Jin Jinghong’s voice was chilling, “Do you think the few of you can defeat my personal guards?”
He commanded to the surroundings, “Where are the Plum Blossom Guards?”
As soon as the words fell, the entire place fell silent, with no change whatsoever.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Jin Jinghong’s eyes. He called out again, but the result was the same, still no change.
“Commander of the Plum Blossom Guards!” he shouted. Only then did a figure appear, but he landed beside Rong Zhi.
“Your Majesty,” Xiao Jianli said, his voice neither warm nor cold, completely devoid of his previous deference.
“Are you rebelling?”
Judging by the situation, Jin Jinghong understood everything.
“Your Majesty, forgive me. I am from Medicine King Valley. I have already returned all your Plum Blossom Guards to you. They are at Qianji Pavilion.”
They had merely been bound and gagged before being returned.
Jin Jinghong’s heart leaped in alarm. The Plum Blossom Guards were his personal, close-protection detail. Without this armor, he was essentially exposed to danger.
“Protect His Majesty!”
A group of imperial guards suddenly rushed out and surrounded the emperor. Jin Jinghong’s expression finally softened slightly. Without the Plum Blossom Guards, there was still the vast number of Imperial Forest Army within the palace.
The Plum Blossom Guards were loyal. Apart from their mutinous leader, no one else would betray him and go to Rong Zhi’s side. Coupled with the two great generals from the Xia and Xiao families, he was confident enough to apprehend these rebels.
“Seize them!” Jin Jinghong commanded, and the Imperial Forest Army charged out.
At the same time, two platoons of guards suddenly appeared from somewhere on the street, also joining the fray. The scene immediately descended into chaos, sending the city’s residents fleeing in panic.
Seeing the enemy numbers increasing, Rong Zhi realized a fierce battle was unavoidable. She kicked away an attacking Imperial Forest Guard and then approached the sect leaders.
“The food earlier was poisoned. Quickly eat this; it will counteract the poison.”
She casually took out a few pills from her robes and handed them over.
The sect leaders were still somewhat skeptical.
Hui Neng chuckled, “Valley Master, has your medical skill regressed over the years? I feel perfectly fine, with no signs of poisoning.”
The other two nodded, “I feel the same.”
However, in the next moment, their faces suddenly turned pale, and they clutched their stomachs, moaning in pain.
Rong Zhi: "..." Not heeding the doctor's words leads to trouble.
“Give us the antidote quickly,” Bai Lu said, reaching out. Rong Zhi distributed one pill to each of them.
After consuming the pills, their pallid complexions returned to normal. Guo Qi coughed awkwardly, “The enemy numbers are significant this time, but we’ve also brought plenty of disciples. They’ll be here soon. We'll cover your escape, and they’ll follow.”
Rong Zhi refused, “You came for me, so I will naturally fight alongside you.”
“No need for pleasantries now. We can be polite after we get out.” Hui Neng, a man of quick temper, grabbed Rong Zhi and prepared to lead her out. Bai Lu, however, pointed at the crowd, saying curiously, “I don’t think we need to fight.”
It turned out that although there were three factions within the crowd, all of whom should have belonged to the Tianque Kingdom, two of them were inexplicably fighting amongst themselves.
The Imperial Forest Army, despite their large numbers, were clearly outmatched in martial skill and were quickly falling into a disadvantage.
Among the crowd, two figures were particularly conspicuous: Xia Yunting and Prince Xiao.
They were actually helping Rong Zhi fight the royal forces. Were they insane?
As Rong Zhi looked on in confusion, Jin Jinghong also realized what was happening.
“What are you doing? Rebellion! All of you are rebelling!”
But his shouts were useless. The battle had taken a decisive turn, and the outcome was quickly apparent.
All the Imperial Forest Army were forced to lay down their weapons, becoming defeated subordinates of the other two factions.
Not only Rong Zhi and her companions but even the disciples from the three major sects who had just arrived were dumbfounded. They hadn’t even started fighting, and it looked like it was already over.
Xia Yunting and Prince Xiao, leading their retinues, turned towards the emperor. Their expressions were not exactly respectful, making Jin Jinghong feel uneasy.
“Minister Xia, Prince Xiao, what do you two intend to do? Are you planning to usurp the throne?”
Prince Xiao spoke first, “Your Majesty, please do not misunderstand. This minister has no intention of disrespecting you, but I wish to request that Your Majesty resolve an unjust case from the past.”
Xia Yunting seconded him, “We implore Your Majesty to investigate the unjust case from that year thoroughly.”
“Unjust case…” After a moment of bewilderment, Jin Jinghong’s eyes gradually cleared.
The only unjust case that could cause such a stir and demand his personal judgment was undoubtedly one.
“What are they talking about?” Hui Neng asked blankly, looking at Bai Lu and Guo Qi. The other two also wore confused expressions.
At first, they thought these two were helping the emperor fight Rong Zhi. Then, they thought they were helping Rong Zhi fight the emperor. But now, it seemed neither was the case; they had other motives.
“Regarding the events of that year, I have already promised the Empress Dowager that no one is to mention them. Esteemed ministers, please do not inquire further.”
His words lacked conviction, as Jin Jinghong was now without any reliable forces.
“Your Majesty, we implore Your Majesty to investigate with clarity,” Prince Xiao bowed even deeper.
