Prince Xue Xing's aged voice carried an undeniable authority. "You colluded with the Spirit Hall and poisoned His Majesty; your treasonous intentions are blatantly obvious! Now that my army has besieged the city, both inside and outside are under control. Your cronies have either been captured or are watching from the sidelines. With only a few dozen guards by your side, do you think you can turn the tide?"
He pointed at Xue Qinghe, his gaze sharp as lightning. "Stop your futile resistance! Do you think those tricks will work? Today is your end. Stubborn resistance will only make your death more gruesome!"
A cold wind swept past, carrying the gleaming armor of the soldiers. The chilling aura of tens of thousands of troops behind them seemed almost tangible, making the air within the palace walls feel as if it had solidified. Prince Xue Xing stood at the front of the formation, his gaze fixed intently on Xue Qinghe, without the slightest hesitation.
Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the palace, with faint sounds of clashing weapons and shouts, shattering the silence inside.
Xue Beng was frowning, not yet reacting, when a taxi driver rushed into the hall, his armor askew, clearly having run all the way. He knelt down and cried out urgently, "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! Someone is leading troops to attack the main gate of the palace, saying... saying that Xue Qinghe's reinforcements have arrived!"
"What?!" Xue Beng was shocked upon hearing this, his face instantly turning red. He demanded sharply, "Who are these people? Who is the leading general?!"
The soldier trembled at his appearance and hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, the enemy's numbers aren't large, about three thousand... and the leading general, I recognize him, is Yu Tianheng!"
" Yu Tianheng?!" Xue Beng's pupils Xue Beng sharply, and he felt a sinking feeling in his heart. That name was like a boulder crashing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe—why was Yu Tianheng leading Xue Qinghe's reinforcements? What unforeseen events were behind this?
It turned out that when Yu Tianheng met Xue Qinghe in the secret chamber, he heard about the undercurrents in Heaven Dou City and knew that the situation had reached a critical juncture. He did not dare to delay for a moment and immediately rode back to his fiefdom, Suotuo City.
This city was the foundation he had built over many years, and hidden within it was a force of three thousand armored cavalrymen whom he had personally selected and secretly trained for three years.
These soldiers were all warriors who had trained in Martial Dao. His horsemanship and swordsmanship had been honed by him personally, and they were already a formidable force capable of taking on ten or even a hundred men each. At Yu Tianheng's command, three thousand soldiers assembled under the cover of night, shedding their usual disguises and donning gleaming silver armor, and immediately broke camp to reinforce Heaven Dou City.
However, Suotuo City was the rear bulwark and could not be left unguarded. After much deliberation, Yu Tianheng finally left two thousand well-trained infantrymen to guard the city and specially invited Dugu Bo to oversee the city lord's mansion.
Dugu Bo was incredibly powerful, and his poison skills were so formidable that he could slaughter entire cities and destroy entire kingdoms. With him here, it was enough to deter the surrounding villains and ensure the safety of the fiefdom. After making the arrangements, he personally led three thousand iron cavalry, traveling day and night, towards Heaven Dou City.
Xue Beng Prince Xue Xing deep in thought, he immediately asked urgently, "Uncle! That Yu Tianheng has led troops to attack the palace, claiming to be Xue Qinghe's reinforcements! These three thousand men, though not many, have arrived suspiciously. What should we do?"
Upon hearing this, Prince Xue Xing frowned slightly, his fingertip pausing on the map. He glanced at the Xue Beng, but his expression wasn't particularly grave. "What's the panic?" he scoffed, his tone tinged with disdain. "The palace is already surrounded by 50,000 Imperial Guards, layer upon layer. Let alone 3,000, even 30,000 would be a fool's dream to breach this impenetrable defense. Yu Tianheng's actions seem to have gone mad with desperation."
Despite his words, he lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, his tone deepening. "However... this Yu Tianheng comes from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which is troublesome. With Yu Yuanzhen now in charge, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan possesses unfathomable strength, and its members are all formidable, capable of single-handedly rivaling the Spirit Hall. Their power should not be underestimated. Since Yu Tianheng is his grandson, rashly attacking him might backfire."
Prince Xue Xing narrowed his eyes, a calculating glint in them. "Send down the order first, to guard the palace gates strictly. There's no need to rush into a counterattack. Let's see what Yu Tianheng is up to. As for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan... we need to think this through carefully."
He then comforted Xue Beng, saying:
"You don't need to panic too much. Yu Tianheng's taxi soldiers are few in number, and the palace walls are impregnable, with tens of thousands of troops blocking the way. He wants to break in? Absolutely not!"
These words acted like a calming injection, instantly suppressing the turmoil churning within Xue Beng's chest.
Upon hearing that Yu Tianheng's army was at the city gates, he almost overturned the table—that was Yu Tianheng, Xue Qinghe's sharpest claws!
His strength is comparable to that of Titled Douluo, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind him has now grown into a powerful force comparable to the Spirit Hall. If he wholeheartedly supports Xue Qinghe's ascension to the throne...
That would be quite a troublesome matter.
But upon calming down and thinking about it, Prince Xue Xing was right. The palace was not made of paper. The troops outside the city were dozens of times larger than Yu Tianheng's. No matter how capable Yu Tianheng's army was, they would still have to be skinned alive at the palace walls.
" Xue Qinghe..." Xue Beng murmured the name, a ruthless glint in his eyes. As long as Yu Tianheng was blocked outside, Xue Qinghe, trapped in the side hall, would become a toothless tiger.
He was initially worried that acting too hastily might provoke Yu Tianheng into a desperate act, but now it seems there is enough time.
Prince Xue Xing stroked his beard, his eyes filled with a sinister light. " Xue Beng, it must be cut off when necessary. As long as Xue Qinghe lives, he will be a thorn in your side. Now that he is isolated and helpless, it is the best time to get rid of him—once he dies, those old ministers who still cling to the former crown prince will lose their backbone, and who in the court will dare to disobey you? Even if Yu Tianheng rushes in, he will only be working for a corpse. At that time, this empire..."
"No need to say more." Xue Beng abruptly raised his hand to interrupt, his fingertips ceasing their tapping, replaced by an almost frozen calm. He stood up, his dragon-patterned brocade robe fluttering in the candlelight. "Pass on my order: go to the side hall and 'invite' Xue Qinghe here. Tell him... I have important matters to discuss with him."
He spoke the last few words very softly, yet with an undeniable resolve. He knew that the so-called "discussion" was nothing more than an excuse to send Xue Qinghe on his way.
Once that person dies, Yu Tianheng's charge will lose its meaning, and those wavering forces will immediately turn to him. Then, no one else will be able to touch the legacy left by Xue Ye.
As for Yu Tianheng? Let him take his time. When he finally breaks in, all he'll see is Xue Qinghe's corpse and himself already on the throne.
The tide has turned, and the throne is destined to Xue Beng for him.
The setting sun, like blood, illuminated the palace walls of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, which were surrounded by tens of thousands of troops.
Yu Tianheng, clad in black robes, stood before the Divine Martial Army's ranks, his spear pointed directly at the palace, his voice like thunder. "Follow me and charge in!"