mousepad-d2 Chapter 5539 How Could This Be?
Chapter 5539 How Could This Be?
Chapter 5539 How Could This Be?
Although the Tang Dynasty had been plagued by internal strife and mutinies since its founding, both the "Hundred Cavalry Division" and the Sixteen Guards were of the same origin. While they usually had some grudges and disliked each other, when it came to drawing their swords against each other and killing one another, they couldn't help but feel reluctant to do so.
However, Wang Fangyi clearly understood that the troops inside Taiji Palace were neither the "Hundred Cavalry Division" nor the palace guards, but rather a genuine rebel army.
These troops came from nowhere, belonged to no one, and entered the palace through some unknown means. However, their purpose was not to protect His Majesty or guard the palace, but to carry out a conspiracy that could not be revealed to others.
Wang Fangyi had already clearly judged the current situation. There was no right or wrong, no legitimate or illegitimate lineage; in the end, it was simply a matter of the victor being king and the loser being a bandit.
The battle takes place inside the Taiji Palace; whoever wins is the legitimate ruler, and whoever loses is a traitor!
*****
Inside the Taiji Hall, Li Ji looked at Yan Qinli, whose head was separated from his body, and then at Tang Jian, whose beard and hair were bristling and who showed no fear under Li Jingye's steel blade. He felt his vision go black, his chest tighten, he had difficulty breathing, and his hands and feet trembled.
His life's achievements and reputation have been completely ruined by his wicked grandson. No matter how this matter is resolved, the Li family will bear the burden of sin and fall into obscurity.
Overwhelmed by palpitations, he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, which ironically made him feel slightly better.
He roared, trying to awaken the stubborn Li Jingye: "Foolish child! You keep saying you are loyal to His Majesty and would die for His Majesty's long-cherished wish, but where do you place the word filial piety? Do you have to sacrifice dozens of lives of your entire family for your loyalty? Wake up! Even if you kill everyone here, even if all the ceremonies are completed, you will still be a traitor!"
Li Jingye's hand holding the knife finally trembled slightly, and he clenched his teeth, the flesh on his cheeks writhing back and forth.
With a steel knife pressed against his neck and his life hanging by a thread, Tang Jian stubbornly leaned towards the blade, his hair disheveled and his gray hair cascading down.
"Come on, since you have so much guts, then kill me with one stroke and use my head to establish your reputation as a loyal and righteous man!"
Li Ji glared angrily: "Shut up, you old fool! Do you want to plunge my Li family into an abyss of no return?"
If killing a great Confucian scholar of the time would only create enmity with Confucianism, then killing Tang Jian would be tantamount to opposing the entire noble class. At that time, the whole world would be his enemy, and not only would his family business be lost, but he might not even be able to leave a single bloodline.
But the old scoundrel Tang Jian wanted to use his own head to establish a reputation for being fearless and upholding the legitimacy of the dynasty, and to rebuild the glory of the Tang family of Bingzhou by stepping on the corpses of the Li family. His heart is despicable!
"hehe!"
Tang Jian showed no fear, grinning maliciously, "Your wicked grandson has done such a thing, do you still want to get away with it? Do you think you can clear your name by pushing all the blame onto him? Do you dare say you knew nothing about his actions and did not condone them at all?"
Li Ji was pale and speechless, unable to defend himself.
Doesn't he know what kind of temperament his grandson has and how radical he is in his actions?
Or was he unaware that His Majesty's reason for winning over Li Jingye was not merely due to simple appreciation and trust, but also to some unknown scheming?
He knew everything, and he was afraid that Li Jingye's loyalty would be used by the emperor, but he always held onto a glimmer of hope that Li Jingye could make great achievements, inherit his mantle, and establish his family, or even become a family with two dukes like the Fang family...
The saying "One should have a son like Fang Yi'ai" is more than just a joke!
Therefore, given Li Jingye's current predicament and the magnitude of his actions, how can he possibly absolve himself of responsibility?
Li Jingye laughed twice, then gritted his teeth and said, "Since killing or not killing makes no difference, why not grant you the reputation of being fearless in the face of death?"
With that, he raised his knife and brought it down, a head rolling onto the gold bricks paving the floor, hot blood splattering everywhere.
Curses filled the hall. Even though two people had been killed, the rest showed no fear. The Tang Dynasty had not been established for long and its military fortune had not declined. Even scholars and poets had a heroic ambition to fight on the frontier with swords and wine. Their spines were firm and they were fearless in the face of death.
Li Ji shook his head and remained silent, no longer harboring any hope.
boom!
A loud bang came from behind the hall, followed by shouts of battle that became clearer in the heavy rain.
A soldier rushed over and reported, "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, Wang Fangyi has led several hundred rebel troops to the rear guard. Their momentum is fierce and they are difficult to resist!"
Li Jingye, however, seemed oblivious, staring blankly at the corpses of Yan Qinli and Tang Jian, somewhat lost in thought.
How could this be?
The original plan was to assassinate the Crown Prince at night to create a fait accompli and fulfill His Majesty's long-cherished wish of changing the heir apparent. Even if he confessed and took responsibility afterward, it wouldn't matter. Using his life to fulfill His Majesty's wish would be a fitting death.
Unexpectedly, a large number of "Shenji Battalion" soldiers were lying in ambush in Wanchun Palace. They were well-prepared and had strong combat power, which caused the assassination plan of the crown prince to completely fail.
He was not about to give up, so he carried out his backup plan—poisoning His Majesty.
In his view, His Majesty was extremely determined to uphold the authority and dignity of the emperor and was willing to pay any price to ensure the supreme power of the emperor. In that case, what was wrong with exchanging His Majesty's life for the destruction of the entire Eastern Palace?
