Everyone in the hall became alert, their faces turned serious and their eyes became sharp.
Without the emperor's order or permission, it would be unreasonable for a large group of people to approach the emperor's bedroom at night.
"Lights out!" Zhang Yuanqing gave his teammates an order, then gave Brother Red Chicken a look: "Prepare your defensive weapons and go out to take a look."
Palace Master Xiaoyuan and others quickly blew out the candles in the bedroom and the outer hall, plunging the palace into darkness.
Brother Hongji's face was solemn. Without Zhang Yuanqing's reminder, he had already taken out a set of rattan armor and put it on. He quickly walked through the outer hall and stopped outside the tall lattice door.
He then took out a stone tablet and held it in his left hand. All of a sudden, his shoulders sank slightly, as if a mountain was pressing down on them. With some difficulty, he raised his right hand and pushed open the lattice door.
Looking around, I saw a group of imperial guards holding torches in one hand running along the lakeside towards the square outside the palace. Leading them was Zheng Wenhan with a sword hanging from his waist and a thin middle-aged general.
Brother Hongji stood behind the threshold and shouted sternly, "Stop! This is His Majesty's bedroom. Are you trespassing with weapons in an attempt to rebel?" As soon as he finished speaking, the senior general took out his arrows, drew his bow and shot.
"boom!"
The arrow containing abundant sword energy made a sharp whistling sound when it rubbed against the air, and a yellow light swelled up in the darkness to form a spherical protective shield.
The next second, when the shield collapsed, Brother Red Chicken lowered his body, avoiding the heart and the arrow shot through his shoulder. With his remaining strength, he smashed the door of the palace to the ground with a "bang".
Brother Hongji ignored the broken stone tablet and quickly closed the door. He lowered his head and bent over to avoid the bullets and fled back to his bedroom.
"The Zheng family is rebelling!" Brother Hongji pressed his bleeding shoulder and said with a grin, "There is a master among the enemies, a swordsman at the peak of the Saint Realm."
"A defensive item for a level 6 Earth Monster class. Among the lawful classes, only the swordsman's sword energy can hit the target with one arrow. If it's just a level 6 Sword Master, then it's not so bad."
Xiao Yuan took a look at the burly Concubine Wan, who was a level six plague god.
At this time, the noisy footsteps were getting closer. Zhang Yuanqing said in an urgent tone, "It's not that simple. The Zheng family has no reason to assassinate tonight. No. This is no longer an assassination, this is a rebellion. It means that the Zheng family has found out the real cause of Zheng Longtu's death. The play has gone wrong!"
"It may not be a failure. There is no point in talking about this now. Set up the mechanism to prepare to meet the enemy. I will delay the time. If they are rebelling, they cannot bring only a sixth-level saint."
Brother Hongji, the Palace Master, the Queen and Xie Lingxi opened the inventory in tacit understanding and took out the humanoid puppets. The crossbows, thousand-needle tubes, armor-piercing beast-catching spore sprayers and other mechanical weapons were arranged in an orderly manner.
Since acquiring the mechanical arts, the gang members who have returned from the dead have become accustomed to carrying a set of mechanical weapons from the level of a saint, and the gang warehouse has even more stored.
Mechanical weapons can be used to set traps or be used as cannon fodder to explore the way. They have various functions and uses.
Xiao Yuan took out two black soil jars. One of the jars flew out, and ferocious black beetles attached themselves to the doors and windows. A colorful poisonous snake crawled out of another jar, twisting its body and crawling towards the door sill and window. Some climbed up the pillars and hung on the beams.
Jiang Jingwei was not a member of the Return of the Dead gang, so he had nothing to do so he thought of hiding behind the door, but Zhang Yuanqing pulled him back: "You're dead, don't get close to the door!"
He pulled Jiang Jingwei back behind him, summoned the Yin-Yang robe and red dancing shoes, put them on, and while his teammates were setting up the trap, he walked out of the outer hall and asked loudly, "Prime Minister Zheng, uncle, I have treated your Zheng family well, why are you rebelling? Are you worthy of my dead mother?"
Just as he finished speaking, an arrow filled with sword energy pierced through the lattice door and shot towards him. The red dancing shoes glowed dimly and he turned around gracefully, avoiding the arrow.
Zhang Yuanqing immediately shouted, "Who shot the arrow? A cowardly rat?"
The arrow came again, and the red dancing shoes easily avoided it again.
Although it is a rule-based item at the extraordinary stage, it is not difficult to dodge this kind of long-range attack. If a level 6 swordsman attacks at close range, the Red Shoes may not be able to dodge it.
"I'm standing here. Shoot me a few more arrows if you dare!" Zhang Yuanqing shouted.
After two consecutive arrows failed, the swordsman outside the hall could not figure out the situation inside the hall and stopped.
Zheng Wenhan did not remain silent and responded loudly, "Your Majesty is being held hostage in the palace by assassins. I have led my army to surround the Summer Palace. Today, the gates of the palace have been blocked by me. No one is allowed to enter or leave. You should surrender and release your Majesty. You can keep your body intact. Otherwise, I will burn down the Summer Palace and you will not get any reinforcements."
