Chaos
The door to the Buddhist hall was gently closed, shutting out the sandalwood incense and the heavy past within.
He Mo held the jade hairpin in his hand, his fingertips icy cold. The plum blossoms on the hairpin were exquisitely carved, the edges of the petals smooth and warm, likely something his mother used to caress. The tear stains on the letter had long since dried, but the tender handwriting was like a key, unlocking the doubts and grievances that had accumulated in his heart for many years.
"He Mo..." Yin Li called him softly, reaching out to place her hand on his clenched fist, trying to convey some warmth.
He Mo turned his head, the redness in his eyes still lingering, but with an unprecedented clarity. He carefully inserted the jade hairpin into Yin Li's hair bun, the cool jade against her temple, making her features appear even more gentle.
"You can borrow this hairpin for now." His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable seriousness. "After the festival, I'll personally choose an even better one for you."
Yin Li's ears instantly turned red. She raised her hand and touched the jade hairpin at her temple, the coolness of it making her heart tremble. She knew what this hairpin meant to He Mo; by giving it to her, he was entrusting his past and future to her.
"Okay." She nodded vigorously, but her eyes couldn't help but well up with tears.
The two walked out of the Buddhist hall side by side. The moonlight in the courtyard was just right, shining on the bluestone slabs like a thin layer of frost. In the distance came the footsteps of the night patrol guards, steady and rhythmic, reminding them that beneath the current calm, a turbulent undercurrent was about to surge.
"The Empress Dowager said that the Shadow Pavilion's targets are the Crown Prince and me," He Mo suddenly spoke, his voice low. "They want to use the chaos of the sacrificial ceremony to get rid of the Crown Prince and then frame me. This way, they can control the court and avenge the grudge between the Mo Prince's Mansion and the Shadow Pavilion from years ago."
Yin Li stopped and looked up at him: "Then what do we do? Can we completely trust the Empress Dowager's words?"
He Mo pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "We can't believe her completely, but we can't completely disbelieve her either. She has her own selfish motives, but the threat from Shadow Pavilion is real." He paused, his gaze sharpening. "Tomorrow's ceremony, we'll proceed as planned, but with extra caution. Have the veterans protecting Mo stand by outside the Temple of Heaven. Without my signal, they must not make any rash moves."
"I understand." Yin Li nodded. "I will personally go to the outskirts of the capital to double-check their deployment."
"Mm." He Mo raised his hand and gently ruffled her hair. "Be careful, and come back soon."
Yin Li tiptoed and gently kissed his cheek, then turned and ran away, her skirt brushing against the bluestone pavement, leaving a series of light, cheerful sounds.
He Mo stood there, touching his kissed cheek, a smile involuntarily spreading across his lips. In the moonlight, his eyes were gentle yet resolute—this time, he would not only clear his family's name, but also protect those around him, ensuring that his mother's tragedy would never be repeated.
On the day of the ceremony, before dawn, the area around the Temple of Heaven was already under martial law.
The imperial guards, clad in armor and wielding long halberds, stood in neat rows on both sides of the road, their expressions solemn. The air was filled with the scent of incense and candles, mingled with the chill of the morning, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.
The crown prince, dressed in a bright yellow sacrificial robe, stood on the left side of the altar, his face somewhat pale. He had clearly heard some rumors, and his gaze towards He Mo carried a mixture of dependence and unease.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I'm here." He Mo comforted him in a low voice, while discreetly observing the surrounding environment.
On the central altar of the Temple of Heaven, various offerings were laid out, and a thin layer of incense ash had accumulated in the incense burner. The Emperor, dressed in a dragon robe and holding a jade tablet, stood in the center of the altar, receiving the homage of the officials.
The Empress Dowager sat at the head of the audience, still dressed in a plain palace gown, her hands holding prayer beads, her eyes calm, making it impossible to discern her true thoughts.
He Mo's gaze swept over the Imperial Guard Commander, who still had his eyes downcast. However, He Mo noticed that his fingers were unconsciously stroking the hilt of his sword, indicating that he was not at peace.
Suddenly, a series of urgent bell tolls shattered the silence.
This is a signal!
He Mo's heart tightened, and he immediately gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Suddenly, the western fence was smashed open with a loud crash, and a dozen men in imperial guard armor rushed in. Leading them was the stern-faced man. He brandished his long sword and roared as he lunged at the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, prepare to die!"
"Protect the Crown Prince!" He Mo shouted, his longsword instantly unsheathed, blocking the Crown Prince's path.
With a crisp clang, the knife and sword clashed, sparks flying. He Mo felt a tingling sensation in his hand; the stern-faced man possessed immense strength, clearly a trained fighter.
The surrounding officials immediately panicked and screamed as they fled in all directions.
"Don't move!" the Imperial Guard commander finally spoke, his voice booming. "Seize the assassin!"
But at that moment, He Mo discovered that the "Imperial Guards" who had rushed up were actually engaged in a fierce battle with the real Imperial Guards. To his even greater surprise, several Imperial Guard soldiers quietly surrounded him, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Not good!" He Mo exclaimed inwardly. He finally understood that the Empress Dowager was right. The Shadow Pavilion's influence had already infiltrated the Imperial Guard.
At this critical moment, Yin Li's voice suddenly came from outside the Temple of Heaven: "Where are the former subordinates of Hu Mo!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than dozens of veterans dressed in plain clothes rushed in from all directions. Some carried hammers, others held short knives. Although their equipment was simple, they were all agile and had sharp eyes.
