BLPSG Chapter 61.1

The howling wind carried snowflakes like crashing waves, assaulting everyone in its path.

It had been many years since Yongdu experienced such heavy snowfall.

The grand arches, carved beams, and painted rafters—all vanished from sight. Even the magnolia blossoms on ancient trees, their season not yet arrived, were blown down by the fierce wind, swirling through the air.

Before Xie Bufeng lay only an expanse of white snow.

Beneath the heavy snowfall, the young man could see nothing clearly. He could only hear the distant neighing of warhorses and the occasional cries of pain.

His panic intensified in the chaotic snowstorm.

Wait, just a little longer.

You must wait for me.

Gritting his teeth, the young man followed his memory along the snow-covered palace path toward the medical bureau.

Meanwhile, inside the small courtyard.

Despite the bone-chilling cold, the foreheads of the Hengxin Guards responsible for guarding Wen Qingci were dotted with sweat the size of soybeans.

As the others stepped outside, they exchanged anxious glances.

Fear and hesitation filled their eyes.

The Hengxin Guards was a newly formed unit, each member personally selected by the Emperor.

Their criteria for selection were not loyalty but ambition.

When faced with danger, these Hengxin Guards didn’t hesitate for even half a second. They abandoned their original duties and focused on survival, even seizing opportunities for personal gain.

The sounds of battle outside the medical bureau grew louder.

Xie Bufeng’s forces had already reached the exterior, leaving those inside to face certain death.

Realizing the situation was dire, the guards quickly reached a consensus.

“Let’s go! We can’t stay here any longer.”

“Agreed. Let’s head deeper into the palace—”

“Yes!”

The medical bureau was situated in a corner of the imperial palace. The exit was now blocked by cavalry, so they had no choice but to continue inward.

One of the guards pressed his sword against Wen Qingci’s neck. “Don’t move. Keep quiet and come with us. Otherwise, I’ll kill you right now!”

Wen Qingci coughed, tearing at his insides, and managed to force out a weak “Fine.”

Seeing his frail appearance, the Hengxin Guard felt reassured and paid him no further attention.

With Wen Qingci in tow, they swiftly passed through the vermilion gate connecting the medical bureau to the harem and headed deeper into the palace.

Snowflakes swirled like cotton fibers, obscuring their vision.

Squinting against the elements, the Hengxin Guard failed to notice that Wen Qingci, while wiping blood from his lips, discreetly slipped a white pill into his mouth.

As the biting wind and snow enveloped them, the guard had to raise his voice to be heard:

“Let’s find a hiding place for now. We’ll act when the chaos settles! How about the Imperial Garden? I know a secluded spot there!”

“Good, let’s go—”

The outcome of this palace coup remained uncertain, and these four Hengxin Guards weren’t in a hurry to take sides.

They planned to hide temporarily and wait for the situation to unfold. As for Wen Qingci, he was their bargaining chip.

The sounds of battle echoed through the storm.

Urged by fear, the Hengxin Guards quickened their pace, their strength waning.

The sword pressed against Wen Qingci’s neck, though still distant, grazed his skin, leaving a shallow cut that oozed blood.

Wen Qingci involuntarily frowned, pressing his hand against the wound.

Unbeknownst to the panicked guards, there was no fear in Wen Qingci’s eyes.

In fact, he was plotting something.

Unconsciously, his black hair had turned white from the snow.

News of the palace turmoil spread rapidly throughout Taishu Palace.

Some eunuchs and palace maids took advantage of the chaos to pack their belongings or even steal treasures, hoping to escape the palace.

In a few isolated halls, fires broke out—the aftermath of their thefts.

From a distance, the Hengxin Guards rushing toward them seemed like they were coming to apprehend the eunuch carrying a bundle on his back. The eunuch, kneeling in fear, banged his head on the ground.

“Please spare me, sir! Spare me—”

But it wasn’t until blood stained his forehead that he hesitantly looked up and realized the Hengxin Guards had vanished.

…They had just left?

The eunuch shook off his shock and scrambled to his feet, hurrying toward the side entrance.

In the chaos, he suddenly remembered that the Hengxin guards seemed to be bringing someone with them?

He was wearing a moon-white robes… If he was not mistaken, that person should be the imperial physician Wen Qingci!

Forget it, now is not the time to think about this.

The eunuch looked back and ran forward in a hurry.

In recent months, the Hengxin Guards had completely replaced the original palace security.

