435: Prince Ning was betrayed

"My beloved consort..."

Prince Ning watched as Moon of Jiangnan died right before his eyes, and his emotions instantly crumbled.

His eyes bloodshot, he glared furiously at Li Xunhuan.

"Li Xunhuan, I will kill you!"

As he spoke, he tried to charge at Li Xunhuan but was stopped by Yu Huatian.

"Your Highness, it would be best for you to calm down."

"Why? Why? I refuse to accept this! I refuse! Decades of planning, on the verge of success, all destroyed in an instant because of Zhu Wushi's schemes."

"Zhu Wushi, show yourself, you coward! Even if I become a ghost, I will not let you off!" Prince Ning roared.

His greatest trump card in this rebellion had been Zhu Wushi. As long as Zhu Wushi kept the Masters of the Eastern Depot occupied, he could have resolved matters here.

However, the reality was that at the critical moment, Zhu Wushi had double-crossed him.

Now he understood everything. Zhu Wushi must have gotten wind of this matter long ago.

Yet, that scoundrel had not informed him and instead let him proceed with the original plan.

Looking at it now, this Zhu Wushi was nothing but a treacherous villain. He wanted Prince Ning and The Emperor to fight until both were weakened, so he could reap the benefits.

Even if he failed today, he would not let Zhu Wushi have an easy time.

The Martial Forest Masters invited by Prince Ning, seeing this scene, understood all too clearly that their plot had been exposed and they had failed.

With so many Masters present, they didn't even have a chance to fight desperately.

"Retreat..."

Now, the best outcome was to flee immediately; perhaps there was still a chance.

If they continued like this, they would surely die.

"Hmph, now that you've come, you still think you can leave? Seize them for me!" Cao Zhengchun sneered coldly.

Instantly, the Eastern Depot personnel surrounded the group.

However, as Martial Forest practitioners, how could they simply allow themselves to be captured?

A chaotic melee erupted immediately. To survive, Prince Ning's men and the Eastern Depot forces engaged in a desperate fight.

At that moment, two more figures rushed in. They were none other than the Dragon Guard Manor spies, Duan Tianya and Guihai Yidao.

As for Shangguan Haitang, she was currently in the Kingdom waiting for Duan Zhengchun to return and favor her, so naturally, she was not here.

As for why Li Xunhuan was here, he had naturally received a secret letter from the Empress Dowager in advance. Originally, he was investigating the Imperial Son-in-Law case, but Duan Zhengchun's appearance had disrupted his plans.

Therefore, after receiving the news, he requested permission from the Princess Consort and thus returned.

Immediately after, a terrifying aura appeared. Zhu Wushi, his energy surging violently, arrived at the Tai Chi Hall.

"Your Majesty, this prince is late to the rescue. I beg for your forgiveness."

Before Zhu Wushi's voice had even faded, his figure had already appeared. He directly sent a palm strike towards a Martial Forest Master in front of him.

This was a Grandmaster-level Master, but before Zhu Wushi, he had no power to resist and was killed instantly by the single palm strike.

Seeing Zhu Wushi appear, Cao Zhengchun's expression instantly changed. Witnessing Zhu Wushi act so directly and decisively, he refused to be outdone and quickly moved to eliminate the rebels.

Watching Zhu Wushi appear at this moment, The Emperor's lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile, a trace of mockery flashing in the depths of his eyes.

He had, of course, heard Prince Ning's earlier shouts.

He was well aware of Zhu Wushi's ambitions. However, the Dragon Guard Manor was currently the strongest organization in the Great Ming. The only one who could restrain him was Cao Zhengchun.

As for the Six Doors, Zhuge Zhengwo was still no match for him.

The Emperor had been biding his time all along. As long as Zhu Wushi did not overstep, he would not move against him.

After all, he was still needed to keep the Eastern Depot and the Six Doors in check.

