Dan Zhen never cared about the matters in the capital. She was here to avoid the court's pursuit and also to wait for Xuan Li's news. From her point of view, everything that had happened was a fact that was already set in stone. Nothing could go wrong. Therefore, she was not worried in her heart. Even when Yuan Chuan came in strangely, Dan Zhen did not take it to heart. However, she did not expect that Xuan Li would suddenly appear in front of her.
Dan Zhen looked up at this man. In all fairness, Xuan Li was not ugly. With this man's means, he was not incompetent. It was just that Dan Zhen had taken a fancy to another person, and Xuan Li was far from that person. When Dan Zhen looked at Xuan Li again, her mood did not fluctuate much. However, she still knew that Xuan Li was the person who made a deal with their Southern Border, so she stood up and smiled, "Eighth Highness."
Xuan Li also had a smile. Dan Zhen had seen Xuan Li several times and knew that this was Xuan Li's usual expression. To be able to wear a mask so deeply that everyone who saw him felt like they were bathed in the spring breeze, Xuan Li also had some ability. It was just that today, at first glance, his face still had the usual warm smile, but there seemed to be something more in that smile, which made people feel strange.
Dan Zhen's footsteps, which were about to step forward, suddenly paused and then said, "Eighth Highness, what business do you have here?"
She was sensitive to a trace of something wrong, but she did not know what was wrong. Her communication with Xuan Li was through Yuan Chuan. Yuan Chuan was a smart person and also the knife she was most comfortable with.
Xuan Li smiled slightly and said, "Holy Maiden, I came here just to ask Holy Maiden one thing."
Dan Zhen said, "What is it?"
"The imperial edict found on Princess Jinying's body was burned by Holy Maiden, right?" Xuan Li's smile at this moment looked a bit fake at close range, which made Dan Zhen feel disgusted for no reason. As if there was something else contained in it. She looked at Xuan Li and nodded, "Yes."
"Oh? May I ask why Holy Maiden did this? "Xuan Li asked.
Dan Zhen was stunned. He carefully looked at Xuan Li's expression before saying, "Since that imperial edict is the edict of succession for your brother, keeping it is also a disaster. One day, you will also destroy it. Instead of waiting for trouble, why don't I do it for you? Since you and I are both on the same side, I am not afraid of doing these things. "
She thought that what she said was very appropriate. As the saintess of Nanjiang Country, it was a great honor for her to work for others personally. If it wasn't for the alliance between the two of them, she wouldn't have said such a thing. Who knew that after Xuan Li heard this, he smiled strangely and said, "Help me?"
Dan Zhen didn't expect Xuan Li to have such a reaction. She was a little dissatisfied and said, "Your Highness, what do you mean?"
Xuan Li's tone was indiscernible. "The one you burned was not Thirteen's succession edict. The name on it was mine."
"Yours?" Dan Zhen cried out involuntarily. In a split second, she also understood why Xuan Li had such an attitude. It was just that ordinary people would probably think about how to express their guilt at the first time, but Dan Zhen was thinking about how to evade it. She even felt angry in her heart.
She said, "Your Highness, are you here to denounce me?" Even though Nanjiang Country had been destroyed by the Great Jin Dynasty decades ago, Nanjiang still gave this saintess, who was originally a royal relative, a very high status and honor. No one questioned or resisted her words, and they treated Dan Zhen more kindly because of the destruction of the country. Dan Zhen looked down on anyone with a lower status than her in her bones. In her eyes, Xuan Li was just a prince who had not yet ascended the throne. He dared to talk to her with such an uncomfortable denouncing attitude, which was simply disrespectful. She immediately put on a high and mighty posture, "When Your Highness asked us to rob the imperial edict, you didn't say that the name on the imperial edict was Your Highness. What, you're blaming me now? Was I the one who burned your edict? Besides, you haven't seen the imperial edict. How do you know that it was your name on it? Did you fall into someone else's trap? "
"Fell into someone else's trap?" Xuan Li asked slowly.
