Chapter 830: Wish Fulfilled

Empress Pei Man blushed furiously. Though she had vaguely sensed Prince Wei’s improper intentions toward her and deliberately provoked him into confessing before Emperor Xizong, she still hadn’t expected him to be so vile. Her cheeks burned with anger, and her eyes flickered with killing intent.

“Your Majesty, there are two stains of blood on the bed. The two young princesses bear many signs of abuse, and their undergarments and inner thighs are soiled with Prince Wei’s… bodily fluids.” A palace maid, following Emperor Xizong’s silent order, had examined the two princesses. Since Prince Wei was the only man present in the hall, they naturally assumed the fluids were his.

Emperor Xizong’s expression darkened further. Suddenly, he roared, “Shadow Guard, get out here!” The moment he spoke, a figure emerged from the shadows.

Though Empress Pei Man already knew this guard was Song Qingshu in disguise, she was still startled by how perfectly he resembled the real one. ‘No wonder he fooled me so thoroughly when he impersonated Xiao Xingguo before.’

“Explain. How did Prince Wei end up like this?” Though furious, Emperor Xizong wasn’t so irrational as to trust the empress’s words blindly. He summoned the Shadow Guard assigned to monitor Prince Wei for answers.

“Prince Wei drank some wine today and suddenly grew… excited. He said he wanted to visit Her Majesty the Empress. After arriving, whether due to intoxication or not, he… he…” Song Qingshu hesitated deliberately.

“Continue,” the emperor demanded, his breathing growing ragged.

“This subordinate dares not speak.” To make the act convincing, Song Qingshu circulated his Qi, making his body tremble slightly. Empress Pei Man watched in amazement—my acting is good, but compared to this man, I’m an amateur.

“I command you to speak!” The emperor’s voice turned icy.

Song Qingshu seized the moment to add, “Prince Wei, under the influence of alcohol, began to… act inappropriately toward Her Majesty. The two maids attending the empress tried to stop him, allowing Her Majesty to escape. Seeing that the two girls were quite beautiful, Prince Wei lost interest in pursuing the empress and instead dragged them to… to the bed.”

“And why didn’t you stop him?” Emperor Xizong thundered.

“This subordinate tried to advise Prince Wei, but he refused to listen and even cursed at me. A servant cannot interfere with his master’s actions. I could only ensure that Her Majesty wasn’t violated, but as for the maids… I thought it wasn’t a grave matter.” Song Qingshu kowtowed. “Before tonight, I had no idea these two maids were actually princesses. I beg Your Majesty for mercy!”

“I placed you by Prince Wei’s side not only to protect him but also to supervise him. Yet you neglected your duty. What use do I have for you? Kill yourself.” Emperor Xizong pulled a blade from a nearby guard and tossed it before Song Qingshu.

Now it was Song Qingshu’s turn to be stunned. He couldn’t actually slit his own throat. Thinking quickly, he realized this was the perfect chance to escape—he had been worried about being imprisoned and interrogated.

Slowly picking up the blade, Song Qingshu didn’t bring it to his neck. Instead, he suddenly hurled it at Emperor Xizong! In the chaos as the guards scrambled to protect the emperor, he dashed out of the hall.

Da Xingguo, the emperor’s ever-present protector, swiftly intercepted the flying blade with his sleeve and flung it back with even greater force. A muffled grunt echoed through the night as the blade struck its target.

Da Xingguo frowned in surprise—how is he still running after taking that hit? “After him! He’s wounded and won’t get far!”

“Yes!” A group of guards rushed out in pursuit, leaving Zhao Hu’er and Zhao Yuanyuan trembling with fear. They looked pleadingly at Empress Pei Man, who signaled for them to stay calm. Remembering Song Qingshu’s formidable skills, the two girls relaxed slightly.

Outside Taihe Hall, Song Qingshu was suddenly pulled aside by a soft hand. He turned to see Zhao Yingluo.

“Come with me,” she whispered, leading him behind a nearby rockery just as the imperial guards stormed past.

“How could you be so careless?” She winced at the sight of the blade embedded in his back.

