Chapter 78 Now it seems, she has indeed learned a great deal…

Suddenly, the faces of all the ministers present turned pale and then red, as if they had not expected Ji Heng to be so audacious. His words clearly indicated that he wanted to wipe them all out.

Ji Heng shouted, "Where is the commander of the Imperial Guards?"

Upon hearing this, the imperial guards stationed outside the palace entered in a long line, and their commander, He Xiao, knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am here."

The Eastern Palace Incident of that year was a conspiracy between Empress Dowager Zhengde and the commander of the Imperial Guards to surround and kill the Crown Prince's faction in the palace.

Now, nearly twenty years later, is the same scene about to repeat itself? All the court officials looked on in despair.

"What I could do back then is now just repeating the same thing. What difficulty is there in that?" Ji Heng's killing intent was fully revealed: "Rest assured, you will not die in vain. I will treat your descendants well, so that they can continue to serve me and the people of the Great Jin with utmost devotion until their dying breath!"

The other court officials all cast terrified glances at the three Grand Secretaries, hoping to glean some reassurance from their expressions. Unfortunately, the three men they clung to as their lifeline all remained expressionless and cold.

"Your Majesty! I was unaware of this!" The Minister of Revenue was the first to plead for mercy. "I beg Your Majesty to spare this old minister in consideration of my years of diligence and service."

Once there's a first, there's a second, a third...

The remaining people either remained unmoved or wore expressions of disdain. Others secretly observed Ji Heng's expression, looking eager to make a move.

To Hengbo's surprise, neither the Prefect of the Capital nor the Minister of Justice had defected.

"What are you standing there for?" Ji Heng had had enough of the people's interesting expressions. "Do I have to say it a second time?"

He Xiao, the commander of the Imperial Guards, raised his head, his face calm: "Your Majesty, I have a question."

"Was this how my father died?"

"When you ordered my father to commit suicide to silence him, was this the same promise you made to him?"

"Was it through this very means that I obtained my current position as Commander of the Imperial Guards?"

"You!" Ji Heng hadn't expected his sudden change of expression. He hurriedly took two steps back, his smug expression turning to surprise and suspicion: "What do you mean! You want to rebel too?! Don't forget that without me, you are nothing! Who gave you your current wealth and power?!"

He Xiao shook his head: "Your Majesty, if I didn't know before, I do now. My current wealth and honor were bought with my father's life."

"Listen to my command, gentlemen!" He seemed to already see the inescapable cycle of fate before him, but he did not want his son, and the sons of countless others behind him, to kneel here one day and ask the same questions he was asking now.

He refused to surrender to a fate of submission any longer, and therefore ceased to pledge allegiance to those before him, declaring, "Protect my lords!"

"Yes, sir!"

Seeing this, the ministers who were still unwilling to submit breathed a sigh of relief and cast admiring glances at the three officials. But to their surprise, the three officials were also completely bewildered. After thinking for a long time, they could only conclude that it was because Princess Shenxiao had connections and influence, and had actually managed to turn the commander of the Imperial Guards against the enemy in advance.

As for Hengbo, she merely passed a clue to He Xiao about the truth behind the death of the former Imperial Guard commander. But whether he would investigate further, whether he could find out, and if he did, what choice he would make today—all these remained unknowns for her.

This was taught to her by Shen Guitang; scheming was more effective than threatening.

Looking back now, she can be considered to have accomplished a great deal in her studies.

"Very well!" Ji Heng laughed angrily, "Since that's the case, you will all die here today."

Perhaps it was a case of initial momentum waning and eventual exhaustion, but upon hearing Ji Heng's harsh words again, the others had become somewhat calm, knowing that their lives were not meant to end today.

But Hengbo knew that this was the moment when the true intentions were revealed.

The true essence of a dynasty will now be revealed, its mysterious veil unveiled.

Nearly ten bodyguards emerged from behind beams, corners, various exquisite decorations, and any shadowy places.

Sensing danger, the imperial guards drew their swords, and in an instant, flames were about to be lit inside the palace.

Today was a perfect opportunity, but unfortunately, from the moment the wind stirred in the hall, Hengbo knew that she could not have her wish fulfilled.

"Gentlemen," a man dressed in black, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, said, "the Mid-Autumn Festival is really not a time for mutual destruction. How about we each take a step back and turn hostility into friendship?"

This person's hair was as white as snow, yet his face still looked young, and his aura was unlike that of an ordinary person.

His words were gentle, yet they were startlingly jarring in the solemn atmosphere.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Imperial Censor wanted to act according to Hengbo's expression, but they saw that her face was shockingly pale, and her dark pupils seemed to be burning with a flame that was about to incinerate everything.

Prince Sheng also noticed Hengbo's strange behavior. He subtly moved his feet and stood in front of her without making a sound.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review coughed twice to draw everyone's attention to himself before slowly asking, "May I ask who you are?" The implication was clear: Who do you think you are, and why should everyone listen to you?

The man in black chuckled, seemingly unconcerned.

But Ji Heng answered on his behalf: "Father, you didn't need to come in person." His words and attitude were more respectful than ever before, even with a hint of fear mixed in.

“That’s right,” the man in black said, seemingly jokingly, “I am the mistress of the Empress Dowager Zhengde that you’re talking about.”

