Following the established plan, Murong Yan met with her operatives infiltrated in the palace under the cover of darkness.
These men, cultivated by her in the southern borderlands, were fiercely loyal to her.
At this critical juncture, Murong Yan cared less for her own safety and the child she carried.
Xuanyuan Sheng, who'd just been detoxified, found no interest in meeting the women in his harem, preferring the solitude of Yangxin Hall.
As nighttime fell, the lights in Yangxin Hall had already been extinguished.
The agents, dressed in clothes suited for night maneuvering, surreptitiously surrounded Yangxin Hall. The hall's guards, drowsy from the late hours, were quietened without the slightest sound.
The ringleader of these agents entered Yangxin Hall, preparing to assassinate Xuanyuan Sheng.
Entering the hall, they didn’t locate Xuanyuan Sheng. What followed was a rush of rapid footsteps—a contingent of the palace guards had arrived sooner than anticipated.
In an instant, the hall was ablaze with light, with Qi Tan standing guard close to Xuanyuan Sheng.
"I thought I'd have more time. It seems the urgency is pressing. Take them all down!" Xuanyuan Sheng commanded.
Seeing the awful turn of events, the intruders prepared for a hasty retreat.
The palace guards, chosen precisely for their skill and loyalty, were more than formidable.
Their numbers were significant too, with droves of them surrounding the outside of the hall.
Taking in the circumstances, the assassins prepared for a desperate fight, all targeting Xuanyuan Sheng - their ultimate goal.
If he died, their mission would be accomplished.
With Qi Tan guarding upfront, and the palace guards watching his back, Xuanyuan Sheng was unharmed, and all the intruders in the room were captured.
The palace guards unmasked the assailants, revealing their true identity.
"Take these men to the dungeon, interrogate them thoroughly."
At that moment, an informant from outside the hall arrived with a message.
"Your Majesty, Queen Murong Yan is waiting outside the hall!"
On hearing this, Xuanyuan Sheng was able to piece together some guesswork. Her presence here was undoubtedly connected to the assassination attempt.
"Let her in."
Murong Yan, heavy with child, slowly entered the hall.
Her presence disrupted the tense standoff within the hall.
"What brings the Queen here at this hour?" Xuanyuan Sheng inquired, thinking of the history between them.
In the past, he had always been willing to meet her requests, even when it meant making her his Queen against the advice of his counselors. How ironic it was that their story had come to this.
Murong Yan was aware that there could be no further pretense now that the incident had transpired.
But she only had this one chance. If she were to make a mistake, all her careful planning would be torched in an instant.
How could she be content with this? She had long vowed to rise to the highest position.
Walking up to Xuanyuan Sheng, she replied, "Your Majesty, it's late, and I came to see how you're faring."
"Did you come to see whether I had been killed just as you wished?" Xuanyuan Sheng replied coldly.
Murong Yan conspicuously maintained her silence.
Sheng glanced at the captured assassins.
"Murong Yan, what could I have done to you to make you want me dead so much?" He questioned.
"It's not your flaw, but rather, what I've always desired was never love," she admitted.
Xuanyuan Sheng was indeed kind to Murong Yan, fulfilling her every wish.
But their positions were different, their wants differed too, and they were bound to clash in the end.
Moreover, he was an emperor, cold-hearted, which she knew all too well.
So she did not invest any emotions in him; it was all just an act.
"I defied the court's opposition, made you my Empress, and gave you power and status. I even promised that if your child is born and it's a prince, I will make him the Crown Prince. What more do you want?" He asked.
Murong Yan smirked devilishly, "Oh, your majesty thinks all of this is being kind to me? "
" You claim to love me, and yet, you go to favor another woman in the blink of an eye."
"If not for this, why would I move against you so soon? I would've waited for 'our' child to be born."
"And you doubted me just because of someone else's words. Such love is too cheap. I don't care for it."
Xuanyuan Sheng said, "I am the Emperor, how could I have only one woman?”
"You say I doubt you, that's because you did something to make me suspicious."
"The poison from Southern Border, you are behind it, aren't you?"
“Demote the empress to the cold palace, once the child is born, we will decide what to do next.”
Murong Yan, laughing, walked towards Xuanyuan Sheng, hiding a poison-coated dagger within her wide sleeves.
Xuanyuan Sheng, looking at the woman who once had such a beautiful smile, found himself feeling a hint of reluctance.
As he was about to speak, Murong Yan plunged the dagger into his chest.
“Farewell, Xuanyuan Sheng.”
Murong Yan’s actions took everyone by surprise; no one expected her to harm Xuanyuan Sheng.
The guards nearby quickly seized Murong Yan.
Xuanyuan Sheng's lips rapidly turned black, and he collapsed, seemingly wanting to say something but unable to utter a word.
Qi Tan urgently called for the Imperial Doctor to save Xuanyuan Sheng's life,
Murong Yan laughed brightly at the side.
"It's useless; this poison is incurable. He will die within three days, even if you call upon a divine doctor, it won't help."
Just then, a clear voice rang from outside the Hall.
"Her Majesty the Queen is indeed adept at plotting the murder of the Emperor. The law dictates execution."
Murong Yan turned to look at the man in white who had entered the hall, "And who are you?"
" By right, I should call you sister-in-law."
Murong Yan recalled the recent rumors in the capital. She had never regarded this man at all. Now he seemed to be interfering.
" You're Prince Xian!"
"Indeed, I am." Xuanyuan Yan replied.
As soon as he finished speaking, an army of well-trained soldiers stormed in.
Murong Yan knew there were palace guards outside the door. This group was able to intrude so blatantly, indicating that those outside had been dealt with.
What an unexpected turn of events, when the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
" Is Prince Xian planning a rebellion?"
Xuanyuan Yan retorted, "Rebellion, isn't that what Her Majesty the Queen intends to do? I am here only to rescue the Emperor!"
Murong Yan: "I'm carrying his majesty's child, what do you plan to do with me, Prince Xian?"
Xuanyuan Yan looked at the still calm woman, caught amidst the chaos and found a certain respect for her.
"The majesty's child, the queen, as a princess of Nanjiang, ran all the way to Tianqi, and even became the queen. She must have put in a lot of effort."
"But whether the child in her stomach belongs to His Majesty is uncertain."
Murong Yan: "The palace doesn't understand what the wise king is saying. I don’t know why the wise king would slander me like this."
"Heh, slander. The queen must know exactly what she wants to do. This time, I should thank you for helping me."
