptive mother" used her entire life to ask him to do one thing.
Dig a tunnel.
He served the emperor during the day and secretly dug a tunnel at night. It was fine in the beginning, but when he reached the prince's residence, Xiao An became more and more stealthy. Almost every shovel would take a quarter of an hour. Sometimes, he would only dig half a finger's length in an entire night.
He used three years to dig this tunnel. He had just completed this task when he received Meng Fuyao in the palace.
As for things like reinforcing the tunnel, preventing water from seeping in, and filling the tunnel with explosives, there were others to do it.
Zong Yue had "groomed" a batch of people like Xiao An.
Those who had hit Crown Prince Wen Yi when he was down and those who had betrayed the Prince Regent were already in his sights. However, he did not kill them. He only controlled them for a long time, keeping them as a pass to get close to Xuanyuan Cheng in the future.
Xuanyuan Cheng suspected everything, but he never thought that Zong Yue would use the people in his camp to infiltrate him.
This was the choice of a true expert — to not seek temporary gratification, but to look at long-term benefits.
As long as he could kill Xuanyuan Cheng, why should he care about the sins of his subordinates?
Zong Yue smiled faintly. Blood and fire were boundless in front of him, and his white robe was spotless.
He was sick of blood, sick of living in the darkness of the day. He thought that from today onwards, he could truly be that doctor who loved flowers and was obsessed with cleanliness. He could cure diseases, save people, wash his blood-stained hands in a golden basin, and worry about that girl who loved to fight for her entire life. However, she pushed him onto a different path, and from now on, he would continue to kill.
Then, so be it.
He raised his head wearily and looked at the Tower of Heaven Descent that was burning amidst the black smoke and red flames. When he saw that the tower was about to be destroyed, Xuanyuan Cheng lifted his sleeves and decided to fly down from the tower. He smiled faintly.
He rolled up his sleeves and counted, "One, two, three …"
"Bang!"
Xuanyuan Cheng, who had flown halfway, suddenly fell heavily onto the ground. However, he was caught by the flying eaves at the corner of the fourth floor.
That floor was filled with lightning bombs, and the explosions were the most intense. Red flames shot out in all directions like shooting stars, quickly igniting his royal robe. The billowing black smoke made him cough uncontrollably. He tried to open his eyes, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not.
Xuanyuan Cheng's heart turned cold. He tried his best to adjust his breathing, but found that his dantian was empty.
Where was his True Power? Where was his martial arts? Why was his True Qi suddenly emptied before he could even shoot the Astonished God Arrow?
And when did it all start?
The fire quickly ignited on his body, burning his skin with a sizzling sound. The scorching heat caused the entire world to be dyed bright red with anxiety and pain … That person was the same. He ordered someone to skin his shoulder, and when the soldering iron touched it, it was also the same sizzling sound, and the same burnt smell … Oh … No, that's not right. It's not like this. The sound is the same, but the smell … the smell is different!
He suddenly opened his eyes that were blinded by the fire. He tried to raise his head and look at Zong Yue's face.
That fake Xuanyuan Yue who had been tortured to death!
They looked so similar … the same face as Crown Prince Wen Yi … He always thought that it was really Xuanyuan Yue. No one could look so similar. Even so, he was very careful and never got close to that person. He always stood far away at the bottom of the stairs of the prison cell, watching his subordinates torture him.
So … so it could be done like this …
Xuanyuan Cheng twisted on the corner of the flying eaves. His body was burnt black and twisted into an inhuman mess. Zong Yue raised his head and watched calmly. Have you heard of herbalists? He chose a suitable person, ate the special medicine every meal, soaked in the medicine bucket day and night, and slept with the fragrance of the medicine, until every part of his body, skin, blood, flesh, and nails was soaked in the medicine. And in those long days, he also used his meticulous hands to constantly compare his own appearance to the person's. Slowly and quietly, he changed the person's appearance, and it took him many years to do so.
He knew that Xuanyuan Cheng would definitely not be able to resist torturing him, and he would definitely not be able to resist watching. As long as that person's skin was broken, the blood that was released would slowly seep into the other person's internal organs. The higher the martial arts, the heavier the damage. The next time he used his True Qi, it would suddenly explode.
He predicted that Xuanyuan Cheng would go to Heaven Descent Tower, just like he predicted that he would fall from the highest point of the tower.
That's how it is. I want you to die like this, to fall miserably, to die an ugly death. It's exactly the same as when you personally beat Crown Prince Wen Yi to death many years ago.
"Father …"
A shrill female voice suddenly rang out, piercing through the noisy crowd. Zong Yue's smile froze at the corner of his lips.
Yun-er!
He had already ordered people to enter the residence, knock Xuanyuan Yun-er unconscious, and send her to her maternal grandfather's house. Why would she appear at Heaven Descent Tower?
Zong Yue suddenly raised his head and pointed at Heaven Descent Tower, saying, "Charge in, stop her!"
The people in black flew over the high wall, but they were already one step too late. The petite figure instantly cut down several guards who tried to stop her. She stepped on the corpses downstairs and flew up. Her body floated up to the fourth floor, and then, in the midst of the blood and fire, she hugged her half-burnt, convulsing, and unrecognizable father.
Her body also instantly ignited with raging fire. Her black hair turned to ash, and her skin turned to blood. With a soft crackling sound, she also twisted in pain, but in the end, she did not let go of her father's corpse in her hands.
