OL CH16

The half-month passed quickly. On that day, the Emperor departed the imperial palace, leading a vast entourage up Panlong Mountain, where Huguo Temple was situated.

Bai Su was also among the guarding ranks. Clad in silver armor, he appeared before everyone walking completely as normal. With a long sword hanging at his waist, his innate commanding presence drew many admiring glances.

Whispers rippled through the crowd. No one knew how the Heir of the Marquis of Zhongyong had healed his crippled right leg. If Bai Su had truly recovered from his injuries, his position as Heir would be rock-solid.

“Say, Marquis Bai, just when did the Heir’s leg injury heal? You certainly hid it well!” an official on good terms with Bai Heguang teased. “Congratulations, Marquis Bai. With the Heir recovered, the Marquis’s estate has truly gained wings like a tiger!”

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Bai Heguang saw the teasing looks from those around him and had to pretend he had known all along. He waved his hand with a forced laugh, “You flatter me, you flatter me.”

Only Bai Feizhang swept a gloomy, venomous gaze toward Bai Su’s right leg, his eyes filled with mockery.

So what if his legs are healed? After today, Xiling will plunge into chaos. When he secured supreme power, trampling Bai Su underfoot would be as easy as turning his hand.

At this thought, Bai Feizhang was immensely smug, practically envisioning himself succeeding the title of Marquis and monopolizing power in the imperial court.

After the group arrived, they were temporarily accommodated within Huguo Temple. The old Emperor in particular had to bathe and fast for three days before beginning the prayer rituals under the abbot’s guidance.

Count Anhe was decisive, setting his plans into motion on the very night the Emperor entered the temple.

After dusk, he slipped down the mountain to rendezvous with his subordinates, who had already quietly surrounded Panlong Mountain.

According to the plan, temple staff bribed beforehand would lace the food and drink of the imperial guard and ministers with knockout powder.

Once darkness fell, a signal would be launched for Bai Feizhang’s moles among the guards to slaughter the incapacitated soldiers, then take control of the Emperor and court officials.

This way, capturing the sovereign would be effortlessly achieved.

True to schedule, he soon received the return signal.

Seeing the discreet white smoke signal, a smug grin broke across Count Anhe’s fleshy face, and he led his men in a charge up the mountain.

Rushing eagerly into the courtyard where the old Emperor resided, he found the surroundings dead silent without a single guard in sight, prompting him to burst into arrogant laughter.

Yet before his delight could settle, a large contingent of imperial guards surged out into the courtyard. Led by Bai Su, every one of them possessed superb martial prowess, catching the intruders completely off guard.

The men behind Count Anhe were no match for them at all. Clashing steel rang out in every direction, but the disparity in strength was too overwhelming. Reinforcements soon arrived, trapping Count Anhe’s forces in a tight encirclement.

Seeing this, Count Anhe knew the game was up and surrendered without further resistance.

Once the courtyard was secured, the chamber doors opened from within. The old Emperor stepped out with a dark expression, his face burning with suppressed fury as he looked at Count Anhe.

“What a magnificent Count Anhe! Zhen truly failed to see in the past that you harbored such treacherous, wild ambitions. You deserve death!”

Having occupied the throne for decades, Situ Hongshen naturally could not stomach someone daring to assassinate him in rebellion. Striding forward, he began berating Count Anhe furiously.

Unexpectedly, Count Anhe, who had appeared thoroughly subdued under the guards’ grip, suddenly burst into violent action. Drawing a hidden dagger from his robes, he lunged straight toward the Emperor.

The guards behind him had not anticipated such explosive strength from the man, letting him slip from their grasp for a split second.

Before anyone could react, just as the blade was about to plunge into the Emperor’s chest, a long sword swept across like lightning. In an instant, it severed the hand holding the dagger. With a deft flick of leverage, the blade sent the severed hand flying away, dagger still clasped in its dead grip.

Count Anhe screamed in agony, collapsing to the ground. The guards swiftly pinned him down, pressing him flat against the stone flags. Yet black blood soon seeped from the corners of his mouth. He had crushed a poison capsule concealed in his teeth, committing suicide.

Watching Count Anhe die with wide, staring eyes, the old Emperor felt a chill of terror.

At that moment, Chen Tian strolled over. Crouching down to inspect the corpse, he reached naturally toward the nape of the neck and pulled hard.

A completely different face was revealed: deep-set eye sockets and an aquiline nose, features wholly alien to the Central Plains.

Chen Tian then pulled open the oversized outer robe, discovering that the man had worn a padded, bulky cotton tunic underneath to mimic corpulence. The exposed chest and arms were not the flabby, obese build of the real Count Anhe, but dark, sinewy, and formidable.

Seeing this, Bai Su immediately ordered his subordinates to inspect the remaining rebels, discovering that quite a few indeed possessed foreign features.

Evidently, the real Count Anhe had been replaced at some unknown point. This man was clearly a spy from the Take Tribe.

No wonder Count Anhe had been willing to throw his life away for an enemy nation; everything made sense now.

The old Emperor’s complexion turned dreadful. While he had previously held some doubts regarding General Shang’s report about the alliance between Great Yan and the frontier tribes, he now believed it without reservation.

Given Chen Tian’s standing, he had not concealed from the Emperor that he had caught wind of a plot.

Of course, he had not named specific conspirators, framing it merely as a precaution.

