CHAPTER 677: CHAPTER 559: SUCCESS, THE MIGHT OF EMPEROR LIANG

Meng Qianqian paused her hand holding the needle: "Why?"

The Miao King gasped and said, "The Heart-devouring Gu is easy to plant but hard to extract. Once roused by the Gu Flute, it becomes extremely frenetic. A failed attempt might alarm it, causing it to release a substantial amount of Gu Poison for self-defense."

Meng Qianqian suddenly realized: "I see."

Out of caution, she continued to ask, "However, the Heavenly Silkworm Gu is the king of all Gu. Wouldn’t it frighten it?"

Duke Jiang looked bewildered at the two.

They were clearly speaking human language, so why couldn’t he understand?

The Miao King said, "The Heavenly Silkworm Gu is no ordinary Gu worm. As long as its master isn’t in danger, it won’t release its presence towards other Gu worms."

Meng Qianqian marveled, "No wonder it’s the Gu King. And what about this blood..."

Her gaze fell upon Emperor Liang’s wrist.

The Miao King explained, "Blood that has nurtured the Heavenly Silkworm Gu is highly nourishing. However, the Heart-devouring Gu is not adept at attacking. It is naturally timid; drawing it out requires some time."

Meng Qianqian nodded, her eyes fixed intently on Emperor Liang’s wrist.

Wait for any movement from the Heart-devouring Gu, then deliver a fatal blow.

"Your Majesty! Your concubine has an urgent request!"

Outside the Imperial Study Room, the Empress called out for a long time without any response. Her phoenix eyes flashed with severity, "Xiao Dezi, is it true that His Majesty is discussing matters with Duke Jiang inside the Imperial Study Room?"

Xiao Dezi said, "In response to the Empress, this servant wouldn’t dare to lie."

This was not false. Duke Jiang came to the palace to greet Emperor Liang, who instructed Xiao Dezi to bring him to the Imperial Study Room.

However, when he and Duke Jiang arrived at the Imperial Study Room, Emperor Liang happened to go out to play with Treasure Piggy.

Duke Jiang waited outside, and Xiao Dezi went to find Emperor Liang.

On the way, he met Lu Yuan, who said that His Majesty was inside discussing with Duke Jiang and that no one should disturb them at any cost.

Xiao Dezi could never have guessed that Lu Yuan was deceiving him; he dutifully stood guard outside.

The Empress asked, "Did His Majesty personally give this order?"

Xiao Dezi replied, "It was passed on by Prince Changsun."

The Empress squinted her eyes: "Not him again!"

She turned to look at the female official Tong behind her.

The female official Tong whispered, "Someone has already been sent in haste."

Earlier, when escorting Consort Hu back to her chamber, the Empress secretly sent someone to the Jin Prince Mansion.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Prince Jin arrived in a hurry, accompanied by Prince Rui and King Qi.

The three were drenched in sweat, clearly in a rush.

"Mother."

The three saluted the Empress.

The Empress said solemnly, "You should all know the situation."

Prince Jin nodded. On the way, palace attendants from Kunning Palace had fully recounted the matter of capturing the assassin and the incident of the Imperial Grandson falsely passing imperial orders.

What Lu Yuan did was to a degree where no amount of exaggeration dared to fabricate.

The Empress looked at the tightly shut door: "Duke Jiang is also inside. I’ve called for a long time, but no one has come out. I wonder what they have done to your father?"

Prince Rui frowned: "Could it be that Lu Linyuan has colluded with Duke Jiang to imprison our father?"

King Qi angrily declared: "Outrageous! How dare they be so audacious! Father! Your son has come to rescue you!"

He kicked the door hard!

Lu Yuan waved his sleeve, releasing inner strength to stop the door from opening.

The Miao King held the Miao King’s pulse: "There was just movement... scared back again..."

King Qi, seeing that his first kick didn’t work, unhesitatingly attempted another.

However, before the kick landed, Meng Qianqian shot a silver needle, knocking off King Qi’s hair crown.

King Qi was greatly alarmed.

Prince Rui quickly caught the silver needle between two fingers and said coldly, "The Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles, Phoenix Girl, do you intend to assassinate a prince?"

The Empress’s gaze trembled: "Could it be that His Majesty really has been..."

Prince Jin commanded with authority: "Someone, break down the door for this prince!"

"Let’s see who dares?"

With a sharp voice, Lu Zhaoyan strode forward with a commanding presence.

Behind him were Prince Ming, who finally caught up, and Prince Fu, whom Prince Ming had forcefully dragged along halfway.

Prince Fu sighed heavily upon hearing it was his uncle again.

"Mother."

Accompanied by his two younger brothers, Lu Zhaoyan gave a curt, unsentimental salute to the Empress, "Elder Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother are also here."

Prince Jin coldly questioned: "Second Brother, are you trying to rebel?"

Lu Zhaoyan replied calmly: "Isn’t it Elder Brother who’s considering rebellion?"

Prince Jin retorted coldly: "Stop spouting nonsense! It is you who have imprisoned our father, claimed to arrest the assassin, and nearly killed our mother as well! Now it’s you who are blocking us from seeing our father! If you dare to do it, then admit it. Isn’t this the first day any of us has been our father’s son? Do we not know what kind of temperament our father has?"

Prince Rui added: "Indeed, with Father’s temperament, with such a commotion outside, he would have dragged us out and punished us by now."

Lu Zhaoyan smiled mischievously: "Is that so?"

Prince Rui suddenly remembered that this second brother had never been punished by their father from childhood to adulthood, and couldn’t help but feel regretful.

Prince Jin turned to Prince Fu: "Fifth Brother, are you also going to join them in rebellion? Or do you no longer care about your own uncle’s life or death?"

