nucmednet Chapter 538 War Breaks Through the Capital Gates
Chapter 538 War Breaks Through the Capital Gates
"Eunuch Liu, where are you going?" Shen Yanzhou caught a glimpse of his movements out of the corner of his eye and shouted sternly.
Eunuch Liu stiffened, turned to look at Shen Yanzhou, and revealed a ferocious smile: "Your Highness, now that things have come to this, there's no point in struggling anymore."
"Prince Rongyang will be here soon with his men. Then, this palace and this world will belong to His Highness the Third Prince!"
"You really are one of Rongyang King's men!" Shen Yanzhou roared angrily, swinging his sword at Eunuch Liu.
Eunuch Liu was quite skilled; he dodged to the side, pulled out a short knife from his robes, and slashed at Shen Yanzhou: "Your Highness, don't blame this old servant for being ruthless; blame yourself for blocking His Highness the Third Prince's path!"
Shen Yanzhou and Eunuch Liu got into a fight, while Lin Chuying stood aside, clutching a hairpin tightly in her hand, ready to step forward and help at any moment.
The fighting inside the palace grew increasingly fierce, with the Imperial Guards suffering heavy casualties. Meanwhile, the Third Prince's elite warriors, numbering in number, gradually gained the upper hand.
Shen Jinyu stood aside, watching this scene, a smug smile on her face: "Shen Yanzhou, you've lost! Today, you and this old bastard are both going to die!"
While fighting with Eunuch Liu, Shen Yanzhou looked at Shen Jinyu with icy eyes: "Shen Jinyu, you colluded with foreign officials, murdered your father and seized power. Even if you sit on the throne, you will be despised by the world!"
So what if they despise you?
Shen Jinyu laughed loudly, "Once I sit on the throne, who will dare to disobey? At that time, I will be the ruler of the world!"
Just then, Eunuch Liu seized an opening and stabbed Shen Yanzhou in the chest with his short knife.
"Your Highness! Be careful!"
Lin Chuying shouted and rushed forward without thinking, standing in front of Shen Yanzhou.
"Pfft-"
The dagger plunged deep into Lin Chuying's back, and blood instantly stained her elegant palace dress.
"Yinger!"
Shen Yanzhou's pupils contracted sharply, his heart aching as if it were being stabbed. He kicked Liu Gonggong away abruptly, caught the collapsing Lin Chuying, and cried out in a trembling voice, "Ying'er, are you alright? Don't scare me!"
Lin Chuying leaned against him, her face as pale as paper, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, yet she still managed a weak smile at him: "Your Highness... I'm alright... Please take care..."
"It's all my fault! It's all my fault for not protecting you!"
Shen Yanzhou held her tightly, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.
Eunuch Liu steadied himself and sneered, "Your Highness, you still have the mind to indulge in romance? This day next year will be the anniversary of your deaths!"
As he spoke, he swung his knife at Shen Yanzhou again.
Shen Yanzhou's eyes hardened. He handed Lin Chuying to the maid Qinghe beside him, turned around to face Eunuch Liu, and his sword moves were filled with boundless hatred. Every strike was as if he wanted to tear Eunuch Liu to pieces.
Just at this critical moment, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted outside the hall, followed by a gruff voice shouting, "Third Prince, you traitor! I, Cui, have come to take your dog's life!"
It's Choi Ji-ho!
Shen Jinyu's expression changed: "How is this possible? Weren't you guarding the north gate? How come you're here?"
Cui Zhihao led a squad of elite guards in, his clothes stained with blood, his eyes as cold as frost: "The fall of the North Gate is a lie! I knew you would plant a traitor in the Imperial Guards, and I deliberately had them open the city gates to lure you out!"
It turned out that after leaving the East Palace, Cui Zhihao did not immediately go to the North Gate. Instead, he went to the Imperial Guard camp first to eliminate the spies planted by Shen Jinyu. Then, he led his elite troops around to the back gate of the palace, just in time to witness the fighting inside the palace.
With Choi Ji-ho's arrival, the situation instantly reversed.
The Third Prince's assassins were no match for Cui Zhihao and his elite guards, and were quickly wiped out.
Seeing that things were not going well, Eunuch Liu tried to slip away again, but Cui Zhihao grabbed him and held his wrist by the back of his hand.
"Speak! Where is the Prince of Rongyang now?" Cui Zhihao demanded sharply.
Eunuch Liu gritted his teeth and refused to speak.
Cui Zhihao's eyes turned cold, and he tightened his grip. With a "crack," Liu Gonggong's wrist was broken, and he screamed in pain: "I'll talk! I'll talk! Prince Rongyang... Prince Rongyang didn't come in person. He sent Zhou Biao with troops to hold them back, while he himself led his men to the Qin residence, wanting to... wanting to capture Shi Wanxia to blackmail you!"
"what?!"
Choi Ji-ho's expression changed drastically, and he panicked instantly.
If Shi Wanxia were to be captured by the Prince of Rongyang while she was still at the Qin residence, the consequences would be unimaginable!
He immediately looked at Shen Yanzhou: "Your Highness, I'll leave this to you. I'm going to the Qin residence to rescue Miss Shi!"
Shen Yanzhou nodded, tightening his grip on Lin Chuying's arms: "Go quickly! Make sure to protect Wanxia! I'll take care of things here!"
Cui Zhihao turned and ran outside, his steps hurried, his heart filled with worry. "Wanxia, you must hold on, I'm coming right away!"
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Shen Jinyu tried to slip away in the chaos, but Shen Yanzhou stopped her: "Shen Jinyu, where are you going?"
Shen Jinyu's face was deathly pale, her eyes filled with fear: "Crown Prince, I was wrong! I shouldn't have colluded with Prince Rongyang, I shouldn't have forced the abdication! Please forgive me!"
"Spare you?"
Shen Yanzhou's eyes were icy cold. "The blood Wanqing shed, the injustice suffered by Lord Qin, and the dead Imperial Guards and soldiers—do you think they will spare you?"
Just then, Shen Yuxi suddenly coughed, his face growing increasingly pale. He pointed at Shen Jinyu, his voice weak: "Throw him...throw him into the imperial prison. I'll deal with him after I've quelled this rebellion..."
Shen Jinyu was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, her face ashen.
Just as the Imperial Guards stepped forward to take Shen Jinyu away, a violent explosion suddenly came from outside the palace, shaking the entire palace.
Then, a guard scrambled in, his face filled with terror: "Your Majesty! Your Highness the Crown Prince! Something terrible has happened! The west gate of the palace has been blown open! A group of men in black have rushed in, and the leader... the leader looks like Prince Rongyang!"
Shen Yanzhou and Su Wanqing exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.
Wasn't Prince Rongyang supposed to be at the Qin residence? How come he suddenly appeared at the west gate of the palace?
Could it be that what Eunuch Liu just said was a lie?
Shen Yanzhou looked at the eunuch Liu who was being held captive, and saw a strange smile on his face: "Your Highness, Lord Cui, what do you think..."
"Will Prince Rongyang really go to the Qin residence? That's just a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain! His real target has always been the imperial palace!"
Shen Yanzhou's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition welled up in his mind.
Cui Zhihao went to the Qin residence, which was likely deserted. Meanwhile, at the palace, Prince Rongyang led men in black to storm in. His Majesty was seriously ill, Su Wanqing was severely injured, and the Imperial Guards suffered heavy casualties. How could they possibly resist?
What worried him even more was whether Cui Zhihao would rush back immediately after realizing he had been tricked at the Qin residence, and whether he would encounter an ambush on the way.