Chapter 114  Extra: Bai Dongyuan and the Second Prince

If there was anyone whose luck had taken the worst turn, it had to be the Second Prince. But if there was anyone who was truly inspiring, it was Bai Dongyuan.

When Bai Dongyuan went into hiding, leaving behind his true identity, he waited for the storm to pass. After securing some treasure, he was still able to live like royalty.

But who would have guessed that six months later, when Bai Mucheng had returned to the capital, and the coast was clear, he went with two guards to the secret cave where Bai Dongyuan had hidden his treasure—only to find the place completely empty. The moment he saw the bare cave, his mind went blank, his breath stopped, and the two guards were just as stunned.

“Young master, what happened? Where are the treasures?”

This wasn’t the first time he had faced such a situation. There had been the time in Qinghe County, where the entire government office had been silently emptied in one night. This was not the work of ordinary thieves!

Bai Dongyuan was devastated. He truly had nothing left!

But did this make him fall into despair? Of course not! He was still capable. He tracked down the Hui Feng Pavilion and joined them. After years of effort, he finally became a core member of the organization!

Five years later, he decided to take the powerful Hui Feng Pavilion and his newfound allies to make a great move in the world, aiming for the top!

He returned to the capital and soon found someone who piqued his interest—the Second Prince.

The two hit it off immediately.

They both understood that, while the country was stable and the royal family was rich, it was difficult to create any chaos. However, they also knew that there were still opportunities.

The Second Prince carefully analyzed the situation. The emperor was dead, the empress was dead, the crown prince was dead, and even the Duke of Ding was dead. The palace now only had him and his mother in charge, and he already had a plan in mind.

The Duke of Ding had rebelled, killing the emperor and crown prince, and the Second Prince had led the troops to defeat the rebellion and restore order.

Once all these figures were out of the way, he could say whatever he wanted and take control. But how would he get rid of them? It would require timing. It was impossible to succeed by directly storming the palace, so they had to wait for a time when they were out of the palace—during the winter hunt, when the royal family would be away. This was their only opportunity.

This was the Second Prince’s last chance to turn things around.

Meanwhile, Tan Mi’s two little treasures were growing up, and as adorable as they were, they also caused their fair share of trouble. Even Yanzu tried to avoid them.

Tan Mi, on the other hand, had just finished her confinement after giving birth to a boy. Bai Mucheng was constantly by her side, and after years of trying, they had no children. The empress couldn’t bear to see her so, so she sent a royal physician to check on her health. The physician discovered that Tan Mi had been using herbs to avoid pregnancy.

The doctor kindly advised her, saying that more children would bring more blessings, especially since the Duke of Ding had no concubines. Tan Mi, it seemed, had no reason to avoid having more children.

Soon enough, Tan Mi was pregnant again.

“Mother, mother! Brother knocked over the fake mountain!”

Little Yun Chu ran in, shouting excitedly, followed closely by Chun San. After spending every day with these two little troublemakers, Chun San was exhausted. Two years ago, she had married Qiu Liu, and many of her maidservants had followed suit, marrying people from their household, all thanks to love and choice.

Tan Mi felt a headache coming on. She was busier now than the officials at the Ministry of Justice, having to handle endless cases daily. One moment, this child had caused trouble; the next, another was acting up.

She forced a smile, taking out a cookie and handing it to Yun Chu. “Honestly, if you don’t behave, your mother is going to scold you later.”

As long as these three children behaved, she could enjoy a peaceful life.

Over the years, with the promotion of high-yield crops like winter wheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, the old families were living prosperous lives. Not only could they eat well, but they were also able to raise a lot of poultry to increase their income. The national treasury was also overflowing.

This year’s winter hunt was going to be a grand affair.

As usual, Bai Mucheng was in charge of security and took Tan Mi and the children to the palace.

Xu Feiyan, who had married Prince Xian three years ago, was now a mother to a one-year-old son. She came with her child to visit Tan Mi.

She was still as charming as she had been in her youth, and after having a child, her figure had become even more graceful.

“Tan Mi, I’m about to be exhausted with this little thing. A one-year-old is so much work! He can’t stay still for a moment.”

