The little prince was so frightened in the chaos that he was completely lost and could only hold Chang Geng's hand tightly.

The two armies were in chaos, and all the civil and military officials fled in all directions. The emperor's sedan chair was scattered on the ground in a mess. As the people scattered, the targets became more focused - the assassins who had deliberately stirred up trouble just now rushed towards Chang Geng and the prince together.

Before coming here, Lord Fang's original instructions were "Be sure to kill Prince Yan, and if there is a chance, don't let the crown prince go."

When the assassins saw that the two targets were actually together, they realized that it was a special convenience for them!

An arrow flew past the prince's head. The prince was dragged by Chang Geng like a puppy. He couldn't even scream and sobbed silently in fear.

Suddenly, someone reached out and wiped away the tears on his face. Through his hazy eyes, the prince saw that after his fourth uncle wiped his tears, he raised his hand to reveal a black iron wrist buckle. In an instant, a thread popped out from his sleeve and neatly broke the wrist of an assassin. Prince Yan snatched the assassin's knife, turned the handle, and "ding-dong" created a path in one go.

"When I was as old as the prince, I was besieged by a group of hungry wolves outside the North Pass." Chang Geng said in a very steady voice, "It was icy and snowy at the time, and there was no one around. I only had a small knife that country kids played with. The wolves that chased me were not ordinary wild wolves, but were raised by the barbarians using their own methods and specially used to kill people. They were very big and were taller than me when they stood up."

King Yan has always been known for his outstanding demeanor. Both enemies and friends have to admit this. Unlike most of the noble sons who grew up in the capital, he is less flashy, but also different from the poor scholars or soldiers with military merits, he is not poor and bandit-like. He looks very calm, but not like Master Liangran, who is calm like a Buddhist monk. He is like a fierce stone statue placed in a temple - it is awe-inspiring, but also covered with silent incense ash. Many people secretly learn King Yan's calm and elegant tone, and others can hardly associate him with the hungry wolves outside the Great Wall.

The little prince was stunned.

At this time, two assassins rushed over one after the other. One of them slashed at the little prince in Chang Geng's hand, trying to force him to retreat, while the other blocked his retreat from behind.

Chang Geng sneered softly.

How could a child who grew up playing with swords and knives with the Iron Golem of the Marquis' Mansion retreat in front of an opponent of this level?

Chang Geng used his sword to block the assassin's sword. The opponent was so frightened that he had no time to withdraw his sword, and the sharp blade in his hand suddenly broke out. He crossed his hands across his chest to block it randomly, but was "cut in half" by King Yan.

Then Chang Geng flew forward three steps without stopping, and used the force of turning to swing his blade back, scaring the pursuer so much that he took two steps back and bumped into the tip of a spear from the Imperial Guards who was rushing towards him.

The little prince had never even seen a chicken being killed, let alone a person? He was immediately terrified and quickly closed his eyes. However, even so, the bloody smell still made him want to vomit, and he cried out in a low voice, "Fourth Uncle..."

"There's nothing to be afraid of." Chang Geng said calmly, "The truly capable people are either on the front lines or have already died on the battlefield. The rest of you are a bunch of cowards who don't have the ability to fight in battle. You can only scare children - are you still a child?"

The prince thought aggrievedly, "That's me."

Chang Geng seemed to know what he was thinking, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

"Still a child," he thought to himself, "but soon he won't be."

At this moment, the imperial guards who rushed over with guns shouted, "Your Highness! Your Highness the Crown Prince! Come this way!"

The little prince instinctively wanted to follow, but Chang Geng grabbed the back of his shirt with his scabbard and pulled him back.

The prince's staggering steps had not yet had time to steady themselves when blood splattered all over his face. The man who was shouting was split into two in an instant, and a heavily armored army rushed out from nowhere.

At this time, the held hostage Li Feng finally realized that the people escorting him were not heading towards the palace, but were running to a deserted place. His heart skipped a beat, and an unbelievable guess came to his mind. He immediately turned around and asked, "What's going on? Fang Qing, where are you taking me?"

