The fire grew bigger and bigger, destroying everything in its path, and thick smoke billowed.

The bright firelight illuminated the beautiful outlines of the rockery pavilions in the Li Palace. The imperial guards and the rescue teams came into close combat, all of them blood-thirsty, long swords and sharp blades clashed, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

A few muffled thunders rolled across the vast night sky, and the night wind was filled with a strong smell of blood.

A team was forced to the gate by the Imperial Guards, screaming loudly. A tall, armored figure rushed forward with a knife in hand. Blood flowed everywhere he passed. His bravery and fearlessness brought the Imperial Guards' offensive to a standstill. Others shouted to follow him and break out of the encirclement of the Imperial Guards.

The flickering firelight fell on the figure, who was wearing silver armor and a white robe, with sword-like brows, phoenix eyes, and a face full of hostility.

There was a loud bang and a scorching roar. The solitary moon had already hidden in the dark clouds. Half of the night sky was illuminated by the fire, and the other half was as black as ink.

"The person is here!"

Amid the crackling sound of burning, the Imperial Guards shouted to notify their companions. More and more Imperial Guards came over and surrounded the team again.

On the drum tower, Yao Ying's heart was beating like a drum. She closed her eyes and asked, "Your Majesty, must we kill them all?"

Li De's eyes were clear as he signaled the imperial guards on the wall to shoot.

Arrows shot out like a rain of locusts, weaving a large net made of fine steel.

Yao Ying pushed aside the imperial guards and rushed to the arrow stack, "Li Zhongqian!"

She yelled.

He didn't want to implicate her, so he returned to Beijing hiding his identity, but she insisted on calling out his name in public.

The man in the fight raised his head, chopped down the imperial guards with one sword, rode his horse towards the vermilion palace gate, brandished his long sword, blocked the iron arrows, and the sound of his hooves was like thunder, and every sound stepped on Yao Ying's heart.

She found the letter he left in Gaochang. He had always remembered the marriage and felt it was a burden on her life. He wanted her to live the rest of her life without worries.

The solution he thought of was to keep her in the dark, run back to Chang'an, and die with Li De.

Reckless, impulsive, bloody, and ready to die.

Just like that year, he went to the battlefield alone to save her.

Yao Ying wanted to scold him, scold him harshly, but she couldn't utter a single word and tears welled up in her eyes.

He did not burden her. Without him, she would not be alive today. They are family and support each other.

"Li Zhongqian!" Yao Ying shouted at him, "I am not your sister! I am not born to Empress Xie!"

Under the dim firelight, the expression on Li Zhongqian's face froze.

Yao Ying pushed aside the imperial guards who came to stop her: "I am the daughter of the Chen family of Southern Chu. I was stranded on the battlefield due to the war and was saved by Xie Wuliang. The Chen family is the eternal enemy of the Xie family. My biological father was among the Chu army that besieged Jingnan... Li Zhongqian, you are not my brother!"

Whether she and Li Zhongqian are related by blood or not would not change their relationship, but she happened to be the daughter of the Chen family, so she kept dragging her feet and couldn't bear to tell him the truth.

"I am the daughter of your enemy!"

She almost screamed the words.

Ignore her and walk away.

The sky is high and the sea is vast, it’s good to go anywhere.

Li Zhongqian raised his head and his calm eyes met Yao Ying's.

Thunder roared, the attic was wailing in the fire, and the two men stared at each other silently, through the fighting imperial guards, the dancing flames, and the dense rain of arrows.

The next moment, Li Zhongqian curled his lips, grinned at Yao Ying in the cold rain of arrows, raised his long sword, chopped off the two imperial guards who were sneaking up on him, and with a light rebuke, he clamped the horse's belly tightly, and charged forward with the long sword in hand.

Fool, he already knew her background.

So what if she is the daughter of the Chen family?

He doesn't care.

He raised his sister, they supported each other through thick and thin, and she will always be his, Li Zhongqian's, sister.

"Li De, if you dare to touch a hair of Ming Yue Nu, I, Li Zhongqian, will cut you into pieces!"

He ran towards her, facing the rain of swords and knives, cutting a bloody path, and led his men and horses to crash into the palace gate with a roar that shook the earth.

Yaoying burst into tears.

Li De's eyes showed surprise, and he turned and walked down the drum tower: "Go back to the Buddhist temple."

The imperial guards grabbed Yaoying's arm and dragged her down from the drum tower.

