The several imperial guards guarding outside the gate of the Qianqing Palace stood there motionless like rocks, forming a sharp contrast with the royal relatives and court officials around them who were like ants on hot pot, one still and one moving.

After a moment, Prince Li broke the silence and said in a firm voice, "You continue to ask for an audience with the emperor here. I will leave the palace to see Ajue now."

“…”

“…”

“…”

The others looked at each other with different expressions. Prince Shun cleared his throat and spoke first: "But Prince Chen's Mansion has been surrounded by the imperial guards..."

"No problem." Prince Li waved his hand and said, "Unless the imperial guards want to rebel, they won't dare to attack me."

After saying this, Prince Li left in a hurry.

In the misty drizzle, Prince Li walked faster and faster, with his attendant following closely beside him, holding an umbrella for him.

In the past two days, from day to night, Prince Li has been worried about this matter. He has thought of various possibilities and weighed the pros and cons.

Over the past year, the emperor and the brother Gu Jue had had several conflicts, but none of them got out of control. But this time was obviously different, and the emperor wanted to kill them.

The emperor must have something to rely on, and he was determined to win.

A deep frown appeared between Prince Li's brows.

If the emperor only targeted Gu Jue today, Prince Li would not know how to respond, and he would not wave goodbye to Gu Jue.

But now the situation is very clear. The emperor not only wants to deal with Gu Jue, but also wants to deal with the crown prince! In this situation, which side should he stand on? Prince Li has already made up his mind and feels heavy.

While thinking, Prince Li hurried to the outside of the Meridian Gate and got on the palace's carriage. The carriage carried him to Suzaku Street, with the driver whipping his horse one after another.

According to the law, horses were not allowed to gallop on the streets of the capital without special circumstances. However, this was an emergency and Prince Li did not care about that. He asked the coachman to rush to Prince Chen's Palace as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, there were not many people on the streets on rainy days, and the carriage could pass unimpeded. It sped through several streets, and when Prince Li came back to his senses from his confused thoughts, he had already arrived at Prince Chen's Palace.

Outside the Prince Chen's Palace, it was still heavily surrounded by a group of imperial guards wearing bronze helmets and iron armor. The wide Suzaku Avenue was empty except for these imperial guards, which made Prince Li's carriage particularly eye-catching.

As soon as the carriage arrived, two tall and mighty imperial guards drove it away: "Go away, all the outsiders leave immediately!"

"What if I must go in?!" Prince Li said as he opened the curtain of the carriage with a cold and arrogant tone.

When the other party heard the person in the carriage call himself "This King", his heart skipped a beat.

At this time, Lieutenant Cheng came over after hearing the voice, recognized Prince Li in the carriage, and politely clasped his fists and said, "Prince Li, I am also following orders, please don't embarrass us, Your Majesty."

As he spoke, Captain Cheng directed Prince Li's gaze to the southeast.

Prince Li followed his gaze and noticed Kang Hongda not far away. He narrowed his eyes, which were a little droopy due to old age, and a displeased smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

Prince Li has never had a good impression of Kang Hongda, and it is even worse now. Kang Hongda is the governor-general of the Beijing camp, and the imperial guards were dispatched this time under his instructions.

Prince Li had to wonder whether Kang Hongda had instigated something in front of the emperor.

Otherwise, the emperor had been ill for more than two months. During this period, the emperor was unable to take care of state affairs and had not seen many court officials. How could the emperor suddenly order the imperial guards to surround the Prince Chen's Palace? ! Kang Hongda was most likely the culprit.

Prince Li stopped talking to Captain Cheng. Since the other party had no say in the matter anyway, he lowered the curtains and simply got out of the carriage.

Since the emperor fell ill, Prince Li had also visited the emperor and found that the emperor was not only physically weak, but his temperament had also changed. In the past, the emperor would not listen to good advice that was not to his liking, but now he had become even more extreme than before.

Although Prince Li only exchanged a few words with the emperor about family matters, one could already hear the deep fear in the emperor's words, a fear of old age and death.

Prince Li held the hand of his long-servant and got down from the ground. He was wearing a robe with five-clawed nine-dragon patterns, which showed his noble status.

Before, Prince Li hid in the carriage, and Kang Hongda could pretend not to see Prince Li, but now, he can't avoid him.

