The sky gradually darkened, and a wisp of cloud drifted gently across the night sky, like a thin veil, wafting back and forth in the moonlight...
On a hillside about thirty li outside the capital, an armored army was encamped.
After dinner, Gu Zhenshan walked out of the main tent and glanced towards the capital. "His Majesty summoned this general back to the capital in such a hurry, yet issued no orders. What does this mean?"
He had been stationed here for six or seven days, but there was no movement from the capital, making Gu Zhenshan so anxious that he couldn't even sleep well...
"Young General!~"
Steward Cao walked over, cupped his hands, and said, "Isn't the imperial edict clear? His Majesty suspects Consort Hui of plotting a rebellion and forcing the emperor to abdicate, which is why you were summoned back to suppress it..."
"Rebellion? What rebellion?" Gu Zhenshan shot him a glance. "Consort Hui has already shaved her head and become a nun. Have you ever seen a nun rebel?"
He wasn't doubting the Emperor's decision, but he found the matter too absurd...
Steward Cao pursed his lips. "Young General, have you forgotten? Consort Hui's father is the renowned Marquis of Jingnan, who holds military power. Since His Majesty suspects her, it means His Majesty must have discovered something fishy..."
Everyone inside and outside the palace knew that Emperor Cheng was a shrewd and calm person. He would not have deployed the army stationed on the northern frontier back to the capital unless it was absolutely necessary.
Furthermore, the military seal was personally delivered to Gu Zhenshan's hands. What else was there to question?
Gu Zhenshan withdrew his gaze and was about to return to his tent for a drink when he suddenly saw a carrier pigeon flying over...
Steward Cao caught the pigeon, found a letter, and handed it to Gu Zhenshan. "It looks like it's from the capital!~"
Gu Zhenshan grunted, unfolded the letter, and exclaimed in surprise, "The Marquis of Jingnan has indeed rebelled?"
Steward Cao: "......"
What did I say?
The Marquis of Jingnan was immensely wealthy in the southern coastal regions and commanded hundreds of thousands of elite troops. If he didn't rebel, it would be against natural law...
"The Marquis of Jingnan's army will arrive at the capital tonight. Well, he's really looking for trouble!~"
Gu Zhenshan narrowed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and said, "Steward Cao, immediately summon one hundred thousand soldiers and guard all the city gates of the capital. The remaining one hundred thousand soldiers will flank the rebels from the rear. We will attack from both sides, and not a single rebel will be allowed to escape..."
Hmph, I was just looking for a fight, and these rebels have come to my doorstep.
"As you command!~" Steward Cao responded, turned, and began to rally the soldiers, preparing for battle.
Meanwhile, the Marquis of Jingnan and Xiao Yue, who were at the Fahua Nunnery, were completely unaware that they had become fish on a chopping board and were still feasting and drinking heartily on the kang...
Consort Hui was even more beaming, drinking fine wine and telling jokes to the Marquis of Jingnan.
Just as the Marquis of Jingnan was about to have another drink, a sudden sound of fighting and screams came from outside, startling everyone...
"Wh-what's happening?" Xiao Yue, her face flushed from drinking, turned to look out the window.
As soon as she spoke, a dark guard crashed through the door, limping as he ran in. "Your Ladyship, it-it's bad! Commander Kong is leading troops to attack us..."
Consort Hui: "???"
Marquis of Jingnan: "???"
What was going on? Why would Kong Xingzhuo suddenly attack them?
Had the news leaked, and the palace discovered something?
"No... impossible, this is absolutely impossible!~" The Marquis of Jingnan shook his head numbly, tightly gripping his wine cup. "Why would he come to kill this Marquis?"
Consort Hui was also bewildered. "Father, I have always been very cautious in my actions. They couldn't have found out!"
If the Emperor truly discovered her plan to rebel, her dream of becoming Empress Dowager would be completely shattered...
"G-grandfather, M-mother!" Xiao Yue was so scared she almost cried. "Wh-what should we do now?"
"What to do, what to do? You only know how to ask me, you're completely useless..."
The Marquis of Jingnan looked at Xiao Yue with intense disdain, regretting that she wasn't more capable. "We still have one hundred thousand troops. If that dog emperor dares to touch a single hair on our heads, the army will charge into the palace and kill all the princes and royal children. I will make him childless!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yue's dimming eyes brightened again...
Just as she was about to praise her grandfather for his courage and strategy, a cold laugh echoed from outside the door. "Marquis of Jingnan, I could hear your plans all the way from the capital!~"
Hearing the commotion, the Marquis of Jingnan suddenly looked towards the door. He saw Kong Xingzhuo holding a long sword, his body covered in blood. "Your subordinate rebels were annihilated by General Gu while he was having a cup of tea. Where did you get the confidence to raise an army, rebel, and usurp the throne?"
At these words, the Marquis of Jingnan was completely stunned...
What did Commander Kong just say? General Gu had returned to the capital?
"Don't try to deceive this Marquis. General Gu is stationed on the northern frontier. How could he possibly return?" the Marquis of Jingnan roared.
Kong Xingzhuo curved his lips into a shallow smile. "Whether he has returned or not, the Marquis will know once he enters the palace..."
With that, Kong Xingzhuo's cold eyes narrowed. "Guards, arrest these rebels and send them to the palace. His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince have been waiting for a long time!~"
Consort Hui: "???"
The Emperor was waiting for them?
That wasn't right. Wasn't the Emperor gravely ill and on the verge of death?
And the Crown Prince, wasn't he deposed and sent to travel to other countries?
What in the world was going on?
Several Imperial Guards rushed in, and without a word, they pinned the three individuals to the ground, bound them tightly with ropes, and threw them into a prisoner's cart...
Outside the capital, beacons blazed, and the sounds of fighting and shouting echoed through the night sky.
The dry earth was stained red with blood, forming a stream that pooled in the depressions...
Looking down, the ground was littered with corpses, a vast expanse of dead bodies.
Gu Zhenshan led the charge, his eyes bloodshot. Steward Cao tightly guarded the city gates, shooting down anyone who dared to approach with arrows...
The battle lasted all night. As a streak of red appeared on the eastern horizon, the hundreds of thousands of rebel troops had been annihilated, and the piled-up corpses were higher than hills.
"Finally, it's over!~" Gu Zhenshan looked up at the sky and sighed softly.
Steward Cao smiled and said, "There are so many corpses outside the city. We need to clean them up quickly, otherwise, they will scare the common people..."
"Alright, after the battlefield is cleared, this general will personally enter the palace to request rewards for the soldiers!~" Gu Zhenshan said with a hearty laugh.
The Imperial Palace.
After the Marquis of Jingnan and Consort Hui watched the surveillance footage, they were utterly dismayed.
How could such advanced technology exist in this world? It had recorded their every move and conversation. This was too terrifying!
Emperor Cheng suppressed the urge to kill them on the spot and waved his hand. "Escort these three rebels to the Golden Throne Hall. Notify the ministers to attend court!~"
"Your command...~"