Chapter 37：Who's Laughable?

The imperial city was a mess.

This was what Xia Lian Bei thought of as he was atop the palace walls.

The third prince Xia Yu Sheng's private army of ten thousand soldiers broke the city gates and came barging in.

But the ninth prince Xia Yu Heng's forces numbering also up to ten thousand were already inside the capital and were only disguised as common citizens.

These two groups clashed against each other on the streets of the imperial city, causing unrest to the common people.

Calling each other traitors but weren't they both traitors? Even Feng prince found this quite funny.

But both couldn't enter the palace gates as Xia Lian Bei ordered for it to be hoisted up.

No person could cross the moat dividing the city and the royal grounds.

What was worse, there were defectors among the ranks of the city guards who sided either with the third prince or the ninth prince.

Xia Lian Bei's nephews were really troublesome.

"Highness, at this rate, the city might be ravaged. What are your orders?"

The loyal vice-commander of the imperial guards asked in trepidation.

Xia Lian Bei gave a brilliant smile.

"Vice Commander, aren't you glad? Knowing those scary masked people hidden inside the palace, your turncoat commander is probably dead. Should ben wang call you Commander now?"

The vice commander didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this statement. At this point in time, should he even consider the promotion?

But Xia Lian Bei returned his gaze at the chaos below.

"Ben wang sees these soldiers are not for show. While the other group has people of the jianghu among their men. Aren't this prince's nephews great? Having such great allies, one won't be burdened too much."

The vice-commander thought that Feng wang shu's sense of humor had really bad timing.

But Prince Feng let him be as he shouted using his inner force[1].

"Brave warriors, listen to me! Even if you don't die fighting, you'll still die by your master's hand after all of this. Do you think they need to keep the stain to their names? So why not surrender now and let this prince offer you salvation?"

His voice echoed to those fighting nearest the palace gates. And they all turned to see that it was the pale-haired imperial uncle who was talking.

They were baffled for a few moments. Wasn't their master who was either the third prince or the ninth prince supposed to be the one showing up?

Why did this cursed demon appear? When did it get to be his turn?

Xia Lian Bei looked on as his words got ignored.

"Pft! Really, no one bothers to believe this prince. If they die, their souls can't blame me ah!"

That was when the heavy marching was heard from the back of the royal palace.

Behind the rear court of the palace was a mountain and from it emerged wave after wave of gallant soldiers. The coat of arms, a sun with eight emerging snakes, fluttered in the wind.

Xia Lian Bei's smile brightened. His nephews probably had forgetful minds.

Even if he surrendered his Huoyang army to the Emperor, did they think that he'd just sit back and watch as they got over their heads and fight frantically for the throne?

They were like children in his eyes. Even though one was older than him by a few years and the other was only younger by five.

But they foolishly played with human lives.

The army that they both raised secretly, would any of them be alive when the sun rose tomorrow?

Xia Lian Bei doubted it.

The Huoyang troops which were approximately thirty thousand men; ten thousand in cavalry and twenty thousand on foot surrounded the royal palace on all sides and trampled everything on their way.

Raising his rank among them since he was fifteen, Xia Lian Bei understood more than anyone that every single one of his men had the fighting power of two or even three average soldiers.

They were also war veterans so their bloodthirsty aura alone could scare the private armies who hadn't experienced true bloodshed.

The third prince and the ninth prince were probably relaxed and didn't include the Huoyang troops in their calculation because they knew that their barracks were a day of journey away from the capital.

But Xia Lian Bei had to make preparations because of that damn girl's warning that night they met in Gao Le palace.

Yin Hua Lei's warning only confirmed his suspicions so he knew he had to be ready.

Aiy, wasting their youths just like that...

Feng prince had a mocking smile while witnessing what could only be called as a massacre down below the palace walls.

His Huoyang troops could only be tickled with this level of silly games. The bitter years of war they experienced up north were still the most unforgettable.

"Shai!" He called the man as he went nearer to where Feng prince was.

The man with honey skin looked like a fish back in the water in all this commotion. Shai really thrived in war.

Xia Lian Bei ignored the frenzied look in his right hand man's eyes. He knew he would never lose his rationality.

"Make sure the citizens are unharmed. If the casualty is above a hundred commoners, you will all receive punishment."

There was a playful smirk on his lips but Shai knew his master wasn't joking.

Their priority after all was the citizens' safety. The rebels' eradication only came next.

So without further ado, Shai delegated tasks to the thousand-man captains to protect the citizens at all costs.

The hunt would only be longer but the capital would be fairly safer.

