Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 777 - 640: Returning the Teacher 5_1

Chapter 777: Chapter 640: Returning the Teacher 5_1

After the morning court session, the True Emperor Zhengtong was engulfed in a long overdue flurry of activity.

He needed to announce his ascension to the throne as soon as possible, which would help him control the provinces and create a fait accompli.

Charges had to be fabricated against the Grand Secretary Chen Xun, Shaofu Yu Jie, and Marquis of Guanjun, Li Xuan, branding them as rebels.

Li Xuan, holding the position of "General Zhenji", posed the greatest threat to Emperor Zhengtong.

Apart from this, Zhengtong also had to seek the support of northern military nobles, which would help him to quickly mobilize troops from around the capital to resist an attack from Jizhou Town.

However, his most pressing concern was the Qianqing Palace.

The responsibility for this matter primarily fell on Liang Heng.

As soon as the morning court session ended, the former Great General had already begun preparations for an attack on Qianqing Palace. A large number of troops had been deployed near Qianqing Palace, with surrounding houses and palace walls dismantled to facilitate a multi-pronged attack.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the atmosphere was also tense and fraught with an imminent clash.

Standing atop the southern wall of Qianqing Palace, Yu Hongchang watched the assembling army with a chilling gaze, taking note of their vast heavenly-level strength.

In particular, the presence of the six Darkdragon Guards set her on edge.

These guards were especially formidable within the Forbidden City, their strength equivalent to a great heavenly position at their peak.

Although the six hadn’t fully recovered at the moment, their battle prowess was undoubtedly terrifying.

Presently, there were few within the palace who could contend with them.

Despite this, Yu Hongchang exuded calm and composure, which bolstered the confidence of the soldiers around her.

"Your Highness!"

At this moment, ’Dudu Tongzhi, the Marquis of Changping’ Zhu Guoneng, along with his eldest son, ’Left Zuoye Army’ Dudu Zhu Donglou, arrived at Yu Hongchang’s side.

"All defensive preparations have been properly arranged!"

Yu Hongchang turned around and looked back.

In her view, the entire Qianqing Palace had been transformed into a fortified military camp.

During the coup of Liang Heng, although Chen and Wu Gates saw unexpected betrayals, a group of loyal Forbidden Army soldiers managed to retreat in time, subsequently being welcomed by Yu Hongchang in the Qianqing Palace. These about seven thousand elite soldiers were the cream of the Forbidden Army.

In addition, there were four thousand soldiers positioned to blockade the Nan Palace and Renshou Palace, and entrusted under the General of Xiuyiwei, Wei Bailong, were one thousand nine hundred Xiuyiwei and one thousand Jishi officers.

Just when Liang Heng was about to lock down the palace city, Marquis Changping Zhu Guoneng bravely risked leading six thousand Left Zuoye army troops to break into the palace from the northern gate, ’Beian Gate’.

His original intention was to escort Emperor Jingtai and Yu Hongchang to escape the capital city. However, he was convinced by Yu Hongchang to stay and hold their position in the Qianqing Palace.

Chief Butler of the Sili Bureau, Qian Long, was also actively organizing palace maids and eunuchs who, though incapable of fighting, could act as auxiliary soldiers.

Apart from this, they had sufficient provisions and military equipment, including thirty flanged cannons and twenty Hongyi Cannons, and one hundred and twenty Hudun cannons, all with ample ammunition.

All of these resources were related to Li Xuan.

Only when she retreated to secure the Qianqing Palace did Yu Hongchang understand why Li Xuan had specifically asked Luo Yan to deliver a message to her about holding her position at Mei Mountain (Wansui Mountain).

Under the disguise of training the Shenji Camp, he had requested a significant amount of military resources from the Ministry of War and palace treasury. He had stockpiled all kinds of equipment and firearms, that the Shenji right and left camp replaced, here.

As for those cannons, some of them were equipment the Shenji Camp had before they replaced their gear; others were manufactured by the Inner Weapon Staff Bureau for the Guangdong and Guangxi naval forces. However, Li Xuan asked for them to be transferred to Mei Mountain under the pretext of training gunners and loading shells.

