Chapter 176 Chapter 176 The Forbidden City Shocking Change (I)...
That must have happened many years ago, but it was still as clear as ever in his dreams.
Li Jingtai was small and fat, like a dumpling. He spitted at him with his double chin, calling him a bastard.
So he got angry and hysterically grabbed him by the collar and pushed him to the ground without saying a word.
Swing your fist and hit, again and again, every punch hits the flesh.
That kid was really fat. Every punch he landed was solid and muffled. With each blow, he howled like a gutted pig. He punched, then kicked, until his feet suddenly felt empty. The collar suddenly constricted him, making him gag. The man picked him up and threw him to the ground.
"How dare you disrespect the young master, you little brat!"
Before he could get up from the ground, he suddenly left the ground and flew out.
Chang Da kicked him on the butt.
His hips hit the ground, causing him extreme pain. His eyes were blurry and he was grimacing, unable to move.
Over there, Li Jingtai's howling stopped, and he sobbed and hugged the man's thigh. Chang Da bent his knees and said to him in a gentle manner, "Young Master, the young prince is lawless. Your uncle will teach him a lesson for you."
Li Jingtai grinned and slapped Chang Da's knees, crying, "He hit me! He hit me!"
"I saw it. Young Master, do you still want to teach him a lesson? Come!" Chang Da led him to the child who was unable to move on the ground, and kicked him so hard that he rolled half a circle. "Come! Teach him a lesson!"
Li Jingtai enjoyed kicking him until he rolled over.
The scene suddenly changed. Li Jingtai was taken away by someone from the Duke's Mansion. When he left, the Duke's wife's face was covered with tears. There was a purple bruise at the corner of the fat boy's eye. She kept wiping the purple spot with a handkerchief. In the end, even when his father tried to say farewell with a smile, he didn't even smile back.
His father was still living in the Eastern Palace at that time and was the crown prince.
Dad sighed and said to Chang Da, whose face was covered with thick hair, "Xuan Bai is indeed naughty, but he is still young. Why should uncle blame him?"
Chang Da: "The Duke has devoted all his energy to assisting you in your affairs! Do you really want to create a rift with the Duke over a young son at this critical moment? Besides, that kid was born with a destiny that would bring bad luck to his mother!"
"Even if you are born under the sign of bad luck, you don't have to fight with my son in front of the young master."
Chang Da suddenly glared: "His horoscope is unlucky for our Chu Xiu, which means he is unlucky for me!"
His mother idly arranged the flowers in the vase, not even looking up. "A couple of kicks, so what? Brother just has a bad temper. Besides, this kid has such a bad temper, how can he accomplish anything? If you don't discipline him, don't kill me first and then my Ye'er."
His father then stopped talking.
Even though Chang Chuxiu later confined him to his room for half a month because of this incident, he never spoke again.
He spent half a month in his room copying the Analects. When he was released, he went out on the street again and ran into his mortal enemy again.
Enemies often meet on a narrow road.
The streets of Zhuque were jammed with BMWs and carriages, and the attendants all stood behind with their shoulders hunched. Li Jingtai held a whip in his hand, completely ignoring the people flowing around him and only focused on whipping it.
A boy of similar age was kneeling in front of him.
He vaguely remembered that man. Li Jingtai's martial arts sparring partner.
"I told you not to talk back! I told you not to talk back! I told you not to talk back!"
The wind whipped up by the whip is sharp and cutting.
A servant timidly advised: "Master, you can't beat people in the street. You have to go back home and beat them. There are so many people outside..."
Another person held his arm and silently waved his hand, "A few days ago, the young master had a fight with the little emperor's grandson. The master was very distressed. These past two days, the young master even allowed the crickets to be destroyed. Anyway, the master won't blame him, so let him be."
Another person bent over and clapped, "Excellent fight! Young Master has a talent for martial arts!"
He had a fierce temper, but he was not angry at that time, just stunned.
Looking at Li Jingtai, he looked like a skinny wild cat, looking at the dark clouds covering the snow with a golden bell around his neck.
Surprise, astonishment, envy, and jealousy.
