Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhilin naturally thought of this, but the situation forced them to make a choice, and in the end, they could only come out to stop Dugu Bo.

"Hehe, since you want to stop me, then I'll play along with you." Dugu Bo didn't care about the three education committee members who were trying to stop him. Anyway, after receiving the inside information, he was already at ease and couldn't wait to slack off.

However, since the three people in front of him were not from the Spirit Hall, he did not hold back, and the scene of the four fighting each other was quite intense.

"Meng Shenji, Zhilin, Bai Baoshan, these three old bastards actually dared to interfere in the royal family's dispute, how despicable..." Prince Xuexing looked at the three members of the Tiandou Education Committee blocking the imperial city, and he was extremely angry. These three were nominally his subordinates, but they had always had an ambiguous relationship with Xue Qinghe, and now they were directly siding with Xue Qinghe, which was really too much.

Chapter 412 Appearing on a Snowy Night

Outside the imperial city, Prince Xuexing looked at the tense situation before him, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

He had originally hoped that Xue Qinghe would not be able to quickly take control of the palace, but he did not expect that the other party would not only take control of the palace, but also win over some of the city guards and royal soul masters. Seeing that even Dugu Bo was temporarily blocked, he did not have many options.

But now that he's done it, there's no turning back. There's absolutely no room for retreat now.

There's no way out for me. Today's situation... Hmph, it's either you die or I live. Either I become king... or I become a defeated bandit.

Thinking this, Prince Xuexing drew his longsword with a whoosh, its blade pointing to the sky. Compared to Xue Qinghe's various methods, his only remaining advantage was his control over the army.

After all, he had led troops for many years and held a special position. Moreover, in this large-scale battle, the real hard-fought battles would still depend on the actual combat of his troops.

With his sword in hand, Prince Xuexing looked at the thousands of heavily armored cavalry around him and the neatly arranged infantry formations of the Imperial Guard surrounding the square, and a sense of pride welled up in his heart.

Once upon a time, Prince Xuexing was a marshal commanding millions of troops. Even the experts of the Spirit Hall were nothing more than chickens and dogs in his eyes. Wasn't it he who saved Dugu Bo back then?

He wasn't afraid of the Spirit Hall, so why would he be afraid of a mere Xue Qinghe?

"Xue Qinghe, you're celebrating too soon. Perhaps you're good at winning people over, but when it comes to leading troops into battle... you're far inferior to me..." Prince Xuexing thought to himself, and naturally acted accordingly. He looked around and roared at everyone.

"Gentlemen, in today's situation, there is no turning back. Advance or die." Seeing Prince Xuexing's attitude, his well-trained heavy cavalry immediately became excited, and the knights drew their longswords in unison.

"Hear my command!" With a furious shout from Prince Xuexing, swords and blades appeared like a forest, and countless soldiers raised their icy blades.

Then, the tens of thousands of troops surrounding the square, upon hearing this shout, responded loudly. Prince Xuexing, exuding heroic spirit, surrounded by numerous knights, was like the moon surrounded by stars. At this moment, he was even more imposing than the Fourth Prince Xue Beng and the Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, clearly the one everyone hoped for.

"Kill!!!" With a whistle, the final charge began. In Prince Xuexing's infantry formation, thousands of archers fired a volley, and arrows flew like locusts towards the city walls.

At this moment, the city walls above the palace were at a disadvantage because the battle had come so hastily. The archers of the Imperial Guards were at a disadvantage. After only a sparse volley of shots, they were immediately shot down by the archers below the city walls and could not raise their heads. The guards on the city walls were naturally not at an advantage either.

After the guards on the city wall were suppressed, Prince Xuexing personally led his army to charge into the front lines. His Soul Master cultivation was not weak either, and at this moment, he took the initiative to charge, causing chaos and defeat wherever he went. For a time, no one could stop him.

"All troops, listen to my command! Target: Imperial Palace walls! Break through the city walls and storm the palace!" The Imperial Guard launched their decisive charge, with a thousand-strong column at the forefront. Arrows rained down from the strong walls of the Imperial Palace, but the Imperial Guard, clad in full armor, formed a square formation and used shields to block them.

After countless arrows bounced off, the infantry phalanx suffered very little damage. Unless a few unlucky ones were injured by stray arrows that pierced through the gaps in their shields and armor, the entire phalanx remained intact.

The Imperial Guards and reinforcements outside the city were routed by the frenzied charge. After the Imperial Guards arrived at the city walls, they stormed the imperial city. Countless human ladders surged up the city walls, and the city gates below were also rammed by the infantry with giant logs.

