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Chapter 819: Her Flesh and Blood, Henceforth Becomes His Majesty's Salvation
Before Xu Qing could pursue further, a crimson figure rushed over, his sword techniques fierce and almost every move lethal.
Shen Xihe watched Xiao Changying intervene abruptly, supporting her abdomen as she lowered her gaze, hoping Xiao Changqing had given him proper instructions.
Her play couldn't allow this person to die like this.
Xiao Changqing naturally knew of his younger brother's feelings for Shen Xihe. When Shen Xihe went to pay respects at the imperial mausoleum, this foolish brother had secretly followed to see her off. Thus, he also knew that the Emperor might test Shen Xihe and had informed his brother of his plan.
Xiao Changying had agreed readily, but when he truly witnessed the scene moments before, the corners of his eyes turned bloodshot. He was now straining every nerve, not daring to think deeply—if Xu Qing hadn't been there, that sword thrust into Shen Xihe's body would surely have meant two lives lost.
The mere thought of this possibility made him wish he could tear this person to pieces right now.
"Assist the Fierce King!" It was the Youning Emperor who noticed something amiss and ordered the Embroidered Uniform Envoys.
Zhao Zhenghao seized the opportunity to join the fray. Having received the Emperor's implicit command to capture alive, his every move was aimed at restraining Xiao Changying.
Xiao Changying gradually calmed down. Just as he withdrew his stance, the assassin seized the opening, feinted a move, and swept past him like the wind, charging toward the Youning Emperor once more.
By this time, Shen Xihe had already pretended to be frightened and moved to a safe spot, inadvertently blocking Liu Sanzhi along the way. With the Youning Emperor's side now exposed, those who saw this scene paled, thinking the Emperor was about to be successfully assassinated.
Yet, unexpectedly, the Youning Emperor himself slid a sword from his sleeve and thrust it toward the assassin. The assassin, who could have easily stabbed the Emperor, halted at the most critical moment.
It was such a bizarre scene that it stunned everyone into inaction, their eyes wide as they watched.
Even the Youning Emperor, who had prepared for mutual destruction, was frozen in shock.
The assassin, pierced through the abdomen by the Youning Emperor's sword, reached up and tore off his mask, revealing a handsome face.
Shen Xihe, standing behind the Youning Emperor, gasped sharply and instinctively glanced toward Xiao Changqing.
This person, this face...
It bore at least sixty percent resemblance to the Youning Emperor!
Xiao Changqing had actually managed to find someone so similar in such a short time!
Seeing this face, the Youning Emperor was even more startled.
Then, the wounded man drew a jade pendant from his chest, its peony carving vivid and shimmering faintly as it swayed.
"You—" The Youning Emperor's hand began to tremble.
At that moment, the stabbed assassin lunged forward, driving the sword deeper into his body, pressing almost flush against the Youning Emperor. "Your Majesty, The Supreme One... what are you afraid of? You've already killed your brother, what's one more act of filicide? Besides... I'm not the first child you've killed... No, I should be the first, only I didn't die back then, did I? Heh heh heh heh..."
His voice was extremely low, so much so that even Shen Xihe, standing very close to the Youning Emperor, couldn't make out what he was saying.
No one dared to step forward, for they could all see that His Majesty had no intention of withdrawing the sword to strike again.At this moment, collapsing into His Majesty's embrace and leaning against His Majesty's shoulder: "Your Majesty... curious... about who raised me? Cough, cough, cough... It was the person you wished to meet... However, however he has already passed away... He died... without regrets, because Your Majesty... will soon meet him..."
After gasping for breath for a long while, he finally uttered his last words with great difficulty: "Your Majesty... was the fragrant ink satisfactory..."
He gazed at the Youning Emperor, watching him until his dying breath.
If Shen Xihe hadn't known the whole truth, she would have believed this was truly the crown prince swapped out by the Empress.
How did he manage to appear so convincing? Such demeanor and actions, and such righteous determination in facing death?
The Youning Emperor stood rigid, holding the deceased assassin, clutching a blood-stained jade pendant in his hand. No one knew what the Emperor was thinking. Perhaps because the leader was dead, the remaining assassins all discarded their weapons and committed suicide, each with poison sacs in their mouths.
As for those assassins who took advantage of the chaos in the mist, most had already been killed by the imperial guards and others.
Amid the pervasive scent of blood was a deathly stillness.
No one knew how much time had passed—perhaps just an instant, perhaps the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, perhaps longer. The Youning Emperor spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted, finally breaking this suffocating silence.
Liu Sanzhi hurriedly directed people to carry the truly unconscious Youning Emperor back to the Hall of Diligent Governance.
Shen Yingluo rushed toward Shen Xihe, and only after seeing that Shen Xihe looked fine and showed no signs of distress did she sigh in relief before turning to leave with the guards.
"Your Highness... should we summon the imperial physician?" Xiao Changying, unlike Xiao Changqing and Xiao Changgeng who followed the Emperor to the Hall of Diligent Governance, remained behind.
Shen Xihe expressionlessly shook her head at him. Everything had unfolded as she anticipated—how could she be frightened?
Nevertheless, she pretended to faint weakly into Zhenzhu's arms, allowing them to take her back to the Eastern Palace. No matter how calm and composed she usually was, she was pregnant—it was reasonable for her to react slowly at first and then faint from lingering fear upon realization.
Her fainting made summoning a physician unnecessary anyway, as all physicians had gone to the Hall of Diligent Governance. This time, His Majesty's fainting wasn't feigned, but it was well-known that the Eastern Palace had its own medical officials.
