Upon hearing this, Tang Ning, who was staring intently at the silver swords slashing straight down at them, suddenly gripped Situ Yin's fingers tightly. Not only did she not close her eyes, but no one knew what she was thinking. She, who had been held in Situ Yin's arms, suddenly broke free from his embrace and, with rapid breathing, pushed the unprepared Situ Yin down onto her.
"Tang Ning!"
Wei Jing, who noticed Tang Ning's actions immediately, was terrified and shouted loudly.
If it weren't for Prince Jian, who sensed the danger and pulled him back, Wei Jing would probably have already rushed to Tang Ning's side, who was in the center of the danger.
"stop!"
King Jian roared.
Just when things were at their most critical, a group of men in black suddenly descended from the sky, blocking all the attacks aimed at Situ Yin and Tang Ning.
Meanwhile, Tang Ning, trembling and tightly hugging Situ Yin beneath her with her eyes closed, waited for a long time without experiencing the expected pain before slowly opening her eyes and meeting Situ Yin's burning gaze.
After a moment of stunned silence, unexpectedly, a hand suddenly pressed down on the back of Tang Ning's head.
Amidst the clash of swords and the sounds of battle, she and Situ Yin shared their first kiss since they met.
The man's lips were soft and slightly cool.
The kiss was long and tender.
It wasn't until Tang Ning started to gasp for breath that Situ Yin slowly released his hand from the back of her head and instead hugged her waist.
"pity……"
His excessively hoarse voice echoed softly in Tang Ning's ears.
Unfortunately, Situ Yin didn't say anything, but gently helped Tang Ning up.
It was at this moment that Situ Yin's black-clad dog guards and the group brought by Prince Jian completed their first round of combat, with casualties on both sides, and they are now in a stalemate.
"Dog Guard? As expected, your trip today was not unprepared."
The Prince of Jian narrowed his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them. He then stepped forward and shouted, "Do you think you can defeat the elite troops I've brought with you with just these dog guards? Besides..."
He suddenly waved his hand, and half of the guards who had been protecting Situ Yin immediately stabbed their comrades without hesitation, and then rushed to the side of Prince Jian.
This sudden turn of events left everyone present staring wide-eyed in disbelief.
Not only did Situ Yin lose half of his guards, but the remaining half were also reduced to cripples.
The situation reversed instantly.
"With your abilities, what can you possibly fight me?"
King Jian said triumphantly, "The moment you, this foolish ruler, became infatuated with such a woman, your defeat today was already destined. Don't worry, I won't let you die so easily. How much suffering did the former empress endure? I will make you suffer ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times, to vent my resentment of more than ten years."
A cruel glint flashed in Jian Wang's eyes, and he once again pointed his sword at Situ Yin.
Looking at the Prince of Jian ahead, who was starting to get a little cocky, a faint pity involuntarily flashed across Tang Ning's eyes.
It seems this King Jian didn't understand the age-old adage that villains die from talking too much.
Sure enough, as soon as he gave the order, the black-clad guards who had been standing beside him, belonging to Situ Yin, drew their swords without hesitation and attacked the so-called elite soldiers he had brought.
The heavily wounded soldiers standing in front of Situ Yin immediately straightened up and joined the battle as quickly as possible.
"Father, be careful!"
The moment these so-called guard dogs made a move, Wei Jing reacted and even raised his hand to block the sharp blade that was heading straight for Jian Wang's face. However, it was too late. Jian Wang's left ear was instantly sliced off by the attacker.
A sharp pain struck, and Jian Wang's face turned deathly pale. Under Wei Jing's protection, he clutched his left ear, which was bleeding profusely, and watched Situ Yin, who was smiling behind the people fighting.
"You little beast, you deliberately set me up!"
He shouted in disbelief.
Upon hearing this, Situ Yin raised an eyebrow slightly, neither confirming nor denying.
"You think you can keep me alive just because you've outsmarted me? Dream on! I've said it before, this Raven Feather Gully will be your burial ground today!"
