Chapter 105: Blood splatters the great hall, killing to pierce the heart!

Le'an Marquis's forehead veins bulged; the two kids spoke too fast, and he had long indulged them severely, giving him no chance to react, so he raised his hand and slapped one of them, finally making the children shut up.

"Your Majesty!" the Le'an Marquis kowtowed like pounding garlic, "The children are too young to understand; they speak without restraint; I beg Your Majesty to forgive them!"

His grand plan had not yet been fulfilled; at this moment, even relying solely on his own strength he could not kill Xiao Qidi, so he had to first lower his stance to deal with the past, and only later could he think of another way.

Xiao Qidi looked at the Le'an Marquis kneeling at his feet, the chill in his eyes growing ever more piercing.

He had just, for the last trace of mother‑son feeling in his heart, repeatedly restrained himself, giving the Empress Dowager a chance to let these two children live.

But now he had endured enough.

"Lao An, Lao An..." Xiao Qidi's eyes brimmed with killing intent, "If you had appeared even a step later, I would already have left."

The Le'an Marquis trembled all over, "Your Majesty... your servant..."

Xiao Qidi held a bronze pendant sword in one hand and a wooden sword in the other, pointing respectively at the Empress Dowager and the Le'an Marquis, and suddenly shouted, "You raised such wicked‑natured sons, yet dare to dream of using them to replace me? Look— which of these two could amount to anything? Which is fit to be king? If you truly succeeded, would it not be a calamity for the realm and people of Daxuan?"

Those words pierced the paper‑thin facade, striking Lao An and Jiang Peihuan's hearts like a thunderbolt.

Jiang Peihuan's heart, which had been hanging in uncertainty, finally died.

As it turned out… Xiao Qidi not only already knew she had borne children with Lao An through illicit relations, but also knew their ambitions.

She collapsed like mud onto the ground, despairingly closing her eyes.

The Le'an Marquis stared blankly for a moment, then forced a foolish smile, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? I don't understand."

"Still pretending?" Xiao Qidi's gaze was like ten‑year‑old ice, "A few months ago you first sent Qi Zhan and others to secretly tail me, intending to seize an opportunity to take my life; now you've had Liu Chang escort me back to the Royal City, planning to ambush me en route— do you think I don't know?"

The Le'an Marquis broke out in a cold sweat, steeling himself to continue his excuse, "Your Majesty! I truly know nothing of this! I have always been loyal and devoted— how could I commit such great treason? Furthermore… I have told Your Majesty that these two children are my relatives' sons."

Xiao Qidi snorted repeatedly, "The Empress Dowager says they are orphans adopted here, while you claim they are your relatives' children. This is because you never imagined I would survive and suddenly appear before you, so you didn't even have time to coordinate your stories."

The Le'an Marquis was dumbstruck, his heart filled with extreme regret; he opened his mouth but could not speak.

Xiao Qidi threw the Le'an Marquis's bronze pendant sword to the ground.

With a clang, the Le'an Marquis shuddered all over.

"This sword must taste blood tonight; as for whose blood, I let you choose." Xiao Qidi looked down from above, every word filled with killing intent.

The Le'an Marquis braced his hands on the ground, lowered his head, and stared wide‑eyed at the sword before him.

On the blade, bright as a bronze mirror, was reflected his blood‑less face with veins bulging, and beads of cold sweat fell like rain onto the ground.

Without Xiao Qidi spelling it out, he also knew what that meant.

Either he would take his own life, or he would personally kill his two young sons.

This was the choice Xiao Qidi gave him.

How ruthless…

Truly ruthless!

The Le'an Marquis gritted his teeth and picked up the long sword.

At that moment, the thought of thrusting a sword at Xiao Qidi flashed through his mind.

But he knew full well that his own martial skill was no match for Xiao Qidi.

Moreover, since Xiao Qidi dared to push him to this point and even threw him the pendant sword, he must have been prepared.

He feared that even if he exerted all his strength and thrust, he wouldn't even graze the opponent's sleeve before being struck down, and in the end not only would his two sons die, but his own death would leave a stench for ten thousand years.

No…

Such an ending is absolutely unacceptable!

"Lao An… Lao An!" Jiang Peihuan cried out, "We have lost… but the children are innocent, they are still young, their lives have only just begun— I beg you, give them a way to live!"

Jiang Peihuan dared not ask Xiao Qidi, for she now understood that he had just given her a chance.

Just a little more, just a tiny bit, and the two children could have kept their lives!

Yet fate toyed with them.

Lao An appeared at the worst possible moment.

Moreover, Xiao Qidi had long known everything.

In this situation, begging Xiao Qidi to spare the children would only backfire.

She wished she could substitute her own life, but Xiao Qidi left the choice to Lao An.

So she could only place her hope in Lao An, hoping that as the children's father he could make a sacrifice…

This was the only way to preserve the children's lives.

Lao An's lips trembled as he rose unsteadily, gripping the long sword, "Your Majesty, regardless of who dies by this sword, the other will be able to live, right? Please guarantee this to your servant."

Xiao Qidi's face was expressionless, "A sovereign's word is no jest. I guarantee it."

