Qi Yue was caught off guard by his successful sneak attack and immediately felt a wave of heat running through his body, which was about to make a fool out of him. Qi Yue had to instantly divert a portion of internal force to suppress his body's reaction, but somehow he was still agitated within his chest.
He backhanded Qing Yun's arm and fiercely pulled him into his arms.
The close contact immediately made Qing Yun smell a familiar scent, and his expression immediately became dark.
This Northern General, who was so loyal to the Third Prince that he eventually cut off Yan Sa's head with his sword, was the man he was looking for!
He was just thinking about when he would see him, but this man was thinking about how to assassinate him?
"Gongzi unexpectedly did such a cunning thing?" Qi Yue laughed, not feeling the impending crisis. He looked at the youth's slightly pale lips and said in a warm voice, "Your body's roots are damaged, don't use force again. Otherwise, your body will not be able to withstand it."
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a strong wind hit him and was instantly kicked backward by Qing Yun.
"Scram!" The young man's anger and sternness were pleasant to Qi Yue's ears. He did not know why the youth was annoyed and only wanted to come up to him again.
Watching the two men tumbling on the roof, Wei Lin, who had already sent someone to call the Imperial Guard, was so frightened that he almost fainted. The Grand Prince, that is the Grand Prince, who is incredibly weak, ah, if he falls...
Although Chen Bing was worried, he had witnessed Qing Yun's taming of the Imperial Guard, so he reassured Wei Lin: "Court Elder Wei does not need to worry. Gongzi has been practicing martial arts since he was young to strengthen his body. Although his body still suffers from illness, he still has some accomplishment in martial arts."
Another person present was even more anxious than Wei Lin, and that was Qi Yue's military commander. Seeing that Qing Yun was able to fight Qi Yue to a draw, his eyes were about to fall off.
But what's going on with the General today? The calmness and composure he had were thrown away. It was like he had taken the wrong medicine and got addicted to fighting?
The Grand Prince is not present, and the assassination failed, so of course, they must flee immediately. Otherwise, they will be in trouble when the Imperial Guard surrounds the city if they want to leave!
Watching Qi Yue sticking towards the white-clothed youth again, the military commander scratched his head and followed Qi Yue's figure, but could not join the battle. He finally could not help but yell: "Boss, it will be too late if we don't go now!"
Qi Yue froze, looked up, and saw a familiar signal smoke rising in the distance.
The military commander and Qi Yue's face immediately serious. What happened on the side of the Third Prince that even this emergency signal smoke was released?
Seeing Qi Yue's face, Qing Yun sneered: "What? Something happened to your master, Yan Lan?"
Qi Yue subconsciously wanted to argue that he was not Yan Lan's lackey, but the Imperial Guard had already arrived behind him, so he had to pull out and leave.
Before leaving, Qi Yue took away the fan from the young man's hand with a tricky move, and at the same time, left a message: "The Grand Prince is not a good master. I hope you will find another way out!"
Qing Yun came down from the upper floor. Wei Lin immediately ran up and asked nervously, "Xiang Feng, are you okay?"
Xiang Feng? His name is Xiang Feng?
Qi Yue, who was already far away, faintly heard Wei Lin's words. He could not help but put this name to his lips and murmur softly.
As he said this, Qi Yue once again laughed lowly. His eyes were filled with appreciation, and there was a hint of deep-seated admiration, which made the military commander look horrified. He only thought that his General had come to the Capital from the north and was not accustomed to the place, but why was he so strange?
Qing Yun expressionlessly stared at Qi Yue's back as he left.
What was the meaning of this man's last words? Could it be that he hadn't recognized him as the Grand Prince?
Seeing Qing Yun's face, Wei Lin, Wang Ming, and Fang Rui, the commander of the imperial army who hurriedly arrived, as well as the Minister of Rites, who had been so frightened, knelt in front of him and did not dare to utter a single breath.
The Grand Prince has been in power for two months, but they have gradually figured out the temperament of the Grand Prince. They know that the few times he is angry, he is like this, his face is calm to the extreme, but his phoenix eyes are deep with anger.
Moreover, the Grand Prince will not easily become angry. If he becomes angry, he will have a thunderous power, and these people may suffer.
The Minister of Rites' face was practically white. He had not expected that the Grand Prince would come to Qing Yang Building and had seen today's discussion.
He also didn't expect that the Grand Prince would be attacked in Qing Yang Building, and the criminal was so reckless that he even spoke ill of the Grand Prince.
After thinking about it, the Minister of Rites also gradually moved his mind. The First Prince was attacked today, could it be the Third Prince's work?
