<div> Chapter 1048: Chapter 1046: This Step Was in the Plan
 As the strong arrows came whizzing, three trusted aides wrapped around the Emperor fought and retreated. One of them was incredibly strong, deflecting most of the attacks from the Crown Prince’s subordinates.
 During the melee, more than thirty trusted aides leaped down from the walls of Chaohua Palace to support, surprisingly buying some time for the Emperor, who was escorted away from the battle.
 On the other side of the battle, the Crown Prince was anxious and burning with worry. If the Emperor escaped, their entire plan would be ruined. Standing among several guards, his shrill voice commanding the battle had almost made him hoarse.
 Despite the fierce battle, the Crown Prince’s side, determined to fight to the death, was still firmly cornered and unable to approach Chaohua Palace due to the crazed Imperial Guard Army opposing them.
 In less than fifteen minutes, the Emperor entered through the gates of Chaohua Palace.
 Meanwhile, outside the palace walls, before the Crown Prince’s reinforcements could arrive, the Imperial Guard Camp threw down a dozen corpses and retreated entirely within the palace walls of Chaohua Palace.
 The Crown Prince looked at the chaos around him and the palace courtyards beyond his control, his eyes filled with hatred.
 The Emperor must not be allowed to exit; if he steps outside and stands before people, those who originally supported him and Prince Fu’s forces would hesitate and eventually court ministers and military generals supporting the Emperor would exploit the situation. That way, he would be fully charged with patricide and regicide, leading to his obliteration.
 "Where are the firearms? Turpentine!" the Crown Prince shouted fiercely, "and the firewood we prepared earlier, use all of it! Burn Chaohua Palace and Sichote-Alin Palace to..." his words were abruptly cut off by the piercing sound and explosion of dozens of signal arrows soaring in the sky.
 The Crown Prince’s angry shout ceased abruptly, his mouth still open, his face turning ashen. At this moment, shooting so many signal arrows, is it merely a signal to the outside that there is turmoil in the palace? Or did the Imperial Guard Camp have prior preparations, with measures outside?
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 </div> The first person he thought of was Lih Mian’s coffin face.
 As if knowing the thoughts within the Crown Prince’s mind, the leader of his guards whispered tremblingly, "Your Highness, the person who seized His Majesty just now seemed to be Lih Mian."
 So it was true? The Crown Prince was stunned, looking at the eyes around him awaiting his decision. If that was the case, then Lih Mian’s trip to Huzhou to investigate the case might just be a guise.
 The Emperor, or perhaps Lih Mian, had known about his and Prince Fu’s palace coup! A chill rose in the Crown Prince’s heart, seeping into his bones, extinguishing the glimmer of hope he held. At this point, the only path left was to fight to the death.
 "Where is the turpentine and torches?" Toss them inside, burn all the palace courtyards around Chaohua Palace." Cornered, the Crown Prince surprisingly calmed down, "Send word to Prince Fu’s men, kill all the officials in Diligent Governance Hall. Especially Jinrong, don’t leave him alive."
 As long as the Emperor was dead, with only he and Jinyi left among the Emperor’s offspring, there was still a slim chance.
 ......
 As the sound of signal arrows breaking through the air resounded in the palace, a dozen fierce steeds shattered the afternoon tranquility of the capital, slicing through a squad of Five Cities Military Command patrol soldiers, appearing outside the imperial city.
𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎 Before the explosion of signal arrows settled, a burly middle-aged General Officer appeared outside Chengtian Gate of the palace. This General Officer wore the court’s fourth-grade military attire and held a Token, shouting at the soldiers guarding the palace: "Imperial Guard Army soldiers, heed my command: Imperial Guard Army leader Zhang Ping, summoned by His Majesty the Emperor, will attack and eliminate the traitor Li Dongsheng. Open Chengtian Gate! From this moment, anyone following this leader, adhering to the Emperor’s decree to eliminate the traitors, will not be punished for past actions!"
 "Great, Great Commander?"
 The Imperial Guard Army soldiers, who were clueless and had guarded the imperial city since last night, had already been shocked by the dense signal arrows from within the palace. Now seeing their own Great Commander, their doubts grew: Did their actions guarding their duty involve treason?
