Chapter 147 Very Familiar!

Chapter 147: Very Familiar!

Xiao Jing hesitated for a moment, then withdrew his sword.

"Guards!" he suddenly yelled, his voice sharp and piercing. "Go to the Huguo Temple! Invite the great masters here at once!"

Several guards acknowledged the order and hurried away, their footsteps fading quickly outside the hall.

Xiao Yan was once again surrounded and restrained, yet no one dared to touch him again; they simply let him stand in the middle.

He was treated like a fearsome demon, waiting for someone to come and subdue him.

Zhang Yanling, who had been stabbed by Xiao Jing, now lay collapsed on the ground. Though the wound was not fatal, it bled profusely, staining the floor a ghastly red.

The atmosphere in the hall fell into a tense deadlock once more.

Xiao Jing's gaze swept over the kneeling officials as he demanded loudly, "Now, I ask you: is there anyone who still refuses to recognize me as emperor?"

A deathly silence fell upon the hall; no one spoke.

Xiao Jing's expression grew increasingly grim.

Just then, Xiao K rushed out eagerly and said to Xiao Yan,

"Host, try to buy some time! I have been monitoring His Majesty's condition, and I've detected that he will wake up very shortly!"

Xiao Yan felt a flicker of surprise.

Xiao K was a little proud and couldn't help boasting even at a time like this: "Oh, my formula is just too effective! After just over half a month, the toxins in His Majesty's body have been fully cleared~"

Xiao Yan looked toward the door. The Golden Throne Hall was tightly surrounded, the great gate sealed shut, so he could not even see the sky outside the hall.

But he remembered that when he returned from the imperial mausoleum, it was already dark as he entered the palace gate. Now another hour or two had gone by...

Xiao K added, "Once His Majesty wakes up, plus travel time, I estimate he can arrive around dawn!"

Xiao Yan's eyes darkened; this period of time was not short.

And seeing Xiao Jing's state, he seemed almost entirely mad, and who knew what other insane things he might do?

"Your Highness, please calm your anger."

Suddenly, a voice rang out in the silent hall.

The voice was as steady as a mountain, unhurried, like a bucket of cold water thrown into a boiling pot of oil, instantly freezing the tension in the hall.

Xiao Jing looked toward the speaker.

Liu Wenyuan bowed his head slightly, crawled forward a few steps on his knees, and knelt before Xiao Jing.

His robe was stained with Zhang Yanling's blood, his face displaying only the composure of a seasoned veteran official who had weathered many storms in officialdom.

"Your Highness," Liu Wenyuan raised his head, meeting Xiao Jing's crazed eyes. "Your Highness has served as regent and contributed greatly to the state, a fact evident to all. If Your Highness wishes to succeed to the throne, it is only natural in terms of both reason and sentiment."

He glanced sideways at his colleague lying on the ground, enduring pain, a trace of pity flashing in his eyes.

He and Lord Zhang had served as court officials for decades, and he knew this man's character well—upright and stubborn, which was precisely why he had suffered greatly in this affair.

As the head of the civil officials, he, Liu Wenyuan, could not remain silent at such a time, but he could not be as unyielding as Lord Zhang.

Hearing Liu Wenyuan's words, Xiao Jing's face turned cold: "Lord Liu, what do you mean by that?"

Liu Wenyuan continued, "But Your Highness, ascending the throne is a great state affair; how can it be so hasty? His Majesty is still alive, and His Dragon Body is unwell. If Your Highness were to ascend the throne now, what would the people say? How would the historians record it?"

His voice grew steadier: "In my humble opinion, it would be better to postpone today's affair for now. When His Majesty recovers, he can issue an abdication decree. That way, Your Highness's enthronement will be legitimate, the people's hearts will be won over, and it will be a splendid tale in the annals of history."

He finished speaking, then bowed until his forehead touched the ground:

"This old minister is completely sincere, thinking only of Your Highness's interests. I beg Your Highness to consider this carefully."

These words were watertight, but how could Xiao Jing, in his current state, fail to see that this was a delaying tactic?

He gave a cold laugh, murmuring: "...natural in reason and sentiment? Legitimate? Hah..."

Didn't he know what would happen to him if his good father woke up?

He had already been backed into a corner; there was no other choice.

He could only seal off the palace gates, allowing no one in or out until he completely controlled the situation, then announce to the outside world that "the new emperor has ascended the throne, all officials have paid their respects, and the palace gates are temporarily closed."

By then everything would be settled, and the missing emperor could be left to remain ill forever.

"So Lord Liu... are you also going to oppose me?"

