Looking at the motionless and lifeless Emperor Wenxuan, Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow. "Uncle, you're truly skilled; you can take a life with just your words."
Chu Wenzheng laughed loudly, "Princess, didn't you have any murderous intent? You should thank me, for the crime of patricide is no small matter."
Bai Chuxiao didn't refute, but smiled and said, "Congratulations, Imperial Uncle, on getting your wish. However, this princess is curious whether you or Chu Tianling will sit on the throne."
Chu Wenzheng said with a smile, "This matter is none of your concern, Princess. Shouldn't you release me now?"
Just then, Cheng Song, who had been lying in bed, clutched his head and woke up. Looking at the scene in the hall, he was horrified. "Your Majesty..."
Chu Wenzheng's eyes darkened. That good-for-nothing Chu Tianling couldn't even poison a person. Bai Chuxiao, however, smiled slightly. Wasn't she also stalling for time? She had secretly patted Cheng Song's back to calm him down behind the bed. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. With the Imperial Guards at their disposal, this show could still go on tonight.
Cheng Song, supporting the already lifeless Emperor Wenxuan, asked in a deep voice, "Your Highness, what happened?"
Bai Chuxiao said calmly, "General Cheng, Prince An and Prince Qi have joined forces to cause trouble. The palace is now under their control. General Cheng, it might still be in time to mobilize the Imperial Guards. The Crown Prince is also in their hands. As for whether his life can be saved, that depends on General Cheng."
Chu Wen remained unfazed. What did the Imperial Guards matter? At most, they would have to expend more effort. They hadn't originally expected to take the capital without bloodshed.
Cheng Song wasn't stupid either. He nodded slightly and quickly slipped out of the hall.
Bai Chuxiao smiled faintly, "This princess has no interest in your affairs. Let my mother and me leave."
Tonight is the battle between the Crown Prince and Chu Tianling. Their Prince Yan's mansion doesn't have a single soldier in the capital, and the five thousand Flying Cloud Riders outside the city aren't even a match for them. They can't participate in tonight's fight. What good is sitting on the throne if you can't hold it? That's true skill.
Chu Wen remained unfazed, raising an eyebrow and saying, "If we let you leave, I'm afraid the Prince of Yan and Murong Yuan will soon be besieging the capital with hundreds of thousands of troops."
Bai Chuxiao sneered, "Uncle, you're joking. You deliberately started your rebellion when the war in the Northwest was at its most intense, because you knew we wouldn't be able to make a move. By the time the war is over, I'm afraid your throne will be more or less secure."
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the hall. Bai Chuxiao's expression changed, and she took Chu Wenzheng and walked out of the hall.
Zichen Palace was completely surrounded. Leading the group was Chu Tianling, while Yuwen Minke, along with Empress Li, Consort Xian, Noble Lady Jing, and others, watched her with smiles.
Consort Jing shook her head at her. Bai Chuxiao frowned slightly and said calmly, "Release Mother Consort."
Chu Tianling stared at the beautiful and refined woman, a glint of cunning in his eyes. "Do you think that's possible?"
He would get what he wanted, and the woman before him was no exception. As for Consort Jing, he couldn't let her go either; with the Seventh Prince's hundreds of thousands of troops, he wouldn't feel at ease without a hostage.
Bai Chuxiao turned her head and said with a smile, "Uncle, they don't seem to care about your life."
Chu Wen remained unfazed, while Bai Chuxiao said leisurely, "Since the two of you are cooperating, it will be difficult to succeed without either of you. It's not a loss for you to let my mother and me leave with your lives."
Chu Tianling's face darkened. What she said was indeed the truth, but he was unwilling to release Consort Jing.
Chu Wenzheng said calmly, "I can only let you leave the palace. As for whether you can leave the capital, that's up to the princess. There's no room for discussion. Now that I've vented my anger, the worst that can happen is that I die..."
Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, Imperial Uncle." She didn't expect these people to let her leave the capital so easily.
Chu Tianling looked displeased but did not object. The palace was under Chu Wenzheng's control thanks to the hidden guards, and he still needed his uncle's help. As long as they didn't leave the capital, there were still ways to capture them again.
The group arrived at the palace gate again. Chu Tianling gave Yuwen Minke a look and said calmly, "Princess, let's do it here. How about we let go together?"
Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Of course."
Chu Tianling counted to the last word, but Bai Chuxiao and Yuwen Minke did not make a move.
Chu Tianling's eyes darkened. "What does the princess mean by this?"
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow and said, "If the concubine remains unmoved, how can this princess let go? It's late, everyone, so let's not play any tricks."
Chu Wenzheng glanced at the crowd and said calmly, "Alright, let them go."
Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly, "Consort, listen carefully this time."
Yuwen Minke's eyes turned slightly cold, and she let out a cold snort.
This time, there was no further probing. Bai Chuxiao and Yuwen Minke both released their grip simultaneously. Chu Wenzheng, who was skilled in martial arts, quickly retreated after releasing the dagger, only to be protected by several hidden guards.
Bai Chuxiao had no time to pay him any attention. Quickly pulling Jing Guiren aside, she said in a low voice, "Kill Yuwen Minke."
Yuwen Minke tried to capture Consort Jing, but her attack failed. Upon hearing this, she immediately withdrew her hand and warily looked around.
Several men in black landed silently, heading towards a woman disguised as a man and several people with Northern Yan appearances who were following closely behind Yuwen Minke. Caught off guard, the woman stared wide-eyed in disbelief and fell straight backward. Yuwen Minke's face turned ashen. "Bai Chuxiao!"
After killing the people, Zhan Chi, Xia Fan, Lin Huai, and the others retreated to Bai Chuxiao and Jing Guiren's side. Bai Chuxiao smiled faintly and said, "It's not a good thing for the Northern Yan people to stay in Great Xia, especially one who is a master of poisons."
They had long wanted to kill the men following Yuwen Minke, but they hadn't shown themselves until now. Now was the perfect opportunity to wipe them all out. However, Yuwen Minke was quite skilled, making it difficult to kill her in one blow, so they decided to leave her alive for the time being.
At this moment, Cheng Song arrived hastily with the Imperial Guards. Chu Tianling frowned slightly but remained calm. He temporarily abandoned the idea of capturing Bai Chuxiao and led his men to retreat cautiously. With the Crown Prince and Empress in their hands, and their troops swarming outside the capital, what could the Imperial Guards do?
Bai Chuxiao's eyes flickered slightly, and she said to Zhan Chi, "Take Mother and leave first."
Consort Jing looked at her with some worry on her face, while Bai Chuxiao smiled and whispered, "Don't worry, Mother."
While Cheng Song and Chu Tianling were confronting each other at the palace gate, Bai Chuxiao secretly slipped back into the palace. The imperial study was already unattended. Bai Chuxiao, familiar with the place, went to a hidden compartment, took out a scroll, and vanished again.
At the Prince of Yan's residence, Consort Jing finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Bai Chuxiao return so quickly.
Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Mother, it's getting late, you should go and get some rest."
Consort Jing glanced at Yu Fengyang and the others, then silently nodded. "Very well," she said, knowing they still had things to discuss. She couldn't offer much help here; all she could do was avoid hindering them and put their minds at ease.
After Consort Jing left, Yu Fengyang said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, it won't be easy for us to leave the capital now."
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