Chapter 59 [59]
【59】/First release
Everything happened too suddenly.
Lu Zhiwan's heart was pounding, and her chest was beating wildly. It seemed as if there was a voice in her subconscious grinning at her, announcing the final battle.
"Wanwan."
Xiao Jingting's expression also became solemn. He quickly stood up from his seat and pulled Lu Zhiwan into his arms, protecting her: "Don't be afraid."
Lu Zhiwan raised her eyes in panic. The man's jawline was tense. Although he still had the mind of a child, he was now mature and steady beyond his years. He held her close and looked around vigilantly, like a tiger on defense.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please get in your carriage and return to the palace."
After a barrage of arrows, the onslaught subsided slightly. Xing Zhou drew his long sword and positioned himself in front of Xiao Jingting and Lu Zhiwan. "These assassins are exceptional archers. If I'm not mistaken, they're the work of Zixiao Villa!"
"I didn't expect Zhao Wenshao to be so fearless as to rob the execution ground in broad daylight." Xiao Jingting said with a stern face, "Since he has fallen into my trap, I will definitely execute him today."
After saying that, he ordered someone to pick up Xiao Ningning, who was lying on the ground with a pale face, and take them out together.
When I left the hall, the sun was high in the sky, shining brightly on the earth.
The once orderly execution ground was thrown into chaos by a horde of black-clad assassins with red scarves tied around their sleeves. The crowds of onlookers, seeing the swords and blood, screamed and fled in terror. In their haste to flee, many stumbled and fell, unable to get up quickly, only to be tripped and stepped on by those behind them...
The bailiffs guarding the execution ground were so busy resisting the assassins and evacuating the people that they had no time to spare.
On the execution ground, Prince Yuzhang and Princess Yuzhang were surprised and delighted to see the black-clad assassins descending from the sky. They shouted repeatedly, "Here we are! We are here!"
The group of black-clad assassins exchanged glances with each other, leaving a few people to untie the shackles of Prince Yuzhang and the princess, while the rest shouted slogans such as "Abolish the tyrant monarch and get rid of the treacherous concubine" and went straight to the carriage behind the execution platform.
"Your Majesty, get in the car quickly." Xing Zhou urged, waving the sword in his hand non-stop.
Several people ran out, but before they could get close to the carriage, another wave of nimble assassins rushed over with swords in hand.
"The princess is there!"
Seeing the group approaching step by step, Lu Zhiwan's eyelids twitched even more violently, and the hand that was holding him suddenly loosened.
Xiao Jingting frowned, snatched the knife from the guard in front of him, and put it on Xiao Ningning's neck: "Don't move, if you take another step forward, I will kill her."
The sharp blade was against Xiao Ningning's neck. Her skin was so delicate that she started bleeding just by being touched.
Seeing this, the group of assassins paused and looked at each other, all a little hesitant.
Xiao Ningning was also frightened by this sudden situation. Her pretty face turned pale and she shouted in a trembling voice, "Don't act rashly!"
Her dark eyes spun around, but she couldn't find Zhao Wenshao. She was unsure, so she looked at Lu Zhiwan beside her for help: "Zhao Fei... Zhao Fei, please persuade His Majesty. I don't know anything, I really don't know anything..."
Lu Zhiwan couldn't care less about Xiao Ningning at the moment. She was watching the black-clad men's every move warily, her mind racing.
What was their purpose? To rescue the Prince of Yuzhang and his wife, and Xiao Ningning? If that was their purpose, they should have focused on the front lines instead of sending all their elite troops to the rear.
If it was because Xiao Ningning was held hostage, they didn't seem to care about her safety...
Xing Zhou just said that these people are from Zixiao Villa and are Qin Mingyue's men. How could they put Xiao Ningning's safety first?
At the same time that Lu Zhiwan realized this, the men in black also made a decision—
"Kill the dog emperor at all costs!"
After hearing this order, the group of men in black were like being injected with chicken blood. Without any hesitation, they brandished their swords and rushed straight towards Xiao Jingting.
Seeing this, Lu Zhiwan's eyelids twitched and he shouted at Xiao Jingting: "Don't worry about Xiao Ningning, get in the car!"
The inner walls of the emperor's carriage were injected with molten iron, making it extremely solid. Except for the windows and doors on both sides, it was invulnerable to swords and guns and very safe.
Xiao Jingting also saw the ultimate goal of this group of assassins. He pushed Xiao Ningning aside and turned to pull Lu Zhiwan: "Wanwan, you go up first!"
