Legendary Son-in-Law: The Man with Poison Talismans

He turned to Gu Changfeng and smiled, his tone somewhat flattering: "Your Highness, how does our Shabak compare to the Prince's Mansion?"

Gu Changfeng, who was enjoying his drink, waved his hand upon hearing this and slurred, "Shabak... is still not as good as the Prince's Palace, after all, it's just a commoner's city. But this place is great, there are no rules or regulations, no worries at all, this is wonderful, this is wonderful..."

As he spoke, he picked up his glass and took another sip. Huo Yan, who was next to him, also drank a glass with him, but in his heart he was thinking: You look down on civilian cities, so why did you run to my Shabak first when you were escaping for your life?

But he didn't show it on his face; he just smiled and poured Gu Changfeng another full cup.

Gu Changfeng finished his drink and suddenly burst into laughter. The laughter was loud and abrupt, startling Huo Yan, who was standing next to him. This was the third time Gu Changfeng had laughed since he learned that the crisis had passed, but it still caught everyone off guard.

Gu Changfeng suddenly hooked his arm around Huo Yan's neck, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, and leaned closer, saying, "Why are you looking so gloomy? When I return to Bichon and ascend the throne, I will make you the Crown Prince, and Qingyi will be the Crown Princess. At that time, I will also reward you with that meddlesome woman sitting on the dragon throne, so you can also taste what it's like to be an emperor."

He finished speaking and burst into laughter again, as if he were already sitting on Beech's dragon throne, ready to pour out all the words he had been holding back for so long.

Huo Yan's smile froze for a moment as Huo Yan's neck was hooked around his neck, but he quickly recovered and forced a few dry laughs.

Just as they were laughing, a knock suddenly came from outside the palace door. It wasn't loud, but it sounded particularly abrupt amidst the music.

Gu Changfeng frowned, as if someone had interrupted him during his coronation ceremony, and retorted rudely, "Who is it!"

Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he had someone open the door.

The palace doors opened, and standing outside was a messenger who bowed and kept his head down, not daring to look into the palace. His voice was quick and urgent: "Your Highness, Lord Huo requests your presence in the front hall for a meeting."

Gu Changfeng was waiting for the man to continue, but the messenger had already finished speaking and was waiting there with his back bent, waiting for him to set off.

Gu Changfeng frowned and asked again, "What exactly happened?"

The messenger bowed his head and replied, "I don't know, I only said that everyone in the front hall is waiting, and it's very urgent."

Gu Changfeng sensed that there was no room for negotiation in that tone. Although he was very unwilling, he still stood up unsteadily.

He steadied himself by holding onto the table, muttering, "What's the rush?" He glanced at the dancers still twirling their skirts inside the hall, reluctant to take a step, and dawdled as he walked out.

After all, no matter how much he boasts about the future, he is still living under someone else's roof right now, and he can't ignore Huo Lie's face.

-

The people in the front hall were getting impatient. Huo Lie was so anxious that he paced back and forth in the center of the hall, his boots making a dull sound on the floor tiles.

Several guild leaders sat on either side, some of them constantly tapping on the armrests; the air inside the hall was stuffy and heavy.

When Gu Changfeng entered, everyone in the hall stopped and all eyes fell on him.

He wasn't fully sober yet, his eyes still a little blurry. He glanced around the room and, not quite understanding what was going on, chuckled awkwardly, "Gentlemen, why are you all looking at me like that? What happened?"

Huo Lie raised his chin slightly, signaling the person next to him to recount the situation outside the city.

The man spoke very quickly, from the dark mass of camps that appeared outside the main gate, to the banners that read "Bichon Golden Guard," and then to Gu Qingyi sitting in the central command tent, personally saying that she wanted to attack Sha and kill Huo Lie herself, without omitting a single word from beginning to end.

Inside the hall, the people added more details, some mentioning the neat military bearing and gleaming armor, others mentioning the orderly setup of the tents and the neatly arranged smoke from the cooking fires. The conversation grew more and more detailed, like a net that was being tightened more and more.

As Gu Changfeng listened to those words, he first frowned, then his expression changed, and finally all the color drained from his face. He stood there swaying, as if something had been taken away from him, and he had to hold onto the armrest of the chair to keep his balance.

In the end, Gu Changfeng could only manage to say, "I'll think about it."

After saying that, he turned around and staggered out of the front hall, as if afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would be nailed to the spot by those gazes.

The people in the hall watched his figure disappear outside the door. No one chased after him, and no one called out to him.

Gu Changfeng's "consideration" lasted until the next morning.

His palace doors were tightly shut, and the sounds of string and wind instruments and the laughter of dancers inside were almost constant. Apart from the servants who brought wine, no one was allowed to get close. Even when Huo Lie went to knock on the door himself, he was turned away.

Huo Lie stood outside the door for a moment, listening to the faint laughter and clinking of glasses coming from inside. His face darkened as if covered with a layer of ashes, and he turned and left.

