Chapter 243: On the Verge

On the Verge

Although Zhongli could not be considered calm and collected, he was rarely this panicked. At this moment, upon hearing Zhongli's words, Nie Jinxuan's mind went blank for an instant. But she immediately regained her senses, then grabbed Yin Fengzhan's hand and said to Zhongli,

"Zhongli, go and scout the situation again immediately. Report back as soon as you have news!"

"Uh... yes!"

Responding swiftly, Zhongli then left quickly. It was only then that Yin Fengzhan, who had been standing motionless, suddenly snapped back to reality.

"I am going into the palace. You stay here and rest well!"

When he said this, there was not a ripple of emotion on Yin Fengzhan's face, and he did not even glance at Nie Jinxuan. Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan knew his intent, but she still could not help but grab him and say,

"No, I am going too!"

"What are you going for? Rest well!"

Yin Fengzhan was insistent. Once he finished speaking, he shook off Nie Jinxuan and walked outside again. But this time, Nie Jinxuan immediately grabbed him once more.

"Fengzhan, I know you are anxious! But you need to calm down right now. The Emperor suddenly passed away; there is definitely a problem here. If I go, I can at least find out how the Emperor actually died. Now is not the time to be stubborn, and don't say anything else! Wait for me!"

Things having reached this point, Nie Jinxuan did not want to bicker with Yin Fengzhan. After speaking, she turned around, took a set of clothes from the room to change into, and then walked directly to Yin Fengzhan's side.

"Let's go!"

At this moment, Nie Jinxuan also had a serious expression. Seeing her like this, Yin Fengzhan no longer insisted, and he immediately took Nie Jinxuan and headed straight for the Imperial Palace!

……

On the surface, Yin Fengzhan was as still as a statue, but his tightly pursed lips betrayed an indescribable anxiety. Along the way, the two did not say a single word, and after only a moment, they arrived at the palace gate. Yet just at this moment, as Yin Fengzhan was about to walk straight in, the guards at the gate suddenly blocked him.

"The Empress has ordered that no one is allowed to enter or leave the palace!"

The one speaking was a young guard. Upon hearing this, Yin Fengzhan's eyes flashed instantly, while Nie Jinxuan felt a sudden shock in her heart.

This is... have they locked down the palace?! Could it be that, right now, inside the palace...

For a moment, a terrible thought flashed through Nie Jinxuan's mind. And just as Nie Jinxuan was lost in thought, Yin Fengzhan's expression suddenly darkened. He flashed forward, and with lightning speed, he drew the sword from the guard's waist. Then, with a flash of blade light, a spray of blood passed before their eyes, and a fresh, living head rolled onto the ground nearby...

The guard's body was still standing. It didn't even make a sound!

In an instant, everyone present was stunned, standing there foolishly, unable to move! It was only after a long while that the guard's corpse fell to the ground with a 'thud', and the head not far from him stared quietly, looking ahead with dull eyes...

It was a silent terror that instantly permeated everyone's hearts. Seeing this, the surrounding guards took a step back. But just then, a man who appeared to be the guard commander stepped forward to Yin Fengzhan and held his sword horizontally in front of him.

"Prince Chen, what is the meaning of this?! We are ordered to guard the palace; does Prince Chen intend to force his way in?"

The guard commander was only in his early thirties, but his eyes revealed an indescribable viciousness. Seeing this, Yin Fengzhan did not say a word, immediately turning into a phantom again. In the blink of an eye, the guard commander met the same fate as the previous guard, his head and body separated!

In just an instant, two lives were lost. Two heads, two corpses. The blinding fresh red stained the bluestone road in front of the palace gate, and the pungent smell of blood sent an indescribable chill through everyone's hearts!

At this moment, Yin Fengzhan stood there quietly. He held the sword in his hand, blood dripping onto the ground drop by drop along the gleaming blade. There was not a trace of expression on his face, yet it made people feel the aura of death all the more.

Everyone was stunned. But amidst this fear, someone slightly furrowed their brows. Nie Jinxuan, standing behind Yin Fengzhan, keenly noticed this. Ignoring the blood covering the ground, she rushed to the front of Yin Fengzhan and took out the Imperial Token from her bosom.

"Brothers! Everyone here knows why Prince Chen has come to the palace today! The Emperor was in the prime of his life, yet he suddenly passed away. As the Emperor's son, what is wrong with Prince Chen coming to the palace upon receiving the tragic news?! The guard just said the Empress ordered the palace gates locked, but may I ask you brothers, you joined the army to serve the country—are you loyal to the Emperor, or to the Empress?!"

Standing before the city gate, Nie Jinxuan shouted loudly. Her clear voice allowed everyone to hear her distinctly! Upon hearing this, the guards present were indeed slightly startled, and they couldn't help but look at each other, though they remained silent.

Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan's eyes flashed, and she struck while the iron was hot.

