FIMA Ch80: The Altar [Arc 5]

The mountain forest on the outskirts of Qing County used to be rugged paths and overgrown with weeds.

At some point, a high platform had been erected there, and the area had become flat and smooth in a short time.

At noon on this day, the auspicious time had just arrived.

The sound of musical instruments continuously played, and on the high altar, smoke rose from the incense burner.

A young man dressed in light-colored dragon-patterned robes stood under the altar with civil and military officials.

At the call of the Ministry of Rites official, the young man immediately walked up the altar step by step, bowed first, then took the thick incense handed to him, ready to insert it into the incense burner.

At that moment, the central pillar of the altar suddenly wobbled.

“Sixth Highness!” Ming Bao’s face turned pale, and his shrill voice rang out.

Gu Siyuan, who had just received a large amount of information and had a splitting headache, heard a sharp shout.

He looked up and saw the pillar on the high platform about to fall.

Without thinking, Gu Siyuan immediately stepped on the steps and flew forward, kicking it.

To his surprise, this body was incredibly strong, and with that kick, the pillar, which weighed nearly a thousand pounds, actually stood back upright.

“Ah!”

“Heavens!”

Exclamations arose from the crowd.

Amidst the chaos, Gu Siyuan’s peripheral vision caught a figure sneaking away.

Found you.

Gu Siyuan drew the dagger from his waist and hurled it without hesitation.

The sound of wind whistled, and the next moment, blood spurted from the person’s shoulder, and their body lurched forward.

Standing on the altar, Gu Siyuan patted his sword and shouted loudly, “Imperial guards, capture them alive! The altar was sabotaged; there are traitors attempting to assassinate the emperor!”

Everyone immediately came to their senses.

Yes, this ceremony was originally to be presided over by the emperor himself, but due to his sudden illness this morning, it was handed over to the favored Sixth Prince, Xie Xuan.

Oh no… someone was trying to assassinate the emperor!

The surrounding guards swiftly moved into action.

Gu Siyuan squinted and continued, “There are people hiding under this altar. Go to the main tent and report to His Majesty; we may need to dismantle the altar and search underneath.”

“Yes, sir.” One of the imperial guards immediately obeyed.

As soon as the words fell, Gu Siyuan heard a clear shout, “General, be careful.”

The next moment, the wooden planks and bricks under his feet exploded, and several long swords gleaming with cold light broke through, slashing straight at him.

Goodness, can’t they aim somewhere else?

Gu Siyuan’s expression turned icy. He leapt into the air, quickly retreated, and drew a long sword from his waist. He swung it horizontally like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, clashing with the enemy’s blades.

In the next moment, the masked enemy’s weapon shattered, and his body was flung away.

Similarly, the next two or three enemies who charged up were also swiftly defeated.

Gu Siyuan squinted in pleasure, finding some enjoyment in the fight.

The original body had terrifying strength, and his own soul had a sharp sensitivity beyond ordinary people. Combining these attributes, the masked black-clad men stood no chance, with several even killed by the surrounding imperial guards after being repelled.

Moments later, the masked leader, seeing the heavy losses on his side, shouted in pain, “Retreat, retreat!”

If they didn’t leave now, they would be wiped out.

Gu Siyuan wasn’t about to let them escape and immediately pursued them.

At this point, the black-clad leader’s eyes flickered, and he threw a knife toward the edge of the altar where Sixth Prince Xie Xuan stood.

Xie Xuan’s face turned pale as he quickly stepped aside, but standing at the edge, he would fall if he retreated any further. His slender body swayed in the wind.

“Sixth Highness!” Ming Bao shouted urgently.

Gu Siyuan lightly stepped on the ground, leaped into the air, kicked away the long knife, and with a long arm, pulled the slender figure into his embrace.

After landing, Gu Siyuan ignored everything else. He stepped on the hilt of a nearby sword, kicked it up, and forcefully sent it flying. The sword hit the black-clad leader’s thigh, who had been trying to escape after targeting Xie Xuan.

Instantly, a scream echoed, and the leader’s movements slowed down, collapsing to his knees.

“Leader!” The remaining black-clad men shouted anxiously.

Gu Siyuan’s face remained cold as he loudly commanded, “Capture them alive, disable their limbs, and dislocate their jaws.”

“Yes, sir.” His well-trained imperial guards immediately responded.

