Chapter 361 Wiping Them All Out
"Lies! You're all lying! The late emperor's edict is real, it's real—"
Princess Pingyuan finally panicked, pointing at Tianfu and Tianxi's noses and cursing, "You two eunuch dogs dare to slander me in the Golden Palace! Who ordered you to do this?!"
Tianfu and Tianxi trembled all over, wishing they could bury their heads in their chests, but they insisted in unison, "No, no one instructed us. We are telling the truth, and we dare not lie in the slightest!"
Princess Pingyuan's eyes were bloodshot as she glared at the two men, wishing she could devour their flesh and drink their blood.
It was clear that the Emperor's will was genuine. It was because the Emperor didn't trust Zhao Chengzhuo and was worried that Zhao Chengzhuo would turn on her and the Empress Dowager after he had served his purpose that he had Wu Sheng write the will on his behalf.
Only four people knew about this, but the Emperor and Empress had long since passed away, and even the only person who knew about it, Wu Sheng, was dead. There was no one to testify for her.
Princess Pingyuan grew increasingly resentful as she thought about it, her gaze falling on the culprit, Xu Jinnian.
It was him, it was all his fault. If he hadn't brought those two castrated dogs with him, with the Emperor's dying wish, no one could have done anything to her!
Princess Pingyuan's eyes were like they were coated with poison; she never imagined she would be defeated by a mere compiler in the Hanlin Academy.
Xu Jinnian remained calm and composed, not taking a dying man seriously at all, and was quite satisfied with the current situation.
After being appointed as the Imperial Diarist, he secretly investigated whether the late emperor's edicts existed and found out the whereabouts of the eunuchs who had written them during the late emperor's reign.
He learned from the old people in the palace that when the late emperor was on his deathbed, Wu Sheng was the only person who served him personally. He then sent someone to inquire about Wu Sheng's whereabouts.
Unexpectedly, Wu Sheng died on his way back to his hometown, where he was killed by a group of bandits.
This makes it easier for Xu Jinnian to operate.
Tianfu and Tianxi were indeed Wu Sheng's adopted sons. Wu Sheng thought they were honest, so he took them with him when he left the palace, intending for them to take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days.
However, Tianfu and Tianxi had their own plans and were unwilling to serve an old eunuch. So they formed an alliance and stole half of Wu Sheng's wealth while he was asleep and ran away.
Having witnessed the prosperity of the capital, the two decided to use the stolen silver to buy a small house in the capital, and then marry several wives and concubines to live a wealthy life.
Fearing that Wu Sheng would report them to the authorities and have them arrested, the two temporarily left the capital to avoid trouble.
After the storm passed, they returned to the capital and bought a house there to settle down.
Unfortunately, before they could marry, they both became addicted to drugs, losing all their remaining money and even their house.
Over the years, they have lived a precarious existence, not much better off than beggars on the streets.
Until recently, when Xu Jinnian's people found them.
Princess Pingyuan was provoked by Xu Jinnian's death-like gaze, and hatred immediately arose within her.
Taking advantage of the others' inattention, she quickly drew the large sword from the guard's waist and, with a ferocious expression, stabbed at Xu Jinnian: "You deserve to die!"
——”
Princess Pingyuan learned martial arts from a young age and was proficient in all kinds of weapons, including swords and spears.
Although it has been put aside for many years, the foundation is still there, and the speed is very rapid.
A flash of cold light appeared before their eyes, and Chief Minister Pang and the others, assuming it was aimed at Emperor Jinghe, immediately paled: "Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor—"
Swords and blades swept past Xu Jinnian, whom Emperor Jinghe had bestowed upon him.
Xu Jinnian reacted quickly, taking two steps back to narrowly avoid the sharp blade, and then snatched a long sword from a soldier to defend himself.
Clang—
Inside the hall, swords flashed and shadows danced; several moves were exchanged in the blink of an eye, and all that could be heard was the sharp clanging of weapons.
Princess Pingyuan was a woman, and being old, she hadn't touched a sword in many years. Before the ministers could figure out who had the upper hand, a tearing pain shot through her wrist.
With a clang, the broadsword fell to the ground, and drops of blood splattered onto the cold, gleaming blade.
Princess Pingyuan pressed her wrist, which was gushing blood, tightly. The intense pain made her face turn deathly pale, and she could not utter a complete sentence. She could only stare at Xu Jinnian with resentment.
Several soldiers immediately stepped forward and firmly restrained her to prevent her from harming anyone with the knife again.
Xu Jinnian put away the broadsword and returned it to its owner. He then bowed and apologized to Emperor Jinghe: "I have disturbed Your Majesty. Please forgive me."
Emperor Jinghe laughed heartily and stepped forward to personally help Xu Jinnian up:
"I never expected that Minister Xu would not only be exceptionally talented in literature, but also possess martial arts skills that are no less than those of my guards. Truly, the student surpasses the teacher, and your teacher is no match for you in this respect!"
Xu Jinnian replied modestly, "Your Majesty flatters me."
Emperor Jinghe admired his character, and his gaze towards him softened even more.
Seeing this, the ministers present knew that Xu Jinnian would be highly valued by Emperor Jinghe, and they were filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
Such a talented person, how wonderful it would be if he were one of our own nephews or descendants!
After that, Xu Jinnian had nothing more to do and went straight back to the Hanlin Academy.
The Hanlin Academy was deserted; everyone had been frightened into going home and hiding because of today's sudden palace coup.
Xu Jinnian didn't pay any attention. He boiled water, brewed a pot of tea, and sat down at the table to do his own thing.
Not long after, Li Tian arrived, looking disheveled and covered in blood.
Xu Jinnian's expression changed slightly: "Something happened at the manor?"
Li Tian quickly replied, "Sir, a group of thugs tried to break into the mansion just now, but fortunately Doubao and Tangyuan warned us in time. We caught two of them alive, and the other thugs escaped."
Xu Jinnian's expression softened slightly as she looked him up and down: "Are there any casualties?"
Li Tian's eyes were slightly red: "Xiao Yong and Xiao Shan are seriously injured and are currently unconscious. The others suffered some minor injuries and will be fine after some rest."
Xu Jinnian said in a deep voice, "Find a doctor and do everything you can to save those brothers, no matter how much it costs."
Li Tian felt a sense of relief, wiped his face, and hurriedly replied, "Yes, sir!"
Xu Jinnian rushed home, visited the injured nurse, and then began interrogating the two captured prisoners.
The two survivors kept their mouths shut and didn't utter a word when questioned.
Xu Jinnian was too lazy to waste words on such people, so he personally sent them to the Dali Temple prison to let them experience firsthand the various punishments devised by Ning Sihan.
In less than half an hour, the two survivors confessed:
“We were ordered by Miss to sneak into the capital amidst the chaos and bring back the heads of your wife and child to report to Miss.”
The young lady they were referring to was Mu Yuanzhen, who had been sent away by Princess Pingyuan to rest and prepare for childbirth.
She had no idea that the mother and daughter were not in the mansion at all; they had left the capital long before the new year.
Xu Jinnian felt a wave of fear and was extremely grateful that he had sent Sheng An and her daughter back to Qingzhou in advance. Otherwise, if Mu Yuanzhen had failed this time, he would have sent out even more assassins.
Without looking at the two puddles of mud lying on the ground, Xu Jinnian left the prison to find Ning Sihan.
That afternoon, a group of people left the capital and went to Mu Yuanzhen's hiding place. The next day, they threw the heavily pregnant man, who was bleeding from his lower body, into the prison specifically for imperial relatives.
Given Mu Yuanzhen's current condition, he will not live to see the light of day again.
She brought this all on herself.
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