son, don't mess around

It was late at night; in the early winter, the days were short and the nights were long.

At a time when it should have been dawn, the area outside the palace remained pitch black. The night sky was so dark that one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face, and shadows seemed to engulf everything in the world.

Beneath the night sky, the imperial city gradually came to life with lights, and hurried footsteps echoed, creating a noisy and turbulent atmosphere.

In the darkness, countless imperial guards, fully armed and radiating murderous intent, stood guard; their dark armor sent shivers down one's spine.

At this moment, countless people wore solemn expressions. The already deserted palace felt even colder tonight.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation, which was rebuilt less than half a year ago, has once again become a ruin tonight.

Inside the main hall, broken walls and ruins were everywhere, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. Imperial guards were methodically cleaning up the battlefield and clearing away the debris.

The traces left around the area testify to the fierce battle that had taken place here not long ago.

Now, the dust has settled.

Inside the main hall, Li Cining's face was pale, but her eyes revealed undisguised joy.

"Uncle Emperor!"

Li Cining stepped out from under the protection of the guards and quickly approached Elder Li.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Elder Li bowed.

Li Cining quickly stepped forward to help him up: "Uncle, there's no need for such formalities. We are very grateful for your help tonight; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure before him, Li Cining was filled with mixed emotions.

He was only a few years old when he last saw his uncle, and his memory of him was already vague. But now, seeing his uncle again, the blood ties that stirred in his heart still moved him deeply.

"Your Majesty has been frightened!"

The old man sighed: "How is His Majesty's health?"

"I am fine!"

Li Cining waved his hand, supporting the old senior Li, just as he was about to say something, when a eunuch's voice came from the side.

"Your Majesty, this is not a place to linger. Please move to the Imperial Palace first."

At this moment, the Hall of Mental Cultivation is dilapidated and swaying everywhere, with the remaining roofs around it looking like they might collapse at any moment.

Seeing this, Li Cining nodded: "Then let's move on."

As he spoke, as if remembering something, Li Cining's expression darkened slightly: "Where is Steward Chen?!"

"Go find Steward Chen immediately!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, we have found Chief Eunuch Chen outside the palace. Chief Eunuch Chen is seriously injured and unconscious. The imperial physicians are currently treating him. Your Majesty need not worry too much."

Upon hearing that Steward Chen was not dead, Li Cining felt a slight sense of relief, but then her gaze sharpened: "Save every effort to cure Steward Chen."

"Yes!"

"Imperial Uncle, please come in private and let me speak with you."

Li Cining turned to look at the old master Li: "This time, since the Imperial Uncle has returned to the capital, I haven't had a chance to properly catch up with him. Please do not refuse my invitation."

"Very well, then so be it, Your Majesty!"

Senior Li nodded.

"By the way, where is my brother-in-law?"

At this moment, Li Cining thought of something, turned around, and quickly saw a strange scene in her line of sight.

Inside the main hall, chaos reigned.

Imperial guards were cleaning up the wreckage nearby, while on the other side of the hall stood three figures.

A young woman in white, with delicate features and a cool demeanor, stood out. She was independent and aloof, and although she was not old, she had a mature air about her. Every gesture she made exuded a tranquil and serene aura.

Not far from the girl in white was the woman in red. She was about the same age as the girl in white, but their auras were completely different.

The woman in red exudes a passionate and charming aura, possessing a captivating and aloof elegance.

At this moment, she stood there quietly, arms crossed, her beautiful eyes holding a meaningful smile as she watched the two of them.

Between the girl in white and the woman in red stood a man, looking helpless and somewhat panicked.

Li Cining first looked at the two women, then at Lin Jiangnian, who was sandwiched between them, and a meaningful smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Well, my brother-in-law is really lucky!"

Seeing this, the elderly Mr. Li looked on with a sense of satisfaction.

Although the scene looks tense, it's only from the perspective of the parties involved.

To outsiders, it has a rather comical effect.

"His Majesty!"

At that moment, when Lin Jiangnian saw Li Cining and Senior Li not far away, he felt as if he had seen a savior. He immediately broke free from the terrifying atmosphere of the two women's stares and quickly stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, how are you feeling? You were frightened tonight, are you still in good health?"

Li Cining was a little unaccustomed to Lin Jiangnian's sudden warm concern. However, after glancing behind him, she quickly understood.