But there is only a little bit of grievance and a little bit of sadness.
Because I've gotten used to it and no longer feel sorry for myself.
He went to find Li Jingtai's martial arts sparring partner.
The BMW drove away, and the boy knelt on the ground, his clothes on his back were torn into shreds, and there were bloodstains on his cheeks, with blood flowing down.
He stretched out his hand towards the embarrassed boy:
"I also have a grudge against that idiot."
"Do you dare to join me and find an opportunity to make that brat pay for his crime?"
The attendant behind him whispered in his ear: "Young prince, this little calf is very mean, be careful not to dirty your clothes."
He ignored her and continued to hold out his hand.
The boy was covered in bruises, and his round eyes looked at him confusedly.
He hadn't held out much hope. His martial arts sparring partners all came from poor families. Who would dare to challenge the king of the capital?
Unexpectedly, the boy sniffed, his eyebrows suddenly frowned, and he looked fierce, holding out his hand:
"Of course. At your command."
Suddenly Wu Shun's voice came again.
He slowly woke up from his dream, and when he turned over, he saw Wu Shunqing with a pale face, pulling open his bed curtains:
"Regent, Regent, wake up!"
"The guards at Huangji Gate reported that Prince Ding and over a thousand men had broken through Huangji Gate and were now charging into the Imperial City!"
Li Xuanbai took a quick breath, his throat icy with cold, and turned around to get off the bed, tightly gripping his sword.
The scabbard was plain and unadorned.
*
Two hours ago, outside the Zichen Palace.
"Hasn't your Majesty always looked down upon me, Gu? What do you want to discuss with me?"
The moonlight outside was cold and bleak, making the white marble railings outside the hall appear dark green. Gu Huaijin hugged his shoulders and took a half step back with a look of distance and disgust, not wanting to get too close to her.
Nan Qiong Shuang seemed to glance into the carved window, and seeing his disgusted expression, she sneered, "Sir, don't worry. Deyin just wants to discuss something with you, and will leave immediately after that."
Gu Huaijin raised his hand and gestured for permission.
She got straight to the point: "My cousin's people have sent news saying that Prince Ding has ordered Chang Ping to mobilize troops from outside Shanhaiguan, and they will attack the capital tomorrow!"
Gu Huaijin: "It's not credible."
"Why are you so sure, sir?"
"Prince Ding has the Fuyu Three Guards inside the pass, and the Chang Family Army is inside the palace. Breaking through the Huangji Gate will be much easier than breaking through Shanhaiguan."
"Even if this news is false, what can we do if Prince Ding really wants to break into the palace? We have Chang Da and Chang Ping outside the palace, and Chang Zhong inside... Sir, are you planning to use Chang Zhong as a hostage?"
"Hostage?" Gu Huaijin scoffed, lowering his head and adjusting his sleeves. "Chang Zhong is useless. Even holding him hostage won't make Prince Ding successful."
"Young General Chang has been in the military for many years! I heard he grew up in the ranks. Aside from Prince Ding, everyone in the Chang family army respects him. How can he be called a useless son and become a useless son?"
"Your Majesty, are you truly baffled? I, Gu, still consider you a sweetheart." With no one around, Gu Huaijin naturally took her hand and rubbed it tenderly in his palm. "Chang Zhong's attempt to assassinate the Regent failed, and he wounded the Emperor instead. He even ordered us to apprehend the assassin and detain him in the palace. Prince Ding is brutal and cruel. How could such a grave mistake be tolerated?"
"But, when the master threatened to commit suicide, Prince Ding still sent Chang Zhong to the border. Could it be that if he made a mistake once, he would lose Prince Ding's heart?"
Gu Huaijin rolled up his sleeves and smiled, "At that time, Prince Ding still thought of himself as the only useful son."
Nan Qiong Shuang paused for a moment.
"Sir, are you saying that because Chang Ping has become so prominent, Chang Zhong will no longer be valued by Prince Ding?"
