Kang Hongda seemed to be strangled by the neck, his face turned pale and blue, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.
Gu Jue didn't care about Kang Hongda's reaction. He raised a very light smile and said slowly, "I have been guarding the North for six years. After I returned to the capital, I have never overstepped the boundaries. But since Gu Lang won't let me go and wants to kill me, what does it matter if I rebel?!"
He has his own yardstick in his heart. As long as he knows that he is worthy of himself, worthy of the world, worthy of his father and mother, and worthy of the little girl in his family... that is enough. He does not care about his reputation, nor does he care about the opinions of irrelevant people!
Gu Jue had a cold expression and calm eyes. The strength that was engraved in his bones emanated naturally, and he was arrogant and awe-inspiring.
Shen Qianchen looked at Gu Jue intently, his eyes sparkling.
This is what her prince should be like. He is strong, intelligent, determined, rational, and sober, and every step is carefully considered.
In her previous life, she had always looked up to him; in this life, he was within her reach.
Prince Li originally wanted to advise Gu Jue not to be impulsive and to calm down and talk things out nicely, but after hearing this, he didn't know what to say. He pursed his lips tightly and remained silent.
He had seen it all over the past year.
Gu Jue has been behaving himself since his triumphant return to the capital. It's just that the emperor can't tolerate him and thinks that his achievements outweigh his own, so he's always looking for trouble.
Just now Kang Hongda accused Xuan Jing of colluding with Gu Jue. This is also a case of finding excuses to accuse someone of a crime. Before Xuan Jing, the emperor had favored Taoist priests and was taking elixirs. Xuan Jing was just the emperor's new favorite.
All the civil and military officials in the court knew this!
Like today, the emperor ordered the Imperial Guards to encircle and suppress the Black Armor Army in Fengtai Camp. The Black Armor Army could not sit still and wait for death. If the Black Armor Army was annihilated today, then there would be a dead end waiting for Gu Jue! Now that the Imperial Guards have been defeated, it means that the emperor has given in to Gu Jue this time. This is also due to the situation. As long as the emperor is alive, the emperor will not tolerate Gu Jue! Gu Jue can see through this, and so can he. That's why the Black Armor Army is at the gates of the city at this moment! Suddenly, Prince Li heard Gu Jue's cold voice drilled into his ears: "I am also the legitimate son of my father, why can't I sit in that seat?"
"..." Prince Li stared blankly at Gu Jue's back in front of him. The thin boy in his memory had grown into the tall and strong man he is now, capable of standing tall and proud.
Yes, what Gu Jue said makes sense. Gu Lang is a member of the Gu family, and so is Gu Jue.
In just a few hours, Prince Li felt as if a great change had taken place in the world, as if he had suddenly been enlightened.
Gu Jue pointed at Kang Hongda again and ordered: "Capture him!"
Kang Hongda's heart dropped sharply. After his flare was sent out, there was silence all around. He knew that Du Huatang was right. All the people he had arranged openly and secretly were taken down by Gu Jue.
The two palace guards approached Kang Hongda again and captured him easily. In this situation, Kang Hongda could not escape even if he had wings. This is the case of the winner being the king and the loser being the bandit.
No one could see what was happening inside the palace, but outside the palace, so many imperial guards were captured by the Black Armor Army in a lightning speed, and it was seen by pairs of eyes hidden in the dark.
After capturing Du Huatang and his group, the Black Armor Army did not stop their actions. The three thousand well-trained Black Armor Army soldiers attacked the streets and alleys of the capital with swift and decisive action.
Those yamen runners were driven back to Jingzhao Prefecture, and the patrolling soldiers of the Twelve Guards were arrested. Anyone who resisted arrest was killed without mercy.
The Black Armor Army has always maintained strict military discipline and did not disturb the people. They only ordered shops and restaurants to close and let the people return home.
The people were in a panic and could only close their doors. No one dared to meddle in other people's affairs. No matter what happened, it was the court's business and had nothing to do with ordinary people like them. All they had to do was to abide by the law.
The residences of the court officials and nobles were directly surrounded by the Black Armor Army soldiers, and no one was allowed to enter or leave. In fact, most of the court officials did not dare to go out at all. They did not know until today that there were so many Black Armor Army soldiers lurking in the capital. This was obviously not something that could be accomplished overnight. In other words, the Prince of Chen had long been on guard against the Emperor and had laid this hidden chess move.
