"Dugu... Dugu Luo!" Qu Yang looked at the person blocking the road in disbelief. This person... this person was actually alive!
Dugu Luo thrust the greatsword on her shoulder into the ground. "I want to beat you. If I don't beat you, I won't feel comfortable. But Aman said I can't kill you. How about this, I won't use weapons, and I'll beat you up with my bare hands."
Qu Yang took a step back. "A Luo girl, with my build, I can't withstand your beating."
"You made Aman unhappy, so I must beat you," Dugu Luo said, cracking her knuckles with a click. "You'd better not run. Stand still and let me hit you, otherwise I might lose control of my strength and take your life. Aman will be angry."
"I... I still have to stand still and let you beat me?" Qu Yang felt like crying. Xiahou, you were right. This Imperial Capital is a forbidden zone, and dangers are hidden in the dark, like this person in front of me!
"If you run, I really won't be able to control my strength and will beat you to death," Dugu Luo said seriously. "So, stand properly, don't move, and let me beat you up."
"My lord, I'll stop her. You run quickly." The attendant stood in front of Qu Yang, urging him to leave. Qu Yang didn't move; instead, he pushed the attendant aside. He knew Dugu Luo was telling the truth. He didn't have Baili Letian's good martial arts, nor Qian Yihan's excellent lightness skill, nor was he as sturdy as Xiahou Ying. Dugu Luo was incredibly strong. If he dared to run, this person would truly lose control of her strength and send him to see Baili Letian and the others with one punch!
"My lord, you should leave quickly!"
"Listen to her. Stand still." Qu Yang said calmly. The possibility of escape was zero. Staying and letting Dugu Luo beat him up would be terrible, but at least his life would be saved. They could also cause a commotion, but if they caused a commotion, his mission would be restricted.
Dugu Luo walked towards the two with a smile. The attendant wanted to make a move, but Dugu Luo sent him flying with one punch. He crashed into the wall, and the solid wall actually cracked, creating a large hole and numerous spiderweb-like cracks.
Qu Yang swallowed. He had always known that Dugu Luo was incredibly strong, but he had never experienced it firsthand. When Dugu Luo's fist landed on his stomach, Qu Yang felt his internal organs twist into a knot. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground in disarray.
"So weak. Xiahou Ying could take five of my punches before falling. Baili Letian could take three. Even Qian Yihan could take two punches. I've already lightened my strength, and you can't even take one punch. How weak."
So weak! Qu Yang's eyes widened with fury. Was he weak? She was too strong!
"How many punches can the Empress Dowager take from you?" Qu Yang asked, enduring the pain.
Dugu Luo poked her cheek and thought carefully. "I've never beaten her. My best record was taking eleven punches before I fainted."
Qu Yang felt that he was truly naive. If the Empress Dowager didn't have some ability, how could she control so many perverts... No, Dugu Luo said Aman would be angry, meaning the Empress Dowager was still alive?
Terror rose from his feet and enveloped him. To capture the Dugu family in one fell swoop, they had spent great effort, but the one who deserved to die most had escaped. Could it be that the person burned to death in the fire was not Dugu Man? No, impossible. He had examined the body. Dugu Man was definitely dead!
"Is the Empress Dowager still alive?" Qu Yang asked cautiously.
Dugu Luo smiled at Qu Yang and did not answer his question. Instead, she punched Qu Yang in the face. Qu Yang felt a boom in his head, as if something had been knocked loose, and then he remembered nothing.
"Those who bully Aman deserve to die. However, Aman wants to spare your life, so I won't kill you now." Dugu Luo leisurely pulled out the greatsword stuck in the ground and left.
Dongfang Wei hid in the shadows, his brow furrowed. He seemed to have stumbled upon a momentous secret. Dugu Luo's Aman was undoubtedly Xiao Man. And the person Qu Yang mentioned was the Empress Dowager Dugu. The two had an extraordinary relationship!
Was Xiao Man the Empress Dowager Yun Qi, Dugu Man? This thought only lingered in Dongfang Wei's mind for a moment before he discarded it. How could it be? Their ages were different, their appearances were different, and more importantly, Xiao Man was definitely the real Xiao Man. Did A Luo mistake her for someone else?
Or was Xiao Man Dugu Man's successor? This was too incredible. A noble lady of Yusheng was the successor of the Empress Dowager Yun Qi? No, something was wrong. What was the truth?
On the way back to the mansion, He Qingyi said softly, "I didn't expect the Crown Prince to be so foolish. To dare to act recklessly during the ancestral temple sacrifice is truly incompetent."
Xiao Man nodded. "Yes, incompetent."
The other princes had joined forces to deal with him. If he could still escape, she would have to praise him. But unfortunately, after this incident, he could no longer sit on the throne of Crown Prince. His life should be safe, but the Xue family and the Empress's faction seemed to have developed a rift.
Otherwise, if Xue Ning'er had taken the blame today, although the Crown Prince would not have escaped punishment, it would have been much lighter, and he would not have been deposed. But now, it was a foregone conclusion that he would be deposed!
"Will the Emperor depose the Crown Prince?"
"It's not about whether the Emperor wants to depose the Crown Prince anymore. It's about appeasing the people. If the people are not appeased, there will be chaos. The Crown Prince must be deposed, whether he wants to or not!" Xiao Man's expression was calm. With the Crown Prince deposed, the position of heir apparent would be vacant, and then the other three princes would begin their true struggle.
"You seem to be in a bad mood?" He Qingyi keenly sensed that Xiao Man's mood was not high. It was understandable, as deposing a Crown Prince was no small matter. After all, the heir apparent represented the foundation of the nation. Once the heir apparent was deposed, the other princes would fight fiercely for the position. What's more, the country was currently facing both internal and external troubles.
"A change in the position of heir apparent signifies a change in the court. Deposing the Crown Prince is no small matter. The Crown Prince's faction is likely to take desperate measures. Furthermore, we are currently in a period of peace negotiations with Yun Qi. If there is unrest, I worry that Yun Qi will take advantage of the chaos to invade. I'm a bit worried about my elder brother, who is guarding Yunzhong City."
He Qingyi frowned. "I hadn't thought of that. However, Yun Qi has already sent a letter of peace and marriage alliance. They shouldn't go back on their word."
"The Young Emperor of Yun Qi is unpredictable and ruthless. He might stab us in the back." Xiao Man looked worried. Although she had prepared for this, she did not know how far Murong Shengrui would go. Currently, the only people she was worried about were the Xiao family father and son.
"This is indeed a problem. If Yun Qi turns hostile, the Young General will be the first to suffer." He Qingyi quickly asked, "Should we warn the Young General?"
"Naturally, we must. Speaking of which, has the Grand Tutor returned yet?" Xiao Man finally remembered the Grand Tutor whom she had overlooked. She had not seen the Grand Tutor since leaving the palace. The doctor by the Empress Dowager's side had also changed; it was no longer the Grand Tutor. What was this person doing?