Chapter 95: Perhaps it's just because of resentment. ...
It was only early autumn, but the weather seemed to have leaped into late autumn. A long, chilling wind blew, biting to the bone, and large, grayish-white clouds were blown toward the city walls, bringing down a cold, misty rain.
The once bustling and prosperous scene on the open and flat official road is now gone. At this moment, only the massive army, like a surging tide, is advancing fiercely, stretching as far as the eye can see.
The banners bearing the character "Li" stood tall like a forest, fluttering in the wind. Li Pan rode on his warhorse, his heavy armor covered with a thin layer of water droplets, but his face was even colder than the armor.
He squinted and looked at the city gate not far away.
On the city wall, soldiers stood in neat rows, ready for battle, while a general in silver armor appeared at the very center of the wall.
Li Pan scrutinized the man's figure and frowned slightly.
He had sent men several times to find out who was currently defending the capital, since different generals had different habits, and knowing who was in charge beforehand would allow him to launch a more targeted attack. But for some reason, he rarely saw the defending general himself ascend the city wall.
Li Pan had originally thought that Zhang Tong from the Imperial City Guard should be the one defending the city, since there weren't many capable people left in the capital. General Sun of the Imperial City Guard had died in the Northwest, so the remaining duties should be handled by his deputy, Zhang Tong. But now, judging from his figure, the general on the city wall didn't seem to be Zhang Tong.
He looks... somewhat like General Liao of the Right Jinwu Guard.
Have all the Imperial Guards come to defend the city?
The thought that General Liao was the Crown Prince's uncle, and that Emperor Jinghui had not yet dealt with the Crown Prince's family, ignited a nameless anger within Li Pan, and his brows furrowed even more tightly.
He was pondering why Emperor Jinghui had sent the crown prince's uncle to guard the city when he suddenly noticed another person on the city wall.
Dressed in a solitary white robe with the character "囚" (prisoner) on his chest, and flanked by two soldiers, who else could it be but Lou Shu?!
Li Pan suddenly opened his eyes wide and immediately raised his hand to stop his warhorse.
"Halt!" Wu Zhao shouted sharply, then looked at Li Pan in surprise, "General, is that...is that Lord Lou?"
Li Pan lowered his brows and clenched his teeth.
What does this mean? Are you suggesting we release Lou Shu to threaten him first? What about Lou Xueying?
Normally, if someone shows up with hostages, there's bound to be some negotiation going on first. Li Pan took a deep breath, ready to hear what the man surnamed Liao had to say, when he saw Liao raise a longbow, aim it at Li Pan, and draw the bowstring taut.
The vanguard immediately went on high alert, raising their shields, while the archers behind them quickly formed ranks, ready to counterattack at any moment.
Li Pan remained mounted on his horse, unmoved.
The reason is simple: there is still a distance between the two armies. This distance would be extremely dangerous for a giant bow pulled by a chariot, but for a bow and arrow pulled by manpower, it is clearly beyond the range.
What exactly does he want to do?
Li Pan kept a close eye on General Liao.
At the same time, Lou Shu on the city tower was also looking at the person beside him with suspicion and uncertainty.
General Liao fired an arrow, which landed right in front of Li Pan's army formation, several feet away from the frontmost soldiers.
He then put away his bow and arrows, and with a wave of his hand, his trusted men immediately began to dismantle the Great Yue Army flag on the city tower.
What... what is this...?
Lou Shu asked in shock, "What are you doing?"
"Can't you see this, Lord Lou?" General Liao smiled, looking at him with a kind expression. "We want to surrender."
"Surrender?!" Lou Shu could hardly believe his ears. "Why would you surrender?"
"What you say is true, Lord Lou." General Liao's smile deepened. "Next up is Lord Lou's son-in-law. Does Lord Lou truly wish to see the two armies clash? Wouldn't it be a good thing for General Li and Lord Lou if we surrender now?"
Lou Shu found it hard to believe.
He had already prepared himself for certain death. He had already decided that if the man surnamed Liao used him to threaten Li Pan, he would either run into the soldiers' blades or jump off the city wall. In short, he would not stop his daughter and son-in-law from moving forward.
