Martial Arts World Assassin

Chapter 398: The World Reunited
Li Yuan's acupoints were restricted and his body could not move, but he could still make sounds.

When he saw Ning Daoqi entering the palace, he immediately shouted, "The situation here is dangerous, Imperial Master, please do not come in. Leave Dongdu immediately and give Erlang an order. From now on, I will pass the throne to Erlang, and he will lead all the troops in the world to protect the foundation of our Great Tang!"

Ning Daoqi was stunned and wondered, does Li Yuan think that he is here to save him?

Ning Daoqi was holding Li Shentong in his hand. When he heard Li Yuan's call, he immediately cursed: "Your Majesty, don't you see that the stinking Taoist priest has betrayed our Tang Dynasty..."

Shi Feixuan, who was standing by, was worried that Li Shentong would say something obscene again, so she quickly pressed Li Shentong's mute point.

Li Shentong was so angry that he had no place to vent his anger, and his face turned red.

Ning Daoqi remained calm and said to Li Yuan: "Fellow Daoist Jianglong, you are the Son of Heaven who was born as a real dragon, and you have the merit of protecting the people by exterminating the Turkic barbarians. You should inherit the orthodox imperial power in China. I must follow the will of heaven!"

Li Yuan was not angry after hearing this, but sighed like an old lady.

Then he said something magnanimous to Ning Daoqi: "Since it is God's will, we should obey it! I will remove Sanren from the position of national teacher to avoid making things difficult for him! But we have always had the loyalty of monarch and subject, so I hope Sanren will not harm Shentong's life!"

From the moment Ning Daoqi entered the palace, Li Yuan saw that Ning Daoqi had stood against the Li family. Li Yuan deliberately pretended to be confused in order to make him understand and do his best to save Li Shentong's life.

Ning Daoqi was indeed moved, and made a promise to Li Yuan to the best of his ability: "I will plead with fellow Daoist Jianglong, but I can't guarantee what the final result will be!"

Li Yuan sighed again: "With Sanren's words, Li Yuan will have no regrets even if he dies!"

After a pause, Li Yuan said to Huang Sixi, "You captured me but didn't kill me. Are you trying to use me to recall my son? I'm afraid you will be disappointed. I would rather die than let you have your way!"

He felt that as long as his son Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin returned to Luoyang, they would definitely be murdered by Huang Sixi. If they continued to lead troops outside, they would have a chance of survival.

Huang Sixi said calmly: "This is not up to you!"

He no longer paid attention to Li Yuan and turned his gaze to the people from the Dugu and Yuwen clans in the hall.

Just now, Huang Sixi entered the palace to assassinate and killed all the masters including the Turkic envoy Yun Shuai and his subordinates, the Demon Sect's Eunuch Wei and Yin Zuwen, the 'Huangshan Exile' Ouyang Xiyi, the 'Demon Spear' Yan Pingzhao, the 'Immortal Family' Chu Junming and Hua Ying, and during this period, neither the Dugu clan nor the Yuwen clan tried to stop him.

Just as Huang Sixi guessed, the two major families had their own ulterior motives and had no loyalty to the Li family at all, so they all chose to stand by and watch.

Seeing that Huang Sixi did not attack them, more than ten core members of the two factions did not break out of the hall to avoid being sniped by Huang Sixi. They just waited for the end of the battle.

Seeing Huang Sixi's gaze, they all bowed and saluted: "Greetings to the True Dragon Emperor Khan!"

They called Huang Sixi according to the etiquette of the ethnic groups outside the Great Wall, which was neither considered as betrayal of Li Yuan nor as surrender to Huang Sixi.

However, Huang Sixi spared their lives specifically in order to win over the power of the two major clans, stabilize the situation in Luoyang without bloodshed, overthrow the Tang court as quickly as possible, and then complete the unification of the world.

There were more than ten people from the two clans, including clan leaders Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang, as well as young masters Dugu Ce, Dugu Feng, Yuwen Wudi, Yuwen Shiji, etc., all of whom guessed Huang Sixi's intention.

Dugu Ce and Yuwen Wudi stepped out first, knelt down and said, "Last year on the Liyang River, True Dragon Khan killed Tiele Qu'ao and rescued us from danger. At that time, True Dragon Khan left in a hurry and we had no time to thank him. Now we finally have a chance! No matter what instructions True Dragon Khan has, we are willing to sacrifice our lives to repay True Dragon Khan for saving our lives!"

When Ning Daoqi and Shi Feixuan heard these words, they thought that the two were just making up excuses to surrender to Huang Sixi.

But it is true.

Last year, Du Fuwei formed an alliance with Tiele Qu'ao and blocked the Yangtze River to rob passing ships, resulting in all tributes transported to Jiangdu being snatched away. Yang Guang was furious and sent Dugu and Yuwen clans to lead a fleet to dredge the Yangtze River waterway, and they happened to encounter the battle where Huang Sixi killed Qu'ao.

