Xue Shengjing did not believe Li Chenzhou would do such a thing. If he were in Li Chenzhou's position, with power over Great Yong's court already in his grasp, he would not have made that choice either. Assassinating Yuchi Chong offered Great Yong no benefit whatsoever. Yet Xue Shengjing had no better option left. He could not simply watch all of Great Yong fall into Li Chenzhou's hands. The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it. He had planned everything meticulously and had been ready to overthrow Great Yong's regime, but he had never expected Li Chenzhou to strike before him, much less that his own sister, Xue Lingjun, would join Li Chenzhou's camp.
Even now, Xue Shengjing had not unraveled the mystery behind it. Ever since Xue Daohong had ascended the throne, he had wanted to eliminate both of them. They should have stood together against their common enemy. In fact, the siblings had briefly cooperated over the matter of the Bohai Kingdom, but only because Hu Xiaotian had stepped in to mediate.
Although he, Xue Shengkang, and Xue Lingjun were siblings born of the same mother, each had their own ambitions. During Xue Shengkang's reign, he had lived cautiously, trembling at every step for fear of being harmed by his brother, never daring to reveal his true strength or aspirations. Xue Lingjun, however, had always been close to their eldest brother, who had never felt any need to keep his distance from her and had involved her in every important matter. Even now, the trap at Benevolence Garden still rankled in Xue Shengjing's heart. Their mother must have died through Xue Daohong and Li Chenzhou's schemes. Someone as clever as Xue Lingjun could not possibly have failed to see what lay beneath the surface, yet