Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 531 Yue Ling Enters the City
A loud bang startled Liu Yi, the second prince, who had just emerged from the secret passage.

With a furrowed brow, he looked toward the source of the explosion and asked the person next to him, "Where did this gunpowder explode? The power is probably close to that of an artillery piece!"

A soldier beside him reported, "It looks like the direction of Dingguo Prefecture?"

“Dingguo Mansion? They actually dared to harm the Duke of Dingguo?” Liu Yi was even more astonished and spat out, “These people are becoming more and more lawless. Your Majesty would not be so stupid as to lay a hand on the Duke of Dingguo. It must have been your subordinates who acted on their own. Your weak nature cannot control your arrogant soldiers. Why should Your Majesty fight with me and invite humiliation upon yourself?”

The Prince of Nan'an stepped forward and advised, "Your Highness, the situation is urgent and we can't worry about anything else. If we delay any longer, the rebels will take control of the capital, and we will be in danger."

Liu Yi clenched his fist and angrily punched the air, saying, "Alright, hurry up and muster the troops, head to Xuanwu Gate."

When the troops arrived at the foot of the imperial city, the night sky was already illuminated by torches, as bright as day.

The palace gates were tightly closed, and the Imperial Guards remained on high alert on the city walls.

In the open space outside the palace gates, the eldest prince stood at the front of the formation, still negotiating with the Imperial Guards, seemingly unwilling to rashly resort to force and increase losses.

"The Second Prince has disobeyed military orders and led a large army into the capital without authorization. His wolfish ambitions must be guarded against. Now he has even breached the inner city. You must open the city gates immediately! The First Prince has the responsibility of overseeing the country and must ensure His Majesty's safety!"

The Imperial Guard commander was equally blunt, saying, "I'm afraid I can't help you. Without His Majesty's decree, no one is allowed to open the city gates at night!"

Chai Pu calmed himself down and said to the eldest prince beside him, "Most of the Imperial Guards are from noble families and are all under His Majesty's command. It is not easy to find out the inside story. Now that the palace gates are blocked, I'm afraid there is no other way but to attack them head-on."

"That loud tremor just now must mean that the Second Prince and his rebel army have already stormed the city. Your Highness, we don't have much time left; we must make a decision."

Standing on his horse, Liu An also seemed very conflicted, displaying his usual indecisive style.

After all, taking a step forward might lead to an abyss from which there is no turning back, making it difficult to make a decision, which is understandable.

Chai Pu persuaded them, and the surrounding soldiers volunteered one after another.

Now that they have come to stage a palace coup, unless they claim credit for supporting the emperor, they are doomed.

"Your Highness, it's time to make a move."

"Your Highness, give the order!"

Overwhelmed with grief, Liu An closed his eyes, tears already streaming down his face, and exclaimed, "Give the order: Seize the gate!"

Chai Pu and his soldiers were greatly encouraged and clasped their hands in greeting, saying, "Yes."

Rows of large siege weapons were quickly pushed out from the dark alleys. The soldiers of the Beijing garrison seemed to have been injected with chicken blood. In an instant, their battle shouts shook the heavens. They quickly climbed the siege ladders and rushed into the imperial city.

In the shadows, the Second Prince Liu Yi and his troops cut down sentries along the way, their tracks yet to be discovered.

Seeing that the battle in front of the palace had reached a stalemate, he was in no hurry to send troops.

"Although the Imperial Guards were unprepared, they are still the Imperial Guards after all, and it is not so easy for my brother to take over the palace gates."

The Prince of Nan'an replied, "Your Highness, this is not the time to observe. I have old friends in the Imperial Guard. If we can defeat the Crown Prince's men, we can open the city gates and enter the main palace first."

"If the two sides are locked in a stalemate, reinforcements from the Beijing garrison will surely arrive, which will also be detrimental to us."

Liu Yi nodded and said, "That makes sense."

He originally intended to let both sides suffer losses while he reaped the benefits, thus avoiding any further unexpected events.

But if we have an inside accomplice, the situation will be different.

Liu Yi brandished his sword, pointed it diagonally, and roared, "Defend the palace, annihilate the rebels! Soldiers, follow me and charge!"

Suddenly, a sizable army emerged from the side, catching the Beijing garrison officers and soldiers off guard.

Chai Pu exclaimed, "This is bad! The Second Prince has broken in! Your Highness, please dismount and take cover. We are attacked from both sides, so we must first consolidate our lines."

Liu An turned pale and hurriedly dismounted.

Grasping Chai Pu's wrist tightly, she said tremblingly, "Minister Chai, you can't abandon me."

Chai Pu nodded. "Your Highness, let's take shelter in these houses first."

……

Before the smoke of battle had even cleared outside the walls of Dingguo Mansion, earth-shattering shouts of battle swept in.