This was pressuring Prince Fu to pick a side.

Prince Ming stood up and said: "Oh, oh, oh, the one summoned by Father was Fifth Brother’s uncle, not your uncle. Feeling sour?"

Seeing Prince Fu remain silent, Prince Jin laughed coldly, instructing a servant: "Go and report to Consort Hui, say that Duke Jiang is being held hostage in the Imperial Study Room, his fate unknown."

He knew that Consort Jiang wouldn’t care about His Majesty’s fate, but she would definitely care about her own brother’s.

The servant hurried off.

Before long, they returned in a rush.

"What did Imperial Concubine say?"

King Qi asked.

The servant awkwardly replied, "Imperial Concubine said... ’Tell my brother, before you die, remember to take someone down with you’..."

Everyone: "..."

Prince Jin clenched his fist: "It seems you’ve made up your mind to rebel. I will never allow you to harm the Emperor!"

Lu Zhaoyan stood at the door of the Imperial Study Room: "If elder brother wants to force his way in, he must kill me first."

"Is that so?"

Prince Jin gazed deeply at Lu Zhaoyan, "Then don’t blame me for being unkind!"

He raised his hand to attack Lu Zhaoyan.

Prince Ming hurriedly flew to block but was held back by King Qi.

Prince Ming gritted his teeth: "You old fourth!"

Just as Prince Jin’s palm power was about to hit Lu Zhaoyan’s chest, Ji Feng descended from the sky and parried Prince Jin’s palm.

Prince Jin’s brow furrowed deeply: "Ji Feng? You are one of the Emperor’s men, the Emperor is in imminent danger, why aren’t you rushing to save him?"

Ji Feng said, "Sorry, my orders were to protect the Crown Prince."

Prince Jin spoke with a tone of bitter disappointment: "This man harbors ill intentions, the Emperor has been deceived by him!"

Ji Feng’s expression did not change at all: "His Majesty once said that even if he himself wants to kill the Crown Prince, I must stop him."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.

Even Lu Zhaoyan hadn’t expected that the Emperor had given Ji Feng such an order.

Why did the Emperor even guard against himself?

Could it be... the Emperor already foresaw... a day when he would be at odds with his own sons?

Prince Jin clenched his fist: "Summon the Imperial Army! Call General Hu into the palace!"

Duke Jiang was shocked: "Surrounded, surrounded, is he going to wake up or not? If he doesn’t wake up, he’s going to be killed by that old Hu! The military power is in old Hu’s hands!"

"I saw it!"

Meng Qianqian eyed the small bulge on Emperor Liang’s wrist and stuck a needle into it!

The people in the room collectively held their breath.

Duke Jiang held his head, eyes filled with panic: "Did it hit or not..."

Help!

This is a disaster!

His head is going to roll!

If he had known, he would rather have been exiled 3,000 miles away!!!

General Hu, with his trusted leaders, had arrived at the Imperial Study Room, while the Imperial Army surrounded the entire palace, archers were poised and aimed at the door of the Imperial Study Room.

Just waiting for the General’s command to immediately kill all rebels!

Hu Lie cupped his fists to the Empress and said: "Your Majesty, this place is dangerous, please allow me to first send someone to escort you back to Kunning Palace."

"But the Emperor..."

The Empress hesitated.

Hu Lie said: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, as long as I have breath, I will not let the Emperor be controlled by others!"

The Empress said earnestly: "General Hu, you are the Emperor’s most trusted minister. The Emperor’s safety is entrusted to you by us. Do not fail the Emperor’s or our reliance, you must, must rescue the Emperor!"

General Hu knelt on one knee, clasped his fists: "I accept my orders!"

The Empress was escorted out of the Imperial Study Room.

"Your Majesty."

Female official Tong softly asked, "Will the Emperor really be alright?"

The Empress replied: "General Hu is loyal and devoted, he will definitely put the Emperor first."

Female official Tong said worriedly: "But what if..."

The Empress solemnly said: "Even if it is, it is the Crown Prince Mansion’s doing. They arranged for an assassin to enter the palace, in order to silence witnesses, they killed the assassin in our Kunning Palace."

"Princess Consort Chen."

The Empress saw Princess Consort Chen outside the Imperial Study Room.

Princess Consort Chen looked at her coldly: "Empress, does your conscience not hurt?"

The Empress retorted: "My conscience hurts? Shouldn’t it be you who feels pain? Your son and grandson committed regicide, you should think about how to collect their corpses!"

Princess Consort Chen watched the Empress’s departing figure, her eyes full of worry: "Zhaoyan, A Yuan, Little Nine, you must not come to harm..."

General Hu raised his hand, motioning preparation to shoot.

The archers drew their bows fully, the attack was ready to be launched.

"Your Majesty, I am here to save you!"

General Hu said in a loud voice.

Prince Ming had been captured; Prince Fu, while not having taken action, was also surrounded by his subordinates.

"Crown Prince, if you remain obstinate, I can only be disrespectful."

He directly addressed the Crown Prince, not even using the honorific, evidently not intending to spare Lu Zhaoyan.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as long as the Crown Prince was eliminated, Prince Jin could smoothly ascend the throne.

Lu Zhaoyan said resolutely: "I said it before, to get through this door, you must kill me first."

Hu Lie said: "Imprisoning the Emperor is a capital offense, though you are noble as the Crown Prince, I am the Emperor’s minister. Crown Prince, excuse my offense!"

With that, he ordered, "Take down the Crown Prince and Ji Feng!"

The highly skilled leaders charged forward.

At this moment, the door behind Lu Zhaoyan creaked open.

A figure in a bright imperial yellow Dragon Robe, exuding the overwhelming majesty of the Emperor, walked out with awe-inspiring presence.