Chapter 425: Goddess Appears, the Prince Slaughters!

The Crown Prince only felt darkness before his eyes.

His ears were filled with a buzzing sound.

"Empty City Stratagem?"

"How could this be?"

"That's Qishan, not a real city!"

"Could we have made a mistake?"

"The scouts we sent earlier—none returned; have you seen the Lotus Sect followers all over the mountain?"

"How could they all disappear overnight?"

"Did you actually search carefully?"

Jiang Ruiqi lowered his head in shame: "Your Highness, the mountain… indeed there is not a single person."

"Not only that, while descending the mountain we… also encountered a trap ambush."

"We too are heavily wounded."

"It was only then that we were delayed, unable to return promptly to report."

"It is our inadequacy; please, Your Highness, pardon us!"

The Crown Prince flew into a rage, his mind going numb.

Without hesitation he drew his sword and in an instant pierced Jiang Ruiqi's throat.

"Trash!"

"You can't even handle this small matter; what use is keeping you?"

"All of you, die!"

Jiang Ruiqi stared, eyes wide in disbelief, looking down at the sword that had pierced his throat.

Without uttering a word, he collapsed to the ground.

The officials were all startled by the Crown Prince's madness.

Qu Shangshu, who had also come secretly, plucked up his courage to advise: "Your… Your Highness, things have come to this; think about how to cover your retreat. This must never reach the Emperor's ears—there's still time…"

The Crown Prince wiped his face.

His expression turned numb and cold: "Yes, there's still time."

"Quick, retrieve the Northern Territory Army's Tiger Talisman for me!"

"Also, a city-wide order: anyone who dares to spread even a hint of today's affair will be executed—"

"Report—"

Before his words finished, an East Palace guard came running in.

"Report! Your Highness, something has happened!"

"The Lotus Sect Goddess has appeared atop the ruins of the Spring Banquet Tower."

"He… he says he will expose Your Highness… your… deceiving the world, stealing fame, deceiving heaven, harming people, your true face of duplicity and hypocrisy—"

The hall fell deathly silent.

Only when another blood‑smeared sword pierced that guard did the hall erupt in a low clamor.

The officials' faces showed expressions of terror.

Everyone thought the Crown Prince had gone mad.

He had actually killed two people!

Now he stood on high, his eyes blood‑red, his body drenched in blood, looking like a madman!

Where was the slightest trace of his usual gentle, refined elegance?

Nobody dared utter another word, trembling with fear.

Just moments ago the hall had been bustling with festive laughter; in an instant it sank into a deep, deathly stillness……

The Empress's eyes also showed a flicker of surprise.

Yet she quickly covered the Imperial Grandson's eyes and had the wet nurse take him away at once.

After the Imperial Grandson had left, she then adopted a dignified posture and snapped: "All of you, riffraff!"

"How dare you bring these absurd rumors before the Crown Prince and spout nonsense!"

"What good is keeping such idiots alive?"

"Come, drag them out at once!"

Having said that, the Empress tried to seize the sword from Duan Rongyin's hand.

She then waved her hand, ordering the officials to withdraw.

After the officials had withdrawn in silence, the Empress firmly took hold of the Crown Prince's hand.

"Rongyin, it's only the Lotus Sect; we have plenty of ways to deal with it."

"All you need to do now is stay calm——"

Duan Rongyin: "Mother, how can I stay calm?"

"My wife and daughter are in her hands, and I have many weaknesses held by her, Zong Zheng Yuer!"

"If she really lets loose and causes a scene, my son's reputation will be utterly ruined!"

"My son must personally go kill her—kill her!"

Having said that, Duan Rongyin shoved the Empress aside and, sword in hand, strode swiftly outward.

"Come! Come——"

"Mobilize all the East Palace guards, and have the Forbidden Army come quickly to see me——"

The Empress's face was full of anxiety, her heart unable to quell its panic.

Yin'er is acting very strangely today.

No, we can't let him keep causing trouble like this.

Hurry, write a letter to the Gao family and get my father into the palace!

Also, you must keep this strictly hidden from His Majesty; these matters must not reach the Zichen Hall.

Hurry—hurry!

Summon the Fourth Prince into the palace!

When one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer.

The Crown Prince must not come to harm, must not come to harm—

The Empress anxiously rushed out.

Then a little palace maid sneaked into the now-empty hall.

He tucked the Crown Prince's wine pot and cup into his bosom.

Then he took out a new wine pot and cup and silently placed them back where they were.

The Crown Prince cannot control his fits of madness; besides having a guilty conscience, he of course also needs a wine trigger.

This trigger will surely make the Crown Prince behave even more outrageously today and reveal his true nature.

Soon, all the people of DaLiang will see just what kind of true face Duan Rongyin has.

Thinking of this, the little palace maid smiled.

On the tea house not fifty meters from the ruins of the Spring Banquet Pavilion.

Li Qingluo, standing on the third floor, looked at the street crowded with people, withdrew her gaze and looked toward Killer One behind her: "Your Highness, have they still not sent any news?"

Killer One: "Yes."

They say they've already escaped and are hurrying this way. Moreover, Zhui Yu and Miss Que'er have also joined up with Your Highness.

Li Qingluo finally let out a breath of relief.

