Chapter 453 Flying Blade

After handing over the military power, Yun Chen hurried back to Yong'an Palace again. Exactly three hours had passed.

A lot can happen in three hours, enough to change everyone's destiny.

Thinking about Yunlian City and Hua family, Yun Chen ran fast and hurriedly all the way. He had no time to bandage his wounds, and he didn't even have time to drink water.

In addition, he hadn't slept for a day and a night, so Yun Chen looked disheveled, his face was a little pale, and his lips were chapped and peeling.

But her eyes were sparkling, filled with joy and anticipation.

She was happy that she had surrendered her military power and saved everyone's lives.

No matter what happens next, whether Nan Lijun orders her, Huo Gannian, Rong Yi, Duan Jie... all of them to be dismissed from their posts or have their property confiscated, as long as there is no bloodshed or sacrifice, it will be the best result.

Yun Chen was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't notice that Su Zhengyang was not there. After taking over the military power, he did not return to the palace immediately. The trusted imperial guards he had always arranged were also not there.

The imperial guards in front of her were all unfamiliar with her, with serious and alert expressions. They unceremoniously put on shackles that were even heavier than before.

The heavy iron shackle weighing a full 150 kilograms was combined from both sides, clamping her neck tightly. It caused pain in her shoulders and her body to shrunk a few inches.

Two imperial guards roughly twisted her arms and handcuffed them to an iron shackle with iron chains, then lifted a hundred-pound iron block and tied it to her feet.

In this way, no matter how powerful her martial arts skills are, she cannot escape this simplest and most brutal torture instrument.

After putting on shackles and shackles, twenty imperial guards escorted Yun Chen straight to an unfamiliar palace.

It was only a short distance of a hundred feet, but Yun Chen's neck and shoulders were rubbed red, swollen and painful by the 150-jin iron shackle.

She gritted her teeth and endured it, taking a difficult step forward, only to see Nan Lijun sitting firmly on the high seat, with hundreds of imperial guards standing solemnly beside him.

Huo Gannian was wearing the same torture instruments as her and was escorted up from another direction by twenty imperial guards.

"Anian." Yun Chen called softly.

Huo Gannian raised his head and smiled with difficulty. The redness and swelling on his neck were even more frightening than Yun Chen's, and there were already signs that the skin was about to break. It seemed that the iron shackles were heavier than Yun Chen's, and it was so heavy that he had difficulty turning his head.

"I'm fine." He blinked and said soothingly.

Yun Chen naturally saw the injuries on his body clearly, and was instantly heartbroken. He wanted to take a step forward, but was immediately forcibly pinned down by two imperial guards and knelt down in front of Nan Lijun.

The same thing happened to Huo Gannian, who was forced to bow his head and kowtow.

Although their bodies were bowing, their heads were facing each other at the same time.

Two pairs of eyes met in the air and entangled tightly.

This scene made Nan Lijun on the high seat couldn't help but sneer.

She played with the two military tokens she had just obtained, one in the shape of a lion and the other in the shape of a tiger. Now, along with the 500,000-strong army, they were firmly in her hands.

Nan Lijun was in an increasingly good mood as he successfully eliminated the power of Huo Gannian and Yun Chen and made them his own support. He was no longer bothered to pretend to be a heartbroken monarch deceived by treacherous ministers.

She stretched out her delicate jade fingers, picked up the tiger-shaped military talisman, and spun it on the teacup like a spinning top, making a tinkling sound. Then she threw it into the boiling hot tea, closed the cup lid with a "snap", and said with a fox-like smile:

"Yun Chen, I keep my word. Since you have returned your military power, I will pardon your death penalty. The chief criminal, Huo Gannian, will be stripped of his power and dismissed from his post, and imprisoned in the Huo Mansion. Your accomplices, Duan Jie, Fu Lin, Rong Yi, and Luo Dongdong, will be demoted to ordinary soldiers. Yun Wang, his family, and the rest of the Yun clan will be exiled to Lingnan."

The last sentence shocked Yun Chen. She didn't understand why Yun Wang received the heaviest punishment? And why did it also implicate Bai Shi, Yun Lan, Yun Tian and others who were far away in Youzhou?

Exiled to Lingnan? It means that the whole family, young and old, will have to walk thousands of miles on foot!

