It turned out that the tugging and pulling earlier was just the father and son deliberately stalling for time.

And a huge bombshell was unexpectedly dropped.

Xiao Chengyao is not Xiao Jing's son, but Dugu Xuancheng's biological son raised under Xiao Jing's name!

Seeing this, Dugu Xuancheng and Xiao Chengyao were both furious.

Dugu Xuancheng finally couldn't hold back any longer and gave an order, "Men, kill the Crown Prince and seize the Imperial Seal!"

Whoever performs this service will be granted the title of Duke after I ascend the throne.

A great reward will surely attract brave men, so even though Dugu Jue's aura was terrifying, people still rushed towards him one after another.

Seeing this, Dugu Ran wanted to help, but was grabbed by Consort Chen.

"Mind your own business!"

Upon hearing this, Dugu Ran was once again incredulous, "Mother!"

Without saying a word, Consort Chen pulled him back, saying, "Your mother is doing this for your own good. You should listen to your mother."

After a brief moment of confusion and anger, Dugu Ran tossed Consort Chen aside and called on everyone, "Dugu Xuancheng has usurped the throne and is utterly wicked. Everyone, follow me and we must not let them seize the Imperial Seal!"

"He's so cruel, ruthless, and cunning; if he becomes emperor, how can we, the Yan people, possibly survive?"

In an instant, blood splattered inside the hall, and a chaotic battle raged on.

Dugu Jue took the lead, tied the swaddling clothes to his waist with a belt, stepped onto the table and leaped out, in his hand a Shangfang sword with a cold gleam.

That was a national treasure that was enshrined in the Wenyuan Pavilion year-round, symbolizing the balance between civil and military affairs.

"Kill the treacherous officials, exterminate the national traitors, kill them!"

"Waaaaaah..."

Mixed with the cries of infants, the solemn and dignified Wenyuan Pavilion was transformed into a scene of carnage, filled with the wailing of ghosts and howls of wolves.

When the Shen family army, armed with Chu Yuan's specially made weapons, charged straight into the Wenyuan Pavilion and smashed open the palace gates, Chu Yuan's eyes were met with a scene of carnage and horrific chaos.

The child, nestled on Dugu Jue's back, let out a faint cry, proving that he was still alive.

But Dugu Tianxiong shielded the child with his own body. A sharp, gleaming sword was held in Dugu Xuancheng's hand at one end, while the other end was deeply pierced into Dugu Tianxiong's abdomen.

Chu Yuan was both terrified and at a loss.

The next second, Dugu Jue killed the enemy in front of him, turned around, raised his arm, and swiftly intercepted the enemy. The sword blade, which could cut through iron like mud, quickly sliced ​​through Dugu Xuancheng's throat.

In an instant, a thin, thread-like bloodstain appeared on that wheat-colored neck.

After a moment's pause, blood splattered.

It rained down all over Dugu Jue and also sprinkled on the face of the crying child.

Chu Yuan's eyelids twitched violently, her heart clenched, and she rushed towards the father and son.

At the same time, Xiao Chengyao shouted "Father Emperor!" and finally knocked Dugu Ran unconscious with a single palm strike.

What I saw when I turned around made my eyes widen in horror.

He refused to believe that Dugu Xuancheng was dead, and even more so, he refused to believe that the throne, which was clearly within his grasp, had been lost so easily.

However, when the Shen family army swarmed in and surrounded Wenyuan Pavilion, with countless crossbows aimed at him, he had no choice but to admit defeat.

With a clang, Xiao Chengyao wisely threw down the sword in his hand.

To show surrender.

He's not stupid. Xiao Jing and Dugu Xuancheng are both dead. He's not the mastermind, so he still has a glimmer of hope.

In any case, being alive is always the best thing.

Unfortunately, the lonely Pingting he brought along was not thinking clearly. She actually tried to harm Chu Yuan when Chu Yuan went to Baohua Palace to breastfeed her son. As a result, she was arrested as well.

Dugu Jue was in a bad mood because he failed to save Dugu Tianxiong, so he took out his anger on Dugu Pingting, torturing her until she was half dead.

Dugu Pingting finally couldn't hold back and revealed her relationship with Xiao Chengyao.

She vaguely knew that Xiao Jing and his son had something on their minds, and that her father, who was hanging out with these two, was definitely not a good person either.

It's unclear how far they've progressed, or whether they've succeeded or failed.

With her tendons severed, Dugu Pingting lay prostrate on the straw in the cell, looking up at Chu Yuan who was holding a child. "You killed me, my father will not let you get away with this!"

Chu Yuan sneered, "Your father? The Prince of Xiaoyao's rebellion failed, and he has been executed!"

"What did you say?" Dugu Pingting stared blankly, her last vestige of life seemingly fading away.

Filled with resentment.

Why can't it succeed?

Why does Heaven always side with Ji Yunyuan?

Suddenly, she realized that she was Dugu Ling's cousin.

My dearest cousin!

Did Dugu Ling really kill her with a single, ruthless strike?

So Dugu Pingting turned her head away with all her might and burst into tears, “Crown Prince, I was wrong, I was really wrong. I beg you, spare my life. Anyway, I’m a cripple now and I’m no threat to you. Just treat me like a bug in the gutter, kick me away and don’t look at me anymore, okay?”

"It's precisely because of these kinds of bugs that they have such strong vitality," Chu Yuan said indifferently.

If it weren't for her system that gave Chang'er the Golden Bell Shield, and if it weren't for Dugu Tianxiong's pity for the child, Chang'er would have already died!

Admitting mistakes? If admitting mistakes were enough, what would be the point of having government offices?

Seeing Chu Yuan's unprecedentedly cold expression, Gu Dujue carefully hooked her palm with his little finger, not even giving Dugu Pingting a second glance, "Yuan'er, what do you think we should do?"

Chu Yuan lifted the child up a little higher. The chubby little guy let out a long sigh, which was actually because his lungs had run out of air after crying so hard, and he was only now calming down.

The little guy was protected by an invincible shield, and not a single scratch was broken, but he was still quite frightened. Even now, when he's asleep, his eyebrows are slightly furrowed, and he refuses to leave Chu Yuan's embrace for the slightest.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!