"Murder! The Imperial Guards are killing people!"

Blood gushed out like cold water poured into hot oil, instantly causing an uproar in front of the palace gates, with shouts shaking the heavens.

Enraged, the students, no longer hesitant, charged straight into the palace with sharp knives at their sides, determined to demand an explanation from the emperor.

Fu Yuanliang's face turned pale. He looked at Xiao Song and shouted, "Commander Xiao, I didn't! It wasn't me! Someone pushed me!"

Xiao Song seemed enraged: "You actually killed a student?!"

Fu Yuanliang took two steps back in fright: "I didn't, someone pushed me just now."

He looked back, but there was no one behind him; there was no one pushing him.

The students were furious: "This is outrageous! We want to see the Emperor and beg him to do us justice!"

Xiao Song's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, as if he wanted to stand up for the students. Without saying a word, he drew his knife and plunged it into Fu Yuanliang's chest: "This commander will stand up for you!"

The crowd seemed to quiet down for a moment.

However, the silence lasted only a moment.

The angry students didn't seem to buy it. While shouting for the emperor to uphold justice, they continued to push and shove their way into the palace.

Several students then realized something was amiss. They had only come to appeal to the emperor and demand an explanation, so how did they end up in conflict with the Imperial Guards?

Is the palace so easy to break into?

Originally there were six or seven hundred people, but for some reason, the number of people increased, and from a distance, it looked like a dark mass, probably numbering in the thousands.

Those people were even carrying knives.

Their faces turned even paler, and they realized that they seemed to have been used.

Feeling a little intimidated, I wanted to back away.

But at this point, with people crowding together and pushing them forward, there was no way to retreat.

One of the Imperial Guards exclaimed in surprise, "Commander Xiao, what's going on? These people don't seem to be just ordinary students; why are they carrying knives?"

Xiao Song swung his knife with a flick of his wrist.

The Imperial Guardsman, who had just been speaking, was now a corpse.

Several thousand people easily rushed into the palace gates.

Second Prince's Residence

Zhu Heng, clad in full armor, sat at the table, his fingers lightly tapping the surface.

A soldier reported: "Your Highness, the First Prince has entered the palace."

Zhu Heng sneered, "Zhu Zhi, before you die, help your brother out."

The head guard stepped forward and handed the sword to Zhu Heng: "Your Highness, we may depart now."

Zhu Heng stood up, tossed his bright red cloak over his shoulders, and strode outside, asking as he went, "Where's Ren Yushan?"

"Prime Minister Ren led a group of civil officials to the examination hall to stage a sit-in, demanding an explanation for the late students. Right now, they are blocking the Fifth Prince at the entrance of the examination hall."

"Are you sure the fifth brother is inside?"

"Yes, since the imperial examination began, the Fifth Prince has been inside and hasn't come out. Furthermore, there are our people inside, and they haven't sent any messages out. Please rest assured, Your Highness, the Fifth Prince can't escape even if he has wings."

Zhu Heng wore a victor's smile. He had tricked Zhu Zhi, that good-for-nothing, into the palace. His third brother was injured in Mu City, his fourth brother was still paralyzed in the Prince An's mansion, and his fifth brother was trapped in the examination hall.

The Duke of Yingguo went to the southern border, and even the Duke of Zhenguo is now a living dead.

In this capital city, who else could he possibly marry!

He took the sword from the captain of the guard and shouted, "Go!"

Meanwhile, in the bedroom of the Prince An's residence in the front courtyard.

Zhu Yu chased Jiang Chuan and the others out and personally helped Lu Xiaoyun get dressed.

Over his white undergarment was a soft armor made of gold thread. This armor was impervious to swords and spears; Feng Yan had already tested it, and even the Chen Kingdom's weapons, which had been laced with powder and ink, could not harm it in the slightest.

Wearing a dark blue-green brocade robe with cloud patterns and a belt around his waist, he was the epitome of a handsome young gentleman.

Zhu Yuyou was still worried, so he picked up the silver-white armor next to him and was about to put it on Lu Xiaoyun.

Lu Xiaoyun pressed his hand down: "If I go wearing armor, wouldn't that be blatantly telling Zhu Heng that we've discovered his plot?"

Zhu Yu's fingertips were icy cold. He only regretted that God hadn't allowed them to switch back yet. Even a temporary switch would have been fine, as long as Lu Xiaoyun wasn't in danger: "So what if they were found out? Your safety is more important than anything else."

"This gold-threaded soft armor is enough." He said, setting aside the armor and wrapping the soft sword with a jade sheath hanging to the side around his waist. At first glance, it looked like a fine white jade belt.

Zhu Yu frowned, staring intently at Lu Xiaoyun.

Lu Xiaoyun chuckled and pinched his soft, fair cheeks: "Don't run around."

Zhu Yu scoffed at her, making it sound like he was some woman confined to the backyard, needing her protection.

Given the current situation, how could he possibly feel comfortable letting Lu Xiaoyun lead the charge?

"My lord, a secret guard reports that the Second Prince sent someone to the First Prince's residence, and not long after, the First Prince entered the palace."

Lu Xiaoyun stopped wrapping her soft sword around her hand and looked at Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu frowned and thought for a moment, then said to Feng Yan, "Immediately send someone to stop Zhu Zhi and prevent him from entering the palace!"

Feng Yan shook his head: "It's too late. That man rode his horse and led the eldest prince straight into the palace, even arriving before the students who were causing trouble."

The secret guard rushed over with a report, but the troublemaking students had blocked the road, so the guard had to take a detour. By the time he delivered the message to Feng Yan, Zhu Zhiren had already entered the palace.

Despite their meticulous planning, they overlooked Zhu Zhi.

Zhu Zhi was confined to the First Prince's residence, but Zhu Heng easily brought him out and into the palace, demonstrating that his influence had permeated almost every corner.

Fu Yuanliang was Zhu Zhi's man, so naturally he wouldn't stop Zhu Zhi from entering the palace.

Xiao Song worked for Zhu Heng, and Fu Yuanliang was the first person he wanted to kill.

Zhu Zhi was already in the palace at this time.

However, Zhu Zhi entered the palace in a daze, and was taken to a side hall in a daze, without even being able to see the old emperor.

During this period, because Zhu Zhi was placed under house arrest, Bu Feizhang was also reprimanded; otherwise, things wouldn't have turned out this way with Bu Feizhang's intervention.

"Immediately send someone to the Right Prime Minister's residence to inform Bu Feizhang."

Feng Yan responded with a yes, and someone immediately went to do it.

Lu Xiaoyun was so angry she gritted her teeth: "That idiot Zhu Zhi was used by Zhu Heng and he doesn't even know it. Did Zhu Heng even leave from the Second Prince's residence?"

Feng Yan nodded: "We just set off, using the excuse of entering the palace to protect the emperor."

Yes, Zhu Heng's excuse was perfectly plausible. With Xiao Song guarding the palace gate and a large number of students causing trouble, Zhu Heng could bring in as many troops as he wanted without being stopped in the slightest.

Lu Xiaoyun snorted coldly, "Zhu Heng has some tricks up his sleeve."

She, Zhu Yu, and Zhu Dan anticipated that Zhu Heng would launch an uprising on the day of the imperial examination on March 18th, but the time was too short, and they only found out part of the story. They never expected that Zhu Heng had made so many preparations.

Jiang Chuan scratched his head: "Protect the Emperor? Who wants to kill the Emperor?"

Feng Yan said, "The Second Prince tricked the First Prince into entering the palace in order to frame him for the crime of forcing the emperor to abdicate."

Jiang Chuan still didn't understand.