70 Revenge
◎Avenged you◎
September 19th, the Golden Chamber and the Yellow Road, Fude Yuexian together. The Earthly Branches are in harmony, auspicious for marriage.
Early in the morning, before the sun rose, Wei Ziyan rose, burned incense, bathed, and bowed devoutly toward the east. Afterward, Qiu Luo carefully tied the sleeve arrows under her arms and helped her put on two layers of elaborate outer garments.
In front of the dressing mirror, Wei Ziyan had gorgeous makeup and an elegant headdress, like a graceful blooming peony.
"If the son-in-law knew that the young lady dressed up like this for him today, he would be very happy." Qiu Luo whispered in her ear, and the person in the mirror couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips.
After today, everything she says and does will be aboveboard and there is no need to hide anything.
As long as, after today.
Wei Ziyan unconsciously touched the hidden arrow on her arm and silently prayed again that everything would go well.
The wedding ceremony of the eighth prince was temporarily modified due to the "poor health" of Emperor Jingren. The newlyweds did not hold the wedding ceremony in Taiji Palace but in Jinluan Palace instead, with the fourth prince acting as their father and brother.
This move was absurd, yet King Mu's expression only froze for a moment, and he didn't lose his temper. The ceremonial officials present broke into a cold sweat, holding their breath throughout the entire process, fearing even the slightest misstep.
After the ceremony, the man on the throne walked away triumphantly, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Then, looking back at the man who had endured the humiliation in the hall, they all felt a surge of pity.
"Everyone has worked so hard for me these days. I have prepared a glass of light wine in the side hall. Please don't be disgusted."
Look, this young prince has such a good temper! Not only did he not vent his anger on them, he even politely offered to drink wedding wine. The ceremonial officials all responded and moved to the side hall.
As expected, wine and food were already prepared. The ceremonial officials sat on the ground and raised their glasses to congratulate King Mu. Li Zaidao smiled slightly, picked up the wine glass, raised his sleeve, and drank first as a gesture of respect.
The wide cuffs slowly fell down, and Li Zaidao's smiling eyes slowly lost their arc.
"I'm sorry, everyone."
As the words fell, the wine glasses in the hands of the ceremonial officials fell one after another, and then they fell to the ground. Several figures from behind the screen suddenly appeared and dragged the people on the ground behind the screen.
In a short while, the "ceremonial officials" who had just fainted on the ground walked out from behind the screen again.
But, all their faces have been changed.
When entering the palace in a sedan chair today, Wei Ziyan lifted the curtain and looked up at the guards on the palace wall.
"How can the palace gate be breached so easily?"
"Of course, we have to rely on our wits."
In a hurried final meeting with Wei Tingshuang, Wei Ziyan learned of their plans for the night. Hearing that Yan Qi was about to lead his troops in a violent assault, she couldn't help but worry about the chances of success. The palace's high walls were easy to defend but difficult to attack, and there were numerous imperial guards guarding it.
"What is Miss Wei looking at?"
He Yingqing, this lackey, never forgets to keep a close eye on her. Wei Ziyan thought to herself, "Miss, I'm watching the time when the King of Hell will take you away!"
"Military Advisor He," she said, a hint of meaning on her lips, "Do you think the moon tonight is a little creepy?"
He Yingqing was stunned when he heard this, and he actually craned his neck to look at the moon in the sky. It was only a few days after the 15th, and it was still almost full. What was so special about it?
"Wei..."
He Yingqing turned around and wanted to ask what was so creepy, but the curtain had been drawn, so he had to swallow the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
The gates of Liangjing City were usually closed at twilight hour, but when important events occurred in the capital, they would be closed in advance at three quarters past three in the afternoon, and the imperial guards would be added to the defense.
The guards had already opened the gates and were inquiring with the chief of the Imperial Guards, who had come to supervise the operation, about the Eighth Prince's wedding. It was said that it was quite different from usual, with some events taking place at the Prince's residence, some at the Imperial Palace, and some at the Ancestral Temple. The most outrageous thing was that His Majesty hadn't made an appearance, with the Fourth Prince taking over. Perhaps in His Majesty's eyes, there was only the Fourth Prince.
"Of course. After all, the Fourth Prince is the new Crown Prince that His Majesty will appoint." A pleasant voice suddenly interrupted. The guards outside the city turned their heads and saluted quickly.
"Master Yu."
