Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C109

"Crown Princess, please enter." Fusheng said.

Mei Wushuang gathered her cloak and turned to walk onto the stone bridge leading to the South Platform.

This South Platform stood alone on the South Sea, connected to the outside world only by a stone bridge on its north side. Once Wushuang returned, this stone bridge would be guarded, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving.

On the surface, the West Garden looked no different than usual, but in reality, the South Platform had already been heavily guarded. Ji Yang had left three hundred Black Armor Army soldiers on the island. Relying on these men for protection, coupled with the terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack, even if someone realized that Wushuang and her son were not in the Crown Prince's mansion, they would not be able to conquer it in a short time. And this time would be enough for him to resolve the problems outside.

After returning, Wan Chun'er still looked at her expectantly.

Mei Wushuang sighed and said, "You should have sensed something already; why ask me again?"

"Is something major really about to happen outside?"

Mei Wushuang nodded.

"Will there be any danger?"

Mei Wushuang did not answer her.

Indeed, if there were no danger, would they have been sent here?

"You are pregnant now, and I still have Zuo'er to take care of. Their men are outside, and they have things they must face. We also have things we must face. Even if we can't help, at the very least, we shouldn't be a burden. What you need to do now is not to overthink things and take good care of yourself and the child," Mei Wushuang said after thinking for a moment.

Wan Chun'er held back her tears and nodded, "I understand, Third Sister-in-law."

Mei Wushuang had someone take her down to settle in, while she went into the inner hall to see the child.

Zuo'er was growing bigger day by day, and his energy was becoming more vigorous by the day. He used to sleep all the time, but now, except for his midday nap and at night, he needed someone to play with him at all other times.

Moreover, he was extremely curious and loved having people hold things for him to look at and play with. Although he couldn't really play with them yet, it was visibly clear that he liked it very much. He could clutch a painted little wooden horse in his hand and look at it all day long.

Looking at the child, Mei Wushuang didn't feel so worried anymore.

Although she didn't know how Prince Wei had ascended the throne in her previous life, she knew that it had been through a palace revolt. He was fine even in such a dangerous situation in her previous life, so he would definitely be fine this time as well.

After playing with the child for a while, the child became sleepy, and she also became sleepy. The mother and son fell asleep embracing each other. Linglong came in to check on them, covered them with the quilt, and went out to continue guarding.

When Mei Wushuang awoke, it was already dark outside.

Linglong said that the Princess Consort of Duan had sent people to inquire several times. Wushuang quickly instructed them to prepare dinner and invited Wan Chun'er over.

"I accidentally overslept, causing you to wait for me. You are carrying a child, so you mustn't go hungry. You should have had them prepare dinner earlier and eaten first."

"I can't eat anything."

Wushuang knew why she couldn't eat, and said, "Even if you can't eat, you must. You have another life in your belly, and this is a crucial time. Don't let the child go hungry."

"Third Sister-in-law, what do you think will happen tonight?"

In truth, Wushuang had also envisioned many scenarios in her heart, but how could she tell Wan Chun'er these things? If she did, Wan Chun'er would be even less able to eat. She could only say, "If I knew, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. Don't worry, nothing bad will happen."

After the meal, Wan Chun'er said she wanted to get some fresh air outside. Wushuang went out with her and discovered that if they went around to a clearing behind the hall, they could clearly see the towering Ao Shan lantern in front of the eastern palace gate.

That lantern was truly built high; one could see it even from such a distance!

It was indeed cold outside. Wan Chun'er was embarrassed to have Wushuang stand outside with her, so after watching for a while, they returned. They each went back to their bedchambers. Seeing that nothing was happening, Wushuang called Meifang, Xiaohong, and Linglong to play leaf cards.

This was something she had specifically learned to pass the time.

Each person was given a handful of gold melon seeds. If they lost, they would give gold melon seeds. Among them, Xiaohong played the best; she never let Wushuang win. Wushuang also didn't like others letting her win. Each time they played, there were wins and losses. If they won, it was theirs; if they lost, Wushuang paid. So, even if Wushuang occasionally won, she was still the loser.

But since it was just to pass the time, they didn't care about winning or losing.

Halfway through the game, they faintly heard a commotion outside, but it quickly subsided. After inquiring, they learned that the Ao Shan lantern in front of the palace gate had caught fire. Even standing on the South Platform, they could see the soaring flames.

