Chapter 202: Xuanyang, I Knew You Did It on Purpose

The Emperor’s true parentage had been exposed, rendering the Eldest Prince’s claim to the throne completely void, whether he lived or died.

A Prince without Imperial blood, even if his father was the Emperor, would ultimately lack legitimacy. Even if he were forced onto the throne, it would be impossible to silence the whispers of the entire world.

Seeing the situation turn against them, all the aristocratic families who had supported the Eldest Prince immediately began looking for an exit strategy. Their first move was to denounce the Empress Dowager, loudly proclaiming that they had been deceived.

The moment the truth about the child was brought to light, the Empress Dowager knew she was finished. The tide had turned, and there was no way to recover. That very night, she hanged herself with a white silk sash.

With the Empress Dowager dead, the Emperor, a man with false Imperial blood, could naturally no longer remain on the throne. Even in a coma, he had to be removed.

Thus, the Nanqi King and Prince Yanping led the civil and military officials as they stormed the palace, attacking the guards protecting the Emperor.

They reached a consensus: deal with the Emperor first, then settle the score between them.

"Xiao Jingyun is not of Imperial blood! He is unworthy of lying here."

"Purge the usurper and restore the might of the heavens!"

"Hand over the false Emperor! Surrender and you will be spared!"

Both sides shouted their slogans with gusto, but neither made the first move.

Clearly, they were both wary of each other, hoping to preserve their strength in the coming slaughter.

Just then, the Empress, dressed in plain robes, emerged carrying a box containing the Jade Seal. Before the eyes of all, she placed the box on a table. "I will take His Majesty and leave for the traveling palace. His Majesty does not have much time left. Even if he is not of Imperial blood, the fact that he was the Emperor for many years cannot be erased. For the sake of the brotherhood you once shared, I ask you two Princes to grant His Majesty a dignified end. The Jade Seal is here. Take it."

After speaking, she turned and went back inside. Rong Qing also led his men in, shutting the door firmly behind them.

The Emperor was going to die soon anyway, so killing him now was pointless. The question was whether they would insist on his death or go for the Jade Seal first.

The air fell strangely silent. All eyes were fixed on the Jade Seal. The power to rule the world was now within their grasp.

"Jingzhao, must we spill the blood of our own family? Your temperament is too extreme; you are not suited to rule the world. As the eldest brother, it is my duty to look after my younger siblings. If I become Emperor, I will never treat you unfairly."

The Nanqi King tried to persuade Xiao Jingzhao, but it was obvious that the temptation of the throne, now so close, was simply too great. Having come this far, who could resist fighting for it?

Even if Xiao Jingzhao were foolish enough to agree, his supporters never would.

He gave a cold, grim sneer. "Eldest Brother, you’re as hypocritical as ever. If you truly don’t want to cross swords with me, then you should be the one to back down. When I become Emperor, I’ll be sure to remember your graciousness."

The two men stared at each other, sparks flying in the air between them. Clearly, neither could persuade the other.

In the end, no one knew which side moved first. The two factions fell upon each other in a brutal melee, while the Nanqi King and Prince Yanping both lunged for the Jade Seal.

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"

"KILL!"

Swords clashed and battle cries shook the heavens. Splattering blood was a blinding crimson. Bodies fell one after another, and in moments, streams of blood flowed down the steps like rivulets.

"SQUELCH!"

Xiao Jingzhao plunged his sword into the Nanqi King’s abdomen, simultaneously snatching the box the king had taken.

The Nanqi King gripped his hand tightly, collapsing to his knees in agony. Suddenly, a figure flashed past and snatched the box containing the Jade Seal.

When Xiao Jingzhao saw that it was Lu Ling, he breathed a sigh of relief. But upon seeing the Jade Seal in Lu Ling’s hands, his heart leaped into his throat. "Lu Ling, give me the Jade Seal. This is no time for games."

"Games?" Lu Ling let out a mocking sneer. "Is Prince Yanping looking down on me with that tone?"