Kang Hongda walked towards Prince Chaoli leisurely, with a smile on his lips, looking relaxed and confident.

Prince Li looked straight at Kang Hongda. Given the emperor's current condition, it would be easy for Kang Hongda to coax the emperor into taking action against Gu Jue and the prince. After all, Gu Jue and the prince were of royal blood, and their youth and strength were what the emperor desired most at the moment but could not obtain.

"Your Highness." Kang Hongda bowed to Prince Li with a smile.

"Lord Kang, why are you here?" Prince Li asked straight to the point, his usually friendly face now stern.

Facing Prince Li's questioning, Kang Hongda still smiled calmly and explained, "Prince Chen secretly dispatched troops to the capital and ordered the Black Armor Army and the Imperial Guards to take action. There is evidence and witnesses. It is clear that Prince Chen is plotting a rebellion!"

"However, the Prince of Chen has always been known for his virtue, and I also want to give him a chance to explain himself. I came here early in the morning to see him, but the Prince of Chen's mansion refused to open the door!"

"Prince Chen is really very impressive!"

Kang Hongda sighed and shook his head, without a trace of anger on his face, and he was as dashing as usual.

Prince Li was too lazy to argue with Kang Hongda, and just pointed at the gate of the palace and said, "I want to go in!"

Kang Hongda smiled, stretched out his hand to ask Prince Li, his smile was as gentle as spring breeze, and he said sensibly: "Since Your Majesty wants to go in, Kang will naturally not stop you. It depends on whether Prince Chen allows you to go in."

Prince Li didn't even bother to say anything more to him. He just turned away and walked to a corner door.

His attendant raised his hand and knocked on the corner door to identify himself.

Soon, the corner door was opened from the inside. Behind the door was a middle-aged man with a lean figure and a restrained gleam in his eyes. He respectfully invited Prince Li in.

After he finished speaking, the middle-aged man's sharp eyes passed through Prince Li and fell on Kang Hongda, who was two meters behind him. His voice rose three points: "If Lord Kang wants to come in, please come in."

The middle-aged man had an ordinary appearance and dark skin. If he were put in a crowd, no one would notice him at all. However, such an ordinary-looking man had a temperament of neither humble nor arrogant. When he looked at Kang Hongda, there was neither respect for a superior nor the slightest timidity in his eyes.

Kang Hongda paused with the folding fan in his hand and saw a provocative look in the other person's eyes.

He turned his eyes, took a step forward calmly, and said, "Then I will follow the prince."

He followed Prince Li through the corner gate. Two personal guards followed Kang Hongda closely, but one of them was stopped.

"Lord Kang!" The square-faced guard who was stopped outside the palace couldn't help but shout.

Seeing this, Kang Hongda didn't care and smiled generously: "Even when two countries are at war, they don't kill envoys. I trust the character of His Royal Highness Prince Chen."

Kang Hongda's words were not only spoken to the middle-aged man who blocked the door, but were also deliberately spoken to everyone present.

Gu Jue is a person who is extremely conceited and cares about his reputation, so he will not kill himself.

So, the square-faced guard retreated, and Kang Hongda and Prince Li continued to walk into the palace.

The one who came to the outer ceremonial gate to greet the two was the palace chief official Cheng Linhua.

"Your Majesty, please. Lord Kang, please."

Cheng Linhua led them politely and attentively to the main hall of Shaohua Hall in the outer courtyard.

Gu Jue was still wearing a moon-white loose Taoist robe. He was pruning a one-meter-tall holly bonsai under the eaves. The sharp scissors easily cut off the excess branches and leaves. Click, click... The branches and leaves of the holly tree were scattered around the edges of his shoes.

Shen Qianchen smiled and helped him.

In fact, there was nothing much for her to do. She just occasionally handed a cloth to Gu Jue so that he could wipe the blade of the scissors.

Looking at the couple sitting leisurely under the eaves, Prince Li was surprised. He didn't expect that his niece-in-law was also here.

Shen Qianchen also saw Prince Li, and took two steps forward gracefully, bowing to him: "Uncle."

She greeted Prince Li obediently and ignored Kang Hongda, neither looking at him nor speaking to him.

Kang Hongda didn't care about Shen Qianchen's disregard at all, but his scrutinizing eyes still turned to her.

The fact that she appeared here had already proved her status in Prince Chen's mansion and in Prince Chen's heart!