The date of the prayer ceremony had long been set, and the Emperor could not reschedule over mere rumors.

Still, face was one thing, but no one valued life more than a reigning monarch. For this journey, elite experts had been deployed in secret layers around the Emperor. Bai Su leading the guards was also something Chen Tian had personally guaranteed and recommended, as it was an ideal chance to claim imperial merit.

Therefore, this entire counter-operation had unfolded directly under Situ Hongshen’s watchful eyes.

Bai Su had taken precautions against the knockout drug beforehand. However, to avoid alerting the enemy prematurely, the court officials had indeed been allowed to succumb to the sleeping powder. It was no great harm, merely knocking them unconscious for a while.

The surviving rebels were hauled away for rigorous interrogation. Only Bai Feizhang had slipped away swiftly and was not among the captives; the commander of the imperial guards had already dispatched men to pursue him.

Once the area cleared of extraneous people, the exhausted old Emperor returned to his chamber, supported by Chen Tian.

Noticing Situ Hongshen’s state, Chen Tian knew he had matters to discuss, so he stepped out to signal the guards to retreat further away. Spotting Bai Su in the courtyard, he didn’t forget to offer him a reassuring smile before closing the doors.

The surrounding guards stood at a distance, yet as the commander, no one questioned Bai Su.

Gazing at the closed doors, Bai Su could not decipher his own turbulent thoughts. Pressing his lips together, he moved closer, casually lingering by a pillar near the doorway.

At such a distance, circulating his internal energy brought the conversation inside into sharp clarity.

“Treacherous scoundrels! Damned rebels! To think those petty frontier tribes had the audacity for this!”

Inside the room, the old Emperor was beside himself with fury, cursing non-stop.

Only after catching his breath did he turn to the calm Chen Tian, his expression softening slightly. “Chenye, Zhen owes you a great debt this time!”

Chen Tian smiled softly. “Imperial Father, do not let anger harm your health. Though this trip had its perils, we managed to foil their plot. Those border tribes alone lack the capability to replace Count Anhe. It seems the capital is far from an iron fortress, and defenses within the palace must be strengthened.”

The old Emperor nodded. “Imperial Son speaks the truth. Great Yan certainly had a hand in this.”

At this thought, Situ Hongshen felt a deepening crisis, his face turning pale.

Noticing this, Chen Tian offered, “Imperial Father, misfortune may bring blessing in disguise. The fake Count Anhe’s plot is not without its benefits. Consider the connection between Count Anhe and Prime Minister Yan…”

Seeing the knowing look on the Emperor’s face, Chen Tian did not finish the sentence.

Prime Minister Yan’s faction was already a thorn in the Emperor’s side. No matter how much Situ Hongshen favored civil over military officials, he despised factionalism among his ministers. Prime Minister Yan had crossed the line, but the Emperor had simply lacked a pretext to strike.

Now that the matter of Count Anhe had erupted, even if Prime Minister Yan had been genuinely in the dark, he would inevitably be implicated. A reduction of his power was guaranteed.

While the Emperor continued discussing court politics with Chen Tian inside, Bai Su withdrew his internal energy outside, his entire being paralyzed in shock.

He clenched his fists, standing motionless. Though calm on the surface, his thoughts were in chaotic turmoil.

The moment he heard King Ning address the Emperor as “Imperial Father,” he froze completely. He initially thought his ears were deceiving him, yet the ensuing words only solidified his suspicion.

He had never imagined that King Ning was actually the Emperor’s biological son!

The Emperor had clearly anticipated tonight’s events, which proved his immense trust in King Ning. Given King Ning’s true identity, he had every right to contest for the throne.

Now, using Count Anhe’s treachery, the Emperor planned to weaken Prime Minister Yan’s faction. And whom did Prime Minister Yan back? Naturally, Empress Yan’s Fifth Prince, the current frontrunner for Crown Prince.

That King Ning could uncover tonight’s assassination plot proved his formidable network. With Prime Minister Yan losing power, the Fifth Prince would suffer a severe blow.

Then why had Situ Chenye previously introduced him to the Fifth Prince, acting as though he wanted Bai Su to assist Situ Chen, and even telling the Fifth Prince to call Bai Su “Imperial Sister-in-law” in private?

No, that was not right!

King Ning had known all along that the Iron Xuan Guards were in his hands. Perhaps his initial approach was driven purely by calculation. During their subsequent interactions, discovering Bai Su’s affection, he merely played along and even went so far as to enter a romantic relationship with him.

By binding Bai Su to his side, he could not only command the Iron Xuan Guards at will, but also use their relationship to lull the Fifth Prince into a false sense of security, making the boy lower his guard and trust this supposed “Imperial Uncle.”

To think King Ning’s schemes ran so deep!

So was he truly nothing more than a pawn from beginning to end?

At the thought that the true love he believed in was merely an elaborate deception, Bai Su’s eyes turned terrifyingly bloodshot. A sharp, suffocating pain spread across his chest, as if tearing his heart to pieces.

Yet after that piercing agony, Bai Su quickly regained his composure.

He did not care about being used. Regardless of Situ Chenye’s ambitions and motives, since the man had chosen to provoke him, he should never dream of escaping his grasp.

With chilling coldness settling deep within his gaze, Bai Su curved his lips into a grim smile. If someone wanted to use him, they had better offer a fitting price in return!