Lady Lan screamed in pain. At the same time, Lan Huajing suddenly raised his hand and shot out three sleeve darts in quick succession, aimed directly at Lu Qingwan's face.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
Ying Shi and Yu Yue shouted in unison, then both moved to block a sleeve dart each.
Lu Qingwan, however, lifted Lady Lan slightly. The sleeve dart that should have hit her forehead instead lodged firmly in Lady Lan's shoulder.
Lan Huajing's expression changed drastically. Lu Qingwan spoke coldly, "Young Master Lan doesn't seem to care much for his mother's life. Then this consort will have to find another shield!"
She placed her finger to her lips and let out a crisp whistle. Immediately, an eagle's cry echoed through the heavens.
Lu Qingwan smiled brightly at Lan Huajing, "The golden eagle is a signal. When my brothers outside see it, they will begin their assault on the Grand Tutor's manor. Young Master Lan, you might as well guess whether you can control the palace first, or if my people will control the Grand Tutor's manor first?"
Lan Huajing did not immediately believe Lu Qingwan. Instead, he signaled to a trusted subordinate beside him.
The subordinate immediately ran out. Lu Qingwan acted as if she didn't see it. Lan Huajing's subordinate soon returned and whispered something to him. Lu Qingwan watched as Lan Huajing's expression shifted.
"You've only been in Zhongzhou for half a month, yet your eyes and ears are everywhere. Princess Qin, you truly have remarkable skills!" Lan Huajing said through gritted teeth.
Lu Qingwan nodded with a smile, "Young Master Lan flatters me. So, is Young Master Lan willing to release the person now?"
Lan Huajing snorted coldly, "Release the person? Princess Qin probably doesn't know that I, Lan, never yield to threats!" He then looked up at the Empress Dowager high above, "What are you waiting for?"
His words were abrupt, and no one even realized who he was addressing. But as Lan Huajing spoke, a palace maid beside the Empress Dowager suddenly lunged, her five fingers forming claws and grabbing towards the Empress Dowager.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
This cry was echoed by more than half of the nobles in Yangquan Palace.
However, no matter how loud the voices were, they couldn't save her. Just as the maid was about to seize the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, who had been calmly seated, unhurriedly moved the armrest of her throne. The ornate chair opened like a gaping maw, swallowing the Empress Dowager and the嬷嬷 beside her. The chair then returned to its original position. The maid, who had intended to take the Empress Dowager hostage, missed her target and quickly tried to move the armrest, but it remained still. Yangquan Palace then fell into an extremely awkward silence.
Lan Huajing's rebels had stormed Yangquan Palace, and Lu Qingwan held Lady Lan captive. Everyone had assumed their common target was the Empress Dowager. But now, the Empress Dowager had abandoned the ministers and their families in the hall and fled.
Seeing everyone frozen in shock, Lan Huajing laughed, a laugh full of mockery. "A person like that, and you still want to fight to the death for each other?"
Lu Qingwan was indeed somewhat surprised that the Empress Dowager would abandon the ministers and their families to escape on her own, but it was only for a moment. As soon as Lan Huajing spoke, her reason returned. "What can one Empress Dowager represent? The ministers and their families in this hall, their fathers, brothers, and sons are the pillars of the Great Qin dynasty. Even if your Lan family succeeds in rebellion today, you will need the fathers and brothers of most of them to govern your empire. Young Master Lan, this consort can spare your mother's life, but you must guarantee the safety of everyone in this hall. Do we have a deal?"
Lan Huajing shook his head. "Not enough. My mother's safety alone is far from enough. If you want to save their lives, first send a message to the Crown Prince and Prince Qin, telling them to enter the palace to rescue you..."
Lan Huajing was still seriously negotiating with Lu Qingwan when she suddenly showed a delighted expression.
"The Prince and the Crown Prince are indeed still alive! That Imperial Guard was lying to us!"
Lu Qingwan raised her voice, "Lan Huajing knew his family was also in Yangquan Palace. He deliberately spread the news of the princes' deaths to provoke chaos, so he could take advantage of the confusion to rescue his own family. All the princes are alive and well, otherwise he wouldn't be wasting his breath talking to a mere woman like me! Don't be afraid everyone, the mere Tiger and Leopard Battalion cannot do anything to us..."
"Bitch!" Lan Huajing, infuriated by Lu Qingwan's sudden maneuver, lost all pretense of civility. "Take all these people down!" Saying this, and disregarding that his mother was still in Lu Qingwan's hands, he lunged directly at Lu Qingwan.
But just then, the doors of Yangquan Palace were once again burst open. Si Fengming, who should have been outside the city, appeared in Yangquan Palace clad in golden armor. Seeing this, Lan Huajing immediately charged towards Yan Ruozhao without a word.
"Twelfth Month, come out!" Lu Qingwan shouted, throwing Lady Lan to Ru Yue and drawing her steel whip to charge forward.
Just as Lan Huajing's long sword was inches away from Yan Ruozhao, Lu Qingwan forcefully pressed down with her steel whip, pinning Lan Huajing's sword to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Qingwan attempted to restrain Lan Huajing's left hand with the Myriad Phoenix King, but to her surprise, Lan Huajing was capable of a desperate counterattack. He leaped into the air at an unbelievable angle, and as his legs splayed, the edges of his exquisite black boots appeared to be lined with dense serrations. With a flying kick, Lu Qingwan's forearm was instantly torn and bleeding. An Imperial Guard who rushed forward to apprehend him had his throat slit by the serrations on the black boots.
"The Empress Dowager has entered a secret passage! Get all the women out!" Lu Qingwan roared, rapidly retreating. Her steel whip transformed into a long spear, creating distance between her and Lan Huajing, rendering his superior legwork and uniquely designed black boot hidden weapons useless.
Even so, Lan Huajing was not at a disadvantage. He snatched a silver spear from an Imperial Guard and, dodging its thrust, engaged Lu Qingwan in combat.
Long spear against steel whip, Lu Qingwan's advantage as a strong female warrior was immediately apparent. The steel whip pressed down on the spear shaft in Lan Huajing's hand, sending a tremor from his arm all the way to his shoulder.
"Princess Qin, I truly underestimated you!" Realizing he had no strength advantage against Lu Qingwan, he quickly changed his strategy. He used his spear to thrust, jab, and poke, attacking Lu Qingwan relentlessly. Lu Qingwan was surrounded by many skilled fighters and rarely had the opportunity to act on her own, so she fought with gusto. However, as she was engrossed in the fight, Lan Huajing, while she wasn't paying attention, switched positions with her. He suddenly produced a firearm, pulled it out, and began firing.
Lu Qingwan suddenly remembered that Si Fengming was behind her. She immediately realized that his target was not her, but Crown Prince Si Fengming. She whipped her steel whip at Lan Huajing's arm, and the wings of the Myriad Phoenix King forced Lan Huajing to abandon firing his gun. She then shouted outside, "Big Brother, he has a firearm! Be careful, the Tiger and Leopard Battalion might also have firearms!"
As soon as she spoke, there was a loud bang, and the gun in Lan Huajing's hand misfired. Lu Qingwan became anxious. With Si Fengming and Yan Ruozhao both present, if Lan Huajing accidentally shot either of them, it would cause her and Feng Xiwu considerable trouble.