Niao Ni
Chapter 559: Seizing the Flag, Seizing the Momentum, Seizing the Heart (Another Plea for Monthly Tickets)
Many did not react, including both the rebel army and the imperial guards on the city walls. Tens of thousands of people stared blankly at the scene, unable to believe their eyes. Such a massive bolt piercing through a cavalryman’s body seemed more like an iron rod of divine punishment, slamming down fiercely from the heavens.
A deathly silence, a chilling fear, spread across the plaza.
On the fallen cavalryman, the three standard-bearing officers also did not react. They stared blankly at the cavalryman turned into a bloody pulp before them, at the juice of squeezed-out viscera on the ground, unsure of how to respond.
Horses were different from men. Even the finest warhorses, chosen from thousands, felt the fear of the crossbow bolt upon witnessing the scene. Instinctively, the three steeds neighed in unison, bolting sideways and backwards in fright.
Moments later, two military banners fluttered in the morning breeze… but returned to the rebel ranks in disarray. The other, a bright yellow dragon flag, fell miserably onto the plaza, rolled into a ball, looking utterly wretched.
The soldier holding the dragon flag had been startled by the city defense crossbow, and his steed, panicked, had bolted uncontrollably. He had failed to maintain his grip, dropping the dragon flag to the ground!
Tens of thousands of Qing soldiers above and below the imperial city were still deathly silent, but their gazes had shifted from the bloody mess on the plaza to the flag. It was the flag representing the Qing Dynasty's imperial dignity, the flag representing the Qing army's invincible will – the flag that should always fly at the forefront of the army, an unyielding flag, now lying miserably on the ground!
The emotions in tens of thousands of pairs of eyes were complex: anger, resentment, something amiss.
On the imperial city, Fan Xian squinted at the scene, smiling at the First Prince beside him. “Effective, wouldn’t you say?”
The First Prince did not reply, thinking that the Crown Prince had launched his rebellion today, and yet even the dragon flag had been lost. A truly great embarrassment.
The imperial guards on the city walls suddenly erupted in a unified cheer, a resounding slap in the face to the tens of thousands of rebel soldiers below.
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At that moment, the dismounted cavalryman who had lost the flag returned to the rebel camp. He sat on his horse, head lowered, trembling, knowing that he would face severe punishment under military law. As a flag bearer, it was a position of such honor, and yet he had dropped the dragon flag on the ground.
The hundred cavalrymen in the rebel camp gradually parted, and Crown Prince Li Chengqian, clad in bright armor, slowly walked out, flanked by several generals. He only glanced at the cavalryman, saying nothing more.
The Crown Prince's gaze was gentle, but the cavalryman felt immense shame. With a bite of his lip, he turned his horse, preparing to rush back to the plaza and retrieve the fallen dragon flag, even if it meant his death.
Just then, unexpectedly, a general beside the Crown Prince spurred his horse forward, arriving beside the cavalryman. “In the clash of armies, he who loses the flag shall be executed!”
As the word "executed" left his lips, the cavalryman shuddered, instinctively closing his eyes but striving to stand tall. Then, he felt a coldness on his neck.
The general sheathed his blade and returned, not glancing at the cavalryman's fallen corpse. He snorted coldly, kicked his horse's flanks, and the steed shot out like lightning, instantly charging out of the rebel camp and straight toward the plaza beneath the imperial city.
Directly towards the dragon flag crumpled on the ground!
Not all of the tens of thousands of rebel soldiers recognized this general, but they knew what he was about to do, and their hearts trembled. Their blood surged, and tens of thousands of people roared in unison, chanting rhythmically.
In this iron-blooded, awe-inspiring roar, the general’s steed flew like a dragon, its four hooves seemingly airborne, charging like an arrow straight toward the imperial city.
Riding alone across the empty plaza, watched by all, charging beneath the crossbow bolts of the imperial city – how heroic!
The horse was extremely fast, and the rider's horsemanship was even more superb. Though seemingly charging in a straight line towards the imperial city, he was actually moving along an odd trajectory. While it added some distance, his momentum was overwhelming. In a mere moment, he reached the center of the plaza.
Even now, the city defense crossbows on the imperial city had not fired a single bolt.
The imperial guards and Surveillance Bureau officials beside the massive city defense crossbows were sweating coldly. They simply could not track the rebel general's path. Even at such high speed, he seemed able to keenly sense the firing rate and defensive range of the imperial city's crossbows.
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes, watching the scene. He felt as if only a blink had passed, and the rebel general had already charged to his feet, to the dragon flag.
The terrifying power of the city defense crossbow had just been demonstrated once, and yet this rebel general had resolutely charged forward. His momentum and courage were truly admirable. For some reason, Fan Xian suddenly thought of Wang Shisanlang, and his heart stirred slightly.
