“Protect His Majesty, protect His Majesty!” Nangong Xiaodie was the quickest to react, standing up to shield Lu Jing'an.
At the same time, many guards within the Qingliang Hall drew their swords, forming an impenetrable ring around Lu Jing'an.
Seeing her thrown projectile blocked, the dancing woman let out a cold laugh. The more than a dozen women dancing beside her all drew their soft swords from their waists and engaged the surrounding guards.
In an instant, ministers scrambling to avoid swords, panicked palace maids, eunuchs, and innocent female dependents all seemed like frenzied wild dogs, letting out the most tragic howls in the Qingliang Hall.
Zhong Li shielded Hua Yao and Cui Ningya behind her, while simultaneously evading two dancers with murderous intent.
Fortunately, those two dancers were not skilled enough. Within five moves, Zhong Li had severed their Achilles tendons, completely incapacitating them.
“Li'er, be careful!” Hua Yao cried out.
Zhong Li reacted and discovered another dancer attacking from behind. After quickly dealing with her, she returned to Hua Yao's side.
“Where is Cui Ningya?” she asked, noticing Hua Yao was alone.
Hua Yao finally registered what was happening and glanced back, looking stunned. “That’s strange, she was just here, how could she…”
“Young Master, save me! Save me!” a voice called out from not far away.
Zhong Li and Hua Yao looked in the direction of the voice. Cui Ningya had somehow fallen into the hands of a dancer. The dancer, pulling Cui Ningya’s hair and holding a soft sword, roared, “Traitor, I’ll kill you!”
Just as Cui Ningya was about to have her throat slit, Lu Wuxie swiftly appeared beside the dancer and delivered a kick.
Simultaneously, Cui Ningya, though rescued, lost her footing and stumbled backward.
“Young Master, save me!” Cui Ningya whimpered again, her hand reaching out towards Lu Wuxie, who had just regained his balance.
Lu Wuxie frowned and dodged.
Cui Ningya fell heavily to the ground.
Seeing this, Zhong Li, while dodging surrounding swords, helped Cui Ningya up from the ground. “Go to the corner, I’ll protect you!”
“Minister Zhong, I wavered before, but not this time!” Cui Ningya mumbled as Zhong Li pulled her along.
Zhong Li turned to look at her with some confusion.
Suddenly, Cui Ningya flung Zhong Li’s hand away, picked up a sharp blade from the ground, and turned to charge at Lu Jing'an, who was closest to her.
Since the hidden guards assumed Cui Ningya was brought by Zhong Li, they were not prepared for her.
In mere moments, the "impenetrable wall" protecting Lu Jing'an was completely breached by Cui Ningya. Five or six hidden guards fell to the ground, clutching their necks, their eyes wide with disbelief.
“Damn emperor, die!” Cui Ningya shouted, lunging directly at Lu Jing'an.
“Father Emperor, Consort!” The Sixth Prince, Lu Yuanfeng, who was closest to Lu Jing'an, rushed out from the hidden guards protecting his father and used his own body to block Cui Ningya’s sword.
At the same time, blood trickled down Cui Ningya’s sword.
“Feng… Feng’er!” Nangong Xiaodie, witnessing this, was terrified. Then, as if remembering something terrible, tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes. “My son… my son…”
Lu Wuxie also came to his senses, stepping forward a few paces to seize Cui Ningya by the neck and forcefully throw her a short distance away.
Cui Ningya’s body struck a pillar, and blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.
Lu Wuxie advanced step by step, sword in hand.
“Mo Cang!” Zhong Li called out, “Spare her life!”
Lu Wuxie’s sword-wielding hand froze. Simultaneously, several guards swarmed around Cui Ningya, tying her up securely.
Cui Ningya was forced to kneel on the ground. Looking at Lu Yuanfeng, whom she had wounded, and at the man still seated firmly on the throne, staring at her with a piercing gaze, she said, “Damn emperor, you think it’s over? I tell you, my death is unimportant, because today you won’t leave the Qingliang Hall alive!”
“What do you mean?” Lu Jing’an released his hand from comforting Nangong Xiaodie, stood up, and narrowed his eyes as he asked.
Cui Ningya smiled, but before she could answer.