“It’s just a flesh wound.” Song Qingshu smiled, channeling his inner energy to expel the blade. In truth, given his skills, Da Xingguo shouldn’t have been able to hit him. But to maintain his disguise, he had deliberately taken the strike, using his Qi to minimize the damage.

After inspecting the shallow wound, Zhao Yingluo understood his plan. “Was it really worth risking so much for that woman?”

“I wasn’t just helping her—I was helping all of you,” he replied casually. “By the way, why did you come back?”

“I… I was worried about you—all of you,” she stammered, her cheeks flushing.

Song Qingshu nodded. “The Jin emperor has a formidable expert by his side. While we could handle him, being discovered might ruin tonight’s plans. Let’s stay here and observe for now.”

Zhao Yingluo glanced around. They were squeezed into a narrow crevice within the rockery, so close that the slightest movement would bring them into contact…

Blushing, she finally nodded. “Alright.”

Back in Taihe Hall, Emperor Xizong’s attention was no longer on the escaped Shadow Guard. Instead, he glared at Prince Wei with fire in his eyes. The two Song princesses had been his long-awaited prizes, nurtured until they blossomed into beauties—only for another man to claim their purity. His fury was beyond words.

Yet Prince Wei was his only son. Suppressing his rage, the emperor reminded himself that as a ruler, he couldn’t afford to feud with his heir over women. Such gossip would make him a laughingstock.

Just as he was about to decree the princesses be given to Prince Wei as concubines to settle the matter, a guard rushed in, holding a set of robes. “Y-Your Majesty! We found… an imperial robe on the bed!”

“An imperial robe?” The emperor’s expression shifted instantly. A ruler might overlook women, wealth, or corruption—but never a threat to his throne.

The anger in his eyes toward Prince Wei vanished, replaced by icy detachment.

Empress Pei Man hid a smirk. Over the years, she had mastered her husband’s temperament. Everything before had been mere setup—this robe was the true killing blow.

Spotting the golden dragon robe, the delirious Prince Wei stumbled forward, grabbing at it greedily. “Dress me in this—no, I am the emperor now! Pei Man, kneel and serve me!”

“Prince Wei, hold your tongue—” Da Xingguo began, but his words died as a blade suddenly pierced Prince Wei’s chest. He turned in shock to Emperor Xizong, disbelief written across his face.

“This traitorous son is better off dead,” the emperor said coldly.

Prince Wei clutched the blade, gurgling incoherently before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

The hall fell silent as everyone knelt—except the solitary figure of Emperor Xizong. 

Empress Pei Man lowered her head, a faint smile curling her lips. ‘This went even better than planned… thanks to Song Qingshu’s cooperation.’

“If a single word of tonight’s events leaks, I won’t bother investigating. Every person here will be executed,” the emperor declared before striding out without a backward glance at his son’s corpse.

Once he was gone, Empress Pei Man calmly ordered the servants to prepare Prince Wei’s body for a royal funeral. Though she loathed him, appearances had to be maintained.

With everything settled, she dismissed all attendants, keeping only Zhao Hu’er and Zhao Yuanyuan. 

Song Qingshu and Zhao Yingluo slipped inside.

“Now that your wish is fulfilled, it’s time to discuss rescuing our people,” Zhao Yingluo said, her voice slightly unsteady after the prolonged closeness in the cave. “Hu’er, Yuanyuan, come to me.”

The two girls glanced shyly at Song Qingshu but were stopped by Empress Pei Man. “They can’t leave with you yet.”

“Going back on your word?” Zhao Yingluo’s eyes turned frosty.

The empress smiled. “Don’t be so quick to judge. Think—if the two key witnesses vanish overnight, suspicions will arise, jeopardizing your entire rescue operation.”

“…Fine.” Zhao Yingluo relented. “Then let’s plan the rescue.”

In high spirits after eliminating her nemesis, Empress Pei Man replied amiably, “As agreed, I’ll provide the antidote for the Carefree Powder and a gold token for your exit. But the actual rescue is your responsibility—I cannot be directly involved.”

Meanwhile, in the Hall of Benevolent Governance, the night air had sobered Emperor Xizong. Regret gnawed at him for killing his only son in a fit of rage, but pride forbade him from admitting fault. Summoning Da Xingguo, he asked, “What do you make of tonight’s events?”