Thick smoke continuously poured in through the window, even blackening the beams of Luohong Tower’s roof. The Emperor was drenched in sweat, turning his gaze toward the partition, outside of which the fire roared.
He never expected that he, the mighty Emperor of the Jin Kingdom, would end up in such a predicament.
He originally intended to ascend the Nine-Tiered Platform to seek immortality. The State Preceptor had said... By ascending the platform and sacrificing a thousand boys and girls, he could meet the immortals and obtain the elixir of immortality, perhaps even plead for Bai Suqiu to be resurrected.
He was so close to success; the Nine-Tiered Platform was complete. He just needed a thousand boys and girls, yet Bai Qingyan dared to rebel against him!
Oh Heaven, just one step... one step away! He is the true dragon of the Jin Kingdom! Why does Heaven treat him this way? Why not grant his wish?! Why hasn’t the Crown Prince come to save him!
At that moment, the Crown Prince had been stabbed in the chest, blood gushing forth... protected and supported by Qin Shangzhi, along with a group of soldiers and the imperial secret guard, dodging and hiding all the way and finally reaching the gate. But the Crown Prince was too exhausted, and Qin Shangzhi had no choice but to settle him temporarily in the vacant mansion of a wealthy family, where he was given some simple bandaging.
The Crown Prince panted heavily, leaning against a chair, the scent of blood covering his entire body...
He never imagined that Hongmei, whom he’d favored for so long, would give him a fatal blow.
When he heard Hongmei was coming, the Crown Prince thought that perhaps Bai Qingyan had sent her to persuade him to surrender. Little did he know, upon meeting Hongmei... even before any intimacy, she would present him with such a meeting gift.
The look in Hongmei’s eyes was clearly filled with deep admiration; how could she not blink when thrusting a dagger into his chest? How could she, with a look of resignation, leap into the river?
What deep-seated grudge gave her the resolve for such a blow?
Now that Hongmei was dead, there was no point in pursuing the reasons.
But the Crown Prince truly did not want to die. If he truly weren’t afraid of death... he wouldn’t have humbly begged King Liang for a chance to live back then.
Yet the Crown Prince hadn’t figured out what to do once he’d escaped.
With not a coin to his name, he couldn’t afford to pay these secret guards in silver. He might still need Qin Shangzhi, these soldiers, and the secret guards of the Imperial Family to sustain him; would they still risk their lives for him?
The Crown Prince looked down at the waist ornament at his side; perhaps it was worth some money, but who knew how long it would last?
The Crown Prince never imagined it would be Qin Shangzhi, someone he once helped suppress with Elder Fang, who would remain loyal to him at this time.
Elder Fang, too, was loyal. The mere thought of Elder Fang’s misshapen form made the Crown Prince shiver.
Ren Shijie... it’s unknown if he’s dead, as there has been no word.
Only Qin Shangzhi, originally working on canal repairs and uninvolved, was now risking everything to protect him.
After much contemplation, the Crown Prince made a decision: "No longer running west of the city; we head for the Zhou army camp, Qin Shangzhi... go and tell the Princess of Zhen that I am willing to surrender!"
It was fine with Qin Shangzhi, but especially these secret guards; loyalty to the Imperial Family was conditional on being well-paid.
After spending so many years managing the Jin royal court, the Crown Prince was well aware of these people’s nature!
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