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墨書 Inktalez
Murong Cheng was driven off the stage, his brief reign as emperor flashing by in an instant, coming to an abrupt end. What awaited him was a lifetime of suffering.
Murong Jing did not kill him; instead, he placed him under house arrest in the Palace of the Empress. He understood that for Murong Cheng, watching 'his' throne being occupied by others would be more painful than death itself.
Moreover, he needed Murong Cheng alive to demonstrate the benevolence he had shown to others.
After dealing with Murong Cheng, they began to handle his subordinates.
Gu Rong had to die. Having committed so many heinous acts, he could not escape the final judgment. He was handed over to Liu Chancellor, who condemned him for his various offenses and personally oversaw his execution.
The rest were also tried and sentenced; those who deserved death were executed, and those who deserved punishment were punished. However, with so many people involved, it was inevitable that some would slip through the cracks.
Liu Yuan was one of them.
Before the army entered the city, he sensed something was amiss and packed his belongings in preparation for escape.
At that time, Murong Cheng no longer valued him but had sent people to monitor his actions, preventing him from leaving in case he attempted to leak information.
Liu Yuan could not go far, but he waited for an opportunity. When chaos erupted in the capital and Murong Cheng was preoccupied with his own troubles, there was no time left for him to concern himself with Liu Yuan's fate.
Seizing this moment, Liu Yuan slipped out and hid in an alley.
He initially intended to flee the capital, but the city gates were already guarded by the Rebel Army. His likeness had been posted on notices; anyone who spotted him would be captured immediately.
He had thought that during the transition between the old and new emperors, there would surely be shortcomings he could exploit to escape.
However, contrary to his expectations, the Rebel Army was fully capable of handling everything. They maintained their posts in an orderly fashion, even going so far as to catch every fly and distinguish between male and female.
It was nearly impossible to leave the city.
Liu Yuan had come to this stark realization: as long as they had not captured him, he would remain trapped here. The capital, once a place of wealth and privilege, had now become a coffin, sealing his fate.
His rations had run out, forcing him to sneak out at night to steal from others. He could not dare to venture into the streets during the day; the moment he showed his face, he would be caught.
Even at night, patrols roamed the streets continuously. He had to keep moving, unable to find a moment's rest.
The hatred in Liu Yuan's heart deepened with his desolate circumstances.
He was unwilling to accept this fate!
He had been born into a wealthy family, raised in comfort; he had never known such destitution. Moreover, he was so close to becoming someone of great power, second only to the emperor!
If it weren't for those two scoundrels, Gu Bei and Murong Jing, who devised such a malicious scheme to sow discord between him and Murong Cheng, he wouldn't have been suspected or stripped of his military authority.
Had he been in command then, victory would have been assured... No! It was certain that they would have won!
If they had triumphed, it would still be Murong Cheng sitting on the throne today. And Liu Yuan would be living an enviable life of luxury!
All of this had been destroyed by those two!
Liu Yuan laughed silently, realizing that his life had become a joke; soon enough, he too would become nothing more than a corpse.
But he would not surrender easily; he sought revenge! Before he starved on the streets or was captured and executed, he would take someone down with him!
Liu Yuan observed the movements around him. The ones he hated most were Gu Bei and Yeh Hsiao-Han; they were the first targets of his vengeance.
However, it was unfortunate that Gu Bei was always surrounded by guards, and during this time, he had been busy in the military camp, leaving no opportunity to get close.
As for Yeh Hsiao-Han, she seemed to be occupied with something and had hardly left the General's residence. Attempting to break into the General's residence was impossible; it was heavily guarded, and strangers could not approach at all.
"Damn it!" Liu Yuan cursed under his breath and quietly turned to leave.
With Gu Bei out of reach, he shifted his gaze toward Murong Jing.
Murong Jing resided in the palace, but that did not pose a challenge for Liu Yuan. During his time of favor, he had memorized the layout of the palace thoroughly.
As long as he could pass through the palace gates and enter inside, he was confident that he could sneak in successfully.
