Wu Xiong was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, pointing his sword directly at Duke Xian, "I'd like to see who can get out of this hall!"
Most of the generals of Xiaoyue are stationed outside the capital and can only return to the capital during festivals or when summoned by the emperor. Currently, the court is mostly composed of civil officials. If a real fight breaks out, I fear that too many civil officials will be injured.
Wu Xiong dared to make threats precisely because he understood this point.
"Wu Xiong, do you know that this is tantamount to disobedience, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family!" Duke Xian shouted.
"Hahaha, Duke Xian, as long as we deal with you old codgers who ruined my nephew's plans, Xiaoyue will be the domain of my Wu family, and it will be your Ji family's entire clan that will be exterminated."
Wu Xiong knew that now the only way out was to rebel!
As long as the people inside the palace are not allowed to leave, the soldiers outside will not know the truth and will naturally help them resist these allied forces and achieve final victory.
"Close the palace gates!" Wu Xiong ordered. Some soldiers rushed into the palace, closed the gates, and surrounded all the ministers inside, while the other half of the soldiers remained outside to guard the gates.
Inside and outside the palace, the two armies clashed. The people in the city had already noticed something was wrong and all ran back to their homes, locking their doors tightly. No one dared to come out.
Wu Xiong glanced at the assembled officials and said, "Those who have sworn allegiance to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, stand on my side, and I will never harm you in the slightest."
The ministers exchanged glances, and a few slowly stepped forward, walking behind Wu Xiong.
These people were also Empress Wu's confidants. They knew very well that they had done many evil things for Empress Wu, and that they had no other choice but to stand on her side.
Looking at the few people who came over, Wu Xiong was very dissatisfied. "Stubborn to the end, since that's the case, then I'll start by dealing with Lord Tao."
We need to kill a few people to deter these disobedient guys!
Tao Rong was standing next to Wu Xiong when Wu Xiong suddenly launched an attack. Xiao Yanchu and Hu Qing didn't have time to get over.
Tao Rong was a civil official who knew nothing about martial arts, so this sword strike was something he could not avoid.
Just as Wu Xiong's sword was about to pierce Tao Rong's chest, the next second, the sound of swords clashing together rang out.
Tao Zhengyu, standing next to Tao Rong, swung his sword to block Wu Xiong's attack.
Wu Xiong narrowed his eyes and looked at Tao Zhengyu, "You actually know martial arts!"
Although Tao Zhengyu is the eldest son of the Tao family, he has little presence in the circle of young masters in Longxiao City. No one knows that this young master of the Tao family knows martial arts. But no one expected that he could withstand Wu Xiong's sword.
Wu Xiong's sword was blocked, and without waiting for Tao Zhengyu's reply, he raised his sword and thrust it at Tao Zhengyu again.
"Hu Qing!" Xiao Yanchu called out.
Hu Qing understood that his master had sent him to help Young Master Tao.
Hu Qing drew his sword to help, but then saw Tao Zhengyu swiftly draw his sword and place it against Wu Xiong's neck.
"General Wu, you have lost," Tao Zhengyu said calmly.
Hu Qing silently retreated to Xiao Yanchu's side, clearly indicating that this young master Tao did not need his help.
Su Ruojin looked at Tao Zhengyu thoughtfully.
Tao Zhengyu's move not only shocked Wu Xiong, but also surprised everyone present.
When did this young master Tao become so skilled? If so, why has he kept it a secret all this time? Otherwise, with his skills, becoming a general would be a piece of cake.
"Tao Zhengyu, release General Wu!" Empress Wu panicked. Her brother was her last hope, and now that he had been captured, she instantly lost her composure.
Tao Zhengyu completely ignored Empress Dowager Wu and said in a deep voice, "Open the palace doors and let the Duke of Xian go out!"
"No, you can't!" Empress Wu's voice became sharp with tension.
If they release the Duke of Xian, and he manages to persuade the city's garrison and the imperial guards to defect, they will be utterly defeated.
Wu Xiong looked at the sword pressed against his neck and suddenly burst into laughter, "Wu Family Army, listen to my command! Protect the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, kill everyone else, don't worry about me!"
Wu Xiong wasn't fearless; he was gambling that Tao Zhengyu wouldn't kill him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com