Fang Qin walked without stopping, neither kneeling nor bowing, and said in a clear voice: "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to submit."

Li Feng said in disbelief: "What did you say? Stop! I told you to stop!"

No one paid any attention to him. Two fake guards held up the emperor's body, one on each side, and forcibly took him away.

"The one I want to report is the current Prince Yan Li Min," Fang Qin said word by word, "He colluded with unscrupulous merchants and sold official positions and titles in the name of beacon tickets to the point of being shameless. This is his first crime. As a son, he had no filial piety to the late emperor. Instead, in order to win over the hearts of the army, he often stayed overnight in the marquis' mansion. Even after he inherited the title, he still called him 'adoptive father'. This is the second crime of harboring evil intentions and being unfilial to the emperor..."

If Li Feng still didn't understand what was going on, he must have been hit in the head and gone mad. He was horrified and shouted, "Fang Qin, what are you doing!"

Fang Qin said in a clear voice: "Your Majesty, we have already set up many ambushes, waiting for the traitor to be executed. Although we are incompetent, we are willing to follow the example of the ancient sages. If the treacherous ministers are difficult to control, we swear to die to clear the emperor's side!"

Before he finished speaking, his followers immediately echoed him, "If the treacherous ministers are hard to control, I will die to clear the emperor's side!!"

Li Feng was dumbfounded. When he looked around, he saw unfamiliar faces everywhere. The armored pseudo-imperial guards surrounded him with a fierce look. The familiar faces in the court were now more unfamiliar than the other. They all seemed like ghosts in human skin, with green faces and fangs, ready to rush towards him.

This is the relationship between the ruler and his subjects.

Was it also like this when Emperor Wu was in power?

Was it the same when Emperor Yuanhe was in power?

Li Feng knew that he might not be able to compare with Emperor Wu, who had spent his life expanding territory. Could it be that he was not even as good as his father, whom he had always been secretly dissatisfied with?

He couldn't accept this anyway.

However, no matter how unacceptable it is, it seems to be the fact, because when Emperor Yuanhe was in power, there were no foreign enemies besieging the capital, nor were there waves of rebels trying to dethrone him.

At that moment, Li Feng had no time to feel too much anger or fear. He just felt like a big slap was slapped in his face. It had been more than three thousand days since he ascended the throne. He had not slept well for a night and had been busy day and night. Now it seemed that all his efforts were in vain. He was even worse than the previous emperor, a coward who spent all day hanging out with women and feeling sad about the passing of time.

He watched helplessly as his self-esteem was shattered and turned into ashes in front of the indifferent rebels.

"Okay..." Li Feng was trembling all over, "You guys are really... so brave!"

Fang Qin lowered his head and didn't make eye contact with him. At this point, Fang Qin knew that it was no longer difficult for him to pretend to be a loyal minister and a good general. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Li Min is so powerful that he has no regard for his ancestors. I am worried about the country and have no other choice but to resort to this desperate measure. I really deserve death. However, the thieves are rampant now, and their followers are all over the country. Once Prince Yan dies, these people will definitely cause chaos. I hope Your Majesty will make a decision as soon as possible and clean up and investigate thoroughly."

Li Feng gnashed his teeth and said, "You still want to threaten me?"

Fang Qin knelt down on the ground swiftly, and said calmly, "I dare not. I know that Your Majesty is frightened and uneasy. I have already drafted the edict, please review it."

After he finished speaking, someone beside him immediately held up an imperial edict with both hands. It was indeed very detailed and comprehensive, and it only needed the imperial seal to be stamped.

Li Feng angrily shook off the two people holding him, took a step forward, stretched out his hand to grab the collar of the man holding the imperial edict, and then pushed him hard -

In his rage, Li Feng completely forgot about his lame leg which had not yet healed. He lost his balance and the person he pushed did not move at all, and he himself fell to one side first.

Under such bright and clear circumstances, no one from the people of Daliang who were surrounding him helped him. The real aristocratic families and the fake imperial guards just watched the emperor fall on his butt in anger, looking at him with contempt and indifference.

