Queen Wu suddenly opened her eyes and stood up from the futon, "Who are you?"
"The Empress of Heaven."
"…" Queen Wu frowned and said rudely, "Yin Kaiyang?"
Yin Kaiyang crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame, leaving a tall and sturdy figure in front of the temple.
He stared at Queen Wu and seemed to hesitate for a moment. However, that hesitation didn't last long before he stepped through the door.
— — With this movement, his arm naturally fell to his side and the cold gleam of a dagger slid out from his sleeve.
"Who asked you to come and kill me?" Queen Wu said coldly, "Shan Chao?"
Yin Kaiyang didn't answer.
"Has the Dark Clan forgotten how they worked so hard to help the King Of Wei kill the deposed Crown Prince Cheng Qian, only to be taken advantage of by The Late Emperor in the blink of an eye?"
Queen Wu said mockingly, "Now you're betting all your chips on an abandoned son of the royal family … Aren't you afraid that the same thing will happen again?"
Yin Kaiyang paused for a moment and then shook his head, "But if this abandoned son of the royal family can't be promoted, the Dark Clan will only suffer more losses."
Queen Wu's pupils constricted. At this moment, Yin Kaiyang suddenly raised his dagger and appeared in front of her in an instant!
An arrow spun and pierced through the air like a meteor and pierced through the front hall. Clang!
In a split second, the dagger in Yin Kaiyang's hand was knocked away by the sharp arrow. It spun and nailed into a crack in the wall!
Yin Kaiyang and Queen Wu both looked over at the same time. A Rider in the Red Dust stopped abruptly outside the temple and shouted loudly, "— — Stop!"
"…" Queen Wu said in surprise, "Shan Chao?"
Shan Chao jumped off his horse, carried Xie Yun with one hand and strode into the temple.
At that moment, many thoughts flashed through Yin Kaiyang's mind, but all of them stopped abruptly before he could do anything. He saw Shan Chao staring at him with a powerful gaze. Shan Chao's other hand moved slightly beside his body and a clang was heard. It was the sound of the Long Yuan unsheathing.
Yin Kaiyang took half a step forward and smiled, "General Shan, why did you suddenly come here?"
Shan Chao let go of the hilt and the Long Yuan returned to its scabbard. He carried Xie Yun with both hands and turned to Queen Wu without saying anything, he asked directly, "Queen, do you still want to make a comeback?"
Queen Wu was cautious and did not answer.
Shan Chao ignored the vigilance in her eyes and briefly described what happened today. He asked, "The Late Emperor issued a posthumous edict to eliminate the remaining members of the Wu family. However, King Zhou has just ascended the throne and has not had the time to deal with them. This is the best opportunity for you to make a comeback.
As long as you are out of Qing Ning Palace, the imperial power is in your hands. Do you still want to seize this last chance to sit on that throne?! "
Queen Wu finally opened her mouth and asked, "… What happened to Xie Yun?"
Shan Chao's expression was completely calm. He half-knelt on the ground and placed Xie Yun on his knees. He combed her loose hair and said, "That year, Ming Chongyan gave you two secret medicines. The red pill has been used. Where is the black pill now?"
"… What did you say?!"
"He's talking about this."
Before Shan Chao could answer, Yin Kaiyang shook his head and sighed. He took out an object tied to a golden string from his sleeve and threw it on the ground in front of Shan Chao with a clank.
It was an arrowhead with green-gold scales the size of half a palm nailed to the tip. Under the tremendous force, several cracks appeared on the arrowhead, reflecting a beautiful ripple of light.
Although he had already guessed it, Shan Chao still closed his eyes tightly when he saw it with his own eyes. His heart and lungs fell into the abyss together with his blood and flesh.
"Do you regret it?"
Yin Kaiyang joked, "If you did not attack Chang An through Luoyang, but instead took Jinling and ruled by the river, or if you were faster when you attacked the Illustrious Virtue Gate and broke through the city gate in one spurt of energy … right now, everything could be different, right?"
"Xie Yun is going to die?" Queen Wu said in disbelief.
Shan Chao took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, "He won't die. If I choose another path, he won't die.
What do you think, mother?
