Chapter 80: An Unexpected Incident

As Ling Zexin was sighing and lamenting, no one realized that Feng Qiuji had already taken this opportunity to slip out of the Lu Residence.

However, the moment she stepped outside, she was struck dumb. The night was ablaze with torchlight, and a throng of men, all holding torches, had completely surrounded the Lu Residence. They were dressed in matching uniforms, clearly soldiers of some military force. What astonished her most were the two cannons aimed straight at the gates.

Seeing someone emerge from the residence, a man dressed as an officer gestured, and immediately two soldiers came forward to seize Feng Qiuji. She was utterly clueless about what was happening or why, and she was unable to break free.

Then, with a deafening boom, a cannonball shot forward, shattering the main gates of the Lu Residence. The entire compound shook violently, surely rousing everyone within.

Not far off, a carriage stood in the shadows, and inside sat Kimura Xinghen, watching the scene unfold from afar. Indeed, the soldiers were his doing. Since he had already offended Ling Zetian, he might as well see it through to the end. No matter what, he was determined to force Ling Zetian to confer upon him the title of sovereign. Some matters, once set in motion, could not be turned back: if he failed to become sovereign, his fate would be a miserable death. Not only the ministers who opposed him, but also the dissenting populace, would never let him go. Thus, he had no choice but to burn his bridges and fight with his back to the river.

“Your Highness, we’ve captured a woman from the Lu Residence.” As he was thinking, someone brought Feng Qiuji before him.

Recognizing her instantly as the Empress of the Ling Dynasty, Kimura Xinghen’s mind raced. He had gone to great lengths to capture Ling Shunuo, and though he hadn’t wanted to hand her over that afternoon, he had been left with no choice; otherwise, his own life would have been forfeit. Now, he had sent troops to intercept them, never expecting Feng Qiuji to deliver herself into his hands.

Meanwhile, the explosion had awakened the entire residence. People rushed to the gates to see what had happened. At the sight of so many soldiers, Ling Zexin was startled and turned to Ling Zetian. “Tsk, tsk, tsk—Elder Brother, these people are rather audacious, aren’t they? Are they going to execute us on the spot?”

“They wouldn’t dare.” If the Ling Dynasty’s royalty were killed in Fusang, that small nation would face immediate destruction. Ling Zetian could not believe Kimura Xinghen would act without considering the consequences.

“But still…” Ling Zexin’s thoughts had already drifted—if Ling Zetian were to die, who would take the throne? All the royal nobles had been sent to distant lands; if they were all killed, selecting a new emperor would be a real challenge.

Ling Zetian glanced at him, then looked around, suddenly realizing something was amiss. “Where is Feng Qiuji? Where did she go?”

“Huh?” Ling Zexin looked around and found that Lu Wenwen, Qin Ruyan, and Anuo were all present. Only Feng Qiuji was missing. “Could she still be asleep? But with all this commotion, surely she would have woken.”

“That’s not it. When I went to her room, she was already gone,” Anuo chimed in, recalling that he hadn’t seen Feng Qiuji earlier.

“When did you go looking for her?”

“That time—didn’t she want to consummate her marriage with you? Later, when I went, neither of you were there.” Anuo answered nonchalantly, oblivious to the crowd around them.

Ling Zetian cleared his throat. “So she wasn’t in her room. Where could she have gone?”

At that moment, Kimura Xinghen swaggered over, flanked by two guards holding Feng Qiuji. “Your Majesty, are you looking for someone?”

At the sight of Feng Qiuji held captive, Ling Zetian frowned. “What do you want?”

It was clear: mercy toward an enemy is cruelty to oneself. Had Ling Zetian killed Kimura Xinghen earlier, none of this would have happened. But since they were now on Fusang’s soil, if he had done so, their escape would have been impossible. With this in mind, he had held back, never expecting Kimura Xinghen to provoke him again.

Provocation was one thing—but now Feng Qiuji was in his hands, which complicated matters.

“I wish for Your Majesty to grant me a few requests,” Kimura Xinghen began negotiating, though lacking a table for formal talks, they could only speak as they stood.

“State your terms.”

“I ask Your Majesty to help me ascend to the throne of this country.”

Ling Zetian knew that if he allowed this, the border between Fusang and the Ling Dynasty would never again know peace. Kimura Xinghen was the sort of man who overreached, always attempting the impossible. Yet this was an internal matter for Fusang; officially, Ling Dynasty should not be involved. Considering Feng Qiuji was still a hostage, it was best to agree for now and make plans later.

