Lan Yu did not die in battle.
The ring-pommel sword in his hand, and the breastplate protruding from the bright armor he wore, blocked the fatal blow from Chen Longxiang's drum-shaped golden hammer.
The ring-pommel sword was smashed into two pieces by a hammer blow. Although it failed to block the attack of the drum-shaped golden hammer, it absorbed most of the force.
In the end, it was the bronze breastplate on the Mingguang Armor that bore the brunt of everything, shattering into pieces with a single blow.
Lan Yu was also blasted away by the inertia, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and his vision went black as he briefly lost consciousness.
When he woke up again, he was being helped back by his personal guards as they fought their way out, and all he could see were the corpses of soldiers from the vanguard of the imperial army that was suppressing the rebellion.
He was left with only a few dozen personal guards.
Not far from Lan Yu, directly in front, stood a lone figure on horseback, none other than Chen Longxiang, the rebel commander who had long since lost his mind and was blinded by rage.
At this moment, Chen Longxiang, still riding on horseback, had disheveled hair, empty eyes with a bloodthirsty glint, and a cold and ferocious expression.
Chen Longxiang spurred his horse forward, and the personal guards protecting Marquis Anxi Lan Yu instinctively took a step back.
Until they joined forces with the imperial army reinforcements that continued to arrive to quell the rebellion.
Without the need for the vanguard general Lan Yu to give an order, the imperial cavalry soldiers who arrived later urged their warhorses to spread out in a fan shape with the rebel commander Chen Longcheng as the core, until they surrounded Chen Longxiang.
Boom! Boom!
Drizzle!
Just then, the sky outside the Goguryeo capital grew increasingly gloomy, and the sudden spring rain finally began to fall in a drizzling patter amidst muffled, continuous thunder.
The rain soaked Chen Longxiang's long, loose hair and made him squint.
He slowly raised his head, looked at the sky where lightning flashed and thunder roared, and then glanced at the heavily injured Marquis Lan Yu of Anxi who was constantly retreating.
Then, once again, with a blank expression and an icy tone, he said, "You all must die—"
"Dragon Elephant, stop!"
Just as Chen Longxiang was about to once again urge his warhorse to wreak havoc on the approaching imperial army, a call came from afar, like a clear sound in the chaos, instantly sobering Chen Longxiang, who was blinded by hatred.
Chen Longxiang, who was on horseback, was startled. He slowly raised his head and looked in the direction of the sound. In his eyes, which were blurred by the rain, he saw a figure in white robes riding a tall, snow-white horse galloping toward him.
Yes, it was the man who was like a teacher, a friend, a brother, and a father to me.
Chen Qingzhi, Duke of Han, was the first of the six founding dukes of the Tang Dynasty (tied for the top spot)!
Buzz—
The next moment, Chen Longxiang's mind exploded with a buzz.
Countless fragmented images and countless memories that he had deliberately suppressed all rushed into Chen Longxiang's mind at this moment, gradually piecing together a picture that recorded the complete truth.
He remembered! Chen Longxiang remembered everything!
He recalled the scenes when he first returned to the Prince of Jin's mansion from Longhu Mountain, and together with Chen Qingzhi, the deputy marshal of the left wing of the Longcheng Jingnan Army, guarded Longcheng and governed their fiefdom.
I also remembered the scene when my elder brother Chen Huai'an first ascended the throne and established the Tang Dynasty, and when he offered sacrifices to Heaven at Zijin Mountain outside Jinling City, I was full of vigor and dressed in fine clothes.
I still remember the scenes of my elder brother personally handing me the golden armor that the late emperor had worn, and sending me to serve as a vanguard general in the army that was going to conquer Goguryeo.
He also remembered the scene when he first met Empress Dowager Su Wan'er in Jiaozhou City during the naval expedition against Goguryeo...
suddenly.
The scene in Chen Longxiang's mind shifted to the moment when he was in Jinling City, on the first day of the first month of the second year of Zhaowu in the Tang Dynasty, when he started killing Luo Yucheng, the deputy commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard and Marquis of Wuping of the Tang Dynasty, and his Longcheng Inner Guard.
Next, the images that Chen Longxiang recalled changed from being colorful to being nothing but a bloody red.
On the Goguryeo Peninsula, he ruthlessly slaughtered the Tang soldiers who refused to obey his orders and followed him to restore the previous dynasty and revitalize the Great Xin.
On the night of the mutiny in the Goguryeo capital, more than 50,000 soldiers in the garrison camp outside the city were brutally killed by Chen Longxiang.