Not all the Imperial City Guards are members of the Zheng family, otherwise there would be no need to block the city gates.
Zhang Yuanqing instinctively analyzed the information based on the other party's words, and shouted: "Prime Minister Zheng, stop pretending. Now that you have found out the cause of Zheng Longtu's death, let's speak frankly. Both Zheng Longtu and Wan Meiren have confessed the Zheng family's ambition to usurp the throne."
"Although I don't like reading, I know that the winners are the kings and the losers are the bandits. Even if I die today, I want to die with a clear mind. How do you know the cause of Zheng Longtu's death?"
He had actually guessed it, but he still had to try his best to buy time for his teammates to set up a trap. There was silence for a few seconds outside, and then Zheng Longtu's voice came, "You know my ambition, so you should understand that if the assassin's target was you, he would never risk his life to save you."
"Just based on this"
Zheng Xiang's tone suddenly became stern. "I have asked the national teacher's disciple to ask Ling Kun. You are a tyrant. You killed my son and made him suffer from eternal damnation. Today, I want to rid the people of the world of this evil."
At this point, the lattice door of the bedroom was suddenly pushed open, and a group of imperial guards took advantage of the conversation to quietly approach the bedroom and launched an attack.
Bang, bang, bang. The new pin-type missiles facing the hall were fired immediately, first hitting several soldiers in the front row. Then the soldiers in the back took advantage of their comrades blocking the way and a wave of arrows rushed into the hall.
Of course, he stepped on a trap not far from the threshold. He screamed and was immediately shot to death by crossbows from people hiding in the dark.
More imperial guards swarmed in and were not scared off by the mechanical weapons. They were all well-trained elites. They dared to charge into the city, let alone the emperor's bedroom.
Screams continued to be heard. The imperial guards who rushed into the bedroom were either killed by mechanical weapons or bitten by poisonous insects and venomous snakes.
In just three to five minutes, the first wave of imperial guards were all killed in the palace, and the palace door was opened.
From the threshold to the inside of the hall, there were corpses everywhere. The inside of the bedroom was pitch black, as if there were ferocious beasts hiding in the darkness, ready to devour anyone.
Zheng Wenhan said in a deep voice: "Fire attack!"
The imperial guards drew out their arrows, wrapped the arrowheads in cloth, poured kerosene on them, lit them with torches, and drew their bows towards the sleeping official.
In an instant, a rain of fire enveloped the Summer Palace, setting fire to the doors, windows and roof.
In autumn and winter, when the climate is dry, the fire suddenly ignites and burns fiercely. At this time, the artificial lake 50 meters away from the Summer Palace
With a loud bang, two water dragons rose into the sky and danced, rushing towards the Summer Palace that was blazing with flames.
The Plague God in the Imperial Guards immediately used fire and water to counter and stop the two water dragons. Two thick water dragons approached and circled and danced in the air like headless flies.
Zhang Yuanqing and the queen, both wearing yin-yang robes, took action upon seeing this. Under the struggle of multiple forces, the two water dragons suddenly collapsed and turned into a torrential rain, which extinguished the torches of the imperial guards and most of the fire in the Summer Palace.
The second wave of attack was successfully resolved.
The imperial guards surrounding the Xia Palace did not dare to act rashly for a while, but Zhang Yuanqing knew that this was only temporary.
Next, Zheng Wenhan will continue to launch attacks and test the enemy until all his means of defeating the enemy are exhausted.
"I underestimated your Majesty and the number of beauties gathered in the palace. My sister has left many tricks for your Majesty." Zheng Wenhan's voice came from outside the palace.
Zhang Yuanqing shouted, "Can you believe that I have a million soldiers hidden in my palace?"
Zheng Wenhan ignored it.
"This is not a solution. We have to flee the palace." Zhang Boyuanqing's mind was full of thoughts. Suddenly, he came up with a plan and said, "If we continue to be in a stalemate, we will surely die. I have a plan."
When everyone looked at him, Zhang Yuanqing said, "All of you put on the uniforms of the alliance, disguise yourself as me, and then charge into the battle formation together and flee in different directions. This way, Zheng Wenhan will inevitably split up his troops, and everyone's chance of survival will be increased."
The chances of being annihilated in a battle with the enemy in Xiaguan are very high, so dispersing and escaping can greatly ensure the survival rate of the team.
"But if we do that, one of us will definitely die." Brother Red Chicken frowned, "We are all brothers, we should die together. I don't agree."
Just as he finished speaking, a blazing fire suddenly lit up outside the hall, and the next second a huge fireball with a diameter of two meters broke through the window and smashed into the center of the hall.
"boom!"
The fireball exploded, and the scorching shock wave overturned the tables and chairs, and the flames ignited the silk fabrics and wood in the hall.
Although the fireball exploded in the outer hall, the powerful shock wave made the blood of everyone in the bedroom boil and their steps stagger.
Before everyone could react, there was another explosion on the roof, and tiles and beams collapsed and fell.