At this moment, a man who looked like a royal guard came trotting over. He must have been an imposter. He first glanced at Li Feng, then turned to Fang Qin and said, "Sir, the traitor has been executed!"

Li Feng's legs had completely lost their strength. He sat on the ground in a ridiculous manner, uttering a few words through his teeth: "Where is the prince?"

The fake guard first glanced at Fang Qin, and after getting his approval, he cautiously said to Li Feng: "The prince... the prince was assassinated... uh, Your Majesty, please accept my condolences first."

Li Feng's head buzzed and exploded.

His chest felt cold, and when he came to his senses, he had already coughed up a mouthful of blood. Li Feng sat on the ground, watching the sticky black blood flow down his fingertips, and thought blankly: "Why am I so embarrassed?"

Fang Qin's face flashed with hesitation, and he subconsciously stretched out his hand, as if he wanted to help Li Feng, but in the end he did not touch him. He stretched out his hand halfway and then retracted it. The hesitation and reluctance on his face faded away like the tide. He said coldly: "Your Majesty is not the only one under his knees. Even though the third prince is still young, there is also the eldest prince who is diligent, studious, smart and kind. Please take care of your health for the sake of the country and focus on the important matters at hand!"

After saying that, he grabbed the "imperial edict" held by his men and held it in front of Li Feng: "Your Majesty, please take a look!"

Li Feng waved his hand and knocked the "fake imperial edict" in Fang Qin's hand aside: "You are dreaming!"

Fang Qin silently wiped his face that was slapped by the fake imperial edict, kept kneeling, leaned forward slightly, sighed softly, and whispered in a very gentle tone: "Your Majesty, your body is in our hands. Even if there are hundreds or thousands of people outside... even if the Beidaying comes, no one dares to move. You have to issue this imperial edict today, whether you want to or not - what's wrong with the eldest prince? I heard that he has a gentle and introverted temperament, quite royal style, unlike the bastard of unknown origin, Prince Yan. This is the demeanor that my Daliang royal family should have, don't you think?"

Li Feng felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his whole body felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He gasped for breath and sneered, "Then what? You, my dear ministers, will definitely not wait for me to settle the score later. What are you going to do to me? Put me under house arrest? Or just kill me? The queen is weak and can't take care of things, and the eldest prince's mother's family was all executed. He has no one to rely on, so he is born to be a good puppet... It really is a good calculation!"

Fang Qin shook his head noncommittally: "What else, Your Majesty? The Crown Prince has unfortunately died, and the traitor Li Min has been executed... Oh, of course, if you want, you can also issue an edict to pass the throne to the Third Prince. But the Third Prince is too young and hasn't even started school yet. Aren't you making a joke of our ancestors' country by doing this?"

A person may be bound by tens of millions of ethical and moral constraints, which seem to be bound as solid as a rock, but in fact they are not that strong. As long as one puts aside one's sense of shame once and crosses the line, one can be shameless as ever in the future without any taboos.

At least Fang Qin himself didn't expect that one day he would say such words without blinking.

Just when he was distracted, the ground suddenly shook, and everyone became nervous for a moment - this kind of orderly footsteps seemed to be the result of a well-trained team. Judging from the shaking, there were at least heavy armor among them!

Could it be Beidaying?

Fang Qin's heart skipped a beat. This unexpected incident was not in their plan. Perhaps something had changed! He made a prompt decision and waved his hand. Several minions rushed over to hold Li Feng. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry to ask the emperor to escort us for a while."

Several fake guards surrounded Li Feng from all sides and tried to retreat with him in another direction. However, just after turning a corner, the people leading the way suddenly stopped - there was actually a team of guards who had been waiting in front of them!

How on earth did they get away?

No... it's no big deal to get away, although it's a little faster than expected. But once the palace gets wind of the news, the guards will immediately come out in full force, and it will be easy to control the situation.

The question is how did they find them?

Fang Qin was stunned for a moment. He turned back suddenly and looked around. He found that the spy who had just come to report that "Prince Yan and the Crown Prince are both dead" was gone.

There is a traitor!

