This was the rebel banner they had prepared long ago. Now, finally, it was raised high in the gentle breeze.
The rebel army marched in with great force, arriving in the capital on just three days later. Their morale was so high that they broke through the city gates with ease.
It wasn't that the troops in the capital didn't resist; they had already set up a defensive posture when the rebel army was still a hundred miles away, and had also sent someone to report to Emperor Yuxian.
However, Emperor Yuxian had followed Li Ningqi's advice and ordered General Qin to lead 100,000 elite troops to suppress the rebels, leaving the capital with very few soldiers. Those not taken were mostly wounded and weak soldiers.
With 100,000 elite troops, plus what they'd gathered along the way, General Qin's army likely exceeded 500,000. Meanwhile, the capital city had less than 5,000 soldiers remaining. To send the capital's troops to resist the rebels was tantamount to throwing eggs against rocks.
When Emperor Yuxian received the news, the city gates had already been breached, and even Dezhuo, who had only been on the gates for a few days, was accidentally injured and fell to his death.
Emperor Yuxian sat on the dragon throne, somewhat dazed. The palace now felt neither lively nor deserted.
General Qin's rebellion was sudden, and news of the breached city gates spread rapidly. The palace maids and eunuchs, disregarding everything else, scrambled to grab what remained in the palace, packing it into bundles in preparation for their escape.
It was extremely noisy.
Zhao Yun, the commander of the Imperial Guards, had been bestowed the imperial surname by the late emperor and was now showing him some courtesy by coming in to ask whether they should flee the place first.
Emperor Yuxian stared at his empty palms, his mind reeling. He had lost everything: his father, mother, brothers, and even the woman he loved had married someone else…
No, he wouldn't allow that to happen.
Emperor Yuxian's eyes suddenly turned fierce. He said to Zhao Yun beside him, "Go to Qixian Palace and bring Qin Qi to me!"
This was the first time he had called Qin Xi by her full name.
Emperor Yuxian curled his lips into a chilling smile, his eyes filled with icy coldness. Lu Huai, what I cannot have, you will not have either. I will make you taste the pain of losing your loved one!
...
...
Lu Huai rode on horseback, following General Qin and his army towards the palace. Their advance was swift and unstoppable, so smooth it felt almost unreal to Lu Huai.
For some reason, Lu Huai's right eyelid kept twitching, making him feel uneasy, and he subconsciously sped up.
"Strategist." General Qin noticed his movement and called out to him with a slight frown.
Lu Huai snapped out of his daze, realizing he had left them behind, and understood his mistake. He stopped apologetically, "Yes, Marshal."
Lu Chuan appeared beside him at some point, patted him on the shoulder, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
“Big brother…” Lu Huai glanced at him, pursed his lips, and whispered, “I have a feeling of unease. I’m worried about Qin Qi…”
Lu Chuan nodded knowingly, turned his horse around, and headed towards General Qin. It's unclear what they discussed, but General Qin nodded and ordered the army to increase its speed.
Lu Huai looked gratefully at Lu Chuan, who had returned to his side, and said, "Thank you, brother."
Lu Chuan smiled and said, "Chang Jue has grown up."
This was the third time he had heard his elder brother say this. Lu Huai lowered his eyes and remained silent.
As the capital of the Yu Kingdom, the capital city was a relatively large city in terms of geographical location. However, with the increased marching speed, they arrived at the palace gates in less than the time it takes to drink two cups of tea.
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