Li Xu Yan's expression was calm, but his breathing was unstable, his hands hidden in his sleeves were clenched and his heart pounded loudly- he was suffering on the inside.
Gao Min's breathing stopped for a moment, then he shouted, "The Emperor has no need to bend over for their Jun Father, just kill these traitors!"
Zhou Yun Sheng's fingers tightened, causing Gao Mins cheeks to redden, forehead veins to bulge, and speech to stop.
Li Xu Yan looked at him then closed his eyes, it looked like he couldn't bear to see, but his arm slightly raised, ordering the guards to ignore and slaughter. In such a big event that decided his future, he should know the right choice, when he ascends the throne, he will certainly cut Qi Xiujie and Six Princes with a thousand cuts until their gray bones were exposed, in revenge for his father.
The surrounding crowd were frightened until their souls flew out, except for Zhou Yun Sheng, who was laughing. He raised his hand and shook his sleeves at the nearby soldiers, the swords in their hands folded into a few pieces and fell to the ground.
What kind of martial arts is this? He can use the air flow as an invisible weapon, how appalling, if even the steel swords fold like paper, then what would happen to flesh and blood? The soldiers felt their chests tighten, they were too afraid to move.
Everyone was stunned into a trance.
Zhou Yun Sheng was still laughing, he pulled a jade hairpin out from Gao Min's hair and casually threw it, "You want to kill me with so little people, Li Xu Yan, you are too naive. Believe it or not, even if there was a mighty army in front of you, it'd still be easy for me to kill you."
His movements were simple, but they hid a powerful force. When a soldier saw the hairpin flying out, he'd quickly brandished his sword to block Li Xu Yan, but all he heard was a crisp snap, and small hole appeared in the blade. But the momentum of the hair-pin had not diminished, it scratched the side of Li Xu Yan's face and buried itself deep into a post. All that was visible of the hairpin was the crimson gem that was embedded on the end.
How much strength should be used to turn a fragile and brittle jade hairpin into a weapon harder than steel? If he was really trying to take Five Princes' life, Five Princes would've already died a hundred times.
Forget about Li Xu Yan's soldiers, even the people hiding behind Zhou Yun Sheng felt their legs weaken.
No one expected the weak seeming Qi Gui Jun had supernatural and unpredictable martial arts. If he wanted to kill anyone, even Da Luo Jin Xian [a level of immortality in Taoism] couldn't save them. But he lived deep in the palace and did not ask for the world, no one knew if he was really indifferent to fame and fortune or secretly plotting. He's hidden too deeply ah! It's unfathomable!
Everyone gaped in horror.
Now that things had developed to this point in time, how much of it was Qi Xiujie's efforts? Or… was everything always in his control? Yes, from the day Li Jin Tian pardoned him, everything went out of control. Everyone thought that he was living under the radar for self-preservation, but he was just deeply hidden, while everyone was playing around, he watched them, amused. Terrible, really terrible!
Thinking of this, Gao Min's chest tightened.
While the crowd was still amazed, Zhou Yun Sheng continued to speak, "Five Princes really is a manly man, his home taught him well. Your decision was very wise, presumably, you should be the pride of your father. But if I worked hard to raise a son and he sacrificed me, I'd certainly break his two legs. Heartless, ungrateful thing, just like a beast."
Li Xu Yan's face turned purple from his mocking, Gao Min's expression was also very embarrassed. Before, he did feel pride for his son's order to kill, but as a father, knowing that his son resolutely abandoned him, how could he feel happy?
The two were drowning in panic and felt confused in despair. They knew the Tian Chen Palace only had about a dozen guards, they feared that if they couldn't kill Qi Xiujie today, as long as he rescued one or two of the courtiers, they will immediately be sentenced as traitors. Then Six Princes would be able to lift the justice banner and order the soldiers to seize the imperial city. Although Gao Lang had made arrangements, those arrangements could only come through if the two people could successfully take over all the people in the temple.
With these people as hostages, they could force the courtiers to forge an imperial edict that made Five Princes successfully inherit the throne. They could then spread the news out, label Six Princes as a traitor and order his death.
Where was the difficulty in besieging Yang Xian Temple and a group of defenseless palace people? Gao Min had initially thought it would be the easiest battle of his life, but he actually met the most terrible enemy of this life.
Was Qi Xiujie also such an unfathomable person in the last life? No wonder he could have the last laugh. Poor him and Li Jin Tian, they all thought that this person was just a beautiful glass vase.
Gao Min paled, he didn't dare underestimate him again, he could only hope that his brother led Gao Jia's private soldiers into the palace as soon as possible.
Just then, a tall silhouette appeared under the door frame and slowly opened, "How dare you abandon your father? Even if the whole world was placed in front of me, it couldn't compare to my Jun Father."
He came out of the backlight, and everyone finally saw the bearer of the voice. A royal, extraordinary face, a bloodthirsty pair of eyes and a cold temperament. This person was Six Princes, Li Xudong, back from the southern territories after three years. He was still very tender when he'd left, but now, he had an aquiline nose and broad eyebrows, narrow-cut phoenix eyes, and thin lips. He looked mature and stable, a full 6ft 3in, not to mention, his heavy armor was still dripping with blood- he had killed his way into the palace.
His momentum was too strong, it made Five Princes look useless. Some of the courtiers had thought that if they could survive, they would pledge allegiance to Five Princes, not because they were threatened, but because they honestly thought that he was the best prince among the bunch, his family background was also the most valuable. They didn't know what the Emperor had to be smoking to despise him.
But looking at Six Princes and Five Princes side by side, Five Princes was obviously shrinking into himself, his face panicked, while Six Princes completely ignored him. No wonder the Emperor hid Six Princes in the South, no wonder he betrayed Five Princes to make Six Princes the new king, the reason was now clear.
