Chapter 364: 364 counterattack
Chapter 364 364 Counterattack
The sound of drizzle made it especially quiet near the Qianqing Gate, and even the air sucked into the nasal cavity was dull and depressing.
The few Imperial Guards guarding the gate of Qianqing Palace stood there as motionless as rocks, in sharp contrast to the princes and courtiers who were around them like ants on a hot pot. They were still and moved.
After a while, Prince Li broke the silence and said in a deep voice with a firm expression: "You continue to ask to see the emperor here, and I will leave the palace to see Ah Jue right now."
“…”
“…”
“…”
The others looked at each other with different expressions. King Shun cleared his throat and spoke first: "But Prince Chen's Mansion has been surrounded by the Forbidden Army..."
"It doesn't matter." Prince Li waved his hand and said unconcernedly, "Unless the imperial army wants to rebel, they don't dare to take action against me."
After Prince Li dropped these words, he left in a hurry.
In the misty drizzle, Prince Li walked faster and faster, with Changsui following closely beside him and holding an umbrella for him.
In the past two days, from day to night, Prince Li was worried about this matter. He had thought about various possibilities and weighed the stakes.
In the past year, the emperor and the brothers Gu Jue had several conflicts, but they never got out of hand. But this time it was obviously different. The emperor had murderous intentions.
The emperor must be "relying on" something, and he is determined to win.
Prince Li frowned deeply with the word "Chuan" in his eyebrows.
If the emperor only attacked Gu Jue today, then Prince Li would not know how to deal with it, and he would not wave to see Gu Jue here.
But now the situation is obvious. The emperor not only wants to deal with Gu Jue, but also the prince!
In this situation, Prince Li had already made up his mind as to which side he should stand on, with a heavy heart.
In his thoughts, Prince Li hurriedly arrived outside the Meridian Gate and got into the palace's carriage. The carriage drove him to Zhuque Street, with the driver's whip sound coming one after another.
According to the law, horses are not allowed to gallop on the streets of the capital unless there are exceptions, but now is an emergency, and Prince Li doesn't care so much anymore, asking the coachman to rush to Prince Chen's Mansion as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, there were not many people on the street on a rainy day, so the carriage passed through without any obstruction and flew through several streets. By the time Prince Li recovered from his chaotic thoughts, Prince Chen's Mansion had already arrived.
Outside Prince Chen's Mansion, he was still heavily surrounded by a group of Forbidden Army soldiers wearing bronze helmets and iron armor. Apart from these Forbidden Army soldiers, there was no one on the wide Suzaku Avenue, which made Prince Li's carriage particularly eye-catching.
As soon as the carriage arrived, it was driven away by two tall and mighty Forbidden Army soldiers: "Go, go, the rest of the gang will leave immediately!"
"What if I must go in!" Prince Li said, opening the curtains of the carriage with a cold and arrogant tone.
When the other party heard that the person in the carriage called himself "my king", his heart skipped a beat.
At this time, Captain Cheng heard the sound and came over. He recognized Prince Li in the carriage and politely clasped his fists and said: "Prince Li, I am also following orders. Please don't embarrass us."
While speaking, Captain Cheng drew Prince Li's gaze to the southeast.
Prince Li followed his gaze and noticed Kang Hongda not far away. He narrowed his eyes that were droopy due to old age and pursed a straight line of displeasure at the corner of his mouth.
Prince Li had never had a good impression of Kang Hongda, and now it was even worse. Kang Hongda was the governor of the capital, and the Forbidden Army was following his instructions this time.
Prince Li had to wonder if Kang Hongda had instigated something in front of the emperor.
Otherwise, the emperor has been ill for more than two months. During this period, the emperor was unable to deal with state affairs and had not seen many courtiers. How could the emperor suddenly order the imperial army to surround Prince Chen's palace? !
There is a high possibility that Kang Hongda is the culprit.
Prince Li stopped talking to Xiaowei Cheng. He couldn't make the decision anyway. He lowered the curtains and simply got out of the carriage.
Since the emperor's illness, Prince Li also visited the emperor and found that the emperor was not only weak, but also his temperament had changed. In the past, the emperor could not listen to good advice that did not suit his wishes, and now he has become more extreme than before.
Although Prince Li only exchanged a few household words with the emperor, he could already hear the deep fear in the emperor's words, which was a kind of fear of old age and death.
Prince Li held Chang Sui's hand and got down to the ground. He wore a five-clawed nine-python robe to show his noble status.
