Chapter 281 - 231: Regicide and Filicide, The Bloody Night (2)

Chapter 281: Chapter 231: Regicide and Filicide, The Bloody Night (2)

Yan Sheng stood before Liu Sanhai, his longsword drawn. "I’d like to see who dares!"

The Empress Dowager, who had been smirking coldly, now looked as if someone had stepped on her tail. "What? You dare draw your sword on your own mother?"

"Mother?" Yan Sheng sneered. "My mother died long ago. You... you’re just an old hag blinded by power."

The Empress Dowager’s face began to twist, and she suddenly shrieked.

"Kill him! Kill him for me!"

The imperial guards exchanged glances, then charged toward Yan Sheng in unison.

Liu Sanhai, his head bloodied, let out a cry of despair. "Your Majesty, this old servant will go on ahead!"

With that, he roared and threw himself forward, trying to block their advance.

In the next instant, he was mercilessly run through with swords.

Blood poured from his wounds as Liu Sanhai lost all his strength.

But he clung to his last breath, turning to look at Yan Sheng. His mouth moved, as if trying to say something, but in the next instant, a longsword severed his head.

His body collapsed, the spray of blood staining this hall that had stood for hundreds of years.

Yan Sheng gave a wretched smile, then suddenly threw his head back and roared to the heavens.

"It is Heaven that destroys my Great Yan, not I!"

As the words left his lips, he swung the sword across his own throat, his body collapsing back into the chair.

Blood surged from his slit throat, quickly staining the floor beneath him red.

Even so, his eyes remained wide open, glaring at everyone with unabated fury.

A king’s majesty remains, even in death!

At this sight, the soldiers actually cowered, not daring to step forward and disturb him.

The Empress Dowager’s expression became complicated.

She hadn’t expected her own son, Yan Sheng, to be so fiercely resolute, preferring suicide to surrender.

But soon, she completely snuffed out this last shred of maternal instinct and conscience.

"Prepare the body, clean the scene, then ring the Jingyang Bell. Announce that the Emperor was suddenly struck by a severe illness and has died."

"Yes!" the captain of the guards said, bowing.

The Empress Dowager glanced one last time at the body in the chair, then swept her sleeves and departed.

Soon, Yan Sheng’s body was prepared for burial, and the floor of Yangxin Hall was washed with water countless times.

Once everything was in order, someone rang the Jingyang Bell.

This great bell had been forged at the founding of Great Yan and hung in the bell tower on the east side of the palace city. It was only rung in the event of a major war or the death of an emperor.

Soon, the mournful tolling of the bell pierced the heavy curtain of snow, echoing throughout the sky above the Imperial Capital.

People sheltering in their homes from the bitter cold were all stunned when they heard the bell.

But no one dared to go outside.

This was not only because of the bitter cold and heavy snow, but also because the government had announced a curfew. No one was permitted on the streets.

Who could have imagined that on a night like this, such a momentous event would occur in the palace?

Though they didn’t know what had happened in the palace, the ringing of the Jingyang Bell signified that something of immense importance had taken place.

For a time, everyone was filled with dread and unease.

Meanwhile, Yan Jun, who was braving the wind and snow to lead troops and maintain order in the Imperial Capital, learned what had happened in the palace far sooner than anyone else.

Upon hearing the bell, he reined in his horse, turned its head, and gazed at the distant palace city shrouded by the vast curtain of snow. A cold smile crept across his face.

"The plan is halfway done. Next, it’s our turn to take the stage!"

A man in a hooded cloak accompanying him nodded slightly. "Yes, at this point, the plan is halfway to completion—and it was the most difficult half."

"After tomorrow’s court assembly, Your Highness will ascend the throne and become the sovereign of Great Yan!"

"Hahahaha! As I’ve said, you will be handsomely rewarded for this!"

And just as the ambitious Yan Jun was preparing for the morrow, Wu Liangchen, who was practicing martial arts in the Xu family’s rear courtyard, also heard the bell. He stopped his training, flew to the roof eaves, and gazed into the distance.

Just then, Xu Kai hurried over, his face filled with alarm.

"Master Wu! Master Wu, where are you?"

Wu Liangchen leaped back down into the courtyard. "What’s going on?" he asked in a deep voice.

Xu Kai was so nervous he stuttered, "Some... Something terrible has happened!"

"The... the Emperor... is dead!"

Though he had expected it, Wu Liangchen was still taken aback to hear the news for real.

