Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 395 Li Chengqian: I Will Wash Chang'an in Blood! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Your Majesty! His Highness Prince Cao seems to be dying!"

"Tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Empress Zhangsun immediately rushed to the bedside, tightly grasped Li Ming's small hand, and silently shed tears: "Ming'er, hold on! The imperial physician will be here soon!"

"Mother, Third Brother's Miracle Medicine"

"No! No! That's not a miracle drug."

She shook her head repeatedly, then released Li Ming's small hand, stood up abruptly, and an unprecedentedly sharp aura suddenly erupted: "Imperial Physician!! Where is the Imperial Physician?! Did you ignore my words?!"

The sound made the palace maids and eunuchs inside the hall tremble.

"Gao Yao!! Go! Go tell those people outside! I'm saying this one last time! Immediately summon Imperial Physician Zhen! Summon Divine Physician Sun! Otherwise—"

She ripped the phoenix hairpin from her hair, pressed the sharp tip against her snow-white neck, and said fiercely, "I will bleed on the spot! Let's see how they explain themselves to His Majesty! Let's see if the Prince of Shu and the Prince of Liang can bear the heinous crime of forcing the Queen Mother to her death and harming the imperial heir!"

Wow!
The whole place was in an uproar!

The palace was deathly silent, save for the painful gasps and groans of the princes and princesses.

The "epidemic prevention soldiers" guarding outside the palace were clearly also intimidated by Empress Zhangsun's resolute decision.

Forced the Empress to her death? They can't bear that crime!

However, they dared not disobey the epidemic prevention regulations set by the Prince of Shu's residence!
In the midst of this deathly silence, a sudden, urgent cry rang out from outside the palace: "Empress! Empress Sister!"

As the urgent call rang out, the palace door was gently pushed open, and a fragrant breeze wafted in.

Consort Yang entered gracefully, surrounded by two personal maids.

"This humble servant greets the Empress!"

As soon as Consort Yang entered, she respectfully bowed to Empress Zhangsun.

Normally, Empress Zhangsun would have stepped forward to help her up immediately, but now, even Empress Zhangsun couldn't figure out what kind of person this Consort Yang was.

After all, Empress Zhangsun didn't believe that she, as the mother, knew nothing about the things that Li Ke and Li Yin had done.

Therefore, Empress Zhangsun's movements did not change at all. She still used the tip of the hairpin to press against her neck, looking at Consort Yang without any expression or words.

"this."

Seeing that Empress Zhangsun didn't even exchange pleasantries with her despite her respectful bow, Consort Yang felt embarrassed. However, she still stepped forward gracefully and gently advised, "Sister, why are you doing this?"

After saying this, he made a gesture as if to take the phoenix hairpin from Empress Zhangsun's hand.

"Don't come here!"

Empress Zhangsun subconsciously took a step back, then coldly looked at Consort Yang: "For the sake of my children, I do not intend to abide by the epidemic prevention regulations! Whatever the fault, blame it on me. Since you are here, then you go and tell the epidemic prevention soldiers outside the palace to summon the imperial physician immediately! After all..."

She paused, then said expressionlessly, "Your words, Consort Yang, carry more weight than mine, the Empress!"

Upon hearing this, Consort Yang's expression changed, because Empress Zhangsun's words were rather harsh.

But she still didn't get angry with Empress Zhangsun for these words. Instead, she sighed helplessly and said, "Actually, I've already told Ke'er and Yin'er about what happened in the palace. They really care about their younger brothers and sisters in the palace."

"Concerned? Concerned about what? All you sent were a few packets of 'Qingwen San'?"

“I know you don’t believe in this ‘Plague-Clearing Powder,’ but everyone in the city who used it said it was effective. Even many palace eunuchs and maids who were sick have recovered. Look at Ming’er, Zhi’er and Lizhi are burning up like this. If we don’t use medicine soon, I’m afraid…”

As she spoke, she took another step forward, preparing to snatch the phoenix hairpin from Empress Zhangsun's hand.

"Consort Yang!"

Empress Zhangsun abruptly shook off Consort Yang's hand, her phoenix eyes flashing with murderous intent, but her voice trembled weakly: "I said! I won't use that 'Plague-Clearing Powder'! This medicine has a strange smell and is definitely not a good thing! I would rather wait for Chengqian to return and trust his smallpox treatment method!"

Consort Yang's expression froze for a moment after her hand was flung away, a barely perceptible glint of anger flashing in her eyes.

The two palace maids behind her immediately turned hostile upon seeing this.

"Sister, do you not trust Ke'er and Yin'er's filial piety?"

