Enraged, Vice Minister Tang ordered, "You're all dead, so drag the Crown Princess away!"
Tang Yun pressed the sword against his own neck, "Anyone who takes another step closer, I'll collect their corpse!"
The soldiers dared not move.
Tang, the Vice Minister, was so angry that his face turned ashen. "Have you lost your mind! What's so good about protecting that vixen! On your wedding day, the Crown Prince made you wait outside the palace gates all day for her sake. Have you forgotten that humiliation?"
Tang Yun burst into tears, "I haven't forgotten. But I didn't let you vent your anger for me like this."
Minister Tang gritted his teeth, "Yun'er, listen to me, we're doing this for your own good."
“No,” Tang Yun retorted. “You’re just using me as a bargaining chip in your deal with the Crown Prince. You want to be the Emperor’s father-in-law, the head of the aristocratic families, and the second Ning family.”
"You don't care at all whether I'm happy staying in the Eastern Palace or not."
“You and your mother value status and power more.”
"Don't use the excuse of doing what's best for me to satisfy your own selfish desires."
“If you really care about me, you should make the Crown Prince divorce me. I would rather be an old maid for the rest of my life, or shave my head and become a nun than be the Crown Princess.”
"You!" Minister Tang nearly vomited blood. "You worthless wretch!"
"Get the hell out of my way!"
Tang Yun applied some force, and the blade immediately drew blood.
Tang Shilang's fingers trembled, and he completely released the bowstring.
A voice behind him whispered in his ear, "Your Excellency, the Crown Princess must have been coerced by that vixen."
Tang Shilang's eyes narrowed. "What...what are you trying to do! Absolutely not!"
The man revealed half of his sinister face, "Even if you keep the Crown Princess, she won't be on your side anymore. She might even help the Crown Prince deal with you."
"Things have come to this point, and if we lose, the Tang family will truly be guilty of treason."
"For the sake of a daughter who has already distanced herself from you, does Minister Tang really intend to destroy the entire Tang family?"
Minister Tang froze. "But...but..."
The man lifted his hand that held the bow and re-nocked the arrow. "If Lady Wan had killed the Crown Princess, wouldn't Minister Tang have an even better reason to act?"
"No. That's my daughter, I..."
Tang Shilang tried to lower his bow and arrow, but the opponent's internal strength was so great that he could not resist it.
"Let go!"
"no!"
"Absolutely not!"
With teary eyes, Tang Yun watched in disbelief as her father drew his bow and nocked an arrow, the sword pressed against his neck trembling so much he could barely hold it.
Lin Qingwan was also shocked, but she had experienced being sent to the flower garden by her own father before. Although she was not surprised by Tang Shilang's actions, she felt the same way as Tang Yun.
She raised her hand and patted Tang Yun's shoulder, "Move aside, he only wants to kill me."
Tang Yun trembled, tears streaming down her face, yet her mind remained eerily calm.
"Although I don't like you and hate you, you don't owe me anything, and you didn't kill my cat."
Even if you die, I will not be free.
Lin Qingwan's throat also felt bitter. "Now that you've saved me, I'm also feeling quite uncomfortable. If I survive this ordeal today, do you think I should repay this kindness to you?"
Tang Yun's already broken heart was further disturbed by her words: "I'm saving the Tang family, what does that have to do with you?"
"Whether you live or die is up to you."
Lin Qingwan pulled her back, her previous fear gone. "From now on, I'll get the Crown Prince to pamper you?"
Tang Yun thought of Zhao Cong's cold face and her eye twitched. "Keep this good fortune to yourself."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Minister Tang shouted, "Yun'er, get out of the way!"
The arrow pierced the air, heading straight for Tang Yun's brow.
Tang Yun pushed Lin Qingwan out through the gap in the side railing and swung his sword to block the arrow. However, the arrow was too powerful, and his sword broke in two. She was thrown against the wall by the shockwave and vomited blood.
Because she lost her balance and bent over, the arrow tip pierced the wall, grazing the back of her neck.
Tang Shilang's legs went weak. When he came to his senses and was about to settle accounts with the people behind him, he found that many Imperial Guards had poured in.
Tang Shilang collapsed; it was all over.
The man shoved the bright yellow imperial edict back into his hand, kindly reminding him, "Don't be afraid, Your Excellency, isn't there His Majesty's decree as well?"
"You are only concerned about your daughter; it is His Majesty who will truly take drastic measures."
Tang Shilang’s eyelids twitched. Yes, he had a legitimate reason; he had the Emperor’s decree!
Zhao Cong rushed back, covered in dust and grime; heaven knows he nearly broke his riding whip in the process.
His expression was cold and stern, his usually icy eyes burning with fire. He gripped his longsword in reverse with his right hand, and everyone who stood in his way since he entered had their throats slit with a single stroke.
Zhao Cong spotted Lin Qingwan, dressed in an apricot-colored long robe, by the railing at a glance. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly relaxed, but then a murderous intent rose within him.
"Crown Prince!" Shen Xu's face lit up when he saw him, and he immediately felt that the wounds on his body no longer hurt.
Seeing that his back was covered in blood, Zhao Cong's gaze grew even colder. "You've worked hard."
"Your subordinate is ashamed."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Cong strode past him and walked towards Lin Qingwan.
Tang Shilang quickly grabbed Zhao Cong's leg, "Your Highness! I am acting on His Majesty's orders to clean house for you."
If it weren't for his concern for Lin Qingwan, Zhao Cong would have stabbed him to death right now.
"Your matter is not urgent. I will make time to listen carefully to the Vice Minister..." He kicked the man away without any mercy and said coldly, "Solution."
Tang Shilang wanted to explain, but he felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't make a sound.
Mu Xue and Qiu Hong had already helped Lin Qingwan up. The railing had scraped her face, and they were about to use a handkerchief to wipe the blood from the wound when a large hand covered her face first.
It was warm, trembling, and carried a faint smell of blood.
Mu Xue's eyes instantly reddened. "The Crown Prince is back! The Madam almost lost her life."
"You scared me to death!"
She sobbed twice, then burst into tears.
Qiu Hong, being sensible, pulled her away a little further away, saying, "Alright, alright, it's nothing."
Zhao Cong's words were interrupted by Mu Xue. Now, facing Lin Qingwan's grape-like black eyes, he felt as if something was stuck in his throat, making it difficult to speak.
He gently touched the wound on her face with his fingertips and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm late."
Lin Qingwan shook her head, her eyes so bright he dared not look directly at her, "It's not too late. I know I will definitely be able to wait for the Crown Prince."
In an instant, Zhao Cong's mind flashed back to his departed mother, uncle, and grandfather, as well as... Tong Di, who had died tragically at the hands of the Xiongnu.
Many familiar faces overlapped with Lin Qingwan's before him, and the regrets of the past were suddenly made up for in her words.
She waited for him.
He didn't lose her either.
Zhao Cong's Adam's apple bobbed twice, and he pulled the person into his arms.
Lin Qingwan heard his accelerated heartbeat, felt his strong arms trembling slightly, heard his rapid and short breaths above her head, and smelled the faint fragrance of angelica on his body.
She felt relieved.
Is it really that good to be the crown prince's darling?
She didn't want to leave, didn't want to let go, and didn't want it to end.
The Imperial Guards quickly brought the situation under control, and after counting the number of people, reported to Zhao Cong, "Your Highness, they've all been captured. What should we do with them?"
Zhao Cong pressed Lin Qingwan's head down, preventing her from leaving his embrace, and said in a dark voice, "Treat them all as treason!"
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