Chapter 107 The leader in the final moments, so familiar.

[The Last Moment]

"Qin Jin, something seems off."

Ji Dian strode over, his expression grave, tinged with an indescribable subtlety: "Just now, news came from the Bang'an army that they have found the person that the Prince Xian had planted."

The Bang'an Army was stationed several miles away from Chang'an, the closest army to the imperial city. Prince Xian's treacherous plot and desire to rebel were obvious. Without a doubt, he would try to sabotage the Bang'an Army.

And indeed, that was the case. The people sent to investigate quickly returned with news that they had discovered the clues and successfully identified the individuals involved.

This should have been good news, but Ji Dian couldn't quite manage a smile. A chilling, unsettling feeling weighed on his mind, lingering there: "...This is going too smoothly, so smoothly that I suspect I'm dreaming."

"Five days ago, Prince Xian almost walked into a trap, exposing the assassins he had planted in the suburbs. Nineteen days ago, his private money exchange and casino in Chang'an, which he used to amass wealth, were shut down by us because he tried to silence the manager but failed and was instead sued."

“A month ago, the weapons he forged without authorization somehow ended up in our hands. Although we couldn't directly prosecute him due to insufficient evidence, and someone else took the blame for him, we still couldn't have imprisoned him in the mansion if we hadn't caught him with such a serious crime…”

Whenever Ji Dian talked about these things, he found it unbelievable: "In just two months, every move of the Prince Xian was full of loopholes and extremely stupid. Take that shopkeeper, for example. He had been loyal to him for many years. Why would the Prince Xian kill him for no reason? Otherwise, the shopkeeper would not have been driven to desperation to file a lawsuit against him at the yamen."

"And it wasn't just him; even his men suddenly started behaving erratically, becoming incredibly stupid..."

King Xian was certainly not a fool. At least over the years, he had never made a mistake in his behavior, nor had he done so many ridiculous and absurd things as he had recently.

Ji Dian grew increasingly alarmed and strode up to Qin Jin: "Tell me, is he setting a trap for us?"

Qin Jin was looking at official documents in his hand when he heard this and lifted his eyelids: "No one sets a trap to drive themselves to their death."

Two months ago, when Ji Dian went to seek medicine, he encountered Xue Rongyue outside the Taoist temple. Ji Dian even suspected that Taoist Huiyuan might be colluding with Xue Rongyue and harboring ulterior motives.

However, less than a week after taking the medicine, Qin Jin was able to utter some short sounds, and after half a month he was able to speak short sentences. Now he can speak normally, but he occasionally has a sore throat.

In the past two months, the Prince Xian’s series of self-destructive actions have severely weakened the Empress Dowager’s faction, and their power is waning. Now, even the Empress Dowager has fainted from anger and is still bedridden. The others have no choice but to keep a low profile.

Ji Dian stroked his chin: "Then tell me, what's going on? Could it be that the King of Xian's brain was kicked by a donkey?"

Qin Jin paused, his eyelids drooping slightly, lost in thought. After a moment, he asked, "Have the people dragged out of the Bang'an Army been interrogated...?"

Before Qin Jin could finish speaking, Guang Sheng rushed in, his face filled with shock: "My lord, outside, Granny Wang and those guards are requesting an audience!"

The calligraphy brush fell to the ground, and Qin Jin abruptly stood up.

Ji Dian was also dumbfounded: "...Wang Mama, which Wang Mama?"

Guang Sheng said urgently, "The old woman Wang who was assigned to take care of Madam Xue at her private residence, as well as the guards who were sent to protect Madam Xue, have all returned safely."

Ji Dian said in disbelief, "They...they weren't already dead? Xue Rongyue not only drugged them to escape, but also burned the house down. Those charred corpses..."

Before Guang Sheng could answer, Qin Jin seemed to suddenly understand something, his expression changed, and he strode outside.

Ji Dian, confused, quickly followed, calling out, "Qin Jin, Qin Jin! Where are you going?!"

When Ji Dian chased after him outside the mansion, Qin Jin had already mounted his horse and ridden away, leaving only the dust he had kicked up.

Worried that something might happen, Ji Dian was about to order someone to prepare a horse when someone suddenly grabbed his sleeve. Looking up, he saw an elderly woman who looked anxious and was gesturing frantically with her hands. Ji Dian realized that she must be Granny Wang.

Seeing that Ji Dian remained unmoved despite her gestures, Granny Wang was so anxious that tears streamed down her face. A guard standing nearby quickly said, "Sir, please go and save Lady Xue!"