By dusk, the three thousand Black Armored Army had completely taken control of the capital. The streets were empty, with no one around. Not even a bird was seen flying by. The animals seemed to sense the murderous atmosphere.
When the sun was about to set, the vermilion lacquered gate of Prince Chen's Palace finally opened again.
Xue Fengyan knelt solemnly on one knee and saluted Gu Jue who appeared behind the door: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Behind Xue Fengyan were a dozen Black Armor Army soldiers, all kneeling on one knee on the ground. At this time, the ground was almost dry.
The corpses at the gate of the palace had long been cleared away by the Black Armor Army, but the dried blood on the ground was still there, and the evening air was filled with the smell of blood.
It can be imagined that a thrilling battle once took place here.
Prince Li, who came out with Gu Jue, also smelled the blood and had a complicated expression.
Xue Fengyan didn't look at Prince Li, but only reported to Gu Jue: "Your Highness, the capital has been controlled, and Tang Yuchu has just led people to the west gate."
To be honest, the capital city was able to be controlled so quickly because the emperor transferred both the Jinyiwei and the Hubenwei into the palace, just to subdue the prince and surround the Eastern Palace.
Gu Jue stroked his sleeves gently and said, "Let's go into the palace."
“Ajue, don’t be impulsive!” This time, Prince Li, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up to stop Gu Jue. He sighed with a frown on his face, “Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. You have to think it through.”
"You are leading troops to force the emperor to abdicate now. This is wrong after all..."
Prince Li was also extremely conflicted. On the one hand, he felt that Gu Jue was forced by the emperor, but on the other hand, it did not mean that he agreed with Gu Jue forcing the emperor to abdicate and bloodbath the palace.
Gu Jue raised his sword-like eyebrows and said calmly: "What advice do you have for me, uncle?"
Prince Li took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I will go to the palace immediately to persuade the emperor..." He also knew that the rift between the two brothers could not be resolved with just one sentence, "This time, the emperor was at fault first, so he should show some response."
What he said directly meant that he could persuade the emperor to cede land and pay compensation.
Prince Li also considered it over and over again. The big mistake had already been made. This was the solution that would cause the least damage to Da Qi.
The sky was getting darker and darker. Lanterns and torches were lit, illuminating the area for several feet around. The only voices on the entire street were those of the uncle and nephew.
Gu Jue looked in the direction of the imperial palace. There was a pale moon hanging in the night sky, appearing and disappearing among the layers of dark clouds.
After a moment, Gu Jue said, "Then the uncle should persuade Gu Lang to issue an edict to give me the two states in the north and the two states in the northwest. From now on, I am not allowed to interfere. As long as the Great Qi exists, the north and the northwest will belong to my descendants."
"Also, let Gu Lang abdicate as the crown prince!"
“……” Prince Li was shocked at first when he heard this.
Once the northwest and the north are connected, the territory will almost occupy a quarter of the area of Da Qi. Gu Jue's request will definitely be denounced by the emperor as "a huge mouthful".
Prince Li's first reaction was that the emperor might not agree, but on second thought, the emperor actually had no choice. 65,000 soldiers in the camp died in the battle, Kang Hongda was captured, and the emperor was in poor health and unable to lead the army in person.
Although Gu Jue's two requests will cause the emperor to bleed heavily, they will not harm the foundation of Da Qi. After all, the north and the northwest are only under Gu Jue's name, and they still belong to Da Qi and the Gu family. Anyway, Gu Jue's surname is also Gu.
Originally, with Gu Jue's achievements in the north, it would not be an exaggeration to make him a vassal king of the north. Now that Gu Jue has added the northwest, it is also the emperor's own doing.
Prince Li gritted his teeth and thought about it. He felt that there was nothing wrong with this condition, so he immediately agreed: "Okay, I will go to the palace right away. You wait for my good news!"
Prince Li believed that with the help of the six ministers and other royal relatives, the emperor would be persuaded! Gu Jue did not comment, but said, "Uncle, I will only wait for one hour."
Prince Li was no fool, and he understood that Gu Jue was putting pressure on the emperor and didn't want to give him any chance to deploy troops. He readily agreed, "Okay, just one hour!"
One hour is enough! Prince Li quickly got on his family's carriage. The driver was already terrified, but he still managed to whip the horse.
"drive!"
The carriage was speeding even faster than when it came. The sound of horse hooves and wheels was particularly loud in the empty and quiet street.