Thinking of this, Kang Hongda rubbed the fan handle with his fingertips twice, and quickly walked up to Gu Jue and greeted him: "Your Highness Prince Chen is really in a refined mood!"

His demeanor and tone were friendly and familiar. If someone didn't know them well, they would probably think they were close friends.

Gu Jue used the scissors to cut off another branch, then looked at Kang Hongda and said indifferently: "Not as good as Lord Kang."

The two people's eyes met in mid-air and they stared at each other.

Kang Hongda had a smile on his lips, but the smile did not reach his eyes, which were as cold as lightning.

Gu Jue’s eyes were cold and deep, just like the vast night sky, unattainable.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

Suddenly, Kang Hongda moved, and handed the folding fan from his right hand to his left hand. A moving expression appeared on his face, as if he recalled something. He sighed with emotion: "The prince was not such a humble person before..."

Before he finished speaking, Kang Hongda quickly pulled out the soft sword from his belt with his right hand. The soft sword, as soft as a snake, shook lightly and spread out. The soft sword, shining with cold light, stabbed towards Gu Jue like lightning...

He moved so fast that Prince Li was caught off guard and his eyes widened.

Gu Jue didn't even move his eyebrows, and easily blocked the opponent's sword with a pair of scissors. The soft sword collided with the scissors, making a "clang" sound. At the same time, Gu Jue's left hand drew a long sword from the scabbard in Jing Feng's hand. He skillfully swung the sword with his left hand, and cold stars appeared on the tip of the sword, and swept it towards Kang Hongda's chest.

Kang Hongda could only take two steps back to avoid Gu Jue's attack, and said with a smile: "Come to think of it, I haven't had a fight with the prince for many years."

He was talking and laughing, as if he was not making a sneak attack just now, but was really sparring with his opponent. As he spoke, he swung the soft sword in his hand and slashed at Gu Jue's waist with great force and brutality.

His swordsmanship reveals the domineering nature of knife skills.

Gu Jue still held the sword in his left hand and blocked it with his backhand with ease.

His swordsmanship was both hard and soft, quick and agile, and his moves were as smooth as flowing water, which shocked Kang Hongda who was receiving the move: before today, he had no idea that Prince Chen could actually use the left-handed sword.

Kang Hongda's personal bodyguard watched the two men fighting nervously and did not dare to step forward.

If he didn't take action, it would be just a "competition", not to mention that no one else in the palace took action either.

Amidst the flashing sword shadows, Kang Hongda's smile gradually cooled, and he sneered, "Your Majesty has always believed that His Royal Highness Prince Chen was seriously injured and was about to die. It seems that His Royal Highness Prince Chen has been misleading Your Majesty."

"With your highness Prince Chen's skills, how can you say that you are going to die soon? I am even suspicious that you have colluded with Xuan Jing just to lower the emperor's vigilance against you!"

"Even this marriage was planned by you, right?!"

It was not until this moment that he finally figured it out.

So that's how it is. The marriage between Gu Jue and Shen Qianchen was what Gu Jue wanted. He colluded with Xuan Jing to get the emperor to grant him the princess. This imperial decree of marriage was a trap set by Gu Jue for the emperor, and the emperor took the bait.

That was why Gu Jue accepted the marriage so easily and even went to the Yongding Marquis’ Mansion to pick up the bride in person.

Thinking in this way, the unreasonable behavior of Princess Chen can be explained.

No wonder the second young lady of the Yongding Marquis' Mansion, who was rumored to be cowardly, turned out to be so powerful and loyal to Gu Jue, working with Gu Jue to force the emperor to retreat step by step!

Because this woman was the one that Gu Jue had set his eyes on!

Prince Li was stunned when he heard this, and couldn't help but look at Shen Qianchen with a complicated look. He and Shen Qianchen had retreated to the main hall the moment Gu Jue and Kang Hongda started fighting.

Shen Qianchen: "..."

Shen Qianchen had a wooden face and didn't know how to refute.

Kang Hongda used the soft sword in his hand faster and his moves were fiercer.

He asserted confidently: "So, it was you who asked Xuan Jing to poison the emperor's elixir!!"

Kang Hongda said all these words intentionally for Prince Li to hear, especially the last sentence. He wanted to use Prince Li to tell the royal family that it was Gu Jue who had rebellious intentions first and it was Gu Jue who poisoned the emperor, which was why the emperor took action this time.

