The warm blood flowed onto his hand, like a snake, slowly wriggling.
Xueya’s lips twitched, and his eyes slowly opened. When he saw the dagger in He Xulan’s chest, he suddenly let go, his fox-like eyes filled with terror.
He opened his mouth to say something, but not a word came out. All he could see was the blood and the knife in He Xulan’s chest.
He… had killed He Xulan!
Lei Dongmiao, seeing that He Xulan was really stabbed, became visibly excited. His breathing grew heavy as he fixed his gaze on He Xulan’s wound, a smile curling on his lips, and his grip on the throwing knife unconsciously shifted away from Xueya’s neck.
And then, in an instant, everything changed.
The once frail-looking He Xulan’s eyes suddenly sharpened. His hand broke free from his belt, yanked Xueya aside, and kicked Lei Dongmiao in the neck with immense force. Lei Dongmiao collapsed to the ground, twitched once, and laid still.
After delivering that kick, He Xulan was out of strength, stumbling and dropping to one knee. Huang Gonggong was the first to rush forward, supporting He Xulan and saying in a trembling voice, “Your Majesty, I will immediately summon the imperial physician.”
“Uncle Huang.” It was the first time He Xulan addressed Huang Gonggong as Uncle. He said only “Uncle Huang,” and nothing more. Huang Gonggong, filled with grief, nodded continuously. “I understand.”
He Xulan closed his eyes for a moment. His lips had already turned pale, and blood continuously seeped from between the fingers covering his wound, quickly soaking his clothing.
He looked up at Xueya, who stood frozen beside him, staring blankly.
Xueya’s face was ghostly white, his neck and hands covered in blood, and his right hand still holding the dagger.
He Xulan blinked wearily, then slowly closed his eyes.
The imperial guards divided into three groups: one to fetch the physician, another to check on Lei Dongmiao, and the last to restrain Xueya, forcing him to kneel.
When Huang Gonggong saw the guards seize Xueya, he shouted angrily, “Can’t you see he was forced to stab the empress? Why are you arresting him? If you’re going to arrest someone, it should be General Lei’s son, who lies dead on the ground!”
The guards were shocked at these words. They had no idea that General Lei even had a son. The two guards checking Lei Dongmiao’s condition looked even more disturbed. “Dead… he’s dead.”
It was hard to believe that He Xulan’s single kick could kill a man. Even in peak condition, they themselves couldn’t be sure they could break a neck with one kick. And He Xulan was a former civil servant, having spent years in the imperial palace as the emperor’s consort. He should have been frail, so how could he have such strength?
At that moment, more people rushed into Ningfu Palace.
At the front was Liang Mu.
Liang Mu had been patrolling when he saw several imperial guards hurrying toward the imperial hospital. Upon learning something had happened at Ningfu Palace, he immediately rushed over.
“Commander Liang!” The imperial guards, upon seeing Liang Mu, turned their pleading gazes toward him, as if they had found their anchor.
Liang Mu strode over to He Xulan. “Is there any clean cloth and scissors?”
Huang Gonggong handed He Xulan to Liang Mu and ran into the study, returning quickly with scissors and fabric—scissors for trimming paper and fabric torn from a newly changed bed cover.
Liang Mu immediately began treating He Xulan’s wound. Though not as skilled as the physicians, his basic knowledge of wound care helped slow the bleeding.
Not long after, three physicians from the imperial hospital were carried over by the imperial guards. As soon as they arrived, they rushed to He Xulan’s side. The most senior among them examined the wound carefully before instructing the guards to carry He Xulan inside for further treatment.
Huang Gonggong followed them in, then hurried back out. Xueya was still kneeling, staring blankly at the bloodstains on the ground, until Huang Gonggong grabbed his hand suddenly.
“Xueya, we need to treat your neck wound. Come with Uncle Huang.”
Xueya tried to pull his hand away at these words, shaking his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
Huang Gonggong held Xueya’s arm tightly. “The empress dowager will be fine. I promised the empress dowager to take care of you, and I cannot fail in that duty.”
He spoke while forcefully pulling Xueya into the study. The three physicians were still busy tending to He Xulan’s wound, so Huang Gonggong called over Liang Mu. “Commander Liang, please help treat Xueya’s wound as well.” His voice lowered. “And do not say Xueya stabbed the empress.”
Liang Mu immediately understood. He glanced at Xueya and said solemnly, “I’ll tell everyone it was the intruder who stormed Ningfu Palace.”
***
At Jiangyun Hall.
