As Jun Beiyue and Ziqing emerged step by step from the bamboo grove, Hongyi and the shadow guards’ eyes widened further and further, and at the very same moment, the Imperial Guards stationed around the estate’s perimeter, the palace guards within the estate itself, and even the hidden shadow guards throughout, all mobilized at once, converging from every direction to surround them.
Over the past decade or so, both the Imperial Guards and the estate’s palace guards had been entirely replaced with a new generation—young, strong, and highly skilled fighters. Only the shadow guards had remained unchanged.
The moment the shadow guards laid eyes on Jun Beiyue and Ziqing, they too were struck with shock, reacting almost identically to Hongyi and the others—frozen in place, rigid with disbelief, utterly unable to speak a word!
The palace guards and Imperial Guards, however, all drew their blades and turned them on the pair with hostility.
Their leader, his face twisted with ferocity, barked, “How dare you brazen intruders trespass upon this estate and attempt to assassinate Consort Li! Surrender at once, or face the consequences!”
Neither Jun Beiyue nor Ziqing said a word, their expressions dark and grim, eyes fixed coldly on the crowd before them. Jun Beiyue’s gaze was sharp and menacing, while Ziqing’s held an icy edge of her own—together, their combined stare seemed capable of piercing straight through the ranks of guards before them, right through to Consort Li shielded behind them!
Seeing that Jun Beiyue and Ziqing offered no response, not even sparing him a glance, the guard captain found his authority thoroughly challenged, and he barked sharply, “Men, seize them!”
At this, Ziqing finally cast a cold, sidelong glance his way, saying icily, “You dare?”
The guard captain found himself momentarily stunned by the sheer force of Ziqing’s icy presence, an inexplicable wave of fear rising within him despite himself, and the words slipped out before he could stop them. “I…”
But he quickly recovered, hastily correcting himself. “Why wouldn’t I dare! Brazen intruders, have you gone blind? Do you think Prince Yao’s estate is a place just anyone can trespass upon!”
With that, he waved his hand sharply, issuing the order. “Archers, stand ready!”
The moment the words left his mouth, a whole company of archers emerged from every direction, bows already drawn and ready. In an instant, Ziqing and Jun Beiyue found themselves surrounded on all sides, three layers deep!
“This commander will give you one final chance—cease your resistance and surrender at once, or else…”
Before he could finish, Consort Li’s voice suddenly rang out from within the crowd, sharp with fury and malice. “Commander Xu, wait!”
Commander Xu, mid-sentence, immediately cut himself off. “Understood, my lady,” he replied at once.
At this, those shielding Consort Li parted, clearing a path, and several maidservants carefully helped her back to her feet.
The moment she stood upright, she immediately shook off the maidservants’ hands in irritation, drew a deep breath, and began calmly straightening her clothing, even having a maid touch up her makeup—deliberately making everyone stand there and wait, even with assassins right in front of her and a full company of guards protecting her, utterly unconcerned.
Watching her from a distance, Ziqing’s expression grew even more displeased, and she said coldly, “Commander, might I borrow a bow and arrow for a moment?”
“A bow and arrow?”
Commander Xu didn’t immediately process the request.
“Yes. For killing a fox spirit, I much prefer using a bow,” Ziqing said flatly, her voice not particularly loud, yet more than loud enough for Consort Li, standing not far off, to hear clearly.
“A fox spirit?”
Not just Commander Xu—quite a few people nearby failed to catch the implication at first, that “fox spirit” was another way of calling someone a seductive vixen.
But Consort Li, only halfway through touching up her makeup, exploded with fury and charged forward, shouting, “How dare you insult me, you wretch!”
“There’s only one person here reeking of fox musk—if I’m not insulting you, who else would I be insulting?” Ziqing shot back.
Consort Li, in her fury, completely forgot that she was supposedly dealing with an assassin, charging straight up to Ziqing—only for Ziqing to give her no chance to speak at all, swinging her hand hard and delivering a resounding slap right across her face!
In an instant, Consort Li stood frozen in shock, and everyone around them froze in shock right along with her.
Time itself seemed to stop for a long moment!
