Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Prince Ning Li Mu's Northwest Army had already arrived outside the city gates of the capital three days ago.

Hong Chaoge, the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guards of the Great Qian Dynasty, led 80,000 Imperial Guards to be stationed outside the city, where they encountered the vanguard battalion of Li Feihu, a general under Prince Ning, Li Mu.

To everyone's surprise, the Imperial Guards offered no resistance and scattered like birds and beasts, allowing the Northwest Army to storm into the capital.

and,

The modified Krupp infantry guns that were equipped by the Imperial Guards actually became weapons for Prince Ning Li Mu's Northwest Army.

They were essentially imperial guards, and they gave weapons to Li Feihu.

These 'modified Krupp infantry guns' were all modified by the Simond Arsenal and were extremely powerful.

Originally, Chen Jie intended to modify a batch of Krupp infantry guns that he had seized from the Western Allied Forces and leave them to Ximentang for training purposes.

Finally, at Xu Shichang's repeated requests, Chen Jie sold it to the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty.

but,

No one expected that such a good weapon would be wasted like this.

The Imperial Guard not only offered no resistance, but also gave these well-equipped 'modified Krupp infantry guns' to the Northwest Army.

As a result,
The Northwest Army under Prince Ning, Li Mu, has seen a surge in combat effectiveness.

Li Feihu was overjoyed to receive a batch of 'modified Krupp infantry guns'.

He sent messengers to inform Prince Ning, Li Mu, to lead a large army and storm the capital through Juyong Pass.

Then,

He personally led an army of 10,000 to attack the inner city of the capital and storm the Chongwen Gate.

The capital of the entire Daqian Dynasty was on the verge of collapse.

The outer city fell quickly due to the lack of resistance from the Imperial Guards, and the army collapsed like a house of cards.

The person in charge of guarding the inner city was Cao Shaoqing, a eunuch from the Imperial Household Department.

Even Cao Gonggong himself did not expect that he would be commanding the inner city's imperial guards to defend the imperial city.

The inner city's garrison numbered less than 30,000, a large portion of whom were eunuchs, making it extremely difficult for them to defend the imperial city.

In addition, the Imperial Guards were completely demoralized and had no intention of resisting.

Therefore,
When Li Feihu led an army of 10,000 directly into the inner city.

The resistance at Chongwen Gate quickly crumbled, and it looked like it was about to collapse.

Li Feihu was overjoyed, as he was about to storm the imperial city.

Damn—that's the biggest achievement!

As long as we capture the capital and seize Emperor Li Zheng in the imperial city, the day when I am ennobled will be just around the corner!
unfortunately,

Before he could enjoy his joy for long, he heard a burst of gunfire and artillery fire behind him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth is shaking!

At the same time, a pitiful scream came from behind, and the morale of the troops immediately fell into chaos.

"What the hell is going on?"

Li Feihu was taken aback and quickly looked into the distance through his binoculars.

hiss--!
The next moment, he was completely dumbfounded.

Not far behind them, they could see that the area was already under fire.

Full firepower attack!
The dense barrage of shells turned the surrounding area a fiery red.

They couldn't see the enemy, only hear screams everywhere, and no one could escape.

As darkness fell, anyone who ran out of the area covered by artillery fire would be immediately shot and fall to the ground.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the entire street was covered with corpses.

Li Feihu was terrified.

Then came the rhythmic 'rat-a-tat-tat!' sound of a heavy machine gun.

Li Feihu's army had never experienced such fierce firepower.

Moreover, they were on the verge of taking over Chongwenmen and were completely unprepared.

Therefore,
After a burst of crossfire, rows of Northwest Army soldiers fell.

Some Northwest Army soldiers reacted and opened fire with their muskets behind them.

but,

They couldn't even see the other side, so they couldn't find a target to counterattack.

Da da—da da!
The crossfire from Ximentang did not stop, but became even more intense.

