Chapter 101 - Forced Abdication and Succession

ins. Their faces were gentle and beautiful, but one woman's acerbic remarks and envious expression spoiled her beauty.As soon as they stepped out, a heavy scent of cosmetics hit Li Yun’s nose.Li Yun p...Chapter 101: Pressuring for the Throne

Ru Jing and Yun Qianyue, with their superb martial arts skills, easily avoided the crowd gathered outside Fushoushan Mountain and headed towards the city gate.

Upon reaching the northern city gate, they found it tightly shut. The walls were lined with soldiers standing in strict formation, each solemnly armed with long ropes and large knives, exuding a chilly atmosphere. Without the cold air and the fresh blood stains on the walls, no one would have guessed that there was recently a bloody battle here.

Yun Qianyue turned her head to look at Ru Jing.

Ru Jing also glanced at Yun Qianyue. He held her hand with one hand and embraced her waist with the other, then suddenly doubled their speed as if a wisp of smoke, silently passing over the city wall and soldiers into the city.

The streets of the capital were drenched in blood. Soldiers' bodies lay on the ground, their wounds still bleeding.

"What do Night Tianqiong and Night Tianyu want Do they intend to use the emperor to command the old emperor to abdicate" Yun Qianyue whispered to Ru Jing. Though she did not wish to see bloodshed on her coming-of-age day, she knew that such days were inevitable.

"They have no other choice but this!" Ru Jing said slowly: "In terms of military strength, they are inferior to Night Qingran; in financial resources, they are less than those of the North Frontier granted by Emperor Tianyi. Everywhere, they fall short. They can only use one path: forcing the emperor to abdicate."

"If it were possible to force him, he wouldn't be a cunning old emperor!" Yun Qianyue said: "Today, Uncle Tianyi accompanied Auntie out of the palace, presumably to prevent them from using the unborn prince in Auntie’s womb. Yet Night Qingran is drinking as if nothing had happened, while Rong Feng and Cao Zuo are also enjoying themselves at Fushoushan Mountain. The loyal ministers like Prince Deking and Prince Xiaoding and Chancellor Qin are all there too. Most of the people of the capital have gathered in Fushoushan Mountain; only a few elderly, weak individuals remain here, along with Emperor Tianyi."

"Let's go see what’s happening in the palace!" Ru Jing suggested.

“Alright!” Yun Qianyue nodded.

The two agreed and headed towards the royal palace via Ru Jing’s superior agility.

Flying lightly over layer upon layer of buildings, they arrived at the outer wall of the imperial city.

The palace gates were tightly shut as well. Blood flowed like a river in front of them, staining the soldiers’ armor and belts red. The air was thick with the scent of blood, seemingly coating the magnificent golden palace in a layer of crimson. Besides the soldiers guarding the gate, there were also thousands of darkly clad guardsmen standing silently nearby.

Yun Qianyue looked at Ru Jing and lowered her voice: "Even though our skills are excellent, it might be difficult to pass over their heads unseen with so many hidden guards. If we’re discovered, things could get complicated."

"Let's take the secret passage then!" Ru Jing suggested.

“Alright!” Yun Qianyue nodded.

Ru Jing led her in a different direction and headed for the rear palace wall using his agility skills.

In no time, they reached the entrance to the secret passage, shielded from view by trees. Ru Jing landed gracefully, opened the hidden door and pulled Yun Qianyue inside.

This secret passage was the same one that Yun Qianyue and Night Tianyi discovered five years ago when they found out about the old emperor's deal with Lady Lan. It connected not only to the imperial study, Holy Yang Hall, and Golden Dragon Hall but also extended outside the palace walls as an escape route for the royal family.

It was already winter solstice; it was cold outdoors and damp inside the passage.

Ru Jing held both of Yun Qianyue's hands in his, warming her icy palms with the heat from his own. His tone was gentle as he asked, "Are you cold"

"I’m fine! With you here, I'm not cold at all," Yun Qianyue shook her head and smiled sideways at Ru Jing.

The corner of Ru Jing's mouth curved upwards in a soft smile as he took Yun Qianyue by the hand and led her forward.

