Film and Television: The Collector Who Rampages Across the Heavens

Chapter 80 Blood Night

The Crown Prince wrote a secret memorial and the Eastern Palace token, handed them heavily to the adjutant, and solemnly instructed: "Take him to find Chen Zilong, the city guard. He is my confidant. Then go and mobilize troops. Make sure the matter is handled flawlessly, otherwise both I and your Marquis will be in big trouble."

His mother, Consort Yue, had come out on New Year's Eve and was still under house arrest. For the time being, the Crown Prince had no one to consult with and could only do as Xie Yu said.

"Yes, sir, I will take care of it immediately."

The adjutant received the secret report and the token with both hands and hurriedly left the palace under the arrangement of the eunuchs of the Eastern Palace.

First, they found Chen Zilong, the Crown Prince's confidant, explained the situation and reasons, and then one of them went to mobilize troops and generals, while the other went to the Ministry of War to complete the formalities.

On the surface, he was the Crown Prince's confidant, but in reality, he was Ling Wang's man. As a double agent, Chen Zilong was naturally aware of part of Su Li's plan. He went to the city guards, holding the East Palace token, and mobilized 1,000 soldiers and troops, and also received some heavy weapons. Then he rushed to the Ningguo Marquis's residence.

In an instant, flames flickered, swords and armor gleamed, and the city guards, marching in orderly formation like a fiery dragon, headed towards the Ningguo Marquis's residence.

Meanwhile, Prince Yu, who was confronting the patrol battalion outside the Marquis's residence, had a livid face. He tried everything he could to coerce and entice Ouyang Chi, who was guarding the gate, but Ouyang Chi remained unmoved.

"Ouyang Chi, do you really think I wouldn't dare to make a move?"

Prince Yu was a man who cared about his reputation, and he was truly annoyed that he had been blocked outside the Marquis's residence for so long by a mere patrol battalion commander.

"Your Highness may enter if you wish, but you may only bring your personal guards. The rest of the troops should wait outside the Marquis's residence."

"How dare you—"

Prince Yu cursed inwardly. He only took a few guards in, but what could he do?

His eyes flashed with a cold light, and he slowly raised his right hand. The battle inside was so fierce that he could not wait any longer.

The soldiers behind them gripped their long swords and spears, took a step forward, and were ready to launch an attack at any moment.

Ouyang Chi naturally wouldn't tolerate this, and coldly shouted, "Patrol Battalion, prepare for battle!"

A large number of patrol soldiers drew their bows and unsheathed their swords, looking equally menacing.

At this moment, a figure strode through the array of troops and walked between the two sides. His calm expression remained as still as a mountain, and the tense atmosphere did not affect him at all.

"And what about me!"

The newcomer was Yan Que. He looked coldly at Ouyang Chi and asked in a calm tone, "If you won't let Prince Yu in, will you let me in? Ouyang Chi, do you no longer respect me?"

"This—" Ouyang Chi's expression changed: "My lord, what brings you here?"

"My youngest son, Yujin, attended a birthday banquet and hasn't returned. I'd like to go in and check on him. What do you think?"

Yan Que stroked his beard, straightened his sleeves, and asked calmly.

Ouyang Chi gave a helpless smile, stepped aside, and said, "If Your Excellency wishes to enter, your men will naturally not dare to stop you. Please—"

Yan Que stepped forward slowly, and Prince Yu wanted to follow closely behind, but was once again stopped by Ouyang Chi.

"Your Highness, the Marquis may also enter, but he may only bring two guards; the soldiers behind him are not allowed to enter."

Prince Yu was utterly enraged, a chilling smile spreading across his face: "Ouyang Chi, do you think I've been holding you off for so long because I'm afraid of you?"

No one had ever dared to repeatedly embarrass him; this lowly lieutenant general was truly tired of living.

Ouyang Chi replied in the same way: "Please forgive me, Your Highness. I am under military orders and stationed here by the Marquis of Ningguo. No one is allowed to enter or leave. Even if you are a prince, you must obey the law without an imperial edict. Please do not put me in a difficult position."

"Alright, since that's the case—"

Before Prince Yu could finish speaking, the sound of a large number of footsteps could be heard from both sides of the street. The shadows of open flames and wielding weapons were interspersed as countless soldiers rushed towards this side.

"Your Highness, it's the city guards; they've blocked our retreat!" A military officer immediately rushed over to report.

"Who is leading the group, and what are they doing here?" Prince Yu had a bad feeling.

"The team was led by Deputy General Chen Zilong, who said he was acting on the orders of the Crown Prince to wipe out the treacherous woman who had brought disaster to the country and her accomplices."

Prince Yu and Yan Que exchanged a glance. This Chen Zilong was the Crown Prince's confidant. The fact that he brought so many troops meant that he was definitely cooperating with Xie Yu to kill and silence witnesses.

Soon, Chen Zilong, who was around 30 years old, came over with five or six personal guards through the military formation and handed a secret memorial to Ouyang Chi.

"I entered the Ningguo Marquis's residence on the orders of the Crown Prince to cooperate with Marquis Xie in eliminating the henchmen of the wicked woman who brought disaster to the country."

