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墨書 Inktalez
The rebel forces of Korea and the Daiwa Dynasty have reached a point just a hundred miles from the capital, like two giant tigers poised to launch a final assault on the Great Zhou Dynasty. When that time comes, the Great Zhou Dynasty will truly face its demise.
Currently, the Great Zhou Dynasty still exists, with its palace shining brilliantly and the Imperial Forest Army patrolling vigilantly. However, this splendid facade cannot change the reality of its impending downfall; in fact, the Great Zhou Dynasty is already a shell of its former self, existing only in appearance.
In addition to the pressure from Korea and the Daiwa Dynasty, the Great Qi Dynasty is also on the verge of approaching. The Defender of the Realm is acutely aware of this situation, as his scouts have already reported it along their route.
"How about the Great Qi Dynasty? The King of Qi should be arriving soon as well," Huangfu Zhen asked thoughtfully.
Although Huangfu Zhen appears refined and speaks little, he is not foolish. He understands some aspects of the situation without needing to hear every report and can analyze the circumstances to deduce the likely outcomes.
The Defender of the Realm remained silent for a long time, seemingly surprised that Huangfu Zhen could make such judgments. After a moment of silence, he replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. The traitors from Qi Kingdom may arrive near the capital within this timeframe."
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Zhen's expression remained surprisingly calm. He did not respond verbally but seemed to be deep in thought, maintaining his silence.
"The traitor Huangfu Yi has long been suspected by me, but I did not expect him to conspire with other rebels. Had I known this would happen, I should have struck directly at Yellow Dragon and taken Chongzhou back then," the Defender of the Realm said with slight anger.
However, at the level of the Defender of the Realm, one does not easily express their inner thoughts; it is a matter of composure. When mentioning the traitor Huangfu Yi, he was only slightly angry—nothing more.
"My great-uncle is naturally steady in his actions and firmly believes in external paths. If it weren't for these events, I believe I would have been aligned with him and we might have gotten along well," Huangfu Zhen remarked. Huangfu Yi is indeed the eldest son of Qi Kingdom and thus his great-uncle.
Huangfu Yi's belief in external paths is well-founded; he is a disciple of Yin Yang Gate and possesses considerable spells. His son and daughter have been sent to major sects for cultivation, and most of his aides' sons have also undergone cultivation training.
The commander-in-chief of Qi Kingdom, Marshal Chen Shilong, hails from Yin Yang Gate and shares a brotherly relationship with Huangfu Yi.
"Rebellious ministers and traitorous sons are not to be feared. Your Majesty can rest assured; even if they reach the capital, I will fight them with my last breath to protect you and ensure peace across our vast lands while thoroughly eliminating all rebels."
The Defender of the Realm spoke with unwavering conviction, exuding confidence that he would do everything in his power to safeguard the capital at all times.
Even with the armies of Korea, the Great Qi Dynasty, and the Daiwa Dynasty besieging the city, he remained unafraid, determined to rely on his own powerful Qigong cultivation and fight to the death against those treacherous rebels, vowing to protect the integrity of the Great Zhou Dynasty at all costs.
"Great-uncle, you have worked tirelessly for the court all these years; it has truly been hard on you." Huangfu Zhen said this, and his expression suddenly turned somewhat sorrowful. He clicked his tongue, and a shadow of worry gradually rose on his face. The sudden change startled the Defender of the Realm.
However, it didn't take long for the Defender of the Realm to understand. Huangfu Zhen's repeated reference to "Great-uncle" made his meaning clear: the current chaotic situation was entirely caused by their Huangfu Family lineage; the root of it lay within the Huangfu Family itself.
Huangfu Zhen's tone already carried a sense of disillusionment. If the Huangfu Family had not advanced into the Central Plains as Xiongnu, they would not be facing such a predicament now. But it was too late for regrets; what could be done? What troubled Huangfu Zhen most was the infighting within the Huangfu Family. The emperor's ruthlessness was vividly reflected here; it was all too real.
Setting aside Korea and the Daiwa Dynasty for now, as they were outsiders and not part of the Huangfu Family bloodline, just among Huangfu Zhen, Huangfu Yi, and Huangfu Xin—who were all members of the Huangfu Family—blood flowed through their veins. Yet even with this shared lineage, they had to begin slaughtering each other in these times. Fathers and brothers, sons and nephews—members of the same clan—had fallen to such depths, resulting in such tragic outcomes. The cries of cuckoos lamenting their fate were a profound sorrow.
It was only now that Huangfu Xin understood what Huangfu Zhen meant. He was expressing that they were all family; why must they resort to killing each other? Ultimately, it seemed that Huangfu Zhen had been too soft-hearted and reluctant to take action.
