Chapter 245
Changle watched silently as Li Chengqian, unable to close his eyes in death, lay before her. Despite being mentally prepared, tears still welled in her eyes when this moment unfolded. How did it come to this?
In Changle’s perspective, Li Chengqian’s death was entirely his own. As the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, there was no reason for him to end up in such a state if he hadn’t entertained those unrealistic ideas. His downfall was entirely self-inflicted.
At this moment, the sounds of battle from the direction of the imperial palace faintly reached them. Changle suddenly raised her head and looked in that direction. Over the imperial palace, towering flames had already ignited and were reaching for the sky. Changle looked at Su Li with a fearful expression.
Tonight, she had already lost one family member and didn’t want to see anyone else die. Su Li approached and held Changle in his arms, whispering, “Your Majesty has fought all her life, and Hou Junji cannot be his match.” He paused before continuing, “Tonight is too chaotic. I will take you and Su Che back home and then come to the palace to gather information.”
Changle opened her mouth, intending to ask Su Li to rescue Li Er. However, considering what had just happened, she couldn’t bring herself to make that request. Tonight’s events were originally a struggle for the throne, and she felt guilty about involving Su Li in this conflict.
While Su Li maintained a calm appearance, Changle could see through it. Her husband had grown extremely tired of such matters. With a heavy sigh, Changle could only follow Su Li in silence.
The battle cries resounded through the heavens on the other side of the palace, outside the Hall of Martial Valor. Half an hour ago, Hou Junji led the Prince and his six commanders into the palace, totaling over two thousand men. Inside the palace were already arranged insiders who had opened the city gates.
At the outset, the Prince’s forces had indeed been unstoppable. The palace guards had never anticipated a rebellion and could not organize effective resistance. They swiftly advanced, eventually arriving at the Hall of Martial Valor. Over two thousand men surrounded the Hall of Martial Valor.
Hou Junji gave the order, and the eight double-crossbows, drawn by eight oxen each, fired in unison, collapsing the main gate. Hou Junji led the charge, entering the palace square with his troops.
So, what led him to believe that he would rebel against Li Er? Hou Junji might not be the brightest, but he couldn’t have suddenly decided to commit such an act on his own...
Then... It must be Li Chengqian! Aside from his disappointment, there was a faint trace of anger in Li Er’s heart. However, the current situation left no room for him to dwell on his emotions.
Despite having only around a thousand guards with him, facing a rebellion force twice their size, Li Er showed no signs of panic. Without any dialogue, they launched into a charge as soon as the two sides met.
A head-on confrontation might seem devoid of any tactical finesse. Still, Li Er, a renowned military strategist of his time, had an unmatched ability to assess the battlefield compared to Hou Junji, who was far less skilled. Moreover, the rebels were already on shaky moral ground, having been coerced by Li Chengqian’s orders in many cases and not truly enthusiastic about their cause.
Li Er stood in the grand hall, calmly observing the carnage unfolding in the square below as if watching a routine martial display. At the same time, he issued a series of commands with a composed demeanor.
Under Li Er’s command, the palace guards, numbering just over a thousand, were somehow maintaining the upper hand against an enemy force twice their size. They consistently pinpointed the weak points of their adversaries, using their superior numbers to whittle down the enemy’s strength gradually.
Another half hour passed, and the sounds of battle on the square grew quieter. At this point, Hou Junji was covered in blood, fighting fiercely within the ranks. Suddenly, he felt the pressure around him lighten. Hou Junji raised his head in bewilderment and scanned his surroundings.
Only then did he realize his own army, under his leadership, had been annihilated or severely injured. Instead, the palace guards now surrounded him. Pushing through the dense crowd of soldiers, Hou Junji gazed towards the Hall of Martial Prowess. There, he saw Li Er, expressionless.
He turned his head towards the direction of the East Palace, where the night sky, once pitch black, had been painted a fiery red by the raging flames.
It’s over... Hou Junji’s thoughts turned to despair. At this moment, he finally realized that he had overestimated his abilities.
What he thought was a flawless plan had been riddled with flaws from the beginning, with no chance of success whatsoever. Hou Junji couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. He raised his sword without hesitation and swung it fiercely at his neck. Blood sprayed, and the rising military leader who had started as a rebel met his end in rebellion...