pappabearbooks Chapter 5534 Knocking on the Imperial Palace
Chapter 5534 Knocking on the Imperial Palace
Chapter 5534 Knocking on the Imperial Palace
The night was as black as ink, and the rain was drizzling.
Squads of soldiers marched toward the imperial city in a dark mass, their wet armor clattering as they rubbed together. Warhorses snorted and shook their heads to shake off the rain from their manes, their iron hooves clattering as they moved slowly along the bluestone pavement.
At Yanxi Gate, the garrison commander Duan Zan leaned over the crenellations, gazing at the endless, dark mass of soldiers below. He wiped the cold sweat and rainwater from his brow, his face pale, and turned back into the city tower. He grabbed a teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and spat a mouthful of saliva onto the ground.
"Damn it! With so many city gates in the capital, why do we have to enter through Yanxi Gate?"
I felt both angry and irritable.
Fang Jun and I are old friends, so why put yourself in such a difficult position?
whoosh-
An arrow shot down from below the city wall and struck the window frame of the tower, startling Duan Zan.
A guard went out to investigate and returned with an arrow in one hand and a letter wrapped in oilcloth in the other.
"Duke, arrows are being shot up from below the city!"
Duan Zan inherited his father Duan Zhixuan's title of "Duke of Bao" and was granted the rank of General of the Left Guard. After the Jin Prince's coup, he led troops to guard Yanxi Gate...
He took the letter and skimmed through it. The gist was: "Out of consideration for our past friendship, I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to open the city gates; otherwise, I will attack immediately. Sincerely, Fang Jun..."
"This idiot is going too far!"
Duan Zan cursed irritably, his face full of worry and indecisiveness.
After the letter was delivered to him, he had no choice but to stay inside and keep the door open.
Choosing to stand firm means completely siding with His Majesty, which is not a problem in itself. But if nothing unexpected had happened in the palace, would Fang Jun have dared to lead his troops into the capital? That would be a heinous crime of treason! Loyalty to His Majesty is not a problem; the Duan family is loyal and righteous, and they will die if they have to.
But what if something happens to His Majesty? Who will he be loyal to?
Not only will they fail to be loyal, but they might also be branded as traitors!
But if we open the door, it would be tantamount to submitting to Fang Jun and the Crown Prince. If things go wrong, it would be a sure thing to be treason, and our whole family would suffer. We might even have to exterminate our entire clan...
He doesn't want to choose either path!
A captain, soaked to the bone, rushed in and said urgently, "General, the Left Jinwu Guard has taken over Chunming Gate!"
Duan Zan was stunned for a moment, then burst into a tirade: "That piece of trash, Yuchi Gang!"
He then sighed and waved his hand: "Open the gate and let Fang Jun into the capital!"
The fact that even Chunmingmen was taken over indicates that Fang Jun had gone all in and was determined to succeed, suggesting that something extraordinary must have happened.
Furthermore, even if he fought desperately, Yanxi Gate alone could not withstand the powerful attack of the Left Jinwu Guard...
He personally donned his helmet and armor and descended from the city tower. Standing inside the gate, he directed the soldiers to open the city gate and let the Left Jinwu Guard into the imperial city. Upon seeing Fang Jun, he quickly stepped up and down, knelt on one knee in the accumulated water, and loudly proclaimed, "This humble general greets the Grand Commandant!"
Since you've made a choice, just go all the way. Hesitation and feigned modesty will only make you disliked...
Fang Jun nodded from horseback and said, "Let's go, let's go to Chengtian Gate together."
"Here!"
Duan Zan understood that this was because they feared he would retake Yanxi Gate and cut off the Left Jinwu Guard's retreat route...
So without saying a word, he led a horse over, mounted it, and followed closely beside Fang Jun.
On the other side, the Right Jinwu Guard split into two groups. One group, led by Sun Renshi, bypassed the Imperial City and blocked the Zhuque Gate and the surrounding gates. The other group entered the Imperial City through the Anfu Gate and joined the Left Jinwu Guard at the Chengtian Gate.