Inside the secret passage were traps and hidden weapons, but they posed no challenge to Yun Qianyue and Ru Jing. They quickly reached the bottom of Holy Yang Hall. Yun Qianyue withdrew her hand from Ru Jing’s grasp and triggered a wall mechanism that allowed them to observe what was happening inside.

Rong Jing reached out a hand first to攔住 her and whispered to her, "What's the point of watching here Let's go outside to take a look!"

Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes, withdrew her hand, nodded, and said, "Okay!"

Rong Jing reached out his hand to press on a smooth spot on the wall. Although it looked like there was nothing special about that part of the wall, when he touched it with his fingertips, a door opened silently on their left side.

Yun Qianyue was taken aback for a moment and did not know that there was an entrance mechanism at that spot. She looked at Rong Jing in puzzlement. As someone who was proficient in the art of mechanisms and contraptions, she believed no one would dare to claim they were better than her. However, how could she have missed the fact that this spot was actually a mechanism This meant that when he was under the Buddha Hall underground temple, the man had deliberately concealed it.

Seeing Yun Qianyue look at him, Rong Jing pulled her towards that hidden door and explained with a smile, "It is not because I am more proficient in the art of mechanisms than you. It's just that I know this palace better than you do as this palace was built on the foundation of the previous dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows and said, "If my guess is correct, then it must be your fingerprint that unlocks this hidden door"

Rong Jing chuckled and nodded. Looking fondly at Yun Qianyue, he said, "You are indeed smart; you can never fool me. Yes, it's my fingerprint." With these words, his voice turned solemn as he continued, “When I came to the palace when I was seven years old, I used the method of stamping seals for the first time to unlock this secret passage and then replaced it with my fingerprints. Therefore, unless someone has my fingerprints, no one in the world can open this hidden door. Without my fingerprints, having this hidden door is like not having it at all.”

"The method of stamping seals" Yun Qianyue looked at Rong Jing's hand.

“Mm-hmm!” Rong Jing answered and pulled Yun Qianyue into the hidden passage. As they entered, the door closed instantly, plunging them into darkness.

Yun Qianyue stepped on something and staggered a bit; Rong Jing reached out to support her waist. She was about to speak but felt him turn his body slightly, causing a gust of wind from their clothes as they moved swiftly. Her head swayed for a moment before the surroundings suddenly brightened up. Rong Jing had already led them out of the passage and lightly landed in a shadowy corner under one roof tile of the Holy Sun Palace hall.

The strong smell of blood greeted them again; outside the Holy Sun Hall, countless people were lying on the ground in pools of blood.

Rong Jing gave a glance at those lying in the blood pool and gently lifted aside a piece of roof tile from under him.

Yun Qianyue looked at the palace and thought about the number of deaths that could be counted during today's coup, but it would be impossible to count how many families were affected by these losses. So much blood had been shed, thousands dead. This must be the first baptism of blood for this new regime taking over from the old one! Imperial power, the imperial palace, and the supreme throne seemed to always come with bloodshed and piles of bones.

Two pieces of roof tiles were lifted aside, revealing the scene inside the Holy Sun Hall. Rong Jing lightly squeezed Yun Qianyue's fingers with his own hand. Yun Qianyue looked back at him as he motioned down to take a look.

The old emperor was lying on the dragon bed, glaring fiercely in one direction; a woman dressed in pink palace attire was kneeling by the bedside, her head slightly bowed and face swollen from what seemed like severe beating, making it hard to recognize her. However, given her attire, she could only be Ming Fei. A sword was placed against her neck, cutting a long bloody wound that dripped blood onto the bluestone floor. Further up along the hilt of the sword lay a hand with clear knuckles, followed by a sleeve embroidered with dragon patterns and finally, a stern face—Night Tianqing.

No blood stained Night Tianqing's clothes except for his sword; he was clean and tidy. Standing next to him was Night Tianyu who also looked immaculate, holding an imperial decree in one hand. The words on the document were already written, with the phrase "abdication edict" standing out prominently.

Inside the inner chamber lay another twenty or thirty people lying around, all silent and clearly deceased.

This must be a coup to force an abdication.