The footsteps behind them were getting closer and closer. When they looked again, they found that what was forcing them to panic was not heavy armor at all, but a bunch of iron golems that were pulled out from someone's house!

Fang Qin broke out in a cold sweat and suddenly came to his senses, realizing that they had fallen into someone else's trap.

However, at this point, he had no time to think carefully. He grabbed Li Feng, put his sword against the emperor's fragile dragon neck, and shouted, "Who dares to move!"

The emperor was a precious person, and no one wanted to be branded as an indirect regicide, so the imperial guards stopped moving for a moment.

Fang Qin never dreamed that he would be so rebellious. He was frightened for a moment. His throat was dry and he gasped violently for a few times. Before he could come up with any countermeasures from his confused mind, the messy Royal Guards finally arrived half a beat late. At the same time, an eagle's cry was heard outside the Ninth Gate. It was the eagle from the North Camp requesting to pass through the no-fly zone!

There was a "thump" sound nearby, and one of the gang members fell to his knees out of fright.

Fang Qin gritted his teeth and said to Emperor Long An, "Your Majesty, please order them to withdraw."

Li Feng was in a state of dismay, but he sneered, "You are dreaming."

At this moment, a feather arrow suddenly shot out from behind, just glancing at Fang Qin's shoulder. Although it did not cause any substantial damage, the burning pain at the moment his skin was torn apart suddenly broke the string in Fang Qin's brain.

The delicate balance was broken.

Li Feng seized the opportunity, pushed him hard, and was about to rush out immediately.

However, the lame leg held him back again. As soon as Li Feng took a step, his feet went limp and he stumbled out uncontrollably. At the same time, Fang Qin was startled and chased after him with his sword, instinctively thrusting the sword forward.

Li Feng twitched violently and stretched his body like a dying fish. Fang Qin's face turned pale and he subconsciously loosened his sword-holding hand. He took three steps back and stared at the sword stuck in Li Feng's back as if he had seen a ghost.

The guards, who were originally cautious and cautious, were suddenly furious.

Suddenly, Li Feng heard a child's crying voice that pierced his ears through countless traitors and rebels. He raised his head with difficulty and saw the little prince running towards him, calling "Father". Not far behind him, Prince Yan, his fourth brother, was standing there with a sweaty head. When Prince Yan met his gaze, he stopped, put his hands behind his back, and looked down at the embarrassed emperor with his unique calm eyes.

The imperial guards and the royal army rushed up in a panic and quickly dealt with the stunned traitor. Li Feng was carried out, and the leader of the imperial guards who arrived shouted and ran to ask for the imperial physician, but they all knew that it was useless to ask for the physician.

The little prince fell on him and cried helplessly.

Li Feng really wanted to touch his delicate little son, but before he could gather his strength, a hand fell on the prince's shoulder. Prince Yan stood silently by the side, gently stroking the prince's shoulders and neck comfortingly. To everyone, this was a pair of sad yet warm uncle and nephew, but Li Feng was the only one who felt that he understood the threat implied in Prince Yan's gesture.

Li Feng stared at King Yan's calm eyes, and recalled the resentful words of his late mother many years ago - those barbarian women were all monsters, and the bastards they gave birth to were all ominous creatures that would bring disaster to the country and the people.

"Ominous Thing" Prince Yan knelt on one knee, but his hand was still on the prince's shoulder and neck. He asked Li Feng in a low voice: "Is there anything else you want to tell me, my brother?"

Li Feng: "You...you..."

Prince Yan lowered his voice even lower, and said in his ear word by word: "Don't worry, I will take good care of the prince."

Li Feng's lips trembled violently, and there seemed to be a fire in his eyes. Then the fire slowly went out as his life passed away. He stretched out a trembling hand, which was held by King Yan in mid-air.

...It turns out that even such a cold palm can produce a handful of false brotherly affection.

At this time, the ministers who had just been scattered by the chaotic army finally came crawling and running like a flock of sheep. In a place where no one else could see, Prince Yan smiled gently at Li Feng, but his voice was sad and sincere: "Brother, do you have anything to say?"

