Chapter 180 The Noble Young Master of a Marquis's Family (19) The Noble Young Master's Revenge and Love...

"Guards! Guards! Drag these two traitors out! Beat them to death with clubs!" Emperor Jian'an shouted hoarsely. "Where are the Imperial Guards! Imperial Guards! Patrol Battalion! Guards! Quickly, guards!"

However, only the empty echo of the bedchamber answered him. Gao Xuan knelt on the ground, not daring to move, but he knew very well that the entire court was now under Emperor Yongshou's control, and the retired emperor... his power was gone.

Emperor Jian'an shouted for a long time until his voice was hoarse, only to find that besides his rebellious son and minister, only he and Gao Xuan remained in the hall. Once, this was his palace, the place where he ruled the world. But now… everything had changed.

After a long while, Emperor Yongshou knelt down and bowed, looking directly at Emperor Jian'an, whose eyes were bloodshot, and said calmly, "Father, it's late, you should rest early."

"Rest?" Emperor Jian'an suddenly leaned closer, gritting his teeth, "Crown Prince, how can I rest? I've lost my throne, I've lost the empire! You rebellious son, you've taken everything that belonged to me! Everything!"

After saying this, Emperor Jian'an opened his mouth and bit Emperor Yongshou's arm hard, drawing blood quickly. Although Emperor Yongshou was in pain, he did not pull away and let him bite.

After a long while, Emperor Jian'an slowly relented. He collapsed onto the bed with a blank stare, as if he had lost his soul.

"His Majesty……"

"It's nothing."

Emperor Yongshou looked at his bleeding forearm and softly instructed Gao Xuan, "Take good care of the Retired Emperor. If anything happens to him, I will hold you responsible."

"Yes! Your Majesty, this servant respectfully sees you off."

Emperor Yongshou smiled and said, "Minister Song, let's go!"

"yes."

After the new emperor and his entourage left, Gao Xuan stood up tremblingly, listening to Emperor Jian'an muttering incoherently not far away: "I will not allow it, I will not allow it. I do not want to be some retired emperor, I am the emperor, the only emperor in this world... the emperor..."

From that day on, Emperor Jian'an's health deteriorated further. He stopped shouting and instead lay in bed all day, his eyes vacant and lifeless. Gao Xuan looked at the once spirited emperor, now withered and lifeless, and felt a deep sorrow in his heart.

For him, and for myself.

A few days later, Gao Xuan brought the medicine into the palace as usual, only to find Emperor Jian'an lying quietly on the bed with his eyes wide open, already lifeless.

The news of the death of the retired Emperor Jian'an in Nanping Palace quickly reached the ears of Emperor Yongshou. The young emperor, who had just ascended the throne, was reviewing memorials at the time. After hearing the report from the palace servants, his pen paused, and he slowly closed his eyes.

Emperor Jian'an's funeral was held with great solemnity. Emperor Yongshou personally escorted the coffin, weeping bitterly. The entire court, witnessing this scene, was filled with their own thoughts.

...

With the new emperor's ascension to the throne, the realm was initially at peace.

After the funeral of the retired emperor, Emperor Yongshou's desk gradually became piled high with documents from various regions.

The officials in charge of agriculture sent by Emperor Jian'an to various prefectures and counties of Dayue were adept at playing both sides. Upon learning of the Emperor Emeritus's fall from power and the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne, they immediately joined together to submit a memorial declaring their unwavering loyalty to the new emperor. Fortunately, Emperor Yongshou was of a mild temperament and did not reprimand them excessively, simply instructing them to perform their duties.

Several days later, the imperial guards responsible for guarding the Second Prince's residence rushed to report that Zhao Xuanhong and his personal bodyguard had mysteriously disappeared. Upon receiving the news, Emperor Yongshou immediately summoned Song Ce to the palace for discussion.

The new emperor, sitting on his high throne, frowned deeply and looked at Song Ce beside him, sighing, "Minister Song, the Imperial Guards have been guarding us day and night, yet the man has vanished into thin air... It's quite strange."

