The guards guarding Duan Yu were terrified. From the sounds of the fight outside, Gao Liangcheng might have already been annihilated. They exchanged glances, each somewhat apprehensive of Duan Yu's authority. Then, the eunuch shouted, "Who is the Emperor of Dali?!"
The eunuch questioned him harshly, and the guards were so frightened that they dared not intervene. Duan Yu swaggered out of the Seven Star Hall. As he walked out of the door, two guards exchanged a glance, raised their swords, and charged at him.
These guards were forced into a corner. If they let the emperor leave the Seven Stars Palace, their entire family would be brutally killed by Gao Liangcheng. He tortured your family members in the most brutal way possible, precisely to keep these men loyal to him.
Duan Yu sneered, spun around gracefully, and easily knocked the guards to the ground. While the Dali Emperor didn't possess any advanced martial arts skills like Lingbo Weibu or Liumai Shenjian, he was a top-notch martial artist. Historically, Duan Yu was a formidable martial artist. He had once been a disciple of Liu Xuan.
Qi Liuxuan was a legendary figure. A master of the Song Dynasty martial arts world, he once rivaled Zhou Tong, the foremost martial artist. Similar to the relationship between Duan Yunpeng and Linghu Yunlong, it was rumored that Liuxuan and Zhou Tong were equally matched in martial arts.
Who was Zhou Tong? He was the master of the renowned Yue Fei, also known as Yue Wumu. Yue Fei's martial arts skills were partly self-developed, and partly taught by Zhou Tong. At the time, Zhou Tong and Liu Xuan were considered the most skilled martial artists in the martial arts world.
For unknown reasons, Liu Xuan Hou went to Dali to live in seclusion. By chance, he was practicing at the Wuwei Temple in Cangping, Longshan, and took Duan Yu as his disciple. Duan Yu was also very talented and intelligent. Within a few years, he became the most skilled martial artist in Dali, and his martial arts skills were truly amazing.
In fact, if Duan Yu wanted to leave the Seven Star Hall, he would have left long ago. The reason why he tolerated Gao Liangcheng's rebellion was that he was afraid of domestic unrest in Dali and the outbreak of civil war.
Dali had been established for a hundred years, and while there had been few external wars, internal strife among the tribes within Dali had often led to domestic instability. After Duan Yu came to power, he was diligent in governing the country, wholeheartedly caring for the people. However, the internal strife between the tribes never ceased.
Duan Yu easily defeated several guards and led the eunuchs to the square outside the Yellow Dragon Hall. Gao Liangcheng was surrounded by the palace guards and was about to be captured.
When Gao Xuantai, the Gao clan leader, saw that his side was sure to win, he immediately regained his composure. However, they were still afraid of Gao Liangcheng, so they just pointed at him from a distance and cursed, "Gao Liangcheng, why don't you surrender now!"
Gao Liangcheng's personal guards continued to fall, both sides were already blood-thirsty, and the palace was filled with blood, resembling a living hell. However, while the killing in the front palace was intense, the concubines in the harem were not affected at all, which was the only strange thing about the palace coup.
Gao Liangcheng showed no intention of surrendering, and his men seemed determined to fight to the death. Gao Liangcheng was a man of great pride, and he would rather die in battle than surrender to a cowardly and shameless man like Gao Xuantai and suffer the humiliation of such a situation.
"Your Majesty is here! Your Majesty is here!" Someone shouted, and then Duan Yu and an old eunuch came walking towards this side through the corridor from the harem.
The emperor's arrival immediately stirred the ministers, led by Gao Xuantai. It was time for them to show their loyalty, and they immediately started gesticulating, spitting and cursing at Gao Liangcheng from afar.
Gao Liangcheng's men also seemed to get agitated when they saw Duan Yu coming, and finally began to look around anxiously. It seemed that since he was Duan's subordinate, these people still recognized this emperor.
"Prime Minister, that's enough! I will give your family a home," Duan Yu said as he walked towards him.
Gao Liangcheng, who was still struggling, suddenly lost his energy upon hearing Duan Yu's voice. With a clang, he dropped his sword, sighed, and sat down on the bed.
Gao Liangcheng's personal guards dropped their weapons upon seeing their master surrender, expecting only to be slaughtered. Since they had followed the prime minister, they should accept their fate.
Bale was also wounded, but his injuries were not serious. He waved to his few remaining men and said, "Capture them all!"
No one resisted. They all threw down their weapons and were taken away as prisoners.
Duan Yu stepped over the bodies of the fallen soldiers. Suddenly, he squatted down and gently closed the eyes of one soldier. Then he stood up. "Since I ascended the throne, I have personally taken care of everything, fearing any mistakes. I fear nothing but the suffering of the people of Dali because of my mistakes. Now, these soldiers did not die on the battlefield defending Dali, but died by my own sword. I feel sorry for you."
The emperor, worthy of his title, made everyone bow their heads in despair. Indeed, if it weren't for power, Dali, under Duan Yu's leadership, wouldn't have achieved prosperity and strength, but at least peace and prosperity.
"I am Ba Le, the Commander of the Imperial Guards! We respectfully welcome Your Majesty!" Ba Le hurriedly knelt, and the guards around him followed suit. This meant that power in the palace was back in Duan Yu's hands.
The ministers, led by Gao Xuantai, knelt down and shouted "Long live the emperor!" This was the best opportunity to show their loyalty, and everyone showed off their achievements. They said they had long been dissatisfied with Gao Liangcheng, and they were determined to protect the emperor even if it meant death. They were determined to destroy Gao Liangcheng today.
Duan Yu nodded and praised everyone one by one. Then, they escorted Duan Yu to the main hall, the Yellow Dragon Hall. Duan Yu once again sat on the Dragon Throne and presented rewards to the following ministers one by one. He also sent the Imperial Guards Minister Chang Qihuai to Gao Liangcheng's camp to appease him, explaining that the civil unrest would only target Gao Liangcheng, the ringleader, and that no one else was involved.
"Your Majesty, I think Gao Liangcheng should be escorted to the Song Dynasty and asked the Song court to deal with him." Gao Xuantai was the first to speak up.
Everyone agreed, and indeed, they had gone to such great lengths to capture Gao Liangcheng and have him take the blame for the invasion of Song, so as to prevent the Song Dynasty from launching a rebellion.
Duan Yu nodded in agreement, then said to Gao Xuantai, "Your Excellency Gao is absolutely right. You have worked hard and made great contributions. Your execution of Gao Liangcheng is truly an unparalleled feat. However, you have toiled your entire life for Dali, and it is time for you to return home and enjoy your retirement. If I continue to keep you working for the country, I would be failing you, my loyal subjects. For your hard work and contributions, I have decided to confer upon you the title of Grand Tutor, and to present you with a plaque from the imperial court as a token of my commendation."
Gao Xuantai felt a chill in his heart: the emperor was going to demote him. With Gao Liangcheng's downfall, he, the patriarch of the Gao family, would be the first to be targeted. However, the emperor gave him the honorary title of Grand Tutor, which was better than being abandoned after the rabbit died.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
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