Chapter 125

Zhou Junsong laughed instead. "There are many people in this world who are unwilling to live a life of ignominy. They may be loyal ministers or good generals, but few can sit on the throne. Is it because they are afraid of death or because they endure humiliation? Auntie is too naive."

"It's precisely because of my naiveté, because I only want to be a loyal minister and general, that I don't want to stay here. Many people will die, and perhaps the King of Qin and I will be among them, but it all depends on whom we are loyal to, isn't it?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Auntie still likes to make deals with people too much. Do you think I'll trust you again?"

Seeing that the transaction was no longer effective, the only option left was to resort to force.

"Third Prince, are you being so cautious because you're still praying that you can rightfully obtain the throne?"

Zhou Junsong remained silent.

She added, "What if I told you that the poison in Consort Shu's medicine for preventing miscarriage was done by the Southern Emperor on the orders of the Southern Empress? Your Highness, you've wronged the person you're hating."

"What did you say?" Zhou Junsong's eyes sharpened, and he grabbed her throat.

Seeing this, Si Yunyun tried to step forward to stop them, but was blocked by the guards.

The man's arm tightened rapidly, her face flushed red, and she gasped for breath, managing to utter a few words: "He wants... to kill you... not just you... he doesn't intend... for any of his sons... to live..."

A hint of fear flashed in Zhou Junsong's eyes, but his grip tightened even more. "You want to use this to make me let you go?"

Si Yanmo found it laughable that he refused to believe what he was saying, even though he clearly knew it was true.

His mother had been wary of him for so long in an effort to protect him, yet he still harbored illusions about his father and longed to hear his praise. Perhaps his obsession with the throne also stemmed from his father's despicable genes.

"Don't you... understand? You want... his... approval, yet you're... wary of... him. Isn't that... ridiculous?"

"Shut up!"

Zhou Junsong abruptly shoved her aside, watching her gasp for breath. He felt both resentful that this woman had exposed everything, and yet he had to admit that what she said was true.

Si Yanmo finally recovered and said, "So you really think that by working so hard for him now... he'll trust you? You don't even trust him yourself, do you? Then why be his lackey?"

In his previous life, Zhou Junsong never understood this principle and secretly planned to become the crown prince. It wasn't until Consort Shu died in childbirth while giving birth to his younger brother that he learned that the Southern Emperor had been secretly sending people to poison Consort Shu, just to prevent her from giving birth to a prince.

To be precise, he did not want anyone to give birth to a prince before he had served his full term.

Zhou Junsong then conceived the idea of ​​seizing the throne and began secretly drugging the Southern Emperor, using his own methods against him.

Within two years, the Southern Emperor died suddenly, and he successfully ascended the throne.

Now, Si Yanmo just wants to speed things up.

She stood up again. "Third Prince, you should know in your heart that your real enemy has never been me, nor the Prince of Qin."

A hint of emotion finally appeared in the man's eyes. Just as she was about to press her advantage, an arrow suddenly shot out from somewhere. Zhou Junsong quickly reached out and pulled her away, turning back to see the archers on the palace wall.

The familiar figure made him realize that it belonged to the Southern Emperor.

He wanted to speak to indicate that he had captured Si Yanmo, but the next second, his superiors, indiscriminately shooting arrows down, seemed intent on killing them all.

Everyone immediately retreated back into the palace, and Zhou Junsong locked her and Si Yunyun in a room, saying, "No matter what happens in the future, don't come out."

He gave Si Yanmo a deep look, "Take good care of her."

Watching him stride out the door, Si Yunyun wanted to chase after him, but Si Yanmo grabbed her arm.

"Sister! You can't go out now!"

Si Yunyun refused to listen. "His Majesty has already decided to kill him. It's so dangerous outside. How can I leave him alone?"

"So you're really at ease leaving your child?"

Si Yanmo pointed to her nephew in the cradle behind her, who was crying because of the sounds of swords and spears outside. This calmed her down, and she ran over to hug the child, but she was still uneasy. "But..."

Si Yanmo pressed down on her hand and pulled her own dagger from her boot. "Sister, don't worry, I'll go. But you mustn't go out!"

Si Yunyun hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

She doesn't know martial arts, so she wouldn't be of much help if she went out. It's better not to hold them back.

When Si Yanmo came out, the courtyard was already full of people, and Zhou Junsong and his guards were also injured.

He saw Si Yanmo come out and kicked away an attacking enemy, saying, "Didn't I tell you to take good care of your sister?"

"If something happened to you, she wouldn't have survived alone!" With that, Si Yanmo joined the fray.

Only then did she realize how useful Zhou Yanqing's previous teachings had been. She had thought it was her own incompetence that she couldn't defeat Qi Muchen back then, but now, fighting these people, she was taking them down one by one.

Even with her effort, she couldn't fight against so many opponents. Including her, there were only about ten guards in Zhou Junsong's palace.