Tan Mi smiled. “You think it’s hard now? I have several of them!”

The banquet that evening was particularly lively. The emperor was in high spirits, enjoying drinks with the guests.

The little master and Yun Chu were running around playing, making the empress beam with joy. Just then, Yanzu suddenly flew down from the sky, giving an alert sound.

Tan Mi and Bai Mucheng immediately stopped smiling.

Bai Mucheng moved quickly to the emperor’s side, saying, “Father, I’ll go out and take a look. There might be trouble.”

The emperor nodded, and Bai Mucheng ordered the commander of the Imperial Guard to stay on guard. He and Yanzu hurriedly left. On the opposite side, the Second Prince’s eyes narrowed. How could they have noticed? The people sent by Bai Dongyuan were all top experts from the Hui Feng Pavilion. Seeing Bai Mucheng’s back, the Second Prince’s eyes were filled with murderous intent.

Originally, they had planned to catch the emperor off guard, but now the situation had become difficult. He feared that their plot would be exposed.

Tan Mi hold her two chikdren in her side, telling the emperor and empress that it was time for the children to sleep. She and Nanny Xiao would take them to their rooms. In reality, she was taking the opportunity to transport the children to the space, along with the sleeping San Bao. She immediately returned to the scene.

At this point, the situation was still unclear, but the banquet continued. Tan Mi stayed close to the scene, knowing that as long as the emperor, crown prince, and Bai Mucheng were safe, everything would be fine.

Not long after, Bai Mucheng returned, his expression serious, and reported to the emperor, “Father, we need to leave the palace immediately. There’s a situation outside. About two thousand people are heading towards the palace. They’re few in number, but each of them is skilled.”

The emperor’s gaze turned cold as he scanned the scene. Who dared to cause trouble? His eyes quickly swept across the room, only to find that the Second Prince and his mother were missing. It was clear now—this rebellious son!

Where did he get such strength?

Tan Mi stayed close to the emperor, empress, crown prince, and crown princess, with the little master tightly in their arms, not daring to relax for a moment.

As they reached the palace’s main hall, they heard the sounds of shouting and killing from outside. At that moment, Eunuch Wang rushed in, saying, “Your Majesty, there seems to be a problem with the food the Imperial Guard ate. Many of them are now experiencing severe stomach problems.”

The emperor’s eyes blazed with fury as he cursed, “This rebellious fool!”

The Crown Prince stepped forward and respectfully said, “Father, I’ll go take a look. I fear they have more tricks up their sleeves.”

Tan Mi said to him, “Crown Prince, as long as you and the emperor stay safe, they won’t cause much trouble. Don’t worry, they won’t get past Bai Mucheng’s defenses. Stay here! Don’t let anyone find an opportunity.”

Wang Cheng immediately left to investigate the situation.

At that moment, louder sounds of battle and screaming could be heard from the side, and the commander of the Imperial Guard, Gao Yuan, immediately led the remaining men to resist the attackers.

Gao Yuan had been with the emperor since his days as the Prince of Jin, and as long as he was alive, the rebels wouldn’t be able to break through.

Wang Cheng rushed back to report, “Your Majesty, the Second Prince has led a group from the rear mountain to attack. Gao Yuan is resisting them at the front.”

Tan Mi, noticing the suspicious food that the Imperial Guard had eaten, quickly took a pill from her space and swallowed it.

Wang Cheng returned to the hall and said, “Your Majesty, the Second Prince’s men seem to be skilled fighters from the martial world, extremely fierce. I’m afraid Gao Yuan won’t be able to hold them off.”

Inside the hall, the emperor’s secret guards were stationed, so they were safe for the time being. The emperor was not someone who had never seen battle—he ordered the empress and the Crown Princess, Tan Mi, to stay behind while he and the Crown Prince would take to the field personally to deal with this rebellious son.

Having just come down from the battlefield a few years ago, he was enraged that someone dared to make a move in front of him.

Tan Mi followed them, but the Crown Prince glanced at her and said, “You should stay inside the hall.”

