“Then tell me, how do we save them?”
Honglian, stopped by him, thought about the skills of Prince Ning and Qingfeng. Though puzzled whether the emperor also knew about poisons, her eyes were filled with worry as she asked him.
“There is a way. Zhao Zhong, hurry back to our place and fetch that bottle of Frosty Jade Dew. With it, we can stop the bleeding from their wounds. Then we can act to save them. Otherwise, moving them now will only make them bleed faster… Be quick.”
The man in the bamboo hat, facing the urgency and complaints of the two women, sighed silently before instructing Zhao Zhong beside him. The group remained crouched on the rooftop.
“What about the antidote? If they die, I’ve said it before—even if I have to destroy it, I won’t hand it over to you. All’s fair in war. The hiding place I told you earlier was useless. The Dragon-Tiger Token is right here.”
The emperor’s words stunned Wanqing. She hadn’t expected this man to be so cunning. Though frustrated by her own meticulous planning being outmatched by his shrewdness, she still glared at him and flicked her sleeve, revealing a token in her hand.
“Don’t come any closer. I said, bring the antidote, or I’ll destroy it right now.”
Seeing her produce the token, Prince An stepped forward. Wanqing’s voice turned icy as she warned him, her delicate face cold and resolute. She held the token aloft, poised to shatter it the moment he made a reckless move.
“You… I doubt you can pull any tricks. Here’s the antidote. I’ll count to three—throw the token over, or I’ll smash the antidote. Remember, I have all the time in the world, but you don’t. One… two…”
Prince An hadn’t anticipated this move. Though furious at her deceit and fickleness, with the token almost in his grasp, he coldly produced a vial and began counting.
As soon as “three” left his lips, Wanqing hurled the token, and he flung the vial in return.
Seeing the token fly, Prince An leaped to catch it, while the figures on the rooftop also sprang into action.
But just as Prince An’s fingers were about to close around the token, a shadow darted past them all, snatching it midair.
“Yemei?! You… you’ve been hiding in the palace all along? You—”
Staring at the figure who had snatched the token and spun away, Prince An’s face twisted in shock. His icy demand was cut short as he noticed the others descending, particularly the man in the bamboo hat, whose gaze flickered ominously.
“So, you still remember me?”
The man in the hat responded to Prince An’s reaction with a mellow voice, then flicked his wrist, letting the hat drift to the ground.
“You? You… you…” Prince An staggered back, eyes wide with disbelief at the man before him—one side of his face eerily similar to his own, the other marred by two savage scars.
“Surprised? When you kicked me off that cliff, I didn’t die. And I never imagined the one who called me ‘Imperial Brother’ would stab me on the battlefield, then hurl me into the abyss and steal my face to live as me.”
The man smirked coldly at Prince An’s shock, his voice dripping with disdain.
“That’s not true! I am the emperor! You’re just a lookalike, a rebel who’s repeatedly tried to assassinate me! Guards, seize this traitor—!”
Prince An’s face paled at the accusation. As the man advanced, he retreated instinctively, barking orders to his subordinates.
“Traitor? You think these fools can capture me? You’re the traitor here, Yemei!”
The man in the hat scoffed as Sun Fengyu lunged at him. With a swift swing of his blade, he repelled Sun and turned his icy gaze to Prince An, poised to strike. But in that split second of hesitation, Yemei—clutching the token—seized the chance to flee.
The man hurled his blade in a graceful arc toward Yemei’s retreating back.
“Ah—!”
Though Yemei tried to escape, the blade struck true, sending him plummeting with a cry of pain. Meanwhile, the scholar and Honglian charged at Prince An, while Wanchun rushed to Wanqing’s side.
“Miss! Master—!”
She swiftly unsealed Wanqing, Prince Ning, and Qingfeng’s pressure points, calling out urgently. As Wanqing rose to treat the wounded, Wanchun stood guard.
Fortunately, the emperor’s medicine had some effect, and with Wanqing’s formidable skills, the bleeding was soon stemmed. Zhao Zhong arrived just in time. Fearing the others from the marquis’s estate might return, the three stabilized their injuries, and Wanqing joined the fray.
The man in the hat was none other than the true emperor—Leng Yingjie, Wanqing and Prince Ning’s birth father—who now fought alongside the scholar against Prince An.
Sun Fengyu, drugged into an unstoppable frenzy, fought like a man possessed. Wanchun, the other women, and Wanqing barely held their own until Zhao Zhong intervened. Sun was subdued first, then Prince An.
“Damn it!”
As Sun was sent flying by a combined strike, Prince An caught him, only to hurl him aside and vault onto the rooftop to escape.
“Damn it! Letting him get away! Zhao Zhong, go protect the empress dowager at once! And issue my decree—Prince An is to be captured!”
The emperor—Leng Yingjie—ripped the mask from Prince An’s face, revealing his true features. Furious at his escape, he barked orders before turning to Prince Ning and Wanqing.
“You… Father? Is it really you?”
Supported by Wanqing, Prince Ning gazed at the familiar yet scarred face, tears brimming in his eyes.
“It is. Forgive me for not revealing myself sooner. I was wounded by him and needed time to recover. Only recently could I stand again. Then I heard of Yemei’s defeat and the empress dowager’s poisoning. We came to uncover the truth, only to face this. My child… my Chen’er…”
The emperor’s voice cracked as he cupped Prince Ning’s pale, weakened face. Overcome with guilt and sorrow, he embraced him, tears streaming down his own scarred cheeks.
“So, you’re the real emperor.”
Wanqing watched the two men weep, leaving the women awkwardly standing by. Recalling her strange feeling upon first meeting him, she couldn’t help but voice her suspicion.
“It’s me, girl. Seeing how you and Chen’er bicker yet fought side by side today, and how you helped me against that villain… Your betrothal to Sun Fengyu is void now that he’s dead. I hereby grant you two my blessing to marry.”
The emperor chuckled softly, his scarred face softening into warmth. Despite his fearsome appearance, his demeanor was gentle and cheerful. Thinking of her actions today, he smiled at her.
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