Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 412 The Future Empress [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you!"

Yuan Tiangang emphasized it again, then slowly walked closer, his gaze quickly sweeping across the faces of the three women.

Two of them were dressed in rags, their eyes filled with fear of the unknown.

Only the woman in the middle, dressed in a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), though her hair was disheveled, managed to maintain a semblance of composure, though her gaze towards him was wary.

They are Li Xueyan, the eldest daughter of Li Daozong, the Prince of Jiangxia; Hua Gu, the second daughter of Wu Shihuo, the Governor of Yuzhou; and Su Wan, the daughter of Su Tan, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat.

"Woo!"

Su Wan struggled, trying to express something with her eyes.

Li Xueyan struggled to straighten her bound body, her eyes displaying the stubbornness of a noblewoman, as if asking, "Really?"

Yuan Tiangang gestured to the guards to untie the bindings in their mouths. The guards hesitated for a moment, but finally did as he was told.

"Ahem." Hua Gu coughed twice, her voice hoarse, and spoke first: "Who exactly are you? What use are you to us?"

"Who I am is not important."

Yuan Tiangang shook his head and said calmly, "The important thing is that you were captured as pawns to restrain Li Chengqian."

"Li Chengqian? His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Su Wan exclaimed in surprise, "We have no prior acquaintance with His Highness the Crown Prince, why are you using us to control him?"

Yuan Tiangang looked at Su Wan: "Your surname is Su, and your name is Su Wan, right?"

Su Wan shuddered, her face turning deathly pale: "How...how did you know?"

"There are no secrets that stay hidden forever," Yuan Tiangang said calmly. "They arrested you because they predicted you would become the Crown Princess, and they arrested them for other reasons!"

"What is your purpose! Who exactly are you people?!"

Li Xueyan angrily said, "Why did you impersonate His Highness the Crown Prince? And what is your purpose in kidnapping me? Aren't you afraid of His Majesty's wrath?!"

She seemed to have many questions in her mind, and asked a lot of questions in one breath.

Because the night she was kidnapped was because Bai Tong was disguised as Li Chengqian.

Otherwise, she believed in herself and would never be fooled.

But Yuan Tiangang remained calm upon hearing her words: "Li Xueyan, daughter of the King of Jiangxia, and the future Queen Consort of Tibet! They captured you naturally to collude with Tibet and become enemies of the Tang Dynasty!"

"What Tibetan princess! What nonsense are you spouting?"

Li Xueyan was taken aback, then scoffed, "I am a princess of the Tang Dynasty, how could I possibly marry into Tibet!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tiangang ignored her and instead focused his gaze on Hua Gu, saying with a complex expression, "Capturing those two might be somewhat useful, but the one who will truly be of great use is you!"

"why?"

Hua Gu frowned.

Yuan Tiangang suddenly smiled: "Because you will overthrow the Tang Dynasty and become an empress in the future!"

Boom!

These words struck the three women as if they had been struck by lightning.

Su Wan and Li Xueyan, in particular, looked at Hua Gu with utter shock.

Even Hua Gu was somewhat at a loss, thinking to herself, how could this be? How could she possibly overthrow the Tang Dynasty?
And
She can even become an empress?!
"Alright, that's enough for me. I have nothing more to say!"

Yuan Tiangang took out a small dagger from his sleeve and handed it to Hua Gu, saying, "Chang'an is in chaos tonight, and this is your only chance. Go out through this hidden door and head southeast to avoid most of the fighting."

The guard, standing nearby, anxiously asked, "Sir Guard! What is this?"

"Shut up!" Yuan Tiangang interrupted sharply, "Get out of here!"

Although the guard was puzzled, he dared not disobey. He could only glare at the three women resentfully before turning and retreating outside the door.

Hua Gu gripped the dagger tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force, but she was still puzzled: "Why are you helping us? Aren't you one of Shouzhulang's men?"

"I once thought that only by following the so-called 'will of Heaven' could the world be kept at peace."

Looking at the chaotic firelight outside the window, Yuan Tiangang said with a hint of melancholy, "But now I understand that the so-called will of Heaven has always resided in the hearts of the people."

"But Crown Prince Li Chengqian has already triumphed over the will of Heaven and won the hearts of the people!"

Upon hearing this, an incredulous glint suddenly appeared in the eyes of Li Xueyan and Su Wan.

Hua Gu, in particular, stared intently at Yuan Tiangang with her still childish but exceptionally clear eyes, as if trying to see through his otherworldly appearance and discern the truth in his words.

"Yuan Tiangang! Are you really going to betray me, the Guardian?!"

Just then, a furious shout, filled with shock and anger, rang out from outside the door like a thunderclap.

"Hurry! It'll be too late if we wait any longer!"

Yuan Tiangang urged immediately.

