Princess, something terrible has happened! The prince consort has attempted suicide again!

The guards' expressions changed, and none of them dared to step forward.

Zhao Tai'an threatened, "Zhang Xiaomeng, if you dare kill me, I will ensure the entire Yongwu Marquis's mansion is executed!"

Zhao Changning also hurriedly advised, "Don't do anything rash! Let him go first."

Zhang Xiaomeng remained unmoved, his face cold as he said, "The thing I fear least is death. If you don't hand over those children today, I will kill you!"

"You...you dare!"

Seeing that Zhang Xiaomeng didn't seem to be lying, Zhao Tai'an finally showed some panic on his face, and his voice became a little weaker.

"You'll see if I dare."

Zhang Xiaomeng raised his dagger and stabbed Zhao Tai'an in the thigh.

"ah--"

A heart-wrenching scream immediately rang out.

Everyone was shocked; they never expected Zhang Xiaomeng to be so audacious.

Zhang Xiaomeng pulled out a dagger, and the blood on the blade dripped onto Zhao Tai'an. He said, word by word, "If you don't talk, the next cut will sever your manhood."

As he spoke, he pointed the dagger at Zhao Tai'an's crotch.

This time, Zhao Tai'an could no longer remain calm. His body trembled, and he hurriedly shouted, "Zhao Changning, why aren't you stopping him!"

But just as Zhao Changning was about to step forward, Zhang Xiaomeng glared at him coldly and told him, "Don't come any closer, or I'll kill him right now."

Zhao Changning frowned and said, "Don't be impulsive. He is a prince. If you kill him, you will not escape punishment."

"So what if I die? I promised those children I would rescue them."

Zhang Xiaomeng felt incredibly heartbroken when he recalled the children's terrified and helpless expressions.

These bastards will definitely kill us to cover their tracks in order to destroy the evidence. If we don't save them now, it will be too late.

He lowered his voice, his tone laced with chilling murderous intent, "I'm only giving you one chance. If you don't speak, you die!"

The sharp blade was pressed against Zhao Tai'an's neck, slowly applying pressure. It was about to cut through his skin, which terrified Zhao Tai'an. He dared not hide it any longer and blurted out.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"explain!"

Zhang Xiaomeng drank impatiently.

"They are..."

Just as he was about to speak, an arrow suddenly appeared from the shadows and struck Zhao Tai'an squarely in the chest.

Zhao Tai'an's eyes widened instantly, blood gushed from his mouth, and he fell silent.

Everyone was shocked and immediately became alert to their surroundings.

"Chase!"

At Zhao Changning's command, the Black Phoenix Guards quickly chased after the direction from which the arrows had been shot.

But when they arrived, all that was left in the bushes was an abandoned longbow; the people had long since vanished.

Feng Er noticed a note next to the longbow and picked it up to read it.

The sign read: "My benefactor, I'm taking these children with me. No need to thank me."

When Zhang Xiaomeng saw this sentence, his face immediately darkened.

It's Zhou Qian'er, the Holy Maiden of the Black Lotus Sect!

"Outrageous! How dare this vixen show her her face again!"

Zhao Changning was furious.

Now that the evidence is gone and Zhao Tai'an is dead, not only can Consort Wu not be convicted, but they have also completely broken ties with her.

Zhang Xiaomeng breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn't know why Zhou Qian'er did this, he was certain that the children were safe.

No longer having any worries, he resumed his usual carefree attitude, rubbing his empty stomach and saying, "I'm hungry, let's go home for dinner."

Thinking about the vegetarian meals I ate at Faye Temple these past two days, I'm really craving meat right now.

Looking at his indifferent expression, as if he only cared about making a living, Zhao Changning felt a throbbing pain in his temples and was filled with helplessness.

"Do you know the enormity of the trouble you've caused today?" Zhao Changning took a deep breath, suppressing his agitation, and said in a deep voice, "The Fifth Prince died before your eyes, witnessed by countless people. You held the prince hostage and severely injured him; the entire court will not let you off easily!"