They moved throughout the palace, even in its hidden corners.

One of the guards who had spoken earlier had noticed a secret door behind a pavilion in the Imperial Garden during patrols. It led to a small hidden chamber—a perfect

There is a dark chamber behind the door. Although it is dilapidated, it is a good place to hide people.

Several people braved the heavy snow and entered the dark chamber.

The sound of wind and snow was blocked off to one side. In the pitch-black dark room, the frightened Hengxin Guard adjusted his breathing and said, “After all, we are still in Taishu Palace and cannot stay here for long… We will see if we can escape in the chaos and wait outside the palace for changes. If His Majesty wins, we will offer him up as originally planned. If it is His Highness…”

The person who was speaking was still hesitating, as if he was wondering what the relationship between Wen Qingci and Xie Bufeng was.

During the pause, another person suddenly spoke up and added coldly: “If Xie Bufeng wins, he will definitely not let us go. Why don’t we just drain Wen Qingci’s blood outside the palace, and then divide the blood equally and let each of us make our own living!”

He completely regarded Wen Qingci as a medicine rather than a living person.

No matter who wins in the end, Wen Qingci’s blood will be drained.

The dark chamber was silent for a few seconds: “Okay.”

No one objected.

Several people have made up their minds completely.

It’s time!

Wen Qingci, who had been dragged along, coughing from time to time and looking like he could be blown down by any gust of wind, suddenly raised his right hand.

Then, several silver lights flashed from his hands and went straight to Hengxin Guard in the dark room.

“Stop, stop now, what are you doing?!”

“ah–“

Wen Qingci’s movements were faster than the wind and snow outside.

The dark room was too small, and Heng Xinwei’s movements were greatly restricted.

The distance between them was very close, which made it easier for Wen Qingci to aim directly with the silver needle.

The Hengxin guards around them had no time to react before the silver needles pierced their vital points. They instantly lost all strength and fell heavily backwards.

Hengxin Guard had no time to withdraw his hand, and the sword that was against Wen Qingci’s neck gently slashed across his neck.

Although the wound was not deep, the skin and flesh were turned inside out in an instant, and a string of blood oozed out.

Wen Qingci frowned subconsciously and pressed his hand on the wound.

He coughed, slowly retrieving a matchbox from his sleeve.

Hesitating for a few seconds, he clenched his teeth and threw the contents of his hand away. Then, he pushed open the door of the hidden chamber and hurriedly left.

As the flames ignited, Wen Qingci’s heart sank.

…..Two years had passed, yet his hands were still stained with blood. But at this life-or-death moment, there was no room for hesitation.

Taishu Palace, built during a previous dynasty, had an ancient hidden chamber. The palace maids responsible for cleaning the imperial gardens were unaware of its existence, so it remained untouched.

The chamber floor was covered in fallen leaves from the ventilation shaft, which quickly caught fire. The fierce wind blew against him as Wen Qingci tightened his cloak collar and pressed forward.

The emperor would undoubtedly suppress Xie Bufeng’s faction from expanding further in Yongdu. And Xie Bufeng would never allow anyone to control him.

In the original story, Xie Bufeng led three thousand iron riders back from the northern lands, declaring himself the Emperor. So today’s palace coup was within Wen Qingci’s expectations.

He had already decided to feign death during the chaos of the coup and escape Tai Shu Palace. However, the actions of these Hengxin guards were unexpected.

But inadvertently, they facilitated Wen Qingci’s escape. With the witnesses from the palace maids and the scene in the hidden chamber, later arrivals would assume he had died in the chaos of the coup.

Now, the person who wanted to escape Tai Shu Palace had already left the central imperial garden, and the palace corridors were empty.

Wen Qingci exerted all his strength, using light footwork to reach the corner of Tai Shu Palace.

The bitter north wind stole all warmth from his body. Even the wound on his neck threatened to freeze.

The night was thick as ink, and the fires in Tai Shu Palace had spread throughout Yongdu City. Every household had closed their doors, fearing the turmoil.

Except for a small medical clinic in a corner of Yongdu City, which had just opened its doors.

A man wearing a white fox fur cloak and a bamboo hat stepped out into the snow. It was none other than the Master of the Valley of Divine Physicians, Song Junran.

No one expected the Hengxin guards to be so cowardly. They hadn’t stayed long in the medical bureau before fleeing against orders.