The bloody battlefield drove the rebels even more mad, and they all rushed toward the breach in the courtyard wall.

The rebels jostled and pushed each other, seemingly oblivious to the wealth within the mansion and the fact that they were standing on the corpses of their comrades.

The crowd was so dense that there was no sense of formation whatsoever.

Just as the first group of people stepped onto the gravel ground of the training ground, the other flag signals from the corner tower fell.

A loud shout rang out from under the eaves, "Release!"

boom! boom!
Several pre-loaded tiger-squat cannons were aimed at the gap in the courtyard wall and lit their fuses at the same time.

The explosion was deafening, even louder than before.

Flames spewed from the cannons, and the landing of the shells turned the entire night sky as bright as day.

The cannons in Dingguo Mansion were also improved by craftsmen, making them lighter and the cannonballs were not ordinary lead bullets.

Instead, it contained a large amount of fine iron sand, gravel, and even rusty iron nails.

In a densely populated space, the power of a shotgun is naturally unleashed.

In an instant, the rebels at the forefront seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall, and were thrown to the ground.

After a moment of tinnitus, before he could even come to his senses, fragments pierced through his armor, leaving scattered limbs and broken arms on the ground.

The hundreds of rebel soldiers who rushed into the mansion were completely wiped out in those few breaths.

All that remained were groans and cries.

The gunpowder explosion that initially seemed like a great success turned out to be a gateway to the underworld.

Although the smoke of battle had slowly dissipated, the rebels outside still dared not charge forward any further.

Ji Bin, who was originally waiting to see a good show, arrived at the southeast side gate, only to be hit in the face by a pile of mud.

Having swallowed a mouthful of grit, I was still recovering from the tinnitus.

It was still the commander who stayed by his side the whole time, who dragged him from the ground to the corner of the wall and pressed down on his philtrum.

"My lord, my lord, are you alright?"

Seeing that Ji Bin's eyes were lifeless, Qianhu breathed hot air onto his palm, then straddled him and swung his hand around, slapping him across the face several times.

Sure enough, thanks to Qianhu's efforts, Jibin finally seemed to regain some clarity.

But his tone was no longer arrogant as before; he asked weakly, "How is the battle going?"

The commander said urgently, "My lord, if we don't concentrate our forces now, I'm afraid we'll have no chance of winning."

"But there are still several cannons inside the main gate, and people are already prepared. They're probably waiting for us to walk right into their trap!"

"In my opinion, we either need to call for reinforcements, or we need to bring in heavy artillery and crossbows to bombard the mansion!"

The artillery of the Beijing garrison was much farther away from the city. Even the ones on the city walls were stationary cannons that couldn't be moved.

Requesting assistance is obviously wishful thinking.

Ji Bin was furious. He had been given what seemed to be the simplest task, but he had somehow managed to make things worse. He could have simply surrounded the enemy without fighting, but after the attack, he still hadn't managed to take the city, leaving him in a dilemma.

Kicking away the commander, Ji Bin slapped his thigh and said, "You, you go and lead the troops to charge! Those who retreat will die! How can artillery fire continuously? We outnumber them, so get everyone together and charge through the breached wall!"

"The treasures within the manor shall be given to the first to arrive; this official will not pursue any further confiscation!"

The commander had no choice but to reply, "Alright, I obey. Sir, please be careful and it would be best to take refuge in a civilian house."

"Go now, stop talking nonsense! Do you think I can't even take care of my own safety?"

……

After the smoke cleared, Shi Xiangyun gradually emerged from the southeast arrow tower.

He dropped the flag, gripped the crossbow tightly, and stared at the open space below.

The rebel troops of the Beijing garrison stayed several feet away from the courtyard wall and were unable to organize the next wave of attack for the time being.

Suddenly, a pale light appeared on the horizon, reflecting on Shi Xiangyun's face so brightly it made her uncomfortable.

But the faint morning light allowed her to see more clearly below.

In a dark alley, a man was kicked out and then entered the rebel army to command their ranks.

Without a doubt, the person in charge must be their leader.

Shi Xiangyun took out the crossbow beside her and was about to get up.

Cuilu, who was squatting beside her, looked at the dilapidated wall around them, which was full of arrow marks, and advised, "Miss, it's too dangerous here. Let's hurry up and go to Miss Lin to report back."

Shi Xiangyun whispered, "Don't worry, they're not going to attack, but I've spotted a big fish."

"I've practiced hard for a long time, and I'm confident I can hit the target from this distance! If I miss this opportunity, I'll regret it for the rest of my life!"

Cuilu knew Shi Xiangyun's stubbornness best, so she said no more and lay down beside her, watching the outside world warily.

Just as she had practiced a thousand times, Shi Xiangyun took out her crossbow, drew the string, placed the arrow, then held her breath, narrowed one eye, and gently tapped the trigger with her fingers, completing the task in one smooth motion.

