"My lord, don't scare me..."
Lady Li was flustered.
Her husband had always been a pillar of strength, immensely respected. How could he not withstand this blow?
So what if the Night King wasn't the Jin King?
"Ridiculous!"
"Utterly ridiculous!"
"I was a fool!"
Li De let out a series of loud sighs.
His voice boomed like a bell.
With that shout, the entire General's mansion seemed to hear it. Lady Li was truly frightened now, a cold sweat breaking out on her back. In her panic, she didn't even have time to cover Li De's mouth.
However, the next moment, Li De suddenly stopped shouting and instead, with a '噗嗤' sound, spat out a torrent of blood!
The blood splattered all over Lady Li's face.
Lady Li cried out in alarm, "My lord!"
Instantly, the entire General's mansion was in a frenzy.
Doctors from the capital were almost all summoned. They had also wanted to invite the imperial physicians, but when they went to do so, they found the imperial physicians were all busy attending to the Emperor. It was impossible for them to leave the Emperor to treat the Great General.
So, they had to settle for the doctors in the capital.
Xie Jin, who was leisurely drinking, naturally heard the commotion at the General's mansion.
He savored his fine wine and said gloatingly, "It's all because they were too greedy. If they hadn't been so greedy, they wouldn't have ended up in this state."
Besides, to contend with Zhan Tianye?
Who could truly gain an advantage in the future?
Glancing at the chaotic General's mansion, Xie Jin rolled his eyes. "To leave me all alone, how cruel!"
But fortunately, Zhan Tianye wasn't entirely heartless and had left him some money before departing.
Hahaha!
This trip had been so rewarding. When he returned to Dongning Kingdom, he would be a filial son and arrange a wife for himself and his father.
Who said he didn't have money!
...
At the same time.
Several carriages, far from the capital, were traveling on the official road.
Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye looked tenderly at their three sons, who were sleeping soundly on them.
"Where are we going next?" Yun Shu asked softly.
Zhan Tianye held her hand and looked at the woman most important to him. "How about we travel the world?"
With her and the children, to see every corner of the world.
And then find a paradise.
Yun Shu nodded gently and asked with a smile, "Aren't we going back to Dongning Kingdom to visit?"
Zhan Tianye's eyes flickered. "There's no need to go back."
"Okay, our family will travel the world," Yun Shu said softly.
Nothing was more important than being together as a family. To be able to spend the rest of her life with him was enough.
...
A few days later.
The capital of the Western Xia Kingdom.
Princess Ning De was summoned by the Emperor.
Having lost a considerable amount of weight in just a few days, Princess Ning De rode in her carriage to the palace.
Looking at the places she passed, the moment she saw the Emperor, she was suddenly filled with emotion. How had she never realized before that the capital didn't seem so prosperous?
"Do you know why I summoned you?"
The Emperor questioned her sternly.
Princess Ning De withdrew her thoughts and looked up at the Emperor before her.
After a few days, she had lost weight, become haggard, and her state of mind had changed. The Emperor before her had fared even worse.
Seeing the Emperor, who seemed like a different person, Princess Ning De couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It wasn't just her; even the Emperor had been severely struck.
She withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and replied, "Ning De does not know."
"The Assassin's Palace has suffered a severe blow, with countless casualties in the past few days! How did you manage the Assassin's Palace? Do you want all the people in the Assassin's Palace to die? Do you want me to have no one to rely on?" the Emperor roared angrily.
At this moment, the Emperor exuded a sinister aura.
His eyes, blazing with fury, revealed his anger.
Princess Ning De gritted her teeth. "Replying to Your Majesty, I have been investigating this matter. However, the mastermind behind the attack on the Assassin's Palace is too cunning, leaving no clues or evidence. We are in the open, while they are in the shadows."
Though she said this, they all knew clearly who the culprit was.
The Emperor slammed the table violently, causing the memorials on it to slide off.
"Excuses! I see you are no longer fit to be the Palace Master of the Assassin's Palace. Look at what the Assassin's Palace has become under your care!" The Emperor seemed to be pouring all his hatred for Zhan Tianye onto Princess Ning De.
These people around him, Li De and Princess Ning De, they were all useless!
They had been toyed with by Zhan Tianye, one after another!
He, an Emperor, had been laughed at by the common people, who said he had mistaken his son!
How ridiculous!
How furious!
Princess Ning De took a deep breath. After Zhan Tianye left, she knew this moment was inevitable. She just hadn't expected it to come so soon. He had sought revenge on her, and what he wanted was for her to lose everything.
And now, this was exactly what was happening.
She bit her lip tightly and said in a low voice, "Please, Your Majesty, forgive me. There are reasons for everything."
"Reasons? What reasons could there be? You are as incompetent as your mother! Get out! From now on, you are no longer the Palace Master of the Assassin's Palace, and your title of Princess is also stripped. Never appear before me again!" The Emperor waved his hand, directly nullifying everything Princess Ning De had gained over the years.
Princess Ning De's face turned deathly pale. Her hands were clenched so tightly that her fingertips pierced her palms without her noticing.
No longer a Princess?
No longer the Palace Master of the Assassin's Palace?
He never wanted to see her again?
The Emperor intended to banish her from the capital.
The Emperor was truly cold-blooded and heartless!
He had erased all her contributions over the years.
He had left her with nothing.
She gave a self-mocking laugh, blaming herself for not listening to her brother's advice.
Who else could she blame?
Blame herself for wanting too much in the past?
Heh heh...
She accepted it all willingly!
"Ning De, receive the decree."
After Ning De left, Li De also entered the palace.
In the Imperial Study, just like before.
Seeing Princess Ning De made the Emperor think of his failures and being tricked. Seeing him did the same, reminding him of the moment he lost face in front of Zhan Tianye.
However.
The Emperor knew better than anyone that Western Xia Kingdom could not do without Li De for the time being. Li De was still useful to him.
"Li De, you have disappointed me greatly. You spent years in Dongning Kingdom, only to be led by the nose by Zhan Tianye, and to have my son die in the hands of Zhan Tianye and his group." The Emperor's opening words were accusatory.
Li De had known the Emperor for many years. To serve a ruler was like walking with a tiger; he understood the Emperor better than anyone. If he were no longer useful, like Princess Ning De, he would also become a discarded piece, perhaps not even having a whole corpse left.
Was this mistake of identifying the wrong person entirely his fault?
He lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "This matter was indeed due to my negligence."
Although the Emperor dearly wanted to punish Li De severely, he also knew that the current situation did not allow him to push Li De too hard, as it would be of no benefit to him. Just as he was about to say something else.
Suddenly, a palace servant's anxious voice was heard from outside the door, "Your Majesty, something big has happened!"