Chang'an is good

Chapter 643 Wait for me to clean up the mess
Zhuque Gate is the south gate of the imperial city, leading directly to Chengtian Gate of the Forbidden Palace. The road between these two gates is the center line of the imperial city.

This morning, Li Yin walked out of Chengtian Gate and went to the Taimiao to offer sacrifices. He walked on this straight road that represents the orthodox Tiancheng.

At this moment, as Li Suining led his troops to attack the Suzaku Gate, the traces left by Li Yin on this wide palace road were soon covered by blood.

A bloodbath called the succession of power thus began.

Those who came were a truly elite force. The word "elite" was not claimed by anyone, but was the result of being tempered in battle after battle. They had killed Japanese enemies, guarded the Northern Gate, and quelled civil strife. The armor on their bodies had been soaked in blood time and time again, the blades in their hands had chopped off the heads of the most ferocious enemies, and they had fought back from the gates of hell countless times.

They came from the north, their bodies stained with blood, and they had not yet gotten rid of the arrogance after the great victory. The wind they raised as they rushed seemed to become an invisible blade, indestructible and unstoppable.

This prosperous and majestic imperial city seemed on the verge of collapse at any time under the impact of such powerful murderous aura.

What would collapse before the imperial city must be the defenders' defense.

At this time, the defense of the imperial guards was almost entirely emergency deployment. Before this, there was a riot in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Hundreds of people led by Lu Chong rebelled, officials and royal family members fled, and the imperial guards searched and surrounded them. The riot in the city was even worse than that in the imperial city. A large number of imperial guards were ordered to suppress the literati and besiege the Imperial College... As a result, the imperial guards were dispersed, leaving the defenses of the palace gates seriously empty.

More importantly, before this, no one had expected that the gates of the capital city might be breached today...there were clearly dense layers of troops deployed outside the city!
These imperial guards had no idea how the princess's aggressive army had managed to break into the city.

Today, many unexpected events happened. The morale of the people around Li Yin, the Prince of Rong, was already shaky, and they were suddenly subjected to this sudden bloodbath...

Faced with the approaching army, more than half of the imperial guards fled or surrendered.

Most of the remaining people who preferred to die were Li Yin's personal guards.

The blood added a glaring new color to the vermilion palace walls, and the gaps between the smooth palace floor tiles were also soaked with thick blood. A woman in a dark robe sat on a horse, and with every step her horse's hoof took, the bloody new color spread forward with her.

They climb and grow inch by inch, their color is rich red, like countless flowers blooming from the other side of the underworld. The flowers from the other side absorb blood, flesh and killing, and bloom quickly. They are enchanting, bloody and sinful, bringing death, but also leading to reincarnation and rebirth.

The woman in black robes bore the blood that she did not need to be stained with, and walked between sin and rebirth.

The gentle breeze of heaven and earth sways the broken shadows slowly, and the golden spring sun slowly moves westward. They watch and appreciate the noisy and bloody war in the world without any sadness, joy or emotion.

One palace gate after another was guarded by new ones.

The blood color followed Li Suining and spread all the way to Chengtian Gate.

Outside Chengtian Gate, Li Suining ordered his troops to split into two groups. One group went west, marched along the Yeting Palace in the north of the imperial city, and quickly went to block the Fanglin Gate in the north, which was closest to the imperial city. The other group went east, passed through the East Palace, controlled the Xing'an Gate and Danfeng Gate, and then surrounded the Hanyuan Hall.

Li Suining led his troops eastward.

When approaching Xing'an Gate, someone among the defeated imperial guards confessed Li Yin's retreat route - Li Yin led his troops to Xuanwu Gate in the west, and may have reached Fanglin Gate at this time.

The troops that had just been sent out to block Fanglin Gate in the west might be a step late, but Li Suining was not worried that Li Yin would escape from the capital. She immediately ordered people to pursue him in the direction of Xuanwu Gate, while she herself went to Hanyuan Palace.

Li Yin was no longer in Hanyuan Hall, but there was another very important person left there.

Li Suining, who heard the news, dismounted in front of the Danfeng Gate and stepped into the Hanyuan Hall.

There were no imperial guards guarding the huge palace courtyard anymore. Only the eunuchs and palace maids were left hiding there like frightened birds.

Kang Zhi led the army to march quickly to clear the way. The sound of armor and swords clashing could be heard. The palace people screamed, fled in panic, or kowtowed to the ground.

They were trapped in this imperial city all day long, focusing only on their own duties. They were unable to distinguish the specific situation, and it was difficult for them to tell whether the visitors were humans, ghosts or gods, and what consequences would be brought about.

Rumors can no longer be true, and even a kind person can tear off his disguise and turn into an evil ghost overnight.

The sword light from the incoming person was blinding, bringing great despair.

The imagined killing never happened. The flashes of swords only intimidated them, causing them to stop running and scream.

