He Mingchi's appearance and departure had greatly impacted Li Huiyuan's mind. When he heard the news, his face turned paler and his eyes were filled with fear.
"How did they come back so soon?" He said in a trembling voice.
Li Yu sat down slowly with no expression.
If it had been a few days ago, she would not have reacted this way after hearing the news. With the return of the Tang Army in Helan City, the fact that she tampered with the edict must have been exposed. She had prepared many measures in advance. However, with the West-Hill Divine Palace calling for the world to fight against the Tang Empire, those measures had lost the possibility of success.
The eunuch said in a low voice, "Eunuch Chen from the Department of Rites is in the south of Wuzhou. He should have received the news in advance and is on his way. He should be able to stop them."
Li Yu was silent for a long time and then asked tiredly, "How many people from the Northern Battlefront Army are accompanying them?"
The eunuch replied in a low voice, "It is reported that there are 500 elite cavalrymen."
The number of people accompanying them was neither too many nor too few, which made Li Yu unable to judge General Xu Chi's intentions. She suddenly thought of a possibility and asked, "… Who else is there?"
The eunuch hesitated and said, "I heard that Mr. Thirteen of the Academy is also with them."
Hearing this name, Li Yu slightly frowned. The fear in Li Huiyuan's eyes became more and more intense. He had said that the Academy was useless now that the Headmaster of the Academy was dead. But in fact, as a Tang, especially as a prince, how could he not know what the Academy meant to the Tang Empire? How could he not be afraid?
"Royal sister, we have to do something."
He looked at Li Yu and said nervously, "He Mingchi has made his attitude clear. The Academy will definitely support that woman. At this time, we have no other choice but to do as He Mingchi says."
Who could resist the Academy? Looking at the world, only Haotian Taoism could do it.
Li Yu shook her head slowly and said, "I don't want to hear you say that again."
Li Huiyuan swallowed and did not give up trying to persuade her. He hurriedly said, "Surrendering doesn't mean the end of the Tang Empire. Taoism needs someone to rule the secular world and collect resources for them. Destroying the Tang Empire will do them no good. Compared to the barbarians of the Golden Palace, aren't we more suitable?"
The more he spoke, the more he felt that it made sense. He stood up excitedly and waved his arms, saying, "Those who opposed us have been killed by He Mingchi. We will push the blame on the Southern Gate Temple at tomorrow's court meeting. Royal Sister, you can ask the ministers who are loyal to you to stand up and support us in reaching an agreement with the West-Hill Divine Palace. Then the whole thing can be solved."
"How do we reach an agreement? Cede the land and pay reparations, disband the South School of Haotian Taoism, and seal the Academy? Or should we kowtow on Peach Mountain and beg for Haotian's forgiveness? "
Li Yu smiled at him and said, "You said that the Tang Empire is more suitable than the barbarians of the Golden Palace … More suitable for what? Is he more suitable to be a dog of the Dao Sect? "
Her heart was dead. Her right hand trembled slightly, but she did not slap Li Huiyuan's face like before because she found that it was meaningless.
"All these years, because of my mother, I always felt sorry for you. So I spoiled you, loved you, and pitied you. I didn't expect that I would spoil you like this."
Li Yu stood up and was ready to leave the palace.
Still holding her hand, Li Huiyuan was brought down from the bed.
He looked at Li Yu's back and shouted in horror, "Royal Sister, are you going to kill me?"
Li Yu smiled sadly and said, "You are my brother. I promised my mother that I would take good care of you. Why would I kill you? Now I finally understand what He Mingchi meant … Your Majesty, no matter how shameless you are, as long as you are alive, I will protect you. I can't let that woman hurt you. The Tang Empire, which is in a storm, will fall into internal strife because of my selfishness. How can the West-Hill Divine Palace not be happy to see this? "
…
…
The world was in chaos and the Tang Empire was in danger because of the departure of the Headmaster of the Academy and His Majesty. No one thought that the Tang Empire could still be as powerful as before. However, the Tang Empire's performance in this war was even more disappointing than people had expected, especially the Academy in the south of Chang 'an.
The Academy was the foundation of the Tang Empire and the guardian of the Tang Empire. Even if the Headmaster of the Academy had left, there were still many powerhouses and scheming bigwigs in the Academy. What confused many invaders and disappointed and angered all the Tangs was that the Academy had remained silent since the beginning of the war.
When the West-Hill Divine Palace's edict calling for the world to fight against the Tang Empire spread throughout the world, the Academy had closed its doors. To be more precise, the doors of the Academy had never been opened since the moment the Headmaster of the Academy ascended to Heaven.
The Academy did not have a main door, only a side door.
The side door of the Academy led directly to the back of the mountain. That was the real door.
The newly recruited students in the front yard were dismissed on the spot. They took the letters written by the professors of the Academy and left the stone square with their luggage. They went to Chang 'an City and worked for the imperial court.