On the inner city walls of the imperial city, heavy sounds echoed, each one seemingly striking a chord in one's heart. Xue Qinghe, perched atop the walls, stared blankly down at Prince Xue Xing, who was leading the charge—this moment was undoubtedly a nightmare for him.

He didn't initially take this royal uncle seriously because of Emperor Xueye's favoritism and the fact that this royal uncle wasn't very popular. In many ways, Prince Xuexing was completely outmatched by him.

But at this moment, he felt fear, realizing for the first time that power is not omnipotent. As the saying goes, a son of a wealthy family will not sit under a dangerous roof, but Prince Xuexing personally led his troops into battle. The shock he felt from such crazy behavior is unimaginable.

"Xue Xing is the most capable commander among my brothers. Back then, he was the one who led the troops to stop the Spirit Hall from pursuing Dugu Bo. In terms of commanding a large army, he may not be the strongest in the empire, but he is definitely one of the top generals." The voice of Emperor Xue Ye in Xue Qinghe's ear brought him back to his senses. He looked around blankly and found that the generals around him also seemed very flustered.

The palace guards were all truly elite, but since they mostly stayed in the inner palace protecting the royal family, they had basically never experienced real warfare.

This was a critical moment in the defense of the city, yet the generals all seemed somewhat at a loss. In fact, Xue Qinghe had misunderstood them; it was truly a case of a skilled cook not having rice to cook.

You should know that the best way to defend a city is to use rolling logs or stones to smash it down, or oil, which will definitely cause huge damage to the enemy.

But inside this palace, there were no rolling logs, stones, or oil.

"Qinghe, this farce has gone far enough. If it continues, it will truly be impossible to end." On the city wall of the inner palace, Emperor Xueye had been watching Xue Qinghe's actions. Seeing his performance, he sighed inwardly but also breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He wasn't afraid of Xue Qinghe having problems; what he feared was that his son had arranged everything. This would further prove that his son had long harbored ulterior motives, and if that were the case, his position as emperor would be even more precarious.

"The city has fallen! The city has fallen!" Just as Emperor Xueye was speaking, a panicked shout suddenly came from ahead. The outer city gate of the palace collapsed with a crash, and a large number of soldiers poured into the square between the outer and inner city.

In that instant, the retreating soldiers cried out in despair, while the Imperial Guards outside the city were sharpening their knives, creating a scene of utter chaos that was truly terrifying to behold.

"Come with me. As the crown prince, you should at least maintain some decorum." Emperor Xueye saw Xue Qinghe's fear and anxiety, comforted him, and then led Xue Qinghe to the city wall with the support of many soldiers.

"Attack the city... Charge..." At this moment, outside the imperial city, a large number of troops broke through the city and were about to storm the inner city and completely invade the imperial palace. Suddenly, countless soldiers stopped in their tracks as if they had seen a ghost.

"Snow Star, come out and see me." Emperor Snow Night walked up to the city wall, disregarding the danger of blades and arrows, and shouted loudly from his high position. Countless advancing guards were ordered to rein in their horses and stop, and the fleeing guards were able to retreat by chance.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." Prince Xuexing, covered in blood and his cloak stained crimson, arrived below the inner city, surrounded by countless guards. He gazed at the figure on the city wall, looking somewhat bewildered and helpless.

"Father, Father..." Behind Prince Xuexing, the Fourth Prince Xue Beng, escorted by a troop of elite soldiers, arrived at the front. He appeared extremely excited when he saw Emperor Xueye.

"Father, don't worry, my uncle and I will definitely capture that beast Xue Qinghe and rescue you." Xue Beng's words caused a stir among the soldiers on all sides, and many generals in the crowd looked at him differently.

The cause of today's chaos is naturally the internal strife within the royal family, but many people are still confused about exactly how the conflict started.

Just a few days ago, the Crown Prince was highly regarded by the Emperor and seemed poised to ascend the throne, while the Fourth Prince was just a spoiled brat that no one paid attention to, known only for hanging out with Prince Xuexing.

However, tonight, the two forces suddenly clashed, with the Imperial Guard and the Royal Guard fighting fiercely in the Imperial City.

It should be noted that many of these people were courtiers in the same palace and had good personal relationships. They were drinking together yesterday, and today they are fighting each other. Many of them are still in a daze.

Those who can become generals of the gods all have some brains. At first glance, Xue Beng's words didn't seem like anything, and even showed great concern for his father. But in reality, they were implying that Xue Ye Emperor was in danger.

