Chapter 175 Extra: Another Ending 1
On New Year's Eve, the palace banquet was a scene of clinking glasses, singing, and dancing.
Yuwen Che carefully placed a piece of deboned fish into Su Luoxue's bowl, gently coaxing, "Xue'er, try this. You haven't had much of an appetite lately, so this is light."
Su Luoxue smiled and nodded, "Okay, thank you, husband..."
Cheng'an, Tingxue, and Hao'er were having a great time playing on the side.
Cheng'an tugged at Yuwen Hao's sleeve: "Brother Hao'er, wait for me! Let's go build a snowman!"
Ning'er followed behind with her short legs, calling out in her childish voice, "Ning'er wants to build a snowman too! Father, Mother, we want to see the fireworks later!"
Yuwen Che looked at the children with a smile in his eyes: "Alright, your father and mother will watch the fireworks with you in a little while."
He casually picked up the wine glass in front of him.
The moment the wine glass touched his lips, Yuwen Che's expression changed drastically, and he threw the glass to the ground!
"Pfft—" He braced himself on the table, and a mouthful of dark red blood gushed out.
"Ah Che!" Su Luoxue's smile froze instantly, turning into terror.
She jumped up and supported his swaying body, her voice trembling with tears, "A-Che! What's wrong? Don't scare me, A-Che..."
Before she could finish speaking, she too was struck by a sharp abdominal pain, felt a sweet taste in her throat, and vomited up a mouthful of blood.
"Xue'er!" Yuwen Che endured the excruciating pain in his internal organs, as if they were on fire or being stabbed, and pulled Su Luoxue into his arms.
Li Dehai was terrified and screamed in a shrill voice, "Quickly, someone protect the emperor! Quickly, protect the emperor! Summon the imperial physician! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
The once orderly palace banquet instantly erupted into chaos. Ministers and noblewomen were in a panic, and the sounds of cups and plates falling to the ground, screams, and cries filled the air.
"What happened?"
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
"Who dares to be so audacious as to attempt an assassination at a palace banquet!"
Dozens of Dragon Guards, their armor clanging, swiftly ascended the imperial steps, tightly protecting Yuwen Che and Su Luoxue in the center.
Su Luoxue leaned against Yuwen Che's chest: "A-Che...it's the wine...there's something wrong with the wine..."
Yuwen Che glanced at the wine glass, then suddenly shouted sternly at Han Ying: "Han Ying! Quickly take the Crown Prince, the Princess, and Prince An away! Immediately!"
Han Ying glanced at his lord and understood. If something were to happen to his lord and empress today, and if the Crown Prince and Prince An were to also be in trouble, the Yuwen family would be completely finished.
He gritted his teeth and quickly pulled up the three crying children: "Your Highnesses, come with me!"
Without further hesitation, he picked up Ning'er, who was crying and calling for her father, and pulled Cheng'an up with one hand. He then whispered to Yuwen Hao, "Prince An, come with me!"
"Father! Mother!" Yuwen Cheng'an cried out.
"Listen to me! Go now!" Yuwen Che commanded sternly.
The three children were forcibly taken away, and their cries gradually faded into the distance.
Su Luoxue, Yuwen Che's companion, cried out in a hoarse voice, "Imperial Physician! Where is the Imperial Physician!"
In the shadows, a dark figure coldly observed everything. Night Shadow—no, it should be Yuwen Hong.
A cruel, cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth beneath the mask:
"Brother... How did the poisoned wine that Father Emperor drank taste? Now, it's your turn."
Han Ying held the crying Ning'er in one arm and held Cheng'an and Yuwen Hao tightly with the other. The three children were crying so hard they could barely breathe.
"Brother Hanying, what happened to Father and Mother?" Cheng'an asked, sobbing.
"Are they sick?" Yuwen Hao's eyes were also red.
Han Ying continued walking, her voice urgent: "Your Highness, listen to me, the situation is critical. You must behave so I can return as quickly as possible to rescue His Majesty and the Empress, understand?"
Fuling, who had returned with the cloak, was so shocked by the scene that she dropped it and ran over: "Lord Hanying! What happened? Why is the princess crying like this?"
Han Ying shoved Ning'er directly into her arms: "There's no time to explain, something terrible is about to happen in the palace!"
Fuling hurriedly caught Ning'er: "What's the matter?"
"His Majesty and the Empress have been poisoned!"
