Chapter 517: Schemes Within Schemes at the Hongmen Banquet (19)

Chapter 517: Plots Within Plots at the Hongmen Banquet (19)

The stars and the moon still shone brightly, their radiance untouched by the carnage unfolding beneath them, nor did they vanish into the night.

They glittered brilliantly, clear and luminous, heralding the fine weather of Dan Liang—its picturesque landscapes bathed in a spring-like breeze.

A splendid and radiant night.

Laughter once again echoed within the Loyalty Hall—laughter of triumph, of unchecked ambition, of long-cherished desires nearing fulfillment. It stripped away any remaining semblance of the dignified bearing befitting a ruler of Dan Liang, leaving only the facade of Dan Liang’s springtime grace.

"Prince Yi and my father-in-law, Cloud King, were tragically ambushed by remnants of the former dynasty and perished together with them. In his final moments, Prince Yi entrusted Zhu Xian to Princess Changle, approving her marriage to the Crown Prince of Dan Liang. Princess Changle will deliver all of Zhu Xian as her dowry into Dan Liang."

With all key figures now gathered in the Rong Palace, the Dan Liang sovereign stood high above, no longer concealing his insatiable ambition as he openly declared his ultimate scheme to the world.

The dying wish of Prince Yi of Zhu Xian, the grand wedding of Princess Changle and the Crown Prince of Dan Liang—uniting the two nations as one family, ensuring the people of Zhu Xian could live in peace and prosperity, their doors unlocked at night. Such harmony and prosperity were the aspirations of all, a cause for boundless joy.

These two nations, already bound by Princess Rongyu’s marriage into the Zhu Xian royal family, would now deepen their ties, ushering in an era of peace for their people.

The same should hold true for Yun Lang and Dan Liang.

Cloud King met an unfortunate demise, and his daughter, the Cloud Queen, disregarding her frail health, personally escorted her father’s remains back to their homeland. During her return, she discovered the new emperor’s frivolous and depraved character, utterly unfit to rule. As a former princess of Yun Lang, how could she stand idly by as her motherland was ruined by such a ruler? Dan Liang and Yun Lang, already linked by marriage, could merge into one, allowing Yun Lang’s people to enjoy the same peace and prosperity as those of Zhu Xian and Dan Liang.

Word by word, he painted his grand vision of a unified realm he had long envisioned—he would become the greatest sovereign in history, the founder of an eternal peace. His deeds would be immortalized in the annals of time, celebrated and remembered for generations to come.

Rong Ke seemed to already see himself standing atop the world, seated high upon a resplendent golden throne, clad in purple-and-gold robes, crowned with a dragon-adorned diadem, bestowing blessings upon all as the masses bowed in reverence.

His soft phoenix eyes brimmed with an all-consuming desire, as though the world itself were beckoning to him. His face, twisted with unchecked ambition, bore no remnant of his regal bearing.

The dream he had nurtured for so many years was finally within reach—he could wait no longer, not even a moment. As soon as he finished proclaiming his grand vision, he raised his hand, and the shadow army surged into motion.

Bloodshed erupted once more. Thick crimson splashed onto the delicate, unopened blooms of the imperial garden, staining each petal with vivid hues, dyeing their roots red. Blood pooled between the rockeries, forming tiny rivulets, until the streams merged into a river of red.

The second wave of shadow soldiers stormed into the Loyalty Hall. Yun Ji, who had yet to ascend the steps or confront Rong Feng, found himself encircled by these hidden troops.

Su Rao, momentarily free, saw Yun Ji trapped just as Xianyi Chishaou was, her brows knitting together once more.

The Eagle Guard, which should have come to their aid, was now unable to reinforce them—they seemed utterly isolated.

"Remnants of the former dynasty, no matter how many tricks you’ve employed, how long you’ve let the *Freedom Pavilion* wreak havoc in Dan Liang with your petty schemes—tonight, your lives end here."

Old Ding, giddy with triumph, swung his cane once more, launching another attack at Su Rao.