Faced with her solemn warning, Zhang Xiaomeng simply flicked the blood off the dagger, casually put the weapon away, and maintained his nonchalant expression.

"Let them do as they please. Even if the sky falls, we still have to eat first. After two days of bland vegetarian meals, my mouth is practically watering down."

After saying that, he didn't wait for Zhao Changning to persuade him again, and strode away, completely oblivious to the terrible trouble he had caused.

Zhao Changning stood there, watching his carefree back, utterly speechless.

She had never seen anyone so unrestrained, unafraid of imperial power, and even unafraid of death.

Today's farce is destined to shake up the entire Eastern Mausoleum court.

as predicted.

The news of the assassination of the Fifth Prince Zhao Tai'an spread throughout the capital city with lightning speed.

Zhao Qiandong was furious. He smashed the table in front of him and immediately issued an edict to impose martial law on the entire city and to search for the remaining members of the Black Lotus Sect. He wanted them alive or dead!

In an instant, the atmosphere inside and outside the capital was tense, with imperial guards patrolling the streets, secret agents scouting everywhere, and every household filled with fear.

However, the Black Lotus Cult has always been secretive, and this time their actions were clean and efficient, leaving only a note and a broken bow, with no clues to be found.

As for the witchcraft incident at Faye Temple, since there was no evidence, it could only be hastily concluded.

Although Consort Wu was cleared of suspicion, she harbored a deep hatred for Zhang Xiaomeng because of her son's tragic death.

She joined forces with her maternal family to impeach Zhang Xiaomeng in the imperial court.

However, with the strong support of the Prince of Zhenbei and Zhao Changning, and with Zhao Qiandong's intentional favoritism, Zhang Xiaomeng was only punished by being confined to his residence and not allowed to step out of the Yongwu Marquis's mansion before the wedding.

Zhang Xiaomeng sighed helplessly, "It's so hard to die."

at this time.

The Huaxi Hall of the Imperial Harem.

Seated inside the hall was a graceful and elegant woman, none other than Consort Wu.

Standing in front of her was a monk, none other than Zen Master Duming.

"His Majesty has only confined him to his quarters, which infuriates me!" Consort Wu's face was gloomy, and her five fingers clenched tightly, making a cracking sound.

"With the Prince of Zhenbei and Princess Changning protecting him, it is indeed very difficult to deal with him head-on."

Du Ming's face was also very ugly. Not only was the temple destroyed, but he was also tricked by Zhang Xiaomeng. If he hadn't been lucky enough to leave in advance, he probably would have been killed by him as well.

In order to seek revenge, he offered a plan: "If he loses Princess Changning as his backer, things will be much easier."

"Does the Zen Master have a good solution?"

"Ultimately, this young man only has Princess Changning backing him up. If he were married to someone else..."

Master Duming paused halfway through his speech, deliberately keeping the audience in suspense, appearing profound and unfathomable.

Consort Wu asked eagerly, "Tell me quickly in detail."

Zen Master Duming then said, "I only recently learned that Zhang Ling, the second son of the Marquis of Yongwu, is my own flesh and blood."

Consort Wu exclaimed in surprise, "Zhang Ling is actually your son? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Du Ming nodded in confirmation, "This humble monk went to the prison to see Liu Shi, and she confessed to me that she was indeed pregnant with my child back then."

Then he began to explain his plan in detail.

Upon hearing this, Consort Wu's face lit up with joy. "As expected of a Zen master, what a brilliant plan! I'll leave this matter to you. If your son handles it well, I will support him."

"This humble monk will do his utmost to live up to Your Majesty's expectations."

Duming accepted the order and withdrew.

Consort Wu's eyes flashed with malice, and she gritted her teeth, "Zhang Xiaomeng, once you lose everything, I will grind you to dust!"