"What?!" Fuling exclaimed in shock, "Then the Empress...!"
Han Ying pushed Cheng An and Yuwen Hao to Fu Ling's side: "Prince An, Your Highness the Crown Prince, you two come back to Si Zheng Hall with Aunt Fu Ling, and be obedient!"
Fuling asked urgently, "And what about you?"
"I must find Bai Xiao immediately! The enemy is in the shadows while we are in the open, and our lord has been poisoned; we must find an antidote as soon as possible! Take them back to the Sizheng Hall; it's relatively safe there, guarded by the Dragon Guards. Hurry!"
Fuling nodded quickly, hugged Ning'er tightly, and called to the two boys, "Cheng'an, Hao'er, come with Aunt Fuling!"
She hurriedly led her three children toward the Hall of Political Thought, while Han Ying turned and sped off in another direction.
Several cold arrows pierced the air!
Despite the excruciating pain, Yuwen Che drew the sword from the guard's waist and deflected the arrows with a few clangs.
But this sudden burst of energy caused him to cough up another mouthful of black blood, and his body swayed.
"Ah Che!" Su Luoxue exclaimed in alarm as she helped him up.
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows, accompanied by mocking applause.
The newcomer raised his hand and tore off the human skin mask from his face, revealing a face that bore a five or six-point resemblance to Yuwen Che.
"Brother, how have you been?"
Yuwen Che's pupils shrank sharply: "Yuwen Hong?!"
Yuwen Hong gave a cold smile: "Didn't expect that, did you, Your Majesty? Not only am I still alive, but I've also specially prepared this New Year's Eve gift for you."
He glanced at the bloodstains on the ground. "How does the poisoned wine taste? Is it the same as what Father Emperor tasted back then?"
"You..." Yuwen Che's hand gripping the sword trembled with rage, "I should have... ended you with my own hands back then!"
"What a pity," Yuwen Hong slowly drew his longsword, "Isn't it too late for you to say these things now, Your Majesty?"
The courtiers and their wives inside the hall were so frightened that they retreated and huddled in a corner.
Su Luoxue endured the cramping pain in her abdomen and tightly grasped Yuwen Che's hand: "A-Che... hold on... wait for Han Ying to bring Bai Xiao..."
Yuwen Che shielded her behind him, holding his sword as he confronted Yuwen Hong.
Yuwen Hong's lewd gaze swept over Su Luoxue: "Oh... this must be your sister-in-law? This face... this figure... truly stunning... no wonder my brother, who killed my father and brother, is so devoted to you."
He stepped forward with a sinister smile: "How about this... Your Majesty, you can keep me company in this hall for a while... Once you've had your fill, I'll give you the antidote, how about that?"
Su Luoxue's face was deathly pale, but she straightened her back and said, word by word, "Shameless scoundrel! I would rather die than submit to a traitor like you!"
Yuwen Che pointed his sword directly at Yuwen Hong, his voice icy cold: "If you dare touch her, I will cut you into a thousand pieces!"
Yuwen Hong laughed wildly: "Brother, you can't even protect yourself, what kind of hero are you trying to be?"
He swung his sword and attacked, shouting, "Today I'll make you a pair of doomed lovers!"
Yuwen Che forcefully pried open Su Luoxue's hand that was tightly gripping him.
"No! Ah Che...don't!" Su Luoxue cried out in tears, "You can't use your internal energy..."
Yuwen Che turned back and smiled gently at her, blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth: "Xue'er, this battle... I did it all for you."
He turned around resolutely, pointed his sword at Yuwen Hong, and said in a voice as cold as ice: "Since you miss your father so much, I will send you to see him right now!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already attacked Yuwen Hong like an arrow released from a bow.
Every move he made was a life-or-death struggle, completely disregarding the fact that he was poisoned.
Watching her husband fight to the death for her, Su Luoxue was frantic with worry. She shouted sharply to the Dragon Guards protecting her, "What are you all standing there for! Go and help His Majesty! I don't need your protection, go now!"
The Dragon Guards looked at each other, then gritted their teeth and stepped forward to help.
"Trying to outnumber the weak?" Yuwen Hong sneered, waving his hand.
Dozens of men in black emerged from the shadows and instantly engaged the Dragon Guards in battle.
Suddenly, swords flashed and shouts of battle arose.
Chaos erupted inside the main hall as officials fled in panic, protecting their families.
