But there were too many fireballs, rolling down ceaselessly. The wooden huts, thatched grass, and paper money around became the perfect kindling. In the blink of an eye, the fire was raging out of control.
"Put out the fire! Hurry and put out the fire!"
The villagers who had been standing in an orderly manner on both sides just now had scattered in all directions. The solemn funeral procession had turned into a complete mess.
Everything happened so fast that Zhuo Lingxiao was completely stunned. He watched helplessly as the rolling fireballs bounced everywhere and people fled with their heads in their hands. He didn't even notice when those masked men jumped down from the roofs on both sides and ran towards him with their swords drawn.
"Puff—" The sound of a sword piercing flesh.
Zhuo Lingxiao only felt a sharp pain in his chest, and everything in front of him suddenly became blurred.
"Brother Lingxiao!"
Before he fell, he only heard Princess Yunxi's panicked cry.
He lifted his eyes, wanting to say something, but finally lost his strength and sank into eternal darkness.
Princess Yunxi couldn't get close. The fireballs kept exploding, and the guards blocked her firmly, making her unable to move. She could only watch helplessly as Zhuo Lingxiao's body was pierced by one sword after another.
"An eye for an eye!" one of the men suddenly shouted.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
By the time Feng Linche received the news of Zhuo Lingxiao's death, Zhuo Yi had already rushed into the imperial study with his sword in hand and his eyes bloodshot.
"Feng Linche! If you think it was my son who killed Feng Jingxuan, you could have just ordered his punishment. But instead, you said nothing openly and secretly sent assassins to kill my son right on the street. What's the meaning of this?!"
Zhuo Yi held the sword in his hand. The blade was sharp, splitting a wooden table as it stood there, the blade trembling continuously and emitting a buzzing sound.
Even Feng Linche, who was used to seeing all sorts of things, changed his complexion at this sight.
"What are you talking about, Your Highness? When did I ever send assassins to kill the young master? Don't slander me!"
The eunuch beside him also shouted in panic, "You, you, you! Bringing weapons into the palace is a great disrespect! You should be beheaded..."
"Kill or torture me if you dare! Feng Linche, why did you go after my son!" Zhuo Yi took a step forward, his eyes full of killing intent.
Feng Linche had never been so scared before.
Zhuo Yi was a battle - hardened general. When he fully unleashed his murderous aura, how could Feng Linche, an emperor who had always been well - protected by the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion and had never been on the battlefield in his life, resist?
He staggered back a step, looking at the sword in horror with his eyes, "I didn't do it. I said I didn't and that's the truth!"
"Just because you say you didn't? Feng Linche, you're really something!" Zhuo Yi stabbed fiercely, the sword pointing straight at Feng Linche's chest.
"Protect the emperor! Someone, protect the emperor!" The eunuch was so scared that his legs went weak. He shrieked at the top of his voice.
But there was no movement outside.
Feng Linche's face turned deathly pale.
But Zhuo Yi suddenly laughed, "Do you think you know why I could just barge in here as if there were no one around?"
"You, you dare!" Feng Linche cried out in despair.
"My son has been killed by you. What else do I have to be afraid of!" Zhuo Yi was hysterical. He pushed the sword another inch into Feng Linche's chest.
Feng Linche froze completely, not daring to move at all. His mind was quickly spinning through all the possible ways to get out of this situation, but he despairingly found that in the past, at times like this, it was always the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion that came to his rescue. In the entire Yongding, only they had such ability.
But now, would Feng Linyuan come to save him?
Thinking of this, his voice trembled, "Zhuo Yi, back then, since I didn't pursue the young master Zhuo's crime of burning Xuan'er to death, I had already made up my mind not to fall out with your Western Liang because of this matter.
Think about it. I've always put the country and its people first. Do you think I'm the kind of person who would risk the entire Great Zhou for the sake of my son?"
Feng Linche's words were extremely shameless, but it had to be said that he had really hit the nail on the head with Zhuo Yi.
No one knew better than Zhuo Yi what Feng Linche valued most.
Back then, he was the heartless emperor who had cooperated with the Western Liang, ceded his own territory, and massacred the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion and the Changping Army.
For the sake of stabilizing his throne, what wouldn't this guy do?
Zhuo Yi lowered his eyes, and his movements with the sword gradually slowed down.
"Uncle Wang." Suddenly, a calm and indifferent voice sounded from outside.
A woman in all white stood at the door. Her long black hair was a bit disheveled, and there was a white flower in her hairpin. Looking closely, one could find a drop of bright red blood on the white flower.
And her white clothes were mostly stained with blood, making her cold expression look even more enchanting.
It was Princess Yunxi.
She was holding a round object in her hand. She stepped over the threshold and threw the object on the ground with one hand.
The object rolled all the way to Feng Linche's feet.
Feng Linche took a closer look and immediately turned pale. A chill suddenly rose up and rushed wildly through his body. His legs went weak, and he slumped to the ground.
It was... it was Feng Jingye's head!
"Not done yet? Uncle Wang is being a bit too slow." Princess Yunxi walked in expressionlessly. Her cold gaze fell on Feng Linche. There were a few streaks of blood on her face, making her look extremely strange.
"Ye'er!" Feng Linche cried out hoarsely. The eunuch beside him had fainted from fear.
Princess Yunxi frowned impatiently, "So noisy."
Feng Linche immediately fell silent.
He had already keenly caught a blatant killing intent in Princess Yunxi's eyes.
Zhuo Yi lowered his eyes and looked at Feng Jingye's head rolling on the ground in silence. Feng Jingye's eyes were wide open in horror, as if he couldn't believe that he would suddenly face such a disaster.
With such a big upheaval happening, there was not a single sound outside the imperial study. Even Empress Chu didn't show up. Feng Linche trembled violently.
I'm afraid the entire palace has already been controlled by the people of Western Liang.
He looked up in fear at Zhuo Yi and Princess Yunxi, especially Princess Yunxi. His lips trembling, he asked, "What, what do you want to do to me?"
"What do you think?" Princess Yunxi's deep voice was filled with coldness. "You're the father of the Third Prince, but you watched as his body was torn apart and couldn't even punish the real culprit. What's the use of you? Since you can't do it and you're not willing to do it, then this princess will!"
Saying this, she seemed a bit excited. She pointed at Feng Jingye's head. "Look, this is exactly what your vicious son deserves! House arrest? House arrest is nothing! He made the Third Prince die without a whole body. He doesn't deserve a decent death either!"
As she spoke, Princess Yunxi kicked Feng Jingye's head hard. The head rolled away again and stopped only after hitting a pillar heavily.
Feng Linche's heart trembled violently.
His sons, all his sons were gone.
The Great Zhou was finished...
"Uncle Wang, what are you waiting for? Brother Lingxiao is impatient. He doesn't like it when we drag things out for too long." Princess Yunxi reminded coldly.