Xiao Jing's voice was so low it seemed squeezed from deep within his chest. He stared at Liu Wenyuan kneeling before him, and the last shred of rationality in his heart finally snapped.

These people... these reckless people... why would none of them willingly submit to him?

Why did they all have to oppose him?!

Xiao Jing picked up the sword from the ground and advanced toward Liu Wenyuan.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger! Your Highness, please calm your anger!"

The hall was filled with pleas for mercy, but Liu Wenyuan remained kneeling without moving.

He knew well that with Xiao Jing in this state, nothing they said would be of any use.

He would inevitably be injured today. He only hoped to keep his life so he could return home to see his wife and children.

He hoped only that the Golden Throne Hall would not become a river of blood.

Just as the sword's edge was about to reach his body, Liu Wenyuan slowly closed his eyes.

With a kind of righteous determination.

He awaited the sting of pain.

But the anticipated sword did not come; neither did he feel any pain.

Instead, there was a crisp "ding—"

As if metal had struck something hard, followed by the clang of the long sword hitting the ground.

Liu Wenyuan suddenly opened his eyes.

Xiao Jing stood before him, his hands empty, his twisted face full of shock.

Following Xiao Jing's gaze, he realized that it was the mysterious Prince Yu who had made the move...

Liu Wenyuan was also astonished.

It was only then that he realized that His Highness Prince Yu had actually saved him?

Why?

"Xiao Yan!!!" Xiao Jing roared furiously.

Xiao Yan seemed to snap back to reality, and he regretfully withdrew his gaze from the distant ground.

This glance caught Liu Wenyuan's attention, and he followed his gaze once more.

Then his eyes slowly widened.

Not far from him lay a warm, greenish-white jade ring buckle, carved with bamboo leaves and cloud patterns.

It looked very familiar!

Prince Yu had just used this to knock the sword from Prince Rui's hand!

This jade ring, which his son had worn since childhood… why was it in Prince Yu's hands?

Xiao Yan let out a soft sigh.

He cast another glance at the ground in the distance.

He wondered if it had broken…

The situation had been urgent, and he had nothing else handy, so he simply hurled the jade ring he always carried.

A life was at stake, especially as it was Liu Qingci's father.

He had no time to lament.

Xiao Jing was still shouting, "Xiao Yan, don't be so insolent!"

"Xiao Jing, you still want to harm someone?" Xiao Yan reminded him. "Lord Liu is the father of your good friend."

He deliberately emphasized the word "good friend."

Hearing this, Xiao Jing grew even more agitated.

"Liu Qingci… Liu Qingci…" he gritted his teeth and demanded, "How dare you mention Liu Qingci?!"

Hearing his son's name, Liu Wenyuan immediately perked up his ears.

Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to hear more.

A guard staggered through the side door into the hall, fell to the ground, and said in a faltering voice, "Your, Your Highness! Disaster—the palace gates are breached! A large force has come from outside!"

Xiao Jing spun around, "Who? Where did they come from?!"

The guard lay prostrate on the ground, trembling all over: "I don't know, Your Highness… but there are an estimated ten thousand cavalry. Our men… can't hold them."

Before Xiao Jing even had time to react,

his stunned expression froze as he heard the heavy doors of the Golden Throne Hall being pushed open.

The massive doors groaned dully in the night wind, like a long sigh.

Then came the dull, rhythmic sound of footsteps.

Countless soldiers in black armor, holding swords, flooded into the hall. They stood in ranks, silent as a forest, their dark armor glinting coldly in the torchlight.

The soldiers split into two lines, opening a path.

It stretched from outside the hall all the way inside, to the foot of the imperial steps.

On either side stood dense rows of armored men, expressionless, eyes fixed straight ahead.

The middle path was empty, only the night wind blowing in from outside, fluttering everyone's robes.

Everyone's eyes turned to the end of that path.

To the thick, impenetrable darkness outside the hall.

That night there was no moon, only a few sparse stars coldly hanging in the sky.

Those faint stars could not penetrate the dense darkness, only faintly outlining an endless depth beyond the hall's doors.

A figure stepped slowly out of that darkness.

The newcomer was backlit, completely shrouded in a mix of light and shadow; only a silhouette was visible.

The night wind blew from behind him, billowing his robes, making a soft whipping sound.

Xiao Yan stood there, his gaze falling on the backlit figure.

The moment the person took his first step, he recognized him.

"Ah…"

The only thing he heard was Xiao K's voice in his mind.

Xiao K, too, seemed stunned, its voice still a little dazed, "Host…"

"…Your wife has come to save you."