"Yes," Dan Zhen seemed to be suddenly interested and continued to talk, "Maybe when you asked us to rob the imperial edict, you fell into someone else's trap. Your Highness keeps saying that you are here to denounce me. Why don't you ask yourself? After all, this matter is your own fault. You are stupid and made a mistake. You fell into someone else's trap, burned your own imperial edict, and cut off your legitimate way to the throne. I just acted according to your words. What does it have to do with me? You are the one who should be blamed! "
Dan Zhen was eager to get herself out of the whole thing, so she blamed all the mistakes on Xuan Li. If these words were said normally, it would have been fine. But the words she said today happened to poke at Xuan Li's sore spot. Xuan Li had indeed fallen into someone else's trap from the beginning. It was his self-righteous judgment error. He thought that the succession edict with his name was Xuan Pei's. But Xuan Li was the most conceited person. He couldn't tolerate any stains on himself, and he couldn't tolerate others questioning his ability. Dan Zhen's words were slapping his face. How could he do it? Moreover, there was still room for him to turn the situation around. He only needed to take out his imperial edict. Who would have thought that Dan Zhen would be such a troublemaker, burning away his last chance with a fire? Not only that, he didn't have the slightest hint of remorse and put on an aggressive look.
In Xuan Li's heart, a sense of irritation suddenly rose.
He looked at Dan Zhen and slowly said, "What you said is right."
Dan Zhen originally only had a temporary outburst of her usual temper. She didn't expect Xuan Li to admit his mistake so quickly. She felt it was a little strange. But Xuan Li always had a honeyed mouth and a dagger in his heart. He was the best at treating people with an amiable appearance. So she didn't think too much about it and said, "Actually, it's not your fault. It's just that you really shouldn't put all the blame on me …"
Before she finished speaking, she felt a sudden chill in her chest. An unfamiliar pain spread from her chest and burrowed into her bones. She looked down at her chest in a daze. There was a dagger in her chest, and the hilt was in Xuan Li's hand. Xuan Li looked at her and smiled slightly. The irritation in his eyes suddenly increased. He deliberately turned the dagger in his hand slowly. You could almost hear the sound of flesh and skin turning.
"Since I shouldn't blame you, I should thank you. How about I send you on your way?" Xuan Li's voice was light, but it contained an eerie chill. Dan Zhen stared at her wound in disbelief. She wanted to shout for help. She wanted to call Yuan Chuan, Qi Man, and the servants outside, but she couldn't say a word. Her body was strangely cold. She opened her mouth again and again, but she didn't have the strength.
The tip of the dagger was dipped in poison. Xuan Li unhurriedly pulled the dagger out of Qi Man's chest. In that instant, blood spurted out. Xuan Li took out a handkerchief and wiped the dirt off the tip of the dagger. He put the dagger back into its scabbard. He looked down at the woman on the ground who had died with her eyes wide open. He admired the body on the ground as if he was admiring a painting. After a long time, he slowly smiled and said, "I should have killed you from the beginning, idiot."
He turned and walked out of the room.
Dan Zhen's body lay across the room. The blood that seeped out from her chest gradually dyed the ground under her body red. Dan Zhen didn't expect that Xuan Li would actually lay his hands on her. Perhaps she didn't realize how big a mistake she had made. She also didn't realize that Xuan Li was much more ruthless than she thought. But what she didn't realize the most was that she was not as important as she thought. The reason why she was fearless was that Xuan Li wanted to form an alliance with her and use the power of the Southern Border. But she forgot that she was not the only one who could make decisions in the Southern Border. She was the Sacred Maiden of the Southern Border. There was also a princess in the Southern Border country. Qi Man was smarter than her, more tolerant than her, and more knowledgeable about how to make a deal with Xuan Li. When one person was not the only choice, or even when there was a better substitute, killing her was just a very simple matter.
Dan Zhen never thought that her life would actually be cut short so quickly even when she died. She hadn't seen the time when Jiang Ruan would rather die than live, and she hadn't seen the time when Xiao Shao could only surrender to her. She died in the hands of Xuan Li just because of an imperial edict. How could she be reconciled? Perhaps at the time of her death, she suddenly understood why Jiang Ruan had said those words to her in the beginning. Those words misled her and made her think that the imperial edict was really written in Xuan Pei's name. It was nothing more than to borrow her hand to burn the imperial edict, and then use her character to completely shed all pretenses of cordiality with Xuan Li. She might even have predicted Xuan Li's reaction. She knew that Xuan Li was a sensitive and fragile person who could not be trampled on by anyone. He would definitely take her life.
When Dan Zhen was in the Southern Border, she had heard that Jiang Ruan was a person who was good at speculating people's minds. Dan Zhen didn't think much of it, but this disapproval eventually ruined her own life. From the beginning, Jiang Ruan had laid out a series of traps. She wanted Xuan Li's great cause and also wanted Dan Zhen's life. She didn't do anything. She just gently provoked Dan Zhen's emotions, and it created such an unmanageable situation. She was indeed a woman who was good at taking advantage of people's weaknesses. She was a terrible woman.