But the turn of events was too sudden, catching him completely off guard. He stared blankly at the military flags falling continuously from the city wall and asked, "I'm afraid this wasn't His Majesty's order, was it?"
"Of course not," General Liao laughed. "His Majesty is stubborn and would rather die in the capital than surrender. But I know my own limitations. How could I be a match for General Li? Besides, General Li has so many more men than us. Continuing to drag this out would only be a waste of resources and manpower. Why not surrender sooner and everyone will be at ease?"
Lou Shu frowned and looked at him suspiciously.
General Liao shrugged: "I know that Lord Lou must think I have ulterior motives. Because of the previous incident between the Crown Prince and your daughter, the two families have become enemies. Now that I am in charge of the defense of the capital, it is only natural that Lord Lou would have some suspicions." He paused, "However, I will prove my sincerity."
Below the city gate, everyone looked up at the fallen flags, utterly astonished.
"What does this mean?" Wu Zhao's eyes widened. "Surrender?!"
Li Pan looked solemn.
"General!" A soldier in the front rank ran over, shield in one hand and arrow in the other, and reported, "There's a message tied to this arrow!"
Li Pan's brows furrowed, and he quickly took the package and opened it.
After quickly reading through the text, he said to Wu Zhao, "Call the others over."
The lieutenants quickly rushed over from their respective ranks. The letter passed through each of them, and after reading it, everyone showed expressions of disbelief.
"There's definitely a trap here!" Deputy General Ding said first. "If they wanted to surrender, they would have surrendered already. General, we can't trust them!"
Li Pan glanced at him.
Another lieutenant added, "Yes, who knows what kind of ambush is waiting for us in the city!"
"What good can this Liao fellow be? He's probably just trying to trick the general and avenge that damned crown prince!"
Everyone expressed their opinions, but they generally believed that General Liao was not truly surrendering, but rather had ulterior motives.
"Lord Lou is coming down!" With Wu Zhao's exclamation, everyone looked up again and saw a basket being slowly lowered from the city wall. Lou Shu stood alone inside, his prison clothes fluttering in the autumn wind.
The basket landed, and Lou Shu stepped out of it with some difficulty, limping towards Li Pan.
Li Pan immediately dismounted and went to meet Lou Shu.
Lou Shu ran past the range of the city wall's arrows and stopped, panting heavily. Li Pan helped him up and said in a deep voice, "Father-in-law! Are you injured?"
Lou Shu shook his head and said, "It's cold, my rheumatism flared up, but I'm not injured."
Li Pan took off his cloak and draped it over Lou Shu, helping him back to the army camp while asking, "Has Father-in-law seen Su Su?"
"Susu?" Lou Shu was taken aback, then his expression changed drastically. "Something happened to her?"
"It seems even you, Father-in-law, are unaware." Li Pan pursed his lips and said, "We'll discuss this matter later. May I ask, Father-in-law, what exactly was Liao's intention in letting you return?"
Lou Shu frowned and said, "He said the Beijing army couldn't stop you, and that he surrendered only to protect himself. He released me to prove his sincerity."
He turned around and looked at the slowly opening gate of the capital city.
Li Pan stared at the city gate, his expression inscrutable.
Lou Shu said, "There were no special arrangements behind the city gate. At least, I didn't see any before I was taken up to the city wall."
Deputy General Ding, standing nearby, asked in confusion, "Could this be a real surrender?"
Lou Shu: "Whether it's true or false, I can't judge. But General Liao asked me to tell you that he knows the Crown Prince's death was not his doing. It was all the Emperor's doing, a ploy to kill him. The Crown Prince has already paid the price for his offending behavior. I hope the Li and Liao families can put aside their grudges and unite against the common enemy so that the real mastermind can be punished."
Deputy General Ding scoffed, "The general hasn't forgiven the crown prince yet, and he's already talking about putting aside his grudges!"
Li Pan glanced at him again before asking Lou Shu, "Does Father-in-law think this makes sense?"
Lou Shu said, "What a person says is not important; what matters is what he does. But even if he is sincerely surrendering, I advise the general to treat him with caution. This man is so opportunistic; we should not befriend him too closely."