"There are many things Your Majesty doesn't know about Chang Da and Chang Zhong. Chang Da knew that his son had the talent to govern the country, and fearing that Chang Zhong would succeed in his rebellion and covet his throne, he took action early on. The Emperor gave him none of the dozens of beauties he had rewarded as Prince Ding. He also searched far and wide for elixirs of immortality, but refused to share a single one with his son."
"A few days ago, Prince Ding was assassinated and injured. Chang Zhong, fearing that the news would get out and the army outside Shanhaiguan would be leaderless, fled to the outer pass to take charge. Unexpectedly, he was severely reprimanded by Prince Ding, who suspected him of coveting his troops. At this critical juncture, his assassination attempt failed. How could Prince Ding tolerate him?"
"Besides, he's not without someone to use—Chang Ping is still young, but he's smart. In the future, if Prince Ding really does become something, I'm afraid he won't even be able to take the throne of Crown Prince."
"So, sir, how do you plan to deal with Chang Zhong?"
"Dispose of him?" Gu Huaijin chuckled, gently pinching her slender fingers. "What's the point of doing this? Just kill him. He's useless to Prince Ding, a worthless son. Unless he dares to steal his father's military token and rebel against him, otherwise, I really don't see how this guy can cause any more trouble."
"Stealing the military token and rebelling against Prince Ding?" Nan Qiong Shuang seemed shocked. "Prince Ding is suspicious and tyrannical. How could Chang Zhong have the courage?"
"I don't know if you have the courage to take this step. However, Chang Da is injured, and Chang Ping is filially serving his father at his bedside, so no one can take care of Chang Zhong. I have also suppressed the news of the failed assassination attempt, so it may not have reached Prince Ding's palace yet. If we want to act, tonight is the best time."
"If Chang Zhong rebels against Prince Ding, what will happen to you, sir?"
Gu Huaijin was silent for a long time.
After a while, he said:
"In my opinion, Chang Zhong is more talented than Prince Ding. If he really rebels against his father, it will be very difficult."
"Since this is the case, we should quickly eradicate the problem."
After the two finished their conversation, they returned to the Zichen Palace.
The only ones left in the hall were the unconscious Emperor Jiaqing and the trembling Wang Rang.
Chang Zhong has disappeared without a trace.
An hour later, in Prince Ding's mansion.
The shrill howl echoed through the night, startling a flock of crows.
Gongsun Hong walked to the door of the torture chamber, carrying a bowl of eight-treasure shark fin soup. Before she even entered, the fishy stench was overwhelming. The guards at the door held their weapons in front of them. "Miss Qu, the master has ordered that no one be allowed to enter without permission."
"I'm here to serve you shark fin soup."
"Your Majesty has an order..."
"My Lord, you've been interrogating him for almost an hour, yelling so loudly that the whole house can hear you. Shouldn't you send me some food to nourish me?" Gongsun Hong raised her eyebrows. "You don't recognize me?! Get out of here!"
The guard had no choice but to put away his spear, hold it at his side, and open the door.
Chang Da was holding a barbed leather whip in his hand, leaning against the edge of the low table, drinking tea from the teacup while panting.
He didn't even raise his eyes when he saw the person coming. He drank and suddenly became furious. He threw the teacup to the ground, and the fragments flew all over the ground.
"You son of a bitch! How dare you rebel against your father! Open your blind holes and take a look! When I was riding my horse through the mountains, you couldn't even pee! Now you dare to touch my military token?!"
Chang Zhong was hanging from the ceiling, dying, with his hands tied. One of his eyes was swollen and purple like a ball, with two dried bloodstains under his nostrils. His mouth was slightly open, gasping for breath, and one of his teeth was missing.
Chang Da whipped him in the face again, almost knocking him out with the chains.
"How dare you touch your father's military order! How dare you touch your father's military order! The three thousand cavalrymen in the camp were all trained by me personally. How could I obey your orders! You bastard!"
"You piss-shitting wimp, you dare to teach me how to rebel! Speak!" Another lash of the whip landed squarely on his nose. "Who the hell is instigating you to rebel against me?!"
Chang Zhong opened his mouth and said, "No..."
