"Stop!" At this moment, Shen Yuzhou and the others arrived in time and protected Song Zhiyu behind them.
Shen Yuzhou stood in front of Song Zhiyu, leaning on his cane, his sharp eyes meeting Shen Jinshu's directly. "To imprison a county princess personally appointed by the Emperor without any evidence is unacceptable. Even the Empress Dowager cannot arrest people arbitrarily."
"Do you intend to disobey the Empress Dowager's decree?" Shen Jinshu glared hatefully at Shen Yuzhou, determined to take Song Zhiyu away.
"Shut up."
Upon seeing this, Mother Shen raised her hand and slapped Shen Jinshu hard across the face.
Shen Jinshu's fair and delicate face flushed red instantly, looking quite alarming.
Song Zhiyu was somewhat surprised. It was strange that Shen's usually weak mother would hit someone, especially her most beloved daughter.
But Shen's mother just clenched the hand that had hit her, without the slightest regret.
Shen Jinshu almost ground her teeth to powder. Her mother, who had once doted on her, had slapped her in public. It was as if her face had been trampled on. "Take these people away as well. I suspect they are also involved in plotting against His Majesty."
"Zhiyu, I'll hold them off, you go first." Shen Yuzhou said to Song Zhiyu behind him in a low voice, his eyes full of vigilance.
Song Zhiyu flatly refused, "No need, this matter has nothing to do with you."
Since we no longer wish to have anything to do with the Shen family, we naturally cannot owe them any favors.
Besides, she doesn't need their help.
"No one is leaving." Shen Jinshu's face turned cold, finding the scene before her utterly irritating.
She should be the one being protected behind Shen Yuzhou, not Song Zhiyu.
Even if it's something she doesn't want, Song Zhiyu won't get it.
"Let's see who dares to make a move."
A sharp shout came from outside the mansion gate. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Su Jinyang leaning against a pillar, holding his sword, with a very faint smile on his lips.
Shen Jinshu's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief. "Su Jinyang, shouldn't you be in Liangzhou?"
Looking at the smile on Su Jinyang's face, she felt increasingly uneasy. Liangzhou was in dire straits; how could Su Jinyang, as the commander-in-chief, leave so easily? Could it be…?
"You've been lying to us all along." Shen Jinshu finally realized that His Highness the Crown Prince might not have really disappeared.
It was all a conspiracy, a conspiracy to deceive them.
Shen Jinshu turned to run, but how could she outrun the highly skilled Su Jinyang? A long sword was held against her neck, and the next moment, she was kicked away, crashing straight into the wall in the courtyard.
"Keep a close eye on her." Su Jinyang ordered his men to arrest Shen Jinshu and carefully examined Song Zhiyu. Seeing that she was unharmed, he finally felt relieved.
On his way back to Beijing, he was constantly worried that Prince Li would harm Zhiyu, so he rushed back without stopping. Fortunately, nothing bad happened.
He gently gave Song Zhiyu a few words of advice, then planned to lead his troops into the palace.
"Third Brother, I'll go with you." Song Zhiyu called out to him, took the medicine box from Lu Bai, and followed Su Jinyang as he nodded.
The two left the Song residence side by side, leaving behind only Shen's mother and Shen Yuzhou, who were staring at each other in bewilderment.
He watched the two figures moving in harmony from behind, a bitter feeling rising in his heart.
At this moment, he finally understood that Song Zhiyu truly didn't need them anymore.
*
The Imperial Palace.
Li Wang looked at Yun Di, who was lying quietly on the bed, his gaze dark and unfathomable.
"Father, you can rest assured and rest. I will protect this country for you."
Pei Qingyan stood to one side, looking at the Taiji Hall which was surrounded by people, and said with a sneer, "Is Prince Li trying to emulate Prince Ying and usurp the throne?"
"Why do you say that, Lord Pei? The traitor Prince Ying has been dealt with by me. It is a pity that I was unable to rescue my brothers. I am also very saddened by this."
But the court is currently unstable and urgently needs someone to take charge. I, the Prince, am naturally obliged to do so. Prince Li made no mention of being demoted to a commoner by Emperor Yun, since he was now the only prince in the entire royal family.
If he didn't want the Zhou dynasty to fall into the hands of outsiders, those stubborn ministers would still support him.
Li Wang's plan was excellent and his calculations were spot on. If Zhou Xingzhi hadn't appeared, this would have been exactly what he had imagined.
"Is that so? But I think I am more suitable to be the one in charge of the overall situation."
Amidst the astonished gazes of the court officials, Zhou Xingzhi, clad in black armor, walked step by step into the hall.
His aura was so strong that no one dared to stop him, allowing him to walk to the center of the hall and stand opposite the King of Li.
Zhou Xingzhi walked with extreme steadiness and power, as if a heavy hammer had struck Li Wang’s heart.
Li Wang spoke slowly and deliberately, his eyes filled with endless coldness, "Zhou, Xing, Zhi."
"His Highness the Crown Prince is alright! His Highness the Crown Prince is back!"
"That's wonderful! The Lintian Dynasty is saved!"
The ministers below could not hide their joy, and even the usually serious Grand Tutor Chu showed a long-lost smile.
Unlike their joy, Li Wang's faction remained silent with grim faces, as if fearing that their plan was about to fall through.
"You're actually alright." Li Wang chuckled twice, surprised that Zhou Xingzhi was so lucky to have survived the fall from that bottomless cliff.
Zhou Xingzhi remained unmoved, "Then naturally it cannot be as you wish."
Li Wang's face turned pale and then flushed, before finally regaining its composure. "Zhou Xingzhi, so you knew about my scheme all along. Falling off the cliff was a lie, and disappearing was a lie too, wasn't it?"
He wasn't stupid. Zhou Xingzhi's appearance was too clever. After a little thought, he realized that he had already fallen into Zhou Xingzhi's trap.
“If I hadn’t done this, how would you have shown your true colors? Your father wanted to give you one last chance, but you still didn’t seize it.”
Upon hearing this, Li Wang suddenly turned to look at Yun Di, and their eyes met. A powerful aura swept over him, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Song Zhiyu followed Su Jinyang in one after the other. Her clear and melodious voice echoed in the hall and struck Li Wang’s heart hard, “Your medicine is very effective, but mine is not bad either.”
Shen Feng and his son were shocked. Ever since Emperor Yun woke up, they knew that the situation was hopeless.
They never expected that Song Zhiyu was involved. If they had known, they should have dealt with her first.
Emperor Yun's eyes were filled with complex emotions. Finally, he hardened his heart and said, "You unfilial son, you have truly disappointed me. I had intended to spare your life so that you could repent and start anew, but it seems that you do not appreciate it."
Li Wang scoffed, not believing Yun Di's words at all. "Ha, you're just doing this for your own reputation. You say you're giving me a chance, but why do you always favor Zhou Xingzhi more? I'm clearly your son too."
“Stubborn and incorrigible.” Emperor Yun frowned, glancing with disgust at the corpse of Prince Ying on the ground, no longer showing any mercy.
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