Seize the Throne: Beloved Consort System [19]

Qin Manman anxiously waited for half a month, her heart in turmoil. Finally, the long-awaited Joyous Longevity Festival arrived as scheduled, and it was even more lively than she had imagined, as if it was meant to welcome the winter. Emperor Jing held a banquet in the palace and invited high-ranking court officials and royal relatives to join in the celebration. Qin Manman nervously bit her lip, thinking it was just a simple family banquet, but this year’s scale exceeded her expectations completely.

However, now that things had come to this point, and with spies already in place, she had no room for retreat.

Little did she know that the emissary she had sent out was apprehended the next day. In the special prison of the Imperial Guards, he was beaten to a pulp. Those who could be easily bought off with money and gifts didn’t hold up in the face of the formidable Imperial Guards. When they raised their fists ready to strike, the emissary screamed, “I’ll talk! I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!”

Fortunately, he spilled all the beans without reservation. After confessing, it wasn’t too late. The Imperial Guards sneered and flipped him over. There was no need for brutal torture; they beat him until he rolled in agony, blood flowing freely. At this point, the palace servant, who was in excruciating pain, nearing the brink of death, had developed an intense hatred for Qin Manman and was easily turned into a traitor.

The Imperial Guards then coldly smiled, satisfied with the outcome, and said, “Now that you know your mistake, do you know what to do next?”

The palace servant prostrated himself on the ground, not caring about the blood on his head, and knocked his head against the floor with a resounding sound. Mixed with his sincere words, tears and snot mixed with blood flowed, “I know, I know.”

And so, with this dust settled, Qin Manman remained in the dark, completely unaware, still fantasizing about her beautiful dream of becoming a Noble Consort. Yin Minglu, on the other hand, was also in the dark, as the original plot had a self-staged assassination attempt scheduled a year later. He thought his life had changed course, believing that the female lead would be expelled from the palace next month, and the assassination wouldn’t take place. However, he was too naive.

At the banquet, he had his own special seat, even more prominent than the court officials due to his royal status, seated in the lower left corner of the emperor.

Xie Yan, in a high position, watched the little guy enjoying the banquet cheerfully. He listened to the enchanting performances, with his dark eyes slightly squinting, swaying his head from side to side, appreciating the talents of the beautiful entertainers like any other man in the audience. When he saw exotic creatures such as peacocks and tigers from foreign lands, his eyes shone brightly, and he repeatedly exclaimed in admiration. From time to time, he clapped and cheered, appearing to truly immerse himself in the atmosphere of the banquet, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Prince Yun, when did he enter the palace? Xie Yan remembered it very clearly. The other party appeared neither too early nor too late, as if it were their first meeting. Despite his humble appearance and lack of even a copper coin to reward a servant, their behavior was dignified and composed. He didn’t appear embarrassed by his modest circumstances, nor was he blinded by the wealth easily accessible to them. He didn’t strive excessively, maintaining a contented and accepting attitude towards life. This left Xie Yan feeling perplexed, sparking a desire to delve deeper.

He truly believed that this child knew how to navigate life. Even when dependent on others, he had his own unique way of living. Occasionally, he would sweet-talk to win his(XY) favor, securing his place in the palace. Then, he would indulge in daily pleasures, tending to plants and flowers, and when he wanted to have fun, he would discreetly leave the palace. When he desired tranquility, he would immerse himself in books. He had completely embraced the ideal life Xie Yan had envisioned before ascending the throne. He had once wondered, if he were to find a reason to have this child thrown into a prison, how would he react? He imagined shock at first, followed by resignation. Eventually, he would calm down, squatting in a corner, counting ants and insects, harmonizing with the birds outside the window. Perhaps he might even engage in heartfelt conversations with the married prison guards, sharing a meal and living a simple, contented life.

At that time, he had thought that he might not have such a life, but at the very least, he could have this person. The tightly wound string occasionally needed moments of relaxation.

Xie Yan was used to restraint in his daily life, but as he thought about the approaching moment, he found it increasingly difficult to control himself. It was as if a soft cat’s tail was scratching at his heart, making him feel restless and almost reaching his limit.

He casually glanced down below, and due to the cold weather, the young prince, who had not yet reached adulthood, was dressed in thick and festive attire. He wore a bright red fur coat intricately embroidered with rich peony patterns in gold thread, carefully tailored to perfection. With a dazzling pearl adorning his forehead and his delicate face, he didn’t appear gaudy but exuded an aura of pampered earthly wealth.

One could even say that he was the most striking figure in the entire gathering. The child remained oblivious to the emperor’s gaze, as if nothing had changed over the months, which made Xie Yan chuckle.

The attire Yin Minglu wore had been prepared by Xie Yan, from the floral-patterned short boots to the white fox fur around his neck, topped with a beaded belt felt hat. Every detail adhered to Xie Yan’s aesthetics, but it was rather impractical. When he lowered his head to take a sip of wine, the bead-adorned strap on the hat clinked together, producing a crisp sound.

He was already finding it difficult to walk, and now his head felt unusually heavy, burdened by the attire. Moreover, the clothing was excessively eye-catching, as if it was afraid that others wouldn’t recognize the whereabouts of the Prince of Yun. However, he still had to express gratitude for the emperor’s kindness.

He laboriously raised his arm, saluted Xie Yan with a cup of wine, and with trembling movements, he said, “Thank you, Brother Xie¹no mistakes here, he really did straight up said Brother Xie, for hosting today’s banquet. I offer this cup to you, my brother.”

