Chapter 149 Returning to Beijing Without a Moment's Rest
Yuwen Che drew his sword and strode forward, his gaze locking onto a gleaming white jade box on the stone platform ahead—the antidote!
He rushed forward, and just as his fingertips were about to touch the jade box, a dense barrage of poisoned needles shot out from the walls on both sides, and iron spears whistled down from above!
Retreat? Absolutely not!
Yuwen Che's eyes flashed, and instead of retreating, he advanced, his long sword wielding in a dense and impenetrable manner. The sound of "clanging" was incessant as poison needles were knocked down one after another. At the same time, he dodged the iron spear that was thrusting down, and his left hand was as fast as lightning as he grabbed the jade box!
With a soft "whoosh," a short arrow shot from a tricky angle grazed his wrist, leaving a bloody gash.
Yuwen Che didn't even look at his wound, gripped the antidote tightly, and turned to leave.
At the entrance to the secret chamber, the remaining three shadow guards held their ground. Han Ying, leading the remaining seven, rushed in, covered in blood: "My lord! The guards outside have been cleared, but the Nanzhao reinforcements will arrive soon! We..."
His gaze fell on Yuwen Che's bleeding wrist, and his expression changed: "My lord, you are injured!"
Yuwen Che carefully put the jade box into his robes, his tone icy: "It's alright. Let's go."
"Yes!" Han Ying immediately tore off a piece of her robe and quickly bandaged Yuwen Che's wound.
"Retreat immediately, go!" Yuwen Che gave the order.
The guards immediately made way, and Yuwen Che, with one hand tightly clutching the antidote in his robes and the other holding a sword, strode out of the secret chamber.
As soon as they stepped out of the secret chamber, torches lit up the outside, and dozens of Nanzhao guards were swarming towards them!
Han Ying's eyes turned cold, and he was about to give the order to intercept and kill.
"Don't linger!" Yuwen Che shouted, his longsword instantly piercing the throats of two of the front-line guards. "Retreat immediately!"
"Yes! Cover our lord, retreat!" Han Ying immediately changed his mind.
Eleven shadow guards protected Yuwen Che, fighting and retreating. Amidst the flashing sword light, Nanzhao guards fell one after another. They fought their way through the encirclement and quickly retreated towards the outside of the royal court.
The group fought and retreated, finally shaking off their pursuers and reaching the foot of the city wall. Without a word, they moved swiftly, one after another, as silently as night owls, scaling the wall and landing outside the city.
Han Ying hurried to where the horse was tied, grabbed Yuwen Che's mount, and said with concern, "My lord, shouldn't you rest for a while? You've been traveling all day to reach Nanzhao, and just now you went through a fierce battle. You're exhausted..."
Yuwen Che reached for the reins and nimbly mounted his horse without hesitation. His voice, coming through the mask, carried an undeniable urgency: "No need to rest! Return to the capital immediately!"
He tightened the reins, turned the horse around, and turned his gaze toward the direction of the Great Zhou: "The sooner we can get back to the capital, the sooner Xue'er can be at ease. The poison in her body is not yet cleared, and any emotional fluctuation could trigger an attack. I cannot keep her waiting, nor can I let her worry."
He paused, his tone becoming even more grave: "Moreover, Hao'er, Cheng'an, and Ning'er are still in the palace. Although Bai Xiao is there to oversee things, he is currently seriously injured and unconscious... If anything were to happen now, I'm afraid he would be in trouble himself, let alone protect them?"
Before he finished speaking, he spurred his horse, and the black steed shot off like an arrow!
"Follow my lord!" Han Ying dared not object any further and immediately waved his hand.
Eleven shadow guards mounted their horses and followed closely behind. The twelve riders once again transformed into a black whirlwind, shattering the night and beginning an even more frenzied gallop towards the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The sound of hooves was as rapid as a sudden downpour, each clatter striking Yuwen Che's heart. Only one thought occupied his mind—faster! Faster! Back to Xue'er and the children!
Yuwen Che, accompanied by his shadow guards, galloped through the night, rushing towards the capital without stopping.
As dawn broke, Su Luoxue woke up early in the Guanju Palace. As soon as she stepped out of her bedchamber, she saw three children already playing together on the soft cushions in the side hall.
A gentle smile appeared on her face as she walked over slowly and asked softly, "What are you playing that makes you so happy?"
As soon as Cheng'an saw her, he immediately ran over with his little arms outstretched: "Mother! Hug me!"
Fuling, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward and gently stopped Cheng'an, softly advising, "Your Highness, the Empress has just gotten up and hasn't fully recovered yet. Would you please let her rest for a while before you hug her?"
