From the collapse of the lantern wheel to the failure of the rebellion, it took less than an hour, but it was the longest hour in Huan Rong's life.
When he found out that Xiao Ling and Huan Xuan's men had joined the game, he had a premonition of failure. How could they come so quickly? It was as if they knew everything. Did someone leak the secret? Or did the two of them team up to set up a trap to lure him in
When he was a child, his mother watched him play chess and commented that he was "greedy and reckless, lacking consideration and having a narrow mindset." He was not convinced and always wanted to prove that she was wrong, or perhaps she was right.
It was useless to think about these things now, he had already lost. This was a hastily decided battle, he only had the Eagle Guards and the Eastern Palace Guards, as well as the hundreds of death warriors he had secretly recruited. But the emperor might not have more bargaining chips than him. Among the ten guards, only the Thousand Bull Guards would fight to the death to protect the emperor. As long as he could kill the emperor while the other guards stood by and watched, he would be able to command the imperial guards.
If Wu Yue's sword had been faster, if his arrows had been more frequent, if his luck had been better, or if the emperor's luck had been worse, the situation would have been completely different.
Huan Rong could not help but feel regretful. In fact, he had many opportunities to get close to the emperor. He even secretly touched the dagger at his waist, but it was too difficult to kill the emperor and his father. It was one thing to have others kill the emperor, but it was another to do it yourself. He did not have the courage to kill his father himself, just like he only dared to instigate Huan Jiong to poison his elder brother.
The footsteps of the guards were heard on the stairs. Huan Rong walked outside the building, leaned against the railing and looked south. The area around the Qinzhengwu Building was in a mess. The collapsed lamp wheel was still smoking, and the night wind kept bringing the sound of crying.
He was indifferent. Those people were just ants. If he could ascend the throne, they would just be numbers in the register. Now the world was no longer his, so he didn't need to care about their life or death.
He pulled out a dagger from his waist and put it against his throat, closing his eyes. The dagger was very sharp. Just a light cut would save him from having to face the humiliation that followed.
But his hands began to tremble. Taking one's own life was much more difficult than killing someone else.
The tip of the dagger pierced his skin, causing pain. Huan Rong's wrist suddenly softened, and his arm fell down. With a "ding" sound, the dagger fell to the ground. He seemed to be fainting and sat down on the ground along the railing.
A guard found him. Huan Rong looked up and saw that it was the Right Guard General of the Imperial Guard. He glanced at the dagger beside him and said with a sneer, "Your Highness, please come in."
The two words "Taiwan Taixun" were like a needle piercing his heart. He was still Taixun at the moment, but he would soon not be. A Taixun who failed in his treason had only one outcome, and that was death.
No, there is also the Queen. Huan Ye is dead, and my mother hated Huan Xuan so much, she would definitely not want to see him die.
If his father listened to his mother so much, he might have spared his life. If he could survive, he would be demoted to a commoner and exiled to a foreign land. As long as he could survive, who would be willing to die
Hope suddenly arose in Huan Rong's heart, and he stood up, grabbing the railing.
…
The emperor was already weak, and after the fright, he could hardly stand, so he asked the guards to help him get into the carriage and return to Penglai Palace. The queen mother was also escorted back to the palace by the Yulin Guards to await her fate.
Sui Sui watched Huan Rong walk out of the building with his hands tied behind his back, escorted by guards. His golden crown was askew, his face was ashen, cold sweat was running down his temples, and he had completely lost the dignity of a crown prince.
When he passed by her, he suddenly stopped and said to the Imperial Guards, "Wait, let me have a few words with General Xiao."
The guard hesitated: "This..."
Huan Rong said angrily: "I am not yet useless, I am still too weak right now!"
Sui Sui said to the guard: "It's okay."
The guards bowed to her and retreated to a distance.
Huan Rong stared at her, his eyes like poisonous arrows: "Xiao Ling, I know I have no hatred against you, why do you go against me so many times?"
Sui Sui sneered: "Do you really think that what you did was done without anyone knowing?"
Huan Rong's eyes narrowed: "You..."
Sui Sui said: "That's right, I came to Beijing this time to seek revenge on Jing Chu."
