At this critical moment, Yi Shangyun actually opened her eyes and woke up!
She forcefully broke free from Emperor Jing's embrace, stumbled down, and shoved him away. Before he could react, she turned and ran straight towards Xuan Yuanhan.
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Xuan Yuanhan's neck, hugging him tightly. She buried her face in his shoulder and cried, "Your Highness, please don't! How could you be so foolish? Sacrificing your mother for me wasn't enough, you even risked your own life! How could there be such a fool in the world? You are the Prince of Qin, the ruler of all the people, not just mine!"
With a clang, the sword fell to the ground.
Xuanyuan Han hugged the soft body hanging in front of him tightly in disbelief, and burst into tears of joy.
"Yun'er..."
"Yun'er..."
"Is it really you?"
"Are you really still alive?"
"Really alive?"
"This is not my imagination, is it?"
Yi Shangyun shook her head frantically in response.
"It's true, it's really true."
"I am still alive, I am not dead."
"He's not dead!"
Xuanyuan Han then hurriedly cupped her face in his hands and examined her carefully for a long time.
"That's great, that's really great!"
"I knew you were still alive. I've worked so hard to finally have you, and you would never abandon me like this."
At that moment, he was so excited that he didn't know what to say, and in the end, he sealed his lips with a kiss.
This scene stunned everyone present.
At this moment, Emperor Jing suddenly let out a roar of anger.
"You audacious Zhang Zhiyuan, didn't you say she was dead? Then what's going on?"
What he didn't know was that Zhang Zhiyuan, who was also dumbfounded at that moment, seemed to want to know what had happened more than anyone else.
"This...this..."
"Could it be that the method of fighting poison with poison is correct?"
As they spoke, the two who were sweetly kissing gradually separated.
Yi Shangyun shielded Xuan Yuanhan with her body and turned to glare angrily at Emperor Jing.
Despite his small stature, he spoke each word clearly and forcefully.
"You are incompetent in governing the country, lack the skills to manage people, are incapable of handling affairs, are stubborn and self-willed, impose exorbitant taxes, prey on the people, are treacherous and cunning, have repeatedly plotted to kill the widow and her descendants of the late emperor, usurped power, distorted right and wrong, disregarded the lives of the people, persecuted loyal and virtuous officials, and committed many unjust acts. You will surely perish. Do you know that you are courting your own destruction?"
However, Emperor Jing let out a wicked laugh upon hearing this.
"Even if everything you say is right, so what? As long as I am the emperor, if I say it is right, it is right; if I say it is wrong, it is wrong."
"Now, everyone in this palace is my man. You have no soldiers and can't escape. Believe me, with just one order from me, you will all be riddled with bullets. Even if you are the guardians, you will not be exempt. As for the so-called mysterious power, in my opinion, it is just a hoax."
"Now that things have come to this, what can you do to me?"
Seeing that Emperor Jing's arrogance remained undiminished, unmoved by his words, and showed no remorse, Yi Shangyun took a deep breath and said contemptuously, "Do you really think so?"
Emperor Jing retorted, "Otherwise what?"
He immediately issued an order: "What are you all still standing here waiting for? Do you want me to do it myself?"
Immediately, everyone drew their bows again, ready to fire.
In an instant, thinking that Yi Shangyun might be afraid, Xuan Yuanhan shielded her behind him, glared angrily at the crowd, and shouted, "Let's see who dares! All of you, get out of here!"
As expected, under the relentless pressure of Xuan Yuanhan's imposing aura, everyone began to retreat step by step until they reached the square outside the main hall.
Just then, a guard rushed in and reported: "Your Majesty, Minister of War Yu Long was attacked and killed in the city. His head has been displayed on the city gate!"
Emperor Jing was shocked: "What? Yu Long has been killed? Has it been found out who is so arrogant as to dare to kill such an important court official?"
The guard glanced at Xuan Yuanhan before him and stammered, "The one leading them seems to be... is..."
Emperor Jing pressed anxiously, "Who is it? Speak up now!"
Under repeated questioning, the guard blurted out, "The person leading the group seems to be General Cheng, the deputy general of His Highness Prince Qin!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing immediately turned his gaze to Xuan Yuanhan's face, stunned: "What did you say?"
Xuan Yuanhan was also startled, secretly wondering, "Cheng Liang is back. Could it be that he has really brought the Divine Steed Camp back..."
Yi Shangyun whispered in his ear, "Your Highness, it's General Cheng!"
Just as everyone was still reeling from the shock, the messenger guard reported, "Lord Yu has been killed, and the city is now in chaos. Not only that, but outside the city, just as dawn broke this morning and the fog lifted, we suddenly discovered that a large number of unidentified troops are heading in from all directions. We urge Your Majesty to immediately send a new person to replace Lord Yu and take charge of the situation; otherwise, the capital city may be in grave danger!"
