Chapter 425 The Goddess Appears, the Crown Prince Carries Out a Slaughter!

The prince felt as if everything before his eyes had gone completely dark.

A buzzing sound filled my ears.

"The Empty City Stratagem?"

"How is this possible?"

"That's Qishan, not a real city!"

"Is there a mistake?"

"Didn't the assassins we investigated earlier all disappear without a trace, and did they see the entire mountain covered with Lotus Cult members?"

"How could they all have disappeared overnight?"

"Have you actually searched carefully?"

Jiang Ruiqi lowered his head in shame: "Your Highness, there really isn't a single person in the entire mountain."

"Not only that, on our way down the mountain... we also encountered an ambush..."

"We were also badly injured."

"That's why I was delayed in returning to report..."

"It is my incompetence, Your Highness, please forgive me!"

The crown prince was so angry that his mind went blank.

Almost without hesitation, he drew his sword and pierced Jiang Ruiqi's throat in an instant.

"waste!"

"If you can't even handle this small matter, what use are you to me?!"

"Go to hell!"

Jiang Ruiqi stared wide-eyed, looking down in disbelief at the sword piercing his neck.

Without uttering a single word, he collapsed to the ground.

The court officials were all greatly alarmed by the crown prince's erratic behavior.

Minister Qu, who had also secretly come along today, mustered his courage and advised, "Your Highness, things have come to this point. We should think about how to handle the aftermath. This matter must not reach His Majesty's ears. There is still time..."

The prince wiped his face.

His expression turned numb and cold: "Yes, it's not too late."

"Quickly, retrieve the tiger tally of the Northern Army for me!"

"Furthermore, a city-wide ban—anyone who dares to spread even the slightest rumor about today's events will be executed on sight—"

"Report—"

Before he could finish speaking, the palace guards rushed over again.

"Report! Your Highness, something has happened!"

"The Lotus Goddess has appeared on the ruins of the Spring Banquet Pavilion."

"Speak, speak, we want to expose Your Highness...you...you are a fraud, a liar, a hypocrite, and a sanctimonious clown—"

The hall was completely silent.

It wasn't until another blood-stained sword pierced the guard that a low murmur of 'uproar' broke out in the hall.

The courtiers wore expressions of horror.

Everyone thought the Crown Prince had gone mad.

They actually killed two people!

At this moment, he stood in a high position, his eyes bloodshot, his whole body covered in blood, looking like a madman!

Where is even a trace of his usual gentle and refined demeanor?

Everyone was trembling with fear and dared not utter another word.

The hall, which had just been bustling with joy and laughter, was instantly plunged into a deathly stillness...

Although surprise was also evident in the Empress's eyes.

However, they quickly covered the eyes of the imperial grandson and had the wet nurse take him away.

After the imperial grandson left, she put on her imposing manner and shouted, "You're all scoundrels!"

"These fallacies were even brought before the Crown Prince and spread.

"What's the point of keeping such a fool alive?"

"Guards, drag them away immediately!"

After saying this, the Empress tried to take the sword from Duan Rongyin's hand.

He quickly waved for the court officials to leave.

After the court officials had all quietly left, the Empress grasped the Crown Prince's hand firmly.

"Yin'er, it's just the Lotus Sect. We have plenty of ways to deal with it."

What you need to do now is stay calm—

Duan Rongyin: "Mother, how can I remain calm?"

"My wife and daughters are in her hands, and I have many other weaknesses that Zongzheng Yu'er has in her grasp!"

"If she really goes all out and makes a scene, her son's reputation will be completely ruined!"

"My son must kill her himself—kill her!"

After saying this, Duan Rongyin shoved the Empress aside and quickly walked out with his sword in hand.

"Guards! Guards!"

"Mobilize all the guards in the Eastern Palace, and summon the Imperial Guards to see me immediately—"

The Empress looked anxious, her heart filled with uncontrollable panic.

"Yin'er is acting very strangely today."

"No, we can't let him continue to act so recklessly."

"Quickly, write a letter to the Gao family and ask my father to enter the palace!"

"Also, His Majesty must be kept in the dark; these matters must not be allowed to reach the Zichen Palace."

"Hurry—hurry!"

"Summon the Fourth Prince to the palace again!"

"We all prosper together, and we all suffer together."

"The Crown Prince cannot be harmed, he cannot be harmed—"

The Empress hurriedly chased after her.

A palace maid then secretly slipped into the now empty hall.

He tucked the prince's wine pot and wine cup into his robes.

Then, take out a new wine jug and wine glasses, and quietly put them back in their original places...

The crown prince's inability to control his madness was due not only to his own guilty conscience, but also, of course, to the need for a stimulant.

This prelude will surely cause the Crown Prince to lose his composure even more today and reveal his true colors.

Soon, all the people of Daliang will see what kind of true face Duan Rongyin really has.

Thinking of this, the little palace maid smiled.

The teahouse is located only fifty meters away from the ruins of Chunyanlou.

Standing on the third floor, Li Qingluo looked at the street, which was almost packed with people, then turned to Sha Yi behind her: "Your Highness and the others still haven't sent any news?"

Killer One: "Got it."

