Gu Pan's finger moved over the arrow of the divine crossbow slowly, pausing for a moment when it passed by those amulets.
Gu Pan pulled back his finger and looked at the cloud boats in the sky, a complicated emotion in his eyes.
He was the vice commander of the magic army of Zhaoge City. Though his position sounded the same as before, it was actually a few levels higher, and he had a higher power. Yet, he was still a graduate of the external sect of Zhongzhou School, and now he was responsible for the defense of the cloud boats of Zhongzhou School; it was a preposterous thing to do.
However, there were too many people like him in the Imperial court and in the army, so the Imperial court couldn't dismiss all of them just because they were afraid of Zhongzhou School.
In the higher city gate tower, the chief commander of the Pure Heaven Bureau, Zhang Yi 'ai, was also looking at the sky, his narrowed eyes devoid of any emotion.
He was also a graduate of Zhongzhou School, but he had drifted away from Cloud-Dream Mountain after the turmoil of the Fiend Prison, and became the most loyal chancellor of the Emperor.
A dozen large cloud boats had cast a great shadow on Zhaoge City, and also cast a great shadow on everybody's mind.
It was evident that Zhongzhou School intended to use its power to suppress them. No matter how strong the defense of Zhaoge City was, it was impossible for it to withstand such a force; moreover, there were too many people in the Imperial court who were on the side of Cloud-Dream Mountain. Who knew how many officials in the Pure Heaven Bureau, the magic army and the government offices would change sides at the critical moment?
Zhang Yi 'ai remained silent, and he was ready to die in the battle.
Unlike other chancellors and generals, he had no chance of returning to Cloud-Dream Mountain.
Even if he were to die in the battle, he would still let Zhaoge City hold on for a while longer, until the masters of Yimaozhai came out to uphold justice, until the sword boats of Aoyama appeared in the southern sky, and until the Emperor left safely.
However, the Zhongzhou School couldn't conceal such a large force from anybody, and they didn't intend to conceal it from the world. The Imperial court had known it three days ago; but why hadn't Aoyama sent anyone here yet?
He retracted his gaze and looked at the city wall. He saw Gu Pan beside the divine crossbow. After a moment of silence, he said something to the deputy commander beside him.
The Jing Imperial Court had prepared for such a situation a long time ago. The magic army and the Pure Heaven Bureau had conducted many drills over the years, including one during the turmoil of the Fiend Prison. The chaotic situation in Zhaoge City was soon alleviated by the heavy cavalry and the flying sedan. The residents began to evacuate to the outside of the city in an orderly manner.
In particular, the deep mansions near the Imperial City were quickly emptied.
With the help of the guards of Taichang Temple and the Gu Clan, the Jing family successfully left Zhaoge City and arrived at the Zhao Garden outside the city. All of Chaotian knew that Jing Jiu was either the All in One Sword Devil or the reincarnation of the Immortal Jingyang, and that he had nothing to do with the Jing House in Zhaoge City; but nobody dared make things difficult for them.
Though Zhao Jue Ye had white hair on his head, he was in good spirits. He bowed to the Grandmaster Jing and led Jing Shang to the edge of the pond. Looking at the cloud boats in the sky, he said with a worried expression, "I don't think Zhaoge City will be able to hold out for much longer. You two have to take a rest for a while, and then head southward."
Jing Shang had a lot of white hair on his temples, but he was in good spirits. Hearing this, he felt startled, asking, "Uncle, aren't you going?"
The Aoyama Sect was the foundation of the Jing and Zhao families. The Jing family had to go to Aoyama if they headed southward.
"If Zhaoge City falls into the hands of the Zhongzhou School, it would be meaningless to retreat to Aoyama."
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Zhao Jue Ye's eyes, as he said, "I don't believe that Aoyama will allow them to act so arrogantly!"
After a moment of silence, Jing Shang said, "I'll bring my father and the others to Zhuozhou, and then come back to take a look with you."
…
…
Having finished inspecting the divine crossbows on the city wall, Gu Pan walked down a narrow staircase on the side of the city wall for a hundred feet, turned right, and entered a secret door.
There was a tunnel behind the secret door, leading to the foot of the city wall. There was a large space there, where all kinds of magic treasures were set up. The amulet scripts were carved on the walls, and the lines drawn by the cold silver were transmitted into the city wall continuously.
This large formation stretched for more than ten miles. It wasn't used to provide the indestructible magic power for the city wall of Zhaoge City, but to provide the yuanqi for the divine crossbows on the city wall.
If someone tried to destroy the city wall, the divine crossbows in Zhaoge City would become a pile of broken bronze and iron after firing a few times. Normally, even though Gu Pan was the commander of the magic army, he wouldn't be allowed to enter this place at such a critical moment because of his background in the Zhongzhou School. The Emperor trusted him very much. And according to the rules of the Imperial court, nobody could enter this place alone. Three qualified chancellors had to come with him.
Gu Pan was accompanied by two others. One of them was the deputy commander of the Pure Heaven Bureau, and the other was the assistant minister of the Rites Ministry, who was in charge of the small seal of the forbidding formation.
Standing on the high stone platform and looking down at the forbidding formation, his line of sight followed the cold silver lines upward, as if he wanted to see through the city wall and those divine crossbows. It was unclear what he was thinking.
The deputy commander of the Pure Heaven Bureau shot him a glance, but didn't say anything.
The assistant minister of the Rites Ministry looked a bit nervous, his face pale.
The forbidding formation had suddenly sensed something. As the green light spread out, a small black speck could be seen clearly, approaching from the south at an unimaginable speed.
