Chapter 294: Chapter 271: The Shield that Turned

“Hua Cuo!” Rong Zhi’s voice was low and deep as he uttered these two words, suddenly halting in his steps.

The two moved unhindered through the Imperial Palace, the defensive resistance inside swiftly and mercilessly crushed. Everywhere they looked lay conquered before Rong Zhi’s eyes.

As they briskly walked through the palace, Rong Zhi abruptly remembered someone he had overlooked and stopped without warning.

He finally remembered, the place he had been neglecting.

It was Hua Cuo.

If it were only Hua Cuo alone, he would not be enough to accomplish anything significant, but what if he were to join forces with Feng Ting?

Hua Cuo had never let go of his hatred for him; as long as Feng Ting offered him even the slightest chance for revenge, he would surely be willing to join hands with her.

Why did Hua Cuo not stay in Ping City where he was but instead follow Chu Yu back to Luoyang?

Everyone knew that Chu Yu was the only person he truly cared about.

Luoyang was a place Rong Zhi had painstakingly arranged; even if Feng Ting sent people to attack, it wasn’t certain they could harm Chu Yu. But what if there was also a Hua Cuo lurking by Chu Yu’s side?

The grim curses of days past echoed once again:

—-If you don’t kill me now, you’ll live to regret it deeply.

At the mention of Hua Cuo, Guan Canghai was taken aback, raising his hand to place it on Rong Zhi’s shoulder, trying to console him, “We haven’t even seen Feng Ting yet. Don’t always assume the worst. Perhaps it’s just unfounded worry on your part?”

Listenting to his consolation, Rong Zhi’s pale face showed not a hint of cheer as he quietly said, “I hope so too.” He truly did feel some regret now.

He had always been one to plan thoroughly, yet in this life he had only made two miscalculations: one with Tian Ruyue and the other with Chu Yu. Tian Ruyue possessed techniques beyond this world, and losing to him wasn’t a defeat in battle, but Chu Yu…

This woman seemed to be the origin of all disorder; once, twice, thrice, until now, whenever it involved her, there was always some deviation. As a result, he had overlooked Hua Cuo at Chu Yu’s side.

But this oversight was fatal!

In Rong Zhi’s tranquil voice there seemed to lie an air of inevitable despair. Hearing this, Guan Canghai couldn’t help but frown slightly, saying, “I still don’t understand. Why wouldn’t she eliminate Tuoba Hong first before dealing with you? Does she have the confidence to deal with Tuoba Hong after defeating you? Isn’t she afraid that she might drive you to Tuoba Hong’s side? What does she have to rely on?” His questions were not meant as doubts but were aimed at soothing Rong Zhi’s unease.

Removing Guan Canghai’s hand from his shoulder, closing his eyes and then opening them again, Rong Zhi calmly said, “Let’s go see Feng Ting.”

Before his arrival, as the Emperor, Tuoba Hong, and as the Empress Dowager, Feng Ting, had already been separately summoned into two palace chambers. The former could be temporarily ignored, but the latter was Rong Zhi’s main target.

The military officer guarding the entrance was a subordinate of Rong Zhi, but at the moment, his expression was somewhat uneasy. Rong Zhi felt a stir in his heart and quickly stepped into the palace. Once he saw the situation inside, his mind instantly became crystal clear.

So that’s how it is.

Rong Zhi spoke expressionlessly as he continued the question that Guan Canghai had just asked, “The person Feng Ting is relying on is Tian Rujing.”

At this moment, Feng Ting was dressed in elegant and resplendent court attire, standing in the center of the palace, her demeanor noble and solemn. Yet, in front of her stood Tian Rujing, who should not have been there. On either side of Tian Rujing were his two senior martial brothers, Yue Jiefei and the one who had previously followed Liu Ziyue. Now, these people stood here to protect Feng Ting.

Tian Rujing, Hua Cuo… one had become the shield of Ping City, the other the sword of Luoyang. Rong Zhi wasn’t surprised that Feng Ting had sought out Hua Cuo, but he had no idea that Feng Ting had conspired with Tian Rujing. He knew how stubborn Tian Rujing’s lineage was, and he had many informants in the palace; he wouldn’t miss any significant move by important figures. How could Feng Ting have evaded his surveillance to contact Tian Rujing and, in such a short time, persuaded him to defect to her side?

Isn’t Tian Rujing always claiming to follow the will of Heaven? Why then, is Tuoba Hong no longer favored by Heaven’s will?

Upon arriving here and witnessing the forces Feng Ting had assembled, he no longer needed to ask in detail whether Feng Ting had made a move against Luoyang, for the moment he entered, Tian Rujing had activated a blue Light Shield, protecting the four of them, including himself.

The mocking and triumphant smile on Feng Ting’s lips confirmed that all his previous speculations were correct.

Not even looking at Tian Rujing, Rong Zhi said to Feng Ting, “What are your intentions?” From the beginning to the end, he never regarded Tian Rujing as a significant enemy. Tian Rujing’s hand ring only had the power of self-preservation; it couldn’t actively attack others. As long as he didn’t wish to kill Tian Rujing, the latter could not harm him.

Originally, his defeat to Tian Ruyue was firstly because he wanted to seize the hand ring but was injured by its self-defense mechanism. Secondly, at that time, Tian Ruyue had also commanded a military force, which encircled and ambushed him, leaving him in a sorry state. But now, in the Northern Dynasty, he controlled the army, and he no longer desired the hand ring. It was impossible for Tian Rujing to imitate his master’s actions from the past.

Tian Rujing could at best protect the lives of a few people, but the control of the big picture was not something that could be decided by the life or death of a mere handful.

At present, the most urgent matter was the safety of Chu Yu, and thus, Rong Zhi’s first words were directed squarely at Feng Ting, straight to the core.

Feng Ting chuckled, her face somewhat similar to Rong Zhi’s yet with three parts more heroic beauty, shrouded in a faint blue glow, appearing mysterious and unpredictable, “Aren’t you curious why I would scheme against you, or, for that matter, how I came to work with Tian Rujing?”

Rong Zhi replied indifferently, “I know the answer to the first question, and the second has already become a done deal. There’s no need for me to delve into it. If you are willing to tell me, then do so; if not, there’s no need to beat around the bush. I don’t have the leisure for that.”

Before seeing Feng Ting, his heart had been filled with anxiety, almost to the point of losing self-control. But upon entering the palace, he regained his tranquil composure in an instant, controlling his nearly crumbling mind with his strong self-discipline, presenting an image of icy serenity and grace.

Feng Ting wanted to rebel against him simply because she no longer wished to be his puppet. Although she was the Empress Dowager, all significant actions of Feng Ting had to be approved by him, with half of the court under his control. If Feng Ting had no ambition and was content with her lot, that would have been the end of it. But she was ambitious enough to even want to seize the powers of Tuoba Hong, let alone continue to be constrained by him.

Rong Zhi was aware of Feng Ting’s discontent but had not anticipated that she would make her move before getting rid of Tuoba Hong.

The presence of Tian Rujing had swayed this unexpected turn of events.

Because of Rong Zhi’s indifferent tone, Feng Ting was momentarily stunned, then she recalled that her brother was the best at deceiving people and laughed coldly again, “You probably don’t know that when Tian Rujing first came to Northern Wei years ago, the first person he sought out was me.”