Consort Yang's voice turned colder: "The Crown Prince has not returned yet? As the Empress, the mother of the nation, are you really going to stand by and watch your own flesh and blood suffer, just because of some pointless suspicion?"

"Unfounded suspicion?"

Empress Zhangsun trembled with rage, pointing at Consort Yang: "You know perfectly well what those brothers have done! Look what they've done to Chang'an! The medical academy has been shut down, and the imperial physicians have been imprisoned. Is this their so-called epidemic prevention?! I think they are harboring evil intentions!"

"Your Majesty, please watch your words!"

The palace maid named Chuntao beside Consort Yang suddenly interrupted in a shrill voice, saying with a hint of sarcasm, "His Highness the Prince of Shu and His Highness the Prince of Liang have devoted themselves to the prevention of the epidemic in Chang'an, working day and night, and even distributing divine medicine to the people free of charge. It's one thing if you don't appreciate it, but how can you slander the two princes? Do you really have the heart to watch the princes and princesses die?"

"presumptuous!"

Empress Zhangsun was furious. The despair, humiliation and anger that had been building up for days erupted at this moment. She raised her hand and, with all her might, slapped Chun Tao hard across the face with a crisp 'smack'.

The slap was crisp and loud, like a thunderclap in the silent hall.

Chun Tao was knocked so hard she staggered, half her face instantly swollen and red, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. She covered her face and looked at the Empress in disbelief.

Even Consort Yang was taken aback by Empress Zhangsun's sudden move.

It should be noted that she had known Empress Zhangsun for many years, and this was the first time she had ever seen her hit someone.

But why are they attacking their own people?

Does she really not respect me at all?
As the saying goes, you have to consider the owner before you beat a dog. Even if Li Ke and Li Yin did something a bit outrageous, it was for the good of everyone in Chang'an. How can you blame all the mistakes on your own son?
Back then, Li Chengqian did some things in Chang'an that were even more outrageous than those of Li Ke and Li Yin, yet no one ever blamed him.
Just because you are the Empress and I am a concubine, your son is a dragon and my son is a worm?
When it comes to status! I am a member of the royal family, my father is the emperor, and your father is merely a subject of my father. What are you anyway?
He's nothing but a stray dog ​​who was kicked out of his home by your older brother!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her original intention to comfort Empress Zhangsun vanished in an instant, and even her face darkened.

She stared at Empress Zhangsun, her eyes so sinister they could drip water, her voice as cold as ice: "Empress! Chun Tao was merely speaking the truth. As Empress, your mistreatment of servants would damage your reputation for virtue if word got out."

Before she finished speaking, another palace maid named Qiuju immediately understood.

A fierce glint flashed across Qiu Ju's face. She suddenly pulled out a small, white porcelain bottle from her sleeve, uncorked it, and inside was the pungent-smelling 'Qingwen San' powder.

She stepped forward, intending to forcibly hold down Princess Xiangcheng and force-feed her the medicine.

"What are you doing?! Stop!"

Empress Zhangsun was shocked and immediately rushed forward to stop her.

"Your Majesty is frail; it is best not to move around too much!"

Qiu Ju sneered and slammed her shoulder into Empress Zhangsun, who was already exhausted, causing her to stagger backward and fall to the ground.

"Protect the Queen!!!"

Upon seeing this, Gao Yao couldn't help but shout, and the palace maids and eunuchs in Linhu Palace immediately stepped forward to stop Qiu Ju.

However, at that moment, several epidemic prevention soldiers rushed into the hall, drew their weapons, and pointed them at them: "Anyone who dares to move will be killed without mercy!"

"You! You all."

Gao Yao was so anxious and scared that he couldn't even speak.

The other palace maids and eunuchs were trembling with fear.

Clearly, the deterrent effect of these epidemic prevention soldiers on them has been going on for more than just a day or two.

"Ah!"

Seeing that Gao Yao and his group were stopped by the epidemic prevention soldiers, Qiu Ju sneered and grabbed Princess Xiangcheng's chin even more brazenly, trying to force the medicine powder into her mouth.

“Mother——!”

Hearing the noise, Li Lizhi snapped out of her daze and let out a terrified scream.

"Let my sister go!"

Li Ming, even while unconscious, seemed to sense the danger and began to struggle violently.

"Do not--!"

Empress Zhangsun reached out in despair, but could only watch helplessly as the poisonous powder was about to be poured into her daughter's mouth.

Boom! ! !

At this critical moment, the heavy doors of Linhu Palace were struck as if by a battering ram, producing a deafening explosion.

The entire door exploded inwards with a deafening roar.

