The emperor won't come back once the city falls?
Under what circumstances would an emperor not return to his Imperial City?
Imprisonment, or death.
In addition, there's the saying that the Chu Family must have descendants.
The meaning of these words immediately dawned on Miss Jun.
Her expression was one of disbelief.
Could it be that Lu Yunqi is going to....
"That's right, Lord Lu will kill the emperor and blame it on the Jurchen people. Prince Huai, being the imperial crown prince's son of the former emperor and having the current prestige, is naturally the rightful heir to the throne." Mr. Gu whispered.
Lu Yunqi killing the emperor?
He's truly... like a mad dog.
As the thought crossed Miss Jun's mind, a whistling sound came to her ears, followed by a crackling disturbance nearby. Stone bullets rained down, plunging the wall into chaos.
Miss Jun skillfully crouched by the wall to avoid the projectiles, catching a glimpse of Prince Huai and Prince Xian also retreating. Besides their original guards, the people who had been behind Mr. Gu were also moving in that direction.
Miss Jun immediately wanted to follow, but Mr. Gu stopped her.
"Miss Jun, leave quickly," he said.
"How can I leave at this time?" Miss Jun replied, "Leaving now, how is that any different from that emperor?"
"Miss Jun, of course, there's a difference," Mr. Gu urged, "Don't act on impulse. Leave now, and no one will notice, nor will anyone blame you. His Highness has achieved enough by this point."
Miss Jun looked at him.
To him, was Jiurong defending the city just for prestige? Just a theatrical act to become emperor?
"Mr. Gu, I thought you were like my master... Sir Zhang." She said.
Mr. Gu gazed back at her.
"Miss Jun, do you think Sir Zhang would be here if it were him?" He spread his hands.
Miss Jun was stumped.
Her master... given his habits, would certainly have fled long ago.
"I meant his calmness and magnanimity in dealing with things..." she started.
"Oh, my dear Miss Jun, when it comes to the transfer of power, there's no peace and tranquillity," Mr. Gu interrupted again, grabbing her arm. "Go quickly, achieving this much is already enough, or it will be too late, and Princess Jiuli is also settled."
Miss Jun grabbed his arm in return.
"You're wrong about one thing, we're not doing all this for power," she said.
"And you're wrong about one thing too, I'm not doing this for you to pursue power," Mr. Gu said, "not afraid to die doesn't mean you should die, dying can have meaning, but living can have even greater meaning."
Miss Jun looked at him as arrows laced with flames drew arcs in the sky, blending light and shadow in the dusk.
"You're right, but most importantly, whatever Lu Yunqi wants to do is his own business, don't force it on Prince Huai," she said.
Killing the emperor or supporting a new emperor, it's all Lu Yunqi's own will.
"Prince Huai doesn't need such a meaning," she continued, picking up a fallen long knife from the ground and standing up, "that's just exchanging one cage for another. I'd rather he dies like this than live that way."
At this point, she paused for a moment.
"Mr. Gu, go by yourself. Jiuli won't leave either,"
She said, turning and running towards Prince Xian.
Mr. Gu shook his head from behind.
"Seems the teaching wasn't right, not like him at all," he muttered helplessly, "but telling me doesn't help, I'm just passing the message, Lu Yunqi's people won't listen to me anyway."
As soon as he finished speaking, an arrow shot through his hat, the flaming arrow setting it alight instantly.
Mr. Gu threw the hat off.
"It scared me to death," he said, but his demeanor showed little fear.
Amidst the busy chaos on the wall, hot oil and rolling logs continued to fall like rain, but the steps of the Jurchen people could no longer be halted. Compared to daytime, more Jurchen soldiers were scaling the walls this time.
Countless terrified but determined civilians and laborers surged towards the wall, holding a jumble of weapons, including long knives and spears provided by government soldiers and various farm implements. Some were even holding just a wooden stick or a broom.
This time, it was a fight to the death; the Jurchen must not breach the walls.
Outside the city, screams of the Jurchen people resounded continuously under the hot oil and rocks. Jurchen soldiers fell like rain from the ladders, but none retreated. Behind them were ranks of Jurchen soldiers with bows, ready to shoot any who attempted to retreat.
This was also a fight to the death; the Jurchen must take the walls.
The sunset bathed the land, setting the entire capital ablaze.
........
.......
"I wonder how the capital is doing."
On a city wall, a soldier on watch suddenly said softly.
Another soldier nudged him with his elbow and nodded towards a direction.
The soldier looked over and saw a young soldier holding a spear and wiping tears.
"His whole family is in the capital," the soldier explained quietly, "It's been more than twenty days now, I'm afraid it's beyond saving..."
The first soldier sighed.
"Aren't they going to send reinforcements to check it out?" he asked softly.
"How can they? These past few days, so many Jurchen soldiers have gone through," the soldier's face turned pale, "with the few of us here, going there is suicidal."
That was true too. The soldiers lowered their heads, suddenly feeling a tremor beneath their feet.
This tremor was familiar, and immediately, everyone on the wall tensed, gripping their weapons as they looked out, and sure enough, saw troops rolling from the horizon in the dimming twilight.
Though the numbers couldn't be clearly seen, the disciplined marching filled everyone with dread.
"More Jurchen soldiers are coming," a soldier said with a trembling voice, "and they look fiercer than those before."
"Now the capital is truly doomed," another soldier muttered.
If the capital falls, will the great Zhou fall as well? What will they do afterward?
The soldiers on the wall were bewildered and desperate.
Suddenly, someone shouted.
"Jurchen soldiers are coming."
These words threw the wall into panic. Previously, the Jurchen moving beyond had directly headed for the capital, leaving them unscathed. Could it be that the capital was already captured, so the Jurchen were turning on them?
The urgent sounds of gongs echoed, but the next moment a soldier shouted again.
"It seems they're not Jurchen!" he shouted.
The soldier holding the gong froze and looked. In the twilight, seven or eight cavalry riders were approaching, their armor gleaming, their gear neatly arranged, with flags on their backs.
This armor and these flags were unmistakably those of Zhou Soldiers.
The soldiers on the wall were almost in tears. After so many days, they finally saw comrades.
They wondered where this garrison on Jingdong Road dared to leave their city.
"By Uncle Qinghe's order, fire decree calls troops; follow us to support the capital."
The troops shouted as they galloped closer, simultaneously raising their bows and shooting towards the wall.
This sudden action startled the soldiers on the wall, as arrows carrying something struck the wooden posts.
The generals, who'd come running at the gong sound, demanded, "What's happening?" with tense expressions.
The soldiers hurriedly took the orders from the arrows and repeated what the troops below had shouted.
Calling troops?
Reinforcements for the capital?
The generals were bewildered.
They examined the orders in their hands—it was indeed Uncle Qinghe's fire order.
Upon receiving a fire order, one must obey the deployment; violators would be decapitated.
But now, who cared about decapitation or not?
"Come in and explain," the generals exchanged glances, walking to the wall's edge and calling down.
But the troops below had already turned their horses, ready to depart immediately, indicating they had performed this function many times before.
"Where are you from? How many troops?" the generals hastily asked.
Upon hearing this, one person below turned back and pointed to the flag on his back.
"We are the Qingshan Army," he shouted.
....
......
(Because I need to go out, there will only be one chapter these few days, please save the chapters and read them all at once, I'm truly sorry)