Xue Fengyan flicked his fingers casually, and four soldiers of the Black Armor Army followed. Their purpose was naturally to escort Prince Li to the palace to avoid any unexpected events on the way.
"Your Majesty!" Shen Qianchen walked to Gu Jue's side, took his arm and turned to walk into the palace, "We can go back to the North now!"
Xue Fengyan and others were tactful enough not to disturb the young couple.
When Gu Jue heard her say "return to the north", he felt very happy and nodded gently: "Yes!"
He knew that it was because of him that she said the word "return".
Gu Jue walked forward a few steps and then stopped. Shen Qianchen also stopped and looked up at him, as if asking what was wrong.
He looked at her flawless little face and her eyes full of trust, and a surge of passion surged up from the bottom of his heart.
His little girl has a small face and a slender figure. At first glance, she seems very weak and delicate. She always smiles innocently on weekdays, but in fact, she is soft on the outside but strong on the inside.
She is very strong inside and can even hold up the sky for him.
His little girl has always been the most reliable.
As long as she was here, he felt at peace.
He raised his hand and gently stroked a strand of hair on her temple, tucked it behind her ear, and gently rubbed the crystal clear and delicate earlobe with his fingertips. He smiled and repeated, "We can go back to the North!"
The eight words seemed to be swearing something.
He wanted to go back to the North with her, but in fact he didn't care about the throne.
This imperial city is a small place with many rules, how can it compare to their northern land! !
Things have come to this point, the knife he swung is already hanging above the palace. Now Gu Lang has no choice but to back down and agree to the conditions he set!
No one can stop them from returning to the North! "Great!" Shen Qianchen suddenly hugged his waist, stood on tiptoe, and rubbed his left shoulder twice in a ritualistic manner.
Then, she stepped back again and said happily, "My Lord, I will go tell my mother!"
“……” Before Gu Jue could react, he saw his little girl trotting away as if she had wings.
Gu Jue, who had hugged nothing, could only silently raise his arms two inches and then drop them back down, feeling a little depressed.
He sighed to the moon and could only follow silently.
The night in Prince Chen's Mansion was unusually quiet. There were no birds chirping, only the occasional cat meowing in the night wind.
However, Prince Li in the carriage was not so calm. This night was simply the most thrilling night he had ever experienced.
On the deserted street, the carriage moved at twice the speed and arrived at the palace gate in just a cup of tea.
Prince Li got off the carriage and trotted back to the outside of Qianqing Gate.
The six ministers and the royal relatives such as Prince Shun were still waiting there. When Prince Shun saw Prince Li, he came forward and said helplessly, "The emperor still hasn't seen us."
All the ministers were in a state of panic. They had been waiting for a whole day and everyone was exhausted. They could only fill their stomachs with some dry food.
Yang Xuanshan, the Minister of Rites, wanted to ask Prince Chen what he would say, but in the end he asked, "Prince Li, what should we do now?"
"I want to see the Emperor!" Prince Li looked towards Qianqing Gate with sharp eyes. The situation was urgent and he had no time to explain the details to them.
"Bah!" Prince Li spat rudely and couldn't help but say swear words.
It was an extremely urgent moment and the Black Armor Army was about to force the emperor to abdicate. Prince Li didn't care whether the Emperor summoned him or not and rushed straight to the Qianqing Gate.
The others looked at each other, some followed, some were still hesitating, and some stayed firmly where they were, not wanting to put themselves in danger.
The soldiers of the Tiger Guards guarding the Qianqing Gate immediately stopped Prince Li and said sternly, "Prince Li, the emperor has ordered that you cannot see anyone except Lord Kang!"
At this moment, Prince Li became even angrier when he heard what Lord Kang said. He was almost going crazy. If the situation continued, things would get out of control.
"This prince wants to see the emperor and the prince!"
“Get out of the way!!”
At this point, the only way out is to let the crown prince take charge of the situation. After all, Gu Jue agrees with the crown prince, so he proposed that the emperor abdicate in favor of the crown prince.
Prince Li rushed forward regardless of anything. After all, he was already at his age and there was nothing to be afraid of.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
The soldiers of the Huben Guards originally did not want to use their swords against Prince Li, but seeing this, they could only draw their swords in a demonstrative manner in an attempt to scare Prince Li away.
