"Don't drag me into your business. I've already severed ties with the Shen family. I'm not your sister, so don't try to claim kinship with me." Song Zhiyu waved her hand and took two steps back. She didn't want to see these two putting on an act.
Shen Yanxi didn't dare to step forward, but looked at her from a distance, his voice softening slightly, "Zhiyu, I'm leaving the Shen residence too."
"What does that have to do with me?" Song Zhiyu was unconvinced. Whether Shen Yanxi left the Marquis's mansion or changed his surname, it was none of her business.
Shen Yanxi was somewhat hurt, and lowered his eyes with a hint of sadness, "Zhiyu..."
"Shut up." Song Zhiyu closed her eyes impatiently and then opened them again. She hated hearing her name from the Shen family.
"Fourth Brother, she has made herself so clear, so please stop being so stubborn." Shen Jinshu reached out and tugged at Shen Yanxi's sleeve.
In the past, Shen Yanxi had always stood by her side and never laid a hand on her.
But now, looking at her hand that had been flung away, Shen Jinshu felt her heart bleeding with hatred.
She stared intently in the direction Song Zhiyu had left, and at Shen Yanxi, who hurriedly followed but dared not get too close, her hands clenched tightly as if she were completely oblivious to the pain.
*
Liangzhou suffered another defeat, and the army's morale was low; they were on the verge of collapse.
When the news reached the capital, Prince Li knew it was time to take action.
As expected, that night, the prince's soldiers surrounded the entire palace.
Outside the palace, countless torches illuminated the night as the prince led a large group of soldiers through the wide-open palace gates, heading straight for the Taiji Hall.
Wherever they went, rivers of blood flowed, and countless corpses of maids and eunuchs lay scattered on the ground, turning the entire palace into a scene of hell.
"Tonight, I will massacre the palace to avenge the humiliation of years past." Prince Ying, riding a tall horse, his silver armor and gleaming sword contrasting against each other, slit the throat of the minister who came to dissuade him.
"If you are willing to submit to me, I will spare your lives." He slowly wiped the blood-stained longsword, his threatening words echoing throughout the hall.
The courtiers looked at each other in bewilderment. Prince Ying was violent and tyrannical, and it was not impossible that he would commit a bloody massacre in the palace. What should they do?
"How dare you, Zhou Xuanying! Are you planning a rebellion?" The Empress Dowager glared angrily. She had previously asked the Emperor to eliminate this threat, but the Emperor, out of consideration for so-called brotherly affection, had not taken drastic measures.
That's terrible, the country is about to change hands.
Prince Ying smiled broadly, "Your Majesty, please don't speak so harshly. My brother is currently unconscious, and the Lintian Dynasty needs someone to take charge of the overall situation."
"I have many sons, princes, how could it be a traitor like you?" The Empress Dowager said coldly, making no attempt to hide her contempt for him.
"Haha, is that so?" Prince Ying's eyes were dark. He beckoned, and the other princes who were hiding in the palace were pulled in front of him.
"Now look, does Your Majesty still have any sons?" As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of silver light appeared, and the Eighth Prince's head rolled to the ground instantly.
"ah!"
The Empress Dowager cried out in alarm, her pupils dilating in shock. This was a madman.
Immediately afterwards, the other princes also died one after another. The cruelty of the methods completely intimidated the defenseless civil officials present.
"You, you, you..." The Empress Dowager's hand trembled as she pointed at Prince Ying, but she managed to hold back her fainting spell.
The eldest princess frowned and hurriedly stepped forward to check the situation, "Mother."
Fortunately, the Empress Dowager was only frightened and fainted, and was otherwise unharmed.
The eldest princess breathed a sigh of relief and then turned her gaze to Prince Ying, saying, "If I had known this would happen, my brother should not have spared your life back then."
"Yes, indeed. In truth, I must thank my good elder brother. If it weren't for his so-called 'good reputation,' I wouldn't be alive today." Prince Ying's gaze was dark, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth.
During the palace coup, if the eldest princess hadn't shielded Emperor Yun from a poisoned arrow, he wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat.
That annoying woman deserves to die.
"To express my gratitude, I will safeguard this empire for my elder brother." Prince Ying's wolfish ambition was made no attempt to conceal.
He shoved aside the princess who was blocking his way and walked step by step toward the dragon throne, his eyes gleaming with ecstasy.
After years of painstaking planning, the throne finally fell into his hands.
He tremblingly stroked the dragon throne he had long coveted, his eyes gradually turning bloodshot, completely unaware that a sharp arrow was slicing through the air and hurtling towards him.
"Prince Ying plotted to usurp the throne; his crime deserves death." A cold voice rang out as an arrow pierced Prince Ying's heart. He turned back in disbelief to look at the man slowly walking in from outside the palace, his eyes bloodshot.
What a cunning Prince Li! He's just doing all the work for someone else.
But before he could say these words, he collapsed to the ground and closed his eyes in despair.
"It's His Highness Prince Li! We're saved!" The minister, who was still not clear about the situation, was a little surprised by Prince Li's appearance, but he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw that Prince Ying had been dealt with so easily.
The ministers who knew the situation frowned even more deeply. It was truly puzzling that Prince Li was not staying in Xian'an Prefecture, but instead had run into the palace at this time, and so quietly.
"Aunt, Zixuan is late." Prince Li smiled gently, not even glancing at Prince Ying's corpse.
The eldest princess gave a mocking smile, ruthlessly tearing off the hypocritical mask of the Prince of Li, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; you really have a plan that leaves no stone unturned."
“Now that Father Emperor is in a coma and his other brothers have been brutally murdered, Father Emperor only has me as his son left.” Even though he was exposed, Prince Li was not angry; he had plenty of confidence.
The ministers below finally understood. It turned out that Prince Li also had the same idea, only he had a more legitimate reason than Prince Ying.
*
Song Mansion.
"Bring out that traitor Song Zhiyu who dared to plot against His Majesty, leave no one alive." Shen Jinshu stood at the entrance of the Song residence, his deep eyes flashing with intense malice in the dim firelight.
She and Song Zhiyu were locked in a life-or-death struggle.
The heavy gates of the Song residence were smashed open, and when Shen Jinshu led the soldiers in, they found that Song Zhiyu had been waiting for them for a long time.
"Song Zhiyu, you dare to plot against His Majesty, your crime is unforgivable." Shen Jinshu threw an empty porcelain bottle at Song Zhiyu's feet, eager to kill him.
"What kind of evidence can an empty bottle serve as? What crime should Miss Shen be charged with for leading troops to trespass into the county magistrate's residence?" Song Zhiyu bent down to pick up the porcelain bottle, taking the initiative.
To avoid any unforeseen complications, Shen Jinshu didn't give Song Zhiyu a chance to explain and tried to take her away, saying, "If it weren't for your medicine, how could His Majesty be unconscious?"
"You are the prime suspect and should be imprisoned and interrogated rigorously. As for my leading troops to surround the county princess's residence, that was ordered by the Empress Dowager; what crime have I committed? Seize her!"
Once it's in her hands, Song Zhiyu will never have another chance to speak.
Song Zhiyu's eyes sharpened, and her hand holding the medicine powder seemed ready to pounce.
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