“Very well.”

“Your Majesty agrees so easily, I am surprised,” Kimura Xinghen said with exaggerated astonishment. “To show your sincerity, why not take this pill?” At his signal, a guard brought forward a box containing a pill the size of a peanut.

“A sovereign’s word is law—why so many conditions?” Ling Zetian scanned the countless soldiers and the two cannons. Among them, only he, Qin Ruyan, and Lu Wenwen knew martial arts. Even with superhuman skill, they stood no chance. Even if they summoned the Inner Palace Guards, they would be hopelessly outnumbered, sending more to their deaths.

“This is a weighty matter. Only if Your Majesty takes the pill can I be at ease,” Kimura Xinghen insisted. Though he still addressed Ling Zetian as “Your Majesty,” if Ling Zetian swallowed the pill, he would be at Kimura’s mercy.

Ling Zetian understood well enough that Kimura would not give him a poison that killed instantly.

Ling Shunuo picked up the pill and sniffed it. “Isn’t this the ‘Floral Bane’? It’s quite rare.”

At these words, all eyes turned to little Ling Shunuo, only four years old. “Prince Kimura must have paid dearly for it. I wonder, do you have the antidote?”

Kimura Xinghen laughed. “The young prince is clever indeed, to recognize the Floral Bane.”

Curious, Ling Zexin bent down and tugged at Ling Shunuo’s sleeve, asking in a whisper, “What kind of medicine is that?”

Ling Shunuo knitted his brows. “I’ve only heard my master speak of it once. The Floral Bane is a toxin described in ancient texts, and this pill must have been made based on those records. Whether it works as intended I can’t say, but the key is that the antidote requires a certain herb that has long been extinct. It’s extremely hard to find. Who knows if he truly possesses the antidote? Best not to take the risk.”

Ling Zetian, standing nearby, heard every word.

“If Your Majesty refuses to take the pill, I cannot trust your promise. I will have to kill the Empress and shell the Lu Residence with cannon fire. By then…” Kimura Xinghen threatened as Ling Zetian remained silent.

“Very well, as you wish.” With that, Ling Zetian swallowed the pill, his gaze fixed on Kimura Xinghen. “Now, will you release her?”

Everyone stared in shock as Ling Zetian truly swallowed the pill. After all, the fate of the dynasty rested on his shoulders. If anything happened to him, the Ling Dynasty would face great upheaval, for he had no sons; his only child was the four-year-old Ling Shunuo standing at his side.

“Your Majesty is indeed decisive. As promised, I will withdraw my troops. When Your Majesty returns to the Ling Dynasty and issues the decree, I will send the antidote. But let me make this clear: the poison will take effect in three days. If you have not taken the first antidote within five days, there will be no cure. Please consider your actions carefully.” With that, he waved his hand, signaling his men to release Feng Qiuji.

But just then, something utterly unexpected happened.

Kimura Xinghen had barely finished speaking when he suddenly collapsed to the ground with a thud. Behind him stood Feng Qiuji, looking somewhat dazed, a bloodied dagger still dripping in her hand.

While everyone’s attention was fixed on Ling Zetian, Feng Qiuji had stabbed Kimura Xinghen.

The dagger she used was one she had brought from the Ling Dynasty, knowing that seeking out Anuo could be dangerous. Though she was unskilled in martial arts, having a dagger was always useful, whether to cut ropes if bound or simply to slice fruit in idle moments.

She had been terrified when captured, not even realizing she still had the dagger. Kimura Xinghen’s guards, seeing her frail appearance, hadn’t searched her thoroughly. Then, witnessing Ling Zetian swallow the poison, she was filled with anger. By chance, she felt something slip down her sleeve. When the guards let her go, she acted on instinct and plunged the dagger into Kimura Xinghen’s side.

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone. No one had expected the timid-looking Feng Qiuji to do such a thing at that moment.

But in the next instant, a guard standing behind her raised his blade, swinging it down toward her.

Feng Qiuji, still in shock, stood motionless, unaware of the danger behind her, let alone able to dodge.

“Watch out!” Ling Zexin was the first to notice the guard’s attack.

“Feng Qiuji, get out of the way!” Ling Shunuo cried out in alarm.

Ling Zetian rushed forward, but it was already too late. He could only watch as Feng Qiuji collapsed, a trail of warm blood splattering across his face.

———Author’s Note———

Some things have happened these past few days, so I’ve only been able to update one chapter per day. My apologies to all my dear readers. From tomorrow, regular updates will resume.