Before, Prince Li was hiding in the carriage, and Kang Hongda could pretend that he didn't see Prince Li, but now, he couldn't avoid it.
Kang Hongda walked towards Prince Li leisurely, with a smile on his lips, looking cool and relaxed.
Prince Li looked straight at Kang Hongda. With the emperor's current state, it couldn't be easier for Kang Hongda to coax the emperor to take action against Gu Jue and the prince. After all, Gu Jue and the prince have royal blood, and their youth and strength are the emperor's. The most desired thing that is unavailable.
"Your Majesty." Kang Hongda smiled and bowed his hands to Prince Li.
"Master Kang, why are you here?" Prince Li asked straight to the point, with a serious smile on his usually friendly face.
Faced with Prince Li's questioning, Kang Hongda still smiled and calmly explained: "King Chen secretly sent troops to Beijing and ordered the Xuanjia Army and the Forbidden Army to take action. There are both witnesses and physical evidence. King Chen clearly wants to rebel!"
"However, King Chen has a reputation as a virtuous man. Kang also wanted to give King Chen a chance to argue his case. He came here early in the morning and wanted to see King Chen, but King Chen's mansion refused to open the door!"
"King Chen is so impressive!"
Kang Hongda sighed and shook his head. There was no trace of anger on his face, and he was as graceful as usual.
Prince Li was too lazy to argue with Kang Hongda. He just pointed at the gate of the palace and said, "I want to go in!"
Kang Hongda smiled, stretched out his hand to make a petition to Prince Li, his smile was as gentle as the spring breeze, and said reasonably: "Since the prince wants to go in, Kang will not stop the prince. It just depends on whether King Chen will let him in."
Prince Li didn't bother to say anything more to him, so he walked away and walked to the corner door.
His chief attendant raised his hand and knocked on the corner door to reveal his identity.
Soon, the corner door was opened from the inside. Behind the door was a middle-aged man with a lean figure and reserved eyes. He respectfully invited Prince Li to enter.
After finishing speaking, the middle-aged man's sharp gaze passed through Prince Li and fell on Kang Hongda, who was two feet behind. His voice rose three points higher: "If Mr. Kang wants to come in, please do so."
The middle-aged man has an ordinary appearance and dark skin. If he were placed in a crowd, no one would notice him at all. However, for such a seemingly ordinary person, he has a temperament that is neither humble nor arrogant. When he looks at Kang Hongda, his eyes show no regard for the superior. Respectful and without the slightest hint of timidity.
The folding fan in Kang Hongda's hand paused for a moment, and he saw a hint of provocation in the other party's eyes.
He turned his eyes, took steps calmly, and said, "Then Kang will follow the prince."
He followed Prince Li through the corner gate. Two personal guards followed Kang Hongda closely, but one of them was stopped.
"Lord Kang!" The square-faced guard behind him who was blocked outside the palace couldn't help shouting.
Seeing this, Kang Hongda didn't care and said with an open-minded smile: "Even if the two countries are at war and they don't kill the envoys, I can trust the character of His Highness King Chen."
Kang Hongda's words were not only meant for the middle-aged man who blocked the door, but also for everyone present.
Gu Jue has always been extremely conceited and has a good reputation. He will not kill himself.
So, the square-faced guard withdrew, and Kang Hongda and Prince Li continued to walk into the palace.
The person who came to greet them at Waiyi Gate was Shi Cheng Linhua, the royal palace chief.
"Your Majesty please, Lord Kang please."
Cheng Linhua politely and thoughtfully led them to the main hall of Shaohua Hall in the outer courtyard.
Gu Jue was still wearing a moon-white loose robe. He was pruning a holly bonsai that was as tall as a person under the eaves. The sharp scissors easily cut off the excess branches and leaves, click, click... holly was scattered around the edges of his shoes. Tree branches and leaves.
Shen Qianchen smiled and helped him.
In fact, she didn't have much to do. She only occasionally handed Gu Jue a cloth handkerchief to wipe the blades of the scissors.
Looking at the relaxed couple under the eaves, Prince Li couldn't help but be stunned. He didn't expect his niece-in-law to be here.
Shen Qianchen also saw Prince Li, took two steps forward gracefully, and greeted him with a blessing: "Uncle."
She said hello to Prince Li obediently and regarded Kang Hongda as nothing but air. She neither looked at him nor spoke to him.
