Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 289 Utterly Defeated! The Assassination Attack at the Great Buddha Temple
"The Emperor wants to see me?"

Chen Jie opened his eyes wide and asked in surprise.

"Yes! It's a secret order from the Imperial Palace to take you back, but I don't know the specifics!"

Cao Shaoqing took a deep breath and said, "For the Imperial Palace to issue an urgent secret order, the matter must be very urgent."

"Young Master Chen, please prepare yourself. We're heading straight back to the capital."

What exactly happened?

Chen Jie had some doubts.

He had originally planned to ask Eunuch Cao for martial arts advice, but now he was going to the capital.

Do not know why,

Chen Jie suddenly had a bad feeling.

-

The morning of the third day.

Chen Jie and Eunuch Cao arrived in the capital at top speed.

"Young Master Chen, Eunuch Cao, you've finally arrived!"

As soon as the two entered the palace, they heard Xu Shichang rushing over.

Next,
Eunuch Cao and Xu Shichang spoke in hushed tones for a moment.

"Young Master Chen, you should go to the Qianqing Palace with Lord Xu. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Personnel still have matters to attend to, so I'll leave for a while."

Cao Shaoqing's expression turned extremely serious.

Xu Shichang stepped forward and said to Chen Jie, "Let's go, Young Master Chen!"

finished,

He pulled Chen Jie and walked into the palace.

Chen Jie was immediately surprised and hurriedly asked, "Lord Xu, what happened? Why did you summon me to the capital in such a hurry?"

"Sh-!"

Xu Shichang looked anxious. He stepped forward, got closer to Chen Jie, and said cautiously:
"At the Great Buddha Temple, five days ago, something happened to the Emperor—!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie was taken aback.

"The Emperor is in trouble? What do you mean? Could it be—he's dead?"

"you--!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Shichang nearly collapsed to the ground.

This kid never thinks before he speaks; this is the imperial palace.

How could you say something so reckless?
call--!
Xu Shichang couldn't help but take a deep breath and whisper:

"Young Master Chen, this is a forbidden area of ​​the imperial palace. You should watch your words and not speak recklessly!"

"Some words, once spoken, can lead to one's death."

"Alright, stop guessing and come with me to the Qianqing Palace!"

finished,

He took Chen Jie and rushed towards the Qianqing Palace without saying a word.

along the way,

Led by the eunuch in charge, Xu Shichang's expression was unusually serious.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit off, Chen Jie immediately shut up and didn't say anything more.

From the atmosphere of the entire palace, one could sense that something major had definitely happened.

but,

So many days have passed since the emperor had an accident at the Great Buddha Temple.

Why did the Imperial Household Department summon me?

Chen Jie really wanted to ask Xu Shichang, but seeing the other party's serious expression, he figured it would be pointless to ask, as the other party remained silent.

Right,

The palace was under martial law.

The wind howls and cranes cry; too much talk leads to mistakes!
Speaking carelessly at this time could bring trouble upon oneself.

Chen Jie wasn't familiar with the palace, but judging from the direction, it should be the inner palace.

I recalled what Xu Shichang had just said: that Emperor Li Zheng had encountered trouble at the Great Buddha Temple.

What was he doing at the Great Buddha Temple?

Could it be that they were burning incense and praying for blessings, asking Heaven to protect the Great Qian Dynasty for thousands of generations?
Depend on!
Could Emperor Li Zheng really be dead?
The Great Qian Dynasty is currently in chaos. Although the royal family has declined, it is still the legitimate dynasty in the land.

If Li Zheng were to die at this time, the Great Qian Dynasty would immediately fall apart.

Anyway,
Li Zheng can be considered his future father-in-law.

Princess Lingyue hasn't even been married yet. If he really dies, should I let Ximen Tang's army enter the capital?

For a while,
Chen Jie's mind was filled with all sorts of wild thoughts.

quickly,

The two arrived outside the Qianqing Palace.

The atmosphere inside and outside the palace today is quite different from usual.

Martial law has been declared everywhere; everyone's on edge!
Almost every few meters, there were imperial guards on guard, and almost every imperial guard exuded a murderous aura.

Anyone who dares to cause trouble in the vicinity will be met with no hesitation from these imperial guards.

hiss--!
Chen Jie couldn't help but squeeze the gun at his waist.

These imperial guards were all top-notch experts. Although Chen Jie's martial arts had already broken through to the mid-stage of 'Iron Bone Dark Force'.

Furthermore, he had two guns and six magazines on his waist.

but,

He didn't think he could handle these top-tier palace guards.

At this moment, Chen Jie was extremely vigilant, observing his surroundings.

Especially when approaching the Qianqing Palace, the guards around it became increasingly strict.

The imperial guards, armed with swords, looked around warily, their expressions serious.

