coobybook Chapter 349: Rebellion Failed
Chapter 349: Rebellion Failed
Tuoba Rao snorted coldly and complained:
"I thought you were so capable, but in the end you're just meat on the chopping board, waiting to be slaughtered."
Pei Heng glanced at her coldly, pulled out a knife from a corpse at his feet, swung it in a defensive gesture and said:
"Without further ado!"
Tuoba Rao had never imagined that he would actually fight alongside Pei Heng in his lifetime. In the past, he would never have believed it.
Duke Yong laughed out loud and picked up a knife.
"I haven't killed anyone in years. Today I'll relax and unwind! Marquis Yong'an, Sun Zhuangyuan, you are scholars, stand back!"
"With such a formidable enemy at our doorstep, there's no reason for us to retreat and let Duke Yong and General Pei protect us. We must attack together. Even if we can't kill a single one, at least we must die with dignity!"
Sun Zhonghuai and Yong'an Hou each held a knife and were ready to die.
"And me!" Prince Su said sternly.
He glanced at Prince Heng, who nodded, "Don't worry, Seventh Brother, Second Brother will be watching over here."
"Alright! Then I will send you both off right away!"
At King Kang's command, swords and knives clashed and fought in the hall.
……
Su Li and Song Ci hurried to the palace gate, but before they reached the gate, they heard a sound in the night sky behind them. Turning around, they saw countless fireworks exploding in the dark sky, and the entire night sky instantly became extremely brilliant.
"What's going on here?"
The ministers who had left the palace stopped to watch.
The emperor fainted and the celebration banquet had already ended. Why were people still setting off fireworks at this time?
At the same time, the guards not far away all looked very nervous, and some of them were already running and shouting:
"Close all four palace gates! Don't let anyone out!"
A courtier rushed forward and shouted:
"Why are you closing the palace gates? We haven't even left yet!"
"Get out of the way!" The gatekeeper shoved the official aside, his face expressionless and fierce. "The higher-ups have ordered that the palace gates be closed tonight. All the officials and their families, please move to the side halls. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"
The official flew into a rage, stepped forward, pointed at the other man's nose and scolded him:
"Who gave the order? Do you have the emperor's written order? If you can't produce it, you will be committing treason!"
The gatekeeper snorted coldly, and with a "pu" sound, the long knife in his hand had already stabbed the official through. His face was grim, and he pushed the corpse away and said coldly:
"The knife in my hand is an order! Who among you still has objections?"
The guards at the palace gate all drew their swords and pointed the sharp blades at everyone.
All the civil and military officials were in an uproar.
The timid women had already screamed, "Rebellion! Rebellion!" The men beside them covered their mouths with their hands and shouted in a low voice, "Throw your lives away!"
Su Li and Song Ci were also shocked. They looked at each other and knew the answer in their hearts.
It’s King Kang!
It seems that after they separated from Pei Heng, something major happened in Jingde Palace, which led to King Kang's rebellion.
The exploding firework was the signal for action.
The two of them were mixed in with the crowd and were all locked up in a side hall.
"I wonder if Master Lin has left the palace? Has he seen General Lin now?" Song Ci whispered in Su Li's ear.
"I looked carefully just now, but I didn't see him. He's a clever man, so he must have slipped out of the palace. But..."
Su Li frowned. The most important thing right now was what happened to Pei Heng, Su Zhe, and his father in Jingde Palace. He didn't know what was happening to them.
This place is not far from Jingde Hall. Faint sounds of fighting can be heard, and the battle sounds very intense.
"Sister, the general is so brave, he will be fine. And the Marquis and..." Song Ci paused, not knowing what to feel at the moment when he mentioned Su Zhe, that stupid guy. "And the Marquis and Su Zhe, they will be fine too."
Su Li patted her hand and asked softly, "Aci, is it possible to lead people out?"
Song Ci shook his head.
She had just taken a closer look. The hall was heavily guarded. While there were a few military officers inside, most of them were civilian officials and their female relatives. They were all unarmed, so even if they rushed out, it would be futile and they would only lose their lives in vain.
Now we can only hope that Pei Heng and Su Zhe can break through the siege, and that General Lin can arrive in time.
"Sister, protecting yourself right now is the best way to help them!"
"Ok!"
The side hall was chilly, and the two huddled together for warmth. Su Li silently prayed that everything would go smoothly. She thought to herself that if anything happened to Pei Heng, she would stay strong and live on for the sake of her children.
……
A night of fear.
Neither of them dared to blink.
Finally, the window frame on the east side gradually turned white, and the dim morning light penetrated into the side hall.
In the side hall, all the civil and military officials and their families who had stayed up all night had black eyes and numb expressions.
Finally, when daybreak reached its peak, the door to the side hall creaked open. Sunlight streamed in, stinging everyone's eyes. For a moment, they couldn't see clearly what was happening outside.
Some of the timid female relatives fainted with a grunt.
Su Li finally got used to the strong light, and saw Pei Heng, covered in blood like a Shura, running towards her with light all over his body. He picked her up and held her in his arms.
"Ali!"
"General!"
The moment Su Li saw Pei Heng clearly, her heart finally settled down.
It seems that Prince Su won.
I only heard Pei Heng above my head shouting with murderous intent:
"King Kang murdered his father and committed treason. He has been captured alive by this general. All the rebels have been brought to justice! You are safe now."
Although everyone had suspected something, they still shuddered when they heard that King Kang had murdered his father and was plotting treason. Then, realizing that King Kang had been captured and the rebels had been executed, everyone's morale soared.
Walking out of the side hall, there were corpses everywhere outside the door and blood flowing like a river.
The scene outside the Jingde Hall was particularly brutal, with broken limbs and bodies scattered everywhere, a horrific sight.
Prince Kang was escorted to the main hall by General Lin himself. His hair was disheveled, and he had aged considerably overnight. Concubine De stood on the steps, watching the sunrise in the east, and slowly opened her arms.
The morning sun shone on her no longer youthful face.
Concubine De took a deep breath. There was no fresh morning air, only the strong smell of blood. She laughed at herself and said:
"I still can't get out after all."
After saying that, he pulled out the phoenix hairpin from his bun and thrust it into his throat with his backhand.
Blood splattered and gushed out.
"Mother--"
Prince Kang's shrill voice pierced the early morning air of Jingde Hall. He suddenly broke free from General Lin's restraints and threw himself on Concubine De's body.
"Mother! I'm sorry for you! Mother, please don't leave me alone. I'll take you out of the palace right now. I don't want the throne! I don't want anything! I'll take you back to the south! In spring, I'll see the cherry blossoms all over the mountains; in summer, I'll enjoy the moonlight over the lotus pond; in autumn, I'll admire the chrysanthemums; in winter, I'll walk in the snow! I'll never come back here again!!!"
Unfortunately, no matter how hysterically Prince Kang cried, Concubine De could never get up again.
She looked at the high palace wall, and outside that was the place she had struggled to get out of all her life but had never been able to.
A smile played at the corners of her mouth, tears streaming down her eyes. Her wide sleeves fell down with a thud, like a butterfly that had fallen into the mud, unable to flap its wings anymore.
Pei Heng sheathed his sword, embraced Su Li, and said softly:
"Ari, let's go home!"