Upon hearing this, the commander who was waiting for the imperial decree immediately knelt down with a thud, his forehead pressed against the ground, and cried out loudly, "Your Majesty, please forgive us! We deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

“How could two people vanish into thin air in such a large palace? When did you discover that the Second Prince was missing?” Song Ce asked.

"Reporting to Lord Song, we discovered it by chance during our patrol this morning."

Song Ce nodded slightly, smiled at the worried Emperor Yongshou, and said, "Your Majesty, please leave this matter to me!"

Seeing that he had volunteered, Emperor Yongshou was greatly relieved. He nodded gently and said in a soft voice, "Minister Song, you must be careful. If there is any need, you can mobilize the troops in the city at any time." With that, he bestowed upon him a token.

Song Ce bowed and accepted the order before leaving. That same day, he led a patrol team to the gate of the Prince's Mansion and went straight inside.

At this moment, the Second Prince's residence was completely silent, exuding an eerie atmosphere.

In the dark corner of the study, Zhao Xuanhong huddled, the silver bells jingling softly as he trembled. Huai Jing held a celadon bowl, stirring the dark green medicine inside with a spoon.

Ever since he imprisoned Zhao Xuanhong here, he has forced him to drink this medicinal soup every day.

At first, Zhao Xuanhong would experience severe abdominal pain after drinking it, and later he gradually felt mentally confused, to the point that he could no longer distinguish between day and night.

"Your Highness, don't be afraid." Huai Jing blew on the medicine and bent down to feed him. "This is a calming soup that I just developed. After drinking it, you will be able to sleep well."

Zhao Xuanhong instinctively looked at the face and murmured in resistance, "No... I won't drink."

Huai Jing's voice suddenly softened, his fingertips gently tracing Zhao Xuanhong's pale cheek as he whispered, "Your Highness, people came to the manor today. Please drink your medicine obediently, and I will go and deal with them."

"Someone's here...who is it...?"

A hoarse sound came from Zhao Xuanhong's throat. He couldn't remember how long he had been trapped in this dark room. The smell of photinia mixed with the smell of herbs made it difficult for him to even breathe.

Huai Jing's lips curled into a sinister smile as he placed the medicine bowl on the stone table beside him. "It doesn't matter who it is. Today is their death day." He then gave a hysterical laugh. "Your Highness, I've already arranged new household registrations for us. Once we've dealt with these people, I'll take you far away to a place where no one can find you. Is that alright?"

"Can't find it? Okay...okay..."

Upon hearing this, Huai Jing smiled gently, picked up the medicine bowl again, scooped up the medicine and brought it to Zhao Xuanhong's lips, feeding him mouthful by mouthful until the entire bowl of medicine was finished.

Soon, Zhao Xuanhong's vision went black, and his body went limp, about to collapse. Huai Jing quickly supported his limp body and gently placed him on the bed, reaching out to tidy his disheveled hair, and coaxed him softly, "Your Highness, sleep, you'll feel better after a good night's sleep."

After saying this, Huai Jing picked up the sword beside him, turned around and walked out of the dark room.

Meanwhile, Song Ce ordered the patrol troops to search the Prince's mansion thoroughly, leaving no corner unchecked. As the one on the mission, he naturally knew the secrets of the Second Prince's study.

Song Ce's gaze swept over the bookshelf, and he went to the left side of the desk, pulling open the middle drawer. Behind the drawer was a silver clasp. He reached in and pushed the clasp to the left, and it fell into his hand.

Immediately afterward, Song Ce pulled out the entire drawer. Beneath the drawer was a hidden compartment, inside which lay the actual switch to the secret room. With a click, a dimly lit passageway appeared behind the study's display cabinet. The passageway was filled with a damp, musty smell, and the flickering candlelight on the walls faintly illuminated the steps ahead.

Just as Song Ce reached the end of the passage, he saw Huai Jing emerge from a secret room, sword in hand, a sinister smile on his face.

"Young Master Song, we've been waiting for you for a long time."

Song Ce looked at the most powerful warrior under Zhao Xuanhong and chuckled, "To make a long story short, where is the Second Prince?"