Li Zhongqian's eyes were bulging with anger, and he took the lead, charging through the imperial guards and breaking open the palace gate. Several groups of people outside the palace turned around and rushed in through this entrance.

The imperial guards escorted Li De back to the temple. General Sun came to report: "Your Majesty, the palace gate has been lost. Please move your carriage. I will stay and catch the turtle in the jar!"

Li De waved his hand, stood in front of the corridor, and looked in the distance in the direction where the flames were rising.

Yao Ying had her hands tied by the imperial guards and was forced to sit under a Buddha statue.

General Sun was sweating with anxiety and asked in a low voice, "What is the emperor waiting for?"

Li De turned his head and frowned: "Western Army, Xie's Army, Wang Ting's Central Army..."

He deliberately sent people to spread false news, and none of these troops showed up. Only Li Zhongqian who was trapped in the town came.

A thought flashed through his mind, and Li De called the guards of the imperial city.

"Reporting to His Majesty, everything in the city is normal. There are no unusual movements among the generals of the Western Army and the old generals of the Xie family. There are no urgent military reports sent back from Gaochang. The royal court and we are at peace. We have only sent a few letters to the Ministry of Rites to ask for Princess Wen Zhao's marriage certificate."

Li De turned around in disbelief and glanced at Yao Ying.

Yao Ying raised her eyelids and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint Your Majesty. The Western Army will not come tonight, and the Royal Court Central Army will not come either."

Li De did not relax his vigilance and ordered General Sun to send more people to investigate.

"Why don't you use the Spanish Army?" he asked.

Yao Ying's eyes were bright. "The Western Army's duty is to guard the territory. The Western Region was not recovered for long, and there is still a deep gap between them and the court. If they are dragged into the palace chaos, the gap will only get deeper and deeper. The court cannot trust the Western Army, and the Western Army cannot trust the court. If they are suspicious of each other, how can they work together for prosperity? The Royal Court's Central Army appears in Chang'an. If we are not careful, the two countries will start a war."

Li De's expression was slightly touched.

He has taken all these issues into consideration.

He walked back to the front hall and looked at Yao Ying, as if he was sitting in the court, with a gleam in his eyes. "You can think of this and control them, so that they can stick to their duties. You really think about the overall situation. It's a pity that Li Zhongqian is not as open-minded as you."

Yao Ying sneered: "If you hadn't pressed me step by step, how could my brother have made a desperate move and returned to Beijing to assassinate you? The prince, the crown prince, and the emperor, he never took them to heart. Today's situation is all caused by your selfishness!"

"Personal selfishness?" Li De smiled. "Li Yaoying, without Li Zhongqian, I cannot let you continue to lead the Western Army."

He sat in front of Yao Ying, his tone became gentle, "When I took over the Wei army, the Li family had no ambition to compete for the Central Plains, they just took advantage of the chaos to strengthen their power. Later, the Wei army conquered cities and gained more and more reputation. More and more noble families and small forces came to join them. I still wanted to be a prince who ruled a certain area, but my soldiers did not agree. They followed me through life and death, and now they see others succeeding with their lord. How can they be willing to lag behind others?"

"Li Yaoying, you underestimate other people's ambitions. The Western Army is now following your lead. One day, they want to march south and cooperate with the noble families under your name. No matter how much you consider the overall situation, you can't curb people's desires!"

"More than 20 years ago, the last emperor fled to Jiangnan. I received an imperial edict and planned to lead troops to defend the king. My subordinates and clansmen tried their best to dissuade me. At that time, I knew that I had to embark on the path of hegemony, otherwise I would be replaced by my subordinates."

Now that you have joined the race, there is no turning back.

Being in the midst of such turbulent times, even a noble man like him had no choice. Just like when he learned of the death of Tang Ying and her son, and faced with the disastrous defeat of the Wei army, he had to marry into an aristocratic family.

Li Yaoying would also be forced by his subordinates to make decisions. Under power, there were no exceptions.

"You are just a pawn in the hands of the noble families. They use you to rally people's hearts, and when you are fully grown, they will use you to fight against the court." Li De and Yao Ying looked at each other, "You are a nuisance. The Western Army cannot be led by one person. The Western Region is vast and sparsely populated. Only by relying on the local noble families and dividing and ruling can we ensure that there will be no more major unrest in the Western Region."

Yao Ying said bluntly: "What the Western Region needs now is stability, recuperation, and a place for the people to have enough food and clothing. Your so-called method is nothing more than using interests to lure the noble families to fight for power, so that you can sit back and relax. The noble families fighting for power is not good for the situation!"