Kang Hongda didn't care at all about Shen Qianchen's ignorance, but his scrutinizing eyes still turned to her.
Since she appears here, she has proven her status in Prince Chen's palace and in Prince Chen's heart!
Thinking about this, Kang Hongda rubbed his fingertips on the handle of the fan twice. He quickly walked to Gu Jue and greeted him: "His Royal Highness Chen is so elegant!"
His demeanor and tone were friendly and familiar. If someone didn't know better, they would probably think that they were close friends.
Gu Jue used scissors to cut off another section of branches and leaves. Then he looked at Kang Hongda and said lightly: "Not as good as Mr. Kang."
The two people's eyes met in mid-air, looking at each other.
There was a smile on Kang Hongda's lips, but the smile was not as bright as his eyes, which were as cold as lightning.
Gu Jue's eyes were cold and deep, like the vast night sky, unattainable.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment.
Suddenly, Kang Hongda moved and handed the folding fan from his right hand to his left hand. A look of emotion appeared on his face, as if he had recalled something, and he sighed with emotion: "The prince was not such a humble person in the past..."
Before he finished speaking, Kang Hongda's right hand quickly pulled out the soft sword from his belt. The soft sword as soft as a snake shook slightly and shook away. The cold and gleaming soft sword stabbed towards Gu Jue like lightning...
He struck so quickly that Prince Li was caught off guard and his eyes widened.
Gu Jue didn't even move his eyebrows. He used the scissors to block the opponent's sword easily. The soft sword collided with the scissors and made a "clang" sound. At the same time, Gu Jue's left hand came out from Jingfeng. He pulled out a long sword from the scabbard in his hand, and skillfully flicked the sword with his left hand. Dots of cold stars were drawn on the tip of the sword, and he swept it towards Kang Hongda's chest.
Kang Hongda could only take two steps back to avoid Gu Jue's attack, and said with a smile: "Speaking of which, Kang hasn't competed with the prince for several years."
He was chatting and laughing, as if he was not making a sneak attack just now, but was actually sparring. While talking, he turned the soft sword in his hand around and slashed at Gu Jue's waist, opening and closing it widely, sharply and cruelly.
His swordsmanship reveals a kind of domineering swordsmanship.
Gu Jue still held the sword in his left hand and blocked it with his backhand, with ease.
His swordsmanship was both strong and soft, fast and dexterous, and his moves were like flowing clouds and flowing water. Kang Hongda, who took the move, was shocked: before today, he had no idea that King Chen could actually use a left-handed sword.
Kang Hongda's personal bodyguard watched the two men fighting nervously and did not dare to step forward.
If he didn't take action, this would just be a "discussion", not to mention that other people in the palace didn't take action either.
In the shadow of the sword flashing with cold light, Kang Hongda's smile gradually turned cold, and he sneered: "The Emperor has always been convinced that His Highness King Chen was seriously injured and was about to lose his life. It seems that His Highness King Chen has been misleading the Emperor."
"With His Highness King Chen's skills, it doesn't look like he's going to die soon! Kang will even suspect that you have colluded with Xuan Jing just to lower the Emperor's wariness towards you!"
"Even this marriage was planned by you, right!" A cold light flashed across Kang Hongda's eyes, and the sword in his hand did not stop. In just a few words, he had already fought with Gu Jue several times.
It wasn't until this moment that he finally figured it out.
So it turns out that the marriage between Gu Jue and Shen Qianchen was what Gu Jue wanted. He colluded with Xuanjing to get the emperor to give him the princess. This marriage was a trick Gu Jue set for the emperor. The emperor took the bait.
That's why Gu Jue accepted the marriage so easily and even went to the Yongding Marquis Mansion to welcome the bride in person.
Thinking about it this way, even the irrationality of Princess Chen can be explained.
No wonder the rumored cowardly second girl from the Yongding Hou Mansion was so powerful and loyal to Gu Jue, and collaborated with Gu Jue to force the emperor to retreat step by step!
Because this woman is what Gu Jue likes!
Prince Li was dumbfounded and couldn't help but look at Shen Qianchen with complicated eyes. He and Shen Qianchen had retreated to the main hall from the moment Gu Jue and Kang Hongda made their move.
Shen Qianchen: "..."
Shen Qianchen had a dull face and simply didn't know how to retort.
The soft sword in Kang Hongda's hand made him faster and his moves fierce.
He asserted firmly: "So, you must have let Xuanjing poison the emperor's elixir!"