Huan Rong's eyes flashed with fear, cold sweat oozed out of his back, and his voice couldn't stop trembling: "What can I do with you?"
Sui Sui said: "Whether it has anything to do with His Highness or not is not up to you and me to decide. The Ministry of Justice and the Censorate will investigate."
She paused, her eyes seemed to be frozen: "If the Queen knew who killed Jingchu, would she still save you?"
Huan Rong's face suddenly changed, his features twisted with fear and hatred: "Xiao Ling, who can you hide the ugliness of you and Huan Xuan from? You will not have a good ending..."
Sui Sui said calmly: "Your Highness, don't worry about our fate, but I'm afraid your Highness's fate will not be too good."
She nodded to the Yulin Guards not far away and said, "Please escort His Highness back to the palace."
Huan Rong was escorted onto the carriage by the guards. Not long after, two guards came out of the building carrying a woman, who turned out to be the Dowager Consort.
As I walked forward, I saw Ruan Yuewei with her eyes tightly closed, unconscious. In the light of the torch, her small face was as smooth as pearls, her cheeks were slightly flushed like crabapple petals, her long eyelashes were like two small fans, and there were faint traces of tears in the corners of her eyes. She was really pitiful.
She asked, "What happened to the Concubine Dowager?"
A guard replied: "It seems that he was knocked unconscious by the drug."
Sui Sui nodded. Tai Tai didn't tell her about the rebellion. He knocked her out in advance perhaps because he was afraid that she would get hurt, but it also saved her life.
The Queen Mother could not escape death for treason, but as long as the Queen Mother's Concubine and the Ruan family did not take part in the crime, they did not have to die with the Queen Mother. They might be demoted to commoners and expelled from the palace, or sent to a temple to live with the Buddha and the green lamps.
Although they were not close, she was her cousin after all, and Sui Sui didn't want her to be buried with him.
However, Huan Xuan was infatuated with her at the beginning, and he must have made plans for her. After she left the palace and changed her identity, the two of them might be able to renew their relationship.
The Queen Mother plotted a rebellion, and Huanxuan was the only legitimate son left of the Emperor, so he was the heir apparent. It might be difficult for Ruan Yuewei to be the Queen Mother again, but given Huanxuan's personality, he might be able to make her the Queen after ascending the throne.
Although Ruan Yuewei's Phoenix fate was determined by the Ruan family using the connections of Queen Mother Ruan and spending a large sum of money to invite the old national teacher to predict it, those who knew the inside story understood what was going on. However, the Ruan family had created so much momentum, and there were many people who believed it, which would be a basis for establishing the queen when the time came.
Sui Sui came back to her senses, pinched her brows, and realized that she had thought too much. She would return to Heshuo after Huan Rong's affair was over. In any case, these things had nothing to do with her and it was not her turn to worry about them.
Sui Sui watched as the guards carried Ruan Yuewei to another carriage, stuffed her into the carriage, and then turned and left.
The people living near the Qinzhengwu Building had been evacuated. The guards re-erected the barrier, counted the bodies, put out the remaining fire, and cleaned up the mess.
Hundreds of people died in the turmoil, most of whom were guards. Many palace servants, eunuchs and entertainers serving in the Qinzhengwu Building also failed to escape the disaster.
Many of Sui Sui and Huan Xuan's men also suffered casualties. Tian Yuerong and Guan Liulang were busy counting the casualties, treating the wounded, and arranging for the seriously injured to return to the inn and the palace.
At this moment, a palace guard suddenly broke through the imperial guard blockade, crossed the foot barrier, and ran towards Guan Liulang, saying in a panic: "Commander Guan, something bad has happened. The prince has been chopped by the thugs..."
Sui Sui was nearby, but the guard spoke in a low voice, so she couldn't hear clearly. She only heard the word "Your Highness". Her heart trembled and she hurried over.
She looked at the guard's face clearly and found that he was an acquaintance. She asked, "Ma Zhongshun, what happened?"
Ma Zhongshun just noticed her and was stunned: "Deer..."
He immediately changed his words: "Reporting to General Xiao, our prince was originally going to rush to the Qinzhengwu Benlou, but on the way he heard that there was a thug hacking people in the street near Anyifang, so he took a detour to take a look. Unexpectedly, he saw Cheng Zheng, the Duke of Cheng. His prince lost his knife in order to save Cheng, and was accidentally hacked by the thug..."