For a while,
The elite troops under Prince Ning, Li Mu, including the vanguard battalion led by Li Feihu, fell in droves, with almost no chance to fight back.

A pitiful howl echoed all around.

Suddenly subjected to such fierce firepower, almost all the soldiers of the Northwest Army felt fear.

Can't fight!
The enemy was nowhere to be seen; all that could be seen was the sky filled with artillery fire, heavy machine gun fire, and rifle bullets.

The overwhelming firepower suppressed them, leaving them no chance to even raise their heads.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, half of Li Feihu's 10,000-strong vanguard army was wiped out.

this moment,
Li Feihu finally realized what was happening. In his mind, three words popped into his head: Ximen Tang!

hiss--!
He couldn't help but gasp, his whole body breaking out in a cold sweat.

Ever since Prince Li Ben of Han joined Prince Li Mu of Ning, the Northwest Army had heard many stories about Ximen Tang.

Three thousand five hundred soldiers clashed head-on with eighty thousand soldiers under the command of Li Ben, the King of Han.

Their unimaginable fighting prowess instilled fear in all the soldiers of the Northwest Army.

to be frank,
Therefore, the soldiers of the Northwest Army would rather encounter Guan Qilin's army than clash with Ximen Tang's army.

All along,
The Northwest Army had a sense of fear towards Ximentang.

This was an invincible army that swept through the 130,000-strong Western Allied Army and routed the Japanese.

Anyone who happens to encounter Ximen Tang's army must be prepared to be subdued.

The 300,000-strong army of Li Ben, the King of Han, was utterly defeated by Xi Mentang's tens of thousands of men.

Many in the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty believed that Ximen Tang's leadership of the army to quell the rebellion in Hanzhong was merely icing on the cake.

The real main force in suppressing the rebellion was General Li Qiong of the Ministry of War.

but,

Only the soldiers under the command of Li Ben, the King of Han, truly knew that it was Ximen Tang who had defeated the King of Han in the Hanzhong region.

Li Qiong, the Grand General of the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty, was just a nobody.

Therefore,
The people who feared Ximen Tang the most were undoubtedly the remnants of the defeated army under Prince Li Ben of Han.

Among the elite vanguard battalion under Li Feihu's command were many former subordinates of Prince Han, Li Ben.

When they learned that Ximentang had arrived, they were naturally terrified.

In fact,
Prince Li Ben of Han defected to Prince Li Mu of Ning, who then led a large army, in league with the Japanese, to seize the capital.

All of this can be said to have been forced upon them by Simon Tang!

no way,
Ximentang occupies the largest territory along the eastern coast of the Great Qian Dynasty, and its development is accelerating.

Prince Ning, Li Mu, sensed the crisis.

If he doesn't send troops now and doesn't cooperate with the Japanese.

Then,

He knew very well that in three years, he would never have another chance.

Once Ximentang's battle lines were extended from Shandong to Tianjin, Hebei, and Beijing.

Therefore, Prince Ning, Li Mu, only has one option left: surrender!
Therefore,
He must seize the best opportunity presented by the Japanese launching a general offensive, holding back Guan Qilin's army, and keeping Ximen Tang occupied on the eastern coast, to launch an attack on the capital.

only,
Li Feihu never expected that Ximentang's army would arrive so quickly.

According to previous intelligence, wasn't Ximentang stationed in Cangzhou, Hebei?
How did they manage to storm the capital in just a few days?!
Li Feihu's mind raced as he secretly made a plan.

After being bombarded by artillery, his vanguard battalion was reduced to less than four thousand men, no match for Ximentang.

No, it should be said that if we had delayed another twenty minutes, we would have been completely wiped out.

They didn't even see anyone; they were probably all beaten to a pulp.

If you can't win, retreat!
Li Feihu was a very decisive general who never hesitated or dragged things out.

