Within the palace walls, the world has always been a heartless one, paved with blood and tears. Now, another human tragedy was about to unfold. Countless lives were to be sent to the Yellow Springs because of a single conspiracy, and the innocent Bai family was the first to be sacrificed in this tragedy.
The sight of a courtyard full of elderly, women, and children weeping in a heap could not move the soldiers' hearts of stone. With a single word, an order as heavy as a mountain, the Bai family was doomed.
The leader of the soldiers scanned the crowd, pointing his sword at the heavily pregnant Leng Jing. "He is the pregnant man mentioned in the drawings, the male wife of Bai Shaoqing. Take him away! Leave no survivors among the rest!"
Several soldiers dragged Leng Jing out the main gate. The heavy doors slammed shut, and a sky-shaking wail erupted from within the courtyard.
A massacre was about to begin.
On the other side, under a dismal sky, the Imperial Guard had cornered the Crown Prince in the square outside the Great Hall. The Crown Prince had only a dozen guards left, but he still held the winning cards. Besides the signal flares that could immediately summon the great army from outside the city, he also held the Heirloom Seal of the Realm. As long as he did not surrender the Seal, the Prince would never achieve legitimate sovereignty even if his usurpation succeeded, nor could he smoothly mobilize the million-strong army within and beyond the passes. Therefore, the Prince’s goal in capturing Prime Minister Bai was to force the Crown Prince to surrender the Seal.
However, although Prime Minister Bai was a mere civil official and a sidelined minister, his stubborn temper and lofty integrity were famous throughout the court. Prince Jing’an had put considerable thought into forcing him to submit.
Through a period of secret investigation, the Prince had grasped the fact of Leng Jing’s pregnancy. Thus, he had set a trap to capture Leng Jing and use him to coerce Prime Minister Bai.
Through these twists and turns, Leng Jing was swept into the depths of the conspiracy. "Heavily pregnant," he was captured and escorted into the palace.
Prime Minister Bai was likewise escorted to the palace square. Along the way, he saw nothing but corpses left behind by the bloody palace coup. The air was thick with the scent of blood, displaying the cruelty of the palace’s power vortex.
Prime Minister Bai’s face was pale as he stumbled forward, the guards behind him kicking him from time to time. But he had already made up his mind: rather than being used as a pawn to be coerced, it was better to commit suicide and end it, sparing his family and the Crown Prince from being dragged down.
He hoped the Crown Prince would succeed and save his family. This was something he had to explain to the Crown Prince before he died.
After all, they once had the bond of father and son, did they not?
Thinking of the happy times of the past and the tragic situation of the present, Prime Minister Bai closed his eyes, and a line of clear tears slowly slid down.
Finally arriving at the palace square, Prime Minister Bai looked out and saw the forces of Crown Prince Jing and Prince Jing’an locked in a standoff. The glint of armor and swords was so bright he could hardly open his eyes; the square was filled with a murderous aura.
Prince Jing’an had arrived in his palanquin. With a smug expression, he signaled his subordinates to push Prime Minister Bai to the front as a shield.
The Crown Prince, putting up a last-ditch resistance, saw that it was Prime Minister Bai being dragged forward. He gritted his teeth and signaled his archers to temporarily lower their bows. He asked through clenched teeth, "Prince Jing’an! What is the meaning of this?!"
The Prince laughed loudly. "The meaning? Isn't this man your most beloved? Crown Prince, there are only two paths before you: First, cease your resistance and hand over the Seal, and I will let this man return to your side. Second, if you refuse to hand over the Seal and remain obstinate, then this man shall be sliced into a thousand pieces before your very eyes!"
"You beast!!" Crown Prince Jing was furious. But Prime Minister Bai was indeed his beloved; he had originally intended not to involve him in this conflict, which was why he had deliberately kept his distance since entering the capital. He never expected that he would ultimately be the one to harm him! In his agony, he did not know where to turn. Usually calm, he was now faced with this threat and found himself unable to make a decision, unsure of what to choose.