"They say they've escaped and are on their way here. Moreover, Zhuiyu and Miss Que'er have already joined His Highness."

Li Qingluo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"They will come out of the Pei family."

Has Pei Jingzhe arrived yet?

Kill One: "We can't squeeze in. But Kill Four has gone to meet Prince Pei, so it'll be quick."

Li Qinglu crossed her arms and tapped her fingers rapidly on her arms.

At this rate, the people from the imperial court and the Crown Prince's palace should be arriving soon.

The woman in white standing on the ruins of Chunyanlou is Sha Qi in disguise.

The maids standing around were all members of the "Kill" faction.

Although the crowd that surged through the three layers of people were mostly Lotus Cult members, they were no match for the imperial court's military might compared to the Lotus Cult members of the past.

Moreover, it seems that half of Nanjing's population is now stuck in the streets.

The government will not stand idly by and will surely send out an even larger force to wipe out this area soon.

Li Qingluo's original intention was simply to lure Duan Rongyin out of the palace.

Seeing that the time was almost right, she quickly said, "Let them retreat for now."

Sha Yi quickly accepted the order: "Yes!"

A moment later, a thick plume of smoke suddenly rose from under the rubble.

In an instant, the aloof Lotus Goddess and her maids were enveloped in thick smoke.

There was a lot of noise around.

Everyone says it's the ghosts of those who burned to death in the Spring Banquet Pavilion that are causing trouble.

And just then, the government officials finally arrived.

Not only government officials, but also many imperial guards.

However, when the crowd dispersed the people and looked at the ruins of Chunyan Tower, there was no sign of the Lotus Goddess.

The group looked at each other in bewilderment.

Is she really a goddess?

Otherwise, how could he have disappeared from everyone's sight in broad daylight?

The crowd erupted in uproar.

"Could this Lotus Goddess really be a goddess?"

"This...this is too amazing! He died in Qishan, then reappeared in the ruins of Chunyanlou, and then suddenly disappeared again in the blink of an eye! If he's not a real god, what is he?"

"Guess where she'll appear next time?"

"Let's go find it!"

"She didn't wait for the Crown Prince, but she will definitely appear again!"

"Come on, let's go find her quickly, find out where she might be—"

The city was instantly thrown into chaos.

Everyone has completely forgotten about the curfew.

The government was busy cleaning up the mess left by the Lotus Sect while also chasing people all over the streets to get them home as soon as possible.

Even the night watchman's gong, signaling the curfew, was sounded ahead of schedule.

The people scattered in all directions, all eagerly searching for the Lotus Goddess.

However, just as the people dispersed, the prince's carriage came to a steady stop in front of the ruins.

When he angrily flung open the carriage curtain and found no trace of Zongzheng Yu'er, he slammed the curtain shut again in a fit of rage.

"Could it be that she can really fly to the sky or disappear into the earth?!"

"I have never believed in ghosts and gods!"

"Dig! Dig through these ruins for me! Dig three feet into the ground and dig her out for me!"

At the Crown Prince's command, countless dark figures stepped forward and began to work.

Li Qing looked out the window at everything and smiled coldly: "Let it be chaotic. The more chaotic Jinling is, the more chaotic your heart will be."

Just then, Pei Jingzhe finally arrived.

It was already dark.

When Pei Jingzhe entered, he was dressed in black, as if he had already blended into the night.

Li Qingluo looked at him quietly.

He spoke first: "The magistrate of Yaoguang wants to see me. I wonder if it is as I think, that the magistrate is willing to give our Pei family a chance?"

Li Qingluo: "Let's not beat around the bush. Prince Pei, I know what your Pei family wants."

"However, your Pei family's sins are too grave to be easily forgiven!"

After a long silence, Pei Jingzhe finally raised his eyes and said calmly, "But don't you also have something to ask of our Pei family first today?"

Of the Lotus Sect followers in Manqishan, only a small number had already moved to the city.

Ninety percent of the people have now entered the passageway between the Pei family's ancestral tomb and the dungeon of the Pei State Duke's mansion outside the city.

The Zheng siblings, and even Zhuiyu and Que'er, should all be inside now.

Therefore, Li Qingluo took the initiative to negotiate peace with Pei Jingzhe.

However, making peace does not mean that the Pei family can atone for all their sins.

Li Qingluo: "It seems you already understood."

"Yes, in a quarter of an hour at most, countless people will emerge from your Pei family's dungeon."

"Whether you help conceal our whereabouts or report us to the authorities for causing a disturbance, you can make your choice now."

"However, your Duke Pei's mansion will also face the fate of being slaughtered in an instant."

"At worst, we'll fight to the death, and I'll still be alive and well. But your Pei family will be forced into a predetermined outcome."

"Would you like to give it a try, Prince Pei?"

Pei Jingzhe's face was extremely ugly.

Their entire future, that of the Duke of Pei's mansion, had its lifeline held in someone's hands.

This is why he had to repeatedly bow down to his distant cousin.

He truly had no chance against her.

"Speak, Princess Yaoguang, what exactly are your conditions?"

Li Qingluo: "I want the wronged souls and bones of those women in the Pei family dungeon to see the light of day again!"

"Their injustices have been proven to the world!"

"There is a true burial place for them in this world!"