Ji Dian was taken aback.

The carriage suddenly stopped. Xue Rongyue had just turned to the next page of the original book and hadn't even glanced at it when she nearly fell off the carriage.

"What's wrong?" Xue Rongyue frowned slightly, lifted the curtain, and asked Jingnu.

Jingnu looked ahead with a grim expression: "Madam, the carriage ahead is from the Liu family."

"Madam Xue." Liu San Niang got off the carriage with a smile and walked over. "It's been a long time. I heard you were quite ill after the autumn hunt. How are you feeling now?"

Xue Rongyue looked at her impatiently: "Get out of here."

Liu San Niang's smile froze. She hadn't expected Xue Rongyue to be so impolite. Her expression immediately changed: "Xue Rongyue, how dare you be so arrogant! Do you think things are still the same as before? Qin Jin is dead, and the Xue family doesn't acknowledge you as their daughter. Let's see who can protect you from now on!"

The situation is now as unpredictable as the wind and clouds. Qin Jin fell off a cliff and died, and was then betrayed by Liu Yuanhu and Liu Ruyu. Even after death, he will bear the infamy and be despised by people.

Furthermore, due to the emperor's sudden serious illness and inability to get up, the court was controlled by the empress dowager's faction. In the past few months, with the serious imbalance of imperial power, the initial delicate situation has gradually evolved into an unspoken understanding.

Moreover, as the emperor's health deteriorated, officials of all ranks began to choose their own paths, and Princess Yu'an was summoned to the palace by the Empress Dowager, ostensibly to serve him, but in reality, she was placed under house arrest.

As the impending storm intensified, many ordinary people and wealthy merchants chose to flee Chang'an. The once bustling city is now deserted, and the streets are rarely filled with carriages and horses, nor are there any more bustling crowds.

Even more, rumors began to circulate in Chang'an that the death of the former crown prince was related to the emperor, implying that the emperor had murdered the former crown prince to ascend the throne, and that his ascension was illegitimate and would surely be punished by heaven.

In the past, such gossip that dared to point at the emperor would have been investigated by the Imperial Guard. But now, Cao Mingyu has been demoted for his mistake, and the newly appointed head of the Imperial Guard, Lord Liu, is the Empress Dowager's cousin, so naturally he won't say much.

Desperate to regain her dignity, Liu San Niang was about to speak again when she suddenly saw Xue Rongyue pull out a whip from her waist. Startled, she took a step back: "What... what do you want to do!"

She said, her voice sharp but her tone weak, "Things are different now. My Liu family is now deeply trusted by the Empress Dowager. If you treat me disrespectfully, I will certainly..."

Before she could finish speaking, Liu San Niang saw that Xue Rongyue's whip was about to swing at her, and immediately shut her mouth in fright.

Xue Rongyue gave a cold laugh: "Lady Liu, haven't you ever heard the saying, 'Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose'?"

“You’re right. Your Liu family is now enjoying great power and prestige. If I beat you to a pulp on the street and the news spreads, who will lose face? Anyway, I’m all alone now, so I’m not afraid of losing face again.”

Upon hearing this, Liu San Niang's face turned ashen. She took two steps back, feeling embarrassed to leave. She was caught in a dilemma and began to regret her actions.

If she had known this would happen, why would she have bothered to confront Xue Rongyue? But when she thought of the humiliation she had suffered in the Imperial Garden, she was filled with hatred, to the point that she lost all reason the moment she saw Xue Rongyue's carriage.

"...My lady, we still have to go to the banquet in the palace. Let's not waste time with her." The maid beside Liu San Niang was also a little scared and gently tugged at her sleeve.

Liu San Niang immediately found an excuse, raising her chin: "You're right, I have to go to a banquet, I don't have time to argue with you."

Looking Xue Rongyue up and down, Liu Sanniang's frustration vanished. She touched the hairpin in her hair and said, "It seems that Lady Xue was not invited to this palace banquet. No wonder she was so angry."

After saying this, Liu San Niang vented her anger, but fearing that Xue Rongyue's whip would come flying, she hurriedly returned to the carriage and left.

After Liu San Niang's carriage had driven away, Jing Nu looked at Xue Rong Yue with concern: "Madam..."

Xue Rongyue gave her a reassuring smile: "It's alright, let's go."

Chang'an is almost deserted. The once bustling streets and alleys are now empty, and there are very few teahouses still open.

The carriage stopped in front of the Hudong Teahouse, and Xue Rongyue went straight to the third-floor wing room under the guidance of the servant.