In an instant, Emperor Jing panicked completely.
"What did you say?"
"how so?"
"in all directions……"
"Why did you only report this now?"
The guard was already sweating profusely, so he quickly wiped it with the back of his hand and then said tremblingly, "Last night, a thick fog that had never been seen before suddenly appeared. When the fog cleared at dawn, it was already like this!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing suddenly stumbled and nearly fell down the high stone steps in front of the palace.
Suddenly regaining his senses, he immediately raised his voice and asked the crowd before him, "Yu Long is dead. Who among you is capable of this great task?"
After waiting for a long time, everyone looked at each other and then lowered their heads, but no one responded to him.
"waste!"
"They're all useless."
"With a formidable enemy at our doorstep, we have not a single person available!"
Emperor Jing was both anxious and angry, so after thinking for a moment, he immediately called out.
"right!"
"right!"
"besides……"
"I still have..."
"Vice Minister of War..."
Where is Fu Zhen, the Vice Minister of War?
Upon hearing that he had been summoned, the Vice Minister of War immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your humble servant Fu Zhen pays his respects to Your Majesty!"
Just then, a dagger tucked into Fu Zhen's waist caught Yi Shangyun's eye.
The dagger's handle was exquisitely carved from jade, featuring a unique floral design. The pommel was also cleverly adorned with three white jade flowers, and a bright yellow silk tassel adorned the handle, adding a touch of elegance.
"That jade-handled dagger with a red velvet sheath is exquisitely crafted and exudes royal grandeur. Why do I feel like I've seen it somewhere before?"
Just as he was pondering this, Emperor Jing entrusted him with an important task on the spot: "Lord Yu has died before achieving his goal. I am now promoting you to the new Minister of War, and you will be in full charge of all the arrangements for defending the city and fighting against foreign enemies. Are you willing?"
Without a second thought, Fu Zhen accepted the order without hesitation: "Your subject will do everything in my power to protect the peace of Western Qin, even at the cost of my life!"
At that moment, he hurriedly turned and left with two guards.
After arranging everything, Emperor Jing asked Xuan Yuanhan again, "Have you all thought it through? Is there anyone else who can help you? You don't really think that a mere deputy general can cause any big trouble!"
This time, Yi Shangyun spoke first: "Who said we have no one to use?"
Emperor Jing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Then where are your people now?"
Xuan Yuanhan, standing to the side, also seemed somewhat worried. He grasped her hand, signaling her to be patient and not provoke him: "Yun'er..."
However, Yi Shangyun nodded to him: "Your Highness, rest assured, I have my own way."
She took two steps forward and stood on the high stone steps in front of the main hall, taking out the small box that Lu Yuan had personally given her when she left Dongning.
Open it up, take out a tiny bamboo tube inside, and gently pull off the rope attached to the bottom.
Instantly, a golden dragon phantom exploded in the sky.
Just then, Fu Zhen, who was walking to the door and about to step over the threshold, heard the sound and immediately turned around to look at the sky, exclaiming in surprise, "It's the Sacred Flame! How could she have the Sacred Flame?"
The guard beside him asked, puzzled, "What is the sacred fire?"
Fu Zhen explained, “Since the founding of our Dongning Kingdom, we have had three sacred flames. The old king used two of them during his lifetime. The last one was treasured by the old king. When the sacred flame is lit, it is as if the king himself is present.”
After saying that, he turned around with his guards.
"Ha ha……"
"Hahaha……"
At this moment, Emperor Jing was laughing loudly, looking up at the sky.
"Is this the person you were talking about who's usable?"
"As the guardian of Western Qin, the more I look at you, the more you seem like a joke."
"It's just a firework, yet you treat it as your last lifeline!"
"If I had known the Guardian was so incompetent, I shouldn't have hesitated and wasted so many years of my life searching for you!"
At this moment, Emperor Jing had made his final decision, his cold gaze sweeping over everyone present: "Guards, prepare..."
At the same time, another voice rang out in the square: "Everyone, draw your bows and prepare, aim the tips of your arrows at this dog emperor in front of you!"
In an instant, without the slightest hesitation, everyone pointed their bows and arrows at Emperor Jing alone.
Emperor Jing was shocked: "Fu Zhen, what do you mean by this? I just promoted you to Minister of War. How can you allow them to point their arrows at me?"
Fu Zhen returned to Emperor Jing's presence, stood tall and proud, and revealed his identity: "What Minister of War? Do you really think anyone cares! I'm about to die, so I might as well tell you: I am a loyal bodyguard of the late King of Dongning, and I will serve only him until death."
For a moment, Emperor Jing was stunned.
"What did you say?"
"Who are you?"
"Dongning Kingdom?"
"How could you be..."
However, Emperor Jing was not the only one who was shocked by this.
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