Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 104 I'm invincible, who am I afraid of?

"Quickly, kneel down! It was Li Cunzhang who caused the trouble. It has nothing to do with you. He did it behind the back of Prince Jin. I am here to testify. Prince Jin has already agreed to come to court."

Zhang Chengye shouted anxiously.

It was clear that he still wanted to salvage Li Keyong's fate.

but……

"Kill this wicked man!"

"This land, which we fought alongside the Prince of Jin through countless battles, is where our brothers' wealth and glory reside. How can we hand it over with just a word from him? What does it matter if he's the emperor? The emperor is the one with the strongest army. For decades, we haven't seen any government troops in Taiyuan; there's only the Prince of Jin, no emperor."

One of the officers among the black-armored soldiers then roared.

"Kill this sorcerer, and our Shatuo people will follow the Prince of Jin for generations; the Prince of Jin will be our lord!"

Then another officer roared.

"Kill this fiend! Who cares what he is? Even if his head is chopped off, he's still a dead man!"

"Kill! For the sake of the Prince of Jin!"

……

The black-armored soldiers roared as they charged forward.

"You scoundrels, don't you dare frame the Prince of Jin!"

Zhang Chengye almost cried out.

The next moment, a hand appeared on his shoulder. He turned his head tremblingly, and the hand gestured for him to stand aside. He looked at the Grand Preceptor's face with despair, then reluctantly stepped aside. The Grand Preceptor looked down at the black-armored soldiers below. These must be Li Keyong's Crow Army. They were mainly Shatuo, and Li Keyong was the hereditary leader of the Shatuo. They truly only recognized Li Keyong. After all, from their homeland of the Shatuo Desert, or rather the Junggar Basin, eastward, following the Uyghurs, following the Tibetans, and finally surrendering to the Tang Dynasty, the Li Keyong family had always been their leader. Naturally, they only recognized Li Keyong, not the Tang Emperor.

Emperor?

"The one with the strongest and most powerful army should take the place!"

Yang Feng said with emotion.

The crow soldiers below looked at him with some confusion.

Then Yang Feng revealed a cruel smile.

"You're absolutely right, but unfortunately, I'm the one with the strongest and most powerful troops."

He went on to say.

The next moment, he pointed his nine-section staff downwards.
Immediately afterward, a terrifying fire dragon swept over Kan Leng's head and crashed into the Crow Army soldiers, who were instantly engulfed. Amidst the raging flames of burning gasoline, they let out heart-wrenching screams and frantically tried to escape in the sea of ​​fire, but were quickly burned and collapsed on the ground, desperately raising their hands, which they could never lower again.

The fire dragon continued forward, sweeping through the crow soldiers.

The latter scattered in terror and fled.

But it's of no use.

After all, they were surrounded by Tang soldiers, whose spears and longswords formed an ironclad defense, preventing their escape.

But the crow soldiers, seeing the fire dragon sweeping past behind them, refused to stop even when it collided with their spears. After all, being impaled on a spear didn't necessarily mean death; it depended on how tough one was. But being burned to a crisp was certain death.

This scene terrified the Jin soldiers who were holding them back, as well as the archers who were providing cover behind them.

They watched as the white-robed figure on the high platform pointed his nine-section staff, and a magnificent fire dragon crashed down below. The crow army was then engulfed by the soaring flames. Thousands of elite troops, who could be considered the core of Li Keyong's forces, were swiftly annihilated as the fire dragon advanced. They, who were invincible on the battlefield, were as insignificant as ants before this irresistible miracle. Their desperate screams echoed through the night sky.

"Quick, kneel down!"

Li Siyuan, who was originally overseeing the battle from the rear, roared without hesitation.

He then quickly dismounted and knelt down.

His soldiers immediately realized what was happening and knelt down in response.

This is a smart person.

In fact, he has always been a smart person.

Among the arrogant and fierce generals, he was one of the few who was good at using his brain; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to become an emperor. At this point, of course, he should kneel down and surrender.

but……

"kill!"

Yang Feng shouted.

The Tang army, having formed ranks, immediately advanced.

"Grand Preceptor, these people are ignorant and have been deceived by the traitors. I beg you to spare their lives. They are all brave and skilled in battle. If they are spared to serve the country, they can quickly wipe out the traitors. If they are all killed, no one will dare to surrender again."

Zhang Chengye quickly knelt down and begged.

He never expected the Imperial Advisor to be so ruthless; he was determined to wipe them all out!

"What makes you think that I need someone else to do something as trivial as eliminating Zhu Wen?"

Yang Feng sneered.

Zhang Chengye was speechless.

Li Siyuan and his men panicked. They had already knelt, but watched as the Tang army advanced like a wall, their long swords forming a terrifying dense forest. However, they were not ones to surrender passively; they quickly rose and raised their weapons again. At the same moment, the gates of Taiyuan opened, and in the torchlight, Li Keyong charged in with hundreds of cavalry. Li Siyuan and his men looked at their Prince of Jin with suspicion, but he quickly charged into their ranks, and they rushed forward to meet him.

