Chapter 557
"Chengqian, surrender…"
Fan Xian's gentle words instantly astonished the tens of thousands of people inside and outside the Royal Palace . They felt it was absolutely absurd . The rebel army had surrounded the Palace . There was nowhere for the people inside to escape . Yet, Sir Fan junior was shamelessly urging the Crown Prince to surrender .
Dressed in martial attire and on his horse, the Crown Prince sucked in a cold breath . He thought to himself that An Zhi's skin was indeed getting thicker and thicker to be able to say such a thing so naturally . If someone unaware of the situation had heard it, they would probably think that it was Li Chengqian who had been chased as pitifully as a rabbit today and not Fan Xian .
Speaking of which, it was rather remarkable . In just one night, Fan Xian had changed from a criminal of the court to the so-called regent of the country . He had left behind his life of exile, abruptly entered the Palace, and almost captured the Crown Prince in one action, successfully turning the tables . However, in the early hours of the morning, the Crown Prince had luckily escaped and the army had entered the city . They had trapped Fan Xian inside the Palace .
Li Chengqian raised his face to look at his two brothers on the Palace walls . After smiling bitterly, he shook his head and thought self-mockingly that after the old Qin Master had spoken, it should be he who sincerely urged his elder brother to surrender . Unexpectedly, Fan Xian had stolen his words and caused his words to be stuck in his mouth . Fan Xian was indeed wily to an extreme .
Scattered horse hooves rang out to the right side of the square . Li Chengqian unconsciously twisted his head to see the Dingzhou army entering the capital from the western city gate . It was slowly coming closer to the central troops where he was . He furrowed his brows as he saw the Second Prince's handsome face at the head of thousands of soldiers . A faint chill rose in his heart . His second brother's thoughts were not simple . His face was extremely like Fan Xian's, and his secret agenda was just as sinister .
The Dingzhou troops slowly stopped to the right of the rebel army and carefully maintained a polite attitude toward the rebel army camp .
"Brother, you and I…" The Crown Prince Li Chengqian glanced at the Second Prince and finally opened his mouth . He couldn't wait for the Second prince to speak, but he had no internal strength for support . He had to shout to be heard by those on top of the palace walls . Although he still had the royal dignity that he had nurtured for over 10 years in the Eastern Palace, in comparison, he was not as valiant as when Fan Xian viciously attacked the Qin family .
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Fan Xian dug his finger into his ear and glanced at the Great Prince but didn't say anything because the Great Prince was listening intently . Everything the Crown Prince said had been within his calculations . It was nothing more than an attempt to persuade the Great Prince through brotherly affection and, at the same time, place the blame of what happened on Dong Mountain on Fan Xian's shoulders .
Although the Crown Prince knew the Great Prince would not believe that Fan Xian was the culprit who assassinated the Emperor, he still had to say it . Any brotherly affection had to be built on the foundation of some reasonable logic .
The Great Prince's expression darkened . The Emperor had five sons . If one discounted Fan Xian, who had grown up in Danzhou, and the Third Prince, who was the last to be born, he, the Crown Prince, and Second Prince had grown up together . Although the Crown Prince's status was venerated, the affection between the three brothers was good . Before the Emperor showed favor to the Second Prince, the three prince's relationship was far more worthy of being treasured than the bloody stories of conspiracy in the history books .
Everyone had thought it, but no one had dared to imagine that there would eventually be a day when these three brothers would meet with swords and soldiers .
The Second Prince, who had stayed silent since the Palace was surrounded, also opened his mouth . He gently kicked his horse with his shoe and allowed the horse to bring him within three meters of the rebel army . Gazing up at the Palace walls, he began to sincerely call up to the Great Prince following the Crown Prince's words .
It had to be said that the Second Prince was quite adept at capturing people's hearts . He didn't bring up the matter of having the Great Prince surrender . He only talked about their past affections . Using a depressed tone, he narrated his discontentment of having the Great Prince help Fan Xian . He faintly raised the matter of the Qing Emperor's attitude toward the Great Prince and that it was actually not how a father should be to his son .
Fan Xian glanced at the Great Prince and saw his expression was becoming darker and darker . He was not worried that the Great Prince would fall into the enemy's side because of the pressure of the situation and the Crown Prince and Second Prince's emotional attack . When he analyzed something, it always started with the person's personality . He knew that the Great Prince's personality was like a blazing fire .
He turned to look at the still yelling Second Prince and furrowed his brows slightly . He recognized the general beside him as Ye Zhong .
Thirty years ago, Ye Zhong had been the Commander of the Jingdou Garrison . Now, he was someone in his 50s . However, he didn't look old at all or have the air of severity that other famous Qing generals had . His figure was slightly short and fat .
Fan Xian would not underestimate him . He knew that this person had long become a ninth-level ace . Ye Liuyun's favorite nephew, and the man who had once fought against his terrifying mother, were both remarkable people . To be able to become the Commander of the Jingdou Garrison at 20 was not something the word "remarkable" could adequately covered .