"Your Majesty, all the rebels have been subdued. How should Prince Ning be dealt with?" Cao Zhengchun asked, looking at Prince Ning, who was now forced to kneel on the ground.

"Prince Ning, do you admit your guilt?" The Emperor asked calmly, looking at Zhu Rui.

"Hmph, the victor is king, the loser a bandit. If not for that treacherous villain Zhu Wushi scheming against this prince, would you even have the right to sit on that throne now?" Prince Ning's face was contorted with rage, his eyes filled with venom as he glared at Zhu Wushi.

"Prince Ning, one must speak with evidence. This prince, as the head of the Dragon Guard Manor, exists to protect the Great Ming's realm."

"This prince bears the surname Zhu and is, moreover, the current Emperor's uncle. This prince has neither reason nor need to rebel. What are your intentions in slandering me like this?" Zhu Wushi spoke righteously, his expression cold as he looked at Zhu Rui.

"Haha... Good, very good, Zhu Wushi. This time, this prince admits defeat. But don't be too pleased with yourself. You think you're safe just because you've outsmarted me this once?"

"You've long harbored rebellious intentions. This time, if you hadn't guaranteed you would provide support, how could this prince have possibly executed this plan?"

"Just you wait. Even if I become a ghost, I will not let you off. I will watch you from below. Your end will be no better than mine."

"This prince does not believe you can hide forever." Zhu Rui looked at Zhu Wushi with utter contempt.

"Preposterous! This prince is utterly loyal to The Emperor and the Great Ming imperial family. How dare you slander me here?"

"Your Majesty, Prince Ning, knowing he is doomed, seeks to drag this prince down with him. I implore Your Majesty to see clearly." Zhu Wushi looked towards The Emperor.

"This emperor naturally trusts Imperial Uncle's character. If not for Imperial Uncle's assistance this time, it would not have been so easy to apprehend the rebels."

"However, besides protecting the imperial family, the Dragon Guard Manor also bears the responsibility of monitoring the forces of the Jianghu."

"This time, Prince Ning colluded with so many Jianghu Masters to rebel. Imperial Uncle, you are also guilty of negligence in your oversight."

"Merits and faults offset each other. Does Imperial Uncle have any objections?" The Emperor looked at Zhu Wushi and spoke in a calm tone.

"Your Majesty is wise. This matter was indeed due to my negligence. I have no objections." Zhu Wushi quickly clasped his hands and bowed.

"Zhu Rui, for plotting rebellion, you are hereby granted a White Silk Sash. Do you submit?" The Emperor took a deep breath, his expression complex as he looked at Zhu Rui.

"Hmph... The victor is king, the loser a bandit. Since this prince has committed this act of rebellion, I was already mentally prepared."

"You need not be so hypocritical. However, you won't be able to gloat for much longer either."

"Zhu Wushi, this prince will watch you from below, waiting to see when you will make your move." Zhu Rui looked at Zhu Wushi with a mocking expression.

The Emperor waved his hand helplessly, and Prince Ning was taken away.

"Haha... Zhu Houzhao, keeping a treacherous villain like Zhu Wushi by your side, your throne will not be secure!"

"Zhu Wushi, this prince goes first. I will watch you from below, waiting to see what end you will meet." Zhu Rui burst into a maniacal laugh.

"Take him away..."

Zhu Wushi snorted coldly, and Zhu Rui was dragged off by the guards.

The matter of Zhu Rui's rebellion was thus concluded. However, Zhu Rui's final words left everyone present with different thoughts.

Cao Zhengchun looked at Zhu Wushi with a mocking gaze. He and Zhu Wushi had always been mortal enemies. Now, with this incident, Zhu Wushi's standing within the imperial family was sure to be affected.

As long as he could find some more evidence against Zhu Wushi, overthrowing him would only be a matter of time.

"Your Majesty, what about these Martial Artists?" Cao Zhengchun carefully bowed to The Emperor.

"Kill them all. Hang their corpses on the city gates for public display for three days." The Emperor said coldly.