Chapter 207 [VIP]
Qingping's eyes revealed joy.
He knew how difficult it had been for his junior sister to get to where she was today, and it pained him to no end.
His unlucky junior sister was unlucky enough; if it weren't for her master's protection, she would have died countless times. At least she survived.
Qingping walked to the edge of the altar and looked ahead.
A sudden white light descended from the distance, accompanied by a deafening roar, striking the black dragon boots half an inch in front of them. Xie Rong staggered backward in fright, his back slamming against the wall, his upper body almost suspended in mid-air. He then fell forward to the ground in terror.
The charred cracks on the bluestone slab resembled the spitting tongue of a venomous snake.
The darkness made him feel as if he were in hell, surrounded by malevolent spirits seeking death.
"Thank you, Rong."
The sound seemed to come from a distant, secluded valley.
"Crown Prince?" Xie Rong's eyes were unfocused, his hands groping uncertainly forward. His voice suddenly became sharp, filled with a desperate sob, "Save me, Crown Prince, save me! They want to harm me, they all want to harm me."
He flailed his arms wildly, trying to push away the unseen enemy.
“I did nothing wrong! I did nothing wrong. The late emperor only had the crown prince in his heart…” His voice suddenly rose, and he said unwillingly, “If the crown prince can sit on this throne, so can I.”
"I can too!"
He swung his arm violently, pointing in all directions, shouting and cursing wildly: "You traitors and rebels, you shall die a horrible death!"
Prince Li sighed and shook his head in disappointment: "He shows no remorse."
Gu Yican raised her phoenix eyes, nudged Xie Yingchen with her elbow, and whispered, "You've driven me crazy, haven't you?"
Xie Yingchen smiled, first ordering his men to seize Xie Rong, then looking down at the city wall, he said slowly and deliberately, "Xie Rong's crimes are unforgivable, but considering that you were deceived by treacherous people and repented in time, I can forgive you."
Innocent?
The soldiers below looked at each other with joy, a huge weight lifted from their hearts.
You don't have to die!
Thump!
The heavy battering ram fell from the soldiers' hands, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Immediately afterwards, the weapons fell to the ground, and the soldiers knelt down one after another, prostrating themselves on the ground, their sweat-drenched foreheads pressed against the cold earth.
Subduing the enemy without fighting!
Xie Yingchen was born to be a king, destined to stand above all others.
Duke Wei looked down at the dark mass of people, and a long-dormant passion surged through his body. He even felt that he could still lift a hundred-pound sword and serve the Great Qi for another hundred years!
Xie Yingchen walked down the city wall, and the deranged Xie Rong was gagged and taken away by the Zhenbei Army.
The others followed closely behind, with the Duke of Wei scurrying along, his face beaming with ingratiating smiles, desperately trying to ingratiate himself with the Crown Prince. He praised the Crown Prince's wisdom and martial prowess, and lauded him as a reincarnation of a wise ruler, speaking with great enthusiasm. The Prime Minister Song's lips twitched, his face nearly giving way beneath his strained expression.
"Grandson of the Crown Prince." Zhou Mu had several Liang men escorted forward to report.
Wu'er was someone Xie Yingchen knew, and was Duo Leng's right-hand man. Back in Liang Kingdom, Wu'er often made things difficult for Xie Yingchen by relying on Duo Leng.
"What about multifaceted ones?"
Ur was forced to kneel on the ground. He looked up, his face covered in wounds and blood.
"Pooh."
He spat and began to curse in a sarcastic tone, his face turning red with rage.
This battle almost made him laugh in anger. An emperor so useless, if it were in their Great Liang, they would have killed him and replaced him long ago.
"Take it back to the capital."
Xie Yingchen gave the order and walked past him without even glancing at him for a moment.
"The Crown Prince of the Great Qi Dynasty!"
Suddenly, Ur shouted, and Xie Yingchen stopped and turned around.
Underneath Ur's sleeves, his muscular arms suddenly bulged. He let out a low growl and, like a wild beast, suddenly exerted his strength, overturning the soldiers holding him down. Like an arrow released from a bow, he pounced towards Xie Yingchen.
Capture him and use him as a hostage!
He had only one thought in his mind, and his movements were incredibly fast, like a cheetah eyeing its prey.
"Grandson, be careful."