"Your subordinates pay their respects to the young prince!" The leading veteran knelt on one knee, his voice strong and clear.
He Mo felt a warmth in his heart and immediately ordered, "Protect the Crown Prince and capture the assassin!"
"Yes!" the veterans responded in unison and immediately rushed forward.
Upon seeing this, the Shadow Pavilion members who had infiltrated were immediately thrown into a panic. They hadn't expected that He Mo would have such a hidden force.
Seeing the situation was dire, the stern-faced man tried to turn and run, but He Mo blocked his way. "Your opponent is me." He Mo's voice was icy, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
The two clashed again, and this time, He Mo held back. His longsword danced with incredible speed and power, each move aimed directly at the Iron-Faced Man's vitals.
The stern-faced man was gradually weakening, several more wounds already appearing on his body. He looked at He Mo, his eyes filled with fear: "You...you stay away! Shadow Pavilion won't let you get away with this!"
"Shadow Pavilion?" He Mo sneered. "They can barely protect themselves, yet they dare to spout such grandiose words."
Just then, a commotion arose in the audience. Minister Jin, holding a roll of yellowed paper, strode up to the Emperor: "Your Majesty! I have urgent news to report! This is a secret letter seized from the Shadow Pavilion stronghold, clearly detailing their conspiracy with the Empress Dowager to plot a rebellion!"
The Emperor took the secret letter, his expression growing increasingly grim as he read. He abruptly looked up at the Empress Dowager, his eyes filled with rage: "Empress Dowager, how dare you deceive the Emperor!"
The Empress Dowager's face turned deathly pale, and her body trembled slightly: "Your Majesty, I have been wronged! This is all a conspiracy by the Shadow Pavilion!"
"Whether it's a conspiracy or not, you know it in your heart!" Minister Jin said loudly. "I also have a witness, the eunuch who participated in framing Prince Mo back then. I have brought him here!"
An old eunuch was brought in. He knelt on the ground, trembling, and cried, "Your Majesty, spare my life! It was the Empress Dowager and the people of the Shadow Pavilion who forced me to give false testimony. I had no choice!"
The truth has come out.
Everyone present was stunned, never expecting that the usually dignified and proper Empress Dowager would do such a thing.
Seeing that all was lost, the stern-faced man suddenly pulled out a dagger from his robes, intending to commit suicide. He Mo reacted swiftly, kicking the dagger away and then holding a sword to the man's neck: "Confess all the secrets of Shadow Pavilion, and I might spare your life."
The stern-faced man closed his eyes, a look of despair on his face: "Even if I die, I will not tell."
Just then, a dark figure suddenly leaped out from the crowd, a short blade in its hand aimed straight for He Mo's back. Seeing this, Yin Li cried out in alarm, "He Mo, watch out!"
He Mo reacted swiftly, dodging to the side and simultaneously thrusting his sword at the shadowy figure. Caught off guard by He Mo's speed, the shadowy figure had nowhere to dodge and was struck in the shoulder by the sword.
The shadowy figure winced in pain and turned to flee, but Yin Li blocked its path. Yin Li took out a few copper coins from her pocket, flicked them with her fingertips, and the coins struck the shadowy figure's knee precisely.
The dark figure knelt down with a thud, the mask fell to the ground, revealing a familiar face—it was Granny Zhang.
Granny Zhang looked at He Mo and Yin Li with a ferocious smile on her face: "Even if I die, I will drag you down with me!" As she spoke, she took out a small black ball from her sleeve and was about to throw it.
He Mo recognized it immediately as a special explosive made by Shadow Pavilion. He rushed forward and kicked the explosive out of Zhang Mama's hand. The explosive landed on the ground and exploded with a "boom," but fortunately, the power was not great, only blowing away a few bricks.
Seeing her plan fail, Granny Zhang suddenly bit her tongue. He Mo tried to stop her, but it was too late. Granny Zhang fell to the ground, black blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, clearly indicating that she had already ingested poison.
Seeing that Granny Zhang was dead, the stern-faced man completely gave up resisting: "I'll talk... I'll tell you everything."
He revealed all the secrets of the Shadow Pavilion, including their strongholds, member lists, and the conspiracy they had been secretly plotting to rebel for years.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor trembled with rage: "Immediately order a city-wide manhunt for the remaining members of the Shadow Pavilion; let not a single one escape!"
"Yes!" The commander of the Imperial Guards immediately accepted the order and led the Imperial Guards soldiers away from the Temple of Heaven.
The Empress Dowager was taken away, and she will face legal punishment.
The riots at the Temple of Heaven have finally subsided.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell on the blue bricks of the Temple of Heaven, dispelling the chill of the early morning.
The Crown Prince walked up to He Mo and bowed deeply: "He Mo, I owe you a great debt today; otherwise, I fear my life would have been in grave danger."
He Mo helped the Crown Prince up: "Your Highness is too kind. This is my duty."
The Emperor looked at He Mo, his eyes filled with remorse: "He Mo, I have wronged you all in the injustice done to the Mo Prince's Mansion back then. I have decided to restore the Mo Prince's Mansion's title, posthumously grant your father the title of Loyal and Brave Prince, and your mother the title of Virtuous Consort."
He Mo knelt down and kowtowed three times: "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty."
He raised his head, his eyes filled with tears, yet a relieved smile lingered. His father's innocence had finally been cleared, and his mother's spirit could finally rest in peace.
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