Chapter 140
After steadying himself, Yuwen Mingji looked up at the person who had stopped him, his eyes instantly filled with disbelief. “Yuwen Min?”
Yuwen Min stood in front of the emperor like a shield holding up the sky itself.
The emperor’s eyes brightened with delight, and he asked, “Min’er, you’re still alive?”
Yuwen Min’s voice was calm and devoid of emotion as he said, “Your son arrived late to rescue Your Majesty. Please forgive me, Father.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the emperor straightened his spine.
He let out a soft laugh, “Min’er has arrived just in time. Yuwen Mingji has rebelled and tried to seize the throne. All those involved must be executed!”
A flicker of fear passed through Yuwen Mingji’s eyes, but he quickly retorted, “Yuwen Min, do you really think you alone can turn the tide? I have over ten thousand elite troops both inside and outside the palace. Even if you sprouted wings, you’d hardly escape, right?”
Yuwen Min, holding his heavy sword, took several steps down the stairs and said, “Thanks for the warning, Imperial Uncle. A few thousand elite troops under my command are still enough to handle.”
Yuwen Mingji’s eyes widened in surprise. “Impossible! Didn’t your personal guard accompany you on the Western campaign? My scouts have been tracking your army—none returned!”
Yuwen Min said, “Imperial Uncle, you misunderstand. My personal guard never left the capital.”
Understanding dawned on Yuwen Mingji’s face. “I see. So you secretly set ambushes around the capital in advance and sent false news back, claiming you and Lu Xuzhi were dead—all to lure me into rebellion?”
Yuwen Min let out a soft hum. “Whether Imperial Uncle rebels or not, how could I know? If you had no intention of rebelling, all the troops I set up would have been useless anyway.”
Yuwen Mingji, furious, laughed bitterly and demanded, “Then why did you do this? I treated you well, and this is your thanks?”
“Treated me well?” The expression on Yuwen Min’s face looked as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke. He said, “What you call ‘treated me well,’ Little Imperial Uncle, was having me frame Imperial Brother and intend for him to die in prison. Or hosting a Hongmen banquet in the Western borderlands, trying to kill me and General Lu with witchcraft?”
Yuwen Mingji frowned, asking, “Witchcraft?”
Yuwen Min asked in surprise, “Little Imperial Uncle doesn’t know? Oh, perhaps someone did this behind your back. Someone wanted to use you to eliminate us dissidents.”
A look of horror crossed Yuwen Mingji’s face. “The Crown Prince?”
Yuwen Min said, “Not exactly the Crown Prince, but it’s closely related to him nonetheless.”
Yuwen Mingji finally began recalling some of the small details of the past, reflecting on why he had so hastily launched the struggle for the throne before fully planning.
His shift in thinking had started the night he spent with Su Wan’ning.
But why had he engaged in that indiscretion with Su Wan’ning in the open fields that night?
He prided himself on being a man of charm, but not a vile one.
He had loved Su Wan’ning deeply, but once she married into the Crown Prince’s residence, a faint resentment had grown in Yuwen Mingji’s heart.
At first, he could convince himself that he was only treating her as a junior, but later, he could no longer talk himself down.
He desired the throne, yet he was a man of extreme caution.
Had Su Wan’ning used him to advance the Crown Prince’s interests, eliminating rivals?
For the Crown Prince, could she even sacrifice her own body?
He did not believe that such a delicate woman could possess such capability.
Outside the courtyard, the sounds of battle erupted. Inside the hall, Chief Physician Lin had begun treating the emperor.
Yuwen Mingji glanced outside, frowned, and closed his eyes. Was the situation truly lost?
Lu Xuzhi had led several thousand elite troops, along with five hundred archers, already into the front courtyard.
Seeing how events had unfolded, Yuwen Mingji finally understood.
At this moment, he fought while retreating, moving to the most remote western edge of the palace.
There were no palace buildings there, only a drill ground.
Yuwen Min and Lu Xuzhi had already surrounded him completely, with the heavy sword at Yuwen Min’s side. He stared coldly at Yuwen Mingji.
In the previous life, he had personally killed Yuwen Mingji to avenge his mother. In this life, he killed Yuwen Mingji only to protect the people he cared most about.
Yuwen Mingji was left with only a few dozen men, all heavily wounded to varying degrees.
He looked at Yuwen Min and asked, “Do you think you’ve won?”
Yuwen Min said, “There is no permanent victory or defeat. Killing you is only to avenge my Imperial Brother being wrongfully imprisoned.”
When he returned from the northern border, by the time he reached Yuwen Jue, Yuwen Jue had been burning for two days and nights.
If not for Lu Hanzhi’s miraculous skills, he would not have known if Imperial Brother could survive.
Yuwen Mingji asked, “How did you find out?”
Yuwen Min said, “For this matter, you might as well ask the King of Hell.”
With that, he thrust the heavy sword in his hand directly at Yuwen Mingji.
Yuwen Mingji dodged, but from his waist, he drew a firecracker, pulled the fuse, and sent it shooting into the sky, exploding with a thunderous blast.
The night was already deep, yet the explosion illuminated the heavens above.
Under this light, Yuwen Mingji’s face looked like that of a war demon.
He grinned at Yuwen Min and laughed wildly. “Yuwen Min, you’ve still lost! Why didn’t you ask me why I haven’t seen Yuwen Jing?”
Yuwen Min furrowed his brow, and Yuwen Mingji continued, “Because I made a deal with Yuwen Jing: if I succeeded in seizing the throne, I would make sure no loose ends were left. Using fireworks as a signal, I had the families of the two Prince Chu and Prince An killed.”