It wasn't until dawn the next day that the people in the front hall finally couldn't sit still any longer.

Chapter 324 Message

Several guild leaders followed Huo Lie to Gu Changfeng's palace gate again. They knocked on the door but no one answered, and no one responded to their calls. There was only an unusual silence inside.

Huo Lie didn't wait any longer and kicked open the palace door.

The scene inside the hall stunned everyone. Wine jugs and fruit platters were scattered all over the floor. The dancers, disheveled, huddled in a corner, shivering. Gu Changfeng, shirtless, leaned against a soft couch, clutching an empty wine cup in his hand, his eyes half-open and half-closed, as if he had just woken up and been pulled back into a dream.

Several Shabak leaders didn't stand on ceremony and rushed forward to lift him off the couch, carrying him all the way to the city wall like a chick.

Gu Changfeng was carried for most of the way before he fully regained consciousness. He struggled and shouted twice, "What are you doing?" but no one paid any attention to him, and they didn't stop walking.

As he was lifted to the highest point of the city wall and made to stand still, a morning breeze carrying sand rushed towards him, making his robes flutter in the wind.

He rubbed his eyes and glanced down at the city. The camp three kilometers outside the main gate was more orderly than yesterday. Banners fluttered in the morning light, and the Imperial Guards were already in formation, their armor gleaming coldly.

Above the walls of Shabak, a cloud of orange-red mist gathered above everyone's heads, like a slowly churning fiery cloud, pressing heavily on the city walls and making people feel suffocated.

Someone whispered, "Someone sacrificed a Zuma statue to the heavens... The siege has begun."

Gu Changfeng stood on the city wall, his gaze subconsciously sweeping over the neatly arrayed Imperial Guards below, before suddenly fixing on them.

In the center of the crowd, a figure in a moon-white robe was riding a horse with his back straight, holding the reins in his hand, and looking up at the city wall.

Even though they were so far apart, and even though the wind had ruffled her bangs, he recognized her at a glance as Gu Qingyi, his own younger sister.

Standing on the city wall, the wind blew him away, and his dizziness and blurred vision disappeared. The lingering effects of the alcohol, which had been there since last night, seemed to be instantly sobered up as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head.

He opened his mouth, as if to shout something, but his throat felt like it was filled with wind, and no sound came out.

At this moment, a small squad of about twenty or thirty men suddenly broke off from the ranks of the Imperial Guards below the city. They rode forward in an orderly fashion, and only stopped when they were about fifty paces away from the city wall.

The leader was a warrior wearing the Heavenly Demon Armor, with a burly build and a mask covering most of his face, revealing only a pair of calm eyes.

He dismounted, stood at the front of the formation, took a deep breath, and began to recite aloud, his voice carrying far and steadily in the morning breeze:

"The ancient land of Mengzhong, Shabak City, was granted by the late Emperor in memory of the Huo family's contributions, who then granted it as a garrison and allowed it to be guarded for generations. However, the Huo family has failed in their duties as subjects, harboring treacherous intentions, colluding with rebellious officials, imprisoning members of the imperial clan, seizing power in Mengzhong, and disrupting the court's order. Gu Changfeng is muddle-headed, unable to distinguish between relatives and strangers, and has aided the rebels in their tyranny, causing Mengzhong to fall apart and its people to be displaced. Now, the Princess, by order of the court, leads 20,000 Imperial Guards to stand guard beneath the city walls to punish the rebellious officials, purge the treacherous party, uphold the law, and appease the people. Those on the city walls who know right from wrong, and surrender, will be forgiven; but those who remain obstinate and resist the royal army, when the city falls, the swords will have no eyes."

After he finished reading it, he put the scroll of proclamation into his pocket, mounted his horse, and led the small team back to their camp without looking back.

The city wall was quiet for a while, then began to stir.

Many people started to feel uneasy.

The crowd first glanced at Gu Changfeng, who was standing by the city wall.

The phrase "colluded with traitors, imprisoned members of the imperial family, and seized the power of the alliance" in the proclamation was like a knife, directly revealing all the previous vague speculations.

When Gu Changfeng succeeded to the throne, there were many speculations, but no one knew the exact means by which he took that position.

But now the manifesto has been read aloud in public, clearly and distinctly, each sentence striking the ground without leaving any room for concealment.

Someone muttered under their breath, "Damn it, he used to brag about being the bravest man in the world, but he's just a usurper."

Those around him chimed in with their own curses: "He usurped his position, why should we be dragged down with him?"

Especially the former president of the Iron-Blooded Loyalty Association, whose face turned green at this moment, stood in the crowd with his fists clenched, his lips tightly closed, and even his breathing became heavier.

He stood on the city wall, listening to the increasingly uncontrollable curses around him, and felt that his plan was incredibly stupid. The key was that he had joined Shabak in a moment of impulse.

