Listening to Prince Nanzhao’s condemnation, the Empress of Dongqin, who had originally intended to pile on, couldn’t help but feel relieved she’d kept her mouth shut in time.
She knew perfectly well that Prince Nanzhao’s words couldn’t be entirely trusted, and she also knew he would never allow such secrets to spread.
What she needed to do now was pretend she knew nothing at all.
This matter could be small, or it could be enormous.
Ziqing, her expression cold, put her mask back on and stood beside Jun Beiyue, playing along with practiced fury as she glared at Prince Nanzhao without saying a word.
Jun Beiyue suddenly flung Yelu Chenyi toward the center of the hall, saying coldly, “Prince Nanzhao, today, I don’t care whether he’s the Crown Prince of Xijing or the Emperor of Xijing himself — I want an explanation.”
Yelu Chenyi’s vocal cords were severely damaged, his voice hoarse. “Prince Nanzhao, this prince hasn’t lied to you. Han Ziqing’s face must be…”
Before he could finish, Prince Nanzhao cut him off sharply. “Enough! Guards, take Yelu Chenyi to the dungeon. In my name, draft two letters — one to be sent to Akbachu in Xijing, informing the Emperor of Xijing; the other, a public declaration to the world, that Crown Prince Yelu Chenyi of Xijing has violated Nanzhao’s taboos, that his crime is unforgivable, and that he shall be imprisoned in Nanzhao for the remainder of his life!”
Such was the authority Nanzhao possessed!
Just as Jun Beiyue, having captured Dongqin’s war criminals and a princess, still had to negotiate with Dongqin and release them, lest he defy the will of the entire world — because this was a long-standing agreement among the nations of Longyuan, an unwritten rule of the land.
But Nanzhao was the exception.
Nanzhao was a closed nation, a nation where its own laws held supreme authority. No matter who came from outside, no matter how high their status or how great their power, once they willingly entered Nanzhao, they were bound to obey Nanzhao’s laws.
To enter Nanzhao was to agree to abide by its rules.
And should anyone fail to comply, Prince Nanzhao had every right to deal with them according to Nanzhao’s laws — including imprisonment.
Once a crime was established and a person imprisoned in the dungeon, no matter who came demanding their release, it would be futile. The only way to save such a person would be to overthrow Nanzhao’s laws and its royal house entirely.
In plain terms, that meant declaring war on Nanzhao.
And in this world, even the Xiongnu wouldn’t dare provoke this nation at the southern tip of Longyuan so easily.
Yelu Chenyi’s life, as he’d known it, was over.
“No… Prince Nanzhao, you cannot condemn me so easily! Han Ziqing must have been wearing a mask — she deceived you all!”
Yelu Chenyi shouted, but Prince Nanzhao, having made up his mind, trusted his own judgment far more. He wouldn’t allow Yelu Chenyi to continue — who knew what other secrets he might let slip if allowed to keep talking!
This matter, he would investigate slowly, in his own time.
“Guards, take him away now!” Prince Nanzhao barked.
The guards immediately stepped forward. Yelu Chenyi, past caring about anything else, struggled violently and turned to flee.
Better to be trapped fighting on some battlefield for Xijing than imprisoned here — even dying in battle would be more honorable.
But could he really escape?
A flash of sinister intent crossed Jun Beiyue’s eyes. He leapt over the pursuing Nanzhao guards and brought his long sword slashing down through the air.
“Don’t—”
Prince Nanzhao shouted, but in that instant, the sword’s glow flashed in every direction, its aura overwhelming, and both Yelu Chenyi and Jun Beiyue vanished from sight. No one could tell whether Jun Beiyue had even heard Prince Nanzhao’s cry to stop.
At the entrance, high in the air, the two figures had already clashed in combat.
Yelu Chenyi dodged while cursing furiously, “Jun Beiyue, you despicable man!”
