20demayo Chapter 168 The Shadow of Betrayal
Chapter 168 The Shadow of Betrayal
Ren Xiaoyao held Xia Lin's hand as they ran furiously, the red tiles of the palace walls flying behind them and the night wind whistling in their ears. They didn't even have time to breathe, their minds focused on one thing: finding the secret passage, finding the emperor.
"Eunuch Qian, where is the secret passage?" Ren Xiaoyao asked anxiously, a barely perceptible tremor in his voice. He knew that with every passing moment, the emperor's situation became more dangerous.
The elderly eunuch Qian turned pale with fear at this sudden change. He pointed tremblingly in the direction of the imperial study, "Reply...Reply General, the entrance to the secret passage is...right behind the dragon throne in the imperial study..."
Without time to think, Ren Xiaoyao dragged Xia Lin straight towards the imperial study. Along the way, they encountered a few rebels, but they were all quickly and efficiently dealt with by Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin. They worked in perfect harmony, their attacks ruthless, each strike targeting the enemy's vital points without any hesitation.
Inside the Imperial Study, several of the Left Prime Minister's trusted aides stood guard at the door. Clad in armor and wielding sharp blades, they gazed fiercely around them. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin exchanged a glance, and without further ado, they struck simultaneously. A flash of sword light, blood splattered, and several guards fell to the ground.
Pushing open the door to the Imperial Study, Ren Xiaoyao immediately saw the familiar Dragon Throne, a symbol of imperial power and their only hope at the moment. He quickly walked behind the throne and gave it a strong push. The thick wall actually slowly moved away, revealing a deep passage.
"Lin'er, let's go!" Ren Xiaoyao didn't hesitate at all and pulled Xia Lin into the secret passage. The secret passage was pitch black, and you couldn't see your hand in front of you, but Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin could feel each other's breathing and heartbeat, which made them feel a little safe in the darkness.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally saw a faint light ahead. They quickened their pace and headed towards the light. After exiting the secret passage, their view suddenly opened up to a secret room. The walls were inlaid with night-shining pearls, illuminating the entire room like daylight.
In the center of the room, a middle-aged man in a dragon robe was tied up. He was the current emperor. At this moment, the emperor's face was full of anxiety and uneasiness. Seeing Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin appear, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.
"Xiaoyao, you are finally here..." The emperor's voice was a little hoarse, and he was obviously frightened.
Ren Xiaoyao took a step forward and was about to speak, but his expression suddenly changed. He pulled the emperor behind him and protected Xia Lin behind him at the same time.
"Who?!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted, his eyes like lightning, scanning every corner of the room. "Come out, General Protector of the Nation, I know you are here." A cold voice came from the darkness, with a hint of teasing.
A figure wearing a black robe and a conical hat slowly walked out of the shadows. In his hand was a dagger that gleamed with cold light, and there was a sinister smile on the corner of his mouth.
"Who are you? Why do you want to murder the emperor?" Ren Xiaoyao stared at the man in black with cold eyes and asked in a deep voice.
"Me? You don't deserve to know!" The man in black sneered, "If you know what's good for you, just surrender. Maybe I can leave you with a whole body."
"How dare you! How dare you speak to the National Defense General like that!" Eunuch Qian shouted angrily, pointing at the man in black and cursing.
A trace of murderous intent flashed in the eyes of the man in black, and the dagger in his hand moved slightly. Eunuch Qian was so scared that his face turned pale and he dared not speak anymore.
"Lin'er, protect the emperor!" Ren Xiaoyao protected Xia Lin and the emperor behind him and whispered.
"Xiaoyao, be careful!" Xia Lin looked at Ren Xiaoyao worriedly and tightened the weapon in her hand.
"Your Majesty, heaven and earth bear witness to my loyalty!" Ren Xiaoyao suddenly knelt on one knee, saluted the emperor, and said in a resounding voice, "Now that treacherous ministers are in power and plotting rebellion, I will defend Your Majesty to the death!"
The emperor looked at the young general in front of him, his heart filled with emotion and hope. He nodded and said in a deep voice: "Xiaoyao, I believe in you!"
Ren Xiaoyao stood up, looked at the emperor with a determined gaze, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a plan in mind that may be able to turn the tide, but I need your full cooperation..."
The emperor's heart moved, and he quickly asked: "Xiaoyao, what are your plans? Just tell me!"
"Left Prime Minister is an ambitious man. He must have thought he had a sure win in this rebellion. Why don't we take advantage of their tactic..." Ren Xiaoyao leaned close to the emperor's ear and whispered his plan. The emperor's expression changed with Ren Xiaoyao's words. Finally, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Okay, let's do as you say! Xiaoyao, everything is up to you!"
"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will definitely fulfill my mission!" Ren Xiaoyao said with a firm tone, a gleam in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, I will arrange it right away..." Eunuch Qian said hurriedly when he saw this.
"Wait," Ren Xiaoyao stopped Eunuch Qian, "This matter still requires the cooperation of General Sun. Find a way to pass the message to him immediately..."
