Xia Hongqian commanded loudly, "Commander Ren, eliminate the Empress and the Crown Prince. Be wary of the Black-Faced Fox!"
The Imperial Guard Commander glanced at Xia Hongqian, then rushed to the side of the dying Emperor. The Emperor, grabbing his hand, mumbled, "Besides Xia Hongqian, no one else... no one... remains."
Before Commander Ren could respond, the Black-Faced Fox attacked him from behind. Sensing a powerful gust of wind, he narrowly dodged a saber strike.
Zuo Ye, holding Bai Sheng's hand, who in turn held Consort Yu's hand, along with Prince Yu holding Consort Mei's hand, tried to rush out of the hall.
Under the public gaze, Bai Sheng could not use her spatial abilities. Moreover, the Black-Faced Fox and the Empress's hidden guards were currently locked in combat with the Imperial Guards, presenting an opportune moment for their escape.
Seeing that the Imperial Guard Commander was no match for the Black-Faced Fox and his hidden guards, Xia Hongqian addressed Lu Ye and Prince Yu, who had already reached the door: "Young Master Lu, Your Highness Prince Yu, if you can assist me in killing the Black-Faced Fox and the Empress's mother and son, I will pardon Consort Yu and Consort Mei!"
Zuo Ye and Prince Yu exchanged glances. They realized that if the Empress and Crown Prince succeeded, they would not be spared either. It was better to end them today.
Thus, the two men nodded to Xia Hongqian.
Zuo Ye said to Bai Sheng, "Wife, you take Aunt Qing and your aunt and go ahead. I will deal with the Black-Faced Fox with Prince Yu and follow shortly!"
"No, we'll go with you!" Consort Mei and Bai Sheng said in unison.
Prince Yu and Prince Yu exchanged a helpless glance. "You all be careful!"
The two drew their swords and attacked the Black-Faced Fox together.
Although the Black-Faced Fox's martial arts were unfathomable, he found himself surrounded and unable to secure victory. He leaped up and landed beside the Empress and the Crown Prince, intending to escape with them, one on each side.
Bai Sheng, with quick hands, threw a dart that struck the Empress at the back of her neck. The Empress's body went limp, and she collapsed forward.
The Black-Faced Fox turned, giving Bai Sheng a murderous glare. He abandoned the lifeless Empress, grabbed the Crown Prince, and leaped, flying out of the roof.
"Pursue!" Commander Ren shouted to the guards, and a group of guards chased after them.
Commander Ren then turned and surveyed everyone in the hall, recalling the Emperor's dying words: except for Xia Hongqian, not a single person was to be left alive.
The dead Emperor's words were less than a fart. The new Emperor was his new master. However, since the Emperor had been assassinated, the murderer had to be apprehended to provide an explanation to the court.
Xia Hongqian looked at the Imperial Guard Commander and sternly ordered, "Commander Ren, the Emperor was assassinated by Xia Rongxian and the Black-Faced Fox. Dispatch people to search for them throughout the city immediately! Kill them on sight!"
"Yes!" Commander Ren clasped his fists and accepted the order.
Prince Yu and Zuo Ye looked at Xia Hongqian and bowed to him.
"Your Majesty, Princess, we shall take our leave now! We wish you all the best," Bai Sheng said respectfully to Xia Hongqian and the Princess.
The Princess smiled, "Doctor Bai, please proceed. I will not see you off. Please rest assured, Doctor Bai, this Princess will keep her word and overturn the case for the Bai Li family as soon as possible."
"Many thanks to His Majesty and the Princess!" Bai Sheng bowed deeply to them.
Hearing Bai Sheng repeatedly address him as "Your Majesty," Xia Hongqian's impression of her improved slightly.
Before leaving the palace, Bai Sheng, taking advantage of a moment when no one was watching, tossed a spatial stone into a nearby flowerbed. This would make future visits to the palace much more convenient if needed.
The world was unpredictable; who knew what the future held? It was always prudent to leave oneself a way out.
Watching the direction in which Bai Sheng and the others disappeared, Xia Hongqian turned to the Princess and asked, "Aunt, should we leave these people or eliminate them?"