After all, Prince Li was the head of the clan and had a noble status. No one dared to hurt Prince Li unless it was absolutely necessary. Therefore, this gave Prince Li an opportunity. He decisively snatched a knife and put it to his neck.
The Tiger Guards were really overwhelmed.
Prince Li said coldly: "I want to see the emperor. If you dare to stop me again, I will bleed to death on the spot!"
"There are only me and a few other adults here. We are powerless. Are you afraid that we will murder the emperor?!"
"But today, if I die here, I'm afraid all of you won't survive."
Prince Li pressed the blade of the long sword against his neck threateningly, and a streak of blood immediately appeared on his skin.
Not only the Tiger Guards were frightened, but also Prime Minister Zhang, Yang Xuanshan, Prince Shun and others were frightened and hurriedly said, "Prince Li, don't be impulsive!"
The Huben Guards really had no way to deal with Prince Li and could only retreat step by step until they reached the Yuehua Gate.
Passing through the Yuehua Gate, it is the Emperor's Yangxin Palace! Prince Li still had the knife on his neck. The Jinyiwei guarding the door of the Yangxin Palace also saw Prince Li and exchanged an awkward look with several Huben Guards, but they also did not dare to stop Prince Li.
One of the Jinyiwei said hesitantly, "Prince Li, please allow me to go..." and reported.
But Prince Li couldn't wait any longer. He put the knife down from his neck and kicked the door hard.
He kicked the door of the main hall open, causing the palace servants inside to exclaim in surprise.
The emperor sitting at the front of the main hall came into view. Prince Li stepped over the high threshold and walked in, asking sternly, "Your Majesty, what do you want to do? Do you still want to keep the Great Qi Kingdom..."
He stopped talking halfway. He saw Prince Gu Nanjin lying on the ground and couldn't help but gasp.
Gu Nanjin lay motionless on the ground, his python robe covered with horrific sword wounds. The blood beneath his body dyed the gold brick floor red, and the blood was flowing non-stop, which was horrifying to the sight.
Prime Minister Zhang, Prince Shun and others followed Prince Li into the Yangxin Palace. They were all stunned. Someone shouted, "Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Everyone couldn't believe their eyes, their hearts ached and their faces turned pale.
The crown prince is the heir to the throne, but the emperor actually ordered the crown prince to be killed! Prince Li stared at Gu Nanjin lying on the ground without blinking, unable to speak for a long time, his eyes gradually became a little blurry, shock, anger, heartache, disbelief and other emotions flashed across his face.
The emperor looked down at the people who had barged in, his bloodshot eyes were filled with madness, his breathing was heavy, and he said coldly: "The crown prince has been executed for treason!"
“…”
“…”
“…”
Everyone, including Prince Li, fell silent. They simply didn't recognize the person in front of them.
At this moment, Prince Li felt as if he heard the sound of something breaking in his ears, and it seemed as if a huge tower collapsed in his heart...
It’s over, it’s all over!
He realized very clearly that the situation was about to take a turn for the worst.
There is an indelible rift between the emperor and Gu Jue. The emperor is worried about Gu Jue, and Gu Jue is also worried about the emperor. Now that the prince is dead, the proposal of abdicating the throne to the prince will become impossible.
Gu Jue gave him an hour to persuade the emperor, but now he had just met the emperor and was doomed to failure before any negotiations began.
Prince Li's heart was icy cold, and Gu Jue's words to Kang Hongda rang in his ears again: "I am also the legitimate son of my father, why can't I sit in that seat?"
Yes, it would be better for Gu Jue to sit on this seat. Letting Gu Jue abdicate and take the throne is always better than having this crazy emperor in front of him!
Prince Li's eyes became even more sore. He thought of how gentle and humble the prince had been in the past, and his heart felt empty.
He felt sorry for the prince.
Over the past year, the emperor has become increasingly incompetent, and all the ministers have seen it, especially the six ministers.
But they always thought that even if the emperor was unreliable, at least there was still the crown prince, and they could still see hope. As long as they could wait until the crown prince ascended the throne, Da Qi would usher in a prosperous era. However, they did not expect that the emperor would actually order the crown prince to be executed.
Moreover, he directly sentenced the crown prince to death without consulting any court officials.
The ministers felt chilled, but the emperor was completely unaware.
In his opinion, the evidence of the prince's treason was irrefutable, and as the emperor it was only natural for him to kill him!
