In the imperial court, the ministers watched the emperor depart.
After glancing at some ministers with whom he had some secret dealings, he quickly looked away.
They didn't exchange a single glance, mainly because they were worried about being noticed by someone with ulterior motives.
When they saw ministers with whom they had some overt connections, they immediately smiled at each other, as if they understood each other perfectly.
However, in reality, many ministers who appeared to have close ties with each other had long since severed some of their connections.
They were brought together by certain interests, but now cracks have appeared in their relationship because of those same interests.
Mu Huan remained calm throughout the journey, leaving the imperial guards beside him completely unable to discern the emperor's true feelings.
Originally, there were some of his trusted confidants within the inner guard.
However, in recent years, more and more of the internal guards have been bribed.
Whatever Mu Huan does in the palace, the ministers will know in no time.
Under these circumstances, Mu Huan certainly couldn't let the Imperial Guards know what he was thinking at that moment.
After a short while, Mu Huan returned to the Heavenly Emolument Pavilion, which was the study in the Heavenly Emolument Pavilion palace.
Perhaps a long time ago, an emperor named this study Heavenly Emolument Pavilion, and the name has been used ever since.
"Emperor."
Upon learning that the Emperor had returned from court, the Empress followed him to the Heavenly Emolument Pavilion.
The guards had all left, leaving only the two people in the study.
The two locked eyes, Mu Huan's expression relaxed, followed by a wry smile.
"It seems the Great Qian is truly doomed. No matter what methods I devise, there's no way to salvage the current situation. Today, the Prince Pingshan attacked the city several times but was driven back each time."
"However, morale is currently low, and it won't be long before the army falls apart."
Why.
Mu Huan shook his head repeatedly with a wry smile as he said this.
The woman in front of him was his wife; they had been childhood sweethearts.
He had very deep feelings for this woman and trusted her completely.
Therefore, all the pretense they had for outsiders was completely shed at this moment.
If other soldiers heard him say such things, it would greatly affect morale.
But now that he's with his wife, he doesn't have so many rules.
Upon hearing this, the empress's face paled slightly. "Is there really no other way?"
Once the Great Qian Dynasty falls, the fate of the couple is predictable.
"Unless we can find immortals, or recreate the weapons on Earth—but we've been exploring those weapons for nearly a thousand years, and none of them have ever succeeded."
"As for the immortals, so many people have been sent out and so many people have been searched, but there is still no news."
Mu Huan sighed.
There are probably only these two ways to resolve the current crisis in the Great Qian Dynasty.
The problem is, neither of these methods works.
Events that occurred on Earth in the past are still recorded in books today.
But what's the use of recording it? There's just no way to deal with it.
As for immortals.
Recently, it is probably because many demons have been appearing around the Great Qian, which has attracted many immortals.
By now, many people should have seen the immortals.
I did see them, but I think I only saw them from a distance.
As for meeting face-to-face, that's unlikely.
"It's strange, actually. According to palace records, there were some accounts of immortals in the past, but they were very few and far between."
"Even when immortals appeared each time, there were only a few. Never before have so many immortals gathered like this."
"What, are there more immortals these days?"
Mu Huan frowned inwardly as he said this.
This doesn't match much of the information we found before.
Based on previous understanding of immortals, it seems that there aren't many immortals.
But now, the situation seems to be somewhat different.
Even though there are more of them, I haven't seen anyone find an immortal.
Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately spoke up.
Seeking help from immortals doesn't seem to be an option either.
Mu Huan remained silent upon hearing this.
He knew about this, and at that moment he truly didn't know what to do.
But while he remained silent, he was unaware of what was happening.
At the north gate of Youjing City, a man led a group of soldiers and secretly opened the city gate.
Then shouts of battle erupted.
When the soldiers guarding the other city gates heard the commotion, they turned around to look.
What could be seen was the rebel army, which had surged into the city like a tidal wave.
Upon witnessing this scene, countless soldiers felt their hands and feet go cold.