Using that black pill in exchange for your supreme power for the rest of your life, is this a good deal? "
Queen Wu's expression was indescribably complicated. She was struggling, hesitating, doubting, and ruthless … But after a few breaths, she regained her composure. This woman who had experienced many ups and downs in her life returned to her most natural side — a politician. Then she stood up and went into the inner room.
Time became abnormally long. After an unknown amount of time, the figure of the Martial Empress wearing a rose-red palace dress finally came out from behind the screen wall. In her hand was a vermilion makeup box. She opened it and with a spring, a fragrance filled the room.
On the velvet box was a shiny black wax pill.
"Years ago, on the road to the east, in Puyang Palace, Ming Chongyan said that when the Golden Dragon takes the throne, it will be the day when the Green Dragon dies. At that time, I thought he was talking about me, but now I think he was wrong.
If he was talking about me, he should have told me secretly without Xie Yun's presence. How could he reveal it in front of others?
He must have predicted today's situation at that time. "
Shan Chao said coldly, "Destiny is something that is difficult to change even if it can be predicted in advance. Otherwise, how can it be called destiny?"
"That's right, son."
Queen Wu picked up the wax pill and looked at Shan Chao carefully as if it was the first time she saw it. She suddenly asked, "Do you want to know why the Second Emperor since the founding of a country sent you to the Mobei Dynasty when you were still in swaddling clothes?"
Shan Chao sneered, "Instead of talking about this, why don't you tell me whether my father is the Second Emperor since the founding of a country or the former Emperor?"
Unexpectedly, Queen Wu did not act bashful. Instead, she laughed and the corners of her mouth turned down subtly.
"Actually … I don't know either."
"Now I know," Yin Kaiyang said with a sigh.
"When I was pregnant with you, the old Princess of the Chu Kingdom, Re Xiao, so the Second Emperor since the founding of a country ordered to close the palace and not let anyone know.
I also had doubts about who your father was and what your future path would be. Would you gain the attention of the Second Emperor since the founding of a country because of your son, or would you put more chips on the former Emperor?
You were born in such a state of hesitation. "
"And on the day you were born, His Majesty's condition suddenly became critical. Yuan Tiangang said that your destiny was very harmful to your master and that you had to be raised outside the palace."
Shan Chao's eyes did not leave the wax pill in Queen Wu's hand for a moment, "Then why did you send me to the Mobei Desert?"
Queen Wu did not directly answer his question, "The above words were what I asked the Second Emperor since the founding of a country. The following words were what I heard many years later when I became the Empress and killed Shanghai Yi, I heard his last curse. It turned out that Yuan Tiangang's prophecy had a second half."
"After Tang San Shi, the female protagonist, Queen Wu, ruled the world. Only the son of the Golden Dragon came from the Mobei Desert and could change this destiny."
Shan Chao's eyes moved slightly. He suddenly got an answer to a question that had puzzled him for a long time, "Shanghai Yi?"
Queen Wu said, "Yes."
"… So the year Shanghai Yi died, you sent a message to the Mobei Desert and asked Xie Yun to kill me?!"
Queen Wu did not hide her praise for Shan Chao for being able to think of this, "Yes."
All the time points were connected back and forth.
During the year when Xie Yun was exiled, Queen Wu asked him to take care of her long lost child. Originally, she also had a long-suppressed motherly love. However, a few years later, Shanghai Yi was killed by Queen Wu when he urged the late Emperor to abolish the Empress. Before his death, his curse was leaked out. Queen Wu was shocked to find out that her lost child in the Mobei Desert was the biggest obstacle to her "ruling the world".
"… Even if you sent me to the Mobei Desert," Shan Chao said in disbelief, "Why didn't you give me to a good family there? Why did you throw me to be a slave?!"
Shan Chao did not have any feelings for his parents. After so many years, even the biggest resentment had subsided. Instead of saying that he was angry, it was better to say that he was surprised and confused.
"The Second Emperor since the founding of a country sent people to the Mobei Desert to take care of you. However, the Mobei Desert was bitterly cold and there were endless wars. There were many variables."