Dugu Ce and Yuwen Wudi were both in this fleet at that time, and they were indeed saved by Huang Sixi by accident.

Huang Sixi glanced at the two of them and said with a smile, "So it's you. I remember you fought against Qu Ao before! The shouting and killing here just now was quite loud. It should have alarmed the guards of the entire palace. It is estimated that they will soon surround Qianyang Palace. Do you have any good ideas to make these guards lay down their weapons?"

Dugu Ce and Yuwen Wudi are both young masters, and their role is only to reminisce with Huang Sixi. As for specific matters, the two major clan leaders have to come forward to negotiate with Huang Sixi.

Dugu Feng stepped forward and offered a plan: "The imperial palace guards are mostly the sons of the nobles of the Eastern Capital, and most of them are familiar with me. The True Dragon Khan might as well ask Li Yuan to issue an imperial decree to appoint me as the commander of the imperial guards. I will be able to control the palace and capture all of Li Yuan's family members!"

Yuwen Shang continued, "It is not enough to control the palace alone. There is still a troop loyal to Li Yuan in Luoyang City. They are guarding the city gates. Once the news of the palace incident leaks out, they will immediately reinforce the palace. Zhenlong Khan might as well issue another decree to let the ministers take control of Luoyang City's defenses and arrest Li Yuan's eldest son, second son, and other relatives. Only in this way can Luoyang be firmly controlled!"

When Li Yuan heard this, his face couldn't help but twitch with excitement. His family had been friends with the Dugu and Yuwen clans for a hundred years, and they had intermarried with each other. He didn't expect that when disaster struck, the two clans would turn against each other faster than turning the pages of a book. How could this not be heartbreaking?

But when the Dugu and Yuwen clans stabbed Li Yuan in the back, they had no psychological burden at all. Everything they did was for the benefit of their clans, and any friendships were thrown out of their minds.

Of course, Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang were merely making a proposal to Huang Sixi, and there was a prerequisite for the two clans to be willing to work for Huang Sixi, which was that Huang Sixi must give a firm promise to protect the interests of the two clans, otherwise the two clans would not act wholeheartedly.

After listening to what the two said, Huang Sixi asked, "What titles did Li Yuan confer on you, and what official positions did he confer on your clansmen?"

The two of them talked about the titles and official positions of all the people in the court.

Huang Sixi said, "I promise that your official titles in the new dynasty will remain unchanged, and the income from your clan's land and business will not be reduced! In addition, I have conquered the Turks, Bohai Kingdom, and Goguryeo outside the Great Wall. After the unification of China, I will immediately manage the Great Wall. You two clans will have priority in trading goods outside the Great Wall!"

During the Sui Dynasty, the Dugu Clan and the Yuwen Clan made money everywhere and were involved in almost all business operations. They were very aware of the huge profits of goods from outside the Great Wall. At present, Huang Sixi has the ability to control the outside of the Great Wall and give orders to all the tribes outside the Great Wall.

If Huang Sixi completely rules the vast territory outside the Great Wall in the future, and then connects it with the Central Plains and opens up all trade routes, the profits will be astronomical.

However, as clan leaders, Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang had handled countless wealth over the years and were not overly tempted by the chips offered by Huang Sixi. What they really wanted was Huang Sixi's attitude.

The two men continued, "Although the Song clan in the capital has not established a country and proclaimed themselves emperor, Song Que has already taken the title of king. I'm afraid he will usurp the throne like Li Yuan in the future! May I ask, True Dragon Khan, do you only plan to dominate outside the Great Wall, or will you also include the Central Plains under your command?"

Among the four major clans in the world, the Song clan, because it was the orthodox clan of the Han Dynasty, was incompatible with the other three clans and they excluded each other.

If the Song clan were allowed to seize power in Central Earth, they would inevitably liquidate the forces of the Dugu clan and the Yuwen clan in the future. This is a result that Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang do not want to see.

If Huang Sixi is determined to replace the Song clan, Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang will support Huang Sixi without hesitation.

Ever since the reputation of the True Dragon Khan spread throughout Middle-earth, all major forces in the world have been investigating Huang Sixi's background. Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang are no exception. As a result, they found out that Huang Sixi was like an orphan and had no relatives at all.

If such a lonely person ascended the throne, he would never let the Song clan dominate alone. He would definitely give strong support to the Dugu clan and the Yuwen clan to balance the power in the court.

This is also the purpose of Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang's questions. They need to know Huang Sixi's future decision before considering how much effort to contribute.

If Huang Sixi wanted to be the emperor of Central Plains himself, it would not be a problem for Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang to be willing to pledge their allegiance and even kill all the relatives of the Li family in Luoyang.

But if Huang Sixi only wants to be a free and easy Khan in the grasslands outside the Great Wall, or has reached some private agreement with the Song clan and does not want to get involved in the Central Plains, then Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang will have to work without putting in any effort.

