Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 661
The night was as deep as spilled ink, gently enveloping the entire capital city.

Even the wind, which is noisy during the day, seems to know how to avoid this rare tranquility, carefully bypassing the courtyard.

Liang Jin and Zhao Bao sat at the cold stone table in the courtyard, drinking together. The table was still set, with a few delicate dishes and several empty pots of clear wine, all reflected in the dim, waning moon in the sky.

Zhao Yiyi carried a small celadon porcelain plate with several freshly cooked cakes on it, still emitting sweet and glutinous steam. Her steps were as light as a night butterfly afraid of disturbing the dew.

With a faint blush on her face, she gently placed the pastries between the two of them.

The candlelight was diluted by the moonlight, casting a hazy glow only on the edges of her soft hair and smooth cheeks, making her appear even more beautiful.

"Brother Jin, the night dew is heavy."

Zhao Bao put down the empty wine glass he had been toying with for a long time. His eyes were clear, unaffected by the alcohol, but instead gleamed with the sharpness and caution that came with newly acquired power.
"I must take my leave."

"Now that I've taken on the position of second-in-command, countless eyes in the palace are watching me, and I'm also the chief eunuch... The intricacies and complexities within the palace are quite complicated."

"Tonight I need to make sure I understand all the powers I should be in charge of and the procedures I should follow tomorrow, so I can keep those slick old foxes under me in check."

He stood up, the stone bench making a slight sound as it scraped against the ground.

Liang Jin nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He knew Zhao Bao well; he was a true opportunist, someone who was willing to work hard and was born to carve a bloody path through the thorns of power.

he himself?
Liang Jin leaned back lazily in his chair, feeling the chill emanating from the cold stone slab.

Appointing him as the commander of the imperial guards and deputy commander of the imperial army is like putting a sleepy cat in front of a mouse hole.

Even though the emperor was hosting a banquet for his officials that night, he didn't hesitate to find an excuse to slip back to his own little world and enjoy some peace and quiet.

As for the guards? That's something that Lord Yu Zhuoqun of the Xuanyuan Sect has been busy with.

As for the Imperial Guards, the First Commander must be overwhelmed with problems, so it's not his place to worry about them.

This kind of hands-off management is the only kind of carefree life.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind, and he felt a strange sense of nostalgia: how peaceful it was back when he was a soldier, standing alone with a gun by the palace wall, counting the cracks between the bricks under the moon!
"I send you."

Liang Jin also stood up, his tall figure casting a long shadow under the moonlight.

Zhao Bao immediately waved his hand, the gesture carrying an undeniable intimacy:
"Brother Jin, wait a minute!"

"We're brothers, why are you being so formal? If you keep being so polite, I won't dare to bother your peaceful haven next time!"

His tone was genuinely warm and friendly.

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin's lazy smile deepened, and he stopped insisting.

Zhao Bao didn't say much. His figure suddenly blurred and disappeared into the thick shadows in the corner of the courtyard.

Only a few disturbed leaves remained, swirling and quietly drifting down.

The courtyard instantly fell into complete silence, with only the chirping of insects sounding even clearer.

"Brother Liang, you should go and rest first."

A soft voice sounded.

Zhao Yiyi had already rolled up her sleeves, revealing her two fair and smooth forearms, and began to neatly tidy up the messy stone table and its cups and plates:
"You've had quite a bit to drink; be careful not to catch a cold and get a headache."

When she bent over, her blue cloth dress outlined the graceful curves of her waist and hips, like a white magnolia quietly blooming under the moon.

Liang Jin did not move.

He sat there, his gaze fixed intently on the busy girl in front of him.

The moonlight generously poured down on her, making her profile appear as warm and gentle as jade. Her long eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows under her eyes, trembling slightly with her movements.

A strange heat, like a long-dormant spark, ignited unexpectedly in his abdomen.

Perhaps it was the slight intoxication of the wine that stirred his mind, or perhaps it was the unguarded and docile demeanor before him that moved him.

His Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly, and his gaze, like a feather carrying sparks, slid recklessly down her swan-like neck... past the faintly undulating peaks hidden beneath her clothes... and landed on her slender waist, so delicate it seemed you could grasp it in one hand, swaying slightly with her movements...

Confused and infatuated!

