Chapter 111 The Events of That Year (Part 8)

"Clang—" The sword did not touch the delicate skin, but rather the gleaming blade.

The eldest prince looked up in surprise. The young man in front of him was wearing armor and a helmet. His expression was cold, and strands of hair clung to his porcelain-white cheeks. His eyes were filled with indifference as he looked at him.

Although he was handsome and looked like a young boy, looking at him up close, he seemed like a demon from hell, making people feel fear.

Even the eldest prince, who called himself the God of Slaughter, was stunned when he saw the young man in front of him.

"Who are you!" Countless faces flashed through the Crown Prince's mind. He was certain that this was the first time he had ever seen this person.

Thunder roared, and lightning, like a long dragon, raged across the sky, splitting the dark clouds in several places. A low pressure enveloped Yan Jue, and he smiled coldly:

"My name is Yan Jue."

The eldest prince was taken aback, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly, as if he had heard a funny joke.

"So you are Yan Jue. It's a pleasure to meet you." The eldest prince laughed heartily. "I've heard that General Yan is brave and skilled in battle, and made great contributions in the battle against the Southern Barbarians. Seeing you today, I am quite surprised by your handsome appearance."

“But…” The First Prince’s eyes suddenly turned dangerous. “I have heard that General Yan is on the side of Ninth Brother, and given the current situation… if the General can recognize the current situation, I may let the General go.”

Yan Jue coldly replied, "What if I refuse?"

"Then why don't you come at me, General!"

In an instant, the sound of blades clashing mingled with the crisp sound of rain as the First Prince brandished his blade to deflect the oncoming attack.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Someone is attacking!"

The sounds of the rebels came from afar, and upon hearing them, the Crown Prince's calm expression seemed to crack.

But he had no time to pay attention to the sounds behind him; they only made him panic.

Yan Jue stared coldly at the sharp sword in front of him, then gripped the sword at his waist and swung it back.

As the blades clashed, a cold glint flashed, and the atmosphere between the two instantly became tense.

As the emperor's eldest son, the eldest prince was naturally quite skilled in martial arts, but he was slightly inferior to the exceptionally talented Yan Jue.

Watching the two fighting, Eunuch Li was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, but he knew that he couldn't do anything to help in this situation.

Eunuch Li was still worried about Su Li. He glanced at Yan Jue, made up his mind, and walked into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Upon seeing Su Li unconscious in the palace, Eunuch Li was extremely anxious. He hurriedly went to Su Li's side and asked the imperial physician, "Imperial Physician, is the Ninth Prince in any serious condition?"

The imperial physician had already stopped the bleeding from Su Li's wound. When he saw Eunuch Li asking, he sighed, "Reporting to Eunuch Li, the Ninth Prince's wound has stopped bleeding, but when he will wake up is still unknown."

"The bleeding has stopped..." Eunuch Li breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as the bleeding has stopped, that's good, as long as the bleeding has stopped..."

Looking at the unconscious Su Li, and recalling the situation outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Eunuch Li realized that the Forbidden City would inevitably be stained with blood today. However, the outcome would depend on General Yan.

Eunuch Li prayed for Yan Jue in his heart.

Yan Jue lived up to expectations. Looking at the Crown Prince who was already easily defeated, he sneered, "Crown Prince, with your martial arts skills, you still want to rebel?"

The eldest prince struggled to wield his sword, watching the flashing blades approaching. He was gradually losing his strength, but he still stubbornly said, "Hmph, so what? Behind me are thousands upon thousands of soldiers. Even if you can defeat me, can you defeat all the soldiers?!"

"Your Highness, is it possible that I, Yan Jue, can truly withstand an army of thousands single-handedly?"

Rainwater flowed down the armor, and blood mixed with the rainwater, forming a curtain of water that flowed down the steps, a horrifying sight.

Yan Jue exuded an imposing aura, his sword-like eyebrows were straight and his eyes were fixed on the eldest prince who could not withstand his attacks. He sheathed his sword and looked behind the eldest prince.

Inside the Forbidden City, blood flowed like a river as the rebels and Yan Jue's men clashed, and the rebels quickly lost the upper hand.

Yan Jue's troops quickly broke through numerous obstacles and reached the front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The eldest prince saw Yan Jue stop and thought he was afraid, but the next moment, a sharp arrow flew from not far away and pierced through his chest.

"Thud—" The arrow pierced through flesh, making a chilling sound.

The eldest prince's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Yan Jue before him, his peripheral vision glancing at the arrow piercing his chest.

"How could this be..." Blood flowed from his mouth as he spoke, mixing with the rainwater and looking quite eerie.

How could he be ambushed? Shouldn't his army horses be behind him?

Numerous questions swirled in his mind. He turned around and looked at the soldiers rushing towards him from not far away, his pupils dilating in surprise.

This is not one of his people.

The eldest prince seemed to have realized something, and burst into laughter, blood flowing out as well. "How could I, how could I forget you? You were that good-for-nothing Ninth Brother's man! If you could defeat me, you certainly wouldn't have surrendered to me. You definitely didn't come alone. I was careless, so careless..."

"Boom—" Thunder roared, echoing overhead.

As the heavy rain continued, the eldest prince felt the temperature on his body slowly dissipating, like peeling away layers of silk.

Yan Jue, however, acted as if he hadn't seen anything, coldly brushing past the Crown Prince's swaying body, and walked to the middle of the stone lions in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Facing the charging soldiers and panicked ministers, he drew the sharp sword from his waist.

He shouted loudly, "The current Crown Prince has plotted a rebellion in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and should be executed. Today, I, the general, am acting on behalf of Heaven. The Emperor's edict has decreed that the Ninth Prince be appointed as the next emperor."

The ministers, who were initially undecided, were terrified by the sight of this scene. Among them, some ministers with keen insight immediately stepped forward and said, "Reporting to General Yan, your humble servant obeys your command!"

Once someone steps forward, the situation immediately shifts in the other direction.

The ministers all said to Yan Jue, "General Yan, we will serve the Ninth Prince wholeheartedly from now on, without any disloyalty!"

Yan Jue nodded with great satisfaction, while the other princes who saw the eldest prince being executed swallowed hard, their slight desire to usurp the throne being suppressed.

The chaotic rebellion in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation was thus quelled. The current emperor of Dongyue Kingdom passed away, leaving behind an edict that appointed the ninth prince, Su Li, as emperor.

In September of the same year, the Ninth Prince Su Li ascended the throne and confiscated the property of the First Prince's family, as well as executed other ministers with disloyal intentions. This action earned the Ninth Prince great respect from everyone.

The Ninth Prince officially ascended the throne and appointed Yan Yun'an's son, Yan Jue, as regent, allowing him to govern the country on behalf of the emperor. He demoted or dismissed the other princes of the same surname.

The Eastern Peak is temporarily at peace.