Seeing the Prince’s army pressing closer step by step, the death-sworn guards beside the Crown Prince said in great anxiety, "Your Highness! To be indecisive is to invite disaster! You must sacrifice the small part to save the whole! If we do not send the signal for reinforcements now, we will truly be beyond redemption! Please, Your Highness, decide!"
The other guards also pleaded, "Please, Your Highness, decide! Please, Your Highness, decide!!"
The Crown Prince struggled, his face gradually showing a look of agony. He could not surrender! Surrendering meant all his efforts were for naught! But he was equally unable to let go of his deep feelings for Prime Minister Bai!
Why! Why did fate torment him so? If Prime Minister Bai died, then even if he eradicated the rebels and became Emperor, what meaning would there be?!!
The painful struggle within caused Crown Prince Jing to clench his fists so tightly that his nails pierced his palms without him noticing. Blood dripped down from between his fingers.
"Your Highness! Even if you surrender, Prime Minister Bai will not survive! The Prince is ruthless; he will never show mercy!" The guards continued to persuade him, and Crown Prince Jing’s heart began to waver.
Prime Minister Bai, held at the front of the line, saw the Crown Prince’s struggle clearly. He gritted his teeth and stood up, shouting loudly, "Xiao Jing! Come! Step over my corpse and follow your path! Do not let a useless person like me drag down the world! Please, you must remember—after I die, please protect my family and my unborn child!" Having said this, he gave a slight smile and suddenly lunged toward the spear of the guard behind him.
"Shaoqing!!!" Crown Prince Jing screamed, feeling as if a piece of his heart had been gouged out. He was about to watch his most beloved person die a tragic death before his eyes!!
However, as Prime Minister Bai was heroically sacrificing himself, he tripped and fell flat on his face. By the time he scrambled up, the guards had already grabbed him and tied him up, preventing him from committing suicide.
Everyone: "..."
"Don't be in such a hurry! I can still bite my tongue to kill myself!!" Prime Minister Bai continued to shout heroically.
"Before you kill yourself, take a look at what that is." Prince Jing’an waved his arm with leisurely ease, and his subordinates dragged the big-bellied Leng Jing forward.
"AAAAAAAAHHH!!!" Now it was Prime Minister Bai’s turn to struggle in agony.
The Prince smiled insidiously. "Bai Shaoqing, if you dare to commit suicide, I will order someone to cut open your male wife’s belly and dig out your child for you to see. How about that?"
"No...!!" Prime Minister Bai shook his head desperately.
"Then persuade the Crown Prince to surrender!" the Prince said, stroking his beard.
"............" Prime Minister Bai’s heart was torn. If he didn't persuade the Crown Prince, Leng Jing and the child would be killed; if he did, he would be responsible for plunging the entire world into misery!
What should he do?!
Prime Minister Bai and the Crown Prince stared at each other with furrowed brows, speechless. Different emotions, yet the same groundless struggle, unable to make a choice!
Some say life is a series of multiple-choice questions; in a lifetime, you must face countless choices.
Undoubtedly, for two people facing a choice of life and death, every option would bring them immense pain.
This is life: difficult and arduous.
Just as they were stuck in this dead end, Leng Jing, who had seemed unconscious like a broken ragdoll, suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Shaoqing, do not worry about me. You must prioritize the greater good of the nation. After I die, just don't forget to burn incense for me. The child and I will protect you from heaven!"
With that, his head lolled to the side as he played dead.
It was clearly a tragic scene, yet everyone present maintained a "..." expression. Leng Jing’s righteous words were far too devoid of emotion—how could they sound so cold coming from his mouth?
Prince Jing’an was clearly enraged. He laughed in extreme fury and said, "Fine! Fine! Each of you is unafraid of death! Crown Prince Jing, let me tell you, even if you have an ambush outside the city, even if you have the Seal, it’s nothing special! I have my own ways to deal with it; I only wanted to avoid trouble by giving you a chance to surrender quietly without suffering! Since you are all so obstinate, I have no need to hold back! Men! Before these brats' eyes, dig out the thing inside that big belly!!"
