Chapter 422: Ruthless Deadly Trap

Henwell claps his hands lightly. “Not a bad plan. Afterward, Nangong He, you just need to sweet-talk Lucy and calm her down. Then, even if some suspect something, no one will stand up for a dead foreign barbarian.”

Nangong Pingyue happily joins in the applause. “Exactly! You see right through it! It’s getting late, time to go die!”

Henwell clenches his fists. “You know I’m a Third Rank Martial Warrior. To keep it hidden, the poison you used can’t be too fierce or fast-acting. I still have fighting strength for a while. So I’m curious, how do you plan to stop me from running?”

”Nangong He, those two Third Rank guards by your side won’t be enough, right? Or is that Fourth Rank expert secretly protecting you about to make a move? Isn’t that a bit wasteful? Revealing your trump card just for someone about to die?”

Nangong Pingyue replies, “Of course not! Here in my mansion, you’ll die by my hand.”

“Men! Kill this barbarian!”

At Nangong Pingyue’s command, a large group of warriors storms into the banquet hall.

Behind them, heavily armored guards wielding crossbows surround the area tightly.

Nangong Pingyue sneers. “Heh heh heh... You’re so tough? Let’s see how you escape now.”

Henwell scans the surroundings. “You’re well-prepared, even armored crossbows. But as far as I know, armored crossbows aren’t official military weapons. No one is allowed to keep them privately. “

”You’re a Crown Prince held hostage in the capital, you shouldn’t have these at all! And there’s quite a few of them, enough to wipe out a whole family. Or were you planning a rebellion from the start?”

Nangong Pingyue laughs loudly. “Ha ha ha... Rebellion? This empire belongs to the royal family, there’s no such thing as rebellion. “

”Besides, His Majesty’s health is failing; soon he’ll pass away. Then the Crown Prince will ascend the throne, it’s only a matter of time. These armored weapons were meant for that struggle for the throne. Showing them to you now is a courtesy!”

Nangong He frowns. “Watch your words!”

“What is there to fear, Your Highness? Our great plan is about to succeed soon!”

Henwell asks curiously, “Can you satisfy my curiosity? I’m dying anyway. Can you tell me what big plan you’re plotting?”

Nangong Pingyue sneers coldly. “After you die, I’ll burn money for you, and then we can have a proper chat!”

Henwell sighs and bows slightly. “Gentlemen, it seems this is all I can ask. I humbly request you to take action and capture these rebels.”

Nangong Pingyue looks at Henwell in disbelief. “Are you out of your mind? Expecting someone to come save you? Didn’t I say it? Even if the Heavenly King himself showed up today, he couldn’t save your life!”

“Is that so?”

“How dare you!”

“Kneel down!”

“Bold to the point of madness!”

After four sharp commands, everyone in the banquet hall collapses to the ground, unable to move an inch.

Then, four figures slowly step into the hall from the snowy night.

Upon seeing who they are, the officials around lose all courage to protest.

Chief Constable Lie Yu.

Leader of the Imperial Dragon Guards, Nangong Yaoyun.

Leader of the Wind-Catching Guards, Tan Kemiao.

Chief of the Imperial Guard, Yue Du.

All four Fifth Rank Martial Warriors in the capital have arrived.

The Nangong brothers realize they have fallen into Henwell’s trap and find themselves speechless.

Soon after, elite forces from various departments arrive and arrest everyone present, taking them all to the Imperial City.

A few days later, Henwell returns to his residence from the Imperial City.

That night, he sneaks alone into Lucy’s mansion to visit her.

Lucy looks lost and worn out, her spirit shattered.

She is currently confined at home under house arrest by the Minister of Revenue.

Though the high walls and deep courtyard can’t truly keep Lucy in, she no longer has the will to go out.

When she sees Henwell, she glances at him briefly, then leans back against the window, staring blankly.

Lucy says, “Why are you here? All of this must be exactly what you wanted, right?”

Almost no one from the group arrested that day survived.

Only the little girls were taken in by Henwell and brought to his residence for care.

Everyone else involved, except Nangong He, was secretly executed—including Nangong Pingyue.

Since this was a grave crime of plotting rebellion, the authorities feared scandal if they carried out full clan exterminations or implicated entire families.

As for Nangong He, he was placed under strict house arrest, effectively sidelined.

Henwell’s contributions to the case are immense. He was promoted two ranks, becoming Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, a third-rank official.

From the start, Henwell guided Lucy to protect herself and never reveal anything publicly.

To everyone, she seemed not to be allied with the Nangong brothers.

Later, Henwell submitted a report crediting Lucy’s cooperation for exposing the rebels.

The Minister of Revenue chased Henwell for a long time, scolding him for putting his daughter in danger.

Even the emperor didn’t pursue Lucy’s involvement.

After all, Lucy was entangled with the emperor’s seventh prince, and the emperor himself had promised her to his tenth son.

If this scandal got out, it would be a huge joke.

Only because Lucy is the Minister of Revenue’s beloved daughter did the emperor spare her life; otherwise, he might have ordered her execution.

Facing Lucy’s displeasure, Henwell looks aggrieved and says, “Are you really that upset to see me? Would you have preferred it if I died from the poison?”

Lucy gently brushes a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “I’m not a fool. Back then, my mind was in chaos, and I didn’t notice certain details. Otherwise, I would have realized you weren’t poisoned! Things wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

She’s not stupid. Afterward, she comes to understand a lot.

If she had been calm at the time, she would have noticed that the chat group never warned her, which meant the poisoned wine she handed over couldn’t have harmed Henwell at all.

She also figures out the whole scheme.

Henwell took advantage of her eagerness to reconcile with Nangong He, exploited Nangong He’s jealousy and pride, manipulated Nangong Pingyue’s arrogance and malice, and even used the old emperor’s poor health, growing doubts, and reluctance to give up the throne.

This is how he set up this ruthless, deadly trap.

If anyone involved had changed their mindset, Henwell’s plan would have been impossible to achieve.

Unfortunately, each person was blinded and trapped by their own desires, stepping straight into the snare.

Lucy doesn’t even have the courage to resent Henwell now. She truly feels just how formidable a person like him can be.

From start to finish, Henwell never used brute force, he simply saw through people’s hearts and desires to reach this level.

She knows there’s no way she could ever outmatch him.

Seeing Lucy so disappointed and resigned, Henwell tries to comfort her.

“This isn’t all bad, you know. Nangong He lost his qualification to compete for the throne. Next, he’ll be cast aside as a useless prince. And you can live peacefully with him. Consider it a gift from us. Thinking like that, doesn’t it make you feel a little better?”