Chapter 159 Soul-Guiding Incense
The night in Fengyi Palace was so quiet that one could hear the ticking of the night watch. The red candles in the gilded coiled dragon candlesticks were mostly burned, their warm yellow glow tinging the layers of silk curtains with a hazy golden edge.
Nangong Yu was leaning on the large rosewood couch, holding in his arms the Queen Dongfang Qiwu, who was wearing a moon-white nightgown and had black hair flowing like a waterfall.
His strong arms were wrapped around her slender waist, and his chin rested lightly on the top of her head. The posture was rare intimacy and relaxation between the emperor and the empress.
"Wu'er..."
Nangong Yu's voice was slightly hoarse and tired, yet deep and gentle, like the ending note of a cello, gently echoing in the silent hall.
"Wait a little longer... wait until this period of turmoil has completely passed, until the government is truly as stable as a rock."
He tightened his arms, holding her more tightly in his arms, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive earlobes, carrying the weight of his promise.
"I'll let my godson take charge of this kingdom. When the time comes, I'll take you away, just like Aye took Ning'er, and we'll be free to travel all over the world.
Let's go see the misty rain in the south of the Yangtze River, walk on the yellow sands of the desert in the north of the Yangtze River, and go to the South China Sea to listen to Ning'er brag about how much gold she has earned... Okay?"
Dongfang Qiwu snuggled up to his solid chest, clearly feeling his steady and powerful heartbeat, beating against her heartstrings again and again.
The picture of the future that was depicted was like the sweetest dream, instantly breaking through the layers of defenses that had trapped her in the deep palace for many years!
Freedom…the freedom to fly like a bird!
Is she really not far from the sky outside the high walls?
This realization made the heart in her chest beat violently and uncontrollably, like a bird that had been imprisoned for a long time, clearly hearing the call of the sky outside the cage for the first time!
However, her face still showed the gentle and quiet look of a queen, but her long eyelashes trembled slightly, revealing the turmoil in her heart.
She hummed softly, her voice filled with a barely perceptible sob and infinite longing, and buried her face deeper into his arms, greedily absorbing the warmth brought by this promise.
Only she herself knew that beneath the tranquility of Fengyi Palace, there had long been turbulent undercurrents and crashing waves!
Her husband, her son, and even the entire Dayan were at the center of the storm!
Outside the palace walls, the seemingly ordinary night in Kyoto is actually full of dangers.
The lights in the study of the Marquis of Zhenguo's Mansion were kept on all night.
Dongfang Liezheng stood like an iron god of war before the enormous Kyoto defense map. In his hand, he held the encrypted message he had just received from the South China Sea. It contained only eight words:
"The hidden dragon has moved and will return in three days."
There was no expression on his resolute face, except for his eagle eyes, which were as sharp as a knife in the candlelight.
He didn't need any extra explanation. Nangong Ye and his wife's secret return to Beijing was the signal for the final closure!
The commands that had been deployed long ago, like precise gears, began to run quietly according to his silent will.
"Dragon Guards, rotate to the outer perimeter of West Mountain and block all side roads to ensure there are no distractions on the way to the Holy Chariot offering sacrifices to the Heavens."
"Secret sentries from the Cavalry Battalion, monitor all exits of Prince De's Palace, the Fourth Prince's Palace, and the Liu Family Manor. Record all people entering and leaving. Anyone who moves will be killed without mercy."
"Nine Gates Commander, triple the number of personnel and strictly inspect the city gates, especially at night. Anyone carrying weapons or suspicious items will be detained, regardless of their identity!"
"Five Cities Military Command, citywide curfew is advanced one hour! All streets and alleys are to be patrolled non-stop around the clock! Anyone gathering or making noise will be treated as an accomplice to treason!"
Cold, efficient, and bloody orders were passed down through the most secret channels. Kyoto's invisible iron net suddenly tightened!
The fish in the net is still unaware of its own mistake and is still dreaming of a pipe dream in its self-righteous nest.
The Fourth Prince’s Mansion, the secret room.
The flickering candlelight made Nangong Huaijin's face, which usually wore a gentle and harmless smile, appear gloomy and even a little hideous.
He was playing with a delicate and small purple jade snuff bottle in his hand, and his fingertips turned slightly white from the force.
"Is everything arranged?"
His voice was very low, with a barely perceptible hint of eagerness and excitement.
A confidant wrapped in black knelt on the ground and said in a hoarse voice:
"Your Highness, everything is perfectly safe! Prince De is fully prepared, awaiting the signal. Meixiang in the palace has been our stake for seven years; she's loyal and reliable."
