Тhе Seventh Рrinсе sаid sоrrowfully, "Thеn I сan onlу bear thе stigmа оf bеing unfiliаl." With а wave оf his hand, over a hundred armоrеd guards with swоrds immediаtеlу rushеd into thе grеаt hаll. Тhe Imрerial Forеst Аrmy hаd been seizеd by the trоops thаt hаd еmеrgеd аt sоme unknown timе. Тhe Еmреror hаd not аntiсipatеd suсh a suddеn turn of events, уet no onе in thе hаll darеd to move. Тhе Еmprеss Dоwаgеr rеmаined саlm, and thе cоurt officiаls werе silеnt, nоt daring tо uttеr а wоrd.
The air wаs thick with the scent of imрending slaughter. Тhe Emрerоr stаred сoldly at the Seventh Prince before him, his body rigid beneath the bright yellow dragon robe. Fu Yunxi had been dead for only two days, and already these people were stirring restlessly—or perhaps they had long been plotting, and now finally dared to act. The Seventh Prince curled his lips: "Father, tell me, where is the Military Seal?"
In his casual words, murderous intent was fully revealed.
As if the air had frozen, everyone held their breath. The Emperor retreated step by step, while the prince pressed forward relentlessly—not a trace of father-son affection remained. This was the imperial family, this was father and son. There was no warmth, no compromise, only power and the edge of a blade.
"If I refuse..." the Emperor said gravely, but before he could finish, the Seventh Prince interrupted him: "Father, then I will have to take it myself."
With another wave of his hand, the guards outside all surged in.
Meanwhile, outside the city gates, the defending soldiers still could not hold back wave after wave of Western Rong soldiers charging forward. They were fierce and brutal, fighting with reckless abandon. For the first time, the soldiers of the Great Dynasty, who had always held the upper hand on the battlefield, felt the strength of their enemies. Yet the crisis was far from over. More and more Western Rong soldiers flooded in, and the city gates were visibly on the verge of collapse, while the Western Rong grew more ferocious with each battle. It was as if they already knew the formations of the Great Dynasty's soldiers, breaking through them with astonishing speed. The Great Dynasty's reinforcements had yet to arrive, and as more soldiers fell, the city was defended by an old general past the age of sixty. When the Western Rong launched their sudden attack, he had volunteered for the task. Though he was once a formidable general in defending the city and had earned many merits on the battlefield, his advanced age made such a strenuous ordeal nearly unbearable.
Steadying himself, he suddenly planted his spear on the ground and roared loudly, "As long as the city stands, I stand!" With that, he charged into the enemy ranks with his spear. The soldiers following him, their eyes reddening, immediately shouted the same words and rushed toward the enemy. This army had been on the battlefield before and had confronted the Western Rong, but they had never encountered such a dire situation. If only the Xuan Qing Prince and the City General were here—they were like demons on the battlefield. Even if they did nothing but stand there, they would instantly inspire boundless morale in the soldiers. The enemy would tremble at the mere sight of them. But now, the Xuan Qing Prince had died of illness, and General Cheng was nowhere to be found. The few young generals left in the court lacked experience, while the rest were cowards who feared death. Faced with the confident Western Rong soldiers, there was little hope of victory. Heaven was about to destroy the Great Dynasty!
The brief counterattack brought little hope to the Great Dynasty's soldiers. In an instant, the air was filled with the glint of blades and shadows of swords, the wails of soldiers, and splatters of blood everywhere—screams and cries. Despair and fleeting hope mingled as blood stained the sunset. Under the relentless assaults of the Western Rong, a crack finally appeared in the Great Dynasty's city gates.
The city! Had fallen!Even as thousands of troops descended, the Western Rong soldiers’ eyes instantly lit up with delight, swarming toward the city gates. Once inside the capital, they could do as they pleased—these butchers would slaughter the city’s inhabitants, seize their treasures, abduct wives and daughters, and occupy this land! They would mercilessly treat the people of the Great Dynasty as their slaves!