The little prince was crying so hard that he couldn't stand up. Li Feng looked at him and then gently closed his eyes.

He had never compromised with anyone in his life and had always been tough to the end. Who would have thought that he would end up in such a desperate situation... Surrounded by powerful bullies and conspirators, and his young son was naive and had no one to rely on.

"I... have lived a mediocre life," he whispered in an almost inaudible voice. The scholars from the two academies and the eunuchs knew what he was going to say as soon as they heard the words. They no longer cared about crying for the moment, and all rushed over to listen with bated breath, for fear of missing a single word from the emperor.

Li Feng's eyes seemed to be filled with tears, and he continued, "I feel ashamed of the heavens and the people. For more than ten years, I have felt... really uneasy. After I die,... the crown prince... the crown prince... the crown prince is young, and it is difficult for me to be entrusted with such an important task..."

Chang Geng turned his head slightly and looked at the group of iron golems outside the crowd from afar. Among the lifeless armored monsters, there was one that was looking at him tenderly. It had practiced sword skills with him, carried snacks for him, and followed him to knock on that person's door countless times.

At this moment, there was a faint purple light flashing in its eyes, as if there was a person on the front line in the distance, quietly looking at itself through this lifeless big guy.

"... Pass the throne to Prince Yan. You will succeed me as the emperor. Do not let down our ancestors."

On the first day of March in the tenth year of Long'an, Emperor Long'an Li Feng passed away at the hands of traitors. On his deathbed, he actually skipped the crown prince and passed the throne to Prince Yan, which was also a strange thing.

Prince Yan quickly dealt with the rebellious families and uprooted several major surnames in the capital that were involved.

The bloodbath in the imperial court was justified, and the Grand Council issued three decrees overnight, stabilizing the situation in the capital with heavy hands.

But before Jiang Chong and others could finish their three refusals and three requests, Prince Yan, now the future emperor, left the capital without any warning.

If it weren't for the fact that he and his team in the Grand Council had experienced all kinds of chaos and could withstand even the collapse of the sky, the situation would have probably exploded again.

Chang Geng called Jiang Chong over and explained a bunch of things to him in detail. Then he put the edict he had written in advance into a box and pushed it to him. It was obvious that he was eager to leave and couldn't wait to fly away. Jiang Chong thought that because of the war in Jiangnan, he might have to travel in the near future, but he didn't expect that he would leave so suddenly. He was so shocked when he heard the news the next day.

Chang Geng borrowed a team of eagle-armored guards from Beidaying overnight and planned to fly directly to the south.

He was sure that the Liangjiang front was not peaceful at all - whether it was the two Lin Yuans who were mixed up in the foreign affairs group, or Cao Chunhua whom he sent to Gu Yun, or even Gu Yun himself... Their letters all seemed to indicate that the situation on the front was very good, and they were just waiting to recover the vast territory. This was not normal.

It would be fine if Gu Yun only reported good news but not bad news, but the reason why Linyuan is called "Linyuan" is that it requires caution and keen observation, like "standing on the edge of a deep abyss and treading on thin ice". Even if there is an overwhelming victory on the front line, they will find out all possible risks and remind Gu Yun and the owner of the Linyuan wooden sign in the capital of every detail.

But no, not even a word. Something was so wrong.

Chang Geng was pushing forward his deployment in the capital city step by step. He seemed to be at ease, but in fact, he could hardly sit still.

But he couldn't go to see Gu Yun at this critical moment. There were too many variables in the capital. He didn't know if he could successfully achieve his goal until the last moment. If there was any accident, he might have to take up arms himself and bear the title of "traitor" and "brother-killer and nephew-killer". Therefore, he couldn't have any involvement with Gu Yun during the whole process.

He can only be placed on the front line that he cannot see.

The eagle flies north and south, and it is impossible for it not to rest in the middle of the journey. Just as Chang Geng was anxiously waiting for the Eagle Armor to refuel at a military post station, a red-label express delivery happened to pass by and was intercepted by the commander of the North Camp and delivered to Chang Geng.

The Western Army launched a mad counterattack from the Japanese waters.