A strong possessiveness forcefully swept away all the laziness and languor.

He stretched out his hand.

Cool fingers, carrying the slight chill of the night breeze and the warmth of the alcohol, gently covered the back of Zhao Yiyi's hand as she wiped the table.

The moment their skin touched, Zhao Yiyi felt as if she had been struck by a tiny electric current, and her slender body trembled violently!
"ah!"

A soft gasp escaped her lips, revealing obvious panic.

She tried to pull her hand back and straighten herself as if she had been electrocuted, her fair cheeks instantly flushed with a blush, like newly blossoming peach blossoms.

"Brother Liang! Stop fooling around..."

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, so shy it seemed to melt into the night.

She forced herself to remain calm and moved her feet, trying to find a different spot to continue tidying up.

But as soon as she moved, Liang Jin's hand, like a snake that had anticipated her movements, slid down naturally, wrapped around her waist, and with an irresistible force, tightly gripped her supple and slender waist!

The sudden tightening force startled Zhao Yiyi so much that she almost jumped up!
"Brother Liang!"

She cried out in panic, her body instinctively struggling.

However, this weak resistance melted away instantly, like ice and snow thrown into boiling water!

Liang Jin exerted force with his arm, like a lion seizing its prey, easily lifting her light body!

Zhao Yiyi felt a sudden dizziness, and then she was suspended in mid-air.

She only had time to let out a short cry of surprise before she was firmly and forcefully pulled into his strong, iron-like arms!
"Do not talk!"

Liang Jin's voice rang out above her head, deep and hoarse, yet full of resolute command, like the clash of metal and stone, each syllable striking her heart.

That imposing and domineering aura, usually deliberately concealed by him and mixed with blood and power, now spread out without reservation, firmly locking onto her.

The delicate body in his arms froze instantly.

He strode toward the master bedroom, his steps steady and powerful, the moonlight casting his shadow like a silent, towering giant.

"My parents...they just went to sleep..."

Zhao Yiyi's voice was filled with heavy breathing and a trembling of terror. She gripped Liang Jin's shirt tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, struggling weakly against the last vestiges of her sanity.
"The noise is too loud... they'll hear it..."

Liang Jin lowered his eyes, his deep gaze, like the thick darkness of night, settling heavily on her lips, which parted slightly in fear and embarrassment.

"With clothes."

He spoke, his voice deeper than before, carrying an almost resolute declaration; each word was like the hammer blow of fate, undeniably nailed into the depths of the soul.

"I told you, you were meant to be mine."

He paused at the closed bedroom door, looked down, and his hot breath sprayed onto her forehead.

"Tonight, I want you."

He kicked the door open and then slammed it shut.

The heavy wooden door blocked out the moonlight, and seemed to isolate the whole world in a quiet corner outside.

The room was dark, with only sparse starlight filtering through the curtains, casting a hazy outline.

Darkness amplifies the senses.

That intense masculine scent, mingled with the effects of alcohol, was like an invisible net, firmly enveloping us...

at last.

The clouds collect and the rain stops.

Zhao Yiyi had fallen into a deep sleep amidst a mixture of extreme exhaustion and immense pleasure.

But the corners of his lips curved upwards, displaying a clear and pure smile of happiness, as if he had finally gotten what he wanted.

Liang Jin gently pushed away the beauty in his arms and sat up.

His gaze fell on the bed, where a bright red plum blossom was in full bloom.

Liang Jin was very satisfied with this.

But he did not indulge in this gentle embrace.

He silently got off the bed, his bare feet stepping onto the cold floor, and went to the soft couch by the window.

He sat cross-legged, calming his mind and concentrating.

The martial world is treacherous, and the imperial court is dangerous.

Even though the moon is bright and the wind is gentle at this moment, who knows if a bloody storm will break out in the next moment?
Practicing martial arts is an instinct ingrained in one's bones, allowing no room for slackening.

Liang Jin always felt insecure until he mastered the Sacred Heart Technique.

The Sacred Heart Manual is indeed an unparalleled skill. It is said that the extraordinary person who created this skill was terrified of death. In order to fight against death, he combined his thousand years of martial arts knowledge and wisdom to finally forge this manual.