The King of Jian was still unwilling to admit defeat. Without thinking, he pulled a firework from his pocket with trembling hands and set it off in the air.
Unfortunately, his signal had been ringing for quite some time, but the expected reinforcements had not appeared.
Seeing this, Situ Yin had already half-carried Tang Ning and jumped down from the wrecked carriage. "It seems that His Highness Prince Jian's signal is not working. Why don't I give it a try too..."
When King Jian realized that his contingency plans had received no response, his heart sank.
After hearing Situ Yin's words, his pupils contracted instantly.
As the signal in Situ Yin's hand shot into the air, soon, armored soldiers, bows and arrows raised, rose up on the hilltops on both sides of Yayu Gully, aiming at the soldiers below.
"This humble general has arrived late to save Your Majesty; I beg Your Majesty and Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Then, a rough voice came from the mountain on the right, firm and powerful.
This single sentence sealed King Jian's fate.
Now that Situ Yin's men are in the positions he arranged, it's safe to assume that all the men he previously assigned have been dealt with.
Such deep thoughts, such ruthless methods!
Prince Jian staggered slightly, and once he regained his balance, he looked straight at Situ Yin. "What a cunning little beast!"
Upon hearing this, Situ Yin merely smiled politely.
With an overwhelming numerical advantage, King Jian and his followers were nothing more than turtles in a jar; defeat was only a matter of time.
As his men dwindled in number, and even his own son Wei Jing was covered in wounds, Jian Wang's gaze toward Situ Yin grew increasingly venomous.
For a moment, he felt that in front of Situ Yin, he was no different from that clown. Over the years, all his scheming and plotting behind the scenes had probably been under Situ Yin's nose, and he had just watched him jump around.
Then, when he thinks he has the upper hand and revenge is within reach, deliver the final blow.
As he pondered this, King Jian's breathing became increasingly rapid, and his eyes grew redder and redder, as if they were about to bleed.
Is it really impossible for him to avenge the Empress on his own?
He was unwilling to accept it, he was unwilling to accept it...
Watching helplessly as his troops were crushed by Situ Yin, leaving only a dozen or so survivors, A Jing's arm holding the sword began to tremble uncontrollably. A fierce glint flashed in Jian Wang's eyes.
You forced me to do this, you little beast!
After this resolute thought arose in Jian Wang's mind, without thinking, he immediately took out a pitch-black object from his pocket and slammed it to the ground. With a loud bang, thick white smoke immediately filled the entire Ya Yu Gou.
The figures of Jian Wang and his entourage immediately disappeared into the smoke.
Having anticipated this, King Jian simply shoved Wei Jing toward his men, uttered a command to take the crown prince with him, and plunged headlong into the smoke without hesitation.
"father……"
Wei Jing's voice was completely ignored by King Jian.
Almost there, almost there, that little bastard is just ahead...
As the smoke dissipated, he had no time to spare. Prince Jian's steps quickened until he saw two shadowy figures not far in front of him. He pulled a black, cylindrical hidden weapon from his sleeve. Originally, he intended to aim it at Situ Yin to kill him, but the moment he pulled the trigger, he inexplicably pointed it at Tang Ning...
Anyone with eyes can see how much this ruthless little beast loves his empress. Letting him die like this would be letting him off easy. He should be made to suffer unbearable pain and live a life worse than death.
With an expectant yet sickly expression, Prince Jian activated his hidden weapon without a second thought, aiming it at Tang Ning.
"careful!"
"Hmm..."
After a few chaotic sounds, the thick white smoke quickly dissipated under the mountain breeze.
After the thick fog dissipated, what Jian Wang saw was Situ Yin tightly protecting Qin Tangning beneath him, and Wei Jing, who was kneeling on one knee, supporting himself with Jiang Li's sword, his left shoulder and arm covered with the deadly poisonous hidden weapons he had thrown.
Upon seeing this, King Jian's eyes widened in fury. He disregarded everything else and rushed to Wei Jing, catching his son's body with trembling hands.
