The royal palace was ultimately the king’s domain!
Here was the Shadow Pavilion led by Li Chenglian, the eunuch faction, and the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guard, Hei Ningqi, who was completely loyal to the king!
Of course, the Imperial Guard was not impenetrable. Over the years, Zhili had also bribed some officers. But to little avail, because Grand Commander Hei Ningqi had complete control over the Imperial Guard.
Once inside the royal palace, Zhili felt constantly under surveillance.
Therefore, as the regent crown prince, Zhili had always been unwilling to handle state affairs within the palace.
But today, he led military officers from the command department, high officials from the cabinet, and several dozen great houses into the palace great hall!
The Imperial Guard loyal to the king guarded the palace great hall. No matter what Zhili discussed, word would quickly reach Tianshui City via flying goshawk messages. But he did not care. Today he had formally challenged the king.
Today, he intended to use this opportunity to issue the final decisive battle against Suo Lun!
After receiving Tu Lingduo’s blood petition, Zhili said, “Madam, please follow me into the palace.”
Then he helped Tu Lingduo up and entered the palace.
The surviving Tu Li family warriors outside remained kneeling on the ground.
…
Zhili helped Tu Lingduo into the great hall!
Inside the hall were the civil and military high officials of the Nulang Kingdom, the vast majority of great houses present, over a hundred people in total.
Zhili came to a seat beside the throne and sat down. This was the regent crown prince’s seat.
“Some days ago, a heinous incident occurred in the kingdom! Due to political disagreement, a great house of the kingdom was actually assassinated,” Zhili said coldly.
Of course, he was somewhat substituting concepts. Tu Liyang was not yet a great house, but merely a great house heir.
“Today Suo Lun can assassinate Tu Liyang. Tomorrow he can assassinate those of you present,” Zhili said coldly. “Such trampling of the kingdom’s bottom line, such arrogance and tyranny, such wanton behaviour. Are you still going to indulge it?”
“Do not think that sitting on the fence will keep you safe. On the agreement to blockade Suo Lun that day, every one of you present signed your name,” Zhili continued. “Given Suo Lun’s character of settling every score, even if you sit on the fence today, will he spare you in the future?”
“I care not what choices you ultimately make, but I, Zhili, will conscript my very last soldier to campaign against Suo Lun. If the army is insufficient, I shall personally take to the battlefield,” Zhili said loudly. “In short, this time I shall not rest until Suo Lun is destroyed!”
At this moment, Duke Tu Lingtuo immediately stepped forward and declared in a clear voice, “The three hundred thousand troops of the Dragon Guard Legion shall follow His Highness Zhili’s decree, mobilising in full force to campaign against Suo Lun!”
Zhili said, “I have already informed the Xiliang Kingdom and the Yan Empire through the Divine Dragon Temple. They have expressed strong condemnation of Suo Lun’s crimes and resolute support for our campaign. Therefore I order the Northern Legion and the Southwest Legion to temporarily leave their defensive lines and campaign against Suo Lun together. While this villain remains, the kingdom shall know no peace!”
Immediately, Southwest Legion Commander Jian Ze and Northern Legion Commander Chu Ye stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Your subject obeys the decree!”
The Southwest Legion mainly defended against the Yelan Duchy and the Xiliang Kingdom. At its peak, its forces exceeded three hundred thousand, even more than the Dragon Guard Army at that time. Back then, the Southwest Legion’s commander had been Tu Lingtuo, while the Dragon Guard Army’s temporary commander had been Count Suolong.
Twenty years ago, Suolong and Tu Lingtuo led several hundred thousand troops to besiege the Yelan Duchy, saving Ashimo of Rouran City.
That great battle nearly destroyed the Yelan Duchy and brought the entire Rouran Province under the Nulang Kingdom’s control. Tu Lingtuo was promoted to the kingdom’s foremost commander for this military merit, concurrently serving as Dragon Guard Legion commander.
From then on, the Southwest Legion began to be reduced. Now it had only one hundred and fifty thousand men.
