The Imperial Army was responsible for protecting the Imperial Palace, and none of them could escape responsibility for such a major incident. On the side, Bai Hanzhou and Zhao Fengchen were next to each other on their own horses, their hearts heavy as they listened to the report.
“How many criminals were being held in the imperial prison?” Zhao Fengchen, with his large Wootz Steel sword on his back, suddenly asked. Their first priority was to find out how many people had been in the imperial prison so they could decide on a plan.
The Imperial Army needed to protect too many places. Besides the imperial prison, they also needed to protect the consorts and concubines in the rear palace, and, more importantly, they could not disturb the Emperor.
They didn’t understand the situation at the imperial prison yet. If it was like the Rebellion of the Three Princes, with insiders working with outsiders, releasing prisoners in the imperial prison as a distraction while the real assault took place at Taiji Palace, then not even several heads would be enough to answer for their failure.
“We’ve investigated, but we’ve found that there aren’t that many criminals inside. Other than members of the imperial household, major officials, generals, and Imperial Army soldiers, there are also major thieves and bandits, and also a few martial artists.
“But there aren’t many of these people. The greatest number are actually the rebellious Imperial Army soldiers who took part in the Rebellion of the Three Princes. As there were simply too many people at the time, a portion were imprisoned in the imperial prison for the time being.
“We estimate… that there are at least six thousand people!” the Imperial Army captain sternly said.
“What?!”
The three Grand Marshals were stunned.
They knew that some of the Imperial Army soldiers who had taken part in the Rebellion of the Three Princes were held in the imperial prison.
The Grand Marshals of the Imperial Army were primarily responsible for matters of the Imperial Army, and the clean-up for the Rebellion of the Three Princes was not under their purview. This was the job of the Bureau of Personnel, Bureau of Punishments, Imperial Clan Court, Taihe Palace, and the Sage Emperor. Thus, while they had known the vague outlines, they had not heard the specifics.
The guards of the imperial prison were not part of the Imperial Army!
The three of them had not imagined that the imperial prison was holding so many rebel Imperial Army soldiers.
“Six thousand Imperial Army soldiers is enough to start a rebellion!”
Zhao Fengchen gripped the reins of his horse as he stared in the direction of the imperial prison.
After some hesitation, the Imperial Army captain added, “In addition, our investigation shows that several of the major conspirators of the Rebellion of the Three Princes were also jailed within…”
“There’s no need to say any more. Our first priority is to pacify the rebellion as quickly as possible. We cannot allow the new Emperor to be disturbed!” Grand Marshal Li Xuanyi coldly said, cutting off the Imperial Army captain and charging to where the fighting was fiercest.
“Everyone, hear my order! Seize all the criminals! Don’t let a single one escape!”
Neeeigh! Li Xuanyi’s horse vanished up ahead.
Behind him, Bai Hanzhou and Zhao Fengchen swiftly spurred their horses into a gallop.
……
“Kill!”
The prisoners charged out, but in the face of the Imperial Army led by Bai Hanzhou, Zhao Fengchen, and Li Xuanyi, they were swiftly routed, large swathes of them seized and some of the more wicked and murderous prisoners being executed on the spot.
Just when it seemed like the unrest would be pacified…
Bang!
With an enormous boom and a chorus of screams, several dozen Imperial Army soldiers were blown back like they were ragdolls.
“This one is finally out!”
A powerful energy that blazed like the sun erupted from the ground, majestic Stellar Energy sweeping over the area.
Boomboomboom!
The man lightly waved a palm, instantly throwing around several hundred soldiers like they were leaves. This man had an energy that was on par with Zhao Fengchen, Bai Hanzhou, and Li Xuanyi.
“Li Xuanyi, Bai Hanzhou, haha! We meet again!”
With an arrogant laugh, the man seized an Imperial Army captain by the neck and raised him into the air, but his eyes were focused on the Grand Marshals, his savage visage shocking to behold.
“Huang Tianzhao!”
Li Xuanyi was deeply shaken.
The former Grand Marshal of the Imperial Army who had joined First Prince Li Ying in the Rebellion of the Three Princes was not dead.
