Chapter 796: Imperial City Melee
Li Yanyan stared blankly at the spot where Xiao Changtian had disappeared. Her heart suddenly felt hollowed out, tears rolling down without warning as an inexplicable panic coiled around her heart.
She struggled to restrain herself, focusing on the numerous benefits that would come after success, before suppressing that faint unease within.
Xiao Changtian only needed to question the attendants Li Yanyan had brought to Hibiscus Garden today to learn when she had received the news, thus fully understanding what Li Yanyan truly sought.
Stepping out of the residence, he gazed at the deepening ink-black night. The myriad household lanterns had been lit, yet they couldn't illuminate the boundless darkness, much like the cold in his heart that found no warmth.
He went to the Imperial Guard headquarters, where he had once served. Without needing elaborate explanations, he simply stated that he had received intelligence suggesting a possible assassination attempt tonight. Given the uncertainty of the information, he dared not raise a full alert.
Regardless of its veracity, the Imperial Guard commander couldn't ignore such news—especially since he had vaguely noticed something unusual about the guards dispatched to Hibiscus Garden. His suspicions growing infinitely, he decided to lead a team with Xiao Changtian. Using a pretext, they secretly dispersed and converged toward Hibiscus Garden.
They had just assembled when they encountered the menacing "Xiao Changyan" and discovered the corpses of Golden Guard patrols!
Thus ensued the confrontation between the two forces, leading to Xiao Changtian's questioning.
Facing Xiao Changtian's accusation, "Xiao Changyan" remained unperturbed: "Third Brother, why do you falsely accuse me without evidence? The situation at Hibiscus Garden is critical. Instead of joining me to rescue His Majesty, you delay and obstruct my efforts. It is you, Third Brother, who harbors ulterior motives..."
"Xiao Changyan's" counteraccusation further fueled Xiao Changtian's smoldering anger: "Eighth Brother, turn back before it's too late!"
"I return those words to you, Third Brother."
Clearly, no agreement could be reached, and both sides suspected the other of sinister intentions.
The Feathered Guard Army, dispatched by the Emperor's order under Xiao Changyan's command, naturally believed they were upholding justice.
The Imperial Guard, however, had witnessed "Xiao Changyan" and the Feathered Guard Army mercilessly slaughtering Golden Guard patrols. Each side viewed the other as traitors, and the spark of conflict ignited instantly!
Separated by a wall, two battles raged.
Inside the distant hall, the Youning Emperor couldn't hear the fighting outside Hibiscus Garden. Even if someone closer to the outskirts managed to break through the battle lines, they couldn't reach the Emperor to report the events outside.
The Youning Emperor narrowed his eyes at the unexpected batch of assassins, surmising that someone had caught wind of the situation and sought to exploit the chaos to genuinely attempt regicide!
Though he couldn't see the time, based on the duration since the "assassination" began, the Youning Emperor could deduce that Xiao Changyan had already missed the agreed-upon time!
He had likely encountered obstacles, meaning the entire plan might have been uncovered long ago!
Who was it?
The Youning Emperor's sharp, gloomy gaze swept across the hall, passing over Xiao Changqing shielding Noble Consort Rong, lingering on Xiao Changying engaged in combat with the assassins, and finally settling beyond the fray on Shen Yueshan and his son, who were also fighting desperately against the assailants.That gaze lingered for quite some time, observing that Shen Yueshan and his son showed no distinction between the first batch of assassins he had arranged and the second batch of unknown origin—dealing with both with equal swiftness, ruthlessness, and precision.
He then turned to look at Shen Xihe among the women. In the past, Shen Xihe had always stood out like a crane among chickens, but the noble ladies of the capital were diverse in their charms and appearances. While Shen Xihe was indeed striking, it was merely a matter of her possessing a few extra shades of beauty.