After downing his drink, Xie Yan returned a loving gaze to Yin Minglu. Yin Minglu returned to his seat and spent quite some time trying to understand the meaning behind that look. Before he could make sense of it, a sudden change occurred during the banquet, which was at its climax!

Among the group of red-dressed dancing girls in the palace, a few suddenly drew out swords and rushed toward the upper seats. The palace was resplendent with gold and gems, and the cold gleam of the swords dazzled many, causing the court ladies to pale and collapse to the ground, shrieking loudly, “Ah! Assassins!”

The palace servants were also terrified, shouting, “Assassins! Protect His Majesty!”

What!?

Yin Minglu directly dropped his cup, genuinely shocked for a moment. However, he quickly regained his composure. He hadn’t expected the plot to unfold like this, and being in the midst of it was always a bit nerve-wracking. Secondly, he was currently a privileged nobleman with no real power. Trying to shield Emperor Jing would be akin to deliberately offering himself as a target, and the original owner’s desire was to survive. He couldn’t afford to get involved. The most crucial reason was that, being familiar with the plot, he knew this assassination attempt was staged. Qin Manman had gone to great lengths to secure her position as the favored concubine, and she wouldn’t let anything happen to Emperor Jing.

As expected, among the terrified and disheveled court ladies, only Qin Manman had the courage to step forward. She lifted her heavy skirt and, despite wearing shoes that resembled flowerpots, ran surprisingly fast. While running, she shouted loudly, “Bold assassins! Do not harm His Majesty!” In reality, she felt annoyed that the court ladies and male guests were so far away from the action. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had to run such a long distance and could have directly rushed to shield Emperor Jing.

She had almost shouted this line several times before reaching Emperor Jing, who had already drawn his personal dagger and engaged in a few back-and-forth exchanges with the assassin.

Even more awkwardly, after Qin Manman shouted her line, she stubbornly lifted her face and used her petite, soft body to shield Emperor Jing in front of her, inadvertently exposing her back. According to the plan, the assassin was supposed to make a seemingly fierce but actually gentle strike, causing a slight splatter of blood that would stain Emperor Jing’s attire. Emperor Jing would be saved by his own woman, and Qin Manman would be the first woman to risk her life for him after the assassination attempt. Emperor Jing was deeply moved, and his feelings for Qin Manman changed from that moment onwards.

The plan was supposed to unfold this way, and Qin Manman had executed it flawlessly. Yin Minglu, being aware of the plan, sat dumbfounded in his place. His blank and bewildered expression resembled those of the older ministers who were left in shock, making him look no different from them. He even had the composure to enjoy Qin Manman’s performance along with the others.

Then, a surprising turn of events occurred—

The assassin raised the sword high above Qin Manman’s back but hesitated and didn’t make a move, as if caught in indecision. This confused everyone in the hall. What was going on with this assassin? It was such a perfect opportunity for an assassination, but now they weren’t acting? The assassin even jumped back, and after scanning the entire banquet hall with sharp eyes, they locked onto Yin Minglu, who was dressed in a vivid red peony-patterned attire.

Yin Minglu: “…???” He had a foreboding feeling.

As expected, the assassin’s eyes showed a hint of murderous intent as they suddenly rushed towards Yin Minglu. However, in the midst of this crisis, the young man, wrapped in too many layers of clothing, couldn’t move and could only stare with wide, confused black eyes as the sharp blade drew closer and closer.

He was completely bewildered, thinking, “What’s wrong with the female lead!? Why did she suddenly try to assassinate me?”

Little did he know that Qin Manman was the most bewildered of all. The hired assassin she had paid a hefty sum for, for some inexplicable reason, didn’t strike at her but changed targets, heading towards the courtier. If the situation had allowed it, she would have screamed at the assassin to come back!

To make matters worse, after the assassin changed targets, Emperor Jing, whom she had been protecting, pushed her aside and lunged towards Prince Yun. When Prince Yun was attacked, Emperor Jing pressed the scared youngster’s head against his chest and embraced him while turning his back to the assassin.

“Splitch—” was the sound of the blade piercing flesh, leaving everyone in shock. At that moment, the belated Imperial Guards arrived, exuding a fierce and deadly aura as they swiftly apprehended all the assassins. When the palace servants were counted, some courtier’s family members were frightened, and some palace servants had minor injuries, but no one died. The most severely injured person turned out to be the paramount ruler.

Clutching his arm, which was bleeding profusely, Emperor Jing coldly raised his gaze and ordered, “Drag them away and interrogate them thoroughly! Daring to assassinate during the banquet, these assassins must have been well-prepared. You must extract the mastermind behind this!”

After speaking, Emperor Jing, looking as if he had lost too much blood, had a pale and beautiful face. He collapsed into the arms of Prince Yun, who was still in shock. The eunuch chief steward, Wang Gonggong, with a trembling voice, said, “Your Majesty! Please hold on, the imperial physician will arrive shortly!”

Right, they needed to call for the imperial physician. Yin Minglu was still in a daze. After Xie Yan fainted, he awkwardly held onto the tall man and listened to Wang Gonggong’s pessimistic and mournful voice, saying, “Your Highness, when you were threatened, His Majesty rushed to your side without regard for his own life. He shielded you with his own body, even at the cost of suffering severe injuries. You must cherish such a deep and noble friendship!”

Yin Minglu: “…”

I understand the principle, but isn’t this dialogue a bit off??

Author’s note: Thank you to the angels who voted for me or provided nourishing drops~

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• 1
  no mistakes here, he really did straight up said Brother Xie