This was undoubtedly a taboo. With these Hongyi cannons mounted on Mei Mountain, it was possible to directly bombard most parts of the Forbidden City.

Even if Li Xuan had handed over the control and supervision of these cannons and ammunition to Zuo Daoxing, it was still improper. Any emperor would have suspected Li Xuan of rebellion.

Only Emperor Jingtai, who was open-minded, not only approved Li Xuan’s request, but also never took this seriously from the start.

They also had a large number of spellcasters. When Luo Yan, Yue Qianqian, Lu Xue, and others escorted Li Xuan and Jiang Yunqi’s family to the palace city, they also brought with them more than twenty Zhengyi Sect Taoists from Xue Yunrou’s Taoist temple.

These Third Door spellcasters built a temporary fortified wall behind the thin palace walls using their techniques. The wall was about ten feet wide, enough to position the Hudun cannons, allowing the soldiers to have a superior vantage for attack.

Yu Hongchang, not well-versed in martial law, could still perceive Zhu Guoneng’s stern defense arrangements at a glance.

However, she also noticed the worry on Zhu Guoneng’s face: "What’s the matter? General Zhu, you seem to lack confidence?"

Zhu Guoneng replied with a frank look: "I worry about the rebels’ heavenly-grade strength. The morale of the soldiers is also a concern, and I even suspect that there are traitors among us."

He admired Marquis Guanjun’s far-sighted strategy. Under normal circumstances, Zhu Guoneng was confident that through these resources, they could hold out in the palace for two to three months.

The problem, however, was that they were now entirely at disadvantage when it came to heavenly strength.

Zhu Guoneng didn’t find out about the ’Jinque Palace’ until today, yet even an imagined hint indicated that an organization that covertly manipulated the course of history in the Central Plains for thousands of years was not to be underestimated.

So Zhu Guoneng was still leaning towards breaking out. As long as they could escape from Beijing, they could summon a large army to quell the rebellion in the name of the Imperial Grandson.

Zhu Guoneng dared not to bring up the matter again. He knew that the reason why Yu Hongchang refused to escape was due to Jingtai Emperor. The Emperor’s injury required the use of the "Jiuding Wulong Hunyuan Great Array" to suppress it here.

Fortunately, they still had control over Wansui Mountain (formerly known as Mei Mountain). As long as they occupied this location, they could either advance or retreat.

In case of any discord, it would be convenient for them to break out in any direction.

"I have ordered Qianhu Wei to select three hundred reliable and loyal men to supervise the battle, and they will be executed immediately if there is any internal collusion. As for morale—"

After a moment of pondering, Yu Hongchang said calmly: "You can inform the armies that I have received a victory report from Jizhou Town half a day ago. The Marquis of Guanjun has repelled the Pi Room Iron Cavalry at the Qianhu Office in Chengde. Soon, the army from Jizhou Town will march on the capital city to quell the rebellion."

Upon hearing these words, Zhu Guoneng couldn’t help but be stunned. Besides being transferred from the Zongbing of Xuanfu to the Tongzhi, the commander of the capital camp, he was also the former Left Dudu of the Army Dudu’s Mansion, in charge of the entire defense of Beijing.

If indeed such military information exists, it is impossible for it to bypass him.

Then Zhu Guoneng realized that Yu Hongchang was just making stuff up.

However, Zhu Guoneng did not take offense at all and instead slightly nodded in approval: "This victory report should indeed be announced to the soldiers."

It’s stated in military tactics: Without external assistance that must be saved, there is no city that can be defended from within.

Therefore, if there is no reinforcement, they must create the illusion of reinforcement, Zhu Guoneng knew this well from decades of defending at Datong Town.

However, at present, Empress of Liao is pressing the border with her seven hundred thousand Evil Corpses, and it is almost impossible for the Marquis of Guanjun to withdraw his troops and march westward at this time.

As they were talking, the war drums sounded from the south of the palace wall. Under the command of Liang Heng, a large number of soldiers from the capital camp, carrying various makeshift siege weapons, mounted a full-scale assault.

