Chapter 301: Stand tall and proud
At Yongding Gate in the capital, Xie Fengting stood on the city wall, holding his sword tightly in his hand.
He was clearly looking down from a high position, but looking at Prince Ding riding on horseback outside the city and the fluttering flags behind him, Xie Fengting was covered in cold sweat, and his hands holding the sword were soaked with sweat.
Xiao Nanchen was wearing ice-cracking armor, and the mount under his crotch was also covered with a layer of silver armor. Just one man and one mount standing in front of Feng Ning's iron cavalry, they seemed to be carrying overwhelming pressure.
Looking at Xie Fengting on the city wall, Xiao Nanchen said coldly: "General, why are you plotting treason?"
Apart from the cold tone, this sentence did not contain any unnecessary emotions and could even be described as calm. However, Xie Fengting was suddenly shocked and his whole body stiffened in an instant.
His Adam's apple moved, and he took a deep breath before he could finally speak: "Your Highness Prince Ding was ordered to suppress the Liaodong rebels, but he returned without an imperial decree. He has heavily besieged the city... but are you planning a rebellion?"
From a distance, Xie Fengting actually saw that Prince Ding seemed to smile... In response to his resounding question, Prince Ding Xiao Nanchen just smiled nonchalantly and raised his hand.
The next moment, the heavily armored cavalry behind him raised their swords and spears and stepped forward, shouting in unison: "Kill!"
Xie Fengting's hair stood on end...
When the Fengning Iron Cavalry was the most important weapon of the Great Xuan, as a military general, Xie Fengting was proud of it. But at this moment, when he stood opposite this national weapon, he was only filled with fear.
He had also fought on the battlefield and was not a coward, but when he heard the "kill" cry of the heavily armored black cavalry that shook the sky, Xie Fengting could not help but tremble in his heart.
If he had no other choice, he would never want to stand opposite Feng Ning's cavalry...
Xie Fengting tightened and loosened his grip on the sword several times, letting the wind dry the cold sweat from his palms. He took a few deep breaths and was about to give an order when he heard footsteps behind him.
"The imperial edict has arrived..."
The Sixth Prince Xiao Nanjin was dragged onto the city wall. When he saw Xie Fengting, who was wearing armor on the wall, Xiao Nanjin seemed to have seen a life-saving straw: "Uncle..."
Xie Fengting's expression changed slightly: "Sixth Prince, why are you here?"
Xiao Nanjin was about to cry: "They said that the Crown Prince asked me to announce the decree."
Xie Fengting looked extremely ugly. He didn't expect that the person who came would be the Sixth Prince.
At this moment, the Crown Prince's confidant shoved the bright yellow imperial edict into Xiao Nanjin's hands and said, "Your Highness, please announce the edict in public. After you have announced it, you may return."
Xiao Nanjin was completely stunned. He took the imperial edict tremblingly, but as soon as he opened it, his eyes suddenly widened.
Prince Ding is plotting treason? Kill him without mercy?
Xiao Nanjin was timid, and precisely because of his timidity, he was extremely careful and almost immediately noticed the abnormality in the imperial edict.
The imperial edict did not look real, and most importantly, the imperial seal stamped on it... was not real at all.
This is a fake imperial edict!
The Crown Prince falsely passed on an imperial decree to kill Prince Ding... The Crown Prince is plotting to usurp the throne... The Crown Prince is the traitor!
Behind him, the Crown Prince's attendant spoke in a sinister tone, "Sixth Prince, it's getting late. Announce the decree quickly... and speak louder so that both the soldiers on the city walls and the people below can hear..."
Xiao Nanjin's hands were shaking as he held the imperial edict. He turned around and looked at Xie Fengting: "Uncle, this imperial edict..."
Xie Fengting's whole body was tense, but at this moment, he could only persuade him: "Announce the decree, Sixth Prince, and you can go back after the decree is announced."
Xiao Nanjin trembled even more violently.
At the foot of the city wall, Xiao Nanchen also saw the Sixth Prince Xiao Nanjin being pushed to the side of the city wall.
Xiao Nanjin seemed to be trembling. He turned around and said something, but then he was pushed... The timid Sixth Prince was trembling all over as he opened the imperial edict in his hand...
The next moment, Xiao Nanchen heard Xiao Nanjin's trembling voice.
"By the Will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."
An almost unnoticeable mechanical sound was heard behind him, and the secret guard had already aimed at Xiao Nanjin.
Xiao Nanchen frowned and raised his hand, retracting several crossbow arrows.
If it was someone else holding the imperial edict, he would have been shot down by now...but that was Lao Liu, Chen Ning's cousin.
Xiao Nanchen knew that Shen Ning was very close to Concubine Xie. If he killed Lao Liu, how would Shen Ning deal with it?
At this moment, Xiao Nanchen couldn't help but laugh.
Shen Ning was indeed so important to him... He didn't care that he was his blood brother, but that he was related to Shen Ning.
A voice sounded behind me.
"Master, the forged imperial edict cannot be proclaimed..."
Everyone knew that the imperial edict was definitely not a good thing, and Prince Ding knew it even better, but he stopped the secret guards from killing people.
This is not what he should do at all.
Xiao Nanchen didn't care: "Just announce it... I won't rely on the words of others to gain the world."
What if it's justified? What if it's rebellious?
They were all illusory things, and only those who were incompetent would be afraid of them. In comparison, he was even more unwilling to add any unpleasantness between him and Shen Ning.
Xiao Nanchen made a gesture, and the Feng Ning cavalry behind him all drew their weapons.
Ready to go...
But at this moment, Xiao Nanchen heard the Sixth Prince Xiao Nanjin on the city wall speak again after initially tremblingly reciting those eight words... His originally trembling voice suddenly became quiet...
Xiao Nanjin's hands, gripping the imperial edict, turned white with force. His legs were still trembling slightly, but his expression gradually became resolute.
At this moment, everyone in the capital was looking at him and listening to him read the imperial edict in his hand.
This imperial edict decides whether the crown prince in the palace will inherit the throne or usurp the throne; and this imperial edict decides whether Prince Ding at the city gate will serve the emperor and eliminate traitors or rebel...
Now, the imperial edict is in his hands.
Inside and outside Yongding Gate, on and off the city walls, everyone heard the Sixth Prince's voice, which seemed to be crying, yet seemed particularly firm and calm.
"...Crown Prince Xiao Nanyu plotted treason and usurped the throne. Zi ordered Prince Ding Xiao Nanchen to lead his troops to the throne. Those who assisted him and turned their backs on the throne would be pardoned and rewarded with merit..."
As Xiao Nanjin read out loud one sentence at a time, Xie Fengting's eyes gradually widened, filled with disbelief and horror.
What is Lao Liu saying?
The Crown Prince is plotting rebellion, and Prince Ding is working to defend the throne?
Lao Liu... Lao Liu...
"uncle……"
After reading the imperial edict, Xiao Nanjin suddenly turned around and called out to Xie Fengting before the prince's attendant behind him could react.
Xie Fengting subconsciously raised his eyes and saw his usually timid nephew smiling at him.
"My uncle always said he hoped I would one day be able to stand tall and proud. Today... I can be considered to have stood tall and proud for once, right?"
Xie Fengting suddenly realized something and rushed forward. But almost at the same moment, he saw the Sixth Prince, who had always been timid, poor at riding and shooting arrows, leap off the city wall with an unprecedented determination, clutching the fake imperial edict...
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