Chapter 574: Can You Be the Empress?

"Pfft!"

In the dead of night, on a dim street, a young girl in fine robes was covered in wounds, blood spraying from her mouth incessantly.

Swish, swish, swish...

Behind her, several black shadows flickered, quickly piercing through the golden-armored figures that had been protecting her.

Clang...

"Pr... Princess... quick... quick, run..."

As the last guard was killed, the girl looked back, seeing the bloodstains all over the street, her eyes filled with extreme terror.

"Bang!"

While looking back, her feet tripped over a stone.

The girl went flying as she fell, her limbs slamming hard against the ground, skin scraped away, blood dripping everywhere.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Those pursuing figures did not say a single extra word, raising the sharp blades in their hands to stab down at her back, clearly intending to leave no survivors.

"Save... save me..."

The sound from the girl's cracked lips could not even be heard by herself, her eyes filled with terror and despair.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Just at this moment, several cold glints flashed before her eyes, piercing through those black shadows behind her in the nick of time.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Just like dumplings being dropped, those black shadows who were dealing the killing blows all fell, landing behind the girl.

Pfft!

Blood splattered onto her face, which held both terror and pleasant surprise, appearing somewhat tragically beautiful.

"Are... are you alright?"

A figure with water-blue long hair appeared before her eyes, and the girl's eyes slowly widened: "Are you... Tang San?"

The one who had saved her in time was none other than Tang San, who had appeared in the Imperial Palace once some time ago.

He looked carefully at the girl's face, his expression growing more and more surprised: "Are you... Xue Ke?"

Although her face was covered in blood and she was covered in wounds, Tang San still recognized his Yuexuan graduation partner.

"Waaah!"

Seeing Tang San was like seeing a pillar of support; Xue Ke, who had been hunted the entire way, had her emotions completely collapse, throwing herself into Tang San's arms and wailing loudly.

Tang San appeared somewhat at a loss, the warm, soft body in his arms, not knowing where to place his two hands.

"Tang San, who is it?"

There was a luxurious gate by the street with the two large characters "Tang Sect" written on it, and a figure shot out from within.

"Seventh Elder, she is Xue Ke, the Princess of the Heaven Dou Empire."

Tang San helped Xue Ke up and took out a potion to stop her bleeding.

"The Princess of the Heaven Dou Empire?"

The Seventh Elder knitted his brows, suddenly reaching out to lift the robe of one of the pursuers: "This mark, they didn't even intend to hide it; the Spirit Hall really is overbearing in its actions."

"Spi... rit... Hall..."

A hoarse voice came from Tang San's arms; he looked down and saw Xue Ke's eyes, half-filled with hatred and half with fear.

"Where do you live? I will send you back... uh... no!"

Tang San stopped halfway through his sentence, suddenly frowning, and said: "Since it is the Spirit Hall doing the killing, then if you go back, you will undoubtedly die."

"Save... save me, I beg you..."

Xue Ke's eyes, which had previously held hatred, were instantly filled with nothing but fear; she gripped the clothes on Tang San's chest tightly, begging incessantly: "I beg you... save me..."

Tang San's brows were locked tight; he also had quite a good impression of Xue Ke, but currently, Xue Ke was being hunted, and Qin Jian was the supporter behind Xue Qinghe; if things went wrong, it might have been Qin Jian who did this. If he saved Xue Ke, wouldn't that be going against Qin Jian?

Always favoring his own side over reason, he did not want to go against Qin Jian.

"Tang San, this Xue Ke being hunted is clearly related to the recent passing of Emperor Xueye. I suggest you protect her first and see what happens next..."

The Seventh Elder's eyes revealed a sharp spirit: "Whether it is Xue Qinghe, supported by the Spirit Hall, or Ning Rongrong, put forward by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, taking the throne, neither is of much benefit to us. On the contrary, this Princess Xue Ke might bring unexpected gains."

Seeing Tang San still hesitating, he could not help but increase the weight of his tone: "If you want to help your father get back his soul bone, and even want the Clear Sky Sect to apologize to him, then you need to obtain the sect's recognition, and currently, the sect's resurgence is the most important thing."

Upon hearing this, Tang San thought of his father, who had lost an arm and a leg, and could not help but grit his teeth and pick up Xue Ke: "From now on... you will live in the Tang Sect!"

"Xue Ke has gone missing after being hunted?"

At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the moment Ning Fengzhi and the other two returned, they received this news.

Ning Fengzhi's expression immediately became strange: "This should be the 'small gift' she spoke of, right?"

Excluding Xue Qinghe, Xue Ke was the only remaining royal successor. If she were also removed, then there would be no one left in the direct royal line to inherit the throne.

Even if collateral branches of the royal family still existed, Ning Rongrong, who had obtained the support of a large number of nobles, was clearly more suitable. Even if there were protests from the royal family, they would not receive much support in the Heaven Dou political scene, which had been infiltrated by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect until it was like a sieve.

From this moment on, it could be said that the Heaven Dou Empire had almost been brought into the pocket of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Rongrong, where is Jian'er?"

Ning Fengzhi found Ning Rongrong and asked.

"Brother Jian went to the Imperial Palace. Tomorrow is the coronation ceremony, and Xue Qinghe asked him to preside over the ceremony," Ning Rongrong said.

Ning Fengzhi frowned: "In that case, we cannot inform him in advance... That's fine, let him remain completely unaware."

He pondered for a moment and said: "Rongrong, come with me. Father has something very important to discuss with you..."

The Imperial Palace, Xue Qinghe's bedchamber.

"Qin Jian, you have come."

Xue Qinghe stood alone before the window, looking outside, her expression calm.

Qin Jian strode toward her: "Xue'er, the coronation is tomorrow, why do you not look happy?"

Xue Qinghe turned to look at him, her eyes revealing a hint of complexity: "After twenty years of disguise, it is finally about to succeed, but I do not feel that happy... Doing all of this, stirring up trouble all day, plotting with all my heart, is this really what I want to do?"

Qin Jian walked to her side: "If this is not what you want to do, then why have you been able to persist for a full twenty years?"

Xue Qinghe said: "Because I wanted to prove myself, I knew from such a young age that my mother did not like me, so I wanted to do what she required, hoping to gain her approval... But now..."

She lowered her eyes and said: "Now the Elder Hall and the Pope Palace are almost in opposition, and the Elder Hall I represent is no longer on the same side as her, so, is what I have done not contrary to my original intention?"

"Then what about you? Do you like doing these things?"

Qin Jian put his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace, holding her tight: "Not doing it for others, what do you like to do yourself?"

Xue Qinghe leaned obediently into his embrace and whispered: "Actually, I don't know either. Originally, I thought I also liked wielding power, but now..."

She looked up at Qin Jian: "Now I want to be with you even more, I want to have you all to myself..."

Qin Jian: "......"

Is it the bewilderment brought about by being immersed in love?

Or is it forgetting one's original heart because of love?

"Qin Jian..."

Xue Qinghe took a deep breath, cupped Qin Jian's cheeks with both hands, and said earnestly: "Can you belong only to me? After I am crowned, I will make you my Empress... The Spirit Hall will be the same; in the future, when I am the Pope, you will be the Empress Consort... There will be no one greater or lesser, we can share all of this..."

(End of this chapter)