The Nanping Wang's heir apparent already bore a striking resemblance to Great Ming Emperor, and with the assistance and cover of Butler Wang, it was extremely difficult for anyone to detect any flaws.
Even if someone had doubts, they dared not easily express them.
It could be said that once Great Ming Emperor was assassinated, eighty percent of this power grab would have been completed.
Evidently, Nanping Wang calculated precisely this, which is why he invited the renowned Ye Gucheng to assist him.
The conspiracy had progressed to this point, almost perfectly seamless, stirring excitement among the crowd, who began to whisper amongst themselves.
"I never thought that all of this was a premeditated plan to seize power; Nanping Wang is truly too audacious!"
A Jianghu knight-errant spoke in disbelief.
"Indeed, the imperial family is heartless; for the throne, this Nanping Wang would even conceive of regicide!"
Another person sighed.
"So there was such an inside story behind Ye Gucheng's ambition for the throne; this Nanping Wang is truly impressive to be able to enlist the help of such a master as Ye Gucheng."
Someone said in astonishment.
"How terrifying! I was outside the Forbidden City at the time, and I never imagined such a conspiracy hidden behind this decisive battle. Mr. Su is truly extraordinary."
A Jianghu hero from Great Ming said with lingering fear.
"That's not right! After all that talk, what does this have to do with Ximen Chuixue? And what is its relation to the duel at the Forbidden City?"
Soon, someone in the hall raised a question, eliciting agreement from many others.
Yes!
How could the conspiracy between Nanping Wang, Butler Wang, and Ye Gucheng involve Ximen Chuixue?
...
On the high platform.
Su Chen heard the questioning voices below, chuckled softly, and said aloud:
"The connection is not small."
"Even if Ye Gucheng's martial arts were unparalleled, he could not withstand the combined assault of the Dragon Protecting Villa and the Eastern Depot's experts."
"Even if Butler Wang could secretly bring Ye Gucheng into the imperial palace, there are countless imperial guards defending the palace."
"As long as Ye Gucheng is delayed for a moment by these guards, those factory and guard experts would be able to arrive in time, and then he would only fail."
"Therefore, to ensure the assassination is foolproof, a world-shaking event must first be created to draw away all the factory guards and imperial experts."
"What event could be more attention-grabbing than the decisive battle between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue?"
"Over the past ten years, as Ximen Chuixue's reputation grew, more and more people in the Jianghu looked forward to this battle."
"After all, if he couldn't defeat Ye Gucheng, the 'Nanhai Sword Immortal,' head-on, Ximen Chuixue's title of 'First Sword God' would not hold water."
"Ye Gucheng seized upon this point, sending a challenge to Ximen Chuixue and setting the decisive battle at the Forbidden City."
"The development of events was exactly as Ye Gucheng and others had anticipated; as soon as the news spread, it immediately caused a huge stir."
"Swordsmen, of course, flocked to the Forbidden City to watch the battle, and even many Martial Forest figures who were not proficient in swordsmanship also rushed there."
"For example, the two Palace Masters of E-Hua Palace, several eminent monks from Shaolin Sect, and experts from Kunlun, Kongtong, and other sects."
"With so many Jianghu figures gathered in one place, institutions like the Dragon Protecting Villa dared not be careless, all standing by in full readiness, fearing someone would cause trouble amidst the chaos."
"And Wei Ziyun, the commander of the imperial guards who was supposed to personally protect the emperor, happened to be a master of the Sword Dao, holding Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue in high esteem."
"Just like a person who enjoys playing chess, hearing that two top national players are playing outside, would he be willing to sit indoors and not go out to watch? The answer is clearly no."
"Those who practice swords are the same."
"To witness this Peak sword art battle, Wei Ziyun used the pretext of escorting, bringing a large contingent of guards to the Forbidden City gate to observe the battle."
This left Great Ming Emperor's side suddenly empty, allowing Ye Gucheng to easily infiltrate the Hall of Mental Cultivation where Great Ming Emperor rested.
As soon as his voice fell, Su Chen immediately closed his folding fan, picked up his teacup, and drained it.
The tea in the cup was still warm, with a faint lingering scent of a beauty's lips.
But at this moment, the hall was already in an uproar.
Many people suddenly had an epiphany and couldn't help but exclaim 'Brilliant!' in their hearts!
This feint, this strategy of luring the tiger out of its mountain, was truly ingenious.
Frankly, as long as someone heard that Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue were about to clash, no one could remain indifferent.
These Jianghu experts who came to watch the battle could not only attract everyone's attention but also, to a certain extent, tie down the skilled individuals among the factory guards, making them unable to attend to everything at once.
Especially when everyone learned that even Wei Ziyun, the commander of the imperial palace guards, had gone to watch, they all gasped in cold air.
Wasn't this completely out of control?
Although no matter how many imperial guards there were, they couldn't truly stop Ye Gucheng, they could at least delay him for a moment.
Now that the imperial guards had withdrawn, Ye Gucheng entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation where Emperor Great Ming Emperor was, without any obstruction.
On one side was the peerless swordsman known as the Nanhai Sword Immortal.
On the other side was the Great Ming Emperor who had never practiced martial arts.
With the two in the same room, everyone could not imagine how Great Ming Emperor could escape from Ye Gucheng's hands.
