AWB Chapter 436 You want to kill your father?
Chapter 436 You want to kill your father?
Yu Wan has been staying at the Yun family's house for the past few days, and Yun Shang has only returned a handful of times.
This morning, Yun Shang left in a hurry, only instructing Yu Wan to keep the house closed tonight and not to go out.
Yu Wan suspected that something big was going to happen tonight.
The only thing that could make Yun Shang so prepared is probably a major event like a palace coup.
In the original story, King Qi also rebelled, but this time it happened much earlier.
The King of Qi's rebellion occurred earlier than originally planned; it remains to be seen how the final outcome will differ from the original story...
Night fell like a thick, black cloth, pressing down heavily and enveloping the entire city of Shengjing.
Those with a keen sense of danger could detect the ominous atmosphere that seemed to be brewing a storm.
The palace is unusually quiet tonight.
Emperor Wenjing was deeply worried about Li Chongyi's escape and had been taking calming decoctions for the past few days.
Tonight, after taking the calming soup, he went to bed early.
The candles in the bedchamber were extinguished, and the eunuchs and palace maids held their breath, moving with utmost care, afraid of making the slightest noise.
The imperial guards patrolling near the Hall of Longevity were also extremely cautious, not daring to make the slightest noise, for fear of disturbing the emperor.
At exactly 9:00 PM, the palace gates, which had already been locked, were opened silently.
A force of tens of thousands of people, like ghosts, silently infiltrated the palace and then dispersed.
They seemed to know the patrol routes of the Imperial Guards like the back of their hand, and every move they made completely avoided the patrolling guards.
The leading general raised his hand and gestured for the soldiers to disperse. The remaining soldiers then quickly moved stealthily in different directions, their target being the emperor's bedroom and various key palace gates.
On the palace road not far away, a junior officer of the Imperial Guards suddenly looked up at the night sky.
He turned to his subordinates behind him and said, "There's no moon tonight, it looks rather eerie."
"I don't know why, but my eyelids have been twitching all night. Could something bad be going to happen?"
The subordinate looked up at the dark night and smiled, "Sir, you are overthinking it. Tomorrow must be a cloudy day, which is why we can't see the moon and stars tonight."
"With such tight security at the palace, what could possibly happen?"
Before the subordinate could finish speaking, he caught something out of the corner of his eye, froze, and stammered, "M-Sir! I think I just saw a dark shadow flash by in front of me..."
The Imperial Guard leader abruptly turned to look in the direction his subordinate was pointing, but before he could see anything clearly, several sharp whistling sounds suddenly came from the darkness.
The imperial guards' faces turned deathly pale instantly. They instinctively tried to dodge, but it was too late.
Dozens of sharp arrows shot out from the shadows like deadly meteors, instantly piercing their chests.
Several dark figures darted out from the shadows, skillfully donned the uniforms of the Imperial Guards, and continued their patrol as if nothing had happened, as if the bloody scene from just moments ago had never occurred.
An hour passes in the blink of an eye.
The guards of the Emperor's bedroom, the Hall of Longevity, were completely unaware of the approaching danger and continued to stand ramrod straight, faithfully performing their duties.
When midnight arrived, the Imperial Guards at the entrance of the Hall of Longevity waited in vain for the next shift to arrive. A sense of unease arose in their hearts, and they finally realized that something was amiss.
Just as the Imperial Guard leader was about to send someone to check the situation, a faint sound of footsteps came from not far away.
The Imperial Guards' expressions changed drastically. They instinctively gripped the hilts of their swords and watched the area ahead warily.
Upon recognizing the person, the head of the Imperial Guards was taken aback and exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness Prince Qi, what brings you to the palace?"
The person who came was none other than the King of Qi, and he wasn't the only one.
He was accompanied by Li Zhuoyue, and followed by seven or eight court officials and dozens of guards.
The Imperial Guard leader's gaze swept over the men behind him, his hand on the hilt of his sword clenching instantly. He frowned and said sternly, "Your Highness, the palace is already locked. You should not be here."