The Sacred Heart Technique is incredibly powerful, and its many unique skills are all considered to be heaven-defying and almost godlike!
However, what truly shocked Liang Jin was the ultimate record, like a divine oracle, hidden at the very end after the cultivation technique was perfected—

It can bring people... back to life!
This heaven-defying power can only be bestowed upon others; it is of no use to oneself!
This short sentence was like a heavy meteorite thrown into Liang Jin's heart, capable of causing upheavals!
subversion!

A complete upheaval!
Even though the technology in his previous life had reached what he thought was the pinnacle, with the ability to travel through the stars, break down matter, and program genes, he was still helpless against the most fundamental mystery of life—"death reversal"!
This... is already the realm of gods!

However, what a heavy price to pay for going against nature!

The manual's descriptions are cold and harsh:
First, the caster must have mastered the Sacred Heart Technique to its highest level. And to unleash this technique will inevitably... completely exhaust all of one's life's immense inner strength!

His once powerful internal energy, capable of shaking mountains and moving peaks, has vanished, leaving him as ordinary as a mortal!
This is tantamount to crippling oneself, and the price is almost equivalent to death!

Secondly, the soul of the deceased must not be separated for more than twelve hours!
Finally, the deceased's body must be preserved almost perfectly with minimal damage.

Even if these three stringent conditions are met, the ultimate possibility of "resurrection" remains slim...

Success rate... less than 30%!
Behind the cold words lies a suffocating heaviness and endless vanity.

"It's truly... a thorny path."

Liang Jin sighed inwardly and muttered to himself.

This allure and risk are comparable to plucking a lone flower from a bottomless abyss—vast, yet incredibly beautiful and deadly.

"but……"

Liang Jin's gaze was sharp as a knife as he carefully studied the subsequent descriptions of the technique:

"That extraordinary person, in the end, exhausted all his efforts... and managed to bridge some of the insurmountable gaps."

The second condition is that the deceased's time of death cannot exceed twelve hours; otherwise, the body will begin to decompose and the person will be unable to be resurrected.

However, the Sacred Heart Manual can condense a kind of extremely yin and cold "Sacred Heart Mysterious Ice".

Simply sealing the body of a deceased person who died no more than twelve hours ago within the Sacred Heart Ice can greatly slow down the rate of decay.

Even if buried underground for a hundred years, once unsealed, the deceased's body will be just as it was when it was first sealed, and attempts to resurrect the deceased can still be made.

This makes the restrictions on the second condition more lenient.

This is arguably the most powerful remedy!

Unfortunately, the Sacred Heart Manual was never able to make up for the other conditions.

The danger of losing one's skills and the limitations of the physical body remain insurmountable barriers on the path to resurrection.

"Resurrected from the dead..."

Liang Jin murmured, and those four words sounded particularly heavy in the quiet room.

"The system has such incredible abilities... I can understand it."

He frowned slightly, as if lost in the mists of a past life etched deeply in his memory:
"And does this world... truly possess such power?"

After seeing the heaven-defying power in the "Sacred Heart Manual", Liang Jin couldn't help but recall some of the things Shen Cangming had said to him on Burial Dragon Ridge.

According to the legends of the Youhuan tribe, in ancient times a warrior ventured into the forbidden land of Youming in order to resurrect his lover, and unexpectedly obtained a way to bring people back to life.

That was the first volume of the "Yin Fu Long Tui Jing" (Scripture of the Dragon's Metamorphosis of the Yin Talisman). He resurrected his beloved girl according to the methods in this secret text.

As a result, his resurrected lover turned into a terrible monster, and he realized that he had been tricked and punished by the gods.

But he believed that as long as he could find the second volume of the "Yin Fu Long Tui Jing" (a classic text on the transformation of dragons), he could truly resurrect his lover.

Later, the second volume of the "Yin Fu Long Tui Jing" was naturally never found, and the warrior never returned.

The first volume of the Yin Fu Long Tui Jing contains the method for making Yin Gu Lei (a type of puppet).

Is this secret technique that can bring the dead back to life the legendary "resurrection"?
But if the second volume of the Yin Fu Long Tui Jing really exists, could it truly bring someone back to life?
Liang Jin slowly shook his head, a deep sense of confusion and helplessness etched between his brows.

I can't figure it out, and I can't see through it.

At this time.

"Well……"

A soft, sleepy murmur drifted from the bedside.