The Southern Emperor was indeed determined to kill them all. He had archers above him and dozens of personal guards below him, each of whom was a master.

Soon, Si Yanmo and Zhou Junsong appeared to be somewhat exhausted.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhou Junsong quickly moved to her side and whispered, "There is a secret passage in the study that leads directly to the outside of the palace. Take your sister out!"

"Then what will you do?"

"You're still worrying about me at a time like this? Weren't you just advising me not to be a coward?" he laughed.

Just as Si Yanmo was about to say something, another person rushed up. Zhou Junsong quickly pulled her away, thrust his sword at her, and shouted back at her, "Run!"

Si Yanmo was not one to linger in battle. She knew that if they didn't leave now, they might not be able to leave later.

She stepped back and slipped into Si Yunyun's room, telling her to take the child and go to the study together.

Upon hearing this, Si Yunyun seemed to understand something.

She and Si Yanmo came to the study through the back door, found the secret passage, and placed her child in her sister's arms. "Mo'er, you said you care about your husband's safety, and so do I."

With that, she pushed Si Yanmo into the secret passage and closed the door, saying, "Take good care of the child for us!"

"Sister!" Si Yanmo pounded on the door anxiously and angrily, frantically trying to figure out who else could help.

Meanwhile, Si Yunyun took a sword from the study. She had never learned any martial arts, except for a little bit of it when she was a child, in order to protect her younger sister.

I never thought I'd need it now.

Looking at the endless stream of large swords rushing towards him, Zhou Junsong was exhausted, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.

Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in attention, someone swung a large knife at him. He tried to lift his shoulder but found he had no strength left.

Just when he thought he was about to die, a sword blocked the attack for him. He looked closely and saw that it was his wife.

"Didn't we tell you to leave?"

Si Yunyun helped him up. "Do you think I would leave you alone, my husband?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Junsong was filled with mixed emotions.

He did indeed fall in love with Si Yunyun at first sight at the Lantern Festival banquet, but he always reminded himself that love could not withstand the power before him. He could abandon his love at any time for power.

But Si Yunyun was different from everyone else. She understood his persistence in all of this, and she was willing to become his support.

Aside from their relationship with Si Yanmo, they were practically the most compatible couple.

He didn't seem to have treated her well in the past, so why was this woman still willing to stay and die with him?

"Fool," he murmured softly, thinking that if he could get through this, all he wanted was to be with his wife; he didn't care about anything else.

The two fought fiercely in the courtyard, while Si Yanmo, inside the secret passage, was trying to find a way out.

The door to the secret chamber was made of stone slabs, and it was difficult to open unless a mechanism was activated from the outside, not to mention that she was holding a child in her arms.

She had no choice but to use a dagger to pry open the gap, while her little nephew beside her was still crying.

"Don't cry, don't cry, hang in there, Auntie will take you to find your parents soon."

Then she noticed a gap at the top of the stone slab where it connected to the mechanism, which seemed to be able to counter the mechanism.

She quickly found some stones and stepped on them.

These stones were oddly shaped and somewhat unstable when piled together. She tried to insert the dagger into the crevice, but after several attempts, she missed it each time.

At that moment, her attention was entirely focused on the crack, and she didn't notice at all that the stone beneath her feet was quietly loosening.

Just as she tiptoed to reach the gap again, a small stone broke off, and the entire pile of stones collapsed instantly, causing Si Yanmo to fall heavily to the ground.

Unexpectedly, the stone slab started to rotate the next second.

Just moments ago, at the critical moment, she swiftly thrust her dagger into the crevice, successfully countering the mechanism.

She glanced at her little nephew beside her and quickly hid him in a cabinet in the study.

"Be good, don't make a sound, your aunt will be back soon."

She closed the cabinet door, leaving only a crack, then unfastened her waistband and tore a small packet from the fabric of her innermost garment. Inside was some kind of powder, which she clutched in her hand.

As soon as she pushed open the door, thousands of arrows flew towards her. She quickly closed the door and only opened it again after hearing no more noise outside.

Seeing that Zhou Junsong and Si Yunyun were still fighting against the group, she sneaked over to a wounded guard and asked, "Hey, do you have any gunpowder?"

The guard was leaning against the wall, his abdomen stabbed and he was in so much pain that he was barely conscious. Hearing her words, he nodded subconsciously, wanting to get it for her, but he didn't have the strength.

"In... my arms, on the left." He had no choice but to gesture for Si Yanmo to take it herself.

Without any hesitation, she reached into a small powder tube, poured her packet of powder into it, and lit it with a torch.

The gunpowder instantly turned into fireworks that burst into the sky, leaving everyone stunned.

Unfortunately, the person fighting Zhou Junsong seized the opportunity and stabbed him with a knife.

"Zhou Junsong!" Si Yanmo wanted to go over, but it was too late.

The knife pierced through, but it was Si Yunyun who was injured—in that instant, she shielded her lover.