"Ah Jing, Ah Jing, Ah Jing..."
He kept patting Wei Jing's face, which was already covered in thick black smoke, because these hidden weapons were exactly what he had prepared for Situ Yin in case he failed. He had asked Situ Yin to find the antidote, but he didn't bring the antidote with him at all. Even the poison on these needles was the most potent kind in his collection.
When he prepared this hidden weapon, he never intended for Situ Yin to survive.
But how could he have imagined that such methods would ultimately be used against his own son?
Why?
Why is that?
If only he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have brought his Ah Jing with him in the first place.
Not only was Prince Jian shocked, but Situ Yin and Tang Ning were equally astonished.
It wasn't until Tang Ning received Wei Jing's reassuring look that her eyes welled up with tears.
I'm so glad you're alright...
Even though she was already unable to speak, Tang Ning still clearly understood the meaning expressed in Wei Jing's eyes.
Then, Wei Jing mustered all his strength to raise his still-intact right hand and grabbed Jian Wang's fingers tightly, pulling and squeezing them harder and harder.
His eyes shone with worry. He wanted his father to leave as soon as possible; his mother was waiting for him at home. He didn't want to be an emperor; he just wanted the three of them to live peacefully and well...
But now, even such a simple wish cannot be fulfilled.
As he continued to squeeze, amidst the King of Jian's agonizing screams, Wei Jing's hand slowly fell to his sides.
It was at this moment that he realized that when a person is nearing death, all the experiences of his life will flash before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
It was at this time that Wei Jing realized that he had accumulated so many regrets in just over a decade.
Unable to care for her mother until her old age, she was always prone to tears; one can only imagine how much she would weep upon learning of his death.
She failed to stop her father from going down this wrong path as soon as she realized something was wrong with him.
He couldn't firmly hold Tang Ning's hand and tell her that he truly loved her, wanted to marry her, have children, and grow old together...
Throughout his life, he seemed to be constantly indecisive, which ultimately prevented him from accomplishing anything he truly desired.
It's such a shame!
Wei Jing's hand fell heavily, but before his consciousness completely faded, he used the last bit of strength in his body to turn his head and look at Tang Ning one last time. Then, he slightly curled the corners of his mouth and slowly closed his eyes...
"Ah Jing!"
King Jian cried out in this way.
Unfortunately, his Ah Jing will never give him any response again.
In fact, Wei Jing's current fate was sealed the moment he decided to embark on this path.
In the story, he was just lucky. No matter how much preparation Situ Yin had made beforehand, he couldn't retaliate against them when his headache became more and more severe and he couldn't even give orders.
In the later stages, he was in so much pain that every moment felt like he was dying again, and he no longer cared about the King of Jian.
My son is dead...
There were only a few of the men he brought with him left.
He suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Yayugou.
Holding his son's corpse, King Jian finally couldn't help but laugh softly. The laughter grew louder and louder, eventually even taking on a hint of madness.
After laughing, he lovingly tidied Wei Jing's hair on his forehead and then gently pulled him into his arms.
"Ah Jing, don't worry, Dad will soon bring down the murderer who killed you to join you, very soon, very soon..."
He leaned close to Wei Jing's ear and said this in a voice only he could hear.
As soon as he finished speaking, he bit open the poison sac in his mouth without hesitation. As soon as he bit it open, a scream immediately came from the throat of the Prince of Jian.
Before long, he was in so much pain that he could no longer hold Wei Jing in his arms and began to scream and roll around on the ground.
Then, everyone present saw a plume of smoke emanating from King Jian's body. As soon as the smoke appeared, King Jian's entire body began to slowly melt away, starting from his limbs.
Finally, amidst a series of inhuman screams, he visibly disintegrated into a pool of blood on the ground.
The scene chilled everyone present to the bone. They couldn't understand why Prince Jian would poison himself so cruelly. Was it because he couldn't accept the death of Prince Wei...?
Numerous speculations arose in everyone's minds.