On the day of the subsequent mutiny at the naval camp, tens of thousands of loyal Tang Dynasty naval officers and soldiers were burned or suffocated to death by fire at Chen Longxiang's order (which is why the hundreds of Tang Dynasty naval fleet warships anchored in Nanpu Harbor became mere decorations in Chen Longxiang's hands and could not be used by the rebels).
Then, there was the “bandit suppression” front line involving the area from Afeihu Ridge to Imjin River on the Goguryeo Peninsula. Chen Longxiang, the first prince of the Tang Dynasty, secretly colluded with the remnants of the enemy country and ultimately massacred tens of thousands of Tang soldiers on the front line.
In Chen Longxiang's mind, the crimson blood-red scene shifted again, but it froze on the scene before dawn this morning, in the harem of the Goguryeo capital, outside the bedroom of his beloved concubine Su Wan'er.
On the imperial bed, Su Wan'er died in childbirth, taking two lives with her unborn child.
Chen Longxiang also completely lost his mind and turned into a brutal and murderous demon, hammering all the palace maids, eunuchs, guards and servants in the entire Goguryeo royal city's harem to death.
They continued until they had killed all the soldiers and civilians in the city within their sight, and fought their way out of the city, killing even Marquis Anxi Lan Yu and his vanguard battalion.
Until, until this moment, the Korean prince Chen Qingzhi, galloping towards them on horseback, uttered these words: "Dragon Elephant, stop!"
Just now, Chen Longxiang was jolted awake from his dream, and a chill ran through his entire body.
"Dragon Elephant, stop!"
Um?
Chen Longxiang slowly raised his head, letting the rain squint his eyes, and looked at the white figure in front of him that gradually became clearer. His lips twitched slightly, but in the end, he couldn't even force a smile.
Here, Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, rode up to a place only a dozen steps away from Chen Longxiang, ignoring the advice of Chang Yuchun, the Duke of Wei, and Lan Yu, the Marquis of Anxi.
From this position, if Chen Longxiang harbors murderous intent, Duke Chen Qingzhi of Han will certainly not escape the full force of his Golden Hammer.
Chen Qingzhi, who didn't even have time to put on his armor, had absolutely no chance of escaping alive.
call--
Chen Qingzhi let out a long sigh, and after adjusting his breathing and emotions, he said to Chen Longxiang in front of him again: "Longxiang, listen to me, put down the Golden Hammer!"
Um?
Chen Longxiang raised an eyebrow, his eyes, filled with a bloodthirsty glint, staring straight at Chen Qingzhi before him, and asked, word by word, "Duke of Han, you also came here to kill me and go back to your elder brother to claim credit, didn't you?"
Um?
Upon hearing this, Chen Qingzhi's expression froze, and he replied without hesitation, "Longxiang, are you confused? How could I possibly want to take your life to curry favor?"
Chen Qingzhi's words were absolutely true; they came from the bottom of his heart.
Looking across the entire Tang Dynasty, Chen Qingzhi was arguably the person, besides Empress Dowager Xu Ruoyun, who least wanted Chen Longxiang to die during the suppression of the rebellion.
Even before Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, was photographed.
The time the two spent guarding the main camp in Longcheng, the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin, had led Chen Qingzhi to regard Chen Longxiang as his own child.
How could a "father" possibly cut off his own child's head to claim credit and reward?
Even if the child was a bit naughty, willful, or even committed an unforgivable crime, the "father" still wanted to spare his life!
Chen Qingzhi continued, "Longxiang, listen to me. Put down the golden hammer and come back to the country with me to see the Emperor. There is still room for maneuver. At worst, you will be stripped of your clan status and title and demoted to a commoner. You can start over!"
hehe!
Chen Longxiang suddenly laughed, a cold laugh.
He stared intently at Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, and asked once more, "Duke of Han, do you think I still have a chance to start over?"
As he spoke, Chen Longxiang continued his tirade: "On the first day of the first month of the first year of Zhaowu, I went on a killing spree in the Jinling Imperial City. Luo Yucheng, the deputy commander of the Dragon City Inner Guard, died tragically under my golden hammer, and hundreds more Dragon City Inner Guards and Imperial Guards were hammered to death in the streets by me;"
"On the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first month of the first year of Zhaowu, 27 generals of the Tang army stationed in Goguryeo, all of whom were at the rank of lieutenant general, were all buried alive by me, and more than 200,000 Tang soldiers died tragically at my hands;"
"On the 27th day of the second month of the first year of Zhaowu, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians inside and outside the Goguryeo capital were all brutally slaughtered by me;"
As Chen Longxiang spoke, he glanced at the heavily wounded Marquis of Anxi, Lan Yu, and continued, "Marquis Lan Yu nearly lost his life at my hands, and the thousands of Tang soldiers who accompanied him all became the victims of my hammer;"
"Duke of Han, do you think I can turn back?"