Yuwen Che disregarded his own safety, his swordplay ruthless and all aimed at mutual destruction: "Yuwen Hong! You escaped by chance back then, but today I will personally take your life! Let my father in the afterlife see what kind of useless piece of trash the son he risked his life to protect is!"
Yuwen Hong grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.
He deliberately waited until Yuwen Che was poisoned before showing himself, but he didn't expect Yuwen Che to be so strong even after being poisoned.
He parried the sword with a clumsy effort, shouting, "Yuwen Che! Are you out of your mind? If you keep channeling your internal energy like this, the poison will attack your heart in no time!"
Yuwen Che pierced through a black-clad assassin with his sword, then pulled out the blood-stained blade and sneered, "Even if I die, I will send you down to beg for forgiveness from my father!"
He swayed, spitting out another mouthful of black blood, yet he still stubbornly continued his fierce sword attack. Su Luoxue, watching from the side, was terrified: "A-Che! Stop!"
Seeing that he was outmatched, Yuwen Hong suddenly smiled sinisterly and shouted, "Archers! Aim at the woman in the phoenix robe!"
Several arrows shot towards Su Luoxue!
"Ah—!" Su Luoxue cried out in surprise, instinctively turning to the side and raising her hand to protect herself.
"Xue'er!" Yuwen Che's eyes were bloodshot.
Unleashing all his power, he pierced Yuwen Hong's chest with a sword, then kicked him away.
He mustered his last bit of inner strength and darted back to Su Luoxue's side like lightning, his sword flashing as he deflected several sharp arrows.
With the last poisoned arrow at him, he turned without hesitation and completely shielded his wife in his arms—
"Thud!" The poisoned arrow pierced deep into his back.
Su Luoxue lowered her hand and saw her husband shield her from the arrow. She froze, trembling all over, her voice choked in her throat: "Ah... Ah Che... Ah Che..."
Yuwen Hong lay in a pool of blood, laughing maniacally with his last breath: "Hahahaha... Oh, my brother... I knew it all along... you would take that woman's arrow for yourself... so the arrow... was also poisoned..."
Yuwen Che could no longer hold on and knelt on one knee, black blood gushing from his mouth.
Su Luoxue cried as she supported him: "A-Che! A-Che, look at me! Please look at me! Yuwen Che—!"
Su Luoxue hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face: "Ache! Look at me! Look at me! Hold on..."
She suddenly looked up at Li Dehai and roared, "Imperial Physician! Where is the Imperial Physician?! Quickly summon the Imperial Physician! Go find the Imperial Physician... Hurry!"
Yuwen Che struggled to raise his blood-covered hand and gently stroked her cheek—he had sustained several deep, bone-revealing wounds during his fight with Yuwen Hong.
"Xue'er...it's no use..." he said weakly.
His gaze, however, was so tender it was heartbreaking, "Let your husband... look at you one more time..."
"No! I won't listen!" Su Luoxue shook her head desperately.
Tears streamed down his pale face. "You promised to stay with me for life! Bai Xiao... Yes! Bai Xiao will definitely find a way! He'll be here soon!"
Yuwen Che gently shook his head, a tender yet sorrowful smile curving his lips: "My silly Xue'er... This time... even Bai Xiao can't save me..."
He gazed lovingly at her face, his voice growing softer and softer: "To take this arrow for you... I... have no regrets..."
"Yuwen Che! I beg you... don't abandon me..." Su Luoxue cried out in despair, her hands tightly gripping his blood-stained clothes.
"Without you... I really can't live... I beg you..."
Yuwen Che's breath grew weaker and weaker. He leaned limply on her shoulder and whispered with his last strength, "Xue'er...you've never...called me 'husband' before..."
He gasped for breath, "Call out... I want to hear it..."
Su Luoxue hugged him tightly in despair, sobbing uncontrollably, "Husband...husband! Hold on a little longer...I beg you...we promised to be together for a lifetime!"
Yuwen Che coughed up another mouthful of black blood, and with his last bit of strength, he raised his hand to gently stroke her face, his voice barely audible: "My lady... if there truly is an afterlife... I will search to the ends of the earth... to find you..."
His hand slowly fell to his sides, and then there was no more sound.
"No—!" Su Luoxue let out a heart-wrenching cry, tightly embracing his still-warm body.
"Yuwen Che! Wake up! You promised me...you promised me!"
"Ah... Yuwen Che, Yuwen Che..."
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