"Brother-in-law, there is no need to worry. I am in good health."

Li Cining spoke with a smile.

However, as soon as he said this, Lin Jiangnian clearly felt two pairs of eyes staring at him from behind.

This emperor is somewhat lacking in discernment.

What should we shout at this time?

Li Cining naturally realized this as well, a smile appearing in her eyes as she whispered, "Brother-in-law is truly blessed."

For the sake of the emperor, Lin Jiangnian suppressed the urge to slap his heart.

"However, you must treat Piaomiao well in the future and not let her suffer any grievances."

Li Cining gave a heartfelt word of advice, and was about to say something more when she suddenly coughed violently for a while.

"His Majesty!"

The eunuch standing nearby rushed forward, his expression changing drastically.

Li Cining waved his hand and said, "I am fine."

Despite saying this, his tone was weak, his face was bloodless, and he had no energy or spirit.

Lin Jiangnian felt a little sullen when he saw his expression.

This emperor seems to have truly reached the end of his rope.

"You have saved my life again this time."

Li Cining looked at Lin Jiangnian and forced a smile again: "If you count it, I already owe you two lives."

Li Cining seemed to want to say something more, but when he saw Lin Jiangnian's calm expression, he stopped talking.

He then sighed, "It's a pity I met my brother-in-law so late. If only I had met him sooner!"

Li Cining sighed, "I have always trusted you. In the future, I hope my brother-in-law can take good care of Piaomiao."

"I entrust her to you!"

As she finished speaking, Li Cining coughed violently again. With each cough, her face grew even paler.

The eunuchs and guards beside him were extremely anxious and stopped His Majesty from speaking, quickly helping him to leave.

Lin Jiangnian stood still, quietly watching the scene before him, without saying a word.

There are some things he already knows the answers to without even asking.

Li Cining just repeated twice that he should take good care of Piaomiao, and the deeper meaning in her words was not just about taking care of her.

This new emperor, who had only been on the throne for less than a year, was seen by outsiders as nothing more than a young, inexperienced, and incompetent ruler.

But Lin Jiangnian vaguely sensed that the new emperor seemed to have guessed something.
Lin Jiangnian squinted, quietly watching Li Cining and Senior Li's departing figures, remaining silent for a long time.

Then he looked away.

Only then did he realize that inside the main hall, not far away, Zhiyuan and Liu Su's gazes were still fixed on him. The two women had different expressions; Zhiyuan remained calm, her expression indifferent, but one could vaguely discern a hint of worry. Liu Su, on the other hand, kept staring in the direction Li Cining had left, seemingly lost in thought.

"It's getting late, we should head back!"

Lin Jiangnian smiled again and walked forward, standing between the two of them as if nothing had happened.

Zhiyuan glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Liu Su, who was on the other side, came to her senses and saw Lin Jiangnian grinning. She glared at him, snorted, and turned to walk out of the hall.

That red dress was stunningly beautiful, and elegantly graceful.

This woman needs to be disciplined and taught a lesson!
As the three left the main hall and departed the imperial city, a ray of light pierced through the dark clouds on the distant horizon, illuminating the scene.

It's getting light!

But the three of them had different feelings and their own thoughts.

Tonight will undoubtedly be an extremely tense and exciting night!
What happened also exceeded everyone's expectations in a short period of time.

Chen Zhao is not dead!

After Liu Su returned to the capital and brought this news, Lin Jiangnian became wary. He then conspired with Li Cining to set up this scheme!

However, in the end, Chen Zhao still escaped a disaster.

No one expected that Chen Zhao, who had reached the Grandmaster level, would possess such terrifying martial arts skills.

Even when the four of them joined forces, they couldn't stop him.

This is not good news!

The threat of a grandmaster is too terrifying. If we can't find him before Chen Zhao is injured tonight and his strength is greatly reduced, we will be in serious trouble.

After his injuries healed, Lin Jiangnian had trouble sleeping.

"We must find him, we must find him as soon as possible."

Lin Jiangnian gritted his teeth and said, "This time, we must kill him no matter what. We absolutely cannot let him live."

Zhiyuan, standing to the side, remained silent, but her beautiful eyes flashed with murderous intent. Clearly, she was also aware of Chen Zhao's threat.

Such a threat must be eliminated by all means.

"You think killing him will be that easy!"

