This situation undoubtedly pleased Pei Qiantong and the others. They immediately escorted Yang Guang toward the Chengxiang Hall. Besides Xiao Shi, they had also found Yang Guang’s son, Prince Zhao Yang Gao, in the western pavilion.
When brought into the great hall, Yang Guang saw Yuwen Huaji sitting on his dragon throne. Without needing to ask, the Yuwen family had also participated in the rebellion.
Seeing that the people he trusted and relied upon had betrayed him one by one, Yang Guang became somewhat hysterical. He pointed at Yuwen Huaji and the others, saying: “You ungrateful traitors! I bestowed high offices and generous salaries upon you, gave you glory and wealth, yet what I receive in return is today’s betrayal and crossed swords. Where are your consciences?”
Twelve-year-old Prince Zhao Yang Gao was frightened into tears by his hoarse, desperate appearance. Since birth, he had never experienced any hardships, and now the first touch of adversity was a catastrophic disaster – truly pitiful.
But as soon as Yang Gao’s voice emerged, a steel blade pierced his chest. The one wielding the blade was none other than Pei Qiantong. Just now in the rear palace, he had witnessed Yang Guang bewitching the soldiers. If Cuiji hadn’t acted quickly to pull the soldiers’ hearts back, the consequences would have been unthinkable. This time, he absolutely would not give Yang Guang another chance to spread his deceptive words.
Yang Guang never expected that the most ruthless person would be Pei Qiantong, whom he had trusted for years. It turned out that all these years, he had been raising an ungrateful wolf!
He stared in shock at Yang Gao lying in a pool of blood. The next moment, he pointed at Pei Qiantong and said with venomous hatred: “Pei Qiantong, you are so ungrateful – there will surely be retribution, surely!”
Pei Qiantong said expressionlessly: “Whether there is retribution or not, Your Majesty will never see it.”
Over there, Yuwen Huaji urged: “Quickly kill this man. This Prime Minister doesn’t want to see him anymore.”
Yang Guang swept his gaze over everyone present, as if wanting to imprint each of their faces in his mind so that after death, he could drag them all into hell together. After a long while, he spoke: “All you’ve done is because you want me to die. Fine, I’ll grant your wish. But before that, you must also grant me one wish!”
“What is it?” At Pei Qiantong’s voice, Yang Guang turned to look at Xiao Shi, gazing at this woman who had obsessed him for a lifetime. He removed the cloth from her mouth and said: “Weiyang, there’s no place for us in the mortal world. Let’s go to the underworld to be husband and wife again, life after life, with no one able to separate us!” Before his words finished, he had already grasped Xiao Shi’s slender neck with one hand and tightened his grip forcefully.
When alive, Xiao Shi was his woman. Now that he was about to die, Xiao Shi would also die with him, becoming a couple united in life and death!
Seeing this scene, Yuwen Huaji was greatly alarmed and quickly said: “Stop him.”
Just as Yuwen Huaji’s words left his mouth, Pei Qiantong had already reacted. He couldn’t be bothered to pull out the blade still stuck in Yang Gao’s chest. He grabbed a silk sash and strangled Yang Guang’s neck from behind, tightening it forcefully. His strength was much greater than Yang Guang’s, whose body had been hollowed out by wine and women. Soon he had strangled Yang Guang until his eyes rolled back, forcing him to release his hands from Xiao Shi’s neck. Yang Guang struggled a few times at first, but later became motionless, slumping there. Linghu Da stepped forward to check his breathing and said: “He’s dead.”
Hearing this, Pei Qiantong immediately released the silk sash and walked to Xiao Shi, who was still coughing. He gently helped up the still-shaken woman: “Don’t worry, he’s already dead. He can never harm you again!”
Xiao Shi said nothing, only stared at Yang Guang’s corpse. The marks from where Yang Guang had strangled her were still on her neck. She had hated this man for half her life, and now she had finally gotten her wish – he died before her eyes. Yet she couldn’t say whether her heart felt joy or sorrow…
After a long while, she crouched down and closed Yang Guang’s wide-open eyes, murmuring: “Our grudges are finally settled. I hope that in the next life, and the life after that, we never meet again.”
Pei Qiantong softly said beside her: “Don’t worry. From now on, with me here, I will protect you well and not let anyone harm you.” In his view, since Yang Guang was dead, this Xiao Shi naturally belonged to him. After all, he had contributed the most in this regicide battle – calling it his primary achievement wouldn’t be excessive.
But Pei Qiantong hadn’t noticed that besides him, another person also had designs on Xiao Shi – namely Yuwen Huaji, who was currently sitting on the dragon throne!
Setting aside Yuwen Huaji’s thoughts, in Feixiang Hall, Ruyi walked to the palace gate and carefully peered at the imperial guards stationed there. Today, for some unknown reason, before dawn had even broken, a group of people had suddenly burst in and searched Feixiang Hall inside and out, not even sparing the princess’s bedchamber. When they asked what they were looking for and what had happened, no one paid them any attention.
After finally waiting for them to leave, they discovered that all the people guarding outside Feixiang Hall had been replaced with unfamiliar faces they had never seen before. Moreover, each one held swords and looked fierce, making one’s blood run cold.
“What are you looking at!” The sudden voice startled Ruyi. When she came to her senses, she found that one of the imperial guards was glaring at her malevolently.
Ruyi forced herself to calm down and said with a smile: “It’s like this – I saw that you brothers came early this morning to change shifts and stand guard. You must not have had breakfast yet, so I brought a few plates of pastries for you to fill your stomachs.” Before she could even take down the food box hanging on her arm, the guard said: “We’re not hungry. Go back!”
Ruyi smiled: “How could you not be hungry? These pastries are very delicious – I guarantee you brothers will like them. I…” Before she could finish, a gleaming steel blade was already at her throat, while a voice cold as if seeping from underground sounded in her ear: “Get lost. Don’t make me say it a third time!”
Ruyi knew he wasn’t joking and dared not say more. She quickly stumbled back to the great hall, where Yunyi and Jixiang were waiting. Seeing her like this, Jixiang quickly supported her: “What’s wrong? Couldn’t you get any information?”
Seeing Ruyi’s terrified expression, Yunyi handed her the tea that a palace servant had brewed: “Drink some tea first to calm your nerves.”
Ruyi took it and, not caring that the tea was somewhat hot, drank it all in one gulp, even consuming the tea powder. After taking several deep breaths, she recounted everything that had just happened. Finally, she said with lingering fear: “Those men’s eyes were so terrifying, completely different from the imperial guards who previously guarded Feixiang Hall. I don’t know where His Majesty found them.”
Yunyi said slowly: “I’m afraid… their presence here is not Yang Guang’s intention.”
Jixiang said puzzledly: “All along, only His Majesty has had the authority to mobilize the palace’s imperial guards. Moreover, this is the forbidden area of the rear palace – if not His Majesty, then who else could it be?”
“While Yang Guang indeed has the authority to mobilize the imperial guards, he is not the only one.” Ever since nearly being raped by Yang Guang, she had always referred to him by name. Not to mention “Father Emperor” – she wouldn’t even call him “Your Majesty.”
Jixiang thought for a while and said: “Master, are you referring to the Imperial Guard Commander?”