Sui Sui's face turned pale, and he didn't have time to care about why Cheng Zheng was there. He asked anxiously, "Where is the injury? How serious is the injury?"
Ma Zhongshun cried faintly: "Your Highness was stabbed in the back. I don't know if it hurts any vital parts, but the wound is very deep and the bleeding can't be stopped. We dare not move him, so we can only ask the doctor nearby... Your Highness is worried about this place, so he sent his subordinates to see if General Xi is safe..."
Sui Sui interrupted him and said, "Take me there."
…
Anyone who uses a knife knows that the knife should not be let go until the very last moment. When Huan Xuan was a child, he learned swordsmanship from a martial arts master. This was the first sentence of the first lesson.
Even at the critical moment, he threw the knife out without hesitation.
A knife is not a throwing weapon, but he threw it with great force, and the tip of the knife pierced into the vest of the murderer. The murderer howled in pain, and the hand holding the knife loosened and he staggered forward.
Cheng Zheng knew he had to hide, but his legs were so limp from fear that he simply staggered back a few steps and then fell to the ground.
The gangster who was stabbed by the knife was quite fierce. He threw the knife aside and was about to raise the knife to chop Cheng Zheng.
Huan Xuan had no choice but to kick the horse's belly and gallop forward, then he pulled the reins suddenly. The jade-colored horse could not stop and neighed and raised its front hooves. The villain tried to avoid it in a hurry, but was still kicked in the shoulder by the horse's hoof and fell to the ground.
Huan Xuan loosened the reins and rode over him. The thug let out a creepy howl and stopped moving.
Huan Xuan grabbed the reins and looked at the man sitting on the ground. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were wrinkled, his white clothes were stained with dust and blood, and his pale face was pale, obviously frightened.
He said unhappily, "Did you hurt your legs or feet?"
Cheng Zheng came back to his senses and shook his head: "Thank you for saving my life, Your Highness. I..."
"That's enough," Huan Xuan said impatiently, "get up quickly." He didn't want him to repay her in the next life, he just didn't want to make Sui Sui sad.
Although he was unwilling to admit it, every time he saw Cheng Zheng, he couldn't help but think of his elder brother. It was probably because of this that he hated him so much.
Cheng Zheng pursed his lips, and tried to get up. However, his life was hanging by a thread twice, and he was so frightened that he was exhausted. He had not recovered yet.
He struggled to stand up, and suddenly caught sight of a severed limb not far away. His knees went weak and he began to stagger, about to fall to the ground.
Huan Xuan was quick to move sideways on his horse, grabbed his arm and lifted him up. Cheng Zheng leaned on the horse and finally managed to stand.
Huan Xuan asked, "Can you ride back to the posthouse by yourself?"
Cheng Zheng wanted to nod, but he was unsure and didn't dare to refuse - the training he received tonight was already painful enough.
Huan Xuan had no choice but to say to a guard, "Ma Zhongshun, take him back to the posthouse and ask two more people to escort him."
Cheng Zheng lowered his eyes and said, "I have caused trouble for His Highness..."
Huan Xuan asked: "Why are you here?"
He knew Xiao Ling. There was unrest around the Qinzhengwu Building tonight. She would definitely let this weak and feeble person stay in the inn and not join in the fun.
Cheng Zheng lowered his head even lower: "I am worried that the general will come out..."
He remembered the relationship between Huan Xuan and Xiao Ling and stopped talking.
Huan Xuan said: "Xiao Ling had just come of age when he led an army for the first time. He led 3,000 soldiers to kill 20,000 Xi people. He personally cut off the enemy general's head and piled it up with his men's heads in a Jingguan."
Cheng Zheng's pale face almost turned green.
Huan Xuan continued, "She is Xiao Ling, you should trust her."
Cheng Zheng thought he would scold him for overestimating his abilities, but he neither scolded him nor ridiculed him. He explained to him calmly. This attitude of his made him feel even more ashamed than scolding or ridiculing him.
He whispered: "I am overestimating my own abilities and am completely useless. I cannot help you, General..."
