Chapter 502: Getting the greatest gains (1/2)
Chapter 502: Getting the greatest gains
Where were the residents of the Han Clan? Where was Han Yunxi?
The soldiers swept through the estate. It was only expected that massacre, plunder, and looting would happen in such chaos, but Long Tianmo still had the heart to protect those he cared for, so he’d sent his men to find Han Yunxi after learning she’d been staying at the Han Estate for days. Still, his efforts were for nothing because the entire place was empty. Mu Qingwu sent a trusted subordinate within the imperial guards to check for himself, and got the same results. There wasn’t a soul left in the estate.
Actually, Gu Qishao had come to the Han Estate before either of them and searched the entire grounds, but he hadn’t found Han Yunxi, either.
Where was she?
Naturally, the three groups next headed for the Duke of Qin’s estate, only to see that it’d been emptied out as well. The double coincidence could only mean that the Duke of Qin predicted everything long ago. Long Tianmo and Mu Qingwu were in the midst of storming the palace gates when they received the news. Mu Qingwu was silent, but Long Tianmo only sighed with emotion. “None of this…escaped Imperial Qin Uncle’s control.”
The Duke of Qin had left the city ahead of time, evacuating both estates so cleanly that not a sign was left behind. Without a doubt, he’d predicted the armed rebellion between the two factions ahead of time and made his own preparations. Long Tianmo finally understood why imperial father had moved so fast to drive him into a corner by suppressing the Mu Clan. Most likely, Imperial Qin Uncle had given the emperor a push as well. He knew that he’d been reduced to a chess piece in Imperial Qin Uncle’s own plans, but he didn’t mind. With Imperial Qin Uncle adding fuel to the flames, Great General Mu was finally pressured enough to act. While everyone else thought the military had suddenly rose in revolt, he felt that it was a long time coming and even a little late. His heart had long harbored hatred and resentment against his circumstances.
While they were attacking the palace gates here, the cannons were exploding over there. Without a doubt, they’d captured the capital! How could anyone block the advent of the artillerymen? They swept all enemies before their feet with no resistance.
The cannon booms sounded in the city, raising the morale of the crown prince’s troops. A gigantic wooden battering ram slammed against the thick palace gates, its impact resounding through the air. The doors looked like they were about to cave in.
Inside the palace, Emperor Tianhui was still sitting in the imperial study, but many of his servants and concubines had long packed away their valuables and fled. Of course, there were a few loyal subjects standing guard outside the room, the ones who’d pledged their deaths to him. Currently, a few important officials and Meng Zhan, the head commander of the imperial guards, were all trying to coax Emperor Tianhui to escape. The emperor’s complexion was ashen white and there was a trail of blood by his lips. He had been suffering through various illnesses over the past six months, so the shock now seemed to have aged him overnight. Though he was only in his forties, he looked like a man in his fifties or sixties. When he heard the sound of the fighting outside, the hands hidden inside his sleeves began to tremble. It wasn’t clear whether he was angry or truly afraid.
“Your Majesty, they’re about to break into the palace gates! Hurry and leave!”
“Your Majesty, it’ll be too late if we wait any longer!”
“The crown prince and General Mu’s clan have committed the worst offense of treason and heresy by namelessly deploying troops. This doesn’t mean they’ll win the hearts of the people! This humble official begs Your Majesty to move the capital city to West Jing and transfer the troops from the west and central regions to surround those traitors! What we lose tonight is nothing more than one single city!”
Hearing Meng Zhan’s words, Emperor Tianhui finally regained his senses. The man was right, all they would lose was a city tonight. But if they stayed any longer, he risked losing all of Tianning as well. The crown prince had gotten the advantage in the capital, but that was because the artillerymen were under his command. Still, Tianning had more than one set of artillery forces. The capital city, the northwest, and the central regions all stationed the first, second, and third regiment of artillerymen. And while the Mu Clan had presided over the infantry forces for years, not all of the soldiers were loyal to the clan. After a mutiny like this, the various troops stationed at different locations would naturally choose which leader to serve. It was unlikely for the Mu Clan to control them all. In the end, Emperor Tianhui could still hold his own. He issued orders for a retreat, only for the invaders to break through the gates and block the east and west gates. Now the only escape routes existed in the north and south. In the midst of the chaos, Chu Qingge came up with an idea for the emperor.
Emperor Tianhui agreed to it immediately. He would dress up as a eunuch while Meng Zhan would disguise a carriage and guard its passage as a decoy. Then the emperor would flee through the servants’ door by the north gate while his family and servants swarmed out of the south to attract the rebel forces.
As Emperor Tianhui prepared to leave, Chu Qingge stepped forward. “Your Majesty, chenqie grows bold to make a presumptuous request.”
Without disaster hanging above their heads, Emperor Tianhui was in no mood to be patient. “What is it?” he asked coldly.
“Chenqie wants to disguise myself as you and head for the south gates. It would not only attract the crown prince and the rest, but also…give me a chance to shoot him down!” Chu Qingge said seriously.
At her words, everyone suddenly remembered that their noble consort hailed from a military family and was superbly skilled in archery. It was unlikely that a eunuch disguised as the emperor would attract rebel attention for long, but if it was Chu Qingge doing the job, then she might even be able to turn things around. If the crown prince could die, then the soldiers would be a host of dragons without a head and naturally fall back.
Emperor Tianhui was thrilled. “Good! As long as you can kill that unfilial son for Zhen, you will be Tianning’s empress!”
Empress?
Chu Qingge was inwardly miserable. She would rather Emperor Tianhui died in this mess instead. But for now she had to protect him, if only because she had no baby of her own to take his place!
“As long as Your Majesty is safe, chenqie shall be satisfied in my heart,” Chu Qingge said in direct contrast to her feelings.
Emperor Tianhui was deeply moved by her words. He gripped her hand tightly and said, “Qing’er, Zhen will be waiting for you at the end of the Seven Mile Bridge outside the city.”
Chu Qingge nodded before she extricated herself from the emperor’s grip and turned to leave…
The flames of rebellion burned over the capital city for multiple days and nights.
Rumors had it, the crown prince was ambushed by a high-level expert before he ever caught up with Emperor Tianhui. Fortunately, a team of black-robed guards intercepted the attack in time to save his life.