Kang Hongda was warning the royal family not to interfere when Gu Jue was convicted in the future! "Gu Jue, are you planning a rebellion?!" Kang Hongda called him by his name, regarding Gu Jue as a traitor.

"It's not me who is plotting rebellion, it's you." Gu Jue calmly turned the sword back and stabbed it into the center of Kang Hongda's neck.

Kang Hongda dodged sideways and could only retreat down the steps under the eaves, retreating a distance of ten feet.

After stepping out from under the eaves, Kang Hongda found himself in the drizzle. His body seemed to be covered with a layer of mist. His breathing was rapid and he looked a little disheveled.

But he still said righteously: "Kang is acting in accordance with the imperial decree."

He has the imperial edict, so justice is on his side, he is righteous, and Gu Jue is a traitor.

The long sword in Gu Jue's left hand hung down at an angle, and even his breathing was so steady, as if the few moves he had just made were just a small test.

"What do I, Gu Jue, need to rely on a Taoist priest for?!" Gu Jue raised the corner of his lips with a half-smile and chuckled almost silently.

The smile was so light and shallow that it was unclear whether he was laughing at Xuan Jing or Kang Hongda.

Shen Qianchen burst into laughter, his smile was bright and his laughter was crisp and clear, as if he had heard some funny joke and couldn't help laughing.

"..." Kang Hongda's right hand tightly grasped the hilt of the soft sword, the back of his hand was tensed, and his right hand was full of strength, like a beast ready to attack.

The drizzle gradually wet his hair and clothes, but Kang Hongda didn't care at all and just stood in the drizzle.

He looked coldly at Gu Jue under the eaves, showing no sign of weakness, and asked instead of answering: "Gu Jue, do you really think you have everything under control?!"

"You know what I hate most about you?"

He didn't expect Gu Jue to answer at all. After a pause, he continued, "What I hate most is your attitude that you have everything under control."

"It has always been like this!"

Kang Hongda's voice was neither high nor low, and he spoke almost word by word with a steady tone, but every word he spoke was filled with suppressed anger.

Kang Hongda doesn't like Gu Jue and never has.

Some people seem to be born to crush others. When Kang Hongda was young, he was full of vigor and thought he was a child of destiny and the best among his peers, but he was slapped in the face by the fifteen-year-old Ninth Prince.

At the age of twenty-five, he was miserably defeated by the sword of a fifteen-year-old boy in public and in front of the late emperor.

Today, many people have forgotten that incident, but Kang Hongda himself will never forget it.

If he hadn't been restrained and afraid of hurting Gu Jue, the Ninth Prince, he wouldn't have lost!!

Thinking of these unpleasant past events, Kang Hongda exuded a gloomy and cold aura, which was completely different from his previous carefree and confident appearance.

"Gu Jue, if you want to use your sword in an unconventional way, you need a sword. What if the sword doesn't do what you want?" He was clearly standing at the bottom of the stone steps, a bit shorter than Gu Jue, but his demeanor and tone were superior and extremely arrogant.

He shook the soft sword in his hand, and raindrops flew everywhere as the sword shook. The sword made a rattlesnake-like sound, just like a rattlesnake staring at its prey, which made people shudder.

He showed a sarcastic smile and said slowly, "Oh, let me think about what chips you have in your hand."

"imperial clan?"

"Who are you?"

"Those loyal soldiers under your command?"

"Or the Black Armor Army?"

He went on bit by bit, like a bold and careful gambler weighing the chips his opponent had placed on the table.

This is a gamble that puts your fate on the line! "You think you can control people's hearts and make everyone loyal to you, but you forget that people's hearts are the hardest to see clearly." He raised his head and sneered, with a bit of contempt and a bit of confidence.

He had woken up when he was 25 years old and knew that he was not a child of destiny. However, Gu Jue had lived too smoothly for the past 20 years. He took it for granted that the people under him should follow him without regrets and submit to him! It was ridiculous, lamentable, and even more tragic! Suddenly, Kang Hongda felt that he should be grateful to Gu Jue, grateful that he slapped him and woke him up.

"Human heart." Gu Jue said with a sigh, but he smiled.

His smile was so light and indifferent that it seemed as if Kang Hongda could not even be reflected in his eyes. This smile seemed like a sigh and pity.