The man who came was Yu Sugong, dressed in his official uniform. Behind him was a group of officers and soldiers, escorting a prisoner cart with a man in plain clothes sitting inside.
"Thank you brothers for opening the city gate. I will escort the important criminal back to Beijing." Yu Sugong smiled and spread a document in front of them.
"Wu Guanyi? This is..."
The guard saw that the name on the document was very familiar. Yu Sugong put his index finger to his lips and said softly, "Yes, the second son of the former Minister of Justice Wu Minglu, the wanted criminal handpicked by the Fourth Prince."
"Let me see."
The commander of the imperial guards had seen Yunqiwei before, so he approached the prisoner's wagon with a torch to carefully identify him. It was indeed Wu Guanyi, who had escaped exile. He turned around, gave the current Minister of Justice a deep look, and shouted, "Let him go!"
The city gates reopened, and officers and soldiers escorted the prisoner carts into the city. Yu Sugong walked at the end of the procession. After entering, he smiled and thanked the leader. Before his mouth closed, he suddenly drew his sword and swung it, tearing a gash in the leader's neck.
This series of actions was lightning fast and so unexpected that the nearby guards were all stunned. They were awakened by the shouts of killing, but it was too late to draw their swords. The "officers and soldiers" who had just entered the city were all extraordinary, and they were almost all dispatched in the blink of an eye. The remaining few could only resist one or two blows, and draw their breath a few more times.
After finishing everything, Yu Sugong lit a flare and flew into the night sky.
With a "bang", the flare exploded in the air.
Immediately afterwards, fireworks burst into life in the sky above Prince Mu's mansion. When the news reached the palace, Li Youxu had just finished his meal with Wei Ziyan.
"Your Highness, the fireworks were set off by Prince Mu's Mansion. They must be celebrating the wedding."
Soon, a palace servant came in to reply. Li Youxu frowned and said, "Did the Ministry of Rites say they prepared fireworks?"
Unbeknownst to the palace maids, He Yingqing was about to step forward when Wei Ziyan smiled sweetly at Li Youxu, "It's so nice to set off fireworks on a wedding day! It's so festive and lively. Can we also set off fireworks on the prince's wedding day?"
The beauty supported her chin with one hand and looked at him with a full gaze, and Li Youxu's expression immediately brightened.
"Why not? You can keep it as long as you want." As he said that, he raised his hand and wanted to pinch the pretty face, but Wei Ziyan dodged backwards.
"I'll be seeing His Majesty later, so I can't ruin my makeup."
The sounds of "bang bang" and "pop" were heard incessantly, and the imperial guards on duty in the city were also attracted by the gorgeous fireworks and happily feasted their eyes on them.
On the palace wall, the "ceremonial officials" brought King Mu's wedding wine and auspicious bags to reward the imperial guards who had worked hard on the night stand.
Each auspicious bag contained a piece of gold and a piece of silver. Of course, the imperial guards would not refuse, and they gladly accepted the gifts, along with the wedding wine. The ceremonial officer had said that since it was the Eighth Prince's big day, he should celebrate with everyone, so a glass of wine would be fine.
Outside the city, a large group of soldiers led by Lu Qiyou entered through the open city gates. Each horse's hoof was wrapped in straw, which greatly reduced the momentum of the galloping army. The muffled clatter of hooves blended with the sound of fireworks, making it difficult to distinguish them.
The troops entering the city joined forces with those inside. Lu Qiyou saw Yan Qizheng, the armored man on horseback, leading the charge. On either side of him...
"Lord Yu? Second Young Master Wu?" Lu Qiyou widened his eyes, but suddenly he had an epiphany and figured everything out.
Since he had been planning for a long time, he was more and more confident that he would succeed tonight!
The troops were divided into two groups according to the plan. Lu Qi led his men to cover the rear in the city, while Yan Qizheng and his two companions led the troops straight to the palace...
As Wei Ziyan and Li Youxu made their way to Taiji Palace, fireworks continued to crackle and explode in the distance. Li Youxu grew increasingly annoyed and turned to He Yingqing, "Send someone to Prince Mu's mansion and tell them to stop."
"yes."
Wei Ziyan did not try to stop him. Almost two incense sticks had passed since the first firework blast, and He Yingqing was completely too late.
"The Eighth Prince's friends in the martial arts world will take care of the trouble on the palace walls, as well as the imperial guards outside Taiji Palace. When you see a rat lantern hanging outside the palace, you can go in with the King of Liao without hesitation. If you don't see one, be sure to find a way to retreat..."