Anyone with eyes could see which one had the real prestige of an Emperor.
Behind him was many soldiers equally dressed in blood. They were different from the Tian Chen Palace's guards. These people had indifferent expressions and cold eyes, they looked like the undead. They were soldiers who had experienced countless killings, they were trained to be cold and battle ready.
Gao Jia's private soldiers had been idle for three years, they'd lost their bloodthirst, so even they were not their opponents. Forget about the palace guards who were trapped in a comfy temple all day.
Li Xudong ignored everybody else, he only stared greedily at his Jun Father, especially at his lovely face. He'd stayed the same way he'd left him, no matter how much time passed, his eyebrows were still so proud. He was such a unique and important existence to him, just like he said, even if you gave him the whole world, he wouldn't exchange it for his father.
The throne, power, or the country, none of it was worth a single hair on his father's head. Even if the whole world collapsed, as long as Jun Father was still there, what did it matter to Li Xudong? He would've never left his side if he hadn't needed to ascend the throne to get him.
"Jun Father, I'm back!" He eagerly ran over to hug him.
Zhou Yun Sheng threw away the half dead Gao Min and grabbed the wolf cub into his arms, but was immediately shocked. The other man was too tall and too thick, his arms could no longer encircle him.
Li Xudong chuckled, his deep eyes were pampering. He opened his Jun Father's arms, and pressed him into his chest, the strength of his big grip was amazing.
While the father and son had their reunion, Five Princes and Gao Min were taken into the prison, the scared temple people all quickly kneeled and shouted 'long live'.
—————–
All the Gao family who participate in the conspiracy were imprisoned. Gao Lang and the dozens involved in the rebellion were sentenced to death, the rest of the elderly, women and children were demoted to commoners and forced to migrate thousands of miles. Li Xudong obviously didn't want to let Gao Jia off so easily, but Li Jin Tian really was too in love with Gao Min, he'd actually left a secret message that told Six Princes that whatever the outcome, leave Gao Jia a way out.
Did he ever think of leaving Jun Father's family a way out? Li Xudong was so angry that he'd decided to ignore the order.
But Zhou Yun Sheng felt that since Li Jin Tian wanted a good outcome for everyone, there was no need to change it. He was a foreign force, he couldn't wantonly kill the protagonists, otherwise, it would cause the world to collapse. But using the protagonists to kill each other was a roundabout and interesting way to play around.
Gao Min waited for three days to see if his son would be brought into the jail, his heart was very anxious. He paced in front the prison door wistfully, and the person he was waiting for finally showed up.
"Qi Xiujie, Xu Yan? What have you done with my son? Please don't kill him! Isn't it enough that you killed him in the last life? All the wrongs were my doing, if you want to pay me back, come, eat me alive or peel my skin! I deserve it all!" He shouted at the young man who was walking in slowly.
Gao family didn't know about his rebirth, they thought he had gone crazy.
Zhou Yun Sheng went to the front of his cell and looked at him condescendingly for a long time, then he lowered his voice so only they could hear, "In the last life, your son's death was not only from Qi Xiujie's hand. There was also Jin Imperial Concubine, Yao Shi Jun, and your personal servant. He was bought by Qi Xiujie a long time ago. When you died in your last life, did you think he was killed by the rebellion army? No, he hid in the Zi Chen Palace to avoid the attacks, and also became Qi Xiujie's confidant."
Gao Min was transfixed, he didn't expect his own servant had betrayed him, especially since they had grown up together.
Zhou Yun Sheng smiled, "Even after being reborn, you still don't know how to read people. Gao Min, it's not an injustice that you lost. But Qi Xiujie really does owe Li Xu Yan a life, so I didn't kill him. He is now in the royal palace with Li Wang. And judging by how he treats you, Li Wang will love him as his own son."
Gao Min lost the strength in his body and collapsed to the ground, relieved. He really couldn't understand Qi Xiujie. He seemed brutal, but he acted by his own rules. It's no wonder he and Li Jin Tian lost to this man.
No, that's wrong, their failure was their own fault. If they weren't so greedy, doubtful and suspicious, they would've never fallen to this point.
Their conversation was very soft, the rest of the family was curious to death but didn't dare get too close. Zhou Yun Sheng straightened up and hooked in his finger, "The execution is tomorrow, so I'll give you some broken rice, eat up."
His voice faded and a guard stepped up to place a food box in the prison door. Zhou Yun Sheng kicked it over and grinded it with the sole of his shoe.
Gao Lang's chains almost cracked, he was desperately struggling to reach over and tear him up.
Zhou Yun Sheng continued, "If you eat it, I'll change the execution to decapitation, to give you a happy death."
Gao Lang didn't move, so Zhou Yun Sheng sneered, "Otherwise you get death by cuts." The rest of the sentenced Gao family were kneeling over, promising to eat.
3600 knife cuts, each cut biting into the bone marrow so you'll suffer for hours before you died, this kind of sinful death, who was willing to suffer it?
Zhou Yun Sheng was clearly amusing himself with Gao Lang. Seeing him not moving to eat it, he gave him a cheerful smile and slowly walked away, "Such a manly man. To tell you the truth, even if you all eat it, I would still hold you in account, and make you pay it back." Gao Jia had hundreds of people, how could they be offset by a mouthful of rice? That was way too easy.
Gao Lang clenched his teeth, he was almost not even angry, he just deeply felt that Qi Xiujie's mind was terrible. He seemed to see everything in the world as a game to master, he wantonly played around with everyone else.
If he had known he was like this, he wouldn't have made him his enemy.