Mo Xiangbin sprang from his seat in shock and questioned that guard, “What on earth happened?”
The guard knelt on the ground with a pale face and couldn’t speak fluently.
“Somebody, somebody leads soldiers to break the south gate and they come to attack the imperial palace. Our people can’t stop them. Your Majesty, you’d better run away!”
“Bastard, what are you talking about?” Mo Xiangbin got furious and stepped forward to kick away this guard.
Mo Junyu reacted first and stopped Mo Xiangbin from killing the guard.
Then he advised in a deep voice, “Father, now the most important thing is to check who is so bold as to turn against the imperial court, and then we have to figure out a way to resist the enemies.
“This guy who upset us deserves to die, but he just came from outside and knows better about the situation. We need to keep him alive and give him a chance to make amends.”
The guard also realized that he had said something wrong, so he kowtowed repeatedly to admit his fault.
He slapped himself in the face and echoed Mo Junyu. “I know I was wrong. Your Majesty, please spare me. I swear to protect you and won’t shrink back.”
“Fine. Get up and answer my questions!” Mo Xiangbin interrupted the guard impatiently.
In an emergency, he listened to Mo Junyu’s advice and dragged up the guard, asking, “What is going on outside? Tell me now.”
The guard didn’t dare to delay and told them in detail that they had been attacked when they were patrolling tonight.
It was the City Guardian Army’s job to guard the capital city at night, but it was the Mid-autumn Festival, so only a half of the soldiers were patrolling, and they were not on high alert like before.
Even some guards on duty had drunk.
Nobody expected that something bad would happen at such a big day. They just patrolled as the daily task and prepared to go back to the camp to celebrate the festival after going around randomly.
At this time, the south gate was broken all of a sudden, and a group of soldiers dressed in military officers’ uniform of the Mo Country rushed in, defeating the soldiers from the City Guardian Army who hadn’t reacted.
The guard who came to report was named Wu Zhi, the leader of a patrolling team of the City Guardian Army. He escaped under the cover of his subordinates and ran to send the message.
“When I entered the imperial palace, the unknown army had conquered the south street and headed to the north. They are going to attack the palace!” Wu Zhi tried not to show that he was dispirited.
But every word he had said scared all the women and children as well as the old to wet themselves.
Even their emperor looked anxious and didn’t know what to do, not to mention saying something to comfort the frightened noblemen.
“Your Majesty, the rebellious soldiers came from the south palace, and the first to be attacked would be the front halls. The women’s residence would be safer.”
Mo Junyang’s distant voice was heard and poured into the boiling brains of all people, like a clear stream. Even if he couldn’t calm them down, his logical explanation gave them some comfort.
The imperial garden of the Mo Country was between the front halls and the women’s residence at the back and was safer than the front halls.
Hearing Mo Junyang’s words, Mo Xiangbin seemed to have found a savior and kept grabbing his hand while asking in anxiety, “Junyang, do you have a solution?”
“Please order the women, the old and young to hide at the back and the officials to stay here and resist the enemies with you to protect the imperial palace.”
Mo Junyang unhurriedly arranged for the people present and all of them nodded repeatedly while looking at him with expectancy.
It seemed that Mo Junyang was everybody’s savior.
Mo Xiangbin instantly told them to do as Mo Junyang said and then asked, “What should we do next? We don’t even know who the betrayers are. How would we resist the enemies?”
The enemies in the dark could frustrate them easily.
Moreover, these betrayers had broken the first defense of the capital city in a flash and scared the shit out of the City Guardian Army. No wonder all people present including the emperor and officials didn’t have the confidence to fight back.
Mo Junyang still looked calm. Meeting all people’s anxious eyes, he told Wei Ziye to go out to inquire about the situation.
Then he started to transfer soldiers in no hurry. “Now the Shi Army is still suppressing the traitors in the south and might not be able to help in time, but we still have imperial guards in the capital. We can tell the City Guardian Army to guard the river between the north and the south of the capital first, especially the bridge on the river, to stop the betrayers from entering the north of the city. Then we order the imperial guards to divide into two parts to guard the outer ring and inside of the imperial palace respectively, so they would form three layers of defense line.”
Hearing the arrangement, Mo Xiangbin stated joyfully while his eyes lit up, “Right! Right! Just do as you say. They can guard the imperial palace. It would be fine as long as they insist till the Shi Army returns.”
The emperor got confident, and the others were not as puzzled as before. They just surrounded Mo Junyang, as if they would be safer as long as they were closer to him.
After hearing the news that the betrayers attacked the city, Mo Junhao stopped trying to please Shi Qingxue and rushed back to the party.
But all people’s attention was on Mo Junyang, and even Mo Junhao’s followers didn’t notice him.
Mo Junhao lowered his eyes and pretended to ask casually, “Who is so bold as to challenge the royal family’s power?”
After he said that, all people were stunned.
In fact, they should first investigate who the enemies were, but all people thought about their lives just now and didn’t care even if they thought of this matter.
Till now, Mo Xiangbin got furious after Mo Junhao mentioned it.
How could Mo Xiangbin endure it when somebody challenged the royal power so brazenly?
He asked Wu Zhi, “Who is the leader of the betrayers?”
Wu Zhi trembled and answered, “I don’t know. The betrayers are dressed in military officer’s uniform of the Mo Country, and they just have a white cloth tied up on the right arm as a difference. They have fifty thousand people. The cavalrymen and foot soldiers fought in the front and we didn’t see a leader…”
He said a lot but didn’t have a useful conclusion.
Mo Xiangbin threw Wu Zhi to the ground impatiently and cursed loudly in a rage, “A bunch of punks!”
“Father, don’t be angry. Take care,” Mo Junhao expressed with concern in a hurry and stepped forward to support Mo Xiangbin who almost fainted out of anger.
