jdhmnovel Chapter 380 Coup 4
Chapter 380 Coup 4
Taking advantage of the situation, Zhao Jinxiao offered a surrender offer: "Northwest rebels, lay down your weapons, and those who surrender will not be killed!"
"No surrender allowed!" A shout came from outside the palace.
Zhao Jinxiao turned around, his pupils contracted, and he quickly ran backward.
"Quick! Close the door!"
Shen Lan looked outside in surprise and saw a group of men in black standing silently outside.
They were dressed in black soft armor from head to toe, their faces covered with black cloths, the only thing visible being a pair of emotionless eyes.
Ahead of them, Tong Xiuqing, no longer dressed as a civil official, was also wearing armor and holding a sword.
The crown prince breathed his last.
He didn't live to see his own uncle lead a legion of assassins to rescue him.
Shen Lan finally understood that the number of assassins trained on Vulture Peak Mountain was in the thousands.
These thousands of suicide soldiers represent countless children who were abducted or bought, and who emerged victorious after enduring countless life-or-death situations.
It's no wonder that one of the charges against the Tong family was involvement in human trafficking.
The Northwest rebels inside the palace were all tied up, while those outside took the opportunity to escape in all directions and did not reunite with Tong Xiuqing.
At this point, the fake Tong Yiwen's identity had been exposed.
He just killed Yang Changlong cleanly and swiftly; he was definitely not Tong Yiwen himself.
The emperor walked up to him and looked him up and down. “Very good. If I hadn’t looked closely, I would have been fooled too.”
However, the person outside the door is Tong Xiuqing, Tong Yiwen's own son; you can't fool his eyes.
"Yes."
"But it's worth a try."
The emperor stepped back, pointed at Li Ye, and said, "Guards, seize him!"
He wore a gentle smile while uttering the coldest words.
"I'll borrow your body; perhaps that will buy me some time."
The Imperial Guards surrounded Li Ye.
Shen Lan wanted to step forward to rescue her, but Li Ye stopped her with a look.
He did not resist, but stretched out his hands for the imperial guards to tie him up, then blindfolded him and pushed him out of the hall.
"Tong Xiuqing, I don't care what your purpose is today. If you dare to take another step forward, don't blame me for being impolite."
Tong Xiuqing frowned when she saw her father being held hostage.
He knew that the Marquis of Pingyang had been searching for his father in the mountains, but he thought his father couldn't possibly be in any danger.
Vulture Peak Mountain is very large, and they have many hidden dens and secret passages. How could Father have been captured?
Moreover, he had not heard that the Marquis of Pingyang had entered the city.
Oh, right, the secret passage!
The discovered secret passage must have led into the city from there.
If he had known this would happen, he should have sent someone to fill in the secret passage first.
"Release my father!" Tong Xiuqing shouted.
"Of course you can. Just leave the palace and leave all the assassins behind you."
Tong Xiuqing laughed loudly, "Haha... Old Emperor, even now, you're still dreaming!"
The emperor ordered the crown prince's body to be thrown out, his body filled with rage. "I was originally going to show leniency and lightly punish the women and children of the Tong family, but you came here to die!"
Tong Xiuqing's laughter stopped abruptly when she saw the Crown Prince's corpse.
But he showed no sadness, only anger.
"You tyrant! You even harm your own child! You're not human!"
Tong Xiuqing shouted to the civil and military officials in the hall: "You think that the medicine prescription that my Tong family seized is in my father's hands? You are wrong. That prescription has always been in the hands of the tyrannical emperor. He has been taking that secret medicine for eleven years."
"Miss Shen, if you're inside, listen carefully. If you want revenge, the Emperor is the real culprit! Because he's the one who ordered the town sealed off! Hahaha…"
Shen Lan remained unmoved.
Li Ye quietly untied his bound hands.
The Imperial Guards knew he was a friend, not an enemy, so they only went through the motions when binding him.
The emperor stood not far to his left, with a guard in front, behind, left, and right.
If Li Ye makes a move, unless he can eliminate the two guards behind him and on his left in one strike, he won't even be able to touch the emperor's dragon robe.
Shen Lan's shoulder was touched.
She turned around, met Xiao Ji's worried gaze, and shook her head at him.
Xiao Ji pulled her behind him and instructed her, "Don't stand outside. Your identity is too sensitive."
Tong Xiuqing revealed that the Shen family's medicine prescription was in the emperor's hands, and the emperor would not let Shen Lan off the hook.
If the Tong family wins this battle, they will die; if the Tong family loses, they will not fare any better.
"Well, it's getting late. I wonder how long this battle will last."
Xiao Ji shook his head. "This may only be the beginning."
Shen Lan was puzzled, but the other party did not explain.
By "beginning," he meant a period of instability.
"Who do you think will win?"
"The Imperial Guards suffered heavy casualties and were no match for the group of suicide soldiers outside."
Shen Lan could also see that Zhao Jinxiao's imperial guards no longer had much fighting power.
But... "The Marquis of Pingyang is almost here."
Before entering the palace, she sent a message to the Marquis of Pingyang's men, presumably he would soon lead troops to rescue the emperor.
Xiao Ji's lips curled slightly as he reached behind his back and grabbed Shen Lan's hand.
"The Marquis has his own plans, and it's hard to say when he will come."
Shen Lan understood the meaning behind his words, and after her initial surprise, she realized what he meant.
If even Xiao Ji could side with the Second Prince, it's no wonder that the Marquis of Pingyang betrayed the Emperor.
"Guards! Kill the tyrant! Whoever kills the tyrant will be ennobled!"
As soon as Tong Xiuqing finished speaking, the black-clad assassins shouted, "Kill!"
The dark mass of assassins advanced, their oppressive presence causing even the officials inside the hall to tremble in fear.
The military officers filled the vacancies in the Imperial Guards and quickly engaged the assassins.
Shen Lan was shielded behind Xiao Ji, and looking at his broad arms, she leaned against them wearily.
Xiao Ji paused for a moment, then leaned back to make her more comfortable.
He even secretly took a pastry from his sleeve and slipped it to Shen Lan.
Shen Lan had already eaten her fill before entering the palace, so she wasn't hungry at the moment, but she still accepted the snacks and ate them.
When Xiao Ji tried to hand her a second piece, she refused.
Xiao Ji has been busy since last night and doesn't know how long he's been hungry.
"Eat some yourself."
Xiao Ji secretly stuffed the pastry into his mouth, hiding it behind his sleeve.
Despite the nauseating smell of blood all around him, he still managed to taste the deliciousness of the dessert.
He thought to himself with a touch of optimism: being able to share joys and sorrows with someone you love seems like a good thing.
Li Ye discovered that there were a large number of assassins surrounding him.
It seems that Tong Xiuqing has not yet discovered that he is an imposter.
The emperor wouldn't take the risk; he had already been helped into the palace.
The Imperial Guards behind him dragged him toward the end of the corridor. He was clever; he knew to use him as bait to lure away many of the assassins.
Li Ye suddenly asked, "Brother Liu, are you injured?"
The person behind him stopped. "You...who are you?"
"It's me, Xiao Li. Do you remember the first time I entered the palace, I was under Brother Liu's command?"
"Li Ye? Is that you, kid?"
Shocked, Liu Pi saw the pursuers approaching and quickly led him away.
This time, instead of taking him hostage, they ran away together.
As they passed a palace, the palace door suddenly opened, and a hand reached out and grabbed Li Ye's arm.
"Come in!"
Li Ye quickly went inside, and Liu Pi followed. Once the door closed, they were led into an inner room and into a secret passage.