Huai Jing toyed with the sword in his hand and calmly asked, "I'm curious, how did you find this place?"

Song Ce stared calmly at the cold-gleaming sword in Huai Jing's hand and said indifferently, "Some secrets you can hide for a while, but not forever."

Upon hearing this, Huai Jing's smile grew even colder. "What a pity." Before he finished speaking, he suddenly swung his sword, aiming straight for Song Ce's throat.

Song Ce was prepared and quickly dodged to the side. He drew his soft sword from his waist and engaged Huai Jing in combat. The two exchanged fierce blows, their blades clashing with a piercing clang.

Huai Jing prided himself on his martial prowess, his moves ruthless and vicious. However, after several dozen moves, Song Ce opposite him showed no signs of being at a disadvantage, instead appearing to be handling the situation with ease. Huai Jing's heart sank suddenly, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.

He was sent to the Dark Camp by his master when he was four years old. He received the most rigorous training from childhood, eating his own kind and drinking blood to survive. He spent eighteen years crawling and rolling in piles of corpses before he learned these deadly moves. But the young master of the Marquis's mansion in front of him, who was raised in a secluded mansion and lived a life of luxury, used every move that was in no way inferior to his.

How could this be! How could this be!

Veins bulged on Huai Jing's forehead, and his swordplay became increasingly fierce and frenzied. Song Ce seized the opportunity, flicked his wrist, and his soft sword coiled around Huai Jing's sword like a serpent.

Just then, Huai Jing suddenly lost his footing, staggered back a step, and lost his grip on the sword, which fell to the ground with a thud.

"You...you drugged me?"

Huai Jing knelt heavily on one knee, glaring at Song Ce with gritted teeth, as if he wanted to devour him alive.

Song Ce stepped forward, pressed his soft sword against Huai Jing's throat, looked down at him, and smiled slightly: "In battle, deception is never too much. Tell me, where is Zhao Xuanhong?"

Huai Jing gave a cold laugh, then simply sat down on the ground, shaking his head and saying, "The Second Prince left Dayue a long time ago, and even I don't know where he went."

"Is that so?" Song Ce chuckled lightly, neither confirming nor denying.

"Yes, Your Highness..."

Before Huai Jing could finish speaking, a soft, tinkling sound drifted from a secret room not far away.

In the dim candlelight, a slender figure slowly emerged from the secret chamber. His pale face was half-hidden by disheveled hair, and a delicate silver bell was tied around his wrist and ankle—it was none other than the missing Second Prince, Zhao Xuanhong.

"Your Highness! Go back to your room! Go back now!"

Huai Jing became excited the moment he saw Zhao Xuanhong. He wanted to stand up and protect him, but he couldn't muster even the slightest bit of strength.

Zhao Xuanhong opened his eyes in confusion, his gaze sweeping over the two people, one standing and one sitting, his voice hoarse and barely audible: "Come on, someone's here..."

Looking at Zhao Xuanhong, who was weak and dazed, Song Ce seemed to feel a little regretful. "I really didn't expect that the once spirited Second Prince would end up like this."

With red eyes, Huai Jing looked up at Zhao Xuan Hong not far away and murmured, "What do you know? Everything I did was for His Highness's good!"

"For his own good?"

Song Ce sneered and said indifferently, "You've kept him locked in a dark room all day, making him mentally confused and unable to understand anything. Is this what you call doing it for his own good?"

Huai Jing suddenly coughed violently, dark red blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He stared stubbornly at Zhao Xuanhong, gritting his teeth, and said, "Your Highness's great cause is not yet accomplished. If you stay here, you will be killed by the new emperor sooner or later! I want to take him away! Take him to a place where no one can find us, and start over!"

Song Ce sheathed his soft sword, ignoring Huai Jing's frantic shouts, and instead approached Zhao Xuanhong, saying softly, "Your Highness, His Majesty has sent me to invite you to the palace."

Zhao Xuanhong seemed not to hear him, but tilted his head and looked at Huai Jing, who looked disheveled, not far away, and suddenly smiled.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Thank you for your support, my lovely reader! Sending you love! [heart emoji]