The two walked out of the hall together.
The sky darkened, and the night pressed down on the heavens, giving birth to a deep and intense illusion, with a crescent moon appearing and disappearing.
"Soon."
Consort Shu looked at the moon and said softly.
Suddenly, a high-pitched and desperate scream of pain came from inside the hall.
Consort Shu's pupils contracted slightly, and the corners of her eyes immediately turned crimson.
"He's gone." Consort Shu turned her head to look at Shen Zhizhang. Her expression at this moment was very intriguing, as if she were both sad and relieved.
Only her phoenix eyes held a few glistening tears, gleaming in the night sky.
"His Majesty treats you quite well," Shen Zhizhang asked in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Consort Shu curled her lips into a cold and beautiful smile.
Did Emperor Zhaowu treat her well?
What a ridiculous joke!
She was fifteen when she met Emperor Zhaowu, who was already obsessed with taking elixirs.
He believed the sorcerer's slander and thought that using the menstrual blood of a virgin from Nanyue to make elixirs would have miraculous effects, which is why he took her into the palace.
As a result, she suffered from insufficient menstrual flow and was forced to take many medications to induce menstruation and promote blood production.
Several times, she nearly died from hemorrhage due to these medications.
But Emperor Zhaowu showed her no pity whatsoever.
Only after a replacement was found did Emperor Zhaowu spare Zheng Yuanyuan, and only then did he gradually begin to favor and trust her.
However, Emperor Zhaowu had already depleted her body, which was why she had been unable to conceive for many years.
She hated Emperor Zhaowu, and now that she was fortunate enough to be pregnant with Shen Zhizhang's child, she was even more eager for Emperor Zhaowu to die.
He's a monster.
If he can kill Xiao Huaijin, one day he will kill his own child.
Now that he is dead, Zheng Yuanyuan is truly free.
"Let's go to the East Palace and see the deposed Crown Prince."
Consort Shu waved her hand and led a large group of people to Feihua Palace.
Eunuch Gao went ahead first. When he arrived at Feihua Palace, he saw Xiao Linzi, who was by the Crown Prince's side, trying to run into the palace to report to the Crown Prince. He immediately gave a wink to the tall and burly Imperial Guards next to him.
Xiao Linzi was immediately covered by several imperial guards and dragged aside.
The other hundreds of imperial guards, wielding silver swords, surrounded Feihua Palace like an impenetrable iron barrel. The leading guard kicked open the palace door and stormed into the empty and coldly fragrant East Palace bedroom.
Consort Shu, accompanied by Eunuch Gao and others, entered the palace first, while the Imperial Guards remained outside to await orders.
Xiao Huaijin sat upright behind the dragon-head desk, writing something with a pen. His brush moved swiftly and gracefully, completely unaffected by the intruder.
"Xiao Huaijin, you are quite calm." Consort Shu slowly walked up to him and said.
Xiao Huaijin raised his cold eyes, his gaze lingering briefly on Shen Zhizhang behind Consort Shu before turning to the dignified and elegant Consort Shu.
"Your Majesty, it's late. Shouldn't you be by Father's side serving him?"
Upon hearing this, Consort Shu chuckled disdainfully and glanced coldly at Xiao Huaijin, "You're no longer the Crown Prince, yet you still have the nerve to call His Majesty 'Father Emperor'? However, His Majesty does remember you and specially sent me to deliver a pot of warming wine to you."
She raised her fair, delicate hand, and Eunuch Gao immediately brought out a silver tray.
"This wine is called Zhuang Zhou's Dream. It's a secret medicine from the Southern Yue Kingdom. The Emperor begged me for a long time before I finally gave it to him."
Zhuang Zhou's Dream was a poison used by the royal family of Nanyue to kill people. It was painless and said that if you took it, you would be immersed in the dream you longed for most in your life and then fall into a deep sleep from which you would never wake up.
"We've been mother and son for ten years, so I'll let you go in peace, okay?" Consort Shu looked down at Xiao Huaijin, who was sitting down, her eyelashes casting a deep shadow under her eyes.
Her once gentle and noble smile now appeared extremely sinister and alluring.