"Safe?" Li De laughed, "Da Lang covets you. When he takes the throne, will your subordinates be safe?"

He paused.

"Besides, you are going to marry King Tanmo. The royal court does have an alliance with us. Now they are living in peace with us. What about in a few years? Can you ensure that the royal court has no intention of annexing the Western Regions? When you marry King Tanmo and have children with him, your children will have noble blood. When he gives an order, will the Western Army listen to him or the court?"

Li De covered his lips and coughed a few times, "I never believe in anyone's loyalty, I only believe in interests."

He suddenly smiled. "Qiniang, can you guarantee that you really have no ambitions when you entered the city amid the cheers of the people? Don't you want your children to take over the Western Army and the trade routes you control? Can you still be fair and just as the queen of the royal court? Your trade routes have expanded to Persia, and your desires are constantly expanding. Once you start, there is no turning back."

Yao Ying looked at Li De with a mocking expression, but her eyes were still clear.

"Your Majesty is right. I have my own ambitions. No one is a saint. There are only a few who can truly be selfless. I am just a mortal."

She raised her head and looked at the night sky outside the hall, which was burned red by the flames.

"The sage once said, 'If you are poor, you should take care of yourself; if you are rich, you should help the world.' I dare not claim to help the world. When I was down and out, all I thought about was how to survive with my brother. After I got rid of the constraints and was able to protect myself, when I saw people in the same situation, I would help them when I could."

"The Western Regions have been in turmoil for a long time, and wars have continued. Controlling the trade routes and incorporating all the tribes is not for the purpose of continuous expansion, but to allow them to share interests and have consideration. If someone provokes a war in the future, the war can be quelled without the Western Army sending troops. Of course, this is also a way out I have prepared for myself. A cunning rabbit has three burrows. I grew up under the suppression of the emperor, and I am used to preparing for a rainy day."

Yao Ying raised the corners of her lips. "I sent the fallen soldiers of the Western Army back to the capital. The cheers of the people were for them, not for me. Regardless of whether I am Li Qiniang, who is in danger of losing my position from day to day, or the governor who can lead the Western Army, I have only one ambition, which is to live well. Since my subordinates trust me, I should do my best to let the people in the chaotic world live a stable life."

Outside the temple, there were deafening sounds of fighting and burning, while inside the temple, Yao Ying could be heard speaking calmly in a gentle tone, as if she was chatting casually.

Li De looked at Yao Ying in silence. After a while, he smiled and said, "What a pity."

Yaoying's eyes were so frank that he felt she was speaking from the heart.

Unfortunately, he is an emperor and must have a long-term vision. She is Li Xuanzhen's weakness. She is tied to various forces, and he must clear the obstacles for his son.

There was a chaotic sound of footsteps, and a blood-stained imperial guard rushed into the temple: "Your Majesty, Li Zhongqian is coming in!"

Several guards immediately surrounded Yao Ying.

Li De slowly stood up, walked out of the Buddhist hall and stood in front of the steps.

The corridor was filled with a rustling sound of wind. As expected, the tall figure in silver armor rushed into the courtyard with his followers. The imperial guards drew their bows and shot arrows. He wore a helmet to avoid the arrows. He dodged and moved, and with a swing of his sword, a large number of imperial guards fell down.

The imperial guards were not in a hurry, they lined up and continued to shoot arrows, while others took turns to fly forward, and when one shot missed, they turned in the air, and another group of people came up with palm strikes to consume Li Zhongqian's physical strength. He gradually became exhausted and panted. Seeing this, the imperial guards changed to long spear formations. Under the forest of spears, Li Zhongqian was unable to do anything, his blood-stained robe was lifted, and a long spear was inserted into his abdomen, and blood spurted out.

He gritted his teeth, pulled out his lance, and continued to fight, pushing through the layers of imperial guards that surrounded him, and walked up the stone steps step by step, treading on the bloody path.

Li De stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at him as he struggled to his death.

Li Zhongqian's face was covered in blood, his eyes were glaring, and then he moved forward. With a clang, the long sword in his hand was knocked away and fell to the ground. Several feather arrows pierced his back, and a puff of blood splattered.

He continued walking forward step by step, his eyes fixed on Yao Ying.

The guards swung their muskets and stabbed at his legs.

With a plop, he knelt down on the stairs, looked at Yao Ying, and climbed up using his hands and feet.

Li De looked at him coldly.

Yao Ying was trembling all over, and he pushed away the people guarding him and rushed to Li Zhongqian.

