Chapter 1286: Chapter 777: Frequently “Harassed” by An Ji_4
An Ji spent three days and finally took down the city gates of the Imperial Palace, then charged straight into the inner court.
In the cold night, torches blazing everywhere, Gao Ziyue was besieged on the lofty Dragon Throne.
Gao Ziyue glared viciously at An Ji, gripping a Treasure Sword in his hand, so agitated he was almost manic; even the Dragon Robe on his body was in disarray. He snarled, "You traitor, you actually dare to raise troops in rebellion! For such monstrous treason, I’ll exterminate your nine clans!"
"Your Majesty must have forgotten that ten years ago you already wiped out my entire household! If General Yuan hadn’t shown a trace of mercy and spared my life back then, I’d have long since died under your tyranny!" An Ji’s eyes were sharp and cruel.
His voice trembled with something he could hardly suppress.
An Youyou stood right beside An Ji. He was clad in armor, enemy blood still smeared across his face; under the torchlight he looked ferocious and drenched in gore.
Only after following An Ji all the way as he stormed the Imperial Palace did she realize that An Ji could be this violent.
She had once thought he was just a man of letters, outstanding only in strategy. She had never imagined that when he picked up a sword, he could also look this heroic and imposing!
"The Du family schemed against me in Mobei back then—they deserved death!" Gao Ziyue spoke righteously, feeling no fault at all in his years of rule over the Cang Kingdom. "Anyone who defies me, offends me, has only one road—death!"
"So today, you should get your retribution as well! For those loyal souls who died unjustly, for those innocent commoners, you should’ve gone to pay with your life long ago!"
"Du Zhimiao, you dare kill me?!"
"Why would I not dare?!"
"I am the Emperor. If you kill me, you’re defying Heaven itself—you’ll be punished by Heaven!"
"What is there to fear?!" An Ji stepped toward Gao Ziyue, one step at a time.
Gao Ziyue was still sitting steady in his wheelchair at this moment.
But his body was shaking uncontrollably.
"To act as Heaven’s instrument, no matter what I suffer, I will not hesitate!"
His words fell.
An Ji raised his long sword.
Just as he was about to drive it straight into Gao Ziyue...
"Stop!"
A booming voice suddenly rang out in the great hall.
Everyone turned and saw an Imperial Guard forcing in a middle-aged woman dressed in relatively plain clothing.
An Youyou naturally did not know her.
But she saw An Ji’s expression subtly change.
Clearly, this was someone An Ji recognized.
"If you kill His Majesty, I’ll kill Concubine Lv," the Imperial Guard threatened.
"Du Zhimiao, save me!" Concubine Lv cried out agitatedly, clearly terrified out of her wits. "I am Chaoyang’s birth mother. You and Chaoyang were once so close—on Chaoyang’s account, save me!"
So, this was Gao Chaoyang’s mother.
No wonder An Ji, even with his eyes already red from killing, would show that trace of hesitation.
As things stood, as long as An Ji killed Gao Ziyue...
Gao Ziyue’s regime would be overturned.
Everyone would immediately flock to support An Ji’s ascension.
Everything would be over then!
An Ji would have avenged his great hatred, and the Cang Kingdom’s civil strife would end!
But if he spared Gao Ziyue now, that would be letting the tiger return to the mountain.
No one could know what consequences that might bring in the end.
This was no time for womanly softness.
Of course, this was only what An Youyou thought in her heart; what An Ji thought was naturally his own choice.
Perhaps in his heart, Gao Chaoyang mattered more.
He was willing to gamble once for Gao Chaoyang.
Seeing An Ji’s hesitation, Gao Ziyue instantly recovered his arrogance. "Du Zhimiao, if you kill me, I’ll have Lv Wenxian killed. Let’s see how you explain that to Gao Chaoyang then!"
"Do you still take me for that eight- or nine-year-old child?!" An Ji laughed mockingly.
Gao Ziyue’s face went rigid.
"You think I could still be threatened by you at a time like this? Yes, I do have feelings for Gao Chaoyang, but before the greater good of the nation, petty romance isn’t worth mentioning! Let alone using Concubine Lv against me—even if you used Gao Chaoyang to threaten me, you still couldn’t stop what I’m going to do now!" An Ji’s words were ice-cold.
Gao Ziyue’s face flushed red, clearly driven to fury by An Ji.
"Your Majesty, the tide has turned—end it here!" An Ji raised the sharp sword in his hand once more.
Everyone watched An Ji, their eyes nailed to him.
They watched the sword in his hand finally thrust toward Gao Ziyue with great difficulty.
Yet in that instant—
An Ji twisted his wrist, and in a move no one had anticipated...
The sword suddenly veered and stabbed toward Lv Wenxian.
It went straight for the Imperial Guard restraining Lv Wenxian.
The Imperial Guard had not expected this either; with one stroke An Ji’s sword pierced his throat. Eyes bulging, he toppled at An Ji’s feet, dying with his eyes open.
An Ji yanked Lv Wenxian toward him and shielded her behind his back.
Yet in that very moment—
The other guards beside the Imperial Guard swiftly drew their swords.
The fighting that had ceased now erupted into chaos again.
"Watch out!"
An Youyou blanched in terror.
Because she saw that Lv Wenxian, whom An Ji had just managed to pull to safety, somehow had a Dagger in her hand—the glinting blade drove toward An Ji’s heart without a shred of hesitation.
If it truly went in, An Ji would be dead for certain.
An Ji clearly sensed the danger as well, but it was so sudden he had no way to stop it.
And in that very instant—!
"Ugh!" Lv Wenxian’s body suddenly jerked stiff.
The sharp Dagger in her hand had already touched An Ji’s chest, slicing open his clothes but not yet cutting his skin.
An Ji’s eyes flickered; he looked behind him.
A-Li’s long sword had pierced straight through Lv Wenxian’s body!
