The commander of the Imperial Guard felt uneasy under the Emperor's gaze and quickly lowered his head. Although he had been promoted by the Emperor, times change, and he had to consider the welfare of his family behind him, finding a wise ruler to serve. If one doesn't look out for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy them.
The Second Prince, while not fond of those who betray their master for personal gain, knew that the commander of the Imperial Guard was instrumental to his cause. Without him, his plans would fail. Thus, he stood between the commander and his father, blocking the Emperor's view.
The Emperor knew exactly what his second son was thinking and sighed silently. His second son was indeed fit to be Emperor, capable of winning hearts and warming them.
Without a word, the Second Prince drew his saber from a nearby guard and began to advance step by step.
"What do you intend to do? The Emperor is here; this is no place for your insolence," the Emperor's chief eunuch immediately reprimanded, glaring at him with displeasure.
Seeing that his words had no effect, and the Second Prince continued to approach them, everyone instinctively retreated, their bodies tensing in defensive postures. To their surprise, he finally stopped before the Crown Prince.
"You... what do you want? I am the Crown Prince," the Crown Prince trembled uncontrollably, backing away. He didn't know how long he had been retreating before he could go no further, finally realizing his back was against the wall.
"Haven't you always looked down on us from your lofty position? Today, I, this Prince, will return all the humiliation I've endured over the years," the Second Prince declared, bringing his saber down. The next moment, the Crown Prince screamed out in pain.
The Emperor watched the blood spill across the floor and the severed arm lying nearby. His gaze darkened. As the Second Prince raised his arm again, he shouted, "Wait."
"What is your command, Father? You must remember that I will soon ascend to your position. You should either speak kindly to me or reason with me, making me see the justice in your words, and only then will I spare his wretched life." The Second Prince's eyes sparkled as he looked at the throne beneath his father, his heart burning with fervor.
"You... you rebellious son! He is, after all, your elder brother. I said nothing when you severed his arm, yet you now draw your sword again? Do you intend to take his life? I am still alive; how can I tolerate your insolence?" The Emperor pointed at him with a trembling hand.
The next moment, his eyes widened involuntarily, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The Second Prince, hearing his words, had directly thrust his sword into the Crown Prince's chest.
Watching his son die with his eyes wide open in disbelief, the Emperor's heart ached. Although he was angry at his son for being impatient and rebelling, becoming a pawn in someone else's game, the Emperor still wished to spare his life. After all, years of careful upbringing had fostered a genuine affection.
With the offending Crown Prince dealt with, the Second Prince turned his attention to Xuanyuan Xin. The Empress immediately looked at him with concern.
"Such mother-son affection, yet it is an eyesore to me." In the past, the Second Prince truly hadn't noticed the Fifth Prince's ambition, considering him merely a naive and innocent younger brother. But recently, he had been too active, especially his increasingly close relationship with the Empress, which had sparked a sense of crisis in his heart. Coincidentally, the Crown Prince, instigated by his advisors, was planning a rebellion. The Second Prince's men accidentally obtained news of this and planned to act as the mantis stalking the cicada.
Since he had already dealt with the Crown Prince in front of so many people and offended the Emperor and Empress, his options were now either to ascend the throne today or to die. He did not wish to die, so he had to sacrifice someone else, perhaps the Fifth Prince before him.
A cruel smile spread across the Second Prince's face as he slowly approached Xuanyuan Xin. Just as everyone thought the Fifth Prince was doomed, several masked figures suddenly emerged and engaged the Second Prince's men. One of them even shielded the Fifth Prince.
These individuals were highly skilled in martial arts, employing techniques never before seen. The Second Prince was quickly overwhelmed. As dawn approached, he began to grow anxious. The Third Prince, seeing this, immediately flashed to his side and engaged the black-clad figures, allowing the Second Prince to regain control of his forces.
Although the Fifth Prince's men were not weak, they were no match for the Second Prince's superior numbers. They were soon captured.
Hearing the shouts of the Second Prince's men outside, the Emperor hesitated no longer and clapped his hands. From some unknown place, hundreds of soldiers clad in white armor, carrying bows and arrows, emerged, causing everyone's expressions to change.
"Are these the Royal Guards?" The common rumor was that the Royal Guards were infallible and their intervention meant certain death. The Emperor intended to kill him! Although he had never fought the Royal Guards, nor did he know their identities beneath their masks, he was aware of their formidable power. His expression became unconsciously serious.
"Yes, these are the dread Royal Guards. All soldiers, obey my command: ensure the heads of the Second Prince and Third Prince are taken." The Emperor's gaze was sharp as he looked at them. Though both were his sons, flesh of his flesh, if he allowed them to continue unchecked, the consequences were unpredictable. Moreover, only with their deaths would the leaderless factions cease their actions.
"Yes!" a neat and resounding voice replied immediately.
The next moment, everyone unleashed a volley of arrows towards the Second and Third Princes. Despite their excellent martial arts, they could evade this volley but not the next. Soon, both were wounded.
"Retreat, quickly retreat." Sensing the unfavorable turn of events, the Second Prince hastily attempted to withdraw, believing it wise to preserve his strength. After all, if his guess was correct, the palace was already under his control. Though his father had the guards, such a small force could not achieve much.
However, the next moment, these guards appeared before him. Their pupils involuntarily widened. They hadn't even seen how these formidable warriors had moved so close to them. The Fifth Prince's eyes narrowed. If he wasn't mistaken, these individuals were using internal energy. He hadn't expected such martial prowess to exist in this world. It seemed there were always people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens. Fortunately, he hadn't revealed himself. With his own meager skills, he wouldn't be enough to impress outsiders and would only draw unnecessary suspicion.
In truth, the Fifth Prince was being too modest. This body of his was still not suited for martial arts. Despite having been here for a while, he had tried to strengthen his body. Although his movements appeared somewhat superficial, he was capable of defeating ten ordinary Tibetan soldiers. Of course, he couldn't compare to these well-trained guards.
Wu Caiwei, hidden on the rooftop, watched with wide eyes. If her martial arts hadn't been superior to theirs and she hadn't been adept at concealing her presence, she would have been discovered long ago. It seemed the reason for the Royal Guards' reputation was their mastery of internal energy. Although this internal energy seemed rudimentary to Wu Caiwei, it was more than enough to dominate those in this world. Hadn't they been routed?
As the sword pierced his chest, the Second Prince involuntarily lowered his head, falling backward in disbelief. He hadn't imagined that after only recently thrusting a sword into someone else's heart, his own heart would be pierced in turn. Was this karma? But he didn't want to die!