The emperor was not happy about Prince Li and his men trespassing into the Yangxin Palace, but he managed not to lose his temper and asked, "How is Gu Jue? Did Kang Hongda capture Gu Jue? Gu Jue deserves to die, and I will tear him into pieces!"
Prime Minister Zhang and others had been guarding outside the Qianqing Gate for a whole day and knew nothing about what was happening outside, so they all looked at Prince Li.
Prince Li took two deep breaths, but the surging emotions in his heart could not be adjusted in a short period of time, and the veins in his neck bulged.
Prince Li had a wooden face and said in a dull voice: "Sixty-five thousand soldiers from the military camp died in the battle, the Black Armor Army is at the gates of the city, Kang Hongda has been captured, and the capital is now under the control of the Black Armor Army."
To the ears of the others present, every word he said was like a heavy hammer hitting their hearts, and each word was heavier than the last.
Following the fact that the crown prince was sentenced to death by the emperor, Prime Minister Zhang and others received a second piece of news that shocked them. They stood there in a daze as if they were frozen.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, a muffled thunder sounded outside the hall, and a huge bolt of lightning tore through the night sky with its fangs and claws, illuminating the outside of the hall, which was brighter than the brightly lit main hall in an instant.
When the lightning disappeared, the outside of the temple fell into darkness again.
emperor:"……"
The emperor tightly grasped the armrests of the dragon throne, his eyes widened, and he said in a lost voice: "This is impossible!"
Kang Hongda said that he was 100% sure that he could take down Gu Jue and annihilate the Xuanjia Army! He was the true emperor, how could he lose!
Moreover, the capital city has more than twelve guards stationed there, how could it fall so easily! !
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!
The emperor thought that Prince Li must have been bribed by Gu Jue, and pointed at Prince Li and said, "Nonsense!"
"Someone, call Lu Siji and Dai Hua to me!"
"Gu Jue is a traitor and he is planning a rebellion. Go and capture Gu Jue for me!"
The emperor shouted hysterically, almost breaking his voice, and his appearance became more and more crazy and ferocious.
Eunuch Wen received the order and hurried to inform Jinyiwei commander Lu Siji and Hubenwei commander Dai Hua who were guarding outside the palace.
Prince Li's face was expressionless, and he continued dryly, "Your Majesty, you have misunderstood Gu Jue. Gu Jue has no intention of rebelling or usurping the throne. I just went to see Gu Jue. Gu Jue only wants Your Majesty to issue an edict to allow him to return to the Northland, and to give the Northland and the Northwest to him. Then, Your Majesty can abdicate..."
He couldn't help but look at Gu Nanjin lying on the ground. The crown prince was dead, and even he didn't know whether Gu Jue could accept the emperor's abdication of the throne to other princes.
Prime Minister Zhang and others understood that the emperor could have become the emperor emeritus and barely retained the last bit of dignity and not become the deposed emperor of the Great Qi.
But now the prince is dead! "How dare you!" The emperor slapped the armrest heavily with his palm, his eyes full of hatred, his breathing rapid, and his coughs and wheezes, "Gu Jue has bad intentions! I must tear him into pieces!!"
The emperor's facial features were distorted and hideous, and his eyes were bloodshot, as if he was possessed by an evil spirit, wishing to eat his flesh and drink his blood.
Prince Li, Prime Minister Zhang and others looked at the strange emperor in front of them, and they all remembered what the imperial doctors had said, that the emperor was suffering from heart poison, and if it continued, the poison would disturb his heart and the poison would erode his mind, and he might suffer from hysteria and insanity.
The emperor's current crazy and out-of-control state was exactly as the imperial physician had described.
Zhang Shoufu and others seemed to be hesitant to speak, and exchanged strange glances. They all felt that if it were a normal emperor in the past, it would be impossible for him to order the death of the prince.
In other words, the emperor is crazy!
The emperor took in the strange looks of the people below and felt that they must be afraid of Gu Jue and wanted to surrender to him.
"you……"
The emperor raised his hand again, and his entire right arm was shaking.
He wanted to order the arrest of Prince Li, Prime Minister Zhang and others, but before he could finish his words, he felt a sweetness in his throat, and a mouthful of hot blood gushed out of his mouth, tearing open his throat...
"puff--"
The blood dyed the emperor's dragon robe and throne red. The emperor's eyes rolled back, his body fell back limply, and he fainted.
Eunuch Ni screamed, "Your Majesty!!!"
(End of this chapter)