Chapter 1167: The Returned Prince of Chenliu and Him
Mo Yu appeared on the city wall, her features still as picturesque as a painting, though she looked somewhat weary.
Prince Louyang stood nervously at her side, deeply worried about stray arrows that might fly from unknown directions.
Mo Yu said, "Since Your Highness has made up his mind, it seems the life of the Prince of Chenliu naturally cannot threaten you."
Though she said it couldn't threaten him, it was still a threat.
Many eyes among the rebel forces were fixed on Prince Xiang.
Prince Xiang, with a glimmer of moisture in his eyes, said, "My son died a worthy death, without regret. He should be posthumously honored as Crown Prince."
Mo Yu admired him greatly and said no more.
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...
The Prince of Chenliu's face was somewhat pale, perhaps because the weather was gloomy today, or perhaps because he had not seen sunlight for too long.
He looked at the aged eunuch and said, "I do not know how to repay the grace of being allowed to live again."
Just as the beautiful concubine of the Prince of Zhongshan had warily suspected, the Prince of Chenliu was indeed recognized as the imperial descendant most resembling Emperor Taizong, possessing an unimaginable charisma. Even after being imprisoned in the palace for ten years, he had not become dispirited but had instead successfully gained the support of many people.
That old eunuch was the most important among them.
This place was the Laundry Department, the most chaotic and least noticeable area on the eastern side of the imperial city.
No one had expected that he, who should have been imprisoned in Weiyang Palace under heavy guard, had already made it outside the imperial city.
The old eunuch sighed, said nothing, and turned back toward the imperial city.
The Prince of Chenliu looked up at the gray sky.
He did not continue to ponder what the old eunuch's sigh meant, because it was meaningless.
His gaze was calmer than in years past, with only a faint trace of weariness in its deepest depths.
...
...
The imperial city had been surrounded by rebel forces. The area assigned to the demon race's Pingbei Camp was the southeastern sector, which included the direction of the National Academy and the Hundred Herbs Garden.
The National Academy, in particular, was besieged so tightly that it was even more heavily guarded than during the Tian Shu Ridge incident. The instructors and students trapped inside were extremely tense, unsure of what to do. No one noticed a seemingly frail student who crossed the dense forest by the lake and arrived before the imperial city.
This was a restricted area of the National Academy. The gate leading to the imperial city was reinforced with a powerful formation and also had a lock that was very difficult to open.
But that frail student paid no heed to these rules, effortlessly broke the formation, took a key from her sleeve, and opened the old lock covered in green rust.
She was no ordinary student; she was very familiar with both the palace and the National Academy. More precisely, she was the vice dean of the National Academy.
While the Prince of Chenliu was escaping the palace, Luo Luo quietly slipped into it.
She brought the emperor the greetings of the National Academy and a certain variable.
The White Emperor had sent the Pingbei Camp to show support for Prince Xiang.
But with her inside the palace, would the Pingbei Camp dare to launch an attack on it? More importantly, could the Pingbei Camp possibly heed her commands and change their stance?
No one knew how the situation would unfold, because up to this point, the rebel forces were unaware that Luo Luo had entered the palace.
But the Prince of Chenliu sensed some ominous omens.
The wind from the west was too damp, or the well water too sweet—there were always some inexplicable details that sparked many associations.
Having just escaped the palace without time for a longer conversation with his father, he forcefully made his demands.
Whether or not the Imperial Map could be opened, the rebel forces should launch an attack on the imperial city to apply more pressure on the enemy.
"The Imperial Map can only block strong practitioners like you and Uncle Cao, but not ordinary people. Moreover, there are many places in the capital that need to be controlled."
Looking at the Prince of Chenliu's pale face and gloomy eyes, Prince Xiang could not oppose his opinion.
Between control and counter-control, battles would naturally occur, blood would be shed, and when the situation grew more chaotic, even houses might be set ablaze.
With the Prince of Chenliu's return, the rebel forces' actions became much more intense. By the evening of that day, many fires had appeared in the capital.