“Father-in-law is right.” Li Pan nodded. “Father-in-law has been imprisoned for a long time and has suffered a lot. Wu Zhao, take father-in-law back to rest first.”
Lou Shu wanted to ask again, "Can you hear the rustling sound..."
Wu Zhao said, "Lord Lou, don't worry. Lord Lou Zhongyan is also in the army, at the rear. I'll take you there to rest. He can explain the matter of your wife to you in detail."
Lou Shu was taken away by Wu Zhao, while Li Pan narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the now-open city gate.
A group of soldiers walked slowly out of the city gate, unarmed, and the leader was General Liao himself.
Lieutenant General Ding was taken aback: "Really surrendering?"
The other lieutenants couldn't help but hiss softly and start whispering among themselves.
Li Pan stared at the approaching figure, then suddenly chuckled, mounted his horse, lightly kicked its flank, and rode towards the front of the formation.
Deputy General Ding immediately said, "General, be careful!"
As he spoke, he rushed to the front of the battle, drew his long sword, and held it to General Liao's neck.
The other lieutenants also rushed over, protecting Li Pan and watching them warily.
General Liao raised his hands and said helplessly, "General Li, I didn't bring any weapons, and I withdrew all troops from the city wall. I even brought Lord Lou out of the prison and returned him to you. The city gate is open here, with no ambushes. You can enter at any time. Even so, do you still doubt my sincerity?"
Li Pan looked down at him and said, "If you want me to believe you, fine, hand over my wife."
"General Li's wife?" General Liao was taken aback for a moment, then said, "So the rumors from a few days ago were true? The general's wife has really disappeared?"
Li Pan sneered, "Don't play dumb. My wife has been kidnapped by that old man Liang Chong. How could she possibly get to the capital without your help?"
General Liao said, "General Li, I am truly wronged! Although the defense of the capital is under my jurisdiction, it is impossible for me to be at the city gate every moment to personally inspect everything entering the city. His Majesty has his own personal attendants; how could he entrust me with everything? However, on the other hand, His Majesty knew about a batch of military supplies entering the city a few days ago. Perhaps he secretly sent someone to take this opportunity to bring his wife into the palace. How could I have noticed?"
He sighed and said, “To be honest, General Li, the task of defending the capital was originally not under my jurisdiction, but under Zhang Tong of the Imperial City Guard. However, Zhang Tong is the Emperor's man, and if the Emperor orders him to fight to the death, he will certainly fight to the death. But I still want to live, so I took the initiative to ask the Emperor for this assignment so that I could welcome you, General, and hope that you will spare our Liao family in the future. These things are absolutely true, and you can inquire about them after you enter the city. If I wanted to harm you, General, why would I go through all this trouble? I could just have Zhang Tong fight the battle directly.”
Li Pan raised an eyebrow: "Since you had already decided to surrender, why didn't you send someone to tell us beforehand, instead of turning against us on the battlefield today?"
"That's because I wanted the general to believe me, so I brought Lord Lou out of prison last night!" General Liao explained. "After General Li withdrew the camp, I had a reason to ask His Majesty for the man's release. Otherwise, how could I have brought him out ahead of time to prove my sincerity to the general?"
Li Pan sized him up, seemingly judging the credibility of his words.
General Liao: "I have detained Zhang Tong and the other dissentful people. There will be no trouble in the capital, so please rest assured, General Li. Although I do not know where Madam is, I think she should be in the palace. It will not be too late to go find Madam after General Li has dealt with the Emperor."
After a long pause, Li Pan's attitude seemed to soften, and he said to Deputy General Ding, "Let him go."
Deputy General Ding sheathed his sword.
“In that case, General Liao, please lead the way,” Li Pan said. “With General Liao here, we may be able to avoid many casualties on the way to the palace.”
"General Li, you're too kind," General Liao said. "Please."
-
In the main hall of Ganyang, Emperor Jinghui sat alone on the dragon throne, gazing down the steps.
The place, once filled with civil and military officials attending court assemblies, is now completely empty.
He could have summoned them to the palace, but Emperor Jinghui was exhausted. He didn't want to see those seemingly loyal faces who actually had their own agendas anymore.
"Zheng Rui," Emperor Jinghui murmured softly.