Although no one was in sight, steaming hot tea and pastries had already been laid out. The servant bowed his head respectfully and said, "Please sit for a moment, madam. My husband is currently unavailable."

After saying that, he turned around, went out, closed the door, and stood guard in front of it.

Xue Rongyue waited for a full two hours.

As darkness fell, a persistent wind blew, relentlessly stripping the withered leaves from the branches. A muffled rumble of thunder echoed, and dark clouds piled up outside the window, threatening to blanket the sky and press down.

In contrast, the sounds of elegant music emanating from the palace were carried by the long wind, indicating that the palace banquet must have already begun.

Xue Rongyue stared at the candle in the room, which was about to burn out, her expression inscrutable.

When Jiang Shiyan pushed open the door, the grand banquet in the palace was still going on, but the candle had been completely extinguished, leaving only a wisp of smoke.

Just as Jiang Shiyan was about to order the servant to bring two more candles, Xue Rongyue stopped him. She looked up at Jiang Shiyan and said bluntly, "The Prince of Xian is the one in black, isn't he? The female official, the bandits, and the mastermind behind shooting me and Qin Jin in the forest are also the Prince of Xian, aren't they?"

Jiang Shiyan stopped in his tracks, then slowly sighed. After waving his hand to order the servant to leave, he stepped forward and said, "Back then, he told me he would only kill Qin Jin. I never expected him to break his promise and attack you. Otherwise, I would have definitely found a way to ensure your safety."

Xue Rongyue suddenly looked outside—

Outside, things have become chaotic.

The sound of thunderous footsteps rang out, and beams of fire illuminated the dark night. Sometime later, the elegant music in the palace stopped, replaced by the sounds of imperial guards and arresting people as they swept through the streets, along with panicked shouts.

The Hudong Teahouse was not only close to the palace, but also built high up, offering a clear view of several streets in the distance. Imperial guards clad in black armor stormed into one mansion after another, arresting one trusted minister after another.

In the flickering firelight, blood slowly flowed down the stone bricks of the long street, and a headless corpse lay across the street, a sight that chilled the heart.

Now that the Imperial Guards are controlled by the Empress Dowager's faction, it is self-evident who ordered what to do tonight.

Xue Rongyue asked, "You summoned me here tonight just to show me this?"

Jiang Shiyan moved a little closer and said with a smile, "I did this to protect you. If I hadn't called you here tonight, I was afraid you would be frightened when the Imperial Guards broke into the Princess's residence."

The noise outside grew louder and louder, mixed with angry curses, shouts and pleas for mercy, sounding like a shocking dirge in the howling wind.

"Now, no one can stop us anymore."

As he spoke, he stepped forward, intending to embrace Xue Rongyue, but Xue Rongyue pressed a hairpin against her neck: "Don't move."

Jiang Shiyan remained calm and looked at Xue Rongyue with affection: "Why do this? I know you best in this world. You are a pragmatic person. After tonight, the emperor's power will be gone, Qin Jin is dead, and only I can ensure your survival."

"My feelings for you are real. I will not let anyone who hurts you get away with it. Even if you hate me, you should know who you should rely on."

Xue Rongyue listened thoughtfully, and after a moment, she slowly put the hairpin back into her hair bun.

Seeing this, Jiang Shiyan's smile deepened, and he immediately reached out to straighten the crooked hairpin for her: "So what if we are repeatedly tricked by fate? Believe me, in this story that has already been destined, you and I are just fellow travelers."

Xue Rongyue was startled. She suddenly raised her head and looked at Jiang Shiyan, staring at him intently as if she were seeing him for the first time.

Jiang Shiyan didn't think he had said anything particularly shocking. He smiled and looked back at Xue Rongyue.

After an unknown amount of time, Xue Rongyue slowly spoke, her voice somewhat hoarse: "Then do you know what I want you to see at our meeting tonight?"

Jiang Shiyan's smile faded slightly: "I'd like to hear the details."

Xue Rongyue said, "Don't you think the noise from afar is getting louder?"

Jiang Shiyan's smile vanished completely. He strode to the window and looked towards the city gate. The city gate, which should have been closed and heavily guarded, was wide open, and a massive, dark mass of people and horses surged into Chang'an like a tidal wave.

The leader was tall and imposing, with arrogant features; he looked so familiar.

Jiang Shiyan's expression changed drastically. After realizing what was happening, he rushed outside, but stopped in his tracks as soon as he opened the door.

A sharp dagger was already held against his neck.

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A note from the author: Goodnight everyone~