The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 146: Siege
It was a stormy evening when Liang Wang, Feng Yi, arrived at the capital, with dark clouds hanging low in the sky and distant thunder rumbling.
The twelve city gates of the capital were tightly shut, and the defenses were heavily guarded.
Liang Wang was escorted by his men, riding his horse to the Yong’an Gate on the south side of the capital city. He called out to the soldiers on the city tower above, giving orders, “Open the gates! I’m here to escort my imperial father, the Emperor, on his final journey.”
On the city gate tower, the commander of the northern army, Lu Chen, looked down at Liang Wang with a cold, sharp gaze.
Lu Chen took an imperial decree and read it aloud, “By the Empress’s orders, the army led by Liang Wang is to return immediately to Jingzhou.”
“Considering Liang Wang’s filial piety, he is permitted to bring twenty attendants into the palace to mourn the Emperor.”
“Anyone who disobeys or resists will be treated as a traitor and will be executed without mercy!”
After finishing, Lu Chen raised his right hand. At the same time, soldiers on the city gate tower quickly drew their bows and aimed arrows at Liang Wang and his men below.
Liang Wang immediately spurred his horse to move out of range of the arrows, then turned his horse back to shout angrily at Lu Chen, “The death of my imperial father is full of suspicions, and the wicked Empress controls the court. The Great Xia is in turmoil, on the brink of disaster!”
“I must bring the truth to the people of Great Xia! Prepare to storm the city!”
Following the order from Lin Hui, the prefecture of Yangzhou, a large army was soon mobilized to attack the city, only to be met by a heavy rain of arrows from the city gate tower above.
Most of the soldiers recruited by Liang Wang were bandits. For the huge sum of money promised by Liang Wang and the promotion after meritorious service, these people, even though they fell under the sharp arrows one by one, continued to attack fiercely.
At this time, the sky was already dark, with lightning and thunder, and bean-sized raindrops kept falling. Blood mixed with rain flowed into the muddy land outside the city gate, making this sea of corpses and blood even more tragic.
Lu Chen stood on the tower, his brows slightly frowned, and looked down coldly at the disorganized people attacking the city below.
They were called “soldiers”, but their deaths and injuries were not for defending their country, but were just victims of power struggles.
It was really ironic.
———–
At this time, a subordinate beside him said to Lu Chen worriedly, “Commander, the Longwu Army has only 100,000 soldiers. In addition to guarding the twelve gates of the capital city, some soldiers must be dispatched to patrol various places in the city.”
“Since Liang Wang is attacking aggressively, the situation is not optimistic.”
“Commander, do we need to borrow people from the Northern Yamen Imperial Army?”
Lu Chen raised his hand to stop his subordinate’s suggestion. After a moment, Lu Chen looked at the city tower below, frowned and said, “Liang Wang ‘s goal is not to capture the capital city, his goal is the imperial city.”
“The pressure on the Northern Yamen Imperial Army’s defenses is no less than ours. The Imperial City is the final line of defense. We cannot move the Northern Yamen Imperial Army.”
“Besides…”
Besides, the Emperor’s death was indeed suspicious. Liang Wang may have already made plans, and there could very well be insiders within the capital, even within the city itself.
Before the Taizi left, he gave orders that if any special situation arose, the Longwu Army should not sacrifice itself in vain, and efforts should be made to minimize losses.
As for this capital, the Longwu Army will hold out as long as it can.
Through the rain, Lu Chen narrowed his eyes.
In his field of vision, Liang Wang had already disappeared. A sense of unease began to settle in Lu Chen’s heart.
“Increase the vigilance throughout the city!”
As soon as Lu Chen finished speaking, a subordinate quickly approached with urgent news, “Commander, we’ve spotted large numbers of unidentified people inside all twelve gates of the capital. They’ve engaged our soldiers, and it seems they’re trying to open the gates!”
Lu Chen immediately turned and walked to another side of the tower to look down. He saw around a few hundred men dressed in black, attacking the city gates, and each of them appeared to be skilled soldiers.
Lu Chen furrowed his brows tightly. If there were this many skilled soldiers at each city gate, the consequences would be unimaginable.
It seemed that Liang Wang had been thoroughly prepared, possibly even setting up these arrangements before he left the capital to take up his fief.
