Chapter 279
Tao Tao reached out and pushed him away, then walked straight in front of him, lifting a corner of the black cloth to see that familiar yet unfamiliar face.
She frowned, racking her brain, and finally found the person in some corner of her memory.
He is Qi Heng's uncle and a member of the Qiu family.
The Qiu family was convicted of treason. Did he flee to Suizhou? Or was there something in Suizhou that made him want to go there?
Could it be true that the Qiu family is plotting a rebellion, and that Suizhou is their stronghold?
Qiu Yanwen stared at the young woman in front of him, his eyes wide with confusion, clearly not recognizing her.
But that didn't stop him from pleading with her, his eyes full of pleas, his mouth gagged as he sobbed as if he wanted to say something to her.
The next second, Tao Tao put down the black cloth, turned her head and said coldly, "What's there to hide about someone like this?"
Zhang Cheng said with a grin, "Miss is right, it's all Leng Xu's fault."
"However... it might not be appropriate for Miss to return to the capital at this time. Why don't you go back to Luzhou for a while first?"
"What are you talking about? I'm already here, why would I go back?"
Tao Tao turned back to the carriage and said to Leng Qiao, "Let's go into the city."
Zhang Cheng slapped his forehead in exasperation. He had no way to deal with this woman with such a bad temper. After all, she was the apple of the Fourth Master's eye.
He had no choice but to wave his hand and make way for them, letting those who came later go first.
Suddenly the carriage in front stopped again, and Tao Tao said to Leng Chuan, "You go with them."
“Miss…” Leng Chuan looked up at her, looking a little confused.
She bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Then you are not allowed to tell on us. Tell the people behind you to leave too. They can go back anywhere, but they are not allowed to follow us."
Leng Chuan pondered for a moment, then looked at the soldiers following closely behind him and told them to return to the Privy Council.
Tao Tao walked up to Leng Chuan and said, "Turn around."
At this moment, Leng Chuan became a little wary, and unconsciously took a step back, staring intently at her, afraid that she might do something wrong.
"What do you mean by this? I'm not going to lay a hand on you."
She looked at him with amusement.
"Never mind, let's go."
They abandoned the carriage and headed towards the Prince Yong's residence.
At this moment, Qi Heng was wearing soft armor and holding a sharp sword. A cold look appeared on her gentle face as she thought about how she must rescue Xiao Tao from Duan Gan's hands.
Neither the Prince's Mansion nor the Tao family had her presence, so Duan Gan must have kidnapped her to threaten him.
The sky was dark and gloomy, with thick, dark clouds covering the ground.
The houses on the street seemed to sense something was amiss; their doors and windows were tightly shut, lanterns swayed in the wind, and the silence was eerily quiet, creating an unsettling sense of impending danger.
Before Tao Tao even got close to the Prince Yong's residence, she saw Qi Heng in a silver-white soft armor, leading a group of soldiers, walking hurriedly.
She rushed over to stop him, "Yanli!"
He suddenly stopped in his tracks, staring at the girl in front of him, stunned, his pupils dilated, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
"Xiao Tao!"
He strode forward, but Leng Chuan and Leng Qiao blocked his way at the same time.
Tao Tao bypassed them and came to Qi Heng. Just as she was about to speak, Qi Heng hugged her tightly.
He spoke words of relief as if he had just regained something he had lost, "Thank goodness, I'm so glad you're alright. I'm so sorry, it's all my fault for dragging you into this..."
"Xiao Tao, it's all my fault... I failed to protect you."
Upon hearing this, Tao Tao suddenly fell silent, her long eyelashes drooping to conceal the emotions in her eyes.
She reached out and pushed him away, her voice tinged with anxiety, "Yanli, let's leave the city. The Qiu family is gone, and even the Empress is in dire straits. Just take care of yourself."
"No...don't rebel."
Qi Heng frowned slightly and pursed her lips. "Xiao Tao, I can't agree to that."
“It doesn’t matter if I die, but many people will lose their families and lives because of it. Even if not for myself, I cannot back down for their sake.”
Upon hearing this, she became anxious, her usual gentleness vanished, and her words became aggressive, "Are you crazy? Knowing this is a certain death situation, you still insist on going to your death?!"
He stared in surprise at Tao Tao, who looked different than usual, "Xiao Tao..."
Seeing this, Shen Lin worried that His Highness would be bewitched by the enchantress and abandon his grand ambitions, so he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, let's go quickly, or things will change!"
"You must not listen to the slander of others; the die is cast and the arrow must be released!"
"Shut up!" Tao Tao snapped at him.
Everyone was startled, never expecting this seemingly gentle young woman to have such a fiery temper.
Qi Heng smiled gently, reached out and touched her head, and said softly, "Xiao Tao, I know you're worried about me. It's okay, I'll take good care of myself."
"Yanli, don't go..."
Tao Tao grabbed his arm and wouldn't let go, trying her best to keep him there.
The capital city is now in Duan Gan's hands. How could he possibly win? With such a small force, he is doomed to defeat.
He smiled faintly, gazing deeply into her eyes, "Xiao Tao, be good and take care of yourself."
Then he forcibly pulled her hand away.
“I saw your uncle.”
The words from behind made Qi Heng stop in her tracks again, but only for a second, before she strode forward.
You're sick, you're sick, you're sick!!!
Tao Tao stomped her feet in anger. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't listen even though she had explained things so clearly. Given his intelligence, she didn't believe Qi Heng was unaware of the consequences.
Shen Lin looked at Qi Heng, whose face was gloomy, and said excitedly, "Your Highness, Lord Qiu sent someone to say that they have surrounded the capital. As long as we take the palace, the Celestial Empire will be yours."
They arrived at the Lizheng Gate of the Imperial Palace without any hindrance, without arousing any suspicion, assuming that the Imperial Guards had cleared the road.
Pushing open the gate, a dark and long palace corridor appeared before everyone's eyes, stretching as far as the eye could see. There were still traces of blood on the ground that had not yet dried, giving people an inexplicable sense of dread.
Like a wild beast baring its fangs, waiting for them to come to it willingly.
Qi Heng frowned, suppressing the unease in his heart, and led his men inside. Instantly, a large number of guards dressed in Privy Council robes surged out from both sides of the wall.
He was startled and turned his head sharply to look. He saw familiar clothing, armor, and weapons made by the Qiu family.
"Is it my uncle?" he murmured to himself.
They struck first, engaging in combat with the Privy Council and the Imperial Guard.
The screams were incessant, and warm, scarlet blood sprayed all over everyone. The ground was littered with severed limbs and broken bones.
The army behind them did not come forward to help them as they had hoped.
The act of guarding the palace gates seemed more like a fear that they might escape.
On the palace path separated by a wall, Tao Tao walked with a solemn expression, her steps quick, and she even started running, lifting her skirt as if she wasn't fast enough.
Halfway there, he remembered that he had light-footed skills, so he used his inner energy to leap forward.
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