The two sides, which had exercised self-control for many days, gradually lost it. In the streets and alleys around the palace and the detached palace, scenes of burning, killing, and looting emerged.
In the Prince of Chenliu's view, these were necessary costs for success and not worth worrying about.
What concerned him were more important matters.
He personally led over three hundred rebel cavalry to the National Academy.
"One temple in Xining rules the world."
Looking at the gate of the National Academy, the Prince of Chenliu said this.
This phrase had circulated across the continent for over a decade and had nearly become a truth, a kind of faith among the people.
To break this phrase, one first needed to destroy the National Academy.
But this gate was truly familiar.
Many years ago, in an autumn rain, Tianhai Shengxue returned from the north and, with his family guards, smashed the National Academy's gate into ruins.
Jin Yulu stepped in and defeated General Feidian, followed by the Green Vine Banquet. The National Academy never repaired the gate, all to slap the Tianhai family in the face.
It wasn't until the Grand Court Exam that Tianhai Shengxue finally conceded and personally led people to repair the gate, creating another story in the capital.
That period marked the beginning of the Prince of Chenliu's close ties with the National Academy. When the gate was being rebuilt, he even personally reviewed the designs and offered suggestions.
In other words, this gate also bore his contribution.
Back then, the green vines in front of the gate were all removed, leaving the smooth stone surface completely exposed.
Now, the green vines had grown back, covering most of the inscriptions.
"Smash it open."
The Prince of Chenliu calmly uttered these two words.
The rebel soldiers brought forward prepared battering rams and, to the confused eyes of the demon soldiers, slammed them fiercely against the gate.
Accompanied by several thunderous crashing sounds, cracks appeared on the National Academy's gate, and with a cracking noise, it slowly collapsed to both sides.
Night had gradually deepened. Both the rebel and demon soldiers had lit torches.
The firelight illuminated the depths of the Hundred Alleys, the shattered gate, and many young faces.
Those faces were all youthful, clearly showing tension, and in their eyes, fear was plainly visible.
But not a single person left, because they were instructors and students of the National Academy.
The Prince of Chenliu was somewhat surprised.
Not because of this scene, but because standing at the forefront of the National Academy's faculty and students was actually Tianhai Shengxue.
The torchlight clearly illuminated Tianhai Shengxue's face.
The Prince of Chenliu found the world truly strange, laughed, but it was somewhat bitter.
...
...
Snow Old City was overcast, exceptionally gloomy, with clouds so thick they completely blocked the sun.
The streets and alleys of the city were as dim as if it were still before dawn. From time to time, dog barks and sounds of pursuit and battle could be heard.
The demon soldiers' resistance continued, clearly disorganized, but it still caused many troubles for the human army.
Cavalry galloped down the straight, wide avenues. Signal fireworks lit up from time to time. It wasn't until evening that the intensity of the fighting gradually diminished and then ceased.
Snow Old City was vast. Clearing roadblocks and occasionally fending off sneak attacks from demon experts slowed the army's advance. Added to another important reason, it was only by evening that the divine carriage carrying Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong reached the imperial district with its dense buildings, still far from the demon palace.
A burst of flame, blooming like a flower, burned continuously at the very front of the procession, emitting a jade-like radiance that dispelled the deepening darkness. If anyone looked closely, they would see that this torch was neither metal nor jade but made of non-transparent crystal. Its surface was milky white, while inside it contained countless crystalline grains, as if storing immense energy.
This was the demon race's divine artifact—Daylight Flame.
In a battle hundreds of years ago, Emperor Taizong and his generals seized this artifact on the battlefield, brought it back to the capital, and placed it in Lingyan Pavilion.
Today, the human army had brought it back to Snow Old City, but this did not mean it was returning home; rather, it seemed like the inheritance of some powerful will.
Some demon civilians were driven out of their homes and stood on both sides of the streets. Some poor demon commoners stood before dilapidated buildings, curiously watching the human army advancing toward the demon palace.
Seeing that jade-tree-like flame, whispers arose. For some reason, gradually, some demon civilians knelt down.