Whether Emperor Xueye was actually placed under house arrest by Xue Qinghe or was completely unharmed, no one knows the specifics. However, the fact that he was able to come out now suggests that Xue Qinghe is somewhat willing to talk.

However, what Xue Beng meant by these words was that he wanted to continue the military campaign. If Emperor Xue Ye was really being held hostage by Xue Qinghe, then he might be killed directly.

There were quite a few intelligent people present, and after a little thought, they realized that the royal family was really in chaos.

"Avalanche, stop spreading nonsense!" Xue Qinghe appeared beside Emperor Xue Ye at the opportune moment, pointing at his younger brother and angrily rebuking him.

"Avalanche, you beast! I thought your past outrageous behavior was just due to your unruly nature, but I never expected you to be the real wolf in sheep's clothing. First, you secretly poisoned my father, and then you instigated my second uncle to rebel. Your crimes are truly unforgivable." Xue Qinghe's words caused another stir among the tens of thousands of people present.

Crown Prince Xue Qinghe enjoys excellent prestige and reputation in the empire, while the Fourth Prince Xue Beng is a villain who bullies men and women. Coupled with Xue Beng's recent remarks, he is utterly despicable.

"I didn't, Xue Qinghe, you're framing me." Xue Beng looked around, somewhat flustered.

"It was clearly you who secretly poisoned my second and third brothers. I was not even ten years old when they were harmed, and both incidents occurred within the palace. Who else could it be but you? My second uncle has been investigating for many years under the Emperor's orders, and my dissolute behavior was also ordered by the Emperor. My second uncle and I have been investigating for many years, and only recently did we obtain concrete evidence that you secretly poisoned members of the royal family. Tonight, we were about to enter the palace to report to the Emperor when you blocked us outside the palace and we were surrounded and killed by a large number of imperial guards. My second uncle can testify to all these facts, and your attempts to deny them are useless."

Chapter 413 The Holy Son Arrives

"Xue Qinghe, putting everything else aside for now, the evidence that you poisoned the Second Prince and the Third Prince is indeed conclusive, and I am confident that I am not wrong about this."

Inside the imperial city, Xue Qinghe and Xue Beng's conversation completely exposed the royal family's hypocrisy. At this moment, Prince Xue Xing, having recovered from the panic caused by Emperor Xue Ye's sudden appearance, stepped forward to stand beside Xue Beng and support him.

Although the sudden appearance of Emperor Xueye made him feel uneasy, there was no turning back now. He had already gone this far today, and he had to nail Xue Qinghe to the ground in order to find a way out.

"Xuexing, you..."

Emperor Xueye was also very helpless looking at his stubborn younger brother. He originally wanted to use his prestige to suppress everything and minimize the impact of the matter, so as to protect Xuexing and Xuebeng.

Although their actions of leading troops to storm the imperial city tonight were tantamount to treason, Emperor Xueye was well aware that there were reasons behind it.

However, when Prince Xuexing came forward with solid evidence of Xue Qinghe's crimes, it became unrealistic to expect that none of the three would be punished.

"Father, I've received some information that can extricate my uncle from this matter..."

At this moment, Xue Qinghe suddenly became confident. He walked to the side of Emperor Xue Ye and whispered something to him. Emperor Xue Ye looked at him for a moment, nodded, and made way for him to handle the matter.

Xue Qinghe's intention was probably to shift all the blame onto Xue Beng, allowing Prince Xue Xing to be dealt with leniently. This was an outcome that both Emperor Xue Ye and Xue Qinghe were willing to see.

Xue Qinghe's direct rival is Xue Beng. Once Xue Beng is defeated, Prince Xue Xing, if he doesn't want to rebel and ascend the throne himself, will have no choice but to retire and relinquish power. Although Emperor Xue Ye has paid some attention to his son Xue Beng, in his heart, this son doesn't hold enough weight.

"Second Uncle, there were some things that I misunderstood from you before."

Xue Qinghe arrived at the top of the city wall, glanced at Xue Beng and Xue Xing with a half-smile, and then continued to say loudly: "I don't know what kind of evidence you have, but what happened tonight was not my doing."

I just questioned Xue Beng about poisoning my father, but he evaded the question, which is a clear sign of his guilty conscience. Tonight, there was a disturbance in the palace, and I ordered people to protect the imperial bedchamber because my father had been poisoned.

As Xue Beng just mentioned, there aren't many people in the inner palace who have the ability to poison. You are, after all, an official outside the palace, and you don't have the opportunity. The eunuchs don't have the courage or means either. All things considered, the only ones with the opportunity are him and me.