So, could the Emperor’s death have something to do with Liang Wang…?
Time was running out, and there was no room for Lu Chen to dwell on the thought. He quickly focused on commanding both the city’s interior and exterior defenses while drawing his sword, prepared to face the black-clothed men charging up the tower.
———-
Meanwhile, Lin Hui, sitting atop a tall horse not far from the Yong’an Gate, relaxed slightly as he saw chaos unfolding on the city tower. The defenses were no longer as tight as they had been moments ago.
It seemed that Liang Wang’s preparations within the city were already having an effect.
Lin Hui immediately ordered the troops to intensify their assault.
Just then, a messenger arrived from the rear, “Lord Lin, we’ve received reinforcements! It’s Han Shuangling from the Marquis of Guannei Mansion!”
Lin Hui frowned slightly, the Marquis of Guannei Mansion?
Hmph, so they’ve finally arrived.
At that moment, the sound of urgent hoofbeats rang out, and Lin Hui turned to look. Coming toward them was a cavalry force of about ten thousand soldiers, and at the front of the group was a woman riding at the head of the charge.
Lin Hui had some speculation in his heart. It was probably Han Shuangling, the only daughter of the Marquis of Guannei.
Lin Hui was a little displeased. Is Han Shuangling here to compete for credit?
Liang Wang promised Lin Hui that if Liang Wang ascended the throne, Lin Hui’s daughter Lin Miao would be conferred the title of Noble Consort.
Then this is Han Shuangling, the cousin of Liang Wang who had just divorced…
While Lin Hui’s mind was turning over and over, Han Shuangling had ridden to a position one horse’s length away from him.
Han Shuangling nodded to Lin Hui and then raised her eyes to look at the city gate not far away.
After seeing the tall figure of the man on the tower clearly, Han Shuangling’s lips curled slightly.
Oh, it’s him…
Lin Hui was a little puzzled by Han Shuangling’s expression. He also turned his head and looked at the city gate along Han Shuangling’s line of sight.
Lin Hui just opened his mouth and seemed to be about to say something, but he instantly felt a murderous aura beside him. Just as Lin Hui was about to draw his sword to defend himself, a sharp sword wind quickly slashed across his neck.
Lin Hui still maintained a shocked expression when Han Shuangling, who was standing beside him, chopped off his head with a sword, and his body slowly slid off the horse’s back.
Before the people around Lin Hui could react, Han Shuangling pointed the bloody sword in her hand straight into the air and shouted,
“My men, follow me to kill the rebels!”
———–
Han Shuangling’s men immediately drew their swords and slashed at the people who were besieging the city.
The Liang Wang’s group was unprepared for the friendly army to suddenly become the enemy and was killed by surprise. The leader Lin Hui was killed on the spot, and the rhythm of the siege instantly fell into chaos.
After Lu Chen dealt with the group of unidentified black-clothed men just now, he returned to the tower and saw Han Shuangling kill the rebel leader next to her with one sword.
It seemed that the only daughter of the Marquis of Guannei had chosen a position.
The number of rebels outside the city was at least 100,000. Lu Chen couldn’t just watch Han Shuangling fight alone with a few people. Just as he was about to go down the tower, his subordinates came to report, “Report! Commander, Xuanping Gate, and Chongren Gate were breached from the inside, and Liang Wang has led his troops into the city from Chongren Gate!”
Lu Chen’s heart trembled, the capital city was not defended after all.
It was reported that when Liang Wang came out of Yuzhou, he had about 200,000 troops and horses. Just now, there were about 100,000 people outside Yong’an Gate, so at this moment, Liang Wang had at least tens of thousands of people around him.
At this point, trying to hold the city was no longer worth it which was like just patching up one hole after another.
Lu Chen gave orders to his subordinates, “Open the gates, and let’s charge out!”
With a loud bang, the Yong’an Gate opened wide, and Lu Chen led the Longwu Army into the enemies.
Han Shuangling withdrew her sword from a fallen soldier’s chest, then turned to face the approaching man. She smiled warmly and said, “Commander Lu, it’s been a while!”
Lu Chen didn’t think this was the right time for small talk. As he hacked his way through the enemy, he quickly called out to her, “Don’t waste time fighting them. Fall back to the Imperial City!”
