Chapter 124: Then I Shall Take It Myself!

Late at night, five masked men in black quietly left through the back gate of the Second Prince's Residence, darting swiftly between streets and over rooftops.

In the end, the five slipped silently into the Fifth Prince's Residence.

After carefully dodging wave after wave of patrolling guards in the residence, the five men in black arrived outside Shang Xiaomin's room.

Hearing the long, steady breathing inside the room and confirming the other party was asleep, they first pried open the door with a dagger, then the five quickly flashed inside.

The sleeping man, however, sensed something was wrong at that moment, leapt abruptly off the bed, drew out the dagger hidden beneath his pillow, and shouted at the same time.

"Guards!"

Almost at the same instant, a person dropped down from the roof beam.

It was Qingzhu.

"Who are you people?!"

What answered him, however, were the blades and swords thrust at him by the five assassins.

Hearing the cry for help, the residence's guards were already rushing over.

Hearing the noisy footsteps, one of the five said in a low voice.

"Finish this fast!"

It was two against five after all; before long, two soft thuds were heard.

Qingzhu let out a muffled groan first, clutching his wound, gripping his sword and bracing himself on the ground.

Beside him came the sound of a heavy body hitting the floor.

At this moment, the residence's guards arrived belatedly.

"Imperial Prince!"

Qingmu kicked open the room door.

After confirming the person on the ground was completely dead, the five men in black had no mind to keep tangling with this group of guards; after a few feints, they seized the chance to flip out through the window.

"Leave two men behind, the rest give chase!"

Qingmu rushed frantically toward the person on the ground.

"Imperial Prince!"

Seeing the blood pouring from the chest, he shouted at the guards left behind.

"What are you standing around for? Go find an Imperial Physician!"

The moment the five men in black flipped over the wall, they could still faintly hear Qingmu's heart-wrenching cries, one after another calling "Imperial Prince," calling "find an Imperial Physician."

Success!

Back to report to the master!

And in Shang Xiaomin's room, Qingmu, whose face was full of grief, suddenly stopped crying.

He set down the body in his arms and turned to help Qingzhu beside him.

"Come, I'll take you to have your wound treated."

……

Meanwhile, upon receiving the news that the dead soldiers' assassination had succeeded, Shang Xiao Hui threw back his head and laughed.

Most of the pent-up frustration of recent days — being schemed against by the Fifth Prince, being misunderstood by Father Emperor, being abandoned by former supporters — dissipated.

He felt his mood lift at once.

"Haha, excellent!"

"Old Five, oh Old Five, didn't expect this, did you? All your schemes and calculations, and in the end everything comes to nothing?"

"Competing with me? You're still a bit green!"

"Imperial Prince!"

A personal guard rushed in, looking hurried.

"Imperial Prince, word from the Imperial Palace — the National Lord has vomited blood and fallen unconscious!"

Hearing this, Shang Xiao Hui strode into the courtyard, drew his long sword facing the surrounding guards, and pointed it toward the palace gate.

"Into the palace!"

"Yes!"

Just as Shang Xiao Hui was leading his guards in great numbers toward the imperial palace, in another part of Ducheng, a contingent of troops had long been ready to march.

……

Ducheng was very quiet late at night; Shang Xiao Hui, leading several hundred guards, quickly arrived at the palace gate.

With Gu Tangping's instructions, the Imperial Guard holding the gate opened it at the sight of them and let this group of men and horses through.

With his residence guards and the Imperial Guard, the palace maids and eunuchs they encountered along the way all stepped aside, and Shang Xiao Hui proceeded unimpeded all the way to the National Lord's sleeping chambers.

Steward Zhao was at this moment standing guard beside the old National Lord.

Seeing the imperial physicians around him all breaking out in cold sweat across their foreheads, his heart sank little by little.

He gripped Feng Dongnian's hand tightly.

"Imperial Physician Feng, you are the most highly respected and experienced in the entire Imperial Medical Bureau; the National Lord trusts you most. You must save the National Lord!"

Feng Dongnian's face was full of difficulty as well.

"If the National Lord remains lying in bed like this, this old man will do his utmost, and may be able to keep the National Lord alive for two more months."

"What?!"

Steward Zhao lost control of his voice in his agitation.

"You mean, let the National Lord lie like this, half-dead… in a stupor, completely unconscious, for two months?!"

Half-alive, unable to tend to his own basic needs, without a shred of dignity, lingering on for a month, and then waiting to die?!

Feng Dongnian offered a second option.

"There is indeed one more method, though it can wake the National Lord very quickly, but…"

Steward Zhao was frantic with worry, his face mournful as he urged.