Kang Hongda said all these words deliberately to Prince Li, especially the last sentence. He wanted to use Prince Li to tell the clan that it was Gu Jue who had betrayed his heart first, and it was Gu Jue who poisoned the emperor. Only then will he take action.
Kang Hongda was warning the royal family not to cause trouble when Gu Jue was convicted in the future!
"Gu Jue, are you planning to rebel?!" Kang Hongda called him by his first name, treating Gu Jue as a rebellious traitor.
"The one who is plotting rebellion is not me, but you." Gu Jue calmly turned his sword back and stabbed Kang Hongda in the center of the neck.
Kang Hongda leaned out of the way and could only retreat a few feet from the steps under the eaves.
After exiting from the eaves, Kang Hongda found himself in the drizzle. His body seemed to be covered with a layer of mist, his breathing was rapid, and he looked a little embarrassed.
But he still said righteously: "Kang acted in accordance with the imperial decree."
He has an imperial edict, so justice is on his side, he is righteous, and Gu Jue is a traitor.
The long sword in Gu Jue's left hand hung down diagonally, and even his breathing was so steady, as if the few moves just now were just a small test.
"What do I, Gu Jue, need to do, and I need to rely on a Taoist priest?!" Gu Jue raised the corners of his lower lips with a half-smile, and chuckled almost silently.
This smile was gentle and shallow, and he didn't know whether he was laughing at Xuanjing or Kang Hongda.
Shen Qianchen burst out laughing, his smile bright and clear, as if he heard some interesting joke, he couldn't help laughing.
"..." Kang Hongda's right hand held the hilt of the soft sword tightly, the back of his hand was tense, and his right hand was full of power, like a beast ready to attack.
The drizzle gradually wetted his hair and clothes. Kang Hongda didn't care and just stood in the drizzle.
He looked coldly at Gu Jue under the eaves, showing no signs of weakness, and asked instead: "Gu Jue, do you really think you have everything under control?!"
"Do you know what I hate most about you?"
He didn't expect Gu Jue to answer at all. After a pause, he continued: "What I hate the most is that you look like you are in control."
“It’s been like this from before to now!”
Kang Hongda's voice was neither high nor low, almost word for word, and his tone was very steady, but every word suppressed a surge of anger.
Kang Hongda doesn't like Gu Jue, he never has.
Some people seem to be born to crush others. When Kang Hongda was young, he was so high-spirited that he thought he was the pride of heaven and the best among his peers, but he was slapped in the face by the fifteen-year-old Ninth Prince. A slap in the face.
At the age of twenty-five, he was defeated miserably by the sword of a fifteen-year-old boy, in public and in front of the late emperor.
Today, many people have forgotten that incident, but Kang Hongda himself will not forget it.
If it weren't for the fact that he restrained himself for fear of hurting Gu Jue, who was the Ninth Prince, he wouldn't have lost!
Thinking of these unpleasant past events, Kang Hongda released a gloomy air-conditioning all over his body, completely different from his previous carefree and composed appearance.
"Gu Jue, if you want to take the wrong approach with your sword, you must have a sword. If the sword doesn't do what you want, so what?" He was clearly standing under the stone steps, shorter than Gu Jue, but his expression and tone were different. He is aloof and extremely arrogant.
He shook the soft sword in his hand, and the raindrops splashed away with the shaking of the soft sword. The sword made a rattlesnake-like sound, like a rattlesnake staring at its prey, making those who heard it shudder.
He showed a sarcastic smile and said slowly, "Oh, let me think about what chips you have in your hand."
"imperial clan?"
"Your identity?"
"Those loyal soldiers under your command?"
"Or the Xuanjia Army?"
He went on bit by bit, like a bold and careful gambler weighing the chips the other party placed on the gambling table.
This is a huge gamble that puts fate on the line!
"You think you can control people's hearts and make everyone loyal to you, but you forget that people's hearts are the hardest to see clearly." He raised his head and sneered, with a bit of contempt and a bit of confidence.
He woke up when he was twenty-five years old and knew that he was not a proud man. However, Gu Jue's past twenty years had been so smooth. It was so smooth that it was natural for him to feel that those under him should follow him without regrets. Him, surrender to him!
Ridiculous, deplorable, and even more pathetic!
Suddenly, Kang Hongda felt that maybe he should be grateful to Gu Jue for slapping him and waking him up.
"The human heart." Gu Jue sighed, but smiled.
