Chapter 126 White Group
After kicking the assassin's limp body aside, Zhou Chaoyun cleared a space next to him to catch his breath.
As soon as they stopped, they noticed something unusual under the eaves of Zhengqing Hall.
Zhou Chaoyun found it hard to believe, thinking she was hallucinating. But then she thought that the person who did this was the enigmatic Shang Yuji, and it made sense.
Following the princess's gaze, A-Yi, adjusting his tone to one of surprise, said, "Your Highness, Miss Shang is kicking His Majesty."
"..." Zhou Chaoyun didn't respond for a moment. She wanted to say that she saw it with both eyes and didn't need A-Yi to repeat it, but she felt that it would be a bit strange to say it out loud.
I simply kept quiet.
A-Yi then reported, as if relaying intelligence, "It's been changed to stepping on His Majesty. It seems that Miss Shang is threatening His Majesty."
Having witnessed Jiang Langjun execute the "Brotherly Inquiry" firsthand, A-Yi couldn't help but agree, saying, "This method is good; it can be used to extract confessions and punish offenders."
Zhou Chaoyun rubbed his temples and sighed, "With Zhou Yun dead, let them wrap this up quickly."
If this drags on any longer, the emperor might be chopped into mincemeat by Shang Yuji. Zhou Chaoyun knew that she had gone to the prison to see Tian Mu, and naturally knew that Tian Mu was ashen-faced after she left. The day after she left, he told her everything, something that he had been unable to get out of her mouth before.
As soon as Ah Yi gave the order, Ah Er chimed in, adding, "Miss Shang is stabbing His Majesty with a dagger."
"?" Zhou Chaoyun immediately urged, "Hurry up and do it!"
If this drags on any longer, she won't have the chance to say anything heartfelt to the emperor!
Under the eaves of Zhengqing Hall, Shang Yuji pulled out a blood-stained dagger. The blood on the blade dripped quickly due to gravity, rapidly returning to its pristine state.
She secretly sighed inwardly, thankful that the dagger was used as an ornament to display her status, not a weapon to kill. If it had been contaminated with poison, although Doctor Yan's presence would have prevented her death, she would have suffered greatly and had to endure some pain to recover.
She stabbed back at the very spot where the emperor had stabbed her.
Instantly feeling refreshed, Shang Yuji sat in the dry hall, leaning against the doorframe, adjusting her breathing and slowing the flow of blood in her body. This was a good spot, close to the eaves of the Zhengqing Hall and offering a clear view of both the emperor and the fighting outside.
Jiang Xi went to confirm that she was alright for the time being, but he couldn't delay any longer, so he followed her instructions, picked up his sword, and joined the battle against the last monster.
Shang Yuji waited quietly for this already decided victory to come to an end.
A palace maid inside the hall couldn't help but wipe her sweat. It turned out that the two of them could indeed intervene in the battle, and their strength was considerable. Even though the palace maid was injured, no one in the hall dared to underestimate them, let alone the fact that she had done such a shocking thing... Looking at His Majesty lying motionless on the ground, the palace maid silently withdrew her gaze.
A skilled palace guard saw the eunuch leave and the injured palace maid leaning against the door frame. He had an idea and wanted to take back the emperor from Shang Yuji, so that his former master would not be allowed to suffer such humiliation again.
A burly, middle-aged man appeared before them. He Zhong, who had emerged from the Zhengqing Hall, acted first. His kind face darkened, revealing a hint of coldness. He walked between the palace maids and the emperor and said to the man:
"Leave. Don't interfere in this matter."
“He Zhong, the Empress’s death may not necessarily have been caused by His Majesty. You don’t need to insist on the life-saving grace of a dead person.”
Even if the emperor didn't kill the empress, he must have been involved. And what's the difference between using premature labor drugs to induce labor and taking someone's life?
Even without his weapon, He Zhong stood firm, guarding the two men: "Our paths diverge..."
The middle-aged man, not wanting to waste any more words, reached out to scoop up the emperor.
A green dragonfly landed in front of him at some point. A moment later, the middle-aged man lowered his outstretched hand, his eyes glazed over, and he slammed his tightly gripped tin cane to the ground. Then, Shang Yuji asked in confusion, "Have you forgotten that I'm still here?"
To steal her prize right in front of her is incredibly audacious.
Even the master fell for her underhanded tricks, and Zhou Yin's newly raised hopes vanished instantly.
He Zhong was the first to react. He pleaded for his former colleague, saying that even though they were on different sides now, their former colleague should not end up like the emperor.
Shang Yuji smiled, her eyes clear and pure: "Would Lord He like to join us? If you're on our team, Xiao Lü might be able to come back."
He stammered a few words, then replied as if resigned, "I agree, please let him go."
"Sure, Little Green, come back."
At his command, a dragonfly less than a finger's length flew back. The middle-aged man swayed, only then realizing that he had fallen into a hallucination for a moment. The dragonfly flew in front of him, and by the time he realized something was wrong and tried to get away, it was too late.
The middle-aged man remained silent. After learning the truth, he sighed and said, "Fine, I owe you my life. I'll leave now."
After saying this, he leaned on his tin cane and walked away, disappearing around the corner of Zhengqing Hall.
As his figure disappeared, the glimmer of light in Zhou Yin's eyes vanished, replaced by a deep despair that enveloped him; there was no turning back now.
After waiting a while, the roaring sound rang out again. This time, the martial arts practitioners didn't even need to kill the fleeing black insects. Jiang Xi took out a bamboo flute, and the melodious flute music was not as peaceful as it seemed. The remaining black insects seemed to have heard an inescapable command and began to kill each other.
The stench of burning meat wafted through the air, and the wandering swordsman covered his mouth and nose, watching the black insects scream in the firelight as they fought each other within a designated area.
