"Boom—!"
The earth trembled, and the palace walls wept!
The thunderous sound of approaching hooves and the earth-shaking battle cries were like an invisible giant hammer, slamming into the hearts of every rebel soldier on the battlefield!
"What...what is that sound?"
A rebel captain, his face pale, turned back and looked toward the main gate of the palace.
His eyes were filled with fear and unease.
"Reinforcements?"
A word that he himself found absurd and terrifying escaped uncontrollably from his throat.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Another rebel general retorted sharply, but his slightly trembling voice betrayed his inner fear, "The capital's main camp is far outside the city! The city gates are already under our control! Without the prince's orders, how could they possibly..."
His words came to an abrupt end.
Because the facts have already given him the loudest, and also the cruelest, answer.
"boom--!!!"
With a deafening roar, the heavy palace gate, a symbol of imperial power and forged from fine iron, was smashed open from the outside by an irresistible force!
Countless rubble and door fragments shot out in all directions!
Immediately afterward, under the gaze of all the rebels whose faces turned deathly pale, a black torrent of steel, like a flood bursting its banks, surged wildly in through the open palace gates!
Leading the group was a formidable general clad in heavy armor and wielding a long spear!
Behind him stood tens of thousands of elite cavalrymen, clad in standard armor, wielding gleaming weapons, and exuding a murderous aura!
They were like an incredibly sharp dagger, tearing apart the rebels' already crumbling rear defenses with overwhelming force!
Jingji Grand Camp!
It really is the capital region's main camp!
At that moment, the minds of all the remaining rebels on the battlefield went blank.
If Xiao Che's fiery return, like a god of war descending upon the world, had shattered their morale, then this elite cavalry that descended from the sky was crushing their last... hope.
Ahead stood the Imperial Guards, fighting valiantly and displaying overwhelming momentum.
Following them came the fierce and unstoppable iron cavalry of the capital region.
Their king, that god-like man, stood atop the high steps, coldly watching them.
There's no way to go to heaven, and no way to go to hell!
This is no longer a war.
This was a complete and utter massacre!
"It's over..."
A rebel general muttered to himself in a daze, his face drained of all color.
"We...are surrounded..."
"Ding-dong—!"
No one knows who was the first to succumb to this suffocating despair; the weapon in their hand slipped limply and fell to the ground with a crisp, piercing sound.
The sound seemed to be a signal.
"Ding-dong!"
Clang!
"Jingle bells—!"
The sounds of weapons hitting the ground began to rise and fall, forming a continuous chorus!
The remaining rebels completely gave up resistance. They abandoned their armor and weapons, their faces filled with fear and despair, and knelt on the ground like mollusks whose bones had been removed.
A massive crowd of people knelt throughout the square, creating a truly spectacular scene.
They chose to surrender.
Faced with overwhelming power and utter despair, this was the only choice they could make.
The black torrent of steel, after rushing into the square, did not immediately begin its slaughter. Instead, it quickly dispersed and, with remarkable discipline, surrounded all the kneeling rebels who had surrendered, blocking all their possible escape routes.
The imposing general at the head of the group was none other than Shen Ce, the commander of the capital region's military camp!
He dismounted, his heavy armor stained dark red with blood from the fighting, making it impossible to tell whether it was the enemy's or his own.
He didn't even have time to treat his wounds before he picked up the still-dripping spear, strode through the kneeling crowd, and rushed toward the high platform in the center of the square.
When he saw the king standing on the steps, his dragon robe tattered and his body covered in soot, yet still upright and majestic as a mountain, this iron-blooded general, who was decisive and ruthless on the battlefield, instantly had tears welling up in his eyes.
He rushed to Xiao Che and, without the slightest hesitation, knelt down on one knee with a "thump"!
The heavy armor on his body collided with the hard stone steps, producing a dull thud.
He lowered his proud head, his voice loud but carrying an undisguised tremor and lingering fear.
"Your Majesty, I, Shen Ce, the Commander-in-Chief of the Capital Garrison, have arrived too late to rescue you!"
"Your Majesty, please... punish me!"
The sound echoed throughout the square, filled with guilt and self-reproach.
In his view, making the king personally risk his life and fight bloody battles was the greatest dereliction of duty he, as a subject, had committed!
Xiao Che looked at him quietly, at this general whom he had swiftly turned against the Regent.
Shen Ce did not disappoint him.
The coldness on his face slowly faded, replaced by a genuine expression of approval.
"General Shen, what crime have you committed?"
Xiao Che personally walked down the steps, reached out his hands, and helped the blood-soaked general up from the ground.
"You've come at just the right time."
His voice, slightly hoarse from the intense battle, was full of comforting power.
"If you hadn't arrived in time, my loyal and brave men would probably have been wiped out. You are not only innocent, but you have also rendered meritorious service. Your service in protecting me and in suppressing the rebellion will be remembered by me."
Shen Ce was helped up by the emperor himself. Upon hearing these words, a warm feeling welled up in his heart. The seven-foot-tall man was so moved that he could not speak and could only nod heavily.
"Thank you... Your Majesty!"
Xiao Che patted his shoulder, then turned around and looked back at the battlefield before him, where the dust had settled.
The once invincible rebels are now prisoners.
His loyal army had victoriously joined forces and completely controlled the overall situation.
He knew that the outcome of this dramatic, all-night palace rebellion was... now decided.
However, Xiao Che's face did not show much joy of victory.
He didn't even glance at the surrendered soldiers kneeling on the ground, trembling. To him, their fate was already sealed, and they weren't worth wasting even a fraction of his attention.
His gaze slowly passed over the defecting army before him, and over the crowd kneeling in surrender.
He passed through the flames still burning in the palace and through the thick, acrid smoke that filled the air.
His gaze turned towards the depths of the palace, the only place in this chaos and ruins that remained intact and brightly lit.
— Kunning Palace.
There, he met the most important person in his life.
There are treasures he is willing to die for to protect.
He had a reason to fight through the night and return covered in blood.
His queen is still there, waiting for him.
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