kvmb Chapter 149 is in full swing
Chapter 149 is in full swing
They captured Hu Wang and Mo Gan, locked them securely in electrified cages, and escorted them back to the capital by Gao Zhan and Gao Kuang.
After Lu He and Chao Huaiyuan set off for the army, they summoned Wen Shiyu's private helicopter from the previous volume of the comic. This thing was very advanced, using unmanned technology, but since this comic did not have any settings about satellite navigation, they had to completely entrust it to the system to fill this bug.
That's the good thing about the world of comics; no matter what the plot hole is, you can explain the illogical parts by changing the settings.
And the one with the modification privileges is, of course, the system.
Lu He exchanged the helicopter to intercept Zhu Yong on the road, otherwise, once Zhu Yong borrowed troops from Tongchi, there would be endless fighting again.
The Prince of Hu cannot be killed now; he should be sent back to the capital and imprisoned until Li Cen returns to the capital and personally sentences the traitorous ministers. This will help her consolidate her position, establish merit, and lay the foundation for her future ascension to the throne.
In the imperial city, Chao Ying, along with his usual group of followers, went to the Taichang Temple prison to meet Li Yun and told him about Li Cen's expedition.
"Does the Prime Minister have any way to let me out?" For Li Yun, this was a golden opportunity. Li Guangqi was gone, Li Cen was on a northern expedition, and her confidants Lu He and Bai Yu were not in the capital. If she could get out now, it would be the perfect time to ascend the throne.
"This old minister has come to save Your Majesty!" Chao Ying said, taking the lead in kneeling down, kowtowing and shouting "Long live the Emperor!" The ministers and his cronies behind him also immediately knelt down, supporting Li Yun.
As early as when Chao Zhiyi led his troops in rebellion, Chao Ying had already planned to take advantage of the chaos to support Li Yun's ascension to the throne. The King of Hu was unreliable; these old foxes all knew each other well. Chao Ying never hoped that the King of Hu would successfully enter the capital; he only hoped that he would put pressure on Li Cen to send out all her confidants and elite troops.
He originally planned to bring Li Yun out of prison and then force Li Cen to abdicate in the main hall. However, he did not expect that the Chao family would rebel. Instead of punishing the Chao family, Li Cen took Liao Chen with him on a personal northern expedition. This left Chao Ying completely bewildered. Was this the will of Heaven, leaving the capital empty as if it were already in their hands?
Since Li Cen went on the expedition, Grand Tutor Gao has claimed to be ill and has not left his residence. The entire Gao family has kept their doors tightly shut, clearly not wanting to get involved in this mess.
He Xiu, the commander of the Imperial Guard, was repeatedly wooed by Chao Ying, but he remained hesitant until Liao Chen left the capital with Li Cen and learned that the commander of the secret service had also taken all the secret agents with him. Only then did He Xiu agree to support Li Yun.
Nie Sheng was also released, and the capital was thrown into chaos. Many officials who had been promoted by Li Cen were in fear, worried that they might all lose their positions in this upheaval.
Some of the die-hard officials, former henchmen of the Crown Prince, chose to protect themselves and went into hiding, while others submitted to the Third Prince's forces. Everyone was gambling on their future, and it remained to be seen who would be the ultimate winner.
Within the imperial city, Li Cen's forces now consist only of the Thousand Machine Guards led by Bai Zheng.
"Miss Bai Li, are we really not going to take action?" Inside the elite troops hall, Bai Yi was puzzled as to why Bai Li would not appear as the Empress to preside over the current chaotic court, or pave the way for the Princess as the head of the harem.
"I cannot appear. In the eyes of the world, Empress Bai Li is already dead..." Bai Li's slender fingers lightly tapped the teacup, intently clearing away the tea foam: "Cen'er's path to becoming Empress is one she must walk alone, without relying on any external forces. Otherwise, as a woman, her title will be illegitimate and she will surely be criticized in the future..."
"Miss's considerations are indeed thorough, but will the Princess be in danger on her journey?" Bai Yi was still somewhat worried.
“With Liao Chen and Bai Jin here, and that expert from the Dark Division, Cen’er will be safe.” Bai Li poured out the first cup of tea she had brewed, then began to prepare another. “Besides, I just can’t show my face, it doesn’t mean I can’t do things secretly.” She picked up the second cup of tea, took a sip, and thought, “Hmm, not bad, I’m quite satisfied with the taste.”
The Dark Guard Commander is the only one among the Dark Sentinels who is not called Blackbird. He has no surname, only the name Cang. Only the heir of the Bai clan knows his name, that is, in this generation, only Bai Li knows it. Now it is time to give the identity of the Bai family heir to Li Cen.
Far away on the northern border, Li Cen was gazing towards the capital amidst the heavy snow. She wondered if Lu He had received her letter or understood her intentions. The capital had been seized by the conservative rebels, and even if her letter was sent by secret agents, it would be seen by their eyes. Therefore, she could not openly discuss the situation in the court, but could only write a few words, hoping that Lu He could hold back the King of Hu's army in the south.
"Hoo," she exhaled a puff of white breath. The weather in the north was indeed extremely cold. They had only left three cities and were already surrounded by snow. It must have been difficult for Chao Zhiyi in the frigid border region. He rebelled and raised an army but did not abandon the defense of the border. Of the 670,000 border guards, he only brought back 200,000 troops.
It seems they haven't completely abandoned their conscience and haven't disregarded the people on the border.
But even with only 200,000 troops, he still captured several cities effortlessly. Firstly, these border guards were constantly fighting on the battlefield, battling powerful enemies on the border year after year; they were battle-hardened soldiers who had fought their way through countless bloody battles. Unlike the city garrison troops within the country, who had not experienced the true baptism of war, they were already at a disadvantage in terms of sheer morale when facing off against each other.
Secondly, Chao Zhiyi had been guarding the border for many years, was diligent in his duties and loved the people, and had a high reputation on the frontier. The two passes near the border did not even have a war, and they directly opened the gates to welcome General Chao's army into the pass.
Now, Li Cen wants to rely on the city defense army she has led all the way to fight against the border defense army. How easy is that? Putting aside her experience in battle, she only has less than 160,000 troops.
"Your Highness! Everything is ready." Blackbird brought the news that the sentry had disguised himself as a refugee and infiltrated Yongcheng. He would then try to infiltrate the army stationed in Yongcheng by Chaozhiyi.
If you can't defeat your opponent head-on, then fight them indirectly.
"Okay, I understand." Li Cen nodded. She was waiting for the right moment, waiting for the sentries to burn the grain supplies in the city.
"From the palace." Blackbird handed over a bamboo scroll containing a note. Li Cen took the note and narrowed her eyes. Li Yun, oh Li Yun, as expected, was welcomed out of prison, ascended the throne, and even declared that he would seek to reclaim the Imperial Seal from her.
"Tell Nie Qing to be careful in everything." Nie Qing is now alone in the capital. Nie Sheng has been released and has no idea that Nie Qing betrayed him. He and Nie Qing were just the Crown Prince's people before. Now that the Crown Prince is gone, she will naturally return to the Nie family.
Thus, Nie Qing now openly monitors Nie Sheng and Chao Ying's interactions at Minister Nie's residence every day, acting as a spy with utmost caution. It seems easy, but it is actually fraught with danger. However, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Since the Eldest Princess and Lu He helped her exonerate the An family and revealed the truth about how Chao Ying instructed Nie Sheng to eliminate An Daohe, how could An Linqing not choose to stand with the Eldest Princess? Even if it was just for revenge, she would not let the entire Chao family go.