If the Aoshan was burned, then something was bound to have happened.

The disturbance was not caused by the well-trained guards, but by the palace servants around Wan Chun'er. This time, Wan Chun'er had brought several personal servants with her. Wushuang hadn't paid them much attention, but soon something felt amiss. Someone was actually barging into the hall, saying they wanted to see her.

"What's going on?"

Wushuang got up to see what was happening. Standing in the doorway, she saw one of Wan Chun'er's palace maids talking to the guards who were stopping her.

Seeing Wushuang arrive, this person hurriedly lunged towards her.

Wushuang retreated backward. Linglong and the others blocked her, while the guards stepped forward and grabbed the person.

The palace maid struggled in the guard's grasp, saying, "What are you doing? I am a palace servant from Prince Duan's consort's side, and I have something to report to the Crown Princess."

"If you have something to say, just say it from where you are," Mei Wushuang said.

At this moment, the palace maid seemed to realize that it would be difficult to get close to Mei Wushuang. Somewhat unwillingly, she knelt down, her face filled with grievance. "The Princess Consort seems to be frightened and is suffering from incessant abdominal pain. This servant has come to ask the Crown Princess to go and take a look."

Mei Wushuang glanced at her. "If Prince Duan's consort has abdominal pain, it's no use looking for me. I'll have someone find a female physician to accompany you to see Prince Duan's consort."

"But..."

By this time, not only Wushuang had noticed the palace maid's abnormality, but others had as well. Linglong gave the guards a look, and the two guards pinned the woman to the ground from behind with lightning speed.

The other party still wanted to struggle, even wanting to shout, but Linglong walked over and took a handkerchief from her sleeve, stuffing it into her mouth.

They searched her body and unexpectedly found a dagger in her sleeve.

Seeing the dagger, Xiaohong said with lingering fear, "It's a good thing the Crown Princess didn't let her get close."

Mei Wushuang wasn't stupid either. From the moment Wan Chun'er arrived, she had noticed that the people around her were deliberately separating the two of them.

Wan Chun'er was arranged to live in the back hall instead of staying with her. Whenever the two were together, Wan Chun'er's maids were intentionally or unintentionally blocked outside by Linglong and the others.

This must have been on someone's orders, and it was easy to guess it was Prince Wei.

Prince Wei was always meticulous in his actions. Of course, he understood the principle of not only guarding against the outside but also guarding against the inside.

Since that was the case, how could Mei Wushuang, knowing that the palace maid was Wan Chun'er's person, let her approach without worry? Moreover, this person's behavior was obviously strange, so she wouldn't foolishly fall into the other party's trap.

The palace maid was dragged away for questioning.

After a while, a guard came to report with a dark face, saying that the person had committed suicide by taking poison.

It was the old trick of a death warrior, hiding poison in their teeth. Although the guards were prepared, they didn't expect the other party to not even try to defend themselves, directly biting through the poison pill in their teeth.

"Could this have been arranged by Prince Duan's consort?" Xiaohong said.

Wushuang smiled. "What is that little head of yours thinking? Why would Prince Duan's consort want to harm me? Even if she wanted to harm me, who would be so stupid as to directly have the people around her do it? It's obviously a frame-up. She and Prince Duan haven't moved out of the palace yet, and the palace servants around her are all arranged by the palace. I don't know who planted such a nail beside her, wanting to use it on me. I just don't know if they received the order long ago, or if they just received it."

Meifang asked, "Is there a difference?"

At this moment, Xiaohong became very clever again, saying, "Of course there's a difference. If the order was received long ago, it means the person behind it had planned to harm our Crown Princess a long time ago, which is not surprising. What we fear is that the order was just received, indicating that news of our presence here has been leaked."

In truth, Wushuang saw that Xiaohong was deliberately mentioning Wan Chun'er, afraid that she would be too embarrassed to investigate the other woman due to her pride, and was intentionally offering her a ladder.

This little girl is young, but her mind is very sharp.

While sighing, Wushuang instructed Linglong to go and tell the guards outside to be more vigilant, fearing that someone might launch a night attack on the South Platform.

"There are also a few palace servants by the Princess Consort Duan's side, should we take them into custody as well?" As expected, Xiaohong brought up this matter again.

Wushuang shook her head: "Such a nail is already difficult to place, and if there were more, this person wouldn't use such a clumsy method to try and get close to me. If the Princess Consort Duan doesn't know, then don't disturb her. She's heavily pregnant; let's get through tonight first."