At that moment, only the fire could hear her. She said,
Father, I was wrong.
Thirteen years of grievances, like blood, turned into fire that covered the sky of Kunjing, incinerating all the love, hate, and resentment in her heart. And the child who had smiled shyly in the years that flowed like water, disappeared from this moment.
Three long streets away, the woman who had been rushing all the way suddenly stopped. Then, she slowly closed her eyes.
Like the woman on the tall building, she trembled slightly. Then, she lowered her head and silently buried it in her palms.
Behind her, a man in a light purple brocade robe gently pulled her into his arms and turned around to block that blood-red scene.
He gently patted the woman in his arms and turned his head to see the man in white fly up from the horse and pounce towards the top of the tall building. A desolate sigh flowed through his eyes.
= = =
On the 29th of the twelfth month of the twelfth year of Xuanyuan Zhaoning, the regent who had been in power for thirteen years finally did not make it through the last year of his life.
In the end, Xuanyuan Yun did not die. She was saved by Zong Yue, but from then on, the child lost her jade-like skin and her voice.
No one knew whether she was mute because of the burns, or because the fire had completely burned away everything that was as beautiful as pearls in her life. From then on, she was unwilling to speak to the filthy world.
Because of this, Meng Fuyao blamed herself very much. She had personally rushed over to send Xuanyuan Yun away, but she was still a step too late. She blamed herself even more for deceiving Xuanyuan Yun of the map. How much harm did it cause? The guilty could be punished, but what right did she have to hurt the innocent?
Zong Yue told her that he did not use the map at all. Judging from his attack route, it indeed had nothing to do with the little princess.
She understood that this was Zong Yue's way of protecting her. He did not want her to bear the cross of guilt because of hurting the innocent. He chose to bear all the sins alone.
Xuanyuan Zhaoning's twelfth year ended in that night of eternal blood and fire.
On the day of Xuanyuan Cheng's death, Xuanyuan Min left the palace and went to a remote city to be an idle prince. The moment he stepped out of the palace, he slowly turned his head back and stared at the towering palace walls that had imprisoned him for twelve years. Thousands of emotions flashed through his eyes in an instant, but in the end, they all calmed down.
The palace gates were silent. Under the cold moon, the white marble square spread out like water. It was a bright mirror, reflecting the reborn Xuanyuan Palace.
Under the vast sky, under the cold moon, the handsome man without any makeup suddenly rolled up his sleeves gently, twirled his fingers, opened his lips, and sang slowly in the silence and the smell of blood that had yet to disperse in the wind,
"It's still the same Cascading Water Mountain, it's still the same Cascading Water Mountain. What a young man, where are you? Unknowingly turning to ashes! The river water of this fierce battle is still hot, it makes my heart wrench! This is not the river water … the unending blood of heroes that flows for twenty years! "
Beside him, the little girl held his sleeve tightly and raised her head in admiration. Her big eyes sparkled as she said, "Big Brother Ah Liu, you sing so well."
"Is that so?" Xuanyuan Min paused, lost in thought for a long time. Then, he smiled, took the child, and turned around.
"But I will never sing again in this life."
= = =
The following spring, a new emperor ascended the throne. His reign name was Chengqing.
Before the new emperor ascended the throne, he tried to grant Meng Fuyao six hundred miles of land between Xuanyuan and Dahan. She declined, saying, "Don't worry, the Han Meng King's rabbit won't run to your house again."
Zong Yue was silent for a long time before he smiled. "But what if Emperor Xuanyuan invites Lord Jiu Xiao to be the Imperial Protector and gives him an honorary title?"
Meng Fuyao broke into a smile and answered shamelessly, "That's still possible."
She patted Zong Yue's shoulder and said, "Be a good emperor. I'll come and check when I'm free." She turned around and waved her sleeves to leave. However, she felt that the man's gaze was glued to her, making it difficult for her to walk and uncomfortable. She could only turn around resentfully and try to find a topic to talk about.
"Hey, why didn't you take off your mask when you knew I was looking for Zong Yue?"
The man in white remained silent for a long time before he answered, "Come to Xuanyuan Wentian next time for that answer."
Meng Fuyao's mouth twitched. She rolled her eyes at him and turned around helplessly.
Behind her, Zong Yue watched as her figure completely disappeared at the end of the thousand jade steps before he slowly sat down. He sat high up on the throne in the spacious and spacious hall, sitting alone under the crowns of the capital. There was a cup of tea beside his hand, and the clear water reflected his calm expression. He was deep in thought as he gently stroked his face.
Fuyao.
'I didn't take off my mask because I hoped …'
'Maybe you'll fall in love with me like that.'
= = =
"Where are we going?"
"Up to you. But I have an invitation that I'm sure you'll be interested in."
"Hmm?"
"The new Xuanji female lead has been appointed. The lords of the three nations, Lord Jiu Xiao, Meng Fuyao, and King Meng are invited to attend the ceremony."
"Huh?!"
= = =
The Xuanyuan Volume was over. The next volume was the Xuanji Mystery. Starting from Xuanji, Fuyao would no longer need to disguise herself and would officially step onto the stage of the seven nations' politics with her powerful identity.
I'm sorry I'm late because I'm rushing to finish the fourth volume tonight.
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