0p0 Chapter 516
Chapter 516
With their close cooperation, the situation gradually became clear. The secret guards reported that the prime minister's faction planned to create chaos during the royal hunt three days later, using firearms to assassinate the emperor and seize power. That very night, upon receiving the news, Dongfang Wan'er and the Regent stood side-by-side on the rooftop. Moonlight bathed them in its gentle glow, and the evening breeze ruffled their clothes. Dongfang Wan'er gripped the medicine bottle tightly, her eyes resolute and fearless; the Regent stood with his hand on his sword, his gaze piercing as he looked towards the palace. A thrilling contest was about to unfold, and they were prepared to face the storm, determined to utterly shatter this hidden conspiracy.
In the golden autumn of September, the forests surrounding the hunting grounds were ablaze with color, the maple leaves ablaze with crimson hues like the sunset, adorning the entire valley like a picturesque scene. The royal hunting party marched into the hunting grounds in a grand procession, banners fluttering and drums resounding. The emperor, dressed in magnificent hunting attire, rode a tall horse, exuding confidence and pride. A group of ministers surrounded him, some chatting and laughing, others rubbing their hands together in anticipation, each face beaming with excitement and anticipation. The hunting grounds were already meticulously prepared, soldiers guarding key routes, and hunting dogs running merrily on the ground, their barking adding to the lively atmosphere.
However, beneath this apparent liveliness lay a turbulent undercurrent. The prime minister's cronies, like lurking vipers, were scattered and hidden in every corner of the hunting grounds. Disguised as ordinary hunters, they mingled among the crowd, their eyes flashing with greed and ambition. Their leader hid in a secluded mountain hollow, tightly gripping his signal arrow, constantly monitoring the surrounding movements, waiting only for the order to launch his long-planned conspiracy.
The Regent, dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit with a gleaming sword at his waist, silently blended into the crowd with Dongfang Wan'er. Dongfang Wan'er, meanwhile, concealed several bottles of carefully crafted sleeping potions in her wide sleeves, her eyes warily scanning their surroundings. The two worked in perfect harmony, sometimes posing as ordinary tourists admiring the scenery, sometimes as colleagues engaged in conversation, while in reality taking in every unusual movement in the hunting grounds.
With the emperor's command, the hunt officially began. Instantly, the sounds of horses' hooves, shouts, and barking dogs mingled together, shattering the tranquility of the hunting grounds. Just as everyone was immersed in the excitement of the hunt, a sharp whistle suddenly pierced the sky. Immediately afterward, several deafening explosions followed, the roar of firearms echoing through the valley. Thick smoke billowed up, and the acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air, plunging the hunting grounds into chaos. The poisonous smoke spread rapidly with the wind, and wherever it reached, people covered their mouths and noses, coughing incessantly, screams and cries rising and falling.
The Regent reacted swiftly, drawing his sword and shouting, "Protect the Emperor!" The troops, already secretly deployed, sprang into action, forming a tight defensive line to protect the Emperor and his ministers. Amidst the chaos, Dongfang Wan'er seized her opportunity. Weaving through the crowd, she caught the enemy off guard and sprinkled the sleeping potion she held onto them. The potion spread with the wind, instantly disorienting those who inhaled it. Their once agile movements became sluggish and clumsy, and they could no longer hold their weapons securely.
Just as the situation seemed to stabilize, a black-clad assassin suddenly leaped from the shadows. Agile and wielding a sharp dagger, he moved like a black lightning bolt, charging straight at the emperor. The regent's eyes narrowed, and he roared, "Don't even think about it!" He flashed forward, meeting the assassin's attack like an arrow released from a bow. The two instantly clashed, swords flashing and blades clashing. The assassin's martial arts were superb, his moves ruthless, aiming straight for the regent's vitals; the regent, however, was equally formidable, his swordsmanship exquisite, combining offense and defense, deflecting each of the assassin's attacks.
Dongfang Wan'er, disregarding the battle, saw many soldiers wounded and lying on the ground in the chaos, their clothes stained with blood. She quickly ran to the wounded, took out a special ointment from her bosom, and skillfully applied it to their wounds. The ointment seemed to possess magical powers; as soon as it was applied, the pain subsided, and the bleeding gradually stopped. With her help, the wounded soldiers quickly stood up again and rejoined the fight.
The battle intensified, the shouts of battle deafening. The duel between the Regent and the assassin reached a crucial moment. Seizing an opening, the Regent thrust his sword forward. The assassin, unable to dodge, was pierced through the chest and fell dead. Elsewhere, thanks to the effects of Dongfang Wan'er's sleeping potion, the enemy's fighting strength was greatly weakened, and they gradually crumbled under the fierce attacks of the main force.
