Chapter 735 – Emperor’s Fall, Chenzhou Imperial City in Ruins (8)
“Eliminate the root?”
Jiang Pengji tilted her head to look at him, her eyes lazily half-closed, lips lightly parting.
“Is that even a question? If you don’t eliminate the root, it’ll just sprout again in the spring breeze. I won’t raise tigers to cause trouble. Do it clean and neat.”
Feng Zhen was about to take his leave when Jiang Pengji suddenly remembered something and called out to him.
“By the way, eliminate that Fourth Prince too.”
Feng Zhen was surprised. The Fourth Prince was a completely disabled person, with no chance of ascending the throne.
Though puzzled, Feng Zhen didn’t dare question it.
When the lord gives an order, subordinates only need to comply and run errands.
One death is the same as two; whether the Third Prince and Fourth Prince die together or not, it would uphold their brotherly bond in this lifetime.
Seeing Feng Zhen walk away, Jiang Pengji couldn’t help but smirk.
Why include the useless Fourth Prince in her plans?
Because he was the son of that “fake Wang Huijun”!
With the help of the System, she wouldn’t easily meet her demise. Who knows, she might be cunning enough to help the Fourth Prince, Wu Ma Jun, regain the use of his legs?
At that point, if Jiang Pengji killed the Third Prince, leaving only Wu Ma Jun, the throne would legitimately fall into his lap.
She didn’t want to complicate her life—caution was key.
Giving others the chance to wear her bridal gown was something she wouldn’t do!
Heh, if Wu Ma Jun truly regained his legs, and she killed the Fourth Prince afterward, who knew if that transmigrated girl would spit out blood?
Whether or not she would spit blood was uncertain, but one thing was for sure—she would be frustrated.
【A Fruit Weasel】: Oooooh—— My streamer being a villain is so cool, directly plotting against a prince, awesome!
【Zhuge Liang’s Poison】: This is insane, I feel like my worldview is being dragged into the gutter by the streamer, I can’t believe I’m thinking she looked super cool just now plotting with Feng Zhen? That must be the charm of the villain, it’s just too satisfying to crush the little ones.
【I Live Next Door, My Last Name is Wang】: The streamer doesn’t seem like a villain, villains don’t end well, our streamer is clearly the big female lead!
【Old Wang is Not as Strong as Old Song】: Big female lead? Clearly a big male lead, too handsome, my baby can’t close his legs.
【I Have a Sword】: Huh? Is it Your Majesty, Pengji? All the other women have been taken away, when are you coming to marry my baby?
【Heart Delight】: No need to say more, draw your sword, love rival!
Changshou Wang’s army was ambushed on the way, suffering heavy losses and could only retreat to Chenzhou Imperial City.
They burned, killed, and looted, almost unleashing the worst part of humanity.
Smoke filled the air, and the sounds of weeping wafted in.
The once rich and luxurious capital was now a scene of devastation.
Due to military orders, the enemy army dared not lay hands on the nobles; at most, they looted some wealth and abducted maidservants, but they wouldn’t touch the legitimate ladies or noble girls, nor would they dare approach high-ranking officials. They were cautious of these ministers because Changshou Wang still needed them to fill the new court, but the soldiers didn’t care about the common people and the discarded concubines; the entire imperial city plunged into chaos.
“General! They are attacking again! Should we leave the city to meet them?”
The Enemy General glanced down, resolutely stating, “No, with just over six thousand brothers left, continuing to fight is futile.”
The vice general’s face fell in despair.
“General, are we just going to endure this?”
The general scoffed, “Endure? A gentleman waits ten years for revenge! There will always be opportunities. We retreat not out of fear but to find a better chance.”
One minor concession can ruin a larger plan.
When it’s time to endure, one cannot take impulsive actions; when it’s time to let go, one cannot hesitate.
The current situation was unfavorable for them; continuing to fight would only lead to annihilation. The best course of action was to regroup quickly with the main force.
The general decisively issued orders to abandon the city and retreat.
Before leaving the city, he instructed to bring along all the officials who hadn’t managed to escape.
Without these pillars of the court, the dynasty would merely be a hollow shell; how long could it last?
Unknown to him, this action helped Jiang Pengji immensely.
Just an hour after they left, Jiang Pengji and Yang Jian’s army arrived.
The city was a sight of desolation, the once luxurious palace now a scene of ruin, resembling a hell on earth.
Lying along the road were numerous palace maids, tattered and lifeless, and some little yellow gatekeepers met gruesome fates beside them, their bodies scattered.
“Lord, it seems there are no enemies left in the city; we can send someone to do that business first to avoid any complications later.”
Feng Zhen was still looking for a way into the city, his eyes revealing a sense of clarity as he whispered to Jiang Pengji, “Seize the opportunity; time won’t wait for us.”
If they didn’t eliminate the prince while everyone’s attention was diverted, it would be difficult later.
“Okay, I understand. Keep Yan Lin occupied; don’t let him catch on.”
Feng Zhen chuckled softly, “Yan Lin is no simpleton; even if he finds out, he’d probably pretend not to hear.”
As long as Yang Jian’s and Jiang Pengji’s interests didn’t conflict, Yan Lin didn’t need to obstruct their actions.
Feng Zhen and Yan Lin coordinated and stabilized the situation in the city, extinguishing fires where needed, saving those who could be saved, and cleaning up the rebel army.
Yang Si was in charge of handling the old ministers, leisurely keeping up with the main force while delaying time.
Their lord was an audacious figure, and the strategists following him were certainly not timid either.
It’s just a matter of killing two princes; what’s the big deal?
Yang Si rode happily, letting the horse wander, showing no signs of the urgency of war.
Within Chenzhou Imperial City—
The Third Prince had been stripped of his noble title for enticing his stepmother and desecrating the palace.
However, his mother was from the Feng family side branch, and even turned commoner, his quality of life remained unaffected.
When the imperial city fell, he was still in the garden, amusing himself with birds.
Only when the steward of the estate came to report did he realize the outside world had turned upside down.
He thought of escaping, but the city gates had already been occupied by the enemy; he could only change into commoner clothes, hiding in the haystack of the stable.
Barely managing to dodge one calamity, he found his concubines, maidservants, and young servants had all been viciously harmed.
It wasn’t that he didn’t hate it, but he feared for his life. Even when he saw his beloved concubine being humiliated not far away, he couldn’t summon the courage to rush out and fight.
It was only after the assailants retreated and left his estate in disarray did he cautiously crawl out.
The situation in Chenzhou Imperial City changed rapidly; in the blink of an eye, news flooded in.
The king’s loyal alliance had sent troops for support, the demon empress was dead, the rebel army was repelled, the emperor passed away…
Upon hearing the last tidbit, the Third Prince’s heart thundered.
With his two older brothers dead, and his fourth brother Wu Ma Jun having no chances left, wasn’t he the last one standing?
As for his entanglements with his stepmother, they could just pin the blame on the demon empress, and he could clear his name and reclaim his identity.
With that thought, strength gradually filled his limbs.
Until a troop of elite soldiers in armor entered the Third Prince’s residence, he finally felt at ease.
“I am the Third Prince you’re looking for.”
The other party sized him up and softly asked, “Are you really?”
The Third Prince was filled with anger, berating the man before him.
Despite having no real abilities, he had grown accustomed to royal life for many years, exuding an air that ordinary people couldn’t mimic.
“Well, you’re just in time; follow me.”