Xiao Huaijin stared at the plain-colored medicine bottle, his pupils suddenly contracting.
"Is the Emperor going to give me poisoned wine?" he asked slowly, his hands trembling slightly inside his wide sleeves.
"Otherwise what? His Majesty would love for you, this jinx, to die sooner rather than later." Consort Shu laughed cruelly. "No one wants you to live, so hurry up and drink it."
After coughing a few times, Shen Zhizhang held his breath and said, "Xiao Huaijin, the imperial decree cannot be disobeyed. If you drink the poisoned wine, you can at least leave with some dignity."
Xiao Huaijin stared blankly at the face that bore a striking resemblance to Shen Yunjiao's, then smiled dismissively after a moment. "Does the Prime Minister also think I deserve to die?"
“What I think is not important. If His Majesty thinks you cannot live, then you cannot live,” Shen Zhizhang replied loudly.
Xiao Huaijin said coldly, "I used to think that the Prime Minister had lofty ambitions and devoted himself to the country and its people. Now, because of his own selfish desires, he has actually done something against his conscience."
"She'll be heartbroken if she finds out." Xiao Huaijin didn't say the last part aloud.
He put down his pen and said calmly, "I will not drink this poisoned wine. Traitors and corrupt concubines have no right to force me to drink anything."
Consort Shu's expression immediately changed, and her eyes were filled with venom as she looked at Xiao Huaijin. "Try saying that again?"
“I said, I won’t drink,” Xiao Huaijin stood up and answered, word by word.
"Very good! Someone come here!" Consort Shu shouted.
Dozens of imperial guards in armor and armed with weapons rushed into the hall in an instant.
Consort Shu retreated to Shen Zhizhang's side, her face cold and stern.
"The deposed crown prince is unwilling to take his own life. You should help him so that he doesn't miss his appointed time to depart!"
"yes!"
Several imperial guards drew their swords and stepped forward, taking the poisoned wine from the silver tray and walking step by step toward Xiao Huaijin.
When one of them reached out to restrain Xiao Huaijin, he suddenly drew a silver sword from under the dragon-head table and thrust it straight at Xiao Huaijin's throat.
In a mere instant, the life of an Imperial Guard was ended.
"You! You dare to kill someone in the palace and defy the imperial edict."
Shen Zhizhang's face suddenly turned ashen. He reached out to protect Consort Shu beside him and ordered the Imperial Guards behind him, "Protect the Consort and capture the Crown Prince."
Upon receiving the order, the Imperial Guards immediately drew their iron swords and thrust them towards the figure in black.
Xiao Huaijin's cold gaze swept over the surroundings, and he called out, "Come out, all of you."
Upon hearing the order, the Crown Prince's secret guards rushed in from all sides of Feihua Palace, joining Xiao Huaijin in a fierce battle with the dozens of imperial guards.
Upon hearing the sounds of fighting, waves of imperial guards surged in from the gate.
Although Xiao Huaijin's group of eight or nine people were highly skilled in martial arts, their stamina gradually waned as the fight went on.
In the midst of a fierce battle, Bei Feng was accidentally pierced through the abdomen by a sword from the Imperial Guard.
Xiao Huaijin's expression hardened, and he gritted his teeth as he asked, "How much longer until they arrive?"
"Reporting to Master, it should be soon!" Zhu Ye said, after deflecting the oncoming attack and retreating to Xiao Huaijin's side.
Shen Zhizhang and Consort Shu were both taken aback upon hearing this, and their expressions showed surprise.
them?
Could it be that Xiao Huaijin has reinforcements?
That shouldn't be the case. The Prince of Runan's soldiers are far away on the border. Even if they were to aid the Crown Prince, it would be impossible for them to arrive in the capital in just two or three days.
Shen Zhizhang panicked and hurriedly called out, "Commander, quickly place fire pits under the city gate! The rebels are probably coming!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a member of the Imperial Guard rushed in, terrified.
"Report!"
"Speak quickly!"
"The Prince of Runan's army has reached the foot of the imperial city. They have used ladders to break through the city gates and are now rushing towards the Feihua Palace!"
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