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“Boom, boom, boom…”
Thirty cannons on the city gate relentlessly bombarded the soldiers below the city. With each cannonball fired, blood splattered below the city.
Luo Quan was anxious. These outer palace guards were already the elite of the elite. Now, defending the city while also possessing cannons, their forces would be unable to break through the city wall for a while.
Meanwhile, the situation in the palace must be extremely urgent. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.
“Where did Li San go? Wasn’t he confident he could rescue the Emperor?” Luo Quan searched everywhere for Li San’s figure, but he couldn’t find a trace.
Fiji also couldn’t maintain his composure at this time. If this plan failed, they would all be doomed.
Just as the two were like ants on a hot pan, a sudden violent explosion occurred on the south side of the imperial city. The attacking soldiers could even feel the ground shake.
“That direction is the Royal Garden.” Luo Quan suddenly realized something.
Fiji nodded and said with a bitter smile, “What a Li San. We were all fooled by him. It turns out he had a complete plan all along. This time, we were merely using us to attack the city from the front to draw the forces of the outer palace guards. Now, the defenders in the direction of the Royal Garden must be thinly spread.”
As the two expected, at this moment, the secret guards in the direction of the Royal Garden had launched an attack on the imperial city. Under the power of ten gunpowder barrels, the city gate in the direction of the Royal Garden was directly blown to smithereens.
Three hundred secret guard members headed towards Bīshuǐ Pavilion along the blown-up city gate. They almost all held short-barreled firearms, and beside Li San were two soldiers holding rifled guns.
The defending general on the city gate just now was shot dead by these two.
“Bang, bang…” The sound of firearms continuously rang out.
Because a large number of soldiers had gone to the main gate, there were very few soldiers guarding the garden direction. Under the gunfire, the soldiers who came to stop them quickly fell.
Before adopting this plan, Li San had learned that the distance from this city gate to Bīshuǐ Pavilion was the shortest. After entering the city gate, they quickly went towards Bīshuǐ Pavilion.
Soon, sounds of fighting reached their ears, and at the same time, they noticed the soldiers fighting fiercely on the stone bridge of Bīshuǐ Pavilion.
“Quick, quick.” The garden’s city gate was on one side of Bīshuǐ Pavilion. Li San wiped the cold sweat from his forehead at this moment. Fortunately, they arrived in time. If the Crown Prince’s men had reached the other side of the bridge, they would have to put in more effort.
Looking at Bīshuǐ Pavilion, Li San said, “Quickly go save Her Highness.”
With that, he led the secret guards towards Bīshuǐ Pavilion. Their arrival had already attracted the attention of both sides. The Crown Prince naturally cursed endlessly in anger, but Du Heng breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he saw Li San.
“I greet His Majesty and Concubine Zhen.” In front of Bīshuǐ Pavilion, Li San bowed and said.
Xiao Wenxuan surveyed Li San and said, “Ming’er seems to have also realized. Good, good. Now quickly take Concubine Zhen and leave.”
“Your Majesty, His Highness means for Your Majesty and Concubine Zhen to leave together. We can then make long-term plans when we reach Qingzhou.” Li San said.
Xiao Wenxuan smiled, “He remembers me, so I am at ease. But I don’t want to leave, and I can’t walk anymore. Don’t waste any more time, you two leave quickly.”
Li San looked at Du Heng and Concubine Zhen at this moment, undecided in his mind. He didn’t understand what was going on.
While they were at a standstill, a secret guard suddenly said, “Commander, our people are signaling.”
Li San heard this and picked up his telescope, looking at a high ground in the Royal Garden. He saw a secret guard rapidly waving a flag.
After reading the flag signals, Li San’s expression suddenly changed. He said to Xiao Wenxuan, “Your Majesty, if you don’t leave now, it will be too late. The Prince of Zhao’s Black Armored Iron Cavalry has arrived, and his army also has barbarian cavalry archers.”
“Barbarian cavalry archers?” Xiao Wenxuan frowned, then he suddenly laughed, “Retribution, it truly is retribution. This is my retribution. You all leave quickly, don’t mind me. The soldiers can’t hold on much longer.”
Du Heng looked at the stone bridge. Most of the stone bridge was now occupied by the Crown Prince’s men, and the remaining inner imperial guards were retreating step by step.
Li San’s expression turned cold. He said to the secret guards behind him, “Quickly take Her Highness away.”
“Yes.” The secret guards, upon receiving the order, immediately forcefully led the still weeping Concubine Zhen towards the Royal Garden.
Then Li San looked at Liuli and said, “Let’s go. If we don’t leave now, it will be too late.”
Xiao Wenxuan was still unmoved at this time. He looked at the Crown Prince on the other side of the small river, his eyes filled with complex emotions, but he still had no intention of leaving.
Du Heng took a deep look at Xiao Wenxuan. He said to Li San, “Your Majesty has made up his mind. No need to wait any longer, let’s go.”
Li San nodded and led a group of secret guards towards the Royal Garden. In the Royal Garden, two hydrogen balloons were being prepared. This was their escape plan, and also the most secure plan.
“Your Majesty, I am leaving,” Du Heng knelt before Xiao Wenxuan, bowing deeply.
Xiao Wenxuan did not speak, his eyes still fixed on the soldiers fighting fiercely. At this moment, he lifted his feet and walked step by step towards the stone bridge.
Du Heng stood up, took one last look at Xiao Wenxuan, and followed the secret guards, protecting Concubine Zhen, towards the Royal Garden.
Outside Chang’an City, dense cavalry, like a black torrent, were surrounding Chang’an City from north to south. In the north of the city, the City Defense Battalion had already opened the Zhengde Gate. An old man fully armored and Zhao Yuanliang rode their horses into Chang’an City.
Behind the old man were cavalrymen all wearing black armor. These cavalrymen followed closely behind the Prince of Zhao, like the scythe of death.
“Father, this Chang’an City is finally ours,” Zhao Yuanliang said excitedly.
The Prince of Zhao’s hair was already somewhat gray, and his seemingly kind face was ruined by an aquiline nose, giving him a somewhat strange demeanor. Hearing this, he said, “Now is not the time to be happy. We still have many things to deal with.”
“Yes, Father.” Zhao Yuanliang nodded.
This time, to take Chang’an, not only did one hundred thousand Black Armored Iron Cavalry move out, but they also borrowed fifty thousand troops from the barbarians, totaling one hundred fifty thousand troops heading towards Chang’an City.
Then Zhao Yuanliang said, “Father, aren’t we going to rescue the Crown Prince?”
A smile appeared on the Prince of Zhao’s face. He looked at his youngest son and said, “Why save the Crown Prince? Wouldn’t it be even better if he died? That way, the Thirteenth Prince, as the legitimate son, can ascend the throne rightfully.”
Zhao Yuanliang thought for a moment, then immediately laughed, “No wonder Father isn’t anxious at all. This Thirteenth Prince is still a baby, much easier to control than the Crown Prince. From now on, Father can rightfully assist the Emperor in overseeing the country.”
“Yes, that’s right.” The Prince of Zhao looked confident. He continued to Zhao Yuanliang, “Now gather all the officials of Chang’an City. They are still needed for the Thirteenth Prince’s ascension to the throne.”