Yun Qianyue swept her eyes over those on the ground inside the palace but did not see Wenhui's figure. She quietly looked down below.

"Father, have you made up your mind yet As long as you present the jade seal and stamp this imperial decree with it, I will release this woman along with my second brother; you can live out the rest of your days in peace," Night Tianyu said to the old emperor while shaking the document. "She is the woman you are most fond of, right Are you really going to let her die without doing anything"

"Wicked son!" The old emperor cursed.

“You got that right, we are your wicked sons. If not for our wickedness, how could we ever do such a thing” Night Tianyu suddenly laughed but his eyes were cold with no trace of mirth as he said, "This is because you pushed my second brother and me into it! You forced us to rebel and did not leave us any other way out; how can we comply with your wishes"

"Insolent, when have I ever forced you" The old emperor was furious.

“You used Purple Grass to kill my second brother's child and sent someone to use the forbidden arts of Southern Jiang to kill mine. You don’t care that they are your grandsons; there is no kinship left in your heart, only imperial power.” Night Tianyu said with a cold expression.

"Insolent, how could I possibly have killed my own grandchildren" The veins on the old emperor's forehead bulged.

"Whether you killed or not, we all know," Ye Tianyu said coldly. "Now it comes down to your decision: hand over the jade seal to fulfill our wishes, or let us kill this woman and then commit patricide. Since we have come this far, we are no longer afraid of committing such a grave sin as patricide! Throughout history, there have never been any lack of people who committed patricide!"

"Wicked son! I am your father emperor!" The old emperor's eyes turned red with anger. He tried to recall something but could not move an inch on the bed. All he could do was glare fiercely at Ye Tianyu.

"We know that you are our father, and if you were not, we wouldn’t have come this far. Now, the entire imperial city is under my control along with my second brother’s. If you hand over an edict from the emperor, you will be the retired emperor in the future. We will never harm a single hair on your head. You like your seventh son, but do you really think he can sit on this throne Let alone his obsession with the moon princess, even Rong Jing cannot control him. If he ascends to the throne, who knows when the court system might collapse in his hands," Ye Tianyu said.

The old emperor angrily replied through gritted teeth, "You are really my good sons!"

"Father, we don’t have much time to wait for your decision. Your decision now is whether you hand over the jade seal or not. If you don’t hand it over, we will kill this woman and commit patricide," Ye Tianqing said in a chilling tone.

"I’ve already said that the jade seal isn’t in my possession these days. Tianyi has been acting as regent, so he must have the jade seal with him," the old emperor said.

"Father, don’t be playing us! How could you possibly hand over your throne’s jade seal to him at this early stage We’ve been your sons for twenty years, and we know you well enough. You won’t give up a treasure that means life itself to you until you’re dead. The jade seal in his hands is just an ordinary one, not the heirloom. Your throne’s jade seal must still be with you," Ye Tianqing said.

"That’s none of your business! I have already given it to him; believe me or not!" the old emperor seemed very angry.

"Brother, kill this woman!" Ye Tianyu evidently didn’t want to argue any further with the old emperor. He turned to his brother and said.

Ye Tianqing nodded, tightening his grip on the sword in his hand and thrusting it towards Ming Fei.

Ming Fei remained unmoving and powerless to resist.

Qian Chuan Yue watched with confusion. She thought that Ming Fei must have martial arts, but she appeared completely at the mercy of others. Could it be that she truly didn’t have any skills She glanced towards Rong Jing in puzzlement. He still looked like an elegant nobleman, his eyes calm and composed as he observed the scene below, even from hiding. Qian Chuan Yue turned away and continued to observe.

The dagger pierced deeply into Ming Fei’s throat, causing a gush of blood.

At this moment, the old emperor suddenly closed his eyes and didn’t look at Ming Fei anymore. He said to the two men, "Go ahead and kill her! Then kill me too; let us see how long you wicked sons can survive!"

"Father has a ruthless heart; I will not show any mercy then!" Ye Tianqing gritted his teeth as he tightened his grip on the dagger.

At that critical moment, a dagger flew in from outside and plunged into Ye Tianqing’s back.

The dagger stopped abruptly, dropping to the ground with a clatter.