Recalling Wei Tingshuang's instructions in her head, Wei Ziyan cast her searching gaze towards the emperor's bedroom in front of her.
Under the palace eaves, which resembled the wings of a crane, there indeed hung a large lantern. As I got closer, I could see that it resembled two mice playfully facing each other.
Wei Ziyan was actually prepared, but the moment she saw the appearance clearly, she still couldn't help but burst into tears.
Wei Tingshuang didn't understand why it was a rat lantern, and no one else noticed anything strange either, except her and Yan Qizheng...
"What's this?"
Li Youxu also saw the lantern and was about to step forward to question the palace servant who was bowing his head at the door, but Wei Ziyan called out softly, stopped, and covered her eyes with her hands.
"What's wrong?" Li Youxi turned back.
"Something seems to have gotten into my eye, it hurts..."
"Let me see."
How could they see clearly in the darkness outside? Wei Ziyan was hurriedly led into the main hall by Li Youxu, who examined her eyes beside the glass lamp. But he only saw redness and tears, and found nothing unusual.
Wei Ziyan tried to blink: "Maybe it just came out with the tears."
"Is this worth shedding so many tears? Aren't you afraid your makeup will get ruined?"
Li Youxu stood up, laughing. Suddenly, he realized the hall was empty and unusually quiet. He tilted his head slightly to see only the palace attendant who had just entered, standing two steps away with his head lowered.
The brim of his hat obscured half his face, making it difficult to see clearly. However, his slightly tall figure didn't look like a eunuch. Li Youxi's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint in his eyes, and his right hand quietly moved to his waist.
"Why didn't anyone pass on the message?"
Li Youxu questioned in a deep voice, but the palace maid seemed to ignore him and continued to stand with her head bowed. Li Youxu suddenly drew the soft sword from his waist with his right hand and swung it towards the man's face.
The sword wind came, and the man finally jumped back to avoid the fierce killing move.
"Who are you?"
The man steadied himself and slowly raised his head, revealing a clear outline of his face under the bright glass light.
"It's you?" There was some disbelief in Li Youxu's eyes.
Not only him, but even Wei Ziyan was surprised when she saw that face clearly. Li Youxu sneered, "Today is your wedding day, and instead of accompanying the princess, you're thinking about your father. Your filial piety is truly commendable."
"Fourth brother, what you said is not true." This person was none other than the Eighth Prince, Prince Mu Li Zaidao. He turned towards Li Youxu, a hint of sarcasm on his lips: "It is Fourth brother that I am thinking of."
As they were talking, they could hear faint shouts and cries from outside, the rumbling sounds could not be covered by the fireworks.
The corners of Li Zaidao's lips curved even wider: "Did you hear that, Fourth Brother?"
"You want to kill your brother and seize the throne?"
"Fourth brother is right. Throughout the dynasties, which royal family has not had brothers fighting? The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. The winner is justice for the world."
"You're not good enough to kill me!"
Li Youxi sneered again, suddenly pushed the glass cup to the ground, and threw something else, which exploded with a "bang" and a large cluster of fire ignited.
While Li Zaidao was closing his eyes and covering his face and stepping back, Li Youxu turned around, grabbed Wei Ziyan and ran into the inner hall and closed the door.
At this moment, he only thought that Prince Mu was plotting a rebellion, and he hadn't yet suspected her. Wei Ziyan saw several palace maids lying on the ground with their outer robes stripped off, and for a moment she was a little suspicious. Could it be that Prince Mu was really rebelling?
In the moment of stunned silence, Li Youxu ran to smash the bolt and pushed open a window in the inner hall.
"Rebellious son!" A loud shout exploded behind her. Wei Ziyan turned around and saw Emperor Jingren holding a long sword.
He was wearing a dragon robe and a crown on his head, and he walked slowly, but he did not look as weak as he had looked before.
Emperor Jingren opened his eyes wide and glared at his son: "You killed your father and brother, you are really my good son!"
At this moment, Li Youxu finally felt something was wrong, but there was no time for him to think carefully. Without hesitation, he drew his sword and stabbed the enemy who killed his mother.
With two clang clangs, Emperor Jingren's sword was completely vulnerable and was knocked to the ground by the huge force in two hits.
Li Youxu swung his sword with a cold flash, aiming it straight at his throat. But at that moment, he felt a sudden pain in his right arm. Just as he saw a small arrow had pierced it, another shot struck his right thigh.