Afterwards, Wushuang returned to the inner hall, lay down beside her son, who had already been coaxed to sleep, and looked at his adorably innocent little face as he slept, her mind wandering aimlessly.

That night, probably everyone in the entire capital was awake.

Everyone knew something was wrong. The Ao Shan Lantern was built so high that once it was set ablaze, it could be seen from any location in the capital.

The people in the capital were still somewhat clever. As soon as they saw something was wrong, they hid in their homes. Moreover, the men from the Five Cities Military Commission and the patrol camp were dispatched to evacuate the crowds. In just a short while, the once lively and noisy streets became deserted, leaving only rows of flower lanterns burning forlornly, adding a touch of eerie atmosphere.

After that, there were all sorts of chaotic footsteps and the sounds of horses' hooves. These noises were all gathering in the direction of the Imperial Palace. The people trembled and hid in their homes, listening to the sounds outside, all secretly guessing what exactly was happening.

It wasn't until the second half of the night that these chaotic noises subsided.

After a while, men from the Five Cities Military Commission rode horses, shuttling back and forth through the streets and alleys, loudly proclaiming that someone had rebelled, but had now been suppressed, and instructing everyone to secure their doors and not to go out.

***

Beneath Wansui Mountain, Prince Qin had only a dozen or so people left to protect him.

His eyes were bloodshot and wide with fury. Ever since he realized he had fallen into a trap, he had worn this expression.

Prince Qin knew that his imperial father would not kill him. Initially, he had relied on this to break through several times, but after a group of soldiers wearing black armor appeared, he had been struck by several arrows.

His helmet had been shot off, half of his hair was disheveled, and his armor was covered in bloodstains. Although most of this blood was not his, but that of the people around him, it made him look extremely disheveled.

These are the Black Armor Army!

Prince Wei's Black Armor Army!

"If you have the ability, then kill this Prince!" Prince Qin waved his knife around wildly, looking like a madman. "You cowardly rat, are you still afraid of killing this Prince and earning yourself the name of fratricide?"

Although Prince Qin appeared to be in a state of madness, his words were clearly a challenge to the Crown Prince.

A hush fell over the crowd, and the crisp sound of a horse's hoof rang out.

Before long, a figure on a tall horse appeared before them, none other than Ji Yang in his black armor.

The crowd parted in the middle, allowing him to ride his horse forward.

"Have you reached the end of your road? Trying to sling mud at this Prince? This Prince has no bow and arrow. Besides, treacherous villains deserve to be punished by all. You dared to collude with Marquis Wuding to assassinate and force the Emperor to abdicate, yet you fear death?"

Ji Yang sneered, his face full of mockery.

In truth, given 'Prince Wei's' personality, he wouldn't have said so much 'nonsense,' nor would he have revealed such an expression, but at this moment, no one was paying attention to that.

Prince Qin was so filled with hatred that he nearly ground his teeth to dust, the veins on his forehead bulging.

There is no greater blow in this world than when you believe you are being discreet, when you believe you have victory within your grasp, only to discover at the critical moment that what you thought was only in your mind, that everything you believed was anticipated by others, and then you are chased like a rat crossing the street, beaten like a homeless dog.

Especially when the one looking down upon him at this moment was 'Prince Wei,' the man he had hated for decades.

"What can you do besides relying on Father Emperor's favor?! You cowardly whelp, do you dare to fight this Prince one-on-one?!" Prince Qin raised his sword, pointing it directly at Ji Yang.

A soldier wearing a helmet with red plumes hurriedly came before the horse and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, do not fall for the rebel prince's trick. He is deliberately provoking you..."

Ji Yang raised his hand slightly: "I know he is deliberately provoking me, but looking at him, he seems to feel very unconvinced by his loss. Since that's the case, this Prince will give him this opportunity."

He dismounted and walked towards Prince Qin.

Seeing him proceed forward on his own, the soldiers with their distinct armor immediately surrounded him, holding swords and spears. Those who did not step forward raised their bows and arrows, fearing that Prince Qin and his remaining followers were deliberately feigning weakness.

"How do you want to fight?" Ji Yang asked after stopping.

Prince Qin gritted his teeth, glaring at him: "A one-on-one duel. If you lose, release this Prince."

"Where do you think you can run? Where do you think you can escape to?" Ji Yang chuckled, ignoring Prince Qin's dark expression. "You don't need to say such things to deceive this Prince. It would seem more sincere if you directly said that life and death are immaterial."

