Chapter 212 - Come in

Cao Qicai was afraid that Mo Junjiu would do something irretrievable on impulse, so he hurriedly stepped forward to grab Mo Junjiu’s arm, trying hard to persuade him. “Your Highness, you can’t do that. You can’t.

“You will need this woman to cope with General Shi and His Excellency in the future. If you kill her now, it would be troublesome.”

Mo Junjiu looked resentful and was still unwilling to let her go. He even boasted without shame, “The Shi Army is still in Yang City far away now. When they come back, I have already conquered the imperial palace. Then wouldn’t he bow to me and listen to me?”

Cao Qicai was speechless as Mo Junjiu was so conceited.

He knew that Mo Junjiu couldn’t be forced, so he had to comfort this prince slowly. “You are right, but it’s better to fight less. After all, Your Highness, you are…”

He was rebelling and trying to usurp the throne.

He would have a bad name, and if he killed too many people, it would be difficult to keep his position as an emperor in the future.

Cao Qicai said a lot patiently and finally stopped Mo Junjiu.

Mo Junjiu glared at Shi Qingxue and spoke ruthlessly. “You’d better be well-behaved. Then I can keep you alive for the sake of Yuzhen in the future. Otherwise… Huh!”

After that, he saw that Shi Qingxue didn’t say anything, and he thought he had frightened her, so he was satisfied.

He ignored Shi Qingxue and then waved his broadsword to point ahead, shouting at his subordinates, “The imperial palace is right in the front. Everybody, kill. If you kill one person, you will be rewarded with some gold. If you capture a nobleman or a general, your official position would be promoted. Anybody who can break the imperial palace successfully for me will be rewarded generously.”

After he said that, everybody got excited.

The rebellious soldiers rushed to the imperial palace with enthusiasm.

They came aggressively and frightened the City Guardian Army outside the imperial palace to throw their helmets and armor at a loss and flee everywhere.

They scattered like birds and animals even before closing the gates of the imperial palace.

“Aha! God helps me. I will see who can stop me this time!”

Mo Junjiu laughed complacently and lifted the broadsword, walking in swaggeringly through the gate, as if entering a place with nobody around.

However, when they came to the imperial garden, there was nobody at the party, and the decorative lanterns were out, making the dim dawn more frightful and colder.

Cao Qicai couldn’t help but tremble. He walked to Mo Junjiu and whispered, “Your Highness, there seems to be something wrong. It’s too quiet here!”

They came in but met almost nobody resisting them all the way. Even though they had spies in the imperial palace, the situation was too abnormal.

Mo Junjiu goggled at Cao Qicai impatiently and snorted crossly. “I have arranged everything, and it would be no problem even if we intrude into my father’s bedroom now. What the hell are you worried about?”

“But the resisting soldiers on the way were much fewer than the palace guards I estimated. I am afraid…” Cao Qicai explained cautiously.

Mo Junjiu waved his hand and interrupted him directly.

He declared with certainty, “It must be that they are afraid and hide themselves. Don’t be wordy. We will rush to the imperial harem to capture them alive. In less than two hours, everything will be set in stone.

“Then even if my father can summon the Shi Army urgently to return to the capital and protect him, it will be too late!”

After speaking, Mo Junjiu ignored Cao Qicai’s prevention and insisted on leading the soldiers to attack the imperial harem.

When they reached the gate of the imperial harem, suddenly there were deafening drumbeats around. All the rebellious soldiers were scared out of wits and didn’t know where the shocking sounds came from.

When they were petrified, loud shouts came from behind.

“The rebel army is right in the front. Kill!”

Then countless palace guards suddenly appeared from the empty imperial garden with long swords in hands and came to attack them in unison.

It happened all of a sudden, and all the rebellious soldiers were terrified.

They resisted the enemies with effort but were scared by the palace guards’ fierce momentum, so they felt dwarfed.

After both sides fought for only a short while, the rebel army started to retreat in defeat and had to move to the harem to hide.

Mo Junjiu saw that the situation changed dramatically and the palace guards who had been defeated with no power to fight back attacked them unexpectedly, and his people became weaker while fighting.

He stamped in fury and shouted at his subordinates, “You are not allowed to escape. Kill! If you win the battle, I will reward you handsomely.”

But when they wanted to keep alive, the temptation of money and power was not so powerful.

A young general taking the lead ran to Mo Junjiu in frustration and reported with a sad face, “Your Highness, the enemies are too violent. In less than fifteen minutes, we have lost nearly one hundred people. If things go on like this, it would be a disaster.”

“You are lying.” Mo Junjiu grabbed that young general and didn’t believe his words.

It was no joking matter. He brought only more than three hundred people in total beforehand to attack the imperial palace, preparing to conquer the palace quickly and capture Mo Xiangbin alive.

But he lost one third of the soldiers in an instant. How would he fight later?

The young general looked depressed. “Your Highness, if you don’t believe me, you can go to the front line and have a look. We have brought few elite soldiers. If we lose one, our power would be weaker. Your Highness, we can’t go on like this.

“Let’s just retreat first and wait till the reinforcement comes.”

Cao Qicai advised in time, “What General Xiao said makes sense. Now the enemies are fierce but we are weak. It’s improper to confront them. We’d better find a place to stay first and after the main force attacks the imperial palace, we will collaborate from within with them to attack the enemies off guard.”

Mo Junjiu was still reluctant to retreat, but as Cao Qicai said, they would come to no good end if they confronted the tough.

He punched the palace wall to vent his anger and left a big white hole on the red wall.

“Where do you think we should retreat?” Mo Junjiu asked Cao Qicai helplessly.