Rakar rode on horseback, holding a knife in one hand and carrying a man in the other. The man he was carrying was Zhou Ao, one of the main characters who usurped the throne.
The young general, clad in armor, rode a tall horse with effortless strength, the weight of an adult man in his hands. The horse stopped in front of Lin Quan, and Rakar nodded, saying, "Mission accomplished."
With the battle at Zhengqing Hall decided, Zhou Chaoyun rode her horse towards the hall. The rule that horses were not allowed to ride freely in the palace was no longer a rule at this time. When she arrived at the hall, she decisively dismounted.
Although she had prepared in advance, seeing the emperor's miserable appearance, Zhou Chaoyun's pent-up frustration instantly dissipated. She even envied Shang Yuji for having no extraneous thoughts, allowing her to act according to her heart's desires.
Jiang Xiqu lifted Shang Yuji with one hand and held up an umbrella he had somehow found in the other, looking as if he was about to leave the palace in the rain.
Zhou Chaoyun quickly said, "It's difficult to travel in this heavy rain, and you must be tired. Please stay in the palace and rest. I'll have the imperial physician examine you later."
Upon hearing this, Shang Yuji quickly agreed. Since the princess had given such a guarantee, she could certainly handle their funeral arrangements.
"However, before we leave, please remove the poison from my father's body."
Jiang Xi touched the back of her neck, which was a sign of consent.
Little Green flew to the emperor's face. Slowly, Zhou Yin began to regain his senses from his fingertips. Once he could finally move, he shouted, "Chao Yun, arrest these two treacherous traitors!"
Zhou Chaoyun raised an eyebrow. Since the victory was already decided, and the emperor was nothing more than a grasshopper in autumn, unable to hop around for more than a few days, she simply pointed it out to the emperor: "Father, this won't do. They are my great talents, talents that I wouldn't be willing to pay with ten of your lives. Instead of capturing them, Father should think about how to fulfill my wish."
It was truly refreshing to speak frankly without worrying about saving face; social interactions that she used to dislike now made her want to say as much as possible.
It was Zhou Chaoyun who stabbed the emperor in the heart, while Shang Yuji and Jiang Xi, led by a palace maid, entered a spacious side hall.
Inside the hall, silver frost charcoal was burning, and stepping inside, the cold brought by the heavy rain was kept out.
The palace maids were orderly and efficient; even after a major battle that changed the world, they could quickly get back into work mode.
These two are distinguished guests whom Her Highness the Eldest Princess instructed to treat with care. Given that the situation has already tilted in Her Highness's favor, it is no surprise that Her Highness will be their next mistress.
They were naturally extremely careful with the distinguished guests whom His Highness cherished, for fear of making a mistake.
They brought clean new clothes and hot water, intending to wipe away the rain, bathe, and change clothes for the two distinguished guests, but all their requests were refused.
The palace maid did not insist, leaving someone outside to wait for orders, and then arranged for someone to rush to the Imperial Hospital to urge the imperial physician to come and make a diagnosis.
Unable to muster the energy to do anything himself, Shang Yuji simply handed himself over to Jiang Xi. The warm handkerchief brushed against her skin as he carefully avoided the wound on her left waist.
The wound was on her lower back, so she couldn't see how serious it was. Jiang Xi's expression was not a reliable indicator; no matter how minor the injury, in his eyes it was a life-threatening condition.
Even though the pain was split in half by the Heart-Sharing Gu, she could still feel a dense, throbbing pain. It seemed that this time it must be quite serious, and she would need to recuperate for quite some time.
Tell him to go take a shower right away. He's been in the rain for so long, what if he catches a cold?
She changed into clean clothes, her long hair cascading down her back. She reached for the small bag containing the round pills, opened her palm, placed three pills in it, and said in a low voice, "Dinner's ready! Dinner's a little late today because of a bit of an accident, but you're my heroes today, so you'll have to be rewarded."
She put down the small bag, picked out a round ball and placed it in the palm of her other hand. Little White and Little Green each occupied one hand, enjoying the doubled food.
Little Green has a smaller appetite and usually only eats half a piece, while Little White eats a whole piece. However, Shang Yuji generously rewards them with double portions, as this is the food they earn through their labor!
Jiang Xi ran out from behind the screen before she was fully dressed. The two people sitting on the bed looked away guiltily. Shang Yuji chuckled twice. She definitely did not secretly fatten up Xiao Bai and Xiao Lü behind Jiang Xi's back.
She was trying to find a topic to cover up the matter when suddenly, the sounds of wind and rain, the burning of candles, and the rustling of leaves around her disappeared from her ears in an instant, as if something had stripped her away.
A moment later, reality should be like the blink of an eye, all sounds and feelings return, as if someone pulled her out of the layers and then put her back.
A strange intuition struck her, and she grabbed Jiang Xi, who had run several steps to her side, speaking rapidly:
"Whatever happens later is normal, don't worry!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Shang Yuji closed her eyes, her tightly clenched hands loosened, and her body fell straight onto the bed, where Jiang Xi caught her in time.
But no matter how he called her name, she no longer responded.
Her head!
Hey, it doesn't seem to hurt.
Unlike the stinging pain she felt when recalling memories from the book, it felt more like she was in a dream, and in dreams, one cannot feel pain.
A flash of white light streaked past her eyes. Shang Yuji opened her palm and grabbed something. With a thought, she felt something being held in her hand.
Upon opening it, you'll find a ball of white fluff shimmering with a soft white light on the outside, with a golden light in the center that resembles flowing lava.
Seemingly unaware that he had been caught red-handed, his two small black eyes widened in surprise.
It stretched out two long, downy hairs, each clutching a thick stack of papers, and squeaked, "Wait a minute! I'm Liangqiu, and I signed a work agreement with you!"
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