Cheng'an pouted a little unhappily, but still obediently stopped and looked up at Su Luoxue, saying, "Mother... Brother Hao'er is teaching Ning'er and me how to play chess!"
Tingxue, standing beside her, nodded vigorously, echoing in her childish voice with a hint of pride, "Mother, my brother taught me!"
Su Luoxue looked at Yuwen Hao, who was sitting by the chessboard. He was looking down somewhat nervously, holding a chess piece in his hand.
She walked over to the children and said softly to Yuwen Hao, "Hao'er can play chess? That's amazing. He's a good older brother who can teach his younger siblings."
Upon hearing the praise, Yuwen Hao's ears turned slightly red, and he replied softly, "Your subject... Your subject only knows a little bit."
Su Luoxue sat down beside the children, looking at the crooked chess pieces on the board, then at the three little faces surrounding her, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart. If A-Che were here too, witnessing this heartwarming scene, how wonderful that would be.
She gently patted Cheng'an and Tingxue's heads, then gave Yuwen Hao an encouraging look: "You two continue playing, your mother will watch you play."
Granny Zhang and Fuling stood by with smiles, watching the three young masters play chess with gentle eyes. The room was filled with warmth, and no one noticed anything unusual.
In the corner, a meek palace maid quietly raised her eyes. After confirming yesterday and today that Emperor Yuwen Che was indeed not in the palace, she silently retreated, using Zhang Mama and Fuling as cover, and quietly slipped out of the side hall, gently closing the door behind her.
The door hinges made a faint creaking sound, but it was drowned out by the children's laughter.
Inside the hall, Su Luoxue was watching the children intently, a gentle smile on her face: "Hao'er is so smart, he plays chess so well." She didn't forget to encourage the other two children, "But... Cheng'an and Ning'er are also learning very quickly, they are both very smart."
Tingxue happily jumped into her arms, looked up at her and asked, "Mother... why hasn't Father come to see us for two days? Ning'er misses Father."
A hint of doubt crossed Su Luoxue's mind. A'Che had never been absent for two consecutive days, and even messages were only conveyed through Li Dehai. She suppressed her unease and gently comforted her daughter, "Ning'er, be good. Your father is busy with state affairs. He will definitely come to see us when he is done."
Tingxue squirmed in her arms, protesting, "But Ning'er misses Father Emperor right now..."
Just then, a faint, strange sweet fragrance began to slowly seep into the hall through the cracks in the door and the gaps in the window.
At first, no one inside the hall noticed anything amiss, and the children were still laughing and playing.
Just as a faint smell of burning wafted from outside, Granny Zhang sniffed hard and her expression changed drastically: "Heavens! This smell... is not right!"
Su Luoxue smelled it too, and her heart tightened: "What's going on?"
Fuling immediately rushed to the door and pulled hard, but the door wouldn't budge! "Your Majesty! The door is locked from the outside! We can't open it!"
"What?!" Su Luoxue stood up in shock.
The people in the side hall began to feel dizzy and weak.
"Mother... I feel dizzy..." Cheng'an's face turned pale, and his body swayed.
Yuwen Hao reacted quickly, immediately holding the swaying Cheng'an tightly in his arms. "Cheng'an..."
Su Luoxue, fighting off her dizziness, tightly embraced the terrified Tingxue with one arm and pulled Yuwen Hao, who was holding Cheng'an, into her arms with the other, shielding the three children with her body. She tried to keep her voice calm: "Don't be afraid! Your mother is here! Don't be afraid..."
Fuling and Granny Zhang were so dizzy that they could barely stand, and they staggered to stand in front of Su Luoxue and the children.
Fuling, leaning against the scorching door, trembled with fear and lack of oxygen: "Your Majesty...Your Majesty! It seems...it sounds like someone has set a fire outside! Smoke...smoke is coming in!"
Thick smoke began to pour in through the cracks in the doors and windows, the pungent smell of burning mingling with that eerie sweet aroma, making it hard to breathe. The crackling of the flames grew louder as they approached, and waves of scorching heat rushed towards us!
"Help! Is anyone there?" Granny Zhang pounded on the door with her last bit of strength, but her voice grew weaker and weaker.
The temperature inside the hall rose sharply, thick smoke filled the air, and the children coughed violently from the smoke. Their cries were drowned out by the crackling sound of flames licking the wood.
Su Luoxue shielded the three children tightly beneath her body, her heart filled with icy coldness. Who dared to commit such a heinous act within the palace!
"Ah Che...where are you..."
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