Xie Bufeng was too late. When he arrived at the medical bureau, it was already empty.

Anxiety enveloped him. The chaos outside the palace meant the Hengxin guards wouldn’t risk taking Wen Qingci out now.

“Search,” Xie Bufeng gritted his teeth and said to the soldiers behind him, “Even If you must dig three feet into the ground to find the person.”

“Yes!”

The soldiers immediately fanned out from the medical bureau, searching in all directions.

Xie Bufeng’s gaze swept over the area, then he mounted his horse and galloped toward the central part of Tai Shu Palace.

He needed to gain control of the palace as quickly as possible.

His horse raced along the palace road, kicking up snow clouds in its wake.

Faster, even faster…

Xie Bufeng tightened the reins, heading toward the Yi Guang Hall.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the palace, Wen Qingci forced his inner energy, arriving at the palace wall just minutes ahead of everyone else.

He glanced back. The moon and nearby fires illuminated Tai Shu Palace, and the newly bloomed magnolia petals scattered like burning phosphorus.

As he prepared to leap over the wall, he heard a familiar voice.

Someone was coming.

Wen Qingci held his breath, hiding behind an ancient tree, blending into the snowstorm.

“…Are the bows and arrows ready?” The speaker wore soft armor and a golden crown.

Wen Qingci remembered—he was the leader of the Hengxin guards, promoted by the emperor.

Why was he here during the coup?

“Reporting to the Lord, everything is prepared!”

“Good!” The leader of the Hengxin guards smiled, taking a bow and arrow. He spoke in a low voice, “Xie Bufeng arrived with the northern iron Cavalry. No one can defeat him head-on. After he seizes power, he won’t spare anyone who stood by the emperor’s side.”

“To survive, there’s only one way…” The wind carried his words to Wen Qingci’s ears. The leader almost gritted his teeth, “Take advantage of his distraction and kill him in the shadows.”

“Afterward, we’ll support the third prince to the throne.” He chuckled.

Unlike Xie Bufeng and Xie Guanzhi, the third prince was a well-known fool. If they could elevate him, the Hengxin guards would directly control the throne, gaining supreme honor.

Wen Qingci’s breath hitched.

It was a straightforward plan.

In just a few words, the Hengxin guards grew excited.

There was a hint of madness and anticipation in their voices.

This palace coup is both a crisis and an opportunity.

Fortune and wealth are achieved through risk.

This is a huge gamble. If you lose, you will fall into the abyss. If you succeed… you will reach the sky in one step and enjoy enormous wealth.

The group quickly turned around and headed towards the main hall.

Unconsciously, Wen Qingci’s neatly trimmed nails on his right hand had already been deeply embedded in the palm of his hand.

His palms were also soaked with cold sweat.

In the original novel, Hengxin Guards does not exist at all, let alone the so-called assassination.

Even the emperor himself would not have thought that his most trusted leader of Hengxin Guards would sneak away at this time and gather his troops to make other plans.

The most important thing is that this was obviously a temporary decision and Xie Bufeng had definitely never heard of it.

The palace wall was within reach.

As long as Wen Qingci uses his lightness skills to jump out of here, he will be able to completely stay away from the right and wrong of Taishu Palace.

…But what about Xie Bufeng?

Wen Qingci hesitated for only a few seconds, then gritted his teeth, turned around, and followed Hengxin Guards forward.

Never mind, He had prepared himself in advance and taken that pill…

No matter what, he can leave this place.

Just like when he was in Ninghe Palace, he couldn’t convince himself to choose to protect himself and watched Xie Bufeng being locked up in the government office. At this time, Wen Qingci also couldn’t bear to watch the young man fall into such a huge crisis without knowing it.

The wind is howling.

The snow particles hit Wen Qingci’s cheek, causing a stinging pain.

Xie Bufeng should be near the main hall of Taishu Palace now.

Wen Qingci summoned up his inner strength, hoping to speed up and bypass the group of Hengxin guards to go to the main hall to look for Xie Bufeng.

But the next second, a fishy-sweet taste came out of his mouth, and he almost fainted and fell on the snow.

The internal energy flowing through the meridians even showed signs of moving backwards at this moment.

The previous trip almost exhausted all his strength. If it weren’t for his strong willpower, Wen Qingci might not even be able to reach the palace wall.

There was no other way, Wen Qingci could only suppress his discomfort, forced himself to follow them towards the main hall.