Before Xiao Jingzhao could process the meaning behind Lu Ling’s words, the Nanqi King’s men lunged at him. He fought back desperately, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Ling retreating with the Jade Seal. The sight distracted him for a crucial moment, and a blade struck his arm, making him cry out in pain.

The half-dead Nanqi King was pulled away. His guards began frantically pounding on the doors of the bedchamber, begging the Imperial Physician inside—the one attending to the Emperor—to come out and save him.

Xiao Jingzhao remembered a time the Nanqi King had protected him, so he held back from delivering the final blow. The Nanqi King’s men, however, did not stop; they continued to swarm him, trying to kill him.

"Stop! All of you, stop!"

Xiao Jingzhao was beaten back steadily, confused as to why these men were fighting even more fiercely now that the Nanqi King was on the verge of death.

Then, a blade was pressed against his neck.

He couldn’t see who held the blade to his throat, but he clearly saw the person who emerged from the crowd of officials opposite him.

"Xiao Jingyu, what are you doing here?!"

He was utterly shocked. His gaze shifted to see Lu Ling standing not far from Xiao Jingyu, the Jade Seal now gone from his hands.

On another side, Lu Ye stood with Wang Changwen and Imperial Tutor Feng, holding the box with the Jade Seal.

Just as Xiao Jingzhao looked over, they all knelt in unison before Xiao Jingyu. "Your subjects greet Your Majesty!"

’I must be hallucinating from blood loss,’ Xiao Jingzhao thought. ’It was supposed to be me and Eldest Brother fighting for the throne. The Jade Seal was practically in my hands. How did Xiao Jingyu become the Emperor?’

’Weren’t Lu Ling and Lu Ye supporting me?’

’Didn’t we agree that once I became Emperor, I would pardon the Lu family and recall their exiled members?’

’Why are they standing with Xiao Jingyu?’

"Why? How dare you betray me!"

Xiao Jingzhao’s composure shattered in an instant, replaced by shock, fury, and disbelief.

He roared, "Lu Ling, why are you helping him? How could your Lu family betray me?"

On the other side, everyone was waiting for Xiao Jingyu to bid them rise. No one paid Xiao Jingzhao any mind. Suddenly, a clear, cool laugh rang out. "Because, you idiot, they were supporting Xiao Jingyu from the very beginning. You were played for a fool and didn’t even know it."

All eyes instantly turned to the source of the voice. A woman in a red dress, flanked by majestic Silver Armor Guards, was walking gracefully toward them.

The silver armor and the blood-red dress created a stark, flamboyant contrast.

"Princess Xuanyang!!"

The crowd was both surprised and not surprised. So, Princess Xuanyang had finally appeared.

Xiao Jingzhao gritted his teeth. "Xuanyang. I knew you did this on purpose."

He should have hated her, but seeing Xuanyang appear in this situation, he felt a sliver of secret delight.

Now that he’d been backstabbed by Xiao Jingyu, he was eager to see how Xiao Jingyu would handle the threat that was Xuanyang.

Lu Ling, who had been leaning lazily against a pillar, instantly straightened up, his eyes trembling. "Impossible... She was clearly scratched. How can she be fine?"

He was shocked that Xiao Li had appeared completely unscathed, yet at the same time, he was overcome with excitement at her arrival.

The red-clad Princess, surrounded by her Silver Armor Guards, exuded a heavy, oppressive aura just by her presence. She walked toward him step by step, her feet treading a path stained red with blood.

’That overbearing, domineering presence, that cold and stunning face, those merciless, glacial eyes that looked down upon the world... just looking at her made him want to pounce.’

’All the women in the world combined couldn’t match the charm of my Princess sister-in-law. She was one of a kind, utterly captivating.’

All the courtiers rose to their feet. One reckless fool actually questioned Xiao Li sharply, "Princess Xuanyang, if you were unharmed, why have you only appeared after so many days?"

Xiao Li didn’t even bother to glance at him. She didn’t waste her time talking to idiots.