Chapter 105 Blood Splattered in the Hall, Killing Someone and Destroying Their Spirit!

Marquis Le'an's forehead veins throbbed. The two children were too quick to speak, and he had been spoiled rotten. He had no chance to react, so he had to raise his hand and slap each of them to shut them up.

"Your Majesty!" Marquis Le'an kowtowed repeatedly, "My child was too young and ignorant, and spoke without thinking. Please forgive him, Your Majesty!"

His grand plan has not yet been realized. At this moment, he cannot kill Xiao Qidi by himself alone. He can only lower his stance and deal with the situation first, and then think of another way later.

Xiao Qidi looked at the Marquis of Le'an kneeling at his feet, his eyes growing increasingly cold.

He had restrained himself for the sake of the last shred of maternal affection in his heart, giving the Empress Dowager the chance to spare the lives of the two children.

But by this point, he had had enough.

"Lao An, Lao An..." Xiao Qidi's eyes were filled with murderous intent, "If you had appeared a moment later, I would have already left."

Marquis Le'an trembled violently, "Your Majesty... Your humble servant..."

Holding a bronze sword in one hand and a wooden sword in the other, Xiao Qidi pointed them at the Empress Dowager and Marquis Le'an respectively, and suddenly rebuked them: "You have raised such lowly sons, and you still dare to dream of using them to replace me? Look at these two, which one is capable? Which one is qualified to be a king? If you really succeed, wouldn't you be bringing disaster to the people of the Great Xuan Dynasty!"

These words pierced through the facade, striking Lao An and Jiang Peihuan like a thunderbolt.

Jiang Peihuan's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally calmed down.

It turns out that... Xiao Qidi not only knew that she had an affair with Lao An and had a child, but also knew about their ambitions.

She lay sprawled on the ground like a rag doll, closing her eyes in despair.

Marquis Le'an was stunned for a moment, then forced a sheepish smile. "Your Majesty, what are you saying? I don't understand."

"Still pretending?" Xiao Qidi's eyes were as cold as ice. "Months ago, you first sent Qi Zhan and others to secretly follow me, intending to take my life. Now you've sent Liu Chang to bring me back to the capital, planning to kill me on the way. Do you think I don't know?"

Marquis Le'an broke out in a cold sweat, but forced himself to continue his sophistry, "Your Majesty! This humble subject knows nothing about this! This humble subject has always been loyal and devoted, how could I do such a treasonous thing? Besides... this humble subject has already told Your Majesty that these two children are the sons of my relatives..."

Xiao Qidi sneered repeatedly, "The Empress Dowager said they were orphans adopted here, and you said they were your relatives' children. You never expected me to survive and suddenly appear in front of you, so you didn't even have time to coordinate your story beforehand?"

Marquis Le'an was dumbfounded, extremely annoyed, his mouth opened but he couldn't utter a word.

Xiao Qidi threw the bronze sword of the Marquis of Le'an on the ground.

With a loud clang, Marquis Le'an trembled in shock.

"This sword must draw blood tonight. As for whose blood it will be, I'll let you choose." Xiao Qidi looked down at him, his words filled with murderous intent.

Marquis Le'an braced himself with his hands on the ground, head down, eyes wide as he stared at the sword before him.

His bloodless face, with its bulging veins, was reflected on the gleaming, bronze-like blade of the sword, and large beads of cold sweat dripped onto the ground like rain.

Even without Xiao Qidi saying it outright, he knew what it meant.

He either commits suicide or he kills his two young sons with his own hands.

This was the choice Xiao Qidi offered.

So ruthless...

That's really ruthless!

Marquis Le'an gritted his teeth and picked up the longsword.

In that instant, the thought of stabbing Xiao Qidi with a sword flashed into his mind.

But he knew perfectly well that with his martial arts skills, he was no match for Xiao Qidi.

Moreover, since Xiao Qidi dared to push him to this point and even threw his sword at him, he must have been prepared.

I'm afraid that even if I manage to thrust out a sword with all my might, I won't even be able to touch the hem of someone's clothes before I'm killed. In the end, not only will my two sons die, but I will also be infamous for eternity after my death.

no……

This outcome is absolutely unacceptable!

"Lao An... Lao An!" Jiang Peihuan cried out, "We lost... but the children are innocent. They are still young, their lives have just begun. Please, I beg you, give them a way to live!"

Jiang Peihuan dared not ask Xiao Qidi for help, because she now understood that Xiao Qidi had just given her a chance.

It was so close, just a tiny bit more, that the two children could have survived!

But fate is cruel.

Lao An ran out at the most inopportune time.

And Xiao Qidi already knew everything.

In this situation, asking Xiao Qidi to spare the child would only backfire.

She wished she could give her own life in his place, but Xiao Qidi left the decision to Lao An.

So we can only place our hopes on Lao An, hoping that as the child's father, he can make a sacrifice...

This is the only way to save the child's life.

Lao An's lips trembled as he staggered to his feet, gripping the longsword. "Your Majesty, no matter who dies by this sword, the other will survive, won't they? Please assure me!"