Hua Gu glanced at him, then at the other two women, gritted her teeth, nodded, and bowed: "Thank you, senior!"

After saying that, she quickly used her dagger to cut the ropes binding the other two women: "Let's go!"

The three stumbled and rushed toward the secret door Yuan Tiangang had mentioned. Just as they pulled the bolt, they heard hurried footsteps outside.

"Ah! They're here!" Su Wan exclaimed.

Yuan Tiangang said in a deep voice, "Go! I'll hold them off for you for a while!"

Hua Gu gave him a deep look, then without further hesitation, led the other two into the hidden door and quickly closed it.

Almost the instant the hidden door closed.

boom!
The front door was suddenly slammed open from the outside by a tremendous force!

The two guards at the door were caught off guard and staggered backward from the impact.

The black-robed guard and the burly man with a bushy beard stood prominently at the entrance.

Their faces were filled with fury and murderous intent at being deceived.

"Where are they?!" the black-robed guard shouted.

Yuan Tiangang stood in front of the hidden door, calmly saying, "Release them."

"You're insane!" The black-robed guard's eyes widened in fury. "That woman surnamed Wu is the key! If you release her, all our plans will be in vain!"

"The plan was flawed from the start."

Yuan Tiangang slowly drew his long sword from his waist: "Instead of being obsessed with reversing the so-called destiny, we should take a look at the current chaos and see who is really stirring things up."

Upon hearing this, the black-robed guard was instantly enraged: "Yuan Tiangang! You have betrayed me, the guard! You deserve to die!"

The burly man with the bushy beard drew his heavy ghost-head saber from his waist, pointing the blade directly at Yuan Tiangang, and roared, "Yuan, I've known for a long time that something's wrong with you! Tell me! Did Li Chengqian promise you something that made you dare to break the century-old rules of the Guardian of the Palace?!"

"Brother Cui! Brother Wang!"

Yuan Tiangang remained as steady as a mountain. He slowly turned around, facing the two aggressive men. The pity on his face vanished completely, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness and resolve: "You are too obsessed! These three women can't change anything!"

"Li Chengqian's fortune has already been decided. Using hostages to threaten him will only provoke his raging anger and hasten the downfall of the Guardian Army! Letting them go might leave a glimmer of hope for a turnaround!"

"fart!"

The black-robed guard trembled with rage: "Leave room for maneuver? Li Chengqian killed our entire family! He killed the Prince of Shu, the Prince of Liang! He even killed many of our generals! And you're telling us there's room for maneuver?! I think you've been scared out of your wits by Li Chengqian! Or what?"

A sinister glint flashed in his eyes: "You're actually Li Chengqian's mole planted in the Shouzhulang?! I suspected something was amiss when you voluntarily defected to Li Yuan back then!"

"Why waste your breath on him!"

The burly, bearded king, unable to contain his killing intent any longer, shouted: "Take him down! Execute those three little girls too! I refuse to believe that without hostages, we can't kill Li Chengqian!"

He suddenly waved his hand and roared at the two guards at the door, "What are you all standing there for! Go and catch those three little girls!!"

The two guards exchanged a glance. Although there was a hint of hesitation in their eyes, they were clearly more afraid of the usual power and prestige of Cui and Wang. With gritted teeth, they drew their short blades and rushed towards the hidden door!
"well--!"

Yuan Tiangang let out a long sigh, a sigh filled with endless regret.

He remained motionless as the two men rushed towards him, yet the wide sleeves of his Taoist robe moved without any wind.

He flicked his right hand out like lightning, his movements as graceful as flowing water, and lightly touched the wrist of the foremost guard with his fingertips.

"what!"

The guard felt a soft yet overwhelming force travel from his wrist straight to his lungs, instantly causing his entire arm to go numb and powerless. His short blade clattered to the ground.

With a quick pull, Yuan Tiangang caused the guard to stagger and bump into his companion as if he were drunk.

Another guard was caught off guard by his companion's collision, and Yuan Tiangang's left hand had already reached out, seemingly casually pressing on the Tanzhong acupoint on his chest.

The man groaned, his face turning deathly pale instantly. As if struck by a heavy hammer, he clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground, unable to utter a sound.

In the blink of an eye, the two elite guards had already lost their fighting ability.

"Excellent! Well done, Master Yuan! You are indeed a man of great hidden talent!"

The black-robed guard's pupils contracted, filled with shock and anger. He had never expected Yuan Tiangang's martial prowess to be so unfathomable.

He suddenly drew a pair of Emei Daggers, gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light, from his waist and shouted sharply, "Brother! Attack together! We cannot let them escape today!"

"die!"

