When the ritual began on the mountain and he saw Liu Wangfei don Daoist robes and sit cross-legged on a meditation cushion, Emperor Yongchang felt a pang in his chest. He closed his eyes, and when the ceremony ended and all the womenfolk bowed to Liu Wangfei, he became slightly dazed.
This moment… should have come long ago.
No—truthfully, back in the year he ascended the throne, Liu Wangfei should have rightfully enjoyed this honor.
But why had things between them come to this?
Of course he could see the distance and guardedness in Liu Wangfei’s eyes—along with a trace of resentment.
There was no going back.
Too much had happened lately. He suddenly felt very weary. And just then, a loud commotion came from outside.
Already in a foul mood, Emperor Yongchang grew even more irritable upon hearing noise during such a grand ritual. He snapped, “What’s going on?”
The womenfolk huddled together in alarm.
Only Liu Wangfei remained composed. She calmly patted the Eldest Princess’s hand and said, “This is already good enough. People ought to know contentment. You too—now that your husband and Jintang are back at your side, for their sake, you should also try to mend your relationship with His Majesty.”
The Eldest Princess gently murmured agreement.
Just then, Xia Gongong entered hastily and strode straight to Emperor Yongchang’s side. Leaning in, he lowered his voice and said, “Your Majesty, it’s remnants of that cult—they seem to have learned that you were presiding over the Daoist ritual for Immortal Master Miaojing today, and seized the opportunity to attempt an assassination!”
What?!
The cult referred to was the White Lotus Sect, a movement that had flourished since the previous dynasty.
They worshipped the “Unborn Venerable Mother” and “Maitreya Buddha,” spreading teachings about a future world transformed by Maitreya—deeply incendiary ideas. Just a few years back, they had already stirred up serious unrest among the people.
Emperor Yongchang had dealt with them back when he was still a regional prince and loathed them deeply.
Now these people dared to attempt regicide—on this day, during such a major event in the capital?
They were courting death.
But the more furious he became inside, the calmer Emperor Yongchang’s face appeared.
He asked coolly, “How many attackers? Where’s Pu Wuyong?! What about the Golden Guards and the Imperial Guard—are they all dead? How did they allow this disturbance?!”
As the Emperor, even a short trip outside the city was accompanied by an entourage of at least a thousand men.
Not to mention the elite vanguard guards like the Han generals.
And the Embroidered Uniform Guard led by Pu Wuyong—those were his sharpest, most trusted blades.
Xia Gongong’s face shifted uneasily, as if troubled by something: “Your Majesty… Lord Pu… he hasn’t been seen.”
Now Emperor Yongchang was truly shocked.
“What?!”
Of all men, emperors are the most suspicious.
The White Lotus Sect had always been a cancer that the state wished to eradicate. But they usually operated covertly in the countryside, spreading their teachings and expanding in secret.
A full-on assassination like this was unprecedented.
And yet, at this exact moment—his most relied-upon blade, Pu Wuyong, was nowhere to be found?
Emperor Yongchang’s face darkened instantly: “Go find him! I want to know exactly where he is. Also, summon Commander Lu Yifeng of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Commander Jin Dongen of the Golden Guards, and Commander Wu Yanzhen of the Imperial Guard to see me immediately!”
Xia Gongong promptly complied. Only when he stepped outside and was hit by the wind did he realize that his entire back was drenched in cold sweat. His inner garments clung tightly to his skin.
His heart pounded with shock.
What a terrifying woman, that Miss Qi!
She said she would drag Pu Wuyong down—and who would’ve thought the card in her hand… was the White Lotus Sect?!
She actually knew the cult’s stronghold in the capital!
And the defense layout too!
She actually dared—she actually dared to give them the defense map…
If this were discovered, how would it be any different from treason?!
Miss Qi has truly thrown herself into the game!
As the chief eunuch by Emperor Yongchang’s side, he had witnessed a few noble households get raided and exterminated before—thousands of people, back then at Caishikou, even the air reeked of blood.
He had thought nothing could shake him anymore.
But this time, Miss Qi had delivered the biggest shock of all.
And since everything here had already been arranged… then what about Pu Wuyong….
Pu Wuyong, however, was no longer on the mountain. He had long ago sent someone to closely monitor Qi Yuan’s every move. The moment Qi Yuan stirred, he was immediately alerted, and at once mounted his horse to follow her down the mountain.
Little Xuzi, visibly nervous, tried to dissuade him: “Gonggong, with Qingyan and the others there—even if there were ten Miss Qi’s, they’d all be dead by now. Why trouble yourself to go too?”
He really did believe that Qingyan and the rest were more than enough.
But still, he had a bad feeling. His heart had been pounding all day, like something terrible was about to happen.
Hopefully nothing actually would.
Pu Wuyong sneered coldly, completely ignoring Little Xuzi’s words.
No—there was no greater thrill than watching with his own eyes as Qi Yuan was turned into a living stake.
He had to witness her life become worse than death—her skull nailed with iron spikes, her body filled with mercury, and her being sealed alive in a coffin!
Otherwise, there was no way he could ever let this go.
He rode swiftly down the mountain, trailed by four trusted Embroidered Uniform Guard officers.
Qi Yuan rode fast, but as the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Pu Wuyong was no weakling either. His riding skills were exceptional.
Watching her gallop ahead, a cold, mocking smile crept over his face.
Of course he knew where she was going.
Because earlier, during the women’s bowing ceremony, he’d had someone deliver her a letter.
There was nothing written on it.
Only two handprints.
Child-sized. Bright red. Palm prints.
He knew Qi Yuan would race to her private estate to confirm that the child was safe.
That was exactly what he wanted.
But Qi Yuan wasn’t heading to the estate—she was riding straight into a graveyard.
From afar, he saw an archway appear up ahead. Pu Wuyong pulled on his reins and stopped his horse, eyes gleaming with sarcasm and satisfaction.
It was harvest time.
Thin steel wires had been tied across that archway.
At Qi Yuan’s speed, the moment she passed through, her head would fly.
It was a trick the Embroidered Uniform Guard often used when laying ambushes.
Using it on Qi Yuan… felt almost like a waste.
He had always said—he wanted to make her into a living stake.
But these men had gotten lazy.
And yet—just before Qi Yuan reached the archway, her horse was yanked to a hard stop. The front legs buckled, and she tumbled to the ground, rolling off cleanly.
Pu Wuyong spurred his horse forward two steps—only to see dozens of dark figures suddenly emerge around the archway, surging straight toward Qi Yuan.
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