Not only were there numerous yamen runners, oppression, and bandits along the way, but what a miserable place Lingnan was! The weather was hot and humid, and there were poisonous snakes, insects, and ants everywhere.

Yun Chen’s stepmother, Mrs. Bai, is nearly fifty years old, Yun Liancheng is only six years old, and Yun Tian’s youngest child is only two years old!

A family like this, with its elderly, weak, women and children, might lose their lives before they even reach Lingnan!

Yun Chen was in a panic and took a step on his knees, but the heavy iron shackles made his body stagger.

"Your Majesty, why are my family members being punished so harshly? They know nothing about state affairs and had nothing to do with last night's coup! Please be lenient with them and punish only me!"

"You know nothing?" Nan Lijun sneered and raised his hand to throw something in front of Yun Chen.

Yun Chen looked down and saw a neat and beautiful piece of pine soot ink, which was only bestowed by the imperial palace.

Yun Chen didn't understand what this meant, and then he heard Nan Lijun say:

"The Huo Gang rebelled, but your Yun family is innocent? Yun Wang was the disciple of the traitor Ni Kun. Before Ni Kun's death, he secretly colluded with him and gave him many things from your Yun family! So, do you still dare to say that the Yun family is innocent and knows nothing about government affairs?!"

This news caught Yun Chen off guard.

She naturally remembered the old man with holes in his linen cuffs, who considered himself a traitor, but smiled so elegantly, kindly, and with such insight into the world.

But no one had ever told her that Yun Wang was his disciple and had the same temperament as him.

Yun Chen didn't know about these things, so how did Nan Lijun know about them? Who informed the secret about Yun Wang and Ni Kun?

She instinctively looked at Huo Gannian, accustomed to thinking that no matter what difficult questions she couldn't figure out, Huo Gannian should know them. However, Huo Gannian didn't look up at her, but frowned and said to Nan Lijun:

"Your Majesty, even if Yun Wang is Ni Kun's student, it is far-fetched to conclude that Yun Wang also has the intention of rebellion. Besides, the disaster will not affect his family, so there is no need to implicate his relatives."

"Don't let the disaster reach my family?" Nan Lijun seemed to be amused by this sentence. He slowly picked up the cup and blew on the jasmine petals on it. With a calm and playful smile on his lips, he said softly:

"I remember that when you were still the young master of the Huo Gang, you dealt with a traitor named Huo Shuming. Almost his entire family was implicated and strangled. Why didn't you say that the disaster would not affect his family?

Huo Gannian, for so many years you have regarded yourself as your teacher, always giving me orders. Alas, I have lived up to your expectations and received your true teachings, haven't I? You want me to forgive Yun Wang, on what basis?"

The sarcastic and hateful tone clearly showed a long-standing grudge against Huo Gannian.

Yun Chen understood it, but he could never guess that Nan Lijun had been brewing malicious intentions for many years.

She endured the pain of the iron shackle on her neck, kowtowed deeply, and looked at Nan Lijun earnestly:

"Your Majesty, please have mercy. Yun Wang's matter has nothing to do with Ah Nian! Just go to me. As long as you can forgive my family, I will do anything you ask me to do—"

"Chen'er!" Huo Gannian stopped him urgently.

Nan Lijun's smile widened, it was obvious that Yun Chen had bitten the fish hook, which was exactly what she wanted.

Nan Lijun asked with a smile, "Are you serious?"

Huo Gannian shook his head vigorously, signaling Yun Chen to stop talking. However, Yun Chen hesitated for a moment, then kowtowed again and solemnly promised:

"Seriously! As long as you can forgive my family!"

Nan Lijun pretended to think about it:

"Exile is already the minimum punishment and cannot be changed. Then... don't go to Lingnan. Instead, send you to Youzhou. You, the Yun family, should return to where you came from. Yun Chen, this is already my greatest forgiveness."

This order seems lenient, but in fact it is extremely humiliating.

Regardless of whether Yun was truly guilty or was framed, people say that returning home in glory is the most glorious thing. So, what could be more shameful than returning home in disgrace?

The once powerful and prestigious family has now become prisoners, their mansion has been confiscated, their clothes have been stripped off, and the whole family has to squeeze into a shabby and low alley.

The people in the market that I once looked down upon are now on equal footing with me. The Yun family, who were already difficult to deal with, have been implicated this time and will make things difficult for me in the future.

In Nan Lijun's opinion, this is the best way to torture people.