The burly man with the bushy beard knew he was facing a life-or-death situation. With a roar, he unleashed his ghost-headed saber, which whistled through the air, and cleaved down towards Yuan Tiangang with the force of a mountain splitting.

The black-robed guard, like a ghost, flashed around to Yuan Tiangang's side and rear, his twin daggers striking like venomous snakes, one aimed at his back and the other at his waist.

The angle was cunning and ruthless, sealing off all of Yuan Tiangang's escape routes.

Despite facing a deadly pincer attack from two top masters, Yuan Tiangang remained remarkably calm. He subtly shifted his feet, his figure moving like a willow catkin in the wind, miraculously sliding half a step away amidst the flashing blades, narrowly avoiding the imminent danger of being disemboweled by the Ghost Head Saber.

At the same time, his wide robe sleeves, as if filled with wind, suddenly swept backward.

"Oh!"

A dull thud of air colliding.

The black-robed guard felt an extremely supple yet terrifyingly powerful force strike his twin daggers, causing his hands to go numb, his blood to surge, and his attack to falter.

Using the force of this flick, Yuan Tiangang advanced instead of retreating, getting as close as a leech to the burly man with a thick beard. His right hand, fingers like a sword, struck the Shenmen acupoint on the wrist where the man was holding the knife with lightning speed.

The burly man with the bushy beard was shocked and hurriedly withdrew his sword to defend himself, but Yuan Tiangang's fingers seemed to have already calculated his movements. With a mysterious force in his fingertips, he brushed his wrist with perfect precision.

"Uh!"

The burly man with the bushy beard felt half of his body go numb instantly. He could no longer hold onto the ghost-headed saber, which flew out of his hand and crashed into a wooden pillar beside him, the hilt still vibrating and humming.

"Brother Wang!"

The black-robed guard was terrified. Ignoring the churning of his blood, he lunged forward again.

Just then, the gray-robed guard who hadn't come out until now slowly emerged, calmly and coldly saying, "Yuan Tiangang, do you want to die?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tiangang's expression changed. He guessed that Hua Gu and the others had already escaped, so he no longer wanted to fight.

Suddenly, he leaped into the air like a roc spreading its wings, crashing directly into the tightly closed wooden window of the clock tower, which was covered with thick paper.

"Snap! Crash—!"

Wood chips and scraps of paper flew everywhere.

Yuan Tiangang's figure vanished instantly through the broken window, disappearing into the chaotic night and firelight outside.

"Chase him! We can't let him get away!"

The black-robed guard roared in exasperation, ignoring the burly man with a bushy beard on the ground and the fallen guard, and leaped out through the broken window.

The burly man with a bushy beard struggled to get up, but was held down by the gray-robed guard. He could only watch helplessly as the black-robed guard chased after him, his eyes filled with resentment and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

The martial prowess Yuan Tiangang just displayed far exceeded their expectations!

Was he really trying to save someone?

Or is there some other motive?!

the other side.

The three women, who had just escaped from the abandoned clock tower, were staggering through the night.

Hua Gu, gripping her dagger tightly, led the way, followed closely by Li Xueyan, who maintained the dignity of a noble lady. Su Wan, on the other hand, would occasionally look back towards the direction of the clock tower, where the faint sounds of clashing weapons could be heard, making her heart tighten.

Although they were not ordinary women, they had not experienced much.

They had never experienced anything like this, especially a life-or-death situation.

Therefore, each of them was on tenterhooks.

They were afraid that they had just escaped one wolf's den only to fall into another tiger's lair.

"Go southeast. Our seniors told us to go south."

Hua Gu muttered Yuan Tiangang's words to herself, using the distant firelight to determine the direction: "That's Qujiang Pool over there. There should be few people around at night."

"and many more!"

Li Xueyan suddenly stopped, her skirt stained with bits of grass, yet her stubbornness remained undiminished: "Can that old Taoist priest's words be trusted? What Tibetan queen, what 'empress'? It's utterly absurd!"

"Yes, Aunt Hua!"

Su Wan timidly echoed, a blush rising on her face: "He said I would become the Crown Princess. But I've only met His Highness the Crown Prince once, and will the Empress and His Majesty really choose me?"

Hua Gu glanced back at the two of them, the moonlight reflecting in her clear eyes, a strange light flashing within them: "Whether it's true or not, it's true that he let us go. Chang'an is in chaos right now, let's escape this place of trouble first."

No sooner had he finished speaking than hurried footsteps sounded behind him.

The three of them were startled at the same time. Hua Gu suddenly pulled them into the dark alley next to them.

"Quick! Chase them this way! The secret door leads to this hidden passage!"

Two guards rushed past with torches in hand. As the flames swept across the alleyway, Hua Gu pressed her hand tightly against Su Wan's mouth, and Li Xueyan held her breath.

Only when the footsteps faded into the distance did the three dare to breathe heavily.

