Saintess Luo Yue returned to the capital with Sui Feng, while the four guardians remained with the Red-Clad Army led by Black Wolf.
"Xiaoyue, you're finally back?" Situ Feng was overjoyed to see "Li Xi".
News of Prince An's murder had already reached the capital, and the leader of the Red Lotus Sect sent a message to the Holy Maiden to return to the capital.
"Brother, is there something that made our godfather so anxious for me to come back?" the saintess asked him curiously.
"Now that the imperial court is in disgrace, it is the perfect opportunity for our Red Lotus Sect to rise to power. My godfather has instructed us to seize this opportunity to expand our sect's prestige among the people." Situ Feng had already arranged everything.
"I see, elder brother. You've always been full of clever ideas, so you must have a detailed plan, right?" The saintess nodded in agreement.
The Venerable One and the Holy Maiden of the Red Lotus Sect led their followers to spontaneously form a civilian self-defense force, selflessly donating sect property and food.
Renshantang received many elderly, widowed, and infirm people every day; their families had long since fled Kyoto, abandoning these helpless souls. This act won widespread praise and support from the people, and many joined their ranks.
At the same time, a wave of patriotism quietly swept through the public.
Although the people lived in a chaotic world, their deep affection for their homeland and their loyalty to the country remained undiminished.
They spontaneously organized themselves; some donated food and fodder, some built defensive fortifications, and some passionate young people even abandoned their studies to join the fight against the Red Shirt Army.
Not to be outdone, the students of Baichuan Academy also joined in defending their country.
Meanwhile, the various sects that had previously participated in the trade fair in Kyoto also responded enthusiastically.
The imperial court is currently preoccupied with dealing with the rebellion and is too preoccupied to attend to anything else.
According to reliable sources, the Red Shirts have at least 100,000 troops, which has put the imperial court under tremendous pressure.
Furthermore, most of Jingyuan's troops were transferred to various border posts to defend against foreign invasion. To make matters worse, the 50,000-strong army that had previously reinforced Luocheng suffered a crushing defeat and was completely annihilated.
At this critical juncture, the court fears it may fall before reinforcements arrive.
The imperial court could only hope that the troops stationed in the cities surrounding the capital would come to the rescue and defend the emperor.
However, the armies of these cities were independent and their long-term complacency and infighting made them hesitant when faced with the sudden and powerful threat of the Red Shirts.
Some even secretly plotted how to protect themselves in the chaos, rather than being loyal to the country.
Crown Prince Qi Xuan summoned his most loyal advisors and generals for a late-night secret meeting.
Under the bright lights, they discussed ways to break the deadlock and decided to adopt a two-pronged approach.
On the one hand, envoys were secretly dispatched to various places to explain the greater good in the name of the emperor, encouraging local armies to take the rise and fall of the nation as their own responsibility, quickly assemble their forces, and jointly face the national crisis.
On the other hand, they strengthened the defenses of Kyoto, utilizing the remaining elite troops within the city and combining them with the city's fortifications to create an inescapable trap, determined to defend the city to the death and await a turning point.
This is the biggest crisis Jingyuan has faced in the past twenty years, and the Red Shirt Army rebellion has occurred without any warning.
A major blunder has occurred within the imperial court, but the most important thing now is to deal with the impending rebellion.
Black Wolf has amassed Red Shirts from various regions, and with overwhelming force, he steadily advances towards Kyoto...
"Reporting to the general, we are still seventy li from the capital. It is already completely dark, and the soldiers are exhausted. Should we stop and set up camp so that everyone can get a good night's rest?" A soldier in red armor bowed and stood in front of his horse.
"Black Wolf" had sharp eyes as he scanned his surroundings.
Night had fallen, the moonlight was hazy, and the occasional cries of nocturnal beasts echoed through the woods, adding to the sense of loneliness and unease.
He took a deep breath, slowly tightened the reins, and brought his warhorse to a stop.
"Pass down the order," General Black Wolf's voice was deep and powerful, "The entire army must immediately find an open area and set up camp. Remember, be sure to strengthen vigilance, deploy patrols around the perimeter, and do not slacken in the slightest. Tonight, we must not only rest, but also ensure our safety."
The Red Shirt soldiers obeyed the order and left.
As night falls, the sky is shrouded in a black curtain, and the whole world seems to fall into a deep sleep.
The campsite was completely silent, with only the faint light of the campfire flickering in the darkness, bringing a sense of warmth and security.
Black Wolf stood alone on the high place, his figure appearing exceptionally tall and majestic in the moonlight.
He gazed into the distance, his eyes deep and sharp, as if they could pierce through the fog of the night and see into the far reaches of the world.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by footsteps.
A Red Lotus Sect protector quickly approached Black Wolf and handed him a sealed letter: "Black Wolf, a secret letter from the Sect Leader."
Black Wolf took the letter, tore open the envelope, took out the letter inside, and began to read.
After reading it, Black Wolf expressionlessly crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it into the campfire. The letter quickly burst into flames, turning to ashes and disappearing into the night sky.
The Dharma Protector watched all this with some doubt in his heart, but he dared not ask any questions and simply stood quietly to the side.
After a while, Black Wolf turned around and said to the protector, "The leader has ordered that we need to speed up our actions. Tell the soldiers to prepare to depart."
After saying that, he turned and left, not expecting the cult leader to be in such a hurry.
Upon learning that they had to continue their journey, the soldiers dared not say anything more and could only hurriedly pack up and continue on their way.
The darkness before dawn gradually dissipated, the sky began to lighten, and the sun slowly rose.
Just then, a massive army appeared outside Shiritei, on the outskirts of Kyoto.
This army, dressed in bright red battle robes, with flags waving and high morale, is the world-renowned Red Shirt Army.
After a long and arduous journey, the Red Shirts finally arrived at their destination—Kyoto.
However, instead of launching an attack immediately, they chose to set up camp outside Kyoto.
Black Wolf ordered his men to send messengers into the city to convey their demands to the emperor: if the emperor would write an abdication edict, the Redcoats would not harm the city's inhabitants. They also offered to cede two cities to the emperor, making him a regional ruler.
When the people in the city learned that the Red Shirt Army had arrived outside Shili Pavilion, they discussed it among themselves, and fear and unease hung over everyone's hearts like dark clouds.
The demands made by the Red Shirts have also spread far and wide.
Many people were still clamoring for the emperor to abdicate. For them, it didn't matter who was emperor; they were afraid that the court would be powerless to resist and that if the Red Shirt Army broke into the city, it would be a catastrophe.
However, in this turbulent time, a clear stream was quietly flowing through the city.
Saintess Luoyue appears with the Self-Defense Force, vowing to protect Kyoto.
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