"Very well… your servant thanks you, Your Majesty." Lao An slowly raised the long sword and closed his eyes.

Jiang Peihuan felt relief that the two children could be spared, yet anguish at the thought of Lao An's imminent suicide tore her apart.

Seeing Lao An lift his arm, she could not bear to watch her beloved die before her, so she turned away, covered her face with both hands, and dissolved into tears.

Swish—

A cold light flashed, and blood spattered.

Then with a clang, the long sword fell.

"Your Majesty, your servant has personally executed these two wicked offspring to show his remorse; I hope Your Majesty will not go back on your word and grant your servant leniency." Lao An's plea for mercy followed.

Jiang Peihuan felt as if struck by lightning, hurriedly turned her head, and saw the two children collapsed in a pool of blood, their throats sealed by a single sword.

The blood‑stained long sword was cast aside.

Lao An knelt before Xiao Qidi, begging.

Jiang Peihuan shrieked as she crawled toward the children's corpses, her wretched wails echoing in the hall, "Children… my children!"

She could scarcely believe that Lao An would make such a choice!

That too was his own flesh and blood!

Pfft— Jiang Peihuan flung herself onto the child's corpse, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Xiao Qidi merely gave Marquis Le'an a cold stare, his eyes dark as an abyss, making Marquis Le'an shiver all over, his heart pounding, not daring to utter another sound.

"Le'an." Xiao Qidi's voice revealed no emotion.

Le'an knelt on the ground, forehead pressed to the earth, "Your servant is here..."

Xiao Qidi said softly, "If you could choose to sacrifice yourself for your own flesh and blood, I would still respect you as a man, as a decent father, and after your death I would let bygones be bygones, giving you a splendid burial as Marquis Le'an—but alas… you are not worthy."

Le'an felt a numbness on his scalp, jerked his head up, "You… you tricked me?!"

"What did I trick you?" Xiao Qidi's eyes flashed with mockery.

Le'an sprang to his feet, roaring, "You tricked me into killing my own sons with my own hands! And yet you still want me dead!"

The mockery in Xiao Qidi's eyes grew even more intense.

Le'an's breathing grew ragged, his face full of panic, then he lowered his voice and pleaded, "Your Majesty… you said, a sovereign's word cannot be taken lightly, and you just gave me your guarantee."

Xiao Qidi's thin lips moved, "Yeah, I gave that guarantee. But now it's another matter—you killed two people in His Majesty's presence, and they were the Empress Dowager's own sons; this is a grave crime, unforgivable, deserving death."

"Killing to punish the heart, killing to punish the heart! Xiao Qidi, you… you, you are treacherous and vicious! You are shameless! I actually let you toy with me in the palm of your hand! I… I truly underestimated you!" Le'an instantly felt as if plunged into an abyss, clutching his chest tightly, he burst out cursing.

"If you commit suicide to atone, I can still leave you a whole corpse." Xiao Qidi said indifferently, not wanting to soil his own hands, "Furthermore, I will try to bury you together with those two bastard offspring, so you can be reunited with your sons."

Those words once again ruthlessly crushed Le'an's heart.

Le'an nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood; had he not been strong and healthy, he might have been angered to death.

At that moment, Jiang Peihuan, already numb from heartache, rose to her feet and suddenly threw all her strength into slamming her head against the main beam pillar in the hall.

Xiao Qidi's expression tightened, and without hesitation he rushed forward to block her.

Meanwhile, Le'an seized the opportunity, bolted, and burst out the rear door of the hall in one breath, heading straight for the rear courtyard.

Then, in a corner of the rear courtyard, he quickly took out a bow and several signal arrows.

He had kept them there as a precaution.

"Xiao Qidi… I won't lose like this!" Le'an's face twisted with ferocity as he nocked an arrow, drawing the bow and letting loose a series of whistling shots into the night sky.

The reason he gave up fleeing through the main hall doors was his unwillingness to accept defeat; in anger he resolved to fight to the bitter end.

The signal arrows' distinctive sharp sound echoed regularly through the high sky.

This was a signal prearranged by Marquis Le'an long ago.

After sending the signal, he lowered the longbow and continued sprinting elsewhere.

Shuncheng Palace is vast.

He knew every corner of the palace like the back of his hand, whereas Xiao Qidi had visited only a few times and was far less familiar with the terrain.

Relying on this advantage, he was fully confident he could hold out until his own men arrived.

By then he could not only save his life but also kill Xiao Qidi!

Inside the hall, Xiao Qidi timely intercepted the Empress Dowager as she tried to commit suicide.

The Empress Dowager's suicide attempt failed, and she fainted into his arms.

Gazing at his mother before him, her face deathly pale and eyes tightly shut, Xiao Qidi's inner turmoil was extreme.

He wished this woman would die.

But…

At the instant she was about to strike the pillar, his body moved of its own accord, lunging forward to shield that woman…

Xiao Qidi gritted his teeth, his eyes reddening, drew from his waist the special-issue dagger Ning Jinli had given him for self-defense, and pressed the blade's tip against Jiang Peihuan's heart.