The Northern Legion mainly defended against the Yan Empire. However, decades ago the two nations had signed a peace agreement not to station too many troops on the border.
Thus, the Northern Legion now also did not exceed two hundred thousand troops.
Southwest Legion Commander Jian Ze was the younger brother of Marquis Jian Yong, dean of the Royal Capital Academy, and could be considered part of Zhili’s direct faction.
But unfortunately, the Southwest Legion was where Tu Lingtuo had served. Its middle and senior officers were all Tu Lingtuo’s former subordinates and students. Thus, while Jian Ze was nominally legion commander, the entire legion was actually still controlled by Tu Lingtuo.
“This subject is willing to lead one hundred thousand Southwest Legion troops to campaign against Suo Lun.”
“This subject is willing to lead one hundred thousand Northern Legion troops to campaign against Suo Lun!”
Now, all three legions of the kingdom had committed five hundred thousand troops to campaign against Suo Lun.
Zhili’s gaze turned to the various great houses. “What of you? This time, the royal house is fighting for the interests of you great houses!”
At these words, the great houses sneered inwardly.
The one who would benefit most from destroying Suo Lun was clearly Zhili himself. Yet he claimed to be fighting for their interests.
However, Suo Lun’s actions this time had indeed touched the bottom line of the great houses. Even if you had assassinated Zhili, why assassinate Tu Liyang? By doing this, how could any great house feel safe in future? He was truly the public enemy of all great houses!
Moreover, at this moment Suo Lun was facing Yan Mo’s one hundred thousand troops besieging him at sea. On land, Zhili had already mobilised five hundred thousand troops to campaign against him.
Even a god could not turn this around. He was certainly doomed!
This time, they were truly beating a dead tiger!
Suo Lun’s defeat was already determined. Zhili’s ascension was already a foregone conclusion. If they did not commit troops today and were remembered by Zhili, there would be endless calamity in future.
Immediately, the City Lord of Tiemucheng, who had suffered deeply from Suo Lun, said, “I am willing to lead five thousand troops to campaign against Suo Lun.”
The City Lord of Qichi said, “I too am willing to lead five thousand troops to join the royal army in campaigning against Suo Lun!”
Do not disdain these five thousand men. These two great houses had small territories. Five thousand men was already their utmost effort.
Then Marquis Fu’e stepped forward and said, “My Fire Worship City shall mobilise ten thousand troops to campaign against Suo Lun!”
“My Rest City shall mobilise six thousand troops to campaign against Suo Lun!”
Next, every great house stepped forward one by one, following the decree to commit troops and campaign against Suo Lun.
Finally, the governors of the major provinces stepped forward, following the decree to commit troops and campaign against Suo Lun.
In the end, the kingdom’s three legions committed five hundred thousand troops. Zhili’s Young Lord mansion committed ten thousand. Nineteen great houses committed one hundred and thirty thousand. Ten grand governors committed one hundred and fifty thousand.
Combined, these several forces totalled eight hundred thousand troops!
These eight hundred thousand troops completely exceeded half the military strength of the Nulang Kingdom.
Zhili personally served as commander-in-chief of the eight hundred thousand anti-rebel army, with Tu Lingtuo as deputy commander.
Through Zhili’s painstaking efforts and Tu Lingduo’s consummate acting skills, the world besieging Suo Lun had finally become reality.
This was precisely the scene Zhili had dreamed of!
And Tu Lingduo knelt prostrate on the great hall floor, her body trembling with excitement.
For the first time, she tasted the true power to command the wind and rain, to overturn heaven and earth.
One could say that half the credit for this world besieging Suo Lun belonged to her.
This feeling truly intoxicated her deeply. It made her feel that the world was truly like a chessboard. With sufficiently brilliant moves, a single small piece could change the entire situation. The mere death of Tu Liyang could actually place Suo Lun in a fatal position.
Remember, just a few months ago Suo Lun had beaten Zhili into utter disgrace. At that time, he had been at the height of his power!
Of course, Tu Lingduo still had not understood the primary and secondary relationships here.