Ye Tianyu turned around suddenly. Before he could see who it was, a sword was placed at his neck. A gentle female voice rang out: "Fourth Prince, you’d better not move; a blade has no eyes."

This familiar voice, though unheard for months, still rang clear—it belonged to Qin Yuceng.

Such sudden change made Qian Chuan Yue on the roof startled. She looked at Qin Yuceng who had appeared out of nowhere. Compared with before, Qin Yuceng seemed much thinner, but her slender figure was more mature and appealing than ever. Dressed in black robes, she looked like a black poppy, graceful yet seductive beyond words. As soon as her voice faded away, a sword pointed at Ye Tianyu’s neck; another gentle-looking woman stepped into the room from outside, also dressed in imperial attire. Unlike Qin Yuceng's mysterious charm, this woman exuded an extraordinary aura that was the six princess.

Seeing the appearance of these two women, Qian Chuan Yue turned her head to look at Rong Jing.

Rong Jing gazed calmly and seemingly unsurprised. He smiled briefly when he caught Qian Chuan Yue’s gaze but didn’t speak a word, indicating for her to continue observing.

Qian Chuan Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, then returned her attention to the scene below.

Ye Tianyu stopped holding the imperial decree and dared not move at all.

Ye Tianqing ignored the dagger in his back. He slowly turned around with wide eyes, staring incredulously at Qin Yuceng. After a moment, he suddenly managed to crack a smile despite blood flowing from his mouth. "Yuceng, you are well!

Qin Yuning glanced at Ye Tianqiong with a gentle expression, but her gaze was cold. "Second Young Prince has great audacity to plot rebellion!"

"After months without seeing each other, it looks like you've been doing well!" Ye Tianqiong gritted his teeth and spat out the words, spitting more blood.

Qin Yuning coldly said, "Thanks to Second Young Prince's blessing, I've been getting by alright!"

Ye Tianqiong smiled. Because the dagger behind him was deeply embedded, it sapped all his strength. He held his stomach with his hand and walked towards Qin Yuning. "Yuning, tell me where you’ve been these days."

"Second Young Prince and Fourth Young Prince plotting rebellion is a capital crime. Since you're about to die anyway, I advise you not to know," Qin Yuning said icily.

“With the Seventh Brother” Ye Tianqiong seemed not to have heard what Qin Yuning had just said as he continued moving forward.

"Second Young Prince should stop here! Otherwise if my hand trembles, your good little brother will meet his end in the underworld," Qin Yuning warned him when she saw Ye Tianqiong approaching her.

“Haha… That’s just perfect. We can go to the underworld together. Since I’m going to die anyway, at least there’ll be someone to keep me company,” Ye Tianqiong laughed and coughed up a mouthful of blood, but he still walked towards Qin Yuning.

"Second Brother, those who are wise should yield! If you kneel before Father Emperor now and beg for his forgiveness, your little sister might find a court physician to save your life," Sixth Princess stepped forward at this moment. She drew a sword from her waist and held it against Ye Tianqiong’s neck, warning him, "Otherwise don’t blame me if I’m not polite!"

Ye Tianqiong stopped in his tracks, raised an eyebrow, looked carefully at Sixth Princess, then smiled and said, "Sister Six has really grown up! You’ve even learned to draw your sword!"

"People have to grow up. Just like Second Brother who actually dared to borrow a pair of audacious lungs from the heavens to plot rebellion, why can’t I grow" Sixth Princess pointed her sword at Ye Tianqiong and then said to the old emperor lying on his bed, "Father Emperor, your daughter came late and caused you trouble. What should be done with them"

"You two are just in time!" The old emperor stretched out a hand and pounded on the bedboard as if he were suddenly full of energy. He said to both of them, "Kill them now! I don’t want to see these two wicked sons anymore."

“Second Brother, since Father Emperor doesn’t wish to see you again, then I’ll have no choice but to…" Sixth Princess heard this and suddenly tightened her wrist, the sword in her hand swiftly slashing towards Ye Tianqiong’s neck.

Yun Qianmo curled her fingers slightly as she stared intently at the sword in Sixth Princess's hand.