They will come out from the Pei family.

Has Pei Jingzhe arrived?

Killer One: "They can't get in. However, Killer Four has gone to meet the Pei heir; it'll be soon."

Li Qingluo crossed her arms, her fingers tapping quickly on her forearm.

At this speed, the people from the imperial court and the Eastern Palace should arrive soon.

The woman in white standing on the ruins of the Spring Banquet Pavilion is Killer Seven in disguise.

The maidservants standing around are all the killers.

Although most of the surging crowd in layers are Lotus Sect followers, these people basically have no strength to match the imperial court's military force.

Moreover, it seems half of the people in Jinling City are blocking the streets.

The authorities will not stand idly by; they will surely soon dispatch a larger force to suppress this.

Li Qingluo originally only wanted to lure Duan Rongyin out of the palace.

Seeing that the time was about right, she hurriedly said, "Let them temporarily retreat."

Killer One swiftly accepted the order: "Yes!"

Soon after, a thick smoke suddenly rose from beneath the ruins.

In an instant, the aloof Lotus Sect Divine Maiden and her attendants were enveloped in the thick smoke.

All around was a clamor.

Everyone said it was the ghosts of those who burned to death in the Spring Banquet Pavilion coming out to cause trouble.

And just then, the government officials finally arrived.

Not only the officials, but also many palace guards.

However, after the crowd was cleared and they looked again at the ruins of the Spring Banquet Pavilion, where was the Lotus Sect Divine Maiden's figure?

Everyone stared at each other.

Could she really be a divine maiden?

Otherwise, how could she openly vanish before everyone's eyes in broad daylight?

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

"This Lotus Sect Divine Maiden—could she really be a deity?"

"This, this is too miraculous! She died earlier on Qishan, and now she has appeared again at the ruins of the Spring Banquet Pavilion, but in the blink of an eye she suddenly vanished! If she isn't a true deity, what else could she be?"

"You guys, quickly guess where she will appear next."

"Let's go look for her!"

"She hasn't waited for the Crown Prince, so she will definitely appear again!"

"Come on, let's hurry and look for her, to see where she will appear next—"

The city instantly fell into chaos.

Everyone had completely forgotten about the curfew.

The authorities were busy cleaning up the Lotus Sect's remnants while also ordering everyone on the streets to hurry home.

Even the curfew watchmen's drums were sounded early.

The people scattered east and west, each eagerly searching for the Lotus Sect Divine Maiden.

However, just as the people had dispersed from here, the Crown Prince's carriage came to a steady stop before the ruins.

When he angrily flung open the carriage curtain and saw no trace of Zong Zheng Yuer, he furiously snapped the curtain shut again.

"Could it be that she can really fly to the heavens and burrow into the earth?!"

"I have never believed in the talk of ghosts and gods!"

「Dig, dig open this ruin for me, even if we have to dig three feet deep, I want her dug out for me! 」

At the prince's command, countless black shadows immediately stepped forward and began to work.

Li Qingluo watched everything from inside the window, gave a cold smile: "Chaos it is; the more chaotic Jinling becomes, the more chaotic your heart will become."

Just then, Pei Jingzhe finally arrived.

The sky had already darkened.

When Pei Jingzhe entered, dressed all in black, he seemed already a person merged into the night.

Li Qingluo quietly watched him.

Wait for him to speak first: "Princess of Yaoguang wants to see me; I don't know if it's as I thought, whether the princess is willing to give our Pei family a chance."

Li Qingluo: "Straight talk, no hidden words. Pei Shizi, I know what your Pei family wants."

However, your Pei family's sins are deep; they cannot be easily offset!

After Pei Jingzhe remained silent for a long time, he then lightly lifted his eyes and said: "But today, don't you also have something you need to ask of our Pei family first?"

The Lotus Sect followers all over Qishan, except for a small portion that had previously been moved into the city.

Moreover, ninety percent of them have now entered the passage linking the Pei family's outer-city prison ancestral tomb to the Pei Duke's mansion prison.

The Zheng siblings, even Zhui Yu and Que'er, are likely all inside now.

Therefore, Li Qingluo will take the initiative to negotiate peace with Pei Jinghong.

However, seeking peace does not mean the Pei family can offset all its sins.

Li Qingluo: "It seems you already understood."

Yes, at most another quarter hour, and countless people will emerge from your Pei family's prison.

You either help conceal our whereabouts, or go to the authorities to report the disturbance; you can make your choice now.

However, your Pei Duke's mansion will also face the outcome of being slaughtered imminently.

At worst, we'll fight to the death, breaking the nets; I'll still be alive and well outside. Meanwhile, your Pei family will prematurely enter the already destined outcome.

Do you want to give it a try, Pei Shizi?

Pei Jinghong's face was extremely grim.

The entire future of the Pei Duke's mansion has been strangled by someone.

This is also why he has no choice but to repeatedly bow his head before this distant cousin before him.

Before her, he truly has no chance of victory.

After saying that, Princess of Yaoguang, what exactly are your terms?

Li Qingluo: "I want the white bones of the wronged women's souls in the Pei family's prison to see the light of day again!"

Their grievances will be made clear to the world!

Between heaven and earth, there is their true burial place!