The reason the situation of the world besieging Suo Lun could be manufactured lay fundamentally in Yan Mo’s one hundred thousand troops attacking Suo Lun, completely cutting off his retreat and his source of wealth.
Only after seeing Suo Lun expose his weakness and signs of defeat did Tu Liyang’s death successfully trigger the situation of the world besieging Suo Lun.
At this moment, the officers, great houses, and governors present signed the campaign proclamation and the war proclamation.
After the last person signed, both proclamations were returned to Zhili.
The campaign proclamation was to be announced to the world.
The war proclamation was for Suo Lun alone, equivalent to the entire Nulang Kingdom declaring war on Suo Lun.
These two proclamations bore the signatures of nearly all the ruling class of the Nulang Kingdom. Truly, the world was besieging Suo Lun.
“Suo Lun, you are finished!”
Zhili held the two proclamations, closed his eyes and savoured the moment, then stood up and said, “Return now and gather your troops. In one and a half months, the army shall assemble near Zhidu! Then eight hundred thousand troops shall march east and destroy Suo Lun!”
“Your subject obeys the decree!” everyone shouted in unison!
“This shall be the final decisive battle!” Zhili murmured to himself.
…
Tianshui City waters, aboard the flagship of Suo Lun’s fleet.
At this moment, the entire secret cabin held only Suo Lun and Tu Liyang. Princess Zhiyan and Zhuang Zhixuan guarded outside the door.
Tu Liyang lay there motionless, his ugly face expressionless, his eyes without any light.
The entire person was like a living puppet.
“Demon Star, can you awaken him?” Suo Lun asked.
The Demon Star said, “It depends on the specific circumstances. If the brain domain has been poisoned to death, then I am powerless.”
Suo Lun said, “It should not be so, because he walks, eats, and moves completely normally.”
The Demon Star said, “Let us hope so. It is merely that certain brain nerves have been blocked and severed.”
Suo Lun took out a dagger and cut open the top of Tu Liyang’s head. Blood flowed out.
Suo Lun cut his own finger. The two people’s blood merged together.
Instantly, the Demon Star’s energy tendrils rapidly entered Tu Liyang’s brain through the blood.
Like a computer scan, the Demon Star examined Tu Liyang’s brain once over.
“Master, the examination is complete. Tu Liyang’s entire brain domain is healthy, without fatal damage,” the Demon Star said. “Moreover, the so-called Soul Severing Water lethal poison does not exist at all. I was thinking at the time, if poison were used, it would be impossible to poison part of the brain domain while leaving part intact. And the so-called extraction of a person’s soul, not even the Divine Dragon Temple has researched to such depth. Tu Liyang has indeed merely had certain nerves blocked and shielded. Though the Demon Continent people were extremely precise, they still made slight errors. Thus Tu Liyang still exhibits eyeball protrusion and occasional epileptic seizures.”
Suo Lun said, “Then he can be saved?”
The Demon Star said, “For others, awakening him would be utterly impossible. But for me, it is completely effortless! Master, anaesthetise Tu Liyang!”
Suo Lun took out a medicinal substance and poured it into Tu Liyang’s mouth.
A moment later, Tu Liyang fell completely unconscious.
Then, the Demon Star’s energy tendrils transformed into the most precise surgical instruments, restoring Tu Liyang’s blocked and severed nerves bit by bit.
Restoring them one by one, each movement incomparably delicate.
A full half hour later, Tu Liyang’s blocked brain domain nerves were completely restored.
The Demon Star released a slight electric current, gently striking.
Instantly, Tu Liyang’s body convulsed violently in unconsciousness.
“Done,” the Demon Star said. “Master, you may awaken him.”
Suo Lun took out an antidote and placed it beneath Tu Liyang’s nose.
The pungent medicinal smell shot into Tu Liyang’s nostrils.
“Achoo!” Tu Liyang sneezed several times in succession, then slowly opened his eyes.
His originally scattered pupils gradually focused, restoring their light.
Then all memories, all emotions surged into his brain.
“Bitch, I will kill you! Zhili, I will kill you…” Then Tu Liyang sprang up like a madman, lunging directly at Suo Lun and attacking him frantically.