The emperor was poisoned and the blame was shifted to the crown prince, which would implicate Fang Jun and all the other supporters of the crown prince, making them inescapable of punishment. The young prince Li Jun was then enthroned, and with the prestige, power, and experience of the grandfather Li Ji, he would naturally assume the responsibility of supporting the young emperor, thus restoring the Tang Dynasty to its rightful place...
He had prepared a will, and the evidence of the Crown Prince's poisoning of His Majesty was detailed, sufficient, and irrefutable, but why did no one recognize it?
The ministers who constantly professed loyalty to His Majesty and the Tang Dynasty, and the Confucian scholars who spoke of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and morality, did not even glance at the evidence. Even though His Majesty's remains were here, and his body was still warm, not a single person supported this edict, and no one cared about His Majesty's last wishes.
How could this be?
Are titles and moral principles unimportant?
Is loyalty to the emperor and service to the country just empty talk?
He neither understands nor accepts it.
Finally, he raised his head and his gaze swept across the faces of the ministers in the hall. There was contempt, anger, and mockery, and even the regret and remorse on his grandfather's face... He took them all in.
Did they really kill all of them?
What difference would it make if we killed him?
Even if you force them to go through all the procedures such as changing the heir apparent and ascending the throne, what's the point if no one acknowledges it afterward?
Sheathed his sword, knelt down in the direction of Li Ji, and kowtowed, saying, "I will repay my grandfather's kindness in raising me in the next life!"
After bowing three times, he suddenly stood up and led his men out of the Taiji Hall through the back door.
Li Ji sighed deeply, tears streaming down his face.
Even though he was full of resentment and wished he could skin this wicked grandson alive, he was still his most outstanding grandson and the one he had always regarded as the one who could inherit his political legacy. Now that he had come to this point where there was no turning back, how could he not feel sad?
……
As Li Jingye stepped out of the back gate of the Taiji Hall, a gust of cold wind and rain swept over him, instantly rousing him from his daze. Looking up, he saw that dawn was breaking in the east, with the first hint of light appearing on the horizon. The dark clouds seemed to be gradually fading, and the countless halls and pavilions of the Taiji Palace were shrouded in the pre-dawn rain, appearing hazy and indistinct.
Even though he knew that everything had failed, he did not intend to surrender and be executed. Even if he could not fulfill His Majesty's lifelong wish, he would never let these disloyal and unjust traitors go.
If these people hadn't been crowding around the Crown Prince in an attempt to establish merit for his succession while ignoring the majesty of imperial power, why would His Majesty have been forced to take such a risky approach?
He gripped his sword and looked around: "I don't care whose people you are, but since you are already inside the Taiji Palace, it means you are all warriors destined for death. You should understand that the moment you step into the Taiji Palace, there is no chance of survival. Although all our plans have failed, we were loyal to His Majesty and upheld the imperial power while we were alive, and we will fight to slay demons and protect the emperor even in death."
Pointing the blade at the Xuanwu Gate guards who were slowly advancing in a well-organized formation below the steps, he shouted, "Let us fight to the death with these disloyal and treacherous villains! Let our blood wash away the gloom in this Taiji Palace, and let His Majesty in heaven see how brave we are and take pride in our loyalty!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The hundreds of soldiers were in high spirits and full of enthusiasm. They were originally trained assassins by their families, and to avoid implicating their masters, they had completely severed ties with their families upon entering the palace. Regardless of the success or failure of the plan, they were doomed to die. The concepts of "surrender" and "survival" did not exist in their minds; there was only the fierceness of killing and death.
The remaining "Hundred Cavalry" and Imperial Guards in the palace were attracted by the shouts of battle. They turned around and realized the tragic plight of the group who were at their wits' end. Instead of being discouraged, they were all aroused and responded loudly.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The entire Taiji Palace was swept up by this terrifying aura, filled with murderous intent.
Li Jingye rushed towards Wang Fangyi from the steps behind the Taiji Hall, his heart filled with reverence for His Majesty. If it weren't for Fang Jun's cunning in ambushing the "Shenji Battalion" in the Wanchun Hall, and if the civil and military officials in the court hadn't disregarded the imperial edict, the Taiji Palace would have already been controlled by the assassins arranged by His Majesty, and the Eastern Palace faction would have been completely destroyed and the court purged.
Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; death is inevitable, so what is there to fear?
Wang Fangyi was unaware of what was happening inside the Taiji Hall. When he saw Li Jingye rush out of the Taiji Hall with a murderous aura that seemed to fill the sky, and even the palace's "Hundred Cavalry Division" soldiers and imperial guards, whose fighting spirit had already been dampened, regained their fighting spirit, Wang Fangyi's heart sank. He turned around and ordered in a deep voice: "Protect the Crown Prince and the Empress!"
"Here!"
Dozens of heavily armored infantrymen surrounded the Empress and the Crown Prince, their heavy swords and sturdy shields forming an impenetrable barrier. Occasionally, a stray arrow would pierce through the outer ranks and be blocked.
Li Jingye took the lead, brandishing his sword as he charged forward, crashing headfirst into the ranks of the Xuanwu Gate guards. The remaining hundreds of elite soldiers followed closely behind, making a deafening roar like a torrent crashing against a dam.
The guards at Xuanwu Gate held firm, their ranks intact and they did not retreat an inch.
At the same time, all the soldiers of the "Hundred Cavalry Division" and the Imperial Guards of the Taiji Palace converged and charged towards the Taiji Hall, and the Xuanwu Gate garrison's formation was like a reef bearing the fierce impact of the vast ocean.