This stubborn approach of the great general was as swift and fierce as a thunderbolt, without any attempts of probing. He started out at full strength, trying to collapse everything with a single drum beat.

However, only two quarters of an hour later, Liang Heng couldn’t help cursing, and had to order all his subordinates to withdraw.

The guns on the palace wall were roaring, more than six thousand bird guns, more than two thousand crossbows, three thousand longbows, and hundreds of Hudun cannons produced an astonishing firepower.

What’s even more shocking is that they had set up cannon adeck on top of Mei Mountain. The "flanged cannons" and "Hongyi heavy cannons" overlooking could create a large amount of casualties with just one shot.

Liang Heng thought that Jingtai Emperor must be mad to allow Li Xuan to move such heavy cannons to Mei Mountain!

And the "Jiuding Wulong Hunyuan Great Array", combined with the thin but sturdy Qinggang Stone Wall, was hard to break just like a solid walnut.

At this moment, he had completely given up attacking Qianqing Palace with the Capital Army.

"This battle can only rely on all of you."

Liang Heng looked at the celestial beings around him: "If you can directly attack Qianqing Palace, kill Jingtai Emperor and the imperial grandson, and destroy the core of the Jiuding Wulong Hunyuan Great Array, that would be the best. If not, you can at least destroy the cannon deck on Mei Mountain first."

As his voice fell, around a dozen celestial beings around him flashed and rushed into Qianqing Palace.

The celestial team allocated to him by the Zhengtong Emperor was considered strong, and there were six darkdragon guards; Xuanwu Palace Lord Lianling Immortal and his four subordinates with celestial cultivation; Demon Master Yu Changsheng; the former fourth on the black list, who was now hired as a royal offering, "Eight-armed Demon Lord" Liao Daozhen; False Heavenly Position Cao Jixiang, who had been granted a heavy national artifact; and "Fire Cloud Sword" Jin Wuwang, who came from the same Demon Sect as Empress Sun.

During the previous Nan Palace Battle, it was Jin Wuwang who blocked Helian Fulong.

Empress Sun was also sitting in the back, ready to make a move at any time.

Together with Liang Heng and his younger brother Liang Yuan, there were a total of seventeen celestial powers present.

The moment these people made their move, the huge clouds started to roll around, causing the giant dragons in Qianqing Palace to rise and let out a thunderous roar. The endless dragon Qi surged and swept in all directions.

Luckily, at this time, the Jingtai Emperor was unconscious, and there was no one sitting in the "Nine Tripods" position of the Jiuding Wulong Hunyuan Great Array, leaving the array’s power to less than fifty percent.

Heng too followed these celestial beings and reached the sky above Qianqing Palace.

He was surprised to find that the celestial power inside Qianqing Palace was barely holding up.

Not only were there celestial masters belonging to the palace and the court, such as Helian Fulong, Qian Long, Zhu Guoneng, Master Mu and Master Hanyuanzi; but also Xuanchenzi from Marquis of Guanjun - the swordsman whose sword speed and tactics were close to unmatchable; and the weird spell cultivator, Lu Xue.

Yu Hongchang was fighting desperately in the air against Xuanwu Palace owner who was controlling a copy of "Book of Jinque".

With her Extreme Yin and Yang Power and the Dragon Qi of Regency, she demonstrated a domineering unparalleled Martial Law that was grandiose and vast. It took Xuanwu Palace owner Lianling Immortal and her disciple to barely combat her together.

It wasn’t going smoothly at the cannon deck on Mei Mountain either; Liang Heng saw a surge of grand and vast energy in the sky above the deck.

Liang Heng took one look and knew it was Grand Secretary Chen Xun and many ministers led by Yu Shiyue.

These people disappeared after the palace coup and unexpectedly, they had joined up with Yu Hongchang in the deep palace.

"A bunch of old fools!"

Liang Heng snorted angrily and then refocused his gaze back on Qianqing Palace.

Subsequently, he disregarded the five golden dragons surrounding the palace and directly appeared in front of Qianqing Palace.

This move made Yu Hongchang, who was battling fiercely in the sky, blanch.