At tomorrow's court session, she will be responsible for adding this soul-calling incense to the incense burner next to the Crown Prince's throne."
He held up a smaller, almost invisible wax pellet in his hands.
Nangong Huaijin took the wax ball, put it to the tip of his nose and sniffed it gently. An extremely elegant, almost imperceptible fragrance of cold plum blossoms penetrated his nostrils.
The corners of his lips curled up in a cruel and complacent arc.
"Soul-Guiding Incense... What a nice name."
He sneered softly, with a crazy glint in his eyes.
“It is colorless and odorless. Burning it alone is just like ordinary cold plum incense, refreshing and invigorating.
But if I were to encounter the bone-eating poison hidden in those health-preserving pills that I, the prince, had painstakingly sent to the Eastern Palace under the pretext of the Crown Prince’s frailty…”
His voice suddenly became cold and vicious, like a venomous snake spitting out its tongue:
"If the two are mixed together, even a Daluo Jinxian will be unable to save you! Nangong Chengqian! I want you to bleed out of all seven orifices and die on the spot tomorrow in front of the entire court!
"This will confirm the rumors that you are suffering from a hidden illness and that your destiny is not in your favor! When the time comes, when the emperor is furious and grief-stricken, I will unite with my uncle, the Prince of De, and the ministers of the court to depose you, the sickly prince, for the sake of the country! This throne of the Crown Prince... humph!"
He had already seen the wonderful scene, saw Nangong Chengqian lying on the throne room and twitching in pain, and saw that he was one step closer to the supreme power!
What about my aunt's detoxification technique? He simply didn't believe it! The bone-eroding poison was a secret poison passed down from the previous imperial court. It had a long incubation period and was extremely hidden. Once triggered by this special soul-calling incense, the poison would take effect rapidly and kill instantly!
He firmly believed that his move was perfect!
"With the Crown Prince's fall, the whole army is leaderless. Prince De is older and has a reputation for purging the emperor's court, so it's only natural for him to ascend the throne! This prince..."
Nangong Huaijin's eyes were burning with ambition.
"That's the regent who assists the new monarch and holds great power! By then, Nangong Ye? Dongfang Yuning? Humph! Once I have control of the situation, I will slowly deal with you stumbling blocks!"
He clenched the wax ball in his hand, holding the key to the pinnacle of power.
However, he would never have dreamed of it.
Back then, he had carefully planned to send those health-preserving pills into the Eastern Palace through layers of disguise. The bone-eroding poison in them was completely wrapped, decomposed, and purified by the overbearing yet gentle power of the spiritual spring left by Dongfang Yuning the moment it entered Nangong Chengqian's body!
Nangong Chengqian's body had long been nourished by the spiritual spring and was as hard as copper and iron, immune to all poisons!
His carefully planned deadly killing move had already vanished into nothingness without a sound!
The next day, the court session.
In the Golden Throne Hall, nine golden dragon pillars towered majestically, and a coiled dragon caisson looked down upon all living things. A gilded throne sat high atop the steps. Nangong Yu, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe and a twelve-tasseled crown, looked as majestic as a god.
Crown Prince Nangong Chengqian was wearing an apricot-yellow four-clawed python robe and sitting upright at the lower left of the throne. His face was rosy, his eyes were clear, and his demeanor was solemn. How could he show any signs of being plagued by any hidden illness?
Civil and military officials were divided into two groups, solemn and silent.
Prince De Nangong Yi, as the eldest brother of the emperor, sat in the front. He lowered his eyelids and twirled the Buddhist beads in his hand, looking detached from the world. Only his slightly tense jaw revealed his inner unrest.
The fourth prince, Nangong Huaijin, stood at the back of the queue of princes, with his hands hanging down, his posture respectful and docile, and as usual, he had no sense of existence.
But under his lowered eyelids, his gaze was like a poisoned needle, fixed firmly and inconspicuously on Crown Prince Nangong Chengqian... and the purple-bronze gilded Suan Ni incense burner beside his throne!
Green smoke curled up from the incense burner, carrying with it a clear and distant fragrance of cold plum blossoms, filling the entire Golden Throne Hall.
This is exactly the soul-guiding incense in the wax ball he gave to Meixiang last night!
Here it comes! Nangong Huaijin's heart was beating wildly in his chest, almost bursting out!
He held his breath, tensing all the muscles in his body, waiting for the earth-shattering scene that would change his destiny!
One breath... two breaths... three breaths...
Time passed in dead silence.
The green smoke from the incense burner is still curling, and the fragrance of cold plum blossoms is refreshing.
Crown Prince Nangong Chengqian sat upright like a mountain, looking composed, and was listening intently to a report from an old minister on the grain transport.