The Chengtianmen gate tower stands majestically, appearing even taller and more imposing in the darkness. The gate is tightly closed, but lights and shadowy figures are everywhere on the city wall.
Fang Jun dismounted and stood with his hands behind his back, directing his soldiers to knock on the imperial palace gate.
"Now that treacherous villains are causing chaos and shaking the state, we humbly request an audience with Your Majesty!"
More than a thousand people shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout the imperial city.
Helan Sengjia, the garrison commander of Chengtian Gate, lay on the city wall, watching the dark mass of soldiers below and the ever-growing army. Cold sweat mingled with the rain, dripping down his face. He was pale and trembling with fear.
"Now that treacherous villains are causing chaos and shaking the state, we humbly request an audience with Your Majesty!"
The soldiers below the city shouted in unison once more.
The soldiers and officers on the city wall were in complete chaos.
One of the lieutenants asked in a panic, "What exactly happened? How dare the Grand Commandant lead troops into the imperial city to petition the emperor?"
"Could it be that something major has happened in the palace, and we are completely unaware of it?"
What should we do now?
"General, immediately send someone to the imperial bedchamber to request His Majesty's decision!"
Helan Sengjia was so annoyed by the noise that his head was throbbing and he was completely disoriented. He shouted, "Shut up, all of you!"
Please make the decision, Your Majesty?
What kind of decision is that?!
His Majesty has passed away...
But now Fang Jun is leading his troops to besiege the palace, and he seems ready to storm the palace at the slightest provocation; however, no news has come from the palace yet, which means that Li Jingye has not yet stabilized the situation.
Now we're in a bind!
I knew that those members of the imperial family and nobles who jointly recommended him for the position of guard of Chengtian Gate after the Prince of Jin's coup were up to no good!
He said that getting something for nothing is not a good thing, but he couldn't stand Princess Fang Ling's nagging about how a man should prioritize his career...
Now things are really messed up. If Fang Jun launches a strong attack on Chengtian Gate, he will die whether he fights or runs away. The Helan family will fall from grace and their reputation will be ruined. Princess Fangling will be free to live a carefree and romantic life without any restraint.
Just as Helan Sengjia was feeling anxious and torn between two options, the army gathered below the city gate suddenly erupted in commotion. Then, dozens of people parted the crowd and went down to the city walls, where they all berated and rebuked Fang Jun.
"What are you planning, Fang Jun, to lead your troops into the capital under cover of darkness?"
"This is utterly lawless! Did Fang Xuanling teach you such rebellious behavior?"
"Withdraw your troops immediately and we may discuss your crime; otherwise, even His Majesty's magnanimity will not spare you!"
Officials from the three provinces, six ministries, and nine temples gathered there, with Pei Huaijie, who was leading the group, jumping around and looking indignant.
Ma Zhou, Ren Yaxiang, Liu Rengui, and others in the crowd remained expressionless, but were deeply shocked.
Everyone knew that things had been unusual in the palace lately, and that something earth-shattering might happen at any moment. But who would have thought that Fang Jun would suddenly lead his troops straight into the imperial city and threaten the Taiji Palace?
This has crossed the line of imperial power; it's either you die or I die, with no room for compromise.
Why did it come to this?!
King Li Yuanjia of Han quickly approached Fang Jun, and his personal guards did not stop him when they saw it was him.
"Erlang, what exactly happened?"
Li Yuanjia looked anxious and didn't care about avoiding suspicion anymore.
Fang Jun led his troops into the imperial city and threatened the Taiji Palace, which was tantamount to breaking with the imperial power. The outcome was either to storm the palace and establish a new emperor, or to surrender and have his entire clan exterminated. There were no other possible results.
As Fang Jun's brother-in-law and the Fang family's son-in-law, it was impossible for him to avoid being implicated; even avoiding suspicion was useless...
