LRAB Chapter 77 The Dust Settles
Chapter 77 The Dust Settles
"Third Brother, did you hear that?" Zhao Kuo's face showed a hint of excitement. "Most of the Imperial Guards have arrived. If you surrender now, I can spare your life and give you a lenient sentence. If you continue to resist, even if I wanted to protect you, it might be too late."
Lei Xiaoyou sighed and stepped forward to advise, "Your Majesty, things have come to this. Turn back before it's too late. No matter how skilled you are in martial arts, you can't defeat an army of thousands. Lay down your weapons, beg forgiveness from the Emperor, and he will surely spare your life out of brotherly affection."
Zhao Yu couldn't help but laugh as he looked at their excited expressions.
He released Shi Miyuan's neck, casually tossed him aside, and waved to Xia Zhen: "What's the panic? Get the brothers outside back in first."
"Your Majesty?" Xia Zhen was taken aback, his face full of confusion.
Seeing that they were no longer a match for the enemy, wouldn't it be even more demoralizing to withdraw their troops?
They were rebelling, and most of the soldiers were kept in the dark, having been dragged into this situation without their knowledge.
If morale collapses, some people might defect.
"I said, we're withdrawing first," Zhao Yu repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Although Xia Zhen was puzzled, he immediately issued an order: "Order everyone to retreat to the Chuigong Hall."
Upon receiving orders, the imperial guards outside the palace fought and retreated, quickly withdrawing back into the palace.
However, although they were safe for the time being, many soldiers' expressions flickered as they listened to the shouts of battle outside the palace, and they began to make their own plans.
The shouts of battle outside grew closer and closer, and soon they reached the palace gates.
Countless imperial guards, armed with swords and spears, gathered together, forming a formidable spectacle.
Seeing this, Zhao Kuo and Shi Miyuan's faces lit up with even more joy.
Zhao Yu glanced at them and said, "Since you want to see, then come with me outside and take a look."
After saying that, Zhao Yu ignored their opinions and drove the two of them straight out of the hall, standing openly in front of a large number of imperial guards.
Feeling the threat beside him, Zhao Kuo stammered, "Third brother, don't be foolish! Murdering the emperor is absolutely unacceptable! If we brothers kill each other, the throne will only benefit someone else. Why bother?"
He felt that Zhao Yu was going to throw caution to the wind and use him to threaten the Imperial Guards. Given Zhao Yu's skills, Zhao Kuo was really worried about his own life.
But Zhao Yu ignored him. Facing the approaching Imperial Guards, he simply uttered two words: "Make your move."
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of Iron Palm Clan disciples mixed in with the Imperial Guards suddenly sprang into action.
With Xia Zhen's assistance, they had already changed into the uniforms of the Imperial Guard and infiltrated the ranks.
In the midst of the chaos, there was no way anyone would verify their identities, and they were able to slip in.
These Iron Palm Clan heroes were all brave warriors who fought against the Jurchens under Shangguan Jiannan's command, and they already harbored resentment towards the Song Dynasty court.
Now, doing this kind of rebellion, they naturally have no psychological burden and are much more useful than the imperial guards under Xia Zhen.
Upon receiving the order, he immediately drew the short knife hidden on his body and slashed at the unsuspecting soldiers around him.
"what!"
"There's a spy!"
A scream rang out instantly.
These Iron Palm Clan disciples were all carefully selected by Qiu Qianren; each of them possessed superb martial arts skills and was ruthless.
The unexpected turn of events occurred at the narrow palace gate. Ordinary imperial guards were no match for them and fell in droves in an instant.
At the same time, deafening shouts of battle erupted outside the hall.
Qiu Qianren led the remaining Iron Palm Clan disciples, charging out from the high wall in the distance like two sharp knives, instantly piercing into the Imperial Guard's formation.
In the case of large-scale military operations, this number of people is naturally insignificant.
However, right now, among the more than a thousand people in the Forbidden City, the battle formation composed of martial arts masters has a strength far exceeding that of the Imperial Guards.
To say one can take on a hundred is an exaggeration, but to say one can take on ten is certainly not a problem.
Qiu Qianren took the lead, unleashing his full Iron Palm skill. His palm strikes were fierce and domineering, causing people and horses to fall wherever they went, and no one could stop him.
With a casual slap, he could send an Imperial Guard soldier flying, armor and all, the sound of bones shattering echoing in the air.
The Iron Palm Clan disciples were all fearless and followed Qiu Qianren, charging left and right, breaking the Imperial Guards' formation into pieces.
After all, they were all seasoned warriors, so they were naturally efficient in their actions.
Xia Zhen also took the opportunity to lead his soldiers out of the hall and attack from both sides with the Iron Palm Gang.
The pacification army, which initially had an overwhelming numerical advantage, was instantly thrown into chaos.
They couldn't distinguish who was on their side and who was the enemy, so they could only swing their knives haphazardly without any strategy, and such resistance was naturally futile.
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the thousands of imperial guards who came to quell the rebellion were utterly defeated, abandoning their armor and fleeing in all directions.
Zhao Yu looked at the corpses strewn across the ground and the fleeing imperial guards, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Well? Now, who should surrender?"
The officials trembled, their faces pale, and they dared not even lift their heads.
They finally understood that Zhao Yu's actions were not impulsive at all, but rather premeditated and meticulously planned.
Shi Miyuan looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, and then at the menacing troops around him. He was terrified, his eyes darting around as he pondered how he could survive.
But Zhao Yu didn't give him that chance at all.
Zhao Yu stretched out his hand and pulled Shi Miyuan back to him, grabbing his neck with one hand.
"Shi Miyuan, you have formed cliques for personal gain, colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, arbitrarily murdered the prime minister, and wreaked havoc on the court. Each and every one of these crimes is unforgivable." Zhao Yu's voice was icy. "Since that's the case, what use are you?"
Before he finished speaking, Zhao Yu exerted a slight force in his hand.
A crisp "snap" sounded.
Shi Miyuan's neck was snapped, his head was tilted to one side, his eyes were wide open, and he died with his eyes wide open.
A treacherous minister, his reign ended abruptly just as he began to wield power.
Zhao Yu casually tossed his body to the ground with a dull thud.
The officials were so frightened that they retreated one after another, keeping their distance from Zhao Yu, fearing that they would be the next to die.
The entire square was completely silent, save for the sound of the wind rustling the flags.
As it turns out, the Song Dynasty's policy of not killing scholar-officials is no longer taken seriously by anyone today.
Will the one who started this practice have no descendants?
Shi Miyuan was able to execute the prime minister privately, and he himself died because of it, so he had no one to blame but himself.
Just then, a whooshing sound came from the air.
Wang Huai'an flew over and knelt on one knee in front of Zhao Yu: "Your Majesty, the harem has been completely purged, and Empress Yang has been brought here."
As he spoke, several swordsmen from the Eastern Depot escorted a woman dressed in a phoenix robe with disheveled hair as they approached.
It was none other than the current Empress, Yang Guizhi.
Yang Guizhi had long lost her former elegance and grace; her face was deathly pale, and she was trembling all over. When she saw Shi Miyuan's corpse on the ground, she was so frightened that her legs went weak and she almost collapsed to the ground.
The sun had already risen in the distance, and its golden rays shone on the magnificent palace, dispelling the darkness before dawn.
The entire imperial city of Lin'an has completely fallen into Zhao Yu's hands.