"This old servant is here."
"Why is it so quiet outside?" he asked. "Is it because the fighting hasn't started yet, or is it because it's too far away to hear?"
Eunuch Zheng said, "Perhaps...perhaps it's because they're far away? They still have over 100,000 troops, so it's unlikely they could have stormed the city so quickly."
Emperor Jinghui then asked, "Do you think we can win?"
Eunuch Zheng said, "His Majesty possesses the aura of the dragon; he is certain to win this battle."
Emperor Jinghui chuckled: "Even at a time like this, you're still trying to comfort me. In truth, I know in my heart that this battle is only a matter of time before we lose. If we do manage to win, there's only one possibility: Li Pan will die suddenly and mysteriously."
Eunuch Zheng remained silent.
"Have you been harboring resentment towards me all along? If I hadn't dealt with Su Jun back then, perhaps none of this would have happened," Emperor Jinghui said. "It's alright, speak freely."
Eunuch Zheng bowed and said, "This old servant has served His Majesty for decades, and His Majesty has treated me well. How could I have any complaints? It's just that I don't understand why His Majesty is so persistent about that person... We've only exchanged a few letters, so why are you so attached to her?"
Of course, there was another thing he couldn't understand: how did the Crown Prince take a liking to that lady? And how did His Majesty know the Crown Prince's thoughts? But since the Crown Prince was dead, there was no need to bring up the past.
Emperor Jinghui stroked the thumb ring on his hand, lost in thought and silent.
Why be so persistent...
Perhaps it was simply out of resentment. Resentment that what he perceived as a harmonious marriage was, in her eyes, nothing more than a long, drawn-out ordeal; resentment that what he believed to be deep affection and loyalty ultimately became the reason for her to accuse him.
He had been holding some things in his heart for too long; perhaps he really should find someone to confide in.
"Actually, I..." Emperor Jinghui was carefully choosing his words when he suddenly heard the sound of weapons clashing outside.
Blood splattered onto the tightly closed doors and windows of the Gan Yang Hall, then flowed darkly down them.
"How could it be so fast!" He sat up straight in astonishment.
Eunuch Zheng also froze on the spot, not daring to move.
The door to the main hall was kicked open, revealing the messy steps outside.
The most trusted guards around Emperor Jinghui were now all lying in pools of blood.
Li Pan stood at the threshold, holding a gun, backlit, so his expression was obscured. Only his slightly mocking voice could be heard: "Your Majesty is guilty for being late to the capital. I received the imperial decree last November, and it has only today that I have overcome numerous difficulties to reach the capital. Your Majesty will not blame me, will you?"
Emperor Jinghui stared at him stiffly.
Behind Li Pan stood several lieutenants, their swords still dripping with blood, their murderous gazes causing Emperor Jinghui to tremble.
But what was most terrifying was not these things, but the densely packed soldiers who were still pouring in on the plaza outside the palace.
There were Imperial Guards and rebels...
How could these two things appear at the same time? And they seem to be acting independently, keeping to themselves and not interfering with each other!
Emperor Jinghui stood up in disbelief.
"You, you..."
He desperately wanted to ask Li Pan how he got in so quickly, but looking at the guards who had died for him, at the indifferent Imperial Guards, and at the rebels who entered the palace as if it were a marketplace, what was there left for him not to understand?
"Liao Qian! You have actually betrayed me!" Emperor Jinghui gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. "You and the Empress have actually conspired to commit treason—"
“Your Majesty is mistaken.” General Liao emerged from behind the palace gate and stood behind Li Pan, smiling slightly. “Your Majesty and I have never committed any act of treason. We were simply forced into this situation, just like General Li.”
"Enough with the idle talk." Li Pan turned around and gave him a cold look. "I will settle my score with him. If you dare to stop me from taking revenge, I will kill you."
General Liao was taken aback for a moment, then took a few steps back and said, "I have no intention of stopping you, General. I just couldn't help but say a few more words because of my feelings. If you take revenge, I will also take revenge. Please, General."
Li Pan stepped across the threshold, flicked the tip of his spear, and slammed it against the door.
With a bang, the palace doors slammed shut, and the people outside looked at each other, falling into an eerie silence.
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