’So they finally made their move. What ruthless methods that Yan Jun and the Empress Dowager in the palace have!’

But he quickly calmed himself.

"What’s there to panic about? What does his death have to do with you?"

"Oh, you don’t understand! The situation at court was in a delicate balance. Now that the Emperor is dead, the royalist faction is sure to be wiped out. Prince Jing will be the sole power in the land, and then... and then..."

Xu Kai trailed off, not daring to speak the rest of his thoughts.

It was Wu Liangchen who stated it plainly, "Stop stammering. It’s obvious Prince Jing is aiming for the throne."

Xu Kai’s face went pale. "So... tomorrow’s court assembly..." he muttered.

Wu Liangchen patted his shoulder. "Tomorrow’s court assembly will certainly be... lively."

"No, that’s not right. Things are already getting lively tonight!" Wu Liangchen said flatly, looking off into the distance.

Despite the howling wind, flickering firelight was visible in the distance, accompanied by the sound of screams and cries.

Xu Kai trembled all over. "That’s the home of the old Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry... He’s part of the royalist faction and lives nearby."

Just then, the sounds of crying and pleading for mercy faded away with the firelight, and all fell quiet again.

Whether it was his imagination or he truly smelled it, Xu Kai felt the stench of blood hanging in the air.

Wu Liangchen, too, fell silent.

’The lust for power truly is the filthiest thing in the world.’

’To slaughter people just for having different political views.’

’Who knows how many lives will be needlessly lost in the Imperial Capital tonight.’

"Should I go to the court assembly tomorrow?" Xu Kai suddenly asked.

"Go if you want to. I can’t make any other promises, but I can at least guarantee your safety," Wu Liangchen said nonchalantly.

Xu Kai considered this and realized it was true.

No matter how crazy Prince Jing and the Empress Dowager became, they wouldn’t dare to touch him.

After all, who in the Imperial Capital didn’t know that he was Master Wu’s man?

The thought of having a Martial Arts Grandmaster backing him up made Xu Kai feel his spine stiffen with confidence.

"I understand. In that case, I’ll go tomorrow and watch the excitement unfold."

Wu Liangchen had just turned to leave when there was a knock at the door.

The knock was rhythmic: three quick raps, followed by two slow ones.

Xu Kai’s expression changed. "It’s my brother-in-law!" he whispered.

"Go open the door."

Sure enough, a moment later, Jiang Feng strode in, his face also grave.

"Master Wu, did you hear the bell?"

"Mm."

"Whew!" Jiang Feng let out a slow breath, then said with a wry smile, "I was drinking at Anxiang Pavilion when soldiers suddenly burst in. They announced a curfew and ordered all the brothels to close."

"I knew something was wrong right then. Why declare a curfew out of the blue? And sure enough, this mess happened."

His expression turned serious. "Master Wu, the Imperial Capital is going to be extremely chaotic for the next few days. You’re an incredibly influential person, so you must be cautious. Don’t show your face in public, to avoid being used."

Looking at Jiang Feng’s earnest expression, Wu Liangchen smiled faintly and nodded.

He knew that Jiang Feng was genuinely looking out for him and that the warning came from the heart.

After all, most people wouldn’t have thought that far ahead.

"I understand. You be careful as well."

"Alright. You should get some rest. I’ll be heading back now."

The curfew was no obstacle for Jiang Feng, who had grown up in the Imperial Capital. That, combined with his second-realm strength, allowed him to quickly disappear into the vast darkness of the night.

「At that very moment, another conspiracy was underway.」

In a secret chamber, several figures were gathered around a table, whispering conspiratorially.

"The intelligence was accurate. Yan Jun and the Empress Dowager have indeed made their move! I just don’t know why they acted so much sooner than expected," said a person wearing a pig-faced mask.

"It must be related to the disappearance of Prince Yu!" said another person in a dog-faced mask.

"Then what becomes of our plan?" asked a woman in a fox-faced mask.

"How are the preparations coming along?" the pig-masked person asked.

With that question, the gazes of everyone in the secret chamber fell upon a masked man sitting at the far end of the table.

He narrowed his eyes and said slowly, "I’ve already been transporting the items in. At most, we’ll need another three days to be fully prepared."

"Good. Prince Jing and the Empress Dowager of Great Yan are bound to have a falling out at tomorrow’s court assembly. We’ll let them weaken each other first, then we’ll make our move," the pig-masked man said.

"Understood!"