Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 586: Shocking Upheaval (Part 5)

Both sides engaged in a fierce battle were Imperial Guards, all strong soldiers wearing the same uniforms. At a glance, it was impossible to distinguish friend from foe.

Jiang Shaohua stopped far away, scrutinized them carefully, and whispered to Song Yuan, "Those with white cloth wrapped around their left arms should be our people. The rebels joining the palace coup have red cloth wrapped on their left arms."

After Emperor Taihe’s demise, all Imperial Guards in the palace should wear white cloth. Those with red cloth here must be the rebels.

Song Yuan nodded slightly and asked in a low voice, "What should we do?"

There was a cold glint of killing intent in Jiang Shaohua’s eyes: "With just this small number of people, sacrificing all of them won’t quell the rebellion. To capture the leader, you must first capture the king. Let’s not worry about them; we’ll keep circling around."

Thus, they ran through twists and turns for a long distance.

The trusted aides, strong and vigorous, maintained a steady pace during this forced march without anyone falling behind. Only Zuo Yue had a hard time. When he fell from the palace wall, he broke his leg and was now bound hand and foot, like a dead pig, being carried on a trusted aide’s back. The pain from the broken leg was unbearable; if not for his mouth being tightly gagged, he would have screamed out in agony long ago.

As they drew closer to Zhaohai Palace, the sounds of battle grew louder.

More than a hundred trusted aides surrounded Jiang Shaohua, their footsteps as brisk as a sudden rainstorm, each scanning the surroundings vigilantly.

Then, all the trusted aides stopped almost simultaneously.

"Commandery Princess!" Song Yuan’s expression was as serious as water, his voice low and quick: "Zhaohai Palace is just ahead, and we can’t circle around it anymore no matter how we try."

Zhaohai Palace is where the Emperor resides and handles daily affairs, usually guarded with the utmost strictness. After Emperor Taihe’s demise, the mourning hall was set up there.

Today, the palace coup erupted, and the rebels with red cloth roared with murderous intent, while the Imperial Guards with white cloth fought desperately, refusing to take a step back. The vast open area outside Zhaohai Palace was filled with combatants. Occasionally, long knives fell, bringing forth a shower of blood and cries of anguish.

No one surrendered; those seriously injured fell to the ground, blood gushing as they awaited death. Those lightly injured who were still able to move bit their teeth and continued to fight fiercely.

There was no longer any route to circumvent here; to enter Zhaohai Palace, one must charge through this battlefield of interwoven blades, swords, and flesh.

The most perilous moment Jiang Shaohua had ever experienced in her life was none other than now.

If they charged through like this, how many trusted aides around her would remain?

The situation inside Zhaohai Palace was unclear; even if they were fortunate enough to get in, how could she turn the tide?

Is it really worth risking everything in this fight?

A series of thoughts flashed through Jiang Shaohua’s mind, and in the end, there was even a hint of regret. Had she known she would encounter such danger, she should have brought more trusted aides when leaving Nanyang County. At such a critical moment of life and death, having three hundred more experts at her side might have provided a sliver of opportunity. However, back then, how could she have anticipated facing a life-and-death situation immediately upon arriving in the Capital City?

It was too late to think about this now.

Jiang Shaohua steadied herself, casting aside all distractions, and instructed in a low voice, "You must protect me as we charge into Zhaohai Palace. Do not engage in battle, do not get entangled."

Do not prioritize killing the enemy; the sole goal is to rush into Zhaohai Palace.

The trusted aides quickly spread the command orally.

Jiang Shaohua didn’t shout any slogans, she simply and decisively uttered one word: "Charge!"

The over a hundred trusted aides remained surrounding her but changed formation. There were five people in the front row, ten in the second row, twenty in the third row... Jiang Shaohua was protected in the middle by trusted aides devoted to her, willing to die for her, on all sides.

From above, it was like a sharp wedge, advancing forward with indomitable spirit.

Outside Zhaohai Palace, thousands were engaged in combat. Suddenly, more than a hundred people appeared, like a small rabbit running between two tigers locked in a fierce battle. The tigers couldn’t react in time, nor abandon their opponents to chase a rabbit. However, as the rabbit ran too swiftly, it finally drew the attention of the rebel leader.

"Catch them, kill that group!" The rebel leader, towering and strong, with a sallow complexion and ruthless gaze, ordered loudly.

With this order, two hundred elite rebel soldiers rushed forward.

To their surprise, the group charged so swiftly that, while fighting ahead, the rebels couldn’t keep up, watching helplessly as the group pulled dozens of meters away.

At this moment, the group that disrupted the battle finally drew more attention.

"General Ma! Those people are trying to enter Zhaohai Palace; they must be reinforcements!"

The Imperial Guard Commander, General Ma, fighting valiantly, had suffered several minor injuries, blood all over him, unsure how much was his and how much was the rebels’.

General Ma swung his knife with force, hacked down a rebel before him, and a spray of blood splashed onto his face. He didn’t even wipe it off, and looked over.

That group was neither Imperial Army nor any stationed troops of the Capital City. Their numbers were few but exceptionally fierce, each highly skilled, not ordinary people by any means.

Hundreds of meters away, amidst dense figures, with ears filled with loud battle and weapon sounds, and screams resonating, it was unclear to see or hear. General Ma could only speculate about this group’s origins.

Civil officials and military generals of rank in the Capital City were all in Zhaohai Palace’s mourning hall. The sudden palace coup made it impossible for anyone to leave Zhaohai Palace; the palace gates were sealed, preventing sending messages out.

Who could appear outside Zhaohai Palace at this moment?

Who would attempt to risk their lives to enter Zhaohai Palace to rescue people?

Who could possess such formidable personal soldiers?

Who had such courage?

The image of a woman flashed through General Ma’s mind; his eyes brightened, and he breathed a bit more rapidly. He took a few deep breaths and summoned a personal soldier beside him: "Spread my command, and have everyone entangle the rebels to cover the reinforcements."

...

Ah!

Kill!

Cries of battle and screams, like waves, flowed through the door cracks, into the mourning hall of Zhaohai Palace.

Emperor Taihe lay in the cold, massive coffin surrounded by ice blocks to prevent his corpse from decaying. However, the appearance of the dead was never pleasant, with a blue-gray complexion.

The civil servants and military generals, who were supposed to kneel before the coffin, were driven to a corner, huddled together, each with a face of anger or terror, while some, with active minds, already contemplated how to serve the new Emperor after the palace coup.

They couldn’t afford not to comply. The Imperial Guards originally guarding the mourning hall were slaughtered clean by the sudden uprising of rebels. Any official who dared resist or disobey was killed on the spot.

The mourning hall was chaotic, with over a hundred corpses lying around, blood soaking the jade’s cracks. At this moment, no one’s life was more noble than another’s. If killed with a single stroke, they could only lay on the ground.