Li Yanyan stared blankly at where Xiao Changzhen had disappeared. Her heart felt suddenly hollowed out, tears falling without warning, an inexplicable panic wrapping around her heart.

She forced herself to control her emotions, thinking of all the benefits after their success, finally suppressing that trace of unease in her heart.

Xiao Changzhen needed only to question the attendant Li Yanyan had brought to Furongyuan to know when she received the message, and thus fully understand what Li Yanyan sought.

Stepping out of the prince’s mansion, he watched the deepening ink-black night. The lights of ten thousand homes had been lit but could not illuminate the boundless darkness, just like the cold in his heart that couldn’t find a moment’s warmth.

He went to the Imperial Guard headquarters, his former post. No need for many words – he only needed to say he’d received news that someone might attempt to assassinate the emperor tonight, but since the information’s veracity was uncertain, he dared not make a big show of it.

Whether true or false, the Imperial Guard general couldn’t ignore such news, especially since he had vaguely noticed something unusual about the guards dispatched to Furongyuan. His doubts magnified infinitely, and he decided to join Xiao Changzhen in leading a team, finding some pretext to secretly gather around Furongyuan.

They had barely assembled when they saw the aggressive “Xiao Changyan” and discovered the corpses of the Palace Guard patrol!

Thus came the scene of the two forces meeting on this narrow path, with Xiao Changzhen’s questioning.

Faced with Xiao Changzhen’s interrogation, “Xiao Changyan” remained unmoved: “Third Brother, why do you baselessly slander me? The situation at Furongyuan is critical. Instead of joining me to save the emperor, you delay and obstruct my rescue attempt. Third Brother must be the one harboring evil intentions…”

“Xiao Changyan’s” counter-accusation made the anger Xiao Changzhen had been suppressing flare higher: “Eighth Brother, turn back while you can!”

“These words I return to Third Brother as well.”

The two couldn’t reach an agreement, and both sides’ followers suspected the other of plotting treason.

The Wing Guard army had been authorized by His Majesty Xiao Changyan to bring the rescue, so they naturally believed they were defending righteousness.

The Imperial Guard had witnessed “Xiao Changyan” leading the Wing Guard in slaughtering the Palace Guard patrol. Both sides looked at each other as traitors, and battle inevitably erupted at the slightest spark!

On either side of one wall, two battles raged.

Emperor Youning, far in the great hall, naturally couldn’t hear the fighting outside Furongyuan. Even those near the outside couldn’t break through the battle circle in the great hall to reach imperial ears and report the situation outside.

Emperor Youning gazed darkly at this unexpected second batch of assassins, guessing someone had caught wind of the plan and wanted to fish in troubled waters, truly attempting to assassinate the sovereign!

Though he couldn’t see the time, judging by how long it had been since the “assassination” attempt began, Emperor Youning could determine Xiao Changyan had missed their arranged time!

He had likely been blocked, which meant his plan might have been completely exposed!

By whom!

Emperor Youning’s dark, sharp gaze swept the great hall, passing over Xiao Changqing who protected Noble Consort Rong behind him, falling on Xiao Changying who was entangled with assassins, then moments later moving past the kill zone to rest on the father and son Shen Yueshan who were also desperately fending off assassins.

This look lingered, noting that the Shen Yueshan pair treated both the first batch of assassins he had arranged and the mysterious second batch equally, striking with the same swift brutality.

Only then did he turn to look at Shen Xihe among the women. While Shen Xihe had always stood out like a crane among chickens, the noble ladies of the capital came in all shapes and sizes. Though Shen Xihe was exceptional, she merely had a few more degrees of beauty.

In today’s chaos, one can see how extraordinarily composed she remained in crisis. Among all the women in the inner hall, apart from the martially skilled Princess Lie, only the experienced Empress Dowager and Shen Xihe remained unmoved, their steady dignity befitting the mother of the nation.

If only she weren’t a Shen woman.

As his gaze completed its circuit, imperial thoughts turned hundreds of ways. Though he had his suspicions, he couldn’t confirm who was responsible.

Shen Xihe paid no attention to Emperor Youning’s thoughts. She lowered her eyes, fingers tightly clenched. She dared not look at Xiao Huayong, fearing that one more glance would send her flying recklessly toward him.

But she couldn’t. Earlier the arrow had been nocked, with no choice but to lose it. Now there was no turning back. The slightest carelessness would expose everything. She didn’t fear losing everything, but if it cost her entire clan their lives, even Shen Xihe couldn’t bear that burden.

Fierce battles raged both inside and outside Furongyuan. The Five Cities Brigade and Palace Guard flooded toward Furongyuan, frightening all citizens into staying behind closed doors. The usually lively capital night was shrouded in killing intent.

“Xiao Changyan” had brought numerous Wing Guard troops. Since Xiao Changzhen wasn’t certain about the information, he hadn’t dared mobilize large forces, choosing instead to gather small scattered groups around Furongyuan. If the assassination news proved false, they could still cover it up.

Between Wing Guard and Imperial Guard, the former recruited capable men from civilian life, including many martial arts champions, while the latter protected the imperial city and could move within the palace. They came from military families, specifically outstanding youth from meritorious military houses.

All were genuine talents, each brave and skilled in battle. Xiao Changzhen fought as if his life didn’t matter to hold them back, while “Xiao Changyan” didn’t seem to want Xiao Changzhen’s life, repeatedly showing restraint. For the moment, they truly couldn’t break through the defensive line into Furongyuan.

At this point, the Five Cities Brigade arrived in force. Seeing the two battling forces – Prince Jing with Wing Guard on one side, Third Prince with Imperial Guard on the other – their minds went blank.

Wing Guard couldn’t be mobilized without imperial command, and the Imperial Guard protected His Majesty’s safety. They couldn’t offend either side, and both sides insisted the other was plotting assassination, leaving them completely confused.

The Five Cities Brigade could only try to restrain both sides, attempting to separate this battle where right and wrong were indistinguishable. Finally, both sides felt the Five Cities Brigade was taking sides, and stopped showing mercy to their men. Soon several of these would-be peacemakers were killed in the crossfire.

This enraged the Five Cities Brigade. Their blood and anger aroused, they no longer cared about Wing Guard or Imperial Guard – they struck to kill anyone not of their own. Thus the two-sided battle instantly became a three-way melee.

Before long, the Palace Guard, responsible for citywide security and martial law, arrived in force. They quickly learned that one of their patrols had been killed by Prince Jing and Wing Guard. Hearing from the Imperial Guard that the Five Cities Brigade and Wing Guard were in league, they began relentlessly pursuing both.

On this final night of the sixth month in Youning’s twenty-third year, it was ultimately a restless night – the first time in the dynasty’s hundred years that such large-scale fighting had broken out between guard forces beneath the imperial city.

Around Furongyuan, fallen guard corpses lay everywhere, blood seeping down to the corners of the palace walls, continuously penetrating deeper.