After a fierce battle, the prime minister's faction's conspiracy was completely thwarted. The smoke from the hunt gradually dissipated, leaving the ground littered with the corpses of the enemy. The emperor, still shaken, looked at the regent and Dongfang Wan'er, his eyes filled with gratitude: "Thanks to you both today, otherwise I would have been in grave danger!"
The Regent and Dongfang Wan'er exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with relief. Having survived this life-or-death battle, their bond had deepened. Through the trials of blood and fire, their hearts had grown closer, and they knew that no matter what hardships they faced in the future, they would walk hand in hand to protect this hard-won peace.
As twilight, like blood, soaked the palace walls, the victorious procession slowly entered the Vermilion Bird Gate, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun. Palace maids, carrying lanterns woven with gold thread, laid a winding river of light before the white marble steps, illuminating the sandalwood mist rising from the gilded bronze cauldron in a dreamlike manner. The emperor sat high on his dragon throne, his bright yellow dragon robe shimmering with every movement. He personally tied a jade belt inlaid with pearls around the regent's waist, and tucked a jade dragon-patterned hairpin into Dongfang Wan'er's cloud-like hair. Amidst the sounds of music and the praises of the courtiers, no one noticed that under the eaves outside the hall, an old eunuch swept away a few frosty, withered leaves with a whisk.
Three days later, the morning mist had not yet dissipated, and fine water droplets condensed on the glazed tiles of Kunning Palace. A young eunuch on duty stumbled across the corridor carrying a copper basin. The water in the basin reflected the tightly closed vermilion doors of the Imperial Study in the distance, and whispers drifted from the cracks in the door like sharp shards of ice: "Someone is investigating the source of the arrowheads from the hunting grounds... I heard that even the Ministry of Revenue's account books have been taken away..." The news spread like vines throughout the palace. The guards on night duty lowered their voices when changing shifts, and the cooks in the Imperial Kitchen whispered among themselves while washing rice. The entire Forbidden City was in turmoil.
The candlelight in the Regent's study burned all night, and the secret reports piled on the desk were heavily marked with vermilion ink. Dongfang Wan'er lowered her eyes, staring at the saffron being ground in the mortar, when she was suddenly startled by the rustling of the paulownia leaves outside the window. As she turned around, the corner of a thread-bound ancient book on the top shelf suddenly slipped off, and half a tattered piece of paper fluttered out from between the yellowed pages. The blurred handwriting on it seemed to have been eroded by time: "Winter of the year Wushen, the Empress Dowager summoned the Imperial Physician for a secret meeting..." Her fingertips trembled slightly; the ink was exactly the same as the vermilion used in an unresolved witchcraft case three years ago.
On the night of the full moon, dark clouds obscured the sky. Dongfang Wan'er tightened the veil of her night-clothes, the silver needles in her medicine pouch clinking softly with each step. The veins on the back of the Regent's hand, gripping the black iron sword, bulged. The two crept along the shadows of the palace walls, avoiding the glow of the lanterns of the night patrol guards. Yongshou Palace, where the Dowager Consort resided, was as silent as a tomb. The faint sound of the copper bells on the eaves was jarringly audible in the empty courtyard, carried by the wind.
The moment the secret door to the chamber opened, a stench of rotting wood and mildew wafted out. Dongfang Wan'er lit a tinderbox from her sleeve; in the flickering light, the secret letter in the sandalwood box glowed with an eerie bluish-white hue. The Regent unfolded the letter, and both of them gasped simultaneously—the letter bore the vermilion bird emblem of the Prime Minister's residence, and the handwriting carried the distinctive scent of saffron from the Western Regions. "So that's how it is..." Dongfang Wan'er murmured, but before she could finish speaking, the blue bricks beneath her feet suddenly emitted a subtle clicking sound.
The entire wall suddenly flipped up, the gleaming light of blades piercing the darkness. The guards' armor gleamed coldly in the moonlight, and the leading commander raised a torch, the flames making the scars on his face appear even more menacing: "Two noble lords have come so late at night, keeping us waiting." Dongfang Wan'er quickly pulled out a medicinal powder from her waist, but saw that the other party was already prepared, simultaneously pulling out silk handkerchiefs soaked in the powder to cover their mouths and noses. The Regent Prince swung his sword, cleaving aside the oncoming spear; the sparks from the clash between the black iron sword and the bronze weapon flickered in and out of the secret chamber. At this moment, the Dowager Consort's laughter suddenly came from above, chilling like a viper's hiss through the carved window lattice: "Think you can easily reveal your hand? This game has only just begun..."