Chapter 52

“King Nanchen, what do you mean by this?” Helian Jue slammed the table with his slender fingers, half of his eyes hiding in the darkness which showed neither anger nor happiness, making the air around him turn cold immediately.

“Helian Jue, I assure you that I will forgive your past misdeeds and the people from Southland will never bother you again as long as you let me kill Yue Ji today, how about that? Isn’t it worth it for you to exchange one of your imperial concubine for the tranquillity of the country?” King Nanchen wore a scornful smile on his mouth while his dark-colored robe appeared more indifferent in the light.

Helian Jue squinted his eyes, making Tang Xia break out in cold sweat in the hall.

“King Nanchen, are you overestimating yourself?” A deep voice came, making everyone’s eyes look back. Chu Tiankuo said in an indifferent and cold voice as his silver armor reflected the candlelight into their eyes.

“It is you.” King Nanchen turned his head around, then squinted his eyes with some traces of danger in them, “You are just an imperial bodyguard, how dare you to talk to me in this way. I can punish you now!”

King Nanchen’s rough voice echoed in Hecheng hall, making Chu Tiankuo frown and wear a strange smile on his mouth.

“What are you smiling at?”

A ringing sound was followed by a silver long sword being placed on King Nanchen’s neck.

“I was laughing because King Nanchen can only talk big.”

Chu Tiankuo maintained his smile while the moving glow of his forehead could be seen in the candlelight, his profile was like a masterpiece by a technician of exquisite craftsmanship.

“If you dare to hurt Yue Ji, I will let you die.”

Chu Tiankuo’s calm voice floated gently in the air, making Tang Xia freeze for a moment and fix her eyes on him.

“Stupid woman.” Chu Tiankuo leaned towards Tang Xia, then said in a lower voice looking at her directly, “Be grateful when it is over. Now think carefully how you are going to deal with it using your limited wisdom.”

Tang Xia frowned then got back to business.

“Indeed, King Nanchen wants me to die for some reason now, and according to Helian Jue’s former behaviors, it is quite difficult for me to believe that Helian Jue will protect me under the pressure of King Nanchen.”

Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows, with a glow flickering in her peach blossom eyes.

“Please tell me, King Nanchen, why do you want to kill me?”

“Because you deserve it!” King Nanchen wore a scornful smile on his mouth, with his beard shivering slightly along with his words.

“Reason?”

“You killed Yi Jiazi from Southland. How dare you not admit your crime of harming an imperial concubine to intentionally provoke a war between two countries, just to win favor from His Majesty?”

“Hm?” Tang Xia wore a scornful smile, “Now that you and His Majesty both believe that I killed Yi Jiazi, then let’s talk about it.”

“You said I killed Yi Jiazi, King Nanchen, so where is your proof?” Tang Xia maintained her smile wearing coldness on her face.

“First of all, witnesses. Did anybody see that it was me who pushed Yi Jiazi into the water? Did he see it himself rather than just believe it based on hearsay or on Yi Jiazi’s one-sided story?”

After pausing for a moment, Tang Xia wore a more scornful smile, “Second, motive. I was the imperial concubine most favored by His Majesty then, His Majesty did not care about Yi Jiazi, why would I hurt a non-threatening woman?”

King Nanchen’s face darkened because of Tang Xia’s words, while Helian Jue wore a rare trace of a smile on his mouth, Helian Jue had never seen this rational side of Tang Xia who owned an indifferent and unique temperament at this moment.

“Third, plan. It is foolish to kill an imperial concubine in public. No one will hurt someone in full view of the public. So it is quite obvious that someone wants to frame me. If I truly wanted to kill Yi Jiazi, commanding my slave girl to do it would be much easier.”

“You are still arguing irrationally in this situation!” King Nanchen opened his lips shouting but was responded by Tang Xia’s sharper answer.

“I do not regard it as a forced argument.” Tang Xia squinted her eyes into a long and narrow moon, “Witnesses, motive, and plan, none of them is relevant to me, but you people accuse me of murdering Yi Jiazi. Do you think people will regard it as a crime committed because I envy an imperial concubine favored less by His Majesty than me, or as a set up by King Nanchen with other intentions?”

Tang Xia’s every word held water, making King Nanchen silent for a long time.

“But, there is certainly nothing wrong with King Nanchen’s behavior.”

Tang Xia altered her attitude suddenly, making everyone look at her.

“Threatening me with Yi Jiazi’s death is actually to force His Majesty to yield so that you can feel superior from it, am I right, King Nanchen?”

Tang Xia wore a bigger smile on her mouth at the sight of everyone’s face changing, then turned around and bowed to Helian Jue.

“It is quite easy actually. King Nanchen dragged others into the mire for his own interest and superiority complex. I don’t care why Yi Jiazi was killed, nor do I have time for that. But if Your Majesty walks into this trap and humiliates our country, I will have nothing to say.”

Tang Xia’s words shocked everyone in the hall.