The Prince of Qi smiled slightly, "When I heard that my father was unwell, I was very worried and rushed here to visit him. These are all court officials that my father usually relies on. They also care about Your Majesty, so they came together to pay their respects."
The Imperial Guard leader thought he was blatantly lying.
Why come to visit the Emperor at midnight when there's no better time of day?
Moreover, despite King Qi bringing so many people into the palace, no news was sent to the emperor.
The Imperial Guard leader felt a chill run down his spine, a premonition of impending doom washing over him.
He suppressed his fear and tried to keep his voice steady: "Your Highness's filial piety is known to us, but according to the rules of the palace, after the gates are locked at night, no one is allowed to enter the palace unless there is an urgent matter and prior notice is given. Your Highness's actions are probably against the rules."
The smile on King Qi's face remained unchanged, but a ruthless glint suddenly flashed in his eyes: "It seems you are all utterly loyal to Father..."
Before the commander of the Imperial Guards could react to the murderous gaze of the King of Qi, the guards behind the King of Qi suddenly drew their swords and attacked without hesitation.
In an instant, a cold light flashed, and a shrill scream pierced the silent night sky.
The Imperial Guards were caught off guard and immediately found themselves in a passive predicament due to the suddenness of the attack.
Emperor Wenjing was awakened by the sounds of fighting outside his palace. When he opened his eyes, he was met with Liu Haifu's deathly pale face.
Liu Haifu trembled all over, his voice trembling with sobs: "Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Qi has led his troops into the palace..."
Emperor Wenjing was not fully awake when he suddenly heard these words and thought he had misheard.
"what?"
Liu Haifu could only suppress his fear and repeat, his face pale, "Your Majesty, Prince Qi has rebelled!"
"Please get up quickly, this servant will escort you away!"
Upon hearing Liu Haifu's words, Emperor Wenjing instantly came to his senses.
His eyes were deep and dark as he looked out of the palace, where he could hear the sounds of weapons clashing and screams rising and falling.
Emperor Wenjing took a deep breath, suppressing his shock and anger, and said in a deep voice, "Liu Haifu, help me change my clothes."
……
Throughout the palace, shouts of battle and the clash of weapons mingled together, and flames soared into the sky, turning the night sky crimson.
King Qi, leading his rebel army, pressed closer and closer to the main hall of the Hall of Longevity, illuminated by the firelight.
He gazed in the direction of the main hall of the Hall of Longevity and said coldly, "Send men to block the back door and prevent anyone from escaping."
Li Zhuoyue nodded slightly, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes: "Your Highness, rest assured, everything has been arranged in advance."
The other imperial guards in the palace heard the commotion and rushed back to reinforce the Hall of Longevity.
However, the King of Qi's men had already stormed in, and the situation instantly reversed, with the Imperial Guards switching from defense to offense.
King Qi let the two sides fight, and under the escort of his personal guards, he arrived outside the main hall of the Hall of Longevity.
To his surprise, the main hall doors were wide open.
Emperor Wenjing was not on his dragon bed, but sitting upright in a chair facing the main entrance.
He was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and wore a jade crown, with a cold and dignified expression.
When he saw the King of Qi appear at the door, his gaze was like a sharp blade, shooting straight at the other party, as if trying to see through the King of Qi's thoughts.
"King Qi, why are you in the palace at this hour?"
Emperor Wenjing's voice was deep, and his eyes were cold.
When the Prince of Qi looked up and met Emperor Wenjing's gaze, a sense of fear instinctively arose in his heart.
That was an innate fear of his father, which he could not completely eliminate even now, when he held considerable military power.
King Qi was furious, but he suppressed his fear and stepped into the hall with a concerned smile on his face: "Your Majesty, I have received news that some villains are plotting to harm you. I am worried about you, so I have come here to protect you."
Emperor Wenjing looked at him, then suddenly sneered, "Protecting the Emperor? Leading troops in the dead of night and confronting the Imperial Guards with swords drawn, is this protecting the Emperor or...?"
"You're going to kill your father?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent, as if the air itself had frozen.