“Your Highness…”

At this moment, a figure stumbled over, calling out to the person in Gu Siyuan’s arms.

Gu Siyuan withdrew his gaze and squinted, realizing only then that he was still holding someone. This person was so light that holding them felt like holding a sword with no weight.

“This is the target of the mission in this world, Xie Xuan,” a familiar, cold mechanical voice sounded in his mind.

At the same time, a clear voice like a spring echoed in his ear, “General Gu, please put me down!”

Gu Siyuan, with an expressionless face, directly threw the person down.

“…” Xie Xuan, caught off guard, staggered several steps before barely standing firm.

After a moment, he suppressed his anger and nodded in thanks, “Thank you, General, for saving me.”

Gu Siyuan acted as if he didn’t hear and turned to leave without a word, the flowing black cloak even brushing against Xie Xuan.

“…” Xie Xuan.

Ming Bao glared angrily and complained, “What kind of person is this? Your Highness, you are of noble status…”

The next moment, Gu Siyuan suddenly turned his head and glanced at him.

Ming Bao felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him, shivering with fear and reluctantly closing his mouth.

Gu Siyuan ignored them further, jumping off the tall altar and coldly ordering the guards, “Bring the captives over; interrogate them immediately.”

His voice was filled with undisguised killing intent.

Ming Bao watched until the figure had completely disappeared, and his body finally stopped trembling.

He murmured softly, “General Gu’s aura is terrifying…”

Xie Xuan laughed lightly, unconcerned.

Seeing his master’s smile, Ming Bao became indignant again, “Your Highness, you are a prince, and he is merely a minor Zhonglang General. How dare he be so disrespectful to you? We should go to His Majesty and report him. His Majesty dotes on you the most; he will surely punish him severely.”

However, something about his words seemed wrong.

Xie Xuan’s expression immediately darkened, and he said coldly, “Do not mention this again. Let’s go!”

…

The sound of screams grew louder and louder.

Inside the tent, however, it was extremely quiet, making it even more terrifying. Nie Hao slightly raised his head, looking at the tall figure sitting quietly on the grand chair.

Gu Siyuan’s fingers gently caressed the cold, long sword, and the cold, stern face reflected in the shiny blade was even colder than the steel.

He was thinking about the background information about this world that he had just received.

This was a feudal dynasty, and the country he was in was the Great Liang, with the royal surname Xie.

The current emperor, with the reign title Jian Zhao, was the fourth ruler of the Great Liang, and the country was at its peak.

The person he had just saved, Xie Xuan, was the sixth prince, the son of Noble Consort Lu in the harem.

However, the protagonist of this world was the fourth prince, Xie Huan.

The fourth prince’s mother was Concubine Yun, who was from a foreign tribe at the border and served as the tribe’s saintess. Eighteen years ago, she was offered as a tribute to the Great Liang.

At that time, Jian Zhao, who was just a minor prince, was smitten by her beauty and fell in love at first sight.

However, the purpose of offering a saintess from a foreign tribe was profound; it was naturally meant for the emperor or the future emperor.

At that time, the former emperor was already old and had no interest in new concubines, so he gave her to the crown prince as a concubine.

Jian Zhao could not obtain her.

Later, as the struggle for the throne on the imperial court intensified, the crown prince was deposed, and his concubines were scattered.

Unexpectedly, Jian Zhao, who was not favored, fortunately ascended the throne.

After ascending to the throne, the first thing he did was to rename and bring Concubine Yun back into the palace.

However, Concubine Yun, who had appeared in public and performed a dance as the saintess of a foreign tribe, was once the wife of a brother. If discovered, it could harm the emperor’s reputation.

Moreover, if she was overly favored in the palace, it would naturally draw attention and hostility from other concubines. In Jian Zhao’s eyes, his Concubine Yun was the purest person in the world and must not be tainted by these worldly matters.

Therefore, Jian Zhao arranged for her to live in the most remote palace, living behind closed doors. In public, he treated her son, the fourth prince Xie Huan, with cold indifference to protect him.

Despite this, Jian Zhao was still uneasy. He decided to find a shield for Concubine Yun and her son, namely the current Noble Consort Lu.

Noble Consort Lu came from an ordinary family, being the daughter of a remote prefect. She was straightforward and probably couldn’t see through the deeper intentions.