What the Minister of Rites can think of, Wei Lin can naturally think of as well. Moreover, he was afraid that something would happen to the eldest prince. Without regard to his own safety, he was extremely close to the two people fighting and vaguely heard Qing Yun's words.
The masked man today is General Qi Yue of the North? The Third Prince was able to invite him here?
After a moment's thought, Wei Lin thought of the reason for Qi Yue's return to the Capital. It is known that Qi Yue is one of the great generals under Emperor Hongming and is trusted by him, so if something happens to Emperor Hongming, he will naturally come from the northern border to save him.
Thinking of Emperor Hongming, Wei Lin frowned. He would have to work harder.
The people in the room have their own thoughts. Qing Yun also withdrew his gaze and looked around the people surrounding him. He waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "Do not cause a commotion, go back to the palace."
The group then left in a great hurry.
"The Grand Prince was attacked?" Emperor Hongming, who was under house arrest in Jing Yang Palace, heard the news. He immediately slapped the table and said angrily, "What kind of people are those around him doing? How could they let the Grand Prince encounter an assassin right here in the Capital!"
The Emperor seemed to feel that he was too concerned about his unfilial son and immediately flung his sleeves and said, "Humph, he does not think of himself, why run outside the palace when his health is not good!"
Eunuch Su followed the Emperor around, persuading Emperor Hongming to calm down while thinking, 'His Majesty's attitude towards the eldest prince is getting stranger and stranger these days.'
But what was even more strange to Eunuch Su was the way the Grand Prince treated the Emperor. He took care of Emperor Hongming without fail. The reason why the Emperor was able to survive with a crumbling body until now was all thanks to the medicine sent by the Grand Prince.
But why did the Grand Prince, who conspired to usurp the throne, work so hard to seek medicine and stretch out the Emperor's life?
There is also the move of sending over the situation in the court day by day, which is simply like...like a child who is not valued by his parents, taking the achievements in his hands to win the appreciation of his parents.
As soon as this thought came out, Eunuch Su immediately shook his head to shake off the unrealistic conjecture in his mind. He has witnessed the ruthlessness of the Grand Prince and now knows even more that he has mature and sophisticated methods, so he would not do such a thing.
Emperor Hongming has now become accustomed to his own situation. After raising his voice twice, no one paid attention to him except for Eunuch Su. He calmed himself down, sat at the table, and looked at the things that Wei Lin sent today.
Since Wei Lin knew that Qing Yun did not restrict Emperor Hongming's understanding of the Imperial court, he would write down the amazing words of the Grand Prince from time to time, or the deeds that made him marvel, and send them to Emperor Hongming.
"It doesn't matter if it's a broken flower or a broken wood, it can still be useful." With these words, Emperor Hongming's face was clouded with uncertainty. He eventually grunted and said, "This Wei Lin is good. He knows how to work for his master."
However, although his tone is not worried, his eyes are revealing a thoughtful look. Finally, he shook his head and sighed in frustration, smiling bitterly: "Wei Lin is thinking too much. He sent these messages day after day, wanting to change the prince's impression in my heart. But I wonder, now that I am like a tiger that has fallen from grace, what is the use of my opinion? Does the prince's ascension to the throne require a word from me?"
In fact, Emperor Hongming had long understood that in the present-day Great Yan Empire, his words no longer mattered. Perhaps the Third Prince, Yan Lan, still needed the support of his decree to ascend to the throne. However, Yan Sa was different, and what he did was utterly more useful than a decree from Emperor Hongming.
Time and time again, he sighed at this child's talent, and sometimes Emperor Hongming was even both proud and ashamed of himself. But even so, Emperor Hongming could not let go of the fact that the eldest prince had forced the palace to imprison him.
If the prince was unhappy with his decision to appoint the Third Prince as Crown Prince, he could have shown his talent long ago. Why did he force his way to usurp the throne?
The older the Emperor became, the less he could tolerate the betrayal of his own son, so he preferred to support a seemingly obedient Third Prince to the throne rather than his unworthy eldest son.
Eunuch Su looked at Emperor Hongming's gloomy face again, and a thought rolled around in his heart. He wanted to say it but didn't dare to say it. However, these days, relying on Emperor Hongming for his life has made Eunuch Su no longer afraid of Emperor Hongming as he was before.
So he hesitated and still said what was on his mind: "Your Majesty, you said that the Grand Prince's ascension to the throne had not needed a word from you, but why...has the Grand Prince held the Imperial court so far, but never ascended to the throne?"
Hearing that even Eunuch Su by his side is also speaking for the eldest prince, Emperor Hongming subconsciously wants to open his mouth to reprimand him, but there was a sudden shift in his heart.