Li Xueyan wiped away a cold sweat, her voice trembling: "They really caught up with us."

"Let's go!" Hua Gu no longer hesitated and pulled the two of them into the deeper shadows.

After passing through two alleys, the sound of armor rubbing together suddenly came from ahead.

Hua Gu hurriedly gestured for silence, and peered through the crack in the wall. She saw a squad of Imperial Guards patrolling with their swords drawn, their armor gleaming coldly in the firelight.

"They're from the imperial court!" Su Wan exclaimed in surprise.

Li Xueyan frowned and stopped her: "Wait, Chang'an is in such chaos right now, who knows if they are really the Imperial Guards?"

She was still shaken when she recalled being deceived by Bai Tong, who was impersonating the crown prince.

Hua Gu hesitated for a moment, then suddenly tore off a corner of her skirt, dipped it in the water in the corner of the wall, wrote a word on the ground, gestured for the two to be quiet, and slowly walked out of the shadows alone.

"Halt! Who goes there?" the Imperial Guard shouted sharply, drawing his sword.

Hua Gu stood with her head bowed: "This humble woman has lost her way."

She deliberately made her voice tremble, while secretly stepping on the corner of the cloth with writing on it.

The captain of the Imperial Guard took two steps forward and examined her by the firelight. Suddenly, he noticed the corner of the cloth at her feet, and his pupils contracted slightly.

He calmly kicked aside the corner of the cloth and said in a deep voice, "This place is dangerous. I'll send someone to take you out."

Just then, several dark figures suddenly darted out from the alley entrance; they were the pursuing guards.

"there!"

The guard roared and pounced.

The captain of the Imperial Guard reacted swiftly: "Protect the Emperor! No, protect the people!"

He shouted as he swung his sword to meet the attack; the horizontal blade clashed with the short blade, sparks flying.

Hua Gu seized the opportunity to retreat into the shadows: "Let's go!"

The three followed two Imperial Guard soldiers as they retreated into the back alley, the sounds of fighting rising behind them.

Su Wan couldn't help but turn around and saw the captain fighting fiercely. Suddenly, she noticed the token at his waist. The flying fish insignia of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was particularly eye-catching in the firelight.

"It's the Embroidered Uniform Guard!" Su Wan exclaimed.

Li Xueyan suddenly realized: "No wonder. They are His Highness the Crown Prince's men!"

Hua Gu paused, turning back to look towards the clock tower, Yuan Tiangang's words, "Li Chengqian has already triumphed over fate," echoing in her ears.

She gripped the dagger tightly and suddenly quickened her pace: "To the Crown Prince's residence! It's the only safest place!"

Meanwhile, on the Anhua Gate tower, Pei Xingjian was standing next to Wang Kuo, watching the two armies facing off below the city.

Hou Junji's vanguard battalion was on edge, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder ready to explode.

Not far away, Chang He was leading his cavalry, watching him from afar.

If he dares to attack the city, or if Wang Kuo dares to open the city gates and let Hou Junji into the city, he will immediately lead his army to kill them.

"General Wang, His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered that anyone who dares to cross the line must be killed without exception."

Pei Xingjian said in a cold voice.

Wang Kuo tightened his grip on the gold medal, the scars on his face appearing even more grotesque in the firelight: "This subordinate understands!"

Below the city gates, Hou Junji looked at the tightly closed gates and then at Chang He, who was eager to try his luck, a hint of anxiety and unease flashing in his eyes.

He hadn't expected Wang Kuo to be such a tough nut to crack, and he certainly hadn't expected Li Jing to react so quickly.

"General, if we don't act now, we'll be at a disadvantage once the Crown Prince's men arrive to provide reinforcements!" the lieutenant warned in a low voice.

Hou Junji took a deep breath and drew his long sword: "Give the order! Attack the city!"

At his command, Hou Junji's vanguard troops surged toward the city gate like a tidal wave.

Wang Kuo stood on the gate tower and shouted sternly, "Release the arrows!"

A barrage of arrows rained down, and screams erupted from below the city walls.

Inside the warm pavilion of the Crown Prince's residence, Li Chengqian was quietly listening to the sounds of fighting coming from outside.

He fiddled with a jade pendant in his hand, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

"Your Highness, fighting has broken out at Anhua Gate," Laifu reported in a low voice.

Li Chengqian nodded: "Understood. Tell Pei Xingjian to proceed according to plan."

"Yes."

After Lai Fu stepped down, Li Chengqian walked to the city defense map and gently tapped the location of the abandoned clock tower with his fingertip.

"It's time for this good show to come to an end."

He muttered to himself, a cold smile curving his lips.

The night wind swept through Chang'an, bringing with it a heavy stench of blood.

(End of this chapter)