"I wonder how Ninth Brother is doing now? I know he is still alive. I heard about the Crown Prince and Third Prince plotting against him, but by the time I wanted to intervene, it was already too late. Later, I heard news that Ninth Brother had been assassinated, but that was just a lie from those rascals. Ninth Brother is still alive. Great-uncle, where do you think Ninth Brother could be?" Huangfu Zhen asked.
Huangfu Xin was taken aback; he did not know how Huangfu Zhen had learned that Ninth Brother was alive since that information was confidential. Ninth Brother referred to Huangfu Qi, who ranked ninth among the former emperor's offspring and was commonly called Prince Nine or Ninth Brother.
"Your Majesty, please take care of your health and do not let yourself be harmed over those treacherous rebels. No matter how powerful they may be, as long as I still draw breath, they will never dare to act recklessly against the palace."
Huangfu Xin dared not respond to Huangfu Zhen's words any longer because it was clear that Huangfu Zhen was being overly soft-hearted. He might find it difficult to act against his own kin; he simply needed time and experience to mature.
At such a time, it would be crucial for him to receive guidance from none other than the Defender of the Realm himself. He could not easily abandon the Great Zhou Dynasty's territory. From Huangfu Zhen's words, he sensed a hint of surrender—a very bad omen. If anything happened to Huangfu Zhen, everything would truly be doomed; this could not happen.
Huangfu Xin was appointed as Defender of the Realm by the former emperor—a senior elder with high moral standing—and he would never allow such a thing to occur. Thus, he timely interjected to interrupt Huangfu Zhen's train of thought and hoped to pull him back from despair.
"Your Majesty, there is no need for excessive worry. The former emperor has instructed us five brothers that if anything happens and it reaches an irretrievable point, we will protect Your Majesty and take refuge at Eastern Shaolin Temple. The former emperor has already communicated with Grandmaster Zu Yin of Eastern Shaolin about this matter; preparations have long been made. It seems that the former emperor anticipated such events would occur." At this moment, one of the five eunuchs behind Huangfu Zhen suddenly spoke up.
His implication was that if rebel forces truly entered the city, then they five would fight to protect Huangfu Zhen as he fled to Eastern Shaolin for safety. Eastern Shaolin had many skilled masters; while they would not overly interfere with imperial authority, as long as Huangfu Zhen arrived there, he should be safe.
"What are you?" The Defender of the Realm, upon hearing the eunuch's words, immediately became furious, his eyes wide open as he glared at the eunuch, looking as if he was about to devour him. He hated nothing more than hearing such demoralizing words in front of Huangfu Zhen.
As the situation developed to this point, the five eunuchs behind Huangfu Zhen immediately sensed the killing intent. They seemed to be of one mind, moving in unison and taking up a defensive posture; as soon as the Defender of the Realm dared to act, they would follow suit.
"Your Highness, please do not look at us with such disdain. We are entrusted by the Former Emperor himself. In different circumstances, your authority may not surpass that of us five brothers. If you intend to take action, we will accompany you to the end," one of the eunuchs said arrogantly, showing no fear in confronting the Defender of the Realm.
The reason they acted this way was that they had certain confidence; they were entrusted by the Former Emperor to ensure Huangfu Zhen's safety at all costs. The five of them were the Five Dragon Shadow Guards, all elite Qi Gong Masters from Elysium of Longevity.
Indeed, the legendary Five Dragon Shadow Guards were merely five eunuchs, all masters from Elysium of Longevity. They disguised themselves as eunuchs to conceal their masculine energy and become Qi Masters whose killing intent was not easily perceived.
The Qi Masters from Elysium of Longevity were on par with Supreme Master Taihuang from the Five Element Sect. If the Supreme Emperor did not use spells, then this was their level; Elysium of Longevity could even extract their own flesh and blood to refine Active Longevity Pills.
As these five stood together, their energies merged into one, and a fierce killing intent surged forth, resembling a massive furnace surrounded by intense flames, as if it could ignite the entire Weiyang Palace at any moment.
"Is that so? You five are truly too self-righteous. Although you are entrusted by the Former Emperor, your words lack discretion and understanding of gravity; thus, you should be punished. How can I stand by and allow you to disrupt court order?" The Defender of the Realm seemed unfazed by these five individuals despite their terrifying combined presence.
"Then what does the Defender Prince mean? How do you intend to punish us?" The eunuch asked with a sinister smile directed at the Defender of the Realm, maintaining his defiant attitude without any fear.
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