He knelt at her feet, stretched out his torn hands, and grabbed the hem of her skirt.

Li De signaled to the imperial guards with his eyes.

The imperial guard stepped forward and swung his long sword, cutting open the back of Li Zhongqian's neck and causing blood to flow out.

Seeing that the imperial guards were about to kill him, Yao Ying stood in front of Li Zhongqian and raised her head. Her eyes were burning with tears and surging hatred, so bright that people dared not look at her directly: "Li De, you dare to hurt my brother's life, you'd better kill me too, otherwise, I will definitely kill you with my own hands to avenge my brother!"

Li De lowered his eyes, his old face twitching slightly in the night wind.

"You are the commander-in-chief of the Western Army. I cannot kill you like this..."

He looked up at the night sky and suddenly changed the subject: "If I don't kill you, even if I catch Li Zhongqian, you will only obey me temporarily. Only by killing you can Dalang ascend the throne smoothly."

Yao Ying's pupils shrank, her mind raced, her eyes quickly turned around, her eyes widened, and a look of panic flashed across her face.

Li De smiled at her, his smile was somewhat gentle: "You have support, and you know that I dare not kill you, so you dare to take the risk. Qi Niang, you are a smart person, and you did nothing wrong. But you underestimated the determination of a father."

The most terrifying thing is the desperado, because all strategies are vulnerable in front of him.

He was indecisive in the past and suffered the consequences. Today, he will end everything with his own hands to leave no future troubles.

Yao Ying couldn't help shaking her head, "Impossible!"

Before she finished her words, there was a loud bang, and the imperial guards rushed into the courtyard carrying long boards made of fine iron. They quickly sealed off the corridors on all four sides, and set up bows and crossbows on the courtyard walls. Everyone was trapped in the Buddhist hall, unable to move forward or backward.

Li De looked at the dark and oppressive imperial guards and said, "It's good that the Western Army didn't come. They are all young and promising men. They will fight for the country in the future and die on the battlefield instead of being buried here with us."

Yao Ying's teeth were filled with anger. "It turns out that the person who really wants to die together is His Majesty."

Li De nodded: "I understand Li Zhongqian, because I will make the same decision. For Dalang, I must get rid of you and your sister. For you, he will definitely come back and kill me."

In addition to Li Zhongqian, Li Xuanzhen also wanted to kill him. After conquering Southern Chu, Li Xuanzhen had already been plotting in secret. He knew this day would come and was not afraid of death, but he was worried as long as Li Zhongqian and his sister were not dead.

Instead of waiting for Li Xuanzhen to kill his father and the emperor, it would be better for him to do it for his son. This would kill several birds with one stone and get rid of Li Zhongqian, Li Yaoying, the remnants of Southern Chu, and the ministers in the court who were loyal to the Xie family.

Yao Ying's voice trembled: "The Western Army is still in the capital!"

Li De said calmly, "After tonight, the Western Army will not be able to find any evidence, and the Royal Court will be speechless. No matter how resourceful King Tanmo is, he cannot bring the dead back to life. When the Northern Rong surrendered, I sent people to take a group of captives back to the capital and settled them in the capital. There are also the remnants of Southern Chu... Qi Niang, the Dali Temple will soon find out that the Southern Chu surrendered official who spoke to you at the banquet was the mastermind behind the scenes. They colluded with the Northern Rong people and wanted to restore their country, so they set up an ambush. The people who came to rescue you tonight include them. You have been in close contact with Du Sinan in the past few years, and I have seen it all. He is a talent. This time, his identity can come in handy. He is the one who helps you contact the Southern Chu family."

"You and I are both buried in the temple. The culprits are the Northern Rong people and the remnants of Southern Chu. You and Li Zhongqian are both suspected of assassination. What reason does the King Tanmo of the royal court have to embarrass the Great Wei?"

A bright flash of light flashed through Yao Ying's mind, and she instantly understood many things that she didn't understand before.

The reason why Li De did not reveal her life story in public was for today. When they were all buried in the temple, no one would suspect that Li De framed Nan Chu. He also arranged the surrender of Nan Chu. They would definitely accuse her of secretly helping Nan Chu because of blood relationship and wanting to conspire to kill the king! Du Sinan could probably find evidence of her alliance with Nan Chu. In addition, Li Zhongqian had committed regicide before, so his appearance here was the best evidence.

The life of an emperor is enough to make all doubts seem pale and powerless. Who can believe that Li De is so crazy that he would not hesitate to risk his own life to set a trap?

