When Chu Zhiyan woke up, the corpse beside him exuded a cold smell. Black crows circled in the sky, looking for an opportunity to strike. Cold winds blew from all around, and there was not a single glimmer of light.
The blood from the wounds on his body had stopped flowing, but the one on his chest was too deep, and blood was still oozing out bit by bit. In order not to arouse the suspicion of the Lin family, Di Lanmo had stabbed him hard and quickly. Even though he had used his internal energy to protect his heart meridian, he still felt a stabbing pain at this moment.
The bitter taste of the medicine in his mouth had dissipated, and she would no longer coax him with candied fruits. Those people wanted the Phoenix Seal Order on her. He didn't know how they would torture her, so he had to go back earlier.
He lit the hidden signal flare with a trembling hand. Soon, the sound of clattering hooves came. Lin Qing, dressed in tight-fitting clothes, dismounted and saluted, "My lord, the 500,000-strong army has assembled and is ready to attack the city at any time."
Chu Zhiyan waved his hand, "Don't be in a hurry. We'll wait until the emperor invites us into the imperial city."
The man took the order and escorted him back to the army.
At the General's Mansion.
Mrs. Lin opened the box and found a treasure map inside, which clearly marked the location of the Jiang family.
Now, the entire imperial palace would be hers. The debt the dog emperor owed could finally be repaid one by one.
Di Mingye pushed the door open and mumbled, "Why did you come back alone? The emperor personally assigned us the task of searching for the Phoenix Seal Order, which shows that he has high hopes for the General's Mansion. Maybe he'll even make us marquises of a different surname. At this critical moment, don't embarrass me."
"Idiot."
"Are you tired of living, woman? How dare you talk to me like this? Do you believe that I'll divorce you first as soon as I become a marquis?"
Mrs. Lin sneered. The image of the meek and humble woman from the past had completely disappeared from her. Instead, there was an oppressive aura, as if she were high above, looking down on everyone, as if no one in the world was worthy of her nostalgia.
Di Mingye looked at his wife, whose aura had changed drastically. Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, he seemed to understand something. Pointing at her, he shouted, "You, you're the former princess Shangguan Qinghe?"
Mrs. Lin burst into laughter, "Di Mingye, aren't you regretting it now? I just put my personal jade pendant in Lin Ya'er's bedroom and pretended to seduce you. I didn't expect you to actually attack your lawfully wedded wife. All those five years of affection were in vain."
"You, is the Phoenix Seal Order real?"
"Of course it's real. But do you know what the Phoenix Seal Order is? It's just something I made up secretly to scare people."
She looked at Di Mingye, with hatred flashing in her eyes. "If the Jiang family hadn't defected to you back then, how could my Shangguan family have been defeated so miserably? It should have been me sitting on the throne. It's a pity that they were too smart. After helping Chu Zhi get the throne, they immediately resigned from office and went into seclusion. No one could find them. If it weren't for the young daughter of the Jiang family being seduced by your sweet words, how could I have traced the location of the Jiang family?"
Di Mingye drew out his sword and stood in front of her.
"If I capture you and report this to the emperor, the title of marquis will be within my reach. You're just a remnant of the former dynasty and a woman. Do you really think you can leave the General's Mansion alive?"
Mrs. Lin wasn't panicked at all in the face of such a threat. She knew this man too well. To him, so - called benevolence, righteousness, and loyalty were all bullshit. As long as there was enough profit, he could betray anyone.
She took light steps, and every move exuded a charming and heart - pounding allure.
Di Mingye's heart skipped a beat. Why hadn't he noticed before that his wife was so beautiful?
Mrs. Lin blew a breath at him and drew circles on his chest with her fingers in an ambiguous way.
"My lord, we've been sleeping in the same bed for so many years. Can you bear to do this to me?"
She tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned towards him. Her long and narrow eyes were full of charm.
"Moreover, my lord, as long as we join hands to drive the emperor down, I'm the legitimate heir to the throne. When the time comes, I'll sit firmly in the harem, and you'll be the supreme emperor of the world."
Seeing that the man was clearly wavering, she continued, "My lord, all your current efforts can only make you a royal relative, and you still have to face the danger of the emperor taking away your power from time to time, just like the Prince of Qin today. You're only one step away from that position. Why not just ascend to the high position directly?"
Di Mingye had to admit that he was tempted. He had been struggling to climb up all his life, and now a shortcut to the peak of power was right in front of him. With just one choice, he could be the emperor.
He glanced at Mrs. Lin beside him and felt disdain in his heart. Mrs. Lin was just a woman. Even if he helped her get the throne, she wouldn't know how to govern. In the end, it would still be him sitting on the throne.
After thinking it through, he hugged Mrs. Lin with a look of deep affection.
"My lady is right. We've been in love for so many years, and even the emperor can't separate us. I'll do whatever my lady says."
Mrs. Lin lay in his arms and blushed with a shy smile, but there was nothing but ridicule deep in her eyes.
Inside the imperial palace.
The emperor paced back and forth anxiously. He didn't know how the matter of dealing with the Prince of Qin was going, and why General Di still hadn't sent him any news.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something's wrong!" The eunuch who served beside him rushed in in a panic, followed by the dying commander of the imperial guards lying on a stretcher.
Chu Zhi had a bad feeling, but he still pretended to be calm and asked, "Don't curse me. Quickly tell me what happened?"
The commander struggled to get off the stretcher and knelt on the ground. His face was ashen.
"Your Majesty, General Di led the army out of the city last night. Most of the imperial guards died while suppressing the Prince of Qin. Except for me, the others were poisoned and killed by Mrs. Lin. I suspect that Mrs. Lin fled with the Phoenix Seal Order and colluded with General Di to plot a rebellion!"
After saying that, he couldn't hold on any longer and vomited a mouthful of blood. The blood happened to cover the dragon's head on the pillar.
Chu Zhi frowned. The severed dragon's head didn't seem to be a good omen. But he didn't have time to think about these things now. He quickly arranged for the imperial doctor to treat the commander and summoned other officials to discuss countermeasures.
"Your Majesty, General Di is an old fool, and Mrs. Lin isn't smart either. So I think we don't need to be afraid of them."
Chu Zhi frowned tightly, "But the Phoenix Seal Order is in their hands. Have you all forgotten the rumor?"
"Your Majesty, the rumor is just a rumor. There's no need to be afraid. The guards in the imperial palace can definitely resist those undisciplined troops."
Chu Zhi still couldn't feel at ease. It was the first time that there was blood in the imperial study, and it just happened to be on the severed dragon's head. He always felt that something bad was about to happen.
"Your Majesty, we can summon the army of the Prince of Qin into the capital to defend the imperial city. Anyway, the Prince of Qin is dead, and it was Mrs. Lin who personally killed the princess of the Prince of Qin. We just need to stir up the conflict between them and reap the benefits."
Chu Zhi thought it was a good idea, "Then do as you suggest. Go and persuade the army of the Prince of Qin."
The minister took the order and retreated. No one noticed the flash of a successful smile in his eyes.