His hand was about to rise, but with great willpower, he commanded himself to slowly lower it. This small movement did not escape the First Prince's notice, as the First Prince was also watching the single-man drama of two armies vying for dominance before the imperial city with a stern face.
In battle, momentum came first. The flag *bian shi* (was) momentum. To seize the flag *bian shi* (was) to seize the momentum!
The rebel general on horseback reached the dragon flag without slowing down. With superb horsemanship, he hung off one side of the horse, reached down with one hand, and easily picked up the dragon flag.
Although Fan Xian had lowered his hand, the team responsible for operating the city defense crossbows was unwilling to miss this excellent opportunity. They triggered the heavy spring latch of the crossbow.
With a muffled thud, the thick imperial city seemed to tremble as the giant bolt was fired.
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A horse's neigh rose to the sky. The rebel general beneath the imperial city seemed to have anticipated the crossbow's firing, raising the reins and kicking his steed's flanks an instant before. With a roar, he made his steed rear up on its hind legs!
The warhorse's front hooves hung in the air. Its massive body was forced to twist, creating an eye-popping suspension in the air. The rebel general held the bright yellow dragon flag in one hand, and fiercely pulled on the reins with the other, leaning diagonally on the rearing warhorse. Bathed in the morning sun, he was incomparably valiant.
Just then, the giant city defense crossbow bolt shot before them, grazing the warhorse's belly, and stabbing downwards at an angle!
The iron crossbow bolt, as thick as a child's arm, embedded itself into the bluestone slabs of the plaza.碎石乱飞 (broken stones flew everywhere), yet not a single hair on the rebel general's body was injured.
The rebel general swiveled his left elbow, and the reins were tightened again. The steed turned its head to the left with a neigh, both hooves landing on the ground. Every muscle in its body tensed and relaxed, like a wisp of light smoke, galloping straight back, elegantly returning to the rebel camp, to the side of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
The rebel general did not dismount. He simply planted the bright yellow dragon flag heavily on the ground. The flagpole sank into the earth, standing tall. The dragon flag fluttered in the morning breeze once more, radiating brilliantly.
Then, he turned his horse, and silently looked at the two small black dots on the imperial city.
In just a few breaths, this rebel general had achieved what most people could never achieve. From the moment he charged out of the camp, tens of thousands of rebel soldiers began to shout. As he retrieved the dragon flag and galloped back to the camp, the cheers of tens of thousands of people grew louder and louder...
And when this rebel general planted the dragon flag back into the ground, the cheers of the rebel soldiers finally reached a crescendo as the flag fluttered in the wind!
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"Magnificent..." Fan Xian gently wiped the cold sweat from his palms. At this moment, he voiced an opinion that a commander should absolutely not voice. "In my Great Qing army, there are indeed countless brave generals. No wonder we sweep across the land, invincible."
Fan Xian smiled and said, “It’s Gong Dian… He has been the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards for so many years. Naturally, his understanding of the city defense crossbows is much better than yours and mine. Moreover, he himself is an eighth-rank expert. With the precious body of a general, he bravely risked his life to seize the flag. Such courage is truly admirable.”
The First Prince frowned slightly and said, “So it’s him… No wonder, no wonder… General Gong has grazed horses on the borders of Dingzhou since childhood. His horsemanship was learned from the Hu people. He is known as the number one in the army.”
This was not the first time Fan Xian had heard of Gong Dian's background. He quietly watched the rebel camp and discovered that most of the generals surrounding the Crown Prince were from the Qin family, while it seemed that only Gong Dian from the Ye family of Dingzhou was present.
Gong Dian, the former Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards and Minister of the Imperial Bodyguard, and once a confidant of Emperor Qing, was imprisoned by Emperor Qing under a trumped-up charge, exploiting the Suspended Temple incident, due to his suspicion of the Ye family.
Fan Xian had participated in the Suspended Temple incident from beginning to end, and had even suffered a severe injury. Many of the secrets within remained unclear, but he knew that His Majesty's suspicion had brought many terrifying opposing forces to today's capital.
Fan Xian's heart stirred again. Princess, Chen Pingping, and Lin Ruofu had all said on different occasions that His Majesty had no major weakness in his life, but he could be defeated because of his suspicion.
The First Prince suddenly raised his head and said, "It's a draw."
Fan Xian nodded. He knew what the First Prince meant by "draw". The rebel army was besieging the palace with great momentum. With the palace's defenses, it could not hold out for more than a few days. Therefore, they had to seize the initiative and use the most direct means to undermine the rebel army's morale. Although they did not dare to hope that they could seize the flag and夺其军心 (seize their hearts), they could at least prevent the enemy from charging in one breath and form a slower pace of attack.
