Chapter 55
Since Li Xinjun had been banished from the Qing Dynasty, her former residence had been seized. Brother Wu and the others had moved Uncle Wang and her belongings to the Grand General’s Mansion, so Li Xinjun naturally took up residence there as well.
One night, when everyone was asleep, she went down to the dungeon to visit Uncle Wang. He had grown plump and healthy under Brother Wu’s care, no longer the battered and bruised creature she had left behind.
“Roar! Roar! Roar!”
“Uncle Wang, I’m back! Did you miss me?”
“Roar! Roar!”
“Let me tell you a secret, but don’t tell anyone else. You know, I’m a jiangshi now, just like you.”
“Roar! Roar! Roar!”
“You don’t believe me? I’ll show you.”
Li Xinjun channeled her inner energy, allowing her suppressed power to surge through her body. After months of training and consuming animal blood, she had gained complete control over her transformation. If not for the urgent matters at hand, she would have already returned to find Song Ling.
Her eyes turned a pale green, and Uncle Wang, sensing her immense power, bowed his head submissively, as if paying homage. A moment later, she withdrew her energy, her appearance returning to normal.
“Well? Do you believe me now?”
“Roar! Roar! Roar!”
“Uncle Wang, I have something important to do, and I need your help. But in your current state, you wouldn’t understand what I’m saying. So, I’m going to give you some of my blood. It won’t make you as powerful as me, but it will enhance your abilities. You’ll be able to understand me completely, not just bits and pieces. What do you say? Will you help me?”
Li Xinjun took out a small dagger from her belt and approached Uncle Wang’s cell, unlocking the door. Uncle Wang didn’t lunge at her. He simply stepped back, giving her space to enter.
She cut her wrist with the dagger, letting the blood flow freely, and then held her wrist to Uncle Wang’s mouth. He eagerly lapped up the blood, his thirst insatiable. Li Xinjun didn’t resist, letting him feed.
“Easy there, Uncle Wang. There’s no need to rush. Drink slowly, drink your fill. This is good for you, unlike that bland chicken blood you’ve been drinking. My blood is much more nourishing.”
Uncle Wang drank greedily, the power surging through his veins intoxicating him, like a drug addict getting his fix. He couldn’t stop.
“Okay, that’s enough. You’ll drain me dry.”
Li Xinjun pulled her wrist away. Uncle Wang looked at her longingly, but she didn’t offer him any more. She wiped the blood from her wrist with a clean handkerchief and waited as the wound healed, the flesh knitting back together, the bleeding stopping. Satisfied, she looked at Uncle Wang.
“How do you feel? Do you feel stronger?”
Uncle Wang closed his eyes, not answering. After a while, he opened them again. Their color had changed, a faint green tinge now visible. Li Xinjun’s blood had indeed enhanced his abilities.
He clenched his fists, swung his arms, and then let out a deafening roar. Li Xinjun winced, covering her ears with her fingers, her face contorted in disgust. When Uncle Wang calmed down, he bowed to her again.
“How do you feel? Better?”
“Roar!”
“Hmph, still can’t talk. But it’s okay. As long as you can understand me. Uncle Wang, I’m going to let you out. I need you to find the other jiangshi in the city and gather them together. Prevent them from harming anyone. If they don’t listen to you, kill them. You’re stronger than them now, thanks to my blood. You should be able to handle them. I’ll come find you when I’m done with my business.”
“Roar!”
“Good. You can go now.”
“Roar! Roar!”
Li Xinjun released Uncle Wang and then left the dungeon. Under the cover of darkness, she snuck into the Prime Minister’s Mansion. The mansion was heavily guarded, even at this late hour, with patrols constantly circling the grounds.
However, these guards were no match for Li Xinjun’s skills. She scaled the wall, leaping onto the roof, her movements swift and silent. She used her enhanced hearing and senses to locate the Prime Minister, pinpointing his location within the mansion. She then moved across the rooftops, her steps light and graceful, like a cat, making no sound.
She stopped above a room and lay flat on the roof, listening intently. She could hear voices from below, one of them belonging to the Prime Minister.
“How are the preparations coming along?”
“Everything is in place, Prime Minister. We await your command.”