Li Youxu's body froze, and he turned his head in disbelief to look at the woman who had shot him in the back.
"Didn't expect that, Li Youxu?" The people outside began to knock on the door of the inner hall. Wei Ziyan raised her right hand with a long-awaited smile on her face.
Finally, I've waited until today! Waiting for his death!
"Do you really think I'm obsessed with you and want to be in love with you? I endure the disgusting smile in front of you every day and call you Prince, just to take your life today!"
"So you have been lying to me?" Li Youxu gritted his teeth.
The disbelief in his heart turned into raging rage, and Li Youxu's gloomy eyes seemed to be filled with poison.
"I treated you so well, and you actually dared to betray me!"
Li Youxu walked towards her with a sword in hand. Wei Ziyan's hands were shaking a little, but the two fingers of her left hand were still on the switch of the hidden arrow, and her eyes were fixed on the approaching King of Liao.
He was wearing soft armor that was impervious to swords and spears, and there were only three arrows in his sleeve, and the last arrow could not be shot easily.
"You think you can kill me with that?"
Li Youxu roared and raised his sword. Wei Ziyan pressed hard with her fingers, and the last arrow flew out of the air with a "whoosh" and was blocked by the sword and fell to the ground with a "clang".
"Rebellious son!"
At the moment when Wei Ziyan's face turned pale, Emperor Jingren rushed towards Li Youxu, who kicked him to the ground. Li Youxu was about to step forward to strike him with his sword when the palace door was knocked open and someone rushed in.
Li Youxu threw Emperor Jingren aside and grabbed Wei Ziyan: "If you want her to die, come here!"
The first to bear the brunt of the attack was Yan Qizhen, who had fought his way into the palace.
Although most of the imperial guards on the palace walls were knocked unconscious and an insider opened the palace gate, they still engaged in a fierce battle with a large number of imperial guards after entering the palace.
He, Yu Sugong, and Wu Guanyi divided their troops into three groups. Yu Sugong led his men to the harem to protect the queen, Wu Guanyi led his men to the cold palace to protect the prince, and he led a group of men towards the Taiji Palace, fighting all the way.
The original guards outside the Taiji Palace were dealt with by Li Zaidao's friends in the martial arts world, but when Li Youxu set fire to the outer hall, He Yingqing brought two groups of imperial guards and fought with Li Zaidao's men.
Yan Qizheng arrived with reinforcements and learned from Li Zaidao that Emperor Jingren, Wei Ziyan and King Liao were inside, so he rushed in in a hurry.
"Let her go and I'll spare your life." Yan Qi was holding a long sword in his hand, his armor and face were covered in blood, and he stood there with a ferocious look in his eyes, like a deadly demon.
Drunk? Incompetent?
Oh! Li Youxu's face was quite wonderful.
One by one, two by two, they made him run around in circles!
Good! Very good!
"You want me to let her go? Dream on!" Li Youxu shouted angrily, and suddenly threw the sword in his hand that was holding the hostage.
The soft sword flew like a flying knife, heading towards Yan Qi's front door. When Yan Qi raised his sword to block it, Li Youxu did the same thing, pushing the glass lamp towards Emperor Jingren, and it quickly exploded into flames.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Youxu picked up Wei Ziyan and jumped out of the window.
"He Yingqing!"
"Your Highness..." Hearing the call, Military Advisor He immediately ordered the imperial guards to change direction. "Go and rescue the prince!"
A steady stream of imperial guards approached Li Youxu and surrounded Yan Qizhen and others who had chased out after a while.
"All the traitors must be killed on the spot! Not a single one can be spared!" Li Youxu shouted orders at the top of his voice, and He Yingqing shouted again. The imperial guards shouted and rushed towards Yan Qizhen.
"Watch this!" Li Youxu held Wei Ziyan's hand tightly with one hand, and pinched her face fiercely with the other hand: "Watch how he gets hacked to death!"
"He won't die! People like you will never die well!" Wei Ziyan also glared at him fiercely.
This woman had destroyed the only hope he had in his life, and Li Youxu wanted to strangle her to death immediately! But before he could vent his anger, a majestic shout suddenly rang out amid the fighting: "My imperial guards, obey my order! Execute the rebellious son Li Youxi!"
It’s Emperor Jingren!
The emperor, who had not been seen for many days, now appeared in a yellow robe, surrounded by a crowd of people. The torches illuminated his face, and it was indeed the emperor. The imperial guards were dumbfounded.