That was why there was such a tragic assassination in front of Zhengyang Gate, and why the city defense crossbow was used for the first time in half a century. Even if only one person was killed, it was intended to chill the hearts of the rebel soldiers.
However, Gong Dian's elegant flag retrieval had turned the momentum back. Fortunately, although the rebel army was now resurgent, judging from their formation, they should not attack immediately.
The rebel army had a clear advantage. Why wouldn't they attack immediately? Fan Xian could deduce several reasons. The imperial palace had natural defensive advantages. The walls were high and thick, the crossbows were strong, and the hearts were united. The palace's forces were in a desperate situation, and if the rebel army attacked, the rebound in fighting force from such a desperate situation would have to be considered carefully by the Crown Prince.
And the most crucial question was, who would attack?
"Although the heavenly soldiers and generals I hoped for have not yet arrived," Fan Xian said with a gentle smile to the First Prince, "I think the rebel army also has a headache. They are not a monolithic entity. In name, both the Ye and Qin families support the Crown Prince, but what does the Crown Prince think? Ye Zhong is the Second Prince's father-in-law..."
He raised his hand and pointed to a distant army on the right. "The Second Prince and Ye Zhong should be over there. Do you think the Crown Prince is willing to let the Qin family charge into battle and allow the Second Prince to reap the benefits?"
The First Prince said calmly, "Of course, the Second Prince is also unwilling to let his father-in-law take the lead. He has many things on his mind. If all the last resources are used up, how will Chengqian deal with him in the future? I believe he knows this very well."
"Exactly." Fan Xian gently patted the bluestone wall of the imperial city, looking at the rebel camp slowly approaching the imperial city in front of him, and said softly, "Our two brothers both have ulterior motives. Without proper negotiation, they won't be able to fight."
"Of course, no matter how you look at it, they are lions and we are antelopes... But they don't want to suffer too many losses, so they will definitely try to persuade us to surrender." Fan Xian said with a lowered head, "The Crown Prince is a gentle person."
The Crown Prince was fighting under the banner of righteousness. He was not rebelling, so if he didn't say a few high-sounding words and attacked like this, wouldn't he be starting without a proper excuse to justify the action?
Fan Xian was certain that this was something that all rebels could never do, so he quietly waited for Crown Prince Li Chengqian to speak.
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Tens of thousands of rebel soldiers had gathered and formed ranks, slowly pressing towards the imperial city. The dark mass looked like dark clouds pressing down on the city, causing great trepidation. The cloud-like rebel army stopped two arrows' distance from the imperial city. From the crowd, several people slowly rode out from the rebel camp. It was the Crown Prince and his important generals.
The Crown Prince was surrounded by the Qin family's generals, while Gong Dian, who had displayed such elegance earlier, was two horse-lengths away.
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and watched the scene, discerning many details. Gong Dian followed the Crown Prince, which was definitely the Ye family's expression of loyalty. However, the Crown Prince did not have much trust in the Ye family.
To the Crown Prince's right was Old Master Qin. This old man had put on his armor again today, armor he had not worn in many years. His aged face held the killing intent accumulated over countless years on the battlefield. His once cloudy eyes stared at the younger generation on the imperial city like an eagle. He showed no signs of age at all.
With Old Master Qin's status and authority in the Qing court, there was no doubt that he was the core leader of today's rebel army. The Empress Dowager trusted him, and the Crown Prince also trusted him. He had repaid the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince with sufficiently strong support.
However, a few strands of white hair peeked out from the armor, fluttering in the morning breeze of the capital, looking somewhat lonely.
Fan Xian had excellent eyesight. He silently watched the veteran of the Qing military. For some reason, he thought of the 1998 World Cup semi-final between Brazil and the Netherlands, when Zagallo walked along the sidelines, his few white hairs being blown around pitifully.
Not spacing out, not daydreaming, but simply a subconscious recollection. Fan Xian took a deep breath, thinking that Zagallo's family had generations of meritorious service, and after winning that game, it was still a dismal end. How could you, Old Master Qin, be an exception!
Just then, Old Master Qin, who was being cursed by Fan Xian, glanced at the Crown Prince and slowly began to speak to the imperial guards on the imperial city. "You are soldiers of Qing. How dare you aid Fan Xian, the regicidal traitor? Prince He, listen to the proclamation..."
As soon as Old Master Qin spoke, the air in the plaza above the entire imperial city buzzed!
Fan Xian's pupils constricted. He and the First Prince exchanged a look, both seeing the horror in each other's eyes - Old Master Qin had such powerful cultivation, such profound skill!
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Fan Xian quietly wiped the sweat on his palms on the bluestone. He had been guessing who the true expert in the Qin family was, but he had never imagined that the ninth-rank expert hidden within the Qin family was actually Old Master Qin himself!
