The next day, Jing Dehai woke up frozen on the ground.
Huh? He had clearly slept in his bed last night, so why was he waking up frozen on the floor this morning?
Jing Dehai sat on the ground, stunned for a moment. He glanced at his bed, finding it in utter disarray from tossing and turning. Immediately, he seemed to recall something, scrambled up, and flipped open his secret compartment. He took out the small box hidden inside and opened it to find it empty.
"Oh no! Oh no!"
"This time it's really bad!"
"His tiger tally is gone!"
Jing Dehai muttered to himself with a crestfallen face.
"Master, Master, something bad has happened! Something bad!"
The butler of the Duke of Qin's mansion ran quickly towards Jing Dehai's room, his face filled with anxiety.
"What has happened now? Speak quickly!!!"
Jing Dehai, his face contorted with rage, clenched his fists tightly. His sinister, fox-like eyes harbored a destructive fury.
"The commander of the Imperial Guards, Qin Minghao, has colluded with the Third Prince to kill all the guards the First Prince had stationed in the palace. The Emperor's illness has also been secretly cured, and he has issued an order to apprehend the rebels. The First Prince and your name are on the list of rebels. The First Prince just sent someone to inform you to immediately take out the tiger tally and lead the fifty thousand troops outside the city to charge into the capital." The butler finally finished speaking, stuttering.
Upon hearing the butler's words, Jing Dehai, who had been standing straight, suddenly stumbled as if his legs had given out, nearly falling to the ground.
"Prepare a horse immediately, this Duke is going out!" Jing Dehai roared at the butler outside his door.
After receiving the order, the butler hurried out of the courtyard to prepare a horse for Jing Dehai.
Meanwhile, at the palace gates, Murong Li Chen and the King Leng couple were engaged in a fierce battle with Murong Shaolan's three thousand iron cavalry. Every palace gate was surrounded by corpses, their blood staining the ground, and a thick, nauseating smell of blood permeated the air.
The bustling streets and alleys of yesterday had become quiet today, with people hiding in their homes, afraid to venture out.
"Kill! Anyone who captures the old Emperor alive today will be heavily rewarded by this Princess."
Murong Shaolan, to boost morale and inspire her troops, used immense wealth to lure these iron cavalry to fight for her. However, even with this, her cavalry was already struggling.
With the King Leng couple and their people stationed at each palace gate, it was difficult to break through even with three thousand more iron cavalry. Before long, Murong Shaolan's cavalry was repeatedly defeated by the King Leng couple and their forces.
"Damn it! Didn't her brother send someone to inform Jing Dehai to lead the army to attack the city? Why hasn't the army charged into the city yet?"
Murong Shaolan, clad in golden armor, fought while furrowing her brows, her face filled with confusion as she asked a nearby guard.
"Princess, your subordinate also does not know." The guard beside her shook his head.
"Then go and find out who these people are who are guarding the palace gates with Murong Li Chen. How is their martial arts so formidable? Especially that man and woman, I want detailed information about them."
Murong Shaolan's cold, snake-like eyes fixed on Jun Mo Han and Leng Ruo Li as she pointed them out to the guard.
"Princess, your subordinate has already found out their identities. This couple is husband and wife, and the man is the Third Prince's senior disciple brother."
Murong Shaolan's personal guard detailed all the information he had gathered to her.
"So he is the senior disciple brother that Murong Li Chen often talks about! No wonder he is so proud. His senior disciple brother's martial arts are indeed very good. Do you know his senior disciple brother's specific identity?" Murong Shaolan asked with a playful smile.
"This... your subordinate was unable to find out." The personal guard scratched his head awkwardly.
"Heh! Forget it, no matter what his identity is, they all have to die today." Murong Shaolan replied fiercely.
After a long while, when Murong Shaolan's iron cavalry were few in number, having been decimated by the King Leng couple and their forces, someone finally ran in to inform the King Leng couple that Jing Dehai had led fifty thousand troops to the city gates. Murong Qian Song had already ordered the city gates to be opened, allowing the army to enter the city and head straight for the palace gates.
Upon receiving this news, the King Leng couple immediately instructed Murong Li Chen and the others to finish quickly. Then, they ordered them to leave only the South Palace gate open, and to close the other palace gates, preparing to face Jing Dehai's army.
As soon as Murong Li Chen finished what Jun Mo Han had instructed, he returned to the South Palace gate, and Jing Dehai's army had already arrived.
"Murong Li Chen, I didn't expect your ambition to be so great that you would attempt to usurp the throne by killing your father. Today, I, Jing Dehai, along with the First Prince, will act on behalf of heaven and kill you, a traitor."
As Jing Dehai spoke, he raised his hand and stroked his mustache with his fingertips, completely unaware that this small gesture would soon cost him his life.
He narrowed his fox-like eyes, like a bloodthirsty beast, and looked menacingly at Murong Li Chen and the others standing at the palace gate, wishing he could devour them.
"Heh! Jing Dehai, Murong Qian Song, who truly harbors ambitious intentions, you both know clearly. Especially you, Murong Qian Song. It is a pity that Father Emperor doted on you since you were young, yet you disregarded filial piety and repaid his kindness with treachery, truly having a wolf's heart. And you, Jing Dehai, Father Emperor trusted you so implicitly, yet you harbored hidden ambitions to overthrow the Murong imperial family."
Murong Li Chen's gaze was as cold as ice as he looked at Murong Qian Song and Jing Dehai, who were riding tall horses, and spoke indignantly.
"Third Prince, let's be clear, today you are the rebel. The First Prince and I are merely safeguarding the current Emperor's empire. Guards, attack and kill your way into the palace! Whoever captures Murong Li Chen's head, this Duke will confer upon him the title of Protector General. Haha..." Jing Dehai's eyes were grim, his laughter arrogant.
"Halt!"
Just then, a loud voice rang out from the palace gate. The old Emperor, accompanied by Qin Ming Hao, strode out of the palace gates.
"Murong Qian Song, you unfilial wretch, you actually colluded with the Dark Night Pavilion and the Ghost Valley to poison me. How could I have doted on you, raised you for over twenty years, only for you to treat me like this."
"And you, Jing Dehai. You openly supported Murong Qian Song's ascension to the throne, yet secretly plotted to become king yourself. It is a pity that I saw through your wolfish ambitions too late. But today, I am here to preside, and the tiger tally is in my hands. Soldiers, hear my command! Anyone who dares to step half a foot into this palace gate today, I will execute your entire clan."
After scolding Murong Qian Song and Jing Dehai, the old Emperor raised the tiger tally in his hand and displayed it to everyone.
Upon hearing the old Emperor's words, everyone present began to discuss amongst themselves...
"Do not listen to him, everyone! The tiger tally in the old Emperor's hand is fake!" Jing Dehai roared.
Looking at the scene below, Murong Qian Song was also bewildered. If Jing Dehai did not have the tiger tally, these fifty thousand troops would not be under their command.
"Duke, where is your tiger tally? Take it out and show it to the soldiers."
At this moment, a righteous general stepped forward and asked him.
"General Lai, the tiger tally in the old Emperor's hand is fake," Jing Dehai argued.
"Since Duke is unwilling to take it out for me to verify its authenticity, I shall personally go and verify the Emperor's tiger tally."
Having said that, he dismounted his horse and respectfully bowed to the old Emperor.
He asked the old Emperor to show him the tiger tally. The old Emperor glanced at General Lai and displayed the tiger tally. General Lai immediately knew that the tiger tally in the Emperor's hand was the genuine one.