It's over, the city has fallen.
There weren't many soldiers in Youjing City to begin with, and the fact that they were able to hold out until now was entirely due to the height of the city walls.
Now that one of the city gates has been breached, how can we possibly continue the fight?
In an instant, the morale of the defending soldiers plummeted.
After putting up some resistance, they gradually laid down their weapons and surrendered.
Prince Pingshan had no intention of making things difficult for the soldiers; his current goal was the palace.
If we can breach this palace and capture the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty...
In that case, the whole world would be his.
Thinking about how something I've longed for for so long can finally be realized.
The Prince Pingshan was even more excited.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The rebels have invaded!"
Inside the palace, Mu Huan was unaware of what was happening outside.
Just as a guard rushed in in a panic, his voice reached Mu Huan's ears before he even arrived.
Upon hearing this, Mu Huan immediately stood up. "How is that possible? Even if we are outnumbered, the walls of Youjing City are strong enough to hold off the enemy for more than a month. How could they have fallen?"
Mu Huan looked at the guards who rushed in with a murderous glint in his eyes.
He suspected that the guard had been bribed and was deliberately spreading this news to lure outsiders into storming in amidst the chaos.
He knew that many of the ministers had close ties with the Prince Pingshan.
If his power weren't already significantly diminished, forcibly taking action against these men would provoke a backlash from the ministers.
He had already drawn his sword and killed all those ministers.
"Your Majesty, the Left Assistant General has betrayed us, opening the city gates and letting the enemy troops in. Now the enemy has defeated the defenders and is heading towards the palace."
The guard spoke urgently, his tone extremely hurried.
"What?"
Honest Mu Huan knew this day would come sooner or later, but upon hearing it now, he couldn't help but be somewhat lost in thought.
He hadn't expected this day to come so soon.
Even more unexpectedly, the Left Assistant General betrayed them.
Thinking of this, Mu Huan felt as if all his strength had been drained, and he slumped back down.
"Emperor."
The imperial guards and the empress both looked at each other, for it was precisely at this critical moment that the other needed to make a decision.
What should we do now?
Mu Huan raised his head, glanced at his wife, then at the guards kneeling below, and forced an ugly smile onto his face.
"Have all my children come to the Heavenly Emolument Pavilion, and those concubines as well."
"I have something to tell you."
Having said that, he waved to the guard, indicating that he could leave.
The guard nodded vigorously upon hearing this and quickly went out.
"Emperor."
The Empress looked at her husband with a worried expression, and much of her usual composure had vanished.
"You've suffered, following a king who has lost his country."
Looking at his wife, Mu Huan sighed and reached out to pull her closer to him.
They held each other's hands tightly, their faces full of tenderness.
Don't say such things.
The woman in front of him gently shook her head, her expression still gentle.
While the two were talking, Mu Huan's children and concubines also hurriedly arrived in front of the Heavenly Emolument Pavilion.
By this time, they all knew what had happened in Youjing City.
He knew in his heart that the Emperor must have something very important to instruct him on next.
Seeing that all his children had arrived, and several concubines who had been taken off their robes nearby.
His gaze swept across the faces of these people, and then Mu Huan sighed softly.
"I imagine you are all aware of what is happening in Youjing City right now; it was only a matter of time before the rebels invaded."
"You might think I summoned you here to help you escape, or to let you escape, but unfortunately, there are several secret passages within the palace."
"It was already exposed years ago that several ministers in the court had intricate connections with the rebels, so there's definitely a large army guarding the exit of the secret passage."
There are indeed secret passages within the palace.
However, the secret passage is no longer usable.
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback for a moment, and then a sense of urgency appeared on their faces.
If that's the case, how can I possibly escape with my life?
If I leave the palace now and blend into the crowd of ordinary people, perhaps I'll have a chance to survive?
Several people began to have their own doubts.
They were all thinking about what to do next.
Mu Huan kept his eyes fixed on his children, and seeing their expressions, he was about to say something.
