Tianzi Mountain Villa.
"My beloved...I...I can't do it anymore..."
Emperor Yongchang collapsed on the dragon couch, his face pale, his eye sockets sunken, he was gasping for breath, and his whole body was covered in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.
Several days of excessive indulgence and overdose of powerful drugs had completely drained the last bit of vitality from his already decaying body.
Concubine Xiao was wearing a gauze dress and looked at his ugly appearance coldly, with only disgust and pleasure in her heart.
But her face showed a panic expression, and she screamed: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? Quickly call the imperial physician! Quickly call the imperial physician!"
The imperial physician crawled in, and after taking the patient's pulse, his face instantly turned pale as paper. He fell to his knees with a thud, and kowtowed profusely:
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty is suffering from exhaustion! Your dragon body has been depleted and your vitality has been severely damaged. You urgently need to rest. You must not... approach women again or use harsh drugs again! Otherwise... otherwise!"
"Trash! A bunch of trash!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongchang summoned up all the strength he could muster. He grabbed the jade ruyi beside his pillow and threw it at him, roaring, "I...I want to live forever! I want...I want to share bliss with my beloved concubine...! Give me medicine! The best medicine!"
The imperial physician was terrified and kowtowed repeatedly, "Your Majesty! It's not that we are unwilling to use the medicine, it's simply... your body can no longer bear it! If you use more medicine, I'm afraid... I'm afraid your life will be exhausted!"
Emperor Yongchang was furious and waved his arms: "Get out! Get out!"
Concubine Xiao gave a look, and the imperial physician retreated tumbling and crawling as if he had been pardoned.
She stepped forward softly, pretending to appease him: "Your Majesty, calm down. Your health is the most important thing. Please rest for a few days. When you feel better, I will serve you well..."
Emperor Yongchang grabbed her hand, his eyes cloudy and filled with fear: "My beloved concubine... I will not die... right? I am the Son of Heaven... Long live..."
"Of course, long live His Majesty..."
Concubine Xiao snuggled up to him, her voice sweet but her eyes cold as ice. She thought to herself, "It's almost time... old thing, you'll soon pass away..."
......
Three days before the wedding. Early morning.
Zhao Muyun was dressed in military uniform and a crimson official robe, and walked out of the mansion with a solemn expression.
Outside the gate, a hundred elite cavalrymen were waiting in formation, their armor gleaming and their flags fluttering.
Wu Shangzhi, wearing armor and holding a spear, stood by.
A plainly decorated carriage stopped in the middle of the procession.
"Open the central gate! I must personally proceed to the Tianzi Mountain Villa to express my gratitude to Your Majesty and to report on the latest defense developments in the northern border!"
Zhao Muyun's voice was clear enough for all the "ears" around to hear.
The team set off slowly, passing through the gradually bustling streets and heading towards the city gate.
The news was transmitted back to the East Palace almost instantly.
"He really did come out! And he even came under the pretext of expressing gratitude and reporting!"
Crown Prince Yinzhao stood up suddenly, his eyes flashing with excitement and cruelty. "Good! Very good! Tell the people in Black Wind Gorge to prepare! Follow orders! Make sure it's done cleanly and neatly, like a tragic robbery!"
Originally, he planned to ignore Zhao Muyun and let him marry Prince Jin.
However, the information he accidentally received made him change his mind immediately.
It turned out that when he was drinking wine with Chen Xiong and Gu Dingming and imagining the future, Concubine Xiao's personal eunuch slipped out to report to him that the concubine's personal maid had been kidnapped. Concubine Xiao was at a loss and hurried to discuss with the prince.
The prince was immediately shocked, because this personal maid knew about his secret meeting with Concubine Xiao.
The people who captured her should have quickly learned from her about the affair and conspiracy between the Crown Prince and Concubine Xiao.
How can this be tolerated?
The prince hurriedly asked Chen Xiong to send someone to investigate secretly, but he "accidentally" discovered that the person who kidnapped the imperial concubine's personal maid was Zhao Muyun's subordinate.
This caused the prince to suddenly change his mind and decide to get rid of Zhao Muyun.
"yes!"
Chen Xiong took the order and immediately turned around to make arrangements.
......
The convoy left the capital and sped up.
Zhao Muyun sat in the carriage, closed his eyes and rested, his fingers gently stroking the embroidered spring sword placed in the secret compartment of the carriage.
The scenery outside the car window gradually changed from prosperous to desolate.
Wu Shangzhi rode closer to the window and whispered, "Captain Zhao, there are spies from the Eastern Palace following us. The brothers who were scouting ahead reported that the birds in the woods on both sides of the Black Wind Gorge are flying away in terror. There are indeed ambushes, and there are quite a few of them."
"Um."
Zhao Muyun opened his eyes, his gaze calm. "According to the plan. Tell the brothers that when the time comes, each of you will act according to the plan. Preserving yourself is the most important thing, and there is no need to fight to the death."
"clear!"
As the sun rose higher, the convoy finally arrived at the entrance of Black Wind Gorge.
The canyon was like a hideous wound in the earth, with gusts of cold wind making the flags flutter.
The convoy drove into the canyon without hesitation.
The road became narrower and the light dimmed.
Just when the convoy reached the deepest part of the canyon!
“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!”
A sharp sound of breaking through the air suddenly rang out from the cliffs on both sides!
Countless arrows poured down like a torrential rain!
In an instant, several cavalrymen screamed and fell off their horses after being shot by arrows!
"There's an ambush! Protect my lord!"
Wu Shangzhi roared at the top of his lungs and waved his spear to block the arrows.
The cavalry quickly retreated, surrounding the carriage in the middle and forming a crude barrier with their shields.
The rain of arrows stopped for a moment, and deafening shouts of killing broke out from the dense forests on both sides!
Hundreds of masked men in black rushed down with sharp blades in hand, and instantly engaged in a fight with the escort cavalry!
The battle was extremely brutal, with the sounds of swords clashing, shouts, and screams echoing throughout the canyon!
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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