But in the end, he still could not bring himself to strike.

With a turn of the blade, he cut off Jiang Peihuan's long hair, then rose and rushed out the rear door to search for Marquis Le'an.

At the same time, inside a large manor in Shuncheng…

The strategist whom Marquis Le'an had stationed here heard a subordinate report that signal arrows had been fired within Shuncheng Palace.

The strategist immediately had his subordinate describe the rhythm of the signal.

Different sounds signified different meanings; this amounted to a coded signal he had devised for Marquis Le'an.

After hearing the subordinate's description, the strategist was greatly shaken, "Are you sure this is the signal?"

The subordinate bowed, "Certain, not the slightest difference!"

Seeing the usually steady and composed strategist's face change, the subordinate nervously asked, "Is the Marquis in danger?"

"Not just danger!" the strategist exclaimed, unable to stay seated, rising from his chair, "This signal means Xiao Qidi is inside the palace and poses a mortal threat to the Marquis!"

The subordinate gasped, "How could that be! Liu Chang wasn't leading men to assassinate him? We have thirty death warriors—could it be… they failed again?"

The strategist's expression grew grave, "Now is not the time to dwell on that; the Marquis would certainly not send out a false signal."

"Then what should we do?"

"Immediately order our remaining one hundred death warriors to rush into Shuncheng Palace to protect the Marquis, and at the same time send people to summon all three thousand of the Marquis's retainers in the city, gather them here, and follow my arrangements!"

"Yes!"

The subordinate received the order and departed.

The strategist pondered for a moment, then entered the study alone.

After locking the doors and windows, he opened a mechanism in the bookshelf, took out a copper box hidden within the shelf's wall, and with both hands carefully placed it on the desk.

Then he found a key in another concealed spot, and only then opened the copper box.

Lifting the lid, inside lay a roll of pristine silk, faintly revealing intricate gold-thread patterns woven throughout, luxurious and noble, obviously not an ordinary folk item.

The strategist wiped his hands clean, then took out the silk scroll and spread it on the desk.

On the front upper side of the silk, three characters were woven in gold thread—"Daxuan Edict."

The lower portion was blank, bearing no written text, yet it had already been stamped with two seals: one the Empress Dowager's jade seal, the other the Xuanwang's jade seal.

The strategist sat before the desk, staring at this blank edict, lost in thought.

This item was obtained secretly with the Empress Dowager's help, following his suggestion, for the Marquis Le'an to keep on hand for emergencies.

He had considered that if all assassination attempts against Xiao Qidi failed, they would ultimately have to resort to open rebellion, at which point they could use this blank edict to forge an imperial decree and thereby mobilize the Daxuan troops for the Marquis's use.

Now the Marquis is at a critical juncture of life and death, and Xiao Qidi is inside Shun Palace.

This blank edict comes in handy; as long as we write appropriate content, we can draw the fifty thousand Daxuan troops stationed outside Shuncheng into the city.

But tonight's events happened suddenly; we must carefully decide what to write specifically on the blank edict and how to make good use of the fifty thousand Shuncheng troops, absolutely cannot afford any mistake.

——

Outside Shun Palace, Li Yao sat at an open-air tea stall, sipping tea while occasionally glancing toward the distant palace.

The sky had already darkened, but His Majesty had not yet appeared, and he really felt uneasy.

Just then, he keenly noticed that over a hundred people were hurrying along, using the night as cover, rushing toward the palace.

These people walked with strong, vigorous steps, were sturdy in build, and had daggers at their waists—clearly not ordinary folks.

Li Yao suddenly recalled that, on the way to Shuncheng with His Majesty, His Majesty had said that Marquis Le'an had long harbored rebellious intentions and was hiding over a hundred death warriors and three thousand martial arts guests in Shuncheng.

Now the numbers roughly match, and those over a hundred people are all heading for Shun Palace.

Li Yao immediately concluded that Marquis Le'an had launched his action, intending to assassinate the ruler inside the palace!

He casually tossed some broken silver onto the tea table, quickly rose, and prepared to rush to the palace to aid His Majesty.

But just as he mounted his horse and hadn't gone far, he stopped again, frowning and muttering to himself, "Even if I join forces with His Majesty, we can still handle a hundred death warriors. However, Marquis Le'an will surely also deploy those three thousand martial arts guests... Even if I risk my life, I fear I cannot help His Majesty escape alive—what... what should we do?"

Li Yao pondered calmly for a moment, then his eyes flashed with a bright idea: "Got it! The Shuncheng Great Army is stationed outside the city; if we can get the Shuncheng troops to move, we can rescue His Majesty!"

Although the commander of the Shuncheng Army does not know him, and he has no proof, this is the only way.

If that fails, he will resort to using force to coerce the Shuncheng Army commander into sending troops!

Li Yao made up his mind, without the slightest hesitation, pulled the reins to turn his horse, and was about to ride out of the city to seek help.

"Hey? General Li! Wait!" a shout suddenly rang out.

Li Yao froze.

Huh?

How could it seem like I heard the voice of Jinli Fairy?

Am I hallucinating?