“How dare you strike me!” Consort Li snarled through gritted teeth, each word forced out as though squeezed between clenched teeth.
Slap!
Ziqing delivered a second slap without hesitation—she’d never had much patience to begin with, and she certainly wasn’t about to tolerate another woman putting on airs as mistress of Prince Yao’s estate, especially not one who dared strike her own maidservants!
Both sides of Consort Li’s face were now swollen, and shocked and furious in equal measure, she stumbled backward several steps before finally managing to shriek, “Wretch, how dare you strike me! How dare you!”
That composed, regally elegant bearing she’d worn so effortlessly a moment ago wasn’t merely something she put on during quiet, ordinary moments—it was, evidently, a display of imperious confidence she summoned specifically when facing real trouble.
Ziqing arched an eyebrow, smiling as she shot back, “Didn’t I just strike you?”
“You! You vile, wretched woman, I’ll make sure you die a horrible death! Someone, seize her! Seize her! I want her taken alive!” Consort Li’s jaw trembled with fury.
Never in her life had she suffered such humiliation. She was determined to make an example of this woman publicly, torment her to death before everyone—otherwise, how could she ever hope to establish her authority within Prince Yao’s estate going forward?
Almost immediately, the commander of the Imperial Guards personally stepped forward—but before he could even get close to Ziqing, Jun Beiyue sent him flying with a single punch.
Only then did Consort Li truly notice Jun Beiyue’s presence, finding herself instantly captivated by his breathtaking, godlike handsomeness. She had always believed the emperor to be the most handsome man in this world—yet here, unexpectedly, was someone who could actually catch her eye as well.
Watching the Imperial Guard commander sent flying with a single blow, every martial artist present was utterly stunned—one could only imagine the sheer power this man possessed. Yet Consort Li, a woman with plenty of beauty but precious little sense, failed entirely to grasp the significance of what she’d just witnessed.
A seductive, alluring smile curled at the corners of her lips as she looked Jun Beiyue up and down, addressing him with an air of gracious condescension, as though bestowing a great favor. “Kill the woman standing beside you, and I’ll grant you the position of Imperial Guard Commander—guaranteeing you wealth, status, and power for the rest of your life.”
Before Jun Beiyue could even respond, Consort Li added, “And of course, how you kill her—that’s entirely up to me to decide!”
But to everyone’s shock, Jun Beiyue didn’t so much as glance at Consort Li. His gaze turned sharp and cold, and without warning, he raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap, sending Consort Li flying clean off her feet, crashing hard into a bamboo stalk before crumpling to the ground.
This was, perhaps, the very first time in Jun Beiyue’s entire life that he had ever struck a woman.
Ziqing understood at once—Jun Beiyue truly was furious now, though not at this woman herself, but at their son. What exactly had Jun Buli let happen to Prince Yao’s estate in their absence?!
However arrogant Consort Li might be, she was, after all, still just a young woman, and being struck like this sent her into a fit of wailing sobs, screaming with fury, “Commander Xu, kill them! Kill them! Kill them all! I want them dead right now, dead immediately!”
Only then did Commander Xu snap back to attention, not daring to delay any further, immediately raising his hand and giving the order. “Archers, at my command—fire!!!”
But just at that critical, hair’s-breadth moment, a sharp whoosh rang out, and more than twenty shadow guards, along with Hongyi, all dropped to their knees in unison, foreheads striking the ground with a resounding thud, crying out together in unison, “Your humble servants welcome Prince Yao! Long live Prince Yao, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years! Your humble servants welcome the Princess Consort! Long live the Princess Consort, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!”
This thunderous chorus rang out with deafening force, echoing throughout the entire eastern garden, and in that same instant, every archer, every guard, every member of the Imperial Guard present stood utterly dumbstruck.
For a long moment, even the echoes of that thunderous chant slowly faded away, and still, no one present had managed to recover their wits.
They… what had the shadow guards just said?
Prince Yao?
Princess Consort of Prince Yao?
Could it be that these two “assassins” were actually…?
Commander Xu’s legs turned to jelly beneath him, and he was the very first to collapse to the ground in a dead faint…