In her dream, Zhao Yiyi seemed to sense the sudden departure of the warmth beside her. Under the thin blankets, her slender body curled up uneasily, like a small animal separated from its warm nest.

She groggily sat up from the depths of the warm quilt, her eyes still heavy with sleep.

The front of her loose nightgown slipped slightly, and the moonlight fell directly on her smooth, silky skin, giving it a hazy and alluring glow.

"Brother Liang..."

Her voice was still nasal, languid and charming, her eyes searching the dimly lit room with a hazy look, like a deer lost in the fog.

Looking at the youthful and beautiful body on the couch, Liang Jin stood up and strode back to the bed filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.

Strong fingers climbed up those slender, delicate shoulders that were trying to support their bodies.

With absolute control, the palm pressed down, leaving no room for doubt.

Zhao Yiyi let out a soft cry in her hazy state, only to be completely enveloped by an even hotter breath.

The days of martial arts training are long and arduous, like a boulder rolling down, with each step weighing more than ten thousand pounds.

This……

This fleeting moment of spring night... is shorter than sand slipping through your fingers!

Hold on tight!

The moonlight moved silently.

The chirping of insects outside the window continued, making the world inside the room feel even more tender and warm...

That night, Liang Jin put aside all his thoughts, plans, martial arts training, and the perils ahead...

I only wish...

Lose yourself in this warm and soft world in your palm, indulging in unrestrained freedom...

………………

royal palace.

The grand banquet for the new emperor's coronation, with its dazzling lights and lively music, existed only within that enormous palace that symbolized supreme power.

The sounds of string and wind instruments drifted through the layers of palace walls, becoming increasingly indistinct.

And deep within these layers of palaces lies the inner palace.

It was as if the place was covered by an invisible, thick shroud, and every breath was thick with the stench of blood and decay.

The death of the emperor brought mixed feelings of sorrow and joy to the ministers.

The once-powerful favorites were devastated, while those who had been ostracized and suppressed had quietly straightened their backs in the darkness and glimpsed the light shining through the cracks in the power structure.

However, for those women living in the inner palace, whose fates rested entirely on the emperor's whim—

The emperor's arrival as a royal guest is truly... the sky falling down!
they.

They entered this cage that all women in the world yearn for, either through family glory, exceptional talent and beauty, or flattery and scheming.

They exhausted their youth and energy, toiling amidst the glitz and glamour, struggling and surviving countless trials and tribulations, finally carving out a tiny foothold for themselves on this rigidly hierarchical pyramid. This meager power and status, painstakingly acquired, even stained with the blood of others or themselves…

At the moment when the death knell that announced the Emperor's passing tolls...

By an invisible hand, ruthlessly and thoroughly... reduced to ashes!
That's not even the most terrifying part...

What awaited them was not the peaceful life of being out of power and idle, but rather...

One dead end after another, almost inevitably leading to a tragic end!
The cold and desperate path is clearly discernible:

The most tragic cases... involved being buried alive with the dead!
Those from humble backgrounds, with no connections in the palace, little influence, and no princes or princesses to rely on, were almost certain to become victims.

Their value was merely to become cold "objects," forced to follow the emperor's coffin into the depths of the cold underground palace, turning into withered bones in endless darkness and suffocation!
Those who are slightly "luckier"... guard the tombs or become monks!

Even though her beauty was still in full bloom, she could only be banished to the forbidden imperial mausoleum, far from the capital, where the wind was biting cold, to guard the cold stone steps and tombs, and spend her life cleaning the grave of a dead man!

Or perhaps they are thrown into a remote and desolate ancient temple or monastery, where their black hair is shaved off, they are dressed in rough monk's robes, and they slowly wither away all their vitality and life force beside the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp!
Every winter in the capital region, several imperial concubines guarding the imperial tombs would die in obscurity in dilapidated outbuildings; and behind the grand palaces and Buddhist halls, more than once, concubines who had become nuns had committed suicide due to unbearable bullying.

If you're even luckier... you might leave the palace or go with your son.

Her family was powerful and influential, and she herself had once earned some respect from the new emperor. Perhaps after the new dynasty was established, she would receive a decree to be sent out of the palace. Although her life would be broken, at least she could live a life that belonged to her.

If a woman is fortunate enough to give birth to a prince, she can go to her son's fiefdom and live a peaceful life.