After reading the memorial, Ouyang Chi noticed a glance from Xie Yu's trusted lieutenant general. He nodded and quickly bowed, saying, "Your subordinate obeys. General Chen, please!"

"Your Highness, we can't let them in, or everyone inside will be doomed," said Grey Hawk, a confidant of Prince Yu.

Prince Yu hesitated. If he tried to stop them, a fight would surely break out, but the troops of Prince Yu's mansion were clearly at a disadvantage.

Although he wanted to bring down Xie Yu, he didn't want to put himself in danger.

Suddenly, a commotion arose again from the military formations in the street, and a soldier shouted, "Who are you?"

"Qi Meng of Prince Jing's Mansion!"

"Yang Ming of the Ling Prince's Mansion!"

"The Mirror of Suspended Mirror governs summer and autumn!"

The combined forces of the two princely residences, along with some men brought by Xia Qiu, formed a counter-encirclement on the outer perimeter.

Qi Meng, Xia Qiu, and Yang Ming also arrived at the Marquis's residence with their men.

Qi Meng, who was most loyal to Prince Jing, hurriedly asked, "What happened that Prince Jing has not returned for so long?"

Yang Ming asked the same question: "Your Highness Prince Ling, may I ask General Ouyang, where is my prince?"

Xia Qiu said coldly, "Something must have happened inside. My Suspended Mirror Division's warning fireworks have been going off for some time now."

Prince Yu was overjoyed to see these people, recalling what Mei Changsu had told him before.

By involving Prince Ling and Prince Jing, they might be of help in a crucial moment.

Sure enough, he was right!

"Generals, Lord Xia, something must have happened inside the Ningguo Marquis's residence, but General Ouyang is stubbornly guarding the residence and refusing to let us in."

Prince Yu deliberately stirred things up as he spoke.

Qi Meng looked at Ouyang Chi with an unfriendly expression: "With so many of us here, something big must have happened inside. I'll ask you one more time: are you letting us in or not?"

Although Yang Ming did not speak, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword to show his support.

Now, the main generals realized that tonight's banquet was clearly a conflict between the Crown Prince and Prince Yu, which could very well determine the outcome. Ouyang Chi and Chen Zilong exchanged a secret glance, and the latter gave him a reassuring look.

Ouyang Chi took a deep breath and said with a solemn expression, "I am afraid I cannot obey. Military orders are absolute. Unless it is His Majesty's decree, no one is allowed to enter tonight."

"Good, very good!"

With a fiery temper, Qi Meng let out a cold shout and led his men away from the Marquis's residence.

Yang Ming was the same. Xia Qiu frowned. He had the fewest people with him this time, and he was not suitable to participate in the factional struggle. He quickly led his people away from this place.

Chen Zilong ordered his trusted subordinates to take command of the troops, solemnly instructing them: "You lead your troops to hold the line. No one is allowed to cross the defensive line; anyone who disobeys will be killed."

Upon seeing the situation, Prince Yu quickly retreated into his own army formation, and Yan Que, that old fox, did the same.

His status was certainly noble, but if he encountered a general who was not his subordinate, he could kill him without any recourse.

The Crown Prince and Prince Yu have clearly entered a fierce battle; whoever stands in their way will die!

"Kill them!"

"Brothers, kill them all!"

It's unclear who started it, but fighting first broke out on the outer perimeter of the city guards' defenses, and then the area affected grew larger and larger.

Upon seeing this, Prince Yu waved his hand fiercely, and Grey Hawk was the first to draw his long sword, pointing it deftly at the Marquis's residence.

"Brothers, charge in!"

"Patrol battalion, prepare for battle!"

The royal aristocratic street where the Ningguo Marquis's mansion was located was suddenly filled with the sounds of fighting, as countless soldiers clashed with each other.

The crisp clash of swords and the cries of the wounded echoed throughout the city.

Hearing the commotion, the nearby dignitaries quickly locked their doors and summoned their guards to stand ready.

Some of the officials who had lived through the previous dynasty were even more terrified, thinking that some kind of treason had occurred, and that the struggle for the throne among the princes in the previous dynasty had been repeated.

That night, the entire palace was filled with the sounds of fighting, which continued until dawn.

Qi Meng cleaved a city guard to death, wiped his sweat, and looked at the soldiers lying all over the ground with a solemn expression.

The city guards brought not only infantry but also a large number of heavy weapons, including pontoon bridges, ladders, and heavy crossbows that required five or six people to lift.

A single volley of fire could skewer several soldiers like candied hawthorns.

He witnessed several of his acquaintances, guards from Prince Jing's residence, being shot dead. They were all elite soldiers who followed Prince Jing.

I didn't die on the battlefield, but who would have thought I'd die at the hands of my own people?

"Damn it!"

Qi Meng cursed fiercely, then slashed down another soldier with his sword before approaching Yang Ming and saying, "General Yang, we must organize men to break through the city guards' defenses. If we delay, things will change. The two princes cannot hold out in the Marquis's residence for long."

"You're right—"

Inside the Ningguo Marquis's residence.