Wood chips shot out like a torrential rain.

A figure, carrying a strong stench of blood, stepped into the hall, crunching over splinters.

Backlit, his figure stood tall and straight like a spear, his tight-fitting clothes splattered with dark red bloodstains, and the meteorite iron spear in his hand exuded a chilling aura, with thick blood still dripping from its tip.

"How dare you! Who would dare trespass into the palace?!"

Upon seeing this, several epidemic prevention soldiers immediately shouted and stepped forward.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!" Blood splattered everywhere, and heads rolled.

All movement, breathing, and heartbeats within the hall seemed to freeze at that moment.

Qiu Ju's hand, which was holding the medicine bottle, froze in mid-air. The ferocious expression on her face solidified, and only boundless fear remained in her eyes.

The gloom on Consort Yang's face was replaced by horror, and she involuntarily took a few steps back.

Li Chengqian's gaze swept coldly over everyone present, finally settling on Qiuju's hand holding the medicine bottle and on Empress Zhangsun, who had fallen to the ground with tears streaming down her face.

There was no roaring, no questioning.

Only speed, speed that surpasses the limits of human vision.

Everyone only saw a flash of blood before their eyes.

"Pfft!"

"Ugh—!"

Two almost overlapping sounds of sharp weapons piercing flesh and a shrill, inhuman scream suddenly rang out.

Qiu Ju's right hand, which was holding the medicine bottle, along with the porcelain bottle in her hand, was severed cleanly from her wrist by a flash of dark light.

The severed hand, the broken porcelain bottle, and the medicinal powder all flew into the air together.

Almost simultaneously, the dark light, without stopping, pierced through the throat of Chun Tao, who was covering her face and still in shock, with perfect precision, like a serpent probing its hole.

The tip of the meteorite spear pierced through the back of her neck, bringing with it a plume of scalding blood mist.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Qiuju clutched her bleeding, severed wrist, letting out inhuman screams as she rolled wildly on the ground.

Chun Tao's eyes bulged out, and she futilely covered her pierced neck with her hands, making a hoarse sound as blood gushed from between her fingers. Her body went limp and collapsed, twitching a few times before falling silent.

The strong smell of blood instantly overwhelmed the medicinal and sickly odors in the hall.

Consort Yang was so frightened that her soul almost left her body. Her face turned ashen, and she couldn't even scream. She could only stare in terror at Li Chengqian, who looked like a god of death descending upon her.

Li Chengqian didn't even glance at the two dying palace maids on the ground. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the meteorite spear from Chun Tao's throat, drawing a trail of blood.

He strode over to Empress Zhangsun, who was slumped on the ground, still in shock and disbelief. He knelt on one knee, extended his hand (not holding a gun), and firmly grasped her cold, trembling hand.

The hand still bore the faint red marks left from when he slapped the palace maid.

"Mother Empress." Li Chengqian's voice was low and hoarse, carrying the weariness of someone who had returned from traversing mountains of corpses and seas of blood, yet also containing boundless rage: "Your son has returned!"

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over his mother's haggard and desperate face, over his younger siblings on the bed who were tormented by illness and barely recognizable, and finally, like two solid ice blades, slowly moved toward Consort Yang, whose face was ashen.

"How dare you!" Consort Yang's lips trembled as she pointed at Li Chengqian, but she couldn't utter a complete sentence.

"What would I dare to do?"

Li Chengqian walked coldly toward Qiu Ju, who was lying on the ground screaming in agony, his meteorite spear hovering in mid-air: "These scoundrels, disregarding the law, disturbing the imperial carriage, and injuring the imperial heir, deserve to die!"

As soon as he finished speaking, with a soft thud, the meteorite spear struck Qiu Ju's head directly, instantly splattering her brains everywhere.

"what!"

Some of the timid palace maids and eunuchs screamed in fright.

But Li Chengqian ignored him and continued walking slowly toward Consort Yang: "As for the person who instigated this..."

"No, no, no, it wasn't me! I didn't do it, it was them."

Consort Yang screamed, her voice shrill and piercing, filled with a desperate struggle on the verge of death: "It was their eagerness to protect their mistress! It was them!"

"enough!"

With Gao Yao's help, Empress Zhangsun managed to stand up.

Her face was still pale, but the anger in her eyes and the coldness of surviving a disaster had already made her completely disillusioned with Consort Yang.

Her voice, though not loud, carried the majesty of an empress: "Consort Yang, I saw everything clearly just now. If you hadn't tacitly approved, how dare they be so presumptuous? If Chengqian hadn't arrived in time, Xiangcheng would be..."

