My stepsister tried to steal the prince's hand in marriage, but little did she know I had been

Chapter 216

By this time, Prince Xin had already become aware of the situation.

He looked at the empty Taiji Hall, the place he had longed for most, the place he dreamed of sitting on the dragon throne.

For this reason, he endured hardship and humiliation for decades, all for this opportunity today.

—If everything goes according to his plan, the Imperial Guards will fight a major battle with the Prince of Yan's army outside the city, and both sides will be exhausted.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, he led his army, which he had accumulated over many years, out of the secret passage and seized the emperor and the Prince of Yan in one fell swoop.

He had already planted a pawn beside the King of Yan. It was the existence of this pawn that allowed the King of Yan to act step by step according to his plan.

Just as he had planned, the Prince of Yan and the Imperial Guards had already clashed, and upon receiving this news, he immediately led his troops to the Taiji Palace.

But... why is the Taiji Hall completely empty?

According to the intelligence he obtained, the Emperor and Empress, along with a group of concubines and princes and princesses who had not yet moved out of the palace, were all in the Taiji Hall, but now... where are they?

"go!"

His mind raced, his throat felt like it was about to burst, and he roared at the person behind him before taking a step back.

But just then, the palace doors were closed.

Even if Prince Xin wanted to leave, he couldn't.

He stared at the tightly closed palace doors and muttered, "We've fallen into their trap."

Immediately, his gaze sharpened, and he stared coldly at the empty hall: "Your Majesty, even now, you still dare not come out to see me?"

He had every step of the plan under control, and he just couldn't understand how the emperor had discovered it.

The only person who can answer him now is the emperor.

Inside the spacious hall, only Prince Xin and a few dozen guards were present.

At the same time, the sound of arrows piercing the air came from the heavy palace doors, and Prince Xin clearly heard the tragic screams of his men.

His expression gradually darkened. Dozens of guards surrounded him tightly, observing every possible hiding place in the hall.

"Dare not see you?" The emperor emerged from a hidden door behind the dragon throne, shaking his head with a smile. "I have never been afraid of you."

"However, I do admire you somewhat." The emperor said, his gaze falling on Prince Xin's legs. "To deceive me and the world, you managed to feign disability for decades."

Thirty years have passed since Prince Xin broke his leg during his last study trip.

For the past thirty years, no one has doubted the authenticity of Prince Xin's disability.

Whether outside or inside the mansion, he always sat in a wheelchair.

As the emperor finished speaking, his tone became increasingly disdainful.

Provoked by his disdainful tone, Prince Xin's eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at the emperor like a madman: "If you hadn't forced me, how could I have endured humiliation for so many years?"

"Do you know what it feels like to sit in that wheelchair, your legs bound and unable to move?" Prince Xin asked through gritted teeth. "All of this is because of you!"

"Back when I was studying abroad, it was you who secretly sabotaged my plans!" he shouted angrily. "You've ruined me! I'll remember this hatred forever, and I'll only do this one day to avenge myself by killing you!"

The emperor found this laughable: "What does it have to do with me that you fell off your horse during your study tour? Your father investigated this matter thoroughly back then. It was because you were not a good rider and insisted on showing off that you fell off your horse and broke your leg."

“You have neither military power nor a powerful maternal clan, so why should I target you?” Every word the emperor spoke was filled with disdain for Prince Xin. “If I were to deal with someone, it would be someone like Prince Yan or Prince Qin. As for you… I have never taken you seriously.”

"However, you have indeed made some progress." The emperor sneered. "If you hadn't been too impatient these days and given yourself away, I probably wouldn't have known that your honesty and taciturnity over the years had all been an act."

Upon hearing this, Prince Xin's eyes widened in fury.

“You…” He stared at the emperor with hatred, feeling as if his internal organs were being burned by rage.

It turns out that in the emperor's eyes, he was such an incompetent person!

He gritted his teeth, unable to contain his anger any longer, drew the long sword from the waist of a guard beside him, and charged toward the emperor.

Over the years, he practiced martial arts diligently and finally mastered them.

He endured humiliation and hardship for many years. Even if he couldn't get the throne, he would make the emperor go to hell with him!

Once this thought arose, Prince Xin moved with incredible speed; his figure was as fast as lightning, making him impossible to catch.

The emperor, having held a high position for so long, had lost much of his former martial prowess.

The Prince of Xin's sudden attack was unexpected by everyone. The emperor could only watch helplessly as the long sword pierced towards him, and he could only step back.

At that moment, a dagger shot out and struck the longsword.

The longsword veered off course and struck the pillar next to the emperor's ear.

Upon seeing this, Prince Xin angrily glared at the newcomer.

And then he saw someone he never expected.

"You didn't go to the border!" Prince Xin couldn't hide his surprise when he saw Xie Jinghan appear in the palace.

He knew the emperor was clever and cautious, and would naturally have a backup plan. In the end, he was the one who made the wrong move.

But why is Xie Jinghan here? Shouldn't he be defending the Northern Di at the border...?

In a flash, he suddenly understood.

"This was all part of your plan!" He pointed at Xie Jinghan incredulously and demanded, "You discovered my secret! This was all part of your plan!"

With that, he let his hands fall limply to the ground, and his longsword was thrown down with a crisp sound.

Prince Xin could accept that he was inferior to the emperor, but he could not accept that he was being completely manipulated by Xie Jinghan, who was twenty years younger than him.

In his eyes, Xie Jinghan was just a child who hadn't grown up yet, except that he had excellent martial arts skills.

It was precisely Xie Jinghan, whom he disregarded, that caused his plan to fail completely.

Xie Jinghan glanced at him and said indifferently, "It's all thanks to the Northern Di princess."

"Her?" Prince Xin opened his mouth, then his voice was hoarse, as if someone had grabbed his neck. "What does she have to do with me? I poisoned her myself..."

"No!" After piecing everything together, Prince Xin's expression was filled with horror. He suddenly understood.

Why did his plan go so smoothly?

So it turns out... his plan had never succeeded from the very beginning; everything he did was following Xie Jinghan's plan step by step.

Even Yelü Dan... Yelü Dan didn't die!

Since Yelü Dan is alive, there will naturally be no war on the border, and Xie Jinghan will not need to be distracted by fighting on the border. He will stay in the capital to lure the enemy out of their hole for the emperor, so that he... and even the Prince of Yan, will reveal their true colors one by one.

Thinking of this, Prince Xin chuckled softly, his expression seemingly mad.