Another lash of whip hit him, and Chang Da roared so loudly that the ceiling of the torture chamber was about to be blown off. "Without anyone's instigation, I don't believe that you, a brat, have the guts to rebel against me!!"
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you, Dad, I'll tell you..." Chang Zhong's chest rose and fell slightly, "I heard...I heard the conversation between the Imperial Preceptor and Concubine Zhen in the palace..."
"The Imperial Master and Concubine Zhen?"
Chang Zhong then told him everything he had heard in the Zichen Hall.
Gongsun Hong held her breath and listened for a while, then placed the bowl of shark fin soup in front of Chang Da, scooping spoonful after spoonful to his lips:
"Sir, behind Concubine Zhen is the Daming Palace... Is this what you mean by Daming Palace?"
Chang Da swallowed it mouthful by mouthful:
"Are you saying that the Daming Palace was involved in this matter, intending to lure this rebellious son against me?"
"Who knows whether she was involved or not?" Gongsun Hong lowered her eyes as she scooped up some shark fin soup, placed it on her lips to cool it, and passed it to Chang Da. "Zhen Fei has always been in contact with the Daming Palace. Her words should be interpreted as those of the Daming Palace. Regardless of her original intentions, she did instigate the young general to go astray. Is it really a coincidence that it happened at this critical moment?"
"How dare the Daming Palace alienate me and my son?" Chang Da clenched his fists in anger, and his fists and teeth chattered together. "Son of a bitch! He should have been drowned in a piss bucket when he was young! I..."
Before he could finish his words, there were two more knocks on the door.
When the visitor saw Chang Da, he immediately bowed his head and saluted.
Chang Da waved his hand and even Gongsun Hong had to leave the door.
The man whispered in my ear, "Sir, the Golden Guard Zhang Du has come to report that the Daming Palace has learned of your failed attempt to assassinate the Regent and injure the Emperor, and they have solid evidence in their possession."
Chang Da yelled and dropped the steaming shark fin soup to the ground.
The visitor continued, "Zhang Du reports again that the Regent has received news of your desired event." The so-called desired event, of course, was an attempt to launch a coup. "The Regent has sent troops to the capital to mobilize them. The news is reliable; the army will arrive at the walls of Luojing tomorrow morning."
Chang Da was already panting like a cow.
Seeing his expression, the man didn't dare to stay for long. After reporting, he hunched his shoulders and tried to retreat.
Suddenly, there were two more knocks on the door, and another person came in and saluted. The previous person left and locked the door. Chang Da stared at the front with angry eyes, and his face gradually turned red. The person bowed his head and clasped his fists:
"Sir, Concubine Sheng has sent word that the Regent summoned the generals to the Daming Palace for a secret discussion at night. I have my doubts about this matter, and I thought it would be best to report it to you, Sir, so I have."
"Another report: The Emperor is critically ill."
Chang Da tightly gripped the hilt of his sword, breathing heavily, and said nothing.
Seeing that Chang Da said nothing, but his whole body exuded a bloody murderous aura, the visitor dared not say more. Just as he was about to finish his greeting and leave, he heard Chang Da say briefly:
"It's time."
"It's time."
"If we don't take action now, we will all be meat on the chopping board!"
The Chang family army has been on high alert for many days, and today is finally the time to put on armor and go into battle.
The night was gloomy and it was almost the hour of Yin. The Chang family army and the three Fu Yu guards, totaling one thousand people, groped their way to the Xuanwu Gate of the Forbidden City.
The red paint and yellow nails of the imperial city gate made it difficult to distinguish the color in the darkness.
More than a thousand people held their breath, and even the coughing and yawning of the guards inside the door could be heard clearly.
In the darkness of the night, Xu Wei stood beside Chang Ping and imitated the cuckoo's call three times.
moment.
The Xuanwu Gate, which should have been wide open, remained motionless.
Chang Da stared at the vague figure on the gatehouse, his eyes bloodshot.
He glanced at Xu Wei again.
Xu Wei cupped his hands into a small tent, covered his mouth with both sides, and imitated three bird calls.
Xuanwu Gate still stood silently, motionless.