Lu Zhiwan was about to refuse, but when she looked up and met the man's firm gaze that brooked no argument, her heart was touched. She no longer wasted time acting out the "you let me, I let you" scene. She gritted her teeth and lifted her skirt to climb into the car.
Just as she climbed onto the carriage and was about to get in, a sudden chill ran through her body like an electric shock, and she subconsciously turned her head.
You don't know until you see it. As soon as you look, you will see a man in black lying on the eaves of a restaurant along the street, holding a crossbow, with the tip of the arrow pointing directly at Xiao Jingting's forehead.
The cold light reflected by the sharp arrow in the sunlight pierced Lu Zhiwan's eyelids.
not good!
Her heart was pounding, and she didn't have time to think too much. She turned around and rushed towards Xiao Jingting: "Ayin, be careful!"
Xiao Jingting was just about to get into the car when he was caught off guard and thrown to the ground by a limp body.
His back hit the cold, hard ground and he groaned, but his hands instinctively wrapped around the person in his arms, willingly serving as a cushion to prevent her from getting bumped.
After recovering a little, he looked up at the woman on top of him: "Wanwan, are you okay?"
Lu Zhiwan raised his head with all his strength, baring his teeth and forcing out a wry smile: "Probably... not...!"
Before she could even say the word "thing", her expression suddenly changed. She felt the sharp pain in her shoulder blade like a seed that quickly took root and sprouted. The intense pain spread like wildfire along the direction of blood flow to every part of her body. Even her heart felt like it was pierced by thousands of silver needles at the same time, the pain was so severe that she could not breathe!
"Wanwan, what's wrong with you?" Xiao Jingting also noticed her strange expression and quickly picked her up.
Lu Zhiwan was unable to answer, but Xiao Ningning, who was sitting beside him, opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, "Zhao Fei, you're hurt!"
Lu Zhiwan forced a glance at her, inwardly wanting to complain about how so many arrows were being fired at Xiao Ningning, yet apart from a faint bloodstain on her neck, not a single hair had fallen. Meanwhile, he himself, frantically trying to hide in a car, still took a hit... Was this the heroine's halo and the villain's treatment?
"Ah...Ah Yin..." She endured the sharp pain in her body and grabbed Xiao Jingting's sleeve with her fingers: "Get in the car, take Xiao Ningning with you... take Xiao Ningning with you..."
Xiao Jingting's face turned pale as he carried her into the car: "It's already this time, why are you still caring about her!"
Lu Zhiwan shook his head: "Bring...bring it!"
She is the heroine of the original novel. Taking her along, maybe I can borrow her aura to add buffs.
Seeing that she was determined, Xiao Jingting had no choice but to take Xiao Ningning on the carriage as well.
The reinforcements of the Jinyiwei arrived just in time and engaged in a fight with the group of assassins. Xing Zhou took advantage of this opportunity, jumped on his horse, and quickly drove the carriage straight towards the palace.
The execution ground was still in chaos, but Lu Zhiwan in the carriage was no longer able to think too much.
She felt her body alternately hot and cold, her soul seemingly separated and reunited with the violent jolting of the carriage. Even if she was slow to react, she could still guess that the arrow was no ordinary shot.
Sure enough, Xiao Jingting reached out to her shoulder, and his palm was stained with black blood.
"This arrow is poisoned!"
Xiao Ningning cried out in shock, covering her lips. She looked at Lu Zhiwan with a look filled with guilt and sadness. Even at such a critical moment, Concubine Zhao had stood by her. Meanwhile, the men Zhao Wenshao had sent showed no concern for her life or death. This truly left her heartbroken and hopeless.
Lu Zhiwan didn't know that she had accidentally gained the heroine's favor. Even if she knew, it didn't seem to matter anymore - she felt that she was probably about to die.
She had heard before that people would have a premonition before they died.
The premonition was strong at that moment. Besides the physical pain, she also felt a trance as if her consciousness had been forcibly stripped away. In her daze, she seemed to see a ball of pulsing white light in front of her, hysterically and angrily roaring, "You shouldn't be here! You've ruined everything!"
She was in excruciating pain, but she still used her mind to retort to the voice: "So what? Even if you force the revision, the story still can't go back to the way it was before. Your existence is the biggest mistake!"
The white light seemed to have been hit by her foot, howling, and then sneered: "You are going to die anyway."
Along with this sneer, a strong pain swept through Lu Zhiwan's body, and her entire face quickly turned a miserable pale color.
"Wanwan, Wanwan..." The man's suppressed and trembling call sounded in her ears.
