Book 14: Chapter 12: Revolt
Book 14: Chapter 12: Revolt
Central Continent City was the world’s most majestic city, with a total of nineteen city gates.
Among them, twelve gates were where ordinary vehicles and horses went through, while the other seven were used during emergencies, or by the royal court during important missions, when the military moved.
Normally, among the twelve city gates ordinary carriages traveled through, as long as one or two of them were closed, it was unknown just how many traveling merchants would continuously curse in rage. Since they had to make a detour, it would delay their journey by a day at the very least. Meanwhile, at this time, all of these city gates were completely shut. As for the caravans who were stuck here, regardless of whether they were small merchant companies or Yunqin’s largest merchant companies’ caravans, not a single person spoke.
As more and more Central Continent Guards continuously entered the city alleys and streets, the mood of everyone stuck in the city became more and more tense. They all thought that even when the Imperial City dealt with Jiang and Zhong Families last time, they didn’t have so many Central Contient Guards enter Central Continent City. Just what kind of huge matter happened?
…
“Did something happen?”
In a teahouse in Central Continent City’s main street, many people already rushed up to the teahouse’s railings.
The metal ringing noises drew closer and closer. A row of Central Continent Guards whose bodies flickered with radiance followed this main street, walking past right before their eyes. The faces of these Central Continent Guards were especially cold and stern, making these teahouse customers look at each other in dismay.
“They’re coming again!”
A youngster couldn’t help but cry out.
When the others followed where his finger was pointing, they only saw that in the distant streets, there was another flash of silver light. Another Central Continent Guard troop appeared in their line of sight.
In just the time to enjoy some tea, there were already three groups of Central Continent Guards that appeared in this region.
The alarm and nervousness from the dozen or so city gates already began to spread into Central Continent City.
As time passed by, almost everyone in the entire city could vaguely hear the sounds of footsteps and horse hooves of Central Continent Guards close and far.
These voices were extremely orderly, to the extent where it seemed extremely peaceful. However, this type of calm advance instead made all of Central Continent City begin to enter a state of fear and confusion towards the unknown.
No one knew what kind of thing was happening, but everyone knew that this was definitely going to be Central Continent City’s greatest change in history.
Many people began to discover that the direction all of these Central Continent Guards headed was towards Central Continent Imperial City, towards the Imperial Palace.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
When it approached midday, all of the bass drums in Central Continent City released slow muffled drum sounds that shook one’s heart.
The majestic Imperial Palace suffused with chilliness had long become completely chaotic.
These individuals with the greatest authority who were closest to the son of heaven were especially sensitive towards conspiracies and signs of unrest. Many people didn’t even know about Wen Xuanshu’s denouncement towards the heavens. However, just from a bit of speculation, they already vaguely guessed at what happened. Sounds of weeping vaguely transmitted out from many imperial concubines’ palaces.
The palace gates were already closed. The Imperial City’s city gates towers were extremely tall, but compared to Central Continent City’s outer city and inner city walls, they were much lower.
This type of city wall, could it stop such a great Central Continent Army?
However, as silver armors pressed towards this deathly sealed Imperial City and the Imperial Palace became filled with faint sounds of sobbing and chaotic footsteps, Yunqin Emperor Changsun Jinse instead calmly sat in his Imperial Defense Study.
There even seemed to be a type of indescribable feeling of relief and a relaxed expression on his cold and dignified face. It was as if something he had always been waiting for finally arrived.
As his raised hand lowered, the Yunqin officers who were waiting with their heads lowered all bowed and withdrew.
Inside the palace’s winding corridor, some palace maids and imperial concubines looked through the gaps in the doors and windows and saw many people dressed in light yellow attendant official uniforms appear The blades and swords flickering with cold radiance in their hands weren’t directed at the Imperial Palace’s outer city walls, but rather quickly made their way through the palace building.
Sounds of blades moving and blood splashing outwards could be heard. These people began to kill, unleashing a slaughter in the Imperial City.
…
Xu Zhenyan stood in the Imperial City’s shadows.
The face of the Judicial Sector messenger official in front of him turned deathly pale under the drum sounds outside the city and the slaughtering inside the city, his hands even continuously shaking.
His face was also extremely white, just that the calmness on his face made his face seem as if there was a layer of porcelain luster applied to it. Even if he couldn’t be considered a powerful cultivator, right now, he still seemed especially powerful.
Two fire hose carts that were originally used for firefighting were already brought to Ghost Prison’s entrance.
Under the joint rotation of several Judicial Sector officials, a rumbling noise sounded. The heavy iron gates descended, producing a blast of dust.
Ghost Prison’s two gates were also completely shut.
Some of the water prison cells’ drainage holes were also plugged up with rocks and oil cloths.
The two water hose carts began to move, continuously sending water along Ghost Prison’s two airflow vents.
What made all of these Judicial Sector official’s faces turn even more pale was that as the water continuously flowed down, endless loud bang bang noises sounded from inside the deathly still Ghost Prison.
This noise was the sound of iron chains, boulders, palms and other items they couldn’t imagine slamming against the heavy main gates.
It was as if terrifying wild oxes continuously rammed into the extremely thick iron wall.
This was especially the case when those flesh palms and fists smashed into the iron gears, releasing terrifying sounds, even more so making all of these Judicial Sector officials’ pores continuously release chilliness.