That frail old man was actually a ninth-rank supreme expert!
This fact suddenly rushed into Fan Xian's heart, making his face unsightly. Under the fame, there were indeed no undeserved reputations! The Qin family had been in power for decades, and Old Master Qin had always sat in the position of the number one in the Qing military. Even the arrogant Yan Xiaoyi was extremely respectful to him. There was indeed a reason for this.
Fan Xian's right index finger trembled slightly, not out of fear, but out of excitement. It had been so difficult to snipe Yan Xiaoyi at the time. Sniping this old man today would definitely be more rewarding.
However, when he glanced at Gong Dian, who was silently following in the rebel camp, his right index finger returned to calm once more. He opened his mouth and shouted to the bottom of the city, "Qin Ye!"
Old Master Qin had not finished his first sentence yet, but Fan Xian had already shouted these two words. These two words were mixed with his overbearing *zhenqi* (true energy). Although it was not as pure and grand as Old Master Qin's voice, it was exceptionally violent, instantly suppressing Old Master Qin's voice!
Tens of thousands of people above and below the city simultaneously turned their gazes towards Fan Xian on the imperial city.
Old Master Qin frowned slightly, seemingly not expecting Fan Xian's *zhenqi* (true energy) to be so powerful. He also did not expect that he would hear this name that he had not heard for a long time beneath the imperial city.
Qin Ye? In this world, besides the Empress Dowager, who else dared to call him that?
Fan Xian dared to. The faces of the Qin family's generals beside the Crown Prince revealed expressions of anger.
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"Qin Ye!"
Fan Xian shouted again, his voice echoing around the imperial palace, shocking everyone's minds, and also capturing Old Master Qin's attention.
Separated by a very far distance, under the gaze of all, Fan Xian looked at where Old Master Qin was, and said quietly, "You only have one son. Where is he?"
Qin Heng entered through Zhengyang Gate and was supposed to arrive the closest, however, until now, the rebel army had already surrounded them, but he had not arrived. The rebel generals had already been secretly worried about this matter, and hearing Fan Xian's words at this moment, they could not help but feel a surge of fear.
Old Master Qin's eyes narrowed, but there was no overly shocked expression.
After a slight pause, Fan Xian opened his mouth and said in a cold voice, "You should have guessed something... That's right, your eldest son was killed with one spear by my subordinate Jing Ge in the camp, and Qin Heng was sniped by the Surveillance Bureau at Zhengyang Gate today!"
"You dare to betray His Majesty, and I will make your Old Qin family… childless and without descendants!"
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What vicious words, what heart-piercing barbs! Instantly, the battlefield fell into a suffocating silence once more. The First Prince glanced at him, lowered his voice, and said, "It doesn't seem like a good choice to enrage the old man at this time."
Fan Xian's gaze was level, staring at where Crown Prince Li Chengqian was, and said quietly, "I just want to see, if the old guy goes crazy, and the Crown Prince doesn't, whether some more problems will arise between them."
The development of the situation did not continue according to Fan Xian's plan. After hearing Fan Xian's vicious words, the old man Qin only lowered his head slowly, and then slowly raised his head again. The aged face covered by armor was completely indifferent, without a trace of emotional change.
"Fan Xian, I will first thank you for helping this old man resolve a question that has lingered for many years." Old Master Qin said slowly, his voice spreading in all directions, "My eldest son was killed in the camp, that murderer should have died in prison, and later, when I checked the files, that was indeed the case, but I could never find that murderer's corpse... Only now do I know that he was taken in by that old black dog."
The military veteran said slowly, "I will leave you with a whole corpse, as for Chen Pingping, I will have him suffer a thousand cuts and ten thousand slices."
"As for Qin Heng, this old man has always had confidence in this child. Even if you can stop him for a moment at Zhengyang Gate, how can you do anything to him?" Old Master Qin said coldly, "Even if he dies, so what? A general is bound to die in battle. If he dies in your scheme, then he will die gloriously."
"Childless and without descendants?... I have never even feared your妖女(siren) mother, do you think you can enrage this old man with just these two sentences?" Old Master Qin looked at the younger generation on the city wall with a mocking gaze, saying each word one by one.
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"The old guy is already crazy, let's see how long he can pretend... When old men are dying, they seem to say a lot of nonsense."
Like Old Master Qin, Fan Xian had finally learned a secret that he had long suspected. He sighed in his heart, turned his eyes slightly, looked sincerely at the Crown Prince beside Old Master Qin, and spoke sincerely before the Crown Prince could open his mouth:
"Chengqian, surrender."
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(Sincerely say: Everyone, please give your monthly votes...)
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