The corridors, palace roads, and stone pillars were soon filled with kneeling figures, and the entire Hanyuan Hall was quickly taken under control.

After a lapse of exactly twenty years, the young crown prince once again stepped into the main hall of Hanyuan. The light and shadow of the past and the present seemed to overlap. The Li Shang of the past and the Li Suining of today, the real and virtual figures intertwined and merged in an instant at this hall door.

She returned as the Crown Princess instead of the Crown Prince.

This time she didn't need to kowtow to anyone. The dragon throne was empty, waiting to welcome the new master of the country.

Li Suining never looked at the dragon throne.

The empty and magnificent hall was completely silent, with only the bodies of several officials lying in the hall.

Li Suining walked towards the imperial steps.

It turned out that there was still a living person in this quiet hall, a young eunuch who kept his promise.

He was kneeling beside a corpse on the imperial steps. At this moment, he raised his head tremblingly and looked at the person who was approaching.

He had never seen the person, but somehow he recognized her identity at a glance.

The eunuch just raised his head, but bowed it again in panic, not daring to look the visitor in the eye.

The visitor stepped onto the imperial steps.

The footsteps were not heavy, but for some reason, the eunuch could not help but tremble slightly and let out a very low cry.

He couldn't explain exactly why he was crying, perhaps because of the death of Mr. Luo, or because at such a crucial moment, the young princess still came in person to the silent and deserted Hanyuan Hall.

He cried in his heart: [Lord Luo, your lord is here to look for you and to see you off.]

Li Suining slowly knelt down silently, looking at the person lying there quietly.

After nearly a year of separation, the gentleman has become much thinner and has a few more white hairs on his temples.

Yes, if we hadn't worked hard day and night, how could we have achieved what we have today?

Thinking about the past, our farewell in Luoyang last year turned out to be the last time we saw each other.

"I'm late." Li Suining whispered, "I broke my promise to you, sir."

When she was in Jiangdu, she had promised that she would let Mr. Luo see peace again and fulfill his lifelong wish.

"Mr. Luo... leave a message for me to convey to Her Royal Highness the Princess..." The sobbing eunuch still bowed his head to the ground, his voice trembling and hoarse.

Listening to the eunuch's retelling and looking at the bloodstained and silent face before him, Li Suining seemed to hear the broken and unclear voice with his own ears. He used his last bit of strength to slowly say:
[I feel guilty, but I have no regrets. If Your Highness does not abandon me... you can pour me a cup of wine under the jujube tree tomorrow. I will know the meaning of the wine when I smell it.]

——Then you will know that your lord is safe, that your lord will not abandon you, and that the prosperous times have arrived. Li Suining took off his black cape and covered the dust and wind for the people on the ground.

"After I have cleaned up the house, I will prepare some wine for you, sir. The best wine."

She stood up and said, "Please keep an eye on the master for me. I will be back soon."

It was a while before the eunuch realized that the words were actually spoken to him, until the footsteps were heard going down the imperial steps.

The eunuch was startled and kowtowed, saying, "I obey your command!"

When he slowly raised his head, he saw the inky figure about to step out of the palace gate.

As far as the eye could see, the figure was tall and straight, wearing a neat black robe with tight sleeves, his hair was tied up with a copper hairpin, and there was no other ornament on the body.

Although the eunuch was young, he had seen many noble people. But at this moment, with just one glance, he finally understood what true natural aura was.

She stepped out of the palace gate, and sunlight surged towards her from all directions. She stepped into the sunlight, her figure blurred, but the energy did not dissipate, like a sharp blade, cutting into the boundless and dazzling sunlight.

The sun moves westward and the sky gradually darkens.

The turbulent and solemn atmosphere accompanied by the dusk thickly and thoroughly enveloped the entire capital.

There are twelve city gates in the east, west, south and north of the capital, and the flat roads extending from each gate connect the city in all directions, dividing the various districts in the city in an orderly manner.

Soldiers in black armor appeared one after another on these cutting lines. They rushed to the important entrances like a spring flood tide, patrolling the roads and cutting down roads with swords when necessary.

Every place they went to meant another way for Li Yin to escape and hide was blocked.

Li Yin missed the best opportunity to escape from the capital.

When he heard in Hanyuan Palace that the army had entered the city, he should have left the city as soon as possible.

But Li Yin was unwilling to accept this. He was still thinking that even if Li Suining broke into the city, he still had tens of thousands of personal soldiers stationed outside the city, as well as the army of Qianzhong Road. No matter how defeated they were, they would not be completely powerless to fight back. Even if a battle broke out in the city, he would still be able to fight back...

But the imagined pursuit did not appear, and Li Suining rushed into the imperial city almost unhindered. There was no one pursuing her from behind, and the people in front of her collapsed on their own, with some people even spontaneously clearing the way for her!
Li Suining broke into the city from the east and entered the palace from the Suzaku Gate just south of the imperial city. Li Yin could only leave from the northwest of the imperial city.

