Chapter 200 Death

The square outside Xuanhui Palace was piled with corpses, and the wind was filled with a strong smell of blood, but the fighting continued.

The princes and concubines had all hidden in the palace, not daring to disturb the sick Emperor Tongxu, and could only hide in the corner and cry silently.

Li Yanchang's vision had begun to blur, and he could not see clearly in the distance, but he could hear the sound of killing.

Li Jifeng squatted down beside him, "Seventh Brother."

Li Yanchang's blood was almost drained, and there was a sound of leaking air in his throat, "Save... Save me..."

"You are finally afraid of death." Li Jifeng laughed, "I thought you were really not afraid of death."

Li Yanchang was not afraid of death at first, but he slowly tasted the taste of death in the passage of blood and time. He saw that there was no afterlife, only endless darkness, so he began to be afraid.

Shen Yu's goal was achieved, to prolong his pain infinitely.

"You have calculated everything, and what you get is the result today." Li Jifeng glanced at his neck and sighed twice, "This knife is really sharp. I didn't expect that she would dare to do it at that time."

The imperial guards held the steps tightly to prevent the rebellious imperial guards from attacking, but they were still at a disadvantage in terms of numbers.

The rebellious imperial guards were gradually shrinking the encirclement.

"Kill--" The deputy commander was furious, "We are about to win!"

Li Zhaonian did not retreat into Xuanhui Hall. He wanted to make himself remember today clearly.

He wanted to figure out what all this was for in the bloody wind? Is it worth it?

I don't know who drew the bow, and an arrow shot towards Li Zhaonian.

It was about to hit, but it was cut into two pieces in mid-air.

Li Zhaonian: "Ninth brother, you..."

"Just to save my life." Li Jifeng threw away the knife he picked up from the ground.

Li Zhaonian was just slightly stunned for a moment, and his eyes were full of relief again.

Everyone in the palace wore masks, including the emperor, concubines, and even eunuchs and palace maids. They had two faces in front of people and behind people, one for themselves and the other for their lives.

Li Jifeng took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands and asked, "Why didn't Fourth Brother hide inside?"

Li Zhaonian glanced at Li Jifeng, "Where else can you hide?"

"You don't seem to be worried at all."

Li Zhaonian looked in the direction of the palace gate, "I believe her."

"But she's gone." Li Jifeng reminded.

"But she left a way out for everyone." Li Zhaonian said, "Wait a little longer."

Amid the deafening shouts and screams, Li Jifeng faintly heard the sound of marching.

"Deputy Commander!" A guard shouted, "The people from the Five Cities Military Department are here!"

"What?" The deputy commander's heart sank, and he quickly retreated after blocking the knife of a guard, "No, retreat!"

"I can't retreat, they've already killed us!"

"Where's Jiang An? He left us and ran away? Don't you understand that you shouldn't chase after a desperate enemy?" The deputy commander spat a mouthful of blood foam.

"Brothers, hold on for a while, and when the army of Xuanping Hou enters the capital, we will be the first to do the work!"

The guards suffered more than 2,000 casualties, and half of their manpower was taken away by Jiang An, so they couldn't stop the reinforcements at all.

The guards retreated to the palace gate together, but were pressed back by the people from the Five Cities Military Department.

"Is this her backup plan?" Li Jifeng smiled slightly, "It's a pity that we are a little late."

Li Zhaonian said: "It's not too late, but the battle line was drawn too early. Father's order to capture the seventh brother was far beyond the plan. The original plan was to capture Li Yanchang and Jiang An at 1:00 pm. The soldiers from the five cities were just able to arrive and surround and kill the rebellious imperial guards inside the palace gate. It was just that the first variable occurred with father."

"That was because father was so angry with the seventh brother that he couldn't stand it at that time." Li Jifeng said.

Li Zhaonian sighed, "The second variable is me. I didn't arrange the harem women and the rest of the brothers, so someone took the hostage and held her back."

Li Jifeng thought for a moment, "The third variable is Xie Tingzhou."

"Yeah." Li Zhaonian said, "She held Li Yanchang hostage. If we can hold out for a while, the soldiers from the Five Cities may arrive."

"But she didn't calculate that Xie Tingzhou would come back and was willing to fight for her life." Li Zhaonian looked far-sighted, "This is her variable, and also our variable. There is no perfect plan in this world, only a desperate fight."

Li Jifeng crossed his arms, still looking idle in the face of a powerful enemy, "She could have been in no hurry to kill Li Yanchang, and could have delayed it a little longer."

"For Xie Tingzhou." Li Zhaonian whispered, "She was afraid that once the reinforcements arrived, Xie Tingzhou would not be able to leave."

The soldiers from the Five Cities quickly surrounded the remnants of the imperial army.

Commander Qi Ping rode his horse to the front of the palace and dismounted, "Your Highness, I am late to rescue you, please forgive me."

Li Zhaonian looked at the square where blood was flowing, "Leave it to you, Commander Qi."

"Yes! I obey your orders." Qi Ping turned around, "All the soldiers in the five cities obey my orders! Kill the rebellious imperial guards, no mercy!"

Li Jifeng said, "Let's go in and see my father."

Li Zhaonian was the first to step into the gate and said to the princes and palace ladies who were huddled in a corner, "Go back, go back to your own palace."

The people in the palace retreated until only the two brothers and Emperor Tongxu were left.

Li Zhaonian knelt in front of the dragon bed and called softly, "Father."

Emperor Tongxu gradually opened his eyes, "Is it resolved?"

"The soldiers in the five cities have controlled the situation."

"Where is the seventh brother?"

Li Zhaonian and Li Jifeng looked at each other and said, "He intended to murder his son and minister, and was killed at the door."

Emperor Tongxu: "Shen Yu..."

"She is still needed outside." Li Zhaonian lied without looking into his father's eyes.

Whether it was hiding the person who killed Li Yanchang or lying to Emperor Tongxu, he wanted to keep her.

"That's good, it's good that she's still here." Emperor Tongxu reached out and grabbed the hands of Li Zhaonian and Li Jifeng, "I will hand over your brothers and this mess to you."

Li Zhaonian's eyes were red, "Don't worry, father, I will do my best."

Emperor Tongxu nodded slightly, looked at Li Zhaonian and said, "Don't let, don't let the country be ruined in your hands, never, never..."

Li Zhaonian felt the hand holding him loosen.

He raised his head and saw Emperor Tongxu's eyes open, his eyes were lifeless, filled with his unfulfilled ambitions and unwillingness.

The funeral bells rang long, and the wails blew together.

Emperor Tongxu reigned for 19 years and ended his life in the sound of war.

...