Could it be that the current Great Ming Emperor had already been assassinated?
Was the one sitting on the Dragon throne just a stand-in?
...
A tense and oppressive atmosphere quickly spread through the hall.
This matter was indeed no small thing.
If Nanping Wang's scheme truly succeeded, it would be a world-altering change, and the entire Great Ming Dynasty would face immense upheaval.
Especially after repeated deliberation, everyone increasingly felt that Great Ming Emperor had almost no hope of survival.
He was facing Baiyun City Lord Ye Gucheng, who was known for "A Sword from the West, Flying Immortal From Beyond the Heavens"!
Unless Great Ming Emperor himself was a deeply hidden expert, and a top-tier one in the Martial Forest, but that was clearly unrealistic.
"Oh my god! Could it be that the Great Ming Emperor really died at Ye Gucheng's hands?"
Finally, someone broke the silence and loudly voiced their suspicion.
"That's impossible, right? If that were true, wouldn't the emperor currently sitting in court be impersonated by the Nanping Wang's heir apparent?"
A Jianghu hero loyal to the court said in horror.
"This Mr. Su is truly amazing; he knows even such secret matters so clearly, it's as if he witnessed them himself.
I strongly suspect Mr. Su is also part of Nanping Wang's faction."
Someone immediately pointed the finger at Su Chen.
"Mr. Su, you might as well turn yourself in; the Eastern Depot's people are all outside."
Some also took the opportunity to fan the flames.
"Mr. Su, please continue speaking; stopping halfway is too tormenting."
More people urged him on anxiously.
This sentence truly conveyed everyone's feelings.
Su Chen chose to pause at this moment, making everyone as anxious as ants on a hot pan, wishing they could hear the rest immediately.
In an instant, everyone in the hall looked up at the high platform, their eyes filled with anxiety and anticipation.
...
In the private room on the north side of the third floor.
Lianxing said in surprise: "Sister, this Mr. Su even knows that we were there at the time; this is too mystical, isn't it?"
Yaoyue nodded lightly, equally shocked.
Just listening to Su Chen's narration, it was as if everything was being replayed before her eyes, as if she had experienced it herself.
For instance, the secret talks between Nanping Wang, Butler Wang, and Ye Gucheng must have been extremely confidential; she couldn't understand how Su Chen obtained this information.
"Sister, this Young Master Su might truly have the ability to comprehend the secrets of heaven; our visit this time was indeed the right decision."
Yaoyue said, trying her best to suppress the joy in her heart.
Lianxing said: "It's too early to draw conclusions; let's hear what this Young Master Su has to say next."
Yaoyue naturally understood Lianxing's meaning.
Although Su Chen spoke vividly, as of now, it was impossible to confirm whether things truly unfolded this way.
Perhaps all of this was just a story fabricated by Su Chen.
Thinking this, Yaoyue once again gazed intently at Su Chen, her eyes swirling, as if she wanted to see through all his secrets at a glance.
In her thirty-plus years of life, she had never cared so much about a man before.
...
Above the high platform.
Yu Youwei refilled Su Chen's tea once more, then retreated to the side.
Su Chen gently unfolded the folding fan in his hand, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire hall, and continued to speak in a calm and unhurried tone:
"Then, later!"
"That Great Ming Emperor was ultimately the Son of Heaven, and naturally had one last layer of protection around him."
"The moment Ye Gucheng stepped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, four figures suddenly appeared before Great Ming Emperor."
"These four figures were less than two feet tall, and their build, faces, and attire were all identical."
"Especially their appearances: small eyes, large noses, protruding foreheads, and shriveled mouths, making them look incredibly comical."
"However, if any experienced Jianghu expert saw them, they would not be laughing."
"Because they were precisely the Yu Family Four Brothers from Flying Fish Fort in Yunmen Mountain, all born from the same womb."
"In single combat, each could be considered a first-rate expert; but with their minds connected, their combat power multiplied when working together."
"Especially their combined Flying Fish Sword Array, which was well-known in the Jianghu, even top experts might not dare to claim they could break it."
"Several years ago, the four suddenly disappeared from the Jianghu; in reality, they were secretly recruited by the imperial court to become the last line of defense around Great Ming Emperor."
"If it were an ordinary assassin, they would have met their end at the hands of these four within ten moves."
"Unfortunately, they were facing Ye Gucheng, an existence beyond the Peak Realm."
"Ye Gucheng drew his sword, and a streak of sword light swept forth diagonally, like a startling bolt of lightning, like a rainbow piercing the sky, and in an instant, Sword Qi surged."
"In just a fleeting moment, the renowned Yu Family Four Brothers were all slain."
"But that moment they held out was enough."
"Just as Ye Gucheng was about to step forward and take Great Ming Emperor's life, another sword flew in from outside the window, a sword that could contend with Ye Gucheng."
"Hearing this, you must have already guessed that this sword came from Ximen Chuixue's hand."
"Although Ximen Chuixue was a peerless swordsman, he was not a supremely intelligent person, so it was naturally impossible for him to see through the schemes of Nanping Wang and others so quickly."
"But Ximen Chuixue had an extraordinarily intelligent friend, Lu Xiaofeng, known in the Jianghu as the 'Four-Eyebrowed Eccentric.'"
"Nanping Wang and the others calculated everything, but they missed one thing."