Huang Tianzhao had been the most senior of the three Grand Marshals, and when it came to strength, he even surpassed Li Xuanyi in some aspects!
Chapter 2097 - Li Taiyi! In the End, You Couldn’t Hold Me Down!
Chapter 2097: Li Taiyi! In the End, You Couldn’t Hold Me Down!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Li Xuanyi’s heart sank to rock bottom when he saw Huang Tianzhao.
“Huang Tianzhao, such audacity! You dare to start a rebellion in the Imperial Palace, with His Divine Majesty present?” Zhao Fengchen harshly bellowed, taking out his large Wootz Steel sword as he charged forward.
His eyes were brimming with killing intent, and a tendril of vicious energy flew through the air to lock onto Huang Tianzhao.
Huang Tianzhao had committed a grave crime in the Rebellion of the Three Princes. He had lived until now purely due to the Sage Emperor’s kindness. For him to rebel now was truly unpardonable.
Moreover, ordinary Imperial Army soldiers could not stop Huang Tianzhao. Only the three Grand Marshals were capable of this.
Huang Tianzhao coldly laughed and rudely replied, “His Divine Majesty? Hmph, which Divine Majesty? This one only recognizes the Sage Emperor!
“And even if the Sage Emperor is no longer here, it should be First Prince Li Ying who inherits the throne. When did it become Li Heng’s turn?”
“Impudent!”
Bai Hanzhou and Li Xuanyi chilled upon hearing Huang Tianzhao’s words.
The Sage Emperor himself had selected Li Heng to inherit the throne, and since his succession, Li Heng’s every word and action had shown that he was a Lord of Resurgence who already had the signs of a wise sovereign. It had already been some time since the Rebellion of the Three Princes, but these people still clung to the already-dead First Prince Li Ying, even harboring thoughts of rebellion. It was truly unforgivable.
“Everyone, there’s no need to be polite with this sort of traitor! Get in there and seize him!” Zhao Fengchen sternly said.
His Stellar Energy boomed as his sword erupted with light, Sword Qi piercing through the clouds.
Huang Tianzhao was not some mediocre individual. Zhao Fengchen’s strength alone would not be enough to suppress him.
The new Emperor had only recently assumed the throne. It would be best if this battle were decided quickly.
“Seize me? That will depend on your skill!
“You guys, come out!”
Huang Tianzhao sneered as he reached out a hand, the sword of a nearby Imperial Army Marshal flying through the air and into his hand.
‘You guys’?
The three of them were alarmed by Huang Tianzhao’s words. Was Huang Tianzhao saying that he had allies?
Bang! Bang!
As Zhao Fengchen and the others grew uneasy, the earth rumbled and Stellar Energy howled. A moment later, two more storms of energy shot out of the ground.
As the three Grand Marshals stared in shock, two figures landed next to Huang Tianzhao.
“Fumeng Lingcha!
“Duan Zhuyan!”
Even Bai Hanzhou couldn’t help but grimace upon seeing the owners of the two storms of energy.
The first figure was a muscular man with a dark face and black bear
d. He had the clear Hu traits of deep eyes and a high nose, and these traits paired with his boundless energy marked him as none other than the former Qixi Protector-General, Fumeng Lingcha!
Fumeng Lingcha had not been present in the capital during the Rebellion of the Three Princes, but he had been leading troops toward the capital, ready to cooperate with First Prince Li Ying. He was indisputably one of the First Prince’s conspirators.
Moreover, he was already guilty of deceiving the sovereign and trying to steal the credit for Wang Chong’s achievements. Given his two offenses, he should have been executed long ago, but to everyone’s surprise, he still lived.
The other figure was the man who had exhibited formidable strength in the Imperial Army competition, showing strength on par with Zhao Fengchen, Duan Zhuyan.
The appearance of these two immediately turned the tides. Not even Bai Hanzhou was sure if the three Grand Marshals working together were capable of seizing Huang Tianzhao, Fumeng Lingcha, and Duan Zhuyan.
