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墨書 Inktalez
However, even with the Eastern Shaolin Monk Soldier joining the battlefield to assist the Great Zhou Court in repelling the invasion, it still could not change the outcome.
In just a short period, the Great Zhou Court lost cities to Korea again, causing morale to plummet and leading to a series of defeats. Reports flooded into the capital, reaching the emperor and making him furious, his anger evident as he fumed.
Korea continued its advance eastward and, after a few months, swallowed one of the regions in the Central Plains and Nine Provinces, inflicting heavy losses on the Great Zhou Dynasty.
At this time, the battlefield in Qi Kingdom remained in a standoff. The Defender of the Realm and Chen Shilong had engaged in several skirmishes, but none yielded significant results. As some remarked, it was nearly impossible for the Great Zhou Dynasty to win against Qi Kingdom on its own territory.
Meanwhile, on the eastern battlefield, Loyalty Duke Lu Chen of the Daiwa Dynasty commanded hundreds of thousands of troops advancing westward before turning northward. Together with Korea, they pressed toward the capital with overwhelming momentum, threatening to reach it soon.
At this point, the Defender of the Realm had no choice but to consider retreating from the Qi Kingdom battlefield back to the capital to defend it. In the Great Zhou Court, imperial edicts were issued one after another, directly reaching the Defender of the Realm's hands, essentially declaring an urgent situation in the capital.
The ministers were all anxious, as if their eyebrows were singed by flames. At this juncture, they could only advise the emperor to urgently summon back the Defender of the Realm; otherwise, if Korea and Daiwa Dynasty attacked, their fate would be dire—being torn apart by horses was a likely outcome. With an imperial decree issued, the Defender of the Realm immediately returned to defend the capital.
At this point, Defender of the Realm Huangfu Xin found himself with no options left. The prolonged siege in Qi Kingdom had yielded no results while the capital was in crisis. If he did not return, it would mean disaster for the court. This was his second time returning empty-handed; it was a bitter pill to swallow.
Especially for someone like Huangfu Xin, a scholar steeped in traditional feudal thought, this situation was more unbearable than death itself.
As soon as Huangfu Xin departed, Supreme Commander Chen Shilong of Qi Kingdom immediately dispatched cavalry to pursue him. They stationed themselves just a hundred miles outside the capital. The entire Great Zhou Dynasty was now engulfed in panic.
Having thrived for over a century and once commanding more than ninety major provinces with a population in billions, the Great Zhou Dynasty seemed unbreakable. However, times had changed; it was no longer what it used to be. Internal strife and external threats had rendered it shaky. With feudal lords rebelling and chaos erupting everywhere while corruption and intrigue plagued its ranks, unity was absent within its walls. Thus, the collapse of Great Zhou Dynasty became inevitable and now they were on the brink of disaster.
Korea, Great Qi Dynasty, and Daiwa Dynasty formed an alliance with over a million elite troops positioned just a hundred miles from the capital, poised to obliterate it at any moment. The situation was extremely critical.
Throughout the capital and especially within the court, panic reigned as everyone prepared for escape. Even with the return of Defender of the Realm, it would make little difference; his presence would not significantly alter their fate. While millions of troops were mobilized by the court with minimal casualties so far, many managed to flee.
Of those millions of troops, at least half had escaped because supplies had long been cut off. Each level of officers embezzled funds until there was hardly anything left for soldiers at lower ranks. Eventually, they faced starvation and could not receive their military pay.
Moreover, rumors spread outside about continuous defeats reported by generals; months passed without a single victory. Under such dire circumstances, soldiers naturally sought to desert; many became bandits instead.
Within the Great Zhou Imperial Palace's deep courtyards adorned with intricate carvings and high white marble columns stood various palaces lined up.
Inside Weiyang Palace—where officials usually gathered for court sessions—now lay empty after dismissal. Only a row of Imperial Forest Army soldiers armed with long spears remained on guard in this vast palace space.
At this moment, above Weiyang Palace, on the Dragon Throne, sat a Youth in his twenties, dressed in a Dragon Robe. His face was pale and delicate, showing signs of youthfulness. However, he was none other than the current Great Zhou Emperor, known as Zhou Ling Wang.
The present Zhou Ling Wang was formerly the Nineteenth Prince, Huangfu Zhen. No one expected that after the Emperor's death, the throne would be passed to this usually inconspicuous Huangfu Zhen, the Nineteenth Prince. This decision came from the Former Emperor's decree, executed personally by the Defender of the Realm. It was precisely because of the Defender of the Realm's presence in the capital, overseeing the Gyeonggi Office's Garrison, that the other princes were kept in check.
