Deep within the palace, the ornately decorated halls now resembled a prison.
The palace maids and eunuchs huddled in the corner of the room, trembling.
The shouts of battle outside were deafening, pounding against their hearts again and again.
They closed their eyes tightly and clasped their hands together.
They silently prayed that this sudden rebellion would end as soon as possible.
They prayed that God would protect them and help them get through this ordeal safely.
Some of the bolder palace maids could not suppress their inner fear.
I carefully moved to the window and peeked out through the narrow crack.
However, the sight that came into view instantly drained them of all color:
The once solemn and majestic palace square has now become a living hell.
Blood flowed like rivers, and corpses littered the fields.
They were so frightened that they covered their mouths, afraid to make a sound.
Fearing that alerting the rebels outside would drag him into the bloody massacre, he was terrified.
"Yang Wei, why do you insist on resisting!"
While launching the attack, Liu An also tried to persuade Yang Wei to surrender.
"As long as you surrender, I guarantee you can continue to be your deputy general of the Imperial Guard, enjoying endless wealth and honor!"
Yang Wei swung his sword to deflect Liu An's attack, letting out a disdainful snort:
"Liu An, don't even think about it! I, Yang Wei, would rather die than surrender!"
Before he could finish speaking, a rebel soldier rushed up from the side and slashed at him with his knife.
Unable to dodge in time, a deep wound was slashed across his left arm by the knife, and blood instantly stained his sleeve.
Seeing this, Liu An intensified his attack once again.
Yang Wei's left arm was injured, making it difficult for him to move and even harder to defend himself.
He staggered back a few steps, nearly falling.
Liu An's sword tip pressed against Yang Wei's Adam's apple, and blood from the blade slid down the body of the sword.
The blood dripped onto Yang Wei's armor, which was stained with blood, creating a deeper, darker red stain.
Liu An looked down at him, his eyes filled with bloodthirsty excitement, as if he were staring at prey struggling for its life.
"Tell me! Where is Chen Qingwan hiding?"
Yang Wei spat out a mouthful of blood, which landed on Liu An's boots.
He grinned, revealing blood-stained teeth, his smile as ferocious as that of a demon from hell.
"Bah! Liu An, you traitorous scoundrel, you shall die a horrible death!"
Liu An's face darkened, and a hint of murderous intent appeared in his eyes.
He was about to exert force and finish off Yang Wei completely.
A rapid sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, accompanied by a loud shout:
"Father! Father! Something terrible has happened!"
A young man dressed in magnificent armor rode up to Liu An.
It was his son, Liu Qi.
Liu Qi looked panicked; his armor was askew, and his helmet was nowhere to be seen.
His hair was disheveled, making him look like a stray dog.
"What's the panic! What kind of behavior is this!"
Liu An rebuked them sternly; he had finally managed to establish a dignified image in front of his subordinates.
But it was all ruined by his good-for-nothing son.
Liu Qi dismounted without a second thought.
He scrambled to Liu An, panting, and shouted:
"Father! Chen...Chen Qingwan...she...she ran away!"
"What?!"
Liu An felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his hand holding the sword trembled.
He grabbed Liu Qi by the collar and roared:
"You useless piece of trash! How could you let her get away!"
"I told you to guard the harem, and this is how you guard it?!"
Upon seeing this, Yang Wei burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Liu An, you've finally met your match! What a fitting end!"
Liu An was enraged and could no longer control his murderous intent.
He swung his sword backhand and pierced Yang Wei's throat.
Yang Wei's laughter stopped abruptly, his body twitched a few times, and then he fell completely silent.
Blood stained the blue bricks of the palace and Yang Wei's tattered armor.
He never revealed Chen Qingwan's whereabouts until his death, protecting his loyalty with his life.
His body slowly fell to the ground.
Until his death, his gaze remained fixed on the direction of the palace.
That place may have once been the hope he was protecting.
Now, only endless darkness remains.
A gust of wind blew by, swirling up a few fallen leaves that landed on Yang Wei.
It was like covering him with a final, thin blanket.
A loyal minister has fallen.
With Yang Wei's fall, the fate of the Datong Dynasty also headed towards an unknown abyss.
Liu An kicked Yang Wei's corpse aside, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.
"Useless! It's all your fault for doing a bad job!"
He pushed Liu Qi to the ground.
"What's the point of saying all this now!"
"Chen Qingwan ran away. If she brings reinforcements, we're all doomed!"
Liu Qi was so frightened that he trembled and knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Father! Spare me! I deserve to die! I'll send men to chase after him right away!"
Liu An took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
He looked around; the rebel soldiers were in high spirits.
The battlefield is being cleared, and the palace gates have been breached; victory seems to be just around the corner.
He squinted, calculating in his mind.
Chen Qingwan is a woman, powerless and helpless. Even if she escapes, what trouble can she cause?
As long as he quickly takes control of the capital and ascends the throne.
Even if Chen Qingwan brings reinforcements, it will be of no use!
"That's enough!" Liu An waved his hand.
"Let them go, they won't cause any big trouble!"
"Issue the order: impose martial law throughout the city and search for Chen Qingwan!"
"We need to see him alive or dead!"
"yes!"
Liu Qi felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly got up to convey Liu An's orders.
The rebel soldiers stormed into the palace and began a frenzied looting and killing spree.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