Fang Jun shook his head and said, "I don't know either."
"what?!"
Li Yuanjia's eyes widened in shock: "You dared to lead troops into the imperial city without knowing anything? Are you insane?!"
The ministers who had been eavesdropping nearby were also filled with fear and trembling with anxiety.
Pei Huaijie jumped up and cursed, "Fang Er, you really are a fool! Letting troops into the palace, you deserve to die a hundred times!"
"Guards, seize this traitor! Bound him and bring him before the emperor for punishment!"
"Why aren't you making a move? Do you intend to associate with this scoundrel?"
Ma Zhou stared at Pei Huaijie with an unpleasant expression for a while, then suddenly asked, "Why did you go to the residence of Zheng Rentai, the Left General of the Imperial Guard, in the first half of the night?"
Pei Huaijie was startled. He had been secretive when he went to Zheng Rentai’s residence, and it was nighttime, so how could anyone else know?
The civil and military officials nearby also looked over, their expressions varying.
The prime minister's late-night private meeting with the general in charge of the army was already an act of overstepping his bounds. Then, the left and right guards moved in unison, and the left and right imperial guards even went straight into the capital... Who would believe there was no hidden story behind this?
Pei Huaijie's expression changed, and he retorted evasively, "How could this be? Grand Secretary, don't make baseless accusations!"
He absolutely cannot admit to this, otherwise he will become an "involved person" who cannot extricate himself from this palace upheaval, and if the situation develops to a point where the losses are too great to be recovered, he may very well be thrown out to bear all the blame in order to quell the situation...
Ma Zhou snorted angrily: "This was reported by Zheng Rentai's men who came to my house. If you don't admit it, then wait to confront Zheng Rentai face to face! Guards, take Pei Huaijie into custody for later processing. Gag him so he can't spout nonsense!"
"Ma Zhou, have you gone mad? I am the Grand Councilor, the current Prime Minister! Waaah..."
Soldiers rushed forward, pinned Pei Huaijie to the ground, tied his hands and feet, and gagged him.
The civil and military officials around him had different expressions. Who would have thought that the dignified Attendant-in-Ordinary would be captured in public like this?
No matter how things ultimately turn out, Pei Huaijie will certainly lose his position as Attendant-in-Ordinary. How can a prime minister who has lost all his authority command respect?
Ignoring the expressions of the others, Ma Zhou took a deep breath, walked to the palace gate, and loudly proclaimed, "I, Ma Zhou, the Grand Secretary, humbly request an audience with the Emperor!"
Helan Sengjia was completely at a loss. He turned to several eunuchs and said, "Quickly go to the palace and ask how to deal with this."
……
The civil officials, military officers, and soldiers standing in the rain at Chengtian Gate were all heavy-hearted and anxious, seeing no response and deathly silence at the gate. Anyone at this moment would know that something terrible must have happened in the palace, otherwise why would they remain silent in the face of such a rebellious situation?
Fang Jun stared intently at the Chengtian Gate tower, knowing that it was impossible to forcefully break through the palace gates and enter the palace under any circumstances. Although weakening imperial power was a beneficial move for the country and its people, it was indeed necessary to maintain a certain level of imperial authority, otherwise the world would inevitably descend into chaos.
Once the troops are captured and the Taiji Palace is taken down, the imperial power will be completely trampled underfoot, and the situation will collapse completely.
He could only wait, waiting for feedback to be sent from the Taiji Palace.
Even if the crown prince or empress encounter misfortune...
Suddenly remembering something, he frowned, scanned the crowd, and asked, "Is the Duke of England here?"
The people looked at each other and around, their faces blank.
With such a major event occurring, why is Li Ji not here?
Ma Zhou's face was ashen: "Someone, go to the Duke of Ying's residence immediately and invite the Duke to come here to take charge of the situation!"
If Li Ji were involved in this palace upheaval, the Left Guard outside the city and the Right Guard inside the city would likely be drawn in, potentially leading to a city-wide melee...