It was just that Dan Zhen's experiences could only dissipate along with her life on the land of the Great Jin dynasty. Conquering the sky where the eagle resided, and the land where the wolf resided, was impossible.
The door was pushed open and Yuan Chuan's voice rang out, "Holy Maiden …" He had not finished speaking when he suddenly paused. His gaze fell on the corpse lying on the ground.
Yuan Chuan was startled. He seemed to be stunned and did not dare to move forward. After a while, he finally seemed to understand. He quickly walked over and squatted down, holding Dan Zhen in his arms. There was only a cold corpse in his arms. There was no longer the slightest bit of vitality. Yuan Chuan was immediately stunned.
"How could …. How could …. "Yuan Chuan murmured. In a low voice, he called out," Holy Maiden, Holy Maiden! "
Only silence answered him. Dan Zhen's blood had dyed his clothes red. The bloodstains were even a little black and purple. He suddenly held Dan Zhen's head in his arms and whimpered in pain.
If there were people from the Southern Border passing by at this moment, they would definitely be surprised by Yuan Chuan's expression. This man, who had always been mysterious and never showed his true face, had always been extremely ruthless in his actions. Almost everyone who worked under him would feel fear towards him from the bottom of their hearts. This was because this man's mood was unpredictable. He seemed to simply like killing and bloodthirsty people. Such a devil-like man would actually cry because of someone else. He looked extremely sorrowful.
He called out in a low voice, "Didn't you say that I was your most loyal servant, your best knife? I want to help you achieve your wish. How can you die now … "
Yuan Chuan's gaze was somewhat crazed. He frantically kissed the face of the person in his arms, his expression already showing signs of insanity. He had always been very clear about his own position. In front of Dan Zhen, he was just a dog that would bite. He also knew who Dan Zhen had in her heart. So what if she treated him like a dog? In the end, whoever Dan Zhen wanted him to bite, he would bite. In this world, there was only one person who could obtain his complete loyalty. Even if this woman had no place for him in her heart, he would gladly endure it.
She was the Holy Maiden who had descended from the heavens to save sinners. And he was a lowly sinner who had fallen to the dust. The Holy Maiden was also human. She also had her own emotions and desires, but they could not be relieved. He was willing to be a knife in the hands of the Holy Maiden. If blood was dirty, then dirty his hands. He would help her eradicate all obstacles on her path. She only needed to be that clean and pure Holy Maiden.
But now, the person in his arms was only a corpse. There was nothing left. His faith and the person he wanted to follow for the rest of his life were all gone. Yuan Chuan slowly put down the person in his arms. He reached out and took off the mask that never left his face. Half of the face under the mask was full of ravines. One could vaguely see the scars of the past. And on the other half of the face covered by the mask, one could see the word "prisoner" branded on a soldering iron.
That was the heinous crime he had committed. He was whipped, and the word "prisoner" was branded on his face with a red-hot soldering iron. At that time, when he was about to brand the other side, he heard an ethereal voice, "Stop."
The torment came to an abrupt end. He raised his head and saw a woman in a red dress with a pair of magnificent eyes. The woman was like a fairy from the heavens, graceful and graceful. She only said, "He isn't an unforgivable person. Spare him."
He had not committed a heinous crime. He had only offended a noble person. This woman's words saved him. Later on, Yuan Chuan could not forget this woman. Finally, he found an opportunity to meet her again. He expressed that he was willing to follow her for the rest of his life.
Yuan Chuan was smart, ruthless, and considerate. Dan Zhen liked to use him. All these years, he and Dan Zhen depended on each other. He saw Dan Zhen as his salvation. This world was too dirty and dark. Only this otherworldly beautiful woman could make this world not seem so ugly. He witnessed Dan Zhen's loneliness with his own eyes. In this, his soul became distorted. Even if he became an evil spirit, he never regretted it.
Yuan Chuan stroked the uneven skin on one side of his face. His expression gradually calmed down. In a soft and slow voice, he said, "Give me a name and a life. Holy Maiden, I will let them accompany you." He slowly bent down, bowed to Dan Zhen's body in a Southern Border ceremony. Then, he slowly stood up, and without another glance at the body on the ground, walked out the door.
…
In the Eighth Prince's residence, it was different from the past. Other than the advisors, there were many important officials in the imperial court. They were all people from Xuan Li's faction. Now, all of them were sitting there. One of the officials said, "Your Highness, the Thirteenth Prince's coronation is imminent. If …"
"Since the imperial edict has been announced to the world," Xuan Li said coldly, "it can still be done without the imperial edict." Thinking of the imperial edict that was burned, Xuan Li's heart was still in pain.