More than a thousand people gripped the hilts of their swords tightly, not daring to blink, and stared silently at the tall horse in front.
Chang Da's fingers were creaking from pinching, and just as he was about to give another order to Xu Wei, a hand fell on his shoulder.
Chang Ping whispered in his ear: "Dad, the guards have defected, it's best not to stay here for long!"
Chang Da gnashed his teeth and said, "Turning on the battlefield!"
"It's already like this, what else can we do? We should find another way."
Chang Da said softly, "What do you think?"
"In my opinion, if the guards at Xuanwu Gate learn of what happened tonight, they will immediately report it to the Daming Palace! We can't stay here for long! But the Imperial City doesn't have only one gate. Not far from Xuanwu Gate is Huangji Gate."
Chang Da: "Huangji Gate is the main gate of the imperial city, with the most guards! And there is no inside support, how can we force our way in!"
"No need for inside help, just knock on the door." Chang Ping turned his horse around quickly, "Father, come quickly!"
Taking advantage of the darkness of the night and the curfew throughout the city, the group avoided being seen all the way. If they came across the night patrol officers and soldiers, they would kill them immediately and sneaked to the Huangji Gate silently.
The Huangji Gate was closed tightly like a clam shell.
At this time, a gust of wind blew, and the clouds tied to the crescent moon were blown away. The moonlight gradually appeared, illuminating the frightened and excited soldiers below, all of whom looked pale and sweaty.
Chang Da dispatched his troops tonight, not under the pretext of a coup treason, but in the name of carrying out a secret decree, capturing villains, and clearing the court of corrupt officials.
Despite this, rumors of Prince Ding's rebellion were already rife. Everyone had a rough idea of his purpose in entering the imperial city at night.
We have barely set out and the guards have already turned against us, the clouds have vanished and the moon has risen. Is this plan destined to fail?
If they fail, all of them, including their nine clans and relatives, will be killed and will not even have a burial place!
But then Chang Ping loudly said to the guard inside the door:
"According to the secret order of the Regent, enter the palace to arrest the thief! Open the door!"
The guard shouted through the door, "Who is coming?"
Chang Ping: "The regent's generals, Sun Xin and Liu Zhen, have been ordered to enter the palace and apprehend the thief!"
Guard: "Under the Regent?"
Chang Ping: "Exactly! The Regent has secretly summoned his personal troops to the palace to capture the thief. This matter cannot be delayed any longer. Hurry and open the door! If you delay the Regent's important task, you will lose your heads!"
"I haven't received any orders from the Regent yet, so please go back."
"The Regent's secret decree! Who do you think you are? Could this secret decree be handed down to you?" Chang Ping stiffened his neck and drew his sword, pointing the tip upwards. "The Emperor is critically ill, and the imperial guards have received the order!"
"The emperor is critically ill?!" The guards were shocked and panicked, looking at each other in confusion.
The Regent ordered the news to be blocked, and since the incident happened not long ago, the guards guarding the imperial city gate had not yet received the news.
"If you don't even know about such a major event, how can you possibly know the Regent's secret decree? Open the door! The royal army is entering the palace to capture the thief. How dare you refuse to open the door? Do you expect the Regent to come in person and grant you a favor?!"
The guard's momentum had already dropped: "I dare not obey your order..."
Chang Ping screamed, "The Emperor was assassinated in the palace!"
The guards were all shocked, sweating profusely: "The Emperor was assassinated in the palace?!"
"The Regent has ordered the news to be suppressed, how could you have known? If we don't catch the thief, the Emperor will be the one seriously injured, and the Regent will be next! The Emperor is dead, the country is without a ruler, rituals and music are broken, and the government is in tatters. Who among you can bear such responsibility?"
Gradually, no one dared to speak inside the door.
Chang Ping suddenly steered his horse forward two steps. When he reached the gate, he just tried to rein in the horse when it suddenly raised its front hooves and slammed down on the red gate with a loud bang.
"Without the secret decree from the Prince Regent, how could the imperial army enter the capital?"
After a while, the sound of keys jingling against each other was heard from inside the door.