In today’s chaotic scene, however, her composure in the face of danger stood out as truly extraordinary. Among all the women in the inner hall, aside from the skilled martial artist Lie Wangfei, only the Empress Dowager, who had weathered countless storms, and Shen Xihe remained unflustered. Her calm and dignified demeanor was worthy of one fit to be the mother of the nation.
It was a pity she was a daughter of the Shen family.
After scanning the scene, the Emperor’s mind raced with countless thoughts. Though he had his suspicions about certain individuals, he could not pinpoint exactly who was behind it all.
Shen Xihe paid no mind to what the Youning Emperor was thinking. She lowered her gaze and clenched her fingers, not daring to look at Xiao Huayong. She feared that if she glanced at him even once more, she would throw caution to the wind and rush toward him.
But she could not. Earlier, the situation had been like an arrow on the bowstring—there was no turning back. Now, there was absolutely no path of retreat. The slightest misstep at this moment could expose everything. She was not afraid of losing completely, but if it meant endangering the lives of her entire clan, Shen Xihe could not bear such a burden.
Inside and outside the Hibiscus Garden, fierce battles raged. The Five Cities Garrison and the Golden Guard poured into the Hibiscus Garden in large numbers, startling the city’s residents into barricading themselves indoors. The once lively capital night was now shrouded in a grim and murderous atmosphere.
“Xiao Changyan” had brought an exceedingly large number of Feathered Guard Army troops. Xiao Changtian, uncertain of the reliability of the intelligence, dared not mobilize a large force privately. Instead, he chose to gather a small, dispersed group around the Hibiscus Garden. If the assassination attempt turned out to be false, they could still cover it up.
The Feathered Guard Army and the Imperial Guards were both formidable forces. The former was recruited from the common people, with capable individuals enlisted, including past top martial scholars. The Imperial Guards, on the other hand, were responsible for protecting the imperial palace and had the privilege of operating within the palace grounds. They came from military families, specifically the elite younger generation of distinguished military clans.
Both groups were genuinely skilled and fiercely combat-ready. Xiao Changtian employed a desperate fighting style to hold them back, while “Xiao Changyan,” unwilling to take Xiao Changtian’s life, held back at every turn. For a time, it was truly difficult to break through the defense line and storm into the Hibiscus Garden.
At this moment, a large contingent of the Five Cities Garrison arrived. Seeing the two sides engaged in combat, their minds went blank. On one side was Jing Wang leading the Feathered Guard Army, and on the other was the Third Prince leading the Imperial Guards.
The Feathered Guard Army could not be mobilized without an imperial decree, and the Imperial Guards were tasked with protecting His Majesty’s safety. Neither side was one they could afford to offend. To make matters worse, both sides insisted that the other was the one plotting the assassination, leaving the Five Cities Garrison utterly confused.
The Five Cities Garrison could only attempt to restrain both sides, hoping to separate them from this chaotic battle where right and wrong were indistinguishable. In the end, both sides felt that the Five Cities Garrison was taking sides, and they ceased to hold back against them. Soon, several members of the peacemaking Five Cities Garrison were mistakenly killed.
This enraged the Five Cities Garrison. Stirred by bloodlust and fury, they no longer cared about the Feathered Guard Army or the Imperial Guards. Anyone who was not part of the Five Cities Garrison became a target for deadly force. Thus, the fierce battle between two sides instantly turned into a three-way melee.Before long, the Golden Guard responsible for the city-wide security lockdown arrived in full force. They quickly ascertained that one of their squads had been killed by Jing Wang and the Feathered Guard Army. Learning from the imperial guards that the Five Cities Garrison and the Feathered Guard Army were birds of a feather, they began relentlessly pursuing both forces.
The final night of June in the twenty-third year of Youning ultimately proved to be a turbulent one—marking the first time in a century that such large-scale infighting among imperial guard forces had erupted beneath the imperial city walls.
Surrounding the Hibiscus Garden lay the fallen bodies of guards, one after another. Blood saturated the ground all the way to the base of the palace walls, continuously seeping deeper.
(End of Chapter)
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