Xiao Qidi remained expressionless. "The words of a king are not to be taken lightly. I guarantee it."

"Very well... Your Majesty, I thank you." Lao An slowly raised his longsword and closed his eyes.

Jiang Peihuan was relieved that her two children were saved, but also heartbroken that Lao An was about to commit suicide.

Seeing Lao An raise his arm, she couldn't bear to watch her beloved man die in front of her, so she turned her head away, covered her face with her hands, and cried her heart out.

Swish—

A flash of cold light, and blood splattered.

Then, with a clang, the longsword fell to the ground.

"Your Majesty, I have personally executed these two bastards to atone for my sins! I beg Your Majesty not to break your promise and to show leniency to me!" Lao An's pleading voice rang out.

Jiang Peihuan was struck dumb. She hurriedly turned around and was shocked to see two children lying in a pool of blood, their throats slit by a sword.

The blood-stained longsword lay discarded to one side.

Lao An was kneeling in front of Xiao Qidi, pleading.

"You...you actually...you actually killed our children!" Jiang Peihuan screamed as she crawled toward the bodies of the two children, her piercing cries echoing throughout the hall, "My children...my children!"

She simply couldn't believe that Lao An would make this choice!

Those were his own flesh and blood!

"Hiss—" Jiang Peihuan threw herself onto the child's corpse, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Xiao Qidi merely stared coldly at Marquis Le'an, his eyes as dark as an abyss, making Marquis Le'an feel a chill run down his spine and his heart pound, daring not to utter another word.

"Take care." Xiao Qidi's voice was devoid of any emotion.

Lao An knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the earth, "Your humble servant is here..."

Xiao Qidi said quietly, "If you were willing to sacrifice yourself for your own flesh and blood, I would respect you as a man and a good father. I would forgive you after your death and give you a grand funeral as the Marquis of Le'an. It's a pity... you are not worthy of it."

Lao An felt a chill run down his spine and suddenly looked up, "You...you lied to me?!"

"What did I lie to you about?" Xiao Qidi's eyes flashed with sarcasm.

Lao An jumped to his feet, roaring ferociously, "You tricked me into killing my own sons! And you still want me dead!"

The mockery in Xiao Qidi's eyes grew even stronger.

Lao An was breathing rapidly, his face full of fear, and then he lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty... you said that the words of a king are not to be taken lightly, and you just made a guarantee to me."

Xiao Qidi's thin lips moved slightly. "Yes, I made a guarantee. But now it's a different matter. You killed two people in front of the emperor, and you killed the Empress Dowager's two own sons. This is a heinous crime, unforgivable, and punishable by death."

"To kill someone is to destroy their spirit! To kill someone is to destroy their spirit! Xiao Qidi, you...you...you are insidious and vicious! You are shameless! I was actually manipulated by you! I really...I really underestimated you!" Lao An felt as if he had fallen into an abyss, clutching his chest and cursing loudly!

"If you commit suicide to atone for your sins, I can still leave you with a whole corpse." Xiao Qidi didn't want to dirty his hands, so he said calmly, "Furthermore, I will try my best to bury you with those two bastards, so that you and your sons can be reunited."

These words once again ravaged Lao An's heart.

Lao An almost spat out a mouthful of blood. If he hadn't been strong and healthy, he probably would have died of anger.

At this moment, Jiang Peihuan, who was already numb with grief, stood up and suddenly mustered all her strength to crash headfirst into the main pillar of the hall.

Xiao Qidi's expression hardened, and without hesitation, he rushed over to stop him.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lao An turned and ran, rushing out of the back door of the main hall and heading straight for the backyard.

Then he quickly took out a bow and several whistling arrows from a corner of the backyard.

This is something he kept here just in case.

"Xiao Qidi... I won't fail like this!" Lao An's face was contorted with rage as he drew his bow and shot several arrows into the night sky.

The reason he gave up escaping through the main gate of the hall was because he was too unwilling to accept defeat and, in a fit of anger, decided to fight to the death.

The distinctive, sharp sound of the whistling arrow echoed rhythmically through the sky.

This was a signal that Marquis Le'an had set long ago.

After giving the signal, he dropped his longbow and continued running off in another direction.

Shun Palace is very large.

He knew every corner of the palace like the back of his hand, while Xiao Qidi had not been there many times and was far less familiar with the terrain than he was.

With this advantage, he was confident that he could wait for his own people to arrive.

Not only will it save my life, but I can also kill Xiao Qidi!

Inside the main hall, Xiao Qidi stopped the Empress Dowager from committing suicide in time.

The Empress Dowager attempted suicide but failed and fainted in his arms.

Looking at his mother, whose face was pale and eyes were closed, Xiao Qidi was in a state of extreme inner turmoil.

He wished this woman were dead.

But……

Just as she was about to crash into the pillar, his body involuntarily lunged forward to protect her...

Xiao Qidi gritted his teeth, his eyes reddening, and pulled out the special forces dagger that Ning Jinli had given him for self-defense from his waist, pressing the tip of the blade against Jiang Peihuan's heart.