As the night deepens, undercurrents surge within the palace. A battle that will determine the fate of the empire is about to begin...
Night enveloped the palace, and Ren Xiaoyao's face was solemn. He knew how risky his plan was, and that the slightest misstep would lead to total failure. He walked to the window, gazing at the flickering lights in the distance, silently praying that his plan would proceed smoothly.
"General, the message has been successfully released." Xia Lin appeared silently behind Ren Xiaoyao and said in a low voice.
"Very good." Ren Xiaoyao sneered. "Left Prime Minister thinks that controlling the palace means he controls everything. He doesn't even consider how he can accomplish anything without the support of external forces."
"The enemy's marshal is greedy and arrogant. He will definitely believe the news and launch an attack impatiently. Then..." When Xia Lin said this, a cold light flashed in her eyes.
"That's right, we want him to lose his patience." Ren Xiaoyao's eyes gleamed with wisdom. "Pass the order down, all soldiers, prepare yourself. Tomorrow, it will be a fight to the death!"
"Yes!" Xia Lin took the order and left, leaving Ren Xiaoyao alone in the room. He looked out the window at the night, his heart filled with worry about the future, but even more so with the determination to win.
The news spread quickly to the ears of the enemy marshal as if it had wings.
"What? The emperor has been controlled?" The enemy marshal stood up suddenly with an expression of disbelief on his face.
"It's absolutely true. The news came from inside the palace and is absolutely reliable!" the spy said confidently.
"Hahaha, God is helping me!" The enemy marshal laughed loudly, his eyes gleaming with greed. "Pass the order, all troops assemble. Tomorrow morning, follow me to capture the capital and capture the emperor alive!"
"Marshal, you are wise!" The soldiers responded in unison, their morale high.
On the morning of the second day, the enemy army marched towards the imperial capital in a mighty force. Looking at the dark mass of enemy troops in the distance, Ren Xiaoyao smiled coldly. Everything was within his expectations.
"General, the enemy has entered the encirclement." A soldier ran over and reported to Ren Xiaoyao.
"Okay, pass the order down and send a signal!" A cold light flashed in Ren Xiaoyao's eyes, and he gave the order in a deep voice.
With an order, the imperial army that had been lying in ambush around rushed out like a tiger descending from a mountain and launched a fierce attack on the enemy.
"Kill!" The shouts of killing shook the earth, and the originally peaceful battlefield instantly turned into a hell on earth.
The enemy marshal never dreamed that he would fall into Ren Xiaoyao's trap. Looking at the soldiers around him who were caught in a bitter battle, he suddenly felt an ominous premonition in his heart.
"Oh no, we've fallen into a trap! Retreat quickly!" the enemy marshal shouted in panic, but it was too late.
At this moment, a deafening sound of horse hooves came from afar...
A deafening clatter of horses' hooves echoed in the distance. General Sun, leading his reinforcements, appeared on the battlefield like a god descending from heaven. With unstoppable force, they struck directly into the heart of the enemy. With internal and external support, the enemy's formation was thrown into disarray and completely routed. Ren Xiaoyao led the charge, his longsword wielding the blade like a venomous snake, reaping the enemy's lives. Wherever he went, rivers of blood flowed.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the enemy marshal tried to break out and escape, but was discovered by the sharp-eyed Xia Lin, who ordered her guards to surround the enemy marshal.
"Want to run? Too late!" Xia Lin snorted coldly, and the long whip in her hand flew out like a spirit snake, tying up the enemy marshal tightly.
Seeing their commander being captured, the remaining enemy troops threw down their weapons and weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy.
Just as Ren Xiaoyao was about to lead his troops back to the city, there was a commotion from the direction of the palace.
"What's going on?" Ren Xiaoyao had a bad feeling in his heart.
"Report—" A guard covered in blood stumbled over, "General, this is bad! The Left Prime Minister…he's holding the Emperor hostage!"
Ren Xiaoyao's face suddenly changed. He never expected that the Left Prime Minister would be so bold as to attack at this time.
"Quick, follow me back to the palace!"
Inside the Imperial Palace, on the throne room, the Left Prime Minister held a sharp blade against the Emperor's neck. The Emperor was so frightened that his face turned pale and he trembled. Eunuch Qian knelt on the ground and begged bitterly, "Left Prime Minister, what are you doing? Stop it now!"
"Hmph, old man, shut up!" The Left Prime Minister glared at Eunuch Qian fiercely. "The victor is king and the loser is a bandit. Now this world is mine!"
He laughed wildly, his eyes full of madness.
Just then, Ren Xiaoyao arrived with his men.
"Left Prime Minister, how dare you!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted angrily, his eyes full of murderous intent.
When the Left Prime Minister saw Ren Xiaoyao, a flash of panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly calmed down. He sneered, "Ren Xiaoyao, you've come at the perfect time. Today, it's either you die or I die!"