The arrow shot out, drawing a graceful arc in mid-air, before striking the person looking down squarely in the neck, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Lord Ji!"

The officers and soldiers of the Beijing garrison shouted loudly, and chaos immediately broke out.

When Qianhu turned around, he saw that Ji Bin's neck had been pierced by an arrow, and blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth. He was about to die.

Ji Bin's eyes widened in terror. As the commander came to his side to help him up, he used his last bit of strength to grab the commander's hand, spitting out blood and foam, and said, "You fools, you idiots, you caused my death at the hands of a woman! Your Highness, you will never forgive me..."

His voice faded, his arm slipped down, and he died with endless resentment and regret.

With Ji Bin dead, Qianhu has nowhere to survive.

In desperation, Qianhu thought to himself, "If we take the spoils of war and seek the Crown Prince's mercy, perhaps we can find a way out."

His eyes were now bloodshot as he turned and entered the army formation, shouting, "Take Dingguo Mansion at all costs! Destroy that corner tower first!"

Before Shi Xiangyun could even clap her hands in celebration with Cuilu, arrows were already flying towards them from below.

The two hurriedly ran down the wooden ladder, but an arrow pierced through the broken wall and was about to hit Shi Xiangyun in the back.

Cuilu, who was behind her, immediately rushed forward to shield her with her body. The arrow struck her shoulder, causing Cuilu to scream in surprise as blood instantly soaked through her clothes.

The guards were also startled and quickly came to help the two away.

Shi Xiangyun's tears immediately fell like beads from a broken string.

Holding Cuilu's hand, she cried, "Weren't you the most timid? You're truly the most foolish girl in the world!"

Cuilu's arm was already a little numb and she couldn't move it, but she could only smile and say, "Miss, it's good that you're alright."

Shi Xiangyun looked angrily out of the courtyard and said, "If the Marquis were here, he would definitely teach them a lesson!"

Just then, as soon as Shi Xiangyun finished speaking, shouts of killing came from outside the courtyard.

The guards quickened their pace, walking through the corridor to escort the two into the house.

The rest of the men stood ready to face the rebels' final, frantic counterattack.

When Lin Daiyu saw the injured Cuilu, she was heartbroken and quickly called for someone to treat her.

Having fought through the night, her fingers were icy cold and her body was weak. Now she had no time to care about anything else, so she forced herself to stand up straight and continued to keep a close eye on the movements outside the courtyard.

The atmosphere inside the courtyard grew increasingly tense. The artillery could not fire rapidly in the short term, and what they might face next was the most brutal hand-to-hand combat.

Despite the deafening shouts of battle outside, no one rushed into the courtyard for a long time.

Lin Daiyu looked puzzled, and the guards were also at a loss as to what was going on.

But when a troop of iron hooves swept over the collapsed courtyard wall, the golden character "岳" on the banner shone brightly in the morning light, and everyone realized what had happened.

Lin Daiyu's eyes glistened with tears, and as if all the strength had been drained from her body, she slowly knelt down and sighed, "My husband, you've finally returned."

……

"Lord Ji has been killed by a sneak attack! Everyone, listen to my command! Avenge Lord Ji! A reward of one hundred taels of silver will be given to anyone who captures the culprit! Anyone who retreats will be executed!"

Under the spurring of the commander, the morale, which had been somewhat broken, was finally able to be rebuilt.

The soldiers of the Beijing garrison lined up in battle formation, eager and ready to launch their final charge.

But at that very moment, on the main road of the capital outside the alley, the sound of iron hooves resounded.

"what happened?"

The rebel troops in the capital were immediately filled with doubt and uncertainty. A strong sense of oppression came from behind them and was getting closer and closer.

Immediately afterwards, the earth seemed to begin to tremble slightly.

A man came into view holding a long spear upside down, dragging it across the ground and even sparking when it struck the stone slabs.

Behind him followed dozens of fully armored cavalrymen.

When the banner appeared on the street, the officers and soldiers of the Beijing garrison exclaimed in surprise, "Yue! It's the Yue banner! The Duke of Dingguo is back! Run!"

Morale collapsed instantly, screams filled the air, and after being mixed with the dull sound of bugles, the tone of the battle completely changed.

The lead rider, clad in full black armor, shimmered and dazzled under the morning light, as if a celestial being had descended to earth.

The armor concealed his face, but it couldn't hide his imposing presence.

Charging into the rebel army was like the Milky Way bursting its banks, unmatched in its power.

His spear moved like a dragon, powerful and heavy. With a single strike, it pierced through the armor of several people, clearing a path on the spot.

Horses thundered past, their iron hooves stained the long cobblestone streets with blood; none could withstand a single blow.

Qianhu stood there dumbfounded. A mere breath later, the spear tip struck his face, and his brains splattered...

(End of this chapter)