Chapter 1491: Old Dreams Shattered

A woman wore a luxurious palace dress, adorned with various jewels and precious stones that sparkled under the surrounding firelight. Yet, even these precious gems seemed to dim in comparison to her breathtaking and peerless beauty. Her oval face had skin as white as snow. Beneath her elegantly arched eyebrows, her star-like eyes were captivating and alluring, and her soft, pink lips gleamed with an inviting luster. Her full bosom and slender waist curved perfectly into her hips, endowing her with both the innocence of a young maiden and the maturity of a married woman. It was truly difficult to imagine how two such distinct qualities could exist in such perfect harmony within one person.

Yet, at this moment, her face was etched with worry as she tightly embraced her young son. "Don't be afraid," she whispered, "Mother will protect you." As she spoke, a hint of resolute determination appeared between her brows. Despite her efforts to sound serious, her naturally enchanting voice still sounded incredibly delicate and sweet. Hearing her, the soldiers on the field were galvanized, as if suddenly invigorated. They had only one thought: they must protect the Little Demon Empress and prevent those rebellious traitors from getting near her.

Watching her subordinates fight valiantly, bathed in blood, the Little Demon Empress showed no sign of joy. She knew well that their strength was vastly outmatched; their efforts would only buy a little more time. She had never expected the Golden Crow Crown Prince to go mad and suddenly turn against his brothers in the royal court. Didn't he fear the Demon Emperor's wrath when he returned from the secret realm?

Fortunately, she had trusted confidants in the palace. Upon learning that the Golden Crow Crown Prince was secretly gathering forces, she feared her son, who was outside, was in danger. She hurried here to bring the young prince back to the palace. However, shortly after she arrived, Minister Leixin and General Wu Cheng of the Imperial Guards appeared with a large contingent of Golden Crow Guards. They repeatedly claimed they wanted to take the young prince back for his protection, to prevent him from being harmed by villains. But how could the Little Demon Empress agree?

Both sides negotiated for a long time. As the legitimate wife of the Demon Emperor, the Golden Crow Guards were initially wary of her. However, the lieutenants sent by the Golden Crow Crown Prince to monitor the situation quickly stirred up emotions. A disagreement soon erupted into a fight, and then things spiraled out of control. Although the Little Demon Empress had gathered some trusted confidants over the years, in her hasty departure from the palace to find her son, she couldn't bring many people. Thus, it was mainly the guards from the young prince's residence and the few people she brought who were desperately holding on. If not for these people, who were willing to fight to the death for her, the young prince would likely have been taken away long ago.

The Little Demon Empress did not engage in combat, nor did Minister Leixin and General Wu Cheng. Everyone wished to maintain a last shred of decorum, as she was, after all, the Empress in the hearts of the demon realm's subjects. Neither Leixin nor Wu Cheng wanted to commit the crime of insubordination. The Little Demon Empress, however, knew that both were renowned masters of the royal court. In a one-on-one fight, she might have a chance, but against two, especially with several other untouched masters behind them, she would have absolutely no hope. Since that was the case, and if no one made a move, for her to hold back so many people alone would certainly be a gain. Her only hope was to hold out longer, to alert various factions within the royal court, so that someone would eventually come to their rescue.

But who would come to their rescue now? It was clearly instigated by the Golden Crow Crown Prince, who was about to become the new Demon Emperor. Who would dare risk offending the new Emperor to save her and her son? She even thought of the old Demon Emperor. Though there had been no affection between them for many years, his presence at least provided her with a sufficient sense of security. Now that he was in the secret realm, those beneath him dared to offend her. She prayed in her heart that the Demon Emperor would quickly emerge from the secret realm, for then none of these people would dare to act so recklessly.

But she soon gave a bitter smile. Even if the Demon Emperor returned, what then? This time, the Crown Prince was behind it. Would the Demon Emperor really turn against his own son for her sake? She knew very well that the old Demon Emperor's lifespan was nearing its end, and the Crown Prince was destined to succeed him as the new Demon Emperor. Having been in the royal family for so many years, she was well aware of an emperor's mindset. If he had sufficient lifespan, he would undoubtedly side with her and deal with the Crown Prince decisively. But with his lifespan nearing its end, he would inevitably side with the Crown Prince. At this thought, her heart sank. It was a pity that Zu An had failed to kill the Crown Prince in the imperial mausoleum; otherwise, none of these troubles would exist. Now that the Crown Prince had emerged and there was no news of Zu An, it proved he had died inside. What a pity. He was quite an interesting young man, and, more importantly, he was handsome.