Before Yuwen Mingji could finish speaking, Lu Xuzhi spun around and dashed wildly toward the palace gates.
But Yuwen Mingji shouted after his retreating figure, “It’s too late! Do you think you can outrun swords? Yuwen Jing couldn’t kill you, Yuwen Min. How could he kill two helpless Xiao Langjuns, or two infants who haven’t even grown teeth yet?”
Though the coup had failed, sending a few collateral victims to hell was still satisfying.
Yuwen Min did not waste another moment. With a single sword stroke, he ended Yuwen Mingji’s life, vaulted onto his horse, and galloped toward Prince An’s residence on West Street.
Once he left the palace, smoke billowed from the direction of West Street. The two princes’ residences were probably on fire!
Yuwen Min’s heart raced like never before.
If his oversight led to the deaths of the pregnant Hanzhi and Ah Chan, he knew he would never forgive himself.
His horse thundered down Xuanwu Avenue. He cursed that he didn’t have legs that could cover a thousand miles, wishing he could instantly appear by their side.
But the palace was far from Prince An’s residence. No matter how anxious he was, he could only advance step by step.
At Prince An’s residence, Yuwen Jing, having received the signal, had already begun breaking down the gates.
Of course, Lu Hanzhi was no pushover.
His flaming oil racks were positioned atop the courtyard walls. Any soldier attempting to climb over was instantly roasted to a crisp.
Shadow Guard No. 1 stood beside Lu Hanzhi, his duty being the protection of Lu Hanzhi.
Notably, Zhangsun Mei had voluntarily joined the fight.
Lu Hanzhi couldn’t comprehend his witchcraft, but the nets he wove were so powerful that anything trapped within them could not burn.
So, no matter how fierce the fire raged outside, the residence remained a pocket of calm.
It was just that the smell of kerosene was strong, making everyone cough incessantly.
Yuwen Jing persisted, hammering at the gates.
He remembered that Yuwen Jing had said if Yuwen Mingji succeeded in the coup, a signal would be sent. Once the signal appeared, he would rush in to kill.
He was already attempting to break in—did this mean Yuwen Mingji had succeeded?
Lu Hanzhi had no certainty. Though he trusted Yuwen Min completely, what if he was wrong?
Yuwen Jing had brought several thousand soldiers to besiege Prince An’s residence, aiming to completely cut off the escape of Prince An and Prince Chu.
Soldiers were already climbing the surrounding walls. Shadow Guard No. 1 dispatched them effortlessly, but the climbers kept coming like ants, one after another.
All maids and servants who couldn’t fight were hidden in the central courtyard by Lu Hanzhi’s orders. Only the personal guards and attendants engaged the intruders in battle.
Lu Hanzhi was not worried. After all, he wore armor and had armored the children as well.
But armor had its limits. He could not risk the children’s lives recklessly.
Just as Lu Hanzhi fretted, the front gate crashed open with a clang.
The door fell to the ground. Soldiers climbing the walls paused, temporarily halting their advance.
Those fighting inside also stopped, no longer rushing to their deaths.
Everyone regrouped behind their masters. The guards of Prince An and Prince Chu converged around Lu Hanzhi.
Shadow Guard No. 1, clad in black, stood like a war demon.
Yuwen Jing entered with hundreds of soldiers, encircling them all.
Lu Hanzhi stood in the courtyard, framed by the spring blossoms, radiating a tragic beauty that drew all eyes.
Yuwen Jing’s crescent sword had yet to stain with blood. He looked at Lu Hanzhi and said, “I’m sorry. We had no quarrel, but I have no choice. Since I’ve joined Yuwen Mingji’s side, I will fight for him to the end!”
He advanced, ready to strike at Lu Hanzhi.
Shadow Guard No. 1 blocked him and said, “Oh? You think you can defeat me?”
Yuwen Jing said, “No rush. Let’s wait and see.”
Hundreds of soldiers began ransacking the residence, turning over everything. It was obvious what they were searching for.
A group of maids and servants stood in the courtyard under the escort of a squad of soldiers. Yuwen Jing twirled his crescent sword and asked, “Who knows where the children of Prince An and Prince Chu have hidden?”
All the maids and servants remained silent. Not one spoke.
Yuwen Jing said, “Not speaking? Fine. Then I will search. If I find them, each of you will die.” He gestured to his soldiers, who then spread out to search.
Lu Hanzhi suddenly called, “Yuwen Jing.”
Yuwen Jing looked up at him and said, “I know Master Lu has always been eloquent. Don’t bother speaking. I have no time to chat.”
Lu Hanzhi smiled. “It’s not chatting. It’s a duel with Your Highness.”
Yuwen Jing thought he misheard. He tilted his head and laughed, “You must be joking. You’re just a Xiao Langjun—how could you possibly duel me?”
Lu Hanzhi asked, “Then just tell me—do you dare or not?”
Just as Yuwen Jing opened his mouth, a soldier reported, “Your Highness! The secret passage entrance has been found!”
Lu Hanzhi’s heart jumped. Yuwen Jing was about to step away when Lu Hanzhi added, “What’s the matter? Are you afraid of losing to a mere Xiao Langjun like me?”
Yuwen Jing stopped in his tracks again and said, “Hah, I thought the rumors in the streets about Young Master Lu being a genius were true. I never expected him to be a fool.”
He turned around and said, “Fine, I’ll deal with you first, then go finish off the little ones.”
Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
Support Ciacia’s translation temple on Kofi—and if the cliffhanger demons are haunting you, join the Han’er Tier to purge them with advanced chapter access (up to 5!) before the masses even blink.