He even turned his head slightly and exchanged a few words in a low voice with the Minister of Revenue standing beside him. His voice was steady and his breath was long.
Five breaths… ten breaths… half a cup of tea…
Fine beads of cold sweat began to seep out of Nangong Huaijin's forehead.
He stared at the prince intently, his eyes changing from anticipation to anxiety, and then from anxiety to incredible panic!
Why? Why is there no response?!
Poison? Poison? Vomiting blood?
What about his carefully planned, foolproof kill?!
Not only did Nangong Chengqian not fall down, but his complexion became more rosy and his eyes became clearer. He even picked up a cup of hot tea that had just been served at hand, opened the lid of the cup with an elegant posture, gently blew off the foam, and then took a sip calmly!
That posture, that demeanor, how could they be those of a person who was poisoned?
He is clearly in good health and couldn't be healthier!
Nangong Huaijin felt a chill running from the soles of his feet straight up to the top of his head! He clenched his hands tightly in his sleeves, his nails digging deep into his palms, causing a sharp stinging pain, but it was far less than the overwhelming fear and despair in his heart!
Failed! Totally failed!
What was the problem? Was the poison ineffective? Impossible! He had verified the bone-eroding mechanism repeatedly!
Did I not light the soul-calling incense? But the cold plum fragrance in this hall couldn't be fake! Could it be... that Meixiang had betrayed me?!
This thought was like a poisonous snake, biting his heart instantly!
The huge fear and the sense of crisis of being exposed made his whole body cold, as if he had fallen into an ice cave!
He subconsciously raised his head and glanced at the Danbi in panic.
Sitting on the throne, Nangong Yu's gaze seemed to casually sweep across the hall. His eyes were as deep as an ancient well, with a calmness that could see through everything. When he passed by the Fourth Prince, he paused for a moment.
In just this instant, Nangong Huaijin felt like he was struck by lightning, and his face instantly turned as pale as paper!
In the shadowy corner of the hall, Dongfang Liezheng, the Marquis of Zhenguo, stood beside the emperor in a purple robe like a rock. A hint of icy scorn flashed across the depths of his seemingly calm eyes.
Under his wide robe sleeve, he held a sleeve arrow that was soaked in poison. He had originally planned to shoot it at Nangong Huaijin to silence him when the poison took effect on the prince and he was confused. At this moment, the sleeve arrow was silently and bit by bit crushed into powder by his rough fingertips.
Tsk.
He sneered silently in his heart.
Dongfang Yuning's methods... he even dared to tear up and rewrite the King of Hell's Book of Life and Death.
This bone-eating poison is so deadly that even the green smoke from the incense burner has become a refreshing incense for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, right?
The court meeting is still going on.
Crown Prince Nangong Chengqian responded calmly and clearly.
Prince De's knuckles turned slightly white as he twisted the Buddhist beads.
The Fourth Prince, Nangong Huaijin, stood there stiffly like a puppet whose soul had been taken away, his face pale and the cold sweat on his back had already soaked through his shirt.
Until the bell rang to dismiss the court, all the officials shouted "Long live the emperor" and filed out of the Golden Palace.
Nangong Chengqian stood up with his father and glanced calmly at the people below.
When passing by Nangong Huaijin, who was in a daze and almost unable to stand, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince paused slightly.
He tilted his head slightly, and in a voice only the two of them could hear, a faint yet meaningful curve appeared at the corner of his lips. His voice was like the brush of a feather, yet it carried tremendous force:
"Fourth brother,"
His gaze vaguely swept over the Suanni furnace that was still emitting the faint fragrance of cold plums, and he gently uttered two words, which sounded like thunder in Nangong Huaijin's ears:
"This fragrance...does it smell pleasant?"
After saying this, he no longer looked at him and left with his father at steady steps.
Only Nangong Huaijin was left as if nailed to the spot, his body cold, blood flowing backwards, and his mind blank!
He watched helplessly as the prince's tall figure disappeared behind the hall. Those two light words were like the most vicious curse, completely throwing him into the bottomless abyss!
It’s over… It’s all over…
All his ambitions and calculations collapsed in front of the prince's all-seeing eyes and these casual words!
Plop!
Nangong Huaijin was so shocked that he stumbled and missed a step when leaving the hall. He fell awkwardly on the cold white marble steps, attracting sidelong glances and low exclamations from the surrounding officials.
He struggled to get up, but his whole body was weak, his vision went dark, and there was only endless fear and despair in his heart.
The cold plum fragrance from the incense burner still lingered in the air, lingering in the Golden Palace, which symbolized supreme power, silently mocking his stupidity and arrogance.
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