Rong Jing lightly squeezed Yun Qianmo's hand. She turned to look at him, but his eyes were calm and showed no intention of helping. She closed her eyes for a moment before nodding at him, then continued looking down below.

"Hold it!" At this moment, a familiar voice was heard from outside the door.

The precious sword in Sixth Princess's hand stopped instantly; she slowly turned around and saw Ye Tianyi strolling in. She looked at Ye Tianyi, calling out, "Seventh Brother!"

This call of 'seventh brother' sounded ordinary, but if one listened carefully, there was a note of respect inside.

“Seventh Young Prince!” Qin Yuning did not loosen the sword at Night Tianyu's neck and called out similarly. Her voice was almost indistinguishable from Sixth Princess’s.

Yun Qianmo turned her head to look at Rong Jing.

Rong Jing's lips curved slightly, a smile spilling out that was both cool and casual, with a hint of something that could be mockery or something else. In any case, such a smile rarely appeared on his face.

Yun Qianmo retracted her gaze and continued looking down below.

"You finally arrived! I thought you didn’t care about Father Emperor and let these two wicked sons kill me!" the old emperor said to Ye Tianyi.

"Your son was late, causing Father Emperor to be startled," Ye Tianyi slowly walked in, stopping three feet away from Ye Tianqiong and Night Tianyu. He looked at them both before calmly addressing the old emperor.

The old emperor snorted, "These two wicked sons still cause me to be startled."

"His Imperial Majesty is the supreme ruler of this Holy Heaven, and naturally, there are very few things that could startle him. It seems like I was overly cautious. Upon receiving news, I entrusted Mother to Uncle Cloud’s care and rushed here," Night Tianyi said as he looked at the elderly emperor.

"Is your mother in good health Has her journey been too exhausting" The old emperor asked.

"No, she is well. She simply loves Mount Fu Shou very much and does not want to return," Night Tianyi replied.

"She must come back even if she doesn’t want to. Mount Fu Shou is Mount Fu Shou, but her home is the palace," the old emperor said.

"Mother says that she has had enough of living in the palace!" Night Tianyi added.

The old emperor harrumphed. "Even if she’s had enough, she still must stay. She was born a member of the imperial family and will die one as well. Don’t think that because her time is limited, she can do whatever she wants. That is not for her to decide."

"Unfortunately, Your Majesty is ill and unable to get out of bed. I believe Mother is merely venting her frustrations at you. If Your Majesty were to appease her, things would be fine. After all, the two of you have been husband and wife your entire lives," Night Tianyi said.

"If I weren’t ill and unable to get out of bed, how could these two wicked sons dare come before me and speak in such a disrespectful manner She has her legs and feet but does not visit me. No matter how many times I go to her, she refuses to see me. Is there any queen like that" The old emperor’s suppressed anger flared up again as he mentioned Night Tianqiong and Night Tiandyu. What had originally been a casual conversation between father and son now turned into an angry outburst by the old emperor towards Night Tianyi: "Why did you stop Six Brother from killing this wicked son"

"In my opinion, Second Uncle and Fourth Uncle were just joking around with Father," Night Tianyi said calmly.

"Joking Filth! They had a sword to the neck of the emperor. Could that be considered a joke" The old emperor’s expression turned fierce as he glared at Night Tianyi.

"I did not see their swords to your neck, but rather they were pointed at Lady Mingfei’s throat. Now both she and Qin Miss from the Imperial Chancellor Manor have swords pointed to her throat. They are merely weak women who could never control Second Uncle and Fourth Uncle so easily. It would be absurd for them to do such a thing. From my perspective, it seems that they were just joking with you," Night Tianyi said slowly.

"That’s because Qin Miss has martial arts skills! And she is better than these two people. Don’t tell me that you did not know this!" The old emperor glared at Night Tianyi.

"Does Qin Miss have martial arts skills" Night Tianyi seemed to be slightly surprised as he turned his head and sized up Qin Yuceng from top to bottom, shaking his head. "I truly do not know."

The old emperor harrumphed again. "What do you know then"

"I know that you are my father and they share the same blood as me," Night Tianyi said.

