manynovel Chapter 930: Breaking into the Palace
Chapter 930: Breaking into the Palace
"This? Why not send us back home? We still have family members at home, and I'm really worried about them!" Shen said, thinking of her daughters and sons-in-law at home.
"Oh my! Madam, what time is it now? I just told you not to hang around outside! As long as you hide in the mansion, the young ladies and the young men will be fine. But if you go back, it will be a big problem!"
Pang Shunzhi shook his head. "This way, they'll easily discover us! If the Emperor sends troops to wipe out the rebels, and you two don't respond to the summons to the palace, but instead return home halfway, that would be disobeying the Emperor's order, and you'll still be beheaded!"
Shen and Jiang Fugui immediately stopped objecting. Pang Shun stopped the carriage halfway and then quietly took the two of them towards Yilin Lane.
Outside the palace gate, Wu Shengmao had just led his men to fight their way out of a bloody situation and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Let's go! Let's go in and strangle the rebels!" He waved his arms and shouted.
Chengqian Palace was now surrounded by elite troops, and everyone was on high alert.
When Wu Shengmao led his troops to Chengqian Palace and saw this scene, he immediately sneered.
"Your Majesty! I've learned that rebels are entering the palace to assassinate you, so I'm leading my troops to rescue you!"
"Wu Shengmao! How dare you rebel!" The emperor walked out of the hall surrounded by his guards.
He stood on the steps, emitting a cold chill.
"Your Majesty, are you blaming me for being late in coming to your rescue? Don't be deceived by these treacherous people! I am trying to purge the emperor's court!"
Your side is full of treacherous villains. For the sake of the country and the safety of Your Majesty, I can only resort to this last resort!"
The emperor laughed in anger. This villain actually had such a high-sounding excuse.
"Who ordered you to do this? Now that it has come to this, is that person still playing coward?" The emperor's chest was heaving violently, and he was extremely angry!
"Royal brother! I hope you are well!"
Suddenly, a hoarse and sarcastic voice sounded, and a man slowly walked out from the rebels.
Looking closely at this person's figure, he swayed slightly as he walked. His feet were shallow and deep, and he was actually lame.
"Chengde! It's you?" The emperor's tone was full of surprise, but there was a hint of understanding and relief in his eyes.
"Royal brother, how is it? Are you surprised?" Prince Yu laughed.
"Uncle Emperor! My father endured humiliation and hardship in Yun Province for many years, all for this day." The Prince of Rong also walked out from behind the crowd.
At this time, he was covered in blood, and one could imagine how much effort he had put in killing the guard just now.
"Why? Back then, you helped me, and out of gratitude, I granted Yun Province to you as your fiefdom. Over the years, Yun Province has been financially strapped, but I never said anything and let you do as you pleased.
"I've treated Zhao Chi well! He's been raised in the capital for all these years, enjoying every luxury and honor, and I haven't even punished him for his willful behavior! I even arranged for him to marry my niece. Isn't that enough to satisfy you?" the emperor said bitterly.
"Oh! That's a nice thing to say! Yun Province is full of separatist factions. If it weren't for my father guarding it all these years, how could Yun Province have such peace? How much hardship and suffering did my father endure in order to govern Yun Province?
If you really want to do this for your father's good, then why don't you find him a rich and prosperous land as a fiefdom, but give him the bitter and cold Yun Province? You clearly don't trust him and are doing this on purpose.
You said you treated me well! But you kept me in the capital as a hostage in the name of taking care of me, and used this to threaten my father." The Crown Prince of Rong sneered.
"Royal brother! I sincerely helped you back then! But you were too suspicious! You didn't trust me and exiled me to Yun Province. That's fine! But you should never have left my son in the capital as a hostage, leaving us father and son together for over 20 years.
The common people can still enjoy the happiness of family life, but I can't! If that's the case, then why should I work hard for you? Who can't sit on this throne? So what if I'm crippled? I will be the emperor! As long as I ascend the throne, I don't see who dares to disobey me? "Prince Yu opened his arms, his eyes full of satisfaction.
"Royal brother, since you are in the royal family, you know that I am only worried about the country and the people, and I am taking precautions before it happens! Look, don't you have such ambitions?
If you want to blame someone, you can only blame yourself for not committing suicide sooner, otherwise your Chi'er wouldn't have suffered so much!" The emperor shook his head.
"I didn't expect that my royal brother would say such shameless words. I was blind back then. If I had known this, I would never have helped you!" Prince Yu said angrily.
"Didn't you help me back then just to stay on my side and follow the dragon? Don't make it sound so nice. Don't you have any selfish motives?"
"Enough! What time is it now? What's the point of arguing about this?" Suddenly another person came out from the rebels and interrupted their conversation.
"Prince Yu, can't you see that the emperor is delaying time? He is waiting for reinforcements!" the visitor said coldly.
Prince Yu finally came to his senses. He had no way to express his resentment for the suffering he had endured over the years.
"That's right! My Royal Brother, you've been surrounded by our men! Why don't you issue an order to abdicate and hand the throne over to your younger brother?
I will leave you an intact body and allow you to be buried in the imperial mausoleum. This is the last dignity I can leave you." Prince Yu sneered.
"Hmph! How shameless! Even if I die on the spot in battle, I will never abdicate!" The emperor held his head high and chest puffed out, his eyes full of disdain.
"You're just a cripple, yet you still dream of becoming emperor. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by the world? You're just daydreaming! From the moment you were born, you've been cut off from the throne, yet you still harbor such fantasies, and that's why you've been so depressed all these years."
As the emperor spoke, he looked at the man who came out to interrupt them, and was shocked at the sight.
"Zhao Chengde, how dare you collude with foreigners? As a member of the Zhao clan, Emperor Gaozu fought against the Northern Ming Kingdom for many years, and then closed the trade and announced to the world that we would never coexist with the barbarians!
You actually violated the ancestral teachings and disobeyed the will of Emperor Gaozu. You deserve to die!" The emperor pointed at Prince Yu and cursed.
Prince Yu's face suddenly turned extremely ugly. What he hated most in his life was being called a cripple. Coincidentally, the emperor mentioned colluding with foreign vassals and violating the will of Emperor Gaozu, which touched the wound in his heart again, making him angry and ashamed.
"Wu Shengmao, what are you waiting for? Why don't you take Zhao Chengming down immediately?" Prince Yu was furious and called the emperor by his name.
"Yes!" Wu Shengmao was about to give an order when he heard the emperor shout angrily.
"Wu Shengmao! I order you to withdraw your troops immediately, otherwise I will kill your entire clan!"
"Since you have already rebelled, you have already put life and death aside! Your Majesty, your threats have no deterrent effect on me!" Wu Shengmao sneered.
"Hmph!" Prince Yu's face twisted, and he shouted behind him, "All soldiers, listen up! Kill Emperor Cheng Ming and you'll be promoted five ranks! Whoever captures Emperor Cheng Ming alive will be promoted to a higher rank! A meteoric rise to prominence is just around the corner!"
The rebels were immediately energized, their morale greatly boosted.