As for those who wield immense power and hold high positions... they can naturally be honored as "Imperial Concubine Dowager," and continue to enjoy their retirement in the magnificent depths of this deep palace.

But in this vast and deep palace, with "three thousand beauties in the harem," how many of them could have such a distinguished family background and a prince under their wing?

The humble Cainv, the talented man, Baolin, the imperial daughter...

They constitute the largest group of beauties in the imperial harem!
The vast majority of them inevitably met a tragic end.

therefore……

The cries echoing through the palace at this moment are the purest and most desperate lament in the world!
They were weeping for their impending death or for their future that had been cruelly taken away!
It is a lament for that tragic fate that is visible to the naked eye and cannot be resisted!
Chuxiu Palace.

The palace is divided into a main hall and side halls.

The principal consort resided in the main hall, while lower-ranking concubines lived in the side halls.

The one residing in the side hall now is Consort Xu.

The palace was filled with cries of weeping, and Xu Zhaorong's cries were certainly not uncommon.

The gilded bronze lamps in Chuxiu Palace had been refilled with oil three times. The dim yellow light shone through the thin gauze lampshade, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick floor, much like Xu Zhaorong's shattered heart at this moment.

Outside the carved window, the night was deep, with only the faint sound of a funeral bell coming from the direction of the mourning hall in the distance, each toll like a heavy hammer hitting her chest.

Xu Zhaorong sat alone in front of the bronze mirror, her fingertips tracing the edge of the mirror, as if she could still feel the warmth of the emperor's past.

That year, she had just entered the palace and was just a minor concubine. Under the peach tree in the Imperial Garden, she played a song called "Rainbow Skirt" for the emperor. The emperor smiled and embraced her, saying, "My A-Yuan is the person in this palace who understands me the most."

Later, she was promoted to Zhaorong, and the emperor granted her the special privilege of displaying her favorite crabapple blossoms in her palace. On her first birthday, he even painted a portrait of her by hand, captivated by her beauty...

But emperors are the most passionate, and also the most ruthless.

Soon, the emperor grew tired of her and found a new love, never setting foot in her room again.

She experienced disappointment and resentment... but ultimately, she had to learn to... silently forget...

She was born into a commoner family, was gentle in nature, and disliked fighting.

Her temperament and background destined her to have little status in the imperial harem.

The emperor quickly forgot that such a concubine even existed.

She was almost invisible, and thought that she could live a peaceful life until she grew old, guarding this small world and being undisturbed.

Who would have thought?
That lofty emperor...

So abruptly...

The plane crashed!
This sudden and devastating disaster has ripped her out of the past and slammed her into the cruel gears of fate, like a meat grinder!
Even her right to breathe and lament her fate will be ruthlessly crushed!
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty...Something terrible has happened!"

"Something...something...major has happened!"

A piercing, distorted cry, filled with utter despair, suddenly shattered the oppressive silence in the hall!

Xu Zhaorong's body jolted violently, as if she had been lashed hard by an invisible whip!

My heart is plummeting wildly inside my chest...

What was bound to happen... finally happened...

She took a deep breath, the air so cold it chilled her to the bone, as if she were inhaling not air but countless shattered ice shards, piercing her internal organs with pain and numbness.

She used all her strength to control her trembling body and forced herself to stand up slowly.

She pulled the door open...

Outside, several people were kneeling.

They were all her personal maids and eunuchs who served her on a daily basis.

The once clever young eunuch, now completely devoid of his usual wit, trembled violently, tears streaming down his face, his voice hoarse and broken.
"Your Majesty... just... just..."

"The Imperial Household Department... Deputy Chief Steward Huang has leaked the information... The initial draft of the list of those to be buried alive... actually... is going to..."

His lips trembled violently, and his voice suddenly rose to a shrill, piercing tone:
"A full sixty empresses will be accompanying the emperor!"

sixty!!!

So many people are to be buried with them?!
Then wouldn’t I be...

Xu Zhaorong's mind went completely blank for a moment, and stars flashed before her eyes!

My legs went weak, and if I hadn't reached out and grabbed the cold door frame in time, I would have collapsed to the ground!
The sharp edges of the door frame dug into her palm. The pain brought a moment of clarity, but it also made her feel even more acutely—despair!
The little eunuch was still wailing, each word a slow, agonizing torture.

