Bai Ruozhu asked quickly, "Wu Yunfeng has defected to King Rui?"
"Yes... Father... must not fall into the trap..." Xu Huilin said with difficulty before falling back into unconsciousness.
With worry, ng Liangshen looked at Bai Ruozhu and asked, "Ruozhu, will anything happen to Huilin?"
Bai Ruozhu took a deep breath, the sll of blood making her stomach uneasy again, but she could only force herself to endure it.
"Although he’s seriously injured, fortunately many of his wounds have had their bleeding stopped through acupoint sealing, especially the severe ones on his arms, preventing excessive blood loss and shock. But it’s obviously not possible for him to have sealed the acupoints on his own; I’m afraid Wu Yunfeng never intended to kill him but wanted to force him to say or do sothing with this brutality."
The room fell silent instantly. What Bai Ruozhu said was too straightforward; Xu Huilin had lost both arms and couldn’t possibly have sealed the acupoints himself!
If he had only lost one hand and sealed the acupoints on one side, how could the second arm be explained? Of course, it might have been his subordinates who sealed the acupoints for him, but Bai Ruozhu was more inclined to believe it was Wu Yunfeng’s doing.
Those who could torture Xu Huilin like this, could his subordinates still be alive?
"To think I once believed he was reliable and had Huilin learn from him, only to find out he’s so cruel!" In the room, the sound of ng Liangshen grinding his teeth could be heard; he wished he could bite Wu Yunfeng to death, eat his flesh, and drink his blood!
"He has always been an ambitious person," Bai Ruozhu said lightly, then turned to the table to write formulas, instructing the steward to have soone prepare the decoction after she finished.
Thus, Bai Ruozhu stayed at the ng Residence for three days, and Xu Huilin safely passed the critical period, though everyone noticed Bai Ruozhu had noticeably lost weight.
anwhile, Bai Yihong and his wife, upon receiving the news, worriedly rushed to Beiyu City, and simply moved into the ng Residence thereafter, not caring about appearances as long as they could take care of their daughter and grandson nearby.
What was infuriating, however, was that ng Liangshen’s n still hadn’t caught Wu Yunfeng. Even when he sent horsen to search both the Capital City and the Turkic areas, they found no trace of Wu Yunfeng.
On the way to the Capital City, they unexpectedly encountered the Emperor’s forces. The Emperor had not yet received ng Liangshen’s secret ssage, and only learned of the situation from the reports of his subordinates, causing his already pale face to beco even paler.
"No wonder I didn’t hear any rumors; it turns out the entire Tongzheng Bureau has turned traitor," Tang Yin murmured.
Although Wu Yunfeng was rely the Left Envoy of the Tongzheng Bureau, he had gradually gained real power within the bureau after performing ritoriously during the arrest of the Right Envoy, almost rivaling the Commandant Sun Chengchao. Additionally, after the palace disorder, Sun Chengchao was also missing, making it unclear if he had defected or been eliminated by Wu Yunfeng.
Two tigers can’t live on the sa mountain; the latter seems more likely.
Cough, cough, Tang Yin started coughing, and nearby Wang Shun quickly offered him so hot tea, anxiously saying, "Your Majesty, you should rest first. You must not overstrain yourself; your health is the most important."
Tang Yin raised his hand to stop him, sighed deeply, and then leaned back to rest.
Wang Shun quietly wiped the corners of his eyes beside him. He knew the Emperor wasn’t asleep, as lately, he hadn’t slept soundly at all. This unrest wasn’t because the Emperor feared for his life or feared pursuing soldiers; rather, it was because he was constantly filled with self-bla and guilt, emotions that seed to have gripped his throat, preventing him from sleeping night after night.
Though Tang Yin had closed his eyes, scenes from the New Year’s Eve feast kept appearing in his mind. The commander of the Royal Guards, Ye Kai, suddenly burst in, looking panicked, and said, "Your Majesty, it’s not good, there are troops attacking the Inner Palace!"
At that ti, he remained calm and asked, "Who are they?"
"It seems King Rui has colluded with the southeastern army..." Ye Kai took a few steps forward, looking resentful as he spoke.
"King Rui?" Tang Yin was shocked. When did his brother start plotting in secret? Was he too lenient with him?
In that mont of distraction, Ye Kai suddenly pulled a small crossbow from his sleeve, aid, and shot at the Emperor.
Because it was a palace banquet, the Emperor had ordered the guards to stand aside, and the Shadow Guard did not co near to protect him, not suspecting that Ye Kai, whom he trusted, would also betray him!
He even used the news of King Rui’s attack on the palace to divert his attention!
The ministers and noblewon on both sides exclaid, but none could rescue the Emperor in ti. At this mont, the Empress Dowager suddenly leapt forward and pushed him to the ground.
Then they heard a heavy thud as the Empress Dowager fell, struck by the short arrow. The portion of the arrow sticking out glowed with a dim blue light, and the Empress Dowager’s lips also changed color.
"Save the Emperor!"
"Seize this treacherous villain!"
"The arrow is poisoned, where is the Imperial Physician? Quickly save the Empress Dowager!"
"..."
The scene was chaotic, and indeed, King Rui led a large group of horsen to attack. His original plan was for Ye Kai to assassinate the Emperor; if the Emperor died or was seriously injured, the palace would certainly descend into chaos, allowing him to take the palace he had dread of with little effort. However, the Emperor was uninjured, Ye Kai was beheaded by the Shadow Guard on the spot, and his attempt to seize the palace had to be completed through bloodshed.
Tang Yin, holding the severely injured Empress Dowager, was assisted by senior ministers as they fled. Along the way, he seed to be without a soul, feeling the mother in his arms grow colder and eventually lifeless...
At the ng Residence in Beiyu City, Xu Huilin finally awoke completely. He moved a bit and realized he had lost his hands, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his face.
"Now I don’t need to reach out for clothes, and I just need to open my mouth for als," he said to himself.
Madam ng couldn’t hold back and burst into tears, "My poor grandson, my poor grandson."
ng Liangshen turned his head, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Xu Huilin looked at his grandmother, then his father, and then at Bai Ruozhu, his pale face showing a trace of helplessness, and said, "Don’t be like this, please. It’s nothing serious; at least I’m still alive, and I’ll save fabric when I make clothes in the future."
Bai Ruozhu looked at Xu Huilin, montarily at a loss for words. She stared into his eyes for a mont, ensuring he hadn’t lost his mind, yet his attitude was surprisingly optimistic?
She couldn’t imagine if it were her, would she have the will to live? How could Senior Fox speak so lightly about it?
"What, don’t believe it? Do you all expect to be in despair to feel it’s real?" Xu Huilin said with a slight smile, indicating that since he could accept it, why couldn’t they?
Madam ng and ng Liangshen exchanged a glance, quickly wiping away their tears. ng Liangshen cleared his throat and said, "It’s good you’re okay, as your father..."
At this point, he felt he couldn’t continue. As your father, thank you? As your father, I’m sorry?
User Comments
0 comments from readers