Han Shuangling’s expression immediately became serious as she nodded to Lu Chen. Both of them signaled their men and fought their way back into the city.
———–
Given the chaos in the capital at this moment, even without a curfew, every household would likely keep their doors tightly shut. It wasn’t just the night, people would probably stay indoors for days, fearful of being caught up in the turmoil.
Lu Chen quickly recalled the soldiers from the Southern Yamen Imperial Army and, with the few thousand men Han Shuangling had left, entered the Imperial City through the Xihua Gate.
Soon after Liang Wang’s forces entered the city, they were stalled by the Longwu Army. When they finally reached the Imperial City, they were met with tightly closed palace gates, an impenetrable barrier.
At the same time, Liang Wang, Feng Yi, learned that Lin Hui had been killed by Han Shuangling.
Feng Yi cursed Han Shuangling under his breath, but he also felt a sense of bad luck.
It was truly an inauspicious start.
Liang Wang quickly appointed a new commander and ordered the remaining ten thousand or so troops to quickly regroup, tightening their defense of the twelve city gates of the capital and the various palace gates of the Imperial City.
After leaving the Wumen Gate, Liang Wang headed to an inconspicuous house in the southern part of the capital.
Upon arriving outside, a subordinate knocked three times on the door. It wasn’t long before a middle-aged male voice came from inside, “Who’s there?”
The subordinate responded, “Just here to check on the goods.”
This was the secret code given by His Highness, and immediately, the door opened.
Although it was already the late hours of the night, Imperial Concubine Ning couldn’t sleep, her nerves on edge. Outside, there was chaos, with sounds of screaming and fighting filling the air. Imperial Concubine Ning couldn’t guess who would emerge victorious or who would fall.
Imperial Concubine Ning had originally planned to leave the capital the night the Emperor died and hide in a secluded place for a while. However, after the capital was sealed that very night, she couldn’t get out. She had no choice but to return to the house arranged by Liang Wang, where she could at least be temporarily safe.
When she learned that Liang Wang had successfully entered the capital, Imperial Concubine Ning’s mind was in turmoil. She wondered whether she should take advantage of the chaos to escape. Otherwise, with all the things she knew and the deeds she had personally committed, she would eventually be silenced by Liang Wang.
Before she could make up her mind, to her shock, the man she feared, Liang Wang, Feng Yi, came in person!
————
When Feng Yi saw that Imperial Concubine Ning was still fully dressed at this hour, and noticed a bundle on the bed behind her, his eyes narrowed dangerously.
He had thought this woman was obediently staying in this house, but now it seemed she had been planning to escape all along.
Imperial Concubine Ning, seeing Liang Wang step into the room, was startled and stood up suddenly, but the movement seemed to pull at her abdomen. She quickly pressed one hand against her stomach, bracing herself on the table with the other, gasping in pain.
Feng Yi had no further use for her now. He didn’t have the time to waste with this woman. With a swift gesture, one of his subordinates, holding a thick rope, stepped into the room.
Imperial Concubine Ning, terrified, began to back away, pleading desperately, “Your Highness, what… what are you going to do?”
“I’ve done so much for you, Your Highness…,” Imperial Concubine Ning began, but she suddenly stopped herself. She couldn’t say that, it would only make her death come quicker. She quickly changed her tone, “Your Highness, I’ll pretend I know nothing. Let me go, and I’ll leave far away, where no one will find me, Your Highness!”
Backed into a corner, Imperial Concubine Ning was yanked roughly by her arm.
She struggled, looking at Liang Wang with tears streaming down her face, crying out, “Your Highness, Your Highness, I still carry your child… For the sake of the child, please spare my life, Your Highness…”
The subordinate paused for a moment, turning to look at Liang Wang, seemingly waiting for his master’s next command.
Feng Yi merely curled his lips into a sarcastic smile and lazily replied, “A child?”
“I can’t be sure if the child in your womb is mine… or… my imperial father’s.”
Imperial Concubine Ning was struck silent, as if unable to believe that Liang Wang would say such a thing. He knew very well…
At Feng Yi’s gesture, his subordinate continued with his task. He wrapped a rope around Imperial Concubine Ning’s neck, tightening it just enough that her life was snuffed out instantly.