As she spoke, she looked at Princess Xiangcheng, who was still in shock and whose face was deathly pale, and felt so heartbroken that she could not continue.

Li Chengqian gently patted her back to reassure her, then coldly ordered towards the outside of the hall: "Guards! Take Consort Yang back to the palace! Keep her under strict guard! Report to His Majesty for further action once everything has settled!"

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, several Imperial Guards immediately filed in.

"No! This can't be! Li Chengqian! I am His Majesty's concubine! And your mother too! You can't treat me like this! His Majesty will not let you get away with this!"

"Shut up! How dare you mention His Majesty! Take him away!"

Empress Zhangsun, unable to bear it any longer, shouted out again.

Upon hearing this, Consort Yang's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud, trembling like a leaf. Her eyes, as she looked at Empress Zhangsun, were filled with unprecedented fear.

If Li Chengqian treated her this way, even if Li Chengqian was in the right, it would still be a serious offense of disrespect. But if it were Empress Zhangsun, then it would be a different story.

The title of "Mistress of the Harem" is not just a casual title.

Soon, Consort Yang was unceremoniously taken back to her palace by the Imperial Guards and placed under strict surveillance.

At the same time, Empress Zhangsun looked at Li Chengqian with hopeful eyes: "Chengqian, you're finally back! Quickly look at your younger brothers and sisters, them..."

"Mother, do not worry, I will check for them right away."

Li Chengqian's voice immediately softened. He put his arm around Empress Zhangsun's shoulder, then handed the meteorite spear to a member of the Imperial Guard. He walked straight towards Princess Xiangcheng and smiled faintly, "Didn't frighten you, little sister Xiangcheng?"

Princess Xiangcheng pouted, feeling wronged. She wanted to cry but dared not. Li Chengqian gently ruffled her hair and comforted her, "Don't be afraid. With your elder brother, the Crown Prince, everything will be alright!"

After saying that, he took out a small pill and handed it to her, saying, "This is an antipyretic developed by the medical school. Take it first to bring down your fever. When Dean Sun comes, he will prescribe some medicine to control your condition. Once your condition is under control, you can get the smallpox vaccine and you will never have to worry about getting smallpox again."

Li Chengqian explained very carefully and patiently, which made Xiangcheng trust him a bit more. However, she did not take the pills. Instead, she looked at Li Zhi lying on the bed, Li Ming sitting up unsteadily, and Li Lizhi with a pale face, and shook her head, saying, "I'm fine. Give them to Zhinu and the others first."

"Xiangcheng."

Empress Zhangsun couldn't hold back her tears again.

Li Chengqian chuckled, then joked, "This isn't a pear. We in Xiangcheng shouldn't be like Kong Rong! Let me tell you, Kong Rong was a big bad guy; we in Xiangcheng shouldn't follow his example."

"Pfft!"

Li Lizhi laughed inappropriately.

The atmosphere at the scene instantly relaxed a bit.

But then Li Chengqian continued, "Alright, eat up! I have more here, enough for everyone!"

As he spoke, he took out a few small pills and said to Gao Yao, "Gao Yao, go and feed these pills to the princes and princesses."

"Yes"

Gao Yao responded cautiously.

He understood perfectly what it meant for Li Chengqian to ask him to feed him the medicine at this moment.

Therefore, he dared not hesitate for a moment and immediately took the medicine and personally delivered it to the princes and princesses.

After they finished taking their medicine, they wisely led the eunuchs and palace maids to drag the corpse out of the main hall, so as not to be an eyesore.

Once only Empress Zhangsun and the princes and princesses who were gradually falling asleep remained in the main hall, Li Chengqian slowly walked to Empress Zhangsun's side and whispered, "Mother, I'm sorry you've suffered!"

"My son, you must have suffered a lot on your journey home."

Empress Zhangsun shook her head, then tenderly tidied Li Chengqian's messy hair, and sighed, "I really didn't expect Ke'er and Yin'er to be this kind of people."

"Power can be blinding, and beauty can be a cruel knife; everyone changes," Li Chengqian sighed.

Empress Zhangsun frowned, then couldn't help but ask, "What do you plan to do next?"

"Does Mother really think that Li Ke and his brother alone could have achieved this?"

"you mean"

"Li Ke and his brothers deserve to die, but those behind them deserve to die even more!"

Li Chengqian squinted and said, "Father is still not ruthless enough! I want to massacre Chang'an!"

"But if you kill your brothers, your reputation will be ruined," Empress Zhangsun said with a worried expression.

Li Chengqian glanced at her but didn't say anything.

The real show is about to begin, who cares about any of this?

(End of this chapter)