Yes, why has this child delayed ascending to the throne to this point?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that there seemed to be a hidden agenda. Emperor Hongming once again called towards the court lady outside: "Pass a message to the eldest prince to see me!"
Emperor Hongming has said similar words countless times but never saw the Grand Prince. This time he was really serious in asking, so when he saw that no one was paying attention to him, Emperor Hongming was annoyed in his heart, and his temper grew bigger and bigger.
When Chen Bing delivered the medicine today, he was nearly smashed in the head by the tealight thrown over by the Emperor.
"Where is the eldest prince? Let him come to see me!" Emperor Hongming said in an unkind tone as he looked at Chen Bing.
Chen Bing took a look at his appearance and immediately laughed inside. I'm afraid this old Emperor is still confused about his identity, and now he is even so arrogant.
Although he thought so, Chen Bing did not dare to make a rude appearance.
After all, the attitude of the Grand Prince towards Emperor Hongming is indeed incomprehensible to Chen Bing. If he is concerned, why did he imprison Emperor Hongming and let him live such a humiliating life with his supreme status? If he did not care, why did he bother to hang Emperor Hongming's life with medicine?
"Your Majesty, calm your anger. the Grand Prince is busy with political affairs every day, and his body is lingering sick, so I am afraid he cannot come to see you." Chen Bing respectfully replied to Emperor Hongming's words.
It was probably because of Chen Bing's respectful attitude that Emperor Hongming found his former vigor in the court again and immediately rebuked: "Busy with political affairs? Sick? He has time to run out of the palace, but no time to see his father?"
"So unfilial, if Yuan Yuan knew, she would definitely not recognize him as her son!"
When Emperor Hongming said this, the room became silent. Even Emperor Hongming also slightly regretted it. The Empress was thirteen years old when she became seriously ill for no apparent reason and died soon.
In this entire harem, the Emperor's favorite woman is the Empress. Even the later favored mother of the third prince, Concubine Shu, was favored by Emperor Hongming because of her five-point resemblance to the Empress.
Chen Bing, who has been following the Grand Prince, knows that the Empress's death is the situation that marked a change in the Grand Prince. The Grand Prince has always had doubts in his mind about the cause of the Empress' death.
After calling out the Empress' name again with unparalleled familiarity, Emperor Hongming seemed to have suddenly aged ten years. He sat down on the bed in a disheveled manner and waved his hand weakly at Chen Bing, signaling him to leave.
It has been more than seven years since the Empress' death, and the entire palace has changed. The son who used to be the most favored by Emperor Hongming is now the most difficult for him to face.
But the man lamented, and often will only complain about the changes in others, but did not see his great favor to Concubine Shu and her son and indifference to the eldest prince Yan Sa after the death of the Empress.
Chen Bing went back and told Qing Yun everything that Emperor Hongming had said today. He was extremely uneasy when he reported because since returning from the assassination at Qing Yang Building, the Grand Prince, who is not easily angered, had changed his usual mood and slammed two teacups in anger.
"Oh? He said so?" Qing Yun finished reviewing the last memorial before raising his eyes to look at the obviously apprehensive Chen Bing. After seeing Chen Bing nod, he immediately snorted, "He has the nerve to mention Mother's name again."
In fact, Yan Sa's suspicion was not without reason. The death of the Empress was indeed fishy and definitely related to the Third Prince's mother, Concubine Shu.
Although Concubine Shu had also died of illness last year, Qing Yun still uncovered the person involved in the whole incident and dug out the truth from his mouth.
"You go down first. I have my own plans." Qing Yun waved his hand.
Chen Bing bowed down and retreated. As soon as he left the door of the study, he exhaled a breath of air. It seems that the Grand Prince was indeed haunted by today's assassination, and every word carries a strange oppressive force, making Chen Bing breathless.
Qing Yun was indeed furious. He would have never thought that the man would be entirely on the opposite side of him this time. Although he foolishly did not understand his true identity, his intention to overthrow the Grand Prince and support the Third Prince was undiminished.
When he thought of how this man was bent on following Yan Lan's side, Qing Yun felt angry.
The two words "Qi Yue" were written on the paper, and Qing Yun gave a cold snort.
Want Yan Lan to take the throne? Dream on.
He wanted Qi Yue to see Yan Lan's defeat with his own eyes and then let this fool follow his Third Prince as far as possible!
Outside the Capital, Qi Yue suddenly felt a chill on his back and thought someone was sneaking up on him. However, when he looked back, he did not notice any killing intent.
He led the military commander and the others to rush back to where the Third Prince was stationed. From afar, he saw two sides fighting. One side was the Northern army that he had brought with him, while the other side had an unreadable symbol but seemed to be a private force of some prince.