For some reason, Kang Hongda felt a strange feeling because of Gu Jue's smile. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. A few drops of rain flowed down his spine to his back, and his wet shirt stuck to the skin on his back.

This wet and sticky feeling made him very uncomfortable! Gu Jue said in a cold voice: "I will return this sentence to you. The human heart is the hardest to see clearly."

Kang Hongda: “…”

Kang Hongda pursed his thin lips, feeling that something was wrong.

Could it be that he miscalculated something? Or, did he miscalculate Yunzhan?

The next moment, Kang Hongda rejected this himself. It was impossible. If Yun Zhan was loyal to Gu Jue, there would be no need for him to hand over such a big handle to him! There was no way Yun Zhan would change.

The person who will regret is Gu Jue. He will regret putting the power to break the impasse on Yun Zhan!

Before I knew it, the rain stopped.

The sky is still overcast.

A few drops of rain slid down Kang Hongda's cheeks. His wet hair stuck to his skin, making him look disheveled, but his eyes were shining brightly.

The rain stopped, God was indeed on his side!

Kang Hongda calmed himself down and his eyes became brighter, just like the soft sword in his hand that was shining with cold light.

He stared at Gu Jue with the eyes of a victor and announced loudly: "Gu Jue, you are suspected of treason. I have received the imperial decree and have ordered the imperial guards to capture the Black Armor Army. Anyone who disobeys the order will be killed!"

"Now, what cards do you have?"

If the Black Armor Army is gone, Gu Jue will be nothing more than an eagle with broken wings, nothing to be feared.

Kang Hongda was waiting to see Gu Jue's face change drastically, but the person who exclaimed was Prince Li.

"What did you say?!" Prince Li blurted out, his face changing drastically.

He came to Prince Chen's Mansion to discuss countermeasures with Gu Jue. He didn't want the two armies to confront each other and kill each other. But now Kang Hongda meant that the imperial army had already headed to Fengtai Camp? !

That was like an army at the gates, with arrows on the bowstring. This battle was inevitable! The situation was out of control.

Prince Li's heart suddenly sank to the bottom of the valley, and his limbs felt cold, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

The cool breeze after the rain blew slowly, carrying with it a hint of grass and earth. The same smell permeated the streets of the capital, the official roads outside the city, and the air in the suburbs of Beijing, including the Fengtai Camp.

At this time, the Fengtai camp had been surrounded by the dark army of the Imperial Guard.

There are only 60,000 Black Armor Army soldiers in the capital, while the three camps of the imperial guards stationed in the capital have more than 100,000 soldiers. The disparity in military strength between the two sides is huge.

Chu Yunyi has been here since yesterday and has not left yet. He is still with Su Mubai.

The two men stood in a tall watchtower, from where they could clearly see the imperial guards in the distance and the camp below.

In the camp, teams of soldiers came and went in a hurry, but in an orderly manner. The infantry and cavalry were each waiting at their own positions. Some held bows, some held spears and shields, and some held swords...

Everyone is on high alert and ready to go into battle at any time, and the atmosphere in the camp is completely different from the past.

Chu Yunyi looked down at this familiar yet unfamiliar military camp from above. The tense atmosphere before the war around him also infected him, making his blood boil and eager to try.

At the end of last year, he followed a team of Black Armor Army out of the capital, participated in actual combat training, and made contributions. At that time, he was quite proud and thought he was very capable, but now it seems, he can't help but wonder if they were just giving in to him at that time.

Chu Yunyi looked at the sky, his Adam's apple rolled up and down, and asked excitedly: "Brother Su, the rain has stopped, what should we do next?"

When he said "we", Chu Yunyi's eyes lit up a little, and he felt that he was also a part of the Xuanjia Army.

Su Mubai was still wearing his usual straight robe, looking too elegant and refined like a military general, and he didn't fit in with the soldiers around him who were wearing black armor and helmets.

Su Mubai said calmly: "Counterattack."

Chu Yunyi swallowed his saliva and asked again: "Are you going to fight back to the capital?"

Clearly what he said sounded like treason, but why did he feel so excited? His little heart was pounding in his chest.

He looked at Su Mubai expectantly, and the next moment, he saw wisps of thick smoke rising from the back of the camp.

It's on fire!

(End of this chapter)