The key entered the keyhole, squeaked twice, and then clicked and the lock opened.
The guards' backs were drenched in sweat. If they were the Prince Regent's personal troops, everyone knew they were in the capital, not within the city walls. Without an imperial decree, how could the city gate guards dare let these soldiers in?
Since the commander of Shanhaiguan allowed them to enter the city, how could they, being just a few small fry, dare to stop them?
The Huangji Gate finally opened, revealing the flat and wide white marble imperial road inside.
Chang Da had seen this road many times when he entered the palace, but never once had he seen a man riding a tall horse and walking openly in the middle of the road.
The Forbidden City in the night is solemn, gloomy and depressing.
Chang Da drew his sword from its sheath, his horse's hooves trampled on the straight and flat imperial road, and the white blade pointed directly at the Ganhe Hall at the end.
"Tonight, everything will be accomplished!"
He turned around and said to Chang Ping who was following behind him:
"You and I will split up! You go to Daming Palace and capture that arrogant brat, and I'll go to Zichen Palace and attack the Dragon's Cave! Before dawn, we must take the Regent's head and capture Li Ye alive!"
When Chang Ping arrived outside Daming Palace, the candles in the hall were lit again, filling the walls. The carved windows were illuminated with a warm orange-yellow glow, and the hall was brightly lit again.
He turned around and signaled his subordinates to be silent with his hand. He held his breath, steadied his horse, and approached the Daming Palace silently.
There was no one guarding the Daming Palace.
The golden-armed guards disappeared, and the area in front of the palace became increasingly empty. The night fell, and the glazed golden tiles on the roof glowed green in the night sky.
It’s so quiet, so quiet that it’s scary.
Chang Ping swallowed unconsciously.
Now that things have come to this, there is no turning back. Once you embark on this path, there is no turning back.
Chang Ping gestured to everyone to dismount. Everyone held their swords at their waists and tiptoed to the gate of Daming Palace.
The palace door was not even locked, and the agate bead curtain swayed gently in the night breeze.
Chang Ping carefully pulled aside the bead curtain.
The beads crackled.
The Jurchens and Chang's army behind him saw Chang Ping push aside the bead curtain and stick his head in, and they all followed closely behind him carefully, with even the sound of armor colliding being barely heard.
As soon as you enter.
The whole hall was filled with flickering candlelight, and the wind blew in through the windows, casting a variety of light and shadows inside the hall.
Everything was in turmoil, except for one person, who bent one leg and sat steadily between the layers of bed curtains.
Dozens of guards with golden weapons were standing by with their swords drawn. Amidst the fierce sword shadows, the man's small earrings swayed lightly in the wind. He remained unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him.
Li Xuanbai had already tied his ponytail, changed into his imperial robe, and donned his imperial crown. He sat down on the couch with a straight face. Seeing the rebels who were as hungry as eagles and tigers, he remained calm and said with a smile:
"Finally you're here. You've kept me waiting."
Chang Ping was startled suddenly, as if he had fallen into an icy cave.
What does this mean? Could it be that the palace coup tonight was a plot set by the Regent?!
He quickly glanced around—even though he had Golden Spear Guards, they were only a few dozen strong. How could they compare to the powerful soldiers and generals behind him?!
When the two met, he was already horrified, gripping the hilt of the knife tightly and taking half a step back.
Chang Ping was still young and inexperienced after all. Seeing Li Xuanbai's composure, he stammered, "What are you doing?"
"The Regent... The Regent has not yet gone to bed."
"I went to bed early." Li Xuanbai sneered and got down to the ground. "Didn't you disturb me? I woke up in the middle of the night because of that eunuch." He raised his chin towards Wu Shun, who was shivering in the corner, and said, "If you ask me, there's nothing to be afraid of. Nothing matters more than a good night's sleep."
After he finished speaking, he slowly rolled his eyes, glared at everyone, and shouted:
"You guys want to rebel?!"
The sound suddenly resounded throughout the hall, like a tiger's roar, with a faint echo.