"Your Highness, do you mean to rebel?" Another official asked tentatively.
"What do you mean by rebel?" Xuan Li asked. His face was no longer as gentle as before. Instead, there was a hint of madness on his face. He said in a deep voice, "This world is mine. The winner is the king, and the loser is the bandit. Whoever wins owns it? There is no need to say the word rebel. This time, it is called purging the rebels in the palace! "
The officials did not say anything. The common people were not fools. The edict of succession had already been issued. Saying that the rebels had not been wiped out was all self-deceiving. Everyone knew that this was just a cover-up. But it was better than nothing. In terms of military strength, Xuan Li might not be weaker than Xuan Pei. Moreover, there were people from Southern Border.
A military official said, "Your Highness has discussed with Southern Border. But Southern Border is an outsider after all. I am afraid there will be more trouble in the future. Now it is only because of the situation that we are temporarily cooperating. If in the future, Your Highness will have many problems. It is better … " The military officer hesitated and did not say anything. It was still uneasy to collude with other countries to deal with their own land. Moreover, the Nanjiang Country had been personally destroyed by the Great Jin Dynasty, so it was hard to believe that the people of the Nanjiang Country had no other ideas. For people with ulterior motives, how could they coexist peacefully in the future? If it was not to contend against Xuan Pei's faction, why would they do these things with Southern Border?
"It is just a temporary measure." Xuan Li said lightly, "After the matter is done, we will naturally deal with Southern Border. Everyone need not worry." Xuan Li had long thought of destroying the bridge after crossing the river. After using it, he would throw it away. Southern Border was just a tool to him. But when Xuan Li thought of what Dan Zhen did, he could not help but feel angry. Because of this woman's interference, many things were added for no reason. Now there was only Qi Man left in Southern Border. Qi Man was easier to grasp and much smarter. Hopefully, she would be more tactful than Dan Zhen.
When the officials heard Xuan Li say so, they were relieved. Then someone asked, "I wonder where does Your Highness's battle begin?"
"According to what we have said in the past," Xuan Li said, "but now it is not from the outside of the palace, but from the outside of the palace to the inside, forming a four-sided attack. There are people from Southern Border at the edge of the capital. First, we will take down the imperial guards in the palace outside the capital. Then, we will encircle the palace."
He said it as if nothing had happened, but the people around him could not help but break out in a cold sweat. Encircle the palace, no one would be spared, including Empress Dowager Yi De in the palace. The ministers didn't know whether they should feel lucky or unlucky at this moment. They should feel lucky that they had followed Xuan Li, otherwise, they might have been burned to ashes by the fire. Unfortunately, this master looked gentle and elegant on the surface, but his heart was so ruthless. Working under such a person, they might not be able to get a good result in the future. For a moment, it was hard to tell whether they were happy or angry. Their expressions were complicated.
"When will it be done?" someone asked.
"The coronation ceremony." Xuan Li answered.
So the officials were silent. In order to avoid people's eyes and ears, they quickly separated and left. After everyone left, Xuan Li sat alone in the hall with his hand supporting his forehead. There was an indescribable desolation in his expression.
In the end, he had still reached the worst step. Originally, he thought that everything could be laid, and that the throne would be rightfully taken. He only needed to use some tricks to prevent Xuan Pei from sitting on the throne. Who knew that Xuan Pei would play such a trick. Now, the one who failed was him, and he had to use the name of rebellion to extort a confession.
Rebellion, Xuan Li smiled. In his life, the most important thing was his reputation. As long as the word "rebellion" came out, no matter if he won or lost in future battles, he would become a traitor that he despised the most. Even if he ascended to the throne in the end, this reputation could not be washed away. The common people might not dare to say it out of fear, but who knew what they were thinking in their hearts. It was impossible to kill all the tens of thousands of common people in the capital to avoid gossip. So from the moment he made this decision, this shame was deeply branded on Xuan Li, and he would never be able to wash it away in his lifetime.
In the final analysis, this matter was all Jiang Ruan's fault. After returning, Xuan Li had slowly thought things through. He was afraid that killing Dan Zhen in a fit of rage was also part of Jiang Ruan's calculations. However, he did not regret it. Dan Zhen, that woman, if he kept her alive for another day, she would always bring disaster to him. In his life, Xuan Li hated being schemed against the most. But now that things had come to a head, he discovered that he was always being schemed against by Jiang Ruan. He did not even have the interest to denounce her.