Yet at that very moment, a clear military horn suddenly sounded from the distance, accompanied by the steady beat of war drums. The Western Rong soldiers all turned to look, only to see countless galloping hooves thundering through the wind. At the forefront, astride a tall steed, was a figure clad in silver armor, wielding a long sword—none other than Cheng Lei, who had been missing for many days.
Without even considering anything else, the mere sight of Cheng Lei caused some of the vanguard Western Rong soldiers to falter. Without hesitation, Cheng Lei pointed his long sword forward and roared, "Men! Slaughter these bandits! Charge!"
The hooves kicked up billowing clouds of dust that swept toward them. This army was simply too fierce—disciplined, unified, and high in morale—leaving the recently victorious Western Rong soldiers momentarily stunned. The army was quickly thrown into disarray by the cavalry charge. Once disrupted, launching an offensive became far easier. In the short span of an incense stick’s burning time, the once-arrogant Western Rong soldiers were reduced to a scattered mess, abandoning their armor and weapons as they retreated.
Cheers erupted from the city walls, and the soldiers were overjoyed beyond measure. Standing atop the city gate, Cheng Lei laughed heartily, his spirit soaring. For a general, nothing brought greater joy than winning a battle. This fight had been utterly satisfying, and Cheng Lei himself was elated. After holding back for so long, he had finally been able to unleash his might. He wondered how things were going on Yunxi’s end?
Meanwhile, in the Hall of Golden Chimes.
Countless sword-bearing guards pointed their blades at The Emperor, the gleaming edges dazzlingly bright. The Emperor’s face was ashen with rage. The Empress Dowager gently patted his back, as if soothing his anger: "Your Majesty, do not fret. In my view, it would be best to hand the Military Seal to the Seventh Prince. This realm remains the Great Dynasty’s realm—it must not fall into the hands of the Western Rong. If you delay in giving the Military Seal to the Seventh Prince, and the Western Rong breach the city, all will be lost."
It was nothing more than a power grab, yet she spoke so righteously. The Emperor sneered, "The Great Dynasty’s realm? I fear that once the Military Seal is given to the Seventh Prince, this realm will truly be handed over to the Western Rong."
At these words, the Empress Dowager’s expression shifted slightly, though the change was almost imperceptible. She quickly regained her composure and smiled faintly. "Your Majesty jests. Yet by clinging to the Military Seal like this, you hardly resemble a wise ruler. The Seventh Prince is, after all, your own flesh and blood—what is there to fear?" Matters had progressed to this point, and the Empress Dowager was fully confident. Whether The Emperor agreed or not no longer mattered—the Western Rong had already entered the capital, the Imperial Forest Army was under control, and her own forces were stationed outside the Hall of Golden Chimes. The forced abdication was imminent. For this day, she had waited over a decade. Now that Fu Yunxi was dead, she had nothing left to worry about. Everything was proceeding smoothly. Once the Seventh Prince ascended the throne, if he proved obedient, she would allow him to remain as a puppet emperor. If not, he would not even be granted that role. After all, the Seventh Prince was not her own grandson. Even if he were, anyone who opposed her would be eliminated without mercy.The Emperor merely stared at the flying dragon embroidered on the hem of the Seventh Prince's robe. This man was his own flesh and blood. Though the imperial family was known for its ruthlessness, when the tragedy of father and son turning against each other unfolded before his own eyes, it remained difficult to accept. Whether viewed as a subject's disloyalty to his sovereign or a son's betrayal of his father, the Seventh Prince's actions had already deeply wounded the Emperor's heart. How could he possibly hand over military power? Once relinquished, he would truly have no path left to tread. The Seventh Prince was known for his cruelty and ruthlessness—he would show no mercy even toward the Crown Prince. And the Empress Dowager kept insisting that he was not a wise ruler, even suspecting his own flesh and blood. Wasn't this merely a pretext to find a perfect excuse? Throughout history, those who succeeded in forcing an emperor's abdication and seizing the throne would first seek to erase all traces of their own misdeeds, ensuring no major faults were recorded in the annals.
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