Chang Ping's legs suddenly began to tremble. Even though he knew that the soldiers were staring at him from behind, he couldn't help but panic: "Regent, we have been ordered..."
"Under orders, by whose orders?!" Li Xuanbai stood up suddenly and approached Chang Ping in two or three steps. The guards on either side of him swung their snow-white blades in front of him. He stared at Chang Ping with fierce eyes, "How can I allow you to cause trouble under the feet of the emperor! You are trespassing in the forbidden area of the palace late at night with swords on your shoulders? You are guilty of the death penalty!"
Chang Ping suddenly lost his breath. He looked into his eyes and began to tremble like a sieve unconsciously. He wanted to kneel down.
The Jurchens behind him were even more panicked.
Chang Da sent troops tonight and told them that he was carrying out a secret decree to capture a villain. However, he didn't know that the Regent had no secret decree, let alone any villain to be eliminated.
They were tricked into the palace to help someone rebel!
Li Xuanbai sneered and took a half step back. The ferocious blades of the three Fuyu guards were right in front of him, but he was not afraid at all. He walked in circles in front of the rebels with his hands behind his back.
"The Chang family army was personally trained by Prince Ding. I understand their willingness to sacrifice for him. But are you, a bunch of Jurchens, out of your minds?"
He sneered at the leading Jurchen face:
"You Jurchens left your homes and traveled thousands of miles to the Central Plains to fight for a few taels of silver. Now you're willing to sacrifice your lives for silver?! Not to mention that you have the life to earn this money, but not the life to spend it. Even if you did earn it, how could you return home?!"
"Do your family members know that you participated in the usurpation of power and rebellion in the Central Plains?! If anything happens to the emperor, every one of you will be an enemy of Qi and Song! If Qi and Song become at odds with the Jin Kingdom, Qi and Song will send troops to attack your country. The two countries will be at war, and the people will suffer. Do you think your family can rest easy in a distant place?"
"It's just a way to make a living, why risk your life?"
Chang Ping was immediately terrified when these words came out. He turned around and looked around, and he was even more frightened.
The three guards of Fu Yu all had gloomy faces, solemn expressions, flickering eyes, and remained silent.
He suddenly hated himself for ordering these people to learn the Central Plains dialect. It would be fine if they couldn't understand it!
"Don't let others shake the morale of the army!" Chang Ping gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his palms wet with sweat, and the hilt kept slipping in his hand. He hissed, "Anyone who disobeys orders will be executed!"
"Behead?" Li Xuanbai chuckled slowly, and even found the energy to slowly sit back on the couch, crossing his legs. "Those who commit treason are subject to death by slicing. From what you're saying, getting involved in this messy power struggle is worse than being beheaded!"
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly changed.
Chang Ping was a very smart man. He suddenly felt that the atmosphere was different, as if he was in a dangerous place. Now, it was not just that every tree and grass looked like an enemy, but that they were actually an enemy. His mind raced and an idea suddenly struck him:
"You have trespassed into the palace and are already traitors. Do you think you can become a Buddha by laying down your butcher knife?! If you obey my orders, you will be beheaded. If you obey his words, you will be tortured to death!"
The Jurchens were all stunned again.
"No, how could that be?" Li Xuanbai intertwined his fingers on his knees, kicking his long legs intermittently. "This king has always been lenient in governing the country. So, if you surrender to me, I will forgive your past. If you kill the rebels, I will reward you handsomely."
Chang Ping turned around and shouted, "The Regent really doesn't want the Jurchens to stay in the capital. You know that!"
Li Xuanbai casually pointed his finger at Chang Ping. "Hey, your legs are shaking. You're just a brat, and you dare to ride on these people's heads and shout at them. Have you ever killed anyone?"
The Jurchens then looked in the direction of his finger and were shocked to see that although Chang Ping's face was calm, his legs were shaking as if a man in his seventies had walked on an icy lake.
Only then did they realize how inexperienced this boy was.
The other person in front of him was chatting and laughing calmly while surrounded by a large number of enemies.