"And...and the first choice is...masters who have not borne children for the dragon bloodline!"

These last words completely extinguished the last glimmer of hope in Xu Zhaorong's heart!

sixty!

Childless!

If the selection of concubines to be buried alive were based on these criteria, then Xu Wanyuan's name would definitely be on the list!

The strokes are powerful and elegant! There's no way to avoid them!
She took a deep breath.

She thought that by not fighting or vying for power, she could live out her old age in peace in the harem, but who knew... she would eventually face the darkest ending.

"Young lady!!"

The palace maids and eunuchs kneeling on the ground cried even louder, fear spreading throughout their bodies like a plague.

Amidst this desperate crying, a slightly childish yet resolute voice rang out:
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, don't be afraid! Don't panic!"

Xu Zhaorong's unfocused gaze followed the sound and landed on her personal maid, Su Lian.

The child's face turned pale with fright, and tears streamed down his face like a broken string of pearls, but unexpectedly, two small, resolute flames burned in his eyes:

"I have two older brothers! They...they're amazing! It's true!"

She clenched her small fists, as if drawing strength from them:
"Tomorrow! I'll go find them at daybreak! I'm sure I'll find them! They'll definitely have a way! They definitely will!"

It was as if this was the only straw a drowning person was grasping at!
Xu Zhaorong felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart by a scalding needle, a bittersweet pain rising within her.

This little palace maid named Su Lian is a bit silly, and her words are always rambling.

It is said that her former masters all disliked her, feeling that she was not only useless but also prone to causing trouble.

But Xu Zhaorong liked her very much because she was simple-minded and kind.

This quality is especially precious in the treacherous and scheming imperial harem.

This child... is really stupid.

Her two "powerful" older brothers?

What powerful older brother could a mere palace maid possibly have?
Even if such a thing existed, what could it possibly do under the overwhelming oppression of imperial power?

She shook her head wearily and sadly, a bitter smile playing on her lips.

Reaching into his bosom, he took out a clean, white handkerchief, bent down, and with an extremely gentle, resigned calmness, wiped away the tears and sweat from Su Lian's face.

Her gaze slowly swept over the loyal servants who were prostrate on the ground, their faces streaked with tears.

This unwavering support became the last, faint ray of warmth and solace in this cold hell.

She fumbled in her large sleeve pocket and pulled out a small key. Her voice was unusually calm, as if she were recounting a mundane household chore, yet every word dripped with pain:

"If I really go..."

"In that mahogany box on the dressing table... lies a small amount of my personal savings. There are also a few pieces of jewelry that the late emperor bestowed upon me..."

She paused, her tone even softening slightly:

"You guys can divide it up."

As she spoke, her gaze turned to the night sky, as if she were looking into the distance through the palace walls:
"If any of you ever leave the palace and happen to pass through my hometown... don't forget to visit my family for me..."

"Go check for me at the entrance of Willow Lane in Yongqing Town... see if those two old locust trees are still there... check on my parents... see if they're alright..."

She could say no more.

The sound choked in his throat, turning into a suppressed moan.

"Your Majesty—!"

Upon hearing this, the palace maids and eunuchs could no longer contain themselves, and their cries suddenly rose, merging into a wave of despair and grief.

They were not only weeping for this uncertain and helpless future.

It is even more heartbreaking to see this gentle master who never mistreats his servants and even occasionally sneaks into the small kitchen to add a bowl of hot soup for them!
If the Empress were to leave...

What awaited them was simply being reassigned to a new master's palace that might be violent, cruel, and prone to beatings and abuse...

Perhaps the next winter, they themselves will be the ones who perish in the servants' quarters!
"Everyone...get up."

"It's cold on the ground."

Xu Zhaorong forced herself to sit up, took a deep breath, turned and walked to the dressing table, opened the drawer and took out the small mahogany key.

Every step felt incredibly heavy.

"Bang——!!!"

A sudden, extremely violent and savage loud noise!

It instantly shattered the deathly silence and sorrow that permeated the side hall!
The heavy oak doors of the side hall were kicked open from the outside by an immense force!

The door bolt let out a groan of despair and flew heavily to the ground!

The enormous noise terrified everyone!

