Reborn to Become A Queen: The Real Heiress's Comeback-Chapter 434: Siege the City

Si Jun’s eyes were filled with ambition.

The sounds of fighting outside the palace grew closer and closer.

Zhan Lan felt as though she had returned to her previous life, where Si Jun had worn the same sinister expression and told her of how her loved ones had been systematically harmed.

Hatred flooded Zhan Lan’s heart.

"I swear to fight the rebels to the death!" Zhong Xuanliang declared with resolute determination. If the rebels broke in, he was ready to sacrifice himself to protect the nation.

Si Yuzhang tried to mediate, "Everyone, remain calm and do not act rashly. Trust in the strength of the Imperial Army!"

Lu Zhong glared at Si Jun, rebuking him sharply, "How could King Wei go as far as regicide and patricide, bearing the eternal infamy for generations!"

Si Jun sneered, completely lost in his madness, "The annals of history are written however I decide them to be!"

Prince Xian and Prince Qi remained silent, knowing that choosing the wrong side now would spell disaster.

At this moment, their hearts were each burdened with their own worries.

Prince Xian glanced at Mu Yan, "Imperial Uncle, make your decision quickly!"

Prince Xian thought to himself that it would be simpler to shoot Si Jun with an arrow and end it once and for all. If the Crown Prince were dead, wouldn’t he be next in line?

Even if it meant being a puppet emperor, he was willing.

Prince Qi turned his gaze to Zhan Lan, "Imperial Uncle, Imperial Aunt, I beg you both to decide quickly!"

In his heart, he thought that if the Crown Prince died, he could also claim the throne. But under no circumstances could Si Jun succeed. Otherwise, given that he had sided with the Crown Prince earlier, if Si Jun succeeded in his coup, he wouldn’t spare him either.

Mu Yan and Zhan Lan remained silent. Zhan Lan didn’t want to disrupt Mu Yan’s rhythm; he would never be easily controlled by Si Jun.

Mu Yan’s expression betrayed no emotion, and his unwavering demeanor enraged Si Jun, leaving him trembling with fury.

The calmer his opponent remained, the more uncertain Si Jun felt inside.

The Crown Prince’s neck had already been nicked by Si Jun’s dagger, leaving a cut that began to bleed. His face was ashen, lips bloodless, as he looked to Mu Yan, "Imperial Uncle... save me!"

Zhan Beicang drew his sword from the waist of an Imperial Army soldier nearby and shouted, "I will meet the enemy myself!"

Mu Yan’s deep voice pressed down, "Not yet."

Zhan Beicang had been about to retort that it wasn’t the time to delay, as the rebels had already broken in. But just then, a figure appeared at the doorway—Assistant Minister of War Zhu Zhilang.

Si Jun’s heart relaxed at the sight of Zhu Zhilang, a sly smile creeping onto his lips, "Father-in-law, you arrived just in time!"

"Father-in-law?!" Zhong Xuanliang glared daggers at him. "Zhu Zhilang, you despicable traitor! You’ve sided with King Wei!"

Si Jun laughed, "Zhong Xuanliang, aren’t you supposed to be tough? How dare you treat my future father-in-law like this? You’ll be the first I deal with!"

"You!" Zhong Xuanliang was trembling with rage. Who could have thought the Minister of War was in cahoots with King Wei? He beat his chest and lamented, "To think such parasites exist within the court—Nanjin is doomed!"

Zhong Xuanliang, Lu Zhong, Prince Xian, and Prince Qi all fell into despair. Who would have imagined that the Minister of War was also part of this conspiracy? For wealth and power, Zhu Zhilang had given his daughter to Si Jun.

Bai Lu shuddered uncontrollably, wishing only to find a place to hide. If the rebels broke in later, she too could lose her life!

Prince Xian’s wife closed her eyes, resigned to the thought that today would be her end. If the palace were surrounded by rebels, who could save them?

Si Jun looked at Zhu Zhilang, "Father-in-law, our forces have broken through, haven’t they?"

Zhu Zhilang didn’t answer but turned his gaze to Mu Yan.

Si Jun suddenly felt something was amiss. Could it be that they had failed? Impossible! He had planned everything meticulously. Even if the entire Imperial Army rushed in, they would still need at least another quarter of an hour.

Suddenly, Zhu Zhilang spoke, "King Wei, lay down your weapon and surrender!"

Si Jun’s face turned pale with shock—Zhu Zhilang had betrayed him!

