Chapter 215: Watch Me Kill Him With One Sword Strike

Virtuous Consort had already stood up. Hearing Nan Xueyin's voice, her expression was extremely troubled. "Miss Nan, I understand that you are thinking of the Crown Prince and wish to buy time for him. But after all, the Emperor has been unconscious for a long time and his imperial health has yet to recover. It really won't do to delay taking the medicine like this..."

Nan Xueyin frowned: "There is no need for you to be sarcastic. Even if you use the excuse of heating the medicine to send a message and let Xiao Mingyu retreat in time, he will inevitably leave traces behind if he rebels. No matter what, he cannot escape this charge."

Virtuous Consort's eyes turned red in an instant. "You were originally an assassin by Mingyu's side. By all accounts, he showed you kindness by taking you in. How is it that you are now turning around to frame him like this?"

She turned her head to look at Emperor Yongzheng, wanting to obtain the Emperor's agreement or approval, but she was surprised to discover that the Emperor did not show any look of pity for her, but instead fell into deep thought.

It was because Nan Xueyin's words were categorical and indeed reasonable, causing the Emperor to begin considering the truth of this matter.

Virtuous Consort frowned and raised her volume. "Mingyu would absolutely never rebel! I dare to swear to the heavens! Mingyu has no disloyal intentions toward the Emperor!"

Nan Xueyin had good hearing and keenly captured the sound of footsteps approaching from outside the hall.

Having stayed in the Eastern Palace for so long, she could roughly judge who it was based on the pace and weight of the footsteps.

Now, she felt that the person rushing in from outside the door should be Shu Yu.

Why did Shu Yu come?

If she remembered correctly, he had been sent to guard the Armory.

Shu Yu was not someone who would neglect his duty. There was only one possibility for him to rush to the palace: Xiao Mingyu had arrived and coerced Shu Yu into coming to find Nan Xueyin.

Her thoughts flashed by, and Nan Xueyin looked at Virtuous Consort, saying deliberately: "You speak nicely, but do you dare to swear? With your own life, with Xiao Mingyu's life?"

Nan Xueyin had heard when she was at the Duan Prince Mansion that Virtuous Consort believed in ghosts and gods. She kept many spirit tablets of gods and Buddhas in her palace, kept incense burning all year round, and would bow and kowtow several times during festivals.

Virtuous Consort always claimed to the outside world that she was in poor health and prayed to gods and Buddhas; one reason was to protect her own health, and the second was to pray for the Emperor's blessings.

In fact, Nan Xueyin felt that she had simply committed too many sins and hoped to ease her conscience by praying to gods and Buddhas.

In short, hearing Nan Xueyin's provocation, Virtuous Consort indeed paused.

"You don't dare? Then that means it's true?" Nan Xueyin raised an eyebrow.

Emperor Yongzheng also looked at Virtuous Consort thoughtfully.

Virtuous Consort was in a dilemma now and could only harden her heart and grit her teeth. "How could I not dare?"

She took a deep breath and said with a trembling voice: "Mingyu will never rebel! If Mingyu rebels, may our mother and son fall into the Eighteen Levels of Hell... and never be reincarnated!"

Nan Xueyin could not help but take an extra look at her.

When asked to swear, she didn't dare at first.

Once she really swore, she did it so ruthlessly.

However, after Emperor Yongzheng heard this, his expression softened. He took her wrist and said in a calm voice: "I know. I believe you, and I believe in Mingyu..."

"Crown Prince! Something has happened!"

Before Emperor Yongzheng could finish speaking, Shu Yu burst in.

From his perspective, he could not see Emperor Yongzheng awake on the bed. Worried that something had happened at the Armory, he was flustered and blurted out: "The Duan Prince has led men to kill their way to the Armory! He has taken Miss Nan's innocent younger siblings hostage, forcing us to hand over the weapons in the Armory, and is also forcing Miss Nan to go see him! He said that if Miss Nan does not go, he will kill Miss Nan's two siblings, and then occupy Fengdu! Seize the throne!"

Shu Yu did not control his volume, so his words echoed repeatedly throughout the entire hall.

Every living person in the hall heard it clearly.

Virtuous Consort's face turned ashen, her legs lost their strength, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Emperor Yongzheng had been holding her hand, but upon hearing these words, he let go of her at once, and his brows knitted deeply.

"Eh? Why are there so many dead people here? Your Highness..."

Shu Yu walked inside and finally saw Emperor Yongzheng on the bed. "The Emperor has awakened?!"

He was half a beat slow to kneel and pay his respects. "Long live the Emperor."

Emperor Yongzheng stared at him and asked: "The Duan Prince, has he rebelled?"

Shu Yu replied: "Yes, Your Majesty. The Duan Prince has rebelled. He brought his assassins and Hidden Guards to kill their way to the Armory, wanting to seize the weapons and Gunpowder inside."

Emperor Yongzheng was so angry that he began to cough violently.

Virtuous Consort went to rub his back, but was pushed away by Emperor Yongzheng. He looked at her as if looking at something disgusting, his tone sarcastic: "Who was it just now who said there were no disloyal intentions toward me, and that there would absolutely be no rebellion!"

Virtuous Consort said timidly: "This... is there some misunderstanding in this..."

"Misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding could there be," Shu Yu chimed in, "The Duan Prince is still waiting at the Armory right now! If the Emperor and the Consort don't believe it, go and take a look. He is quite imposing right now!"

Emperor Yongzheng gave a cold snort. "Did you hear that? This is the good son you raised! Daring to rebel... I should let you mother and son fall into the Eighteen Levels of Hell!"

Virtuous Consort could no longer say anything to defend herself. Finally, she went limp all over and collapsed onto the ground, her heart filled with: It's over, it's over, this time it is truly over.

Shu Yu looked at Virtuous Consort, looked at the Emperor, and then looked at Xiao Youlan and Nan Xueyin. "Then... how should this matter be handled now?"

"How else could it be handled," Nan Xueyin's voice was cold and sharp, "He wants me to go see him? Fine! I'll go see him! Watch me kill him with one sword strike!"

Xiao Youlan looked toward the Emperor on the bed, wearing a smile, and issued an invitation: "Father Emperor, Virtuous Consort, why don't we go take a look together? It should be very spectacular."