 As everyone’s minds spun, the dozen people beside Zhang Ping roared severely, "Open Chengtian Gate, eliminate the traitors!"
 The previous doubts, combined with seeing their Great Commander, led a soldier to signal, preparing to open Chengtian Gate.
 "Those defying military orders will be killed!" a young General Officer suddenly leaped up, slashing down a soldier who was making hand gestures, and stood on the palace wall, "Great Commander, we also hold Tokens, we’re also acting under the Emperor’s orders. What other evidence does Commander Zhang have besides the Token?"
 Zhang Ping laughed coldly, "Besides the Token, there are the officials and generals trapped in Diligent Governance Hall who cannot come out, and the Emperor who hasn’t attended court. Is that enough?"
 The young General Officer still wanted to argue when a cold arrow shot from behind, hitting the young General Officer’s back directly. As the young General Officer fell headfirst off the palace wall, the grand gate symbolizing supreme power, Chengtian Gate, was pushed open with a rumble.
 ......
 Signal arrows were always used to send messages afar, and the piercing sound of dense signal arrows in the harem shocked Li Dongsheng. What was going on? There was no such element in their plan.
 However, Jiang Yifan informed Duke An of this tactic within his plan.
 The startled and uncertain Li Dongsheng didn’t notice that Prince Fu was already slowly retreating, blending into the dozen Imperial Guards.
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 </div> Duke An didn’t look at Prince Fu, only silently calculating how many seconds it would take to hurriedly open Chengtian Gate and swiftly ride to Diligent Governance Hall?
 Duke An silently calculated for only a brief moment before suddenly shouting.
 As the shout rang out, several old subordinates of Duke An, including Shi Chongyi, leaped up and, like Duke An, kicked over the nearest two Imperial Guards, grabbed knives, and threw them at several low-level General Officers of the Imperial Guard Army in the hall.
 Just as if they had timed it with Duke An, when Duke An’s shout rang out, arrows from the Imperial Guard Army archers aimed at Diligent Governance Hall were about to react, the sound of arrows breaking through the air came from behind. At the same moment, two squads of Imperial Guards led by Zhang Ping rushed into Diligent Governance Hall, coordinating with the archers outside to begin exterminating Li Dongsheng and his trusted aides.
 Duke An signaled his former subordinates to act, but he didn’t linger in the hall. Grabbing a knife, disregarding the swords and arrows raining down, he swung the knife and dashed out.
 Jinrong, guarded by two military generals from the Ministry of War, closely followed Duke An. As he moved, he unabashedly wiped his sweat. Jiang Yifan, that kid, and Duke An, the old man, their scheming was too uncanny! In this chaotic situation, he nearly got hit by a stray arrow just now. He had to find that kid for compensation.
 Duke An stepped out of Diligent Governance Hall, pulled over a fast horse belonging to Zhang Ping’s troops, and spurred the horse towards the outside of the palace.
 "Old man, Duke!" Jinrong, in a fluster, also seized a horse, mounted swiftly, and rushed through the changing guard of the Imperial Guard Army, out through Chengtian Gate.
 Among the capital’s various forces, the Five Cities Military Command was the weakest. In face of the deterrence from the Imperial Guard Army, now under Zhang Ping’s control, the Five Cities Military Command was a mere formality.
 And Duke An, after exiting Chengtian Gate, just like a fish in the ocean, disappeared into the group of 500 people including Sun Yang waiting outside, heading towards North City Gate.</div>
 

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Chapter 1048 - 1046: This Step Was in the Plan

Chapter 1048: Chapter 1046: This Step Was in the Plan As the strong arrows came whizzing, three trusted aides wrapped around the Emperor fought and retreated. One of them was incredibly strong, deflecting most of the attacks from the Crown Prince’s subordinates. During the melee, more than thirty trusted aides leaped down from the walls of Chaohua Palace to support, surprisingly buying some time for the Emperor, who was escorted away from the battle. On the other side of the battle, the Crown...

She Became A Downfall Noble Lady

Chapter 1048 - 1046: This Step Was in the Plan

She Became A Downfall Noble Lady - Chapter 1048 - 1046: This Step Was in the Plan