When she regained her senses, the battle in the prince's residence was already drawing to a close. Most of the guards lay fallen in pools of blood, and her own subordinates were largely decimated. The few remaining survivors had retreated to her side, completely surrounded by the Golden Crow Guards under Leixin and Wu Cheng. A trace of blood still clung to the glistening blade tips. So many blades, pointed at the Little Demon Empress and her few companions, emanated an inexplicable sense of oppression.

"Little Demon Empress, don't make things difficult for us; it's better for everyone." Leixin gazed with a complex expression at the dazzling woman before him. Even in such dire circumstances, she remained devastatingly beautiful. No wonder the old Demon Emperor had been so infatuated with her.

The Little Demon Empress smoothed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and shielded her young son with her body. "If you want to take my son," she declared, "you'll have to step over my dead body."

Leixin and Wu Cheng's expressions changed. "Little Demon Empress, why are you making this so difficult?" Everyone knew the Little Demon Empress was the old Demon Emperor's Empress. Even after the Golden Crow Crown Prince ascended the throne, he would have to respectfully address her as Empress Dowager. He was truly unwilling to confront her directly. If he accidentally incurred the crime of murdering the Empress, the Golden Crow Crown Prince might offer him as a scapegoat to appease public anger should others attack later. After all, he was not a direct subordinate of the Golden Crow Crown Prince; otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent to handle the troublesome task concerning the young prince.

The Little Demon Empress sneered, "You people are committing treason and conspiring to murder the prince, and you ask me 'why this difficulty?'"

Wu Cheng, standing nearby, said, "Little Demon Empress, you misunderstand. We are here to protect the young prince, not to harm him."

The Little Demon Empress's gaze swept across the entire scene, resting on the guards of the young prince's residence fallen in pools of blood. She sneered, "They were the ones protecting the young prince! Your words might fool children, but how could they fool me?"

Leixin and Wu Cheng looked ashamed, but a trusted general of the Golden Crow Crown Prince, standing nearby, angrily rebuked, "Things have come to this, why waste more words? Don't ruin His Majesty's great plan!"

The Little Demon Empress's face lit up with joy. "His Majesty? Has the Demon Emperor returned?"

The trusted general did not answer. Instead, he directly attacked, and his companions quickly followed suit. Leixin and Wu Cheng's hearts tightened. Now that the Crown Prince had become the new Demon Emperor, if they botched this or didn't put in enough effort, they would definitely be held accountable later. Given this, what did an empress of the previous reign matter? At their status, they no longer acted purely on emotion, but primarily considered their own and their families' interests.

"Pardon us!" The two quickly made up their minds and attacked together. In this situation, they wouldn't fight one-on-one as in the martial world. Knowing that the Little Demon Empress was also a master, it was better to deal with her quickly to avoid further complications.

It was unknown how long passed before the Little Demon Empress cried out softly and collapsed beside the young prince. Her usually luxurious palace dress was now stained with many crimson patterns of blood. How could she alone be a match for so many masters? She struggled to get up, but she was severely wounded and failed several times. The few remaining guards around her wanted to help, but dared not offend her.

Having reached this point, many formalities were no longer necessary. The Crown Prince's confidant subtly waved his hand, striking the hilt of a subordinate's blade. The blade immediately whistled as it flew towards the young prince. Leixin and Wu Cheng's expressions changed. Although they had previously known that the Golden Crow Crown Prince's so-called protection of his brothers was not out of kindness, they had thought it would merely be house arrest. They had never expected him to intend to kill them! What a cruel heart, what a cruel brother! Their bodies shifted slightly, but in the end, they did not intervene. Since things had come to this, they could only see it through to the bitter end.

The Little Demon Empress wanted to block the blade, but in her current state, she couldn't even manage something that would normally be simple. She gave a desolate smile and shielded her young son with her body.

"Your Majesty!" the surrounding guards cried out in alarm. Unfortunately, they were all wounded and on the verge of collapse; how could they possibly intervene in time? The Little Demon Empress knew that if she died, her son wouldn't live either. But at this moment, she had no other choice.

At this moment, an absurd thought suddenly rose in her mind: How wonderful it would be if someone came to play the hero and rescue the beauty. In her youth, she had loved reading storybooks, utterly captivated by tales of heroes rescuing beauties, and fantasized countless times about encountering such a hero herself. But after she married the Demon Emperor, she no longer harbored such fantasies. Among all the heroes under heaven, who could compare to the Demon Emperor? However, the Demon Emperor was vastly different from the heroic image she had fantasized about in her youth, so much so that her dream was utterly shattered. She hadn't expected to think of these things now. It seemed her thoughts were uncontrollable at the brink of death. She couldn't help but give a self-deprecating smile.

Just then, a voice, both strange and familiar, echoed in her ear: "The Little Demon Empress is indeed a heroine among women, able to smile even at a time like this."