“You’re seeking death!” King Nanchen shouted, flashing his white teeth with the veins of his forehead protruding out as he took out his sword with a silver light then thrust it at Tang Xia’s head.

Bang-

Not feeling the expected pain, Tang Xia opened her eyes, seeing Chu Tiankuo standing against the light.

King Nanchen wiped the blood on his mouth then wore a malicious smile, “Haha, how dare you! ‘Good’ for you to resist in this situation!”

King Nanchen cast his sword with silver light behind, suddenly making a ringing sound.

Helian Jue’s face changed.

Disorderly footsteps and rough cries were heard immediately outside Hecheng hall, forcing themselves into the hall inch by inch.

“Haha, you thought you were strong? Helian Jue! I’m well prepared now. How long can you be the emperor if your imperial palace is surrounded by my troops?”

As King Nanchen finished his sentence, a large number of soldiers poured in with silver spears in hand and long helmets on their heads.

“Do you want to plot a rebellion?” Helian Jue patted the table.

“You are not my king, how could you charge me with plotting a rebellion?” King Nanchen wore a heavy appearance, “I know you are kind-hearted. The late Emperor was afraid that your kindness would do harm to the foundation of the state, so he asked you to rule the country like a ‘tyrant’ – to destroy anyone you are unable to control.” Then he paused for a moment, “However, you are still so softhearted that you would let me go then, which may be the greatest kindness of your lifetime.”

“In this situation, you have no choice but to die. It is time to change to a new king!”

After King Nanchen laughed rampantly, his soldiers in rows howled in a deep, threatening voice. Helian Jue in his high platform frowned his eyebrows, fixing his eyes on them, “Is this all your plan?”

“Yes, so what?” King Nanchen snorted, “You are my defeated foe.”

Helian Jue glanced away then said in a hoarse voice, “Chu Tiankuo!”

Chu Tiankuo stood behind his back, hiding his eyes in the darkness, then knelt on the ground, “I’m here, Your Majesty.”

“Kill them all.”

In the face of such a strong enemy, Helian Jue just said ‘kill them all’ calmly, which showed his royal demeanor completely.

Chu Tiankuo wore a malicious smile on his mouth, then moved quickly and killed three people in front of him in an instant.

Their silver spears fell down on the ground immediately.

“Even if he is so strong that he can defeat ten people on his own, you cannot win. There is still another group of soldiers in silver armor waiting outside the door. I will have no loss at all even if you kill my troops for three days and nights.”

King Nanchen’s words hit everyone’s hearts, making Tang Xia flurried even though she pretended to be calm.

“Hm, another group of soldiers is waiting for me outside for me to kill them?” Chu Tiankuo wore a scornful smile, “Soldiers from Southland are so cheap in your eyes.”

“‘Good’ for you, King Nanchen.”

Chu Tiankuo’s calm words swayed the soldiers’ morale successfully. An army was not afraid of fighting a war but losing morale.

King Nanchen froze for a moment, “What are you waiting for! Kill them all!”

The soldiers were stumped for a while, then started to attack Chu Tiankuo with great speed and ferocity.

Chu Tiankuo went back to Tang Xia and stood with his back towards her, then said in a deep voice, “Follow me, and do not stand still. If someone attacks you, just pull on my clothes. It is unnecessary to be afraid.”

Chu Tiankuo’s words warmed Tang Xia’s heart gently, making her heart beat hotly and her face flushed.

Chu Tiankuo wore a serious appearance, holding the sword in hand tightly, “No one will leave here alive today.”

Chu Tiankuo’s sword twinkled with brilliance in the candlelight, blinding Tang Xia’s eyes.

Not remembering how long Chu Tiankuo had been fighting behind her, Tang Xia could only hear the sound of swords colliding and the wind sweeping by. Chu Tiankuo tried not to move, protecting Tang Xia behind him as his curly eyelashes shivered slowly with the breeze.

“Chu Tiankuo, you have already been hit by a hidden weapon, when are you going to stop your pretense of being strong?” King Nanchen’s rampant laugh came into Tang Xia’s ears, making her open her peach blossom eyes finally.

“You are hurt!” Tang Xia turned around rapidly and stood in front of Chu Tiankuo, then found that the blood from his sleeves had stained his silver armor red.

Chu Tiankuo held Tang Xia’s waist with one of his hands, closing his thin lips tightly with coldness in his eyes.

“What are you waiting for? Kill them!”

Chu Tiankuo’s cold words floated in the air, making everyone freeze.

King Nanchen was more stunned, “What are you taking about!”

“Listen, kill all of King Nanchen’s soldiers.”

As Chu Tiankuo finished his sentence, half of the soldiers who were fighting shouted, “Yes, Your Excellency!”

They shouted loudly like a sudden clap of thunder.

King Nanchen said with a trace of surprise flickering in his eye, “You… you replaced my troops!”

Chu Tiankuo wore an extremely cold smile on his mouth, “Only you, King Nanchen, could not find out that I have been planning for you for so long.”