But Li Siyuan quickly fell to the back.

A general, who was probably also a son of a concubine, excitedly ran to the front and tried to salute Li Keyong.

But the spear in the latter's hand pierced straight into his chest.

He stared at Li Keyong in astonishment.

"How dare you rebel? I have already ordered that the imperial envoy be welcomed tomorrow, how dare you disobey my orders?"

Take them all!

Li Keyong shouted.

After saying that, he drew his spear.

The fake son fell down with his eyes wide open, staring unblinkingly.

The surrounding soldiers were all stunned. They watched as the soldiers who had come with Li Keyong dismounted and pinned down all the generals who had come to greet them. Several generals tried to resist, but Li Siyuan stopped them with a look. They were then tied up and forced to follow Li Keyong to the Tang army in front.

The latter has also stopped, but remains in formation, ready to attack at any moment.

"I have failed to control my subordinates, which has led to their rebellion and alarm of the Imperial Preceptor. I have come here to beg for forgiveness."

Li Keyong stood in front of the Tang army formation, cupped his hands towards the high platform, and spoke loudly.

"Grand Preceptor, the Prince of Jin truly knew nothing of this matter. It was all the work of Li Cunzhang and others. I beg you, Grand Preceptor, to spare him in consideration of the Prince of Jin's many years of bloody battles for the country!"
"Prince of Jin, would you be willing to come to court?"

Zhang Chengye's voice immediately rang out.

Of course, he probably didn't make an agreement with Li Keyong.

However, they could guess each other's guesses.

The two old men had known each other for years and were practically on the same wavelength. Li Keyong's actions were a sign that he was admitting defeat and could enter the court. In reality, Li Cunzhang and the others were testing him. If he succeeded, there would be nothing more to say. If he failed, it would mean that Li Cunzhang and the others had done it behind Li Keyong's back. The Prince of Jin was unaware of this; these scoundrels were keeping it from him, and he knew nothing. The rest was up to Yang Feng.

If Yang Feng didn't want to go to extremes, there was still room for reconciliation, so he naturally shifted all the blame onto the already dead Li Cunzhang.

But if Yang Feng is determined to wipe them all out...

That's trouble.

"Grand Preceptor, I am willing to go to court. However, many of my subordinates are Shatuo, and they have been under my command for generations. In order to prevent them from not understanding the court's intentions and causing unforeseen changes, please allow my son to temporarily lead the Yunzhou army to appease them and defend Yunzhong against the Khitan for the Great Tang."

Li Keyong said.

Daibei was his true base. It was the main settlement area of ​​the Shatuo people. They surrendered to the Tang Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang because of the harsh oppression by the Tibetans. Before that, they were actually the main henchmen of the Tibetans, and they participated when the Tibetans captured Tingzhou. It was easy for nomadic people to migrate. After surrendering to the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xianzong was worried about the fickle nature of such people, and also because the northwest was too poor to provide them with money and food. In the end, he settled them in Daibei. The Zhu Xie family mainly settled in Shenwuchuan, which is south of Datong, with Ying County as the core.

Now, that place is under the jurisdiction of the Yunzhou Defense Commissioner.

What he's proposing now is an exchange: he can give up Hedong and let the imperial court take over again, but the territory of the Shatuo people will still belong to them.

This makes sense.

His family was originally hereditary chieftains.

That place wasn't exactly a good place either. The important land of Hedong was given to the imperial court, while their settlement in Daibei was left to his son Li Cunxu as the hereditary governor of Yunzhou. Moreover, the Tang Dynasty probably needed them, since the Khitan had already expanded to the Yinshan Mountains by this time.

In order to maintain peace with the Khitan, he had previously invited Yelü Abaoji to a meeting in Yunzhou.

They discussed working together to deal with Liu Rengong.

He also obtained a large number of warhorses from Yelü Abaoji.

However, after Yelü Abaoji returned, he turned to befriend Zhu Wen.

Therefore, the defense there really needs them.

All that's left is to be patient.

Let's wait for an opportunity!

The Zhu Xie family has waited nearly a hundred years to reach this point. At worst, they can continue to wait. As long as the tribe still exists, nothing is over yet.

"What crime should a commander of an army be punished for failing to control his subordinates, causing them to rebel and attack the imperial envoy?"

Yang Feng said.

Li Keyong's expression changed instantly.

That one sentence shattered all his illusions.

"The imperial court summons you to court by imperial decree. You must obey. Do you have any right to bargain?"

Yang Feng said immediately.

Li Keyong stared intently at the high platform.

