The Imperial Uncle

"Who are you?" Soon, the King Fenghe's Mansion welcomed Zhuge Xiang's Demon Clone in. However, looking at Zhuge Xiang's Demon Clone, with its intense and domineering Demonic Qi and unfamiliar face, the King Fenghe stared at him in surprise. His old friend? He didn't seem to have any demonic old friends.

"Greetings, Your Highness. I am Zhuge Xiang, and this is merely a Clone," Zhuge Xiang replied, seeing the questioning looks on King Fenghe's and the others' faces.

Without waiting for their reply, the Demon Clone continued, "This time, the emperor appointed me as the commander-in-chief of the punitive army. With so many informants, it's inconvenient for me to travel, so I can only come in this Clone."

King Fenghe, Eunuch Lin, and Li Zhi were all only half-believing and half-doubting. They then turned their attention to Wu Zhao beside them. Zhuge Xiang's identity could not be easily trusted, so they could only rely on Wu Zhao to make the judgment.

"It is indeed you..." Although Zhuge Xiang's appearance, temperament, and so on had changed drastically, and there was no trace of the True Body Zhuge Xiang, Wu Zhao's feelings, based on ten years of marriage, clearly told him that the completely unfamiliar Demon Clone in front of him was indeed Zhuge Xiang.

As for how they recognized each other, perhaps it was a bond between them, or a connection from the depths of their souls.

With the confirmation of Wu Zhao's identity, King Fenghe and the others completely believed in Zhuge Xiang's identity. As for Zhuge Xiang's confusion about why the current emperor would appoint him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies, Eunuch Lin gave him the answer.

"If the current emperor were replaced, he certainly wouldn't have many people he could trust. A few days ago, you were at odds with the Prince's Mansion, almost to the point of no return. That's why the emperor completely trusts you to go all out against the Prince's Mansion. Even, given your prestige, appointing you as Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies is somewhat of a stretch..."

Eunuch Lin's analysis made Zhuge Xiang nod in agreement. Eunuch Lin had served the emperor the longest and understood him best, so based on his psychological analysis of the emperor, it might indeed be true.

Because the emperor had no one he could fully trust, he preferred to trust himself, someone who had broken ties with the prince's household and was even willing to fight to the death.

On one hand, he had enough trusted people to use; on the other hand, appointing himself as the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies to face King Fenghe was a way for him to settle personal scores while also winning over the Human Heart of his people. This emperor's methods were quite shrewd...

"He had no one he trusted to use, so he used Zhuge Consecrated. But he never expected that we would unintentionally achieve such a positive outcome..." King Fenghe's face showed a hint of a smile.

The power of the Imperial Clan, coming down in full force, is far beyond what a mere prince like him can withstand. However, if Zhuge Xiang is the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies, he will know the enemy's battle plans and deployments, which will give his side a lot of room to maneuver and more time to gather clues about the emperor being switched.

"One hundred thousand troops is not a lot for the Imperial Clan, but it is enough to deal with the prince. After all, the prince does not have a regular army under his command. This also shows that what the emperor said about King Fenghe privately hoarding a large army is just an excuse..." After understanding the emperor's mentality, the Demon Clone also analyzed the current situation.

Back when the Asura Sect went to war with those Small and Medium-Sized Sects, it could easily muster tens of thousands of Cultivators to form an army. And that was just the Inner Sect. It is clear that for the Great Tang Dynasty, a mere 100,000 troops is nothing. The analysis of the Demon Clone also made King Fenghe and the others nod in agreement.

"Now, what we need to do is to gather reinforcements, then engage the emperor in a protracted struggle to buy time..." King Fenghe said, a glint in his eyes. Although he didn't have a large army, he was still a prince with extensive connections, and if needed, he could still recruit some troops.

"However, if the entanglement lasts longer than a certain period, I think His Your Majesty will definitely increase the number of troops, or even the number of Void Returning Stage powerhouses..." Although he felt that King Fenghe could hold off the 100,000 troops for some time, Eunuch Lin frowned and said, because he knew the emperor too well.

"This is indeed a problem," King Fenghe nodded, agreeing with this point, a troubled look on his face.

He could use his connections and resources to maneuver against the 100,000-strong army, but the emperor, unable to achieve a decisive victory after a prolonged war, would undoubtedly increase his forces for a swift resolution. If that were the case, how could he possibly contend with the power of the Imperial Clan?

"Oh, right, there's one more person..." Just as King Fenghe was troubled, his eyes suddenly lit up as he stared at Zhuge Xiang and said, "Perhaps you could ask someone to come out of seclusion. With his help, our chances of success will greatly increase."

"Oh? Who is it? And with such great abilities?" Upon hearing King Fenghe's words, the Demon Clone was slightly taken aback and looked at him in surprise.

In the face of such a war, even Void Returning Stage powerhouses could only play a very small role. Who could give him such great confidence?

"Does Eunuch Lin still remember the Demon Sealing Tower incident two hundred years ago?" Without directly answering Zhuge Xiang's question, King Fenghe focused his gaze on Eunuch Lin and spoke.

"The Demon Sealing Tower? Does Your Highness mean... the upheaval in the capital two hundred years ago?" The words of the King Fenghe caused Eunuch Lin's expression to change drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise.

