111 Killing her husband to prove her Tao
◎Better than your false brotherhood with the illegitimate King Yi! ◎
Qi Gu and the First Prince met at the palace gate. "What brings you here?"
The eldest prince said, "With Mother and sister leading the charge, there's no reason for me to hide behind."
"But your body..."
The eldest prince said, "Don't worry, elder sister, I'm fine. Let's hurry up and go."
Qi Gu nodded, and the two of them, along with their entourage, left the palace directly.
Fu Lian pointed her sword at the bound man: "Where is he hiding?"
The guards at the palace gates were still confused when they saw the eldest princess and the eldest prince leading their men out of the moat twenty miles outside the palace.
When the Prince's advisors saw the eldest princess and the eldest prince riding horses and looking down at them, an ominous feeling arose in their hearts.
When Qi Gu saw these people, she breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that even the Prince of Yi did not expect to lose his life in Changyang Palace today.
Perhaps he had some doubts, but he didn't make any adequate preparations. There was no way that such a small number of people could break into Changyang Palace!
Unexpectedly, the advisor sent a signal into the sky while Qi Gu was not paying attention.
"Stubborn to the end!" The eldest prince prepared to kill the advisor with a single sword stroke.
Qi Gu stopped her, and looked at her advisor, saying, "Prince Yi is dead."
"That's impossible!" The advisors didn't believe it. Even if the king was arrested by the queen and imprisoned because of the rumors, at least, at least they should wait for the emperor to return before taking any action!
No one believed that the Empress would dare to directly execute Prince Yi; even Prince Yi himself hadn't expected it!
"Do you think I'd believe such a ridiculous lie?" The advisor stared at Qi Gu with a maniacal look in his eyes: "Princess, you'll regret this, hahaha!"
At this moment, Sima Hong arrived with his men, carrying a cloth-wrapped object from which red liquid was dripping.
Sima Hong covered Qi Gu's eyes with his long hand and threw the cloth bag on the ground.
The advisor watched as the king's head rolled at his feet and screamed, "Ah!!!"
"No! It's fake! How could Your Majesty..." The wise and mighty King, who had planned and strategized so meticulously, was beheaded in just one morning!
Sima Hong's face was ashen, and his eyes were sharp as swords as he looked at these confidants of the Prince of Yi: "The Prince of Yi colluded with the Xiongnu and plotted a rebellion. He has been beheaded. Her Majesty the Empress has shown mercy and, considering that you were deceived by the Prince of Yi, you can now lay down your weapons and be forgiven for your past actions!"
He then said to the advisors of the Prince of Yi, "It doesn't matter if you die, but don't you want your family to live?" Sima Hong's words were more terrifying than those of the King of Hell.
The aide shook his head, still incredulous. A soldier behind him knelt on the ground, his voice trembling as he said, "Princess, Your Majesty, the King... he has sent assassins all over the capital. If anything unusual happens, they will rush into the crowds to burn, kill, and loot to draw attention!"
King Yi has become so utterly depraved!
Then the soldier said, "King Yi wants to use this to create chaos and escape..." Unexpectedly, the empress did not give him a single chance.
Sima Hong said to the soldiers, "If you can lead us to the assassins hiding in the capital, then you will have redeemed yourself!"
He then addressed the Imperial Guards behind him: "All soldiers, listen to my command! Go to the east, west, south, and north markets, to the major restaurants and the busiest streets, and disperse the crowds. Anyone who indiscriminately kills innocent people will be executed without mercy!"
"yes!"
Zhang Jun dared not delay for a moment and immediately left with his men.
Qi Gu looked at Sima Hong, who was looking at her with concern in his eyes, and said, "You should go quickly too. Leave this to me and Ayan."
Sima Hong nodded and left with his men.
These people had already given up struggling, so Qi Gu ordered them to be tied up and taken back to the palace.
The aide finally realized that the situation was hopeless, and seemed to have sobered up a bit. He finally realized that he still had a life-saving charm.
"Princess, please release my family! Please release my family! I know something else. If you release my family, I will tell you this secret. I'm sure you'll want to know."
"You're about to die, and you still want to play tricks!" the eldest prince said coldly.
Looking at his pale face, Qi Gu said, "Tell me about it, and I'll think about it."
"About the princess's adoptive father."
Qi Gu dismounted, and Fu Lian's knife was once again at his neck. "Speak! What happened!"
"The princess hasn't agreed to my request yet!"
Fu Lian angrily said, "You dare to bargain!" and plunged the knife into his neck.
Qi Gu stopped her, saying, "Fu Lian, let him go."
He looked at his staff and said, "I agree."
The advisor relaxed completely and knelt on the ground: "Prince Yi sent men to kill the princess's adoptive father. He said he couldn't be allowed to grow high-yield grains, otherwise... if the Great Jin is stable, how... how can he get people to risk their lives for him..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qi Gu had already led her people away, heading towards Sima's villa.
Chaos erupted in the capital. The bewildered populace watched as pairs of soldiers rushed past, shouting:
Curfew is in effect early today; unauthorized persons are not allowed to linger on the streets!
Curfew is in effect early today; unauthorized persons are not allowed to linger on the streets!
Curfew is in effect early today; unauthorized persons are not allowed to linger on the streets!
...
At the Marquis of Quzhou's residence, the Marquis of Quzhou sat upright in a chair, her eyes frequently glancing towards the gate, awaiting news from the palace.
At this moment, a person quietly entered the residence of the Marquis of Quzhou.
Upon hearing the news, Marquis Qu Zhou relaxed, and the coldness in his eyes disappeared.
After her older sister finished, it was her turn.
She called her confidante and said, "Since my elder sister has already finished, let's hurry up too."