Many were originally vying for the throne, including the Third Prince, Fifth Prince, and Seventh Prince, as well as the Crown Prince who had already been deposed for committing immoral acts against his younger sister, Princess Chaoyang. This was deemed understandable given the circumstances.
Those princes were all eyeing the throne, waiting for the Former Emperor's passing and the Crown Prince's deposition to create chaos in hopes of claiming the imperial position. However, during that period, Defender of the Realm Huangfu Xin was stationed in the capital along with elite troops from the Imperial Forest Army and the Gyeonggi Guard Unit, which possessed advanced artillery. Even any Demon God would not dare to cause trouble.
Subsequently, Huangfu Xin personally supported Nineteenth Prince Huangfu Zhen to ascend to power, solidifying him as the new ruler of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
However, at this time, the Great Zhou Dynasty was already riddled with issues; internal strife and external threats had not ceased. Moreover, Huangfu Zhen showed little interest in governance, further accelerating the dynasty's decline—a lamentable situation indeed!
At this moment, Zhou Ling Wang sat alone on the Dragon Throne, leaning against the armrest and lost in thought. Although chaos reigned outside and some commoners began to flee, Zhou Ling Wang appeared remarkably calm and unhurried.
By his side stood four or five eunuchs, all with their hands tucked into their sleeves and heads bowed in silence.
Despite being castrated and lacking the typical vigor of normal men, any discerning observer could tell that these individuals were true Inner Court Experts. Their martial arts Qigong cultivation likely surpassed that of Elysium of Longevity.
They stood quietly to one side with expressions somewhat feminine and gentle, having reined in all their killing intent.
At that moment, Defender of the Realm Huangfu Xin entered briskly wearing bright armor but without a helmet.
"Your Majesty, this old minister has come to serve you; please forgive me for startling you," Huangfu Xin said as he knelt on one knee.
At this time, it was evident that Defender of the Realm had turned gray-haired; normally it was hard to tell when he wore a helmet.
"Great-uncle has arrived; please rise quickly! Someone bring a seat for Great-uncle," Zhou Ling Wang greeted him warmly.
Between them existed not only a ruler-subject relationship but also a familial bond as uncle and nephew. Moreover, Zhou Ling Wang had been supported to power by Huangfu Xin himself; thus he held deep respect for his Great-uncle and regarded him as his primary support.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Huangfu Xin replied as two eunuchs brought over a chair for him to sit down.
"Your Majesty, I am guilty for failing to quell the rebellion and eliminate the Qi Kingdom insurgents. I feel unworthy of Former Emperor's trust; please punish me," Huangfu Xin stated earnestly. Just then, sounds of commotion could be heard from outside as if someone was crying out.
Aside from the noise and crying, there seemed to be the harsh shouts of soldiers, creating an atmosphere of chaos. At this moment, such sounds were particularly jarring, especially in Weiyang Palace, which was empty with no one else around.
"Great-uncle is innocent; it's not that easy to eliminate the rebels from Qi Kingdom. If it were truly that simple, Great-uncle would have returned triumphantly last time. Huh? What's happening outside? Is someone trying to escape the palace again?" Zhou Ling Wang suddenly perked up, listening intently to the commotion outside. He had heard such sounds countless times and had grown accustomed to them.
"The emperor might have misheard? I just returned from Qi Kingdom and heard that there was a theft in the palace, with quite a bit of property lost, occurring over at the Eastern Palace," Huangfu Xin said as he licked his lips and addressed Zhou Ling Wang. The Eastern Palace was the residence of the Former Crown Prince.
Zhou Ling Wang nodded and replied, "Oh, so that's what it is. I thought someone was trying to escape from the palace again."
As Zhou Ling Wang nodded, he muttered to himself, looking somewhat dazed and burdened with thoughts, letting out a sigh.
Zhou Ling Wang did not understand why Great-uncle would deceive him like this. The noise earlier must have been some palace maids trying to escape; when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. They were afraid that once the rebels invaded the capital, there would be a massacre and they would be violated, which is why they wanted to flee the palace.
This was only natural; after leaving here, they could seek refuge with relatives or find a family to marry into. It was certainly better than waiting to die in this deep palace courtyard. Zhou Ling Wang understood that Great-uncle was trying to comfort him; Great-uncle knew the truth as well.
"Great-uncle, have the rebel forces from Korea and Yamato reached within a hundred miles?" Zhou Ling Wang suddenly brought up the matter of the two rebel forces despite being secluded in the palace; clearly, he had heard about these events.
Defender of the Realm blinked and realized it couldn't be hidden any longer. After a moment's pause, he solemnly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
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