Xia Lian Bei surveyed everything from the palace walls and gave orders every now and then but he didn't personally lead them into battle.

He trusted Shai's judgment for this matter.

Some of the rebels wanted to set houses on fire but their last-minute plans were soon halted.

They were greatly outnumbered and their chain of command wasn't centralized.

They were from different groups after all.

It would only be a matter of time until this skirmish was over.

As the sounds of horses galloping, weapons clashing, screams of men in pain, shouts of captains barking orders grew livelier, a servant from the inner palace braved himself to go closer to Feng wang shu.

When Xia Lian Bei saw the badly trembling eunuch... why wasn't he surprised by this?

***

Back at the Sacred Sky palace, another eunuch was horrified to see all the blood and corpses on the floor.

What more, the third prince and ninth prince were both badly injured. And the noble imperial consort also looked like she received a wound.

Looking at the people at the center, wasn't that Gao Le princess clutching the Chang wangfei's neck?

The eunuch swayed in place as he became a bit nauseous. What exactly was going on with the world?

Yin Hua Lei saw that the eunuch was about to faint so she let go of Bai Chen Rong and the woman gasped for air and coughed.

Gao Le princess clapped her hands to get the eunuch's attention. "What is it?"

"Ah?... Ah! Yes, this servant is here to announce that the capital city is currently besieged by two groups of criminals." He didn't dare to peek at the Empress' reaction and tried to look straight at Gao Le princess but he was also scared of her.

When he wanted to look at the floor, his eyes feasted on red liquid and dead men. He didn't know where to look anymore.

"...Fortunately, Feng wang shu and the Huoyang troops are present and they're fending off the rebels..."

Yin Hua Lei saw this coming so she wasn't surprised but the other people in the room felt their worlds and hopes shatter.

The Empress, her son the third prince, Imperial Consort Fa, Xia Yu Heng and Bai Chen Rong and the ministers who were on each of their sides.

They were two separate factions but wanting the same thing.

They planned thoroughly and went through such lengths just for this day but it all went down the drain. Where did they go wrong?

They were used to scheming and plotting complicated plans but why fail now?

But Yin Hua Lei saw the eunuch hemming and hawing so her eyes sharpened.

"There's something else?"

The eunuch wanted to cry. He was a loyal eunuch of the Empress ah so it was really hard to break the other news.

"Bi xia... has been waiting at the banquet hall. His Majesty asked this servant if there is any problem going on?"

The people in the room felt their minds explode. Their faces were all ghastly.

"WHAT?! What outlandish joke are you telling?!" The Empress represented their outrage.

"Yo-your Highness, this servant... this servant is not telling a joke. Please spare this servant!" The eunuch fell to his knees.

Yin Hua Lei searched for her father in the room who was making his presence scarce.

"Father! You knew this, didn't you?!"

Yin Fang Qi had a complicated expression but refused to reply. Less talk, less mistakes.

The Duke Yin clapped his son's back. "Bastard!"

Yin Hua Lei breathed deeply multiple times to calm herself. Looking at it, didn't this thought also pass her mind but she refused to believe it?

Why would her Uncle Emperor curse himself to be dead when he wasn't? But he really did it! That person really knew no bounds!

"Alright, we're all going there regardless of what you all feel. No one can escape." She pursed her lips. "Guards! Apprehend the Empress, Third Prince Xia Yu Sheng, Imperial Consort Fa, Ninth Prince Xia Yu Heng, Ninth wangfei Bai Chen Rong and all their accomplices in this room."

Her expression said, 'if you dare to refuse, you'll see what I mean.'

So the imperial guards, who stood like vegetables outside the Sacred Sky palace, could only drag their legs to obey.

In addition, the Xiu leader was still there watching their every move. They still wanted their lives so they gritted their teeth as they bound these big shots not at all caring about their complaints.

If the Emperor was alive then it was plain as day that these people were played. They fell for the trap and showed their true colors immediately, not doubting that the Emperor was already claimed by the heavens.

It was a shame, how could such an incapable ruler think of a way to weed out all the bad grass at once?

The Empress couldn't believe what was happening.

Didn't she clearly send someone to dispose of Min Tong, the Emperor's personal eunuch? Didn't she make sure that Imperial Consort Fa sweet talks the Emperor into drinking the tonic?

She even had someone plant fake evidence on the noble imperial consort's palace to dig the eldest prince's grave but it was never used.

How come... how come he was alive? Was she dreaming? A bad nightmare perhaps?

But looking at Imperial Consort Fa's similar horrified expression, the Empress knew this was all real.

Their husband... was he really a silly and laughable sovereign? Did she really know who the Emperor was?