Ye Luangwu sneered, “Hah, you don’t like it?”
If he didn’t like it, why kill her to protect the throne? If he could save himself, shouldn’t he have just stepped aside?
“This time, I let you scheme, and if you had the means to kill me, it would prove you were more capable, and I wouldn’t mind you taking the throne.” Yelu Quan said, “But you’ve disappointed me.”
Ye Luangwu’s smile slowly faded, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. “I admit defeat.”
At this moment, she finally understood everything. Yelu Quan had seen through her plot long ago, setting this trap to lure her in, and even anticipated that once she discovered he was still alive, she wouldn’t dare to eliminate him in front of witnesses.
She had sealed her fate.
But if she could do it again, she still couldn’t ruthlessly murder her brother, because those ghostly figures came to rescue him, not knowing she was the traitor!
She could only hate that she didn’t see through the deception sooner.
“I’m not satisfied.” Ye Luangwu collapsed to the ground, her vision gradually fading, but she kept her eyes wide open.
Her schemes had been flawless, so where did it go wrong? Yelu Jielie led the usurpation, and it was also Yelu Jielie who sent assassins. She was simply capitalizing on the situation, but the rescuers exposed her.
“You should be unsatisfied because you never truly understand yourself. You’re an ambitious person, yet you stubbornly clung to a shred of affection. You craved that affection, yet committed a ruthless act. If you had known yourself from the start, if you had severed that tiny sentiment from the beginning, you would have sat on the throne long ago. That’s why I saw through you – when Uncle Yelu usurped the throne, I already guessed you wouldn’t miss this opportunity.”
Seizing imperial power is the most perilous path in the world. One cannot be half-hearted.
To know the enemy and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles. The most terrifying thing is not knowing the enemy but not knowing yourself, but rather the enemy understanding you better than you understand yourself.
Although she was unsatisfied, she was not a sore loser.
“You… enlightened me, and I’ll give you one in return.” Ye Luangwu’s voice was very weak, but she knew he could hear her. “Yelu Jielie is also a drug user.”
This was something Yelu Quan didn’t know, but he wasn’t too surprised, nor did he ask further about it. He simply said, “If Ning Yanli were still alive, you might not have died.”
The poisoned weapon had injured her vital meridians, but with timely treatment, she wouldn’t have died. The key was the drug coating on the weapon that prevented her from using her inner energy to protect her heart, robbing her of the chance to be saved. If Ning Yanli had still been by her side as before, always there for important moments, Ye Luangwu might not only have survived but even had a chance to escape.
Ye Luangwu’s pupils dilated, not knowing if she had heard that last sentence.
Nor did she know if she regretted it.
“I merely guessed, and Ning Yanli’s death confirmed your scheme to me,” Yelu Quan murmured.
Ning Yanli was so devoted to Ye Luangwu that without her orders, she would never have sacrificed herself for Yelu Jielie. This loyalty was something only Ye Luangwu herself had failed to fully believe in.
Yelu Quan removed the mask of the impersonator, took off his outer robe to reveal the black battle attire underneath, and mixed him into the other corpses.
Donning the robe, he exerted a slight force and swept out of the hall.
Seeing him still alive, the ghostly figures immediately knelt. “We humbly greet Your Majesty!”
“The Princess died saving me. After dealing with the rebels, she is to be posthumously enfeoffed and buried with great honor!”
When they had first entered, it was Yelu Quan who was dead, and Ye Luangwu who was fine. But the ghostly figures knew Ning Yanli’s medical skills were bizarre, so even if a person died, leaving behind some method of trading life for life was not unheard of.
“The Princess’s loyalty and righteousness!” they exclaimed in unison.
Only those who had followed Ye Luangwu knew her death was suspicious, but since she was already dead, how could they openly question the Emperor?
Yelu Quan’s phoenix eyes were stern and cold as he surveyed them. “Capture the rebel Yelu Jielie!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
With Ye Luangwu’s death, the military power naturally returned to the Emperor’s hands.
The battle was not over yet, but everyone could already see the outcome.
News of the Liao internal strife reached the Great Song, and the entire court seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Some officials could hardly wait to celebrate.
The Emperor personally drafted an edict, appointing Ling Ziyue as the Grand General commanding the border defense forces in the three routes. He felt this was the perfect opportunity to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.
But the Emperor hadn’t gotten carried away with joy. He had been closely monitoring Liao in recent years, knowing that the Liao ruler, though seemingly sickly and reclusive, was a formidable figure. Trying to seize the chance to annihilate Liao was impossible. Moreover, in the Song’s current state, even if Liao was destroyed, they could not control it.
Of all the turmoil in the Liao state, the least pleased one was General Wu Lingyuan.
Previously, the situation in Liao had been tense, with three factions vying for power and none daring to disperse the majority of their forces, which minimized the impact on Hexi County. If the internal unrest were to be resolved and power consolidated, coupled with the heavy financial toll of the war, the Liao’s future autumn hunts would be a hundredfold more ferocious.
“It’s a good thing we have General Ling.” Wu Lingyuan tried to console himself.
Wei Yuyi guessed his thoughts and replied, “But General Ling may not be able to play a significant role.”
Wu Linguan mulled it over and couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. The generals of the Great Song did not hold command of any one army for long, so the strength of the troops was not necessarily tied to the ability of the commander. No matter who was in charge, they would need time to get acclimated, let alone lead them into battle. Bringing so many people under one’s thumb was no easy task.
“Is Yelu Huangwu dead?” Mo Sihui suddenly interjected.
“He is dead.” Wei Yuyi confirmed.
Wu Linguan asked, “You’ve asked that question repeatedly over the past few days. Why?”
Luo Mingyue had fought tooth and nail but failed to kill this man, and yet he had died just like that. Mo Sihui found it hard to believe, but deep down he was relieved. With this woman gone, Luo Mingyue was now free.
“Such is the twists and turns of life,” he sighed, then got up, saying, “I’ll get ready to leave!”
Humming a little tune, he happily bustled around the room, quickly packing a bundle, and even paused to affectionately pat Little Yue’s head amid his busyness.
Wu Linguan was not fully aware of the situation between them. Seeing this, he was quite perplexed. In Wu Linguan’s impression, Mo Sihui had always been eccentric but still maintained his composure, but now he seemed to have lost control.
“Yuyi, I’ve prepared dozens of jars of medicine and left them on the shelf. You two chat, I’m off.” Mo Sihui left in a whirlwind, taking Little Yue with him.
“Dozens of jars.” Wei Yuyi smiled faintly.
It seemed he was planning to wander around after finding Luo Mingyue.