Chapter 345
**Chapter 343: The Yellow Sparrow Lurks Behind**
Years ago, the Empress Dowager had poisoned Li Yuanli's mother, Consort Qian. The grudge of a mother’s murder must be avenged.
“Empress Dowager, I’ll send you on your way,” Lu Yun said with a mocking smile plastered across her face.
Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou swiftly positioned themselves in front of the Empress Dowager, their small faces filled with vigilance. Lu Yun casually glanced at the two sturdy and adorable little princes, grinding her back teeth in anticipation.
The Emperor of Nanchu had set his sights on killing the Empress Dowager of Qingguo.
But since Lu Yun was already here, she intended to eliminate all of Li Yuanjing's children, leaving only Lu Xuan's son alive. In the future, as Lu Xuan's son grew up without rivals, the chances of the court supporting him as emperor would be much higher.
Lu Yun licked her lips.
Once, she had maliciously misinterpreted her sister Lu Xuan's good intentions due to a dream. Now, by killing the children that Li Yuanjing cherished, she would present it as an apology gift to her sister.
Without further delay, Lu Yun took two steps back, raised her hand, and commanded, “Kill them all, leave not a single one.”
The assassins disguised as eunuchs revealed their blades.
Li Chengtai's little face turned tense.
In that critical moment, the sound of swords clashing echoed from the underground passage, accompanied by the clanking of armor. Lu Yun turned in shock, only to see a dozen Tiger Guards appear out of nowhere, swiftly dispatching the assassins as if they were chopping vegetables.
By the time Lu Yun regained her senses, her hands were already bound, and she stared in disbelief, her eyes wide open, unable to comprehend how she had become a prisoner in the blink of an eye.
The room fell into a deathly silence.
The leading Tiger Guard knelt on one knee, cupping his hands in respect, “I come on the Emperor’s orders to protect Cining Palace.”
The Empress Dowager instructed, “Take the children back inside to rest.”
Cai Ping and several elderly maids entered the passage, comforting the frightened little princes as they led them away.
The Empress Dowager supported Granny Qian as they walked steadily out of the passage. The sunlight outside was blinding, the flowers and grass in the courtyard lush and vibrant, yet the air was thick with the stench of blood.
The Empress Dowager squinted, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin. She asked the Tiger Guard, “What’s the situation in the palace?”
The Tiger Guard replied, “All the assassins have been captured.”
The Empress Dowager nodded, “Remove the bodies and wash away the blood. The children are small; they shouldn’t see such filth.”
The palace maids and eunuchs filed in, armed with cleaning tools, methodically clearing the blood from the ground. Granny Qian brought a bowl of calming soup, and the Empress Dowager leaned back in a soft chair, sipping it slowly.
In the inner chamber, Lu Yun knelt, drenched in blood.
She wasn’t entirely foolish; seeing the Empress Dowager so calm, she quickly understood. Lu Yun screamed, “You set a trap for me on purpose!”
What a clever move to catch a turtle in a jar!
The Empress Dowager pressed her temples, a hint of fatigue crossing her face, her voice steady, “I was once the mistress of the six palaces; what storms haven’t I weathered? Consort Qian’s death was due to her own foolishness.”
After a brief pause, the Empress Dowager’s mind drifted back to the vivid features of Consort Qian.
She felt a twinge of regret, “I actually quite liked Consort Qian’s character. Had she not died, we could have been close friends.”
What a pity.
Different allegiances meant they were destined to be enemies.
The Empress Dowager raised her hand lightly, and the Tiger Guards stepped into the inner chamber, gagging Lu Yun and dragging her away as she struggled wildly.
Cining Palace remained orderly, the flowers in the courtyard blooming vibrantly, as if nothing had happened.
...
Outside the city of Yanjing, a rushing river rocked a small boat violently.
Shen Wei clung tightly to the mast, watching the two emperors from rival nations brawl on the boat, utterly speechless.
Can you two stop fighting on the boat?!
If you keep this up, we’re going to capsize!
“So you knew all along I would attempt to assassinate the Empress Dowager,” Li Yuanli wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a twisted smile on his face. “What a cold and calculating person you are. Your children are in Cining Palace; aren’t you afraid I might kill them too?”
Li Yuanjing was a man of few words, thrusting his knife forward.
