Chapter 352: For the Nation, Willingly Trapped Within an Inch

A strange cold smile appeared on Bai Li's face: "This is the Imperial Palace, not the Ning family."

"You think that here you are still that lofty legitimate daughter of the Ning family, able to do as you please."

"If you can take the Emperor, then I cannot!"

Bai Li's mouth curled up, her voice cruel: "Sister, you're so clever; I suppose you can't fail to guess what I intend, right?"

"A tiny Answering is hardly worth staking my own body as a wager."

"Do you know clearly what I want?"

Hui Guifei clenched her rear molars: "You're dreaming!"

"Whether it's a dream, you'll know soon enough."

Bai Li stared at the gradually spreading hem of Hui Guifei's skirt: "Sister, don't say I don't feel sorry for you in this beautiful city."

"Look at you like that; indeed, my younger sister cannot bear to let you continue."

"Go summon the Emperor."

Bai Li laughed.

Capital street.

The sound of horse hooves grew increasingly urgent.

Wan Tang clutched Su Yanci's hand tightly, murmuring: "Quick, quick…"

【Hurry, little Hui Hui is already seeing red; Bai Li's blue pool is obviously buying time. If this continues, little Hui Hui will be in trouble.】

【I stress again, truly not fearing villains scheming, but fearing a fool's sudden insight. Whether it's Wan Tang or little Hui Hui, how should we still warn her? I keep saying, don't cause trouble, don't cause trouble.】

【That would make her seem capable.】

【What are you still running for? Wan Tang, hurry back. Compared to Ning Daying's life, the more important side is the Dog Emperor's; he's no fool.】

【Lord Qi has already, according to plan, inadvertently leaked the news of Wan Tang's assassination attempt to the Dog Emperor.】

Wan Tang was agitated and confused.

The palace gate was right before her.

"Ugh…"

A cry rang out, and Su Yanci suddenly tightened the reins, stopping.

Wan Tang looked at the tall red wall not far away, her tone urgent: "It's fine, getting a bit closer won't hurt."

Su Yanci's gaze was deep, fixed ahead.

Their arms were like iron shackles, not a hair's movement, and Wan Tang could not get off the horse at all.

A voice came from above, unusually heavy: "If you go any further, you'll return to the palace in good order; have you considered the consequences?"

"Naturally!" Wan Tang replied confidently.

Su Yanci said gravely: "The Emperor may be selfish, but he is also a ruler adept at scheming; do you know that we hundreds of thousands are pitted against him alone?"

"I know." Wan Tang's voice was muffled.

Su Yanci inhaled deeply: "Today, once you appear, all the people we placed beside the Emperor will be exposed."

"Within half an hour, the Emperor learns of your incident and immediately summons several Mo Family generals who betrayed the Mo Family into the palace. Do you not understand what they are plotting?"

Wan Tang's heart hammered like a drum: "Clear."

"Huh!" Su Yanci frowned, his face full of incomprehension: "Your heart is like a clear mirror; why so?"

"Duke of Ning has, per your order, handed over the Tiger Tally, stirring the grass and startling the snake; can the three Tiger Tallies be retrieved?"

"Even if you are prepared properly, can you contend with the entire Fengqi Kingdom?"

"Your campaign is famed; where, then, is your name?"

Su Yanci's tone was unusually severe.

Wan Tang's body trembled slightly: "The one who caused the trouble is Sister Hui!"

"So what?" Su Yanci said cruelly: "When a realm changes hands, it is a river of blood; sacrifice is inevitable."

"The tenderness of this moment will only…"

"Enough!" Wan Tang cut off Su Yanci, a bitter smile: "Su Yanci, it's my turn to ask you, isn't it?"

"Please speak!"

"We have done so much; for what purpose?" Wan Tang's gentle expression faded, leaving only a kingly aura.

Su Yanci answered without hesitation: "It is to support the New Emperor and usher in a flourishing age."

Wan Tang smiled.

"Thus, what fault have I committed?"

When the words fell, Wan Tang ceased explaining, coldly pushing away Su Yanci's hand.

She dismounted and walked solemnly forward.

"If it weren't for your grand cause, I would rather take you to storm the palace and save people…" Su Yanci's voice was far too weak.

In an instant it was drowned out by the city gate guards' voices.

Changchun Palace.

The scent of blood grew ever stronger.

Hui Guifei's veil does not permit a beard, yet similarly, when a woman gives birth, there are no special cases.

A cramp in the lower abdomen, the sword tip trembled, buzzing incessantly.

Bai Li, noticing her pain, deliberately intended to leave the person here.

Ouyang Qing's brows knit deeply, saying: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I am only going to summon the Emperor."

"Thank you." Hui Guifei's voice trembled.

At this moment, she finally understood that the pain of swords and spears striking her body was truly less than a tenth of this.

The footsteps rise again.

Hui Guifei's gaze has already blurred.

Bai Li's voice turned coquettish, seeing the newcomer, she wept in grievance: "Emperor, I am so scared, I wanted to call the Imperial Physician sister but she wouldn't, insisting on staying here?"