The first thing upon waking, he wanted to kill Tu Lingduo and Zhili. One could see how deep his hatred ran.
Suo Lun dodged swiftly, then silently commanded with spiritual energy, “Tu Liyang, calm down.”
Simultaneously, Zhiyan rushed in quickly, her scabbard striking the back of Tu Liyang’s neck.
Instantly, Tu Liyang was completely immobilised, unable to move.
The blood-red colour in the immobilised Tu Liyang’s eyes gradually receded, the madness on his face gradually quieting.
His eyes regained clarity. He discovered that the people before him were not Tu Lingduo and Zhili, but Suo Lun and Princess Zhiyan.
Immediately, he showed an utterly disbelieving gaze.
How was he here? Had he not fallen into the hands of those adulterers Zhili and Tu Lingduo? Was he not certainly doomed?
Could it be that Suo Lun had sent someone to rescue him?
However, he felt not the slightest joy of survival. Facing Suo Lun, what first welled up was endless pain and guilt.
Looking at Suo Lun, Tu Liyang’s tears fell continuously.
Seeing that he had calmed, Princess Zhiyan released Tu Liyang’s restraints.
Suo Lun stepped forward and gently patted Tu Liyang’s shoulder, saying nothing, offering no words of comfort.
After weeping for a long while, Tu Liyang suddenly knelt before Suo Lun, kowtowed several times, then said, “Lord Suo Lun, thank you for saving me. But no matter what you wish to do, I am powerless. I must return to the royal capital now. I must go now to tear Tu Lingduo and Zhili into ten thousand pieces.”
Grief exceeds death of the heart. At this moment, Tu Liyang had completely lost all will to live.
Even having survived, his first thought was still to kill Tu Lingduo, then die alongside her.
Suo Lun said, “What of your Luanyang City? Do you care nothing for it?”
Tu Liyang said, “A person like me is no longer fit to inherit Luanyang City. A person like me should never have lived in this world.”
The harm Tu Lingduo had done him was not merely emotional, but also to his worldview and philosophy of life.
Now, Tu Liyang’s self-confidence had been utterly destroyed. He had begun doubting the meaning of his existence in this world.
Thus, he now sought only death, sought only to kill Tu Lingduo.
“What if I told you your father was still alive?” Suo Lun said.
At these words, Tu Liyang showed a disbelieving gaze, his voice trembling, “Truly… truly?”
Before Tu Lingduo, Tu Liyang’s spiritual pillar had been his father Tu Liwen.
After Tu Liwen was captured by Suo Lun, Tu Liyang had sought out Suo Lun three times.
The first time, he agreed to astronomical compensation. The second time, he agreed to cede maritime islands. The third time, he was willing to exchange himself for his father.
But Suo Lun had been overwhelmed with affairs at that time. Where had he found the time to deal with Tu Liyang? He had not even met him, simply sending someone to dismiss him.
After Tu Lingduo married Tu Liyang, love became another pillar in his heart.
Tu Lingduo’s existence had, to some degree, filled the void left by Tu Liyang’s loss of his father.
Tu Liyang, because of his short, ugly appearance like a monster, was extremely insecure in his heart, with a strong need for dependence.
Previously he had depended on his father, later on Tu Lingduo.
On the surface, it appeared he was caring for and protecting Tu Lingduo. But in reality, his heart depended utterly on his wife. Thus even when Tu Lingduo was paralysed in a wheelchair, he remained utterly infatuated with her.
After Tu Lingduo’s betrayal, all his spiritual pillars had collapsed.
And now, Suo Lun was saying his father was still alive. How could he not be overjoyed?
His father Tu Liwen was that warm, most powerful spiritual pillar.
“Zhili said he, he had already sent someone to kill my father,” Tu Liyang said trembling.
Suo Lun said, “The person he killed was a fake, a double I arranged. Your father still lives well.”
Instantly, Tu Liyang’s short body began to tremble. Then he knelt heavily on the ground, kowtowing continuously as he said, “Suo Lun, I beg you, let me see my father. I will do anything you ask!”