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was speechless, instinctively sensing that this man was not easy to deal with. However, he still spoke slowly and deliberately: "What do you mean by 'fight to the death' and 'turn hostility into friendship'?"

The smile on the man in black's face faded: "If it's a fight to the death, then I'll kill you all, and he can forget about being the emperor. If it's a peace treaty, then everyone can forget about today's events and not say what shouldn't be said."

He looked around at everyone present and said, “I can guarantee that anyone who lets slip the secret will not see the sun rise the next day.”

"And you," he said, turning his gaze to Ji Heng, his eyes devoid of any affection for his son, "you too should restrain your methods. Don't kill those who shouldn't be killed. That way, you can continue to be your emperor."

So, how do you choose?

At this moment, Hengbo finally calmed down. After receiving her signal, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Imperial Censor both nodded, "We are willing to turn hostility into friendship."

Seeing Hengbo's cautious attitude, they guessed that this person was the outsider who had been hiding in the palace and protecting Ji Heng.

So if you run into them now, you'll just be throwing your life away for nothing.

Ji Heng could not hide his reluctance, but upon hearing the warning implied in the man's words, he finally compromised and said, "Alright."

“In that case,” the man said with a satisfied expression, “on this Mid-Autumn Festival, let’s not waste the delicious food and wine. Please continue.”

Having said that, he didn't linger and disappeared like the wind, leaving behind only a soft laugh that had no meaning for someone.

The banquet resumed, but silence reigned in the hall. Ji Heng sat on his high seat, pouring cup after cup of wine into his stomach.

He knew that his father's actions were not about the lives of these people; to him, they were like ants. This was both a warning and a punishment.

Because he had caused trouble for him, he was being punished by having to face these ministers who wanted to bring him down every day, and by making him unable to sit securely in his position.

Below, the expression on Hengbo's face had remained unchanged since the man left. His indifferent profile was exceptionally clear in the warm candlelight, yet also exceptionally sharp, like a cold weapon about to be drawn.

Just by getting close, Ji Baiyun seemed to hear the mournful cries of weapons, and he couldn't help but exclaim in worry, "Princess."

Hengbo sensed the approaching person, and in an instant, the murderous aura he hadn't had time to suppress seemed to tear the person's soul apart.

Ji Baiyun was taken aback, but immediately comforted her gently, "Princess, it's all in the past now."

Hengbo's aura gradually softened, and in an instant she resembled a harmless cat, her crystal-clear eyes filled with confusion.

Seeing her like this, Ji Baiyun felt a pang of sympathy. "I know what the princess is thinking."

He spoke softly and gently, as if he were coaxing the most beloved junior in the family, which was indeed the case.

“Unlike in the stories, my adoptive parents told me about my background when I was young. They were very good to me and did everything they could to tell me that there were far more people in this world who loved me than those who wanted me dead.”

"My joining the Undying Pavilion has nothing to do with love or hate. It's simply because Granny Green helped me remove the remaining poison from my body, and I want to help those who need me as much as possible."

"You may not believe it, but it is true. There was no hardship or painstaking effort; we just got to where we are today through ordinary means."

At this moment, his figure overlapped with Ji Jin in Hengbo's memory. Hengbo didn't doubt it, because they were just simple people.

"So, Princess, for the sake of all the people in this world who love you, don't torture yourself."

...

By the time the banquet ended and the city lights were already on, everyone had lost interest in moon-gazing after this ordeal and left in silence.

Hengbo bid farewell to everyone and walked alone on the way back to his residence.

Suddenly, the jade-white sword was drawn, blocking a glint of cold light in front of him.

"Not bad," the man in black exclaimed, though it was unclear whether he was praising the sword or the man himself.

Hengbo forced the person in front of him back, held his sword horizontally in front of him, and his sword aura continued to rise, as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

“There’s no need to be so wary,” the man in black sheathed his sword to show his harmlessness. “If I wanted to kill you, do you think you’d still be standing here right now?”

His expression grew colder on his transverse face.

“Speaking of which, you and I have quite a history,” the man said, seemingly lost in memories. “Back then, it was on the streets of Yujing that your mother begged me, wanting to exchange her own life for yours.”

“I didn’t intend to take her life. After all, she’s the most talented child I’ve ever seen in all these years, and the one I’ve poured the most effort into. But she’s delivered herself right to my doorstep,” the man said nonchalantly, “which saves me a lot of trouble.”

The blood in Hengbo's chest seemed to be gushing out of her mouth and nose, and a hoarse "hoarse" sound came from her usually silent throat.

"Ah!" The man in black was somewhat surprised. "You were actually awake at the time. You're quite stoic for such a young age."

"Wouldn't it be better to just sleep peacefully like that? Having your vocal cords severed by sword energy must have been very painful."

Hengbo doesn't actually remember how much pain she was in at the time; all she remembers is that she must endure it and that she must survive.

She could only etch that person's background into her mind forever. After all, even Qingxuzi couldn't detect that person's whereabouts. What could she do when she was powerless at the time?

Therefore, she recognized this person at first glance in the hall. What she didn't expect was that Ji Heng's biological father, the one who aided and abetted the tyrant and took away her parents twenty years ago, was actually Jiang Yingxue and Jiang Qinglan's master, and also her grandmaster.

—The tide rises!