"What have I done wrong?"

"Sister treats me like this."

"Hui Guifei, what are you doing?" Chu Yunzheng, seeing this, was startled in his heart.

Hui Guifei trembled all over, slowly turned her head, and looked at Chu Yunzheng: "Emperor…"

Before she could speak, Bai Li began crying out: "Sister is already seeing red, does that mean that since I have no child, sister will use this method to force me to kneel before Ning Daying?"

"My child—then it isn't a child?"

She wept in accusation.

Clutching the Dragon Robe tightly: "Emperor, sister came in and seized Ning Daying; does that mean that whatever Ning Daying does in the future, as long as sister protects her, it will be all right?"

"Hehe…" Bai Li slowly lifted her head, her eyes laced with self‑mockery: "I should never have returned to the capital…"

Chu Yunzheng's complexion changed.

In a low voice he rebuked: "Hui Guifei, you have always been exceptionally wise; I have placed great trust in you."

"I know Ning Daying is a brainless thing. She is dead, so she won't cause you trouble later."

Seeing the red of Hui Guifei's skirt hem, Chu Yunzheng visibly grew nervous.

He actually let go of Bai Li, turned and supported Hui Guifei, his voice becoming even softer: "I will immediately summon the Imperial Physician."

"One must still know how to avoid the heavy and take the light."

"Give birth properly to our imperial son; as for today's matter, I can treat it as if it never happened."

Bai Li stood behind, her expression shocked.

In a low murmur: "Emperor, didn't you say the person you love most is me?"

No one answered her words.

Hui Guifei's face turned as white as paper, she released the sword in her hand and grasped Chu Yunzheng's hand.

Her fingertips were icy, her voice full of pleading: "Emperor, A Ning is reckless but harbors no harmful intent. I beg you, spare her from punishment."

Chu Yunzheng's gaze flickered, and he hesitated.

A warning bell rang loudly in Bai Li's heart; unwillingness and jealousy raged wildly, and she blurted out, "No."

"Emperor, the one who lost a child is me, and also you."

"If Ning Daying is pardoned, then I, along with my pitiful child, will go to the Underworld to reunite."

In front of Hui Guifei, Bai Li never had confidence.

She could only do so.

Threatening with death.

Never yielding.

Chu Yunzheng clenched Hui Guifei's hand tightly; it was too cold.

The blood on the skirt hem kept increasing; a female warrior who once fought bravely on the battlefield now trembled in pain.

Her breath weak: "Emperor, I have never asked you."

"When you were sixteen, Emperor, you ascended the throne."

"The Xiao Family was overbearing, pressing you to the point of breathlessness."

"It was you who personally came to the Ning Family, saying a Ning daughter was needed to balance the Empress…"

"Cough cough cough." Hui Guifei said, coughing violently, barely able to stay standing.

Chu Yunzheng wrapped his arms around Hui Guifei, a rare genuine emotion flashing in his eyes: "I remember everything."

"Emperor, do you still recall when you first met me, you asked why, though we are both children of the Ning family, we present two completely different faces?"

Chu Yunzheng nodded heavily.

Hui Guifei's tears rolled down: "I took off my battle armor and put on a long dress only because you said that on the battlefield there were Old Ning and Huang Feihu, while the Imperial harem was empty…"

"The Former Dynasty's harem was also a battlefield."

"You said: The Ning family is loyal to the sovereign for the nation; between you and me, it is for the stability of Fengqi Kingdom."

Chu Yunzheng nodded heavily.

Bai Li stood behind, dumbfounded.

She just now realized what the Ning family was doing when she abandoned Chu Yunzheng and threw herself into Yan Wang's arms.

Hui Guifei stared at Chu Yunzheng's face, tears hot: "The Ning family pushes hard against the Xiao family; I also keep a close eye on Xiao Mingshu, allowing the Emperor to favor Xu Luoyan, cultivating Xu Family power, forming a Three-way Stalemate."

"With the Xu Family rising, the throne is secure."

"The Imperial harem is bloodthirsty; only Ning's child, staying by my side, can make me feel that I am still alive…"

She did not know whether it was excessive abdominal pain or unbearable memories.

She suddenly grabbed Chu Yunzheng's hand: "If it were not for the Emperor, I should have been riding a horse, galloping across the battlefield…"

"I once roamed the skies, yet I willingly confine myself for you, for Fengqi Kingdom, within a tiny space."

She closed her eyes, a string of tears falling.

Her body gradually softened.

The scent of blood was overly strong.

The white skirt hem reddened at a visible speed, even tiny bright red drops fell to the ground.

"Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician…"

Chu Yunzheng panicked.

He lifted Consort Hui sideways, his voice trembling: "Don't sleep, I, the Emperor, exempt Ning Daying from guilt."

"In the end, it is I who owe you, it is I…"

"Emperor, no." Bai Li couldn't pull herself together.

She shouted angrily: "Where is our child?"

"He also…"

"Shut up!" Chu Yunzheng, for the first time, looked at Bai Li with such a cold gaze: "Bai Li, who endured those hardest days for you?"

"One must not forget one's roots!"