After selecting Noble Consort Lu, Jian Zhao showered her with favor, elevating her status in the harem. In just two years, she rose from a minor concubine to the rank of consort.

Playing his role thoroughly, Jian Zhao also granted great favor to her family and lavished rewards and affection on the sixth prince, Xie Xuan.

There were even rumors from some unknown sources that the emperor intended to entrust the kingdom to the sixth prince in the future.

This completely diverted attention away from Concubine Yun in the remote palace.

Every day, courtiers cursed Noble Consort Lu as a demoness and the bane of the country, and other concubines in the palace naturally targeted her and her son.

Jian Zhao was evidently very satisfied with this situation, continuing to lavish favor on Noble Consort Lu and her son, Xie Xuan.

The heroine of this world, named Jiang Yuanyuan, was the legitimate daughter of the chief branch of the Cheng’en Duke’s household and the niece of the empress dowager.

Jiang Yuanyuan was renowned for her beauty and deeply loved by the Empress Dowager. She was often summoned to serve in the palace and naturally became familiar with the emperor’s sons.

After a heroic rescue incident, Jiang Yuanyuan fell deeply in love with the seemingly unfavored fourth prince, Xie Huan.

Secretly, they pledged their love to each other.

However, her family did not agree with this and hoped that Jiang Yuanyuan would marry the highly favored sixth prince, Xie Xuan, thinking she might become the next empress dowager.

Initially, Jiang Yuanyuan was extremely reluctant.

However, perhaps the emperor’s act was too convincing.

During an accident, she witnessed the emperor’s limitless affection for Xie Xuan and his harsh coldness toward Xie Huan—two completely different attitudes.

Jiang Yuanyuan changed her mind and felt an infinite sense of pity for Xie Huan.

She decided to marry Xie Xuan. She wanted to infiltrate the enemy and help her beloved Xie Huan achieve the supreme position.

Jiang Yuanyuan always had a good reputation and was the niece of the Empress Dowager. After marriage, Xie Xuan naturally treated her with courtesy.

Because Xie Xuan was weak from a young age and always needed medication, Jiang Yuanyuan, with her intentions, did not mind at all. Sometimes, she even personally prepared his medicine and took great care of him.

Xie Xuan felt increasingly guilty and trusted her more and more.

After that, whether it was family affairs or state affairs, he would share some information with her.

Thus, after several years of the power struggle, when the other brothers were either imprisoned or exiled, Xie Xuan was supposed to become the final victor.

However, due to Jiang Yuanyuan’s secret betrayal and under the instigation of Emperor Jian Zhao, Xie Xuan was accused of several crimes, some of which were related to treason and colluding with foreign countries.

Because of the rumors about Noble Consort Lu being a femme fatale over the years, the Lu family and Xie Xuan already had a bad reputation in the court and among the people. After this incident, they were almost powerless to defend themselves.

After a period of feigned sorrow, Emperor Jian Zhao bestowed poison and white silk upon Noble Consort Lu and her son.

At this time, the courtiers found that Emperor Jian Zhao had only one relatively intact prince left, the fourth prince, Xie Huan.

Thus, in the end, Xie Huan was made the crown prince.

Xie Xuan, the fool, worked hard to defeat all his brothers, only to end up paving the way for someone else.

…

“The sixth prince? Fool…”

Gu Siyuan squinted his eyes, his gaze cold.

That sickly and pitiable person, who weighed less than a sword, was repeatedly deceived and used by those closest to him. It was really unscrupulous…

Nie Hao, below, saw that his general’s aura was becoming colder and more terrifying. He thought to himself: The general hates evil as he hates enemies and has always disliked the Lu family, which relied on connections. Does he also dislike the sixth prince? But being cold-faced and cursing the prince until now—isn’t this too much?

At this moment, Gu Siyuan slightly raised his eyelids, and his gaze met Nie Hao’s.

Nie Hao panicked and quickly bowed, “General.”

Gu Siyuan stood up from his chair and said indifferently, “Go and see how the interrogation is going. These idiots haven’t reported back yet.”

“Yes.”

Nie Hao quickly responded and led the way.

At this moment, a eunuch and several guards walked in from outside.

A shrill voice announced, “By the emperor’s decree, summon Zhonglang General of the Imperial Guards, Gu Xun, for an audience!”

Gu Siyuan immediately bowed respectfully, “By command.”

Tsk, is this for disrupting the plan and now they want to settle the score?