"Furthermore, there is a crisis in the palace now, and the Emperor's cause of death is unknown, yet the Empress chose this moment to lock the palace gates. I, Anguo, dare not say too much, but you are all smart people—what exactly does the Empress want to do? Her intentions are self-evident! Could it be that you guards also want to aid the villain in his evil deeds?! Therefore, I, Anguo, only want to say one last thing: one must live with a clear conscience! In these troubled times, I ask you all to support Prince Chen in uncovering the truth behind the Emperor's death! We must not let those with ulterior motives succeed!"

……

Nie Jinxuan's words were righteous and stern. Invisibly, she had exposed the fact that Empress Duan was taking advantage of the situation to stage a coup! At this, the guards, who were already suspicious because of the Emperor's sudden passing, began to whisper to each other. After only a moment, a guard stepped forward and looked at Nie Jinxuan with a grave expression.

"The Princess of Anguo is right! In fact, we are naturally suspicious of the Emperor's sudden passing! Therefore, I am willing to support Prince Chen!"

As he spoke, the guard knelt on one knee. With the first one standing out, a second followed, and in the blink of an eye, all the guards originally guarding the city declared their support for Yin Fengzhan!

For a moment, at the palace gate still reeking of blood, one could see a crowd of guards kneeling before Yin Fengzhan. Seeing this, Yin Fengzhan, who had been silent, couldn't help but purse his lips, then turned his gaze to Nie Jinxuan.

"Thank you!"

Yin Fengzhan's voice was very soft and low, audible only to Nie Jinxuan. At this moment, these two simplest words already revealed the waves in Yin Fengzhan's heart. Afterward, Yin Fengzhan's expression tightened. He stepped forward to Nie Jinxuan's side and said loudly,

"Thank you all for your support, but I must ask for your help!"

After the initial anger, Yin Fengzhan had also calmed down. He quickly divided the guards guarding the gate into three groups. The first group remained to guard the gate, preventing any unauthorized persons from entering. The second group was to notify the members of the Imperial family, telling them all to enter the palace immediately! The third group would accompany him into the palace!

Yin Fengzhan's mind was indeed beyond that of ordinary people! Afterward, when Nie Jinxuan and Yin Fengzhan walked into the palace, they indeed saw that the palace was already locked down everywhere.

The guards who saw Yin Fengzhan forcing his way in with people became alert. But when they saw that these were the brothers guarding the city gate, they were startled. After they approached and Nie Jinxuan explained the reason, with the backing of the brothers from the city gate, everyone joined the ranks of those supporting Yin Fengzhan!

Subsequently, along the way, more and more guards supported Yin Fengzhan. Of course, among these people, some naturally opposed him. But for anyone who opposed him, Yin Fengzhan treated them all as spies of the Duan clan and executed them on the spot!

Just like that, Yin Fengzhan and Nie Jinxuan arrived directly at the sleeping quarters of Emperor Shuncheng. As soon as they entered the palace gate, they saw that the courtyard was already full of people.

Empress Duan, the Crown Prince Yin Fenghan whom they hadn't seen in months, Prince Yun Yin Fengjin, Consort Li... clearly, these were all Empress Duan's accomplices. Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan's eyes flashed slightly, and she turned to wave at the guards behind her.

"Take people to Yongxin Palace and invite the Noble Consort over!"

"Yes!"

The guard responded respectfully, then took a dozen guards and headed quietly toward Yongxin Palace. At this moment, hearing the commotion, Empress Duan and the others in the courtyard turned their heads. Seeing that it was Yin Fengzhan who had arrived, Empress Duan and the others were slightly startled.

But in the blink of an eye, Empress Duan recovered, and with a darkened expression, she ordered loudly,

"Prince Chen has forced his way into the palace! Someone, tie him up for me!"

Empress Duan's voice was cold. Hearing this, the guards originally guarding the courtyard immediately stepped forward and prepared to surround Yin Fengzhan. At this time, the guards who had come with Yin Fengzhan immediately formed a formation and became alert!

For a moment, a tense atmosphere spread through the courtyard. Seeing that the situation was bad, Yin Fengzhan's expression darkened and his eyes narrowed. But just then, Nie Jinxuan, who was standing beside him, pulled him and stepped forward, shouting,

"Stop!"

Nie Jinxuan's voice was not a bit inferior to Empress Duan's just now. Seeing Nie Jinxuan stand out, Empress Duan's face turned cold.

"Audacious Princess of Anguo, are you trying to rebel?"

"Rebel?! Empress, what do you mean by that?!"

"What do I mean?! You tell me what I mean! As a Princess of a different surname, do you have the qualifications to speak in front of me?! Someone, take the Princess of Anguo down first!"

Empress Duan had long hated Nie Jinxuan to the bone. After all, if it weren't for her, how could so many things she had arranged have failed at the last moment?! But upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan was neither surprised nor afraid, and she took out the Imperial Token from her bosom again.

"The Imperial Token is here. Who among you dares to touch this Princess?"

First update uploaded, there will be a second update later!