"Even if my royal brother is willing to spare my life, do you think the civil and military officials in the court, or the families and widows of those fallen Tang soldiers, will let me go?"
Chen Longxiang gave a bitter laugh and said, "This time, I have gone astray and raised an army in rebellion, which has already put my elder brother in a difficult position, leaving him no choice but to issue an edict of self-reproach."
"I don't want my elder brother to issue a third edict of self-reproach for my sake!"
"Dragon and Elephant—"
Upon hearing Chen Longxiang's words, Chen Qingzhi seemed to realize something and hurriedly tried to dissuade Chen Longxiang, but was rudely interrupted by the latter.
Chen Longxiang said, "Duke of Han, listen to me—"
Boom! Boom!
At this moment, the thunder in the sky grew even louder.
Two dark, heavy clouds began to converge over the area outside the Goguryeo capital, with lightning flashing incessantly.
Chen Longxiang frowned slightly, his face showing displeasure. He raised his head and glared fiercely at the dark, cloud-covered sky before turning back to Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, and said, "Duke of Han, you don't know yet, do you? Wan'er, Wan'er has already left!"
ha?
Chen Qingzhi was completely bewildered and didn't react immediately. He subconsciously asked, "Your Majesty, where did Your Majesty go?"
"He's dead!"
Chen Longxiang said with feigned ease, "She died in childbirth, two lives lost, right when your navy was attacking Nanpu Port. I heard the faint sound of red cannons outside the city."
"She is dead, therefore I will have the entire population of this Goguryeo capital city buried with her and her child."
"I, I will slaughter everyone in this city!"
hiss--
Upon hearing this, Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, Chang Yuchun, the Duke of Wei, and a group of Tang generals present couldn't help but gasp.
Now, all the mysteries have finally been solved.
The reason why the garrison of the Goguryeo capital abandoned the city and fled was because the mad Chen Longxiang wanted to drag all the people and soldiers of the city down with him to be buried with the former empress Su Wan'er, who died in childbirth!
Boom, boom boom boom!
Suddenly, the thunder in the sky grew louder and louder, and the lightning flashed faster and faster.
Finally, Chen Longxiang, who had been holding back his anger, was ignited by the continuous thunder and completely erupted!
Chen Longxiang raised a golden hammer with one arm and cursed at the dark, cloud-covered sky: "Hey, you damned heavens, don't be so presumptuous! Do you think I'll be afraid of you just because of a couple of thunderclaps and lightning?"
Pooh--
"I'm not afraid of you! If you have the guts, step forward and fight me for three hundred rounds!"
Chen Longxiang kept cursing: "Damn you, God! All I want is for my family of three to live a peaceful and happy life. Why are you playing tricks on me?"
"Tell me, why did you take Wan'er and my child away? Damn you, heavens, tell me—"
Boom, boom, boom!
Splash, patter!
whoosh—
The response to Chen Longxiang was a continuous barrage of lightning and thunder, an early spring rain that gradually turned into a torrential downpour, and gusts of eerie wind that seemed to come from nowhere.
The atmosphere outside the Goguryeo capital suddenly became eerie.
The Tang cavalrymen who had surrounded Chen Longxiang were terrified by what they saw. If they hadn't been under military orders, they probably would have run away in the next moment.
However, the warhorses beneath these cavalrymen began to neigh uncontrollably.
Hmm, hmm—
The warhorse kept snorting and rearing up, trying to retreat and get away from Chen Longxiang, who was in the center of the encirclement.
These livestock seemed to sense some danger and were eager to evacuate.
Gradually, these once well-trained warhorses began to disregard their riders' commands, becoming restless and retreating.
The scene descended into chaos.
Chen Qingzhi also realized something was wrong. For no reason, he recalled that when he was in Longcheng, the fiefdom of Prince Jin, the black-robed old monk Dongfang Xiao in Qixia Temple on Fengming Mountain had said that this young prince Chen Longxiang was originally a golden-winged eagle from the upper realm who had descended to earth to undergo tribulation, and that he must never commit indiscriminate killing in this life.
Otherwise, you will be punished by heaven!
"Longxiang, stop cursing and come with me!"
Suddenly realizing what was happening, Chen Qingzhi disregarded his own safety and was about to ride forward to take Chen Longxiang away.
However, it was too late.
Chen Longxiang, who was still wielding his hammer and cursing the heavens, felt that simply cursing was not enough, so he threw the golden hammer in his hand into the air, determined to fight the heavens.
Boom—
The next moment, a thunderclap rang out, and a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, directly hitting Chen Longxiang's Golden Hammer.
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