His smile was so light and breezy that Kang Hongda couldn't even see it in his eyes. The smile seemed to be sighing and pity.
For some reason, Kang Hongda felt a strange feeling in his heart because of Gu Jue's smile. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. A few drops of rain flowed down his back, and his wet shirt stuck to his back. on the skin of the back.
This wet and sticky feeling made him very uncomfortable!
Gu Jue said in a cold voice: "I'll give this back to you, the human heart is the hardest to see clearly."
Kang Hongda: "..."
Kang Hongda pursed his thin lips tightly, always feeling that something was wrong.
Could it be that he miscalculated something? !
Or maybe he still miscalculated Yun Zhan?
The next moment, Kang Hongda vetoed this himself. It was impossible. If Yun Zhan was loyal to Gu Jue, there would be no need to hand him such a big handle!
There can be no change on Yunzhan's side.
The person who will regret it is Gu Jue. He will regret putting his power to break the situation on Yun Zhan!
Before I knew it, the rain stopped.
The sky is still cloudy.
A few raindrops slid down Kang Hongda's cheeks, and his wet temples stuck to his skin, making him look miserable, but his eyes were burning brightly.
The rain stopped, and God was indeed on his side!
Kang Hongda calmed down and his eyes became brighter, like the soft sword shining with cold light in his hand.
He looked at Gu Jue with the eyes of a victor and announced loudly: "Gu Jue, you are suspected of treason. I have obeyed the imperial decree and ordered the imperial army to take down the Xuanjia Army. Anyone who disobeys the order will die!"
"Now, what other trump cards do you have?"
Without the Xuanjia Army, Gu Jue would be nothing more than an eagle with broken wings and nothing to fear.
Kang Hongda was waiting to see Gu Jue's expression change drastically, but the person who exclaimed was Prince Li.
"What did you say?!" Prince Li blurted out, his expression changing drastically.
He came to Prince Chen's Mansion to discuss countermeasures with Gu Jue. He didn't want the two armies to confront each other and kill each other. But what Kang Hongda meant now was that the Imperial Army had already gone to Fengtai Camp? !
That would be equivalent to an army approaching the city with an arrow on the string. This battle is inevitable!
The situation may be out of control.
Prince Li's heart suddenly sank to the bottom, and his limbs felt as cold as falling into an ice cellar.
The cool wind blows slowly after the rain, with a slight smell of grass and earth. The same smell is permeated in the streets of the capital, the official roads outside the city, and the air in the suburbs of Beijing, including Fengtai Camp.
At this time, the Fengtai camp was surrounded by the black and dense Forbidden Army.
The Xuanjia Army only has a total of 60,000 people in Beijing, while the three battalions of the Forbidden Army stationed in Beijing have more than 100,000 people. There is a huge disparity in the strength of the two sides.
Chu Yunyi has been here since yesterday and has not left yet. He is still with Su Mubai.
The two of them stood in a tall sentry tower. From here they could clearly see the Forbidden Army in the distance and the camp below.
In the camp, groups of soldiers came and went in a hurry, but in an orderly manner. The infantry and cavalry were each on standby at their respective positions. Some were holding bows, some were holding spears and shields, and some were holding swords...
Everyone is ready to fight at any time, and the atmosphere in the camp is completely different from the past.
Chu Yunyi looked down at this familiar yet unfamiliar military camp from above. The tense atmosphere surrounding him before the war also infected him, making his blood rush and he was eager to try.
At the end of last year, he also followed a group of Xuanjia troops out of Beijing, participated in actual combat training, and made meritorious service. At that time, he was quite proud and thought that he was already very capable, but now it seems that he can't help it. I wonder if they were all giving in to him at that time.
Chu Yunyi looked at the sky, his Adam's apple rolled up and down, and asked excitedly: "Brother Su, the rain has stopped, what should we do next?"
When he mentioned "us", Chu Yunyi's eyes lit up a little, and he felt like he was also a member of the Xuanjia Army.
Su Mubai was still wearing his usual straight jacket. He was not as elegant and refined as a military general, and was incompatible with the surrounding soldiers wearing black armor.
Su Mubai said calmly: "Counterattack."
Chu Yunyi swallowed and asked again: "Are you going to fight back to the capital?"
It was obvious that what he said seemed a bit like rebellion, but why did he feel so excited? His little heart was beating fast in his chest.
He looked at Su Mubai expectantly, and the next moment, he saw plumes of smoke rising from behind the camp.
It's on fire!
(End of chapter)