He knew that he had no martial arts skills and would not be able to help much even if he went. The only option was to wait in the inn. He could not sit still, so he thought of at least going out to get some information.
So he rode out of the door, but the situation outside was more chaotic than he had expected. He went against the flow of people, but soon it was so crowded that he could not ride his horse. He had to get off and lead the horse. After walking for a while, he could not even hold the horse. His hand accidentally loosened, and he and the horse were separated by the crowd.
By this time he knew that he was doomed, and it would not be easy for him to return to the inn. The crying and fleeing crowd was like a wave, pushing him around, like a small boat that could only go with the flow.
It was also his bad luck that he happened to be rushed here by the crowd and ran into this group of criminals.
Seeing Cheng Zheng being humiliated, with red eyes and a bitter face, looking more and more like an angry young wife, Huan Xuan felt as refreshed as drinking ice water in the dog days of summer. No matter which man saved his love rival, he would not have the face to fight anymore.
He was feeling proud in his heart, but he tried to look calm and composed. He raised his chin slightly and said pretentiously, "You have your strengths. You should help her in other ways."
Cheng Zheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and bowed, saying, "I am blinded by a leaf, and I appreciate your guidance, Your Highness."
The moment he was rescued by Huan Xuan, he knew he had already lost. Only then did he realize how completely he had lost.
He bit his lip hard and looked up at the man on the horse. There was a hint of fatigue between his brows and his light-colored clothes were stained with blood, but he still exuded nobility from the bones. It had nothing to do with his status as a nobleman. He was born aloof and arrogant, which made others feel ashamed of themselves.
Just like Xiao Ling, they are the same kind of people.
Although Huan Xuan thought he was too chaotic, he couldn't blame him for anything. He was the same as the other person, the only difference was his strength. If he was an unarmed scholar, he would probably do such an unwise thing.
He was particularly calm: "Go back to the posthouse and wait for news."
The guards had almost killed the three murderers.
Huan Xuan instructed Ma Zhongshun, "Send Mr. Cheng back to the posthouse."
Then he dismounted and wanted to pick up his knife. At this moment, he heard a child sobbing softly from behind.
He turned around and saw a little girl in red standing behind him. She was about four or five years old and had two buns on her head.
The child was born with a pale and thin face, but perhaps because he was wearing a red dress, he felt that he looked quite familiar.
He was just about to ask the guards to take her to the nearby Wuhoupu and ask around in the neighborhoods.
At this moment, Cheng Zheng suddenly cried out: "Be careful!"
Before he could say anything, Huan Xuan heard the sound of a sharp blade breaking through the air behind him. He subconsciously tried to avoid it, but if he dodged to the side, the child in front of him would be in danger.
In a split second, he simply bent his back to protect the little girl and took the knife on his back.
It turned out that the murderer had been stabbed and trampled by the horse, but was not killed immediately. He lay on the ground pretending to be unconscious, hoping to find a way to escape after the guards left.
When he heard the weak scholar address the man immediately as "Your Highness", he realized that this man was actually the King of Qi.
He was originally an outlaw who claimed to be a chivalrous and righteous man. Three years ago, he was recruited into the palace by the Emperor Taizong and treated as a guest. He regarded himself as Jing Ke and Yu Rang.
Although Taixu was defeated, God made him meet Taixu's enemy, the King of Qi, here. How could he be worthy of Taixu's courtesy if he didn't kill him
So he quietly groped for the hilt of his knife while no one was paying attention, and quietly waited for the opportunity.
The blow exhausted his strength, and before the guards could stab him with their swords, he fell to the ground and died of exhaustion.
The incident happened too quickly. When the guards reacted, Huan Xuan had already fallen in a pool of blood. The little girl he saved had no idea what had happened and looked confused. She even forgot to cry.
The guards gathered around and shone torches, only to see blood pouring from the Queen's back, her white clothes almost completely dyed red.
Cheng Zheng stood there in a daze, his mind blank, but the guards were so busy that no one paid any attention to him.
Huan Xuan was lying on the ground, with severe pain coming from his back, almost making him faint from the pain. However, he still had a clear mind, and he gritted his teeth and said to Ma Zhongshun: "Go... go to the Qinzheng Office Building... and check on Sui Sui..."
Before he could finish his words, he fainted from the pain.