Even a fool could see it now — the reason Jun Beiyue had let him go earlier wasn’t to truly hand him over to Prince Nanzhao for judgment. His real purpose had been to find an excuse to kill him.
Given how much Yelu Chenyi knew, how could Jun Beiyue possibly leave a living witness for Prince Nanzhao to question?
This man truly was a cunning old fox!
“Realizing it now is too late.” Jun Beiyue said coldly, his sword sweeping sideways, immediately carving a long gash across Yelu Chenyi’s face.
Yelu Chenyi, pushed completely over the edge, charged forward heedless of his own life. “I’ll kill you!”
With Jun Beiyue’s ever-improving martial skill, though he couldn’t kill Yelu Chenyi within three strikes, killing him within ten was certainly within his reach.
But clearly, he had no intention of killing him immediately. Dodging the attack, he struck again with his sword, once more wounding Yelu Chenyi’s face — two strikes alone were enough to disfigure him completely.
“What exactly are you trying to do?” Yelu Chenyi quickly sensed something was wrong.
“Revenge.” Jun Beiyue said simply, a cold, sinister smile curling at the corner of his lips.
If he had the choice, he never left roots behind to grow back. The man who had scarred Han Ziqing so badly — how could he not take satisfaction in exacting revenge?
“Revenge!” Yelu Chenyi cried out in shock. “Jun Beiyue, wasn’t destroying Xijing enough for you?”
“Not enough.” Jun Beiyue said coldly. Xijing had long been a stepping stone in his plans to expand Da Zhou’s territory — even without the matter concerning Ziqing, he’d already harbored ambitions to annex Xijing.
“From the moment your Xijing took advantage of the chaos, when you pressed troops against Da Zhou’s western border while our northern frontier was in turmoil — you should have known this day would come. Yelu Chenyi, at Akbachu, I was avenging my nation. Today, I avenge my wife!” Jun Beiyue said coldly.
Yelu Chenyi froze, suddenly struck by realization, understanding everything all at once.
“You knew all along I’d come here with the Empress of Dongqin — you did this on purpose, you were waiting for us to come!” he shouted furiously. What a scheming man Jun Beiyue was — the trap he’d laid was far too dark, far too calculated!
Jun Beiyue could have killed him back at Akbachu — yet he had deliberately taken only Yanzi and left him behind.
Jun Beiyue had calculated that he would come to Nanzhao to lodge his accusations. Jun Beiyue had used him and the Empress of Dongqin, orchestrating this entire scene today — that was why he’d even preemptively concealed Han Ziqing’s scar.
He had used him and the Empress of Dongqin to completely clear Han Ziqing’s name before Prince Nanzhao, to thoroughly dispel any suspicion Prince Nanzhao held against her!
“You… despicable man!” Yelu Chenyi was so furious he nearly spat blood, yet he couldn’t help but admit, deep down, a grudging admiration for Jun Beiyue.
In all of Longyuan, who else possessed such deep, calculated cunning, such unshakeable patience, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?
Even as he spoke, Jun Beiyue’s long sword had already come to rest against Yelu Chenyi’s throat. No one knew just how much effort, in how many different ways, Jun Beiyue had put into protecting this woman from the very first day he’d learned Han Ziqing was immune to all poisons.
He had even gone so far as to alter the records of Ziqing’s mother, Mu Ci, and even three generations of the Han Prime Minister’s family register.
The Nanzhao guards had caught up by now, and Prince Nanzhao and Ziqing came rushing out through the door as well — but it was already too late.
The moment for revenge had come.
Just as Jun Beiyue tightened his grip, in that very instant, Yelu Chenyi suddenly laughed. “Jun Beiyue, pouring so much effort into one woman — was it worth it? Let me tell you — for another woman, perhaps it could be. But for this one — if you want her, you can forget about ever having the world!”
With those final words, blood sprayed from his throat. Jun Beiyue turned and sheathed his sword, his expression dark and sinister, as Yelu Chenyi’s body dropped instantly to the ground.