The Princess said in a deep voice, "Let's not touch them for now. You have just ascended the throne, and your foundation is unstable. They can still be of great use to you.
Firstly, the Black-Faced Fox is highly skilled, and few in the entire martial world can contend with him. It is heard that Bai Sheng's husband, Lu Ye, possesses superior martial arts. Since Bai Sheng killed the Empress, the Black-Faced Fox will surely not let her off. By keeping these people alive, they can deal with the Black-Faced Fox.
Secondly, you must use them to consolidate your power.
Currently, there will be those in the court who support you, but also many who oppose you. Therefore, Hong Qian, you must do one thing immediately."
"What is it?" Xia Hongqian asked.
"To overturn the case for the Bai Li family," the Princess's expression darkened. "Before the incident, the Bai Li family was deeply loved by the people of Great Xia. Both in court and among the populace, they were held in high esteem. If you overturn the Bai Li family's case, you can thoroughly remove the old forces of the former Empress and Crown Prince, and also win the hearts of the people. It's a win-win situation."
"Yes, I will listen to Aunt," Xia Hongqian replied in a low voice. He glanced at the surviving concubines huddled in the corner, trembling, and then asked, "What about these concubines and children of Grandfather Emperor?"
"Don't call him Grandfather Emperor, he doesn't deserve it!" Meng Liangyuan, in her wheelchair, suddenly said sharply.
"Yes, Grandmother Emperor," Xia Hongqian nodded respectfully.
The Princess glanced at the survivors in the hall and said coldly, "Kill them all, not a single one left!"
Bai Sheng and the others hurried back to Yuhua Lane.
Uncle Ding, Xiao Gu, and the others, seeing them covered in blood, were shocked and immediately asked what had happened.
Zuo Ye grabbed Uncle Ding's arm and urgently instructed, "Uncle Ding, something has happened in the palace. You must immediately send people out separately to call back everyone from Baihua Zhuang and the Qingliu Street shops, as quickly as possible!"
With the Black-Faced Fox at large, Zuo Ye could not leave him any opportunity to threaten him.
Although Uncle Ding did not understand what had happened, judging by the situation, it must have been a major event. He did not dare to delay and went to make arrangements.
Zuo Ye then said to Bai Sheng and Prince Yu and the others, "You all stay at home first. I'm going to find the Wei brothers!"
After saying this, he left without looking back.
Zuo Ye returned to Yesheng Gate and briefly recounted the events in the palace to Qing Yu and Wei Han. He then secretly ordered them to protect the Lu Residence and to search the entire city for the Black-Faced Fox.
As long as the Black-Faced Fox was alive, they could not relax their vigilance.
At the Lu Residence, Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, and A Qiu, upon learning that Bai Sheng and the others had returned covered in blood, all ran over, looking terrified.
"Xiao Sheng, Mei Qing, what happened? Are you alright? Where is Xiao Ye?" Third Uncle asked anxiously, stepping forward.
"Third Uncle, we are fine," Bai Sheng smiled. "My husband went next door."
Mei Qing smiled as she looked at Third Uncle. "We're fine. We'll talk more later." She then took Baili Rongmo's hand and said joyfully, "Rongmo, come and see who this is."
Third Uncle was momentarily overwhelmed by Consort Mei holding his hand in public. But when his gaze fell upon a disheveled woman's face, he froze completely.
"You... you are?" Third Uncle's voice trembled.
"Third Brother, it's me, it's Shushu!" Baili Shushu cried and threw herself into Baili Rongmo's arms. "I'm not dead either. After escaping, I was saved by a minor county magistrate."
On the way back from the palace, Bai Sheng and Consort Mei had explained the general situation at home to Baili Shushu. She learned that her third and fourth brothers were alive, her elder sister had not died years ago, and had later had four children with Zuo Hanchen.
"Shushu, so you... you really are still alive!" Third Uncle, tears streaming down his face, hugged his younger sister excitedly.
Bai Sheng turned to A Qiu and said, "Go to the school and call Tianya over."
Upon hearing this, A Qiu immediately left.