Queen Wu said calmly, "Moreover, the Second Emperor since the founding of a country passed away suddenly. He did not have the chance to tell The Late Emperor about your existence. At that time, I still had the thought of regaining the Emperor's favor and waiting for an opportunity to return to the palace …"
If Queen Wu had told The Late Emperor about Shan Chao's existence back then, with The Late Emperor's personality, although weak and affectionate, he would not have let Shan Chao, who was suspected to be his brother or son, wander outside.
However, if she had done so, Queen Wu, who had given birth to a son for the Second Emperor since the founding of a country, would never be able to return to The Late Emperor's harem.
"Therefore, during this period of time, I often think of the prophecy in Yuan Tiangang … Only you can change my destiny.
Eight years ago, when we met again in Chang An, I should not have been stopped by Xie Yun. I should have killed you directly. "
Queen Wu sighed almost inaudibly. Shan Chao said hoarsely, "Yes, mother.
But now the destiny is in your hands. You can decide whether to change it back or not. "
After a long silence, Queen Wu slightly raised the black pill in her hand and asked, "Do you know what you have given up?"
Xie Yun frowned slightly when he was unconscious, as if there was still lingering pain and worry.
Shan Chao smoothed his eyebrows little by little. His fingers full of sword calluses trembled slightly and said, "I know what I will lose if he dies …."
"That year, the Second Emperor since the founding of a country killed child molesters to satisfy himself. Crown Prince Cheng Qian held a grudge in his heart. In the end, he was deposed because of a scheme.
Later, The Late Emperor made me empress, which directly led to the downfall of the Guanlong Clan. Zhangsun, Shangguan Yi and the others were also killed because of this …. "
"And now you."
Queen Wu stepped forward and bowed. She held the black pill in front of Shan Chao with two fingers and sighed, "The men of your Li Family, ah …."
Shan Chao trembled as he took the black pill from her hand. Just as he broke the wax skin, he suddenly thought of something. He used his fingernails to scrape off a bit of the powder and swallowed it.
After a while, he seemed to have finally relaxed. He finally put the black pill that emitted a fragrant smell into Xie Yun's mouth. In an instant, it melted and disappeared.
"…." Xie Yun's breathing became more and more rapid. His face was flushed and cold sweat flowed down his temples.
Immediately after, his whole body glowed. The tattoo quickly spread. The dragon head pattern extended from his neck to half of his cheek. It made a vague sound.
"Don't worry."
Yin Kaiyang seemed to have seen through Shan Chao's mood. He said, "His Green Dragon Seal is already very weak. It will be completely removed very soon. There won't be too much pain.
In addition, although his internal energy foundation is still there, he will live and die like a mortal. In the future, I'm afraid he won't be able to ascend like the giant dragon under Luoyang …. "
Shan Chao said hoarsely, "Xie Yun doesn't want to die."
He rubbed Xie Yun's sweat-soaked hair and murmured, "He wants to live …. I know."
Queen Wu bent over the table and quickly wrote a piece of paper. She saw that it was full of names and ranks. She put down the pen and said, "These are all my people. They shouldn't have been punished by Li Xian.
Let them contact each other and align their positions. Then order the Beiya Imperial Guard and the Left and Right Garrison Guards to guard the palace gates. Summon Dai, Zhang, Lai, Hao, and other officials of the Secretariat. Immediately invite the Emperor to the Qianyuan Hall. "
Shan Chao took the paper and said in a low voice, "I will send Ma Xin to 'invite' Li Dan from the Ji Palace. He will quickly send him to the Qing Ning Palace and hand it over to you …."
Queen Wu nodded slightly.
"Also," Shan Chao said, "Mr Ming saved Xie Yun on the day of the Dong Du Palace coup. This debt must be repaid. The Dark Clan helped me break through Luoyang. In the future, they will be put to good use.
These two matters are related to credibility. There is no room for negotiation. "
Queen Wu looked at the gleaming dagger in the crack of the wall. Then, she glanced at Yin Kaiyang, who nodded humbly, and said coldly, "Yes, I understand!"
Xie Yun's body unconsciously convulsed and trembled. Shan Chao carried her in his arms. Without any reluctance, he turned around and walked out of the Qing Ning Palace that would be supreme in the future.
"Today, the Qianyuan Imperial Court will be held. I will order people to send a message to the palace. I will use the Beiya token as the letter."
"When the sun rises from the east tomorrow, you may be the new master of the world."