"You..." Prince Qin gritted his teeth and said, "Then let it be a fight to the death!"

"Have you thought it through? If this Prince kills you here, it won't be considered fratricide, but only that your skills are inferior to mine."

"Enough with the nonsense..."

Before his words could fade, Prince Qin had already brandished his blade and advanced.

From a young age, Prince Qin's martial skills were the best among all the princes. He was strong and robust, possessing immense strength, and was most skilled in using heavy weapons. Since this was a coup, he didn't use the flashy, thin blade he usually favored, but instead chose a broadsword weighing over thirty jin.

His attacks were as fierce as a tiger, and he unleashed dozens of slashes in quick succession, forcing Ji Yang to retreat several steps, the sword in his hand shattering.

"What a useless sword!" Ji Yang exclaimed.

The soldier who had handed him the sword just now lowered his head in shame.

A clear voice rang out from the side: "Your Highness, catch the sword!"

Ji Yang soared into the air, catching the black longsword.

This sword was over a meter long, entirely black, and seemed to be the soldier's personal weapon.

He hefted it; it weighed about twenty jin, which was not bad.

"Who do you think you're bullying with that heavy blade? Don't you know that in battles between armies, heavy weapons are usually used? You'd be embarrassed to go into battle with a weapon that's too light."

As he spoke, Ji Yang lunged forward, hacking and slashing, wielding the sword as if it were a saber. But when heavy weapons clashed, it no longer mattered whether it was a saber or a sword.

Not only were his strikes heavy, but his attacks were also extremely fast. In an instant, Prince Qin had been forced back dozens of steps. And that wasn't the end of it. The heavy sword, which should have been cumbersome, felt weightless in his hands. Each strike, heavy as some immeasurable weight, was as swift as a sudden rain.

Prince Qin's face was flushed red, his arms aching from the blows, yet he had to grit his teeth and resist.

The onlookers were stunned by Ji Yang's fighting style. They were used to seeing the Crown Prince calm and composed, unhurried and deliberate, but who would have thought he could be so fierce?

Only the Black Armor Army knew that His Highness always fought like this in battle, usually chasing after the enemy's generals. What three entries and three exits among tens of thousands of men, what capturing the enemy by first capturing their leader; there was even a time when the two armies hadn't even engaged, and the enemy general had already been killed by His Highness.

"I'm hitting you, do you submit? Do you submit?!" Ji Yang hacked away with extreme pleasure, asking as he struck, not only asking Prince Qin but also taking the time to ask Prince Wei if he was enjoying the show.

Prince Qin felt as if he had returned to many years ago. He vaguely remembered a time in his childhood when they were practicing martial arts with their instructor, and he was chasing after the person in front of him, hacking away with a wooden sword, and he seemed to have asked the other person if they submitted in the same way.

At that time, he was taller than Prince Wei, stronger than him, and bigger all around, while Prince Wei was about the same height as him but thinner.

He could bully him without any effort. He was forced to retreat again and again by his hacking, falling to the ground, but he still refused to admit defeat. In the end, the martial arts instructor had to pull them apart.

I refuse to accept this!

Prince Qin wanted to roar, wanted to shout it out, but he didn't dare to open his mouth. He knew that if he did, his breath would escape, and once it did, he wouldn't be able to hold on any longer.

[Are you enjoying this or not?]

[Enjoying it.] Prince Wei hesitated for a long while before finally saying.

[Then I'll hack him a few more times, so you can enjoy it a little longer.]

How could Prince Qin know there was such a scheme afoot? With each clash of weapons, a sharp pain shot through his arms. He could no longer lift his hands, and his face had turned the color of a pig's liver.

[Alright, His Majesty is still waiting, and there are other matters that need to be taken care of.]

While he was still hesitating, Prince Qin could no longer control himself, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his mouth.

Ji Yang quickly dodged to avoid it. Looking again, Prince Qin had already collapsed to the ground, still spitting blood from his mouth, clearly suffering from severe internal injuries.

"Long live His Highness, the Crown Prince!"

"Long live Your Highness!"

Following the shouts of "Long live," were a dozen or so defeated dogs on the opposite side.

These men were in disarray, having long lost the courage to resist. Now, seeing Prince Qin fall to the ground, their faces turned ashen, and they threw down their weapons one after another.