465: Chapter 465 Rebellion, a Repeat of the Past?

After Di Pingjian finished reminding the Emperor to strengthen his own guards, she turned and returned to her courtyard. She knew very well in her heart that she had done everything she could.

If the Emperor were ultimately and unfortunately assassinated, leading to the failure of the Great Chaotian Empire's political reforms, then perhaps it was simply heaven's will that her career was destined not to succeed.

Or perhaps, it meant that the Great Chaotian Empire would be drenched in blood, the Chaotian Imperial Dynasty would head toward its demise, and the commoner class would face a choice between rebirth or extinction in this bloody battle—also heaven's will.

However, none of this was Di Pingjian's fault anymore; after all, she was only a Mortal and had already exerted her full strength.

Meanwhile, within the Emperor's exclusive bedchamber—splendid and magnificent with an imposing Aura—there should have been a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, but tonight, the Emperor seemed somewhat restless. He lay on that spacious and soft Dragon bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

The Emperor actually had a fairly deep understanding of Di Pingjian. Although he always confidently declared on the surface that no one would dare to assassinate him, deep in his heart, he had a different view of Di Pingjian's reminder.

The Emperor knew well that Di Pingjian was by no means the type of person to talk nonsense; every word of hers certainly had a profound meaning. Since she had so solemnly reminded the Emperor this time that someone was going to assassinate him, the Emperor naturally would not treat it as wind passing his ears.

However, what made the Emperor feel conflicted was that his feelings toward Di Pingjian were quite complex. On one hand, he was full of respect and gratitude toward Di Pingjian.

After all, Di Pingjian had many times provided him with strategies at critical moments, helping him resolve many crises. But on the other hand, the Emperor felt a trace of unspeakable fear toward Di Pingjian.

This fear did not stem from Di Pingjian's identity or status, but because the Emperor knew well that Di Pingjian's thoughts were not as simple as an ordinary person's.

Her insight and wisdom often left the Emperor in awe, and this also made the Emperor value her words exceptionally. For only the Emperor himself knew that what Di Pingjian said often possessed an astonishing accuracy.

Just as the Emperor's thoughts were running wild like a runaway horse, difficult to calm, suddenly, a burst of intense sounds of slaughter surged from outside the room like a tidal wave. This sound was as if the evil ghosts of Hell were roaring, or like the battle cries on a battlefield, deafening and hair-raising.

The Emperor's heart suddenly tightened, and a chill rose from his spine.

Could it be that, just as Di Pingjian had predicted, someone really dared to come and assassinate him, the sovereign of a grand Empire?

Just who was so bold as to strike at him, a sovereign who held all military power and awed the court and the commonalty?

This was simply an open provocation to imperial power and a contempt for the entire Empire!

"Someone, come! Protect the Emperor!"

The Emperor's voice carried a bit of trembling in his fear; his cry echoed through the palace like a clap of thunder.

Following the Emperor's command, thousands of Martial Artists as fierce as wolves and tigers suddenly emerged around the Emperor.

Every one of them was physically strong and highly skilled in martial arts, the weapons in their hands flashing with a cold light as they stood ready, closely guarding the Emperor in the center.

Seeing that he was already under layers of protection, the Emperor's mood finally settled a bit.

He steadied himself and then slowly walked out of the room, wanting to see with his own eyes just which person who didn't know the value of life dared to come and assassinate him, the ruler of a nation.

As that magnificent palace door slowly opened, it was as if time itself solidified at this moment. The Emperor stood behind the door, his gaze passing through the crack of the door and falling upon the scene beyond.

However, when he truly saw everything before his eyes, his heart suddenly tightened, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

The palace guards behind the door were slumped on the ground in all directions; their corpses could be seen everywhere, and blood stained the green bricks of the floor, forming a tragic and terrifying picture.

These palace guards, although not true Martial Artists, were all elites among elites carefully selected from the Shadow Kill Squad. Every one of them possessed extraordinary combat capabilities; facing ordinary soldiers, they could each fight a hundred, truly deserving the title of experts.

However, such a powerful team had actually been completely killed within a few short minutes. The Emperor's eyes widened, looking at this scene in disbelief; he could not accept this fact.

One must know, these three thousand Shadow Kill Squad members were the first batch of powerful secret guards trained by him and Di Pingjian!