Huang Sixi glanced at the two of them and did not continue to win them over. He just expressed his attitude: "If you two factions are willing to serve me, I will give you generous rewards. If you are hesitant and perfunctory, that's fine. Although I came to Luo alone, I don't have to rely on you to control this city!"

After he issued a call, the little dragon that was on guard outside the hall flew over, squatted in the hall, and looked around at everyone menacingly.

Huang Sixi pointed at the little dragon and said, "The tribes outside the Great Wall call me the True Dragon Son of Heaven Khan, and this is true! When I tour Luoyang as a true dragon, the people in the city will support me. This includes the whole world. No matter where I go, I believe the people will support me as the True Dragon Son of Heaven! As for the palace guards and the city defense soldiers you just mentioned, are they more powerful than the 100,000 cavalry of the Turkic Shibi Khan?"

Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang felt a murderous aura coming towards them as they listened to Huang Sixi's powerful words. They suddenly realized that the moment Huang Sixi entered the hall, they were already fish on the chopping board and had no qualifications to negotiate terms.

The two were worried that Huang Sixi would suddenly kill them, so they quickly flattered him, "The True Dragon Khan is invincible. Even if the Li family recalled all their troops outside, it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"

Huang Sixi said expressionlessly: "It's good for you to know. I could have killed all the people in this hall, and then killed them all along the palace. Whoever dared to rebel would be eliminated on the spot, but 'those who obey me will prosper, and those who defy me will perish' is not my style. I am not going to assassinate Shibi Khan to show off my military power, but only to solve the border troubles for my people in the Middle Earth!

Including my trip to Luoyang, the purpose is still to let the people live and work in peace. I want to solve Li Tang with the least casualties! If you are willing to fulfill this wish for me, I will not treat you unfairly. After the world is settled, you can continue to do what you did before. But if you are indecisive and waste my time here, then you can forget about enjoying wealth and honor again! "

Dugu Feng and Yuwen Shang did not hesitate any longer, they knelt on the ground, clasped their fists and said: "Whatever you ask, True Dragon Khan, we are willing to die for you!"

Huang Sixi retracted his gaze and finally said to Li Yuan: "The same goes for your Li Clan. If you are willing to issue an order to recall Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin back to the Eastern Capital, abdicate the throne, and disband the Li Clan's troops, I guarantee that your entire clan can live the rest of their lives in peace!"

Li Yuan was stunned for a moment.

He subconsciously refused to trust Huang Sixi, believing that Huang Sixi's words were a trap. Once he recalled his two sons, he would probably be killed without a burial place.

But he was depressed and thought that Huang Sixi was so powerful in martial arts that even if his two sons led the troops to continue resisting outside, they would probably be stabbed to death one by one by Huang Sixi in the end. By then, his Li family might face the desperate situation of being cut off from the incense.

Li Yuan muttered to himself: "Even if I give them an order, they will definitely not listen to my advice, alas..."

Then he changed the subject and asked Huang Sixi in a pleading tone: "I can issue an order to all the troops in Luoyang to disarm them and ensure that no civilians are harmed, so as to help you, True Dragon Khan, take over Luoyang! I only ask that True Dragon Khan spare the lives of my Li family members. As long as you don't kill them, I can slowly persuade the two sons to disband their troops!"

In order to prevent unrest in Luoyang, Huang Sixi decisively agreed to Li Yuan's request: "Okay! You draft the decree!"

As long as Luoyang was occupied and Li Tang's base camp was destroyed, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin who were fighting outside would be like a tree without roots. Even if they could survive for a while by relying on the military power, they would eventually not be able to escape defeat.

In order to shorten the time for the unification of Middle-earth, Huang Sixi will reduce the number of large-scale army battles as much as possible and only use assassinations of the leaders of various forces as his main strategy.

If Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin stubbornly resisted Li Yuan's order, Huang Sixi's next targets for assassination would be these two people.

Huang Sixi strives to reunite the country this year.

Since the Dugu and Yuwen clans had already pledged allegiance to Huang Sixi, Li Yuan was afraid that the two clans would kill all of the Li clan's family members in Luoyang City in order to curry favor with Huang Sixi. Not only did he agree to write the imperial edict, he was even willing to personally come forward to lobby the palace and the troops in Luoyang City to surrender.

Huang Sixi captured Li Yuan and went to take over Luoyang accompanied by the Dugu and Yuwen clans.

Soon, the huge Qianyang Hall was filled with corpses and the frightened Shang Xiufang. Huang Sixi had not attacked her during his assassination attempt, but he also ignored her. She collapsed alone in the hall, not knowing what to do with herself.

At this time, Huang Sixi had already arrived outside the palace and began to persuade the palace guards to surrender.

Before coming, Ning Daoqi and Shi Feixuan both felt that even if Huang Sixi captured Li Yuan, it would take a bloody storm to occupy Luoyang. As a result, with the cooperation of the Dugu clan and the Yuwen clan, Luoyang changed hands without any chaos in just one night.

(End of this chapter)