"Please stop keeping us in suspense, the National Lord cannot wait!"

Feng Dongnian shook his head and sighed.

"Gold Needle acupoint stimulation, to ignite all the life force within the body, but the National Lord will only live for five days."

"What?!"

Hearing these words, Steward Zhao instinctively let out a gasp, his body uncontrollably stepping back.

Feng Dongnian offered a reminder.

"Steward Zhao, make the decision quickly, or it will be too late!"

Steward Zhao slowly turned his head to look at the National Lord, whose eyes were tightly shut and whose breath was faint, his heart tangled in anguish.

What should he do?

Such a momentous matter—how could a mere servant like him possibly decide it?!

But there was no time left.

At that moment, the palace doors were suddenly thrown open, and a little eunuch scrambled in on hands and knees.

"This is bad, something terrible has happened, Master!"

Steward Zhao's brow furrowed tightly.

"What kind of behavior is this, panicking like that?"

The little eunuch had been badly frightened by the scene outside; now he was gasping for breath, panting and trembling as he spoke.

"The Second Prince has entered the palace!"

Perfect timing.

Steward Zhao's taut heart loosened slightly; he looked toward Feng Dongnian.

"Then let this matter be decided by the Second Prince."

The little eunuch's face was mournful.

"No, Master, the Second Prince—he, he brought troops into the palace!"

"They're heading this way!"

"What?!"

The imperial physicians and palace servants inside the hall turned pale with shock.

"How could this happen?"

Upon hearing the terrible news, Steward Zhao's legs went weak, nearly collapsing to the ground.

He looked at the unconscious National Lord, clenched his teeth, and turned his head to look at Feng Dongnian.

"Imperial Physician Feng, apply the needles!"

Feng Dongnian dared not delay either; he immediately took out the gold needles and carefully inserted them one by one into the old National Lord's acupoints.

As for Steward Zhao, he patted his clothes, smoothed out the wrinkles, took a deep breath to steady his mind, and looked toward the outside of the hall with a resolute gaze.

There were still dozens of Dead Soldiers hidden in the shadows within the Imperial Palace; they should be able to buy some time.

And what he had to do, besides getting the message out, was to buy more time for Imperial Physician Feng and the National Lord!

Then wait for the Fifth Prince to arrive and rescue the National Lord!

"Let's go."

Steward Zhao looked at the little eunuch at the door.

"We'll go outside and stand guard."

The moment these words left his mouth, before they had even finished echoing, a flash of sword light appeared, followed by a 'puchi' sound.

The little eunuch was pierced through from behind by a Long Sword, spurting out a mouthful of blood.

Steward Zhao's body trembled violently; he suddenly felt a faint warmth on his face.

He reached up and wiped at it—it was bright red blood droplets.

He was instantly so frightened by the sight that his face turned deathly pale.

Making the few red blood splatters on his face even more conspicuous.

Immediately following was another 'puchi' sound as the Long Sword was pulled out; the little eunuch fell to the ground with a thud, dying with eyes unclosed in grievance.

Everyone also clearly saw the figure behind him.

Shang Xiao Hui gripped the Long Sword, blood continuously dripping down, the corner of his mouth curving into a cold and cruel arc.

"Is Steward Zhao in such a hurry to go out because he wishes to see this Imperial Prince?"

Steward Zhao was forced to retreat step by step.

"I—Second Prince, this is an act of treason! Before it becomes an irreparable mistake, turn back from the brink!"

The palace servants inside the hall shouted for help while trying to run outside.

Shang Xiao Hui scratched his ear with an impatient look.

"Truly noisy."

Hearing his words, the guards knowingly stepped forward; with a flash of blades, they killed all those palace servants.

Steward Zhao was so terrified by the sight that he could no longer stand, collapsing directly to the ground.

Watching the Second Prince draw closer and closer, he closed his eyes in despair.

National Lord, this old servant will go on ahead; once below, I shall continue to attend you!

Yet Shang Xiao Hui walked right past him, heading straight for the dragon bed.

He shoved Feng Dongnian—who was in the middle of applying the needles—aside.

Watching the unconscious old National Lord, he stared and stared until his eyes suddenly reddened.

"With Big Brother gone, I am the eldest son, and inheriting the throne is only right. So why have you been so reluctant to make me Crown Prince?"

"If you had made me Crown Prince sooner, how could you and I, father and son, have come to this pass today?"

Shang Xiao Hui looked as though he had gone mad.

"All of this is your doing — you forced me to it!"

"But it doesn't matter. If you won't give it to me, I'll seize it myself!"

"This throne will belong to me in the end!"

Suddenly, a voice came from outside the hall.

"Second Brother is going to be disappointed!"