Finally.

Revenge has been taken.

Xiao Jinxing indifferently watched Wen Jingtang bleed out on the floor of the grand hall.

The scenes of his own mother’s death years ago seemed to flicker before his eyes again.

He closed his eyes.

Completely hiding the sorrow within.

When he opened them again.

The indifference had returned to his gaze.

Back to his usual composed and calm self.

He turned around, facing Xiao Zhanping.

Xiao Zhanping watched Wen Jingtang die so effortlessly.

Once arrogant and unapproachable before him, now she died so easily by Xiao Jinxing’s hand.

He looked up at Xiao Jinxing.

For the first time, he realized how powerful Xiao Jinxing had become.

Powerful enough that everyone who had posed a threat to him was dead by Xiao Jinxing’s hand.

Even if Xiao Jinsen had fled.

But he was in dire straits.

When had Xiao Jinxing become so formidable right under his watch.

Formidable to the extent that he could no longer control him.

Such a person was a threat to him.

A formidable threat.

But now, he dared not show it, not one bit.

He said, "Xing’er, you’ve saved your father’s life once more, whatever you want, father will give it to you!"

What he showed was his fatherly kindness and warmth.

And full recognition and praise for him.

To Xiao Zhanping’s eager attention, Xiao Jinxing did not even waste a fake smile.

He said, "I want you dead."

Xiao Zhanping’s heart trembled slightly.

The look of horror in his eyes, utterly panicky, "Xing’er, calm down, your father knows you have been through too much today, hurrying back from the border until now, you must be extremely weary, your father knows you can’t think straight, I command you to go rest immediately, I will handle the other matters. Capturing Xiao Jinsen, dealing with traitors and rebels, I will take care of it, you go and rest first, when you have had enough rest, then come to see me, I will establish you as Crown Prince."

Xiao Jinxing acted as if he hadn’t heard.

He just coldly watched Xiao Zhanping.

Watching his ridiculous performance.

"Are you done?" Xiao Jinxing asked him.

"Xing’er, Xing’er, whatever you want, just tell your father, don’t kill your father, tell your father, whatever you want, I’ll give it to you, if you want the throne, I will abdicate in your favor right away!" Xiao Zhanping could clearly sense Xiao Jinxing’s intent to kill.

His will had already collapsed.

As long as he could save his life, anything would do.

"The moment you said you wanted to establish me as Crown Prince, I knew you had murderous intent towards me," Xiao Jinxing stated bluntly.

Xiao Zhanping’s heart trembled again.

How had Xiao Jinxing realised this?

He offered Xiao Jinxing such a great temptation, but Xiao Jinxing saw right through his intentions.

"Planning to use power to stabilize my mind, and when I let down my guard, stab me in the back," Xiao Jinxing said, "That’s what you did to your fifth brother back then. The Empress Dowager has warned me time and again to be wary of you, to beware of your sinister cruelty." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"It’s all her deceiving you, all her lies! You see, even she raised you just to help her take her revenge, she never truly cared for you, she even killed your mother, she’s been deceiving you from the very beginning!"

"I can clearly distinguish what’s true and what’s false," Xiao Jinxing looked at Xiao Zhanping, "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have survived until now."

"You believe me, I really won’t harm you, now I have only you as my son, if I don’t pass the throne to you, to whom else could I," he said.

"You still have Xiao Jinyu," Xiao Jinxing reminded.

"If you feel that Jinyu is blocking your way, I can execute him for you, would that be acceptable?" Xiao Zhanping said tremblingly.

As soon as he finished speaking.

He was frightened into trembling by a single look from Xiao Jinxing.

"So, you truly are cruel enough to wantonly slaughter even your own flesh and blood!" Xiao Jinxing concluded.

Xiao Zhanping only now realized that he had spoken out of turn.

After all.

Having so ruthlessly killed Xiao Jinyu, he could just as mercilessly kill Xiao Jinxing too.

He wanted to explain, but under Xiao Jinxing’s icy gaze, it seemed as if any explanation was futile!

No matter what he said, he couldn’t deceive Xiao Jinxing anymore.

His body trembled uncontrollably, collapsing as he said, "Didn’t you just tell the Empress Dowager that you wouldn’t kill me?! Killing her would be letting her off easy!"

"I told her I wouldn’t kill you, so that she would die with her eyes wide open, so that she wouldn’t find peace even in her last moment!" Xiao Jinxing said, "But now that she’s dead, whether you live or die is meaningless to her. All I wanted was for her to believe in her final moment that I wouldn’t kill you, that’s all!"

"Then why did you save me, why?!" roared Xiao Zhanping.

He was truly at the brink of collapse.

"Saving you was to lure the Empress Dowager, to find out who exactly framed my mother!" Xiao Jinxing said, "Otherwise, you would have died a long time ago, during the Empress’s rebellion, how could you have survived until now?"

The meaning was clear.

He had deluded himself for so many years.

He thought that becoming the Emperor, he could cover the sky with one hand for decades, but in the end, his life had always been in the hands of others.

The moment they let him die, he would die.

His survival was merely a display, turning him into the butt of their jokes.

The biggest joke under the heavens.

Xiao Zhanping went mad.

Yu Qingyuan didn’t go mad before death.

Zhao Mengyu didn’t go mad either before her death.

Wen Jingtang also did not when she died.

Only Xiao Zhanping truly descended into absolute madness.

He was like a lunatic struggling on the dragon bed.

No one approached him.

Yet he seemed to see armies charging at him to assassinate him.

Before his eyes flickered countless figures of people he had killed.

His former fifth brother, and those who fought him for power, the high officials he slaughtered, the Empress and concubines he had put to death...

"Stay away, stay away!" Xiao Zhanping kept swinging at the people before his eyes.

He watched in terror as they tore at him like starving ghosts.

His entire body seemed to be in excruciating pain.

As if his whole body were rotten to the core.

"It is your own incompetence; it is because you couldn’t beat me. You all deserve to die, all of you..." Xiao Zhanping lived in his own world, completely mad.

Xiao Jinxing looked on coldly at the struggling Xiao Zhanping, who no longer resembled an emperor in any shape or form.

Indifferently, he advanced a few steps.

The next moment.

He swung his arm.

With one sword thrust, he pierced straight through Xiao Zhanping’s heart.

True to the mark.

Xiao Zhanping looked at Xiao Jinxing in horror.

As soon as Xiao Jinxing thrust the sword in, he pulled it out instantly.

Blood splattered across his face.

Even the most handsome face now appeared exceptionally ferocious and terrifying.

Ye Qichi lowered her eyelids, touching the bloodstain on her face.

Because she was not far from the bed.

When the sword was withdrawn from the body, a few drops of blood splattered onto her face.

Most of this blood was not Xiao Zhanping’s.

It was the blood of others that she had painstakingly helped him cleanse.

Such a pity for this blood.

Such a pity, after she had busied herself all night long...