Suddenly, shadows descended upon the Dowager Consort's courtyard, surrounding it entirely. The Cheng Prince’s guards, unable to react in time, were either decapitated or had their limbs severed.
The Secret Bureau's Shadow Guards, known for their ruthless precision, were far more terrifying than the Black Armored Guards, who fought in plain sight. These shadowy figures seemed to emerge from the darkness itself, mercilessly claiming lives with each strike.
Within moments, the blood spilling onto the ground mixed with the rain, painting it a crimson hue.
The Cheng Prince stood amidst his men, his face grim. “Xiao Yan!”
Xiao Yan didn’t even glance his way. Instead, he felt the small figure in his arms trembling, clutching tightly at his robes. Gently, he shielded her eyes with one hand and tilted the umbrella to better cover her head. Only then did he lower his gaze to the Cheng Prince and his men, his voice cold and sharp, cutting through the storm like shattered ice.
“Surrender, and you will live.”
“Resist, and you will die.”
Though his voice wasn’t loud, it carried over the sound of wind and rain, resonating in the ears of everyone present in the courtyard.
The Cheng Prince’s servants and guards, seeing the shadowy figures clad in black surrounding them and remembering the infamous day when the Black Armored Guards stormed the Cheng Prince’s residence, began to waver. That day, Xiao Yan had personally killed one of their comrades with a single strike, pinning him to the ground in front of everyone.
The Cheng Prince noticed the fear in their eyes and shouted angrily, “Do not retreat!”
He lifted his head and roared, his voice filled with fury, “Rong Yue, you murdered my mother and colluded with Xiao Yan and Gu Helian to invade my residence. I never imagined you could be so vicious—plotting with the traitorous eunuchs to bring me down!”
Turning his gaze to Xiao Yan, his expression twisted with hatred.
“Xiao Yan, I’ve tolerated you time and again, but you’ve overstepped your bounds! You’ve trespassed into my residence and slaughtered my people. If I back down any further, I’ll have no place left in this capital!”
“To arms! Seize them all! If they resist, kill them!”
The Dowager Consort’s courtyard was vast, with several side rooms and a long corridor connecting to a tower and Buddhist hall in the rear. At the Cheng Prince’s command, figures suddenly burst out from the previously silent rooms. Shadows crowded the high railings and the long corridor of the Star Gazing Tower, each wielding crossbows aimed directly at the courtyard.
“Brother…”
Song Tang Ning, sensing the abrupt stillness, peeked out from Xiao Yan’s hand, her face instantly paling.
Ling Yin’s expression darkened as well. She had been focused entirely on protecting the Cheng Princess and hadn’t noticed the concealed ambush. Now, she realized just how many people were hidden in this courtyard.
Xiao Yan held the umbrella with one hand, his expression inscrutable. “You used Rong Yue as bait?”
“Do you think you’re the only one who can use her as bait to trap me? Am I not allowed to set my own trap for once? Xiao Yan, do you think me so foolish as to let you and Gu Helian succeed every time?”
The Cheng Prince’s earlier panic had completely vanished, replaced by a sneer as he stared up at Xiao Yan, who stood above him.
“The last time, I was careless, which allowed you to trample over me and bring me to this state. But this time, you and Gu Helian won’t have your way.”
“You’ve incited Rong Yue to murder the Dowager Consort, invaded my residence, and attempted to assassinate me to cover up your crimes.”
Having revealed his secret stockpile of military-grade weaponry, the Cheng Prince had no intention of letting anyone leave alive. Rong Yue, Xiao Yan, Gu Helian, and Song Tang Ning—all of them would die here.
Once they were dead, no one could refute his account of events. The Dowager Consort’s death, coupled with the accusations of trespassing and assassination, would outweigh any evidence against him. Even the emperor couldn’t touch him then.
Gu Helian, now standing protectively beside Rong Yue, cursed, “Xie Tianyu, you’re shameless!”
The Cheng Prince sneered. “As shameless as you, coveting another man’s wife.”
“You were like a rabid dog back then, guarding Rong Yue like a treasure yet too cowardly to act. You watched her marry me and cast you aside like trash. Who would’ve thought, after all these years, that you’d still be pining for her like a stray dog?”
He sneered, his gaze cruel. “If I’d known, I should’ve killed you back then for your audacity with Rong Yue.”
Gu Helian’s face darkened as he saw Rong Yue’s pallor worsen. “Rong Yue and I have always been innocent. We’ve never crossed the line—”
“Is that so?” The Cheng Prince laughed coldly. “She was barren for over ten years, yet after meeting you, she’s suddenly pregnant.”
“Xie Tianyu!”
Gu Helian’s face twisted with rage, while Rong Yue felt her blood run cold.
This was Xie Tianyu’s child—his own bloodline. Yet he planned to use this very child to frame her and Gu Helian. If he succeeded, the child wouldn’t survive.
“You intended to sacrifice this child from the start?” Rong Yue’s voice trembled, her eyes reddening.
The Cheng Prince looked at her pale face, the deep affection that once filled his eyes replaced by an icy indifference.
“I loved you,” he said coldly. “But you allowed Gu Helian to linger by your side, knowing his feelings for you. You killed my mother, and the child you carry isn’t even mine. Why should I let it live?”
Even though he felt he had already won, he refused to let himself be tarnished by their accusations.
Rain poured down relentlessly, soaking Rong Yue to the bone as she stared at the man she had shared her life with for over a decade. His words struck like a final blow.
“Don’t blame me for being ruthless,” he said, each word heavy with disdain. “You betrayed me first.”
If she had stayed foolish and compliant, they could have continued their pretense of a loving marriage. If she hadn’t dug up the past for Song Tang Ning’s sake, he would have continued to “love” her, cherishing her like a treasure until their old age.
It was her fault for ruining everything.
“Kill them all. Leave no survivors!”
The tension snapped as crossbow bolts rained down through the storm. Xiao Yan, holding Song Tang Ning, deflected the incoming bolts with his umbrella, the sound of metal clashing with metal ringing through the air.
“Gu Helian, take her and go!”
Gu Helian grabbed Rong Yue and began leading her out. The Shadow Guards and the Gu family’s men closed ranks around them, using the Cheng Prince’s own guards as shields. Despite their efforts, blood spilled, and screams echoed as people fell one after another.
The princess, dazed and pale, was dragged along by Gu Helian. Her heart sank further as she watched more bodies collapse around her. The Cheng Prince had no regard for those who had once been loyal to him.
High above, the barrage of bolts showed no sign of stopping. The Cheng Prince’s men, used as human shields, were riddled with arrows, their bodies resembling pincushions.
Rong Yue had never seen so clearly just how ruthless the man she had lived with for over ten years could be. Nor had she ever understood so starkly how foolish she had been.
All this bloodshed, all these lives lost, just to resolve her own doubts and let herself give up on him completely.
T/N: I always felt like she should never have gone back to the Prince mansion but I guess she had to experience all of this to truly give up on him
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You can read ahead to chapterr 234 (100+ extra chapters) here
What a foolish woman
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