Chapter 662 Blood Oath
The Emperor's voice grew softer, and his gaze gradually fell on Jiang Nuanzhi.
"Physician Jiang, I entrust the child to you. If he marries in the future, I would trouble you and Li Rong to help him find a wife. I suppose I will never have the chance to see him."
As he spoke, he gave a bitter laugh. Looking at Jiang Nuanzhi from afar, his eyes held a hint of unspoken pleading.
Jiang Nuan looked at the emperor in front of her, and for a moment she couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart.
Spending time with this emperor is truly contradictory. He's a friend worth having, yet he orchestrated the downfall of his close friend, Li Rong. He's a good father, yet he would attempt to harm his own child to prolong his own life, and even the crown prince was not spared. If the precious pearl fell into his hands, Jiang Nuanzhi didn't even dare to imagine the outcome.
He was said to be a benevolent ruler, but for his own selfish reasons, he could be ruthless enough to kill tens of thousands of soldiers without hesitation.
Now, at this moment, I see a father's love in such a person, paving the way for Xuan Ting. It's not ironic, but it makes me realize that human nature is sometimes the most complex thing.
If such an emperor had a good physique from the beginning, had no treacherous officials like Xiao Yuanshan in the court, had not been persecuted, and had not been born in such a chaotic era, perhaps he would have been a good emperor.
Unfortunately, those days, which were perhaps destined to belong to Xuan Lang, are about to come to an end.
Having said that, the Emperor seemed to deliberately avoid Jiang Nuanzhi's gaze. Perhaps, he also felt guilty?
His eyes fell on Xuan Ting, and he reached out to stroke his head.
Xuan Ting instinctively shrank back, and when he came to his senses, he realized what he was doing. His eyes reddened as he leaned closer, but the emperor in front of him looked at his son and ultimately did not place his hand on Xuan Ting's head. He gave Xuan Ting a deep look and pushed him away.
"Let's go, let them lead you out."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Jiang Nuanzhi: "Doctor Jiang, I entrust Xuan Ting's safety to you along the way."
The incense sticks standing in the middle burned out their last glimmer of light, turning into ashes that fell into the furnace.
"The time is almost up. You must hurry."
Jiang Nuanzhi and Xuan Ting were being escorted by the emperor's guards into the tunnel in a daze. However, before they could even enter, Jiang Nuanzhi's nose twitched, and she realized something was wrong. She grabbed Xuan Ting.
"Aunt Nuan?"
Xuan Ting's eyes were red, but his gaze was firm. He grasped Jiang Nuanzhi's hand and said, "Let's go, Aunt Nuan. I'm fine. I'll come back someday."
Jiang Nuanzhi glanced at the tunnel from afar, her brows furrowing tightly. The next second, her pupils suddenly contracted: "Get back!"
Almost the instant he grabbed Xuan Ting and jumped away, a loud bang came from behind. The guard who had led the way was blown apart by the explosion, his flesh and blood flying everywhere.
"Oh no, Your Majesty! The tunnel leading to the palace has been blown up!"
One of them shouted to return to the Emperor's side to report. Jiang Nuanzhi, still shaken, pulled Xuan Ting out and asked, "How are you? Are you alright?"
Xuan Ting felt a ringing in his ears for a moment, staring at the mangled corpse of the guard in front of him, his mind blank for a split second.
"Warm, Aunt Nuan."
He heard his own trembling voice. After surviving the ordeal, he held Jiang Nuanzhi's hand tightly, trying to grasp the last bit of security.
Jiang Nuanzhi's face was also deathly pale, but she still subconsciously pulled Xuan Ting into her arms and patted his head reassuringly, saying, "It's alright, it's alright."
She was also terrified. If she had smelled that faint scent of gunpowder and hadn't been alert, she and Xuan Ting would have been the ones blown up right now.
The emperor was also helped up. Seeing that Xuan Ting and Jiang Nuanzhi were unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief and almost stumbled and fell to the ground.
Just then, a very jarring laugh came from outside, followed by Xiao Yuanshan's voice coming through the window: "I almost forgot, there's another passage here. Xuan Lang, you've left yourself quite a few escape routes."
It's just a pity that you met me.
"Time is up. My patience is running out. Give me your final answer in three breaths."
"one"
Xiao Yuanshan's unhurried voice came from outside the door.
"two."
"We can't leave now, what should we do?"
"That's right, that's right."
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, you must quickly come up with a plan."
The people in the bedchamber grew increasingly anxious. Although they knew that the day was likely to end badly, the wait for their verdict was the most unbearable.
"Cough cough. Cough cough cough."
The emperor coughed violently, and for a moment, the surroundings were quiet.
"All men, heed my command! Protect the Crown Prince to the death!"
"Xuan Ting, I'll leave him to Physician Jiang." The Emperor said this after looking at Jiang Nuanzhi and the several experts behind her. Then, before Xiao Yuanshan could call out "Three," he pushed open the door.
With a creak, the light from outside slowly seeped into the dull house.
Almost everyone around instinctively looked towards the lacquered red door of the sleeping quarters. This included both those inside and those outside.
The smoke swirled and finally dissipated after a while. The slender and upright figure of the mortal emperor slowly appeared before everyone.
Xiao Yuanshan leaned back leisurely in his armchair, then raised an eyebrow and played with the dagger in his hand with interest: "What an unexpected turn of events. What are we going to do? The Emperor has come out, and so many of the court's key ministers have guessed wrong; they're all going to be buried with him."
The Emperor's cold eyes stared at Xiao Yuanshan before him, and his voice rose several decibels: "All ministers, listen to my decree! I am currently imprisoned and have been assassinated by the traitor Xiao Yuanshan. My health is compromised. I hereby abdicate in favor of the Crown Prince."
Xiao Yuanshan narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with disdain.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Behind him, Chen, an elderly minister in his sixties, knelt and kowtowed, his face covered in tears.
Once one person took the lead, countless ministers followed suit, and in an instant, a vast, dark mass of people knelt down.
Xiao Yuanshan's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he turned to look at Xuanlang: "Xuanlang, you have disobeyed the rules of your royal uncle, and your royal uncle is very angry. How about I let you and your loyal ministers go together today? That way, you'll have someone to take care of you on your journey to the Yellow Springs."
Almost as soon as he spoke, his sleeves fluttered, and the gray-haired, hunched-over Chen Grand Secretary fell into a pool of blood, his eyes still open when he died.
Xuan Lang stared at Xiao Yuanshan before him, his eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty light. He looked at Xiao Yuanshan with a near-madness: "I, as the Emperor, swear a blood oath! I curse you, traitorous minister Xiao Yuanshan, to die a horrible death! I curse you to suffer excruciating pain! To die at the hands of your dearest loved ones! I curse you to never have your wishes fulfilled for all eternity!"
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Xuan Lang plunged a dagger into his heart.
A smirk played on his lips, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. Blood trickled from his mouth, which he wiped away as he spoke: "I am the Emperor, the supreme ruler. Today, it was not you who killed me, nor was it anyone else who forced me. It was I who killed myself."
(End of this chapter)
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