"Brothers Didn’t you hear what they just said to you! You may consider them brothers, but these two wicked sons don’t see themselves as your brothers!" The old emperor seemed enraged. His forehead veins throbbed visibly as he pounded the bed frame fiercely and ordered Night Tianyi, "Kill them now! I do not wish to see them again."

"Father, please calm down. Even though Second Brother and Fourth Brother’s joke was too big, they don’t deserve death!" Night Tianyi glanced at Night Tianqiong and Night Tiandyu before shaking his head at the old emperor.

"You dare defy me" The old emperor seemed extremely angry.

"I would never dare!" Night Tianyi shook his head and called out loudly, "Someone, please invite Prince Deying, Prince Xiaoying, Uncle Cloud, Imperial Chancellor Qin, Little Prince Rang, Marquis Shizi Rongfeng, and Little Prince Leng to the Holy Yang Hall."

"Yes, Seventh Prince!" A respectful voice answered from outside. It was Wenlai who had not been in the Holy Yang Hall earlier.

“Why do you want them here” The old emperor looked at Night Tianyi.

"Father’s anger is too great. Although Second Brother and Fourth Brother’s joke was large, they are still your sons. I cannot stop Father from his rage, but I don’t wish to provoke him further into angering himself ill. Therefore, I have invited Prince Deying, Prince Xiaoying, Uncle Cloud, Imperial Chancellor Qin, Little Prince Rang, Marquis Shizi Rongfeng, and Little Prince Leng to the Holy Yang Hall to appease Father. A stern warning will suffice for Second Brother and Fourth Brother instead of execution. If they were killed, you would lose two sons," Night Tianyi said.

"I wouldn’t mind losing a hundred more such wicked sons!" The old emperor harrumphed furiously.

“Night Tianyi, stop pretending to be kind! Father, do whatever you wish—kill or torture us. We don’t fear death since we have already decided to do this. We are not concerned with returning alive!” Night Tiandyu suddenly turned his head and glared at Night Tianyi.

The sword that Qin Yuceng held against the back of Night Tiandyu’s neck moved an inch away as he turned, but a thin red line appeared on his skin from where the blade had cut him. Crimson blood flowed down his neck immediately, dyeing it red.

"Not bad! I don't need your fake kindness! We lost and we know it. We didn't have as many chips as you, so we never expected to win anyway. But my seventh brother's tactics are indeed impressive! He managed to use two weak women for his own benefit without any bloodshed."

Night Tianqiong spoke with great difficulty. After finishing, he looked at Qin Yuning and said sarcastically: "And one of them was mine!"

Qin Yuning didn't even glance at Night Tianqiong as she coldly said, "Until I marry you, I am never your woman! Second Prince, don't waste time arguing here. You should better kneel down and beg for mercy; Emperor might spare your life out of fatherly affection."

"So you think that because you haven’t married me, you are not my woman!" Night Tianqiong suddenly burst into laughter upon hearing this. The blood from the knife behind his back flowed freely as he laughed heartily, seemingly oblivious to pain. He reached into his chest and pulled out a stack of papers, throwing them at Qin Yuning while laughing loudly: "Do you remember these These are the gifts that my little sister Mo Ying gave us on our wedding night. I kept them close to me all along; even when you disappeared for several months, I still looked at them every day and thought about what happened that night."

The stack of papers were filled with exquisite spring palace pictures that vividly depicted the scenes from their wedding night. They fell onto Qin Yuning’s body and face. Some of them even landed on the sword she was holding against Night Tianyu's neck, scattering to the ground.

Qin Yuning's face instantly turned pale as her body started trembling uncontrollably.

"Do you remember That night when you were under me, you kept crying and begging for mercy. You looked so pitiful that I felt compassion towards you. How soft and delicate you were! The more you cried, the stronger my desire to make love with you became."

Looking at Qin Yuning's pale face and trembling body, Night Tianqiong seemed to be undressing her in his mind as he spoke each word.

"Shut up!" Qin Yuning spat through gritted teeth.

"Do you remember now That day will always stay fresh in your memory. The mark I left on you can never fade away no matter how long you live. As long as you're alive, you'll remain my woman, and even if you die, you still belong to me because of the child you carried for me."