Tan Mi casually replied, “I promised Bai Mucheng that I would guarantee your safety.”

The emperor and the Crown Prince exchanged a glance but did not speak further.

A weak woman still wanted to guarantee their safety? It was quite a bold thought, even for the Fourth Prince.

The guards cleared the way, and they reached the outer hall. The Second Prince had already led his men, splitting into two groups to attack. To Tan Mi’s disbelief, Bai Dongyuan was with them. She could hardly believe her eyes—he had really come this far and joined forces with the Second Prince. However, the group attacking them numbered fewer than fifty people.

The Second Prince’s eyes were bloodshot, his face full of malice.

The emperor angrily shouted, “Rebellious son, put down your weapon!”

“Hahaha! Hahaha! I’ve come this far; you think I’ll put down my weapon? Have you lost your mind, old fool? Kill them!”

With a loud laugh, the Second Prince charged forward, leading his men. The guards quickly stepped forward to block him, and Tan Mi, now holding a large axe, joined the fray. With ease, she threw a few pills of sleeping powder into the enemy’s ranks.

She had once only relied on her strength, but these past few years, under Bai Mucheng’s guidance, her agility and skill had grown remarkably. Her movements were swift, and her strikes precise.

Each swing of her axe had the force to shake mountains, and within a few blows, she had cleaved through several enemies, sending their heads rolling.

The emperor and the Crown Prince stood in shock, wide-eyed. They had been told that Mi’er was delicate and that they should be careful not to frighten her. But the woman before them, wielding a battle axe and cutting down enemies—who was this?

Tan Mi grew increasingly fearless as the battle raged on. The people from the Gui Feng Pavilion were unable to break through their defenses. As long as the emperor and the crown prince were safe, it didn’t matter how many people they killed.

Bai Dongyuan looked at the large axe in Tan Mi’s hand, a feeling of recognition washing over him. He had just acquired this treasure and had left it at the Qinghe County office. That very night, it was stolen along with several of the county’s warehouses. For all these years, there had been no leads, but today, he finally saw it again in her hands.

Another head rolled to the ground, and only about twenty of the enemy remained. The imperial guards had also been reduced to just a handful of men, the effect of the sleeping powder taking hold. They began to feel dizzy, weak, and disoriented, panic setting in as they realized the tide had turned against them.

Tan Mi sneered, her axe sweeping down and taking out several more men.

She handed the antidote to the remaining guards.

“This is the antidote. Take it and tie them all up.” She then pointed at Bai Dongyuan and said, “That man is the late King Yu’s illegitimate son, Bai Dongyuan. Don’t let him escape.”

As the guards regained their senses, they quickly captured the remaining enemies.

Bai Dongyuan, groggy and confused, looked at Tan Mi and slurred, “Did you steal from the Qinghe County office? Did you steal the treasures I hid in the mountains?”

Tan Mi didn’t respond to him, only returning to report to the emperor.

“Your Majesty, the leader of the rebels has been captured.”

The emperor looked at Tan Mi with newfound respect. He had always known she was a lucky star for the kingdom, but he never expected her to be this formidable.

“Mm! Lady Ding Wang, you’ve worked hard. Go and rest now,” the emperor said.

The Second Prince, bound and kneeling before the emperor, did not speak a word or beg for mercy.

As dawn approached, Bai Mucheng had killed a large number of enemies, with some fleeing into the mountains.

Concubine Li was also found by the eunuchs, no longer the elegant figure she once was.

She kneeled and wept, crying, “Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. Hao Ge’er doesn’t understand. Please spare him, Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty, even a tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs!” she pleaded.

The empress sneered. “You’ve rebelled and still expect mercy? Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs?”

Fearing that the outside might still be unsafe, the Crown Prince immediately ordered the Imperial Guard to escort them back to the capital for further punishment.

What was supposed to be a peaceful winter hunt had ended in chaos.

A few days later, Bai Dongyuan was forced to drink poisoned wine, Concubine Li took her own life in the palace, and the Second Prince slammed his head against a wall, ending his life.

This woman, once favored by the emperor, had taught her son to be just as reckless. In the end, mother and son met the same tragic fate.