Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 584: Sudden Upheaval (Part 3)
If Jiang Shaohua stood closer and could clearly see the strong man’s face, he would recognize that this strong man was exactly Zuo Yue, the City Guard of the Capital City from back in the day.
Zuo Yue, being a member of the Zuo Family, enjoyed a prosperous position as the fifth-rank City Gate Guard General, relying on the prestige of the Left General and the protection of Prime Minister Wang. However, after the Left General was dismissed for wrongdoing, the entire Zuo family was suppressed. Zuo Yue was also transferred from the City Gate Guard General to the Imperial Army, becoming a minor leader guarding the palace gate.
Zuo Yue’s rank was demoted three levels in succession, and he often endured ridicule and mockery. Although the Left General was later reinstated as the Commander of the Heroic Guard Camp, Zuo Yue’s position could not be restored.
Guarding the Chaoyang Gate, all he saw daily were eunuchs and palace attendants; he gained no benefits nor met any true nobles, leaving almost no opportunity for promotion or advancement.
In his deep-seated frustration and resentment, Zuo Yue was secretly recruited by the ambitious Heir of Prince Gaoliang, Jiang Yi. The princely heir he was shouting about at this moment was indeed Jiang Yi.
Zuo Yue’s shouted words drifted into Jiang Shaohua’s ears with the cool breeze.
Jiang Shaohua squinted his eyes, finally recognizing Zuo Yue, and coldly shouted with anger, "Zuo Yue!"
Unlike his usual calm and indifferent demeanor, Jiang Shaohua was filled with fiery anger, and with that shout, he mustered enough strength to clearly transmit his voice across several hundred meters to Zuo Yue’s ears.
Zuo Yue, startled, suddenly turned his head and locked eyes with Jiang Shaohua across the distance.
"It is indeed you!" Jiang Shaohua’s voice was as cold as ice: "Who ordered you to rebel? Was it the Left General or Prime Minister Wang, or is there someone else?"
Even at such a distance, he managed to clearly transmit his voice into his ear. This Jiang Shaohua indeed is something extraordinary.
Zuo Yue’s heart was filled with uncertainty and hesitation, but he put on an extremely arrogant expression, laughing loudly several times, "Whoever’s orders I follow are none of your concern. Jiang Shaohua, I advise you to turn your horse around and return to your Nanyang County. Whoever sits on the Dragon Throne in this Imperial Palace, you can still remain as your Nanyang County Princess..."
He also attempted to casually project his voice like Jiang Shaohua, but regrettably, even when his face turned nearly red from effort, it didn’t work.
Here, only Jiang Shaohua could hear what Zuo Yue was saying.
Jiang Shaohua’s eyes flickered, suddenly interrupting Zuo Yue, "Is it Jiang Yi? Or Zheng Chen?"
Zuo Yue’s brow twitched heavily, and his heart rapidly beat several times faster. Fortunately, with the distance, they could only hear each other’s voices and not see each other’s faces.
A suddenly alarmed shout came from the Imperial Guard conspiring alongside Zuo Yue, "Someone is charging at us!" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Zuo Yue was greatly frightened, quickly turning his head to see a group of people wielding sharp weapons rushing over. This group, numbering no more than thirty or forty, was exceptionally brave and unafraid of death.
The leader, appearing to be in his forties, tall in stature, with a resolute face, wielded a long knife. With a flash of the knife, one of his men on this side fell. It was swift and unmatched.
This face was not unfamiliar to Zuo Yue. It was precisely Song Yuan, the personal soldier commander of the Nanyang County Princess!
How did this Song Yuan suddenly emerge from the rear? Where did he enter the palace from?
Zuo Yue’s mind buzzed endlessly.
In truth, the uprising today was not sufficiently manned. The East Splendor Gate had the most men, followed by the Guangyang Gate and the Vermilion Bird Gate. By the time they reached the Chaoyang Gate, he was leading a few hundred Imperial Guards. After slashing and killing for an hour, many had been slain, finally capturing this palace gate.
Now guarding the palace gate, there were more than a hundred people in total. With two crossbows and more than twenty bows and arrows, along with these hundred-plus men, they could keep an army of thousands outside the palace gate.
As long as they could hold this palace gate, it would be a major achievement. When the Heir of Prince Gaoliang ascended the Dragon Throne in the future, he would have the merit of aiding a new ruler. The princely heir had promised to make him the head of the Zuo Family and a main general in the future. With such a beautiful dream in mind, he had resolved to fight to the death.
Originally, everything was planned out, but who would have thought Jiang Shaohua suddenly led his personal soldiers to charge outside the Chaoyang Gate? This Song Yuan even led people to secretly infiltrate the palace and approach from behind.
Wait, it’s the Bright Moon Gate! They must have infiltrated from the Bright Moon Gate!
"Damn it! The ones guarding the Bright Moon Gate are useless cowards! Useless!" Zuo Yue cursed aloud, simultaneously shouting loudly, "Men, block them. We’ve already achieved a major success today; as long as we can hold this palace gate, there will be endless glory and wealth in the future."
Before his voice faded, a shining long knife suddenly swept across the sky, aiming straight for his chest.
Zuo Yue dodged in horror, momentarily forgetting he was standing on the palace wall, and accidentally stumbled, falling straight down.
With a thud, he landed heavily on the ground. The palace wall was over two zhang high, falling from such a height meant even if he didn’t die, he would be half-dead.
The archers and crossbowmen standing on the palace wall instantly panicked, shouting out, "Captain Zuo!"
Zuo Yue was dizzy from the fall, his right leg in excruciating pain, knowing there was a high chance it was broken. Enduring the pain, he struggled to lift his head and shouted, "Stop them from reaching the palace entrance, and archers release arrows, archers prepare to fire arrows, do not let the Nanyang County Princess charge into the palace gate..."
Regrettably, his full-strength shout was as faint as a mosquito’s bite. The rebels in a state of panic could not hear anything.
Song Yuan, like a god of death, threw the long knife forcing Zuo Yue to fall from the palace wall, randomly grabbing a lance from a nearby corpse and continued to wield it. He killed several people in succession, his entire body covered in blood. The rebels were so terrified that they dared not approach him.
Outside the palace gate, the sounds of warhorses charging rang out.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The trusted aides shot arrows while riding.
Several rebels on the palace wall fell with screams. The remaining ones were filled with anxiety and their hands trembled, managing to shoot a few arrows, but they lacked confidence and precision.
In just a few hundred meters, the warhorses charged swiftly, reaching the palace gate within moments.
Jiang Shaohua leaped off the galloping warhorse, and with its momentum, the horse rushed heavily into the palace gate. Blood spattered as it fell with a pained cry.
Then the second, third, and fourth horses followed in succession, like a ceaseless thunder of collisions striking the palace gate in rapid succession.
The sturdy palace gate trembled ceaselessly.
Jiang Shaohua drew his sharp blade and stabbed it into the palace wall, then leaped up, tapping his toes on the blade to propel himself onto the palace wall.
The crossbowmen on the palace wall couldn’t release their bolts in time, so full of fortitude, they swung their fists, determined to take someone down with them even if they died.
Crack!
His fist struck as if hitting an iron plate, and an indescribable immense force swept over him. Just like Zuo Yue before, he fell from the palace wall, landing in a pool of blood, his eyes wide open, dead without rest.
Coincidentally, the crossbowman fell in a position not far from Zuo Yue’s side. The severely injured Zuo Yue, looking at the corpse so close, was terrified out of his wits.
This Jiang Shaohua was simply a god of death descending, absolutely terrifying!