Meanwhile, seeing Tang Ning still staring blankly at Wei Jing's corpse on the ground, Situ Yin subconsciously raised his hand and covered her eyes.
"Okay, let's not watch..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Situ Yin's vision went black for a moment, followed by a wave of dizziness that rushed to his brain.
His hand, which was covering Tang Ning, trembled slightly, and the long-lost headache returned.
Staggering slightly, Situ Yin then collapsed towards Tang Ning amidst her horrified gaze.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Tang Ning's shouts rang out incessantly.
No matter how she called out, Situ Yin did not respond.
Inside the palace.
Tang Ning looked at Situ Yin, who lay unconscious on the bed with a deathly pale face, while the report from the Imperial Medical Academy Director Fang rang in her ears.
Three hours had passed since they returned to the palace, and Situ Yin still showed no signs of waking up.
Fang Yuanling said that he had carefully examined the pool of blood that Jian Wang had transformed into. If he was not mistaken, for the past ten years or so, he had probably been using a special method to permeate his own flesh and blood.
In his quest for revenge, he used his own body as his final trump card. As long as he bit through the poison sac in his mouth, although he himself would turn into a pool of blood, the poisonous smoke emanating from his body at the moment of his death would be harmless to ordinary people, but for His Majesty, who had been poisoned by the strange poison Beauty Fragrance for many years, it was the most terrifying death warrant.
"So, is it possible for him to wake up again?"
Tang Ning's voice was quite hoarse.
"Of course. His Majesty will be fully awake soon, but..."
"only?"
"Even if His Majesty awakens, he will likely only have one month left to live..."
Upon hearing Fang Yuanling's words, Tang Ning's tears fell from her eyes with a soft thud.
She subconsciously raised her hand and gently stroked Situ Yin's almost translucent white cheek.
"Is there no other way?"
"this……"
Fang Yuanling's eyes flickered, but he still knelt before Tang Ning, without revealing the method he was experimenting with, which was nearing its end.
Unlike the deathly silence in the palace, the capital city was unusually "lively" again after the previous Flower Festival.
Even though Situ Yin had not yet woken up, his guards, as arranged earlier, went out in full force as soon as they returned to the capital.
The Prince Jian's Mansion, the Duke of Guo's Mansion, the Prime Minister Ji's Mansion...
Dog guards were seen in various places.
Yes, Prince Jian has played a very big game. He not only brought in the second branch of the Duke of Guo's family, but also the shrewd and calculating Prime Minister Ji, not to mention the other officials.
Rather than saying they were dragged into this mess, it's more accurate to say they had long been dissatisfied with Situ Yin's actions.
As long as Situ Yin is around, they will always have to keep their tails between their legs. Not only will they never experience the pleasure of being in a position of power, but they will also be treated like dogs every day. Moreover, they cannot do anything like embezzlement, bribery, or bullying the people. They will also worry every day that they might suddenly lose their heads.
They climbed up the ladder with all their might, not to be subservient to those insignificant commoners.
So, under Jian Wang's slight provocation, the group of people, who were already weak-willed, turned against him.
Needless to say, the second branch of the Guo State Duke's family had long been living under the tyranny of Princess Qingping, and they had had enough.
As for Prime Minister Ji, he naturally wanted to experience what it felt like to have great power in his hands.
Since you did this yourself, you have to bear the consequences.
Because so many people were taken away by the dog guards, the capital city quickly descended into chaos due to excessive panic.
It was at this moment that Situ Yin finally woke up from his coma.
As soon as he woke up, Tang Ning immediately threw herself into his arms without a second thought.
Situ Yin casually hugged her, and soon felt a wet patch on his shoulder.
"What are you doing? I'm not dead yet, aren't you crying a little too soon?"
As soon as he said that, Tang Ning immediately sat up straight and covered his mouth.
"You'll be alright..."
Seeing Tang Ning's earnest expression, Situ Yin smiled and pulled down her hand.
"Um."
He responded and then gently pressed his forehead against Tang Ning's.
