Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Massacre in the Imperial City (Extra for Alliance Leader)
Translator: 549690339
Cross Town.
Not far from the Imperial Capital, there was a town located on a key transportation route, usually bustling with activity. But now it was very quiet. Extremely quiet.
Under normal circumstances, merchants and martial artists from all directions would pass through this town, making it busy continuously. However, there were not many people in the streets now.
At dusk, Yuelai Inn.
Jiang Ming and two others rented a small courtyard at the back of the inn. This courtyard was specially designed for merchants, and it was very delicate.
In the courtyard, the three of them sat facing the moon.
Sigh…
Constable Jin sighed softly, frowning, “I didn’t expect so many things to happen in the Imperial Capital. I wonder how His Highness is doing now?”
“No one could have expected this.” Lu Yuan couldn’t help but shake his head.
“Her methods are still lacking!” Jiang Ming said while holding a teacup.
“Where is she lacking?” A figure leaped over and landed beside them. She removed her hood, revealing a delicate and exhausted face. It was Princess Yanfeng of the Ninth.
Under her exhaustion, it was difficult to hide her grief and resentment.
Her body was still stained with blood.
Someone else’s.
“Your Highness!” Constable Jin stood up immediately.
“You should have cut the knot decisively, killed the Crown Prince directly, and beheaded the other princes.” Jiang Ming sensed the presence of the other party early on and said coldly at this moment, “The struggle for imperial power has always been brutal. Especially when your father was old and bedridden, and the court was controlled by the Crown Prince, if you want to plan anything big, you must be ruthless, resolute, and decisive. But you only plotted in secret and still wanted to sit back and watch the fight when it mattered the most. This predetermined your tragic end. This is not a private fight among the world of martial arts, nor is it child’s play. In the end, it’s all about the grand momentum. Once the momentum is formed, it’s unstoppable.”
Princess Yanfeng sat down, silent.
Jiang Ming and the others had also received news about the changes in the Imperial Capital over the past two days.
But the changes happened too quickly.
The Old Emperor suddenly passed away, leaving his inheritance to the Crown Prince. The Second and Third Princes didn’t accept this and spread rumors that the Crown Prince had murdered the Old Emperor. They led their troops to attack the Imperial Palace, but were killed by the Crown Prince.
In addition, several other princes were causing havoc, the Imperial Capital was in utter chaos, and blood flowed like a river.
Many people were involved.
Countless casualties.
The Second Prince was killed in battle, as were the Third Prince, the Sixth Prince, and so on.
The Sixth Prince was Princess Yanfeng’s older brother from the same mother. “What exactly happened? Are there any hidden secrets? Did Wang Wudi not take any action?” Lu Yuan asked.
Jiang Ming pushed a cup of tea in front of her.
“To guard the Imperial Capital, four Capital Camps are stationed outside the city, each with 50,000 troops; there are 1,000 City Defense Army units at each of the 18 City Gates. Inside the Imperial City, there are the Royal Guards, the Forbidden Army, and the Secret Service Guard. The Crown Prince controls the Shadow Secret Guard.” Princess Yanfeng picked up her teacup and took a sip, her voice low, “Because you’re too strong, he feels that you pose a threat to his life. In order to deal with you, he must do everything he can. Therefore… he needs to consolidate his power.”
She gritted her teeth, revealing a painful and resentful expression.
“He killed the Old Emperor and claimed that he died of illness since the Secret Service Guard was already on his side.”
Princess Yanfeng showed hatred.
After all, that was her father.
After a brief silence, she continued.
In the Imperial Capital, many princes had been vying for the throne and fighting each other secretly.
The forces guarding the Imperial Capital had almost been divided among several princes. On the surface, the Crown Prince didn’t have much of an advantage, but secretly, he had already bought over many forces.
When the Old Emperor passed away, the Second and Third Princes took the lead in settling scores with the Crown Prince, and a great battle erupted in the Imperial Palace.
Almost all the forces in the Imperial Capital were swept into the fray.
The Crown Prince controlled the Secret Service Guard, which was composed of eunuchs, as well as the Shadow Secret Guard, the Forbidden Army, and so on.
“In addition to that, Lengyue Palace also took action. 1 don’t know when they became the Crown Prince’s people.” Princess Yanfeng sighed, “One of the deputy commanders in the Six Gates was bribed by the Crown Prince. He poisoned Commander Wang, disabling him temporarily. 1 barely managed to suppress the Six Gates and consolidate the forces to wait for the right opportunity. However, during this time, my beloved brother… he didn’t listen to my advice and secretly went to the palace to mediate. As a result, he was killed.”