"Two hundred years ago, Imperial Uncle Li Batian, wielding immense military power and guarding the three armies, was known as the God of War, making our Great Tang Dynasty unparalleled in its might. However, with power comes great responsibility, and Imperial Uncle actually Qi Deviation because of his power, harboring rebellious intentions, and was eventually suppressed in the Demon Sealing Tower?" Eunuch Li spoke, succinctly recounting the earth-shattering upheaval that occurred in the Great Tang Dynasty two hundred years ago.

Holding a large army and guarding the three armies? Even earning the title of God of War? Such a person, if he were to rebel, would absolutely be a crisis that would bring about the downfall of the country. Even if he had not witnessed the turmoil of that era, Zhuge Xiang could imagine it.

"Indeed, the rumors circulating outside are true. Imperial Uncle Li Batian harbored rebellious intentions and was eventually suppressed by the late Previous Emperor within the Demon Sealing Tower, which sealed away countless Yaomo Ghosts and Monsters." When he said this, King Fenghe's tone was full of emotion.

"Oh? Is it not true?" Sensing the hidden meaning in King Fenghe's words, the Demon Clone asked in surprise.

Eunuch Lin also looked at King Fenghe with surprise, as did Li Zhi. They all knew about the turmoil two hundred years ago, but they didn't know there were other hidden details.

"Actually, the rumors aren't entirely wrong. Back then, the Previous Emperor dared to entrust such a large army to his Imperial Uncle because he wasn't afraid of his Imperial Uncle's rebellion. Because of the deep brotherly bond, his Imperial Uncle did indeed harbor rebellious intentions and even took steps to rebel..."

King Fenghe, with a tone full of complexity, emotion, admiration, and a lot of longing, said, "Throughout the ages, perhaps the brotherhood between the late emperor and the emperor's uncle is the deepest. Therefore, when the emperor's uncle conspired to rebel, the emperor was caught off guard and had no time to react."

"Caught off guard? No time to react? Isn't it said that the Previous Emperor was a master strategist who turned defeat into victory in adversity?" Eunuch Lin said in surprise.

Shaking his head, King Fenghe said, "The hardest thing to guard against is being betrayed by the person you trust most. Although the Previous Emperor was wise, he was still just a mortal. How could he have escaped this? Back then, when the Imperial Uncle rebelled, the Previous Emperor didn't even have time to react. How could he have turned defeat into victory? These are just things that later generations say to save face for the Previous Emperor."

"The truth is that after the rebellion, just as the Imperial Uncle was about to succeed, he had a moment of clarity. With unwavering will, he suppressed his Heart Demon and summoned the Demon Sealing Tower of our Great Tang Dynasty. He entered the Demon Sealing Tower and uttered the words, 'If the Heart Demon are not eliminated, one will never be able to leave the tower...'"

"Huh? In the end? It was actually the Imperial Uncle who entered the Demon Sealing Tower on his own to suppress himself?" The words of the King Fenghe surprised Eunuch Lin, Li Zhi, Zhuge Xiang, and the others. They had not expected such an outcome.

This result is incredibly shocking, a profound and emotional impact.

The Previous Emperor trusted Imperial Uncle so much that he was willing to entrust him with military power, a level of trust rarely seen in the Imperial Clan. Furthermore, even after his Imperial Uncle Qi Deviation, he was able to maintain a sliver of clarity at crucial moments, which was also due to brotherly affection that gave him the perseverance.

The rebellion was about to succeed; the supreme Imperial Throne of a nation was right before him, within reach. Once he sat on it, he would rule the world.

But at this very moment, how could the Imperial Uncle possibly maintain his composure? Even if he hadn't Qi Deviation, it's hard to imagine him resisting the temptation of supreme power, let alone the fact that the Imperial Uncle had already Qi Deviation.

"The Imperial Uncle entered the Demon Sealing Tower on his own and suppressed himself, so he was not sealed by the power of the Demon Sealing Tower. If Zhuge Consecrated can enter and bring the Imperial Uncle out, in this battle, our Great Tang Imperial Family will surely be able to Restore order and eliminate that imposter emperor..."

"Leaving aside the Imperial Uncle's cultivation level, even just considering his influence in the army, many of the old generals and marshals in the army were once his subordinates, or even his subordinates' sons and nephews. With the Imperial Uncle's help, it is indeed possible to turn the tide. However, the Imperial Uncle has not left the Demon Sealing Tower yet. It seems that his Heart Demon have not been cleared away."

"Unable to clear away the Heart Demon, is it right or wrong to bring them out?" said Eunuch Lin, somewhat uneasy. No one could be sure.

"The Previous Emperor said that the Imperial Uncle's will was unbreakable. He even walked the entire Altar of Sacrifice. Two hundred years have passed, and the Imperial Uncle has not yet escaped the Demon Sealing Tower. This shows that his Heart Demon are not enough to control him. More importantly, we now have no other choice..."

King Fenghe spoke, his gaze falling on Zhuge Xiang. Clearly, the Demon Sealing Tower was a place where the Great Tang Dynasty had historically sealed and suppressed Yaomo Ghosts and Monsters; only Zhuge Xiang could enter it and request the Imperial Uncle to come out. (To be continued...)