Thunder rumbled and the night wind turned cold.

Yao Ying closed her eyes for a moment: "How could I have deserved such a reward? His Majesty would even sacrifice his own life just to get rid of me."

Li De shook his head. "This deal is a good deal."

He used his blood to pave the way for Li Xuanzhen, who was no longer constrained. The royal court and the Western Army also had ways to deal with it. The Western Army was leaderless, and it was the right time for the court to take action. According to his arrangement, the Hexi family would definitely fight among themselves over the Shang Lord. The remnants of Southern Chu assassinated and lost their morality. The Southern Chu family was no longer able to compete with the court. From east to west, from south to north, the world was truly unified.

Li Xuanzhen did not have to bear the stigma of patricide and regicide.

Yao Ying gritted her teeth and suddenly asked, "What about Li Xuanzhen? How can he get rid of suspicion?"

Li De said: "He is not in the capital. Everyone in the East Palace has left Chang'an. I have made thorough preparations, and the ministers will handle it properly afterwards. Qi Niang, everyone will know tomorrow that it was you who invited me to the Buddhist temple to visit Empress Xie."

Yao Ying stared at his cloudy eyes and said, "Yang Qian and the others won't doubt me."

Li De glanced at her and waved his hand, "How about this?"

With a loud bang, there was a sudden explosion in the quiet night, like a thunder from the blue sky, the roof tiles shook, and dust fell.

After the explosion, there was another explosion, this time from another direction, and flames shot up into the sky where the explosion occurred.

Yao Ying's heart was pounding with fear. She was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses, covered in cold sweat.

"The Thunderbolt Sword and the Fire Bomb are known to everyone in the world." Li De said calmly, "These are the secret weapons of the Western Army. You mastered the formula. When you and the Royal Court Army fought against the Northern Rong together, you did not reveal the formula. All those who planted the fire bombs were the elite of the Western Army. Qi Niang, tonight the entire Li Palace will be razed to the ground by these fire bombs. I ask, in this world, besides you and the Western Army, who else can master so many fire bombs?"

Yao Ying smiled indifferently, "You stole the recipe and had already planted the bombs, waiting for my brother to return to Beijing... If you go there tonight, the Western Army must draw a clear line with me in order to clear itself of suspicion."

No one could prove her innocence.

The tea is cold after she died here. The first thing the Western Army thought of was to nominate a new governor. Li De must have left a backup plan, so that the Western Army had no time to thoroughly investigate the matter of Li Gong. They couldn't investigate it, and the royal court couldn't do anything about it.

Li Deyao looked in the direction of Chang'an, raised his hand, and signaled the imperial guards to ignite the fire bombs.

In just a moment, the entire Buddhist temple would be overturned, and no one in the courtyard would be able to escape, including himself.

This is the grave he dug for himself.

…

"etc!"

At the critical moment, Yao Ying broke free from the rope, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, stopped Li De, and the fear on her face disappeared.

Li De frowned.

Yao Ying took out a copper whistle and blew it. The sound of the whistle was sharp and piercing amid the burning sound.

There were a few flapping sounds of wings, and in the darkness, a huge creature flew over the courtyard and suddenly swooped down, with its sharp claws going straight for the eyes of the imperial guards. In an instant, people and horses fell to the ground, and the imperial guards either chopped with swords or covered their heads to dodge, in the whole place.

At the same time, outside the wall, there were sounds of a group of imperial guards falling to the ground, and the sound of long swords hitting the ground. After shouting and killing, one figure after another climbed up the wall, all wearing black helmets and armor.

Li De frowned and made a gesture. No matter what happened, as long as they all died here, everything would be settled.

"Your Majesty!" Yao Ying called him, "Look."

She pointed in a direction, and Li De looked over and was suddenly surprised.

On the courtyard wall, a man holding a long sword was fighting with the archers hiding in the shadows. He had sword-like eyebrows and phoenix eyes, and his figure was tall.

How come there is another Li Zhongqian?

Li De thought of a possibility and his body trembled violently. He pushed away the imperial guards who were supporting him, rushed down the stone steps, lifted up the man who fell in front of the steps, pulled off his helmet and wiped the blood off his face.

The long hair was spread out, and the firelight illuminated a cold face.

Li De was speechless for a moment, his whole body froze, his cheeks gradually turned unnatural red, his throat made a gurgling sound, and he let out a "wow" and spat out a large mouthful of dirty blood.

After much painstaking planning for him, he actually came to die for Li Yaoying!