They had followed the Emperor in battle for decades and had guarded the Emperor's life and safety for decades as well.

The Emperor had watched them grow since his youth; to him, they were not just a group of loyal guards, but a part of his life.

And now, these guards whom he regarded as his life had actually been cruelly murdered just like that.

A surge of grief and anger rose in the Emperor's heart; his fists clenched tightly, his nails sinking deep into his palms, and blood seeped from between his fingers.

He swore he would make these assassins and the forces behind them pay a hundredfold to repay all of this.

The Emperor's voice echoed in the empty palace, carrying endless hatred and determination.

The Emperor stood at a high point, his gaze crossing the layered crowds and casting further down. His eyes were wide and round, his face full of shock, because he saw a scene that left him in disbelief.

Tens of thousands of black-clad assassins were like a black flood, constantly closing in on him in neat military formations. These assassins were dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, their steps steady, every step seemingly treading upon blood; their eyes revealed indifference and ruthlessness, making one shudder.

Behind this group of black-clad assassins, there were also three huge Flying Horse carriages; the carriages were covered by black curtains, making it impossible to see who was sitting inside.

The Emperor was beyond furious, his voice echoing in the palace: "You rebellious subjects and traitors, just who are you? You dare to privately train so many first-class assassins? You even dare to come and assassinate me? Are you not afraid that I will exterminate your nine generations?"

His voice was full of grief and anger, his body trembling slightly due to the intensity of his emotions.

However, just then, a young man's voice suddenly came from one of the Flying Horse carriages behind the many black-clad assassins, the voice carrying a trace of mockery and playfulness: "Hahaha, Imperial Father, you want to exterminate your son's nine generations? Does Imperial Father also want to commit suicide?"

This voice was like a clap of thunder exploding in the Emperor's ears, and his heart gave a violent jolt. Because he was all too familiar with this voice—it was the voice of his eldest son!

The Emperor had never imagined that the person behind the assassination would actually be his most beloved son!

The Emperor's eyes widened, his face full of shock as he looked at the three Flying Horse carriages behind the black-clad assassin formation, his heart filled with disbelief. He couldn't help but doubt whether the voice he had just heard was only an illusion, or if he had misheard.

The Emperor took a deep breath, trying hard to calm himself, and then slowly cast his gaze toward those three Flying Horse carriages. His heartbeat became increasingly rapid, as if he could hear his own heart echoing in his ears.

When the Emperor's gaze finally landed on the middle Flying Horse carriage, he saw a scene that broke his heart—the curtain of the carriage was slowly pulled open, and a figure walked out from inside.

The Emperor looked closely and was instantly struck as if by lightning, because the person walking out of the carriage was actually his Eldest Prince!

"Huang'er, how can it be you?" The Emperor's voice trembled, full of pain and disappointment. "How can you come to assassinate me? I am your father!"

The Emperor extended a finger, trembling as he pointed at the Eldest Prince, as if that finger weighed a thousand catties. His lips quivered slightly as he struggled to say these words, every word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Hmph! Father? You actually still know I am your son? You were indeed doting and cared for me more than my other siblings, but I am already over forty years old now! Yet you still refuse to appoint me as the Crown Prince. Do you only know how to clutch the power in your hands to the death? You have delayed appointing me as the Crown Prince for so long; do you really consider yourself a qualified father?" The Eldest Prince became more excited as he spoke, his voice unconsciously rising an octave.

"It's fine if you don't appoint a Crown Prince, I endured it! You refuse to let go of the power in your hands, I also endured it! However, I finally waited until you were about to enter the grave; originally, in a few more years when you passed away, I would naturally and logically ascend the throne as Emperor. But what about you? You just had to engage in some political reform before dying—isn't this intentionally making it so I can't become Emperor?" The Eldest Prince's emotions became increasingly out of control, his words like a continuous barrage of cannon fire pouring toward the Emperor.

"You, you, you wicked son! To think I usually doted on you and favored you; I didn't expect you to be a wicked son, a wicked son!" The Emperor was so angry his whole body trembled, pointing at the Eldest Prince, his lips quivering, unable even to finish his sentence.

His chest felt as if it were being struck by a massive force, and suddenly, a mouthful of blood violently surged from his throat. That blood was like an arrow, splashing straight out and landing on the steps a few paces away, forming a shocking pool of scarlet.