Everyone cried out in terror at the same time and rushed over without hesitation, using their bodies as human shields to block Xie Yingchen.
Xie Yingchen didn't budge. He raised the musket and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The smoke from the musket filled the air. Ur's body stiffened, blood gushed from his chest, his arms fell limply to his sides, his body swayed, and he fell straight backward.
Xie Yingchen put down the musket, a slight smile playing on his lips, his tone still gentle: "Those who resist, die."
Everyone clasped their hands in unison: "Yes!"
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince!"
A loud shout suddenly rang out, followed by countless voices surging like a tide, filled with boundless reverence and fervor, soaring into the sky.
"Your Highness, the Grandson."
"Long live the Crown Prince!"
Xie Jing closed his eyes, his face ashen.
The defeat was inevitable; in Xie Yingchen's presence, he felt like a complete clown. Even now, Xie Yingchen hadn't even glanced at him.
Yes. From the very beginning, from the first day Xie Yingchen returned to Beijing, he had never caught his eye.
He heard soft footsteps beside him. Xie Jing was disheartened and didn't turn around.
"Your Highness, are you a son or a subject?"
Qingping flicked his whisk over his head and repeated it.
Xie Jing and he had a connection through mutual acquaintance. He said all he had to say.
Xie Jing shuddered, as if suddenly struck by a revelation.
Son? Or commoner?
He is the son of the Emperor, a citizen of the Great Qi!
As a son, he should fulfill his filial duty to his father.
Those who serve the people...
"I have been worshipped by the people of Daqi and enjoyed all the riches and honors..." Xie Jing murmured to himself, his eyes gradually clearing. "I cannot make the same mistake again because of my own selfishness."
His confusion and struggle were replaced by a resolute determination.
"Xie Yingchen...eldest cousin...grandson of the emperor!!"
Each cry grew louder and sharper than the last. He stumbled to Xie Yingchen's side, his knees buckling as he collapsed onto the stone steps. He looked up and shouted, "The Liang people! The Liang people have stockpiled tens of thousands of catties of kerosene in the capital and are going to set the city on fire! Go back now!"
He is a citizen of the Great Qi!
Colluding with foreign barbarians and seeking revenge against a tiger is already a grave mistake; he can no longer stand by and watch the people of the city die because of his father's selfish interests.
Xie Yingchen paused, then said, "Go on."
Xie Jing knelt down and said, "The initial plan was to split the army into two groups. Father Emperor would personally lead the troops to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to attack. Meanwhile, the Liang people would stay in the capital and control all the government offices and prefectures, especially the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion."
This was to prevent the Gu family from breaking out of the city and also to threaten the court officials, making them obedient and subservient.
"Initially, it wasn't mentioned that kerosene would be used. It was Ji Nanke who revealed it unintentionally."
Xie Jing spent his wedding night with Ji Nanke, their lovemaking tender and intimate.
He didn't leave until dawn.
When Ji Nanke helped him wash up, perhaps noticing his nervousness, she comforted him, saying, "The Liang people have prepared tens of thousands of catties of kerosene; there will be no loss. You don't need to worry. When you return, you will be the Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the Great Qi Dynasty."
He was terrified and repeatedly questioned Ji Nanke about how she knew. Ji Nanke only said that she had overheard Duo Leng mentioning it by chance.
Xie Jing wanted to ask Duo Leng again, but it was too late.
The arrow is on the string, and it must be released.
At the time, Xie Jing was still enjoying the warmth and fragrance of the woman and didn't notice. Looking back now, when he questioned her, Ji Nanke was clearly shocked, seemingly incredulous, and finally said that she had "overheard it by accident."
Upon closer reflection, Xie Jing felt a chill run down his spine.
"I don't know if that's true or false, but Ji Nanke wouldn't bring up kerosene for no reason!"
What? !
Upon hearing this, everyone turned pale with shock. The capital city had a permanent population of over 400,000!
Xie Yingchen's fingertips were taut, turning slightly white. During the sand table simulation, they had anticipated that the Liang people might set fire to the capital and then take advantage of the chaos. However, they hadn't expected the Liang people to have tens of thousands of kilograms of kerosene.
Gu Yican pondered for a moment and said, "It's impossible for the Liang people to have obtained so much kerosene in such a short time."
right.