However, at that moment, Mu Huan was suddenly startled, and his eyes instantly became extremely sharp.
"Who goes there! Didn't I say that no one is allowed to approach Heavenly Emolument Pavilion?!"
As soon as the voices rang out, Mu Huan instantly grabbed the sword hidden in the table.
Although he was an emperor, he still possessed considerable martial arts skills.
Although he hasn't shown it off on a regular basis, his fighting prowess has never faltered!
Seeing the emperor's furious state, the onlookers also turned cold after hearing his story.
Even though the Great Qian is about to end, they are still the Great Qian Imperial Family at this moment!
Could it be that these subordinates are already itching to devour their master?
Or is it that they want to take them to curry favor and gain the favor of the future emperor?
Thinking of this, everyone looked towards the door.
But then they saw a man and a woman who had appeared at the door at some unknown time.
The man was dressed in a long blue robe, which gave him a very ancient appearance.
Her long hair was casually tied up with a hairband, giving her an ethereal and otherworldly air.
Beside him stood a woman who, like a fairy, stood casually to the side, yet possessed countless graceful postures and an aura of indescribable peace.
Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and her slightly pursed lips added to her allure.
"What a short temper! At least ask if the visitor is friend or foe."
When Fang Zelin saw the other party, who immediately drew his sword upon seeing him, he couldn't help but shake his head.
With a flick of his fingertip, the sword in Mu Huan's hand vanished instantly.
The next moment, it was in Fang Zelin's hands.
Fang Zelin drew the sword, examined it, and then tossed it back. "I thought it was something Jiuchuan would keep personally, but it's not."
With a flick of his wrist, Fang Zelin transformed the sword in Mu Huan's hand.
This scene stunned Mu Huan for a moment, and then he was shocked when he heard the name mentioned by the other party.
Then his eyes widened, "You are... that immortal who has a past relationship with our ancestor?"
As soon as he spoke, Mu Huan's breathing became heavier, and his eyes were fixed on Fang Zelin.
Immortal?
The people standing nearby were startled by these words, and then stared at the two people in front of them.
After looking carefully from left to right, he was immediately convinced of what the Emperor had said.
Such posture, such demeanor—if he isn't an immortal, then there are probably no immortals in the world!
"Yes, Jiuchuan was my good friend back then."
Fang Zelin did not deny the question when asked.
After looking around at the layout in front of him, he said with a hint of emotion.
Back in the day, Jiuchuan must have spent many years in this Heavenly Emolument Pavilion, right?
Time has passed, and now his descendants live in this Heavenly Emolument Pavilion.
Moreover, they are descendants separated by many generations.
Upon hearing Fang Zelin's admission, Mu Huan's breath hitched slightly, and his hands trembled involuntarily.
The princes and others standing nearby were even more delighted.
The Great Qian was on the verge of collapse, and the enemy just happened to appear at that moment.
He then went on to claim that he had a past relationship with their ancestors and that they were once good friends.
Given this debt of gratitude, and considering the other party's arduous journey to this place...
Doesn't that mean there's still hope for the Great Qian Dynasty?
The more the princes thought about it, the more excited they became.
As long as this immortal is willing to take action, no matter what the current state of the Great Qian Dynasty is, it can be changed back in no time!
Fang Zelin looked at the eager eyes of the princes and the concubines beside him.
I immediately understood what they were thinking.
Fang Zelin couldn't offer that kind of hope, so he immediately explained.
"Back then, Jiuchuan entrusted me with the task of saving his descendants when the Great Qian was about to perish."
"After all, sometimes a new emperor will slaughter the previous dynasty's royal family, and in some cases, he might even wipe them out completely."
"I came here to take a look."
"However, I did tell him back then that if his descendants became vicious or wicked, I would not help them."
"So you should understand what I'm saying, right?"
"As for asking me to save the Great Xia from its impending collapse, I am truly unable to do so."
There are some things that happened back then that need to be clarified beforehand.
As for saving the Great Qian Dynasty, it's simply impossible.