After observing for a while, Liu Yuan felt a surge of joy. Since Murong Jing took control of the palace, he had become so caught up in his victory that he had let his guard down compared to before.
"Hahaha, this is truly a gift from above!" Liu Yuan laughed loudly in a secluded corner. "Murong Jing, do you think that with Murong Cheng gone, all your enemies have disappeared? What a pity—there's still one standing right here!"
Liu Yuan kept a close watch on the situation inside the palace for twenty-four hours until he finally found an opening. He bribed a few beggars with gold and silver to create a distraction for the guards at the palace gate. Amidst the chaos, he slipped inside.
Once again faced with familiar scenery, he realized how much had changed in such a short time as he had experienced numerous hardships.
There was no time for sentimentality; Liu Yuan evaded courtiers and made his way into Murong Jing's chambers.
To his surprise, there was not a single person in the chamber. Murong Jing was absent, and not even a courtier was present. Liu Yuan did not know what had happened, but for him, this was an opportunity.
He carefully applied poison to the food and any items that Murong Jing might come into contact with. Liu Yuan made sure to apply an extra layer on those items that looked smooth and round—clearly used frequently.
He took no protective measures and directly used his hands to spread the poison, eager to finish quickly.
After he finished everything, he even had time to find a place to hide before he heard voices coming from outside.
"Your Highness is truly skilled; this is the first time I've seen such impressive marksmanship!"
"Yes, indeed! It's remarkable!"
Amidst the chaotic praises, Murong Jing's laughter was still clear: "This is a technique I learned directly from General Gu in the military camp, so of course it's impressive! Bring me a cup of water; I'm dying of thirst."
Soon, a courtier brought tea over. Liu Yuan watched from the shadows, his heart racing as he saw Murong Jing drink the cup of tea that had been laced with poison without hesitation.
"You all should drink too; you've accompanied me and worked hard," Murong Jing gestured, indicating that the courtiers should feel free and not be too restrained.
The courtiers hurriedly pleaded, "Your Highness, isn't this too much for us servants? How can we act so casually in front of our master?"
"Exactly! I wouldn't dare!"
Murong Jing waved his hand dismissively: "What’s the big deal? You don’t know; when I was in the military camp, I ate and slept with those soldiers. It was quite interesting."
"Oh dear, how could this be? Your Highness must have suffered outside!" one maid said sympathetically. She had been serving Murong Jing for a long time, and their bond was deeper than that of ordinary master and servant.
Murong Jing felt a twinge of displeasure. The courtiers before him were all loyal followers. When he was driven out of the capital by Murong Cheng, they had remained steadfastly by his side.
Yet for some reason, Murong Jing now found himself reluctant to see them. This vast imperial palace suddenly felt constricted after his battles in the north and south.
"You all may leave now; I..." Before Murong Jing could finish his sentence, darkness suddenly enveloped him, and he collapsed forward.
The courtiers were alarmed and rushed to support him while quickly sending for the Imperial Physician.
"Prince, Prince, wake up! What is going on?" The courtiers were like ants on a hot pan, bustling around Murong Jing's bedside in a frenzy.
"What is happening! Why are you all gathered here?" Just as the courtiers were in a state of panic, a stern voice rang out behind them.
Usually, the courtiers would feel nervous and fearful upon hearing that voice, but this time they breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly stepped forward to report, "Empress Dowager, the prince suddenly fainted!"
"What!"
The Empress Dowager had come to check on Murong Jing out of boredom, but upon entering and hearing such dreadful news, she quickly strode to the window. When she looked out, her heart nearly stopped.
Murong Jing's face was as pale as paper, his lips were purple—an obvious sign of poisoning!
"Where is the Imperial Physician? Where is he?" The Empress Dowager trembled as she reached out to touch Murong Jing's cheek, anxiously asking the courtiers.
"The Imperial Physician has already been summoned and will arrive shortly!" one of the courtiers replied hastily.
"Who goes there!" A guard accompanying the Empress Dowager suddenly shouted, drawing his sword and moving to confront something beneath the bed.
Before the Imperial Physician could arrive, Liu Yuan was dragged out from under the bed.
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