Lu Zhiwan's eyelashes twitched slightly, and she forced her eyelids open. What came into her sight was that familiar handsome face. His expression was not much better than hers. His dark eyes were filled with anxious and helpless worry. He looked at her steadily: "Wanwan, you will be fine... We will go home soon. I will find the imperial physician to treat your injuries. You will be fine."
When the bone-gnawing pain came, Lu Zhiwan didn't want to cry, but when she saw Xiao Jingting like this, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat and her eyes filled with tears.
It turns out that I am so reluctant to let go.
"A Yin..."
Her voice was hoarse, and Xiao Jingting immediately held her hand: "I'm here, I'm always here."
Lu Zhiwan looked at his narrow eyes that seemed to be flashing with tears, and her heart was also tightened, and she couldn't let go.
If she left like this, what would he do? He hadn't recovered his memory yet. If this matter was exposed, how would the court officials and the people treat him?
And that damned plot gravity, will it just give up? Will it come up with some other way to harm him?
I really can't bear to die like this.
But the strength that was draining away from her body reminded her that no matter how unwilling she was, she had to accept it. Perhaps this was the ending that had been predetermined for her as a villain - no matter how hard she tried, she could not change the plot.
"Ayin, I...I might have to break my promise and can't stay with you anymore..."
Lu Zhiwan tried to smile at him: "But don't be sad, there is... there is also the Queen Mother, she will take care of you..."
"I won't listen, you're talking nonsense."
Xiao Jingting's eyes were slightly red, and he clasped her hand tightly, pressing it to his lips and murmured, "You'll be fine, just hold on a little longer, we'll be at the palace soon."
Lu Zhiwan looked at his tightly pursed lips and knew that this was difficult for him to accept, but she didn't have much time left.
She could only muster up the strength to continue: "You must listen to the Queen Mother in the future and be a good emperor... and be careful of Zhao Wenshao..."
Having said this, she turned to look at Xiao Ningning, and seeing that she also looked mournful, she spoke weakly, "Princess, after today, you should also know how unworthy Zhao Wenshao is of your love. Now that I am about to die, I hope that for the sake of our past friendship, you will promise me that you will no longer help Zhao Wenshao and abet his evil deeds. You are the princess of the Xiao family. You should uphold the orthodoxy of the Xiao family and support His Majesty. How can you, for the sake of a man, forget your ancestors' traditions and become a disloyal, unrighteous and unfilial person?"
Xiao Ningning was originally a kind and soft-hearted person. Seeing Lu Zhiwan dying, she felt even more guilty. Wiping away her tears, she repeatedly responded, "Zhao Fei, I promise you, I promise you everything. From now on, I will completely break off all ties with Zhao Wenshao. Whether he lives or dies, it has nothing to do with me anymore!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhiwan felt relieved, but at the same time, she felt severe pain all over her body - perhaps it was because the plot force did not forget to sow discord between the male and female protagonists before punishing her with death. She felt a fishy and sweet taste in her throat, and after coughing twice, she vomited a mouthful of blood.
It hurts so much, my internal organs feel like they are being torn apart by a pair of big hands, the pain is unbearable.
Lu Zhiwan frowned. The itchy feeling in her throat did not improve. She could only cough continuously, and blood kept flowing out of her mouth.
Her collar was soaked with blood. Xiao Jingting's eyes were red as he kept wiping the blood off her. The "Wanwan" he called out became hoarser and hoarser.
Like a caged animal, he held her tightly, wanting to relieve her pain, but he couldn't find a way. He could only wipe the blood from her face with trembling fingers, repeating "It's almost there" over and over again, not knowing whether he was comforting her or himself.
"A Yin..."
Lu Zhiwan clearly felt his sadness and fear. She tried to raise her hand and touch his face one last time, but her hand had no strength at all. She just raised it a little and then dropped it.
Seeing this, Xiao Jingting hurriedly took her hand and pressed it against his face. His thin lips trembled uncontrollably due to great grief: "I'm here."
Lu Zhiwan's dark eyes moved slightly, and then curved: "Don't be sad, maybe I'm not dead, but I've gone home."
"Xiao Jingting, you are so smart, you should have noticed that I am different."
"Also, at the beginning, you knew I was just pretending to like you, right?... Well... I didn't expect that while I was acting, I would actually fall in love with you... Love is really unreasonable..."
"But it's such a pity that you just confessed to me and we didn't get to have a proper relationship..."
Although she was smiling, a tear quietly slipped down the corner of her eye. Her dark eyes became brighter and brighter, and she looked at the man in front of her: "Remember before, I had a secret, and I wanted to tell you after you recovered?"