Judging from its size, the black speck couldn't be the sword boat of Aoyama. Was it Yuan Qijing or Fang Jingtian who came alone? Or was it someone else?
Gu Pan raised his eyebrows slightly and raised his right hand, ready to order the magic army to strengthen the defense.
The deputy commander of the Pure Heaven Bureau shot him another glance, saying, "It's the Great Grandmaster of Shui Yue Nunnery. Don't be nervous."
Gu Pan pulled back his right hand from the air and placed it on the railing, his knuckles a bit pale.
…
…
It was a small green curtain sedan that came from the south.
The divine crossbows on the city wall didn't fire, and the Great Formation of the royal palace opened a passage, allowing the small green curtain sedan to stop in front of the grand hall of the royal palace like a falling leaf.
Countless gazes were fixed on the sedan from inside the grand hall, under the palace walls and behind the pillars.
The curtain of the small green curtain sedan quivered slightly. The people were curious, wondering if the Great Grandmaster who had never shown her face would show her true appearance today.
Why did she come here? Was it because of the cloud boats of the Zhongzhou School or some other significant event?
Nan Zheng walked out from the small green curtain sedan, her face a bit pale, the silvery bell on her wrist giving off a crisp sound.
The people were certain that she was not the Great Grandmaster of Shui Yue Nunnery, because her Cultivation state and age were both very low; so they couldn't help but feel startled.
Nan Zheng came before the grand hall and knelt down, saying, "Jing Xin has been taken away by the Immortal Tan. He should be on his way to Zhaoge City."
Hearing this, the chancellors and generals in the grand hall burst into an uproar, all of them looking up at the highest point.
The Emperor looked at the distance in Silence, his expression unchanged; it seemed that he had predicted this would happen.
The Great Formation of the royal palace had been activated. Even the cloud boats of the Zhongzhou School would have a hard time breaking in.
The chancellors in the grand hall were calm enough, but they couldn't be as calm as the Emperor. Their gazes followed the Emperor to look at the distance, passing through the broad square and the invisible barrier of the formation, and landed on a tall building with flying eaves outside the royal palace.
The tall building was the Yintian Gate in the south of the city.
The cloud boat of the Zhongzhou School was a cloud in the cloudless sky.
There was a cloud above the Yintian Gate as well.
A figure could be vaguely seen in the cloud, her white dress drifting out of the cloud once in a while, bringing out a few strands of silk. She was none other than Bai Zhenren of the Zhongzhou School.
…
…
"The court meeting for today is over. You can go back now, dear chancellors."
The Emperor withdrew his gaze from the distance and said to the people in the grand hall with a smile.
There were many factions in the Jing imperial court, so the high-ranking officials in the grand hall had their own standpoints. Some of them supported the Crown Prince Jing Yao; some of them were still obsessed with Prince Jing Xin; some of them were from the Center Sect, and some of them had studied at the One-Cottage House for many years. But hearing this, regardless of their standpoints, the chancellors all felt a strong sense of sorrow.
This should be the last court meeting of His Majesty.
Prime Minister Cen slowly walked out of the ranks, then slowly knelt down and bowed to the Emperor. His hair was as white as snow.
Then, the State Dukes, chancellors, and generals of the Immortal Army stepped out of the ranks and knelt down in front of the throne. No matter which faction they belonged to, they were all sincere.
The Emperor didn't seem to have expected this scene. He was slightly startled, then he laughed heartily and said, "It seems that being imprisoned in this palace for more than three hundred years is not a loss."
After saying this, he got up from the throne and came to the chancellors. He first helped the elderly Prime Minister Cen up, then slowly helped the other chancellors up.
When he finally helped the young Deputy Commander of the Northern Immortal Army up, this military general who killed without blinking in the Northern Borderline was already in tears and couldn't stand steadily.
Under the watchful eyes of the chancellors, the Emperor walked out of the grand hall, looked into the distance and asked, "Is it going to start now?"
His voice was like the sunshine in spring, warm and far away. It floated in the grand imperial city and then spread to the Yintian Gate more than ten miles away.
Bai Zhenren stood on the Yintian Gate. The mist around him gradually dispersed, revealing an indescribably real face.
She said indifferently, "Your Majesty, the Zhongzhou School has always respected you, so before you leave, nothing will start."
The Emperor clasped his hands behind his back, his yellow robe fluttering. He said with a smile, "After I leave, what can the Zhongzhou School do?"
"Why do you have to do this, Your Majesty? We all know what's going to happen. "
Bai Zhenren said, "Who in the imperial court, the major Cultivation sects, the merchants and the populace will accept a son of a vixen as the Emperor of the human race?"
In a room to the side of the grand hall, the Royal Concubine Hu and the Crown Prince Jing Yao were watching the conversation from more than ten miles away by the window. Hearing the voice of Bai Zhenren, a hint of anger showed on Royal Concubine Hu's face, but Jing Yao remained calm and held his mother's hand. The expression on Royal Concubine Hu's face eased a bit, but a hint of sadness showed in the deep end of her eyes.
The chancellors in the grand hall didn't show much reaction, because they all knew what the Zhongzhou School wanted. The chancellors who had the background of the Zhongzhou School remained silent, and those who had the opposite opinion could do nothing but remain silent.
Bai Zhenren continued, "We won't force the Emperor to change the Will or depose the Crown Prince. In short, we won't do anything. You can go back peacefully."
Hearing this, the palace fell into a dead silence.
She mentioned going back, the Will, and deposing the Crown Prince.
That meant that everything had been explained.
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