The Emperor's body swayed, almost falling to the ground. Seeing this, the Martial Artist guards behind him quickly flew forward to support the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, are you alright?" The guards' faces were full of terror as they asked urgently.

The Emperor's face was as pale as paper, his lips completely bloodless; he gasped for breath with difficulty, yet his gaze remained fixed on the Eldest Prince, a look full of disappointment and resentment.

Seeing the Emperor so enraged, the Eldest Prince also couldn't help but feel a bit panicked. He hesitated for a moment but finally spoke: "Imperial Father? For the sake of your kindness to your child in the first half of your life, abdicate! Write the Abdication Decree and let me ascend the throne!"

Although his voice was relatively calm, the slightly trembling tone exposed his inner unease.

Just as the Eldest Prince finished speaking, two ministers immediately jumped down from the two Flying Horse carriages beside him. They walked quickly to the Eldest Prince's side and said with a flattering look: "Your Highness, you must not be soft-hearted!"

"Yes, yes, Your Highness, we have already found the scapegoat; we cannot leave any future troubles! Your Majesty's prestige is too high; if we do not kill him tonight, he will inevitably pose a threat to Your Highness in the future!" another minister echoed.

Hearing the words of these two ministers, a trace of hesitation appeared on the Eldest Prince's face. He looked at the Emperor collapsed on the ground, then at the two ministers with faces full of urgency, and the scales in his heart began to waver.

These two ministers, one was the son of the old Prime Minister, and the other was the son of the old Great General. Thinking back to those years, their fathers could be said to have summoned wind and rain and held supreme power in the court; however, today, although their official positions were not as prominent as their fathers', they still held pivotal positions in the court and were highly respected ministers.

When the Eldest Prince heard the advice of these two ministers, he couldn't help but feel some hesitation and conflict. He was certainly resentful of his father clutching power and refusing to let go, but to have him personally kill his own father, he really could not find the heart to do it. After all, blood is thicker than water; the bond of kinship made it impossible for him to easily cross this moral chasm. The reason he chose to rebel was nothing more than not wanting to lose that high and enviable throne of the Emperor.

"You two are truly my good beloved ministers!" the Emperor roared with uncontrollable fury, his voice echoing in the palace, making one's eardrums ache. "I didn't expect you to secretly collude with this rebellious son!"

His gaze was like a torch, staring fixedly at those two ministers as if trying to see through them. Then, the Emperor's words were like a sharp sword, piercing straight into their hearts: "Your fathers also once secretly betrayed my Imperial Father to join me. But now, you are repeating the past, similarly choosing betrayal and rebellion. It seems that in the bones of your two Families, there is simply no loyalty to speak of; you are all just opportunists and treacherous people who abandon righteousness!"

The more the Emperor spoke, the angrier he became; he suddenly wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, a trace of determined ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. Clearly, he had slightly recovered from the sharp pain just now, and at this moment, the fire of anger in his heart was burning fiercely, difficult to appease.

"And you, wicked son!" The Emperor's eyes were wide with anger as he pointed at the Eldest Prince, his voice deafening. "You actually stopped me from implementing political system reforms! Do you know that I did not do this willingly, but for the sake of our royal Family's foundation? Now that the Rebel Army's Aura is like a rainbow, if we do not carry out reforms, our royal Family's foundation will likely be difficult to preserve! Are you not afraid that the Rebel Army will break through the gates of the Imperial City and destroy our royal Family's foundation?"

The Emperor's questioning was like a sharp sword, piercing straight into the Eldest Prince's heart.

However, facing the Emperor's reprimand, the Eldest Prince showed no fear; he slowly shook his head and said with a face full of determination: "Imperial Father, you can rest assured. After I ascend the throne, I will immediately release the State Preceptor from the Forbidden Courtyard. State Preceptor Di Pingjian is exceptionally resourceful; she will surely think of a good plan to repel the enemy army!"

The Eldest Prince knew well the prowess of State Preceptor Di Pingjian; he himself was also a Martial Artist and had a deep understanding of the State Preceptor's abilities.

When his Imperial Father had locked the State Preceptor in the Forbidden Courtyard, he had strongly opposed it, believing it was an act of cutting off one's own arm.

Now, facing the Emperor's questioning, he firmly believed that as long as the State Preceptor could regain her freedom, she would surely be able to resolve this crisis for the royal Family.

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