I want to kiss you, okay?
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning suddenly raised her head, and the next second her lips were gently captured by Situ Yin.
No one knew that Situ Yin's mind was already churning with pain, and even his eyes were starting to glaze over. He clenched his fists tightly, his fingertips digging deep into his palms, but his kisses on Tang Ning were gentle and slow.
Again and again, as if handling the most precious treasure in the world.
Meanwhile, Situ Yin showed no intention of interrogating the people who had been imprisoned. In just one night, he presented them with all the charges he had already investigated and delivered his verdict.
Some were beheaded, others were exiled.
Of the second branch of the Duke's mansion, apart from the second uncle who was beheaded, the rest were basically exiled. The Duke's title was stripped away completely. Princess Qingping, being ignorant of the matter, was temporarily sent to her home to reflect on her actions.
I heard that the old lady of the Duke's mansion, who doted on her second son like the apple of her eye, died of anger after hearing that her son had been sentenced to immediate execution.
As for the Jianwang Mansion, the Jianwang Princess, who had become somewhat dazed after the deaths of her son and husband, along with Wei Jing's concubine Qin Qianqian, were also to be exiled.
As for the Ji family, apart from Prime Minister Ji and his father, who were executed on the spot, all the younger generation and female relatives, including Ji Muqing, who had only recently returned to the Prime Minister's residence, were exiled to the frontier.
It is said that when the Grand Eunuch Wen Rang went to the prison to deliver the imperial decree, everyone else was fine, but only at the Jianwang Mansion, Qin Qianqian collapsed to the ground. However, just as Wen Rang was about to leave, she suddenly got up from the ground, crying and shouting that her father was the General of Zhenbei and her sister was the current Empress. She begged His Majesty to spare her this time for Tang Ning's sake.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard she shouted, no one paid any attention to her.
Moreover, during the nearly half-month she was in prison, no one from the general's mansion came to visit her.
No sooner had Qin Qianqian entered the prison than Situ Yin ordered someone to drop a piece of evidence in front of everyone in the General's Mansion.
Yes, it was none other than the wealthy merchant's wife who deliberately ordered someone to switch all the evidence related to Tang Ning and Qin Qianqian when they were still infants.
In this world, everything you do leaves a trace.
Any trace of it will inevitably be discovered.
The people in the General's Mansion, who had initially intended to plead for Qin Qianqian, fell completely silent after seeing this evidence.
Just as the verdict was handed down on this group of people who had chosen the right side in the storyline, who had enjoyed a lifetime of immense wealth by stepping on the blood and flesh of Tang Ning and Situ Yin.
In the dimly lit room, Situ Yin looked at Fang Yuanling kneeling below him.
"Your Majesty, my experiment is now completely finished. I am now certain that as long as... 80% of the Empress's blood is transferred into your body, you will be completely rid of the Beauty Fragrance and live a long and healthy life..."
"……Yeah?"
Situ Yin replied almost with a sigh, "After the change, Tang Ning probably won't be able to survive either, right?"
"……yes."
So it's a life for a life?
At the same time, Tang Ning looked at 54088 floating beside her and raised an eyebrow.
"There are only twenty-one days left until the point of death. I never thought I would live one day longer than Situ Yin!"
"Has Situ Yin's favorability detection system not been repaired yet?"
"I...I'll go and urge them again..."
"No need, whether it's fixed or not, it's not necessary."
Tang Ning looked at the fiery red sunset outside the window and smiled.
Author's note: The story will end tomorrow.
The next story is set in modern times, featuring three potential romantic partners: a charming and capable conman, a gentle and refined man who is blind and a mastermind behind the scenes whom Tang Ning would even steal electric bikes to support, and a CEO boyfriend who shares his joys and sorrows as he builds his fortune, only to be sent to prison by him.
When your ex-girlfriend strikes again, here's the key to dealing with her: the cunning and aggressive black lotus ex-girlfriend – first, become her ex-girlfriend yourself.
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