Prince Mu, who was standing beside Emperor Jingren, shouted, "Don't you understand? Li Youxu murdered the emperor and falsely passed on an imperial decree to command the imperial guards. His crimes are unforgivable!"
"Kill the traitor Li Youxu!" Someone in the imperial guards shouted, and then one after another.
He Yingqing saw that the situation was not good and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please leave!"
Li Youxi pushed Wei Ziyan to retreat, and Yan Qizheng caught up and fought with the few people who were left behind led by He Yingqing.
At this point, Yan Qizheng was already mad with rage, ready to kill anyone who stood in his way. Li Youxu watched from afar, knowing the situation was hopeless. He wasn't afraid of death, but he wasn't willing to be the only one to die!
Before he dies, he must kill her first!
"Wei Ziyan!" He pushed the woman who had deceived him against the wall, his large hands tightly gripping her neck. "We are not meant to be together in life, so why not die together and become a ghost couple?"
"I would never marry you even if I became a ghost!" Wei Ziyan glared at him coldly.
The hand around her neck tightened, cruelly strangling her breath, just like the nightmare before.
"You've committed countless evil deeds... If you die... you'll just... go... to... hell..."
Seeing that she could no longer utter a word and tears welled up in her eyes, Li Youxu showed a hideous and perverted smile: "Even if it is hell, I will drag you with me."
But at this moment, with a "chi" sound, a sharp blade pierced Li Youxu's back. It didn't penetrate the flesh, but the huge killing force still made him feel a dull pain.
He knew who was behind him without looking back.
Turning around and pushing the person in his hand back, Li Youxu picked up a knife from the ground and rushed out frantically.
"Zi Yan..."
Yan Qizhen hurriedly caught the fallen Wei Ziyan, and anxiously raised his hand to pat her dying face, only to find that his hands were covered in blood.
"I'm fine..." Wei Ziyan opened her eyes hard upon hearing his voice and struggled to speak: "Don't... let him go..."
Let him go? Yan Qi clenched his teeth, absolutely not!
All the stubbornly resisting Imperial Guards were executed, and He Yingqing surrendered to save his life. Only Li Youxu remained, slashing furiously at the Imperial Guards surrounding him. Yan Qizheng handed Wei Ziyan over to his companions, then quickly stepped forward with his sword in hand.
"Back off!" he shouted, gripping the knife handle tightly with both hands and charging into the center.
“Ding-ding-ding-ding—”
The sharp sound of the clashing blades continued one after another. Li Youxu tried his best, and so did Yan Qizhen!
He was still filled with anger and hatred, for Zi Yan, for the Yan and Wu families, for the prince... for all the lives that were exploited and harmed by Li Youxu!
This Fourth Prince, who treated human life as worthless, cherished his own life dearly. His soft armor made him invulnerable to weapons, but not his limbs. When Yan Qizheng realized he couldn't injure his body, he turned to his arms and legs, unleashing a lethal blow.
Li Youxu was first cut on his left hand and then injured his left leg.
Then Yan Qizhen kicked him in the injured part of his right leg. The arrow, which had not been inserted deeply, was pushed into the flesh and bone, piercing the entire thigh. The pain made him fall to his knees immediately.
Yan Qizheng stopped, turned, and swung his sword again, stabbing straight at his face. Li Youxu hurriedly blocked it with his sword, but the huge impact caused his sword to deflect, and in the concussion, the sword in his hand was knocked out.
"Don't kill him!" When Yan Qizhen swept his sharp knife towards Li Youxu's neck, a man rushed over shouting.
Yan Qi paused in his action when he saw Wu Guanyi suddenly running towards him.
"Your Highness has something to say to him."
"Heh—" Li Youxu tilted his head to look at Yan Qizheng and sneered. "You can't kill me!"
"Yeah?"
The sheathed knife suddenly swerved in mid-air, and Li Youxu cried out in pain, clutching his right hand and falling to the ground. The imperial guards who were restraining him saw that his hand was stained with blood, as if the tendons had been severed and it couldn't bend at all.
That evil hand could no longer lift a knife or strangle someone's neck...
Yan Qizhen threw down the knife, turned around and strode back.
"I avenged you."
He squatted in front of Wei Ziyan and smiled slightly, then picked her up and walked away from this bloody place...
【Author’s words】
There will be one last update at 12 noon
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