This time, when Eunuch Cao brought Chen Jie to the capital, none of Chen Jie's personal guards came along.

He has already notified the 'underground forces' to have all the guards assemble in Tianjin.

The atmosphere inside the palace made Chen Jie feel very insecure.

He took a deep breath, leaned closer to Xu Shichang, and whispered:

"Lord Xu, tell me the truth, what exactly happened?"

"Something seems off about the atmosphere inside the palace?"

Xu Shichang looked around and saw that they had arrived at the entrance of Qianqing Palace.

The imperial guards around them were relatively far away at this time.

He took a deep breath and whispered:

"Young Master Chen, remember to keep everything that happened in the palace today a secret!"

"Otherwise, not only will our lives be in danger, but the entire Great Qian Dynasty will also be plunged into turmoil."

What a load of rubbish!

After entering the palace, martial law was imposed everywhere. I had no idea what was going on, so what was there to keep secret?
in addition,

Wasn't the Great Qian Dynasty turbulent enough?

War has already broken out in the Northwest, southern Sichuan, Hanzhong, and southern Fujian.

How much more turmoil is needed?

Why all this secrecy? Could it be that Emperor Li Zheng is really dead?

Chen Jie muttered to himself, but seeing Xu Shichang's unusually serious expression, he realized that the matter was quite serious.

He nodded and said solemnly:
"Don't worry, I won't go around telling everyone!"

"The key point is that what happens in the palace has nothing to do with me. I still don't understand why they summoned me here."

Xu Shichang took a deep breath and said with a heavy gaze:

"Five days ago, the Emperor was assassinated at the Great Buddha Temple!"

what?
Chen Jie's eyes widened suddenly.

Damn it——!
Doesn't the Emperor have Eunuch Gao from the Imperial Household Department always by his side?

The last time Chen Jie went to the palace to meet the emperor, his proximity to Eunuch Gao made Chen Jie feel uneasy.

Eunuch Gao is the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department. His strength is even greater than that of Vice Minister Cao, and his martial arts skills are unfathomable.

How could the emperor be assassinated while under his protection?

this moment,
Chen Jie felt his head buzzing.

He whispered, "Lord Xu, you're not joking with me, are you?"

"The imperial guards have always been by the Emperor's side. How could they possibly be assassinated in the capital?" Xu Shichang shook his head and sighed.

"At a time like this, how could I possibly joke with you?"

Five days ago, on Qingming Festival, the Emperor went to Dafosi Temple to burn incense and worship Buddha.

"Unexpectedly, a group of assassins suddenly appeared inside the Great Buddha Temple."

"They hid inside the Great Buddha Temple, disguised as monks. When the emperor was burning incense and kowtowing, the assassins suddenly attacked."

"Although Eunuch Gao and the guards managed to subdue all the assassins after they reacted, the Emperor was also stabbed."

well--!
At this point, Xu Shichang shook his head and sighed helplessly.

"The Emperor was really stabbed!? Hiss—he was fine the last time I saw him, I never thought he was really dead!?"

Chen Jie felt completely confused and shocked.

Damn it—

Was Emperor Li Zheng really dead?
How could he die at this most crucial moment?

Now we're in trouble!
The Great Qian Dynasty is finished.

Originally, the emperor was able to maintain a balance between the major aristocratic families and the vassal kings.

With the assassination of Emperor Li Zheng, the Great Qian Dynasty was destined to experience an unprecedented upheaval.

to be frank,
Although Chen Jie was already the Governor-General of Shandong, a high-ranking official in charge of the region.

but,

He has not yet considered declaring himself king.

With the support of the Great Qian royal family, he can do many things legitimately.

Standing on the side of 'righteousness' for the world, Ximen Tang can take action against any feudal lord, aristocratic family, or martial arts force.

But now that Emperor Li Zheng is dead, Ximentang will no longer be able to stand on the moral high ground as before.

Depend on!
Why did Emperor Li Zheng die so young?
Seeing Chen Jie deep in thought, Xu Shichang patted his arm and whispered:

"The Emperor is not dead! If he were dead, how could he have summoned you to the capital?"

"However, the situation is unclear. We don't know anything about the Emperor's condition."

After hearing this, Chen Jie breathed a sigh of relief.

It’s good that you’re not dead!

Then, remembering something, he hurriedly said:

"Since we don't know anything about the situation, why did you call me to the capital?"

"I have no interest in the infighting and power struggles within the court, nor do I want to get involved in the conflicts."

"Those assassins ambushed at the Great Buddha Temple, avoiding the imperial guards and Eunuch Gao. It seems they were well-prepared."

"Anyone with eyes can see that without inside arrangements, how could assassins have infiltrated the Great Buddha Temple?"

"Since the emperor has been stabbed, the situation is very serious, and things are probably not that simple!"

Xu Shichang was taken aback upon hearing this.