As for the instructors of the Academy, they received a letter from the back of the mountain. The letter said calmly that those who wanted to stay in the Academy could stay, and those who wanted to leave could leave.
Cao Zhifeng, the Associate Professor of Etiquette, was a Yan. He chose to leave. The two instructors of Mathematics were from the South Jin Kingdom, but they insisted on staying. According to statistics, 70% of the instructors from foreign countries ended up staying in the Academy.
In their words, they were from the South Jin Kingdom, Yuelun Kingdom, Song Empire, and West-Hill Empire. They were not Tangs, but they were from the Academy.
After that, there was still no movement from the Academy. There were no more letters from the back of the mountain. Some professors were nowhere to be found, and the rest of the instructors had to stay in the front yard behind the closed doors to do their own studies.
Even if the world was going to be destroyed tomorrow, they still had to do what they had to do.
One day in late autumn, Chang 'an City gradually calmed down from the chaos, but it was not completely peaceful yet. The Yulin Royal Guards rode on horses and vigilantly watched the streets. The runners of the Chang' an Local Government were busy running around, and the Fish-dragon Gang were looking for the people they wanted to find in the narrow alleys and dark brothels.
The City Gate Department was ordered to close the city gates. Except for the caravans that delivered grain to the states near the capital, no one was allowed to enter or leave. Chang 'an City became an isolated city, and they could no longer care about anything outside the city.
The Academy was located in the south of Chang 'an City, so it was naturally outside the city.
When Chang 'an City became an isolated city, the Academy also entered a situation of isolation and helplessness.
A giant chariot appeared in the meadow outside the Academy's gate.
Many of the layers of gauze had been torn, and the railings carved from gold and jade had many gaps and dirty old bloodstains. But it still looked solemn and dignified.
There were 64 powerful West-Hill Divine Guards beside the giant chariot, but now there were only a dozen left. The rest had died in the earth-shattering battle under the Xiao Mountain that night.
There was a tall figure in the thousands of layers of gauze in the chariot.
The tall figure's left hand was broken, but it still shone brightly.
It even seemed to suppress the brilliance of the Academy.
The Hierarch Lord of the West-Hill Divine Palace came to the Academy.
In the Xiao Mountain that night, he killed the Defender-general of the Tang Empire, Xu Shi. For this, dozens of West-Hill Divine Guards were sacrificed, and he also paid a heavy price with his left hand.
But at this time, he was still so powerful, even more powerful than before.
Xu Shi died in his hands. That was the reason.
…
…
More than a dozen West-Hill Divine Guards carried the giant chariot to the meadow.
Because the number of people had decreased, the West-Hill Divine Guards seemed to be struggling and moved very slowly.
But the slower they moved, the greater the pressure in front of the Academy's stone square.
The autumn wind seemed to be squeezed and began to wail.
The Academy did not have a gate, so the giant chariot did not break in.
There was a stone square in the Academy. The giant chariot did not stop, and the stone square broke into countless pieces.
Hearing the loud noise, the instructors in the front yard put down their pens and paper and hurried out of their rooms.
Then they saw the giant chariot.
Although they were the instructors in the front yard, they were all knowledgeable people who had read countless books and classics. Someone immediately recognized who the tall figure in the giant chariot was!
There was a cry of shock in the front yard of the Academy.
All the instructors showed a look of horror on their faces.
The Hierarch Lord of the West-Hill Divine Palace had come to the south of Chang 'an, to the Academy!
Had the Tang Empire been destroyed?
…
…
The Hierarch Lord slowly swept his thunderous eyes across the faces of the instructors through the broken gauze curtains. There was no emotion on his face. He asked, "Where is Huang He?"
No one answered him, because Professor Huang He had disappeared many days ago.
The Hierarch Lord's voice sounded again on the front yard of the Academy like thunder.
"Where is Mu Chu?"
Still no one answered.
The Hierarch Lord then asked the names of several professors.
Those people were not in the Academy.
The Hierarch Lord did not see any trace of the Tang Army. He said, "The Academy has sheltered the Tang Empire for thousands of years, but now it has been forgotten by Chang 'an. What a pity."
The giant chariot was lifted again and walked to the back of the Academy.
These ordinary Academy instructors were not in the eyes of Haotian Taoism.
The Hierarch Lord knew very well where the real Academy was.
…
…
The giant chariot passed through a narrow alley, which collapsed on both sides.
It passed through a wetland, and the fish in the water grass fled in fear.
When it passed through the old library, the Hierarch Lord looked up at a window on the second floor.
Then the giant chariot continued forward and entered the perennial clouds and mist on the mountainside of the Academy.
The aura of Heaven and Earth suddenly moved.
The giant chariot broke through the Grand Array that was not controlled by the Headmaster.
There was no way out of the beautiful mountains and clear waters.
There was a cliff plateau at the end of the tunnel.