After Mo Xiangbin managed with effort to stand steadily, he shook off Mo Junhao’s hand and even ignored him, just asking Mo Junyang, “Junyang, where do you think the betrayers came from?”
Mo Junyang shook his head as he didn’t know. He answered calmly, “Your Majesty, don’t worry. No matter who they are, we will get the result soon.”
As soon as he finished his words, a eunuch rushed in, as if to confirm his words.
“Your Majesty, bad news. Bad news…”
Mo Xiangbin felt his head buzzing and blood rising. He was shaky again.
He insisted and rebuked the eunuch, “Bastard, I am still alive. Do you want to curse me?”
The young eunuch was terrified and his legs softened. He knelt on the ground instantly.
Mo Xiangbin didn’t have the patience to listen to him and waved one hand to interrupt him. “Cut the crap. What else happened? Why are you in such a hurry?”
The young eunuch quivered and responded, “I guard the Cold Palace under orders. Just now I sent dinner for the third prince and then found, found that…”
His voice got lower and lower, and at last almost nobody could hear him.
Mo Xiangbin was not in the mood to guess what a servant was thinking about. He kicked this eunuch away and reproached angrily, “Didn’t I provide you with food? Speak loudly. What happened to the third prince?”
After all, that was his biological son. Even though Mo Xiangbin spoke ruthlessly, put Mo Junjiu under house arrest and deprived him of his title earlier, he couldn’t bear to make Mo Junjiu suffer from injustice in daily life.
After being kicked to fall backward with hands and legs in the air, the eunuch felt that his internal organs were not in the right places, but he didn’t have the nerve to shout “ouch”. He got up at once and reported while trembling, “His Highness is missing!”
“What?”
All people were astonished.
The Cold Palace was heavily guarded. Anybody from outside couldn’t enter and the people inside couldn’t get out.
The guards patrolled three times every day. How could he be missing easily?
But when they thought of the rebellious soldiers attacking the city, everything was obvious.
Mo Xiangbin suddenly fell backward, and Mo Junhao supported him swiftly, but the emperor turned ghastly pale and almost fainted in fury.
At this time, Wei Ziye who had gone out to inquire came back.
He ignored the weird atmosphere and reported to Mo Junyang, “The rebellious soldiers attack aggressively and have crossed the river. They are heading to the imperial palace. The City Guardian Army has retreated to the outside of the palace.”
The first defense line was broken.
All people panicked again.
Mo Xiangbin was supported by Mo Junhao, but he stared at Wei Ziye and questioned resentfully, “Have you found out who their leader is?”
Wei Ziye glanced at Mo Junyang hesitantly and didn’t know if he should answer.
“Tell me now!”
Mo Xiangbin stepped forward and shouted angrily.
It seemed that if Wei Ziye didn’t speak, Mo Xiangbin would kick him.
Wei Ziye had to reply honestly, “I saw the third prince on horseback in the rebellious army in the distance.”
Mo Xiangbin heard the truth and rolled his eyes before going into a coma.
“Father!”
“Your Majesty!”
All people surrounded him and Mo Junhao shouted at the servants in a hurry, “Call for a royal doctor, now!”
“Carry His Majesty to his bedroom first! It’s not safe to be here.”
“But without His Majesty, how can we resist the enemies…”
“Haven’t you seen that His Majesty has passed out? How can he resist the enemies? If something happens to him, can you take the responsibility?”
The crown prince’s and the fourth prince’s followers argued violently and nobody wanted to surrender.
Their leaders Mo Junyu and Mo Junhao didn’t say anything and let their followers quarrel. They stayed next to Mo Xiangbin who was in a coma and played good and dutiful sons.
Mo Xiangbin was awakened by the screams and felt that his head was buzzing. He was so furious that he roared, “What are you arguing about? Do you want to irritate me to death?”
“I don’t dare to!”
“We don’t dare to!”
For a moment, everybody around was as silent as a winter cicada.
Mo Xiangbin didn’t want to tell who was sincere or hypocritical. He pushed away his two sons in front of him and waved at Mo Junyang standing in the distance. “Junyang, come here.”
As soon as he woke up, he called Mo Junyang. His trust and love for his nephew even made Mo Junyu unhappy who sided with Mo Junyang, let alone Mo Junhao.
Mo Junyang seemed not to notice the different expressions on all people’s faces and walked to Mo Xiangbin unhurriedly.
His hands were grabbed by Mo Xiangbin, and he just asked casually, “Your Majesty, what can I do for you?”
Mo Xiangbin’s face was dark and still pale. He just grasped Mo Junyang’s wrist and almost left scratching symbols on his hand.
But he still insisted and sat up, telling Mo Junyang while stressing each word, “I will let you handle this case. You must capture that rebellious bastard for me. I…ahem… I will ask that beast. How… How did he…”
Mo Xiangbin was breathless and couldn’t even speak.
Mo Xiangbin recovered a little after Mo Junyang patted his back, and then demanded, “Anyway, I will give you anybody or soldiers if you need. You must deal with it for me.”
Mo Junyang pondered for a while before replying directly, “I need the command power of the imperial guards.”
“Hiss!”
All people gasped after hearing that.
They looked at Mo Junyang with hidden meanings in their eyes and didn’t expect that he dared to have a daylight robbery at the crucial moment.
Even if Mo Junyang really needed the command, he shouldn’t speak out straightforwardly.
Any emperor didn’t want to give it out. Wasn’t Mo Junyang courting death?
Even if he could kill all the rebellious soldiers and capture Mo Junjiu as Mo Xiangbin hoped, it would be uncertain after that.
The capable subordinate would be abandoned by the master after finishing the important jobs.
It was a result which could be expected.
Everybody gazed at Mo Xiangbin and waited for him to lose temper.