He immediately ordered all soldiers of the vanguard battalion to retreat across the entire front.

do not fight!
They abandoned Chongwen Gate and retreated outside the city.

The entire battle lasted no more than half an hour. Li Feihu, a general under Prince Ning Li Mu, led more than 3,000 remaining troops in a retreat.

Chongwen Gate was quickly cleared. Chen Jie led his army into the inner city of Beijing through Chongwen Gate, leaving 3,000 troops to guard it.

at this time,

Li Lingyue led three hundred imperial guards out of the city and joined Chen Jie.

This shows how insignificant martial artists are in the face of modern firearms.

The brave and invincible Imperial Guards were utterly powerless against the rebels' heavy firepower.

If Ximentang's army hadn't stormed the capital, Li Lingyue's hidden guards would have been almost completely wiped out.

When the couple met, they naturally exchanged pleasantries and inquiries.

Next,
Chen Jie sighed and said, "Ling Yue, I'm afraid the capital can't be saved. Li Mu's 500,000 troops are right outside the city. Although our 25,000 troops at Daoma Pass can hold them off for a while."

"But they've acquired the Imperial Guard's artillery; we can't hold out for long!"

"Judging from the current situation, Guan Qilin's army should retreat soon, and it is very likely that he will enter the grasslands and establish himself as king."

"The Japanese army will join forces with the army of Li Mu, the Prince of Ning in the Northwest. With a million troops pressing in, there is no way to reverse the situation!"

"However, I can assure you that soon Ximen Tang will launch a counterattack and retake the capital."

The power dynamics within the capital city must be reshuffled!

The factional strife within the Great Qian Dynasty has lasted too long, and to break this deadlock, drastic measures must be taken.

to be frank,
If Chen Jie were to harden his heart, with Ximen Tang's 300,000 troops, he would be able to sweep away the army of Prince Ning, Li Mu, in the Northwest and the Allied Forces of the East.

but,

He had other plans in mind.

Since the Great Qian Dynasty is destined to fall, let it fall even more thoroughly.

Only by completely breaking it down can it be better rebuilt.

We will definitely take back the capital, but not now.

Given the current situation, we need to use the sword in the hands of Li Mu, the Prince of Ning in the Northwest, to wipe out all the major aristocratic families.

The only thing Ximen Tang needed to ensure was that the royal family was in his hands, which would give him the highest moral ground.

Li Lingyue naturally understood this principle as well. She sighed and said, "Let's go and go to the palace to see Father Emperor."

Because Chongwen Gate was not breached by the rebels.

Although the imperial city of Beijing was disturbed, it was not seriously damaged.

Chen Jie sent men to guard Chongwen Gate and followed Li Lingyue into the palace.

Although the palace was not extensively damaged, it was in chaos.

Some stragglers entered the inner city, including some skilled members of the Imperial Guard, and looted and committed atrocities within the palace.

Perhaps they had been suppressed too much in the palace, and now that they had the opportunity, they were causing even more trouble.

Occasionally, one could see soldiers of the Imperial Guards robbing the palace maids of their jewelry within the palace grounds.

They were all fierce and ruthless, even more so than the rebels, and they were merciless in their attacks.

Therefore, upon entering the palace, a strong stench of blood permeated the surroundings, and corpses littered the ground, making the situation even worse than outside the city.

"Fuck you—!"

Upon seeing this, Chen Jie couldn't help but curse out loud.

These bastards were so brave when they were burning, killing, and looting, why didn't they resist the rebel army of the Prince of Ning in the Northwest?
Do you only know how to bully the weak?

Seeing the chaotic scene inside the palace, Li Lingyue's expression turned extremely solemn, her thoughts unreadable.

She knew that the factional struggles within the palace were chaotic and brutal.

but,

I never imagined it would turn out like this.

Chen Jie led his army into the palace.

quickly,

The group arrived at Donghua Gate.

At this moment, Donghua Gate was in complete chaos.