The doors of the Qingliang Hall were suddenly burst open. A guard, clad in armor and looking disheveled, rushed in and exclaimed, “Your Majesty, something is wrong! Many people in black robes have arrived outside, and they are charging towards the Qingliang Hall as if they have no regard for their lives.”
“What?” Lu Jing’an’s expression turned extremely grim. Angrily, he slammed his hand on the dragon throne. “What is this situation?”
Seeing this, Lu Wuxie quickly stepped forward, sword in hand. “Your Majesty, this matter can be handled by this subject!”
With that, he glanced at Lin Jin, who had been waiting for him at the entrance of the Qingliang Hall, took the soft armor from Lin Jin’s hand, and quickly charged towards the enemies surging towards the Qingliang Hall.
“Li’er, Young Master is like this…” Hua Yao, seeing that the enemies were more numerous than expected, couldn’t help but tug at Zhong Li’s clothes, asking with concern.
Zhong Li lowered her eyes, looking at the dissection knife in her hand, and recalled their conversation from two nights ago.
Although he had never shared his thoughts with her, she just knew he had made all the necessary arrangements.
“He will return!” she quietly reassured Hua Yao, then turned to Eunuch Hua and said, “Eunuch Hua, order all palace servants to seal the Qingliang Hall. No matter what happens outside, do not open the doors until the Young Master gives the signal!”
Eunuch Hua reacted swiftly, nodded, and began to carry out the orders.
Zhong Li glanced at the subdued Cui Ningya, then walked towards Lu Yuanfeng.
“Someone, bring a medical kit!” she said to a palace servant, then began to administer first aid to Lu Yuanfeng.
Outside, the sounds of fighting echoed, while inside, Zhong Li focused on saving lives.
Lu Yuanfeng’s bleeding was stopped, and there were still many guards and palace maids injured by the dancers within the hall…
The candlelight in the Qingliang Hall was changed time and time again.
Eunuch Hua, fearing that Zhong Li wouldn't be able to see clearly, even carried a candelabrum to provide illumination.
From daytime revelry to the bright moon and stars, and then to the next day’s dawn and the crowing of roosters.
Zhong Li felt her head begin to spin. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she collapsed backward heavily.
She was too exhausted. After the battle, she had spent a day and a night without sleep, performing hemostasis, suturing, and treating patients.
Now, she felt as if the sky and earth were turning dark, and her brain was issuing warnings.
“Li’er.”
Just as she was about to succumb to exhaustion and close her eyes, the doors of the Qingliang Hall opened, and Lu Wuxie, covered in blood, rushed towards her with great urgency.
----------
“Mmm… this shaved ice is really delicious. I didn’t expect Yu County to have something like this.”
“You only know how to eat. Have you managed to properly take care of Zhong Li?”
“Sixth Prince, what do you take me, Hua Yao, for? Am I the kind of person who forgets friends for food? Li’er has been asleep for quite some time; she should be waking up soon.”
…
Lying on the bed, Zhong Li frowned as she listened to the noisy chatter outside.
She covered her head and got up, put on her embroidered shoes, walked to the door, and pushed open the compartment door.
She saw Hua Yao holding a small bowl, eating with relish, while Lu Yuanfeng stood opposite her with his arms crossed, watching her. Both of them looked surprised at the source of the noise when the compartment door was pushed open.
Zhong Li first glanced at Lu Yuanfeng’s abdomen and saw that he could move freely before asking, “How long… have I slept?”
Hua Yao handed the shaved ice in her hand to Lu Yuanfeng, walked to Zhong Li’s side, and guided her back into the room. “Li’er, are you feeling better?”
“Yes, how long have I slept, and has the Shen Nu Sect been completely purged?” Zhong Li asked.
Hua Yao nodded. “You slept for two days. The Shen Nu Sect members are either dead or captured. Lord Lan, who arrived, has already sent them to the water prison in Jincheng.”
“Then you…” Zhong Li was quite surprised. Why hadn’t the sycophant who always followed Lan Heng come this time?
“I was worried about you! You suddenly fainted, it was quite frightening.” Hua Yao said, her eyes turning a little red.
Hearing this, Zhong Li recalled the scene when she fainted and quickly asked, “Yao’er, where is Mo Cang?”