Chapter 82

  "What can I do?" Sima Qiang looked up at the Empress Dowager and said helplessly, "I just want to save my mother, grandmother. If it weren't for Sima Rui taking a liking to Murong Xue, how would this Murong Feng have appeared? If it weren't for Murong Feng replacing Murong Xue in marrying Sima Rui, how would Father Emperor have taken Murong Xue as his concubine? Mother has been married to Father Emperor for many years and has always been obedient. Now, in order not to let Father Emperor be indulged in beauty, she had no choice but to come up with this plan. Although the result is a bit unexpected, I think mother's heart is good. But Father Emperor actually wants to strip Mother of her title and abolish my title as Crown Prince. In the end, it's all because of the Murong family."

  Murong Feng stood still, looking at Sima Rui, seeing Sima Rui's uneasy face, wanting to try to move forward, but because of the knife in Sima Qiang's hand that was always held against her neck, she didn't dare to move forward. Her eyes were filled with worry and fear, losing her usual calmness and composure.

  "I'm taking her away!" Sima Qiang coldly stared at Sima Rui, "If you dare to take one step forward, I'll kill her immediately."

  "The Empress Dowager hastily said, 'You let Feng'er go.'"

  "If you weren't so concerned about her, I might have let her go, but since you are so concerned about her, I will never let her go. I'll take her with me to the Reflection Garden along with Mother. If anything happens to Mother, and you try to do anything to us mother and child, I'll kill her immediately!" Sima Qiang said without any room for negotiation. "With her here, we can guarantee Mother's and my safety. Otherwise, given what Mother has done, she will definitely be punished with humiliation and death. Besides, the Reflection Garden is a cold palace, and with Mother's physical condition, it's impossible to stay there for long. As long as she's here, you won't torture my mother because of her."

  Simarui secretly let out a sigh of relief, as long as she was still in the palace, there was a chance to save her. The knife on Murong Feng's neck was even more frightening than if it were on his own neck.

  "Help my mother up, quickly!" Sima ordered the eunuch beside him. "We're going to Si Hou Garden right now. Hongyu has been unwell for several days, and after her hand injury heals, we'll send her over. She's not involved in this matter, don't harm her!"

  "Simar Qiang!" The emperor was truly furious, this Sima Qiang, dared to threaten him like this. "Release Murong Feng immediately! What does she have to do with this? Where did you come up with such a forced reason?"

  "Husband!" Hong Yu suddenly appeared at the door, looking pale and being supported by Xiao Wu, "You quickly let go of Murong girl, quickly apologize to Father Emperor, Mother has already made a mistake, you can't make another one, Hong Yu will definitely accompany you, no matter what situation you are in."

  Simar's hand exerted a slight force, and a strand of fresh blood flowed out from Murong Feng's neck.

  "Simma Qiang! If you dare to hurt Feng'er again, I won't just let you off the hook, but I'll make you wish you were dead!" Sima Rui said coldly. "Now that Feng'er is in your hands, it's my fault for underestimating you. But if anything happens to her, you and your mother will be punished by me no matter what!"

  "How dare you! My mother is one of the three palaces, how can it be your turn? Even if she's abandoned, only the emperor can handle it. You're just a useless crown prince, what are you being arrogant about?" Sima Qiang also said coldly, "In my eyes, you don't even count as a man!"

  "You know I'm a stubborn person, so you must know that I don't care about right or wrong in the usual way. Mu Rong Feng is more important to me than my own life. If anything happens to her, it's like you're taking away my life. What else do I have to worry about?" Sima Rui knew that he couldn't rescue Mu Rong Feng from Sima Qiang at this time. The current situation made him feel like a cornered dog, and if he enraged Sima Qiang, he might hurt Feng. So he could only try to keep Feng safe in his hands. "With her in your hands, I indeed have no way out. But as long as you're in Si Gu Yuan, as long as your mother is alive, I'll think of countless ways to make you and your mother suffer!"

  Simarong snorted coldly, "I've been intimidated since I was a child, this kind of threat is just talk, now that Murong Feng is in my hands, what you say is useless."

  "Is that so?" Sima Rui walked a few steps forward, arrived in front of Liu Fei, and said to Li Fei, "Li Fei, trouble you to bring some medicine from your Wumeng country, only you have the antidote."

  "Good!" Lihui responded readily, taking out a brocade pouch from her body. "This is something I've been carrying with me. The medicine won't be fatal, but it will cause unbearable pain. As for the antidote, of course, only I, Princess Lihui, have it. This was specially prepared by the imperial pharmacist for me. You just need to get her to take it."

  Simarong was stunned, Sima Rui stepped forward to block Liu Fei, took the medicine pill handed over by Li Fei, lifted her chin, stuffed it into her mouth, and gently pushed her to swallow. Then he coldly smiled, looking at Simarong, "Sima Rui, you should remember that I am such a despicable person. You have taken Feng'er as a hostage. If you don't want your mother to suffer, then so be it. But if anything happens to Feng'er, the one who will suffer is your mother!"

  "You!" Sima Qiang glared at Sima Rui with hatred.

  "Don't think of me as a gentleman, I'm absolutely a petty person. All along, I've wanted to reason with you and your mother. Back then, your heroic rescue was so impressive, but since Hongyu was deceived, she just went along with it. Now, I want to let you see the petty moves of Sima Rui, aren't they just as good as yours back then?" Sima Rui smiled coldly.

  "Mother." Hongyu hastily went forward to support Empress Liu.

  "Get out!" The empress dowager said angrily, "No one told her to stand up, how dare she! In the past, your behavior, I deliberately concealed for you. If Feng'er has any misstep in Si Gu Yuan, do you know what the consequences will be?!"

  Hongyu's face changed color in shock, could it be that the Empress Dowager wanted to use her past pregnancy as leverage against her? If Sima Qian found out about her and Sima Zhe's intimate relationship and her current pregnancy, he might just kill her to satiate his anger.

  Simazheng dragged Murong Feng step by step towards the door, "Hongyu, help your mother up, let's go."

  Hongyu hastily helped Liu Fei up, and the four of them slowly exited the Warming Jade Pavilion. The wind outside was very cold, and Sima couldn't help but shiver. "Prepare carriages for us," he said. "This place is too far from the Reflection Garden. My mother's health is too poor; she can't handle walking long distances."

  The emperor looked at them coldly and ordered in a cold voice, "Prepare carriages for them. Since Sima Qiang is holding Murong Feng hostage, I'm afraid he might accidentally harm her on the way."

  The carriage was driven over, stopped there, Sima Qiang held Mu Rong Feng in front of the carriage, then said to Hong Yu: "Hong Yu, help your mother get on first." Then he lifted Mu Rong Feng's body and jumped onto the carriage, the knife in his hand still pressed steadily against Mu Rong Feng's neck.

  Just as they were about to hurry away in the carriage, Liu Fei suddenly spoke up and said: "Qiang Er, go down with Hong Yu, go pay your respects to your father the king, hand over the knife to me, I'll take care of this little girl."

  Simazhuan hesitated for a moment, handed the knife handle to his mother, and got off the carriage with Hongyu. Right in front of the carriage, he knelt down before the Emperor.

  A loud whinny, the horse suddenly leapt forward, blood gushing out, struggling to gallop away. Liu Fei had stabbed a knife into the horse's back, startling it, and it took off with two people on board, only to see Murong Feng stumble and fall onto the carriage. Liu Fei was already frightened and shocked, and now she lost her balance, thrown from the carriage and hitting her head against a tree trunk, instantly losing consciousness.

  The carriage vanished instantly into the night.