Liu Su's voice came from the side. She squinted and looked ahead: "He and the leader are brothers. They are the same kind of people. They are best at disguising themselves."

"He got away tonight, so it will be very difficult to find him now."

These words undoubtedly weighed heavily on their hearts.

At this moment, Liu Su glanced at Lin Jiangnian again: "Instead of worrying about Chen Zhao taking revenge on you after his injuries recover, you should be more worried about something else right now."

Lin Jiangnian turned to look at her: "What?"

Liu Su said meaningfully, "That emperor, his days are numbered, aren't they?"

Lin Jiangnian did not answer this question.

There's no need for an answer anymore.

After all, this was common knowledge; Liu Su had just witnessed it firsthand: the emperor was seriously ill and didn't have much time left.

"The Great Ning Dynasty is currently beset by internal and external troubles, in a time of great turmoil. If news of the emperor's death were to arrive at this time, things would get quite interesting."

As if she had just thought of something, a playful glint flashed in Liu Su's eyes.

As the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly God Sect, she naturally had no feeling about the fate of the Great Ning Dynasty. However, she was quite interested in what would happen next.

"If I remember correctly, that emperor has no children yet, right? Once he dies, who will inherit the throne?"

“According to legal principles, if the throne passes from brother to brother, wouldn’t it be the third prince, Li Yuan, who should inherit it now that Li Cining is dead?”

"Tsk, Li Yuan is still plotting a rebellion with Xu Hong. When Li Cining dies, he'll suddenly become the heir, and the throne will fall into his hands... Tsk, how interesting is that?!"

Liu Su clicked her tongue in disapproval.

His expression was full of amusement.

Lin Jiangnian and Zhiyuan exchanged a glance. Zhiyuan's eyes were cool and aloof, but she had a touch of cute girlish charm when she looked at Lin Jiangnian.

Neither of them spoke, as if everything was understood without words.

Liu Su, who had been marveling at the situation, quickly sensed that something was amiss.

Her gaze fell on the two of them, looking them over from side to side. When she noticed the faint smile on Lin Jiangnian's face, she quickly realized something.

"You two, do you know something?!"

Faced with Liu Su's questioning, Lin Jiangnian smiled but remained silent. His reaction made Liu Su's gaze sharpen.

"What secrets are you hiding from me?"

Liu Su looked at the two of them suspiciously: "Do you two know inside information?"

"That's not true."

Lin Jiangnian shrugged: "How would we know who will get the throne?"

But Liu Su didn't believe him, her gaze growing increasingly suspicious: "You really don't know?"

Just as Lin Jiangnian was about to say something, he suddenly noticed that Liu Su's brows furrowed slightly, as if she was in some pain.

"what happened?"

Lin Jiangnian asked the question.

"fine……"

Liu Su had just opened her mouth when she gasped again.

Immediately afterwards, I realized that a burning pain was coming from my back.

injured?
Liu Su then realized that she had been injured during her fight with Chen Zhao. However, she had been so focused on fighting Chen Zhao that she had forgotten about her injuries.

As his internal energy gradually calmed down, the cold wind caused a sudden surge of pain.

Lin Jiangnian noticed too: "You're injured?!"

He rushed forward to check on her and, sure enough, found that Liu Su had many external injuries. Looking at Zhi Yuan, although she was in much better condition, she had also indeed suffered some injuries.

When the three of them joined forces to deal with Chen Zhao, they were all injured to some extent.

"Let's go back first!"

Thinking of this, Lin Jiangnian didn't care to say anything more. He grabbed the two women on his left and right and quickly walked out of the palace.

"You, let me go!"

Suddenly her wrist was grabbed, Liu Su was initially unfazed, but when she caught a glimpse of the bastard holding the kite on the other side with his other hand...

I quit right away!

She angrily tried to break free, but Lin Jiangnian gave her no chance, letting her struggle as he forcibly dragged her and Zhiyuan back to the Jiang residence.

Inside the Jiang residence.

By the time the three returned, it was already broad daylight!

The commotion in the palace last night did not attract much attention in the city. However, some forces in the shadows did sense something unusual.

They discovered that the palace guards had been replaced, and patrols in the capital had been increased.

The passing guards created a tense atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing.

Meanwhile, inside the Jiang residence.

Backyard, inside the room.

Some faint sounds were heard.

"Ouch, be gentle..."

"..." (End of this chapter)