Fan Xian's brows furrowed tighter and tighter, but his eyes became brighter and brighter . They were like a star that refused to retreat despite the illumination of the rising sun .
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The Great Prince suddenly called down the rebel soldiers below the palace walls in a loud voice, "Enough!"
The Second Prince gave a helpless smile and stopped talking .
The Great Prince said solemnly, "Look at the current situation, yet you still remember to frame Fan Xian! I know you can do whatever ugly thing it is for the sake of the throne, but don't forget there are some things I cannot do! If you're going to attack, then attack . There is no need to learn from those fishwives and be so chatty!"
These words were said resolutely and decisively with great vigor . It left absolutely no room for the Crown Prince and Second Prince to turn around in .
The Second Prince's usually gentle expression immediately became dark . Becoming angry for some unknown reason, he roared toward the top of the Palace walls, "Brother! Don't you forget that it is us who are brothers!"
"Brothers?" The Great Prince had been worried for days about the security of the Royal Palace, as well as making major plans with Fan Xian . His energies had been depleted . His eyes were deeply sunken . However, this made his gaze appear very sharp .
He looked at the Crown Prince and then at the Second Prince He suddenly said in a severe voice, "Brothers? You two aren't even willing to be sons, much less brothers!"
Silence . These words had exposed too many things . The imperial soldiers on the Palace walls had long learned of this matter from the posthumous edict . Their eyes immediately filled with rage and pain . However, the expressions of the rebel soldiers below the palace walls became very strange . Although the Emperor had died on Dong Mountain, his imperial might remained . As soldiers in the Qing army, shouldering the Crown Prince's standard was actually being part of the shady business of committing regicide to seize the throne . Who wouldn't be fearful? Whose heart wouldn't be drumming wildly?
The Great Prince stood between the crenels on the palace walls and furrowed his brows tightly . Looking at the Crown Prince, he sorrowfully said, "The Dong Mountain matter was done by the Eldest Princess . I know you don't have this power, but you must have known of it! Even if father was going to depose you, you are still his son . How could you act so immorally?"
The Crown Prince's expression was dim . He maintained his silence, allowing the Great Prince to criticize him angrily . At his side, the old Qin Master furrowed his brows and waved his hand . The rebel soldiers behind him began to make preparations for an attack . Gradually, the tooth-aching sound of bows being drawn could be heard from the rear .
While the three princes were energetically speaking of royal secrets above and below the Palace walls and being angry at each other, no one noticed that Fan Xian had left the wall . He followed the long stone steps into the interior of the Royal Palace and walked through the empty and expansive square toward Taiji Palace .
Along the way, Fan Xian looked around intently . Although the Great Prince specialized in battlefield operations on open fields, Fan Xian realized that he was also very knowledgeable about defending a city . Everywhere was prepared . Two towers had been taken apart near the entrance of the stone steps with rocks and heavy logs piled up . It looked like it was to deal with the attack about to happen .
Beside the three palace doors, there were some strangely shaped rocks prepared . There was even moss on them .
Fan Xian looked at it narrowed eyes and wondered if the rock gardens in the Palace had also been dismantled by the Great Prince . As he thought this, a group came toward him . Under the escort of a number of imperial soldiers, hundreds of exhausted-looking eunuchs were using a cart to push moss-covered rocks . It was indeed the Palace's rock gardens .
The front side of the Royal Palace had three gates . Usually, only one was ever open . When the rebel army attacked, they didn't just choose one place . Fan Xian knew that the Great Prince was going to use the rocks from the rock garden to block off these three gates . This work had probably started long before dawn .
Blocking the rebel soldiers outside the Palace and sealing themselves in the Palace was the so-called defending to the death . Fan Xian sighed and knew that the Great Prince had already firmly made up his mind .
All along the way, he saw very few imperial soldiers . Compared to the empty and vast Royal Palace, they seemed very sparse . There was truly little power .
Fan Xian sighed again . He knew that 1,000 imperial soldiers had been moved to the area of the Palace where the eunuchs and serving girls usually lived . It would suppress any disturbances and be the easiest place to break through .
Entering Taiji Palace, he saw the worried officials, the heavy-faced Lady Ning and Yi Guipin, and restless Third Prince . Fan Xian sighed for a third time in his heart . He bowed to the scholars Hu and Shu and pushed a smile onto his face as he said to the Third Prince, "Chengping, the battle is about to begin . Do you feel excited?"
The Third Prince was, after all, in a child . After learning that the Royal Palace was surrounded, he had begun to feel fearful . Although he forcefully suppressed the expression on his face, after hearing Fan Xian's words, he couldn't help but flatten his mouth . There was a glimmer of a smile at Fan Xian teasing amongst the fear . He appeared very funny .
Fan Xian turned and bowed to the pale-faced empress dowager opposite and then glanced at the disheveled empress . In low voice, he said, "I cordially invite Your Highnesses, the empress and empress dowager, up to the palace walls to watch the battle . "
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