The ministers looked at Huai Tongren lying in a pool of blood and sighed.
They felt a chill in their hearts. Li Qiao glanced at High Duke Wang. "High Duke, as long as you are willing to agree, I believe that all the lords will be willing to surrender, and the current situation will be resolved. As for you … you don't have to wait for the Second Prince. He can't protect you now.
After all, you're a smart person and you should do what a smart person should do. "
Duke Wang knew very well that he couldn't turn the situation around.
However, he was the same as Na Yan when he said that he would rather die with bones. He would rather die than become someone else's eunuch!
"Li Qiao, do it."
"Are you really not afraid of death?"
"Even if I surrender, Marquis Pingyang will still kill me."
Duke Wang had expected this. If a person like Li Wenshi really ascended the throne, how could he let him stay in the court? He was sparing his life now, but sooner or later, he would die.
It was better to die than to drag out an ignoble existence.
Li Qiao pondered in his heart. His father had ordered him to kill anyone who disobeyed.
The palace was already in a mess. He couldn't let the situation in Yangxin Hall continue to deteriorate.
He could only kill!
His eyes flashed with ruthlessness as he ordered, "Fine, forgive me for not remembering the past. Kill!"
The surrounding guards raised their swords to kill him.
Fortunately, Jing Rong and his men arrived in time.
Dozens of soldiers rushed in and took control of the situation.
At this time, the hall was filled with thick smoke. The fire had already spread.
Jing Rong wore his armor and looked cold. He ordered Lang Po beside him, "Take these old officials away."
Lang Po obeyed and wanted to bring them out safely.
"No one is allowed to leave!" Li Qiao shouted. He looked at the situation that was out of control, "Who are you?"
Jing Rong stepped forward and said coldly, "Li Qiao, take a good look. The palace is surrounded by the army. You have nowhere to run. I advise you to surrender!"
"The army?"
"Marquis Pingyang has been captured in Tongzhi Hall. Your plan to seize the throne has failed."
"Impossible!" Li Qiao's face was flushed. Holding onto hope, he looked out of the hall that was illuminated by the fire and shouted, "Someone, someone!"
No matter how loudly he screamed, the army guarding outside remained indifferent.
The truth was right before their eyes.
Jing Rong said, "There's no need to shout. Your troops have yet to enter the city."
Li Qiao's face turned green. His hand, which was holding the sword, was extremely numb. He asked in confusion, "Why did this happen?"
The troops had already entered the city last night!
Jing Rong told him the truth.
Li Qiao, who had always been conceited, naturally couldn't accept it. He said, "If you want me to surrender, you might as well kill me."
The people of the Li family all had backbone!
He refused to lay down his arms and surrender. He took his men and swore to fight to the last man.
Jing Rong met him with a single sword. The smoke in the hall grew thicker and thicker. The fire that started from the sacrificial altar had already spread into the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Outside the hall, cries for help and the loud noise of roof beams and tiles collapsing could be heard. Lang Po led the old courtiers away from the palace, while Li Qiao,
He led his men and planned to break out of the encirclement, intending to go to Tongzhi Hall to save his father. But when he realized that this was an impossible task —
He chose to take an unconventional approach!
They planned to perish together!
He used all methods to pin down Jing Rong, trapping both of them in Mental Cultivation Hall.
The two of them fought fiercely, but neither could break free from the other.
They were both riddled with injuries!
The fire raged around them …
They were completely trapped inside.
They couldn't get out!
The people outside couldn't get in either.
The courtiers were safe and sound. The palace maids and eunuchs had also safely evacuated. Only Li Qiao and Jing Rong had yet to come out of Mental Cultivation Hall.
Lang Po saw that the situation was not good and immediately sent people to extinguish the fire.
He drenched himself with cold water.
He rushed in.
The fire blocked his view and the way forward.
He only saw his Prince fighting with Li Qiao in the sea of fire.
"Your Highness!" he shouted.
But the fire made the wooden stakes inside crackle, and the sound couldn't be heard at all.
He crazily tried to rush in but was pulled back by several soldiers.
"You can't go in anymore. You'll die."
"Let go!"
The soldiers struggled to drag him out.
They were fighting fiercely inside. In the last move, Jing Rong stabbed Li Qiao in the chest.
Li Qiao was sweating profusely. He knelt on one knee and stabbed his sword into the ground.
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
He raised his head and grinned ferociously with his mouth full of blood.
His smile was extremely sinister.
Then, he fell to the ground.
He didn't move.
He was already dead.
Jing Rong stood in front of him with a bloodstained sword in his hand. A trace of sympathy flashed in his eyes.
In the end, Li Qiao was just a chess piece in his father's hands.
Seeing that the fire was getting bigger, Jing Rong couldn't care less about the corpse in front of him. He dragged his injured body and walked out.
But the wooden stakes on the roof had collapsed, blocking the way to the door.
It was extremely difficult to get out.
When Lang Po was being pulled out, he saw his Prince coming out.
He shouted, "Quickly get water!"
The soldiers rushed to get water to save him.
Lang Po took this opportunity to rush in again, trying to bring Jing Rong out.
Jing Rong used all his strength to kick away the obstacles in front of him. He was about to get out.
But …
Suddenly, a sword stabbed him from behind.
It went straight through his heart.
The tip of the sword was dripping with blood.
Drop by drop, it flowed down.
Behind him, Li Qiao used his last breath to stab with his sword.
"My Li family … will never lose!"
He pulled the sword out of Jing Rong's body and took his last breath.
His body fell backward.
Drowned in the sea of fire …
Dead!
Jing Rong looked at the blood flowing out of his chest. His already wounded body slowly fell to the ground.
Lang Po's eyes widened as he witnessed this scene.
His mind buzzed for a few seconds, and the burning stakes in the hall kept smashing down.
The soldiers caught him, who had lost his mind.
"Your Highness, Your Highness!" He shouted until the veins in his neck were about to burst.
His eyes turned red.
Through the flames, he could vaguely see Jing Rong's body hanging on the ground.
"Your Highness!"
The collapsed wooden pillars had completely blocked Jing Rong's way out.
Jing Rong no longer had the strength to support himself out of the sea of fire. His eyes pierced through the swaying flames and met Lang Po's tearful gaze.
His chapped lips moved a few times.
Then, he said one sentence …
As soon as he finished speaking, his vision became blurry.
The fiery flames gradually turned into dazzling beams of white light.
He closed his eyes.
At this moment, Ji Yunshu's clean, delicate, and smiling face was deeply imprinted in his mind.
He wanted to see her so much. He wanted to hug her so much.
Scenes of the past flashed through his mind.
From Jinjiang to the capital, from the capital to Houliao, from Great Lin to Huyi.
He remembered the first time they met. She was dressed in men's clothing, elegant and refined. Just one look and they were destined to be together for life.
Two years, three winters.
They had experienced countless life and death situations.
He wanted to be by her side and use his whole life to fill up her heart that was full of wounds.
But …
'Yunshu, I'm sorry.'
Above them, the burning beams made a loud noise and smashed down.
Sparks spread.
Yangxin Hall was engulfed in a sea of fire.
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