“Hahaha, good, very good. Soon, our plan will come to fruition. That young brat’s reign is coming to an end. The capital is in chaos. Even with fifty thousand soldiers guarding the city, they will be no match for us. Send word. Tomorrow morning, all our troops stationed outside the city will attack.”
“As you command, Prime Minister. May you reign for a thousand generations!”
“Hahaha, excellent!”
Li Xinjun, having obtained the crucial information, left the Prime Minister’s Mansion. She snuck into the palace and informed Hongli of the impending attack, urging him to deploy all available troops to defend the palace. She then followed Uncle Wang’s scent to a street in the city, where she found a horde of jiangshi roaming freely.
She navigated through the horde and finally found Uncle Wang, who had successfully gathered most of the jiangshi in the city. She approached him, releasing a surge of energy. The jiangshi, sensing her power, retreated, making way for her.
“Uncle Wang, you’ve gathered quite a few jiangshi. We have less than two hours until sunrise. Gather as many as you can and assemble them outside the palace gates. Understood?”
“Roar!”
Time was running out. Li Xinjun had to act quickly. She returned to the Grand General’s Mansion and instructed Brother Wu and Ah Qi to gather all the soldiers and station them outside the palace gates as well. Brother Wu, receiving her orders, immediately set off with Ah Qi.
Li Xinjun then returned to the palace and had Hongli change into a soldier’s uniform. Concerned for his safety, she decided to keep him by her side, where she could protect him.
As dawn approached, the Prime Minister, accompanied by his supporters, entered the palace. Over a hundred officials, led by the Prime Minister, knelt outside the grand hall, ostensibly demanding that the Emperor address the nation and provide a solution to the crisis, but their true intention was to force him to abdicate.
The Prime Minister knew that Hongli wouldn’t relinquish his throne easily, so he had a backup plan. At the appointed hour, his troops stationed outside the city would attack. Whether Hongli agreed to abdicate or not, the outcome would be the same.
If Hongli refused, the Prime Minister’s army would storm the palace and depose him. If he agreed, the invading army would become the Prime Minister’s saviors, rescuing the people from the jiangshi threat, earning him the support and loyalty of the citizens.
“We, the officials of the imperial court, implore Your Majesty to appear before us and provide a solution to this crisis! The people are suffering! We are helpless! As the Emperor, it is your duty to lead us through this difficult time!”
The officials chanted in unison, their voices echoing through the palace. However, the Emperor didn’t appear. The Prime Minister wasn’t surprised. Everything was going according to plan. He turned to one of the officials and gave him a subtle signal. The official, understanding, stepped forward.
“An Emperor who fails to ensure the safety and well-being of his people is incompetent! To witness the people’s suffering and do nothing is unjust! To ignore the pleas of his officials and hide at a time like this is disloyal! Such a disloyal, unjust, and incompetent ruler is unworthy of the throne! I, as Minister of [Name], propose that the Emperor abdicate! Let us choose a new leader who can guide us through this crisis!”
“Minister, this is treason! We cannot do this!”
“Prime Minister, you are mistaken! The throne belongs to the capable! Since the Emperor is incapable of leading us out of this crisis and even refuses to face us, it is our duty, as officials, to choose a new leader for the sake of the nation and its people!”
“I agree!”
“I second the motion!”
“I also agree!”
“Sigh… The people’s will is paramount. Since all the officials agree that the Emperor should abdicate, I, as Prime Minister, cannot continue to cling to my loyalty to him. Let us choose a new Emperor! However, His Majesty is not yet married and has no heirs. Who do you propose as our new ruler?”
“Since the Emperor has no children, I propose that we choose the Prime Minister, who has always been dedicated to serving the nation and its people! What do you say?”
“We agree!”
“No, no, I am unworthy of such a position. Please, don’t be hasty. If we must choose a new Emperor, I have someone in mind. Prince Anling, known for his compassion and love for his people, is a descendant of the Aisin Gioro clan. He is the most suitable candidate. What do you say?”
“The Prime Minister is wise! Prince Anling is a virtuous man, loved by the people. And most importantly, he is of royal blood! He is the perfect choice!”
“We agree!”
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