frightfiction Chapter 105 It's none of my business
Chapter 105 It's none of my business
"All troops, attack!!"
An Lushan rode a large black horse, wore a black robe, and held a black scepter, commanding his thousands of troops to launch an attack on the capital.
With her magical enhancement, all the soldiers' strength, agility, and stamina were comprehensively improved, which was also the reason why he dared to confront the imperial court.
Beside her stood another man on horseback above the army. This man was skilled in leading troops and conquering. An Lushan was responsible for strengthening the army, while he arranged the troops and directed the generals on how to attack. The two cooperated and complemented each other.
This person was none other than Shi Siming, the Grand Marshal of Pinglu, who had defected from the Tang Dynasty along with An Lushan.
With the blessing of witchcraft, the An-Shi alliance swept through the land, capturing more than a dozen cities. However, they did not harm the people wherever they went, because they had the same goal: to seize the real treasure in the palace.
......
"How despicable! An Lushan has indeed committed such a heinous act!" Chancellor Yang Guozhong said with great passion, because he had previously submitted memorials to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang on several occasions, arguing that too much military power should not be handed over to a young girl.
Now that her opponent has made a name for herself, the situation that Yang Guozhong feared most has come to pass. Her ambition has finally been exposed, and she is not the real An Lushan, but a cultivator who will stop at nothing to seize the opportunities in the secret realm.
Besides Yang Guozhong, there were several first-rank ministers and eunuchs in the court, as well as Princess Yuzhen and Li Changgeng, also known as Zhang Yunling.
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, remained silent, his brows furrowed, his face pale, and even his hands, which were supporting the dragon throne, were trembling slightly, with bulging veins on the back of his hands, each vein displaying an eerie black color.
Seeing that Li Longji did not react, Yang Guozhong continued, "An Lushan was originally the most insidious and vicious shaman among the Turkic barbarians, and now he is raising an army among the people in an attempt to rebel against the court! I beg Your Majesty to issue an edict to send troops to suppress the traitor and pacify the world!"
The remonstrance was delivered in a loud voice, its echo reverberating throughout the entire hall, but there was no follow-up. Yang Guozhong remained kneeling, waiting, until finally receiving Li Longji's reply:
"My lifespan is nearing its end; I fear I will be powerless to quell the rebellion..."
"?!......"
A deathly silence fell over the imperial court.
Zhang Yunling secretly probed with his divine sense and discovered that Li Longji's meridians had turned purplish-black, and his dantian was shattered. His powerful physique, which belonged to a Nascent Soul cultivator, was now constantly losing its life force.
The other ministers also noticed something was wrong. Princess Yuzhen quickly stepped forward to support Li Longji's swaying body and used her divine sense to investigate. She then discovered that her brother had been poisoned and was now terminally ill.
"What...what's going on..." Princess Yuzhen looked surprised and stunned for a moment before turning her head sharply and looking at Zhang Yunling.
"Li Changgeng, do you know the reason for this?" Because of Li Linfu's sudden disappearance, Princess Yuzhen's first suspect was him.
Zhang Yunling was not surprised. Compared to these trusted ministers, he was ultimately an outsider. Now that the emperor had been murdered, it was only natural that he would be suspected.
Although the true mastermind is unclear, the fact that a peasant uprising has broken out is undeniable, making it easy to explain.
"Princess, do not let your reason be clouded. An Lushan was once highly valued, and he is also the one who started the rebellion today. Don't you understand who is right and who is wrong?"
It took Li Longji a long time to recover. He stood up with difficulty and said in a deep voice, "Chang Geng is right... The poison I was given must have been done by An Lushan!... It was the elixir she concocted for me... It was poisonous... Pfft!—"
Before he could finish speaking, Li Longji spat out another mouthful of blood, which startled everyone. Crown Prince Li Heng had died a few years earlier, and now Li Longji was dying because of his obsession with alchemy, leaving the Tang Dynasty leaderless.
Just then, soldiers rushed in to report the military situation: An Lushan had already reached the capital.
Although Princess Yuzhen was somewhat flustered at this moment, she quickly calmed down due to the situation. She immediately used healing magic to restore some of Li Longji's consciousness, and then urged, "Brother! Quickly summon the Emperor's Banner!"
Gao Lishi, Yang Guozhong, and others, being cultivators themselves, showed no emotional fluctuations. However, the other court officials, who were merely mortals, were shocked by this scene and exclaimed in disbelief. They never imagined that these top officials surrounding the emperor were actually cultivators.
Li Longji also knew that if he did not summon the Emperor's Banner at this critical moment, there would be no other way to deal with the situation.
The Emperor's Banner can only be passed down smoothly if the successor recognized by the previous emperor becomes the new emperor. Now, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, is the only emperor who can use the Emperor's Banner.
The golden ring on his finger emitted a dazzling light, projecting a golden phantom image. This phantom image gradually solidified, eventually forming a tall, golden banner—the Emperor's Banner.
Princess Yuzhen then stepped forward and shouted to the crowd, "This is a sacred royal artifact passed down from the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong. As long as it exists, it is enough to ensure the stability of our Great Tang Dynasty!"
Upon hearing this, all the ministers in the court, whether shocked or terrified, knelt down and worshipped in reverence, leaving only Zhang Yunling standing still.
Seeing Zhang Yunling's nonchalant attitude, Princess Yuzhen's already flustered heart turned into indignation. Pointing at him, she angrily shouted, "Li Changgeng! The country is in peril, and all the officials are concerned for the nation, yet you stand there doing nothing! Why don't you quickly kneel before the Emperor's banner?!"
But Zhang Yunling not only did not kneel down, but also ignored Princess Yuzhen's condemnation and turned to walk out of the hall.
"Emperor Xuanzong listened to slander and became obsessed with this crooked alchemy method. He was framed and ended up not sending troops to resist foreign enemies in time, but instead collecting faith here. I don't want to lose my life because of such a stupid thing."
Princess Yuzhen's eyes turned red with anger. Seeing that Zhang Yunling was still doing things his own way, she even began to use magic to attack him.
A fireball hurtled toward Zhang Yunling, causing all the officials to tremble in fear. Zhang Yunling simply raised his left arm and shattered the fireball. Ignoring Princess Yuzhen's horrified expression, he chuckled and strode away.