“Fumeng Lingcha, such audacity! The previous Emperor spared your life for the sake of old affections, but you not only haven’t changed your traitorous ways, you’ve even added to your crimes! Not even death can redeem you!” Li Xuanyi harshly said.
When Fumeng Lingcha was still the Qixi Protector-General, he would occasionally return to the capital to report on his duties, during which Li Xuanyi had met him several times and developed a significant respect for this Protector-General. But to his surprise, Fumeng Lingcha became obsessed and strayed off into the wrong path. It truly made one’s heart ache!
“Hahaha, old affections? What old affections?
“I, Fumeng Lingcha, guarded the western border of the empire, rendering many achievements. If the Sage Emperor really recalled his old affections, he wouldn’t have removed me and put that immature brat in my place!” Fumeng Lingcha snarled, his face twisted. There was no longer any sign of the imposing and majestic Qixi Protector-General.
Though the sounds of battle rang out around him, Fumeng Lingcha’s mind was not focused on this fight.
Wang Chong!
A figure emerged in Fumeng Lingcha’s mind, and killing intent exploded from his body.
Looking back on his life, in the first half, the name ‘Fumeng Lingcha’ was one brimming with pride and glory, but in the second half of his life, it was nailed on a pillar of disgrace and carried with it a jail sentence. And the cause of all of this was the now-venerated and supreme King of Foreign Lands, Wang Chong.
Though Gao Xianzhi had also made him gnash his teeth in hatred, all Gao Xianzhi had done was collude with Bian Lingcheng to go over his head and report his achievements to the Sage Emperor before Fumeng Lingcha could steal it. Gao Xianzhi had chosen to not stir up a bigger fuss.
Thus, after the incident, he had not been heavily punished and had been moved over to Qixi to serve as its Protector-General.
But Wang Chong, that immature brat, had used a similar situation to cause a great storm, pulling him down from his Protector-General post and straight into the imperial prison.
From a major official of the border to a prisoner was far too precipitous a fall.
Fumeng Lingcha had always been proud, but after this incident, there was no washing away his disgrace.
His imprisonment after the Rebellion of the Three Princes was also because of Wang Chong.
If not for Wang Chong serving as a hindrance, the First Prince would have successfully taken the throne and become the new Emperor. Meanwhile, Fumeng Lingcha would have been at the apex of power, not once more reduced to a humiliated prisoner.
The war of the northwest had come hot on the heels of the Rebellion of the Three Princes, and then the Sage Emperor had died and the new Emperor had been enthroned, leaving the court so busy that it barely had time to rest. As a result, little attention had been paid to him, or else he probably would have been executed long ago.
With this rebellion in the imperial prison, he was finally out, and he would not let this opportunity go.
“Wang Chong, I will kill you!” Fumeng Lingcha viciously said.
He finally turned to Bai Hanzhou, Zhao Fengchen, and Li Xuanyi.
“Kill!”
Before the three Grand Marshals could respond, Fumeng Lingcha bellowed and charged.
“Hundred Battles in Yellow Sand!”
Fumeng Lingcha raised a sword, and Stellar Energy surged as a heaven-splitting beam of Sword Qi shot toward Li Xuanyi.
Whoosh!
The temperature of the surrounding area instantly soared, becoming as scorching as a desert.
“Black Heaven Blood Omen!”
“Zhuyan’s Fury!”
The earth shuddered as Huang Tianzhao and Duan Zhuyan followed Fumeng Lingcha.
Boomboomboom!
These three Grand Marshal–level figures were immensely powerful, their three Stellar Energies combining into a massive wave that swept forward. Screams tore through the air as Imperial Army elites were knocked away like ragdolls.
Fumeng Lingcha and the others were like tigers amongst sheep, sowing chaos wherever they went.
“Go!”
“Stop them!”
Zhao Fengchen, Bai Hanzhou, and Li Xuanyi all exploded in fury, drawing their weapons and unleashing their Stellar Energy as they rushed at Fumeng Lingcha and company.
“All soldiers, hear my order! Advance and seize all the prisoners! All prisoners attempting to escape are to be executed, as are all those who attempt to resist!