The imperial guards, including the eunuchs, who were originally responsible for guarding the palace, have disappeared without a trace.

The entire palace was deserted and quiet.

Upon witnessing this scene, Li Lingyue took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Father has been in trouble—!"

Swish!
After saying that, she led the Imperial Guards and rushed into the palace.

Chen Jie looked up at the palace, and his spiritual senses instantly enveloped the surroundings.

at this time,

He was already able to sense what was happening inside the palace.

well--!
He sighed, turned around and gave an order, telling all of Ximen Tang's troops to wait outside.

He led his personal guards and followed Li Lingyue into the palace.

Not long after entering the palace, a group of eunuchs were seen running out.

Chen Jie ordered his personal guards to capture several escaped eunuchs, wanting to find out the specific situation inside the palace.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me—!"

The eunuchs were trembling with fear and kept begging for mercy.

Not all eunuchs were skilled in martial arts. Some eunuchs were specifically responsible for the daily lives of the concubines and had no opportunity to practice martial arts after being castrated and entering the palace.

Li Lingyue asked one of the eunuchs, "Where is the Emperor?"

At this time,

The eunuch who was caught and questioned finally recognized that the person who questioned him was Princess Li Lingyue.

"Princess, His Majesty has summoned Empress Xie and Consort Lin to the Zichen Palace and ordered the Crown Prince, Prince Zhi, and Prince Yi to leave the palace."

"Later, Empress Xie and Consort Lin followed the Emperor out of the Zichen Palace, along with many other concubines, who should have gone to the Cining Palace!"

Upon hearing this, Li Lingyue turned to look at Chen Jie, took a deep breath, and said, "Let's go to Cining Palace!"

Cining Palace was where the Empress was in charge of the inner palace, and it was very close to here.

Therefore,
Li Lingyue and Chen Jie went straight to Cining Palace.

Upon entering the Cining Palace, I found it deserted and quiet, with no palace maids or eunuchs in sight.

As darkness fell, a woman dressed as a concubine lay on the steps of the Cining Palace, her blood staining the ground.

Judging from the appearance, he had just died, and his blood was still warm.

Li Lingyue recognized the female corpse and exclaimed in shock, "It's Consort Lin! Why did she die here?"

Next,
Suddenly remembering something, she rushed into the palace, shouting, "Father, Father—!"

Chen Jie gestured to his personal guards to follow closely.

Next,
Li Lingyue arrived at Cining Palace and saw many figures inside, with the sound of weeping constantly emanating from them.

Before they even got close, they heard Empress Xie weeping as she spoke:

"Your Majesty, I entered the palace at the age of sixteen and have served Your Majesty for thirty years."

"For the past thirty years, I have been able to die on the same day as Your Majesty for the sake of the country and its people. I have no regrets!"

"Your Majesty, I must take my leave now. If there is an afterlife, I wish to serve Your Majesty once more!"

Bang-dang——!
With a loud thud, Empress Xie kicked the wooden stool away.

Upon witnessing this scene, Li Lingyue cried out, "Empress, no—!"

at this time,

All that could be seen was a white cloth hanging around Empress Xie's neck.

The stool beneath her feet tipped over, leaving her dangling in mid-air.

Beside her, where she hanged herself, Emperor Li Zheng held a long sword, pointing it at a young woman dressed as a concubine.

That concubine was very young, about the same age as Li Lingyue, and was a concubine whom Emperor Li Zheng had recently taken into his household—Hu Meier!

now,

Hu Meier was stunned when Emperor Li Zheng pointed his sword at her.

She collapsed to the ground, utterly disoriented, tears streaming down her face.

She didn't want to die; she was still young!
Even now, she still doesn't know what happened or why things suddenly turned out this way.
Upon seeing this, Li Lingyue cried out, "Father!"

Clang——!
The instant Li Lingyue cried out, Emperor Li Zheng's sword slashed down at Hu Meier's neck—! (End of Chapter)