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Blood gathered into streams, and the air was filled with a thick smell of blood.
The bodies of Zhao army soldiers lay haphazardly, piling up in the open space in front of Chengqing Hall.
Luo Hong, covered in blood, stormed into Chengqing Hall like a god of slaughter. He walked directly towards Prince Zhao on the throne, grabbed him from the dragon chair, and threw him down.
Aged Prince Zhao stumbled and rolled down the steps, his forehead hitting a step and bleeding.
“Hahaha…” Prince Zhao, humiliated by Luo Hong, did not get angry but laughed wildly. As he laughed, however, a hint of desolation suddenly entered his voice.
Luo Hong drew his sword and pointed it at Prince Zhao, scolding, “Rebel, I’d like to see how long you can keep laughing!”
He said to his soldiers, “Tie them all up.”
Two soldiers immediately tied up Prince Zhao and Zhao Yuanliang. Just then, Luo Xin also walked in and reminded him, “Brother, there’s also Empress Zhao and the Thirteenth Prince.”
Luo Hong nodded with a grim face. He immediately led the other soldiers to the imperial harem, leaving the front matters to Luo Xin.
The path to the imperial harem was littered with the bodies of palace maids. Seeing this scene, the gloom in Luo Hong’s heart grew thicker.
However, important matters were at hand, so he dared not delay.
The Thirteenth Prince was put on the throne by Prince Zhao, but the common people in Chang’an, who did not know the truth, thought that this Thirteenth Prince was the current Emperor of the Great Yu Empire. Therefore, the Thirteenth Prince’s identity was now very special.
“General, look!”
While Luo Hong was deep in thought, a soldier suddenly pointed to a well in the palace. By the well was none other than Empress Zhao.
Upon seeing this, Luo Hong immediately rushed over with his soldiers.
“Your Majesty.”
Luo Hong stopped three meters from Empress Zhao. Seeing them approach, Empress Zhao made a move that horrified them: she stood by the edge of the well.
Empress Zhao was in a daze. Unbeknownst to them, a hint of crow’s feet had appeared on her beautiful face. She looked blankly at Luo Hong and said, “It seems King Qi’s army has indeed arrived. Let me ask you, is Prince Zhao dead?”
Empress Zhao was the empress of the late Emperor. Now that Xiao Ming had ascended the throne, by right, Empress Zhao should also be one of the empress dowagers.
Out of loyalty to the late Emperor, Luo Hong still did not dare to slight Empress Zhao. He said, “Prince Zhao has been captured. Whether he lives or dies awaits the Emperor’s judgment.”
“The Emperor? Has Xiao Ming ascended the throne?” A hint of surprise appeared in Empress Zhao’s eyes.
“Yes, the late Emperor left a will, instructing His Highness King Qi to ascend the throne.”
Upon mentioning Xiao Wenxuan, Empress Zhao’s emotional fluctuations became even more apparent. She couldn’t help but sob softly, murmuring, “Your Majesty, I have failed you. It is I who allowed the Great Yu Empire to become like this. I deserve to die.”
Empress Zhao cried sadly, and Luo Hong felt a touch of pity. He said, “Your Majesty, please restrain your grief. As the saying goes, ‘without destruction, there can be no construction.’ Now that the north is unified, there will be no need to worry about the threat of the feudal lords anymore.”
Empress Zhao stopped crying upon hearing this. She gently stroked the Thirteenth Prince, who was only two years old, in her arms. After a long silence, she said to Luo Hong, “I know why you are here. You must be looking for the Thirteenth Prince. One mountain cannot hold two tigers, and the world cannot have two masters. Does Xiao Ming want you to kill the Thirteenth Prince?”
With despair in her eyes, Empress Zhao took another step closer to the well. She said, “Go back and tell Xiao Ming that I have failed him, and I will not cause him any more trouble.”
Luo Hong was shocked. He hurriedly tried to dissuade her, “Your Majesty, think thrice. The Thirteenth Prince is just a two-year-old infant. What wrong has he done? The Emperor will not lay a hand on the Thirteenth Prince. As long as Your Majesty publicly reveals the truth of the Chang’an rebellion, Your Majesty and the Thirteenth Prince can continue to enjoy wealth and honor.”
Empress Zhao merely gave a bitter smile upon hearing this. “Rebellion is a crime that implicates the whole family. I cannot escape.”
With that, she stepped forward to jump into the well, but at that moment, the Thirteenth Prince suddenly cried. Empress Zhao’s body instantly froze.
Luo Hong’s eyes darted. He immediately strode forward, grabbed Empress Zhao, and pulled her and the Thirteenth Prince away from the well.
“Begging your pardon, Your Majesty.” Luo Hong said to the soldiers, “Protect Her Majesty well.”
Empress Zhao’s eyes held a hint of sorrow, but she no longer struggled.
There were no more people to capture in the palace. Luo Hong brought Prince Zhao and his son, and Empress Zhao and her son to the main camp.
They dared not stay in the imperial palace, even though the current imperial palace was in Qingzhou, staying here would still be a great disrespect.
Back at the camp, Luo Hong reported the results of the battle to Niu Ben and then told him about Prince Zhao and Empress Zhao.
“General, how should Prince Zhao and his son, and Empress Zhao and her son be dealt with now?” Luo Hong asked.
After a moment of contemplation, Niu Ben said, “The identities of Prince Zhao and his son, and Empress Zhao and her son, are all very sensitive. It’s not convenient for me to deal with them. For now, we can only send them to Qingzhou and await the Emperor’s decision.”
Luo Hong nodded. Indeed, such matters were not something he could be involved in.
He cupped his hands and prepared to leave. At that moment, Niu Ben’s voice rang out again, “Wait a moment, I have something else to tell you.”
“Just give your orders, General.”
“Chang’an has been taken by us, and Prince Zhao has been captured. The State of Zhao now exists in name only. However, even so, there are still many things we need to do. A few days ago, I received an imperial decree from the Emperor. The Emperor wants us to press on with our victory, capture the cities of the State of Zhao in one go, and completely cut off the possibility of advancing south. After much thought, I have decided to let you independently lead the army to reclaim the State of Zhao and stay there to guard the strategic passes. What do you think?”
Luo Hong was overjoyed upon hearing this. Niu Ben’s arrangement was a sign of his trust, and he preferred Chang’an over Qingzhou.
“Thank you for your guidance, General.” Luo Hong expressed his gratitude.
Niu Ben smiled and said, “Your father is my close friend, so it’s only right for me to look after you brothers. After all, one should not avoid recommending a worthy person even if he is a relative. However, guarding the State of Zhao is a serious matter. You must not mess things up for me, otherwise, I won’t be able to cover for you in front of the Emperor.”
“General, rest assured, I will be diligent and dedicated,” Luo Hong said.
Niu Ben nodded and then allowed Luo Hong to leave.
Watching Luo Hong depart, he refocused his gaze on the map in front of him. With Prince Zhao captured, the State of Zhao was now theirs for the taking, and this also signaled the end of the war in the north.
However, they would now face their true enemy, the Golden Tent Khanate.
In the imperial decree, Xiao Ming had made it very clear that the Golden Tent Khanate was withdrawing troops from Goryeo. It was obvious that the purpose of this withdrawal was to focus on dealing with the Great Yu Empire.
In his opinion, the Golden Tent Khanate was definitely not as easy to deal with as the feudal lords within the country. This was a very savage race, and most importantly, every person in this race was a soldier.
If the Golden Tent Khanate was determined to fight to the death with the Great Yu Empire, it would definitely be much more difficult than dealing with these feudal lords.