Cultivators occupied the majority among the criminals in the Ghost Prison. However, regardless of whether it was the shackles or medicines, or other punishment equipment, it already firmly kept these criminals in their cells, impossible to rush out, even less of a chance of them having this type of terrifying fighting strength in front of the iron gates.
This noise could only mean that someone had long interfered with Ghost Prison a long time ago. If their group tried to go in to kill these criminals, or if these criminals rushed out, then they would be like small rabbits thrown into a pack of wolves, ripped to pieces.
Xu Zhenyan coldly listened to these numerous rumbling final struggle sounds.
These Judicial Sector officials didn’t know what kind of arrangements had been done by others in Ghost Prison, but he knew extremely clearly.
Moreover, he understood extremely clearly that three halts after the drum beats ended, he was going to arrange for these people in Ghost Prison to rush out, guiding them to the place they needed them to be in at that time.
This was an attack from both inside the Imperial Palace and the Central Continent Army, a coordinated offensive of both inside and outside, the first blade.
However, Xu Zhenyan instead directly broke this blade.
That was why during this battle of Central Continent City heaven denouncement, he already became the first traitor.
Wen Xuanshu trusted him not because of his loyalty, but rather trusted his ambition and callousness.
It was because Xu Zhenyan, for the sake of authority and ambitions, could even kill his own father Xu Tianwang.
He could grant Xu Zhenyan more authority than the emperor… Moreover, anyone could clearly see that the emperor was someone who couldn’t even tolerate those nine sets of curtains, so there was even less of a chance of someone of even greater authority than the ones behind the nine curtains appearing.
Chickens needed grains, wolves needed meat.
People like Xu Zhenyan would always choose to eat meat, this was his true nature.
However, this world had too many changes. Originally, Xu Zhenyan who should have definitely stood at Wen Xuanshu’s side,yet in this great battle, under countless layers of shadows and conspiracies, he instead became the first one to betray Wen Xuanshu.
…
Three halts after Central Continent City’s drum beating ended, Martial Sector’s Inspection Officer Hong Liudu walked up to the sector office’s entrance.
Even though Hong Liudu was major second ranked, normally not considered someone of especially high status in Central Continent City, right now, in all of Central Continent City, only his Investigation Army that normally cooperated with Judicial Sector wasn’t under Central Continent Army’s supervision and could affect the Central Continent Army. Together with some people from other sectors, they could also carry out many battles in the alleys. That was why right now, his position, in all of Central Continent City, was already extremely important.
After a dozen or so breaths, thunderous footsteps sounded. Di Choufei dressed in Central Continent Guards silver leader armor and large groups of silver-armored soldiers advanced like a tide, rushing towards him.
Hong Liudu’s face paled slightly. He released a long sigh.
Di Choufei looked at him calmly, asking, “Grand Secretary Wen ordered me to come here and ask Sir Hong, has Sir Hong already thought things through?”
Hong Liudu’s head hung slightly, nodding his head. “This subject’s Inspection Army is willing to follow Grand Secretary Wen’s assignment.”
When he said this, the bridge of his nose became a bit sore, tears almost falling.
He thought inwardly that he really had no alternative. He had three children, all of them in Central Continent Army. Moreover, his own official seal had been stolen under the cover of night. When the great changes took place today, when he discovered this, some orders were already issued through his name. Many places’ Inspection Army soldiers were already hunting down some Judicial Sector and Martial Sector lower level officials loyal to the emperor.
In this type of great chaos, there might not be anyone who would listen to his explanation. The emperor’s side would definitely believe that he had already stood with Wen Xuanshu.
That was why he could only make this type of decision. If Wen Xuanshu could win, then both him and his three sons might still have a way out.
Meanwhile, judging from the current circumstances, there was no reason Wen Xuanshu would lose.
When dealing with Jiang Family and Zhong Family before, Wen Xuanshu already seized the opportunity to carry out a purge in Central Continent Army, especially the city gate guards. Now, Central Continent Army was almost completely under Wen Xuanshu’s grasp.
South Tomb Province’s war situation was tense. As for those Sacred Experts in Central Continent City, after Jiang and Zhong Families’ chaos, most of them already left to fight in South Tomb Province.
Along the path from South Tomb Province to Central Continent City, those provinces’ reserve armies and local armies were mostly gathered in South Tomb Province, there were basically no armies that could hurry back to threaten Central Continent Army in time… That was why forget about there not being any troops who could rush back to the Imperial Palace and provide assistance in time, there might not be any army comparable to Central Continent Guards for two weeks after the battle ended that could reach the edge of the Central Continent Guards’ border defense.
Who else was there that could stop his majesty’s abdication?
Hong Liudu who yielded to Wen Xuanshu, full of grief as he thought this, just couldn’t figure out why even though his majesty was too radical these years, to the extent where he could even be called crazy, he definitely wasn’t stupid. Could it be that he really completely trusted Wen Xuanshu, allowing Wen Xuanshu to completely swap out Central Continent Army without taking any precautions? Why was it Wen Xuanshu who instead made the first move?
Di Choufei had the subordinates behind him move forwards to sign some documents and military orders. He turned around, silently looking in Imperial City’s direction, looking towards True Dragon Mountain, inwardly thinking that right now, in this type of city, who knew how many people were currently rebelling.