Liang Wang, Feng Yi, glanced indifferently at the lifeless body on the ground, the woman who had shared his bed multiple times, giving him a good deal of excitement and pleasure, and who had once belonged to his late imperial father.
He withdrew his gaze and turned, striding out of the room with purpose.
Soon, Imperial Concubine Ning’s body was dumped into a dried-up well in the backyard of the house, and a heavy stone slab was placed over the well’s opening.
The woman who had once been the favored concubine of the late Emperor Hui had quietly met her end.
But Feng Yi did not leave the house immediately. Instead, he headed to the main hall.
A man wrapped in a black cloak entered the house and was escorted to the main hall where Liang Wang was waiting. As the door was closed, the man removed his cloak, and through the shrinking gap of the door, it was clear that this man was none other than the current Left Prime Minister, Wang Xian.
————
Meanwhile, the situation in the Imperial City was far from calm.
The Northern Yamen Imperial Army had discovered several suspicious soldiers among their ranks. Lu Chen and Xie Changyuan had no doubt that these were likely traitors that Liang Wang had already bribed in advance.
After taking control of these soldiers, Lu Chen and Xie Changyuan decided that the palace defenses should be handled by both the Southern and Northern Yamen Imperial Armies simultaneously. This way, even if there were spies, they would be quickly discovered, and the likelihood of multiple guards at the same post defecting at once would be minimized.
Meanwhile, Han Shuangling and her group were being closely monitored. She didn’t mind, though, as she knew that with the blood ties between the Liang Wang and the Marquis of Guannei, Lu Chen wouldn’t fully trust them just yet.
However, Han Shuangling was planning to visit Imperial Concubine Jing, who was reportedly ill in Yonghe Palace. Imperial Concubine Jing was her aunt and also the mother of Liang Wang, Feng Yi.
But when Han Shuangling arrived at Yonghe Palace, she was met with a cold reception.
News traveled fast, and Imperial Concubine Jing, no matter how secluded she seemed, knew full well what was happening. Since Han Shuangling had managed to enter the Imperial City, it was clear that she, or the Marquis of Guannei’s family, had aligned themselves with the Taizi’s faction.
Given this, how could Imperial Concubine Jing, as a close relative, possibly show any kindness or favor toward Han Shuangling?
———-
In the Buddhist Hall in Kunning Palace, the Empress and Princess Changle, Feng Yunchao, were both kneeling on their respective mats, their eyes half-closed as they quietly chanted Buddhist scriptures.
After a while, Princess Changle could no longer contain her anxiety. She turned toward the Empress and, in a soft voice, asked, “Imperial Mother, can we really trust Xie Changyuan? Do you think he might… side with Liang Wang?”
Feng Yunchao’s concerns were not unreasonable. With the Taizi’s fate still unclear, and the Northern Yamen Imperial Army under Xie Changyuan having no obvious reason to remain loyal to the Taizi, it was indeed possible that they might side with Liang Wang.
The Empress paused, her gaze lifting to the jade Buddha statue in front of her. She spoke slowly, “Now, with Lu Chen and Xie Changyuan guarding the Imperial City together, each keeping the other in check and under supervision, the situation should improve somewhat.”
“We can only pray for Buddha’s protection and hope that the Taizi returns safely.”
“The Taizi is cautious in his actions, and with his good fortune, he will surely be fine.”
The Empress’s tone was firm, filled with both faith and hope.
Feng Yunchao nodded thoughtfully, then added, “Brother Taizi is indeed fortunate. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to marry someone like Princess Qin Yan.”
Feng Yunchao seemed to realize that her words had strayed from the point and awkwardly stopped herself.
However, thinking of Qin Yan, she felt even more assured that Brother Taizi would be fine. After all, both Brother Taizi and Qin Yan were so capable.
The chanting of Buddhist scriptures once again filled the hall, the mother and daughter continuing their prayers.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial City, few knew that urgent news from the northern frontier had already been sent to Guanzhong, swiftly making its way to the capital.
Taizi Feng Zhan, leading the ten thousand Chifeng Army, was on his way to the Imperial City.
A storm of bloodshed and intrigue, a battle for the throne, was about to erupt.