Did he hate himself so much? Would he rather ruin his own plans than go against himself?

All efforts were in vain.

In an instant, Li De felt hopeless and spurted out another large amount of blood, staining his shirt's chest red.

Everyone was stunned.

They are loyal to Li De and know that they will die in the imperial palace today, so they have nothing to fear. But with the crown prince appearing here, who would dare to detonate the bomb?

With a snap, the imperial guards who had just injured Li Xuanzhen dropped their swords and knelt on the ground to kowtow.

Li De's face turned ashen with a hint of white, his pupils shrank as if they were about to burst out of their sockets. He grabbed the long knife on the ground, and with strength that he didn't know where he got from, he chopped down Yao Ying with the knife.

In the past, he was also a general who fought in battles while being ill. Although he had been plagued by illness in recent years, his fundamental strength was still there. This sword strike was extremely powerful and unstoppable.

Li Zhongqian, who was on the courtyard wall, dealt with several imperial guards. He glanced at the incident on the stairs and his eyes widened. With a whole courtyard between them, he was completely powerless to help!

The long knife fell, and the fishy wind hit his face.

Yao Ying fell limply on the stairs, feeling a piercing pain in her waist. Sticky blood flowed down, dripping onto her face.

She opened her eyes and met a deep gaze.

Li Xuanzhen hugged her and asked, "Are you okay?"

Yao Ying said nothing.

He blocked Li Desheng's angry attack, and the long knife embedded in his back, deep enough to see the bone.

Yao Ying felt dazed for a moment.

Apart from the place where her waist hit the stairs, she didn't feel anything.

She had a vague feeling the last time she fell asleep, and now she can be sure: Li Xuanzhen's life or death has nothing to do with her at all.

"Zhangnu!"

Li De stared blankly at the long knife on Li Xuanzhen's back, loosened his hand, and the blood on his face faded. His eyes were cold and deep, and he shouted: "Doctor Yu! Doctor Xuan Yu!"

"Where are the people? Go find the doctor!"

The imperial guards stood still.

Li De was like a madman. He casually drew out the sword of the imperial army and chopped at random, "Xuan Yu Yi!"

Several people were hit by the long sword and staggered to the ground. The people around them reacted and dodged his blows.

Li De, with his hair disheveled, suddenly raised his head, his eyes red, and rushed towards Yao Ying again with a knife.

With a whoosh, an iron arrow flew through the air and pierced the long sword in his hand, sparks flying out.

The eagle screamed as it flew by, its sharp claws hooked onto Li De's head fiercely, lifting up a piece of skinned hair.

Several brave imperial guards took the opportunity to rush forward, grabbed Li De's arm, snatched the knife from his hand, and held him down.

The personal soldier who knew medicine squeezed over, carefully pulled out the long knife from Li Xuanzhen's back, stopped the bleeding, and bandaged the wound.

The courtyard was in chaos. The soldiers in black clothes outside the courtyard wall had already seen the opportunity and jumped over the wall. Iron arrows whizzed in and covered the sky and the ground. A wave of arrows rained down, and the imperial guards fought desperately. In the second round, another group of imperial guards fell. Soon some people realized that they were facing the flying cavalry. The people in other parts of the palace should have been controlled. They made a quick decision and retreated to Li De's side, using their bodies to form a wall to protect him tightly.

After five rounds of arrow rain, the imperial guards would rather die than surrender.

Li Zhongqian raised his hand, signaling the cavalry to stop attacking and step onto the stairs.

Li De stood in front of Li Xuanzhen, a hint of clarity flashed across his cloudy eyes.

"Your Majesty, do you think I want to kill you?" Li Zhongqian smiled and walked to Yao Ying's side. "The armies are waiting outside. If I dare to kill the emperor, I will die without a burial place after leaving the palace."

Li De sneered: "I am impressed by your ability to mobilize the cavalry."

Li Zhongqian glanced at the seriously injured Li Xuanzhen.

"I didn't call the Flying Cavalry here, Your Majesty. I didn't come back to Beijing to fight you. He was the one who secretly mobilized the troops and wanted to kill you."

Li De closed his eyes.

Yao Ying did not bring a large number of troops into the capital, and Li Zhongqian did not have many soldiers either. Even if he miscalculated, the two could not escape from Chang'an. However, he forgot that Li Xuanzhen had made several expeditions, and the generals in the army might have been secretly conquered by him.

Only the cavalry and the elite soldiers in the army could wipe out the people he had stationed in the Li Palace without anyone noticing. Li Xuanzhen went to the capital alone, not because he was reckless, but because he had other arrangements.