Xiao Jingting's narrow eyes were filled with tears, and his voice was hoarse: "Yes, I remember."
"I don't have time to wait, I'll tell you now..."
Lu Zhiwan looked at him and smiled, "I like you, more than I thought."
Xiao Jingting's heart trembled violently, and a strong and huge grief and bitterness rose in his chest.
He knew that she was saying all these words to 23-year-old Xiao Jingting.
But it doesn’t matter, he will remember it for the 23-year-old Xiao Jingting.
"Don't be sad."
The slender fingers touching his cheek moved, wiping away the moisture under his eyes. She smiled at him even more tenderly: "I like you too... I like A Yin very much..."
I like and care about it more than I imagined.
When the person in his arms closed his eyes, Xiao Jingting's heart trembled violently, his breathing was choked, and his whole body felt as if he was in an ice cellar, and he was cold all over.
"Wanwan?" he called tentatively.
No one responded.
His face was stiff, and he wanted to feel her breath, but he didn't dare to -
It seemed that as long as she didn't try, she would still be alive.
"Your Majesty..." Xiao Ningning, who was standing by, was crying and trying to persuade him.
The next moment, she saw the emperor's sharp and fierce eyes shooting towards her. The strong dangerous murderous intent in his eyes made her back shiver and she dared not speak anymore.
"Xing Zhou, have you arrived yet?"
He banged on the car door, no longer having any patience.
Xing Zhou replied, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, we'll be there soon!"
But given the current situation, how can he not be anxious?
Looking at the pale face of the woman in his arms, Xiao Jingting's eyes were dazed. He could no longer think about anything else in his mind. Only one voice kept echoing in his mind:
I can’t die, I can’t die, I can’t die every night.
Like a madman, he opened the carriage door, and under Xing Zhou's shocked gaze, he drew his knife and cut the lead rope of the carriage, carried Lu Zhiwan steadily onto the horse's back, tightened the reins, and headed straight for the palace.
The figure was like an arrow shot from a bow, stirring up a cloud of dust and quickly disappeared.
Xiao Ningning in the carriage and Xing Zhou outside were both stunned. Is His Majesty crazy?!
After coming to his senses, Xing Zhou quickly took another horse and tried to chase after him.
Xiao Ningning quickly grabbed his sleeve: "Me...and me!"
Xing Zhou frowned, then looked at her innocent and flustered appearance, his face tensed, and he whispered "offense", then supported Xiao Ningning's waist and mounted the horse, and they galloped towards the palace together.
The sky always gets dark early in autumn, the sunlight gradually fades, and the warm orange light envelopes the majestic Forbidden City.
Outside the Imperial Hospital, the horse neighed and stopped.
Xiao Jingting held the petite body tightly in his arms and ran all the way.
"Don't die, don't die..." He kept muttering, his narrow eyes staring straight at the gate of the Imperial Hospital, like a drowning man seeing a life-saving piece of driftwood.
He ran as hard as he could, but he tripped once and fell to the ground, his hair crown fell off and his clothes were dirty.
When this disheveled, mad-looking man appeared in the Imperial Hospital, all the doctors and pharmacists were startled, thinking he was a lunatic. They were about to shout to the guards, but when they recognized him, they were immediately shocked: "Your Majesty?"
"Someone, someone!"
Xiao Jingting shouted hoarsely, looking around with cold eyes: "Come and save her!"
The imperial doctors also saw the person in his arms and were horrified, but they were afraid of His Majesty's terrifying appearance and hesitated to step forward.
Fortunately, the head of the Imperial Hospital was on duty today and rushed over upon hearing the news. He was also shocked by the scene. However, he had seen a lot of things, so he quickly calmed down and stepped forward: "Your humble servant greets..."
The emperor's collar was grabbed, and he was almost lifted into the air with his strength. His black eyes, bloodshot, stared at him intently: "Save her, she can't die!"
The head of the hospital's face turned pale and he trembled with fear: "Yes... yes..."
After he was put down, he did not dare to delay any longer and quickly ordered people to carry the motionless Concubine Zhao into the inner room.
When he turned around, he saw that the emperor's tall body was shaking as if all his energy and spirit had been drained away.
"Your Majesty, please sit down..."
The head of the court stepped forward to help him, but the emperor pushed him away: "I'm fine."
Before he finished speaking, his brows furrowed, and the next moment, a mouthful of black blood spit out of his mouth.
"His Majesty!"
The tall figure collapsed like a collapsing mountain.
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