"Take a gamble?" Xue Beng was stunned.
"Yes! Let's go all out!" Prince Xue Xing emphasized. "Your mother still has some people in the harem who can help us keep some of the palace guards in check; I hold military power, and although I can't say I can completely confront the Crown Prince, a surprise attack would be enough to disrupt his plans!"
His eyes gleamed with a desperate glint. "At midnight tonight, you will lead your men to infiltrate through the west gate, seize control of the Imperial Hospital and the outer perimeter of His Majesty's palace, ensuring His Majesty's temporary safety; I will personally lead the main force of the Capital Garrison to launch a frontal assault on the Eastern Palace residence, while simultaneously sealing off the main passages of the Imperial City! As long as we can capture Xue Qinghe, or... kill him on the spot, this rebellion will be half quelled!"
"Kill... kill him?" Xue Beng's heart skipped a beat. Although he hated Xue Qinghe to the bone, he still hesitated when it came to actually fighting and even taking his life.
"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub!" Prince Xue Xing gritted his teeth. "This is a matter of life and death! To be merciful to the enemy is to be cruel to yourself! Do you want your father to die with his eyes wide open in disbelief? Do you want this great empire to fall into the hands of a traitor who murdered his father? Do you want us, uncle and nephew, to die without a burial place?"
A barrage of questions sent a jolt through Xue Beng. Looking at the resolute expression in Prince Xue Xing's eyes, and then at his dying father on his sickbed, and Xue Qinghe's hypocritical face, his hesitation was instantly replaced by anger and determination.
"Good!" Xue Beng suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "Let's do as the Imperial Uncle says! Tonight at midnight, we'll storm the imperial city and kill that traitor Xue Qinghe!"
Prince Xue Xing nodded in satisfaction and patted him on the shoulder. "Good lad! Remember, success or failure hinges on this! If you succeed, you will be a hero of the Heaven Dou Empire, His Majesty will surely remember your great contribution and even appoint you as Crown Prince!"
Upon hearing Xue Beng, Xue Beng felt a surge of excitement.
Outside the window, night deepened, and a storm that would determine the fate of the Heaven Dou Empire had quietly begun in this silent conspiracy.
The night was as dark as ink, shrouding the mansions of the nobles in Heaven Dou City in silence. An inconspicuous ebony carriage, avoiding the sight of the city patrol guards, quietly stopped at the back gate of the Blood Moon Duke's Mansion.
Prince Xue Xing lifted the carriage curtain, the biting night wind whipping his robes, his eyes revealing a solemnity unlike his usual leisurely demeanor.
"Your Highness's late-night visit is quite a rare guest." Pei Han, dressed in a black outfit, stood with his hands behind his back by the study window, the moonlight outlining his cold and hard profile.
As a duke who controlled the military power in the northern border of the empire, his murderous aura almost burst out of this elegant room.
Prince Xue Xing didn't waste any time on pleasantries and took his seat directly. "Duke Pei, the court is currently rife with undercurrents, and the Crown Prince's faction is everywhere. If this continues, the foundation of the empire may be shaken. I've come today to invite you to join me in undertaking a great undertaking, to purge the court of corrupt officials, and to secure the nation's stability."
Pei Han turned around, his sharp gaze fixed on him. "Does Your Highness know what the words 'coup' mean?"
"It means potential bloodshed, it means potential infamy," Prince Xue Xing met his gaze, his tone steady, "But it also means that the Heaven Dou Empire can avoid future collapse. The Crown Prince's faction has embezzled 30% of the Northern Army's rations, and the soldiers are eating frozen cornbread in the cold wind. Can Duke Pei really just sit idly by?"
Pei Han's fingers tightened around the Prince Xue Xing's words had struck a nerve. After a moment of silence, he slowly nodded. "Very well, I'll trust Your Highness this once. The Northern Iron Cavalry awaits your command."
Leaving the Blood Moon Duke's Mansion, the carriage turned towards the Linyin Duke's Mansion in the east of the city. Unlike Pei Han's coldness and hardness, Lan Xiao, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, was playing the zither by the window. The music was clear and melodious, but it carried a hint of tension that was not easily detected. This duke, who was in charge of the capital's defense, seemed gentle and mild, but in reality, his mind was as meticulous as a net.
"Duke Lan's music seems to have lost some of its composure tonight," Prince Xue Xing interrupted with a laugh.
Lan Xiao put down the strings and tapped the table lightly with her fingertips. "When Your Highness came, the garrison sentries had already notified us three times. Aren't you afraid of alerting the palace with such a blatant visit?"
"If you don't want anyone to know, then don't do it in the first place." Prince Xue Xing picked up his teacup. "The Crown Prince is secretly cultivating his own army. Last month, he already placed three hundred elite soldiers into the Imperial Guard. Duke Lan, who controls the Empire's military power, should know this better than I do. Once he's fully powerful, the first people he'll target are those of us who are in his way."
Lan Xiao's fingers paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He remained silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "Your Highness, this move was quite risky. However... you can borrow the garrison's military tally tonight."
The last stop was the Imperial Marshal's Mansion. There was no incense in Lei Zhan's study, only a faint smell of gunpowder. This marshal, who guarded the southern border, had just returned from the frontier, and the frost dust on his armor had not yet been wiped off.
"I'm so sorry to trouble you so soon after the Marshal's return." Prince Xue Xing's tone held a newfound respect.
Lei Zhan waved his hand, his voice booming, "Your Highness, please speak plainly. I, Lei Zhan, am a soldier; I don't like beating around the bush."
"I intend to launch a coup, and I need the support of the army under the Marshal's command." Prince Xue Xing cut to the chase. "I have concrete evidence of the Crown Prince's collusion with the Spirit Hall. Is the Marshal willing to watch the Empire's military power fall into the hands of outsiders?"
Lei Zhan slammed his hand on the table, causing fine cracks to appear on the hard mahogany surface. "That brat dared to collude with the Spirit Hall!" He abruptly stood up, the commander's seal at his waist clanging with a dull thud. "At His Highness's command, I, Lei Zhan the first to lead troops to storm the palace!"
"Very well, Marshal Lei Zhan is truly a pillar of the empire. Rest assured, after this is accomplished, His Highness the Fourth Prince will not treat you unfairly..."
As Prince Xue Xing's carriage returned to the Prince's Mansion, the sky was already beginning to lighten. He lifted the curtain and gazed at the gradually awakening Heaven Dou City, a cold smile curving his lips.
The three most elite forces of the Heaven Dou Empire have secretly gathered, and the storm that is destined to rewrite the fate of Heaven Dou is about to arrive.
Seven days later, in the afternoon, the gloomy clouds hung low, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.
The atmosphere in Heaven Dou City was unusually oppressive. The people seemed to have sensed something was wrong, and they all kept their doors tightly shut, leaving the streets deserted.
Just then, a deafening battle cry shattered the deathly silence.
Led by Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing, along with three high-ranking imperial officials, the three imperial armies surged toward the palace like a tidal wave.
The soldiers' armor gleamed coldly in the dim light, and the military flag fluttered fiercely in the cold wind.
Before the palace guards could react, they were surrounded by the large army.
Xue Beng rode a tall black horse, holding a long sword, his eyes revealing determination and resolve.
He shouted, "Crown Prince Xue Qinghe colluded with the Spirit Hall to poison His Majesty, plotting a rebellion! Such a traitor deserves to be punished by everyone! We rise up today to uphold the nation and restore order to our Heaven Dou Empire!"