Tears streamed down her face.
Lu Yuan rolled his eyes discreetly.
Constable Jin seemed to sigh as well.
Jiang Ming was speechless.
Isn’t this nonsense?
You both fought to the death, and your younger sister has been running around secretly scheming for you, but now you want to propose peace?
This isn’t innocence; it’s foolishness.
A hopeless fool.
“Don’t blame him,” the Ninth Princess whispered, “He has always wanted harmony between his family members, thinking that despite conflicts between brothers, they are ultimately blood relatives. 1 have told him many times, countless times, that this is a life-and-death situation, but…”
Jiang Ming scratched his head and asked, “What do you plan to do next?”
“Do you want revenge?”
“Or do you want to rise to power and become the first female emperor in history!”
Jiang Ming narrowed his eyes.
The Ninth Princess suddenly raised her head.
Constable Jin appeared shocked.
Even Lu Yuan was surprised.
“With 200,000 troops besieging the Imperial Capital, and the internal turmoil nearly settles, the Crown Prince’s success is imminent.” A glint appeared in the Ninth Princess’s eyes, her heart pounding, but she shook her head. “There are countless armies in the nation, and the North Barbarians must be eyeing it greedily at this moment.”
“Just say if you want it or not!” said Jiang Ming.
The Ninth Princess took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her breathing fluctuated violently, eventually condensing into a single surge, her momentum skyrocketing.
She opened her eyes, devoid of fatigue and weakness, only filled with raging flames and ambition: “Yes!”
“How much power do you still control?”
“Even without my sixth brother, I can still mobilize one Capital Camp and four City Defense Camps, as well as the temporarily restrained Six Gates.”
“You actually still have so much power!” Jiang Ming was surprised.
After all, she was a woman.
He originally thought that the power she controlled was dependent on the identity of the Sixth Prince, but now it seemed that the Ninth Princess’s abilities were truly extraordinary.
“If there is a great purge in the court, can you take complete control after a major blood replacement in the Capital Camp and other places?”
“Yes! 1 have people in the Capital Camp. Although their positions are not very high, it would not be difficult to take control after the bloodshed. As for the civil officials? Even better, replace or even kill those who refuse to listen! The most difficult part is the Meritorious Bloodline and the royal relatives. The Imperial Family has the Senate, where many powerful people reside. Currently, in the imperial palace, there are at least three Great Grandmasters, more than thirty Grandmasters, and countless Innate experts. The Forbidden Army and the Royal Guards are the elites among the elites. If it really comes to that point, the feudal kings outside may rebel, and the North Barbarians will definitely seize the opportunity to invade.”
“These are trifles!” Jiang Ming stood up, looked down at her, his eyes burning, “The most crucial point is, are you willing to bear the infamy?”
The Ninth Princess’s breathing paused, and the corners of her mouth trembled slightly.
She was very smart and naturally understood Jiang Ming’s meaning. Taking a deep breath, her gaze became even more determined: “Yes!”
“But can you really do it?” The Ninth Princess’s voice trembled, “Can you really help me all the way? Without you, even if 1 succeed in the Imperial Capital, I will die a miserable death.”
Jiang Ming smiled, looked up at the moon, and said indifferently, “Brother Lu has already reached the Great Grandmaster Realm with my help, and he is far from an ordinary Great Grandmaster.”
“Constable Jin is already at the peak of the Master-class, and it won’t be difficult to help her achieve the Great Grandmaster Realm in the future!”
“With your talent, I can help you reach the Grandmaster Realm in a short time.”
“Brother Lu, constable Jin, you, plus Wang Wudi, even without me, you would have four Great Grandmasters on your side.”
“With four Great Grandmasters and the powerful backing of the court, what problem can’t be solved!”
“As for now?”
“Although Brother Lu has the power of a Great Grandmaster, even if I just stand still, without invoking the Air of Gang to protect my body, it would be very difficult for him to kill me!”
“Under the Dalin Temple, I could break a thousand armors with one sword, but that was not all my power.”
“Now, I can break at least two thousand armors with one sword.”
“Most importantly, with such a sword, 1 could easily slash a thousand times without getting tired!”
“You tell me, can the 200,000 troops stop me?”
“I can slaughter the entire Imperial City!”
“You tell me, can 1 do it or not?”
Jiang Ming looked at her..
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