"No!" Si Jun’s eyes flared with rage. He couldn’t believe that Zhu Zhilang, whose daughter Zhu Longyue was now his, could betray him. Wouldn’t someone who adored his daughter never turn against him?

"You broke your word!" Si Jun burned with fury as he glared at Zhu Zhilang.

Zhu Zhilang stepped into the royal quarters, bowing to Mu Yan, "Your Highness, I report that I, along with the Imperial Army, have already slain most of the rebels outside the palace gates. The few who breached the gates have also been eliminated."

Mu Yan nodded lightly, "Understood."

Si Jun looked at Mu Yan with bloodshot eyes, his entire being trembling, "Impossible! Zhu Zhilang, what did Mu Yan offer you?"

As it turned out, last night Mu Yan had approached Zhu Zhilang and informed him that the military supplies sent by the Ministry of War to Si Jun had been confiscated.

Zhu Zhilang’s expression had drastically changed—the rebellion had been exposed even before it began.

Given that Mu Yan had already uncovered King Wei’s plot, how could he let Zhu Zhilang and his entire family escape unscathed?

Indeed, after Mu Yan took away Zhu Zhilang’s daughter and mother, Zhu Zhilang panicked.

With no other choice, he agreed to Mu Yan’s conditions, pretending to continue supplying military resources to King Wei and feigning allegiance.

If he hadn’t turned against King Wei today, his mother and daughter would assuredly have perished.

Compared to his family’s lives, wealth and power were but fleeting illusions.

Moreover, Mu Yan had revealed that Zhu Longyue had only accompanied Si Jun because she had been drugged.

Mu Yan had too many spies, too many tricks—he was terrifying. Even Zhu Zhilang himself couldn’t determine if there were Mu Yan’s spies within his own household.

Perhaps the day he had opposed the Crown Prince over his indulgence with palace maids, Mu Yan had already set his sights on him.

Zhan Lan, seeing Zhu Zhilang submit to Mu Yan, realized she had been right. That day when the military supplies were intercepted was only the beginning; Mu Yan must have anticipated this outcome all along.

Glancing sideways at Mu Yan’s sharply defined features, Zhan Lan’s lips curved slightly. With him there, she no longer felt like she was fighting alone.

The sense of security Mu Yan provided her was unparalleled.

Si Jun’s dagger trembled in his grip, while Mu Yan’s gaze carried a hint of mockery and overwhelming disdain as he stared him down and said sardonically, "I told you before, you brazen child, you’re far too impatient."

Zhan Beicang felt a growing admiration for Mu Yan. Though his words cut like venom, his ability to turn the tides was undeniable. It was as though with Mu Yan present, everything remained firmly under control.

Even as a son-in-law, Zhan Beicang found him increasingly likable.

Lu Zhong exhaled heavily in relief, his impression of Mu Yan shifting. If Mu Yan wanted the throne, he could seize it today with ease, but he didn’t. Lu Zhong couldn’t help but feel admiration rising within him.

He thought to himself: If the Crown Prince lacked the Regent King’s ability to keep the court in check, he truly couldn’t win the people’s trust.

Zhong Xuanliang’s eyes lit up with excitement, his heart brimming with satisfaction. The Regent King’s foresight—his plans executed flawlessly—brought an immense sense of reprieve.

Reflecting on his previous objections to Mu Yan, he felt a pang of guilt. Indeed, one should never judge hastily!

Prince Xian and Prince Qi also breathed a sigh of relief as their tension eased.

Bai Lu collapsed to the ground in terror, while Si Yuzhang broke into a cold sweat, fear gripping him entirely. How could Si Jun’s meticulously planned rebellion, complete with infiltrators in the Imperial Army and private soldiers storming the gates, end in such failure?

The Crown Prince suddenly brightened with excitement and spoke gravely, "Si Jun, did you hear that? You have failed. Surrender now, and I will spare your life!"

Si Jun’s eyes were dark and venomous, filled with disdain as he glared at the Crown Prince, "Don’t you find your words utterly hypocritical?"

Why should he be so arrogant? Was it not only because Mu Yan was shielding him? Without his status as the legitimate son, with only his intellect, could he truly ascend the throne?

Si Jun’s gaze grew malevolent. If he couldn’t become emperor, then the Crown Prince would not either!

In a sudden motion, he aimed the dagger at the Crown Prince’s chest, intent on plunging it deeply through.