About an hour later, people began visiting her intermittently, including those from the Imperial Hospital sent by the Empress Dowager—indicating that His Majesty's condition had likely stabilized.
Even Xiao Changqing and his two brothers came together to visit.
"You won the bet." Only at this moment did Xiao Changqing finally feel relieved.
Shen Xihe's plan this time was truly too risky. The late Empress had indeed given birth, but who could confirm it was a boy? What if it was announced as a boy merely to facilitate Xiao Huayong's substitution, while in reality, it was a princess? Wouldn't they have walked right into a trap and exposed everything?
His Majesty had awoken but remained silent for a long time. His reaction, along with that mouthful of blood, indicated that the Empress had indeed given birth to a prince, whom His Majesty had ordered killed—even going so far as to eliminate those sent to assassinate the prince.
"Where did Your Highness find such a person?" Shen Xihe was more curious about this.
"I've kept him by my side since long ago. Originally a beggar, I decided to raise him after seeing his appearance." Xiao Changqing himself wasn't clear about his initial intentions—he just felt the child's features resembled His Majesty's.He was a death warrior she had raised himself, and his martial arts were among the most outstanding. Death warriors were always prepared to sacrifice themselves for their master. As for the rest, it was hastily taught at the last minute. Having followed him for several years, he had learned some of his demeanor, which was sufficient to handle this situation.
"Now, can you tell me why you insisted on taking this step?" Xiao Changqing didn't believe it was merely to distress His Majesty.
Although doing so would indeed make His Majesty brood over it more.
Shen Xihe lowered her gaze: "To extinguish His Majesty's intention of opening the coffin."
His Majesty must have suspected Xiao Huayong. If they had followed the original plan, His Majesty might still have harbored doubts, because once His Majesty suspected Xiao Huayong was the mastermind, he would firmly believe that Xiao Huayong knew his own origins.
From an emperor's perspective, he wouldn't believe that Xiao Huayong would abandon the throne for Shen Xihe, which was why His Majesty initially didn't suspect Xiao Huayong of feigning death.
Therefore, in His Majesty's view, if Xiao Huayong were the mastermind and had faked his death, he would certainly make a comeback. Since he couldn't return as the Crown Prince, what identity could he use to seize the throne?
It could only be the identity of Qian Wang's son.
Now, Shen Xihe was sending the person who truly knew the secret of his origins before Youning.
Only then would he believe that everything had nothing to do with Xiao Huayong, that it was all Xiao Juesong and this real son seeking revenge against him.
Xiao Changqing hadn't considered this point. No wonder Shen Xihe was so urgent, willing to take such a great risk.
"The Crown Princess is meticulous indeed," Xiao Changqing sincerely praised, but then added, "Even if His Majesty believes it, it cannot completely dispel the suspicion that the Crown Prince knows his origins."
The autumn wind swept up withered leaves, carrying a sense of decay, yet the smile on her face, with stray strands of hair fluttering, was like the warm sun of a spring morning, radiant and peerless: "His Majesty will certainly not want to hastily bury this assassin..."
Unlike Xiao Changmin and the others, who more or less had intentions of rebellion and usurpation—bringing about their own downfall—His Majesty felt no guilt toward them.
But this child was different. He was His Majesty's true source of remorse. His Majesty had killed him, and being able to vomit that mouthful of blood showed the depth of his anguish. Even if only to ease his own conscience, he would give this child a grand burial.
How to arrange a grand burial? There was a ready-made reason.
Today's events required His Majesty to give an explanation to the court officials, as his loss of composure had been witnessed by all.
The most perfect explanation would be to publicly declare this as Qian Wang's son, who had been abducted by Xiao Juesong back then. Wasn't it said that Xiao Juesong sent assassins when he killed his brother and seized the throne? This would also corroborate the events of that year, covering up the truth for him.
Now, the child had been incited and deceived by Xiao Juesong, which led him to attempt the assassination.
After all, he was his elder brother's only bloodline, and it was due to his own negligence that the villain took advantage of the situation. He would inevitably arrange a lavish funeral for him.
This would not only justify his abnormal reaction at the time but also alleviate some of his guilt, allow the child to be recognized by his ancestors, and prevent the future emergence of another claimant as Qian Wang's son—killing multiple birds with one stone.
Shen Xihe had already thought it through for His Majesty, and she firmly believed he would act accordingly.
Once His Majesty reached this conclusion, whether the Crown Prince had feigned death or not would no longer matter. He truly could not return.
Xiao Changqing didn't know what to say. Shen Xihe was truly worthy of being Xiao Huayong's woman."After this incident, His Majesty will no longer trouble me." Shen Xihe did not look at Xiao Changqing, her hand gently resting on her abdomen. "He personally killed his true seventh son, while the child in my womb carries the bloodline of the guilt-ridden elder brother he wronged—the last remaining trace of that lineage. Nominally, it represents the bloodline of the son he owes an even deeper debt to."
Xiao Huayong was the flesh and blood of Qian Wang, while Xiao Junshu inherits this branch's lineage.
Xiao Huayong held the title of His Majesty's seventh son—the "beloved" son sacrificed for the throne and now personally slain by him.
Xiao Junshu inherits his nominal legacy.
His existence will become His Majesty's redemption.
Xiao Changqing's pupils dilated. Though he considered himself profound in scheming, the cunning of this seemingly fragile woman before him sent chills down his spine.
Tomorrow, the little imperial grandson will be born. Regarding the Crown Princess taking this risky move, there is another purpose she did not disclose to Xiao Changqing, to be revealed later.
(End of Chapter)
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