Gu Changfeng stood at the edge of the crowd, listening to the increasingly uncontrollable murmurs. His face turned pale and then green. Trembling, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to those around him, his voice strained: "Don't listen to him! It's not like that! I rightfully ascended the throne, I am..."

His voice went hoarse halfway through his explanation because no one was really listening to him.

Several guild members who were close to him glanced at him with disgust before looking away, as if they were looking at a liar whose lies had been exposed. They didn't even want to look at him again, because their own situation was not much better.

The orange-red mist overhead still hung heavily, like a hat placed on everyone's heads.

They glanced down at the city walls again, where a layer of bluish-gray mist gathered above the heads of the Imperial Guards, creating a stark contrast with the surging orange-red aura on the city walls.

Even the most obtuse person could see that the mist was the faction marker. Once it was covered in orange-red, it meant that the person had been assumed to be the defender of Shabak.

At this time, the battle between the two armies is in accordance with the laws of heaven and earth. There will be no punishment for killing the enemy. The blade will not show any mercy when it strikes, and no one will cry out for justice when a person falls.

Although they were grateful to Huo Lie for opening the city gates and allowing them to take refuge in the city during the crisis, the current situation clearly indicated that the imperial court was coming to attack Shabak, and they didn't want to be buried with the Huo family.

Some people began to mutter under their breath: "We just came here to seek refuge, how did we become rebels?"

Those around him chimed in, "That's right, the imperial court is attacking the Huo family, what does it have to do with us?"

The noise grew louder and louder, and gradually some people turned and walked down the city walls, wanting to go back into the city to pack their belongings and leave.

Seeing this, Tie Shan, standing beside Huo Lie, frowned and quickly blocked the entrance to the city wall steps. Holding the Judgment Staff, which was already full of nicks, horizontally, he said in a rough and harsh voice: "What are you doing! The monster tide has just passed, and the monster corpses under the city wall haven't even been swallowed up by the earth yet. Are you going to abandon the city and run away when Shabak is in danger? Have you forgotten who let you in? Ungrateful!"

Tieshan's roar completely blocked the entrance to the steps, stopping several people who wanted to go down from their spots.

But some people don't buy into that.

A guild leader wearing worn leather armor stepped forward, pointing his finger at Tieshan's nose: "We've stayed until now only out of gratitude for Lord Huo's kindness in taking us in. But the imperial army is already blocking the gate, and the sacrificial fire is already lit above our heads. This is a war of annihilation. Do you expect us to die with the Huo family?"

Chapter 325 The Disturbance on the City Wall

Tie Shan's face darkened, and he held the Judgment Staff horizontally in front of him, showing no intention of moving aside: "Let's see who dares to leave!"

The guild leader didn't back down and took a step forward: "We're going to leave the city, what can you do about it?"

When Tieshan's temper flared, he slammed the judgment against the stone pillar at the top of the steps, making a deafening thud: "Let's see who dares!"

The tension on the city wall instantly became palpable. People on both sides faced each other a few steps apart, some gripping their weapons tightly, others with their hands on the hilts of their swords. The air was thick with tension.

-

Beneath the city wall, Gu Qingyi had already led her troops to a position less than a hundred paces from the city gate, and was raising her hand to give the order to attack the city.

Lin Mu suddenly reached out to stop him, his eyes fixed on the commotion on the city wall, and said in a low voice, "Wait a minute."

He closed his eyes, activated his mental combat technique, and focused all his attention on the direction of the city wall. Through the sound of the wind and the faint sounds of arguing in the distance, he intermittently caught the conversations on the city wall.

Some people want to leave the city, while others are blocking them from leaving, and the two sides are at an impasse.

He opened his eyes, turned to Gu Qingyi and said, "Don't rush, we haven't even officially attacked the city yet, and they've already started to panic."

-

At this point, the situation on the city wall changed again.

Someone stepped forward, walked a few steps to Tieshan's side, and blocked the entrance to the steps with his weapon. Although his voice was not as loud as Tieshan's, his tone was just as firm: "If it weren't for Lord Huo, I would have died in the mouth of the monsters outside the city long ago. My life was given to me by the Lord Huo, and now is the time to repay his kindness!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several more people stepped forward. Some were holding knives, and some were holding staffs. Although there weren't many of them, they stood firmly at the top of the steps, completely blocking the road down to the city.

Some of the people who had been shouting to leave the city lost face after this commotion. They stammered and took a few steps back. Some were still stubborn, but their arrogance was clearly less than before.

Just when the two sides were deadlocked, Huo Lie finally pushed through the crowd and came over.

He stood on the platform above the steps, looking down at the crowd still locked in a standoff. He remained silent at first, but spoke only after the arguing below had subsided somewhat.

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried steadily in the morning breeze: "Tieshan, step aside. I, Shabak, never force anyone to stay. Everyone has their own ambitions, there's no need to force them. I, Huo, have lived a life of adventure, I still have this much magnanimity."