He had planned everything, but he had not expected that Li Xuanzhen had been preparing to usurp the throne so early, and that he had cooperated closely with Li Zhongqian.

Yao Ying deliberately fell into the trap to lure the snake out of its hole.

Li Zhongqian continued, "I received the letter you deliberately sent to me at the royal court, and I hurried back to Gaochang. Li Xuanzhen's letter also arrived. He knew that you were planning to get rid of Mingyuenu and me, and invited me to kill my father and my king together. From this point of view, we are indeed brothers."

Li De took a few steps back and sat down on the ground, his brows full of fatigue, as if all his energy and spirit had been drained away in an instant, and he could no longer conceal his aging appearance.

"Where's Chang'an?"

Yao Ying said calmly, "Your Majesty, don't worry. The Crown Princess is in Chang'an. If she and the Crown Prince are attacked, she will summon the Imperial Guards to defend the Imperial City, close all the palace gates, and not allow anyone to enter or leave. The Imperial Guards in Chang'an will not come to the palace to rescue them."

Li De smiled.

Zheng was also in cahoots with Li Yaoying, and it should be she who rescued Li Xuanzhen from the dungeon.

Li Zhongqian stepped forward and pointed the long knife in his hand at Li De.

Li De looked at him calmly.

Li Zhongqian looked indifferent and said, "Li De, you blame my mother for your own incompetence and suppress me. I am your son and your subject. I cannot resist and can only bear it. I charged into the battlefield for you and bowed to the Wei Dynasty. You asked me to massacre the city, and I massacred the city. I only ask you to let Mingyue Nu go. You did not keep your promise, and you still want to threaten me with my mother."

Then don't blame him for being disloyal.

He sneered, swung the knife, and the thin blade cut off a few strands of Li De's hair.

"Having your blood flowing in my body is the greatest shame of my life."

Li De didn't move.

Yao Ying walked past him and said, "Your Majesty, there is something I forgot to tell you. Back in Gaochang, I told the Western Army about my background. Tomorrow I will announce to the world that I am a daughter of the Chen family. The reason why the Western Army did not come tonight is because I told them that they should not interfere in palace struggles."

She would not let the Western Army get out of control, and her ambition would not change whether she got married or not. Li De was determined to force her into a desperate situation.

Li De's eyelids twitched.

"I don't want my background to be exposed, only because of my brother, not because I'm afraid that the Western Army will abandon me." Yao Ying raised her hand and gently stroked her hair. "I am not of Li family blood, so I can sever my ties with Chang'an. The Western Army will always be a righteous army guarding the territory and the people, and will not be stationed in Chang'an."

Li Zhongqian took Yao Ying's hand, and the brother and sister walked out without looking back.

He once wanted to kill Li De with his own hands, but now he didn't want to dirty his hands, so he let Li Xuanzhen do it, and he felt even happier.

The ties between the father and his sons were severed, and they had nothing to do with each other from then on.

…

There were corpses everywhere in the yard, with only Li De and his son and the Flying Cavalry Team left.

Li De looked at Li Xuanzhen, who was barely breathing.

"You are doing things for others... I have been worried about you. You are colluding with outsiders, Zhang slave. Sooner or later, you will die at the hands of Li Yaoying."

Li Xuanzhen was helped up by his personal soldiers. His lips were as white as paper and his eyes followed Yao Ying's back as she drifted away.

She didn't look back.

He hid his bitterness and said, "Li De, more than 20 years ago, you didn't know what my mother wanted. The one who killed my mother was not Xie. You took your anger out on others and used the method of punishing Xie's mother and son to alleviate your guilt... More than 20 years later, you don't know what I really want."

"Do you know why my mother committed suicide?"

He waved his hand to signal his personal guards to leave, then stepped forward and whispered a few words.

Li De was shocked, trembling all over, and stared at Li Xuanzhen with eyes wide open.

"Impossible! Impossible!"

Tears welled up in Li Xuanzhen's eyes.

Li De kept shaking his head, stumbled to his feet, and turned around.

"Impossible! Impossible! I know you are still alive. I have sent people from my clan to pick you up... As long as I marry Xie Manyan and the Wei army wins the battle, you can come back... It only takes half a month... I was only delayed for half a month..."

Li Xuanzhen heard the unfinished words in his words and raised his face angrily, with hatred burning even more fiercely in his eyes.