He took a deep breath and said, "Five days have already passed, and I only received the news this morning. The Imperial Household Department had previously blocked all information!"

"Grand Marshal Li Zhen and I received an imperial edict from Eunuch Gao!"

"Li Zhen has begun mobilizing the Imperial Guards, and martial law has been declared in the capital. Today, I noticed that Eunuch Gao's expression was a bit off, and I'm worried about the Emperor—!"

After saying that, Xu Shichang did not continue.

The meaning is quite clear: the emperor's injury must be very serious.

call--!
Chen Jie couldn't help but take a deep breath, unable to describe his feelings at that moment.

He hadn't known Emperor Li Zheng for very long; they had only met twice in total.

To be honest, he didn't have much respect for Li Zheng; on the contrary, he felt a sense of friendship despite the age gap.

Even he himself found this feeling somewhat strange.

Emperor Li Zheng, who appears harmless, is seen by outsiders as a weak and incompetent ruler who has always been mediocre and ineffective in maintaining the balance of imperial power.

He devoted himself to the prosperity and stability of the Great Qian Dynasty, but achieved little.

Since his ascension to the throne, the Daqian Dynasty has become increasingly decadent.

Judging from the time of his accession to the throne, he was around the same time as Emperor Meiji of the Eastern Empire.

but,

The results were completely different.

Emperor Meiji of Japan ruthlessly purged the major aristocratic families of Japan, and then, with power in hand, began to implement the Meiji Restoration.

Over the course of several decades, the Eastern Empire underwent a complete transformation.

From the era of the Shogunate's struggle for supremacy, it leaped to become one of the world's great powers.

The imperial power of the Great Qian Dynasty had been usurped by the powerful clans, and it was almost beyond saving.

Emperor Li Zheng worked very hard; he wanted to change everything.

but,

Time has proven that his so-called 'balance of imperial power' has completely failed.

Especially after the arrival of warships from Western powers in Daqian, the entire situation spiraled out of control.

Chen Jie thought about it for a while, and felt a deep sense of regret.

at this time,

An elderly man with white hair, dressed in armor, was seen walking towards them from a distance.

He was dressed in full armor, looking imposing, and held a great sword called "Proud Moon" in his hand.

Li Zhen!

He was the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War in the Great Qian Dynasty and also Emperor Li Zheng's uncle.

"Marshal, what's the situation?"

Xu Shichang stepped forward, stood in front of Li Zhen, and asked urgently.

Li Zhen took a deep breath, shook his head, and said:

"The Imperial Household Department has been keeping the news under wraps. The Emperor is inside the Qianqing Palace, and the imperial physicians are all inside as well; they haven't come out!"

"I don't know the specifics either!"

Although the incident happened five days ago.

but,

The Imperial Household Department notified Xu Shichang and Li Zhen to come over, but the notification was only given this morning.

but,

Eunuch Cao received the news three days ago and brought Chen Jie to the capital.

This shows that

The Imperial Household Department of the Great Qian Dynasty deliberately blocked the news, but it is unknown whether this was the emperor's intention or if someone in the Imperial Household Department was orchestrating it.

Xu Shichang nodded slightly, then turned to look at Chen Jie.

He naturally understood why the Emperor had summoned Chen Jie to come along.

The Ximen Hall is the most powerful army in the Great Qian Dynasty. As long as the Ximen Hall can be stabilized, the Great Qian Dynasty will not fall into chaos.

Chen Jie frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said:
"Grand Marshal, what is the situation in the capital now?"

"Have the major aristocratic families and forces, or rather the Imperial Guards, and the forces behind the Ninth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince, made any moves?"

"In addition, have there been any troop movements in Hebei, Henan, and the surrounding areas under the jurisdiction of the Daqian Military Ministry?"

Chen Jie's gaze turned serious.

If Emperor Li Zheng were to meet with an accident, it is believed that forces from different factions would seize this opportunity to make their move.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhen immediately shook his head and said:

"There's nothing unusual going on for now! I only received the news this morning."

"I have mobilized the Imperial Guards, sealed off all the city gates of the capital, and declared martial law throughout the city!"

"There have been no unusual movements among the surrounding forces for the time being."

"Nothing has been found from the Ninth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince's side yet."

"Young Master Chen, if you have anything to say, just say it directly. Don't hold back."

He was Emperor Li Zheng's own uncle, always loyal and the person Emperor Li Zheng trusted most.

and,

He joined the army at a young age and enjoyed extremely high prestige within the military.

His ability to become the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War in the Great Qian Dynasty was due not only to his royal status, but more importantly to his prestige within the military.

Most of the generals in the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty were his protégés.

The reason why the royal family has been able to stand firm, besides the pillar of the palace, is also because of Li Zhen!
As long as he stays in the capital, there won't be any major trouble.

(End of this chapter)