The prince of Daqing had trained in martial arts since childhood, and his skills were naturally impressive.
The small boat rocked again, causing Shen Wei to feel dizzy. Cold water splashed up, soaking her halfway. Her grip on the mast slipped, and like a fish thrown into the water, she plunged into the icy river.
Splash—
Water rushed into her nose.
The river water, flowing from the melting snow on the mountains, was bone-chillingly cold. As soon as Shen Wei hit the water, she nearly froze in shock.
Her body went numb, and she could hardly muster any strength.
Shen Wei wanted to curse these two troublemakers!
They were fighting, and she was the innocent one who got hurt. She kicked her legs desperately, trying to surface. But in the frigid water, her right leg began to cramp. Shen Wei opened her mouth, and the icy water rushed down her throat. Those few seconds of drowning felt like an eternity.
She could almost smell death.
After a lifetime of hard work, her beautiful retirement had yet to begin, and now she was to meet her end in this river?
...
On the boat.
As soon as Shen Wei fell into the water, the fierce struggle between Li Yuanjing and Li Yuanli came to an abrupt halt, both startled.
Li Yuanjing didn’t care about Li Yuanli anymore; he stepped onto the edge of the boat, ready to jump in to save her.
But Li Yuanli was faster.
With a loud splash, Li Yuanli dove into the icy river. Li Yuanjing froze for a moment, a complex and indescribable emotion surging within him.
His brother had always valued his own life.
Today, he actually risked it all to jump in and save Shen Wei.
When did Li Yuanli and Shen Wei become so close?
“What are you waiting for? Give me a hand!” Li Yuanli surfaced quickly, supporting the unconscious Shen Wei.
It was a protective posture; half of Li Yuanli’s face was submerged in the river, yet he struggled to keep Shen Wei afloat. One misstep, and he could be swept away by the current.
Li Yuanjing felt as if a thorn had pierced his heart.
He bent down and pulled the unconscious Shen Wei onto the boat.
Soaked to the bone, Shen Wei shivered uncontrollably. Li Yuanjing immediately took off his outer coat and draped it over her, gently patting her back to help her expel the river water from her lungs.
Li Yuanli struggled to climb back onto the boat, his right hand nearly numb, fresh blood oozing out and staining the deck red.
He lay on the boat, gasping for breath.
Li Yuanjing glanced at Li Yuanli’s bleeding hand and pulled out a bottle of wound medicine from his pocket, tossing it over. Li Yuanli caught it, suspiciously asking, “Is this poisoned?”
Li Yuanjing ignored him.
The two temporarily ceased hostilities.
The small boat reached the shore.
Li Yuanli haphazardly applied some of the medicine to his right hand, which had been cut by Shen Wei. The bleeding was temporarily stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Li Yuanjing carefully carrying Shen Wei off the boat.
Shen Wei was pale, her lips blue from the cold, looking fragile and helpless.
Li Yuanli wanted to check on her, but Li Yuanjing blocked him with his long arm, coldly saying, “If I hadn’t boarded the boat today, where would you take my woman?”
Li Yuanli smiled without answering.
The wind by the river was strong, and the sunlight was blinding.
Not far away, the sound of hooves approached. A mounted dark guard from Nanchu rushed over, urgently whispering something in Li Yuanli’s ear.
Li Yuanli’s pupils dilated in shock as he fixed his gaze on Li Yuanjing, grinding his teeth in mockery, “What a clever move to cut off the source of power; I underestimated you.”
Li Yuanli had thought his plan to secretly infiltrate Qingguo to assassinate the Empress Dowager was foolproof.
Little did he know, Li Yuanjing had been prepared all along.
While Li Yuanli was away from Nanchu, Li Yuanjing had activated his network of spies in Nanchu, inciting other royal family members to vie for power. With no elder tiger in the mountains, the monkeys were claiming kingship, and the Nanchu court was thrown into chaos once more, disrupting the fragile peace Li Yuanli had fought so hard to establish.
If Li Yuanli didn’t return to Nanchu in time to quell the unrest, the throne he had painstakingly obtained would be snatched away by others.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the yellow sparrow behind.
Li Yuanjing held the unconscious Shen Wei and coldly said, “Aren’t you leaving yet?”
Table of Contents