He was just a little tired.
If Jiang Ruan was his person, he would not be in such a terrible situation now, and he would not have to embark on this path of the lowest level. With Jiang Ruan, it would be like adding wings to a tiger, and the road to obtaining thousands of miles of land would be much smoother. Xuan Li thought, but it was not that he did not express his goodwill to Jiang Ruan. From the first time he met Jiang Ruan, he maintained a gentle and elegant state. Although this appearance was not enough to make all the women rush to him like ducks, it could not be considered as annoying.
But from the beginning, Jiang Ruan avoided him like a snake or a scorpion, and even seemed to be somewhat disgusted. Xuan Li did not know why Jiang Ruan always opposed him, destroyed his plans, and when he proposed to marry her, she did not hesitate to flatly refuse. Xuan Li did not know whether it was his own illusion, but sometimes Jiang Ruan even inadvertently revealed hatred towards him. Xuan Li did not know how he had offended her, and he thought about it, but he could not find the reason.
Later, Jiang Ruan chose Xiao Shao, and Xiao Shao returned with a beauty. On the surface, Xuan Li did not show anything, but in fact, he had long been mad with anger. Jiang Ruan was someone he could not obtain, but in the end, she was obtained by someone else. Moreover, the person who obtained Jiang Ruan was Xiao Shao, the person he hated and was most jealous of in this life.
Yes, he was jealous. He did not understand why Xiao Shao was clearly a rebel, but why the Emperor still trusted him so much. He also did not understand why among the martial brothers of Jia Nanshan, Teacher Ba Qi liked Xiao Shao the most. He did not understand why Xiao Shao could easily do what others needed a lot of effort to do. Under his halo, other people's efforts were all obliterated.
Since young, Xuan Li had a temperament of not wanting to fall behind others. He longed for others to constantly notice him, and he was the best, but Xiao Shao's appearance broke his rule. Even Bai Jiu was the same.
At that time, everyone only thought that Bai Jiu liked him, but they did not know that at that time, he was the one who liked Bai Jiu. He was born in the imperial palace, and was used to all kinds of fights. Who would not like Bai Jiu, such a natural and unrestrained girl? At that time, it was the first time he liked someone. He was full of affection, but before he could open his mouth, he saw Bai Jiu say to him in distress, "Eighth Shixiong, I like Third Shixiong, why does he always ignore me?"
Bai Jiu liked Xiao Shao, but she had never liked Xuan Li.
Xuan Li did not understand why Bai Jiu still liked Xiao Shao, who was so cold to others. It was just that at that moment, he felt an extraordinary sense of anger and betrayal. He was jealous of Xiao Shao, and hated Bai Jiu's betrayal. The youth's affection at that moment turned into monstrous hatred. How did he do it? He said, "If you want to see if he really cares about you, see if he will be jealous. Just say that you like me, and be closer to me. This way, you can test his feelings."
Bai Jiu did not suspect him. In her eyes, Xuan Li was a gentle and considerate older brother. She also felt that this method was pretty good. Thus, at that time, all the martial brothers of Jia Nanshan knew that Bai Jiu liked Xuan Li. The more intimate Bai Jiu was, the more unbearable Xuan Li felt. He felt that this was a disgrace, a disgrace.
Thus, that day came.
When Bai Jiu was trapped, he had a trace of hesitation, wondering if he should call for people to save her. But in the end, when he thought of Bai Jiu telling him about Xiao Shao's affection, Xuan Li laughed coldly, turned around, and left.
Bai Jiu did not know why Xuan Li had done this. All the people of Jia Nanshan thought that he was a heartless and fickle person. Only he knew that Bai Jiu had never liked him. Bai Jiu liked Xiao Shao, and the person he hated the most was Xiao Shao.
After so many years, he thought that he had long forgotten those things. He had worn the mask for so long that he could still smile amiably at Xiao Shao. But those jealous and dark feelings had never been forgotten for a single day. Xiao Shao was always luckier than him. Whether it was Bai Jiu or Jiang Ruan, they would always snatch away the things that he fancied.
Perhaps they were old enemies in their previous lives, and in the end, they would have to settle things in this life. Xuan Li clenched his fists, and the teacup in his hands shattered. Blood flowed out from the gaps between his fingers, but he completely ignored it. It was just that his expression was somewhat strange, as if he was a wild beast that had seen a demon. He was very crazy.
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