Cao Qicai thought for a while and then suggested in a low voice, “How about we go to the Ten-commandment Palace first? There is a secret passage to the outside of the imperial palace. Even if there is an accident later, we will have power to resist. What do you think…”

At the mention of the Ten-commandment Palace, Mo Junjiu and Shi Qingxue trembled at the same time.

They both looked embarrassed.

Mo Junjiu even rubbed his arms and asked with displeasure, “What’s the good of that place? Who wants to go back there?”

Cao Qicai kept silent and stared at Mo Junjiu, waiting for his final decision.

Mo Junjiu could do nothing, so he bit the bullet and responded, “Fine. Let’s go to the Ten-commandment Palace as you said.”

The third prince had been locked up in the Cold Palace for a few days, so he didn’t want to go back there to suffer, but it was surprising that Shi Qingxue who was quiet all the time protested fiercely as soon as she heard that they finally decided to go to the Cold Palace.

“No, I am not going to the Cold Palace. No!” Shi Qingxue turned back and wanted to run to where they came from.

Mo Junjiu grabbed Shi Qingxue and pulled her forward with strength, saying mercilessly, “Huh! It’s not up to you! Wherever I take you to, you should come in obediently. Otherwise, I will drag you in. Don’t cry then.”

Cao Qicai promptly tried to persuade Shi Qingxue. “My Lady, stop struggling. Your life and death are under the control of His Highness. Just behave yourself in case that you suffer a lot. It will be helpful to everybody.”

Shi Qingxue knew that what Cao Qicai said was right, but hearing the name of the Ten-commandment Palace, she felt that cold water was poured to her, making her cold from head to toe and from body to heart.

She had only one thought in her brain that she would never return to the Cold Palace.

Never!

But now she was a captive.

Even though she was unwilling to, Mo Junjiu forcefully dragged her into the Cold Palace.

The scene of the deserted and cheerless Ten-commandment Palace showed up in front of her.

She should have never seen it, but as soon as she saw it, she had a strong feeling that it looked familiar.

She was panicked and quivered uncontrollably.

She felt the headache more and more serious and had to punch her head desperately with her fist before she calmed down a bit, so that she wouldn’t be dazzled by the chaotic memories.

At the moment, there was another uproar from outside the Cold Palace.

Mo Junjiu and the others paid attention to the outside, ready to resist the enemies.

Nobody found there was something wrong with Shi Qingxue. After Mo Junjiu dragged her to stand under the big tree in the courtyard, he ignored her.

“Your Highness, the soldiers left behind saw His Excellency lead the palace guards to the Ten-commandment Palace. They will reach the gate in less than fifteen minutes. What should we do?” A dogface rushed into the Cold Palace in haste and knelt in front of Mo Junjiu to report. He shouted loudly and almost lost his voice.

Mo Junjiu didn’t expect that Mo Junyang acted so soon. He was horrified and resentful, and his face was almost twisted.

He yelled at the dogface, “You, a bunch of punks. I just need you to stop somebody but you still failed. I provide for you but you give me nothing? Get out of here!”

After that, he kicked that man away.

He ordered the soldiers to close the gates and keep staying in the Cold Palace persistently.

At the same time, he strode to Shi Qingxue and grabbed her arm ruthlessly to pull her over. Then he sneered resentfully. “You are so valuable. Mo Junyang knew that I have captured you, so he comes so soon to fight. He is really going crazy because of a beauty.”

Shi Qingxue endured the headache and looked at Mo Junjiu coldly. She didn’t speak, nor would she give in.

Mo Junjiu got more furious as she looked at him with disdain in her eyes.

If Cao Qicai didn’t stop him, he might dig out Shi Qingxue’s eyes in a rage.

“Huh! Don’t be complacent. So what even if Mo Junyang comes here? You are in my hands now. What do you think he would do?” While speaking, Mo Junjiu showed a confident smile.

He stared at Shi Qingxue insidiously like a poisonous snake and laughed hideously. “Everybody says that Mo Junyang loves you to the bone. I am going to see what he can do for you in front of power.”

At the moment, the gate of the Cold Palace was kicked open, and more than ten palace guards came in one after another, surrounding the rebellious soldiers who hadn’t reacted.

Then Mo Junyang dressed in a military officer’s uniform brought a spear and walked in with blood all over his body.

All people present were shocked by his strong malicious intent and stopped moving.

Mo Junyang walked to the courtyard step by step, as if he would penetrate the enemy’s throat with his spear next second.

Mo Junjiu finally came back to earth.

He moved a few steps backward in horror and then managed to stop. Afterward, he threw his chest out and met Mo Junyang’s eyes, shouting, “Mo Junyang, don’t come near me!”

Mo Junjiu tried hard to show that he was fierce, but he trembled and couldn’t conceal his fear.

Mo Junyang ignored him and continued to stride forward.

He had crossed the large part of the courtyard and was about to approach the big tree in the corner.

Mo Junjiu had a brain wave and suddenly understood Mo Junyang’s intention.

He rushed to the big tree in advance and grabbed Shi Qingxue from Cao Qicai.

He put a sharp blade on Qingxue’s neck.

Then he looked at Mo Junyang threateningly and yelled, “I warn you. Don’t get close to us. Otherwise I will show no mercy.”

Afterward, Mo Junjiu was afraid that he couldn’t frighten Mo Junyang, so he got heartless and left a blood stain which was not shallow nor deep on Shi Qingxue’s neck.

Fresh blood flew out of the wound and fell along the cold edge, showing a bright red flower on her fair-skinned neck.

Mo Junyang stopped as expected and just stared at Mo Junjiu with his malicious eyes, asking coldly, “What do you want?”