The Marquis of Quzhou's residence remained impassive, its doors tightly shut. The Marquis of Quzhou asked, "Is Zhuang'er settled in?"
The trusted confidant said, "Don't worry, my lord, everything is arranged. There are three layers of guards inside and out."
Qu Zhouhou was relieved and led his men to the courtyard where the mother and her two children lived.
"My lord, something terrible has happened! The madam has led her men to the concubine's and young master's courtyard."
Upon hearing the report from his servant, Yuan Kuai hurriedly got up and rushed to his concubine's courtyard.
When he arrived, he saw the mother and her two children tied to the ground. The woman looked at him timidly.
"Ah Zhi, what are you doing!" He quickly squatted down to untie the three of them.
Marquis Quzhou sat in his chair, calmly looking at the four people, and said indifferently, "Yuan Kuai, let me let you know that today the Prince Yi was executed in the palace. His crime was colluding with the Xiongnu and plotting a rebellion. The evidence is conclusive."
Yuan Kuai stopped, "What! How is this possible!"
Marquis Qu Zhou sneered, "Now that he is decapitated, his head will probably be displayed on the city wall tomorrow." Marquis Qu Zhou's tone was terrifyingly calm.
Her words were so sudden that they left Yuan Kuai's head numb and throbbing.
He couldn't tell whether Zhang Zhi was making up such an absurd lie out of jealousy to deceive him, or whether she really knew something.
He preferred to believe it was a lie. No matter how bold the Empress was, how could she dare to kill a founding hero, who was the Righteous Prince who had conquered half the country?
Isn't the Empress afraid of the Emperor's wrath?
Yuan Kuai said in disbelief, "Ah Zhi, don't joke like that. If you can't stand the three of them, then do as I say and settle them in my Guangshun Marquis's residence."
Seeing Yuan Kuai's stubbornness, Qu Zhouhou was too lazy to waste his breath on such a foolish person.
She asked the woman on the ground, "Your surname is Xia, right? Now that things have come to this, you still won't let Marquis Guangshun know the truth. Do you really want to end up like Prince Yi, with your head separated from your body?"
Yuan Kuai looked at his wife as if he didn't recognize her.
The woman surnamed Xia was very clever; at least, she was the first to judge that what the Marquis of Jin said was true!
The murderous intent in her eyes was impossible to conceal.
No! She wasn't hiding it at all!
The woman surnamed Xia was terrified. Her survival instinct told her that she had to cut all ties with Yuan Kuai now!
She immediately knelt down and wept, "Lord Quzhou, I... I was forced. It was Prince Yi who forced me to lie and say that the two children were Lord Yuan's. The two children are innocent. They are not Lord Yuan's. Please spare my mother and the three of us. I will disappear from now on and never appear again to bother you."
"Hahaha!" Marquis Qu Zhou laughed heartily, feeling extremely pleased to see Yuan Kuai's incredulous expression.
“Yun’er, what nonsense are you talking about? Even if it were the Prince of Yi…” Yuan Kuai’s mouth was dry. He swallowed and said, “I will not abandon you and your two children.”
The woman surnamed Xia hugged her two children tightly. "Lord Yuan, these two children have nothing to do with you. I was forced by Prince Yi. My husband is still waiting for me outside."
"Liar!" Yuan Kuai's thick beard trembled as he glared at the mother and her two children with a bloodthirsty look. "Yun'er, lying to me will come at a price!"
Yuan Kuai had also killed countless people on the battlefield. When his eyes turned cold, they became terrifying, like an enraged beast.
Zhang Zhi watched the two of them go from having an unbreakable bond to falling apart; it was even more dramatic than the play he had seen a few days ago.
Xia Yun prostrated herself at Zhang Zhi's feet, begging Marquis Qu Zhou to spare her life and her child.
Yuan Kuai then realized that he had been manipulated by the Prince of Yi.
He stood up and walked towards his wife, "Ah Zhi, I was wrong, it's all my fault."
Zhang Zhi drew his sword from the antique shelf behind him and, with a speed so fast it was invisible, pierced Yuan Kuai's stomach, then vigorously stirred it inside.
"Ah!!!" Xia Yun was caught off guard. Qu Zhouhou had killed her husband so quickly and without hesitation.
She was so frightened that she couldn't help but scream and tremble, and the two children were so frightened that they lost control of their bladders.
The servants dragged the three away silently.
Marquis Guangshun opened his eyes and looked at his wife in front of him. "Why?"
Zhang Zhidao: "You and the Prince Yi are brothers with deep affection, while my sister and I have always looked out for each other. Today, I kill my husband to prove my faith, to prove that the bond between us sisters is stronger than the false brotherhood between you and the Prince Yi!"
She shoved Yuan Kuai away, the sword was withdrawn from his body, and he collapsed to the ground clutching his stomach.
Marquis Qu Zhou threw the sword onto the table and wiped his hands with a handkerchief in disgust.
Looking at her husband lying on the ground, barely clinging to life, she said without a trace of sadness or joy, "Yuan Kuai, we owe each other nothing. Our marriage is over in this life, and we owe each other nothing."
"Uh...uh..." Yuan Kuai reached out to grab his wife, wanting to say, "I'm sorry, I was wrong," there was so much he wanted to say, but it was all too late...
Zhang Zhi didn't look at him again, without a trace of lingering affection, and stepped over him.
Yuan Kuai reached his hand into the air, but ultimately grasped nothing.
His eyes widened as he stared at the roof beam, realizing that he had once gained so much, and then lost it all...
[Author's Note]
Finally, this chapter is out! This is my absolute favorite chapter!!!
This is truly gratifying! Marquis Quzhou is awe-inspiring!
This death was planned from the beginning. Are those of you who hate Yuan Kuai feeling satisfied? [sunglasses]
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