Li Siyuan, still bound, walked to his side. An officer next to Li Keyong began to untie the ropes, but Li Keyong ignored him. Then the soldiers began to untie the ropes of the bound generals. Clearly, everyone understood that the performance was over and there was no need to continue.

"The imperial decree is very clear: from now on, all military governors, military commanders, militia commanders, and defense commissioners are to be abolished, including the defense commissioner of Yunzhou. Your son will naturally no longer serve as the defense commissioner of Yunzhou. Out of respect for Zhang Chengye, I can give you another chance. Your entire family, including your brothers, nephews, and sons, will be settled in the court. As for the title of Prince of Jin, it will be reduced to Duke of Dai due to the inability to control his subordinates. All generals who participated in the attack on the imperial envoy will be executed, and one in ten soldiers will be conscripted and killed, and then transferred to Guanzhong as local militia. Those who did not participate in the attack on the imperial envoy will be reorganized by the court and dispersed into the Sixteen Guards. All the officials you appointed will be dismissed and reappointed by the court."

This is your last chance.

Yang Feng continued.

Li Siyuan and the others have taken back their weapons.

Li Keyong looked at the high platform with a complicated expression.

"Why is the Imperial Preceptor so insistent? I am, after all, the only one in the world besides the Prince of Qi who still follows the reign title of the Great Tang Dynasty."

Wang Jian advised me to declare myself emperor, but I refused both times.

"Isn't the Grand Preceptor afraid of being laughed at by those who have already switched their allegiance to Zhu Wen, by pressing him like this?"

He said.

"Not afraid!"

Yang Feng smiled.

"Because they all have to die."

Actually, you were all going to die anyway. But since you still follow the Tang Dynasty's reign title, I gave you a chance to live. Li Maozhen seized this opportunity, and he could exchange his territory for a life of wealth and honor. If you had seized this opportunity, you could have also exchanged it for a life of wealth and honor.

As for those who have already pledged allegiance to Zhu Wen, I won't even give them a chance.

They are all traitors.

They all have to die.

Wang Jian dared to declare himself emperor; he too would die.

He went on to say.

"If that's the case, aren't you afraid that all the regional warlords in the land will unite and fight you to the death?"

Li Siyuan shouted.

"Not afraid.

A desperate fight? What a joke! You did fight to the death, but at most you only provided me with some amusement. A mantis fighting a tiger to the death? Besides, I'm not even a tiger, I'm a dragon! I'm invincible, who am I afraid of? You should be content. My two dragons are gone. If I still had them, you'd all be dragon dung by now.”

Yang Feng shouted arrogantly.

However, he did miss his two dragons a little.

With these two around, he doesn't need to worry about those large-scale destructive tasks. These ten thousand or so people in front of him probably wouldn't even last them half an hour to burn.

He himself could only use the gasoline in his halberd as a flamethrower when he burned it.

Li Keyong sneered, then drew an arrow from the quiver of the officer beside him and decisively broke it in two.

"My relationship with the Tang Dynasty is now severed!"

He said.

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards his warhorse without looking back.

"Your Majesty, do not be confused!"

Zhang Chengye knelt on the high platform, his voice filled with a mournful cry.

Li Keyong did not turn around, but instead mounted his horse and looked around.

"Have you all understood? Now, your life and death are in your own hands."

He said.

After saying that, he urged his horse to leave.

Do you think you can still leave?

Yang Feng's voice sounded softly behind him.

Li Keyong turned his head in astonishment. The next moment, a golden light shot out from the high platform. He instinctively drew his sword, but the golden light was already in front of him, and a strange weapon immediately appeared in his field of vision. Before he could even identify what it was, the weapon suddenly swiftly wrapped around his neck. He tried to shout something, but found that he could no longer make a sound. He instinctively clutched his neck, but felt blood gushing out. He uttered strange sounds, clutching his neck, and fell from his horse...

Li Siyuan and the others stared in disbelief at their king.

The latter was convulsing on the ground.

He was still reaching out a hand, trying to get them to help him up.

"Your Majesty!"

Zhang Chengye's shrill scream rang out.

With his last breath, Li Keyong turned his head with difficulty and looked at the high platform.

A familiar figure was jumping down from there.

He slowly closed his eyes.

Yang Feng, standing on the high platform, looked at Zhang Chengye below with a sigh.

Although Old Zhang was still clinging to life, and the Nine-Section Staff could have saved him, it was clearly unnecessary. Continuing to live would only bring him suffering. The two old men must have had genuine affection for each other. And it was a fact that Li Keyong was indeed murdered by Yang Feng, and Yang Feng was on the stage at that moment. So, at least to outsiders, it was clear that Yang Feng had betrayed Li Keyong, and he could only prove his innocence with death. Furthermore, Old Zhang's dream was to restore the Tang Dynasty. Now that the Tang Dynasty had been restored, his dream had been realized, albeit with some minor discrepancies. He could finally rest in peace.

(End of this chapter)