The trade in kerosene was regulated by the imperial court, but not so laxly that someone could buy large quantities of kerosene and transport it to the capital without being detected.
Unless Xie Jing is exaggerating. Or perhaps...
Xie Yingchen interjected, "Or perhaps the Liang people accumulated it little by little over several years."
Tens of thousands of kilograms of kerosene would not be enough to burn down the entire capital, but now that the autumn winds are rising and the weather is dry, if all the kerosene were poured upwind, a fire would burn down at least half of the city and tens of thousands of people.
The capital will surely be thrown into chaos.
If the Liang people get angry and start splashing everywhere, the situation could get even worse.
The people were too far away to hear what they were saying, and they were still immersed in the excitement of successfully protecting the emperor, whispering excitedly to each other.
The officials beside Xie Yingchen heard everything clearly and were terrified.
Their parents, wife, and children are all in the capital!
Today, during the prayer ceremony, all members of the imperial family, nobles, and civil and military officials are in attendance. There isn't a single person in the capital who can take charge of the overall situation.
Most importantly, the emperor took away his personal guards who were stationed there, which effectively reduced the capital's military strength by more than half.
Xie Yingchen calmed himself down and, in a businesslike manner, ordered, "Prince Zhenbei, you must return to the capital immediately."
After saying that, he softened his tone and handed him a token: "I've made arrangements for a backup plan."
Gu Yican nodded, his mind preoccupied with his sister and family, and immediately accepted the order.
He flicked his finger to his lips and let out a long whistle. Immediately afterward, a black horse galloped out of the stable on the west side of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Its lithe limbs leaped up, soaring over the heads of the people blocking its way, and in a few bounds it was in front of Gu Yican.
Gu Yican pulled the reins and leaped onto the horse's back.
"Walk!"
The smoke and clouds rushed toward the city gate and disappeared in no time.
Xie Yingchen nodded to Chongjiu: "Red first, then blue."
Chongjiu took out two Cloud Piercing Arrows from his bosom, exactly the same as the ones Gu Zhizhuo had used before.
Yao Yao will be alright. She will be! Xie Yingchen withdrew his gaze: "Bring Lord Cheng'en here, and also bring a cold-blooded person."
Whoosh!
The arrow pierced the clouds with a sharp whooshing sound, tearing through the clouds and bursting forth with a dazzling crimson light, as vibrant as the sunset igniting the sky.
The rosy glow lingered, dyeing the entire cloud layer red.
Gu Zhizhuo looked up and wiped the blood from his face. The blood splattered with the movement of his fingertips, leaving slightly darker, mottled marks on his red military uniform.
Red signifies that everything is going well.
Everything is going well for the young master and the others!
Thinking about the strange changes that had just occurred in the sky, her smile deepened, revealing shallow dimples.
Huh?
Gu Zhizhuo's pupils suddenly contracted. Before the red glow had dissipated, another streak of blue light followed closely, enveloping the clouds.
Red signifies smooth sailing.
Blue represents change.
First red, then blue... Gu Zhizhuo rubbed his fingertips, his gaze lingering on the color.
"Young lady, they've run away."
They ran away?! Gu Zhizhuo's attention was immediately drawn back.
Now that things have come to this, are they going to retreat?
"I'll go take a look!"
She climbed the ladder and leaped onto the top of the wall in a few quick movements, gaining a panoramic view.
After Liang Ren burned the main gate with kerosene, Gu Zhizhuo led his men to retreat to the screen wall, where they used the terrain to launch a counterattack before returning to the outer gate.
The stalemate has continued until now.
The area in front was completely destroyed, with charred marks everywhere and blood all over the ground.
The bearded man ran away cursing and swearing, his face full of resentment, but he still didn't linger in the fight.
He was truly unwilling, filled with anger and resentment. Who could have imagined that the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion would be such a tough nut to crack? They had expended a great deal of effort to break down the mansion's gate, only to be blocked again. Why do these Central Plains people have so many doors in their homes?
Even a woman who takes care of her family can be so fierce!
"Centurion."
Following behind him, Liang Ren was unwilling to give up and repeatedly turned back, saying, "Are we really leaving? We're about to break through."
"You dare disobey the Crown Prince's orders?"
Whoosh!
It was that familiar whooshing sound again, and the bearded man cursed wildly.
