Bian Ziming dispatched Vice General Qiu with clean efficiency.
They stripped the clothes off the Night Owl Guards, and Chen Wangbei and a dozen of his trusted aides put them on.
Disguised as Night Owl Guards, Chen Wangbei and his men brazenly approached the city gate.
The commanding guard on the city wall looked down. Through the hazy night, he couldn’t make out their faces, but he could tell from their attire that they were Night Owl Guards.
The guard assumed the Night Owl Guards had completed their task. Without a second thought, he ordered the gate opened to let them pass.
The tall, imposing city gate slowly swung open.
Chen Wangbei led his men inside.
The guard captain inside was about to step forward to greet them when he realized the "Night Owl Guards" before him were all unfamiliar faces. They weren’t the same group he had seen earlier.
The captain’s heart sank. He knew something was wrong.
However, before he could cry out for help, Chen Wangbei had already drawn his saber. He lunged forward with the speed of lightning and slashed the captain across the neck.
The captain let out a pained cry.
Fresh blood sprayed into the air.
The cry echoed through the night sky, a signal that lit the gunpowder. The flames of war were about to erupt!
The scouts hiding in the darkness outside the city heard the cry and knew Chen Guard had succeeded. They immediately took the horns from their waists and blew with all their might.
The deep, long call of the horns spread quickly.
Hiding in the woods, Bian Ziming immediately turned to Prince Zhao, his eyes burning with intensity as he asked.
"Your Highness, do we move now?"
Li Ji, who was supposed to be dead, was sitting perfectly fine atop his horse, his silver armor glinting with a terrifying cold light under the moon.
Behind him, an army of 80,000 was poised and ready. Their weapons were sharp, their horses fed, prepared to charge into battle at any moment.
The birds in the forest, sensing the danger, had all fled far away.
In the silent woods, Prince Zhao’s voice reached the ears of everyone present.
"Attack!"
The 80,000-strong army surged out of the forest like a torrential river, rushing toward the city gate with unstoppable force.
Seeing this, the soldiers inside the city were terrified out of their wits.
Someone shouted, "Close the gate! Quickly, close the gate!"
But Chen Wangbei and his men guarded the gate, allowing no one to approach.
In just a few moments, the 80,000-strong army led by Prince Zhao had reached the gate.
Iron hooves reared high, brutally kicking away any enemies who stood in their path.
...
Under the cover of night, Qing Huan successfully found Mu Qing.
After she explained the situation, Mu Qing, without a second word, grabbed the supplies needed for childbirth.
The two of them hurried toward the secret passage.
Along the way, Qing Huan sensed someone was following them.
Her heart sank. ’I must have been discovered.’
Qing Huan stopped and said to Mu Qing.
"You go... find the Princess Consort... and deliver... her baby."
Mu Qing asked, "What about you?"
Qing Huan drew the sword from her waist, turned to look at a spot behind them, and said coldly, "I’ll cover our retreat!"
Seeing he had been discovered, the person trailing them could only step out from the shadows.
It was a Night Owl Guard.
He also drew his saber and said sinisterly.
"If you lead me to Princess Consort Zhao, I can promise to spare your life."
Her response was a vicious sword thrust straight at him!
While the two of them fought, Mu Qing had already fled with her bamboo basket.
She ran into the secret passage and saw Princess Consort Zhao lying on the ground.
Without even a moment to catch her breath, Mu Qing immediately began preparing to deliver the Princess Consort’s baby.
"Your Highness, please hold on. I am here to help you."
Hua Manman was nearly mad with pain.
But she still mustered her strength, glanced behind Mu Qing, and asked through the pain.
"Where is Qing Huan?"
Mu Qing lit a small stove, placed a copper pot full of clean water on it, and replied, "We were being followed. Qing Huan is taking care of it."
Hua Manman was very worried. "She’s alone. It’s dangerous."
Mu Qing comforted her.
"When I was on my way here, I saw the glow of fire from the direction of the East City Gate. It looked like someone was attacking the city.
I suspect Prince Zhao isn’t dead. He’s leading his troops to attack the city.
With the Prince’s strength, I believe he’ll break into the Imperial Palace soon.
As long as Qing Huan can hold out until then, she’ll be fine.
Right now, you shouldn’t think about anything else. Giving birth safely is the most important thing."
A flicker of light appeared in Hua Manman’s eyes.
"The Prince is here?"
Mu Qing nodded emphatically. "Yes, the Prince will be here very soon, so you must hold on. Your family of three will be reunited before you know it."
Hua Manman agreed.
She had thought she would not get to see Li Ji one last time.
She never expected Li Ji to return so soon.
If she could just hold on a little longer, maybe she could see him again, even exchange a few words.
Suddenly, Hua Manman felt her body fill with strength again.
She gritted her teeth. "Let’s do this!"
...
News that the East City Gate had been breached soon reached the ears of Li Ying and Wu Wang.
They immediately dispatched men, desperate to halt Prince Zhao’s advance at any cost.
But their efforts were in vain.
The hastily assembled ragtag forces were no match for Prince Zhao’s personal prowess, the vast combat experience of his soldiers, or the sheer numerical superiority of his 80,000-strong army.
There was a world of difference between their strengths.
The troops Li Ying sent out were beaten back at every turn.
Before dawn, Prince Zhao’s iron-hoofed cavalry had already stormed through the palace gates.
With the last line of defense broken, Li Ying knew his defeat was certain and decided not to waste any more effort.
He sat on the steps of Zhengyang Hall, drinking as he watched the fires burning in the distance.
Wu Wang came to find Li Ying.
"I’ve arranged for someone to escort you out of the palace. You should leave quickly."
Li Ying was already a little drunk.
He looked up at Wu Wang, who stood a few steps below him, and slurred his reply.
"I’m not leaving."
Liang Yong knelt on the ground, pleading urgently.
"Your Highness, let’s run while the enemy is still on their way! Where there’s life, there’s hope!"
But Li Ying was stubborn, muttering.
"I don’t want to go. I still have something I need to do."
Liang Yong was frantic. "At a time like this, what could you possibly still have left to do?"
Li Ying’s gaze swept over the layers of palace halls before him, and he chuckled softly.
"To me, this Imperial Palace is nothing but a stinking sewer, a mire of filth.
I was born here, I grew up here. That stench has long since seeped into my very being.
Even if I could escape this palace, I would never be free of the foul odor inside me.
Since that’s the case, why should I run?
I might as well stay here and be destroyed along with this sewer, this mire."
Liang Yong only half-understood. "What do you intend to do, Your Highness?"
Li Ying drained the last of the wine and carelessly tossed the flask to the ground.
With a sharp CRACK, the flask shattered into pieces.
At the same time, another sound rang out: Li Ying’s cold, almost maniacal laughter.
"I’m going to set a fire... and burn the palace to the ground!"