C42

43. Under Chang'an City, by the moat.

The two men were standing on opposite sides of the moat. Their eyes were bright as they stared at each other. Their eyes were deep and full of spirit, as if they were communicating with each other through this silent act.

Perhaps, this was not an exchange of words, but a farewell!

How long later? Time passed in the blink of an eye. After about an hour, Emperor Taizong was the first to speak. "Should I call you Duke of Chen or Hou Junchen?" Hou Junchen, who was standing on the other side of the moat, did not expect his first sentence to be this.

"You should call me Hou Junchen! Although I am your blood relative and your subordinate, I have already chosen your son. The new Emperor, I will only listen to his orders! " Hou Junzhu spoke in a seemingly emotionless manner, but his voice was trembling, his eyes were filled with grief, and his tone sounded like he was bidding farewell!

"Hou Junchen, this name has not been called for a long time!" Emperor Taizong replied very quickly. After so many years of being on the throne, he no longer needed time to think. I remember that we met at the age of twenty-six, right?! " His words directly brought back their memories. Older people were easy to remember, but unfortunately, Emperor Taizong and Hou Junchen were already old. No matter how much he tried to hide it, he was still old! Become reminiscent of the past, become often both crying and laughing.

"It's 26 years old. You saved me from Dou Jiande. I am grateful and said that I will follow you forever!" Hou Junchen's gaze turned deep as an apologetic look flashed in the corner of his eyes. Many years ago, he would never have imagined that he would have such a day.

When Emperor Taizong heard these words, he slightly closed his eyes and slightly shook his head. A bitter smile emerged from the corner of his mouth. Suppressing the unhappiness and sadness in his heart, he said, "I still remember the year before last. Xuan Lin told me that you had made weapons by hand. I insisted on not obeying, and the civil and military officials of the imperial court clamored. Only the crown prince said that I was reminiscing about old feelings. Do you remember what I said? "

Standing at the edge of the chasm, the Assembly of Marquis looked at Emperor Taizong's sorrowful and regretful face. This man who had always treated itself as his brother felt a sense of unease in its heart. However, it still did not understand what was wrong. He thought to himself: Maybe I really thought too much, or maybe I feel sorry for him!

"I remember you saying that Hou Junchen was the first person to follow me to defeat the world. In the future, he will be a great general that tens of thousands of people will admire. "En..." Hou Junchen paused for a moment before continuing, "You also said that as long as Hou Junchen does not rebel, you will not kill him!"

What did he get in return for a caring sentence? It was the heartlessness of a son, the rebelliousness of a brother, the pain of an old man's heart …

Upon hearing these words, Emperor Taizong could no longer conceal his sorrow. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he solemnly said, "If you turn back now, I still say the same thing!"

This was forgiveness, the heart of a king looking at a great nation. However, the uneasiness in Hou Junchen's heart was so strong that he could no longer believe that the man standing in front of him considered him a friend. He wanted to control his own fate in his own hands.

"I can't go back, you don't have to say that. Today, I am not standing here to welcome you back to the capital, but to take your life! "

"Then I have nothing else to say. Do it! "

With a single shout from Emperor Taizong, the wounded guards behind him all charged up the ladder on the moat, their blades or spears raised. The rest of the riders saw that it was hard to pass, so they drove the horses into the river, and then they crossed the river on the horses that were waiting in the river. In just a few moments, besides the ten-odd soldiers blocking Emperor Taizong's path, the rest of the Imperial Guards were like deathsworn, defending the undying against the people in front of them.

Seeing that Emperor Taizong had already made his move, Hou Junchen waved his right hand. The over a thousand Sixteen Guards behind him also roared in unison, and rushed forward to fight with the guards. Bladelight rained down like rain, blood rained down like the wind. After the shouts of 'kill' came the piercing sound of blades and spears piercing into one's body. From the point where the two were fighting, blood mixed with broken limbs fell to the ground.

Although the three hundred people in the personal guard were tired masters, they all swore to be loyal to Emperor Taizong to the death, so they charged forward to kill him. Although the soldiers of the Sixteenth Guard weren't as capable as these three hundred men, they had a great advantage in numbers. Thus, they were able to suppress the guards and slow down their advance.

Watching this scene play out beside the moat, the world's most bloody scene, the originally chilly water was dyed red with blood. As the gang fight continued to escalate, the degree of devastation became even more shocking, and the number of casualties on both sides shot up. One could often see the guards dressed as palace guards being chopped down by blades, and in another place, the guards could be seen to kill the enemy in front of them before shouting and rushing forward. What's more, the guards who had already been stabbed several times relied on their loyalty and willpower. Ignoring the fact that he had guts, he shouted at the enemy: "Kill another one, I've struck it rich!" "If I kill another one, I'll earn twice as much!"

The fierce battle still continued, but Emperor Taizong and Hou Junchen did not move. They only stared unblinkingly at the scene, their brows furrowed, their expressions growing heavier. Hou Junchen was a martial artist after all. Although he had some courage and foresight, it was difficult for him to shake off the passion that was hard to suppress in his entire life. Seeing that his thousand soldiers were fighting against the personal guards of less than three hundred men, and yet he still couldn't see any sign of gaining the upper hand, he could no longer suppress the unease and passion in his heart. He let out a long howl and galloped over.

Wherever the horse and the man passed, there would always be a few bright red splashes. When the Sixteenth Guard soldiers saw that their commander was already at the forefront of the charge, they couldn't afford to be left behind. They immediately roared and started fighting with all their might.

On the other side, the Sixteenth Guard had a great reputation and high morale. On the other hand, the morale of the personal guards had been suppressed by the other party. After maintaining it for a long time, they gradually retreated. However, he had just passed through the escalator and the warhorse, so it would be difficult for him to return safely. There were enemies in front and pursuers in the rear. About ten guards fell into the moat without being noticed, and then were stabbed to death in the water by the men of the Sixteenth Guard who came after them. The hundred or so men who had returned stopped their footsteps and kept watch on the stairs.

Just as everyone around Emperor Taizong was on the verge of despair, they heard a movement from the east side of Changan City. A loud shout had already reached everyone's ears.

"Li Kui is here to save you, who dares to block?!"