And so, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a horrific human tragedy was about to take place. Prime Minister Bai wanted to scream heart-wrenchingly, but his mouth was stuffed with a cloth. His eyelids were forced open, making him watch without blinking as his wife and child were about to be torn to pieces!
The Crown Prince also hadn't expected the Prince to actually give the order to kill. But the one being cruelly disemboweled was his rival, Leng Jing, and his emotions became complicated. After all, as an overbearing ruler, rather than seeing his beloved form a happy family with someone else, he would rather snatch his lover away and claim him for himself.
It was just that for Leng Jing, such a way to die was a bit too...
At that moment, the executioner held a sharp knife and stabbed it precisely into Leng Jing’s abdomen, then sliced a deep opening downward. Blood immediately began to gurgle out. Then, the executioner reached his hand into Leng Jing’s abdominal cavity and began to grope around.
Prime Minister Bai’s heart and gall were shattered, but he could not move or cry out. He could only watch with a face full of tears as his child was being dug out alive.
The executioner dug around in Leng Jing’s abdomen for a long time, pulling out many strange beads [Fetal Movement Beads XD], and finally grabbed the shape of a fetus [a model]. Bloody, soft, and limp, it was thrown onto the ground with a splat.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" Prime Minister Bai screamed through the cloth in his mouth and pitched forward, falling unconscious.
This extremely cruel scene shocked everyone present. The Crown Prince covered his mouth and began to retch; it was truly too bloody. Even more terrifying was that Leng Jing was not yet dead; he seemed to wake up again from the intense pain, his hands clawing wildly at his abdomen.
The Prince seemed very satisfied with this effect. He waved his hand, and several subordinates brought forward a wine jar containing poisoned wine. They pried open Prime Minister Bai’s mouth and poured all the poisoned wine into his stomach.
The Crown Prince punched a pillar, knowing all hope was lost. He gritted his teeth and gave the order to launch the general offensive.
The Prince was also prepared to fight the Crown Prince to the death! The clash between the two sides finally reached its climax!!
Meanwhile, back at the Bai residence. The entire family was about to be slaughtered. The elderly, women, and children were weeping in a heap.
The soldiers had raised their swords and were about to strike the heads of these unarmed civilians when suddenly, a stern voice spoke slowly:
"Stop! The Great White Marten Immortal is here; I will not allow you to commit such sins!!"
Hearing this, the kneeling family members all looked up, only to scream in even greater terror.
"AAAAAAAHHHH~~~~ A MONSTER~~~~~~~~~~"
A massive shadow covered the Bai family courtyard. When the soldiers turned to look, they were all frozen in shock. Swords, spears, and axes fell to the ground. Then, those with quick reactions screamed and fled for their lives, and chaos ensued.
A giant white marten—a white marten as massive as a several-story building—swung a paw, smashing the courtyard floor to pieces. Everyone present either ran or collapsed in terror.
"ROOOAAARRRR~~~~" The giant white marten roared at the sky, displaying the aura of a Great Beast.
The Old Matriarch collapsed on the ground, unable to move at all. Marten-zilla brought its massive marten mouth close to her and said fiercely: "Do. Not. Use. Marten. Fur. For. Scarves!! Protecting white martens is everyone's responsibility!!"
"WAAAHHH!!!!!" The Old Matriarch gave a tragic cry and fainted.
Later, it was said that after this fright, the Old Matriarch’s back no longer ached, her legs no longer hurt, and she could climb dozens of steps in one breath. It seemed the extreme shock had accelerated her blood circulation, producing an effect better than calcium supplements. It was truly a miracle.
Marten-zilla did not stop. It took heavy steps toward the conflict-ridden palace gates. Naturally, it caused a massive commotion—for details, please imagine Godzilla walking down the street.
***