Their commanders were trapped. The leaders—Su Rao, Yun Ji, and Xianyi Chishaou—were likewise besieged. To reach the Dan Liang sovereign, they would have to fight their way forward, building it from corpses, before they could hope to end this night of slaughter. Yet that path now seemed impossibly treacherous.

Cloud King, who had been shielded until now, observed the chaos in the hall and could no longer remain passive. He moved, striding along the hall’s balustrade toward a path guarded by Su Wu and the Goldenclad Secret Guards—a route where the children of Dan Liang’s ministers had taken refuge from the carnage. Following this path, he could bypass the fray and reach the upper hall.

"I will kill you all."

A sudden voice rang out.

Before Cloud King could advance, another figure appeared abruptly on the dais. Clad in the garb of the palace guard, his bloodstained clothes washed clean by the lake, he was the same guard who had delivered the earlier report. Yet now he wielded a curved dagger—a weapon of Zhu Xian—its blade aimed straight at the Dan Liang sovereign’s face.

While all eyes were fixed on the battlefield, this man had swum through the lake, emerging from the waters to launch this sudden assassination attempt.

Strike where least expected, attack where least prepared.

His voice seethed with hatred, yet it sent Xiao Yu—leaning weakly against a pillar below—jerking her head up, her eyes wide with sudden excitement.

Rong Feng, too, stiffened, his focus shifting from the hall to the assassin as he lunged forward.

Just as the curved dagger in the assassin's hand was inches away from the face of the Emperor of Dan Liang, Rong Feng suddenly shouted:

"Father, stop—"

His cry was not out of concern for the safety of the Emperor of Dan Liang and his consort, but rather for the assassin.

Yet, even as Rong Feng shouted, the Emperor of Dan Liang had already acted. With a swift motion of his right hand, his palm bypassed the curved dagger and clamped onto the assassin's wrist, bones crunching under his grip as the dagger immediately fell from the assassin's grip. The Emperor of Dan Liang then seized the dagger with his left hand and plunged it into the assassin's abdomen, followed by a forceful palm strike that sent the assassin hurtling through the air.

The dagger was yanked out, sending a spray of blood arcing through the air.

With a loud thud, the assassin crashed into the pillar carved with coiling dragons of the hall, coughing up a mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground. The imperial guard helmet she wore fell off, revealing long, disheveled hair and her face.

"*Cough*... *cough*—"

It was her—Xianmu Yaling, the real one. She had come.

"Ling... 'er—"

In a panic, Rong Feng lurched toward Xianmu Yaling, frantically scooping her into his arms.

"Ling'er... Ling'er..."

His hands trembled as he pressed against the wound on her abdomen, wiping the blood from her lips. Yet, no matter how hard he pressed, the blood kept welling up from her abdomen and mouth, soaking his left hand in crimson.

Xianmu Yaling, who should have been unconscious in a safe place, had somehow appeared here.

Her assassination attempt on the Emperor of Dan Liang mirrored her past attempt on Emperor Yun Lang.

Her arrival once again disrupted the escalating bloodshed in the hall.

The moment Rong Feng shouted his first words, the slaughter in the hall froze for a heartbeat.

After all, how could Old Ding and the dark army stay composed when an assassin managed to break through their tight encirclement and nearly strike the Emperor of Dan Liang? That brief distraction was all Su Rao and the others needed.

Capitalizing on the moment, Su Rao, Yun Ji, and Xianyi Chishaou regrouped and broke free from the encircling dark army.

Su Rao struck Old Ding's chest with a palm strike, sending him reeling, blood spraying from his lips.

Only by jamming his cane into the tiles did he manage to stop himself from falling further, kneeling on one knee as he clutched his chest, hacking up mouthfuls of blood, his face draining of color.

Yun Ji and Xianyi Chishaou also broke free from the dark army's encirclement, retreating to Su Rao's side.

Xianyi Chishaou's gaze fixed on the hall before he moved again, vaulting over the dark army's ranks and storming swiftly toward Xianmu Yaling.