The shouts of battle outside were deafening, and Su Li heard them clearly. He took a sip of tea and asked, "What time is it?"

His bodyguard reported, "It's Hai Shi (around 9 to 11 o'clock)!"

"This is so boring, let's take a walk."

Accompanied by his personal guards and a group of soldiers from the Marquis's residence, he arrived at a pavilion, where he could see a large number of soldiers charging upwards.

Further away, there were archers specially transferred from the patrol battalion, firing fire arrows at the lake tower, clearly indicating that the troops outside would not be able to get in.

Even with numerous experts protecting them, it would be good if half of these people survived.

"Huh!"

Su Li saw a group of people coming out of the inner courtyard and quickly went downstairs to meet them.

"Aunt, why are you out so late instead of resting?"

-

The woman who was about to leave the Marquis's residence with her maid was none other than Princess Liyang. Upon seeing Prince Ling and a large group of soldiers around him, she asked without any politeness, "Are you with Xie Yu?"

"No, I just didn't want to get involved in this. Prince Jing's eighth brother couldn't stand it and sided with Master Zhuo and the others. Now, we don't know if he's alive or dead at the Lakeside Pavilion."

Su Li looked at the still charming and elegant woman and spoke calmly.

"Prince Jing has always been straightforward and honest, almost wearing his grudges on his sleeve, so his actions are not surprising. But what about you—do you have other intentions, or are you just trying to protect yourself?"

Aside from the occasional encounter during festivals, Liyang rarely met this nephew of the Eighth Prince and knew very little about him.

Yet, at such a young age, he was able to remain so calm in the face of all kinds of dangers; he was no ordinary person.

Su Li smiled and said, "I just wanted to protect myself."

"Fine, I can't control what you want to do. This farce has gone on for so long, it's time to end it."

After Liyang finished speaking, she was about to walk past him when Su Li took another step forward and blocked her way.

"What are you doing?"

"It's best if Aunt doesn't go out. The fighting outside is so loud; both sides must be bloodthirsty. Soldiers on the battlefield don't care if you're a princess or not. It's very dangerous."

Su Li gave her a look that said, "I'm doing this for your own good."

Liyang frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "If I don't stop them, should I just let them fight like this? The trouble caused by those in power will make these soldiers pay the price."

Where have you put your belief that the people are the foundation of the nation?

"As for my safety, with so many people around you, can't you even protect your own aunt?"

As the eldest princess of the royal family, Liyang naturally had the corresponding cunning and methods. She not only taught Su Li a lesson but also made him cooperate in quelling the internal strife.

Su Li didn't answer. As her eyes flickered, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. It was Xie Yulan who had arrived.

In the original story, he was caught off guard, not expecting the princess to appear from behind and threaten him from both sides.

Otherwise, if he threatened her privately, even if she slashed her neck and died, Xie Yu probably wouldn't even blink.

This marquis valued power so much that he was willing to give up everything except his life.

"Liyang, you should rest well. Whatever you're doing out here, I'll take care of everything." Xie Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but her face showed a slight impatience.

Liyang gave a bitter laugh: "What are you going to do? Kill all the Wu Qing people?!"

Xie Yu frowned slightly, but still explained, "Liyang, I'm willing to pay any price for you. Go back and rest. By tomorrow morning, Yiren will be the same as before."

"Will it be the same? After you wiped out the Miao family, will you just arbitrarily fabricate a crime and dump them in a mass grave?"

Liyang took a step forward and said coldly, "This farce should be put to rest, because how many people have died and how many lives have been lost?"

Are you going to keep making the same mistake?!

Xie Yu was silent for two seconds, then waved his hand, and immediately four or five burly, fierce women appeared behind him.

"Take the princess away to rest. She is not to come out without my permission."

Princess Liyang was startled and immediately rebuked, "I am the eldest princess, who dares to stop me—Xiao Jinglin, are you just going to stand by and watch!"

The next sentence was addressed to Su Li. Compared to Xie Yu, the two of them, who both possessed royal blood, could still have a conversation.

Moreover, Xie Yu's act of imprisonment shows that he disregards the royal family.

Su Li frowned slightly. If he didn't take any action, he knew that if his aunt, Li Yang, complained to Emperor Liang, he would definitely be in trouble.

"Clang~"

The somber tolling of the bells echoed from the palace throughout Jinling, ringing out again and again, finally ending only after six full tolls.

Upon hearing this, the three men's expressions changed. This was the Golden Bell of Jinling's martial law; whenever something bad happened, the entire city of Jinling would be sealed off.

"It seems that Father has already heard about what happened here. I wish you good luck, Marquis."

Su Li glanced at the distraught Xie Yu, then approached Princess Liyang and smiled, "Aunt, I'll accompany you out."

The sound of the golden bell signaled that the imperial guards in the capital would inevitably be mobilized, and further fighting would be futile.

The gates of the Marquis's residence opened wide to both sides, and dozens of soldiers went out first, forming a defensive formation.

Next came Princess Liyang and Su Li. At the latter's prompting, a guard used his internal energy to amplify his voice.

"Her Highness the Princess has arrived! Stop right there!"

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