This place is in the shady area behind the mountain, where there is a small waterfall, and inside the waterfall is a small cave.
Huangjue Temple was also the place where Yuwen Wuji solemnly swore to Xie Wanqing that he would never betray her in this life. They once held hands before the Buddha and vowed to never betray each other in this life, but now they are enemies who will never be separated by life and death.
With so many lives hanging in the balance between her and Yuwen Wuji, she was determined to remove his claws one by one, leaving him isolated and helpless.
The group quietly approached the waterfall. Fang Rao gave a hand signal, and several guards raised their crossbows and fired them into the waterfall.
The roar of the waterfall drowned out the painful groans of someone struck by the sword. But the blood, washed into a pale pink hue, could still be seen in the foamy water.
Several guards rushed in with swords drawn and pulled Yuwen Wuji, who was dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Guard, out of the room.
At this moment, Yuwen Wuji was in a terrible state. He was soaked to the bone by the waterfall's torrents. It was winter, and he had been freezing all night. His face was pale, and he was already feverish. He had just been hit by several more arrows. Even though they hadn't hit any vital spots, they had still worsened his injuries. Whether he would live or die was now up to fate.
Seeing Yuwen Wuji like this, Song Yaozhu looked at Xie Liwei and asked, "What do you plan to do next?"
Xie Liwei looked down at the emperor before him, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips, and slowly said, "Naturally, it is to use the emperor to command the feudal lords."
The image of the Thousand-Faced Jade Man flashed through Song Yaozhu's mind, and her pupils contracted sharply.
She nodded slowly. If Yuwen Wuji were to fall at this moment, the Prince of Yan in the southern border would surely be restless. The Crown Prince and the Prince of Yong were still fighting each other, and they might eventually seize power and refuse to obey the orders of the capital.
In that case, the world would once again descend into chaos.
"Then let's do it this way!" Song Yaozhu strongly supported it. She wanted revenge and wanted the Yuwen family's empire to change hands, but she didn't want the people to pay the price for the Yuwen family.
Fang Rao, having received Xie Liwei's hint, stepped forward and stuffed two pills into Yuwen Wuji's mouth.
One could save his life, while the other could take it in a critical moment.
Caijin received Song Yaozhu's order to go down the mountain to lure people. She dirtied and messed up her clothes and hair, pretending to be in a disheveled state, and then attracted the attention of the soldiers searching the mountain at the foot of the mountain.
"Your Majesty, the Prince and Princess are up there!" she said urgently. "His Majesty is seriously injured!"
Upon hearing her words, the leading officers and soldiers charged forward without hesitation.
If I save the Emperor, my future will be limitless! This is the perfect opportunity to seize the credit! If not now, when?
Soon, Yuwen Wuji was rescued. He was covered in injuries and had a persistent high fever; he was barely clinging to life.
King Xuan escaped death last night, and now all those captured alive have been sent to the Dali Temple prison. After drinking a few cups of strong tea, the torture has begun.
Not only those people, but also Xie Liwei and Song Yaozhu were sitting in the Dali Temple waiting for their trial. After all, they were the last people to meet the Emperor.
“My husband and I hid in the cave last night, thinking that the Five Cities Garrison would come to search the mountain this morning, so we came out to stretch our legs.”
"But the cave where you were hiding and the small waterfall are in opposite directions, one is shady and the other is in the sun. How did you end up there?" the interrogating official asked.
Xie Liwei looked at Song Yaozhu with a sweet expression in his eyes.
“I once witnessed my elder sister and the emperor pledging their love there, so I would like to take this opportunity to go there with the princess to make our vows.”
Watching the couple exchanging loving glances as if no one else was around, King Xuan rubbed his stiff face.
"You two knew full well that the outside world was fraught with danger, yet you still took your maid and headed to that place. Didn't you ever consider the possibility of encountering assassins and being killed on the way?"
“My husband and I are very afraid of death, especially now that we have a child.” Song Yaozhu rested her head on Xie Liwei’s arm and said in a petite and affectionate manner, “But I also want to experience such a romantic thing once, especially since Your Highness can still stay by my side in such a life-or-death situation, which proves Your Highness’s feelings for me even more.”
Several officials from the Dali Temple felt that they couldn't understand the couple's behavior with normal thinking, but it seemed that such behavior made sense in their logic.
The ancients said that a prince might be driven to despair by a beautiful woman. When a prince was assassinated, he took his wife to the place where the emperor and empress had pledged their love to confess their feelings. Just imagining this scene evokes a tragic yet beautiful image.
No matter what the officials asked, the couple's answers were always irritating, eventually forcing them to leave immediately.
Back in the manor, Granny Qin was so anxious that she barely slept all night. She even developed a blister on her lip from worry. Only when she saw the two of them return safely did she breathe a sigh of relief.
The physician busied himself taking their pulses, and finally, under pressure from Granny Qin, prescribed them some calming soup.
After they finished drinking, they were told to wash up and go to bed.
However, Yuwen Wuji in the palace was not so fortunate. Even though the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital were well-read and capable, they dared not be aggressive in treating illnesses. Even if they were absolutely certain, they dared not use strong medicines and only dared to use the mildest prescriptions.
Therefore, Yuwen Wuji soaked in medicinal baths for several days and drank soup for a considerable period of time, but there was still no sign of him waking up.
All the concubines in the harem wanted to attend to the ailing emperor, but Lu Yinghong controlled them all. This was the perfect opportunity for the Lu family to seize power!
After the previous Minister of Personnel stepped down, the new Minister of Personnel was like a slippery eel, even though Lu Yinghong had clearly told him that as long as he was willing to promote a member of the Lu family, he would be given a high-ranking official position and generous salary.
But the other party just dodged the question, implying in every word that she was a hen crowing at dawn. Lu Yinghong was furious.
That day, after the imperial physician fed the emperor his medicine, Lu Yinghong rubbed her throbbing temples and asked Granny Lu, "Has any news from the clan reached the palace?"
"Your Majesty, please don't worry, the clan leader will surely have their own arrangements." As soon as Lu Mama finished speaking, she said with concern, "Your Majesty's decision not to allow the other concubines in the harem to come and see the Emperor may displease them."
Just as Granny Lu finished speaking, a palace maid came in to announce, "Your Highness, the ladies of the inner palace have arrived with the Princess!"
Lu Yinghong's expression froze for a moment, then she straightened her clothes and left the palace.
Outside the palace gates, the concubines were all dressed in plain clothes, their faces filled with sorrow. They all stood behind Yuwen Xian, as if this would grant them her protection.
"My royal sister is here!" Lu Yinghong gave a weak smile.
"Your Highness, why won't you let us see the Emperor! Aren't you afraid of being criticized for your autocratic rule?"
"Hmph, we haven't even found the assassin. What if the mastermind is among the concubines, causing the Emperor to suffer health problems? How am I supposed to explain this to the world!"
The tension was palpable when Yuwen Xian spoke up, "May I go in and see my brother, Your Majesty?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com