The warm mountain breeze that was not like the autumn wind blew the gauze curtains on the giant chariot.
The Hierarch Lord looked at the scenery in front of him and was speechless.
He had planned for his whole life, and what he wanted to do most was to destroy the Academy.
Today, he finally came to the back of the Academy.
…
…
There was a pine tree in front of the cliff, but there was no boy under the pine tree. There were only two people playing chess.
The Hierarch Lord looked through the gauze and fell on the chessboard. He said, "I didn't expect that Mr. Song Qian was really meditating in the back of the Academy."
The Fifth Brother put down a black chess piece and then stood up. He bowed to the giant chariot that broke through the fog and said, "Song Qian and my Younger Brother greet the Hierarch Lord."
The Eighth Brother angrily objected and said, "I have a name. Why do I need you to bring me?"
The Fifth Brother said, "The Hierarch Lord knows me, but he doesn't know you. This means that it is universally acknowledged that my chess skills are better than yours."
The Eighth Brother became angrier after hearing this. He threw the white chess piece in his hand heavily on the chessboard. There was a crisp sound and the black and white chess pieces on the chessboard rolled restlessly.
The scenery of the back of the Academy changed.
The waterfall in the distance seemed to be still, the mirror lake on the cliff was rippling, the pine trees on the mountain seemed to have turned into countless soldiers, and the grass and flowers were like indifferent audiences.
The back of the Academy turned into a chessboard, full of killing intent.
The Hierarch Lord looked at the two under the pine trees and said, "You have already surpassed the Lanke Temple by comprehending the mysteries of heaven on the chessboard. However, you don't know what real killing intent is."
His voice was very soft, but after it passed through the gauze, it turned into countless muffled thunder.
The thunder exploded in the back of the Academy. The silver waterfall trembled slightly, the mirror lake swayed slightly, and the wind blew through the mountains. The pine trees rustled, and the grass and flowers bowed in fear. The chessboard showed signs of collapsing.
More than ten West-Hill Divine Guards carried the giant chariot and continued to the back of the mountain.
At this moment, a shrill wolf howl suddenly sounded in the mountain peak.
The sound of water splashing came from behind the iron-making house. The waterwheel was rolling, and a big white goose stood on it. It slowly rose out of the eaves and bent its neck to sing to the sky. The song was loud and clear.
On the meadow further away, an old yellow bull slowly raised its head and glanced at the pine forest.
With the appearance of the old yellow bull, the big white goose, and the little white wolf, the black and white chessboard in the back of the mountain of the Academy suddenly became stable, and the killing intent became even more awe-inspiring.
The chess pieces were not black and white, but had distinctive features.
Soldier, a brave soldier.
Soldier, a proud national soldier.
Chariot, a chariot that could carry ten thousand people.
…
…
The pine trees continued to rustle, and the aura of heaven and earth in the back of the mountain of the Academy turned into countless killing intents, attacking the giant chariot. The dozen West-Hill Divine Guards beside the chariot suddenly turned pale and spat out blood.
Among the layers of gauze, the tall figure leaned forward slightly, and finally became more serious.
"Abandoning the appearance of the chessboard and merging the two intents, the two of you are really good."
"It's a pity that this game is missing a few pieces."
"A horse is missing, and a marshal and a general are missing."
"The whole world is against the Tang Empire. How can the West-Hill Divine Palace think that the Academy will really stand by and do nothing? I've even guessed where Mr. First and the others have gone, but they will never come back. "
"Everything has been arranged to leave Chang 'an City empty, and the disciples of the Academy exhausted, so that I can come to the back of the mountain with peace of mind, and take what I want."
"Today, I come to the Academy to take the eye pestle of the God-stunning Array!"
"With the eye pestle in hand, I have Chang 'an City, and the Tang Empire will be destroyed by my hands!"
The Hierarch shouted, and then he laughed happily.
His laughter echoed in the quiet back of the mountain of the Academy.
"The Academy is empty now! There is no marshal or general, only you two idiots who are obsessed with chess, and these beasts. How can you stop me! "
The Hierarch Lord looked at the two under the pine and shouted, "Even if you can trap me in this game of chess, how long can you do it? Beasts will always be beasts! Don't even think about going against Heaven's Way to become a human, and how can a human go against Heaven's Way! "
"The Academy will be destroyed, and the Tang Empire will also be destroyed! What countless sages and mighty figures of Haotian Taoism have failed to do for thousands of years will become reality in my hands! "
"I will become the most dazzling god in Haotian's Divine Kingdom!"
The Fifth Brother and the Eighth Brother under the pine suddenly turned pale.
The howling of the wolves in the mountains became weaker, and the big white goose standing on the water cart no longer sang to the sky. Blood dripped from its beak, and the old yellow bull on the meadow looked more and more tired.
Behind the gauze, the Hierarch Lord's figure looked extremely tall and shining.
…
…
(And more.) (To be continued.) If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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