“All Marshals, hear my order! Move out to seize Fumeng Lingcha, Huang Tianzhao, and Duan Zhuyan, these three felons of the court!” Zhao Fengchen bellowed.
This was not some one-on-one fight. Their mission was to seize these three as quickly as possible and pacify the rebellion.
“Kill!”
Answering Zhao Fengchen’s call, the Imperial Army Marshals led their elites in charging at Fumeng Lingcha’s group.
At the edge of the battlefield, the master archers standing on the roof or in dark corners unleashed a barrage of arrows, their cold tips flashing in the darkness.
“Careful!” Fumeng Lingcha roared.
Although the three of them were extremely powerful generals, they had just broken free of prison, and were facing a sea of soldiers while bereft of weapons or armor, still wearing their prison clothes. In the face of these tens of thousands of Imperial Army soldiers, they were immediately pushed back.
Under the vicious assault of the Imperial Army elites, the escaping prisoners were thrown back, and even Fumeng Lingcha’s group was just barely holding on. Defeat and capture were only a matter of time.
But suddenly—
Clang!
The sound of a snapping chain came from deep underground, akin to a clap of thunder. A moment later, the earth rumbled as a terrifying energy that outshone even Fumeng Lingcha, Bai Hanzhou, and Zhao Fengchen erupted from the depths of the earth.
Bang!
Before anyone could react, the area for tens of thousands of feet around the imperial prison began to shudder, an area covering more than half of the Imperial Palace swaying around like the deck of a boat. The fissure spanning the ruins of the imperial prison instantly grew several times larger.
A black silhouette shot out from the depths of the earth.
An immense pressure instantly descended upon everyone present, almost pushing the breath out of their lungs.
“Who’s there?”
Zhao Fengchen and Bai Hanzhou paled as they looked to the skies.
“Hahaha, after thirty years, this prince is finally out!”
In the sky was a domineering figure, standing in the sky like a shining sun. He was wearing an imperial robe of black and gold, and his eyes were so aloof and tyrannical that they struck fear into anyone who looked into them.
Most terrifying of all were the waves of energy coming off him. Bai Hanzhou and the others could be considered peak experts of the realm, but when compared to this energy, they were like fireflies trying to
vie against the moon.
This man’s energy had completely surpassed the Great General level, even the Subtle realm!
Just one glance at this man would wipe away any thought of resistance.
“Li Taiyi! In the end, you couldn’t hold me down!”
That cold voice rumbled like thunder across the skies, causing even the fabric of space to tremble.
Chapter 2098 - Fumeng Lingcha’s Shock!
Chapter 2098: Fumeng Lingcha’s Shock!
The man who had emerged from the ground looked around, and then he proceeded to ignore the fierce battle taking place around him and Zhao Fengchen’s group in front of him, and shoot straight for the distant Taiji Palace.
Upon his Ferghana steed, Li Xuanyi saw the man’s face clearly and cried out in alarm, “It’s you!”
This cry of shock drew everyone’s attention, but Li Xuanyi seemed to not notice.
“The deposed Crown Prince, Li Xuantu!”
Li Xuanyi’s mind contained only one thought.
Thirty years ago, during the Divine Dragon Coup, Li Xuanyi had been only ten-some years old, but as a future Grand Marshal of the Imperial Army, he had displayed an astonishing level of talent that allowed him to know many things.
Eastern Palace Crown Prince Li Xuantu!
He had been a resoundingly famous existence of that era.
His talent, strength, daring, and list of astonishing accomplishments had won him the admiration of all.
Though Li Xuanyi had been praised by many for his outstanding talent, as a martial genius of the younger generation, even he felt admiration for this Crown Prince, acknowledging that he was inferior.
This was an existence that all young martial artists looked up to!
If the Sage Emperor had not come out of nowhere, and if not for the Divine Dragon Coup, the Emperor of the Great Tang might have been someone else.
But this was only a possibility. The truth was that after that tragic coup, Li Xuantu’s name completely disappeared from the history of the Great Tang.
Li Xuanyi had never imagined that the deposed Crown Prince who was rumored to have died long ago would reappear again after thirty years!
Li Xuantu glanced down at Li Xuanyi and coldly chuckled.
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