In the end, however, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

With a swift movement, he severed Jiang Peihuan's long hair, then rose and rushed out the back door to find Marquis Le'an.

Meanwhile, in a large mansion in Shuncheng.

The strategist that Marquis Le'an had placed there heard a report from his subordinates that whistling arrows had been fired from the Shun Palace.

The strategist immediately instructed his men to describe the rhythm of the whistle.

Different sounds represent different meanings; this is essentially a code signal he devised for Marquis Le'an.

After hearing his subordinate's description, the strategist was greatly shocked. "Are you sure that's the kind of whistle?"

The subordinate clasped his hands in a fist salute, "Confirmed, absolutely accurate!"

Seeing that even the usually composed and calm strategist's expression had changed, his subordinate asked nervously, "Is the Marquis in danger?"

"It's more than just danger!" The strategist couldn't sit still any longer and stood up from his chair. "This signal means that Xiao Qidi is in the palace and poses a deadly threat to the Marquis!"

His men were shocked. "How could this be! Didn't Liu Chang lead men to assassinate us? We have thirty elite warriors! Could it be... that we failed again?"

The strategist's expression was grave. "Now is not the time to think about these things. The Marquis certainly won't send out whistles or signals randomly."

"Then what do we do?"

"Immediately order the remaining hundred of our elite soldiers to enter Shun Palace and protect the Marquis. At the same time, send someone to summon all three thousand of the Marquis's retainers in the city to await my orders!"

"yes!"

The subordinate accepted the order and left.

After pondering for a moment, the strategist went into the study alone.

After locking the doors and windows, open a mechanism in the bookshelf, take out a copper box hidden in the wall of the bookshelf, and carefully place it on the desk with both hands.

Then they found the key in another hidden location and opened the copper box.

Lifting the lid revealed a roll of pure white silk, with intricate gold thread patterns woven into it, exuding a luxurious and noble air, clearly not an ordinary item.

The strategist wiped his hands clean, then took out the roll of silk and spread it out on the table.

Three characters were woven in gold thread on the upper front of the silk cloth: "Da Xuan Zhao".

Below was a blank space, without any written text, but two seals were affixed: one was the Empress Dowager's jade seal, and the other was the Xuan King's jade seal.

The strategist sat at the table, staring at the blank edict, lost in thought.

This item was secretly obtained by the Marquis of Le'an with the help of the Empress Dowager, at his suggestion, in preparation for any eventuality.

He had considered that if all assassination attempts against Xiao Qidi failed, then the only option would be to launch a full-scale attack on the rebels. At that time, he could use this blank edict to create a forged edict, thereby mobilizing the troops of Da Xuan for the Marquis's use.

Now, the Marquis is facing a life-or-death situation, and Xiao Qidi is in the Shun Palace.

This blank edict will come in handy. As long as the right content is written on it, the 50,000-strong Da Xuan Army stationed outside Shuncheng can be transferred into the city.

But tonight's events happened suddenly, and we need to think carefully about what to write on the blank edict and how to make good use of the 50,000 Shuncheng troops. We absolutely cannot afford to make any mistakes.

——

On the street outside Shun Palace, Li Yao sat at an open-air tea stall, drinking tea and occasionally glancing towards the palace in the distance.

It was already dark, and the emperor still hadn't come out; he was really worried.

Just then, he keenly noticed that about a hundred people were hurrying towards the palace under the cover of night.

These men were strong and vigorous, with daggers at their waists, clearly not ordinary people.

Li Yao suddenly remembered that on the way to Shuncheng with the emperor, the emperor had said that Marquis Le'an had long harbored rebellious intentions and that there were hundreds of assassins and three thousand martial arts practitioners hiding in Shuncheng.

At this moment, the numbers were almost equal, and those hundred or so people were all heading towards Shun Palace.

Li Yao immediately concluded that the Marquis of Le'an had launched an operation to assassinate the emperor within the palace!

He casually took out some loose silver and placed it on the tea table, then quickly got up, preparing to rush to the palace to help the emperor.

But he had barely mounted his horse and gone far when he stopped again, frowning and muttering to himself, "My lord and I, working together, can still handle a hundred assassins. However, Marquis Le'an will surely send out his three thousand or so martial arts-trained retainers... Even if I risk my life, I'm afraid it will be difficult to help my lord escape. What... should we do?"

After a moment of calm contemplation, Li Yao's eyes suddenly lit up. "I've got it! The Shuncheng army is stationed outside the city. If we can get the Shuncheng army to come out, we can rescue the emperor!"

Although the Shuncheng army generals did not recognize him and he had no evidence, this was the only way.

If all else fails, then use force to coerce the Shuncheng army general into sending troops!

Li Yao made up his mind and, without the slightest hesitation, pulled on the reins, turned his horse around, and prepared to leave the city to seek help.

"Hey? General Li! Wait!" A shout suddenly rang out.

Li Yao was stunned for a moment.

Um?

Why does it sound like Fairy Jinli's voice?

Am I hallucinating?