Xia Yunting stared intently at Jin Jinghong, his demeanor aggressive. It seemed that if Jin Jinghong refused, he would attack directly.
“Xia Yunting, you have quite the audacity! How dare you openly attack my personal guards!”
Xia Yunting calmly gestured to Chen Xing behind him. Chen Xing handed over a ledger.
The eunuch, who had been arrogant moments before, trembled in fear. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward, took the ledger, and handed it to Jin Jinghong. Upon opening it, a look of shock crossed Jin Jinghong’s face.
“This is what I personally witnessed and heard in Changping County. If not for that incident years ago, so many people would not have suffered. Your Majesty, although thirteen years have passed since this injustice, I still remember it. Your attempts to conceal it are futile.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Your Majesty, the truth of this matter rests solely with you to reveal. Justice will be served,” Prince Xiao’s voice was deep and resonant.
Jin Jinghong looked at the many guards on the street with a heavy heart. So many guards, who should have been loyal to him, had now defected. It was truly pathetic for an emperor.
He softly uttered a few words, “Prepare the imperial carriage back to the palace.”
Within the palace, Rong Zhi and the others were all granted seats, but they were utterly bewildered, not understanding why Jin Jinghong had kept them there.
Logically, Xia Yunting and Prince Xiao requesting the emperor to investigate a case should be an internal matter of the Tianque Kingdom. How could outsiders like them be involved?
Yet, Jin Jinghong not only allowed them to be involved but also granted them seats, implying he wanted them to witness the entire proceedings.
Could this matter also be related to them?
Jin Jinghong sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over everyone below. His eyes were weary. He had appeared full of vigor moments ago, but now he seemed to have aged several years.
“No, what are you guys going to say? Hurry up and speak! Stop beating around the bush,” Wen Yu grumbled impatiently from the side, only to be nudged by Liu Yunxi, and reluctantly fell silent.
“This matter also concerns you,” Jin Jinghong’s gaze fell on Rong Zhi.
Rong Zhi looked at his conflicted expression and the behavior of Xia Yunting and Prince Xiao. With a little speculation, she realized which matter it was.
Besides the initial incident, what other event could cause Jin Jinghong to wear such an expression in relation to Medicine King Valley and the Tianque Kingdom?
“You’re referring to the incident that led to my death?”
“You already know?”
“I guessed as much.”
Rong Zhi did not mention that her disciple had informed her. No wonder Jin Jinghong had asked them to stay; it was for this matter.
“Since you all know, I will not keep you in suspense. It is true that I instructed the Grand Tutor and General Xia to recruit Medicine King Valley, but I had no intention of causing your death.”
“You already killed me. Is there any point in saying this now? Medicine King Valley is already in your grasp. If you’re trying to apologize, return Medicine King Valley to me. If you want to fight, I, Rong Zhi, will oblige.”
“Yes, we will also oblige,” Wen Yu eagerly stood up.
“And us!” The sect leaders were indignant.
This emperor was truly despicable and shameless to have poisoned them.
“Even if I refuse to let go of Medicine King Valley, I likely won’t be able to keep it.”
“What do you mean?”
Rong Zhi was somewhat surprised. Did he intend to return Medicine King Valley to her?
“Jin Jinghong, you incompetent fool! The Chen family worked so hard for so many years, and you’ve surrendered this grand scheme so easily. All my efforts in nurturing you over the years are wasted!”
An aged voice suddenly sounded. The white-haired Empress Dowager, supported by Jin Yunfei, walked over.
Everyone present was astonished.
Even though the Empress Dowager was the emperor’s mother, daring to scold the emperor so aggressively in public suggested that Jin Jinghong’s status was even lower than they had imagined.
The Empress Dowager, though white-haired, had sharp eyes. She looked around at everyone with suspicion before her gaze settled back on her son.
“You useless wretch! Your ministers have all turned against you, and you have no power to resist. The leader of your trusted guards is an informant, and you didn’t even notice. If not for our Chen family, you would have been deposed long ago!”
Jin Jinghong remained silent, his expression growing increasingly grim.
It seemed he had no authority in front of the Empress Dowager.
“Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, do not blame us for being ruthless. An emperor must have… unconventional methods. Since you refuse to surrender to us, do not blame us for eradicating the roots.”
Her words were resolute. Rong Zhi heard in her tone that the events of that year were related to her, and she might have been the mastermind.
“You have no one left to command, so how will you capture us?”
Even with the Imperial Forest Army, they were outnumbered.
The blame lay with Jin Jinghong’s foolishness. Just as the Empress Dowager had said, he hadn’t foreseen his ministers’ betrayal and hadn’t detected anything amiss with his close guard, Xiao Jianli.
“Do you think that our Chen family would reach this point without leaving any contingencies?”
The Empress Dowager clapped her hands. A sound of clashing armor suddenly erupted from outside, and a group of unfamiliar guards stormed in, surrounding Rong Zhi and the others.
Rong Zhi identified them carefully and vaguely recalled them as guards from the Grand Tutor Chen’s household.
“I didn’t expect this day to come so soon. Aunt, your nephew greets you.”
A carefree voice entered, and Chen An, fanning himself, grinned triumphantly.
Rong Zhi frowned. Was he an ally or an enemy now?