Back then, Li De knew that Xie Manyuan and Tang Ying were still alive before he married her! He was afraid that Tang Ying would disrupt the wedding, so he only sent his clansmen to pick up the mother and son. It was during this half month that Tang Ying lost her chastity.

Li Xuanzhen laughed out loud, not knowing whether he was laughing at Li De or at the mockery of fate.

"Half a month! Half a month!"

Li De was shouting and running madly, but he slipped and fell in a sea of ​​blood and corpses. He closed his eyes in pain, his face pale, and kept repeating the same thing over and over again.

"Half a month..."

He is crazy.

…

The incident outside the palace caused such a big commotion that people in the imperial city stayed awake all night.

During the day, the city was under strict military order, and Crown Prince Li Xuanzhen suddenly appeared, holding an imperial edict in his hand, ordering the Yulin Army, the Imperial Guards, and the Jinwu Guards to obey the orders of the Crown Princess and defend the imperial city to the death. The generals were in a panic and were captured by others who had already defected to Li Xuanzhen.

The prime minister had already foreseen that there would be a showdown between father and son, and wanted to intervene, but was detained in Taiji Palace by the Flying Cavalry who suddenly appeared. When they were released, it was already midnight.

On the second day, a rumor spread that Li De had a sudden attack of hysteria when he visited Empress Xie. He became crazy and mad, and chopped anyone he saw. All the doctors had seen him, but no medicine could cure him. The Crown Prince Li Xuanzhen was in charge of the government affairs, and no officials had any objection.

The people had no objection: the crown prince was chosen by Li De himself, and since the emperor was ill, it was indeed the crown prince who should take over state affairs.

Next, Crown Prince Lei acted ruthlessly and dealt with a large number of officials and generals. Among them, the surrendered officials of Southern Chu died of illness one after another. People did not care and just thought that they missed their homeland and became depressed.

A few months later, Li De died in the imperial palace, reportedly due to overwork.

What happened afterwards had nothing to do with Yaoying.

On the night she was exiled from the palace, Xie Qing came forward with a whip in her hand. Yao Ying picked up the long whip, turned around, and swung it at Li Zhongqian.

"You came back to the capital on your own initiative? You hid from me that you and Li Xuanzhen were conspiring to force the emperor to abdicate? You also left me a letter, telling me to live a peaceful life and not to avenge you?"

Yao Ying gritted her teeth and whipped again with her backhand.

"If I don't come back, you two will have no choice but to fight Li De head-on. Do you know how many casualties will occur? Li De has thunder bombs. If you force him into a corner, no matter how good your martial arts are, you will not be a match for the imperial guards!"

Li Zhongqian did not dare to argue. After taking several beatings, he begged for mercy, saying, "I didn't intend to rush forward and die. Li De had set up a poisonous plan. Li Xuanzhen was afraid that he would take the initiative and was determined to kill the king. I helped him with a few small favors. Regardless of success or failure, Li De would have to pay the price."

When Li Xuanzhen came back from Nanchu, he met him privately. He hid in Chang'an. Li Xuanzhen pretended to be imprisoned, but he had already escaped. The brothers' original plan did not involve Yaoying, because she should still be in Gaochang. Even if she found something wrong and rushed back to Chang'an, someone in Liangzhou would stop her.

Although he and Li Xuanzhen had deep conflicts, when they were in Beirong, the two brothers had stirred up trouble and cooperated well. In the matter of killing Li De, they had the same goal and did not mind cooperating again.

No one expected that when the news of Yao Ying's return came, she had already arrived in Jingzhao Prefecture.

At that time, Li Zhongqian was still in hiding and had no way to communicate with Yao Ying. He was anxious and rushed to Li Palace to rescue her. If Li Xuanzhen had not arrived and stopped him and exchanged silver armor and felt robe with him, he would have thought that Yao Ying knew nothing and was really deceived by Li De.

Yao Ying snorted, knowing that Li Zhongqian had not told the whole truth. He and Li Xuanzhen were not completely sure. Fortunately, she came back in time and worked together with the Crown Princess to attract Li De's attention, so that Li Xuanzhen could find the opportunity to take action.

"We were still careless. Li De actually got the recipe for the thunder bomb. If Li Xuanzhen hadn't been there, the Li Palace would have been razed to the ground today."

Yaoying frowned. There was a spy in the Western Army. She had to clean up the workshop. The elixir recipe was not a secret. She would hand it over to the court, but the spy could not be kept any longer.

Li Zhongqian was also filled with fear and breathed a sigh of relief.

Yao Ying put away the whip