This time the explosion happened right above everyone's heads. Xie Lingxi, who had the weakest constitution, was shocked to the point of spitting blood. The scorching fire waves curled their hair and burned the poisonous snakes hanging on the beams.
Brother Hongji cursed, "It's a level six fire demon. How come this old guy has so many experts under his command!"
After two waves of attempts, the Imperial Guards did not dare to launch a large-scale attack and chose to bomb.
"It's not surprising that a powerful prime minister would send a master, but our plot line hasn't progressed to this point yet." The palace master whispered.
"Do as Yuan, His Majesty says. This is the only chance to save your life."
Xie Lingxi and the Queen showed a trace of worry. They had become saints for the shortest time and had the shallowest foundation. In this case, their mortality rate was higher than that of other teammates.
But the gang leader's (Brother Yuanshi) strategy was correct. In the current situation, dispersing and escaping was the correct option. After all, this was the imperial palace.
But they were trapped in a jar, and continuing to fight would only lead to their own destruction. They quickly searched for the emperor's uniform and put it on hastily. Zhang Yuanqing used his disguise skills to change everyone's appearance one by one, turning them all into Zhao Shun.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her, dumbfounded. "Lian knows you are shocked, but don't be shocked now. Run away from here first."
Concubine Wan is worthy of being called Dead Earth. I don't think about it any more.
"Concubine Wan, we need to find a way to improve our survival rate. The palace gates have been blocked by Zheng Wenhan's men. How can we get out?" Zhang Yuanqing looked at her and asked. Concubine Wan understood and said in a low voice: "The lake in the Summer Palace is connected to the river in the city. We can swim out of the city through an underground river, but the underground river is narrow and long. Unless you are proficient in the water spirit method, it is difficult to pass through the underground river."
"I can pass through." The queen's eyes lit up and she added: "I have an extraordinary prop that can turn water into water. Who of you needs it?"
Xiao Yuan said: "I can turn into a Gu and fly."
The wasp saw Chang with speed. She wanted to escape, and no one could stop her.
The palace master said, "I can break out of the palace without the help of the underground river."
She has completed a side quest and recovered to the Saint stage. With the charm and hypnosis of Hongluan Star Officer, it is not difficult for her to escape from the palace without being targeted.
Jiang Jingwei and Xie Lingxi had no way to escape. Zhang Yuanqing thought of something, opened the inventory, took out a human mask and threw it over: "Lingxi, you don't have to run out of the palace, you can use it to hide in the palace."
"This item belongs to Master Jiuchang of the Southern School. It is an illusionist of extraordinary quality, and its function is to disguise one's appearance."
Xie Lingxi was smart and had no problem hiding in the harem with it.
Then Zhang Yuanqing took off his red dancing shoes and threw them to Brother Red Chicken, saying, "This prop is for you. I will use it to help you perform the Fire Element to escape."
"If your spiritual energy consumption is huge, just wear it and run. It can ignore the terrain, and running will not consume physical energy. It can also avoid the long-range attacks of the Saint Realm."
"Queen, I'll give you that item, Jingwei."
Just as the Red Dancing Shoes were about to circle around their owner to demand a price, they were put into the inventory by Red Chicken. During this process, two more balls exploded in the bedroom.
One of the bombs injured Zhang Yuanqing, but as a night wanderer, he didn't care about the injury. He continued, "You will charge at the same time later. Concubine Wan and I will guard the rear. Zheng Wenhan knows that I have guards. He can tell that I am my real body. And you are disguised as me, so he dare not ignore you completely. He probably won't send too many troops to hunt you down. I will try my best to buy time for you."
This step is critical. Arranging someone to stay behind to cover the rear and attract attention will result in the pursuers being too strong, thus putting the team members in a desperate situation.
The reason why we let teammates go first is because we need them to divert some of the firepower.
After formulating a strategy, Zhang Yuanqing whispered before the fire thunder came, "Action!"
Brother Hongji and Jiang Jingwei rushed out first, running towards the gap created by the fireball and jumping out together.
They fled to the left and right respectively. Zheng Wenhan outside immediately said: "Chase!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned his eyes and added, "Twenty people each, tell the imperial guards guarding the gate to kill anyone who comes within fifty steps of the palace gate."
The two well-trained imperial guards gave chase, but just as they left, two more Zhao Shuns in casual clothes rushed out from the palace gate that was burned down by fire and fled in different directions.
After the imperial guards fired a wave of arrows at them, they immediately chased after them. Then the third pair of Zhao Shuns rushed out of the hall and fled.
"Prime Minister Zheng!" The sixth-level fire master of the imperial army could not help but frown and ask: "Why are you only sending so few troops? What if the tyrant escapes?"
Zheng Wenhan and the swordsman general ignored him and stared at the bedroom with sharp eyes.
At this time, two more pairs of Zhao Shun rushed out of the bedroom, but they did not flee separately but stayed together.
Zheng Wenhan's eyes became fierce, and he drew the Chang sword from his waist: "All the generals and soldiers of the Southern Dynasty, follow me to kill the tyrant emperor!"