Xu Zhaorong suddenly turned around!
In the cold moonlight and the distorted shadows cast by the flickering palace lanterns in the distance, a group of unfamiliar men, reeking of alcohol, appeared at the doorway!
This group of people were neither eunuchs nor guards!

This surprised everyone. How could so many men have entered the harem at night?
Among this group of drunkards, one person in particular stood out!
His moon-white brocade robe was spotless, and his meticulously styled hair was tied up with a jade crown.

He was quite handsome with well-defined features, but the arrogance and haughtiness that lingered between his brows and eyes seemed like a bad mark etched into his bones.

He was clearly eight or nine parts drunk, but his narrow eyes, like hooks, shot out a light full of mockery and evil, which was precisely fixed on Xu Zhaorong, who was so shocked that she took several steps back and her face turned pale!
The young man's lips curled into an undisguised lewd smile as his greedy eyes slowly swept over Xu Zhaorong's trembling body, which trembled slightly with fear.

"Tsk tsk tsk... Everyone says that the daughters of ministers and generals in the harem are nothing more than extras in power struggles, and their looks... well, they're just plain ugly!"

"But those women who were carefully selected from among the common people, women who could even bewitch the emperor..."

He deliberately dragged out the tone, his voice so cloying it was nauseating:

"That's truly... an unparalleled beauty!"

His lewd gaze was fixed on Xu Zhaorong's deathly pale face:

"I have long admired Consort Xu's reputation, and today I have come to the palace to meet her..."

His throat seemed to bob, and the greed in his eyes was as naked as that of a hungry wolf!

"Truly a peerless beauty! She lives up to her reputation! Hahaha...!"

His seven or eight cronies also joined in the unrestrained laughter!
The arrogant laughter exploded in the solemn and sorrowful main hall, extremely jarring!
It was utterly insulting!
"presumptuous!"

A young, impetuous eunuch rushed forward, pointed at the group, and his voice was shrill with fear:
"Who...who are you?! This is the most important place in the inner palace...how dare you...how dare you trespass?"

"This is Consort Xu's palace! You have disturbed Her Highness's health, you..."

He didn't finish his rebuke.

A burly soldier next to the young man in the lead suddenly stepped forward!
Those large, fan-like hands, accompanied by a gust of evil wind, swung out with a "whoosh"!

The movement was so fast that only a fleeting afterimage could be caught!
"Crack—!!!!"

A sickening thud as flesh and bone collided!

The poor little eunuch didn't even have time to make a sound. He was sent flying backward by the slap, like a broken sack!

A loud "thud"!
The young eunuch slammed hard against the cold wall behind him, then collapsed to the ground.

He struggled for a moment and then stopped moving. The blood that spurted from his mouth mixed with broken teeth, instantly staining the blue brick floor red!
A deathly silence!

The burly man flicked his hand, spat a thick wad of phlegm at the "sack" on the ground, and, with a fierce glint in his eyes, roared like a wild beast at the terrified crowd:

"You blind bastard!"

"How dare you bark like a dog in front of His Highness the Crown Prince?!"

He stepped forward, his fierce gaze sweeping over every trembling palace maid and eunuch.

That aura was so powerful, it seemed like it would tear everything in front of it apart in the next instant!
"They're nothing but a bunch of lackeys. Let's see who dares to bark again!"

He looked around at the stunned crowd.

"If you shout again, I'll wipe out every single one of these damn side hall servants..."

"Drag them all out!"

"Skin them! Dismember them! Pull out their tendons! Set them on fire!!!"

His roar was full of bloodlust and perversion!

Every word carried an intense, almost overwhelming feeling...

Blood and murderous intent!
The whole hall was in dead silence!

Only the terrifying tremor of his last word echoed and reverberated between the cold walls!

then……

Everyone's breathing...

Everything has come to a standstill!

All eyes were on them...

They were all tinged with an extreme, terrifying, deathly gray!

"Too...too...too..."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince?!"

A chilling aura, enough to freeze the soul, instantly gripped everyone's hearts!
The timid one almost suffocated and fainted!

That person...

The young man in the moon-white brocade robe...

Is it...

This is the heir of the Prince of Huaiyang, who has been stirring up trouble in the capital these past few days, and is also very likely the future...

Crown Prince!

Zhao Hongyi?!

(End of this chapter)