Yun Chen naturally couldn't see through this malicious "forgiveness". She kowtowed again with gratitude, and sincerely thanked the emperor for his grace. But she heard Nan Lijun's cruel voice, floating coldly and ruthlessly above the magnificent palace. She said with some reluctance, but more happily,

"I can forgive you this way, provided you agree to my marriage."

Granted marriage?

Yun Chen had never imagined that at this point, Nan Lijun would still want to help her and Huo Gannian get together? To fulfill the promised marriage that had been promised all those years ago?

Yun Chen was quite surprised and looked at Huo Gannian, but saw that he was not surprised at all. Instead, he gave her a forced and pale smile.

For the first time, the phoenix eyes that had always been calm and composed were filled with forcedly concealed panic.

Then, Yun Chen heard Nan Lijun's words that were like a bolt from the blue:

"I will grant you a marriage as promised to Huo Gannian. I will betroth Zhiluo to Huo Gannian, and you, Yunchen, will be given to Yan Qing."

Just two short sentences, just a few dozen words, were like a blow to the head, shaking Yun Chen's whole body. His head was buzzing, his body was swaying in place, and everything in front of him suddenly turned into a blurry slow motion.

Maybe it's just a blink of an eye, or maybe it's as long as ten thousand years.

Yun Chen saw Huo Gannian roaring with unprecedented anger from his throat, rushing towards Nan Lijun with red eyes, but was swarmed by the imperial guards and easily kicked down.

He struggled to stand up, but was knocked down again.

Stand up again, fall down again...

Until a sharp mechanical sound was heard, and a sharp flying blade shot out from the darkest corner, piercing his knee from behind, causing him to fall to the ground and unable to get up.

The heavy iron shackles slammed heavily on the palace bricks, making a dull sound louder than thunder.

His neck, chin, shoulders... were all covered in blood, showing signs of being rubbed by the iron shackles.

The flying blade that pierced his knee turned the entire knee into a bloody mess. The shattered kneecap fragments stuck out of the flesh and mixed with blood, falling to the ground with a clatter.

Huo Gannian's face turned pale with pain, and his lips kept trembling, but he stared at Nan Lijun intently, wanting to attack again.

At this time, the second flying blade came through the air, brushed past the flesh of Huo Gannian's other leg, and knocked him to the ground again.

Nan Lijun stood up from the high seat slowly, without looking at Huo Gannian, but said to Yun Chen:

"Are you still not agreeing? If you don't, the next stab won't miss. From now on, your Anian will be in a wheelchair again. Oh no! There's no more wind-eroded grass in this world. If your legs become disabled, there's nothing you can do!"

These words made Yun Chen open his eyes suddenly, and he woke up and realized the terrible consequences.

She couldn't help but tremble all over, looked at Nan Lijun in disbelief, and then looked dejectedly at Huo Gannian who was still crawling on the ground and struggling, trying to resist the arranged marriage.

If he does not agree to this arranged marriage, Huo Gannian will lose his legs forever.

If they don't agree, the Yun family will be exiled to Lingnan and die in the desolate and distant journey.

If he doesn't agree, Nan Lijun still has a million ways to force Yun Chen to surrender!

After all, there are Rong Yi, Luo Dongdong, Duan Jie, Fu Lin... and their families...

These are all the weak points held by the king. Any one of them is enough to force the most fearless hero in the world to bow his head.

Standing at this desperate end, Yun Chen seemed to hear a mountain-shattering and earth-shattering wail coming from his chest.

She opened her mouth, which was almost full of the smell of blood, and swallowed the tears that were as painful as a knife. She closed her eyes and said in a trembling voice:

"I promise."

She didn't dare to open her eyes for a long time, and didn't dare to look at Huo Gannian.

The heavy iron shackles made her body sway. The high tension of a day and a night was finally released at this moment, and all her hopes were shattered at this moment.

In the last moment before fainting, Yun Chen heard Nan Lijun's unbridled laughter and Huo Gannian's endless sorrowful cries...

Nan Lijun was so high and mighty, and said to Huo Gannian with the attitude of a victor:

"By now, you should understand, Huo Gannian. You, like Ni Kun, are both smarter and stronger than me. You don't respect me because you feel deep down that I'm not as good as you. But Huo Gannian, you must know that this world is not ruled by capable people who take my position, but by capable people who serve as my subjects."