The imperial city is located at the northernmost part of the capital. Evacuating from the northwest was Li Yin's best option. He could leave the city from here and head west, and then retreat to Shannan West Road and Jiannan Road... However, that road is now blocked by Chai Ting.

Li Yin killed Luo Guanlin, but even though he was dead, the trap he had set up was still in operation. Even if he fought his way out of the city at all costs, he could not return to Jiannan Road.

Not only could he not return to Jiannan Road...

To the west, the Jiannan Road is blocked by Chai Ting, and to the north of the capital is the Guannei Road where the Shuofang Army is located, and the Tibetans are causing chaos there.

To the east is Luoyang, the eastern capital, and Huainan Road...

As for the south, not to mention that if he wanted to escape from the south, he would need to cross the entire capital from the palace, and all the roads in the city had been controlled by Li Suining's men... Even if he could get away with escaping from the south, the Qianzhong Road in the south... could it really be his retreat?

At this time, Li Yin still couldn't find out what happened to She Kui's Qianzhong Road army outside the city, but since there was no movement, it couldn't be as simple as just a defeat... Since the Qianzhong army could no longer be used by him, it meant that Qianzhong Road would also be, or had been, out of his control!
There are roads in all directions, but at this moment... he has no way to retreat.

In the afternoon, when Li Suining's army arrived at Chengtian Gate of the imperial city, Li Yin had retreated to Fanglin Gate. He could have at least escaped from the city, but the guards of Fanglin Gate, which was adjacent to the imperial city, were well-informed and learned of the changes in the city. When they saw the "new emperor" fleeing here, they simply rebelled.

Li Yin was betrayed again. The commander of the guards at Fanglin Gate was even his subordinate who he brought from Jiannan Road.

The generals beside Li Yin angrily cursed the city gate guard commander, who, as he rushed forward with a knife, asked in return: "Your Majesty can betray his own country, why can't I betray my old master? Even if we betray our master, it is for the greater good!"

The price of having the skin of kindness torn off means that even if one is betrayed, those who choose to betray can still occupy the moral high ground and gain both benefits and reputation without having to bear the stigma of betraying their master. From a human perspective, this is a great temptation.

This betrayal made Li Yin realize even more how vicious this plan was.

Today, this city was turned into a furnace by the schemer, burning away his gorgeous clothes and flesh, and making him watch helplessly as everything he owned turned into gorgeous ashes.

And outside this furnace, millions of murderous intentions from all directions were ready like bows and crossbows, all surrounding and aiming at him, Li Yin.

No one can break this situation.

But... he was clearly about to become the emperor of Dasheng!

He has already touched that position!
But just as he stretched out his hand, the arm that had touched the throne was suddenly cut off by an invisible blade...

From that moment on, everything went out of control...

He was in this furnace, and invisible but sharp silver threads emerged from the scorching air one after another, wrapping him up until he could no longer move, completely turning into a bloody trapped beast.

The other ends of these threads were all handed over to the same person to be controlled by those crazy people who were not afraid of their lives. That person was called Li Suining, but he might not be the real Li Suining.

……

After Li Yin was assassinated in a rebellion at Fanglin Gate, he suffered heavy losses and was forced to flee westward towards Jingyao Gate.

He had no idea whether the guards at Jingyao Gate would also choose to betray him, because Li Suining's troops had already arrived before he even approached Jingyao Gate.

At first it was a pursuit, and then it was a siege from the front and back.

The area that Li Suining's troops encroached upon and controlled became larger and larger, while the area in which Li Yin and his troops were surrounded became smaller and smaller.

Before being completely surrounded, Li Yin still had the possibility to escape to Xiu De Fang, where many officials lived. If he took the remaining troops into the Fang, he might still have the possibility to hide at night.

But Li Yin did not escape again.

The capital city has been controlled by Li Suining. He can only survive for a short while if he hides, or he may be killed in the chaos... He is wearing the emperor's robes and believes that he should not die in such a shameful way.

Now that it has come to this, he must see her... He wants to confirm something with his own eyes.

He was suddenly plunged into this nightmare-like desperate situation, losing everything in one night. Countless feelings of unwillingness were roaring and churning in his blood, and finally the inner demons that he was unwilling to face were fertilized and strengthened, almost enough to devour him.

Torches fluttered in the night wind, and horse hooves came from the east, stepping on the neat bluestone road, making a not-so-hasty thumping sound.

Soon, Li Yin saw that the expressions of the soldiers who surrounded him in front of him suddenly became solemn and respectful, and they all moved to the sides to salute. Their movements of avoiding and putting away the spears in their hands in an orderly manner were as if they were drawing a ceremonial curtain for the newcomers in the night.

Li Yin finally met Li Suining.

It's dawn when I'm repairing it, good morning everyone~
(No update tonight, see you tomorrow)