The Jurchens valued martial spirit and would never submit to a general without experience. They also valued bravery over intelligence and looked down upon the Han people who only dared to outsmart others and had no courage to attack. Seeing that Chang Ping had become so scared before the fighting even started, they were all furious and drew their swords.
The knife light illuminated Chang Ping's frightened face.
Before the Chang family army could draw their swords to stop them, Li Xuanbai swung his legs and spoke again:
"If you want to surrender to me, take Chang Ping's head and surrender."
With a grunt, Chang Ping's head rolled to the ground.
A fountain of blood spurted out from the broken neck, shooting high and curving in an arc, splashing blood stains on the bed curtains.
Wu Shun in the corner wailed in a shrill voice, as if it was his neck that was broken.
The Jurchens looked at the person between the bed curtains with scrutiny.
Li Xuanbai had a charming blood drop under his eye, and he was fiddling with his small earrings, smiling carefreely:
"You are sincere."
The three Fuyu guards stood in silence, clasped their fists and saluted: "We respectfully serve our lord!"
The remaining Chang family soldiers were horrified and at a loss. Just now, Chang Ping was still coming up with brilliant ideas in front of the Huangji Gate. Without him, they would not have been able to enter the palace tonight. How could they be killed in the blink of an eye, cut in half, without even a last word?!
Chang Ping is only sixteen or seventeen years old this year!
Some of the Chang family soldiers were sad and angry, some were horrified, some were confused, and most of them were panic-stricken and at a loss.
Blood spread to the ground beneath the imperial couch. Li Xuanbai stepped on the fresh, warm blood, stood up with a smile on his face, and casually picked up a plum from the fruit bowl under the window.
"Where are the others?"
Chang Ping is dead, and the Chang family army is leaderless. If not him, who else can they follow?!
Li Xuanbai lowered his eyes, wiped the frost off the plums, and pointed out the window casually:
"If you want to follow me, then do so. If you still want to serve Prince Ding, then go. I will not force anyone."
After he finished speaking, there were indeed two or three people who were not tactful. They took a step forward, clasped their fists and wanted to leave.
Before he could wipe off the white frost on the plums, those people staggered and fell to the ground with their necks tilted back with a few puffs.
The blood soaked the Persian velvet carpet with precious floral patterns.
The three guards of Fu Yu and the guard of Jinge remained calm, sheathed their swords, and clasped their fists towards Li Xuanbai.
Li Xuanbai spat the plum pit into his palm and casually threw it into the porcelain plate. "You have quite a bit of sense."
"Let's go." He stepped over the blood-soaked carpet, which looked like wet moss. Each step made a gurgling sound. He looked out the window at the Forbidden City sleeping in the dead silence of the night. With a clang, he unsheathed his sword.
"Use the blood of the Chang family to pave the golden steps for my ascension to the throne."
Chang Da wants to enter the palace to seize power. In addition to taking Li Xuanbai's life, he must also control the person in Zichen Palace.
What he didn't expect was that when he arrived at the Zichen Hall, it was empty.
Tables and chairs were overturned, shelves were overturned, cabinets were broken open, bed curtains were torn halfway down, shelves full of books were scattered all over the floor, and the huge bookshelf was pressed down on the carpet.
But there was no one in sight.
There was no Emperor Jiaqing, no Chang Da, no Gu Huaijin and the imperial physicians who were supposed to be serving by Emperor Jiaqing's side.
Li Xuanbai felt his fury rising up in him. This hysterical brat was a living imperial seal, a living throne. Whoever got hold of him could use him to issue an imperial decree, instantly abolishing his title of regent! Where had he been?!
If it falls into Chang Da's hands, the consequences will be unimaginable!
But between the layers of golden gauze bed curtains, there seemed to be a figure lying on its side.
He strode over hurriedly, grabbed the bed curtain and yanked it, and the quilt was thrown open.
Amid the surging waves, Li Xuanbai gasped for breath and finally saw clearly.
A pool of blood had completely soaked into the golden brocade bed sheet with dragon embroidery. On the pool of blood, a person with closed eyes and blood on his lips was Wang Rang in bright yellow pajamas.
The chief eunuch of Emperor Jiaqing.
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