He led a thousand men, thinking he could easily achieve great merit, but at least 30-40% died and over a hundred were seriously injured, half of whom died or were injured by this strange and powerful weapon.
Even he was hit by an arrow. When the iron arrow was pulled out, it tore through flesh and blood, and his hand was crippled on the spot.
Upon hearing that shrill sound, he instinctively fell to the ground.
The iron arrow grazed his head, and the Liang man who had just been talking to him fell to the ground, killed instantly.
The surrounding men quickly raised their shields. The bearded man turned his head and gave Gu Zhizhuo one last look, his facial muscles contorted with rage. He growled, "Go!"
Under the cover of the shields, they quickly retreated.
What a pity. Gu Zhizhuo put down the crossbow and jumped off the wall.
Gu Yique hurriedly asked, "Big sister, should we go after them?"
"Don't pursue a desperate enemy."
They only have enough manpower for defense.
Gu Zhizhuo pondered for a moment and said, "Weiwei, go and inform your mother and third aunt first."
After fighting to the death for so long, the inner quarters must have heard the commotion. Let's try to calm them down first.
"Meow."
Just as Gu Zhiwei was about to leave, she called out cheerfully, "Cat! Big sister, the cat's here!"
The tabby cat nimbly leaped across the cobblestone path and jumped into Gu Zhizhuo's arms, its tail wagging wildly.
"Meow~"
"Why are you here?"
"Meow!"
"Have they left the mansion?" Gu Zhizhuo asked Old Dan, who was standing on the wall.
"We've already turned past the screen wall. I'll go take a look."
"Meow, meow!"
Shenmao stared at Lao Dan, excitedly wanting to go with him, but Gu Zhizhuo pressed down its restless paws: "Okay."
Old Dan jumped down from the wall.
Gu Zhizhuo pondered for a moment. Shenmao's agitation was unusual... It wasn't that she was about to have bad luck, but rather that something bad was about to happen. She stared at Shenmao's tail, which was practically whipping around in the wind, and took out her compass.
For the past few days, the divination results had been shrouded in a bloody hue in her eyes; she could no longer perceive the changes in the fate lines of the world. Her master said it was because a struggle for destiny had begun, the secrets of heaven were in chaos, and the fate lines of the future were completely disordered.
"Now that destiny has been decided and the world is clear, shouldn't we be able to glimpse the secrets of heaven?"
She murmured expectantly to herself.
uncertain.
Anyway, trying it won't kill me.
Gu Zhizhu patted the cat's head, signaling it to rest quietly on her shoulder. She fiddled with the compass, her eyes focused. The magnetic needle on the compass emitted a soft hum.
The cat stretched out its paw and patted it.
The pointer suddenly stopped, and the hexagram gradually appeared.
Gu Zhizhu murmured, "Fire is an ominous sign; a calamity of raging flames is likely..."
Her gaze fell on the two lanterns hanging on the hanging flower gate, the tassels hanging down from the lanterns swaying in the wind.
"The wind is from the north in the capital today."
Gu Zhizhuo calculated again with his fingers and found that the fire element in the northern palace was gathering. If he was not mistaken, it would bring disaster to thousands of miles.
Old Dan returned from outside and said, "Young lady, the Liang people have indeed all left."
"Sound the whistle."
Yes! Old Dan took out a strangely shaped bone whistle from his pocket, put it to his lips and blew it. The sharp sound of one long and three short whistles followed by two long and two short whistles echoed for a long time.
Old Dan repeated it three times in a row.
There are now a thousand soldiers of the Thousand Machine Battalion lying in wait in the capital.
This whistle means...
Close the net!
The whistle couldn't possibly travel throughout the capital, but the scouts were hiding in the alleys near the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion. Upon hearing the whistle, they would use the Qianji Camp's unique code to relay the orders.
"Weiwei, Queque, you two stay in the manor to clean up the mess. The entire manor is in your hands. If the Liang people come again, you may have to abandon the outer courtyard if necessary, but you must guard the inner courtyard."
"yes!"
The two teenagers obeyed in unison.
Gu Yique asked again, "Big sister, where are you going?"
"The divination indicates that a fire calamity is imminent, with signs of flames burning the city."
Gu Zhizhuo said decisively, "The Liang people will set fire to the capital."
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