"If I were the one who poisoned him, my father wouldn't be standing here today. And if it wasn't me, then he would have been the one to collapse. Besides, your entry into the palace at night is truly suspicious..."

After Xue Qinghe's words, Emperor Xueye's expression changed, and he looked at the avalanche below the city with a hint of doubt.

His poisoning tonight was indeed suspicious. Xue Qinghe ordered his men to do everything they could to save him and bring him back to life, so he can be ruled out as a suspect.

Considering that Xue Xing and Xue Beng entered the palace tonight to report Xue Qinghe's poisoning, if we calculate the timing, if it weren't for Xue Qinghe's affair, Emperor Xue Ye might have suddenly succumbed to the poison when Xue Xing and Xue Beng reported it. In that case...

The prime suspect, Xue Qinghe, was ruled out because he acted in advance to save Emperor Xueye. Based on this reasoning, the avalanche is indeed highly suspicious.

After a moment's thought, Emperor Xueye addressed Prince Xuexing loudly, "Xuexing, the poison I was given tonight was indeed peculiar. If Qinghe hadn't stopped me, when you reported this..."

"what!"

Prince Xuexing was also startled by Emperor Xueye's words. If such a coincidence had happened at the time, perhaps no one would have paid attention, but if it was pointed out like this, it would really arouse suspicion. After thinking for a moment, Prince Xuexing unconsciously looked at Xue Beng.

Seeing that Prince Xuexing seemed to have doubts, Xue Beng hurriedly said, "Uncle, this is all a frame-up. Xue Qinghe is framing me. I did not harm Father. You are the one who found the evidence that he poisoned me."

As he spoke, he looked up at the city wall again and said angrily, "Xue Qinghe, you are just trying to exonerate yourself by slandering me like this."

It's a fact that you poisoned your two elder brothers. Furthermore, you've been tampering with Father's meals for years; did you really think no one would find out?

"Hehe, my dear brother, I admit that the food and medicine I served to Father Emperor may have been a bit excessive, but that is no excuse for your nonsense."

Xue Qinghe looked confident and coldly stared at his younger brother. "I have found out that the poison you used came from the Spirit Hall. Although your collusion with the Spirit Hall is subtle, it is not impossible to find out."

"Avalanche, you beast, your collusion with the Spirit Hall likely began long ago. While you were indeed young when your second and third brothers were murdered, it makes sense if it was the Spirit Hall's doing. You're a member of the royal family; what benefits did the Spirit Hall offer you that you betrayed the empire?"

When Xue Qinghe finished speaking, he was incredibly righteous and indignant. In a short time, he discovered the method of poisoning Xue Beng and then took advantage of the situation to extricate himself from the murder of the Second and Third Princes. He even wanted to give himself a thumbs up for his cleverness.

"I didn't, Xue Qinghe, you're framing me..."

Xue Qinghe's words made Xue Beng panic. He really didn't expect that Xue Qinghe would find out about his secret affairs so quickly.

It was indeed Xue Qinghe who caused the Emperor's poisoning to flare up tonight, but he never expected Xue Qinghe to act ahead of time, causing his entire plan to collapse.

"You don't have any, haha. I don't know your so-called evidence, but this document can definitely prove that you poisoned the Emperor."

Xue Qinghe casually took the things his men had found and tossed them out. Even Prince Xue Xing was stunned when he saw them. After carefully comparing them, he looked at Xue Beng with a strange expression and wondered if he had really fallen into his nephew's trap.

"Second Uncle, you must believe me, this matter... but the evidence is real, he really did poison my two elder brothers..."

Avalanche glanced at the thing and his eyes widened. In his panic, he blurted out a lot of information, which made more people suspicious of him.

Xue Qinghe, watching this scene from atop the city wall, was extremely smug and laughed, saying, "Xue Beng, stop trying to deny it. You're colluding with the Spirit Hall..."

"The Heaven Dou royal family is corrupt and chaotic, which was originally your own business. But you, Xue Qinghe, dared to frame my Spirit Hall. So tonight's events need to be explained properly."

Just as Xue Qinghe was gloating and preparing to completely bring down his unruly younger brother, a voice suddenly rang out in the sky. Upon hearing this familiar tone, Xue Qinghe, Xue Xing, Emperor Xue Ye, and the others couldn't help but change their expressions.

"Boom!"

A burst of flames exploded in the sky, and endless firelight swept across the heavens, instantly turning the once dark night sky as bright as day.