Despite the blood flowing from his mouth, Night Tianqiong continued laughing while speaking each word in a pointed manner.

Qin Yuning’s body started trembling violently as she almost dropped the sword on Night Tianyu's neck.

"These days you've been submitting to my seventh brother. Did you think about marrying him You would be his sister-in-law, but it doesn't matter. If he wants to take what I left behind, that’s fine with me. But when the two of you make love, will you not remember me"

Night Tianqiong enjoyed Qin Yuning's almost broken face as he smiled and said: "But my seventh brother has always loved Mo Ying; it's a pity! She chose Rong Jing and will never have him. Although you are just a leftover shoe I used, you’re still the most beautiful woman in this city. You can勉強匹配第七王子..."

Qin Yuning suddenly pulled her sword from Night Tianyu’s neck towards Night Tianqiong. Despite her shaking hand, the sword remained sharp and fierce.

Night Tianqiong smiled at Qin Yuning without dodging or blinking, as if even he wished to face it head-on.

Night Tianyi flicked his sleeve lightly, sending Qin Yuning’s sword back. His expression remained unchanged from the moment Night Tianqiong started talking until now; his elegant and handsome brows revealed no emotion as he coldly said to Qin Yuning: "Stop!"

These two simple words seemed to instantly calm Qin Yuning's anger and trembling, as her sword returned to its original position on Night Tianyu’s neck.

"Why stop Qin Yuning, you are still the same as before. No matter whether or not you have a sword in your hand, you’re always timid and obedient like a little lamb when facing men."

Night Tianqiong stared at Qin Yuning; he had laughed so hard that blood flowed from his mouth again. He looked into her eyes and said each word clearly: "Qin Yuning, remember this: even if I die, you will still be the woman who was used by me, hurt by me, and marked by me repeatedly. No matter what happens to me in my life, you can never wash away your past with me."

Qin Yuning didn't seem to hear him as she continued looking blankly at Night Tianyu without glancing at Night Tianqiong.

Night Tianqiong laughed once more and then turned to look directly into Night Tianyi's eyes, saying each word slowly: "Seventh Brother, you were born fiercer than me or my fourth brother. You are like our father; heartless, emotionless, and only caring about the country. You believe you love Mo Ying, but if you ask your own heart, is that really love Compared to everyone else’s love, yours has no value."

Night Tianyi looked at Night Tianqiong calmly without answering.

"Today I lost and tomorrow it will be your turn! No matter how hard you try, Night Tianyi, you won't remain on the throne for long. The Night family's empire is stolen land, even this palace belongs to the Mengmu family. You steal honor, a nation, and a home. As a descendant of the Night family, I also despise it. Today, father is unkind and son is unjust. With my blood as witness, one day the Night family’s rule will collapse just like the Mengmu family did a hundred years ago! Every ancestor in our royal lineage will turn to ashes; no chance for revival!"

Night Tianqiong stared at Night Tianyi and cursed.

"Wicked son, kill him!" The old emperor shouted angrily.

"You don't need to do that. I'll end my life myself." After looking at the old emperor for a moment, Night Tianqiong reached out and grabbed Princess No. 6’s sword, placing it across his own neck as he cut himself. His body fell limp on the ground, dead.

Night Tianqiong did well to die in such a manner! How was that for exciting

Thank you everyone who voted for Ziqing’s New Year's Eve vote! This is just a contest and I don't really want it to be a burden for me or the readers who love my work. The competition costs money, like gold coins. While I'm worried about losing your precious coins, I also don't want us to fall behind in ranking. Because I believe that "Wastrel Concubine" is no worse than any other book out there, wouldn’t you agree Anyway, many contradictions... From August 13th to September 13th, we have a long month ahead of us! We'll try our best without putting too much pressure on ourselves. Kissing your lovely faces!

Since day one, it's you standing behind me that gives me the courage and motivation to keep going, striving for a perfect love legend in "Wastrel Concubine". Group hugs... Love you all my little Ziqing~For the past two days, even she, who had been close companions for over ten years, felt as though she barely knew him; how could others recognize him He was cold and sharp like a sword that had just c...