A maid rushed in, startling Empress Lei, who had been trimming flowers. Before she could speak, the maid fell to her knees and said, “My lady, the young master… the young master is dead.”
“What?!” The scissors in Empress Lei’s hand clattered onto the table.
“I heard from a guard I know. He said the young master went to Ningfu Palace to assassinate the empress dowager and was killed.” The maid sobbed.
Hearing this, Empress Lei almost collapsed, but her head maid, once her personal servant, caught her. “My lady!”
Tears welled in Empress Lei’s eyes. “I don’t believe it. I need to see my brother!”
She tried to run out, but her maid held her tightly. “My lady, you can’t go! You must leave the palace now! The young master is dead, and your father will…” She didn’t finish the sentence, but her meaning was clear. “My lady, while the palace isn’t yet surrounded, change into my clothes and leave quickly!”
Hearing this, Empress Lei’s tears flowed even more, but she wiped them away, her expression hardening. “You’re right. I need to leave. Father will avenge my brother. I cannot stay here and become a hostage. My brother’s death will be repaid tenfold!”
***
At the stables.
Cui Lingjing, upset after a quarrel with He Xulan, had gone to the stables to ride. The stables were far from Ningfu Palace, so by the time he received the news, it had already reached Empress Lei.
Upon hearing that He Xulan had been attacked, Cui Lingjing immediately dismounted and ran toward Ningfu Palace. Halfway there, he stopped and turned to the guards behind him, shouting, “There may be more intruders! Surround Jiangyun Hall at once, protect the empress, and don’t let her leave! Lock the palace gates; no one is to enter or leave except for Prime Minister Yin. Summon him at once!”
Cui Lingjing had imprisoned Lei Dongmiao as leverage against General Lei. When the former emperor went to recover in the south, leaving the crown prince to govern as regent, General Lei had used his military achievements to wield undue power.
The empress, General Lei’s daughter, had often injured people while riding through the capital. According to the laws of the Li Dynasty, anyone causing injury through reckless riding would be punished with flogging. But she never even had to appear in court, let alone face punishment.
Worse still, the soldiers under General Lei’s command answered only to him, not to the emperor.
No emperor could tolerate such insubordination, and Cui Lingjing was no exception. He resented the forced marriage to Lei’s daughter, despising the thought that the future crown prince would be of Lei’s lineage. He avoided Jiangyun Hall, unwilling to divorce the empress, but also unwilling to father her children.
One day, he discovered the existence of Lei Dongmiao.
Outraged by the Lei family’s deception, he had planned to depose Lei Dongmiao and return him to the Lei estate. However, Yi Yefeng had cautioned him, “If General Lei discovers his son’s disgrace, he will be furious.”
“Furious? I haven’t yet punished their entire family!” Cui Lingjing fumed.
Yi Yefeng remained stoic. “Your Majesty, it might be wiser to imprison General Lei’s son temporarily. When the general personally comes to atone, you can decide whether to release him.”
This suggestion struck Cui Lingjing as brilliant.
For a long time, he had struggled to find a way to deal with General Lei. Now that the general had handed him leverage, how could he give it back? The empress, as his queen, was untouchable without inciting public outcry, but her brother was a different matter. No one knew that General Lei had a son.
With Lei Dongmiao in custody, General Lei had no choice but to behave, greeting Cui Lingjing with deference.
But Cui Lingjing wanted more. He desired General Lei’s military power, yet the old man evaded every attempt to force his hand. Thus, Lei Dongmiao remained imprisoned, though Cui Lingjing had never intended to have him killed.
Lei Dongmiao’s death meant Cui Lingjing had lost his leverage, and General Lei might retaliate in a deadly way.
Now, with Lei Dongmiao dead, Cui Lingjing gazed up at the sky. The last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the clouds, and the earth was swallowed by darkness.
***
After Xueya’s wound was treated, Huang Gonggong took him to the room where he had originally stayed when he first entered Ningfu Palace. The palace was now in complete disarray, and Huang Gonggong had many matters to attend to. He couldn’t afford to spend much time on Xueya, so he simply told him, “Xueya, listen to Uncle Huang. Stay here and don’t go out. If someone knocks, don’t answer. Wait until I’ve taken care of things outside.”
As Huang Gonggong was about to leave, Xueya suddenly reached out and grabbed him.
Sitting on the bed with white bandages wrapped around his neck, Xueya’s usually lively face now looked lost and vacant, like a beautiful porcelain doll without life.
“Huang Gonggong, will he die?” he asked softly.
